Alford, 54, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in January after he was found guilty of the assaults which occurred during a party at a friend’s home.
He died at HMP Bure in Norfolk on Friday, the Prison Service said.
London’s Burning star John Alford in 1993 (Image: John Stillwell/PA Wire)
The former actor, who appeared in the BBC drama Grange Hill, was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl and charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to a 15-year-old girl at a property in Hertfordshire on April 9 2022.
After Alford’s death was first reported by The Sun on Sunday, a Prison Service spokesman said: “John Shannon died in prison on March 13 2026.
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“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
Jurors heard during the trial that the defendant, charged under his real name John Shannon, sexually assaulted the girls while they were drunk following a night out at the pub.
St Albans Crown Court heard that Alford bought some £250 worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a nearby petrol station, including a bottle of vodka which the victims subsequently drank.
He then had sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl in the garden of the home and later in a downstairs toilet, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old girl as she lay half asleep on the living room sofa.
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Police received a third-party report from the 15-year-old girl’s mother outlining the allegations two days later, before the defendant was arrested.
The 15-year-old girl said in her evidence she had felt “absolutely sick” following the assault and had planned to keep the incident secret before having a “mental breakdown” to her friend’s mother on April 11.
Alford told jurors during the trial that all the allegations were “scandalous” and a “set-up”, and that there was no DNA evidence to support the assaults.
He said he had told police that the girls were “going to extort money” from him, and that he suffered from mental health issues including anxiety, depression and paranoia.
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Alford was previously convicted of supplying illicit drugs to former News of the World journalist Mazher Mahmood, who was known as the “fake sheikh”, following a trial in 1999, and was jailed for nine months.
Jurors heard he also received a payment of £500,000 from the news organisation in relation to allegations that his phone had been hacked.
Alford was convinced by Mahmood to meet a fake Arabian prince at London’s Savoy hotel in 1997 on the promise of receiving new acting roles and lucrative public appearances, before later being asked to source cocaine for the individual.
Former London’s Burning star John Alford outside Snaresbrook Magistrates Court in London, where he was convicted of one charge of supplying cocaine to News of the World investigative editor Mazher Mahmood, after he was secretly filmed handing cocaine and cannabis to a bogus Prince. Taken in 1999 (Image: Peter Jordan/PA Wire)
He later filed lawsuits against the News Of The World and its editors with claims that he was subjected to landline wire-taps, voicemail hacking and the wide-ranging theft of his personal data for use in their headline stories.
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Mahmood was jailed in 2016 for tampering with evidence in the collapsed drugs trial of pop star Tulisa Contostavlos, which led to Alford’s conviction being examined by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Earlier this month, Lucy and her fellow cast members appeared on ITV’s popular gameshow Celebrity Lingo. During the episode – presented by Adil Ray – Lucy made a surprising admission about her initial day on Corrie.
“Now Lucy how long have you been in Corrie now? How many years has it been?” Adil enquired. She responded: “It’ll be 11 in January. It’s quite a long time actually.” Lucy was subsequently asked whether she recalled her opening lines, reports the Daily Star.
She said: “I can’t remember my first words but I remember I had to say ‘Anna Karenina’ and I said ‘Anna Karaneena’ and I was really embarrassed.”
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Adil immediately offered reassurance, saying: “But it’s a tough first word, isn’t it! ?” Lucy then disclosed she’d made her blunder in front of soap legend.
She elaborated: “Yeah and I was only 19, in front of Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey. Yeah I was embarrassed, I was ashamed.”
Adil joked: “They were trying to set you up there!” Over the years, Lucy has featured in numerous major storylines on Coronation Street portraying Bethany Platt. From grooming ordeals to botched cosmetic procedures, Bethany’s stint in Weatherfield has been packed with drama.
