Simon McKeown took the divorcee out for fancy meals and lavished her with gifts before subjecting her to a string of cruel assaults

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A woman thought she found the perfect man before he ‘threw her around a room’ and called her a ‘slag’.

Simon McKeown initially “presented as the ideal partner”, wooing the freshly divorced woman by taking her out for fancy meals and lavishing her with gifts.

But he then subjected her to a series of cruel and demeaning assaults, which saw him batter her in a hotel and place a soiled puppy pad over her face. LiverpoolEcho reports that having later forced her to flee into a pub in her pyjamas in order to seek refuge, he then turned violent towards staff at the bar for having dared to attempt to protect his victim.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Tuesday, that the woman, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, was newly single following the breakdown of her 16-year marriage when she met McKeown in the Grange pub in Moreton, in December 2024. With the two having exchanged phone numbers and arranged to meet up again, Suzanne Payne, prosecuting, said: “The relationship appeared to be good to begin with.

“The defendant was charming. He took the victim out for nice meals. In those first couple of weeks, things were good. In her words, ‘I fell for him, head over heels’.”

However, the couple were said to have argued over the Christmas period, leading to the victim cancelling a planned meal on New Year’s Eve, when she had intended to introduce McKeown to her son. McKeown, of Edgehill Road in Moreton, instead booked a room at the Baltic Hotel for that night, with the evening having “started well” before he left her alone without explanation at around 9.30pm.

The 46-year-old then returned around 90 minutes later with flowers and a bottle of whisky before she FaceTimed her 21-year-old son shortly after midnight. She was also said to have spoken to one of his friends during this call, wishing him a Happy New Year and “laughing and joking” with him over the phone.

But, afterwards, McKeown “accused her of fancying her son’s mate” before slapping her across the face, causing her to fall off the bed. She split up with him the following day as a result of the assault, although she “eventually ended up forgiving him” and the relationship resumed.

While “things settled down for a short time”, McKeown soon resumed his violence, pulling her back into his garden on one occasion when she attempted to leave by climbing over the back gate following an argument. He then “put a puppy pad soaked in urine over her face”, leaving her struggling to breathe, before “throwing her to the floor” and returning inside.

McKeown was said to have “tried to win her around by buying her things”, including trainers, a hoodie and leggings. But, when she spoke to another woman in Jenny’s Bar during another night out in Liverpool city centre, he went on to drag the victim outside before “telling her it was meant to be their night” and “asking if she swapped numbers with the girl”.

Then, having enjoyed a spa day with friends in September last year, she was awoken in the early hours by McKeown banging on her door and “accusing her of having another man in the house”. Around a week later, he collected her from Hamilton Square Station after she had attended a “pop up DJ” event in the city centre before taking her back to his house.

However, when she showed him a video of her behind the DJ booth, McKeown “became very angry” and “threw her around the room, accusing her of being a slag and sleeping with the DJ”. She repeatedly attempted to flee the property, although he “dragged her back in each time” before he fled when she pretended to call the police at around 6am.

Having been left with her “whole body aching” as a result of the assault, McKeown later attended her home, at which stage she agreed to join him in his van after he made threats against her son. However, when he then stopped in traffic, she managed to jump out of the vehicle, running into the Kings Arms pub in Rock Ferry in order to seek help at one stage.

However, the couple were said to have argued over the Christmas period, leading to the victim cancelling a planned meal on New Year’s Eve, when she had intended to introduce McKeown to her son. McKeown, of Edgehill Road in Moreton, instead booked a room at the Baltic Hotel for that night, with the evening having “started well” before he left her alone without explanation at around 9.30pm.

The 46-year-old then returned around 90 minutes later with flowers and a bottle of whisky before she FaceTimed her 21-year-old son shortly after midnight. She was also said to have spoken to one of his friends during this call, wishing him a Happy New Year and “laughing and joking” with him over the phone.

But, afterwards, McKeown “accused her of fancying her son’s mate” before slapping her across the face, causing her to fall off the bed. She split up with him the following day as a result of the assault, although she “eventually ended up forgiving him” and the relationship resumed.

