Fresh analysis of Environment Agency bathing‑water data shows every designated bathing beach on the County Durham coast is currently rated either “excellent” or “good” – comfortably clear of the “poor” standard that underpins the Brown Flag list of England’s dirtiest spots.

The cleanest County Durham beach for swimming

If you want the highest possible water quality score, go to Seaton Carew North Gare.

The Environment Agency classifies this stretch of sand as “excellent”, the top rating under national bathing‑water regulations, based on multiple seasons of bacteria testing.

For a bank holiday dip, this is the clear winner on the County Durham coast.

Seaton Carew’s North Gare beach. (Image: GOOGLE)

Other beaches rated ‘good’ for bathing

Several other popular County Durham beaches are rated “good”, meaning they still comfortably meet the legal standard for safe swimming:

Crimdon, near Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene Holiday Park.

• Seaham Beach, a solid option for families who want facilities as well as clean water.
• Seaton Carew Centre, covering the busier central promenade.
• Seaton Carew North, giving Seaton a clean sweep of swimmable water along the town’s main stretch.
• Seaham Hall Beach, the sheltered bay below the historic hall.

Seaham Hall Beach (Image: GOOGLE MAPS)

Environment Agency classifications run from “excellent” and “good” down to “sufficient” and finally “poor”, the band that triggers Brown Flag naming‑and‑shaming.

On the County Durham list, there are no beaches in the “sufficient” or “poor” categories, meaning swimmers are not being asked to avoid any of these sites on water quality grounds.

Brown Flag beaches – and why County Durham avoided them

The latest Brown Flag “awards” from Holiday Park Guru use the same Environment Agency data to pick out England’s worst‑performing bathing waters, highlighting beaches that have been officially graded as poor because of high levels of bacteria such as E.coli, often linked to sewage pollution.

Among this year’s 19 “winners” are two North East sites – Littlehaven Beach in South Shields and Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside – both carrying the EA’s lowest possible “poor” rating.

Campaigners are using the tongue‑in‑cheek awards, complete with literal brown flags, to warn holidaymakers not to assume every seaside resort is safe to swim in.

Set against that backdrop, County Durham’s run of excellent and good classifications stands out as swimmers look for somewhere to cool off without worrying about “do not swim” signs or pollution alerts.

How to check water quality before you set off

Anyone planning a last‑minute trip can plug their chosen beach into the government’s official bathing‑water quality checker, which publishes up‑to‑date classifications and details of any short‑term pollution warnings.

Northumbrian Water also hosts an interactive coastal map for the region’s designated bathing waters, including the County Durham coastline, so swimmers can see classifications and check for any investigation work or improvement schemes.

For this weekend, though, the basic picture is simple: if you stick to Seaton Carew North Gare for the very best rating, or one of the “good” beaches at Crimdon or Seaham, you are choosing some of the cleanest officially monitored bathing waters in the North East.

On Saturday, Hamidreza Mohammadi told the BBC: “Her current problems include low blood pressure and a heart attack, but her previous conditions, such as pulmonary embolism (…) and having undergone stenting and angiography, make any treatment by the doctors in Zanjan effectively impossible.”

Ulster secured their place in the EPCR Challenge Cup final with a dominant 29-12 victory over Exeter Chiefs in Belfast

Ulster secured their spot in the EPCR Challenge Cup final following a commanding 29-12 victory over Exeter in Belfast.

They will now face either Montpellier or the Dragons in Bilbao on May 22, with the Chiefs having little cause for grievance.

They proved unable to penetrate a disciplined and well-drilled Ulster outfit, clearly second-best throughout as their hosts capitalised on playing in front of their own supporters.

Former Northampton number eight Juarno Augustus, fly-half Jack Murphy, flanker Dave McCann and hooker Tom Stewart crossed the whitewash, while scrum-half Nathan Doak contributed a penalty and three conversions.

Exeter responded with tries from number eight Ross Vintcent and wing Campbell Ridl, alongside one Henry Slade conversion, but Ulster comfortably pulled clear during the second half.

Doak pushed a 10th-minute penalty attempt wide of the posts, and while Ulster maintained their attacking pressure, they then had a try chalked off after full-back Mike Lowry went over, with foul play detected earlier in the passage of play.

