Lanchester Garden Centre on Bargate Bank boasts an almost perfect rating of 4.5 stars from nearly 4,000 reviews on Google.

Within the garden centre is Potter’s World which describes itself as the “North East’s hidden gem.”

The attraction is home to exotic free-flying birds, reptiles, amphibians, and two tortoises called Hermione and Herman.

It holds educational experiences where children can meet and interact with the animals.

One reviewer said: “Potters World with the birds and animals is amazing. They’re all so well looked after too”.

One of the biggest draws appears to be the play area.

A review said: “Nice place to visit, great garden centre and small animals to see.

“Lovely play area for the kids and plenty of outdoor seating.”

The garden centre announced that they had been specially selected as an official Jellycat Seeker Store on social media this week (July 6).

They have become an official Jellycat Seeker Store. (Image: EMMA FOSTER)

They said: “Only a handful of independent stores across the country are chosen for this, and it means some very special Jellycat characters will be quietly perched on our shelves, waiting for the right person to spot them.

“A few old pals have crept out of hibernation — and not a moment too soon.

“After snoozing for quite a while, these unforgettable Jellycat favourites have decided it’s time for a new adventure… and they’ve chosen Lanchester Garden Centre as one of their special UK hideouts.

“We’re expecting our very first Seekers delivery any time soon — bringing with it a mix of rare returners, old favourites, and magical little characters who’ve been hiding away for far too long.”

Emma Foster, the garden centre’s general manager, said: “We were over the moon to be chosen.

“We work very closely with our rep and Jellycat have very strict protocols, so they only select people who they feel are married to the brand and match their concept and ethos.

“We’ve had a huge response.

“This has definitely reignited a passion for finding those little quirky, unusual pieces that not everybody will have.”

The centre also includes The Greenhouse Restaurant which serves afternoon tea, a full English, and Sunday lunches.

One person commented: “The restaurant is very nice.

“I got an afternoon tea, and my husband got fish and chips.

“The food was so good, it finished the day off perfectly.”

The garden centre offers a wide range of products including plants, outdoor furniture, paving, and tropical fish.

The opening times are 9am-5pm.

Darren Watts was the only culprit caught after a fraud involving seven fuel stations

The owner of a haulier firm is furious after authorities were only able to bring one fraudster to justice following a fuel card scam.

Libco Logistics, based in Caerphilly county, lost more than £5,000 from the swindle which took place across seven filling stations over the course of two days.

Prosecutor Jemma Guy told Newport Magistrates’ Court: “Libco had 45 vans delivering housing goods around Wales. For each van a fuel card was registered to purchase diesel. On April 16, 2024, the company was emailed by Snap Fuel, the business it used for fuel cards.”

Snap raised concerns of potential fraudulent activity on the cards and Libco quickly realised several payments from recent days had not been for the purpose of refuelling its vans.

“The value of some of the transactions was much greater than would be expected,” said Ms Guy. “Refuelling should cost no more than £100 but some of these cost more than £300.”

Libco reported to police some £5,235 worth of payments at seven fuel stations in south Wales but only one of those incidents led to a criminal conviction. That incident had happened on April 14 at the A470 Texaco station in Abercynon when a 54-year-old man called Darren Watts – who did not work for Libco – had used one of the fuel cards to buy £300 worth of diesel.

CCTV showed Watts had been on the station forecourt wearing a hood and a scarf that covered his face. He pulled the pump hose behind his car boot which was up and blocking the camera’s view of what he was doing. It became clear he had pumped diesel into a container – and in the following days he advertised the fuel for sale online.

Watts was caught after his Ford Cougar’s registration number was picked up on the CCTV. But he was the only culprit brought to justice and Libco owner Steven Walters believes the blame for this lies with Gwent Police.

Mr Walters told WalesOnline: “I had 50-odd drivers working for me and one of them got their hands on a bunch of fuel cards, which were then passed on to people who stole thousands of pounds of fuel over two days.

