The parents, whose son was diagnosed with leukaemia at just 17 months old, shared their story on the BBC show on Monday (February 9)
A dad was emotional on BBC Breakfast as he told how his toddler was diagnosed with leukaemia and almost died. Andy Hines spoke out as part of a report into the former Corby steel works in Northamptonshire, which many people believe caused birth defects and childhood cancers in the area. Its story was told in the Netflix show Toxic Town last year.
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He appeared on the BBC programme on Monday (February 9) alongside his son Fraser’s mum, Alison Gaffney, who said: “Never found anger through any of this. Just hurt.”
Speaking on the show, which was hosted by Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, she said: “Our consultant just said, ‘We’re dealing with something we’ve never dealt with before. We’ve done testing, and it’s showing a really rare form of this cancer with gene rearrangements.”
“To hear your consultant say that about your son, you just break,” said Andy.
Fraser was diagnosed at 17 months, and he is now nine, but the report said he “nearly died”.
“His life expectancy is shortened because he’s had a transplant and he’s at high risk of a secondary cancer,” said Alison.
“The amount of people we know personally that have kids with cancer, this is not normal,” said Andy.
The BBC Breakfast report said: “In its heyday, Corby steel works was the biggest in Europe. Following its closure in 1980, a huge dismantling operation got underway, which sent polluting clouds into the atmosphere… A number of babies in the area were born with abnormalities.”
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It continued: “In 2009, the High Court agreed with claims that Corby Borough Council had been negligent with the clean-up of the steelworks and that there could be a link with birth defects in the area. It was a landmark case.”
The 2009 High Court case focused on limb deformities in babies potentially caused by hazardous airborne dust. Alison, Andy, and other families’ concerns are focused on where the waste was buried and whether there is a link to childhood cancer.
Corby Borough Council was abolished in 2021 and replaced by North Northamptonshire Council. Last month, they published two sets of findings on childhood cancer rates following requests by families.
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They found that childhood cancer rates in Corby were no higher than elsewhere in England. The council said: “We approached this analysis with seriousness and sensitivity, ensuring the most robust methods were used and that the work was independently reviewed. The findings provide reassurance that childhood cancer rates in Corby are not higher than expected.”
Families have asked to see the raw data used to come to this conclusion. But the council has not released it, citing strict and important data protection rules.
Lawyer Des Collins, who represented families at the High Court in 2009, said: “The only way to address it, in my view, is for there to be a full statutory public employment to determine precisely what happened to this waste. Where it is, whether it can be located at the moment, whether it should be dug up at the moment. And finally, is it causing any health problems?”
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BBC Breakfast’s reporter explained: “Public inquiries can only be initiated by the government. In a statement, North Northamptonshire Council said: “Our records, originally held by Corby Borough Council, do not show the movement of waste to sites other than Deene Quarry. We were made aware of a document last week that indicates some waste may have been moved to another location. And we are currently considering that information.
“At this point in time, this council does not consider that the threshold has been met to call upon the government for a public inquiry.”
Meanwhile, Rock appeared to mime his way through his performance of 1999 hit “Bawitdaba”, clips of which are being mocked on social media. A pre-recorded version of the song could be heard playing as the musician lowered his microphone away from his mouth. In other moments of the song, his mouth does not match the audio.
“Kid Rock is blatantly lip syncing, it’s all prerecorded & he wasn’t even trying,” one person wrote on X-Twitter, with another adding: “Kid Rock forgets his lyrics during his song showing all the MAGA Far Right that he wasn’t even singing. What a complete and utter embarrassment.”
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An additional person wrote: “Kid Rock couldn’t even be bothered to sing live. Instead, some truly awful lip-syncing.”
The Independent has contacted Kid Rock for comment.
Turning Point USA, founded by late far-right commentator Charlie Kirk, announced its alternative halftime show last October amid mounting conservative criticism over the selection of Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, as the Super Bowl halftime performer.
Kid Rock, an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, went on to say that the show was engineered for conservative Americans to celebrate their patriotism, adding that right-wing views are not represented in mainstream media.
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He said: “There’s a big portion of this country, like it or not, that’s underserved entertainment-wise. We’re just [going to] go play for our base. You know, people who love America, love football, love Jesus.”