Exeter ought to have been trailing by 10 points, such was Ulster’s wastefulness, though the Chiefs then squandered their opening scoring opportunity as a Slade penalty drifted wide, concluding a goalless first quarter.

Ulster kept up the pressure, and the stalemate was finally broken 12 minutes before the interval when their forwards’ persistence paid dividends, with Augustus grounding the ball and Doak adding the extras.

Exeter struggled to establish any rhythm in attack, before Ulster were reduced to 14 men when winger Jacob Stockdale received a yellow card for head-on-head contact with Chiefs’ England international Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Feyi-Waboso left the field for a head injury assessment, and Exeter wasted no time capitalising on their one-man advantage, levelling the scores as Ulster reorganised through a Vintcent try converted by Slade.

However, Exeter’s opportunity to inflict further damage before half-time evaporated, with Doak edging Ulster into a 10-7 lead at the interval via a close-range penalty.

Feyi-Waboso remained absent for the second period, with Chiefs soon falling further adrift following some incisive attacking play from Ulster near the try line that produced a score for Murphy.

Doak’s conversion extended the lead to 10 points, placing pressure squarely on Exeter to respond, yet Ulster maintained their dominance in both possession and field position.

Their control was rewarded after impressive work from substitute winger Ethan McIlroy, whose speed exposed gaps in Exeter’s defensive line and created a try for McCann.

This left Exeter trailing by 15 points heading into the final quarter, but Ulster showed no signs of easing up as Stewart crossed for try number four following a powerful driving maul close to the line.

Exeter’s dismal evening reached an appropriately bleak conclusion when full-back Ben Hammersley was shown a yellow card, leaving them comprehensively beaten.

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The comedian was bundled off stage and the venue evacuated within just 45 minutes of the performance after a suspicious bag was reported at Utilita Arena Birmingham

A man has been charged following an incident that forced the evacuation of Utilita Arena Birmingham during a Peter Kay show.

On Friday evening, chaotic scenes unfolded at the venue after the comedian was ushered offstage and the arena cleared within just 45 minutes of the performance getting under way. Reports indicated that a suspicious bag had been discovered.

Audience members said they were given no explanation during the evacuation. A member of the production team reportedly took to the stage to inform the crowd that the show had been cut short at around 8.45pm.

West Midlands Police has now confirmed that a man has been charged in connection with the incident.

Omar Majed, 19, has been charged with false communications relating to a bomb hoax, the force confirmed. The teenager, from Washwood Heath, Birmingham, has been remanded to appear before magistrates in Birmingham on 4 May, reports the Mirror.

“An evacuation of the arena was ordered yesterday evening after a report of a suspicious bag being left in the area,” the force said in a statement confirming Majed’s arrest and charge.

“Following searches, nothing suspicious was found and we are grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding.

“As always our priority is the safety of the public.”

In an interview with NBC News in January 2026, Donald Trump said: “Maga is me. Maga loves everything I do.” Until recently, this statement was true. But over the past several months, cracks have begun to appear in the loyalty of the US president’s “Make America Great Again” base.

Two of the movement’s most prominent figures – former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson – have voiced their discontent with the leader they previously lavished with unconditional support.

Greene’s falling out with Trump was rooted in her advocacy for releasing the investigative files related to late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But it also centred on her discomfort with US support for Israel and a sense that Trump had abandoned his “America first” campaign promises.

In December 2025, Greene told CNN that “the dam is breaking” on Trump’s grip over the Republican party. As an example, she pointed to the 13 Republicans who voted with Democrats that month to overturn an executive order that allowed Trump to fire federal employees. Greene resigned from the House of Representatives in January.

Carlson’s more recent break with Trump was equally dramatic. “I don’t hate Trump,” he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview released on April 25. “I hate this war [in Iran] and the direction this US government is taking.” Carlson went so far as to apologise to the public for “misleading” them into voting for Trump in 2024.

In a week when an attempt to assassinate Trump is once again headline news, we are reminded of Carlson’s take on a previous attempt on the US president’s life in 2024. Carlson had invoked “divine intervention” to explain Trump’s survival of that attempt, declaring “something bigger is going on here”.

At that point, the president had religious-right elites firmly on his side. This fervour has dissipated in recent times. But are Greene and Carlson representative of a broader problem for the Maga movement, or are they just a pair of high-profile defections and nothing more?

