Julie-Ann Bowden was speaking after an event she helped organise in which more than a dozen fellow riders took to routes around the borough in an attempt to raise awareness of what the Highway Code says about how to overtake horses.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that while “the majority” of drivers show the beasts the respect they deserve, there are others who refuse to be held up for the short time it takes to pass a horse safely – and then fly into a rage when challenged.

Julie-Ann says such incidents are an increasingly regular occurrence, having recently experienced two in the space of a week, close to the livery stables she uses in Whittle-le-Woods.

Confronted in the first with the sight of a BMW heading towards her horse at high speed, she gave a hand signal to request the driver slow down – but got a very different gesture in response.

“He was coming really fast down Cophurst Lane, [which is] a small country road with parked vehicles, and I shouted and [indicated] for him to slow – but he just did his own hand signals and actually stopped, reversed and hurled a load of abuse at us.

“[Another day], on Town Lane, myself and a friend had gone into a bit of a gap between parked cars to allow a van to come through – and, as he was approaching, my friend on the horse behind me asked that I try to slow him down.

“But he just carried on and as he went past, something in the back of the van made a really loud noise, because of the road surface, and my friend’s horse turned and wanted to run away. That made my horse want to go as well – and it was [only because] we were so experienced that we weren’t unseated.

“We shouted after them [and asked them] to stop and have a conversation. The passenger got out and we got the usual – ‘You shouldn’t be riding your horses on the road if they’re not safe, you should be in a field,’” Julie recalled.

The latter incident – which was reported to the police, complete with camera footage – was a dispiritingly fitting precursor to last weekend’s awareness-raising ride. The procession boasted 18 riders at any one time along the route and was arranged as part of the ‘Pass Wide and Slow’ campaign.

The initiative aims to promote caution and consideration around horses on the road – and, in particular, knowledge of rule 215 of the Highway Code, which advises motorists how to negotiate the animals when they encounter them.

It says that they should “slow down to a maximum of 10 mph” and “when safe to do so, pass wide and slow, allowing at least two metres of space”.

Motorists are further warned: “Be patient [and] do not sound your horn or rev your engine” – and they are also reminded that children are often amongst groups of horse riders on the road.

Julie-Ann says that patience is in short supply amongst the motorists most irritated by the sight of horses on the highway – but appeals to them to think about the many potential consequences of their actions.

“The real danger is that the horse spooks and the rider is thrown…[maybe] into the oncoming traffic or it could be onto the [overtaking] vehicle itself. [That vehicle] may end up with the horse on [its] bonnet, which I’m sure the drivers really don’t want.

“And a loose horse on the highway could obviously cause even more issues if it tried to run off and head for home.

“I just don’t understand why [people] will put themselves and other road users in danger,” Julie added.

HORSE RIDING HORRORS

According to the British Horse Society (BHS), in 2024:

● 3,118 road incidents involving horses were reported;

● 58 horses died;

● 97 horses were injured;

● 80 people were injured.

However, figures from the Pass Wide and Slow survey suggest that these sobering stats are significantly underreported, with only 29 per cent of incidents being logged on the BHS app.

A cyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries

A bus company has released a statement after one of its vehicles was involved in a crash. A Stagecoach bus was involved in a crash with a bike at around 6pm on Saturday (April 4) on Station Road in Cambridge.

The cyclist was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries. No arrests were made and the bus driver remained at the scene.

Darren Roe, managing director of Stagecoach East, confirmed it was a Stagecoach bus involved in the crash. He said: “Our first thoughts are for the welfare of those affected – safety is our absolute priority and we will carry out a full investigation into the circumstances.”

Cambridgeshire Police attended the scene and continued its investigation into the crash. A police spokesperson said: “We were called at about 6pm on Saturday with reports of a collision between a bus and a cyclist on Station Road in Cambridge.

“Officers attended and the cyclist was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries. The bus driver remained at the scene. No arrests and investigations are ongoing.”

The East of England Ambulance Service also attended. An ambulance spokesperson said: “One ambulance, a paramedic car and East Anglian Air Ambulance were called to Station Road Cambridge on Saturday, following reports of a cyclist injured in a road traffic collision.

“One patient was transported by road ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for further assessment and care.”

One person was killed and four were injured in a shooting incident near the Israeli ⁠consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, authorities have said.

A gunfight erupted outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to Turkey’s Haberturk broadcaster. Reuters video ​showed ⁠a police officer ‌pulling out a gun and taking cover ‌as gunshots resounded. ‌One person was seen covered in blood.

