Around 9,700 solar panels, enough to power 16,300 homes, were installed across Yorkshire and the Humber in the first half of 2026 compared to 9,300 the year before.

The Reverend Canon Maggie Smith, Acting Dean of York, said 184 panels installed there last year showed tackling climate change and protecting heritage could go hand-in-hand.

York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith said Yorkshire was leading the way towards a future built on clean, home-grown energy.

Climate Transition Minister Katie White said the solar revolution happening this year was helping to bring bills down and tackle the climate crisis.

It comes as the Government minister visited York Minster last week to see its  array of 184 solar panels which covers about a third of its roof.

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The breaking of Yorkshire and Humber’s solar installation record comes as the region’s hottest June day was recorded when temperatures reached 34.4 degrees centigrade on Friday, June 26.

Yorkshire, along with the rest of the country, has seen droughts, heatwaves and wildfires caused by hot weather this summer.

It also comes after the Minster said fire safety was a priority for its array after a blaze believed to have been caused by panels gutted Malton hospital.

Revd Canon Smith said last year’s installation of panels showed how heritage, sustainability and community ambition could work together.

She said: “As one of the nation’s most significant historic landmarks, the Minster is very clearly demonstrating that tackling climate change and protecting shared heritage can be pursued side by side.

“Through this work, York Minster is continuing its leadership role in the city, helping to deliver a cleaner, greener and more resilient future rooted in partnership and committed to achieving net zero by 2035.”

Solar panels were installed on the roof of York Minster in 2025 (Image: York Minster (Chapter of York))

Labour Mayor Mr Skaith said thousands of families across Yorkshire were now benefitting from solar power.

The mayor said: “Solar power is helping to bring down their bills, build our county’s energy security, and put power back into the hands of local people.

“Through my Mayoral Renewables Fund, we’re backing our community buildings so they can tap into solar power and focus their resources on what they do best, bringing people together.”

Minister Ms White said solar power was the right choice for Britain.

The minster said: “”Solar power is increasingly becoming the right choice – from making bills more affordable to strengthening our energy security.”

San Francisco 49ers co-owner John ‘Jed’ York was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution just weeks before the start of the NFL season.

York, 46, was arrested Sunday in East Palestine, Ohio and booked into Columbiana County Jail. He was released later that afternoon after paying a $5,000 bond.

York, whose legal name is John Edward York, pleaded no contest in Columbiana County Municipal Court on Monday after the state of Ohio amended the count of engaging in prostitution to a disorderly conduct charge.

The Niners CEO, who is also the co-owner of Premier League team Leeds United and Scottish powerhouses Rangers, was also convicted of one misdemeanor charge of possessing criminal tools. 

A judge sentenced York to one day in jail per each count, which were served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay a $150 fine under the disorderly conduct conviction and a $1,000 fine for possessing criminal tools. 

Records also show that York had a cellphone returned to him and that $160 that was seized was to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York also completed on online course. 

The NFL said in a statement: ‘We are aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy.’ The Daily Mail has also contacted the 49ers and York’s attorney for comment. 

York, 46, was arrested Sunday in East Palestine, Ohio and booked into Columbiana County Jail

York is the son of Denise DeBartolo York and John York. They took control of the 49ers when DeBartolo’s brother, Eddie, was convicted in a gambling fraud scandal.

Eddie, who owned the 49ers during their 1980s-1990s dynasty, pleaded guilty in 1998 to failing to report a felony when he paid $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license.

DeBartolo, whose 49ers won five Super Bowls under his leadership, stepped down as owner in 1997 after two Louisiana newspapers reported he would be indicted for gambling fraud. 

He avoided prison, was fined $1 million and was suspended for a year by the NFL. But the episode effectively ended his NFL career. President Donald Trump pardoned him in February 2020.

Jed began working for his father in the early 2000s and was eventually named the franchise’s CEO in 2008. He then became principal owner in 2024 after acquiring enough of his mother’s stake.

During his tenure, the Niners have experienced great success having won five NFC West titles, advanced to seven NFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls, although the team has not won the NFL’s biggest prize since 1994.

