The leisure development supports a wider eastern expansion of a Cambridgeshire town

Plans for amenities including a new M&S Food store have been approved for a Cambridgeshire estate. The supermarket is part of a new leisure development at Wintringham in St Neots.

Planning permission has now been granted by Huntingdonshire District Council for the new supermarket alongside other shops, offices, and a café to create a main centre for services and local amenities.

The new M&S Food will be triple the size of the existing M&S shop and will sell everyday essentials and household products. Smaller shops for independent retailers will sit alongside the M&S Food store.

Joanne Herd, Regional Manager at M&S, said: “We’re excited to be one step closer to delivering a show-stopping store for our customers. From our new location, we’ll be able to offer the very best of M&S Food, whether doing your weekly shop or grabbing something on the go.

“We’re proud to work with over 60 Select Farms across Cambridgeshire and this new significant investment in the region will help to create more than 40 new local jobs – with recruitment starting in the coming months.”

The development also includes a café which is expected to provide a range of snacks and refreshments on its menu. Other features include accessible green spaces and a public square with seating areas.

Work is due to start on the northern zone of The Hub at Wintringham in the summer. It is expected to be completed by September 2027, ready for opening before Christmas.

The designs for The Hub have been shaped through engagement with residents and inspired by the archaeological discovery of an Iron Age settlement close to the site. The developers said three main buildings will feature undulating rooflines of Iron Age roundhouses, which are reflected in the architecture.

Communications and partnerships manager for Urban&Civic, Paul Murfin said he is delighted that planning permission has been granted as it marks “another significant milestone in delivering a vibrant and sustainable community at Wintringham”.

He added: “Alongside the David Lloyd health and wellness club that is due to open in the autumn, and the plans currently being developed for the Hub’s central zone that will include a health centre and community centre, these facilities will play a major role in supporting the continued growth of eastern St Neots.”

The event at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland on Saturday night drew around 700 attendees.

Organised by LGBTQ+ charity OUT North East, the concert marked the official start of the Summer of Pride programme, which includes Pride events in Sunderland, South Tyneside, and Gateshead.

Around 700 people attended a fundraiser concert at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland to launch the North East’s new Summer of Pride Festival (Image: Supplied)

Peter Darrant, CEO of OUT North East, said: “This was a fantastic evening and shows what a successful partnership can bring.

“Not only was it a celebration of Pride but it had a huge economic benefit to the Sheepfolds and shows how Pride plays its part in supporting the local economy.”

The fundraiser featured live music and was promoted as a free community event to raise funds and awareness for the wider festival.

Around 700 people attended a fundraiser concert at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland to launch the North East’s new Summer of Pride Festival (Image: Supplied)

Organisers said the night underlined the positive impact of Pride events on the local area, both culturally and economically.

The festival continues throughout the month with a full schedule of activities.

Events include a Pride march and rally on Saturday, June 27, along with additional concerts, film screenings, family-friendly gatherings, and sports activities across the region.

Around 700 people attended a fundraiser concert at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland to launch the North East’s new Summer of Pride Festival (Image: Supplied)

Around 700 people attended a fundraiser concert at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland to launch the North East’s new Summer of Pride Festival (Image: Supplied)

A guest on ITV’s This Morning opened up about turning to a sex surrogate after years of bullying

A man who faced bullying due to his cerebral palsy has revealed how he sought help from a sex surrogate.

James shared his story during an appearance on This Morning, speaking to the ITV programme’s presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about how the experience has proved transformative for him.

Appearing on the sofa with his sex surrogate Saurora Grace, James described being bullied throughout school and beyond, stating: “I guess there’s a weird thing where I sort of walk the line between disabled and able-bodied and people don’t really know how to handle that.”

He revealed it reached “a point where I just stopped leaving the house because I’d have people spit at me, throw apples at me”.

James explained he attempted numerous different approaches but was “not really in a good place” and “felt very lost”.

When a friend recommended he consider a sex surrogate, he chose to pursue it, reports the Mirror.

“It becomes one of those things where you go, once you’ve gone through it, you go, ‘I wish I’d done it sooner’,” he remarked. “Because it, it can be extremely life-changing. It changed a lot for me.

“You don’t sort of, realise the need for connection and things because it’s not what people think it is. It’s not like, there’s a lot of preconceived notions about it and different things, and that’s why I wanted to talk about it.”

