The man became unresponsive after taking the drugs in December 2025

A man who supplied drugs to a man who later died has been jailed. Thomas Kelly, 33, met the other man and another person at a Cambridge property in December last year.

Kelly brought along Ketamine, which all three of them took. Later that evening, Kelly noticed the other man had passed out and wasn’t breathing.

The other person began CPR while Kelly called an ambulance. Emergency services attended, but the man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kelly, of Green Park, Chatteris, was arrested on suspicion of supplying a class B drug. He later pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to eight months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on April 2.

Detective Constable Abbie Ellis, who investigated, said: “This was a truly tragic incident where a man has lost his life, all because of drugs. Many think class B drugs are safer, and relatively ‘risk free’, but this case shows the dangers.

“Drugs ruin lives and we will do all we can to bring those who supply them to justice. My thoughts are with the deceased man’s family at what must be an incredibly difficult time.”

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But will there be one coming to you soon?

Lidl was unable to get a standard off-sales licence for a shop in Northern Ireland.

Instead, it is building a pub in Dundonald in east Belfast, as its licence comes with the legal right to operate an off-sales section.

A stroke of genius, many pug goers with a penchant for pastries would agree.

The pub, which will accommodate up to 60 customers, will not operate in-store, but will be in separate premises next door.

Imagine what the middle aisle of the pub will be like. https://t.co/irJbcVToTc

— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) April 9, 2026

Regional Managing Director for Lidl Northern Ireland Gordon Cruikshanks said: “Lidl has been a part of the Dundonald community for more than 20 years and in that time our shoppers and residents have been unable to avail of Lidl Northern Ireland’s full product range due to licensing restrictions.

“After six years in the planning process, we’re delighted to confirm today the development of a brand new public house and associated off-sales located adjacent to our Dundonald store, which will enable customers to enjoy access to our award-winning range of wine, beer and spirits, some of which are crafted right here in Northern Ireland.

“With the rising cost of living, many more shoppers are voting with their feet and choosing to shop at Lidl and, within the Dundonald community in particular, shoppers and residents deserve equal access to our full range of products.

“Today’s announcement and our investment in realising this project over the last number of years reflects our long-term commitment to Northern Ireland and our loyal customer base in Dundonald.”

Will Lidl open more pubs across the UK?

In Northern Ireland, supermarkets face two main hurdles which pertain to the sale of alcohol.

First, they must acquire a licence that has been “surrendered” by another business, such as a pub that has closed, a system which effectively caps the total number of licensed premises.

Second, they have to satisfy what is known as the “inadequacy” test, demonstrating that the existing number of licensed outlets in the area is insufficient to meet public demand.

Lidl was unable to meet this test for a standard off-licence.

But, it did pass the test for a pub licence, because two bars near the store have shut in recent years.

These very specific local conditions mean Lidl is not about to roll out pubs across its 13,000 stores worldwide.

Would you like a Lidl pub near you? Let us know in the comments.

Emergency services were called to Elizabeth Way on Tuesday (April 7) after a blue VW Golf was involved in a crash just after 4am. 

Cleveland Police said the smash took place following a short police pursuit – with two passengers, a man, 34, and woman, 42, in the vehicle being taken to hospital. 

The man who sadly died in the single car crash has now been named as 44-year-old Duane Michael Birdsall.

The 42-year-old woman injured in the crash, has now been arrested and charged with robbery in connection with an incident the same morning.

The 34-year-old man taken to hospital with serious injuries remains in hospital.

The woman appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 8 and was remanded until her next appearance on Tuesday, May 5.

A spokesperson from Cleveland Police said: “Our thoughts are with Duane’s family and friends at this difficult time.

“Detectives are still appealing for anyone with information or dashcam footage relating to the collision to get in touch.”

The road was closed for hours following the crash in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said: “We were called to a road traffic incident at the junction of Elizabeth Way and Tees Road, Hartlepool at 4.16am on April 7.

“We dispatched three double crewed ambulances, a clinical team leader, a specialist paramedic, two vehicles from our Hazardous Area Response Team and were supported by Great North Air Ambulance’s medical car.

“One patient was taken to North Tees Hospital and one patient was taken to James Cook Hospital with a doctor on board.”

