The rise has been linked to unusual weather patterns, combining last year’s warm summer with heavy winter rainfall.

According to Rentokil Pest Control, which recorded a 10 per cent increase in rodent sightings compared to the previous year, the spike has been most pronounced in Northern Ireland and northern England.

Northern Ireland saw the biggest rise at 26 per cent, followed by Yorkshire at 20 per cent and the north west at 19 per cent.

The West Midlands reported a 16 per cent increase, while Scotland recorded 14 per cent.

Pest control experts say the UK’s record-breaking warm weather in 2025 may have extended the rats’ breeding season, leading to larger populations.

Rentokil has also warned that the record-breaking wet start to 2026 could intensify the problem.

Sustained rainfall can flood burrows and drainage systems, displacing rats and driving them into homes and businesses as they seek higher, drier ground.

Paul Blackhurst, from Rentokil, said: “Rats are highly capable swimmers.

“They can navigate strong currents, enter exposed pipes and sewers, and swim considerable distances in open water.

“However, what they cannot tolerate is prolonged submersion.

“When burrow systems and sewer networks flood, rats are forced to seek higher, drier ground, increasing the risk of infestations in properties.

“Early prevention and professional support are key.”

Mr Blackhurst said simple steps such as proofing entry points, managing waste, and acting quickly at the first sign of activity can reduce the risk of an infestation.

After heavy rain or flooding, property owners are advised to clear debris around their property, as branches and leaves can create ideal nesting sites for rats.

It’s also important to seal any gaps in walls or foundations and to keep outdoor bins tightly closed and away from the building.

Rentokil advises seeking professional pest control if the problem becomes unmanageable.

A flight attendant has shared her favourite passenger behaviours she “loves” to see whenever she’s working aboard a plane – and these “basic” habits can make all the difference at 30,000 feet

A flight attendant has revealed the top five “basic” habits she “absolutely loves” witnessing from passengers while flying. Aeroplane etiquette remains a contentious subject, with countless travellers holding firm views on what constitutes appropriate and considerate conduct on board – whether that’s the acceptability of reclining your seat, whether you’re obligated to switch seats when asked to by a stranger travelling with a young child, and various other scenarios.

Blasting audio without headphones, repeatedly kicking the seat in front, or disregarding cabin crew instructions are rightly viewed by reasonable people as unacceptable ways to act when flying. Nevertheless, certain passengers continue to engage in unpleasant and unwelcome behaviour.

Eager to highlight the positive actions displayed by some travellers on a plane, one flight attendant turned to TikTok with a simple video showing her working behind the scenes, preparing food and drinks during a flight.

In text overlaid across the footage, she wrote: “My top five favourite things passengers do on a plane”.

In the caption, she expanded on this, and continued: “Top 5 things passengers do that I absolutely love:

1. “When you take your headphones out as I walk up to your row

“Instant respect. You see me. I see you. We’re already besties.”

2. “When you actually pay attention during announcements.

“I promise I’m not just talking to hear my own voice.”

3.”When you give a smile and a genuine ‘thank you’.

“You have no idea how far that goes at 30,000 feet.”

4. “When you keep your shoes on.

“Especially in the lavatory. We all know that floor is not holy water.”

5. “When you treat the plane like it’s not your personal living room.

“It’s someone’s workplace. And someone else’s ride home.”

She added: “It’s really that simple. Kindness + awareness + basic hygiene = elite passenger status.”

In the comments section, people were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “So actually basics and human behaviour”.

To which, another replied: “So sad so many people are selfish, rude and ignorant”.

A third said: “Blows my mind people don’t genuinely thank the crew when getting off a flight or after they bring you something”.

And a fourth commented: “When I’m getting off the plane and looking at people’s mess they leave, it makes me mad so I can only imagine how you feel”.

While the vast majority of TikTok users were in agreement with the flight attendant’s sentiments, some did take umbrage with one particular point – the divisive debate around removing shoes on a plane.

One TikTok user said: “I’m down for everything except shoes on at my seat. I’m so sorry I have to take them off”.

Another agreed: “Anymore than a four hour flight and the shoes are coming off and slippers going on”.

And someone else added: “I think shoes off is okay as long as you’re not barefoot and put them back on when you leave your seat. And if you travel a lot, nobody is listening to that nonsense – sorry. Everything else 1000%”.

