City parks get especially busy during a heatwave (Picture: Getty Images)
With urban homes often having limited outside space, many city-dwellers are forced to head to the park when it’s hot out.
Every grassy knoll becomes prime real estate once temperatures hit 20°C — but while this influx of people makes for a lively summer atmosphere, it can also cause clashes.
For some, a park is a sanctuary: somewhere to stretch out with a book, catch up with friends or let children toddle around safely. For others, however, green spaces for kickabouts, frisbee matches and impromptu games of catch.
The result, during crowded periods, is a seasonal battle between those seeking peace and those determined to play — a tension which often spills over online.
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Users on social media have complained about what they see as inconsiderate behaviour from a group Metro has dubbed ‘ball-busters’, who obliviously encroach on packed public spaces with their games.
It’s important to caveat that parks are for everyone, and not every park-goer who enjoying impromptu five-a-side match with their mates is being disruptive.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets a football to the forehead (Picture: Getty Images)
The offending party here is instead defined by a lack of awareness (or care) of those around them; sending objects flying into quiet picnics and sunbathers, busting apart others’ enjoyment and unwritten social rules alike.
‘My four-year-old daughter has had a ball kicked full force in to the side of her face and her leg so we stay away now,’ Clare Court wrote on one UK park Facebookgroup.
‘I won’t take my little one there after nearly having a ball to her face, I just caught it myself,’ added another, Charlene Thompson. ‘After explaining to the kid it says no balls I had a mouthful of language back.’
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Dad Andy Coley, from Hither Green, London, has experienced this first-hand, telling Metro: ‘I’ve been at the park and had footballs cruising through the middle of the picnic, almost knocking the food over. And sometimes people get more energetic and start swearing, which isn’t very nice
The 50-year-old leadership trainer and author of Leadership is a Skill, continues: ‘It’s just situational awareness; checking on the people around you, and making sure it’s appropriate for where you are.’
What is your opinion on ball games in public parks?
They should be allowed everywhere, parks are for everyone.
They should be limited to designated areas to respect others.
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They should be banned altogether.
Some dismiss these complaints as over-sensitive grumbling though, including 45-year-old Jen Mellor from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, who tells Metro: ‘[People playing games like football or frisbee] promotes physical activity for all ages, encourages a community spirit if others join in, and makes good use of these spaces.
‘No one has any right above anyone else, so just position yourself away from anyone that’s doing anything you will interrupt or find will annoy you. Parks are for everyone young and old.’
Under a Facebook post where a woman complained about being hit by a stray ball, one user commented: It’s a park and a ball. It’s not the end of the world.’
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‘Get a life, I’d rather kids play with balls on grass than watch them smash up a car because they are bored,’ added another, while a third, this time on Reddit, wrote: ‘You’re the same miserable people who moan that kids spend too much time indoors and need to get out more in the fresh air.’
Consider saving your frisbee games until it’s quieter (Picture: Getty Images)
But ‘ball-busting’ isn’t a new phenomenon, and many public parks have had rules in place for decades to combat the behaviour.
In the Government’s model byelaws — which local authorities can adapt as required — councils have the option to ban ball games altogether, restrict them to designated areas, or require players outside these zones not to ‘exclude persons not playing ball games from use of that part’ or ’cause danger or give reasonable grounds for annoyance to any other person’.
Meanwhile, the The Royal Parks website states: ‘Ball games are only permitted in certain areas of some of the parks. These ball games must also be informal, which we define as “jumpers for goalposts”.’
The psychology of ‘ball-busting’
So, why do some people become ‘ball-busters’ in the first place — and why do others struggle without calm and quiet, even in public spaces?
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According to Dr Bijal Chheda, consultant chartered psychologist and founder of Nos Curare, it’s all down to differences in how people experience stimulation, social environments and shared space.
‘Many people genuinely see public parks as spaces designed for movement and social interaction, so activities like ball games or frisbee feel completely appropriate to them,’ she tells Metro.