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The character also returned to the soap in October, after actress Lucy completed her maternity leave. Lucy welcomed daughter Nancy in January 2025. She shares Nancy and son Sonny – born in 2023 – with fiancé, footballer Ryan Ledson, to whom she became engaged last November.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
Announcing the news, Lucy turned to Instagram with a series of photographs displaying her glittering engagement ring. In the opening snap, she and Ryan, who are parents to Sonny and Nancy, captured a selfie whilst she held her hand towards the camera, and the bride-to-be appeared visibly moved with tears welling in her eyes.
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A further photograph revealed Lucy seated in a restaurant, where she was pictured raising her glass with her stunning engagement ring gleaming on her wedding finger. Accompanying the post, the soap actress penned: “Ending the birthday weekend with my best friend as a fiancé! ! ! ! I can’t wait to marry you @ryanledson8.”
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Chelsea vs Newcastle United in the Premier League, with Liam Rosenior’s men hoping to bounce back from their late collapse against Paris Saint-Germain in the week and climb into the top four.
In the 73rd minute of Wednesday’s round-of-16 first leg in Paris, Chelsea were on course for a respectable and useful 2-2 draw to take back to Stamford Bridge. However, a disastrous final 20 minutes, sparked by a glaring error from Filip Jorgensen, has left them facing a 5-2 deficit ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
While PSG get the weekend off from Ligue 1 duties, Chelsea will be hoping a victory against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge this evening can restore some confidence and belief before the French side come to town.
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With Manchester United hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, before Liverpool face Tottenham, Chelsea have the chance to set the pace in the race for Champions League football this weekend. While they are currently level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool, a win against Eddie Howe’s side would take Chelsea into third, above United and Villa on goal difference.
Newcastle had been enduring an incredibly difficult period in the league, with one win in seven games. However, they beat United 2-1 in their last top-flight outing, and following defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup, were only denied a famous victory against Barcelona with the last kick of the game as Lamine Yamal converted from the spot.
Ahead of their trip to Spain on Tuesday, Howe’s side are hoping to secure successive league wins for the first time since the start of January, a result which could take them from 13th to ninth, depending on how this afternoon’s 3pm fixtures finish.
Chelsea have failed to beat Newcastle in their last three meetings, with November’s league clash ending in a 2-2 draw after the west London side’s second-half comeback, but they have not lost against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in the league since 2012, winning 11 of their 12 home ties in the competition in that time.
The decision comes after what has been described as a turbulent year for the company.
Allan Leighton, the Executive Chairman of Asda, has confirmed that around 9,500 salaried staff, including head office and senior store managers, will receive a thank you payment at the end of the month.
This is despite some teams having missed their annual targets.
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Despite the supermarket’s continued struggles, Leighton told staff in a memo that “there was still significant effort, commitment and progress made under challenging circumstances”.
A day early …. And breakfast on its way … at the “big” @asda … or “Yhe Asda” as I think my friends from Liverpool would say !! pic.twitter.com/bCigOxnFKk
The payouts will be determined by a worker’s particular grade. Those who have met all of their targets will receive their full bonus, while those in teams below target will receive a partial payout, per the Telegraph, which first reported the memo.
It applied to any salaried colleague who joined before 1 October 2025.
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“In recognition of all the hard work undertaken during the first year of our turnaround, we have confirmed that all eligible salaried colleagues will receive a thank you bonus in their March pay,” an Asda spokesman said. “This has been well received,” he added.
The payout – which follows the return of Asda’s ‘Tell Allan’ feedback initiative – contrasts with last year, when there was fury among some Asda staff after bonuses for managers were scrapped.
Asda is set to report full-year results on 27 March, and Leighton is hoping to boost morale across the business to breathe new life into his turnaround plan, which was set back by around six months following the botched final stage of its Project Future IT project.
During Christmas, it was the only supermarket to lose market share.
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However, according to The Grocer , there are signs that the bleed is slowing, with its market share down 2.6% in the 12 weeks to 22 February according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator.