While “things settled down for a short time”, McKeown soon resumed his violence, pulling her back into his garden on one occasion when she attempted to leave by climbing over the back gate following an argument. He then “put a puppy pad soaked in urine over her face”, leaving her struggling to breathe, before “throwing her to the floor” and returning inside.

McKeown was said to have “tried to win her around by buying her things”, including trainers, a hoodie and leggings. But, when she spoke to another woman in Jenny’s Bar during another night out in Liverpool city centre, he went on to drag the victim outside before “telling her it was meant to be their night” and “asking if she swapped numbers with the girl”.

Then, having enjoyed a spa day with friends in September last year, she was awoken in the early hours by McKeown banging on her door and “accusing her of having another man in the house”. Around a week later, he collected her from Hamilton Square Station after she had attended a “pop up DJ” event in the city centre before taking her back to his house.

However, when she showed him a video of her behind the DJ booth, McKeown “became very angry” and “threw her around the room, accusing her of being a slag and sleeping with the DJ”. She repeatedly attempted to flee the property, although he “dragged her back in each time” before he fled when she pretended to call the police at around 6am.

Having been left with her “whole body aching” as a result of the assault, McKeown later attended her home, at which stage she agreed to join him in his van after he made threats against her son. However, when he then stopped in traffic, she managed to jump out of the vehicle, running into the Kings Arms pub in Rock Ferry in order to seek help at one stage.

“He has been in custody for about eight months now. He is working in the kitchen. He is playing for the prison football team. He is undertaking courses. He does not want to sit in his cell and languish. He has been reflecting for a great deal of time on his behaviour. He has acknowledged his offending behaviour.

“He has accepted that it is conflict resolution that has led to his offending. He does not say, my substance misuse, my drink misuse is the cause of my offending, or I have such PTSD that I don’t know how else I could have behaved. He acknowledges that he has been well brought up. He has got a daughter who he lives for.

“He has got all of those positive aspects in his life, yet he has continued to offend. It is perhaps time for this man to be given proper, targeted, structured intervention. As much as the prison try hard, he is not going to receive that in custody. The reality is, he probably would not spend that much longer [in prison] if your honour was to impose an immediate sentence of imprisonment today.”

McKeown admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and four counts of assault. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 31 months and handed a five-year restraining order.

Sentencing, Recorder Ben Lawrence said: “She describes a lasting psychological impact on her. She found the assault with the puppy pad particularly degrading. She felt particularly helpless, because it restricted her breathing.

“There has been some acceptance of responsibility. You describe there being trust issues in the relationship. You say that there were frequent physical confrontations. You seem to blame your victim for those and say you acted in self defence.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has informed supporters that President Donald Trump has accomplished his goals in the war with Iran despite the details of an initial agreement remaining unclear and negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program still to be held.

In a series of talking points sent to Trump supporters and Republican members of Congress this week, the White House proclaimed major victories, such as Iran agreeing to never have a nuclear weapon, reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz and fighting in Lebanon ending.

The talking points, on White House letterhead, were obtained by The Associated Press from two recipients of the document and go against some of the realities on the ground, especially regarding what Israel has agreed to in its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

But the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, expected to be signed Friday in Switzerland, is still a closely guarded secret, even among Republican allies in Congress and the Israelis. That has led to confusion, concern and skepticism among all but the most hard-core Trump supporters about what has been agreed to.

Republicans acknowledged that the initial deal, by remaining under wraps, has created a vacuum that is being filled by potential misinformation.

“You don’t know what’s true and what’s not true — is it in there?” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. “My speculation is that it’s probably still being written and fine-tuned, and the administration is not ready to release it until it’s all done.”

Asked why he was not releasing the terms of the initial agreement, Trump told reporters Tuesday at the Group of Seven summit in France that he would “like to get a formal setting first before we do that.”

“I’ll not only release it,” he went on to say, “I’ll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word, so that the press covers it accurately.”

Comparison with the Obama-era nuclear accord

Trump said he was open to submitting an eventual agreement to Congress for review and approval.

“I like the idea, send it to Congress please,” Trump said. “I mean who wouldn’t approve it?”