“Darren Watts was the tip of the iceberg. He’s just somebody who was handed one of these cards. I didn’t even know who he was.”

Mr Walters accused Gwent Police of acting too slowly to gather evidence against others who may have been involved including an employee he suspected of handing out the fuel cards in the first place.

Police said there had been difficulties obtaining CCTV footage from three of the fuel stations “despite requests to supply it for the investigation”. The force refused to answer why it had not served warrants to seize all the footage it needed.

Watts, of Church Road in Gelligaer, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was fined £240 and ordered to pay compensation of £300 to Libco. After the sentencing we phoned Mr Walters who was not satisfied by the lone conviction well over two years after he reported the crimes.

“I’m so angry,” he said. “Police dragged their feet. All the CCTV gets wiped after the first few weeks. Some of the garages obviously weren’t as helpful as they should have been but police never followed up with a warrant.”

Gwent Police told us it did receive CCTV from four of the seven fuel stations but that the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was only strong enough evidence to bring a charge over one of the incidents – Watts’ fraud in Abercynon.

Libco is now in the process of being liquidated. Mr Walters said this was the result of losing its key client and nothing to do with the fuel card scam.

He added: “We did get past the fraud. I had a strong chat with an employee I suspected and they then quit.”

During the sentencing District Judge Sophie Toms asked why it took two years for the case to reach court but the prosecutor was unable to shed light on this.

The court heard Watts has been struggling with health problems including a stroke and throat cancer.

Watts’ solicitor Richard Williams said: “He accepts the stupidity of his actions. He has had previous convictions but nothing in the past 25 years.”

The defendant receives £1,050 per month in personal independence payments and universal credit, the court heard.

Judge Toms said Watts was not fit for unpaid work due to his health issues. She imposed prosecution costs of £85 and a victim services surcharge of £96 on top of the fine and compensation.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

LONDON (AP) — Technology and online platforms are increasingly being used to threaten the United Kingdom, including by hostile countries, extremists and far-right groups, senior British police officials said Thursday.

There is a “continual battle” against threats online, said Vicki Evans, a senior national coordinator for counterterrorism at the Metropolitan Police, and police need help from technology companies because “it’s not something we can do alone.”

Islamic extremism remains the biggest threat but over the past five years, threats from far-right groups and hostile states have significantly grown, said Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism police.

According to Evans, the threat from hostile states is the “most rapidly escalating mission” for counterterrorism police.

Threats from hostile countries are increasing

In July, two Romanian men were jailed over the stabbing of a journalist from a Persian-language television station, which the judge said was carried out on behalf of Iran’s government.

In June, a Ukrainian man and Romanian man were jailed for their role in setting fire to property linked to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer — a plot which fits the description of Russian state-backed sabotage. And in May, a U.K. border official and former Hong Kong police officer were convicted of spying for China.

Evans said that in 2025, there were more than 20 Iranian-backed plots, including assassinations, kidnappings and other serious crimes against the U.K. Additionally, police are still investigating whether arson attacks against Jewish sites earlier in the year have a link to Iran.

Russia has been organizing a “constant stream of surveillance plots” against people and institutions in Britain, aiming to target people Russian officials believe are enemies, “infiltrate” ordinary life and identify people who will “peddle” Russian narratives or carry out proxy work on behalf of the Russian state, she added.

Across Europe, Russia has recruited dozens of people on apps like Telegram to carry out vandalism or set fires — including at a warehouse in London that stored communications equipment meant for Ukraine.

Dylan Earl, the ringleader of that plot, was recruited on Telegram by the Wagner Group, a mercenary organization acting on behalf of Moscow that has been designated a terrorist group by the U.K. government.

As an example, he gave the case of an 18-year-old woman, Alina Burns, who was imprisoned for almost 20 years in May after attacking a stranger with an ax — an attack that Taylor said was motivated by her extreme right-wing mindset.

