The footage, which went viral after being uploaded to social media, captured hundreds of people fleeing from a beach after what was believed to be gun shots rang out

Footage uploaded to social media captured hundreds of people fleeing from a beach in the United States after what was believed to be gunshots rang out during spring break.

The noise that spooked beach goers enjoying spring break at Daytona Beach in Florida on Saturday, March 14 was actually harmless: people crushing water bottles.

“There were zero gunshots on the beach,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Monday, March 16 after the video went viral.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Four shootings have been reported in Daytona Beach since Friday, but none of them were the cause of the panic captured on video, the New York Post reported. A total of 80 arrests were made at Daytona Beach over the weekend and six weapons were seized.

The footage from the incident is understood to have been captured from a hotel balcony and captured the moment screaming beachgoers scattered on the beach.

In a separate incident, one shot was fired after a fight erupted at a nearby bar on Friday. Authorities said no one was injured in the shooting.

An hour later, one person was shot outside a nearby Crunch Fitness, it has been reported.

Separately, two shootings were reported beachside on Saturday, police said.

Police are investigating if any of the shootings were directly tied to spring break.

It started in Weymouth on Friday, March 13, and will see the DJ travel all the way to Edinburgh in a 1,000km journey.

He will be passing through County Durham on Wednesday, March 18, if all goes to plan.

Greg’s tandem will travel north up the Durham coast from Hart towards Seaham, sticking close to the cliff edge and the old pit villages.

null (Image: COMIC RELIEF)

The route runs past Blackhall Rocks and Horden, where colliery land has been turned into open paths and viewpoints, then on through Easington and South Hetton.

It’s straightforward on paper but with unpredictable weather anything could happen.

From Seaham, Greg will cycle into Sunderland territory, through Ryhope and dropping into Hendon on the approach to the city.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC Radio 1 (@bbcradio1)

This route swaps cliff‑top views for housing estates, sea walls and retail sheds, before the tandem makes its way into the centre of Sunderland to finish.

This is Greg’s third challenge for Comic Relief, despite previously vowing not to take on another.

He completed five triathlons in five days in 2016, and in 2018, cycled between and climbed the UK’s three highest peaks: Scafell Pike, Snowdon, and Ben Nevis.

Bon Bon’s (Wholesale) Ltd supplies confectionery to more than 1,000 specialist retailers, garden high-end independent retailers and visitor attractions.

The expanding company, based at Moorside Business Park, Tockwith, reports turnover now exceeds £14million, an increase of £3million since it relocated to the 3.2ha site from Thorpe Arch in 2021.

Since the relocation, sales have increased year-on-year, with more stock stored on-site, especially at peak periods.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Fresh home and leadership for Bon Bons of Tockwith

Now, the business, founded in 2007, has submitted a full planning application to North Yorkshire Council for its site to create a 40,000 sq ft warehouse to the west of its existing 1.15ha site.

Planning documents submitted to the council say the company now employs 85 staff.

The site just outside Tockwith (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Its relocation from nearby Thorpe Arch followed a period of growth, fuelled by the company buying hf Chocolates.

The current premises total 55,000 sq ft, some 25,000 sq ft is storage space, and the remainder being offices and production facilities.

However, a planning statement prepared by ELG Planning of Darlington says storage space for the business must be secure and close to existing production areas.

The company does not store the perishable items for more than three months, so the extra space is need for the continued success of the business.

The application also said: “With space required for packing, production and storage, the existing premises is now fully utilised and additional and dedicated undercover/secure storage space is now sought.”

The company had looked at alternatives to the extension, noting that new units at H47 by the A1 (M) and at Thorpe Arch would not be ready in time. Furthermore, it was not practical or functional to relocate again, noting the relocation to Moorside cost the company £1million.

Some of the bon bons (Image: Darren Greenwood)

The application also noted a similar warehouse scheme on the same site was approved in 2017 but the previous occupier did not go ahead with the scheme.

It also concluded the scheme would have minor visual impact and would enhance the “quantum and mix” of commercial sites in the district, meeting the council’s underlying economic objectives.