It was an improvement on the 3.7% fall in the 12 weeks to 25 January.
“I’m just looking for signs of progress, and there are signs of progress,” Leighton told The Grocer x Retail Week LIVE conference last week, on Asda’s market share performance.
“I’ve said from the beginning, this is [going to take] three to five years. You do not turn these things around in a short amount of time.”
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz while Iran urged people to evacuate three ports in the United Arab Emirates as its war with the United States and Israel showed no signs of ending.
Iran’s call to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two other UAE ports marked the first time it had openly threatened a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets.
Tehran said the U.S. had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence. It urged people to leave areas where it said U.S. forces were sheltering.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis deepened, with over 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
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Iran says the US attacked from close to Dubai
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE, Ras Al-Khaimah and a place “very close to Dubai,” calling that dangerous and saying Iran “will try to be careful not to attack any populated area” there.
U.S. Central Command said it had no response to Iran’s claim. A diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, Anwar Gargash, said on social media the country has the right to defend itself but “still prioritizes reason and logic, and continues exercising restraint.”
Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Arab Gulf neighbors during the war, but it has said it was targeting U.S. assets, even as hits or attempts were reported on civilian ones such as airports and oil fields.
Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz was closed only to “those who are attacking us and their allies.”
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Trump urges allies to send warships to Strait of Hormuz
As global anxiety soars over oil prices and supplies, Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K. and others send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.” Britain in response said it was discussing with allies a “range of options” to secure shipping.
Araghchi, in a social media post, urged neighbors to “expel foreign aggressors” and described Trump’s call as “begging.”
On Saturday, Iran’s joint military command reiterated its threat to attack U.S.-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure is hit.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency said the Kharg Island strikes caused no damage to oil infrastructure. It said they targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, the airport control tower and an offshore oil company’s helicopter hangar.
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U.S. identifies 6 killed in military aircraft crash
The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday identified six service members who died when the military refueling aircraft they were aboard crashed Thursday while supporting operations against Iran.
The service members were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, according to U.S. officials.
The crash in western Iraq followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety.
Another attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad
A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Saturday. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.
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The State Department again warned citizens in Iraq to leave “now,” and by land since commercial flights were not available. It noted that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups “may continue to target” U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure.
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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem; Sally Abou AlJoud, Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Tia Goldenberg in Washington contributed to this report.
Rory Innes, founder of The Cyber Helpline charity, has highlighted an explosion in “catfishing” cases, which leave victims emotionally and financially devastated every year.
New laws outlawing fake dating app profiles are needed to stop sophisticated online predators, a leading cybercrime expert has warned.
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Rory Innes, founder of The Cyber Helpline charity, has highlighted an explosion in “catfishing” cases, which leave victims emotionally and financially devastated every year.
He believes targeted Scottish legislation to combat exploitation is a must to keep people safe in an increasingly virtual world.
The Sunday Mail has highlighted the case of serial fraudster Ryan McVeigh who used a string of aliases as well as stolen photographs to carry out the sexual, financial and emotional abuse of 17 women – including raping two.
Rory wants social media platforms to be forced into greater accountability, and powers for police extended to tackle the growing crisis.
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He said: “Pretending to be someone else online, even building a fake relationship, isn’t in itself a crime. It only becomes criminal when it crosses into things like fraud, harassment, stalking, malicious communications or sexual offences.
“The rise of dating apps, social media and AI tools have made impersonation incredibly easy.
“You can create multiple profiles, generate convincing images or even videos, and operate anonymously at virtually no cost. That lends itself to harm.
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“Ultimately, we need legislative reform, platform accountability and properly resourced policing. Otherwise, this problem will continue to escalate.
“The impact is massive and not just financially. It’s mental health, fear, loss of confidence, reputational damage.
“Imagine discovering that someone you thought you were in a relationship with never existed. That’s devastating.
