A much-loved dog who became a Greater Manchester lockdown hero has prompted a huge fundraising effort after she began losing her sight. Hattie, a 12-year-old cocker spaniel, won the Manchester Evening News Lockdown Dog Hero competition in 2020 after readers voted for her from a shortlist of 20 dogs.

She had accompanied her owner Andrew Bacon, now 62, to work every day during lockdown, where she helped put smiles on the faces of staff at the Lancastrian Office Centre at Old Trafford cricket ground.

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Six years on, Hattie has continued to bring joy to people through her Facebook page – Hattie ‘The Cocker Spaniel’ – where Andrew, from Stretford, shares her adventures with her thousands of followers.

Now, those followers are rallying around Hattie after she developed cataracts as a result of diabetes and began to lose her sight.

A fundraiser has been launched by family friend Lisa Davis to help pay for vet treatment that could improve her vision. Hattie has already been prescribed eye drops four times a day, and could face an operation costing £5,100 for one eye or £6,100 for both, according to the fundraising page.

The fundraiser has so far raised £3,670 of its £4,000 target – and owner Andrew says he has found the response “humbling”.

Andrew says people have been telling him they want to help Hattie because of the comfort she has brought them over the years.

“It’s really humbling,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “She has a huge following all over the world, not just here.

“People keep saying, ‘We’re going to help you, Hattie, because you helped us through lockdown.’ It’s so lovely. People have rallied round. It’s amazing, really. I just can’t believe it.”

During lockdown, Hattie became a familiar face to staff at Andrew’s workplace, helping deliver post around the building and even getting behind the wheel of the car park sweeper in her hi-vis jacket.

Andrew also created a Facebook page documenting her adventures, which has continued to grow since then. He has held Christmas evenings with Hattie online, which he says have become something people look forward to, particularly those who may otherwise feel lonely during the festive period.

“Even people who have lost their own dogs and haven’t been able to have another one because of the heartbreak have taken to Hattie,” Andrew said. “People who have their own dogs have kind of adopted Hattie as well.

“She brings such joy into people’s lives and I get so much pleasure from that. You can’t put it into words.”

Now, members of that online community are trying to give something back to this much-loved pup. Hattie was diagnosed with diabetes around 18 months ago after Andrew noticed she was drinking significantly more water and having accidents in the house.

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Andrew said: “I came home from work and her water bowl was bone dry. I filled it up and she drank it again while I was there.

“She also started having a wee in the kitchen while I was out. She’d never done that before in her life.

“I took her to the vets and told them what was happening. They did blood tests and checks, and the results came back that she had diabetes.

“It was a bit of a shock. It has to be controlled with insulin, and there’s quite a long, time-consuming process to get the right dose, the right kind of insulin and the number of times each day that you have to administer it.

“I had to learn to give her the injections as well, which was a bit tricky, but I managed to get it under control.”

Andrew said Hattie’s diabetes has since settled down, but one of its effects has been the development of cataracts, meaning she’s now dealing with sight loss.

Andrew added: “She’s coping really well, but unfortunately the cataracts are causing quite a nasty condition in her eyes.

“We’ve been referred to an eye specialist…We’ve now got a routine with about four different types of drops.

“When we go back in two weeks, we’ll go through the possibilities of surgery to remove the cataracts.

Hattie is now on special food and needs regular insulin, with her ongoing care costing around £100 to £120 a month. Andrew says he was prepared to sell his motorbike to help cover the “very expensive” cost of the eye treatment, but says the funds raised will help significantly.

Andrew is also keen to raise awareness of diabetes in dogs, after learning how quickly the condition can develop.

He said: “Maybe a lot of people don’t realise their pets are diabetic and think they’re drinking water because they’re thirsty, or weeing in the kitchen for another reason.

“If people can be aware of that, it may save people’s pets’ lives. They don’t pass away early or be put to sleep because of organ failure.”

You can visit Hattie’s fundraiser via the link HERE.

A thug who threw a plastic bottle at police during violent anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth has been jailed for two years.

Del Somerville, 42, lobbed the projectile at officers and swore angrily at them during a protest on September 6. 

The father-of-two was the first to be arrested and sentenced following the violence which erupted after the arrival into the city of a small boat carrying 114 migrants.