York also oversaw the building of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The team moved from San Francisco to the new stadium in 2014. The stadium has hosted two Super Bowls, a World Cup and a College Football Playoff title game. 

York has been married to wife Danielle Belluomini since 2011. The couple share two sons, Jaxon and Brixton. 

In December 2018, York’s younger brother Anthony died at the age of 35.

York has been married to wife Danielle Belluomini since 2011 and they share two sons

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49ers coach Kyle Shanahan suffered a horror car crash during the team’s tough offseason

The 49ers play their play their first game against the LA Rams in Melbourne on September 19

It is the latest episode in what has been an offseason plagued with problems for the 49ers, who are expected to compete for a playoff spot again this season. They play their opening game against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on September 10.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a horror offseason car crash that left him unable to coach in training camp and with several serious injuries.

The July 14 incident has been shrouded in mystery, after the police refused to release an accident report or bodycam footage from the scene and officers initially blamed the other driver, only for Shanahan to take responsibility. 

He collided with a car driven by a 21-year-old woman in Palo Alto last month, saying it happened when he reached for his phone. 

The incident left Shanahan with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken hand and more than 40 stitches to close a cut over his eye. 

He also explained that he was driving at around 20mph with his Tesla in autopilot mode when the crash happened.

In autopilot mode, Tesla ‘matches the speed of your vehicle to that of the surrounding traffic’ and ‘assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, and uses traffic-aware cruise control.’

Shanahan was the only person who needed to be hospitalized and police didn’t issue him a ticket for the cellphone use. 

The west London rivals enter a new era as they wrap up the opening weekend of the new Premier League season on Monday night

Fulham play host to west London rivals Chelsea on Monday night as the opening weekend of the new Premier League season comes to a close at Craven Cottage.

It is the start of a new era for both sides, with former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain teammates Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso managing in the English top flight for the first time, having taken charge of the Cottagers and Blues respectively this summer.

With both sides looking to get off to a winning start this season, here’s how you can catch all the action live.

What time is Fulham v Chelsea kick-off?

Fulham take on Chelsea on Monday, August 24, with a kick-off time of 8pm at Craven Cottage.

Is the game on TV?

Yes, Sky Sports are showing this game.

Customers can tune into Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm.

What about live streaming?

Viewers will be able to stream all the action from Craven Cottage via the Sky Go app.

Quotes corner

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa: “I know how important this game is for our supporters. It’s also very important for everyone at the Club, for us, for players, for me.

“It’s the first game of the season, first game at Craven Cottage, so we are ready, we are excited, and of course we can’t wait for that game.

“I remember when I was a player, Craven Cottage was always a very difficult place to come. You can feel the supporters are really close to the pitch, and now I want to feel that special moment as Fulham Head Coach.

“For us, they will be very important if we want to win games at home. For sure, they are going to be so important for us.”

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso: “We’re all together as we begin this new season.The main thing for me is that we share the same targets and goals. We have the ambition to have a great year, but we don’t need to think about what might happen later in the season.

What we can control is what we do now, how we start the season and how we prepare for games. At the moment, our only focus is Fulham.

“The Premier League is challenging, and every game will be difficult. We’ll improve game by game.

“I’m sure the team that starts the Premier League will be better by November or December because everything takes time. It’s a process, but we feel we can make a good start—and that’s very important.”

At a club that buys players, sells players, loans players and changes head coach as often as they do, it can feel like the beginning of a new era almost every summer at Chelsea. And usually is. This year, more than any other during BlueCo’s ownership, it does feel as though we have arrived at the start of a new chapter.

Hayden Panettiere’s mother has given her first televised sit-down interview days after revealing to the Daily Mail what she really thinks happened at her daughter’s death-scene Airbnb.

Lesley Vogel, 70, became emotional as she revealed that she gave her late daughter, who died at age 36 last week, an ultimatum over her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

The Heroes actress was found dead of a suspected overdose on August 16 at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had traveled with Hickerson, a native of the state.

Vogel, who was estranged from Panettiere, gave a bombshell hour-long interview to the Daily Mail on Saturday, where she made jaw-dropping allegations about her daughter’s on-off partner and expressed fury at ‘shameful’ Gayle King, who criticized Vogel’s parenting skills. 