“This is a crisis that’s growing. If we don’t adapt our laws and systems, more people’s lives will be devastated.”
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Last month we told how Tinder rapist McVeigh, who had already conned and abused seven women when he appeared in court, had gone on to target 10 more victims after being freed from prison to await trial.
McVeigh finally pled guilty to a litany of charges in November, including defrauding his victims out of £81,872, but a Sunday Mail investigation revealed that officials missed the chance to stop the sick 32-year-old in 2023 when he was remanded in custody at court – only to be set free days later.
We also revealed how Gary Stephenson, a 40-year-old dad from Yorkshire, was horrified to discover McVeigh, using his identity, was facing charges of fraud and rape after being contacted by one of the women online.
Rory, 43, said: “That’s a perfect example of how these cases escalate. The impersonation may not be illegal in itself, but it’s often the foundation for very serious crimes.
“With generative AI we’re at a point where people can convincingly fabricate images, videos and even real-time interactions. Victims often blame themselves but they’re not foolish.
“These perpetrators are often highly manipulative and technically skilled. It’s about timing, vulnerability, and the sophistication of the deception.”
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McVeigh picked the women via dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, using a string of fake names. But Rory said anonymity allows room for abuse.
He said: “Often platforms do not know who their users really are, or not in a way that helps victims.
In many cases, platforms don’t robustly verify identity. So if someone commits a crime on a platform, tracing them can be complex, slow and sometimes impossible.
“That lack of accountability creates opportunity for abuse.
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“On mainstream social media and dating platforms, total anonymity allows people to impersonate others with zero consequence.
“To drive a car, you need a licence. You’re effectively anonymous to the public – but the police can identify you through your number plate.
Online platforms could operate similarly. Your username could function like a licence plate – anonymous publicly, but traceable in cases of harm. That would fundamentally change things.”
In another shocking case, serial catfisher Adele Rennie, while employed as a nurse, impersonated a doctor named David Graham.
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It is believed up to 100 women were targeted by Rennie, 35, of Kilmarnock. Rennie was arrested in 2015 and admitted 18 charges involving 10 victims. She was sentenced to 22 months in jail and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
But following her release, she began pretending to be a lawyer and in 2019, she was jailed for another three years.
In 2024, she was once again apprehended, this time facing charges of stalking, deception, and sexual coercion, leading to her third stint in prison.
She was released in January 2025 after serving half of her sentence, only to be arrested again just 10 days later.
Rory said: “We don’t currently have effective mechanisms to restrict online access in a meaningful, enforceable way. And in some cases, there are deeper psychological issues driving the behaviour — something prison alone doesn’t address.”
In 2024-25, an estimated 14,120 cybercrimes were recorded by Police Scotland – equating to at least five per cent of all crimes recorded.
Rory added: “It shows we haven’t invested enough in understanding or policing online harm. Cybercrime now makes up the majority of crime in the UK, yet only a tiny proportion of policing resources are allocated to it.”
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Rory set up the charity in 2018 with a clear mission: to fill the alarming gap in support for victims of cybercrime and online harm. Since then, The Cyber Helpline has supported over two million users.
Rory said: “I worked in cybersecurity for businesses and realised that individuals had nowhere to go. The national cyber strategy barely mentioned support for individuals. So we mobilised cybersecurity professionals to volunteer their expertise and help ordinary people recover. We help people understand what’s happened, secure their accounts, gather evidence, and present cases properly to banks or authorities. We don’t recover money ourselves, but we significantly increase people’s chances of doing so.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “A range of criminal offences can be used to prosecute those who use fake dating profiles to harass, abuse, defraud or groom others.
“While online safety is reserved to the UK Government, we engage consistently and robustly with UK ministers to strengthen online protections. We also work with Police Scotland and Ofcom.”
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Lawyer: Answer is better policing
The lawyer behind Netflix’s hit show Sweet Bobby has called for better resources for police and courts to tackle catfishing crimes.