Saurora then explained: “Sex surrogacy is all about the intention behind it. So it’s more holistic. There’s a more of a therapeutic aspect to it. It’s all about connection, intimacy, and literally seeing and hearing the person. Like, a lot of us all want to be seen and heard as human beings, and so that is ultimately what it is.

“Obviously, you do have, like, your standard sex work, which is just come in, have sex, and leave. But we do a lot more to do with literally what James has just said – connection, intimacy, seeing and hearing, and helping him to understand that because he’s got a disability, it doesn’t make him, you know, any different from anybody else.

“He’s just the same, and he deserves to have a loving relationship and, you know, deserves to have sex and a juicy lifestyle.”

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When questioned about the impact of her work on others, she responded: “I get a lot of messages afterwards, and people are like, ‘I’m now not gonna go and kill myself.’ And that really hits.”

“It honestly, in all ways that I could count, it’s changed my life,” James remarked. “It changed the trajectory of what I’m gonna do with my life. So it’s just been extremely powerful. It’s taken me in directions that I just thought were never doors that would open to someone like me.

“So Saurora’s training me to be a surrogate now. So that’s the career change for me.”

He continued: “I’ve got this lived-in experience that nobody else has got, and I can sort of I’ve been to those dark places, and I really, really want to help people out.”

This Morning airs from 10am on ITV on weekdays.

Officers were called to reports of a stabbing at a school on Plant Hill Road on the morning of Tuesday, June 9.

In an update, GMP confirmed a 14-year-old girl had been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and remains in custody for questioning.

Three people were injured during the incident – a 14-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy and a 27-year-old male member of staff.

All were taken to hospital, although police said their injuries are not believed to be serious and they are in a stable condition.

The force said school staff quickly detained the girl before officers arrived, preventing any further harm to pupils or staff.

Police have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and believe there is no wider threat to the public.

Chief Inspector Jon Shilvock said: “We understand that this incident will have caused concern to pupils, staff and the wider school community.

“The incident was swiftly dealt with by staff before officers attended to arrest the girl.

“There is believed to be no wider threat at this time, and we thank everyone for their support as emergency services dealt with this.

“We are not looking for anyone further in connection with this incident.

“Officers will remain at the school and within the area to provide a visible presence and community reassurance.”

An investigation remains ongoing.

The Prime Minister has condemned an attack on a man in Belfast as “horrific” and “abhorrent”.

A man in his 30s, believed to be Somalian, has been arrested following the incident in the north of the city on Monday night.

The victim, in his 40s, has sustained significant injuries to his face, neck and back, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The PSNI has launched a “critical incident” in response to the attack.

Graphic video footage is circulating online appearing to show the violent incident unfold on Kinnaird Avenue.

The clip shows people intervening to stop a man attacking a prone victim lying on the ground in the residential area close to the busy Antrim Road.

Condemning the incident, Sir Keir Starmer said: “The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening.

“I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.

“My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.”

A train passenger who grabbed a young woman’s hair and asked “can I kiss you?” has been sentenced in the first-ever conviction for harassment based on a person’s sex.

David Stroud, 44, made sexually motivated comments to the victim on a train to London on April 3, two days after a new law came into force banning harassment because of a person’s sex.

He pleaded guilty to harassing the woman at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, which heard Stroud sat next to the woman, who was on the phone to her boyfriend at the time, on a train which left Hastings at about 8.50pm.

The 44-year-old father-of-two had previously pleaded guilty to a separate 22-month stalking campaign, the court heard on Tuesday.

He had been on bail for stalking when he harassed the victim on the train.

Stroud was sentenced for both offences and was spared jail, receiving a 12-month community order and being told to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

The defendant, of Dartford, Kent, tried to make conversation with the woman, who attempted to ignore him as she was a lone female travelling, the court heard.

He was “constantly leaning on to the woman” and got closer, telling her “you’re magical” and grabbing her hair, which the victim “perceived to be sexual”.

The woman said she could smell alcohol on the defendant’s breath.

Stroud, a father-of-two, told the woman “you’re never going to find someone who loves your hair as much as I do”, and she replied, “I already have someone”.

The woman’s boyfriend heard the comments over the phone and called the British Transport Police, who arrested Stroud at London Bridge station.

While under caution Stroud said: “It’s just banter, we had banter together, do you know what I mean?” the court heard.

He also said: “I’ve done nothing wrong to her.”

The new offence, under Section 4B of the Public Order Act 1986, covers intentional harassment directed at someone because of their sex, including where perpetrators target women and girls in public places, including streets, parks and public transport.