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Kid Rock appeared to mime his way through 1999 hit ‘Bawitdaba’ (YouTube/Turning Point USA)
At the time of writing, the concert has been viewed 18 million times, with many viewers noting on social media that they clicked on the video out of curiosity.
The White House expressed support for TPUSA’s show, reposting a video of it on social media. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on X that his family had tuned in.
President Trump also bashed the official Super Bowl mid-game show in a post on Truth Social, labelling it “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER!”
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But, despite harsh criticism from Trump and his allies, more Americans were interested in watching Bad Bunny perform in Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show than Turning Point USA’s MAGA fest.
A YouGov America survey released Friday found that 35 percent of respondents prefer Bad Bunny’s show compared to 28 percent who said they were more interested in the Kid Rock-headlined event.
Bad Bunny performing Super Bowl half-time show (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
This year’s Super Bowl saw the Seattle Seahawks triumph over the New England Patriots by 29 points to 13 to claim their second-ever victory.
One resident said the high street has a ‘lot of nail bars and barbers’
Residents are “sad” to see more nail bars and barbers in a city high street – with some saying it is “missing” a variety of other shops. UK high streets have changed over the years, with many recognisable brands leaving cities and towns.
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With rising costs, some independent shops have sadly been forced to close their doors. In Ely, there are several independent shops, cafes, and restaurants that fill the high street, which brings joy to residents. However, some residents feel there are still certain shops “missing” from the high street.
A woman who has lived in Ely for 35 years, and wished to remain anonymous, said Ely is a “beautiful” place to live, but she is “sad” about the high street. She said: “We have a lot of nail bars and barbers.
“We do have some independent cafes and some lovely independent shops, but it could be a lot better. It’s sad to see places boarded up and closed.
“I know that is true of high streets up and down the country. I am happy for people to have thriving businesses, but there needs to be a balance.”
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James Smith said: “We do have a good mix of stuff like cafes and restaurants, but we are starting to see more barbers and things like that pop up. It’s not a bad thing as everyone needs a haircut, but we need more of other shops.”
Emma Lebedyeva, who works at Topping and Company Books in the high street, thinks there are a “lot of charity shops” in Ely. She added: “It’s great, as I love charity shop shopping.
“However, I think we’re missing a lot of high street shops that we used to have. I used to live here when I was a teenager and recently moved back. There used to be various high street shops that you could go to and they were sort of better.”
As well as improving the high street, Jack Sanford, who works alongside Emma, thinks Ely could offer more to younger people.
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He said: “There’s not much for younger people here. There is some stuff for children, but not young adults or teenagers.
“Other than walking around the countryside, but when you have done that it’s just flat land. So there could be more for younger people to do.”
Just like most places, long-term resident Hayley Armitage also believes facilities such as doctors need to be “better” in Ely. She added: “Ely has a good history and good facilities, except the doctors”.
A driver has been arrested after they crashed their car into a tree. On Saturday February 7, a driver, who had been drinking the previous night, crashed into a tree in March.
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Police were called on Saturday just before 1pm to the scene of the crash. The car had crashed into a tree, blocking Knights End Road, which remained closed while the car was recovered.
A breath test conducted at the scene showed that the driver was almost three times over the legal limit. At the time, the driver admitted to having been drinking the night before.
A Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “A vehicle had left the road, collided with a tree, and then landed back on the carriageway.
“On arrival, officers conducted a roadside breath test on the driver, who blew 100µg – almost three times the legal limit of 35µg. The driver admitted to drinking the night before.
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“They were arrested at the scene and taken to Peterborough City Hospital by Ambulance with serious but not life‑threatening injuries.” Police have warned that drinking the night before can still leave you over the legal limit the next day. If you’re unsure, don’t drive.
Inquiries into the case remain ongoing. If you have any information about this incident, please contact 101 using reference number CAD-236 of 07/02/26.
Among the locations set for closure this year are 19 UK bank branches that are shutting down in February.
The Lloyds Banking Group, which runs Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland, will shut 71 branches across 2026.
Among those planned closures are 40 Lloyds bank branches, 14 Halifax location and 17 Bank of Scotland sites.
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All of the businesses have cited the increase in the number of people banking online rather than in person as one of the reasons behind the planned branch closures.