On Monday morning, Vogel appeared on Good Morning America, claiming that she had given Panettiere one final demand during their last phone call, which took place a little less than a year ago. 

The mother, who also lost her son Jansen at age 28 in 2023, claimed to GMA that she allegedly told her daughter that they could not have a relationship if she was with Hickerson, saying: ‘She knew that Brian was toxic. She knew she had to get him out of her life.’

Vogel revealed she had given Panettiere one final demand at the advice of her therapist during the mother-daughter’s last phone call 

The Heroes actress was found dead, aged 36, of a suspected overdose on August 16 at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had traveled with Hickerson

‘I did not by any stretch of the imagination think this was gonna happen to Hayden,’ Vogel added to GMA. ‘I don’t know why. I just didn’t. Maybe I didn’t want to.’

The mom also claimed that Panettiere said that she wanted to leave Hickerson for good when she stayed with the actress one year ago.

However, Vogel claimed that six weeks after her visit, the Nashville actress began to pull away from her. 

Then, after some time, Vogel claims that Panettiere called her and told her that she was back with Hickerson.

Vogel said: ‘When I got the phone call from her saying “I’m going to be with the person I love”… I just lost it.

‘I could not believe she had gone that far back, that he had been successful in reeling her back in with all the things he had done to her.’

Panettiere and Hickerson had an on-off relationship from 2018 to 2022 that was marred by domestic violence incidents and arrests – with Hickerson serving jail time for abusing her. In recent months, they had been seen spending time together once again.

The 70-year-old mother became emotional as she told Good Morning America that she gave her late daughter an ultimatum over her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson

The mother – who also lost her son, Jansen, at age 28 in 2023 – said: ‘I needed it. I needed to have that pocket of time. Of course, I thought it was gonna be a pocket of time’

Vogel has received criticism over how she has conducted herself in the wake of her famous daughter’s death and was angry as she unleashed on her ‘haters’ during the GMA interview.

She said: ‘I would say to the haters out there, “You don’t have a right to tell me how I mourn the loss of my second child. That’s my domain.”‘

The mother also said that she is still processing the death of her daughter, as she explained, ‘It will probably hit me later on.’

She also got tearful as she recalled the moment when she received the call about Panettiere’s death, as she said that she was ‘numb’ and ‘couldn’t feel anything.’

Vogel said: ‘I still am not grasping that this is real. It doesn’t feel real; my mind tells me it’s not at times. You know, it’s going to be a process.’

Panettiere was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment last week and was later declared dead.  

Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were both at the scene when Panettiere was pronounced dead. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has joined the probe into the actress’s death.

 Vogel has received a lot of criticism over how she has conducted herself in the wake of her famous daughter’s death, as she unleashed on her ‘haters’ during the GMA interview. Above, Panettiere and Vogel in 2007

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Greenville Police and the coroner’s office are running parallel investigations, TMZ reported on Wednesday.

The DEA’s reported involvement aligns with paramedics reporting a suspected overdose over dispatch calls. First responders located Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, inside the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment where Panettiere died.

It is still not known if narcotics contributed to her death, as toxicology results are pending.

In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a girlfriend and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, 52 mandatory domestic violence classes and a five-year restraining order.

Panettiere wrote about his alleged abuse of her in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. She described the first time Hickerson allegedly became physically violent, writing about being slapped after he became enraged and how the abuse escalated.

‘The slaps become hits,’ she wrote. ‘One night he busts up my face so badly I don’t leave the house for weeks.’

‘Everyone around her thought she deserved better,’ a music source tells me. ‘Nobody understood why she kept going back to him. We could see the pattern and we were terrified she couldn’t see it herself.’

In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a girlfriend and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, 52 mandatory domestic violence classes and a five-year restraining order

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Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.

Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.

She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.

She had an 11-year-old daughter called Kaya following a life-threatening birth, and later gave full custody of the child to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

The former child star made a name for herself with roles in Remember the Titans, Heroes and Nashville

Panettiere’s death was announced Sunday by her father, Skip Panettiere, who said in a statement: ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

‘She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.’

Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, subsequently said that officials responded to an apartment in the area after receiving a report of an ‘unresponsive female’ via a possible ‘drug overdose,’ subsequently determined to be Panettiere.