Yet submitting a nuclear agreement with Iran to Congress is not optional under a law that was passed following the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement reached by then-President Barack Obama, which Trump abandoned during his first administration. Some congressional aides argue that even the presumed memorandum of understanding to be signed Friday would also be subject to lawmakers’ review.

The talking points claim that the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, was never signed, which is partly true but misleading. The foreign ministers who negotiated the agreement did sign a copy of the deal, although it was viewed as an informal document meant to memorialize the occasion.

More important, the JCPOA was endorsed and approved by the U.N. Security Council, which enshrined its provisions into international law.

“President Trump solved a threat Washington spent forty years managing,” according to the talking points. “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.” Copies of the talking points were provided to the AP by a congressional aide and an outside government adviser.

Iran’s position dating back decades is that it has no desire to develop a nuclear weapon. Many Iran critics doubt that pledge because the country has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, the talking points say “the Strait of Hormuz is open again, and energy prices American families pay every day are coming down.”

“American Families Are the Big Winners,” the document says. “Start with what this means at home. American families no longer have to fear a nuclear-armed Iran. They are going to feel relief at the pump and at the grocery store.”

The Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began, had been open to all maritime traffic until Feb. 28 when Trump and Israel began attacking Iran. That means that an agreement to reopen the strait would start to return the situation to where it was on Feb. 27 before the U.S. and Israel spent billions of dollars to go to war. It could take weeks or even months for some normalcy to return.

Consumer prices in the United States and elsewhere only spiked after the war began and shipments of oil and other commodities through the strait were interrupted by Iran, which insists it will retain control of access to the crucial waterway no matter what.

Sanctions relief for Iran

The talking points say Iran will not receive any American taxpayer money for its eventual agreement with and adherence to an as-yet unnegotiated nuclear agreement and will only get financial incentives if it meets certain benchmarks.

They suggest that Obama’s 2015 nuclear accord cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars, when the monetary sanctions relief provided to Iran then actually came from frozen Iranian assets and not the U.S. treasury.

The talking points mention “the pallets of cash” the U.S. sent to Iran after the JCPOA was signed. In fact, the shipment of cash, which came from an Iranian payment for a canceled arms sale to the late Shah of Iran’s government, were unrelated to the nuclear deal.

That money was part of a swap that saw the release of several American citizens detained in Iran and of several Iranians imprisoned in the U.S.

Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon

The talking points trumpet Trump’s claim that the agreement will end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.

“This signed agreement ends military operations on every front,” they say. “For the first time, that explicitly includes Lebanon, with a commitment to both Israel and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

However, Hezbollah is not party to talks that have been taking place in the U.S. between Israel and Lebanon, and the Iranian-backed militant group has rejected any agreements reached during them. Israeli officials also have said they will not be bound by the terms of the tentative Iran-U.S. agreement and do not know the details of it.

“We’re less encouraged about the fact that it seems that Lebanon has been included in the agreement with Iran,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told NPR. “And we think that that’s unnecessary and unhelpful.”

A senior U.S. official told reporters that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of the memorandum of understanding. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity Monday to discuss outlines of the unreleased agreement.

___

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Geneva, Darlene Superville in Evian-les-Bains, France, Koral Saeed in Jerusalem, and Michelle L. Price and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Portugal to believe they can finally win the World Cup.

Ronaldo will be competing in what will be a record-equalling sixth tournament.

The biggest prize of all also remains the one trophy to have eluded the footballing icon throughout his glittering career.

He knows at the age of 41, this could be his last chance complete his remarkable haul of trophies.

Portugal kick off their World Cup campaign with an opening game against DR Congo in Houston tomorrow (WED).

And Ronaldo wants Roberto Martinez’s men to leave nothing behind in the quest to conquer the world.

He said: “Every time we wear this jersey, we feel the same pride, the same passion and the same sense of responsibility as on the first day.

“Tomorrow begins a new chapter.

“We worked hard to reach this moment, and now it’s time to give everything for our country, and for all the Portuguese communities that support us here and around the world. Believe it like we do.”

Martinez, meanwhile, will face the media later, when he is expected to address speculation he will stand down as Portugal manager at the end of the tournament.

An American who was filmed giving his adopted son the Heimlich manoeuvre was mistaken for abusing the child by an angry mob.