One attacker was killed, while two were injured at the scene, and two policemen were lightly wounded, Istanbul governor Davut Gul said. Initial reports said three were killed in the shooting incident.

The report said attackers were carrying long-barreled weapons. The area surrounding the building was quickly sealed off.

There was no immediate information on the identity of the attackers or what their motives may have been.

Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor’s office immediately opened an investigation into the incident, Turkey’s justice minister Akın Gürlek said in a statement shortly after the incident.

“Upon the reports of gunfire sounds in the vicinity of the Israeli Consulate located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has immediately initiated an investigation,” the statement read on X.

Three prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the incident, he added.

“Within the scope of the investigation, one deputy chief public prosecutor and two public prosecutors have been assigned; our public prosecutors have promptly arrived at the scene and begun examinations.

He continued: “Under the coordination of our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with relevant law enforcement units, the work is ongoing for the purpose of fully elucidating the incident, and the investigation is being conducted meticulously and in a multifaceted manner.”

No Israeli diplomats were believed to be stationed in Turkey at that time, either at the ‌consulate ​in ‌Istanbul or ⁠the embassy in ⁠Ankara. The consulate occupies one or two floors inside the high-rise building, according to Haberturk.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.

The weather is truly giving Scots whiplash this week as temperatures are set to rise.

After Easter Sunday was transformed into a winter wonderland for many this weekend thanks to Storm Dave, many Scots have been looking forward to some warmer weather as we move further into the spring season. Well it seems we won’t need to wait long as temperatures are set to soar later today (April 7).

According to the Met Office, Glasgow will even be hotter than the Spanish city of Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon. While this dramatic change in temperature may feel like whiplash in comparison to the chilly Easter conditions, many Scots will be over the moon to enjoy some much needed warmth and sunshine.

The national forecaster is currently predicting that those in Glasgow will be sizzling in highs of 20C from 5pm on Tuesday, April 7. With temperatures slowly rising throughout the day, Scots may want to peel off some of their emergency winter layers.

This toasty heat will also mean that Glasgow will be hotter than tourist hotspot Barcelona. According to the Met Office’s hourly forecast, the Spanish city is predicted to only hit a high of 18C at 2pm this afternoon, which will continue throughout the day until it begins to drop from 8pm.

Other areas of Scotland are also set to be hotter than the Spanish holiday hotspot this afternoon, with Dumfries, Fort William, Craig and Ullapool all predicted to hit 19C by 3pm. Meanwhile, Edinburgh and Biggar will be as hot as the holiday destination at 18C.

However, not all of Scotland will be enjoying the rising temperatures. While Glasgow peaks at 20C around dinner time, sadly Aberdeen will only hit 10C, with Dundee sitting at 12C.

These warm conditions also aren’t expected to last as the Met Office’s forecast for Strathclyde tomorrow (April 8) is stating that temperatures will feel “significantly cooler” than today, showing that it still may not be the right time to ditch the warm winter clothing.

It reads: “Temperatures will feel significantly cooler than today. Rather cloudy morning with some patchy rain, mostly confined across Argyll. Mainly dry for the afternoon with brighter spells.”

Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick has warned that while there are warmer and brighter spells at the moment for some, the weather is “likely turning a bit more unsettled towards the end of the week.”

Looking at Tuesday afternoon, the current forecast reads: “In the north west, clouding over with some outbreaks of rain across the western Scotland and western areas of Northern Ireland.

“This could turn a little bit heavy and it’s going to turn fairly breezy here towards the end of the day, perhaps turning a touch cloudier in parts of Scotland, creating hazier spells of sunshine.”

However, while temperatures are set to stay in the high single figures overnight with Glasgow sitting around 16C by Wednesday afternoon, Criswick warns that the fresh weather will only be a “brief warm spell”.

She adds: “Later on, on Wednesday we’ll start to introduce a couple of cold fronts that will bring in a different air mass, so some colder conditions are on its way on Thursday.

“Not only this, its going to bring in some bands of rain and also some heavy showers.” She also warns that an area of low pressure coming in on Friday could potentially lead to “quite a wet and windy spell to finish off the week.”

With chilly and wet conditions sadly on the horizon, Scots in areas with soaring temperatures this afternoon will want to make the most of it before it disappears.

The influencer and her boxer beau, Tommy Fury, announced back in February that they are expecting baby number two

Molly-Mae Hague has told fans she’s ‘feeling it’ as she offered a pregnancy update with weeks to go until she welcomes her second child into the world.

The influencer and her boxer beau, Tommy Fury, announced back in February that they are expecting baby number two, three years after welcoming their first child, daughter Bambi, into the world.