These are the branches closing in February.
Halifax bank closures
Thetford – February 4
Belfast (Castle Court) – February 4
Kendal – February 10
Belfast (Connswater Shopping Centre) – February 10
Gillingham – February 11
Lloyds bank closures
Swindon – February 3
Kendal – February 10
Brecon – February 11
Cranbrook – February 11
Wadebridge – February 17
Stow-on-the-Wold – February 17
Brynmawr – February 17
St Ives – February 24
Chesham – February 24
Liskeard – February 24
Kenilworth – February 24
Bank of Scotland bank closures
Thetford – February 4
Belfast (Castle Court) – February 4
Kendal – February 10
Belfast (Connswater Shopping Centre) – February 10
Gillingham – February 11
Santander is also closing a host of bank branches this year.
The Spain-based banking giant announced the closure of 44 of its sites in a move putting 291 jobs at risk.
It comes less than a year after the business announced the closure of 95 branches last March, in a round of cuts which hit 750 workers.
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Santander said closing branches will be replaced with “community bankers”, who will operate from Santander Local stores or banking hubs to keep a presence in local communities.
Santander bank closures
This is the full list of Santander bank branch closures scheduled for this year.
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
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Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Laura Woods and Eni Aluko disagree on the make-up of women’s football coverage (Pictures: Getty)
Laura Woods has hit out at Eni Aluko after her ‘damaging’ comments on who should and shouldn’t cover women’s football on television.
The presenter also suggested there are many reasons why pundits are selected for big games, including how ‘likeable’ a person is.
Former England forward Aluko slammed the BBC and ITV for including male pundits in the coverage of the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 final with Spain.
The 38-year-old had previously made a similar point, hitting out at Ian Wright for ‘blocking’ opportunities for female broadcasters by appearing regularly on women’s football.
Speaking on the 90s Baby Show podcast, she said: ‘In the women’s game the opportunities are even more limited, so the main characters of the show should be the women.
‘Men should be part of that. I’m not saying anybody should be excluded, I believe in diversity wholeheartedly, but the same way we’ve played a role in the men’s game that’s a supporting role, you’re part of the ensemble, you’re never going to get the premium final games, it should be the same way for women’s football.
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Ian Wright, Eni Aluko and Karen Carney working on ITV in 2023 (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I think we need to gatekeep the women’s game in a way that the men’s game is gatekept. What I mean by that is, and you’ve heard me talk about the journey of women’s football, it’s taken a while, it’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get the women’s game to where it is now. There’s a lot of people, including me, who have planted a lot of seeds to be reaping what we’re reaping now… TV, money coming into the game, investment, and it’s still growing.
‘From my perspective, we didn’t go through all of that – blood, sweat and tears – for women to be second place in our own sport. What are we doing?
‘That’s my point, the women’s game should be by women for women. Male allies should absolutely support that but when it gets to the point where you’re the main character of the show, we’re just repeating the patriarchal stuff that we’ve been fighting against.
Eni Aluko sparked controversy with her comments on a podcast (90s Baby Show)
‘Now whoever that upsets, that upsets, but that’s the reality. I’ve always been protective about women’s football because I’ve done a lot, I’ve invested a lot, I was doing women’s football when it didn’t pay to do women’s football. Now we’re reaping the rewards I’m like women should be winning right now.
‘My point is, I’ve never done a major final in men’s football for eleven years, I’ve done three World Cups, men’s Euros, Champions League, I’ve never had that opportunity, and maybe rightly so, I’d probably say rightly so because again, I think the guys should always be ahead of me, the main guys.
‘Last year, at the Women’s Lionesses final, I’m sat in the stands, I wasn’t on ITV for the final, Fara Williams was sat next to me, Fara Williams has 170 caps [172 caps] for England, something ridiculous, I think she’s the most-capped player, she’s sat in the stands.
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Eni Aluko questioned the BBC’s decision to have Nedum Onuoha as part of their punditry team for England’s Euro 2025 final against Spain (BBC)
‘The two broadcasters that had the rights for the game – ITV and BBC – on BBC you’ve got Ellen White, Steph Houghton and Nedum Onuoha, no offence to Nedum Onuoha, nothing against him, I don’t know whether he played for England or not, but you’re on the main panel for the final for England Women.
