Artificial intelligence software will be used on the NHS app to determine which service is most appropriate for patients in England, the health service has announced.

A new triage tool will ask patients a series of questions, and will use the responses to direct them to a GP appointment, pharmacy, A&E, community service or offer self-care advice.

NHS England said the update would reach more than 200,000 patients in the next 12 months and be available to all app users by April 2028 as part of a “major overhaul” of its technology.

The rollout has been largely welcomed, but some health bodies urged the NHS to prioritise patient safety, confidentiality and inclusion as it grows more reliant on AI.

According to NHS England, the triage tool will provide advice and suggest services or book appointments. Part of its aim is to reduce waiting on the phone when GP surgeries typically open their lines at 08:00.

An initial trial at Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex saw a 29% reduction in the number of people queuing on the phone for an appointment.

Dr Ragu Rajan, who works at the practice, said integrating the tool “means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be directed to the right care first time.

“It hasn’t replaced our judgement – it’s given us back the time to use it.”

Health Secretary James Murray said the rollout did not mean an AI programme would ultimately decide if patients saw a doctor.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Murray said it meant investment would be put in to “modernise” the NHS and ensure benefits were spread out “around the country”.

It comes as part of a £10bn investment, allocated by the government in 2025, to overhaul the NHS’s technology, digital and data systems.

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said the tool would “help get patients to the best service for their needs first time… so that clinicians can make sure those most in need of a GP appointment can get one sooner”.

There will also be an England-wide rollout of AI tools that record conversations between patients and NHS staff to generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries.

It will start with hospital appointments not requiring an overnight stay at four NHS trusts in and around London – St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston and Richmond.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are also expanding their AI notetaking programmes.

A trial led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and carried out across nine NHS sites in London found NHS staff spent almost 25% more of their time interacting with patients when using the notetaking technology.

The Royal College of Nursing’s chief nursing officer, Prof Lynn Woolsey, said the rollout could mark “an important step in upgrading technology in the NHS” and “ease the administrative burden on nursing staff”.

But she also emphasised that patient safety and confidentiality must be at the “heart of any AI triage system, with a guarantee that a health professional will be the one making decisions at key points in that process”.

Pritesh Mistry, fellow at the King’s Fund think-tank, said the announcement “could help turbo-charge improvements in how [the] NHS uses modern technology to deliver better care for patients”.

“People should find it easier to have support at the right time and in a way that best suits them, digitally or physically,” she added.

“And this means the NHS will need to keep a strong focus on ensuring that people are not digitally excluded as clinical services become increasingly reliant on technology.”

Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said: “Any innovation that improves patient care and helps the NHS work more effectively should be welcomed.

“But new technology must be introduced with a fully-funded plan that delivers value for taxpayers.”

Its owner says the business is ‘no longer commercially viable’

One of the last two remaining nightclubs on Deansgate Locks will soon close – delivering another hammer blow for the once-thriving nightlife strip. The owner of Ark Manchester says it is sadly ‘no longer commercially viable’.

The venue had been a fixture on Deansgate Locks for around 12 years, at the former Missoula site. It previously stood alongside neighbours including The Comedy Store, Revolution and Lola Lo.

The row of clubs, set on the other side of the Rochdale Canal from Whitworth Street West, was previously one of the city’s busiest nightlife hotspots. But following a raft of closures in recent years, only Ark and Popworld now remain, with both businesses open on Friday and Saturday nights.

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And soon Popworld will stand alone on the Deansgate Locks nightlife development, with Ark Manchester’s closure confirmed by owner Stonegate Group. A date for the closure is yet to be confirmed, but it is understood to be within weeks.

A spokesperson for Stonegate told the Manchester Evening News: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges. After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.

“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”

Last year the M.E.N. explored the decline of Deansgate Locks, which was transformed into a nightlife destination in 2000. A shift in nightlife habits, the cost of living crisis and issues with damp in the Grade II-listed structure were all cited as reasons why the strip has struggled in the last few years.

Some Netflix viewers have been left distracted by what they say is a glaring error

The film’s lead actress has already responded to criticism from fans.

Viewers of Netflix’s latest adventure offering have found themselves distracted by what they consider an unmissable continuity error. Enola Holmes 3 was recently added to the streaming giant, continuing the popular film franchise.