Officials, who attempted lifesaving measures prior to declaring the actress deceased, said that no signs of trauma or foul play were evident.

The council also has proposed byelaws fighting against graphic anti-abortion imagery in front of City Hall

Belfast City Hall will go green to mark International Safe Abortion Day, next month.

A Belfast City Council committee has carried an Alliance Party proposal, after a vote, to illuminate City Hall on Monday September 28. The proposal comes after a request received from the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

At the August meeting of the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, 11 elected members voted in favour of the illumination, from Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP and the Green Party while three voted against, all from the DUP. The decision will have to be ratified by the full council next week, where it is expected to pass.

READ MORE: DUP happy after EU rebuffs Belfast Council over more european funding

READ MORE: Plans withdrawn for padel courts and market in Belfast City Centre

The National Women’s Council of Ireland stated in their communication with the council: “International Safe Abortion Day is a global day of action to demand access to safe and legal abortion care everywhere. The day highlights the public health importance of ensuring access to safe and legal abortion care for all those who need it.”

They asked elected members to agree to the illumination “to mark progressive abortion law and policy across Europe and to stand with those across Europe who still experience harmful obstacles to abortion care.”

They added: “The colour of the campaign is green to call for safer and more accessible abortion.” The request forms part of a wider, coordinated illumination and visibility effort taking place across European cities this year.

Raby Castle, Park and Gardens’ Harvest Food and Gift Market will take place from Saturday, August 29 to Monday, August 31.

It will bring together local producers, street food vendors, live music and artisan stalls in a celebration of the harvest season.

A range of food and drinks vendors will be dotted around Raby Castle for the Harvest Food and Gift Market over the bank holiday weekend. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Just outside of Darlington, the event will be run across the estates Riding School and Dutch Barn between 10am and 4pm each day.

The weekend will feature a mix of food, drink and shopping opportunities, where visitors will be able to browse everything from seasonal produce and sweet treats to handcrafted jewellery, homeware and other authentic gifts.

As summer begins to draw to a close and thoughts turn towards autumn, organisers say this year’s event will feature more vendors than ever before.

Raby Castle, Park and Gardens popular Harvest Food and Gift Market. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Raby’s chef will be serving food from the barbecue throughout the weekend, while a pop-up tipi will also be dishing out stone-baked pizzas.

Visitors can also into The Vinery Café, which serves dishes inspired by and sourced from across the Raby Estate.

The Garage Café will be serving ice creams and iced coffees throughout the weekend, while nearby shops offer plenty of inspiration for those looking to pick up gifts, clothing, toys or skincare products.

Raby Castle, Park and Gardens popular Harvest Food and Gift Market. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Raby Castle, Park and Gardens popular Harvest Food and Gift Market. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Live music and family entertainment will be running throughout the weekend, giving visitors plenty to enjoy between browsing stalls and sampling food.

Sophie Brown, sales and events manager at Raby Castle, said: “Our harvest market is a wonderful way to mark the end of summer.

“Celebrate the bounty of harvest and a chance to get outside and make the most of the bank holiday too.

“We’ve updated the name of our market to feature food and gift as the options available this year are greater than ever before, with more street food vendors and stalls to browse, making it a jam-packed event for friends, families and couples to explore.”

The weekend also coincides with the final opportunity for visitors to experience Castle in Bloom, Raby’s floral summer display that has transformed castle rooms and buildings with a series of colourful exhibits inspired by nature.

Visitors can also grab a last minute glimpse at the Castle in Bloom displays before they are taken down. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Visitors can also grab a last minute glimpse at the Castle in Bloom displays before they are taken down. (Image: TRACY KIDD)

Visitors are should also take a look through Raby’s Deer Park and Walled Gardens, and take their children to try out The Plotters’ Forest adventure playground.

The Hidden Forest is another ideal hotspot to keep the children entertained, with a new section doubling the size of Raby’s play area to include new challenges such as a stilt walk, balance beam, parallel bars, cascading wall and double swing.

Visitors who want to make the most of Raby Castle during their visit to the markets can buy special bank holiday tickets to access to all of the attractions across the wider estate for just £20.