Somerville, of the Paulsgrove area of the city, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder.

The court was told the protest had left locals fearing for their safety and he was captured on camera shouting verbal abuse at officers and telling them to ‘f***’ off.

Somerville appeared in a grey top and black coat and stuck his tongue out at the gallery as he entered the court room. 

Judge Daniel Sawyer told him that his sentence would act as a deterrent to others following subsequent protests in the area.

He still awaits trial regarding an additional charge of assaulting a police officer relating to his arrest on September 11, which he entered a not guilty plea on Thursday for. 

Hundreds of people, including right-wing activist Daniel Thomas, gathered at Eastney Marina on the night of September 6 and into the early hours of the next day after the boat docked in the city.

But the protest turned violent for some as those gathered attempted to stop several coaches carrying migrants who had disembarked from leaving the harbour.

Seven police officers were injured and treated at the scene, while Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said. 

Hundreds of protestors clashed with police near Eastney beach in Portsmouth after a dinghy carrying 114 asylum seekers was escorted to the shore

Seven police officers were injured and treated at the scene, while Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said 

Sentencing Somerville, Judge Sawyer described as a ‘thug’ and said: ‘Police officers dedicate their lives to the protection of the public regardless of their own views, the very least they can expect is that those who engage in protests treat them with respect and the courts punish those who assault them.’

Edward Warren, prosecuting, said: ‘This case arises out of the violence that occurred on the night of 6th September following the arrival into the country of 114 illegal migrants who had crossed the Channel from France and were diverted to Eastney marina escorted by the Coastguard and the RNLI.’

Mr Warren continued: ‘Following an initial peaceful and lawful gathering from local residents, a large number of people gathered on Ferry Road near the marina.

‘That protest apparently initially appeared spontaneous before it seemed organised elements with online encouragement from public figures having shared information on social media and elsewhere led to a much wider group and a large number of people attending.

‘Public awareness spread online and a larger number of people began to congregate in Eastney.

‘Protests began popping up in other parts of the area, including Hayling Island and ferry terminals.

‘Hampshire Constabulary declared a major incident during the evening and a significant police presence was deployed, and significant resources were required to maintain public order and to ensure those who had arrived in the country were moved to a secure location.

‘During the evening there were seven recorded assaults on police officers and damaged caused to police vehicles.

‘Other forces were deployed from outside Hampshire to assist and approximately 50 officers from Hampshire and a further 100 supporting officers to assist.’

The court heard local residents had given statements reporting feeling afraid in their own homes while protesters were seen to urinate in their gardens and thousands of pounds of damage was caused to property in the area.

Mr Warren said bricks, stones and bottles were thrown at police and community wardens had been trapped in their cars for five hours during the disturbance.

The prosecutor said at about 11.20pm, Somerville, wearing a khaki hoodie with the hood up, initially motioned to another protester to ‘back off’ from the police line.

He said the defendant then ‘turned to face the police and was seen to throw a small bottle and he has shouted at officers to ‘f*** off’.

‘He remains at the front of the group talking to protesters a short distance from the police line.’

He added that at 1am, Somerville was seen on body-worn video footage ‘aggressively pushing’ through the police line and ‘shouting verbal abuse at police officers’ as well ‘pointing aggressively’ at them.

Mr Warren said Somerville, who lives in a boat at the marina, was tracked to his van by officers on September 11 and is alleged to have assaulted a constable as they attempted to arrest him.

Somerville entered a not guilty plea to this offence and that charge has been referred back to be tried at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Warren said when interviewed, Somerville ‘said the police were the ones responsible for the violence and he suggests he was struck by a baton multiple times and sprayed with CS gas’.

However, Mr Warren added Somerville ‘accepted throwing the bottle’, and nearly ‘tripped over it and picked it up and threw it’.

He added: ‘He was going to throw it into a bush but was angry and threw it into the air. He said it got out of hand.’

Helen Easterbrook, defending, said Somerville had been on his boat at the marina on the evening of the incident and had gone out to find out what was happening.

She said: ‘Unlike so many of those involved in disorders where people are transporting themselves across the country, he was caught up in it.

‘He was one of the people affected by this, his original involvement was when he came out of the marina to see what was going on. This does not excuse the behaviour he began to undertake.’