It marks the third chapter in the series produced exclusively for the platform, which first launched back in 2020. According to its official synopsis, detective Enola Holmes is swept into an adventure in Malta, where personal and professional ambitions collide on a case more complex and dangerous than any she has previously encountered.

Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown returns to once again portray the titular protagonist Enola Holmes. She is joined by House of Guiness actor Louis Partridge, reprising his role as love interest Teweksbury, while former Superman and Witcher star Henry Cavill returns as Enola’s brother and renowned detective Sherlock Holmes.

The latest instalment has failed to generate the same critical acclaim as its predecessors, which achieved scores of 91% and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. Enola Holmes 3 has so far garnered a considerably lower rating of just 73%, reports the Mirror.

Despite this, certain viewers are more preoccupied with what they perceive as a significant production blunder. One particular scene, set against a Maltese backdrop, shows Enola cautiously peering around a corner.

Rather than remaining immersed in the tension of the moment, audiences were quick to spot that Millie’s character — who inhabits the Victorian era — appears to be sporting gel nails. One supporter posted on social media the photograph with the description: “Enola Holmes taking place in 1885 while Millie’s nails giving full 2026 gel manicure.”

Someone responded: “Period pieces fail the second modern beauty standards leak in. Audiences read authenticity through tiny details now.”

Prior to the film’s premiere, Millie had already addressed the backlash. Speaking to the BBC, she stated: “How bleak and boring of the internet, I love a good manicure and so does Enola. I wasn’t disappointed but I was like, oh OK, that’s what the articles are about. But then again, the internet does not surprise me these days. I’ve been through it on the internet.”

Meanwhile, the film’s director Philip Barantini, who also directed award-winning miniseries Adolescence, has revealed he didn’t concern himself with “small things”.

He continued: “Maybe they do for some people but it made me laugh. We just live in a world where everyone is hyper-aware and they find something to zone in on, and it becomes a huge thing.”

Some supporters have defended the production’s error as they recognise it has never claimed to be historically precise. After all, the stories are adapted from the book series published between 2006 and 2023 rather than genuine historical occurrences.

A piece in The Guardian suggests that archaeologists have unearthed Egyptian mummies (dating to 5,000 BC) with gilded nails and henna-tinted fingertips as well as a solid gold manicure set in southern Babylonia, dating to 3,200 BC, that was seemingly part of combat equipment. So perhaps the inclusion of nail art in Enola Holmes 3 is not quite as historically inaccurate as it initially appears, even if gel sets were not specifically in use during the 1880s.

However, one fan pointed out: “The polish itself isn’t really a problem, it’s that that kind of colour and gloss were not ‘in’ in Britain at the time and would not be for a while. It’s less of a technological issue and more of a ‘applying 21st century fashion standards to a time where the rules were different’ issue, which is like super duper common in historical fiction films in general”.

Enola Holmes 3 is streaming on Netflix.

Nigel Farage’s spokesman has denied fresh allegations the Reform UK leader may have broken parliamentary rules, after reports the MP failed to declare benefits provided by an ally who was once convicted of fraud in the US.

The Sunday Times says George Cottrell supplied support, external including security and social media staff who worked on Farage’s online content in the year before he was elected. It also claims Farage used a property rented by Cottrell near Buckingham Palace.

Farage is already facing a parliamentary probe over a £5m gift from a billionaire Reform UK donor which was not registered. He has argued that money was for personal security and was not political because it was received when he was not involved in politics.

His team have made a similar argument for why the “in kind” – non-cash – benefits allegedly from Cottrell were not registered.

Cottrell, 32, who admitted a count of wire fraud in the US in 2017, is a long-standing ally of Farage. He was involved with UKIP as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

In 2017, Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud after admitting attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by posing as a money launderer.

Farage was with him when US authorities pounced as the pair were returning to the UK from a Republican convention.

According to the Sunday Times, Cottrell is a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and is involved with offshore gambling website Tether.bet.

Farage served as Reform’s honorary president between March 2021 and June 2024. On 3 June 2024, he confirmed he was returning as party leader and standing in the general election. He became Clacton MP in July 2024.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months before their election.

The guidelines say purely personal gifts or benefits do not need to be registered.

When he became an MP, Farage registered a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 donated by Cottrell, and later added a £15,276 donation from Cottrell for a US domestic flight he provided in December 2024.