The hit series by Jed Mercurioreturns to the BBC for a seventh series with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles.

In the new series of series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?

(Image: Austin G. Shirley)

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are joined by Robert Carlyle, who is the guest lead for series 7.

He plays Detective Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO) and veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. A gruff loner, Massie keeps himself to himself, but when his boss, TO-7’s commanding officer DI Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie’s otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically.

The cast have gathered for a readthrough.

Catch up with previous series on BBC iPlayer.

One of those who died was a Year 13 student called Juliette, who was described by her headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham in Kent as “incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent”.

The other person who died attended the University of Kent.

The Press Association understands that some of those in hospital have been put into induced comas.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday evening it was continuing to investigate the outbreak of meningitis, with 13 cases confirmed in Kent since March 13.

It urged anyone who visited the nightclub Club Chemistry on March 5, 6 or 7 to come forward for antibiotics as a “precautionary measure”.

Advice has also been issued to 16,000 staff and students at the University of Kent, where antibiotics are also being offered to those who need them.

Trish Mannes, UKHSA regional deputy director for the South East, said: “Our thoughts remain with the friends and family involved and we understand that many people in the university and wider community will be affected by this sad news.

“Our investigations have identified that some cases visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury and it is important that anyone who visited the club between 5th and 7th March now comes forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a precaution, as well as those offered antibiotics at the university – these students are being contacted directly through the university.”

The UKHSA said it acted as soon as it was notified of a cluster of cases.

A UKHSA spokesperson said: “UKHSA was notified of a cluster of cases late on Saturday. We acted immediately and communication to those at risk took place on Saturday evening and Sunday.”

Amelia McIlroy, the headteacher of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, confirmed one of its year 13 pupils had died.

She said: “It is with great sadness that we are confirming the loss of Juliette, a much loved and treasured member of our school community.

“Juliette was a student at our school for seven years. She was incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent and she loved our school and was very happy here.

“Juliette embraced everything that school had to offer with great enthusiasm and joy and her humour and positivity were captivating.

“She was a genuinely caring and attentive listener, a true friend – who listened with warmth, respect and sincere interest to her peers and to our staff.

“In short, she was a lovely girl – her beautiful smile, her loving nature and her sense of fun will be hugely missed. We are all devastated.

“Our love and thoughts are with her family and friends at this terribly sad time.”

At the university campus on Monday, students described their worries as they queued for antibiotics.

The specific strain of meningitis has not yet been identified.

Several students were wearing face masks and staff handed out more to those waiting.

Two teenage brothers said they had been left terrified after going to a party which was hosted by a friend who is now in hospital with meningitis.

Matthew McDonagh, 16, and his brother Luca, 17, were at a party in Whitstable, Kent, on Saturday with one person who has now been diagnosed with the infection.

Another person from their friendship circle was already in an induced coma after recently contracting meningitis.

Luca, who is in year 13, said no one in his year group at Simon Langton Grammar School is allowed to go in for lessons.

He and his brother, also at same school, were told to come to the University of Kent to receive a precautionary antibiotic.

Matthew told the Press Association: “It’s quite scary. Like, just like, I can’t believe it. It’s just insane…

“It’s completely unbelievable. I never thought this would happen again (after Covid).

“We’ve been told that we don’t even know if the pill that they give you is actually going to help us.”

Luca said: “It’s pretty terrifying.”

The headmaster of the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys also said in a letter to parents that one of its year 13 students has been admitted to hospital with meningitis.

An update sent to parents at the Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, Kent, confirmed a diagnosis for a year 13 student admitted to hospital.

The letter said: “We are writing to update you following our earlier communication regarding the student in year 13 who had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of meningitis.

“We have now been informed that the diagnosis has been confirmed and the student is receiving appropriate hospital treatment.”

It added: “We understand that this news may heighten concern within our community. We want to reassure you that we remain in close contact with the UKHSA and their advice to the school has not changed.”