She added: ‘He asked police to go back to his place of safety on his boat but he was refused.

Ms Easterbook said Somerville initially attempted to calm the situation down but had thrown a ‘light plastic bottle’ which was not intended to hurt anyone.

She added: ‘He has suffered a number of mental health issues, rebuilding his life multiple times.’ 

Judge Daniel Sawyer told Somerville: ‘You didn’t simply find yourself caught up in this disorder, this maybe how it started but you made a decision to engage in this behaviour.

‘This was persistent and sustained violent activity. There was widespread violence.

‘This caused distress, disruption, a detrimental impact to the community, cost to the public purse and attacks on public servants.’ 

He added it is ‘important to distinguish the rights to peaceful protests and offence when people cease to protest peacefully’.

‘Many of those were wearing face coverings adding to the air of intimidation,’ he said. 

‘The right to a peaceful protest is an important part of life. Whether a person wishes to protest against immigration, globalisation or climate change, all have the same right to a peaceful protest.

‘Police officers dedicate their lives to protect the public. The very least that they can expect is that those who engage in protests treat them with respect. 

‘The community impact of that night’s violence has been profound.’

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.

The court also heard a statement from Faith George, the mother of Faith Ike-Elechi, who referred to her daughter by the nickname Chimma.

She found her daughter helpless on the floor after she had taken the poison, and said her last works “echo in my mind every day”.

She said if she were able to speak to her daughter again she would tell her she had never stopped being proud of her.

Maurice Dunham, father of British victim Michael Dunham, said the last time he saw his son alive was on a family holiday to Croatia that Michael had left early to return home.

“The last conversation I had with him was an argument,” he said in a written statement.

Maurice returned home days later and discovered Michael was dead.

“The feeling I had was like an electric shock going through me,” he wrote. “I blamed myself for not stopping Michael from leaving the hotel room.

“I planned to take my own life. I didn’t care if I lived or died.”

Later, the court heard the words of the mother of Yeanu Mistry, who said hearing he had died was “the news every parent fears”.

And Maureen Cooper, the mother of poison victim Gary Cooper, called the pain of losing her son “unbearable”.

“A death such as this is the thing of nightmares,” her written statement said.

On Wednesday, the court heard from a British survivor who was given an antidote that saved her after taking poison from Law.

Elisabeth Belien told the court: “I feel guilty for surviving. Although I survived, it has also impacted my loved ones. I feel like my vulnerability was exploited. I still feel a lot of shame about what happened.”

The hearing continues.

The highest rate is £1.30 a night

Three Welsh councils have said they will not yet introduce a tourism tax.

Conwy, Anglesey, and Gwynedd councils had held consultations with local residents over the summer.

Conwy has voted to defer its introduction pending further evidence, with 29 councillors voting for a deferral and only nine opposing.

Anglesey decided not to proceed with the levy at this time and Gwynedd has said it needs more time to properly assess the significant response to its consultation.

The Welsh Government passed laws to allow councils to introduce a levy but only if they consulted residents and local businesses. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

The rate was to be at 75p for hostels, bunkhouses, bothies or dormitories, and pitches for tents. The higher rate is £1.30.

Under-18s do not have to pay.

In Cardiff, from September 28, overnight accommodation including hotels, B&Bs, self-catering lets, hostels, caravan, camping and glamping sites must start accounting for a visitor levy on new bookings for stays from April 2027 and extra nights or guests added to existing bookings.

In Gwynedd the council received 6,856 consultation responses. Initial analysis found 79.5% of responding businesses opposed the levy alongside 79.9% of responding visitors. Across all respondents 68.5% were opposed.

Conwy received 1,210 consultation responses. Among those who gave an answer to whether the council should introduce a visitor levy 62.1% opposed or tended to oppose it, 33.8% supported or tended to support it, and 4.1% were undecided or expressed no clear preference. Councillors subsequently voted 29 to nine in favour of deferral.

In Anglesey 70.8% of respondents opposed or tended to oppose the levy compared with 25.1% who supported or tended to support it and 4.1% who were neutral or unsure. Opposition was particularly strong among businesses (83.1%) and visitors (84.2%) while 57.8% of residents were also opposed.

