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Bruno Tonioli’s Britain’s Got Talent exit explained after judge quit after two years

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Daily Mirror

Britain’s Got Talent returns on Saturday night – but without former Strictly star Bruno Tonioli as he quit the show in 2025 after just two years of service

Britain’s Got Talent fans will notice Bruno Tonioli is missing from the line-up when the show returns to ITV on Saturday night. The former Strictly Come Dancing judge exited the series after just two years.

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Head judge Simon Cowell will be joined as usual by presenter Amanda Holden and singer Alesha Dixon as the long-running series returns for a 19th season. And the Bruno-shaped hole has been seamlessly filled by YouTube sensation KSI, who BGT fans will recall appeared on the 2025 season as a guest judge.

Fans of the ITV talent show were surprised when Bruno ditched rival BBC show Strictly to join the panel in 2023, replacing controversial judge David Walliams, who appeared on the panel from 2012 until 2022. After just two years and three seasons of red and golden buzzer bashing, Bruno decided it was time to vacate his Got Talent chair – but reportedly left the show on good terms. Here is a look back at the reason Bruno quit Britain’s Got Talent.

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Why did Bruno Tonioli quit Britain’s Got Talent in 2025?

Despite appearing on BGT for three seasons, Bruno Tonioli is arguably still best known for being a judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 until 2019. The Italian TV star is also a judge on the American version of Strictly – Dancing With The Stars – and has appeared on the panel across the Atlantic since 2005.

While Bruno had been able to balance judging both Strictly and DWTS, the filming schedule for Britain’s Got Talent proved to be too challenging – with clashes ultimately forcing Bruno to walk away. In a statement released last year, Bruno explained why he was leaving the ITV show – and threw his support behind his replacement.

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The 70-year-old star said: “After three incredible series, I’ve sadly had to walk away from a job which has opened my eyes to so much incredible talent and step down as a judge on BGT.

“And whilst I look forward to filming a new series of Dancing with the Stars in the US, I will miss the chaos and joy that BGT brings, as well as all the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of working with. They truly are a brilliant team who make brilliant television, and I know KSI will be a fantastic judge too, as he’s already proven this year.”

Bruno previously opened up to the Daily Mail about the strain the constant travel between the UK and the USA was having on him. He revealed: “There is no animosity, it was a mutual decision with both of us saying, ‘Listen, this is not going to work like it used to.’ I just couldn’t do the flying anymore. I don’t know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it’s a miracle.”

What has KSI said of replacing Bruno as a BGT judge?

Britain’s Got Talent fans will recall seeing YouTube star and rapper KSI – real name Olajide Olatunji, 32 – filling in for Bruno at certain points during the 2025 season as his busy schedule kept him away from the UK. After wowing audiences as well as the fellow judges, KSI seemed like an obvious choice to take over from Bruno full-time.

The rap star has been enthusiastic about his promotion as a full-time judge – and vowed to help the panel uncover more undisputable talent via the ITV show. He said in a past statement: “I’m so grateful and happy to be a part of Britain’s Got Talent team for another season.”

He added: “I had such a good time last year, and I can’t wait to see some more top talent. I’m full of energy, ready to go, and can’t wait to make this the most entertaining BGT season ever. Let’s do this.”

What has Simon Cowell said about losing Bruno as a judge?

While head judge Simon Cowell, 66, has not explicitly commented on Bruno’s BGT exit, it has been reported that he supported the dance expert’s decision to leave – and consulted his young son Eric, 12, before announcing KSI as a replacement. A source told The Sun last year: “Simon’s been friends with Bruno for over 35 years and loved working with him on BGT.

“It was really tough knowing he had to let Bruno go because they couldn’t get the filming dates to work out with his commitments on Dancing with the Stars. Simon is always looking for new ways to keep the show evolving and loves to get the opinion of his young son. Eric was a big influence for Simon in choosing Bruno’s replacement. He’s obsessed with him and adores him. KSI is Eric’s favourite influencer. Plus, he’s been such a hit as a guest judge, and Simon recognises they need to keep the show different by moving forward to keep attracting the younger audience.”

The source added: “Bruno was popular with the grannies, but KSI is for the youngsters. KSI has a huge social media presence and Simon knows how important it is to keep the show more modern.”

Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV and ITVX on Saturday night at 7pm.

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Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington 2: Start time, undercard and how to watch fight tonight

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Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington 2: Start time, undercard and how to watch fight tonight

This evening, Josh Warrington bids for revenge against British rival Leigh Wood, more than two years after their intense first clash.