Children are increasingly radicalized online

Alfie Coleman — a 22-year-old sentenced on Wednesday for 13.5 years for trying to buy a gun from an undercover MI5 officer — was radicalized online from the age of 14, Taylor said.

Evans said that those behind the exploitation are specifically designing online content to attract young people by blending it with propaganda and gaming footage, historical images and music. The young are then prompted to carry out violent acts — such as being asked to “recreate” in real life horrific attacks from video games, she said.

In some cases, Evans said, “sadistic online groups,” ask people to compete against each other to cause harm online and offline — by using cyberattacks, extremism, serious violence or even child sexual abuse or terrorism.

The extent of “lawful but awful” content online, including extreme violence and gore, she said means that some people now have a skewed sense of what is normal or acceptable. Those people are particularly vulnerable to manipulation, including by state actors, she said.

Although the government has said that Britain will ban social media for those under 16, that is not enough, said Evans, adding that pressure needs to be put on technology companies to help curb harmful content online.

Laws and policies regulating harmful content online quickly go out of date while social platforms have powerful mechanisms to push content to young people, she said.

“The tipping point is very swift and steep,” for some people who are drawn into harmful content online, she said.

It is appropriate as it comes just weeks after the opening of its £23m Stockton Waterfront Urban Park, which is one of the most extraordinary attempts in the country to revive a town centre and to right the wrongs of the 1970s.

Stockton has much to commend it, with its railways and matches, its theatres, libraries and The Globe which, after its redevelopment, has suddenly become a regional capital for entertainment.

READ FIRST: STOCKTON MAKES IT TO THE SHORTLIST

But so many of our other towns have so much to commend them. That 18 towns, from Alnwick to Scarborough, in the North East and North Yorkshire, submitted expressions of interest tells how vibrant culture is in our neck of the woods.

It must have been impossible for the judges to pare down 398 entries, so we are sure they have tried to spread them out across the country and they have tried to ensure that towns which really need a boost are involved.

Disappointingly, this means towns with really impressive entries – and you must be bowled over by the cultural achievements of Bishop Auckland in the last decade and Richmond in the last couple of centuries – must miss out.

However, it is to be hoped that the bidding process has reminded the participants just how much their places have to offer and why they should be proud of them.

Perhaps the question should be asked of those towns which did not take part why they did not choose to blow their own trumpets when there was a potential £3m prize at stake – hopefully, Stockton can bring it home for us all.

Hello and welcome to coverage from Wimbledon on women’s semi-final day. The second match is Marta Kostyuk vs Linda Noskova on Centre Court. For the ninth successive year, there will be a first-time women’s champion.

Czech ⁠women have hoisted the Rosewater Dish seven times — including the first two won by Martina Navratilova before she was granted US citizenship in 1981.

That haul by Navratilova, Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova (two), Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova is more than the combined total of five major women’s ⁠titles the country’s players have won at the other three slams since 1968.

“I would say the history that the players before us have always been great. I mean, the Czech tennis female players have always been incredible. If you look at 10 years back, 20, 30, there’s always just been someone,” Noskova said.

“We kind of still keep on going and keep on having great juniors and youngsters coming up. It’s great to see that the country is not stopping tennis.

“But I feel like for me it has always been the fact that us as such a small country, we can definitely do big things in the world if we look up to the people that did it.”

For Kostyuk, she hopes her run will bring some much-needed distraction to her war-ravaged country.

“It’s not easy to disconnect entirely,” she said. “It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then on Monday they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like five kilometers away from where my parents live.

“Again, another difficult night and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It’s not easy. I tried to be aware of everything that’s going on. Of course, I try for these things not to influence me too much. Every day is different. I cope with it as it goes.”

Andy Burnham is on the verge of being crowned Britain’s next prime minister after Labour MPs rushed to demonstrate loyalty to their ‘King of the North’.

Some 322 of the party’s MPs – nearly 80 per cent of Labour’s seats in the House of Commons – have nominated Mr Burnham to replace Keir Starmer, it was announced tonight.