Putting ‘America first’

The grievances and concerns outlined by Greene and Carlson are real. When Trump ran for president in 2016, he broke with Republican orthodoxy by denouncing the Iraq war as a catastrophic mistake. He promised to extract the US from costly foreign wars and put America ahead of global policing commitments.

His first-term record was somewhat mixed, but the key takeaway was that no new major wars were initiated. On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump repeated these earlier pledges. He said he would end the Ukraine war within 24 hours and keep the US out of new conflicts. Trump has clearly reneged on these commitments.

The Iran war is broadly unpopular with the US electorate. Polls show that more people are against the war than support it. On average, 15% more people oppose than back it, and in some recent surveys that gap is even bigger, with up to 27% more people against than in favour. About 75% of US adults also now describe the economy, which is being affected by higher prices, as “very” or “somewhat” poor.

This dissatisfaction is visible among Republicans voters, though probably not to an extent that suggests support for Trump is in danger of imminent collapse. Recent polling by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that, while dropping by 13 percentage points compared to a year ago, 38% of Republican voters still “strongly” approve of Trump’s presidency.

At the same time, there are some signs that Trump’s core Maga base remains largely steadfast in its support, despite the very vocal dissent from some. The same poll found that roughly 90% of Americans who self-identify as “Maga Republicans” approve of Trump’s overall job performance. Another survey by NBC suggests that 87% of these people currently approve of his handling of the war in Iran.

While these surveys are unlikely to capture the full range of sentiment within the Maga movement, they still indicate that Trump retains a solid core of support from members of this group. However, if the conflict drags on and economic pain deepens, the room for elite dissatisfaction to percolate down to the base is likely to widen.

Presidential ambitions

There may be other reasons explaining why Carlson, in particular, has broken with Trump. As Jason Zengerle, a journalist at the New Yorker magazine and the author of a biography of Carlson, put it recently when discussing Carlson’s reversal on Trump: “He’s also sort of making a political move.” Various media outlets have suggested that Carlson may be eyeing a 2028 presidential run.

Some commentators, including White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka, have drawn parallels between Carlson and Pat Buchanan. In the 1990s, Buchanan challenged President George H.W. Bush over the Gulf war and reshaped the Republican party’s ideological trajectory even without winning its presidential nomination.

Greene has floated Carlson for president. In a social media post in March, she wrote: “I SUPPORT TUCKER. Trump doesn’t even know what Maga is anymore.” Carlson, for his part, has publicly dismissed a presidential bid.

But this rebranding exercise, of attempting to seize the Maga label from Trump and attach it to a new vessel, is a significant development. It suggests that “America first” is no longer exclusively synonymous with one figure.

The looming question is whether this seed of elite discontent can grow into something organisationally meaningful before 2028, when Americans elect their next president.

The Buck Inn in Thornton-le-Dale has become a favourite spot for both locals and visitors, drawing positive reviews for its home-cooked food, dog-friendly atmosphere, and friendly staff.

The traditional country pub offers classic British dishes, Yorkshire cask ales, and a “cosy setting in the heart of one of Yorkshire’s most charming destinations,” according to reviewers.

The inside of The Buck Inn (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

A reviewer on TripAdvisor said: “Booked in for lunch after a walk to Dalby Forest, great food, piping hot straight from the kitchen, just what we needed after a cold winter walk.

“The log fire was blazing, staff were really accommodating and friendly, a dog-friendly pub and the bar staff came across with dog biscuits after stocking the fire.”

Sunday lunch is a particular highlight, with diners able to choose from pork, beef, turkey, or a mix of all three.

The pub is praised for its large portions and tasty dishes, as well as its hearty servings of vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, red cabbage, and cauliflower cheese.

Another reviewer said: “It’s definitely worth a visit. Popular with locals, and all the staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble.”

One diner said: “Visited yesterday, had one roast pork Sunday lunch and one scampi and chips. It’s not a problem to have a gluten-free option on the roast dinner, a lovely selection of vegetables and plenty of pork and roast potatoes.

“Reasonably priced and great seating area at the back in the beer garden.”

The Buck Inn is also popular with families and dog owners, who appreciate the relaxed setting and thoughtful touches.

One review noted: “Dog-friendly pub, and the bar staff came across with dog biscuits after stocking the fire.”