No other support from Cottrell is listed in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests., external

A spokesman for Farage said: “It comes as no surprise that the Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election.

“Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken.”

A source said Reform paid for Farage’s security and staff after his return to politics.

The source also denied Farage received accommodation from Cottrell – saying the MP did not stay at the London property.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is currently investigating whether Farage broke the rules over the £5m gift from British cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in early 2024.

Farage has said Harborne gave him the money to pay for his personal security, adding the gift was “purely private” and “wasn’t political in any sense at all”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage and Reform are engulfed in a huge and growing scandal.

“These new allegations of secret payments from a wealthy convicted criminal are on top of the ongoing scandal of his secret £5m gift from a crypto billionaire.

“How much money has he been given, what did his donors get in return, and why has he tried to cover them up and avoid legitimate questions?”

The make-up brand was founded by inspiring Droylsden entrepreneur Paige Louise Williams, who forged her company from scratch and now steers what has become a multi-million turnover global brand.

The Trafford Centre store was due to open in October last year, but was hit by last minute delays.

Paige has been sharing numerous updates about the build inside the store at Trafford Palazzo in recent months, whetting the appetites of her fans. It will feature a spectacular all-pink interior with vast beauty activations, a make-up studio and even a dance studio and theatre space inside.

Shoppers are being told to expect a fully immersive “beauty playground” with a host of interactive experiences to “blur the lines between shopping and entertainment.”

For as long as I can remember I’ve battled with my weight. 

At my heaviest two years ago, I was 14st 11lb – at 5ft 4in my body mass index (BMI) was 36, meaning I was obese. And I knew it was damaging my health.

Tests showed I was prediabetic, edging towards type 2, and I hated looking in the mirror.

I had mastered the art of standing behind people in photographs, hiding behind oversized smocks and baggy jeans. 

Every Monday I’d say: ‘This week it all changes,’ vowing to start another diet. But, like clockwork, every Friday I’d be opening the prosecco, good intentions forgotten.

As a 45-year-old mother-of-one, my experience is far from unique. Between the sleepless nights, juggling a full-time career as a freelance journalist, approaching perimenopause and keeping up with a toddler, taking care of myself always came last. 

I’d been a yo-yo dieter, but after turning 40 the extra weight was ever harder to shift.

Every time I convinced myself to do something about my weight, I focused on a new diet trend. 

I’ve tried everything including the Atkins diet, Slimming World and Rosemary Conley’s Hip and Thigh Diet. I’d lose a few pounds but always found them again fairly quickly.

When I went on Mounjaro weight-loss jabs last year I lost 2st 5lb in six months, but stopped after developing inflammation in my gallbladder – a side effect of rapid weight loss.

The jabs helped me reach a weight I hadn’t seen in years. But instead of feeling healthier I felt exhausted. I had no energy, struggled to exercise and relied on vitamin B12 injections just to function.

And then, inevitably, I regained more than a stone – two-thirds of the weight I’d lost.

At her heaviest, Lynn was 14st 11lb – at 5ft 4in her body mass index (BMI) was 36, meaning she was obese. And she knew it was damaging her health

The idea is you stay fuller for longer while also improving gut and digestive health and boosting your immune system. It sounded ideal.

It was a wake-up call. I promised myself something had to change. I needed to lose weight differently with a lifestyle I could live with.

More than anything, I wanted my energy back so I could run around after my daughter Mia, four, without feeling permanently exhausted. 

Then earlier this year a friend mentioned nutritionist Emma Bardwell and her 30g Plan.

Her evidence-based philosophy is surprisingly simple: 30g protein every meal, 30g fibre a day and 30 different varieties of plant a week.

The only problem? I don’t enjoy cooking. So would it work for me?

Week One: Breaking the snack habit

Starting weight: 90.4kg (14st 2lb)

Preparation, I quickly learn, is key. Picking out recipes from Emma’s The 30g Plan Cookbook, I add ingredients to my online shop and note, with horror, that the cost has rocketed to nearly double.

Suddenly I’m buying ingredients such as flaxseeds and edamame beans and, much to my husband’s horror, £5 vanilla bean paste. But I’m committed now.

Usually my breakfast consists of two coffees and maybe, at a push, a protein bar. But instead I’m prepping pots of Greek yogurt and ingredients such as chocolate, pistachio nuts, banana and chia seeds.