Standard market entrance tickets are £2 if booked in advance, or £5 on the door, with free tickets for children under 15.

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of a heavily intoxicated Steven Shevels being pushed over outside the Queen’s Head pub, causing a fatal head injury, last December 24.

Mr Shevels had drunk around a dozen pints of lager before he became embroiled in a ‘petty’ dispute with his alleged killer Martin Greensmith, Teesside Crown Court heard on Monday (August 24)

The 61-year-old was pronounced dead in the rear beer garden after paramedics were unable to revive him.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 37-year-old defendant had earlier deliberately bumped into Mr Shevels and made an indecent hand gesture towards him while he was drinking in the Queen’s Head.

(Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said Mr Shevels was known as a drinker but he was not barred from any pubs around the Crook and Willington areas.

The jury heard how Greensmith was drinking in the Queen’s Head with his mother, brothers, uncle and grandmother at around 4.35pm when he pushed Mr Shevels to the ground where he remained prone.

He said: “The paramedics located an unconscious male laying on a raised patio area just outside the rear door of the pub.

“Some of those present were attempting CPR, paramedics took over and despite their efforts, the male remained unresponsive and was pronounced life extinct at the scene.

“The deceased was Steven Shevels and he was 61-years-of-age. He lost his life as a direct result of this defendant pushing him backwards so that he fell striking his head as he did so on the concrete path.”

Mr Perks said the incident was borne out through ‘petty animosity and ill-feeling’ towards Mr Shevels.

The jury heard how Mr Shevels had consumed a significant amount of alcohol throughout the day and was three times over the legal driving limit at the time of his death.

Mr Perks added: “He was known to frequent a number of local pubs. It appears that whilst he was not barred from any of them, he was limited to the amount of alcohol he was allowed to consume before being moved on.”

He said Mr Shevels started drinking shortly after 10am on Christmas Eve in the Horseshoe Inn in Crook where he drank five pints before leaving at 12.30pm.

Police outside the Queen’s Head in Willington on Christmas day (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Mr Shevels then headed to the New Kings, where he drank another four pints of lager before travelling to Willington on the bus.

“He was already unsteady on his feet,” Mr Perks added. “It would have been obvious to anyone present that he was under the influence of alcohol.”

CCTV footage captured a series of interactions between Mr Shevels and the defendant’s mother Angela Greensmith before he barged into the alleged victim while he was at the bar.

Greensmith then made an indecent hand gesture towards Mr Shevels before his mother and uncle intervened and moved him away.

The court heard how shortly after that incident, Mr Shevels walked into the pub’s rear beer garden while the defendant was outside with his brother.

CCTV footage captured the defendant push over Mr Shevels as he walked back into the bar – leaving him on the ground.

Mr Perks said the defendant briefly helped Mr Shevels before leaving the pub and “going to ground”.

He said Greensmith’s mother persuaded her son to hand himself into police and was arrested at her home at lunchtime on Christmas Day.

When interviewed by police, he made no comment to police questions.

Greensmith, of Rockingham Road, Sunnybrow, Willington, denies a charge of manslaughter and maintains that he acted in self-defence.

His lawyer, Paul Rooney, told the jury that his client had reacted to Mr Shevel’s aggressive behaviour and used lawful self-defence after he raised his arms towards his client and he pushed him away using reasonable force.

He said: “What he did was reasonable in light of the situation he honestly believed he faced when confronted by a drunken, aggressive man.”

The trial continues.

Rachel Mackay said her husband is unable to even visit the UK to spend time with her and their daughter, now eight months old

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A wife has been left battling unfair UK visa rules while becoming a new mum on her own, as her partner’s visa applications have been repeatedly refused.

Rachel Mackay, from Manchester, is fighting an uphill struggle to reunite with her husband Kieyaamudien as the family of three remain separated across different countries.

The 29-year-old met her partner while on holiday in Turkey two years ago. The couple were certain about building a life together and decided to tie the knot after an unexpected pregnancy.

Yet their journey has been made difficult since UK visa rules have blocked 34-year-old Kieyaamudien from coming to the UK to be with his wife and daughter, Emersyn, now eight months old. He has been refused three visitor visa applications, plus one fiancé visa application before the pair wed, Manchester Evening News reports.