Others emphasised the importance of showing gratitude and respect towards cabin crew.

Aldi stores and customers across Tyne and Wear have contributed to the sum raised for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Since the partnership began in 2017, Aldi staff in the region have taken part in skydives, cake sales, and marathon challenges, with shoppers offering further support through donations.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “Reaching £13 million is a fantastic achievement and shows what can be accomplished when colleagues and customers come together for a cause that truly matters.

“The work Teenage Cancer Trust does is invaluable, and we’re determined to go even further – that’s why we’ve set ourselves the ambitious target of £20 million by 2031.”

To celebrate the £13 million milestone, Aldi colleagues in Tyne and Wear and throughout the UK will take part in the Walk With Us challenge.

To celebrate the £13 million milestone, Aldi colleagues in Tyne and Wear and throughout the UK will take part in the Walk With Us challenge (Image: Aldi)

This involves walking 13,000 steps each day over two weeks to mark International Nurses Day on May 12, reflecting the distance a nurse typically covers during a shift.

Funds raised help the Teenage Cancer Trust continue its work providing specialist care and support for young people with cancer.

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Aldi had originally aimed to raise £10 million by 2027 but exceeded the target early in 2024.

The supermarket has now extended its commitment to £20 million by 2031 and will make an additional donation of £13,000 to the charity this year.

The partnership supports vital care for young people across the UK.

Torgi Squire, known as Starboy Sobers online, was suspended by bosses after an allegation was made.

A star teacher at a top Scottish school who became a viral TikTok star has been suspended over claims of inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour towards a female pupil.

Torgi Squire, a Guidance teacher at Hyndland Secondary School, in Glasgow, was suspended by bosses after an allegation was made.

In August Squire, 44, from Glasgow, became a social media hit after his clip about Scotland’s bad weather went viral.

A source said: “Torgi Squire who has a large online following has now been suspended by the school after a complaint was made.

”The complaint was about inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour towards a female pupil.

”Everything has been kept hush-hush by the school.

”It’s not an ideal position to have a guidance teacher who is in a position of trust be the centre of such a complaint.”

Squire, who also teaches who teaches design and technology at the school, had posted a 33-second clip in which he joked that school term times should change to coincide with better summer weather.

Ending the video he wished followers “a belter of a day.”

But the video quickly went viral and garnered almost four million views and his account gained 200,000 new followers.

The body-builder and fitness fanatic describes himself as an “educator” and “online creator” and regularly posts about gym sessions.

Squires, who goes by the online name Starboy Sobers was also a finalist for the Health and Wellbeing Influencer of the Year at the Scottish Influencer Awards 2026.

HM Inspectors awarded Hyndland Secondary School an evaluation of excellent in November.

Based on the latest 2026 academic results, Hyndland Secondary School is ranked highly, appearing as the second-best school in Glasgow and as a top-performing council-run school in the city.

Head teacher Louise Edgerton, was also named Headteacher of the Year at the 2025 Tes Schools Awards in London.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “We do not discuss individual members of staff.

“We have robust processes and procedures in place in all our schools to make sure that any allegation is dealt with in the appropriate way.”

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The DWP is set to introduce new Personal Independence Payment assessment rules affecting all four million claimants, as the Labour government aims to make the system fairer and reduce the frequency of reviews

The Department for Work and Pensions is set to introduce new assessment rules affecting all four million claimants. The DWP plans to overhaul the duration of awards, establishing a minimum review period of three years for new claims.

Under the revised rules, awards will increase to five years at their next review should the claimant remain eligible, the Labour government has confirmed. The changes are intended to reduce the frequency of reassessments for the overwhelming majority of PIP recipients.

DWP data reveals that 60 per cent of reviews currently result in no change to an award. Labour cabinet minister Sir Stephen Timms is seeking to ensure the disability and incapacity benefit is “fair and fit for the future”.

Sir Stephen told The Independent newspaper: “Reforming the welfare system so that it better meets the needs of disabled people is a priority for the government.

“A major part of this is ensuring that Pip is fit and fair for the future – and we are taking an important step to improve the system through new legislation, which will reduce the frequency of reviews for many existing Pip customers,” reports Birmingham Live.

“This will make the system more efficient by freeing up the capacity of health professionals to tackle our inherited assessment backlog, while removing unnecessary pressure from disabled claimants whose conditions rarely change at each review.