Surprisingly it only takes 20 minutes to prepare several breakfasts at once, and they taste delicious. Lunches become just as straightforward. Butter beans and feta on sourdough with cottage cheese, peas and edamame quickly becomes a favourite because it requires very little effort.

 Emma Bardwell’s evidence-based philosophy is surprisingly simple: 30g protein every meal, 30g fibre a day and 30 different varieties of plant a week.

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The 30g Plan was developed by nutritionist Emma Bardwell, pictured above, after she found her health began to suffer in midlife

But the biggest surprise is I am genuinely not hungry. Normally by 3pm I’m rummaging through the cupboards, but now I am not thinking about food at all. For someone who’s spent years battling cravings, that feels almost miraculous.

Week Two: Finding meals I actually enjoyed

Weight: 89.3kg (14st 0lb)

Stepping on the scales I’m absolutely thrilled to see I’m 2lb down despite not at all feeling like I’m dieting. The cooking is a faff but I decide on one rule – if a recipe takes more than 25 minutes, I’m not making it. Life is busy enough.

I also work out how to throw meals together myself that fit the plan. 

First, I get my head around what 30g of protein actually looks like. That’s roughly 200g of Greek yogurt, a chicken breast, a salmon fillet or 200g of tofu. 

Do you want to lose a stone in six weeks?

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Hi, I’m Emma Bardwell, a nutritionist with more than 15 years’ experience helping people improve their health and lose weight.

I’ve been there. I was overweight, unhappy with my skin and stuck in a rut. Then I changed the way I eat. You can now do the same with my tried-and-tested healthy eating plan. And for DailyMail+ subscribers, it’s completely free. 

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Click here to sign up and start your journey

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It doesn’t have to come from one food either – cottage cheese, eggs, lentils and nuts can all be combined to reach the 30g target.

Then every meal needs a source of fibre to help me reach the 30g-a-day target, such as a bowl of porridge (5g), a slice of wholemeal bread (3g), half a tin of beans or lentils (8g), a cup of raspberries (8g), a tablespoon of chia seeds (5g) or a few almonds (4g). 

Combined with a range of vegetables to hit the 30 plants-a-week goal, meals feel huge and filling.

I start working with a trainer at AdMac Fitness who encourages me to increase my daily step count and introduces weekly weigh-ins to keep me accountable. 

Seeing numbers drop is satisfying, but the energy boost is better. After months of forcing myself through the day, I am finally wanting to exercise again.

Week Three: More energy and focus

Weight: 88.4kg (13st 13lb)

Something has shifted and I’m no longer constantly thinking about my next snack.

Instead I’m focusing on what I can add to hit my targets – a scoop of cottage cheese, more chia seeds or a dollop of yogurt.

Planning what to eat, rather than worrying what I can’t have, is a much healthier mindset. I’m also more focused and my concentration has improved.

By mid-afternoon I’d normally need a nap, but that isn’t happening. And overall I feel like myself again. My husband James comments I seem particularly cheerful, and I have to agree.

I’m looking forward to reformer pilates classes and have restarted the Couch To 5k running programme, which I abandoned during Covid when I became pregnant. I’m not gliding gracefully around the park but I’m out there, which feels like progress.

In the evenings I used to be really fatigued, but now I’m putting on a wash, cooking dinner and staying on the go until 9pm.

I also notice something else surprising: my weekly food bill has started to come down.

Stocking up on store cupboard essentials is expensive, but they last for ages.

And because I’m not constantly buying convenient meals, grabbing lunch to go or topping up on snacks every few days, I’m spending less overall.

Lynn’s breakfasts included pots of Greek yogurt and ingredients such as chocolate, pistachio nuts, banana and chia seeds – which take only takes minutes to prepare

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Lunches were just as straightforward. Butter beans and feta on sourdough with cottage cheese, peas and edamame became Lynn’s favourite, because it requires very little effort

Week Four: Better digestion

Weight: 87.6kg (13st 11lb)

Twice  a week I spend 20 minutes preparing breakfasts and lunches, and Emma’s dinner recipes mean there are usually leftovers too.

It saves both time and money, but more importantly it stops me reaching for convenient food simply because I’m busy.

I still snack, but it’s more mindful. Instead of demolishing half a packet of sweets I grab grapes, a banana or some Greek yogurt, which is a huge achievement.

And I’ve started looking at vegetables differently. Instead of treating them as an optional side, I make them the foundation of almost every meal. 