Nail technician and mother-of-three Rachel currently falls short of the UK spouse visa financial threshold, which requires a minimum annual income of £29,000, while Kieyaamudien’s financial situation was also deemed ‘insufficient’.

This means their daughter is being brought up primarily via FaceTime conversations and occasional visits to see her father, who has been absent for all her significant developmental moments.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Rachel said. “He’s missed so many firsts – her first laugh, first foods, first crawl and instead has had to watch them through videos and FaceTime. No parent should have to experience their child’s early years through a phone screen.

“Every milestone is bittersweet because although I’m incredibly proud, there’s always a part of me wishing her dad was here to experience it too.”

Couple met on holiday

Their love story started much like any other – a holiday romance, with Rachel visiting Turkey with her family in August 2024.

Kieyaamudien, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, was working as a singer in the hotel, and the two struck up conversation after one of his shows, and exchanged numbers.

Rachel said: “We stayed in touch after I came home and our relationship grew from there. Despite the distance, we knew we wanted a future together. We didn’t plan to have a baby so soon, we’d always imagined getting married first.

“But life doesn’t always go to plan, and when we found out I was pregnant, we were both shocked but incredibly happy. From that moment on, our focus was on building our family together.”

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But the pair could never have foreseen the constant battle it would take. Rachel has two children from a previous relationship, and so needs to live in the UK – but their repeated applications to secure Kieyaamudien a visa have been unsuccessful.

She explained: “One of the visitor visa applications was so my husband could be in the UK for the birth of our daughter, but unfortunately, it was refused because the Home Office wasn’t satisfied that he would return to his home country at the end of his visit.

“As a result, he wasn’t able to be there when our daughter was born and instead had to watch her come into the world over FaceTime, which was heartbreaking for us both.

“The other two visitor visa applications were refused for the same reason, with the Home Office stating they weren’t satisfied that he would leave the UK before his visa expired.

“The fiancé visa application was refused solely because I didn’t meet the minimum financial requirement needed to sponsor his application.”

‘It feels incredibly unfair’

The application rejection letters cite Kieyaamudien’s financial circumstances as a key factor in the refusal to allow him entry into the UK, alongside concerns that he does not have “an incentive” to return to his home country.

The couple wed in March 2026, choosing to have their nuptials in South Africa, but it hasn’t changed their situation, and he has never been to the UK, even for a holiday, due to the failed visa applications.

The couple have been left out of pocket trying to raise the necessary fees. Rachel said: “Every application costs thousands of pounds once you factor in visa fees, legal advice, travel and supporting documents.

“We’ve spent so much already – well over £7,000 – and we simply can’t keep paying thousands of pounds with no guarantee of success. To lose that amount of money after the application was refused was absolutely devastating, especially knowing we had done everything we possibly could.

“Even though we’re married and have a British daughter, we still don’t meet the criteria needed for him to be granted a spouse visa. It feels incredibly unfair that a family can be kept apart despite doing everything the proper way.

“Instead, we’ve been forced to live in separate countries while trying to raise our daughter together from hundreds of miles apart. My husband has missed so many important moments in her first year because he simply isn’t allowed to be here.”

Kieyaamudien has since moved to Spain for seasonal work to be closer to Emersyn and Rachel, who save up to visit as often as they can.

So far, they have been able to visit him four times, but visits are on hold as they can’t afford another one while trying to save for another visa application.

Rachel said: “We do everything we can to see each other. That means I travel to Spain with our daughter whenever we can afford to, and we speak every day on FaceTime so he can still be involved in her life.

“The travel is incredibly expensive on top of everything we’ve already spent on visa applications. Flights, accommodation and taking time away all add up – but we don’t have another choice if we want them to have a relationship.

“We wouldn’t change a thing or wish our daughter wasn’t here – we just never imagined we’d be raising her across two countries because of the immigration challenges we’ve faced.

“Our biggest hope is simply to live together as a normal family. We want our daughter to grow up with both of her parents present every day instead of having to say goodbye after every visit.

“Our aim is simply to live together as a family in the UK. We don’t want anything special, we just want our daughter to grow up with both of her parents under the same roof.”