‘It’s not that they’re being inconsiderate, they’re often just experiencing the environment differently from those around them.’
Dr Chheda says some may not immediately recognise the impact their behaviour has on others due to differences in ‘spatial awareness, impulsivity or attention regulation’, which can be linked to neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD and autism.
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It’s all about how you interpret the social mores of being out in public (Picture: Getty Images)
She also notes that we each naturally have a different tolerance for noise, movement and unpredictability in shared space, explaining: ‘In many cases, individuals underestimate the impact of their behaviour because they assume everyone shares the same expectations of public space that they do.’
On the opposite end of the scale, certain people may find it difficult to relax unless in a calmer, more predictable environment — particularly if they have anxiety, autism, OCD or sensory sensitivities.
‘Their brain may process surrounding stimulation more intensely, making busy public spaces harder to emotionally manage,’ Dr Chheda adds.
Over time, she warns, this can lead some people to avoid public spaces altogether if they begin associating them with sensory overwhelm or distressing past experiences.
Upbringing may shape how people react to noisy park behaviour too, as preferences ‘often rooted in how our values were internalised over time’.
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The psychologist stresses that neither side is inherently wrong, but ‘when we understand where others are coming from, we’re better equipped to navigate these shared spaces with kindness and respect.’
‘Be sure to notice how crowded the space is, how close others are sitting and whether children, elderly people or nervous dogs are nearby,’ she advises.
‘Small adjustments, such as moving to a more open area or lowering noise levels when spaces are busy, often help shared environments feel more respectful without stopping you from enjoying the fun.’
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Wednesday it targeted and killed the new leader of Hamas’ military wing during airstrikes in Gaza City less than two weeks after killing his predecessor.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and the Israeli military said the strikes carried out Tuesday killed Mohammed Odeh. Hamas did not comment on Odeh.
At least five people were killed and 12 injured in Tuesday’s strike on a market including Odeh, his wife, son and daughter and another woman, local hospitals said. The attack came on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday.
Thousands of people gathered Wednesday for the joint funeral of Odeh’s family in Gaza City. Mourners covered the four bodies with green Hamas flags and marched from a mosque through the city, chanting and firing shots in the air. Some carried posters with Odeh’s poster emblazoned with the words “one of the chiefs of staffs of the Qassam Brigades,” referring to Hamas’ military wing.
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Katz called him “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered over two years of war in Gaza and said it was the fourth time Israel has killed the head of Hamas’ military wing since that massacre. Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the previous head, was killed on May 16.
“We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre and this is what we will do: they are all bound to die, everywhere,” Katz wrote on X on Wednesday. “We pledged that Hamas will not hold civilian or military rule.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for elections in the fall, also threatened that Israel will target everyone involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
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A grim Eid in Gaza
The attack came as Muslims prepared for Eid al-Adha, normally a joyous time of family gatherings and large meals.
The holiday once again is subdued this year in Gaza, where the vast majority of people remain displaced and live in tents or temporary shelters after a devastating war. Around 90% of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, according to U.N. estimates, with most of them now sheltering in huge tent camps with rat infestations and pools of sewage. They are dependent on aid to survive.
Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice,” is an Islamic holiday celebrated by millions of Muslims across the globe. The four-day holiday, which begins during the Hajj pilgrimage, also is known for being a joyous occasion during which families gather, and children are given new clothes and gifts.
“This is not Eid … we’re dead,” said Mahmoud Saqer, a displaced man from Khan Younis, who described people as being distressed by the ongoing human suffering and killings in the territory.
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In Khan Younis and Gaza City, amid destroyed buildings, including a ruined mosque, people gathered for Eid prayers with few signs of celebration beyond a few clusters of balloons lining one street. Tahrir al-Khatib said the joy that accompanies Eid has been silenced in Gaza.