Yair Cohen, of London law firm Cohen Davis, successfully represented victim Kirat Assi when she raised civil proceedings after a harrowing nine-year catfishing scam, which police refused to investigate.
London DJ Kirat believed she was in a relationship with a man called Bobby Jandu, but it was a cruel hoax by her cousin Simran Bhogal.
Cohen told the Sunday Mail: “The devastation caused by catfishing is profound. That said I don’t believe we need new legislation to make catfishing a specific crime.
“We already have robust tools like the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the Fraud Act 2006, and the Malicious Communications Act 1988, all of which can and do tackle it effectively when applied properly.
“The real barrier lies in criminal prosecution service and police priorities. These crimes are often more challenging and require more intellectual and financial resources to investigate than a complaint about an offensive tweet, so police choose to not invest.
“New laws will create more restrictions of free speech whilst not addressing the real issue of lack of enforcement and willingness to investigate.”
Tonight’s episode was released early this morning on BBC iPlayer, meaning fans had the opportunity to watch it before it was broadcast at 7.15pm this evening.
Mo Robertson, one of the semi-finalists, required medical attention after a fall off Everest, one of the many challenges featured in the episode.
After being assessed, the 35-year-old from Swansea was ruled out for the rest of the competition.
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While fans wished Mo well, they were not happy when they saw that Finn Hatton, another semi-finalist from the Lake District, who had been competing against Mo, was then going up against his replacement, Tyler, a 35-year-old teacher from Wigan.
Tyler returned to the competition and only competed in two challenges tonight, as Mo’s departure came late in the episode.
Fans were frustrated when they saw Finn, 23, lose, as he had taken part in more rounds.
Tyler continued the competition with Mo’s points (which were higher than Finn’s at the time Mo left), with one fan saying on X: “Surely it’s not fair that Tyler only does 1 event and carries over Mo’s points #Gladiators”.
Fans say Gladiators is ‘unfair’ following ‘scandal’ in tonight’s episode
One fan said: “That’s a joke that. Tyler does one event then wins the eliminator.
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“Need to re-look at what happens when someone gets injured as you shouldn’t have someone completely fresh up against someone who has already done multiple events #gladiators”.
Another commented: “That men’s #Gladiators semi is one of the great scandals.
“Finn, gotta take it the court of arbitration for sport.”
This person agreed: “#gladiators @BBCOne – come on this was so unfair , Tyler came in basically full of beans all he had to do was the eliminator, need to look at the rules , Finn got screwed over here poor lad”.
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Someone who watched the episode earlier predicted the reaction the episode would get from other fans: “Watched Gladiators early again (quite like it being on IPlayer early!)- people are definitely not going to be happy on here in circa an hour #gladiators”.
Another commented: “Finn has really been stitched up in this semi final.
“How is it fair for an opponent to come in last minute play 1 round then the eliminator and win when Finn had to compete in 4 extra rounds #gladiators”.
Who is through to the Gladiators final?
Following tonight’s episode, the following components have made it through to the final:
Naomi – 40-year-old from Birmingham
Tyler – 35-year-old from Wigan
Ellie, a 37-year-old from Edinburgh, and Finn were sent home.
Who is your favourite Gladiator of this series? Let us know in the comments.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Janice Hadlow, it stars Ella Bruccoleri as Mary, the middle sister of the Bennet family.
While the story will show some of the usual storylines from Pride & Prejudice, a greater focus will be given to what Mary gets up to.
A synopsis for the series reads: “While her sisters pursue romance and social triumph, Mary embarks on a very different path.
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“Leaving Longbourn behind, she travels to London to live with her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, in their elegant home on Gracechurch Street.
“There, Mary begins a journey of self-discovery, stepping out of the shadows and into her own story.”
Sarah Quintrell wrote nine of the ten episodes in the series, with Maddie Dai penning the other.
