Stockton Council has announced this will affect various roads in Thornaby as part of a temporary traffic regulation order.

Starting from April 7, several roads will undergo temporary closures, as outlined in a drafted order available for viewing on the council’s website.

Provisions are also in place to introduce a one-way system on Baysdale Road, Thornaby, and temporarily revoke the prohibition of driving restrictions on Bassleton lane, Thornaby.

The order may continue in force for a maximum period of eighteen months.

Stockton Borough Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the Highway Authority being satisfied that access to the said road should be prohibited because works are being or are proposed to be carried out on or near the road.

• For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal – Public Notices from The Northern Echo ( publicnoticeportal.uk ).

The police and emergency services will be informed of the closures prior to the works commencing.

Access for pedestrians and emergency services will be maintained through the works.

Bus services will be affected.

The restrictions and roads affected are specified in the draft Order and plans which can be viewed on the Council’s website (Traffic Orders).

Weather maps show snow could fall in Belfast, Manchester and Glasgow on Sunday, with the Met Office warning of unsettled wet and windy conditions across the UK over the Easter weekend.

Meteorological projection charts indicate snowfall will arrive in certain regions of the UK during the prolonged Easter break.

The ECMWF weather model indicates some flurries will strike the extreme north of Scotland on Friday afternoon – though more extensive snow is likely later during the weekend.

The ECMWF charts for Sunday depict snow descending on Belfast, Manchester and Glasgow around noon, with intermittent wintry showers anticipated throughout northern England and Northern Ireland, while substantial snow blankets western areas of Scotland.

Advertisement

The Met Office has warned Brits to anticipate “unsettled” conditions throughout the Easter weekend, with an “increasing likelihood of wet and windy weather” for certain regions, reports the Mirror.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Steven Keates, said: “As we head into Good Friday and Easter Saturday, the weather is expected to turn more unsettled, with spells of rain at times, some of which could be heavy. This will be followed by sunny spells and showers, with the driest conditions likely towards the southeast of the UK.”

“It is also likely to become windy at times across all areas, particularly in exposed north-western locations. While there remains some uncertainty in the detail at this point in time, there is a strong signal for wet and windy conditions to continue into the Easter Weekend.” BBC meteorologists have also indicated that blustery and damp weather is expected.

The BBC prediction states: “Stronger winds could develop during the Easter weekend, with gales possible across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland as a vigorously deepening low pressure circulation approaches.

“There’ll be some heavy rain, and it could also turn wet in Wales and the north and west of England as a frontal system edges across. Southern and eastern England may stay dry until late in the day or overnight.

“Sunday will be a chillier and showery day, with frequent and often wintry showers across northern and western Scotland. Sunny spells could be interrupted by sharp showers elsewhere. Southern and eastern England should see the fewest showers and the most sunshine.”

Death in Paradise is over once again with fans having to wait until December for its Christmas special.

The BBC has confirmed it will broadcast not just one but two popular shows in Death in Paradise‘s slot this week.

Death in Paradise series 15 came to an end last week with DI Mervin Wilson (played by Don Gilet) getting acquainted with his cheeky niece Eloise Clarke (Avah Cotterell).

Viewers have since been questioning what will be shown instead in the beloved cosy crime drama’s time slot, with the BBC now revealing the return of two programmes.

This Friday (3 April) will see the comeback of long-running satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You, presented by actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr, at 9pm.

He will be accompanied by satirist and writer Armando Iannucci, journalist Anushka Asthana, as well as team captains journalist Ian Hislop and comedian Paul Merton.

Following Have I Got News For You at 9.30pm, which would typically be halfway through a fresh Death in Paradise episode, comes the debut of sitcom The Young Offenders series five.

The Irish comedy-drama chronicles the misadventures of teenagers Conor MacSweeney (Alex Murphy) and Jock O’Keeffee (Chris Walley) who become entangled in petty crimes and unexpected romances.

The Young Offenders, which is adapted from the 2016 film of the same name, was originally inspired by real-life events, following one of the largest cocaine seizures in Irish history in 2007.

A small vessel encountered difficulties off the coast of Cork and as two men attempted to stay afloat, a staggering 1.5 tonnes of cocaine was subsequently recovered from the sea.

Since its premiere in 2018, fans have been unable to resist lauding the sitcom, with some dubbing it “Irish comedy at its finest”.

One viewer remarked: “An absolute gem. I loved the film but this is far better.”

They added: “Give them both a watch you won’t regret it!”

Another labelled it as “utter genius” before stating: “The best Irish comedy since Father Ted. It’s a must see.”

Another individual commented: “Hard not to binge! Every episode had me in stitches.”

They continued: “I’m not usually one for comedy but this show is gold.”

While another enthusiast contributed: “Just brilliant! What else can be said, loved it.”