Melania Trump has given a press conference at the White House denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calling accusations linking her to him ‘completely false’ and ‘baseless lies’

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Melania Trump has demanded that “lies” connecting her to Jeffrey Epstein must cease.

The First Lady has flatly denied any association with Epstein or awareness of his criminal activities, insisting the “stories are completely false” and branding allegations of her involvement as “smears”.

Speaking at a press conference, Melania declared those smears “need to end today”, adding: “They are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

Delivering a statement at the White House, she said: “My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success.” She was adamant that she had “never been friends with Epstein”.

“Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” Melania explained, reports the Mirror.

“My email reply to Maxwell cannot be characterised as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.

“I am not Epstein’s victim, Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump, I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in my book Melania.

“The first time I crossed path with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings.

“Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me having been circling on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe, these images and stories are completely false. I am not a witness or a name witness in any of Epstein’s crimes.”

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She went on to reiterate that she had no knowledge whatsoever of Epstein’s crimes, stating: “I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity, I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane and never visited his private island.

“I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors or other repulsive behaviour. The false smears about me from mean spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name, to gain financially and climb politically, must stop.”

The first lady also urged Congress to arrange a public hearing focused on survivors of Epstein’s crimes, giving them an opportunity to testify before lawmakers and have their accounts formally recorded in the congressional record.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she said. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

Her unexpected message arrived just as Donald Trump and his administration had seemingly managed to put the Epstein scandal behind them, after it had rocked the political landscape for months.

The controversy had gradually been eclipsed by the conflict in Iran and other pressing matters – but the First Lady’s remarks could well thrust it back into the political spotlight once more.

“Anyone involved in producing or selling this should be ashamed,” he said

An SDLP councillor has hit out after a badge depicting the controversial Moygashel Bonfire with effigies of asylum seekers in a boat on top of flames has gone on sale.

Last year, the bonfire made headlines globally after a boat with a number of mannequins wearing life jackets was placed at the top and set alight, in an apparent reference to refugees who cross the English Channel from France to reach the UK.

It also featured banners reading “stop the boats”, “veterans before refugees”, and “stop illegal immigration”.

Cllr Malachy Quinn said: “I’ve been made aware of this badge, and let’s be absolutely clear: this is hate being packaged and sold for profit.

“There is nothing cultural, nothing defensible, and nothing acceptable about it. It is deliberately divisive, inflammatory, and designed to target vulnerable people.

“Anyone involved in producing or selling this should be ashamed. Our community is better than this. Call it out. Report it. Refuse to fund it.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The Friday letters page discusses the inherent problems with previewing video games, as one reader salutes the release of Rhythm Paradise Groove on Nintendo Switch 1.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Evolution or decline?
As we crawl towards the release date of GTA 6 I find myself asking what some people may think is a silly question: will it be better than GTA 5? Obviously, the graphics will be better and I’m sure there’ll be more things to do and a bigger open world and all that, but none of those things make one game better than another.

The things I like best about GTA 5 are the characters and dialogue, the design of the open world, and individual missions. And with so many people leaving and joining Rockstar in the more than a decade since GTA 5 there’s no guarantee any of those things will be as good in the new game.

I’m particularly worried about the dialogue, because both the main writers have left and that’s got to have a big effect on how the game comes out. There’s very little dialogue in the two trailers so far, so it’s very hard to tell whether it’s any good or not.

There’s also the stuff like the driving and combat, which has never been great in GTA and often has strange control systems. That could be improved or it could go the other way. Thinking about it, I’d hate to work on the game because there’s just so much that could go wrong, I wouldn’t want to be making these decisions.
Purple Ranger

Portable market
Just saw some stats for Switch 2 sales in Japan and apparently it’s almost caught up with the PlayStation 5 already, at 5 million consoles to 7.5 million. It’ll easily pass it this year and that blows my mind considering Sony had an almost five year head start.