Tomatoes and spinach with an omelette at breakfast; peppers, cucumber and edamame at lunch; roasted broccoli, or courgettes with dinner. They count towards my 30 plants a week, add fibre and bulk out meals. I’m also less bloated and my digestion has improved – everything has become very regular.

I also start noticing I’m physically stronger during workouts.

The real test comes when I go to watch Take That perform and climb what feels like a million stairs to reach my seat. Normally I’d be puffing halfway up. Instead, I make it to the top thinking, ‘Actually, that wasn’t too bad.’ Little victories like that mean far more than another pound disappearing.

Week Five: Lighter and happier

Weight: 86.8kg (13st 9lb)

The weight is coming off steadily and my dresses feel looser.

The slower approach feels healthier than the rapid weight loss I had on Mounjaro.

My mood is improving and I’m less snappy as I’m sleeping better too. I always struggled to drop off at night, sometimes tossing and turning for hours. But I’m falling asleep more easily, which means mornings feel more positive.

Everything definitely feels like less of a struggle and I’m feeling genuinely relaxed about food.

I’m not panicking about going out for dinner, although I am making good choices. Rather than just going for a salad, I choose something that contains protein and fibre and will fill me up: a chicken dish or risotto that ticks boxes and won’t leave me hungry.

The 30g Plan Cookbook by Emma Bardwell (Vermillion, £20.00) Photography by Kate Whitaker 

I want this to be real life, not another plan I abandon.

One meal never ruins your progress. I’ve spent years believing I either have to be perfect or I’ve failed completely. 

Finally, I realise it’s about what you do most of the time. For the first time in years, I feel like I’m learning habits I can actually stick to.

Week Six: More than just weight loss

Final weight: 85kg (13st 5lb)

By the end of six weeks I’ve lost 12lb. But what I’m proudest of is how I feel. I have more energy. I’m sleeping better. Exercise no longer feels like punishment.

Of course, I’d like to lose another 3st ideally. I’ve got a trip to Ibiza booked later this year and would love to feel more confident in a swimsuit. I’m still a size 18 and would like to be a 14.

I want to look in the mirror and smile instead of spotting everything I’d change. More importantly, I want Mia to grow up seeing a mum who’s healthy, active and full of energy.

Will I stay on the plan itself? Probably not strictly. But I feel comfortable knowing I can adapt my own meals using Emma’s basic tips. I’ll stick with yogurt for breakfast, edamame and cottage cheese for lunch, and cook the occasional meal from her book in the evenings.

I can simplify it because I understand what works and how to apply that. Six weeks ago, I thought I was starting another diet. Instead, I realise I have finally changed my relationship with food.

I’ve found a way of eating that fits around real life, keeps me full, fuels my workouts and doesn’t leave me feeling deprived.

After years of chasing quick fixes, that’s something I never thought I’d say. And it feels like the biggest achievement of all.

The Government will leave ‘no stone unturned’ in efforts to deport evil grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, as ministers eye up a suite of sanctions for Pakistan if they refuse to accept his return.

Rochdale gang leader Ahmed, 73, has been stripped of his British citizenship leaving him with only Pakistani nationality.

However, he cannot be deported due to a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, something Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is determined to change.

He settled here in 1967 as a 14-year-old, making him ineligible for deportation under the existing rules. 

Reports have also suggested Pakistan might not accept Ahmed because he had previously renounced his citizenship. 

Ahmed was released from HMP Leeds on Thursday after serving just 14 years of the 22-year sentence handed to him in 2012 for the crime of 30 child rape offences.

Health Secretary James Murray told Sky News‘ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: ‘I want this man out of the country, I think we all do.’

He added: ‘I know that this is a job for the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary to work out the exact way of getting him deported. I’m not going to step on their toes by suggesting exactly how they should do that.

‘But I don’t think they would object to me saying that as a government we should leave no stone unturned.’

The other eight members of a Rochdale grooming gang who were convicted in 2012 of  offences including rape, trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children

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Health Secretary James Murray (left) and Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick (right) spoke to Sky News about the efforts to deport Ahmed

Asked if that could mean threatening to withhold aid money from Pakistan or blocking remittances being sent by Pakistanis in the UK back to their home country, Mr Murray said: ‘I’m not going to speculate on exactly what mechanisms the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary might use.