The pub serves food from noon to 9pm every day and offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options alongside its traditional menu.

Visitors praise the staff for being “welcoming and attentive”, adding to the overall relaxed feel of the pub in this scenic village.

The outside of The Buck Inn (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

General comments praise the pub for its “cosy atmosphere”, “delicious food”, and being a “lovely, welcoming place after a long walk or day out in the North Yorkshire countryside”.

The Buck Inn, located on Chestnut Avenue, is open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 9pm every other day.

It has earned a 4.0 rating from more than 450 TripAdvisor reviews and is ranked second out of nine restaurants in Thornton-le-Dale.

Visitors are encouraged to check its Facebook page for the latest updates, opening hours, and menu changes.

Meanwhile, Thornton-le-Dale itself is regularly described as “one of the prettiest villages in Yorkshire”, thanks to its historic cottages, village green, and winding stream.

It offers a range of attractions for a day out, from the nearby Dalby Forest and its walking trails to shops, tea rooms, and a classic car museum.

When Gyokeres opened the scoring in the ninth minute at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, it brought up his 20th goal of the season and made him the first Arsenal player to score 20 or more goals across all competitions in their first season at the club since Alexis Sanchez in 2014-15 (25 goals).

It has been a pivotal week for Gyokeres with his performance in the Champions League setting Arsenal up nicely for the second leg against Atletico on Tuesday.

Saturday was also the first time that he has scored a goal and provided an assist in the first half of a league match since joining Arsenal.

“He had a great performance,” manager Mikel Arteta said when asked about Gyokeres’ impact this week.

“I think in Madrid, especially the first half, he was really good, and today, all the minutes that he’s played as well, his contribution with the goals…

“Every attacking action he was involved – scored two great goals. Position-wise, timing-wise as well – it’s something that we’ve been working on.

“It’s going to give him a big boost of energy to him and confidence to the team as well.”

Bukayo Saka was back to his best after making his first start since March after an Achilles problem, and, alongside his goal to double Arsenal‘s lead, he assisted Gyokeres’ opener, the first time the winger has assisted Gyokeres in the Premier League.

Arteta acknowledged that the pair “haven’t played together much” because of injuries, but there were signs the pair could be clicking at the perfect time.

“I have liked Gyokeres all season,” former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Match of the Day.

“I think he does so well for the team. He occupies defenders and I think his goal tally has been good this season. This is when you need him now, during the run-in.

“This is what you need when you bring a number nine into the club. This is when you need them most.”

It was also the first time Gyokeres has been involved in three goals in a match for Arsenal.

“The best I have seen him play. He reminded me of a [Erling] Haaland,” former Arsenal player Paul Merson said on Sky Sports.

“I thought the players trusted him a lot more.

“I have given him a lot of stick. If they win the league, he has been a brilliant buy. If they don’t, maybe he hasn’t.

“He was put in the team to make sure they beat the lesser teams, and he has done. You want your striker to get 20 goals and he has done that.

“He was really good today and that is what they bought him for. Those performances haven’t been there week in and week out, but if they are for the next four weeks – then money back.”

If a party nominates someone as their official candidate with a political party description and a logo, once the nomination deadline has passed, the ballot paper cannot be amended even if that candidate is suspended or expelled. If they are then elected, the result would stand and they would sit as an independent, in the event they are stripped of their party membership, though there has been no finding of fact by the Green Party against Mr Hakimi.

When it comes to hair pulling, there isn’t a specific law.

It currently falls under the remit of violent conduct, in the same way that pushing someone in the face or elbowing an opponent in the head does.

As hair pulling is treated as an act of violent conduct, referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) made it clear to clubs at the start of the season that it will always be considered a red-card offence.

“It’s really hard to digest because I don’t think it was an intentional and violent conduct. It was a duel in the air and with a tall striker,” added Le Bris.

“So in the air 20 times in the game many things can happen but it wasn’t intentional.

“If the rule is the rule when you face a striker with long hair you’ll have problems because you can’t defend, anything can happen.”

It’s a grey area though.

Fulham defender Kenny Tete escaped a red card for an apparent hair pull on Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo during his side’s 3-0 Premier League defeat on 11 February.

It’s also an issue in the women’s game. On 1 April, Arsenal‘s Katie McCabe remained on the pitch despite pulling the hair of Chelsea winger Alyssa Thompson in a Women’s Champions League quarter-final.