I don’t think the reasons are very hard to work out: the PlayStation 5 is much more expensive (the Switch 2 is cheaper in Japan than here) and it’s not portable but it’s still a really bad number. It makes me think that the PlayStation 6 portable is something that Sony wants specifically for Japan and they don’t necessarily care how well it does in the West. The rumours about it certainly make more sense to me now, seeing how bad the PlayStation 5 is doing.
Onibee

State of Sony
The Witcher 3 DLC and the Assassin’s Creed 4 remake are all well and good but that means another State of Play with little or no first party Sony games. The last one was good but that barely had any either. We do at least have a few on the docket at the moment – Saros, Marvel’s Wolverine, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – but it’s still not much and definitely not enough to make it clear that Sony has done some big U-turn on their previous policy. It’s just slightly better than the last couple of years.

If the God Of War spin-off is announced in the summer that will probably be it and I just don’t know how excited I am at playing as Kratos’ wife, who we saw for five minutes tops in the last game. I’ve seen people suggest that Sony are holding most things back for the PlayStation 6 but man, what a wasted generation this was.
Cuit

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Classic sequel
Just a heads up to say the Broken Sword Smoking Mirror: Reforged Kickstarter has gone live, where you can pre-order a digital or physical collector’s edition of the remake of the second Broken Sword game.

I don’t know where they go after this game for remakes, as although the other Broken Sword games are very good, in my opinion, they are not classed as classics as Broken Sword 1 and 2 are. I’ve just backed for my physical edition and my name in the credits!
Andrew J.
PS: I noticed the date has possibly slipped for the Pragmata amiibo. Originally, I think it may have been due out on 17th April 2026, at the same time as the game, but it seems to have recently slipped to June 11th 2026. I presume the game is not delayed and it is just a manufacturing delay with the amiibo.

GC: The game’s not delayed.

Time travel movie
So just got back from watching Mario and I have to say I really enjoyed it. We watched it in 4D and I really think that added a lot to it. Watched a few movies that way, including the last Mario film, but this time felt extra good.

The seats never stopped moving and the vibration, air blasts, and water sprays really made it for me, the 3D effects were pretty good too. Maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it as much watching at home but overall a great experience. And made me want to dust off my neglected Switch 2 for some Mario Kart.
P B

Strategy wizard
As the Spectrum is getting Inbox attention, I feel compelled to mention what, to me, are two of its’ best games; Chaos: The Battle Of Wizards and Rebelstar, both by Julian Gollop. Chaos was up to eight-players on a single screen, with wizards given random spells to deploy creatures that could be real or illusory and is still a blast today. Top tip: always cast Disbelieve if a player manifests a dragon.

Rebelstar was Gollop honing the turn-based, limited action point strategy game that would later become XCOM. It’s one of the best value games ever, as it released on the budget Firebird label for £1.99, which wasn’t a great deal of money 40 years ago in 1986. Highly addictive for 1 or 2 players and very innovative.

Chock full of features, such as opportunity fire, diverse reloadable weapons, complex inventory management, healing items and melee weapons, as well as the ranged combat. Like XCOM, you also cared about your troops, and should Rita Rumpo be killed the turn after using AP on a reckless missed shot, that left them insufficient points to get back to cover, you were gutted.

What Gollop wrung out of the 48K Spectrum was mind-blowing. A tired Raider could even pick up a coffee token and get a brew from the moonbase vending machine or equip a lawnmower and mow the garden area if fed up of blasting robots.
Reg Smythe

Press ZR to pay respects
Can’t say I’m particularly interested in Rhythm Paradise Groove but I’ll salute it anyway as Nintendo’s last first party game on the original Switch. An amazing console and I think it’s definitely going to be regarded as one of the best ever the more distance we get from it.

The Switch 2 has got a lot to live up to in terms of its legacy, and I don’t think anyone would try and argue its first year has been as good as the Switch 1’s. It’s not been terrible, but it looks worse compared to what’s come before. Personally, I think it’s been a mistake not to have a proper Nintendo Direct before now.
Coolsbane

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Wrong impressions
Old Man Yells at Cloud incoming…

Reading your Samson review and it’s making me think that the preview sessions game journalists go to are just a big scam, or the write-ups that follow them are (not you, I genuinely believe you’re one of the good guys).

I read multiple previews of Samson gushing about how promising and exciting it was. How on earth can we believe any of that with how the reviews have panned out. I don’t think subjectivity can even be argued in this case, it’s being slammed across the board.

Same with Crimson Desert. Most of the previews I read failed to mention how truly atrocious the controls and writing, etc. were, and some of these people had hours of hands-on time. It’s disingenuous and sells people on an experience without the full facts.