“We are also increasing face-to-face assessments for Pip from six per cent in 2024 to 30 per cent of all assessments. Additionally, my review is looking into how we can bolster PIP for the future, and we have opened a call for evidence for people to share their views on how Pip should be reformed.”

However, Fazilet Hadi, Disability Rights UK’s head of policy, raised concerns and said: “It is of concern that face-to-face reviews will increase, as these can be physically and emotionally challenging.”

Harriet Edwards, Director of Influencing at the national disability charity Sense, added: “Sense research found over half of disabled PIP claimants with complex needs felt humiliated during their assessment; clearly this process needs to urgently change.

“It’s vital that the Timms Review continues to work with disabled people to make the application process for PIP fairer and less distressing.”

Pep Guardiola showed support for West Ham, who will attempt to slow down Arsenal’s title charge following Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Brentford on Saturday.

Southampton came away from the Riverside Stadium with a 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough following the pre-match ‘spygate’ in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs semi-final.

Liverpool drew 1-1 with Chelsea in a tough season for both teams, but Arne Slot said his side will be different come next season.

Pep: Come on you Irons!

Goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush helped Manchester City put the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

City sit just two points Arsenal and Guardiola wrapped up his post-match press conference by making a crossed-arms gesture and saying “Come on you Irons” ahead of Arsenal’s trip to the London Stadium.

City had looked nervy against a Brentford side chasing their own European dreams, but after the in-form Doku curled in a peach of an opener on the hour mark, City turned up the heat as Haaland bundled in a second and then teed up Marmoush for a late third.

Although his side are no longer in control of their destiny after Monday’s 3-3 draw at Everton, Guardiola is loving the thrill of another title race.

“I love to be here again,” he said. “We finish second again this season minimum so I love it. I didn’t enjoy last season and that moment when we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League was so difficult.

“But the Carabao Cup is in our pocket and the FA Cup Final at Wembley is the most beautiful day of the season and I love it.”

Saints Boro all-square after first leg

Southampton parked ‘spygate’ and survived an early onslaught against aggrieved Middlesbrough as a pulsating first leg of this Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final somehow ended 0-0.

The noise around an already eagerly-anticipated clash increased immeasurably when Boro accused Saints of snooping on training this week, leading to the south coast club being charged with a breach of EFL regulations.

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert walked out of a tetchy post-match press conference having repeatedly sidestepped questions about ‘spygate’ following the Championship play-off semi-final clash at Middlesbrough.

Asked if he was tempted to change his original plans, he said: “We tried to focus on the game as much as ever possible, to try to win it in the way we believe, in the way that is preparing a game.

“It’s sad that your first 10 questions are about that when you witness that first off from a team in the Championship, but I understand.”

Slot: Liverpool different next season

Head coach Arne Slot is “100 per cent convinced” Liverpool will be a different team next season after a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea was greeted with boos.

Liverpool’s wait to secure Champions League football goes on, while Chelsea avoided a club record-equalling seventh straight defeat after goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Enzo Fernandez.

The result left Slot facing more criticism from supporters but he retains the backing of the Anfield hierarchy and pledged to win back fans next season.

“Yeah, I do. Not this season, by the way,” said the Dutchman when asked whether he could turn the crowd around.

“This season they will have their opinion and it will not change but if we can have the summer that we are planning to have I am 100 per cent convinced we will be a different team next season than we are now.”

Hearts four points clear

Hearts dropped points but ensured they go into their penultimate match of the season with at least a one-point lead at the top of the William Hill Premiership following a 1-1 draw with Motherwell.

The Jambos fell behind for the fifth straight game when Stephen Kingsley bundled the ball into his own net, but Lawrence Shankland’s 19th goal of the season ensured Hearts took a point from Fir Park.

Hearts are four points clear of Celtic, who will have the chance to reduce the deficit to one point if they defeat Rangers on Sunday.

Hearts boss Derek McInness thought referee Steven McLean had a poor night.

He said: “I thought the referee had a poor night. We’re all guilty of having poor nights but I didn’t think he’d settled the whole game.”

What’s on today

Arsenal will continue their pursuit of a first title since 2004 when they come up against West Ham, who will be looking to climb out of the relegation places themselves at the London Stadium.

Celtic meet Rangers in a huge clash at the top of the William Hill Premiership. A win will take Celtic to within a point of league leaders Hearts.