A video taken by a woman in northern Bogota appeared to show the Texan holding a child on his balcony on Saturday.

In the viral clip, the woman screams out at him ‘He’s abusing the child, let him go!’ with several others yell for the police.

The man looks out at the people shouting and then ushers the child inside.

He was quicky surrounded by an angry mob trying to break into the apartment complex. Protests formed outside the tower’s lobby so he couldn’t flee before a

Police were called and arrested him on suspicion of child abuse, escorting him through the baying crowds whipped up by child sex tourism abuses in the country.

The man, a 36-year-old, was initially accused of abusing a 7-year-old boy.

But it was later revealed that the Texan had, in fact, been trying to stop his adopted son from choking to death on food.

President Gustavo Petro said: ‘I must notify Colombian society because my commitment is to the truth, that the American citizen of Texan origin, captured in an apartment in northern Bogotá, apparently did not violate any of his adopted children in Colombia.

‘He took him out to the balcony due to a clog from eating the food poorly. The images deceived the Colombians who went en masse to defend the child. Now we have indeed made victims of boys and girls. If these indications of the facts are confirmed, justice must grant him all his rights as a human being.’

Three children were found by authorities when they entered the suspect’s apartment and were taken to a medical centre to be evaluated, Mayor Carlos Galan said in a post on X. 

Colombia’s state agency for child protection confirmed that the three children are now in its care.

The President said the children had now been made victims folllowing the actions of the crowd.

He also warned that AI had riled up crowds and that Colombia would be vulnerable to manipulation from foreign powers, especially during elections.

Invoking Simon Bolivar, he added: ‘A good lesson in reality for those of us who can easily be collectively deceived by images that do not match reality, and that is precisely what the entire Colombian society lives through, bombarded by companies with artificial intelligence

‘Here they transformed, as it seems to be the same case of the supposedly paedophile American, reality into virtuality.

‘Massive, collective deception through manipulation of consciousness. Colombians are exposed, like the whole world, to computer manipulation, and it is being fully used in these elections in Colombia.

‘They want to dumb us down through artificial intelligence on information channels.

‘I believe we have transformed into a paedophile, someone who is not.’

An official report from the prosecutor’s office determined ‘there had been no sexual abuse and no physical violence,’ and ‘no evidence indicating criminal conduct,’ according to the Colombian news outlet Noticias Caracol.

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The radio hosts claim the Tartan Army are doing an ‘awesome’ job in their city

The Tartan Army have made a thunderous impression during their stay in Boston for the 2026 World Cup, turning parts of the city into a massive party as Scotland’s supporters continue to support their team in the tournament.

Scotland made the perfect start to their group campaign with a 1-0 victory over Haiti on June 13 at Boston Stadium. The win sparked huge celebrations among supporters who have remained in Boston ahead of their next match against Morocco on Friday, June 19.

With fans staying in the city between matches, the celebrations have only continued throughout Boston and local businesses are beginning to feel the impact. A viral TikTok clip from the Boston sports radio station WEEI Sports captured the scale of the Scottish presence, with the three broadcasters reacting in disbelief at how quickly the city has been transformed.

One radio host shared a quote from the chief operating officer of Hennessy’s Bar in downtown Boston, who said the scale of the Tartan Army was unlike anything she had seen in decades.

Repeating the quote from the bar owner, she said: “We’ve been here for over 30 years. We’ve never seen anything like it. We tripled St Patrick’s Day over the weekend with the Scottish visitors. They brought back fun, that was lost.”

The demand proved so intense that, that the radio hosts said that by Sunday night the bar had completely sold out of beer, forcing emergency restocks ahead of the next Scotland game on Friday.

The clip went on to highlight similar scenes elsewhere in the city, with Federal Wine and Spirits also reporting rapid sell-outs of popular beer brands. The radio hosts then went on to recall a moment that summed up the Tartan Army in Boston, saying: “A patron walked in and bought two bottles of water and 20 Scottish shoppers inside the store boo’d her.”

The radio station then erupted into fits of laughter at the story, with one host simply responding: “There a lot of fun.”