Le Bris said: “I think it’s important for the referees and the Premier League to be clear with the rule because in this case, you can’t play a duel in case you accidentally grab something. I hope we will have a conversation with the referees to adjust this rule and make it better.

“When the forward has long hair, it’s hard. It’s important to have this conversation and make the rule clearer.”

What cannot be questioned is Tierney followed the directives at Molineux.

“It’s the letter of the law. We’ve had it twice with Tolu [Arokodare] this season,” said Wolves manager Rob Edwards.

“I’m not saying it’s a deliberate thing – but it’s happened.”

Emma recalled how she saw ‘RIP Jon Cain’ on Facebook before police confirmed her son’s death

A mother whose teenage son died after inhaling gas canisters has told how she now marches up to youngsters she spots doing “balloons” in the street to warn them of the deadly risks.

Emma Cain’s son Jon was just 17 when he went into cardiac arrest in 2011 after inhaling butane. He had only been experimenting for a few weeks and, on the day he died, his friends had bought eight canisters of lighter fluid in one go.

Fifteen years later, the mother‑of‑five is urging families to wake up to the dangers of solvents and nitrous oxide, both Class C drugs, warning that too many parents are still being left to endure the same heartbreak she lives with every day.

An inquest last year found that Amy Louise Leonard, 20 and from Bolton, died in tragically similar circumstances to Jon after inhaling laughing gas. Amy had shared a Facebook message urging young people to “put down their balloons”, just days before her death, describing how repeated abuse had left her temporarily unable to walk.

Emma told the Mirror how irate she becomes when she sees discarded gas canisters littered across town and city centres, reminding her of her son’s death.

“I get angry. I came out of my son Joshua’s flat a few weeks ago, and as I walked past the green area where they put their rubbish… I didn’t count them, but there was a good seven or eight canisters, put there for rubbish. And it just makes me so angry”.

“It was early in the morning, I was getting my youngsters ready for school. When the police called me, they said that ‘something had happened, obviously didn’t say over the phone, and that they were sending some officers to see me,” she said when recalling the devastating moment in 2011, she learnt what had happened to her son.

“When I came off the phone, I just threw it on the sofa. A few seconds later I picked it up and went onto Jon’s profile on Facebook, and someone had written ‘RIP Jon Cain’ – that’s how I found out – and then the police came and told me what had happened.

“I remember collapsing to the floor and being picked up. Then the police came, they took me into the living room. My sister made me a sweet cup of tea, and then took my little ones to school for me”.

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Jon was an “amazing boy” who would “throw himself halfway across the room” just to make his brothers laugh, his mum described. Aged 15, he was placed into care for behavioural issues, she added, citing how he was “easily influenced” by his peers.

Now, Emma believes her son had an undiagnosed disorder, such as ADHD or autism, conditions which were “not as understood” at the time.

“There are days I will just sit there, and I will just burst into tears,” she said, explaining the grief she lives with. “And there’s days when I’m okay – sometimes I feel guilty for being okay.

“But I know he doesn’t want me to be miserable, he doesn’t want me to be upset every day – and I just try and do what I can to make him proud, because I believe he’s living through me now”.

The tragedy has also left its mark on Jon’s four siblings, some of whom were young when he died. “It’s not just obviously the parents that lose someone – it affects their friends, it affects their siblings,” she explained. “Jon was [brother] Joshua’s hero, he was his idol… and he has had to deal with a lot due to the loss of his brother”.

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Working with organisations like Achievement Through Football (ATF), Emma speaks with children at risk of falling into anti-social behaviour and substance abuse, often those who have been repeatedly excluded from school.

“I don’t think they see it as dangerous because of silly names like ‘laughing gas,” she explained. “What obviously they don’t realise is that it’s not mixed with oxygen, like it is at the dentist’s, or the hospital. It’s pure gas… they just don’t realise how dangerous it is”.

She also believes that, while schools and the police are “doing what they can” to deal with substance abuse, parents must accept more responsibility to talk to their children about why laughing gas and solvents aren’t a “safe” high – even if they don’t suspect their kids are using them.

She said: “Talk to your kids. Just talk to them. Let them know the dangers, research it – whether they’re doing it or not”.