Rosie Duffield, Independent MP for Canterbury, said she has received a briefing from the UKHSA, who were stressing that meningitis needs “fairly intimate contact” to spread between people.

She said people could contact her office if they were worried.

She told PA: “We’ve all got to be really sensible but we should not panic too much.”

She added: “If anyone is worried they can call my office or their GP. We can also put them in touch with the right people at the university.”

Anyone can get meningitis but it is most common in babies, children, teenagers and young adults and it can spread very quickly in places such as universities and colleges.

Louise Jones-Roberts, owner of Club Chemistry in Canterbury, told PA the venue had been contacted by the UKHSA in the hope of tracing anyone affected, but explained there may be challenges.

“They have asked us if we have any methods for tracing who has been in to us,” she said earlier on Monday.

“We have an ID scanner but that is more of a security measure… It takes pictures of driving licences, ID cards and on so on.

“We’ve got tickets for events so we could trace ticket holders, but most people pay on the door.

“I’m devastated,” she said. “I can’t imagine what the families are going through…

“We will stay closed until we get further advice from the UKHSA.”

A University of Kent spokesperson said on Monday it was taking advice from UKHSA and communicating with students and staff.

“They have also been contacting known contacts of any cases in our community with advice on what to do and any next steps,” it said.

“A reminder that there will be no in-person assessments or exams this week, and schools will be in direct contact with students to provide details on alternative arrangements.

“We recognise that this is a very sad and worrying time for many members of our community.”

Those people who attended Club Chemistry can collect antibiotics from Gate Clinic at Kent and Canterbury Hospital; Westgate Hall on Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury; the Carey Building, Thanet Hub, Margate Northwood Rd and the Senate building at the University of Kent.

Andrew Currie, from Glasgow, had travelled from Scotland to attend Wrexham’s Championship clash against Millwall

A man has been banned from attending football matches for five years following a “disturbance” before a Championship game between Wrexham AFC and Millwall. Andrew Currie, from Glasgow, was arrested after a 52-year-old man was assaulted.

The Scot had travelled from Scotland for the match and was chased on foot by officers following the assault near the Ironworks pub. He later pleaded guilty to assault at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court, reports NorthWalesLive.

A North Wales Police statement said: “A 29-year-old man has been issued with a five-year football banning order for disorder-related offences prior to a recent Wrexham AFC match.

“Andrew Currie, of Brownsdale Road, Rutherglen, Glasgow, was arrested following a disturbance near the Ironworks pub in Wrexham during which a 52-year-old man was assaulted.

“The incident took place ahead of the Championship fixture between Wrexham and Millwall on Saturday, February 7.

“Currie was identified as a suspect for the assault after which he fled the scene with a group of other men. Following a brief foot chase by attending officers he was subsequently arrested and charged with assault.

“Currie, who had travelled from Scotland to attend the match, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, March 12, and pleaded guilty to the offence.

“The football banning order imposed by the court means that Currie will now be prohibited from attending matches for five years.”

Millwall went on to beat the Welsh side 2-0 after an own goal from defender Max Cleworth boosted Millwall’s play-off hopes before Josh Coburn went on to add a second. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Six weeks on from the encounter Wrexham now sit two places behind the London-based club in sixth place meaning the teams could still meet again this season in the play-offs.

Superintendent Mark Williams added: “As a force North Wales Police remains clear in its stance on fan behaviour at football matches.

“While the vast majority of supporters conduct themselves responsibly and are a credit to the clubs they follow incidents of matchday disorder will not be tolerated.”

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.

ITV Gone fans are convinced Michael Polly is covering for someone after viewers spotted his suspicious behaviour

Advertisement

ITV’s Gone viewers are suspecting that Michael Polly is hiding a “big secret”, asserting that he isn’t the murderer of Sarah Polly.

Audiences will recall that music teacher Sarah vanished, only to be later discovered dead in the woods near her home. An unidentified individual strangled her before discarding her body and fleeing the scene.