‘Let’s go over to ITV, I’m in the stands with 105 caps, so you’ve got two women, between us we’ve got 290 caps, something ridiculous, you turn over to ITV and it’s Ian Wright, Emma Hayes and Kaz Carney.
‘So out of six punditry spots, two have gone to men. Meanwhile you’ve got 290 caps, whatever it is, sitting in the stands.
Woods and Aluko have worked together numerous times (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I’ve just told you I’ve never done a final. I’m probably going to struggle to think of any women, a female pundit, who has done a men’s major final as a pundit. I’m not talking about presenters, people like to conflate the two, it’s a different role, it’s like comparing a forward and a defender, it’s different jobs, I’m talking about as a pundit, it doesn’t happen, so something is not right there because I’m saying this is still quite new where you’re watching women’s finals on TV, why are people like me and Fara not there?
‘It’s nothing against Ian, it’s nothing against them, I’m just saying broadly speaking we need to be aware of that because if we’re building a game where the limited opportunities are now being taken by men, where we can’t go into the men’s game and get the same opportunities, we’re stuck.’
Laura Woods slams ‘damaging’ comments
Woods, who has worked alongside Aluko in covering women’s football is not on board with her claims at all and made pointed comments on who has been given the roles of working on the biggest Lionesses matches.
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‘Caps don’t win automatic work and they don’t make a brilliant pundit either,’ Woods wrote on X. ‘The way you communicate, articulate yourself, do your research, inform your audience, how likeable you are and the chemistry you have with your panel are what makes a brilliant pundit.
‘”The women’s game should be by women for women,” is one of the most damaging phrases I’ve heard. It will not only drag women’s sport backwards, it will drag women’s punditry in all forms of the game backwards.
Woods, Jill Scott and Aluko on ITV’s coverage of England men’s World Cup quarter-final with France in Qatar 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
‘If you want to grow something, you don’t gate keep it. We want to encourage little boys and men to watch women’s football too, not just little girls and women. And when they see someone like Ian Wright taking it as seriously as he does – they follow suit. That’s how you grow a sport.
‘Here’s a picture of our team at ITV. We won best production at the Broadcast Sport Awards 2025 for our coverage of the women’s euros. Seb Hutchinson won best commentator too. So I think ITV got it just right.’
Here’s a picture of our team at ITV. We won best production at the Broadcast Sport Awards 2025 for our coverage of the women’s euros. Seb Hutchinson won best commentator too. So I think ITV got it just right. pic.twitter.com/w2KiIswJAG
Aluko was asked if the solution is to bring in more female pundits for high-profile matches in the men’s game, she replied: ‘I think that would make it more fair.
‘If I’m not doing the women’s final but I’m getting a job doing the men’s final then it is what it is, but I can never do the men’s final so the only way I have an opportunity is to do the women’s final but now I can’t do the women’s final, and I can’t bring all of that experience and insight.
‘And let’s be honest, what I represent for young girls who want to be footballers, who want to be broadcasters, is way more than what Ian Wright represents.
‘Again, I’m not knocking Ian Wright, it’s not even about him, it could be any man, it’s really important we keep an eye on the premium opportunities. It’s hard, I don’t want to go into it because people might write headlines, but the issue I have with Ian is that I think in his position he needs to clock what I’m saying.’
As more than 127,000,000 people tuned in from around the world to watch the Super Bowl last night, they were greeted with a sobering message during advertisements.
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An emotional advertisement released by World Without Exploitation featured various survivors of paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, pleading with Americans to stand with them.
‘3 million files still have not been released,’ the advert read, as faces of victims flashed behind it.
Fittingly, the words were then blacked out – a nod to the heavy redactions seen in the millions of files already released by the US Department of Justice.
The black redaction bar was then placed on the mouths of Epstein’s survivors in the commercial, before finishing with a desperate plea to Americans.
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‘We all deserve the truth. Stand with us. Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi: it’s time for the truth.’
The survivors had their mouths redacted in a powerful statement (Picture: World Without Exploitation)
Photos of the survivors when they were younger were held (Picture: World Without Exploitation)
The sobering message came during one of the most-well-viewed television events of the year.