In October 2023, Warrington was leading on all three scorecards when Wood’s trademark power flipped the fight on its head. Wood, now 37, dropped Warrington, leaving the “Leeds Warrior” scrambling in Sheffield.

Follow LIVE: Warrington eyes revenge against Wood in tantalising rematch

And although Warrington beat the referee’s count, the fight was waved off, with Wood retaining his WBA featherweight title and Warrington left incensed at the official’s call.

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Warrington, 35, has the chance to exact revenge this weekend, when he enters the ring in Wood’s hometown of Nottingham. There, the pair will meet at super-featherweight; no title is on the line, only bragging rights.

Here’s all you need to know.

When is the fight?

Wood vs Warrington 2 will take place on Saturday 21 February at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. The main card is due to begin at 7pm GMT, with main-event ring walks expected at around 10pm GMT.

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How can I watch it?

Wood vs Warrington 2 will stream live exclusively on DAZN worldwide. You can purchase a DAZN subscription here, with plans starting at £15.99 per month.

Odds

Josh Warrington beat the ref’s count in the first fight, but the bout was stopped

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Josh Warrington beat the ref’s count in the first fight, but the bout was stopped (Getty)

Wood – 8/13

Warrington – 7/5

Draw – 14/1

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Fight card in full

Subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion

Leigh Wood will fight in front of a home crowd in Nottingham

Leigh Wood will fight in front of a home crowd in Nottingham (Action Images via Reuters)

Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington (super-featherweight)

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Ishmael Davis (C) vs Bilal Fawaz (British and Commonwealth super-welterweight titles)

Dave Allen vs Karim Berredjem (heavyweight)

Sandy Ryan vs Karla Ramos Zamora (vacant WBC women’s super-lightweight title)

Leo Atang vs Dan Garber (heavyweight)

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England’s Six Nations in tatters after humiliation by Ireland at Twickenham

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England’s Six Nations in tatters after humiliation by Ireland at Twickenham

Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier back were also back to their best, having both been dropped for the victory over Italy.

In stark contrast, England appear to have dropped off alarmingly. There was no direction, their play was littered with errors, indecision, ill-discipline and their line-out fell apart to such an extent in the first half that Luke Cowan-Dickie had to be withdrawn, while Freddie Steward was also hooked before the interval.

There were pockets of resistance, where England managed to generate some momentum thanks to Ollie Lawrence and some running by Henry Pollock – otherwise largely ineffective at No 8 – and Marcus Smith, but there were never in the game, and the stadium knew it, with the atmosphere reduced to chatter and ironic jeers.

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While Ireland look to the future, with home games against Wales and Scotland to come, Borthwick faces many questions of his own now.

Match details
Scoring sequence: 0-3, Crowley pen; 0-8, Gibson-Park try, 0-10, Crowley con; 0-15, Baloucoune try; 0-20, O’Brien try, 0-22, Crowley con; 5-22, Dingwall try, 7-22, Ford con; 7-27, Sheehan try, 7-29, Crowley con; 12-29, Lawrence try, 14-29, Ford con; 14-32, Crowley pen, 14-35, Crowley pen; 14-40, Osborne try, 14-42, Crowley con; 19-42, Underhill try.

England: F Steward (M Smith 39); T Freeman, O Lawrence, F Dingwall, H Arundell; G Ford, A Mitchell (J van Poortvliet 25); E Genge (B Rodd 51), L Cowan-Dickie (J George 29), J Heyes (T Davison 72), Maro Itoje, O Chessum, T Curry (G Pepper 51), B Earl (S Underhill 70), H Pollock.

Yellow cards: Steward, Pollock

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Ireland: J Osborne; R Baloucoune, G Ringrose (C Frawley 54), S McCloskey, J Lowe (T O’Brien 18); J Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; J Loughman (T O’Toole 47), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 55), T Furlong (F Bealham 46), J Ryan, J McCarthy (C Prendergast 62), T Beirne, J van der Flier (N Timoney 49) , C Doris.

Yellow card: J Osborne.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

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Scotland survive major scare as Wales fall heartbreakingly short of long-awaited Six Nations win

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Scotland survive major scare as Wales fall heartbreakingly short of long-awaited Six Nations win

Scotland stayed on course for a first triple crown since 1990 with a pulsating 26-23 comeback Six Nations victory against winless Wales in Cardiff.

Wales led for 75 minutes at Principality Stadium – and were 20-5 up at the start of the second half – but Scotland fought back with tries for Kyle Steyn, Finn Russell, Darcy Graham and George Turner.