‘I should be able to live with my husband here’

Rachel has been sharing their story on TikTok, where posts have garnered 1.4 million views.

She added: “I’d love our story to help raise awareness of how many other families are going through the same thing, because since sharing our journey on TikTok, I’ve heard from so many people facing similar situations.

“The response has been overwhelming. Thousands of people have shared their own experiences of being separated from their partners or children because of immigration rules.

“We know we’re not the only family living like this, and we hope sharing our story helps people understand the emotional and financial impact these rules have on ordinary families who simply want to be together.”

For now, the family are saving up for another spouse visa application, with the support of a specialist immigration solicitor.

Rachel said: “We’re hoping that our circumstances, including our right to family life and the fact we have a British daughter together, will be properly taken into account.

“I’m working as much as I possibly can, but as a self-employed nail technician who is also solo parenting three children, it’s incredibly difficult to work enough hours to reach the income threshold. I’m doing everything I can, but it’s not something I can achieve overnight.

“I don’t feel that we should have to leave the UK. This is my home country – I was born here, I’ve worked since I was 16 and I’ve paid taxes here for years.

“I believe I should be able to live here with my husband and raise our family together. Relocating also isn’t a realistic option. I have two older children who have a relationship with their father here in the UK, and I would never take them away from him.

“Their lives, school, family and support network are all here. This is our home, and all we want is the opportunity to live together as an ordinary family.”

The Home Office stated they do not routinely comment on individual cases, and that all visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, in line with the Immigration Rules and based on the information and evidence provided by the applicant.

By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 09:44 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 17:41 BST, 24 August 2026

A horrified tourist was left aghast after being given a receipt from a restaurant saying ‘burn the eggs and spit on them’ after she asked for her eggs to be well-cooked.   

Speaking to Italian paper Corriere della Serra, Brazilian tourist Maria Clara recounted the distressing moment at the restaurant in Romagna, Italy.

‘I was polite. I simply asked if it was possible to have the eggs a little more cooked,’ she said. 

Ms Clara claims she was very rudely told they did not make raw eggs when she asked for the eggs to be less runny.

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‘In the end, they arrived very soft, but I didn’t ask for them to be recooked. I let it go because I didn’t want to argue,’ she said.

When she noticed the receipt, at first she thought it was a joke, before becoming scared. At that point Ms Clara and her group asked to speak to a manager.

They were initially told there was not one there, before another waitress intervened and brought the manager.

The waiter who had wrote the comment on the receipt was a teenager of about 17 years old, who reportedly ‘went white, very nervous’.

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A horrified tourist was left aghast after being given a receipt from a restaurant saying ‘burn the eggs and spit on them’

The restaurant posted a mocking video on their TikTok account appearing to poke fun at the incident

In the video, the owner of the restaurant plays the role of a very demanding customer who even orders a dish ‘with spit’

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‘He apologised and said it was a joke between him and the chef,’ Ms Clara said.

Ms Clara said that the boy tried to take the receipt back and throw it away.

‘We told him not to do it and that otherwise we would call the police,’ she added.

‘If I had been rude, I could at least understand someone getting angry. But I wasn’t. I simply asked, as politely as possible, for slightly more overcooked eggs.’

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The employee was apparently removed, but the saga did not end there, with the customer later finding out that the restaurant had posted a mocking video on their TikTok account appearing to poke fun at the incident. 

In the video, the owner of the restaurant plays the role of a very demanding customer who even orders a dish ‘with spit’.

A poll was also posted beneath the owner’s video, asking whether the fired employee should be forgiven and rehired. 

While many users said the incident was unforgivable, others urged the owner to give the employee a second chance.

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Among the hundreds of comments, however, some took the story in an even more disturbing direction. 

People claiming to work or have worked in restaurant kitchens said they had actually spat on the plates of customers they found particularly irritating.

‘At first we thought it was something absurd, written as a joke. Then we read people saying, “I did it too.” And we started to think that these things really do happen,’ Ms Clara said.

Ms Clara said she received death threats and racist comments due to the incident going viral. 

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However, she maintains that even the most difficult customer should not fear the contamination of their food by waiters.