Stroud was also ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work and be fitted with an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag for 90 days.

District Judge Caroline Jackson also made a five-year restraining order against him for the stalking victim.

Olivia Rose, deputy chief Crown prosecutor and the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) lead on stalking, said she hopes the law and Stroud’s prosecution send a message to would-be offenders: “If you think you are going to get away with sex-based harassment because you consider it just to be friendly banter, it isn’t.

“This is a serious offence and you will be prosecuted.

She added: “I want to send a message to victims, so they feel that they can come forward, because they will be taken seriously.”

​Glen Esk Road, which links Ruswarp to Larpool Lane on the outskirts of Whitby, has been closed since August 2024.

​However, despite assurances that works would start this year, North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has pushed back the repair date until next year.

​The authority said it “aimed to deliver the works as soon as possible in 2027”.

​Cllr Linda Wild. a member of Whitby Town Council, said she was “very disappointed on behalf of the people in Whitby”.

​Speaking at a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee last week, she said: “Danger Bank is the local name for the steep section of Glen Esk Road linking Whitby to Ruswarp.

​“The road has been closed since August 2024 due to a major road slip and is causing local traffic to take annoying, longer alternative routes, thus causing congestion elsewhere.

​“NYC indicate that they have been reviewing funding and as a result, major repairs to this road will take place later this year.

Glen Esk Road, Whitby. Google Maps

​“Can NYC please confirm that funding is now in place and the necessary repairs to Danger Bank will be undertaken in 2026 to rectify this longstanding problem that causes great inconvenience to local traffic and all road users?”

​The chair of the committee, Cllr Liz Colling, read out a response on behalf of NYC which acknowledged that “design and funding were in place for the repair works to be carried out in 2026.

​“However, following further extensive slippage over the winter period, the original design is no longer considered feasible and it cannot be amended in time to allow the works to proceed this year.

​“An option to review is currently underway with a revised design to be developed this year with the aim of delivering the works as soon as possible in 2027.”

​In February, a council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the inconvenience the closure is causing and are committed to reopening the road as soon as possible.”

​

(Image: Newsquest)

The actress has been enjoying the sunshine on her first family trip with baby Georgie

Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins enjoys time away as she celebrates her first family holiday with baby Georgie after leaving the ITV soap a few months ago.

The actress left Emmerdale earlier this year as she went on maternity leave ready to welcome her first child with husband Adam Whitehead after the couple tied the knot in Manchester last year.

On February 11, the couple announced that their baby daughter had been born and they welcomed Georgie Grace Whitehead to the world in an adorable reveal on their Instagram.

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Since the birth, Isabel has kept her followers updated with her life as a first-time mum. Taking to her Instagram, Isabel quipped about her woes of packing before the family of three jetted off together from Manchester Airport.

She said: “Not that anyone asked, but packing, stressful! Packing for a holiday, I thought it would be fine, but now I’m like, has this child used it once in the whole four months being on this Earth? Right, then she might need it.

“I’m not being funny, but she’s only got 15kg allowance, and then there’s packing for mum, stressful! I’m trying to be like, oh I’ve been so low maintenance on this holiday. It’s a family holiday, it’s fine, chill. I’m on a walk, running errands, but also neglecting everything that needs to be done at home.”

On Saturday (June 6), Isabel was all smiles as Georgie was in a pram at Manchester Airport departures as the family of three prepared to jet off on their holiday. In the next clip, Isabel had Georgie in her arms and sung “we’re going on a holiday”.

In another Instagram update, Isabel shared that they’re staying in sunny Cala d’Or which is situated on Mallorca’s southeast coast. The family-friendly resort is just an hour away from Palma and is known for its stunning architecture and pine-fringed scenery.

Taking to her Instagram, the actress shared a carousel of snaps from their first family holiday together with baby Georgie. She penned: “Making memories with our favourite little travel buddy”.

The adorable pictures include the trio enjoying the pool, with Isabel donning a black one-piece and Georgie dressed up in a pink onesie with a matching hat.

Another snap shows Isabel giving Georgie a kiss, before Isabel showed some of her new holiday outfits as she posed with the stroller outside of their accommodation.

Adam commented: “Our team” as Emmerdale co-star Eden Taylor-Draper added: “Sweetness”. It comes after Isabel revealed that her and Adam moved their wedding date forward so they could start a family earlier than planned.