Pressure is still mounting for Bondi to release more of the files – the current release is just around half of what the DOJ has in its possession.
‘While the commitment of Department personnel to this effort has been substantial in breadth and impressive in effort, substantial work remains to be done,’ the department said.
If that timeline proves to be true, the final files won’t be released until well after Donald Trump’s second term in office is over.
The recent batch of files contained shocking evidence of sex trafficking of underage girls and other crimes.
Survivors have been rallying for a full, unredacted release of the files (Picture: Getty)
The statement from the Manhattan US Attorney’s office is dated August 9 2019, while the standard account says the paedophile was found hanged in his cell at 6.30am on August 10.
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Two versions of the US Attorney’s statement dated August 9 appear in the files, both with subtle differences from the one dated August 10.
Instead, both say he was ‘found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter’.
Like the publicly released statement, both versions with the earlier date pay tribute to the ‘brave young women’ who either have or have not yet previously come forward, though the wording differs slightly.
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According to the official account of Epstein’s death, a corrections officer found him unresponsive on the morning of Saturday, August 10. Medical personnel tried to revive him, but he was later pronounced dead.
Isabel, who has played Victoria Sugden in Emmerdale for nearly 20 years, is set to become a first-time mum.
The soap star filmed her final scenes in December and revealed how she was releived to be getting a break.
Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins on taking break from ITV soap
Speaking to The Sun , she said: “I thought I would be really emotional when I filmed my final scenes.
“Emmerdale is all I have ever known. But pregnancy does funny things to you and the truth is I felt ready not to have to film on Emmerdale!
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“I live in Manchester and I’ve been driving over to Leeds to film. By the end, I felt exhausted and I knew it was time to have a rest before the baby arrives.”
Isabel discovered she was pregnant shortly after getting married to her partner, Adam, in April 2025, and is expecting sometime soon.
She said: “It suddenly feels very real now. I am so excited about becoming a mum for the first time and this will be, by far and away, my biggest role I’ve ever had.
“Adam is going to be a great dad. He pours his heart into everything he does and we both feel so lucky to be having a child.”
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The couple chose not to find out whether they are having a boy or a girl, with Isabel also saying how co-stars Ryan Hawley, who plays half-brother Robert, and Danny Miller, who plays Aaron Dingle, have helped her on set.
She said: “Ryan is a father, so is Danny, and they have been so sweet.
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“They have really spoilt me, making sure I have somewhere to sit down in between scenes.
“I remember once I’d missed breakfast and Danny went to the canteen to get me toast. They are always getting me snacks and both have been really caring.
“They are like my two naughty brothers as they also have a great sense of humour.”
Despite her break, Isabel has confirmed she will return to Emmerdale in the future.
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She said: “They told me it was up to me when I come back to the soap, which is lovely.
“I’ve been in Emmerdale for 19 years and it’s been a huge part of my life. Everyone has been so nice.”
She added: “I am in my own baby bubble now.
“I will be back in time but now it’s time to be with my baby and Adam. We can’t wait to be parents.”
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Which actors have been on Emmerdale the longest?
Despite Isabel having been on Emmerdale for nearly two decades, there are characters who have been on the show even longer.
Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard in the ITV soap, first began in 1986, having now been on the show for 40 years, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap’s history.
Sheila Mercier was another long-standing Emmerdale star, having played Annie Sugden in the soap from the programme’s first episode in 1972 until 1994, with a guest return in 2009.
Annie died off-screen in August 2020, aged 100.
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Other long-serving characters include Steve Halliwell, who played Zak Dingle from 1994 until his death in 2023, as well as James Hooton (Sam Dingle), Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle) and Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk), each playing their role since 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively.
Several characters may have appeared longer, such as Robert Sugden since 1986, but have been played by more than one actor.
Emmerdale airs every weekday at 8pm on ITV1 and STV1, with episodes available at 7am on ITVX.
Who is your favourite character on Emmerdale? Let us know in the comments.
The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator Aden Durde says “there’s no better feeling” as his side beat the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“The referee’s call of a free-kick and yellow card to Guehi for the challenge on Salah was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge outside of the area and deemed not to be denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) as there was a covering defender,” they said in a statement.