Russell added three conversions as Scotland backed up their Murrayfield victory over England.

Rhys Carre and Josh Adams plus seven points from the boot of Sam Costelow gave Wales a 17-5 interval lead.

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Costelow and Jarrod Evans landed second-half penalties, but it was more misery for the home fans as Wales suffered a 14th straight Six Nations defeat.

This was Scotland’s fourth consecutive victory over Wales, their best run since winning five in a row between 1923 and 1927, and will head to Dublin on the final weekend of Championship action with the triple crown on the line.

Scotland celebrated a fortunate escape against Wales

Scotland celebrated a fortunate escape against Wales (Nigel French/PA Wire)

Wales were desperate for a positive start after being blitzed in the opening quarter by England and France. But they were reduced to 14 men inside five minutes as Joe Hawkins made shoulder to head contact on Gregor Brown and received a yellow card.

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A bunker review ended with no further punishment for the centre, but Wales were disadvantaged for 10 minutes and Adams only prevented Scotland from taking the lead with a goal-line interception.

Wales made the most of that escape after 10 minutes as Tomos Williams’ tap penalty set up a forward drive that ended with prop Carre scoring for the second successive game after crossing against France.

Costelow converted but Wales lost flanker Taine Plumtree to a shoulder injury and Scotland were soon baring their attacking teeth again. Sione Tuipulotu drove through the middle and Finn Russell released Blair Kinghorn to send over Steyn in the corner moments before Hawkins returned to the fray.

This was a far different Wales, however, to the timid team beaten by England and outclassed against France, and the lead was extended after 19 minutes.

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Wales showed so much more than in recent games

Wales showed so much more than in recent games (Nigel French/PA Wire)

Dewi Lake, scurrying on the floor at one point, made crucial yardage and Wales charged to the try line again. Costelow kept his composure to send Adams over out wide, and added another five points with a touchline conversion and straightforward penalty as Wales continued to win the physical battle.

Costelow took Wales’ lead to beyond two scores with his second penalty and Scotland’s frustration was summed up by Huw Jones – who crossed twice against England – dropping the ball with the try line calling him.

But Russell made no mistake after Scotland pounded the home line with 20-plus phases, the fly-half spotting space and converting his own score.

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Replacement fly-half Jarrod Evans’ first involvement was to extend Wales’ lead with a penalty, but Scotland struck straight from the kick-off.

George Turner went over for the decisive try late on

George Turner went over for the decisive try late on (Getty Images)

Russell sent the ball over the head of James Botham and Graham was alert to collect the bouncing ball. Russell added the extras to cut the gap to 23-19.

Wales missed the chance to extend their lead when a penalty was overturned for foul play, and that proved critical as replacement hooker Turner claimed Scotland’s bonus point try five minutes from time with Russell adding the final gloss.

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Some warehouse owners are backing out of deals with ICE

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Some warehouse owners are backing out of deals with ICE

More than 20 towns with large warehouses have become stealth targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s $45 billion expansion of detention centers. Some communities complain that ICE isn’t telling them anything until after it has purchased space for thousands of detainees. In some cases, warehouse owners are refusing to sell.

A look at some of the locations:

Arizona

Local officials were told nothing before ICE purchased a 418,000-square-foot (38,833-square-meter) warehouse in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise for $70 million, the state’s top prosecutor, Kris Mayes, said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Documents later provided by ICE said the Department of Homeland Security estimates it will spend $150 million retrofitting the facility into a 1,500-bed processing site.

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Florida

A TV reporter in Orlando spotted private contractors and federal officials last month touring a 439,945-square-foot (40,872-square-meter) industrial warehouse. ICE senior adviser David Venturella told a WFTV reporter the tour was “exploratory.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a statement that the city hasn’t been contacted by the federal government and that it has no legal options to stop a possible ICE facility.

Georgia

ICE bought a massive warehouse in Social Circle for $128.6 million. The city said it has been informed that the facility is expected to house from 7,500 to 10,000 detainees and will be constructed using a modular design so that capacity can be scaled up or down as needed.

Plans also are in the works to convert a warehouse in Oakwood into an ICE processing facility, Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde said in a statement, although no deed has been filed. City Manager B.R. White said his first inkling that a deal was imminent came when a warehouse supervisor told a city inspector he’d been instructed to clear the job site to make way for the new owners — the federal government.