‘That is their responsibility to think through the best way of getting the outcome we all want, which is this man to be out of our country.’

Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said the UK should be pausing aid and visas to Pakistan and ‘putting maximum pressure on the Pakistani government’ in order to deport grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed.

The Newark MP told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: ‘You’ve got to use all the levers of the British state to get these despicable people out of the country.

‘And I’m afraid to say successive governments, Conservative and Labour, have just been too weak.

‘We are not a weak country. We do have ways of doing this – we’re giving around 80 million quid every year in aid to Pakistan. The Home Office issues tens of thousands of visas to Pakistanis.

‘We should be pausing the aid, pausing the visas, putting maximum pressure on the Pakistani government to take this man back.’

The Conservatives have said they will attempt to amend the Government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill “to close the loophole” preventing Ahmed’s deportation. 

On Friday afternoon, Whitehall sources said all options for ensuring the deportation of the newly-freed Rochdale man are on the table, including visa sanctions, financial sanctions, or withholding foreign aid.

A Whitehall source told The Times: ‘Nobody’s in any doubt that we can change the law — the 1971 Immigration Act is a problem and we’re looking at what the art of the possible is and I’m sure there’s some form of way to make that work.

‘But the most important part of this is the diplomatic side of things. If that doesn’t get anywhere then we’re completely stuck in terms of being able to deport him.

‘It’s our relations with the Pakistani government where we’re going to come unstuck. It doesn’t feel hugely likely given they’ve dug their heels in on previous cases.’

A source added that it’s ‘technically true’ that visa sanctions are among the options being considered, but these are viewed as a last-resort option.

Any sanctions-based reprisals for the South Asian country would have to be led by the Foreign Office, not the Home Office.

Andy Burnham received criticism earlier this week when he publicly called on the Home and Foreign Secretaries to ‘review all possible options’, adding ‘they should consider nothing is off the table’.

Ahmed cannot be deported due to a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, something Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured) is determined to change 

Police launched their first investigation into child grooming in Rochdale in 2007

One Foreign Office insider warned that Mr Burnham’s public demand that anything be done to secure Mr Ahmed will result in Britain paying a ‘high price’ to ensure the outcome.

They said Pakistan are ‘very smart operators’ who will now hold all the cards in the negotiations.

On Friday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage set up the deportation of ‘monster’ Ahmed as Mr Burnham’s first crucial task in office to prove to wavering voters he can address their migration concerns.

He said: ‘Ahmed is not British. He’s a Pakistani national. He must be deported. But Labour say he can’t be.

‘Reform would repeal Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 so foreign rape gang perpetrators can be deported. And we would suspend ALL visas for Pakistanis until they agree to take back Shabir Ahmed.

‘No visit, study, work, or family visas. None. Each year, we grant around 175,000 visas to Pakistani nationals – including to some very powerful ones keen on spending time in London.

‘Their Government would agree to take back Ahmed within hours of us doing this. As with so many of the problems we face, deporting Shabir Ahmed is really about political will.

‘Andy Burnham says all options are on the table, will he act?’

A No. 10 spokesman said at the time: ‘We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad and we are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders, and we’re clear that they should have no place in this country.’

This week, the Daily Mail revealed that Ahmed was refused parole just four years ago as he was deemed too dangerous.

The damning assessment was made by the Parole Board in 2022 when the former taxi driver – who forced his victims to call him ‘Daddy’ – made an unsuccessful attempt at being released early.

It followed Ahmed punching a fellow inmate in the face for saying ‘terrorists should be eradicated’ and then repeatedly stamped on his head.

The shocking outburst at maximum security Wakefield Prison – known as Monster Mansion for housing some of Britain’s most dangerous prisoners – was sparked by a deadly wave of terror attacks which struck Brussels, killing 32 people and injuring more than 300.

Andy Burnham (pictured) received criticism earlier this week when he publicly called on the Home and Foreign Secretaries to ‘review all possible options’, adding ‘they should consider nothing is off the table’

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After threatening to kill James Palmer ‘if you slag off Muslims again’, the convicted paedophile attacked the 71-year-old, sending his false teeth flying, a court later heard.

Ahmed was convicted of causing actual bodily harm over the 2016 prison attack and given an extra 12-month sentence, to run concurrently.