It means Mr Burnham, dubbed by some as his party’s ‘messiah’, is almost guaranteed enter Downing Street on 20 July – despite questions about his mandate to lead the country as he’s not faced a public vote or revealed much of his policy platform.

The Makerfield MP is on course for a ‘coronation’ that bypasses a full Labour leadership contest.

He needs just one more nomination to ensure no other contender can reach the required 81 supporters needed to be a candidate and to force a vote of Labour’s wider party membership.

But convention dictates that the outgoing Labour leader – in this case Sir Keir – does not nominate a candidate, meaning in reality there are no longer enough undeclared MPs to back an alternative to Mr Burnham.

There are also no other Labour MPs who have publicly stated they are considering a leadership bid after former defence minister Al Carns – who was Mr Burnham’s last potential rival – threw in the towel on Wednesday night.

The lack of Labour contenders willing to take on Mr Burnham – after he swooped down to Westminster after winning last month’s Makerfield by-election – has raised concerns about a lack of mandate for the incoming PM.

He has so far been coy about his policy platform, has not yet spoken in the Commons since returning to Parliament, and exited a speech last week without taking questions from the media.

Mr Burnham has ruled out calling a snap general election when he enters Downing Street, despite having previously demanded the Tories go to the polls when they switched leaders while in office.

He is also set to become PM after MPs have already gone on their six-week summer break, meaning he will not face any questions in the Commons on his agenda until September.

Some 322 of the party’s MPs – nearly 80 per cent of Labour’s seats in the House of Commons – have nominated Mr Burnham to replace Keir Starmer 

Among those who pledged their backing to Mr Burnham after nominations opened on Thursday morning were current Deputy PM David Lammy, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, according to a list of published by Labour.

The rush by Labour MPs to show their loyalty to Mr Burnham comes as many of them jostle for top jobs in his incoming administration.

Starmer ally Steve Reed was one of only four Cabinet members who did not nominate Mr Burnham on Thursday, along with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, both of whom have been spoken of as potential chancellors, and party chairwoman Anna Turley.

But this does not necessarily mean they do not support Mr Burnham, as nominations must be made in person or through a limited number of proxy votes.

In a post on social media, Mr Burnham said he was ‘deeply grateful to the 322 Labour MPs who have put their trust in me and nominated me for Leader of the Labour Party’.

He added: ‘Their support comes from across the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) and reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics.

‘That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode.

‘I want to empower MPs to bring the experiences of their constituents into the heart of government, and harness the full breadth of our Labour movement, drawing on all its traditions and beliefs in pursuit of a common purpose.

‘I want to thank every colleague who has nominated me for their commitment to that vision.’

Mr Burnham also received a boost when the Unite trade union, which is affiliated to Labour, gave him a ‘conditional nomination’ to be Britain’s next PM – although he was warned he had ‘one shot’ to improve his party’s fortunes.

Following a one-to-one meeting with Mr Burnham, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham announced her union would back him to be PM ‘conditional upon delivery’.

Ms Graham, who had been a fierce critic of Sir Keir’s leadership, said: ‘Labour now needs to deliver. This moment feels like the ‘last chance saloon’.

‘If warm words are not followed up by action, workers and communities prepared to listen now – will walk away.

‘Everyday people are hurting. They are on their knees. The working class of Britain have paid the price for crisis after crisis, Labour now need to clearly show whose side they are on.

‘Britain needs a vision, a clear step-change in industrial and political direction. A ‘real Labour’ direction that must lead to well-paid, secure jobs and a society where everyone gets a decent piece of the pie.

‘Labour will get one shot – they now need to take it.’

After going into nominate himself, the former mayor of Greater Manchester joked that it was ‘third time lucky’ after his botched leadership bids in the past

Barry Gardiner boasted that he was ‘first through the door’ at the Parliamentary Labour Party office this morning

Advertisement

That was contested by David Pinto-Duschinsky, who insisted he was the first to nominate Mr Burnham

Some MPs felt they had to take to social media to explain why they were yet to back Mr Burnham

Burnham backer Luke Charters said it was ‘lovely to see so many MPs queuing up’

Some MPs posted images of their nomination paper, including Rosena Allin-Khan

Advertisement

Mr Burnham had earlier admitted it is ‘all starting to feel very real’ as his Labour leadership ‘coronation’ got under way.