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Discussing what drew her to the role of Mary, Ella Bruccoleri said: “Mary’s not your typical period drama heroine.
“She lives in a world where, particularly for women, appearance is everything, and she doesn’t understand that value system at all. Instead, she turns to literature that offers a different viewpoint.
“Her favourite book is Fordyce’s Sermons to Young Women, because it argues that women shouldn’t have to be beautiful — they should be intelligent and pious.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Quintrell shared that she was a fan of Hadlow’s book, and that she wanted to take the character she created and meld it with her own voice on screen.
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The Other Bennet Sister 📸 First look photos revealed
Ella Bruccoleri leads the cast as Mary Bennet, alongside Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones who co-star as Mr and Mrs Bennet 📺 Coming to @BBCiPlayer and BBC One in 2026
She added: “Watching my own children reach their teens reminded me how intense social hierarchies feel at that age, and that really informed how I approached Mary’s inner life.”
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The Other Bennet Sister full cast list
Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet
Ruth Jones as Mrs Bennet
Richard E. Grant as Mr Bennet
Poppy Gilbert as Elizabeth Bennet
Maddie Close as Jane Bennet
Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Bennet
Molly Wright as Kitty Bennet
Victor Pilard as Fitzwilliam Darcy
Indira Varma as Mrs Gardiner
Richard Coyle as Mr Gardiner
Reggie Absolom as George Gardiner
Roisin Bhalla as Marianne Gardiner
Jasmine Sharp as Rebecca Gardiner
Ryan Sampson as Mr Collins
Varada Sethu as Anne Baxter
Donal Finn as Mr Hayward
Daniel Thomas as Mr Fanshaw
Lucy Briers as Mrs Hill
Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley
Aaron Gill as John Sparrow
Claire Cage as Lady Lucas
Anna Fenton-Garvey as Charlotte Lucas
Lucinda Dryzek as Louisa Bingley
Aled Owens as Charles Bingley
Fergus Craig as Mr Hurst
Sean Carlsen as Sir William Lucas
Seraphina Beh as Miss Clarke
Laurie Davidson as Mr Ryder
Recommended reading :
When will The Other Bennet Sister be on TV?
The first episode of The Other Bennet Sister will air at 8pm on Sunday, March 15 on BBC One, with the second following immediately afterwards at 8.30pm.
The remaining eight episodes will air in the same pattern over the coming weeks.
Alternatively, the first five episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday, March 15 with the remaining five releasing on the service on Sunday, March 29.
Will you be watching The Other Bennet Sister on BBC One? Let us know in the comments.
The Metropolitan Police said officers attended Horseferry Road in Westminster, central London, after reports on Saturday morning that a baby had fallen from a residential property.
The baby girl – aged 18 days – was taken to hospital and was pronounced dead.
A woman has been arrested (Image: Lucy North/PA)
A 43-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and taken into police custody.
Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell said: “Our thoughts today are with the baby’s family.
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“The death of an infant is always an extremely tragic occurrence, and officers are making urgent inquiries around the circumstances.
“At this stage, we believe the incident occurred within a domestic context, but we are appealing for anybody with information to come forward.”
The police cordon covered most of Great Peter Street, which is just off Horseferry Road, on Saturday evening.
An officer in a blue forensics suit was seen in a grey van parked partway down the road, which was closed to traffic.
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Forensic investigators are at the scene (Image: Lucy North/PA)
Passers-by were diverted around the taped cordon.
Two forensics officers could be seen working in a third floor flat in the Peabody Estate.
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said the baby was treated at the scene before being taken to a major trauma centre.
Foodie Becca tried a variety of full English breakfast boxes from her local takeaways, with different price ranges, and the winner left her pleasantly surprised
Christine Younan Deputy Editor Social Newsdesk
05:07, 15 Mar 2026
There’s nothing quite like a full English breakfast. It’s filling, satisfying and offers a range of items to enjoy, making it difficult to tire of the meal.