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Indiana

After the town of Merrillville raised concerns about ICE touring a new 275,000-square-foot (25,548-square-meter) warehouse, owner Opus Holding LLC sent a letter stating it isn’t negotiating with federal officials for the property. The letter said Opus was limited in what it could share because of legal issues.

Maryland

ICE purchased a warehouse about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore for $102.4 million, a deed signed last month shows. The deed was unearthed by Project Salt Box, a Maryland ICE watchdog.

Officials in Washington County said in a Facebook post that DHS notified them beforehand that it was considering purchasing the warehouse for use as a “new ICE Baltimore Processing Facility.” County commissioners later passed a resolution in support of ICE activities.

Michigan

ICE announced its purchase of a facility in Romulus after the deal was completed. The city responded in a Facebook post that officials were concerned about the “lack of prior notification.”

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Minnesota

The owners of warehouses in the Minneapolis suburbs of Woodbury and Shakopee pulled out of possible ICE deals after public outcry, according to local officials.

Mississippi

Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker posted that Noem agreed to look elsewhere after local elected and zoning officials opposed a possible detention center in the town of Byhalia.

Missouri

After weeks of public pressure, development company Platform Ventures announced it would not move forward with the sale of a massive warehouse in Kansas City.

New Hampshire

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte sparred with federal officials after ICE disclosed plans to spend $158 million to convert a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing center.

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The issue came to a head when interim ICE Director Todd Lyons testified that DHS “has worked with Gov. Ayotte” and provided her with an economic impact summary.

Ayotte said the assertion was “simply not true.” She said the summary was sent hours after Lyons testified. The document erroneously refers to the “ripple effects to the Oklahoma economy” and revenue generated by state sales and income taxes, neither of which exist in New Hampshire.

New Jersey

Roxbury said Friday that ICE had closed on the sale of a warehouse despite it offering tax abatements to the owner to stop the purchase.

No property documents were yet available online showing the price of the sale. The announcement came just two days after ICE said it had made a “mistake” when it previously announced the purchase.

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“Let us be clear: Roxbury Township will not passively accept this outcome,” the mayor and city council wrote in a news release.

New York

ICE said Tuesday it made a mistake when it announced the purchase of a vacant warehouse in Chester. New York state Assemblyman Brian Maher said Friday that ICE is no longer considering the facility.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt announced last month that property owners had informed him they are no longer engaged with DHS about a potential acquisition or lease of a warehouse.

Pennsylvania

DHS purchased a warehouse in Tremont Township for $119.5 million and one in Upper Bern Township for $87.4 million. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has said his administration will fight DHS’ plans to convert the warehouses in rural parts of eastern Pennsylvania into immigrant detention and processing centers.

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Texas

In the El Paso suburb of Socorro, ICE paid $122.8 million for a trio of warehouses that span 826,780 square feet (76,810 square meters). ICE also paid $66.1 million for a 639,595-square-foot (59,420-square-meter) warehouse in San Antonio. The mayors of both cities are opposed.

However, another deal in the state was scuttled following community backlash. In the Dallas suburb of Hutchins, a real estate company confirmed that it was contacted about one of its properties but wouldn’t sell or lease any buildings to DHS for use as a detention facility. California-based Majestic Realty Co. provided no explanation in its statement.

Utah

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall expressed gratitude in her State of the City address that the owners of a warehouse that ICE was eying as a detention facility had announced plans not to sell or lease the property to the federal government.

Virginia

Jim Pattison Developments said in a statement last month that it became aware of the intended use of a warehouse in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, after agreeing to sell to a U.S. government contractor. Following boycott threats, the Vancouver-based company announced that the transaction “will not be proceeding.”

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Associated Press reporters Holly Ramer, Isabella Volmert and Marc Levy contributed to this report.

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Wood vs Warrington 2 LIVE: Boxing fight stream, latest updates and undercard results

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Wood vs Warrington 2 LIVE: Boxing fight stream, latest updates and undercard results

He followed in the footsteps of tonight’s opponent, Warrington, in trying to take down the reigning champion Anthony Cacace, who first defeated Warrington before he swatted Wood aside by TKO. Wood had knocked out Warrington at the Sheffield Arena in 2023, down on all three judges’ scorecards before landing a right hook that felled the ‘Leeds Warrior’. Warrington beat the referee’s count, but saw the contest waved off in the seventh, controversially and to his horror.

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Donald Trump uses loophole to ramp up legal tariffs to maximum after humiliation

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Daily Record

Donald Trump moved after a Supreme Court ruling deemed his use of a law was illegal.