A summary of Ahmed’s 2022 parole rejection reveals that his probation officer ‘advised that release to the community at this stage could not be safe as Mr Ahmed had not sufficiently reduced his risks’.

After considering all the evidence, the panel concluded that Ahmed was ‘appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be contained or addressed’.

It also states that at the time he was preying on young girls, Ahmed had a ‘belief that it was acceptable to sexually abuse underage victims’.

As the news of the paedophile’s release from prison was released to the public, one of the survivors of the grooming in Rochdale described her fear at the idea of him prowling the streets, and her disbelief at the system’s failure to get rid of him as promised.

It has emerged that she previously ran into another of her abusers at a supermarket, having not known he had been released from prison.

The victim, known as Ruby (not her real name), told BBC Newsnight: ‘I was 12 years old when this started and still getting failed.

‘There are broken victims because of a broken system. I am scared for my safety and my children’s safety.

‘The main ringleader, who is well known in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton, is being released from prison.

‘Even if he is not in those areas, he still knows people and could contact them, which makes me feel unsafe.’

Ruby questioned why the country was still blindly following legislation set 55 years ago.

She said: ‘At the end of the trial, we were told they would all be deported once released, but not one of them has been deported.

‘We need these laws to be updated.

‘Laws need to change, and victims need to be heard.’

Ahmed was one of nine men convicted of sexual offences against multiple children, who they groomed at two takeaway restaurants in Rochdale. Prosecutors identified him as one of the ringleaders.

A court heard that Ahmed had abused one girl for more than a decade, using her as a ‘possession’ for sexual gratification.

Victims learned that his conditions of release will include an exclusion zone covering the entire borough of Rochdale until June 10, 2034.

He will also be required to live in supervised accommodation under the watch of 24-hour staff.

Two other jailed Rochdale abusers, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, have already been released but also cannot be deported for the same reason.

Manchester United are eyeing a swoop for Aurelien Tchouameni at Real Madrid, though could alternatively pursue any of Scott, Felix Nmecha, Ayyoub Bouaddi or Sander Berge as they also continue talks with West Ham over Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea are planning a new bid for Pep Chavarria and are also being linked with Tchouameni having ended their chase for Granit Xhaka, with Tyrique George about to join Everton permanently and Trevoh Chalobah also on the way out soon.

By CHARLOTTE DALY, MULTIMEDIA CONTENT REPORTER

Published: 08:44 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 11:01 BST, 5 July 2026

England‘s security team have insisted Mexican fans’ attempts to disturb the Three Lions’ sleep ahead of their World Cup last-16 showdown have had little to no impact on the squad.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside England’s team hotel on the eve of Monday’s clash at the Azteca Stadium in a bid to create a hostile atmosphere, chanting, singing and revving engines in scenes designed to unsettle Thomas Tuchel‘s players.

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But an England security official dismissed suggestions the squad’s preparations had been disrupted when speaking to Daily Mail Sport outside the hotel at midnight.

Instead, he insisted the players found the whole spectacle amusing rather than intimidating and suggested they were well used to it.

By Saturday evening, barriers surrounded the hotel perimeter while security personnel lined the railings keeping watch over the growing crowds outside.

Riot police and local authorities eventually intervened, moving around 200 fans approximately 300 metres away from the hotel entrance, allowing the area to calm considerably.

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Police were on guard to protect the England team hotel from disruption from Mexico fans

The police presence was high after Mexico’s previous opponents Ecuador had complained fans had tried to disrupt their team with fireworks on the eve of their match

A Mexico fan with a drum is ordered by police to move away from the England hotel

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The England security official, who spent the evening monitoring the situation from outside the hotel, said the noise could initially be heard from inside the building but stressed it was never particularly loud or problematic.

Once the supporters had been pushed further down the street, he said the players could no longer hear the commotion from their rooms.

The official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’ throughout England’s stay and had gone out of their way to ensure the team’s preparations remained unaffected.

He also insisted the players’ mentality had not changed despite the attempts to create an intimidating atmosphere.

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‘They’re used to playing for Real Madrid, Barcelona and the biggest Premier League clubs,’ he said. ‘This isn’t their first experience of something like this.’

He added that some players regularly experience more hostile atmospheres in domestic football, joking that ‘sometimes the atmosphere at Everton is worse.’

According to the security official, England’s experienced squad have taken everything in their stride and, if anything, the reception has only sharpened their focus ahead of the knockout tie, which takes place at 1am on Monday UK time.