The former Love Island stars, who met and fell in love on the ITV2 dating show in 2019, took to Instagram to share the news of their second pregnancy, which Molly-Mae later described as being their “worst kept secret” after she became “lazy” at hiding it.

After the announcement, Molly-Mae confirmed she was already six months pregnant, and the weeks seem to be passing quickly by as she continues through her third trimester.

In her latest Instagram Story post, the mum-of-two-to-be posed for a mirror selfie, showing off her blossoming baby bump. Alongside the post, Molly-Mae told her millions of followers: “31 weeks [Zzz emoji]. Starting to feel it now [crying laughing emoji].”

She then returned to her profile with a selfie from the car, seemingly admitting she hasn’t had time to rest off her tiredness. “Those silent car rides after you’ve both just lost an argument with your toddler about wearing shoes [upside down smile emojis].”

The update came before Tommy was quick to shut down questions about Molly-Mae’s due date coinciding with his return to the ring after social media was awash with backlash to his boxing announcement.

The boxer recently confirmed his first fight in almost a year, as he will take on former world’s strongest man, Eddie Hall. The fight is set to take place at the AO Arena on June 13 as part of the latest Misfits card, broadcast live on DAZN.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (April 7) alongside Eddie to discuss their upcoming face-off, Tommy was asked by host Charlotte Hawkins about how Molly-Mae took news of his plan to fight so close to the expected arrival of their second baby.

But he shut down the question, describing it as a “family matter”. He said: “Well I just want to say thank you to the Lord and our saviour Jesus Christ for blessing me with another child on the way. And obviously that is a family matter, we’re dealing with that fantastically, and everything will be perfect.” He added: “We’ll deal that as a family. Thank you.”

The 35-year-old has called time on his illustrious career, having not played since September

Wales legend Aaron Ramsey has announced his retirement from football.

The midfielder brings down the curtain on an illustrious career that saw him play a starring role in Wales’ run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, being named in UEFA’s team of the tournament. He also scored the winning goal in two FA Cup finals with Arsenal, having spent more than a decade at the Gunners.

The 35-year-old has been without a club since leaving Mexican outfit Pumas in December, having not played for the club since September.

A lack of first-team football and injuries meant the midfielder had not represented his country since September 2024.

The former Juventus midfielder had previously said he wanted to play for Wales at this summer’s World Cup should they qualify – although the recent defeat to Bosnia ended those hopes.

As such, Ramsey – who began his career with Cardiff City – has called time on his career.

“This has not been an easy decision to make,” said Ramsey in a statement. “After a lot of consideration, I have decided to retire from football.

“Firstly, I want to start with Wales. It has been my privilege to wear the Welsh shirt and experience so many incredible moments in it. It would not have been possible without the incredible input of all the managers I have played under and all the staff who have helped me in many ways.

“To the Red Wall. You have been there through thick and thin! You have been there through the highs and lows, and you have been an essential and indispensable part of our success. I can’t thank you enough. We’ve been through everything together and it’s been an honour to represent you. Diolch.

“Secondly, thank you to all the clubs I’ve been lucky enough to play for. Thank you to all the managers and staff that have helped me be able to live my dream and play at the highest level.

“And a huge thank you to my wife and children and all my family. Without you by my side throughout, none of this would have been possible.”

Ramsey came through the ranks with Cardiff, becoming their youngest-ever player when he made his debut in 2007 at the age of 16.

Having played a part in their run to the FA Cup final in 2008, he joined Arsenal, spending the best part of his career there.

Spells with Juventus, Rangers and Nice followed – before another stint at Cardiff ahead of his final move to Mexico.

His career with Wales was glittering.

Having made his Wales debut in 2008, he won 86 caps for his country – playing in two European Championships and a World Cup.

He also represented Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.

Ahead of May’s Senedd (Welsh parliament) election, many people in Wales remain unclear about who is responsible for important political decisions.

Our new report suggests confusion is widespread. Our analysis included a survey of people in Wales and found that 69% did not know that policing is controlled by the UK government.

At the same time, a significant minority did not realise that health, education and transport have been devolved to Wales, despite more than 25 years of devolution. The report also found that more people rely on UK-wide news for political information than news produced in Wales.

Working with YouGov between January and February 2026, we surveyed 1,544 people across Wales. We also carried out focus groups and analysed more than 3,000 social media posts, online articles and TV news reports from major UK broadcasters.

Taken together, the findings suggest that UK‑wide news media are not doing enough to raise public knowledge and understanding of devolved politics ahead of the election.