It makes me enjoy your content even more, and I’d add GameRanx on YouTube to this too.
RJ

GC: Thanks. Previews are always difficult to judge, since you always have to bear in mind the game isn’t finished yet. We didn’t do previews for Samson or Crimson Desert, though, so we can’t comment on that. However, in our Resident Evil Requiem review, we did point out that our preview of it was based on the absolute best parts of the game – although, of course, we didn’t know that at the time. Not that the end result wasn’t still excellent, but what we played wasn’t an entirely fair representation of the final game.

Inbox also-rans
When I see a quote about GTA 6 making players millionaires I just want to roll my eyes but the worst thing is it’s probably true, if it’s anything like Roblox. I just hate to think of the kinds of games and modes they’re going to be making with it.
Hoover

I was going to ask if Samson is coming to consoles, but then I read the whole review and, you know, it’s fine. Keep it on PC.
Spatz

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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MORE: Games Inbox: What is your favourite retro video game format?

MORE: Games Inbox: What is the best PS5 game?

MORE: Games Inbox: What was the best ZX Spectrum game?

A broken-down train has brought disruption to services in Bolton and Blackburn today (April 9).

Services between Bolton and Blackburn are disrupted in both directions due to a broken down train. Delays and diversions are expected until 3.30pm.

A spokesman for Northern said: “We’ve got a broken down train between Bolton and Blackburn.

“Train services running through these stations may be delayed.”

Affected stations include Ramsgreave & Wilpshire, Bromley Cross, Hall I’ Th’ Wood, Salford Crescent, Salford Central, Manchester Victoria and Mills Hill.

Northern has lifted ticket restrictions in the affected areas, allowing passengers to use any available Northern service to their destination during the disruption.

The rail operator requested replacement road transport between Bolton and Blackburn, with passengers advised that journey times could be extended by up to 60 minutes.

Passengers have been directed to www.nationalrail.co.uk for real-time updates and to re-plan their journeys.

Northern also reminded passengers that those delayed by 15 minutes or more can claim compensation by visiting www.northernrailway.co.uk/delayrepay.

The Floral Print Lace Detail Smock Dress has shoppers raving about its floaty fit and pretty design

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Shoppers at Roman are singing the praises of a ‘floaty’ dress that is “perfect for a summer holiday”. The Floral Print Lace Detail Smock Dress typically costs £42, but has been reduced to £37.80 using the code FRESH.

The Floral Print Lace Detail Smock Dress is made from 100% cotton, boasting a soft fabric and a floaty silhouette that skims over lumps, bumps and bloated tummies. It’s sleeveless with a flattering v-neckline that pairs well with any jewellery.

Despite the lace detailing on the garment, the Floral Print Lace Detail Smock Dress is still fully machine washable. The floral pattern is a great option for the warmer months, and we reckon it would look fantastic paired with a denim jacket, even during spring.

For those wanting a bit more coverage on the arms, M&S has the Floral V-Neck Mini Relaxed Smock Dress available for £46. The green dress is offered in three different lengths, accommodating a broader range of heights.

White Stuff is also selling the Lola Jersey Dress, marked down to £24 from £59, falling to an even better £21.60 at checkout courtesy of an automatic discount on sale items, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Roman dress has racked up an impressive average score of 4.9 out of 5. One shopper commented: “Bought this dress for sunny days. I like the pattern. It has plenty of room and it’s not tight – very floaty. Lace detail on the shoulders dress has tiered effect.”

A petite customer commended the length, remarking: “Beautiful fit and perfect for a summer holiday. The length is just right for me 5’2″ and love the material.”

The fabric is said to be kind to the skin. One reviewer notes: “Such a pretty dress and so flattering. Fabric is a lovely soft floaty cotton.”

However, one buyer pointed out that the dress’s weave is ‘loose’, stating: “Loving it! The fabric is quite a loose weave but a very cool and comfortable dress for summer.”

Overall, shoppers seem overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the Roman dress, with another adding: “Lovely fabric and such a pretty summer dress. Team with heels, flip flops or plimsolls.”

A new reality is setting in for travelers worldwide: rising fares and fees, fewer flight options and difficult decisions about whether a trip is worth the cost.