An England security official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’

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Once supporters were ushered away down the street, England players were no longer hear the commotion from their rooms

The official played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, insisting the process had been ‘very smooth’ and ‘nothing of note’ happened

The official also played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, which attracted large crowds of supporters and widespread attention on social media.

He described the team’s arrival as ‘very smooth’ and said there was ‘nothing of note’ from the perspective of those responsible for security as it was all a bit of ‘fun’.

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He added that members of England’s travelling party were surprised by the scale of the media coverage afterwards because they did not view the scenes as anything out of the ordinary.

Despite the noisy scenes outside on Saturday night, England remain confident their preparations have not been compromised as they look to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals at the Azteca on Monday.

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Lena Dunham had visibly trimmed down in new photos of the designer clothes she wore to Taylor Swift‘s wedding functions at Madison Square Garden.

The Girls creator, 40, was in attendance both at the intimate rehearsal dinner for 100 on Thursday and at the 1,000-strong ceremony and reception Friday night.

Dunham, a longtime friend of the bride, delivered a raunchy speech at the first event that left some of the guests in shock, as exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail.

She then joined a cavalcade of stars including Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid, as well as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Beyonce, Hugh Grant and more to see Swift exchange vows with NFL star Travis Kelce on Friday.

Now her stylist Talia Cassel has fired up her Instagram page to unveil the ensembles she curated for Dunham to wear to the events.

In both of the custom outfits – one by Christian Cowan and one by Amber Doyle – Dunham’s reduced frame was impossible to miss.

The Daily Mail has contacted Dunham’s representatives for comment.

Amber Doyle had produced a lime green skirt suit that shimmered under the lights, cut off at the knee and teamed with matching shoes thrifted from The RealReal

Meanwhile the Christian Cowan look included a magenta top with flared robe-like cuffs, garnished with a massive floral brooch done in tulle

Cowan’s more formal creation was presumably the one Dunham wore for Friday night’s ceremony, which was officiated by Adam Sandler and featured performances by Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Swift herself.

The newlyweds, who had their respective brothers Austin Swift and Jason Kelce as Man of Honor and Best Man, were dressed in Christian Dior Haute Couture.

For what may have been Dunham’s rehearsal dinner outfit, Amber Doyle had produced a lime green skirt suit that shimmered under the lights, cut off at the knee and teamed with matching shoes thrifted from The RealReal.

Meanwhile the Christian Cowan look included a magenta top with flared robe-like cuffs, garnished with a massive floral brooch done in tulle.

Dunham’s figure was cinched in by a slimming black floor-length skirt that featured a waistline designed to slightly resemble a cummerbund.

Last year at the height of the Ozempic era, she bewailed the decline of the body positivity movement, which she said was ‘here, and then it was gone,’ via Variety.

‘I obviously am not critical of anybody’s choice, whether it’s to use Ozempic – people should be allowed to have whatever body they feel comfortable in,’ she said.

‘But we cannot pretend that the bodies people want aren’t influenced, and we can’t claim it’s always for health reasons and not for aesthetic reasons.’

Dunham, a longtime friend of the bride, delivered a raunchy speech at the first event that left some of the guests ‘gasping’; the pair are pictured at the 2015 Golden Globes

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She then joined a cavalcade of stars to see Swift marry NFL star Travis Kelce on Friday; the pair are pictured as the groom’s team the Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl

Her fluctuating size has been a lightning rod of public conversation ever since she shot to fame in 2012 on her self-created series Girls, featuring numerous sex scenes in which Dunham exposed her physique on camera. 

She attributed her weight gain in recent years both to sobriety and to her raft of medical issues, including endometriosis that led in 2017 to a total hysterectomy with ovarian removal, which in turn resulted in early menopause.

In 2019, she raved on Instagram that she was ‘the happiest I’ve ever been,’ having allowed herself to relax and ‘weigh the most I ever have.’

She has been married since late 2021 to the musician Luis Felber, whom she first met on a blind date near the beginning of that year.

Swift’s wedding presented the risk Dunham might have an awkward run-in with her ex Jack Antonoff, a longstanding friend and co-writer of the bride.

The discomfiture of the potential encounter might have been amplified by the fact Dunham had just presented a scathing account of their romance in her new memoir Famesick, which soared to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.