Reporting lacks constitutional clarity

Our analysis of network news – including the BBC, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4 and Channel 5 – found that devolved politics makes up only a small part of UK-wide coverage. Stories rarely compare how policies differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And when devolved issues are covered, they often lack basic clarity about which government is responsible.

This problem is especially clear on social media. On X (formerly Twitter), 73% of posts about devolved issues did not say whether a story applied only to England, or to England and Wales in the case of legal matters. Just 13.2% mentioned England explicitly. Only 13.8% named Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland to make clear that responsibility lay with devolved governments.

But there was also a lack of clarity in TV news, with 57.4% not stating if they were relevant to one or more of the four nations. Online news performed slightly better, but still fell short because 35.3% gave no indication of which part of the UK they referred to.

While some articles did refer to England (33.6%), our audience research suggests this is not enough. Many readers still struggled to understand how political decisions apply to Wales.

This lack of clarity has real consequences. Our survey found that many people misinterpret news stories that do not clearly explain where policies apply. When shown a BBC report about junior doctors’ strikes in December 2025, 48% believed the strikes were taking place across the UK. In reality, they applied to England only. A further 11% said they did not know either way.

A deeper lack of knowledge was revealed when stories failed to mention any government at all. When shown posts on X about housing and fracking, a majority of respondents assumed these were controlled solely by Westminster. In fact, responsibility is shared between the UK and Welsh governments.

More broadly, vague references to “the government” or to health and education secretaries often left people unsure which nation was being discussed.

There are wider gaps in political knowledge too. For example, only 47% could identify Rhun ap Iorwerth as the leader of Plaid Cymru, the most likely next first minister of Wales. Meanwhile, 58% did not know how the Senedd’s new voting system works.

Given the limited visibility of Welsh politics in UK-wide news, and the lack of clear explanations when it is covered, this confusion is perhaps not surprising. But it raises concerns about how voters will interpret political debates in the weeks ahead.

Why UK-wide news matters

For many people in Wales, UK-wide news remains the main source of political information. That makes how it reports devolved issues especially important. In our focus groups, participants consistently said they wanted simple, clear references to where a story applies. Explicit references to Wales would increase their interest and engagement.

Many participants said they lacked confidence in understanding the differences between political parties. They wanted clearer explanations of which issues are controlled in Wales, and what each party is proposing to do about them.

They also expressed frustration with the way politics is often reported. Too much attention, they felt, is given to personalities and campaign moments, and not enough to policy. Issues such as healthcare, in particular, were seen as deserving greater scrutiny.

The coming weeks will be a test not just for political parties, but for network news media. Our report highlights the need for clearer, more consistent reporting of how power is shared across the UK. Without it, voters may struggle to hold the right institutions to account.

À lire aussi :
Wales is overhauling its democracy – here’s what’s changing

If coverage of the election is to inform rather than confuse, it must do more than report the campaign. It must also explain it. That means clearly stating which government is responsible for which policies, and showing how decisions in Wales differ from those made in Westminster or elsewhere in the UK.

After more than a quarter century of devolution, the structures of governance are well established. But public understanding has not kept pace. As voters prepare to go to the polls, closing that gap has never been more important.

Downloader is an app that helps users download files onto devices, including Fire TV, Google TV, and Android phones and tablets.

The popular free app, which was created by Elias Saba (AFTVnews), has been downloaded more than 658,000 times on the Amazon Appstore.

It has even been described as “one of the most popular and long-standing apps on the Amazon Appstore” by the tech experts at Cordbusters .

Amazon removes Downloader from Appstore

Despite its popularity, Amazon removed the Downloader app from its Appstore late last month.

However, the move was only temporary, with the popular app reinstated just days later.

The app’s creator, Elias Saba, via her site AFTVnews , said: “The app was temporarily suspended a couple of days ago for violating Amazon’s policy that doesn’t allow third party browsers.

“Evidently, Amazon is fine with apps that have a built-in browser, but they just cannot declare themselves as browsers to the operating system.”

A new v2.0.2 update of Downloader, which is “identical to the previous suspended version”, is now available to download, with Saba having made a “tiny change” to solve the previous issue, which saw it removed from the Amazon Appstore.

Downloader is back in the Amazon Appstore for Fire TVs and Fire Tablets https://t.co/Y4gxBeWJgt

— AFTVnews (@AFTVnews) March 30, 2026

Saba added: “If you sideloaded Downloader from another source while it was unavailable, I strongly recommend you uninstall it and install the version from the Amazon Appstore, because the sideloaded version will never receive updates.”