As the discussion continued, the hosts reflected on the wider impact of the Scotland fans, suggesting the city had adapted in a positive way to the Tartan Army.

“It’s part of a feel-good story and this being a big party that’s going very well for the city, it is loosening us up a little bit,” the host added.

Another added that restrictions around nightlife, shops and travel felt more relaxed during major events like this, and that the overall effect had been overwhelmingly positive.

“I do think that this kind of shows that if people are given the opportunity to celebrate, it’s good for business, everybody is having a great time. It’s not chaos in the streets,” she said.

As one host summed up the mood simply stating: “There partying hasn’t inconvenienced me in one bit. The people of Scotland, the people of Boston have done an awesome job.”

The broadcasters then went on to draw some comparison between Boston’s own sporting history, comparing the Tartan Army’s travelling support to Patriots fans during their earliest Super bowl runs.

As one of the host said: “They are taking in the city, they love their team. You kind of get it as a Patriots fan because its been 28 years since they’ve been in a World Cup. And it’s almost like that first Super Bowl where the Patriot’s fans all travelled to New Orleans.”

READ MORE: Get Daily Record Premium for just £1 per month in exclusive offer to celebrate the World Cup

They continued: “But they have taken over the city in a great way and it’s more than Hennessy’s, there are multiple bars that apparently ran out of beer this weekend, which has never happened in the city.”

The comment section on the TikTok was filled with Scots back home as they shared their thoughts on the bars running out of booze. With one Scottish user writing: “In Scotland you can’t buy alcohol from 10pm until 10am unless in a licensed venue. We aren’t allowed to drink alcohol at football matches either. This is a big deal for us to be able to drink when we want.”

As another agreed, adding: “Just to be clear, we’re like this all the time, this isn’t just a World Cup thing. We’ll celebrate anything.”

Meanwhile Boston locals have welcomed the Tartan Army with open arms, as one American stated in the comment section: “Coming from someone who lives in Boston, we want the Tartan army back every year!”

With a second penning: “Boston definitely won during this World Cup as a city hosting Scotland for 2 group games.”

Consumer group Which? has warned that drivers who cannot afford to pay their annual premium upfront are being hit with what campaigners describe as a “poverty premium” – effectively paying extra simply because they need to budget month by month.

The warning comes as separate research reveals that nearly two-thirds of insurance customers would be forced to cut cover, downgrade policies or even sell their car if monthly payment options disappeared.

The hidden cost of paying monthly

While many drivers assume paying monthly is simply a convenient way to spread costs, experts say it often works more like a loan.

Which? found some insurers are still charging annual percentage rates (APRs) of up to 29.9% for customers who choose to pay in instalments rather than upfront.

That means motorists can end up paying substantially more for exactly the same insurance policy.

Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: “Millions of motorists rely on monthly payments to afford essential car insurance cover, yet many are still being charged interest rates comparable to an expensive credit card.”

Which? found some providers have reduced rates compared with two years ago, when APRs above 35% were still being charged, but argues progress remains too slow.

Why drivers feel they have no choice

The problem is particularly acute because many households simply cannot afford to pay hundreds of pounds upfront in a single payment.

New research from Premium Credit found that 64% of insurance customers would reduce their level of cover or switch to cheaper policies if monthly payment options were unavailable.

More than one in five motorists (22%) said they would consider selling their car altogether if they could not spread the cost of insurance.

The study also found that 24% of customers have switched from annual payments to monthly payments during the past year, highlighting the growing financial pressure facing households.

Mona Patel from Premium Credit, said: “Insurance customers very much value being able to pay for cover monthly and it is clear that not being able to do so would have a major impact.

“The research shows people are increasingly switching to monthly payments for car and home insurance.”

Should you get life insurance young, as its cheaper? Can I keep my bank account but get switchers’ bonus? When to STOP investing? These & more in this week’s Question Time podcast, do give it a listen… https://t.co/O7b14FLwb2https://t.co/R4eZdU6Xi2https://t.co/RCrSyznDx9

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 8, 2026

Why more drivers are switching

Rising living costs and higher insurance premiums have pushed many motorists towards instalment plans.