“There’s no Eid. My children were killed. Eid is only for the people who lost no one,” said Ayda Al-Banna, a displaced women from Gaza City, who prayed Eid prayers with her granddaughter.
Fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza
A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October remains fragile. Israeli attacks have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. Israel says its attacks are in response to violations by Hamas or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials say scores of civilians have been among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period in Gaza.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks in October 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
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The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says over 72,803 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas government, does not give a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths. ___
Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled contributed from Cairo.
Two people have been taken to hospital after a car crashed into a garden hedge in a Cambridgeshire hamlet near Wisbech. Cambridgeshire Police were called to March Road, Coldham, at just before 7pm on Friday, May 22, following reports of a collision.
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Two men who were inside the car, a Volvo XC90, were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. One of the men suffered serious and potentially life-changing injuries and remains in hospital. The front garden hedge was positioned in front of a house. Police confirmed that nobody inside the house was injured.
An investigation has been launched into the incident. Police are now asking for anyone who witnessed the collision, saw the vehicles before the crash or has relevant dashcam footage to come forward.
You can report any information through the force website quoting incident 515 of 22 May. You can also call 101 if you do not have access to the internet.
To get more news and top stories delivered directly to your phone, join our new WhatsApp community.Click this linkto receive your daily dose of CambridgeshireLive content.
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Speaking from the scene, assistant commissioner Craig Carter said: “Our specialist Fire Investigators, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Service, have worked at pace to establish that the circumstances of the fire are not believed to be suspicious and investigations on the cause and origin of the fire are ongoing.”
Recently, Portsdown View care home in Bedhampton welcomed two local police officers from Havant Police for a special visit for residents and staff. Organised to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the visit encouraged open conversations around the role trust, reassurance, and social support can play in supporting positive mental health outcomes for older adults.
Staff and residents at Marriott House and Lodge care home in Chichester are over the moon because their brilliant Managing Director, Duncan Edwards, from Barchester’s South West Division, and his team of fellow MDs have really brought home the bacon and won the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2026.
But after being breathalysed the driver was found to under the legal limit, North Yorkshire Police said.
Three police vans were seen at the Asda Express petrol station in Boroughbridge Road at around 8.30pm on Tuesday (May 26).
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said it followed a “call with good intent reporting two men who appeared to be drunk and a potential drink driving offence”.
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However, “the driver was found to be under the legal limit” when breathalysed, they said.
Well-known couple Laura Davies and James Campbell have taken over the former Black A Moor Inn near Ripon and given the former coaching in a complete make-over, as well as a re-brand, creating the Furlong and Furrow.
The couple aim to offer the best gastropub food, something they gained an outstanding reputation for when they ran the Malt Shovel at Brearton, north of Harrogate.
On Friday, they staged an opening night with live music and plenty of prosecco and canapes.
Laura told the Press: “The support we got from locals, suppliers and faces old and new was tear jerking.”
“We are truly overwhelmed and so so grateful for the incredible response to our arrival.”
A collection of canapes (Image: Pic supplied)
Both the pub, which is at Bridge Hewick, to the south-east of Ripon, and its car park were full.
Laura said: “It was such a great night, beginning with prosecco on arrival and the gorgeous Amara of Amara Music, York, kickstarting with her beautiful tones. She’s a wonderful singer, we highly recommend her.”
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James Campbell (Image: Pic supplied)
Next came Jimmy and Charlie, a duo from Ripon, with their sixties and seventies mod music, “who were brilliant.”
Laura continued: “The fresh canapes, which were snippets from our menu flowed throughout the night with some fantastic feedback.
“The sun shone and so many got to soak up some evening rays and watch the sunset with the most stunning views. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful, picturesque venue.”
A happy team (Image: Pic supplied)
“Meeting the locals was excellent. They were so welcoming. We are really looking forward to our future in the historically beautiful Ripon. It doesn’t really get enough praise.”
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Laura is keen to thank everyone for their support over the opening weekend, which was dominated by rare bank holiday hot sunshine.