Fire TV Stick users issued new scam warning

It appears scammers have taken advantage of the temporary removal of Downloader, creating fake versions of the popular app.

One app named ‘Downloader for Fire, Browser…’ tricks users into paying US$6.99 (around £5.29) per week, according to Saba.

The Downloader creator warned users to “NOT install the app” and instead “help get it removed” by reporting it as a scam to Amazon.

Thousands warned about use of ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks as enforcement intensifies

Meanwhile, the ongoing crackdown on the use of ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks in the UK continues to intensify.

Illegal TV Fire Sticks and/or ‘dodgy boxes’ are streaming devices that have third-party software installed in them, allowing users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sport, Sky, Disney+ and Netflix for free.

The use of these devices is a “serious crime”, and police forces across the UK and Ireland, as well as organisations including Crimestoppers and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), have been attempting to stamp them out.

People who access illegal TV streaming services are potentially liable to prosecution for criminal offences, including under Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006.

FACT is continually intensifying enforcement targeting users of illegal streaming devices/services.

Thousands of individuals across the UK were contacted recently and warned to stop using illegal IPTV services immediately or risk criminal prosecution.

This action followed joint investigations with police that uncovered details of customers who had purchased access to so-called “loaded” Fire Sticks, Android, or Kodi devices.

While FACT’s latest campaign to disrupt illegal streaming networks and protect consumers from the risks associated with illicit online content targeted eight areas across the UK :

• London
• South West
• North West
• North East
• Scotland
• Wales
• Yorkshire and Humber
• West Midlands

The likes of Sky and Amazon are also working on ways to prevent the use of ‘dodgy’ Fire TV Sticks in the UK.

The dangers of using illegal streaming devices

“Illegal streaming services are increasingly operated by sophisticated criminal networks, often involved in other types of crime,” BeSteamWise explained.

People who access illegal TV streaming services are potentially liable to prosecution for criminal offences. (Image: Getty Images)

Meaning those who use illegal streaming devices run the risk of “letting criminals in”, resulting in:

• Viruses and malware
• ID theft, scams, and fraud
• Inappropriate content

Around 39% of illegal streamers in the UK have suffered financial losses due to cybercrime linked to piracy, according to BeStreamWise.

The average amount stolen through illegal streaming is £1,680, while one in ten have lost more than £5,000.

RECOMMENDED READING:

What is the penalty if caught with a ‘dodgy’ Fire TV Stick?

Not only can the use of illegal streaming devices leave users open to ID theft, fraud, and viruses, but it can also result in fines and jail time.

Those caught using or selling a ‘dodgy’ fire stick/box and streaming premium content without paying are in breach of Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006.

It says a person will be in breach if they obtain services “without any payment having been made for or in respect of them or without payment having been made in full”.

A person found guilty of this kind of offence could be fined or face a jail sentence of up to five years.

It’s ideal for showcasing your plants this summer

The sun is finally here which means many of us are looking at ways to spruce up our outdoor spaces.

One place that’s packed with gardening gear at this time of year is Home Bargains and there are loads of products to add a special touch to your garden or patio.

And an item that’s proving particularly popular is the Jardin Wooden Wheelbarrow Planter, priced £12.99.

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Offering a statement look, it’s described as being ‘a breeze to assemble’ and ‘adds a delightful rustic touch to any outdoor space’.

“A cute and stylish way to show off your plants,” says Home Bargains. “It’s super easy to put together with fixtures included for simple self-assembly. Measuring W69 x H28 x D32cm, it’s the perfect size to add a rustic charm to your garden, patio, or balcony. A great way to bring a little extra character to your outdoor space.”

The product is available in stores and to order online.

And there are lots more planters available too, including this cute Jardin Frog In Wellington Boot Planter to ‘add a playful touch’.

Priced £7.99 and around 24cm in height, it’s described as ‘a quirky and charming decoration that brightens up any outdoor space’.

There’s also a Jardin Hedgehog Backpack Planter, priced £14.99, featuring ‘ adorable hedgehogs peeking out for a fun and friendly vibe’.

If you’re wanting something more traditional to transform your outdoor space, you can get a large Hand Crafted Round Wooden Planter for £9.99.

Made from natural wood, this ‘rustic beauty features a drainage hole and handy metal handles, perfect for showcasing your favourite flowers in style’.

Some larger Home Bargains stores have their own gardening centres attached.

At the end of February we took a look round the new Leigh store which has its own cafe and garden centre selling everything from plants and hanging baskets to garden lighting, furniture and soil.