Detective Annie Cassidy has been investigating the enigmatic death, with a chilling twist revealing Sarah’s husband, Headmaster Michael, as her prime suspect.

In tonight’s (March 16) instalment of the six-part series, Annie and her team start to view things differently as new information continues to surface.

It’s undeniable that Michael’s behaviour has been peculiar since his wife’s disappearance, so it’s hardly surprising that he’s attracted suspicion, reports the Mirror.

Advertisement

READ MORE: BBC One show viewers make same complaint after new series announcementREAD MORE: Ralf Little leaves Will Mellor and fans teary with ‘brave’ show moment

He wasn’t the only one under scrutiny, as Sarah’s lover Stephen Sedgwick was also interrogated about their locations when Sarah went missing.

Michael maintained his innocence, but the police remained sceptical, given that Michael had a potential motive if he was aware of his wife’s infidelity.

Regrettably, the police lacked sufficient evidence, leaving them no option but to release him. However, Annie wasn’t prepared to let the matter rest, opting to interview Michael at his residence and secretly record him.

She quickly observed that his daughter Alana was absent, but he maintained that she was with her grandparents because she wished to care for them during this difficult period.

Yet he struggled to sustain his falsehoods as he subsequently broke down and admitted that Alana had gone to her grandparents to escape him, acknowledging he was responsible for the affair.

During his conversations with Annie, it became evident that his account didn’t hold together, and viewers at home were swift to identify Michael’s peculiar conduct.

Numerous viewers suggested that he is “covering for someone” and the actual murderer might be his daughter. One fan posted on X: “Michael didn’t kill his wife he’s covering for someone @davemorrissey64.”

Another asked: “Is he protecting someone? #Gone.” A third added: “Michael didn’t do it ,so who did , the daughter #gone.”

Meanwhile, one viewer applauded: “Wow, what an episode the 2 leads are incredible. The tension. Eve Myles and David Morrisey what chemistry.”

You can stream Gone on ITVX

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website.

Tourists and locals have been gathered on the Reunion Island to see lava flowing from a volcano that has been erupting for over a month.

On Sunday, lava from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano reached the Indian ocean for the first time in 19 years.

The volcano began erupting 13 February, for the second time this year. Two lava flows from the volcano have since caused disruption after cutting the national highway linking the south and east of the island.

The conflict in Iran has disrupted energy and commodity markets. Iran has effectively closed the narrow strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit point, attacking more than a dozen ships over the past two weeks that have tried to sail through the waterway.

Donald Trump has been pressing US allies in Europe to help secure the strait, warning on March 15 that it will be “very bad for the future of Nato” if they do not support American efforts to reopen Hormuz. But Iran has vowed to keep the waterway closed.

The disruption to Gulf shipping has caused Brent crude oil prices to jump sharply from around US$70 (£53) a barrel before the crisis began to more than US$100. Global trade in a wide range of other goods – from consumer products to agricultural raw materials – is being affected too.

But the crisis has also highlighted a broader issue: that global trade depends on a surprisingly small number of narrow waterways, which are often called maritime “chokepoints”. Here is a guide to the chokepoints that matter most for global trade, and how vulnerable each one is to disruption.

1. Strait of Hormuz

Hormuz is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. Connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, it carries around 39% of the seaborne crude oil trade and 19% of natural gas. Unlike most trade chokepoints, there is no viable alternative to Hormuz for Gulf states to export their energy.

Iran has periodically threatened to close the strait of Hormuz since the 1980s. But the disruption caused to shipping since late February, when the US and Israel first launched airstrikes across Iran, is the most serious escalation in decades. It has caused the largest oil supply disruption in history and soaring global oil prices.

The consequences of the current disruption to Gulf shipping extend beyond energy. The Gulf region handles over 26 million containers annually, with major fertiliser exports passing through here too. Prolonged shipping disruption will therefore have a direct effect on global food production costs.

2. Suez canal

The Suez canal links the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, cutting at least ten days off journey times between Asia and Europe. The waterway handles 10% of global seaborne trade, including 22% of container traffic, 20% of car shipments and 10% of crude oil.