The party’s MPs had rushed to show off their loyalty to the incoming PM when leadership nominations officially opened. 

Barry Gardiner boasted that he was ‘first through the door’ at the Parliamentary Labour Party office this morning, but that was contested by David Pinto-Duschinsky, who insisted he was the first.

Luke Charters said it was ‘lovely to see so many MPs queuing up’, while others felt the need to explain on social media why they were not able to complete their duties immediately. 

After going in to nominate himself, Mr Burnham joked that it was ‘third time lucky’ after his botched leadership bids in the past.

Nominations opened on Thursday morning after Mr Carns confirmed he would not stand to replace Sir Keir.

Mr Burnham’s close ally Louise Haigh has claimed a plan for his first 100 days in No10 has been in development for a long time.

But there is still nervousness about a lack of clarity of the former Greater Manchester mayor’s policy platform.

He last night sent an email to Labour’s 403 MPs vowing to have a more collegiate approach and wrote an article in The Times calling for defence cash to boost British industry. 

But Mr Burnham has not fleshed out any tax or spending plans beyond a commitment to stick to the Labour manifesto and increase devolution. 

Ministers and MPs have been frantically jockeying for jobs in the new administration, with Mr Miliband hoping to be made Chancellor despite alarm in some quarters over his ‘Soviet’ views.

Mr Lammy, Ms Cooper and Attorney General Lord Hermer were all out and about on Thursday as the so-called ‘beauty parade’ for Cabinet jobs under Mr Burnham continued.

Intriguingly, New Labour stalwart David Miliband – the brother of Ed – was also due to give a speech on Thursday evening, having been tipped for a shock comeback to Government. 

Sam Rushworth MP admitted he had not wanted a leadership contest, but was now getting behind Mr Burnham 

Prospective Labour leadership candidates need the backing of 81 MPs to put themselves forward to replace Sir Keir, who resigned last month after Mr Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election.

In the absence of any other contenders before nominations close on July 15, Mr Burnham will be formally declared Labour leader at a special conference on July 17 and is expected to then become prime minister on July 20.

Former armed forces minister Mr Carns told Sky News last night: ‘I’d hoped a leadership contest would give us the opportunity for a proper debate.

‘But months of internal Labour politics isn’t what the country needs right now. We’ve got to get on with the job.

‘Andy Burnham’s earned this and he’s got my full backing.’

Allies of Mr Burnham have been briefing that Mr Carns has wrecked his chances of a ministerial job, with claims he only had three backers – including himself.  

The Mexican government says it will file criminal complaints in the United States over the deaths of more than a dozen of its citizens in US custody.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco told journalists that the government would take “forceful legal action” to protect the human rights of Mexican citizens in the US.

He said that 14 Mexicans had died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and another three during ICE “arrest operations”.

The incidents have not just caused outrage in Mexico. On Wednesday, more than a thousand people protested in Houston, where an ICE officer had shot dead Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo the day before.

Salgado, 52, had been working as a builder for three decades in the Houston area after coming to the US as an undocumented migrant, his son said.

Ronaldo Salgado told journalists that his father “did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of ‘Mexican man shot and killed by ICE’”.

His family said Lorenzo Salgado had been on his way to work when he was shot by an ICE agent.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement published on X, that “ICE law enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop as part of a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien”.

In the statement, external, DHS alleged that Salgado had “attempted to evade arrest”.

“From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defence,” the statement reads.

Key Starmer ally Steve Reed was one of only four Cabinet members who did not nominate Mr Burnham on Thursday, along with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, both of whom have been spoken of as potential chancellors, and party chairwoman Anna Turley.