Have I Got News For You returns on Friday, April 3, at 9pm, and The Young Offenders season five premieres at 9.30pm on BBC One.

Katie Nicholl, the former Mail on Sunday Mail Royal Editor, and Rebecca English, the Daily Mail’s current Royal Editor, were repeatedly asked where information about Prince Harry had come from. They said they, or their sources, were on the fringes of his social circle. And his friends talked.

The Covid variant BA.3.2 has been detected in 23 countries, including the UK

A new Covid-19 variant has been detected in the UK, health officials have confirmed. The BA.3.2 variant, dubbed the ‘Cicada’ variant, is currently being monitored, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The latest UKHSA data, which looks at positive Covid tests between February 16 and March 1, shows two per cent of cases in England are the BA.3 variant. However, experts warn the new strain is ‘expected to become the dominant strain’ in the UK.

The latest variant has been confirmed in 23 countries since it was first detected in November 2024, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was declared a ‘variant under monitoring’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 5, 2025.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

According to the WHO, a ‘variant under monitoring’ needs prioritised attention due to characteristics that may pose an additional threat compared to other strains of the virus. Despite this, officials say it is not believed to cause more severe disease or different symptoms to currently circulating Covid strains.

Advertisement

How concerning is the ‘Cicada’ Covid variant?

BA.3.2 is descended from the Omicron variant, which emerged in late 2021. It also carries 70 to 75 genetic changes in its spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it get into cells, according to the CDC, suggesting that the it might evade immunity or that the vaccine may not be as effective against it.

However, the WHO says ‘currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease’, despite its differences to circulating strains.

“Overall, available evidence suggests that BA.3.2 poses low additional public health risk compared with other circulating Omicron descendent lineages,” the WHO report added.

It said in December last year that ‘there are no clinical or epidemiological data to suggest that BA.3.2 infection is associated with increased disease severity, diagnostic failure or reduced susceptibility to available antivirals compared with other Omicron descendent lineages’.

It added that the new variants ‘pronounced immune-escape profile’ – its potential ability to evade immunity – warrants continued monitoring from Covid experts.

Will Covid cases rise in the UK?

The latest UKHSA data shows Covid is currently circulating at baseline levels, with positive tests and hospital admissions remaining stable.

Prof Ravi Gupta, of Cambridge University, who advised the UK government during the pandemic, told The Mirror: “This is different from the [Covid-19] viruses we have been dealing with for the last two years.”

Prof Gupta said: “It has been found in the UK, has been increasing in prevalence and I would expect it to become the dominant strain. BA.3.2 is undergoing testing right now. We have been looking at it in terms of immune evasion and the immunity that we’ve all got.”

He added: “Some people have done analysis on this suggesting it may be more prevalent among young children. Children get infections all the time but this might be something to do with the fact that they have never been exposed to Covid vaccines.

“So this is something we’re looking at in the lab to try and work out why. The problem with this is that it is an infection that spreads fast. Eventually it ends up in someone who is vulnerable.”

Symptoms of the new variant are expected to be the same as circulating Covid strains. According to the NHS, these include:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

Tottenham have appointed Roberto de Zerbi as their new head coach after the Italian signed a five-year contract with the club.

The former Brighton boss has seven games to save the club from relegation to the Championship.

If they do go down, he does not have a relegation clause that would allow him to walk away.

In two months’ time, Spurs’ third boss of the season will have either secured his place as a hero at the club, or be forever connected to one of the worst campaigns in their history.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.”

De Zerbi has been the overwhelming first choice to become the club’s new permanent head coach.

BBC Sport reported on Sunday that De Zerbi was the man Spurs wanted to replace Igor Tudor, who officially left the club by mutual consent over the weekend.

Talks have been ongoing since Sunday and those discussions have been successful.

De Zerbi was always open to taking the Spurs position, but it is understood he initially showed a reluctance to accept the job before the end of the season.

But the coach, who left Marseille earlier this year, has been persuaded to take the job immediately.

Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League, just one point outside of the relegation zone and without a win in the competition in 2026.

Should they fail to beat the drop, it would go down as one of the league’s most remarkable relegations.

Sporting director, Johan Lange, said: “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now.

“He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”

After guiding Brighton to European qualification during his stint in the Premier League between 2022 and 2024, De Zerbi took Marseille to second in Ligue 1 last season before leaving in February.

The Italian’s first match as Tottenham boss will be a trip to Sunderland on 12 April, followed six days later by a home game against his former club Brighton. Their remaining fixtures are home matches against Leeds and Everton, and trips to Wolves, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

“He will be having his own way – he’s quite a character,” former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He’s a very outspoken manger. He’s a manager in a similar way to Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte that Tottenham have had in the past.”