Laura Davies (Image: Pic supplied)
She says there were a few teething problems as can be expected on an opening weekend, which have now been resolved bar the phone lines, which should be sorted today (Wed).
Laura added: “Teamwork makes the dream work and we are proud to have been supported and been supported by so many local businesses. Community is what it’s about and boy do we have a good one!”
Five people who were trapped for more than a week inside a flooded cave in Laos have been found alive, rescuers said on Wednesday.
The search efforts to locate the two others are still ongoing.
Seven local villagers became trapped on 20 May after entering an abandoned gold mine in central Laos’s Xaysomboun province – about 125 kilometres northeast of the capital Vientiane – reportedly in search of gold. Heavy rain caused flash flooding, blocking their exit. Eight people had gone inside the cave, but one had escaped.
Earlier, rescuers had said that they were “racing against time” to save seven people trapped inside the flooded cave for over a week.
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“We’ve found 5 people alive and all safe. There are still 2 people we are searching for,” Rescue Volunteer for People said on social media.
“I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” Bounkham Luanglath, who works with the Lao rescue group, told the Associated Press.
In this image released by Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, rescuers try to reach people who have been trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, Tuesday, 26 May 2026 (Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue)
According to The Laotian Times, the five were hungry and exhausted but in stable condition.
The international search team were considering a last-ditch effort to explore the cave’s last chamber as the mission entered its eighth day, they said on social media.
On Facebook, Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong wrote: “At 4.30pm, we found our target. We found five people. We are looking for the other two.
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A Finnish specialist, Mikko Paasi, who was also involved in the 2018 rescue of the footballers from Thailand’s Tham Luang cave, arrived to help with the Laos operation earlier this week after videos showed parts of the Xaysomboun cave completely flooded with muddy waters.
On Wednesday, after the five were found alive, Mr Paasi said that “this is only a brief relief as the 5 survivors are still in the terminal chamber, all healthy and in good spirits, but the extraction is still ahead and it ain’t going to be easy”.
Earlier, he wrote on social media that “we are racing against time” and that “the way in is full of challenges”.
Members of a rescue team work to save seven people trapped in a cave, at a location given as Xaisomboun Province, Laos, in this handout image released 26 May 2026 (Reuters)
He said that the team was considering a final search dive into the cave’s last chamber if safety conditions allowed. He warned that the rescue effort was becoming increasingly urgent as the seventh day passed and access to the cave remained extremely difficult.
On his Instagram, Mr Paasi said: “The environment is extremely remote and hostile, that starts with a 4km jungle track to the site and when inside the mine, you have to navigate hundreds of metres of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards and high risk of contaminated air quality.”
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He added: “Yesterday was spent elevating safety standards by building road access, installing air flow and water pumps and even Wi-Fi cable to the terminal chamber where the diving starts.”
Authorities and local residents have been pumping water out of the cave, but rescue teams have so far been unable to reach the group. State-run Lao Economic Daily reported that water levels had dropped considerably by Wednesday morning as pumping operations continued.
On Tuesday, rescue crews had inched closer to the trapped men after breaking through 15 metres of obstacles in a day.
In this release, Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, rescuers work to reach seven people who have been trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, Monday, 25 May 2026 (AP)
The cave is deep and difficult to access, with narrow passages and steep rocky sections. Despite official warnings, locals continued entering the cave in search of gold, according to Mr Luanglath of the Laos Rescue Volunteer for People. He told the Associated Press on Monday that the site had long attracted frequent visitors hoping to find precious metals.
One person from the group escaped earlier after noticing floodwaters rising quickly due to heavy rain, but the other seven became trapped inside. Their predicament was only reported publicly nearly three days later.
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Earlier, Mr Paasi said the missing seven “should be trapped in the terminal chamber” around 300 metres from the exit.