The Championship and League One play-offs first leg games have finished but the League Two first leg games will get underway on Sunday.

“This season he made a step forward that players must do to try to do better and better and it belongs absolutely to him, the confidence,” said Guardiola. “In good teams you always need people up front – not just Erling, attacking midfielders and wingers need to make actions like that to win games.”

“And I feel extremely lucky, and I said this from the beginning, to find somebody at the club that you can lean into at any level. Knowing that he’s going to respond. Knowing that his heart is in the right place. Knowing that everything he does comes from certain values, certain education, certain principles.

Since it began with US-Israeli airstrikes in late February, the Iran war has grounded tens of thousands of flights and pushed jet fuel to its highest price in years. Europe‘s jet fuel inventories have fallen 50 per cent, and Goldman Sachs warned this week that stocks could drop below the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) critical 23-day shortage threshold in June – with the UK identified as most at risk.

Many airlines are facing a financial crunch as a result, with jet fuel averaging $181 a barrel globally, roughly double its pre-war level. Lufthansa has axed 20,000 flights through October. Spirit Airlines collapsed after a government bailout fell through. American Airlines faces $4bn more in fuel costs this year, and Delta is looking at a $2bn spike in the second quarter alone.

The crisis has brought renewed attention to the hunt for other fuel sources, and there is one in particular that the industry has been talking about for years but is yet to deploy at scale. Known as sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, it is typically made from used cooking oil, agricultural waste, and captured carbon. But how close are we to actually flying planes with it?

SAF currently makes up just 0.7 per cent of global kerosene consumption, according to the International Air Transport Association. Around two million tonnes were produced last year. The IEA’s net zero scenario requires at least 250 million tonnes of SAF annually by 2050, while some think-tanks say we should be targeting closer to 500 million tonnes by that date.

The most accessible feedstock – and the one most people imagine when they think of sustainable jet fuel – is used cooking oil. Almost all SAF currently in use is made from it. But the global supply of waste cooking oil is finite.

“While it’s difficult to assess exactly how much could be available, the figures you can find in the literature is something around 20 million tonnes maximum,” says Frédérique Rigal, co-author of a study published earlier this year on how aviation can decarbonise and move to sustainable fuels. Whichever projection you go by, that’s a small fraction of what is required by 2050.

The next generation of SAF – made from woody waste, agricultural residues and fermented alcohol – is more scalable but not yet commercially deployed at meaningful volumes.

Rigal admits there are some “hard limitations” on how quickly SAF production can be scaled up, partly because it requires large amounts of land, and partly because existing producers are mostly geared towards making fuel for cars not planes.

But she says the biggest problem of all is the fact that airlines themselves are not committing to buy SAF in advance. “Airlines are not moving quickly enough and are not giving enough offtake promises to these projects so that they can be realised,” she says.

Instead of looking to new alternatives, the short-term response from airlines to the shortage has come from conventional sources. US refiners have stepped up production, with exports of jet fuel to Europe surging more than 400 per cent to 94,000 barrels per day in April compared to February, according to Kpler data. The European Commission has launched a programme called AccelerateEU, which includes measures to optimise jet fuel distribution between EU member states.

But supply chain bottlenecks will persist for months even if a peace deal is reached, analysts warn. And the dominoes are falling across regions. South Korea, which supplies more than 80 per cent of the US West Coast’s jet fuel imports, has lost crucial crude from the Middle East, threatening West Coast supply.

Another alternative fuel is called electro-SAF or e-SAF, which uses green electricity to combine captured carbon with hydrogen produced from water electrolysis, creating a synthetic kerosene. There is no hard upper limit on how much e-SAF can be produced, but Rigal says it is constrained by investment and industrial capacity, not feedstock. It remains expensive, and the technology is still maturing.

The EU and UK have set mandates requiring airlines to blend increasing proportions of SAF into their fuel, with e-SAF submandates starting at 1.2 per cent in 2030. But airlines have been calling for those targets to be pushed back, citing a lack of available supply.

The producers say that’s not the case. In a collective letter to the European Commission, e-SAF developers said they “firmly disagreed” with airlines’ assessment, stating that “a significant number of eSAF projects are currently under development across Europe” and that “many of these projects are progressing towards final investment decision and are designed to deliver volumes within the ReFuelEU timeframe”.