According to Premium Credit’s research, 13% of drivers are even planning to increase their level of motor insurance cover in the coming year, despite ongoing financial pressures.

Dave Taylor, Chief Customer Officer at Somerset Bridge, said: “Customer payment preferences have changed over the last five years with more customers using premium finance, linked both to rising motor insurance premiums and wider economic pressures affecting disposable income.”

What drivers should check before renewing

Consumer experts recommend motorists compare not only the headline insurance premium but also the APR charged for paying monthly.

A policy that appears cheaper at first glance can sometimes become more expensive once interest charges are added.

Drivers approaching renewal should:

• Compare the total annual cost, not just monthly payments
• Check the APR before agreeing to pay monthly
• Consider whether paying annually could save money overall
• Shop around rather than automatically renewing
• Review whether their level of cover still meets their needs

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The growing ‘poverty premium’

The findings reignite concerns that those least able to afford large upfront payments are often charged the most.

While monthly payments provide crucial flexibility for millions of households, consumer groups argue that drivers should not face credit-card-style interest rates simply to access a legal requirement.

With car insurance remaining mandatory for motorists, the debate over whether monthly payment charges are fair is likely to intensify as household budgets remain under pressure.

The 13-month-old died in July 2023 at the hands of teacher Jamie Varley, 37, his adoptive father from Blackpool. Varley, adopted Preston Davey at nine months old with his partner, ex-public schoolboy and financial sales manager, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32.

Preston had been taken from his mother, Sarah Davey, now 42, by an emergency care order by Oldham Council.

The vigil was organised by Niamh Cardwell-Clarke in Preston’s Flag Market and was about remembering ‘the beautiful little boy he was’.

Tributes including pictures of Preston Davey were left at the vigil as people from across the county gathered to remember the ‘smiley’ baby.

The biological father of murdered Preston Davey told the BBC:  “My son went through four months of terror at the hands of a monster.

“My son should be alive today on his birthday and not dead.”

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption and at nine months old Preston began living at their home in Blackpool, Lancs in April 2023.

But in the just under four months he was in their care, he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries, the defendant’s trial at Preston Crown Court has heard.

Mbappe and, significantly, his entire family, have always had it in their mind they wanted the striker to reach the top of the global game. And so ‘Project Mbappe’ was born.

“Kylian was just school and football,” says childhood friend Rayan Viyanga in a BBC Sport documentary called Mbappe. “School, football, home.”

He was born on the outskirts of Paris in the suburb of Bondy in 1998, just five months after France won the World Cup for the first time.

The family flat overlooked the AS Bondy football pitches, where his father Wilfried was a player turned coach.

“Kylian was already one step ahead of many other players at AS Bondy,” Viyanga said. “He was advanced for his age group and wanted to play with the best. That was a strict rule of his, to play with the best.”

Laurens added: “As a kid, he learned La Marseillaise at the age of three just to be ready to sing it when that first cap would come.”

Mbappe – whose mother Fayza Lamari is a former professional handball player – pinned up pictures of idol Cristiano Ronaldo and watched old footage of Zidane, another Real Madrid superstar.

A bigger influence closer to home though was Jires Kembo Ekoko, his adopted brother, who was selected for the French Federation’s national academy at Clairefontaine years before Mbappe himself went there. Ekoko went on to play for Rennes in Ligue 1.

Matt Spiro, an author and French football expert, told BBC Sport: “Kylian initially found it a bit difficult at Clairefontaine. He was there for two years and during the first year, he certainly wasn’t the best in his group.

“Mbappe would play out on the wing and would quite frequently be in a sulky mood.

“He had a growth spurt, I think towards the end of his first year in Clairefontaine, and by the second year, he was really starting to look the business.”

But his rapid rise was no surprise, after all even Nike had come calling with free boots, aged just 10.

The forward, tracked by Europe’s biggest clubs from an early age, left his hometown of Paris for the glamour of Monaco at the age of 14.

He had spent time with Chelsea and Real Madrid but the Mbappe family were adamant that their son should stay in France during his teenage years.

Aged 16 years and 347 days, he became the youngest player in Monaco’s history – beating the record set by Henry in 1994 – when he appeared as an 88th-minute substitute against Caen.