The news has been welcomed by a tourism body. PASC UK Cymru, the Professional Association of Self-Caterers, say tourism operators are facing a number of pressures at the same time.

Representative Nicky Williamson said: “This is a welcome victory for common sense and for listening to the evidence. Tourism businesses across Wales have been clear about the pressures they are already facing and the response to these consultations shows the strength of concern about adding another cost to Welsh holidays.

“This is simply the wrong time to introduce another cost for either businesses or visitors. We welcome councils listening to the evidence and urge others to do the same before taking decisions that could have long-term consequences for Wales’ visitor economy.”

By JULIET CONWAY

Published: 11:51 BST, 24 September 2026 | Updated: 18:43 BST, 24 September 2026

Bill Nighy has revealed he secretly married after spending years insisting he had never tied the knot.

The Love Actually star, 76, who has been romantically linked to Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour since 2015, had long maintained that he had never married – including during his 27-year relationship with actress Diana Quick.

But Bill has now given a new account of his romantic life, recalling a time ‘when I was married’ and revealing that he wore a wedding ring which he later lost in the sea.

The actor did not reveal the identity of his wife, when the marriage took place or how long it lasted.

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‘I can’t wear rings because I’ve got funny hands,’ Bill said on his Ill-Advised podcast on Thursday. ‘I was called Nux Nighy at school because I had knobbly knuckles.’

He added: ‘When I was married, I had a wedding ring, and I went into the sea and it came off. I had to wear such a big ring to get it over my knuckle that it came off in the sea. I lost the ring.

‘It was the only time I’d ever had a ring, but it was so big, as I say, in order to accommodate the deformity of my knuckles, that it didn’t last long.’

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Bill Nighy with actress Diana Quick in 2005, with whom he had a 27-year relationship 

In a 2015 interview, Bill said ‘I’ve never been married’ and explained that marriage had not appealed to him when he was younger.

‘There was nowhere for me to go,’ he said at the time. ‘Marriage is sort of back in now, isn’t it? There wasn’t a lot of it about back then.

‘Where are you going to go? I have no God. A register office didn’t sound like much. I don’t think the tax situation was very beneficial. I don’t think anybody would have married me anyway. But it just wasn’t a thing you did.’

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Bill’s longest relationship was with actress Diana Quick, 79. The pair met while appearing in David Hare’s A Map of the World at the National Theatre in 1982 and welcomed their daughter, actress and film-maker Mary Nighy, 42, two years later.

They remained together until separating in 2008 but were never publicly known to have married.

In a 2006 interview, Bill joked: ‘If she isn’t my wife, she has been following me around for a hell of a long time.’

But he made their legal status clear on that occasion, adding: ‘We’re not legally sanctioned. We live in what my grandmother would call sin, but I don’t care, and neither does she.’

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He and Diana have remained on good terms since their split and continued to spend time together as a family.

The Love Actually star, 76, who has been romantically linked to Anna Wintour since 2015, has now given a new account of his romantic life, recalling a time ‘when I was married’ 

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What do you make of Bill Nighy’s surprise marriage revelation after years of saying he’d never wed?

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Before Diana, Bill was in a relationship with Welsh actress Beth Morris, who later appeared in I, Claudius and The District Nurse.

Bill has more recently faced speculation over his relationship with Dame Anna, 76, with the pair romantically linked since at least 2015.

The rumours gathered pace after they were repeatedly seen together, before making a high-profile appearance arm-in-arm at the Met Gala in New York in 2023.

Bill’s representative denied they were romantically involved, saying at the time: ‘Bill and Anna have simply been great friends for two decades. They are not in a relationship.’

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They have been featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2027, described as the definitive guide to good pubs that serve real ale all over the country.

Featuring in the Good Beer Guide 2027 are the Bank Top Brewery Tap on Belmont Road in Astley Bridge and the Bolton Ukrainian Social Club on Castle Street, The Haulgh.

Also featured are the King’s Head on Junction Road in Deane and Northern Monkey on Nelson Square just off Bradshawgate in the town centre.

Bank Top Brewery Tap in Astley Bridge also features on CAMRA’s list (Image: Ben Sweeney)

All four featured in last year’s Good Beer Guide as well and have proven to be just as highly recommended this year.