Mahesh Roy, programme director for SAF at the Green Finance Institute, said the current crisis has begun to shift the conversation around these fuels. SAF mandates in the UK and EU have been almost entirely couched in the language of the climate crisis and sustainability. The Strait of Hormuz blockade has reframed them as a question of energy security and sovereignty.

“The energy trilemma was what they used to talk about – energy security, energy sustainability, and energy affordability,” Roy says. “Now you can see that security and price are really driving what people are thinking about.” The crisis has not changed what SAF is, he said, but it has changed who is asking about it and why.

Airlines that had already secured SAF supply agreements before the crisis are now quietly benefiting, because SAF supply chains do not run through the Middle East.

“The imperative has always been there, and now we’re just being reminded that finding better technologies to do things isn’t just about global warming, even though that’s a very good reason to do it in the first place,” Roy says.

The financial pressure on airlines to move faster on SAF is growing, regardless of the current crisis. Global airline compliance costs under environmental policies – SAF blending mandates, EU and UK emissions trading systems, and the UN’s Corsia carbon offsetting scheme – are set to nearly quadruple to $48 billion by 2035, up 256 per cent from 2026, according to BloombergNEF research published this week.

Roy says the doubling of jet fuel prices had already changed the terms of the debate. “All of jet fuel is going up by this amount due to this conflict,” he said.

“Those fluctuations can’t be guaranteed not to happen again anytime soon. That reframes it – is this just something in the realm of net zero, or is it also something that can help reduce the cost and energy security burden placed on economies that rely on fossil fuel imports?”

European carriers face the heaviest burden. Ryanair’s unit operating costs are projected to rise 38 per cent from environmental policies alone by 2035, pushing the airline’s margin per available seat-kilometre into negative territory. Airlines are likely to pass higher costs onto passengers, reduce capacity, or reroute long-haul flights from European hubs to avoid the highest compliance costs – a shift that could itself increase emissions by lengthening journey distances.

The investment required to close the supply gap is staggering. According to the ATAG Waypoint 2050 report, total cumulative capital expenditure for new renewable fuel plants over 2020-2050 ranges from $4.2 trillion to $8.1 trillion, depending on SAF yield assumptions. For context, total global oil and gas capital expenditure over the entire period from 2014 to 2021 was also $4.2 trillion.

Can any of this respond to the current crisis? No, experts say. However, the direction of the travel is clear.

“It’s probably something more like four or five years” before the projects currently in development begin producing meaningful volumes, Roy says.

“If you think that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was four years ago, and then if there was another similar shock in about four years’ time, those projects that are being planned now – if they can get off the ground and be properly supported – then yeah, that would shift,” he says.

It’s understood many of the young people in attendance travelled from further afield

Police have attended scenes of disorder in East Belfast as crowds of young people gathered in the area. Videos from the scene show crowds of young people gathering in the Connswater area on Saturday night, May 9.

The incident developed at CS Lewis Square following the annual East Belfast Protestant Boys parade. However, it’s understood many of the young people in attendance travelled from further afield, and were not involved in the parade.

It follows ongoing incidents of young people travelling to the area in recent weeks for arranged fights and anti-social behaviour. Many of these incidents have been centred around the derelict Connswater Shopping Centre.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, local DUP councillor Ruth Brooks said: “The trouble involving a small minority at CS Lewis Square should not take away from what was otherwise a successful and well-supported East Belfast Protestant Boys parade.

“There have been ongoing issues with detached youth who travel to East Belfast for the purposes of stirring up trouble and disorder. This is becoming an increasing challenge and has caused issues for residents, youth workers, local communities and, tonight, for parade organisers and those attending responsibly.

“The overwhelming majority of those attending tonight’s parade came to enjoy the occasion responsibly and support a long-standing cultural event within the community.”

Last month, four young people were detained by police at the former Connswater Shopping Centre for anti-social behaviour and criminal damage after entering the derelict site.

At the time, police said they were aware of ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour in the area. PSNI Neighbourhood Inspector Dawson said: “Young people who choose to engage in anti-social behaviour must understand it is unacceptable and must stop.

“People have a right to live in peace and to feel safe in their communities. Officers continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to find collaborative and proactive solutions to address the problem.

“Parents and guardians must speak to their young people about where they are and who they are with and also warn them of the dangers of getting involved in behaviour which could result in injuring themselves, others, or ultimately, a criminal record.”

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