President Trump says he has ramped up tariffs on every country to the maximum allowed by US law after being humiliated by the Supreme Court’s ruling. During a televised meltdown last night, Trump declared he was replacing his illegal regime of retaliatory tariffs with a global 10 per cent levy.

It comes after the Supreme Court ruled his use of an obscure “emergency” law to impose them without consulting Congress was illegal. And tonight, Trump announced he was increasing that figure, reports the Mirror.

Labelling the highest court’s decision “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American”, he wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was hiking the global tariff rate to the maximum legal level of 15 per cent. However, he’s only allowed to do so for 150 days under the loophole his administration has found.

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The UK’s biggest business organisation swiftly expressed dismay at the announcement and urged the Government to continue dialogue with US counterparts to keep the UK’s competitive advantage.

“We had feared that the President’s plan B response could be worse for British businesses and so it is proving,” William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC said.

“This means an extra 5% increase in tariffs on a wide range of UK goods exports to the US, except those covered under the Economic Prosperity Deal.

“This will be bad for trade, bad for US consumers and businesses and weaken global economic growth. Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic need a period of clarity and certainty. Higher tariffs are not the way to achieve that.”

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The UK Government repeated its assertion that it expects Britain’s “privileged trading position with the US” to continue, when approached for comment on the announcement of a new 15% rate.

Britain had received the lowest tariff rate of 10 per cent, and a subsequent agreement struck by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump saw further carve-outs for the country’s steel industry and car manufacturers.

Questions remain over whether those deals still stand, although officials are understood to believe the changes would not have an impact on most of the UK’s trade with America, including preferential arrangements on steel, cars and pharmaceuticals.

A Government spokesperson said: “This is a matter for the US to determine but we will continue to support UK businesses as further details are announced.

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“Under any scenario, we expect our privileged trading position with the US to continue and will work with the administration to understand how the ruling will affect tariffs for the UK and the rest of the world.”

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Man has ‘life-threatening’ injuries after alleged attack outside Wetherspoon’s pub

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Wales Online

A 37-year-old man is in hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police

A man has been left with life-threatening injuries after an alleged assault outside a Wetherspoon’s pub. The incident, outside the Picture House pub in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent took place between 11.30pm on Friday, February 20 and 12.15am on Saturday, February 21, according to Gwent Police.

A 37-year-old man, from Ebbw Vale, has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police were called after staff from the Welsh Ambulance Service treated a man had been assaulted on Bethcar Street.

The man’s family have been informed, and police have appealed for anyone who witness the incident to get in touch. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

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Detective Inspector Elaine Newbury, from Gwent Police, said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of this alleged assault.

“While we believe this to be an isolated incident, we understand that reports of violence in our communities can be upsetting and unsettling.

“Our officers are in the area carrying out enquiries, collecting CCTV footage and gathering evidence; if you have any questions or information, then please do speak to them.”

There was a large police presence in the town and a number of local shops remained closed on Saturday for investigation work to be carried out.

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Speaking before police released a statement about the incident, Richard Vaughan-Cobb who runs Fonehouse Ebbw Vale said: “Two members of our staff were unable to enter our premises this morning, and they were advised that the police were awaiting forensics and it was likely the cordon will not be lifted throughout the course of today.

“It is surprising how many independent businesses have been affected by this but it’s one of those things, the police need to do what’s needed.”

Police have asked for anyone who witnessed the alleged assault, or has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage, to get in touch.

You can assist the investigation by contacting Gwent Police via their website, call us on 101 or direct message them on their Facebook or X social media channels, quoting log reference 2600055384.

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Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, with information or visit their website.

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Police investigate livestock worrying in Darwen and Edgworth

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Police investigate livestock worrying in Darwen and Edgworth

According to police, several dogs are loose, which “appear to be acting as a pack”. There are reported to be a few different breeds, possibly Daschund, Terrier, Spaniel, and Alsation.

Police are also trying to locate the owners and are keen to seize the dogs. Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch.

A police spokesperson said: “Many of you will be aware that there have been a high number of livestock worrying offences around Darwen and Edgworth.

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“There are several dogs loose that appear to be acting as a pack. There are reported to be a few different breeds – possibly Daschund, Terrier, Spaniel and Alsation.

“We are currently out looking for the dogs with local farmers and are asking for members of the public to let us know if they see any loose dogs around the rural areas.

“You can update us on here until around 7pm today (February 21). After that, please call 101.

“We are extremely keen to seize these dogs and locate the owners.”