In this image released by Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, rescuers talk to Finnish rescue diver Mikko Paasi, centre, as they try to reach people who have been trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, Tuesday, 26 May 2026 (Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue)
“We are still in high spirits that we will find the miners alive as they entered the mine with resources to stay sub-terrain for several days,” he added.
In an interview with CBS News, he had admitted that even if the trapped miners were still alive, rescuers may not be able to bring them out if they are too weak or unconscious. He said that attempting to drag them through the cave would be extremely dangerous.
Caves across the landlocked Southeast Asian country are a major draw for adventure tourists, but local activists also say that many rural residents venture into them searching for gold and other valuable minerals.
According to local reports, villagers from the region gathered near the entrance of the cave on Wednesday morning before the rescue operation resumed to hold a traditional spiritual ceremony. They reportedly offered chickens and rice alcohol to spirits believed to protect the mountain and those involved in the rescue effort.
A body has been found in the search for a 17-year-old boy last seen in a Cheshire lake, police have said.
A Cheshire Constabulary spokesman said officers were called to reports of a missing boy last seen in the water at Pickmere Lake, near Northwich, at 4.50pm on Tuesday.
Extensive searches were carried out and a body, believed to be the missing teenager, was later recovered from the lake, the spokesman said.
Chief Inspector Jamie Lewis said: “This was a young boy who had his entire life ahead of him. At what is an incredibly difficult time, our thoughts remain with the boy’s family, friends and everyone who knew him.”
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He added: “Over the bank holiday weekend, we have sadly seen the very real dangers of swimming in open water.
“We understand that with the warm weather many people could be tempted to take a dip in open water to cool off, but residents must be aware of the potential deadly consequences.”
Prison officer Michaela Crawford sent flirty texts to prisoner Carl Catleugh about first dates, heels, perfume and plans for life after his release from HMP Deerbolt
A prison officer has been spared jail after exchanging flirtatious messages with an inmate.
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Michaela Crawford sent texts to prisoner Carl Catleugh about first dates, heels, perfume and plans for life after his release. The relationship came to light after an iPhone and charger, wrapped in a sock, were found during a search of his cell.
Durham Crown Court heard a string of illicit Snapchat and text messages between the pair were discovered on the device. In one, Catleugh wrote: “I obviously really like you..I do think we could make it work.” Crawford replied saying she wanted “to wear those heels and wear that perfume on the first date.”
Catleugh also sent pictures from his cell at HMP Deerbolt, County Durham, where he was serving a 42-month sentence for possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Catleugh, now 32, admitted possessing a prohibited item in a prison and was handed an eight-month sentence suspended for 18 months, plus 120 hours of unpaid work. Crawford, 34, admitted a charge of misconduct in public office, between August 20 and 22, 2024.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Chris Baker, defending, conceded the case “clearly crosses the custody threshold by some distance”. But he said Crawford is of previous good character, made an early guilty plea, and described it as a breach of trust over “a relatively short period”.
He added: “She has left the Prison Service and is assessed in the probation report as posing a low risk of re-offending. It’s clear from the references uploaded that she’s a person who commands a great deal of respect in the community. She’s industrious and hard-working.” Baker said she had suffered with depression and anxiety, but they have alleviated since the left the prison service.
Judge Mark McKone told Crawford that as a prison officer, “a great deal of trust was placed in you,” adding: “Yet, you allowed a prisoner to keep and use a phone on which you discussed a first date, and in some messages you referred to you risking losing your job and going to jail. You knew how dangerous it was to allow a prisoner to have a phone.”
McKone added there was no evidence of the defendant smuggling the phone in for the inmate, otherwise she would definitely be going straight to prison. He continued: “It’s very sad you put your own romantic interest in a criminal above doing your job. You won’t work as a prison officer again. But, I accept you are hard-working and a good mother.”
Passing a 12-month suspended sentence, Mckone said Crawford was capable of rehabilitation and unlikely to re-offend. He said she has her own business and lives alone with a young son, who has “his own issues”. Crawford must perform 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £150 by September 1.
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