She said: “A year ago today I find out I was pregnant. Deep down I always knew I wanted to be a mum and meeting Adam solidified that for me. So much so we cancelled our wedding that wasn’t until August this year because I didn’t want to wait that long to start our family.

“The journey of pregnancy, the excitement, the fear, the exhaustion and the beauty of feeling your baby moving and kicking…..I’ll never forget it. Being in labour, trusting my body to bring your baby into this world – wow what an experience. The hardest thing I have ever done.”

She concluded: “Now, I’m sat writing this with my four month old snoring on my chest and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have my daughter and everything that motherhood brings. The good, the hard, the yucky, the empowering, the blunders, the learning and above all else, the love.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.

The colon is about one and a half metres long and plays a vital role in moving waste through the body. In rare cases, it can become so stretched that it begins to lose its ability to work properly, like an elastic band that has lost its spring.

This is known as megacolon. Megacolon is not a single disease, but a term used to describe a colon that has become much wider than normal. The cause is important: some forms develop gradually, while others can become life-threatening within days.

One form of megacolon develops before birth. In Hirschsprung disease, some babies are born without the nerve cells that normally help the lower part of the colon push stool through the bowel. Stool becomes trapped and the section of bowel above the affected area begins to stretch.

Babies with Hirschsprung disease may fail to pass their first stool within the usual time after birth. They can also develop a swollen abdomen, vomiting, constipation or feeding difficulties.

The condition cannot currently be prevented because it develops while the baby is in the womb. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the section of bowel without the normal nerve supply.

Megacolon that develops later in life

Another form, known as acquired megacolon, develops later in life. Symptoms can include constipation, abdominal bloating and pain.

Chronic constipation, meaning constipation that persists over time, is common worldwide. It affects about one in ten adults on average, although estimates vary between countries and studies. The vast majority of people with constipation will never develop megacolon, however, which remains rare.

The exact cause of acquired megacolon is still unclear. Research suggests that changes affecting the nerves and muscles of the bowel may interfere with the colon’s ability to move stool normally. Some medications and neurological conditions have also been linked to acquired megacolon, although most people taking these medicines or living with these conditions will never develop it.

Because the causes are not fully understood, there is no guaranteed way to prevent acquired megacolon. Treatment depends on the likely cause and the severity of the symptoms. Some people improve with dietary changes or medication. Others need specialist treatments, and surgery may be necessary in severe cases.

Ogilvie syndrome

A rapidly enlarged colon can also develop in people who are already seriously unwell. Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, also known as Ogilvie syndrome, most often affects people in hospital after major surgery, infection, trauma or another serious illness.

The bowel appears to be blocked, although there is no physical obstruction. Instead, the colon stops moving its contents along effectively.

The abdomen can swell quickly. This becomes dangerous if the colon stretches so much that it loses its blood supply or tears.

Doctors usually begin by treating the underlying trigger. They may correct dehydration or electrolyte imbalances, meaning abnormal levels of salts such as sodium or potassium in the blood. They may also stop medicines that slow the bowel and monitor the patient closely while the colon has a chance to recover.

If this does not work, doctors may use a medicine called neostigmine to stimulate the bowel. They may also need to relieve the pressure by removing trapped gas from the colon. This can involve inserting a tube into the bowel during an endoscopic procedure using a flexible camera.

Toxic megacolon: a medical emergency

Toxic megacolon occurs when severe inflammation causes the colon to widen rapidly and the person becomes seriously unwell.

It is most often associated with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the colon. Severe bowel infections can also cause toxic megacolon, including infections with Clostridioides difficile, usually known as C. diff.

Symptoms can include fever, a fast heartbeat, severe abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, dehydration and a swollen abdomen. The greatest concern is that the bowel could tear, allowing bacteria to spread into the abdomen and bloodstream.

Reducing the risk of toxic megacolon means treating the conditions that can cause it. For someone with inflammatory bowel disease, this includes seeking medical advice promptly if a flare-up worsens, particularly if they develop bloody diarrhoea, fever or abdominal swelling. Bowel infections also need prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Once toxic megacolon develops, it requires urgent hospital care. Treatment may include fluids through a drip, close monitoring and medication to reduce inflammation or treat infection. If the colon does not improve quickly, or if there are signs that it may tear, surgery to remove the colon can be lifesaving.

The different forms of megacolon have very different causes, but they share one important feature: the colon becomes enlarged and less able to do its job.