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London Bridge attack hero police officer sacked for gross misconduct for using ‘p*key’ slur

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London Bridge attack hero police officer sacked for gross misconduct for using 'p*key' slur

However, it wrote: “As an experienced BTP police officer used to dealing with a whole range of people, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he probably would have known that this was an especially offensive use of language directed towards members of a minority community.”

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Cashless Belfast: Campaigner highlights what is happening in the capital

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Belfast Live

In the third instalment of the cashless Belfast series, a spokesman from Campaign for Cash has spoken out about the “spreading disease” of cashless payments

A pro-cash campaigner has spoken to Belfast Live about his experiences — as well as his expectations — of a society moving towards a cashless future.

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He warns Belfast residents to look towards other parts of the country that are a lot further along the digital path than Northern Ireland to see what is happening there. And he stresses the importance of holding onto cash as a viable payment option.

Martin Quinn, 52, from Sutton in South London is involved with the Campaign for Cash. The organisation is a grassroots group who campaigns for continued and expanded cash across the country.

READ MORE: Two arrested on suspicion of illegal money lendingREAD MORE: City centre Tesco forced to close as man arrested following incident

He spoke to us highlighting the current landscape in the capital when it comes to cash, and said he wants physical money to remain a part of our spending habits.

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Campaign for Cash spokesman Martin said: “It is almost impossible to spend your cash in some parts of the capital.

“In London, many of the chains are card only and people need to speak up or they will not have the option to spend their cash. It is like a disease, cashless payments are spreading.

“My long term worry is that any particular high street in the country, you won’t be able to spend your cash. We’ve lost thousands of bank branches in the last decade so I can see why businesses are going card only but this is detrimental in so many ways, it hits everybody else. A wide array of society want to use cash and it should not be taken off the table.”

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Martin said the Campaign for Cash wanted people to be proud of the cash in their pocket and to be able to use it freely. The organisation has been around for several years now and arose in response to the rapid decline in cash usage accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing number of businesses going cashless.

He continued: “If there is a power outage or systems go down, and we don’t have the ability to spend cash, we’ll be walking around like zombies. People need to realise that they have a right to cash and they need to demand to have the ability to be able to spend it.

“Cash is especially popular in working class areas and with self service checkouts taking over in supermarkets, it is rare that cash is accepted at terminals. People don’t just want to spend cash, they need to be able to spend cash.

“We are sleep walking into a cashless society and people need to understand the implications of not having cash. There are concerns around privacy and not having the freedom of making a decision on the way you want to spend your money is not beneficial.”

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Throughout the cashless Belfast series run by Belfast Live, many readers have expressed their concerns about the practice of denying cash on our comment sections. Quite a few have publicly stated that they will avoid businesses that don’t accept notes or coins, and Martin encourages this practice.

“If you want to spend your cash, I’d advise boycotting businesses that refuse cash and vote with your feet. If enough people deny businesses access to their wallets then decisions will be changed,” he said.

“Cash needs to be on a level playing field with card payments, it shouldn’t be either, or, we need to have both across the board. Why should a cash user be discriminated against? Both of these payments need to be accepted for resilience. Cash needs to be there as a continuous fail safe, it is part of the eco-system.

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“Why is it only in emergency situations that these businesses who have gone cashless want cash? They seem to be happy to take it when this happens.”

While cash use has declined significantly in certain parts of the country, Northern Ireland remains more cash‑reliant than many other regions.

According to Link, Northern Ireland was the most cash heavy part of the UK in 2024. During that year, banking customers in Northern Ireland withdrew an average of £2,274. The second and third cash heaviest regions in the same period were Yorkshire and the Humber (£1,696) and the North-East (£1,682).

A significant portion of UK adults now live largely cashless lives, relying on contactless cards and mobile payments for everyday purchases. But as digital payments become the default for many, questions are being raised about accessibility, consumer choice and whether some people risk being left behind as cash continues to disappear from the high street.

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The ongoing closure of bank branches on high streets is also playing a role in a move away from cash. With fewer physical banks available, both customers and businesses are increasingly reliant on digital payment systems. For some businesses, security concerns are another factor, as holding large amounts of cash on-site can pose risks — something contactless payments help to reduce.

Belfast Live will continue exploring this issue in more detail as we seek answers from businesses, campaigners and others to determine whether the move towards cashless payments across the board is inevitable.

What do you think about the decline of cash in Belfast? Are you a business or a consumer that wants to add to the series? Email Rob.Currell@reachplc.com

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