The culprit is volatile oil and jet fuel prices, which have spiked sharply since the war in the Middle East began and fighting near the Strait of Hormuz created a chokepoint for global oil supplies.

“Volatility is the real story here,” said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who now teaches at Georgetown University’s business school. “Right now, the airlines are trying to make bets on what they think will happen in the future.”

Airlines are responding cautiously, trimming schedules and adjusting prices in ways that experts say will ripple unevenly across the market but ultimately affect nearly every type of traveler.

Budget airlines and the customers who rely on them are likely to feel the pinch first and most acutely, experts say, but even travelers in premium cabins won’t escape the higher prices and less convenient schedules.

Oil prices have swung wildly in recent weeks, briefly topping $119 a barrel at one point, plunging Wednesday below $95 on news of a two-week ceasefire that temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and then climbing back toward $100 on Thursday as uncertainty over the fragile deal grew. Iran again closed the key artery for global oil shipments in response to Israeli strikes Wednesday in Lebanon.

“When prices move quickly in both directions, it’s very hard for airlines to make predictions,” Gilad said.

In other words, even when oil prices drop, travelers may not see relief right away.

“At this level of fuel, it’s hard to call anything temporary,” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told reporters this week after the Atlanta-based carrier raised its checked baggage fees.

Global squeeze, local effects

Bastian said Wednesday as Delta kicked off the earnings season for U.S. airlines that the higher fuel prices are expected to add $2 billion in operating expenses in the second quarter alone. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a recent memo to staff that if fuel prices stay elevated, it could add $11 billion in annual costs.

“For perspective,” Kirby wrote, “in United’s best year ever, we made less than $5B.”

According to the International Air Transport Association, the average global jet fuel price rose to $209 per barrel last week, up from roughly $99 at the end of February when the war started. Travelers from the U.S. to Hong Kong and New Delhi are paying the price.

U.S. carriers are embedding the higher operating costs into ticket prices and add-on fees. Delta, United, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have all increased checked baggage fees.

Both United and American are also moving beyond add-ons to adjust pricing. United said last week it is bringing the “pay for what you want” approach already standard in economy to its premium cabins, turning perks like advanced seat selection and fully refundable tickets into optional extras.

American announced Thursday that passengers in basic economy will have to pay extra to pick their seat beginning May 18, including elite-tier loyalty members. And later this year, basic economy passengers without elite status or an eligible co-branded credit card will be assigned to boarding Group 7, while those with higher status will still board earlier even when purchasing the lowest fare.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific recently bumped fuel surcharges by roughly 34% across all routes, while Air India on Monday added up to $280 in fees to some flights. Emirates, Lufthansa and KLM have also adjusted fees or fares to keep pace with the price volatility.

Experts say flexibility and careful planning can help offset these costs. Fare-tracking sites can alert travelers to price changes and help them compare multiple options in one place. Booking early and checking nearby airports can lock in better prices, while refundable tickets make it easier to cancel and rebook if fares drop. Traveling light with just a carry-on can also help avoid the rising bag fees.

Flight cuts to cut costs

For business travelers, the costs are already shaping their decisions. Bill Moorehouse, a solutions director who flies for work every four to six weeks, said the uncertainty may keep him closer to home for now.

“When you have business trips and you have a carefully coordinated schedule, you don’t want unknowns and disruptions. And right now, it just feels like it’s more likely that things could go wrong and throw your trip off course,” the Cupertino, California, resident said.

Richard Groberg, an investment banker from Las Vegas who visits clients around the U.S., said he plans to book as early as possible to lock in the best fares.

“There’s sometimes no substitute for in-person meetings and building relationships,” he said. “As travel becomes more expensive, that becomes a tougher decision to make those investments.”

Even family visits are on his mind. Groberg’s brother hopes he’ll stop in Vermont next time he’s in New York for work, but Groberg admits, “I start thinking maybe I should drive instead because this is getting so expensive.”

Airlines, meanwhile, are also adjusting how much they fly.

BNP Paribas estimates that global schedules for April have been cut roughly 5% compared with earlier plans. Most reductions are in the Middle East, the global investment bank said, though smaller cuts were also emerging in Europe, Asia and North America.