Controlled by Egypt, it is not easily threatened directly. But the waterway is not immune to accidents, as demonstrated by the grounding of the Ever Given container ship in 2021. The vessel blocked the canal for six days, disrupting nearly US$10 billion in trade.

The bigger vulnerability of this chokepoint is the Bab el-Mandeb, the strait at the southern tip of the Red Sea. Attacks on commercial shipping by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen between 2023 and 2025, which it carried out in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, forced many operators to reroute around Africa.

This cut traffic through the Suez canal from over 26,000 vessels in 2023 to around 13,000 in 2024. Houthi leaders have recently threatened to resume attacks on commercial shipping in retaliation for the Israeli and US attacks on Iran, warning in official communications that their “fingers are on the trigger”.

3. Panama canal

Connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the Panama canal handles around 2.5% of global seaborne trade – a modest share, but concentrated in high-value and strategic cargo such as containerised goods, cars and grain. The canal carries around 40% of all US containerised shipments, valued at US$270 billion annually.

Its vulnerability stems both from the climate and geopolitics. In 2023 and 2024, severe droughts caused water levels in the canal’s freshwater reservoirs to fall sharply, forcing restrictions on vessel numbers and size. Then, in early 2025, Trump threatened to take control of the canal. He cited concerns over the operation of some of its ports by Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based company.

4. Strait of Malacca

The Malacca strait is the busiest shipping lane on Earth. It carries 24% of all global seaborne trade, including 45% of seaborne crude oil and 26% of cars. The waterway is also home to Singapore, which hosts the second-busiest container port in the world.

Malacca is the primary gateway through which China, Japan and South Korea receive their energy imports. Nearly 80% of China’s oil imports pass through here, a dependence Beijing calls the “Malacca dilemma”.

Piracy remains a persistent concern, with over 130 incidents reported in the Malacca strait in 2025. But the greater risk is geopolitical. Any escalation in tensions between China and the US or India over maritime dominance in the region could severely disrupt passage through the strait.

Malacca is also exposed to natural disasters, including tsunamis and volcanic activity. The Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, for example, caused significant damage to coastal infrastructure at the strait’s southern entrance.

5. Turkish straits

The Turkish straits – the Bosphorus and Dardanelles – are the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. They carry 3% of global seaborne trade. While this share may appear small, it includes around 20% of global wheat exports from Ukraine, Russia and Romania.

At just 700 metres wide at its narrowest point, running through the centre of Istanbul in Turkey, navigation is complex and minor collisions are common. Under the Montreux convention, Turkey controls military access to the straits, a power Ankara has used since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to restrict the movement of warships while keeping commercial traffic open.

Further escalation in the Black Sea area could disrupt this balance and shake global grain markets. The region’s high seismic activity adds another layer of risk.

The current crisis in the strait of Hormuz has thrown into sharp relief just how vulnerable global trade is to disruption due to its reliance on a handful of narrow waterways. But the five waterways mentioned above are not the only trade chokepoints.

There are as many as 24 maritime chokepoints in the world, including other major waterways like the Taiwan, Dover and Bering straits. Each of these waterways are exposed to their own combination of geopolitical tension, climate change, piracy, accidents or natural disasters.

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Saturday night (March 14)

An empty building was deliberately set on fire in a Cambridgeshire suburb. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called to a fire at an empty premises in Bretton Way, Peterborough at around 11.20pm on Saturday (March 14).

A fire spokesperson said: “At 11.20pm on Saturday crews from Stanground and Dogsthorpe were called to a building fire on Bretton Way in Peterborough. Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used hose reels to extinguish the fire and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan.

“The crews returned to their stations by 1am.” The fire was determined to be deliberate and Cambridgeshire Police has launched an investigation.

A police spokesperson said: “Fire informed us at about 11.50pm on March 14 of a fire at an empty premises on Bretton Way, Peterborough. A crime was raised for arson.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote 35/19152/26.

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in from across the county? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in.