Because this can develop quickly, severe abdominal swelling should never be dismissed as “just constipation”, especially when it is accompanied by pain, fever, vomiting or bloody diarrhoea.

When the bowel stops working properly, early action matters. The sooner the warning signs are recognised, the better the chance of preventing a dangerous complication.

Homelessness in the UK is reaching critical levels, with more than 380,000 people estimated to be without a home in England alone as of late 2025.

There is also a growing recognition that neurodivergent people are over-represented among homeless populations. But much of this comes from anecdotal reports from service providers or localised research projects looking at specific neurodivergences like autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

So, our new research explored why this may be so. Our findings demonstrate how neurodivergent people may face exclusion at various points throughout their social lives, education and employment. In turn, this can lead to increased financial hardship and a higher chance of homelessness.

As homelessness rises across the UK, public debate tends to focus on housing supply or personal responsibility. For example, housing and homelessness charity Shelter highlights the chronic shortage of social housing and an increasingly unaffordable private rented sector.

We spoke at length with six neurodivergent people, from one local authority area, who had experienced homelessness or insecure housing. To structure the interviews, we asked participants to create a life map.

This is a visual timeline of important events that were meaningful to them, such as education, employment, becoming homeless, seeking support and diagnosis. We analysed the life maps and the participant accounts, identifying three central themes across their stories.

First, ambiguity around diagnosis often confused things and delayed or blocked access to support. Second, participants often seemed to have fallen through the gaps at critical points across their lives, where support should have been available. And third, once in crisis, navigating services was often experienced as inaccessible, slow and demoralising.

A lifetime of missed support

There were a number of points in our participants’ lives where support had been needed but was ultimately missed. This had knock-on effects on their ability to remain in education or employment. In turn, this created a lack of opportunities and affected financial security.

For some participants, these challenges began in school. Most described being bullied – an experience that is unfortunately common for many neurodivergent children. Faced with a lack of support for the bullying, participants took their own action, by changing schools, moving areas, or even leaving school altogether.

Those who went on to higher education experienced a lack of specialist neurodivergent support, alongside challenges with living away from home for the first time. Some turned to alcohol in order to manage social anxiety.

Neurodivergent adults are known to experience significant employment gaps. Our participants also outlined numerous challenges to securing and keeping a job. One described being unable to find a placement for some work experience required to complete a qualification. They believed that this was due to stigma associated with their diagnosis.

For others, jobs that may be considered entry-level, such as customer service or retail jobs, presented unanticipated difficulties, including sensory overwhelm and social anxiety. UK employers are required by law to make changes to remove or reduce potential disadvantage faced by disabled employees, which are known as “reasonable adjustments”. But most participants reported a lack of these in practice.

When our participants hit a crisis point and sought help for their housing needs, many experienced the services as confusing or unsupportive of their needs. Most described long waits for various supports and services, often in unsuitable, temporary accommodation.

Sensory and social challenges in these environments contributed to mental health deterioration. Long waiting lists to access therapy or diagnostic assessments also left participants feeling trapped and unable to move forward with their lives.

‘Society doesn’t care about you’

Respondents described patterns of persistent exclusion, starting in early life, that had paved the way to homelessness. Once in need of housing support, they found significant barriers to accessing services that had been designed by and for neurotypical people.

When offered temporary accommodation, in many cases this did not meet their neurodivergent needs. For example, most participants described being placed in busy, “chaotic” hostels that they were desperate to leave. In one case, a person with significant sensory sensitivities was living in shared temporary accommodation next-door to a nightclub which played loud music throughout the night, affecting their sleep.

We also noticed that participants appeared to have internalised these experiences. For example, they blamed themselves and felt like “society doesn’t care about you”, as one described. This affected both their self-esteem and their engagement with services.

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Many people may face similar circumstances yet do not necessarily find themselves homeless. For our participants, however, hardship was heightened by reduced social networks to fall back on during hard times. They described difficulties in maintaining regular contact with friends. They were sometimes rejected by their family and others, due to a lack of understanding of their differences.

The stories we heard were powerful and hard-hitting. They show the serious effects of exclusion which may build up over a person’s life.

There were also many points at which early support or prevention could have been put into place, for example, in education, workplaces and when accessing health and social care. There are now a growing number of toolkits and guidance for services working with neurodivergent people facing homelessness.

Taken together, our findings show how neurodivergent people may face unique pathways into homelessness. It demonstrates why earlier, more joined-up inclusion and support is vital for prevention.