United Airlines is cutting about 5% of its planned flights in the near term, trimming less profitable routes and suspending some international service temporarily rather than “burning cash” on trips that can’t absorb the more expensive fuel costs. The airline’s CEO said the cuts will target redeye flights and routes on historically slower travel days such as Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Delta is scrapping plans to add more flights and seats in June, leaving about 3.5% fewer seats than originally planned.

Travel plans upended

These moves show why major carriers are better positioned to weather the spike in fuel prices than budget carriers, whose “no frills” model leaves them with less flexibility. Bigger airlines can lean on dynamic pricing, sell more seats at higher fares or swap in larger planes on certain routes, letting them cut flights without losing overall capacity.

“Leisure travelers and budget conscious travelers are going to absolutely feel it first because it may make the difference between going and not going,” Gilad said.

It’s already made the difference for Anna Del Vecchio. The 36-year-old Seattle resident has made it an annual springtime tradition to visit family in Philadelphia before flying to Paris to see friends she’s known since she was a teenager.

Her credit card points typically cover the roundtrip flight, but ticket prices now hover around $1,400 — about double what she has paid in past years.

“It wasn’t even scratching the surface for the flight this time,” she said, “so I decided to delay the trip.”

But if airfare tops $1,500, she might not be able to make a journey she hasn’t missed in years.

“It might be the kind of thing where it just ends up being that I have to travel less.”

Workers accessing their private pensions could face bills far steeper than anticipated, as HMRC warns schemes claiming to release funds early or tax-efficiently may leave them liable for 100% of tax due plus interest and penalties

Workers accessing their private pension pots are being warned they could end up facing bills far higher than expected.

In a stark warning, HMRC urged people to “check before you dip” into their savings, alerting them that arrangements promising to increase take-home pay could leave them liable for 100% of the tax due – plus interest and penalties. The crackdown follows growing concerns that contractors and agency workers are being targeted by complex pay structures, often routed through umbrella companies, which can obscure how income is taxed.

Hidden dangers that could cost you thousands

HMRC stated that tax avoidance schemes frequently depend on “artificial transactions that serve no real purpose” beyond reducing tax bills on paper. However, the consequences can prove far more costly, reports the Mirror.

Anyone caught up in such schemes remains legally responsible for paying the full tax owed – meaning they could face:

• 100 percent% of unpaid tax
• Interest charges on top
• Potential financial penalties
• Fees already paid to scheme promoters

Officials warned this creates a double blow, where workers not only lose money to the scheme itself but are then pursued for the entire tax bill.

Simple checks could protect you

HMRC said one of the most telling warning signs is when workers receive more money in their bank account than shown on their payslip – a red flag that tax may not have been properly deducted.

Other warning signs include:

• Payments labelled as loans or capital advances
• Pay structures that appear overly complex or unclear
• Umbrella company arrangements that promise unusually high take-home pay

The tax authority stressed that for legitimate wages, 100 percent of net pay should correspond with what appears on your payslip.

Pension access under examination

The caution is aimed particularly at those accessing private pension savings, where certain schemes purport to release funds ahead of time or in a tax-efficient manner.

HMRC’s stance is clear: if it appears too good to be true, it most likely is — and could result in a significantly larger financial burden further down the road.

Real-life examples highlight the risk

HMRC cited a number of cases in which workers were left out of pocket:

• A nurse spotted untaxed income entering her account and subsequently faced a tax demand
• A single parent was encouraged into a scheme that left her with a substantial unexpected bill
• An IT contractor using an umbrella company ended up unknowingly enrolled in avoidance arrangements

In each case, individuals remained liable for the full amount of tax owed, despite having relied on third-party advice.

HMRC urged anyone who believes they may be caught up in such a scheme to come forward without delay, cautioning that the longer one waits, the greater the financial consequences. It said: “The longer you leave it the bigger the tax bill.”

Support is on hand, including the possibility of staggered payment arrangements for those unable to settle the full sum at once. Workers encouraged to remain alert

With umbrella company arrangements widely used among contractors, HMRC emphasised that having a clear understanding of how you are being paid is essential to avoiding difficulties.

Officials pointed out that suspicious schemes can be reported by anybody — even anonymously — as part of a broader crackdown on those promoting such arrangements. Further details can be found here.