Recently, a woman who shares candid food reviews sampled various full English breakfasts, ranging from budget-friendly to premium options available at her local takeaways. Becca set out to determine which would deliver the best taste, and it’s fair to say the findings of her latest review left her pleasantly surprised. In a TikTok video shared with her 589,000 followers, she explained: “Let’s start with the cheapest one… This is from a greasy spoon called Poppin’s Cafe.
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“This cost £4.95, we’ve got a piece of toast, a sausage, bacon and a fried egg.”
She began with the sausage, describing it as inexpensive and greasy with “a good amount of flavour”. Moving on to the toast, she noted it “didn’t travel well”.
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Becca then highlighted the thick-cut bacon before concluding it represented good value for money.
She gave this breakfast a rating of 5.5 out of 10.
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Moving onto the mid-range breakfast from her selection, this one was from Tesco cafe. The meal included three hash browns, two eggs, sausages, a generous portion of beans and some bacon as well – all for £11.40.
Sampling the food and offering her honest assessment, Becca remarked: “The hash browns needed a little longer in the fryer, it’s quite stodgy on the inside but I like how thick they are and they do have nice flavour.”
Taking a bite of the sausage, she commented: “Still quite fatty but I’m enjoying the pork flavours.”
She then noted the basic bacon which – to her preference – wasn’t cooked enough.
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When giving her verdict, Becca revealed: “Overall it’s not a bad breakfast, I think £11.40 is a bit steep for the quality you get. I’m going to give this a 6.5 out of 10.”
Finally, her last breakfast – the priciest one – was from Bills.
Upon examining her box, there were two sausages, two slices of black pudding, three tomato halves, baked beans, two slices of bread and “so much bacon”. There were also two eggs, with some mushroom concealed underneath and a total of five hash browns.
She disclosed: “This was £19.95… Looks like a pretty good sausage. Oh Bills that sausage is overcooked, hash browns are really good, I wouldn’t say the quality for me justifies such an exorbitantly priced breakfast.
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“I think the sausages are the biggest disappointment, that toast needed more time in the toaster. I’m going to give the most expensive one a 6 out of 10.”
After sampling all her breakfasts, Becca concluded the second meal – the mid-priced option from Tesco – was her favourite.
The Harrogate Food and Drink Festival will return to The Stray on June 27 and 28, featuring a packed programme of family-friendly entertainment including live music, a cookery theatre, and a variety of new attractions.
New for 2026’s festival, the ‘Sizzling Showdown’ Arena will host daily competitions and interactive shows, including a family dog show, chilli-eating challenge, and a ‘Foodie Olympics’.
Michael Johnston, festival director, said: “Part of what creates the vibrant, community-led atmosphere at our event is the wonderful mix of local acts and up-and-coming musicians that take to the stage each and every year.
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“It’s important to us that we deliver a diverse and exciting line-up that’s testament to the region’s wealth of talent while offering a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.”
This year’s festival will also feature inflatable banana jousting, inviting friends and families to take part in light-hearted duels.
Both the Sizzling Showdown Arena and the jousting attraction are free for ticket holders.
The live music line-up kicks off on Saturday at 11am with Wil Forrester’s smooth saxophone covers, followed by the dance and music duo Old Time Rags at 12pm.
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Saturday’s programme also features vocalist Sienna Craven, The Johnny Storm Band, Gumbox, and headline act The UB40 Experience at 5.45pm.
The evening will close with Ibiza Sax Classics at 7.15pm.
Sunday’s highlights include Mackie, Scoble and Friends, the Leeds City Stompers, and the Danny Charles Band.
Headliners The Soul Shebang will perform their tribute to soul legends at 5.15pm, before Ibiza Sax returns to close the festival at 6.30pm.
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Early bird tickets are on sale now at harrogatefoodfestival.com.
Tickets are priced at £6.95 for adults, £4.95 for under-16s, and free for children under five.