Three months later, he became the club’s youngest scorer with his first senior goal against Troyes, beating another record previously set by Henry.

“When he broke through at Monaco, you could tell the talent was so unique,” said Laurens. “We have had great youngsters and talent, but he has something a little bit different.”

The launch took place recently at the Golden Slipper in York, which is the Spring Pub of the Season for York CAMRA.

More symbolically, perhaps, The Golden Slipper was also the branch’s first headquarters back in 1974 and was listed in the first ever Good Beer Guide which was launched at a National AGM in York that year.

Festival organiser Karl Smith said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce that tickets are now on sale for our 52nd Beer Festival and the 4th festival at the wonderful St Lawrence Church which has proved a very popular new venue”

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“Our beer festival remains the highlight of the year in York for thousands of local residents and visitors from around the UK who attend to sample the largest collection of real ales; craft beers and ciders available in one place – over 200 in all”

“Be sure to get your tickets early to ensure you get to attend your preferred session and we’ve already seen a big uptake from CAMRA members who enjoy free entry to every session for the first time ever”

This is the fourth annual event at St. Lawrence’s Church at the top of Hull Road, since it  had to relocate from the Knavesmire.

York Camra says St Lawrence’s is a magnificent venue, a spectacular Church (2nd only in size only to the Minster in York) and Hall in attractive grounds.

The 200-plus beers and ciders will cover all types, styles, strengths and come from local, UK and overseas brewers. There will also be gin, wine and mead.

Karl Smith, beer festival organiser (Image: Pic supplied)

York CAMRA will again run a Locale blind-tasting competition, and the CAMRA Festival special brew is being brewed in collaboration with Trig Brewery this year;

There will be a range of ticketed, tutored tasting sessions and presentations from local brewers and beer experts.

The beer list will also go on-line shortly before the festival, and an online live beer list will be running during the festival. Free programmes will be given to attendees on entry.

New this year, inline with CAMRA policy nationally, CAMRA members will have free entry.

The event, which runs from September 16 to September 19 promises a friendly atmosphere and dogs are welcome, The venue wis wheelchair friendly.

York CAMRA has again partnered with York Rescue Boat to help raise funds for their valuable work.

York CAMRA details this year’s festival. (Image: Pic supplied)

There will be a good selection of streetfood vendors by the beer garden with a variety of world cuisines plus a snack bar with traditional pub favourites.

CaMRA adds it is seeking volunteers as well as sponsors for the event, with cask sponsorship costing £100 + VAT.

Advance tickets are now available. A link and lots more information, including volunteering and sponsorship are on our website https://yorkbeerfestival.uk

It is the first of the brand to open in Manchester and is part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of more than 30 hotel brands.

The hotel, named Aloft by Marriott Manchester City Centre, is a 358-room hotel located on Deansgate.

The property officially opened on June 16 and is close to Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink stop and destinations such as Manchester Central Convention Centre, Spinningfields and Oxford Road.

Abi Hindle, general manager, said: “We’re thrilled to open the very first Aloft by Marriott in a city known for its warm hospitality.

“Aloft by Marriott is a fantastic addition to Manchester’s already flourishing hospitality landscape, and we look forward to welcoming guests from near and far.”

Developed by Dean Street Developments, the hotel offers panoramic views of the city skyline.

Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, vice president, brand management, EMEA at Marriott International, said Aloft’s identity is a strong match for Manchester.

Ms Schulze-Potgieter said: “We are delighted to introduce Aloft by Marriott to Manchester, bringing this upscale, lifestyle brand to one of the UK’s most dynamic cities.

“Aloft is different by design.

“It is a hub, or launching and landing pad for all that travel has in store, bringing our unique attitude and atmosphere to each and every stay, now also in Manchester – a city internationally recognised for its creativity, individuality, and innovation.”

The hotel offers family-friendly amenities through the Camp Aloft programme for children, and welcomes pets with the Arf (Animals R Fun) scheme, which includes in-room toys and treats.

Other facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre and a private meeting space for business travellers.

Room rates start from £95 per night.

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and redeem points during their stay, and access mobile check-in and digital key services via the Marriott Bonvoy app.