This comes not long after the Campaign for Real Ale welcomed the government’s announcement that the Pubs Code for England and Wales will stay in place.

CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “We’re glad that the Pubs Code will be kept in place, as it’s needed more than ever.

“Ordinary drinkers are being denied choice and value by the global brewers that dominate the UK beer market, including how beer is sold to pubs.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the details of how more tied pub tenants might be able to challenge the beer tie.

“However, we still have a supply-led beer market that is dominated by global brewers, which means that licensees, independent brewers, and ordinary drinkers lose out.

“We need to see bolder reforms like guest beer rights for tied tenants, and the Department for Business must stop dragging their feet and publish the outcome of the review of access to the beer market for independent brewers.”

This year’s Good Beer Guide, the 54th edition, features more than 4,500 pubs with a breweries list featuring 1,700 breweries and 5,000 beers with information about brewery taprooms.

A description said: “The Good Beer Guide is completely independent, with listings based entirely on evaluation by CAMRA members.

“This year’s foreword is written by Sir Ian Rankin.

“He, and his fictional detective Rebus, both frequent The Oxford Bar, in Edinburgh which features on the cover of this year’s guide.”

Anyone interested in the full guide can go to: https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2027/.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained Envoi Allen won the Champion Chase at Down Royal three times

Down Royal racecourse and BetVictor have announced plans to honour the legendary chaser Envoi Allen at their Festival of Racing next month.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained chasing superstar captured the BetVictor Champion Chase three times at the Lisburn venue (2022, 2024, and 2025) and was a real course favourite.

He tragically died just moments after completing his final race in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March but gave his owners Cheveley Park and regular rider Rachael Blackmore some memorable moments at Down Royal and elsewhere.

Down Royal and title sponsor BetVictor have now revealed that the feature race of the November Festival will be renamed The BetVictor Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase.

The race is the first Grade 1 of the Irish jumping season and promises to be another fascinating contest with some of the best chasers in Ireland and Britain likely to line-up.

Envoi Allen ran seven times in total at Down Royal and his win in the race last year was the last of his eleven Grade One wins, that also included three wins at the Cheltenham Festival.

Emma Meehan, Chief Executive at Down Royal Racecourse said: “Envoi Allen held a truly unique place in the hearts of everyone at Down Royal. From his early days through to his historic third Champion Chase victory last November, he delivered some of the most memorable moments ever witnessed at our track.

“Renaming our Grade 1 flagship race in his memory ensures his legacy remains permanently woven into the fabric of our BetVictor Festival of Racing.”

“We’re delighted to once again welcome BetVictor as title sponsor to our The BetVictor Festival of Racing – from iconic horses on the track to the style and spectacle of Ladies Day – we look forward to creating an unforgettable experience for racegoers this October.”

Sam Boswell, Head of Sponsorship & Media for BetVictor, said: “BetVictor is proud to continue as primary sponsor of the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing for 2026.

“Envoi Allen was a true titan of National Hunt racing, and his extraordinary performances in this very race brought immense joy to racing fans. Partnering with Down Royal to name this race ‘The BetVictor Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase’ is a fitting tribute to a horse who gave so much to the sport.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Envoi Allen added: “Down Royal was always a very special place for Envoi Allen, and he produced some of his absolute best performances on that track.

“To see the Grade 1 Champion Chase named in his memory is a wonderful touch. He brought our yard, Cheveley Park Stud, and racing fans so much happiness over the years, and it means a great deal to see him remembered in this way.”

Tickets are currently available for purchase at www.downroyal.com . General admission is priced at £20 for Friday 30th October and £25 for Saturday 31st October and children under 14 can enter free of charge.

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Officers attended St Peter’s School on Thursday (September 24) after reports that a “threat was made to children who had struck up a conversation with a woman believed to be camping or living rough near to the school grounds”, police confirmed.

As a precautionary safety measure, all pupils were kept inside the school while police carried out enquiries.

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A police spokesperson said: “An extensive search was carried out however the woman was no longer in the immediate area and officers were satisfied that the precautionary safety measures could be lifted.

“Enquiries remain ongoing to trace the person involved.  

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference NYP-24092026-0238.”