Review pages have been inundated with stories which range from the annoying to the totally bizarre

A Welsh country house hotel is working with Trading Standards officials following a wave of customer complaints. Some visitors grumbled about travelling for hours only to discover it was shut, while others described it as having a “haunted house” atmosphere during refurbishment works.

The grade II-listed Llyndir Hall, a 19th century building in Rossett near Wrexham, functioned as a well-liked hotel and wedding venue before closing its doors in 2022.

It was purchased by India-based OYO Rooms, amongst the world’s largest hotel chains, and earlier this year the establishment began being promoted under its Belvilla brand.

Wrexham Trading Standards was requested to look into matters when frustrated guests started complaining their reservations hadn’t been fulfilled, reports North Wales Live.

A spokesperson for OYO Rooms said the difficulties encountered were temporary while the hotel underwent refurbishment and said the matter “has now been fully resolved”.

They also said they were “honouring all confirmed bookings”. Since March disappointed travellers have inundated review platforms with accounts of their experiences.

In one review a woman said she turned up at 9.10pm only to be refused entry as there was no hot water. “I was terrified as this place felt quite spooky and very isolated in the dark,” she said. “I slept the night in my van at a nearby campsite as I couldn’t afford another hotel.”

A Bournemouth woman said she drove five hours only to discover multiple facilities shut and a “lot of things lying about in the corridors”.

Another said they turned up after a four-and-half-hour journey to find it closed as “they had no heating, no wifi, no food or drinks”.

Another reviewer said: “Absolutely disgusted. I arrived after a four-hour drive to find the outside looking like a building site. Went inside, rung the desk bell, 15 minutes later – nothing – nobody answered. The downstairs rooms looked like a bad DIY SOS – paint, mops chemicals all left out.”

On Tripadvisor one family described Llyndir Hall as the “Marie Celeste of hotels”, stating: “(It) looks to have been closed for weeks or months.”

While some reviewers reported their stays had been “exceptional”, the majority expressed dissatisfaction. One woman celebrating her birthday said she had a bizarre experience arriving at the hotel.

In her review she wrote: “We waited 15 mins at the door to be let in. Then a woman let us in. And (she) did not speak for a further 25 minutes. We stood there. Every time I asked a question she would say ‘shhhh’ and use her finger to say ‘no no’. Awful rude. She then passed us a key. And that was it.

“After 45 mins in the room a child knocked the door and told us there was no heating or hot water, no wifi, no restaurant and no food at all available. Not even juice to drink.”

North Wales Live spoke to one traveller who said their reservation was cancelled 20 minutes after it had been confirmed. Connor Roberts, a 23-year-old engineer from Criccieth, booked a one-night stay on March 20.

“I had a very important job interview at Airbus the next day,” he said. “Shortly after making the booking I was called on a private number from someone at the hotel saying I couldn’t stay as there were problems with the water.

“I managed to find alternative, more expensive accommodation in Chester. I was then horrified to discover I wasn’t being refunded as I’d been listed as a no-show.” What followed were weeks of negotiations with Booking.com.

Other reviewers reported similar experiences, claiming Booking.com was struggling to make contact with Llyndir Hall. One threatened legal action, while another said he would involve the Financial Ombudsman.

Connor was determined to get to the bottom of what was happening at the hotel. “With a mate I visited the place on April 3,” he said. “It looked part-derelict and abandoned – there was just two cars parked in the grounds. We said we just wanted a drink but were told we couldn’t as the bar was closed.

“As we left, men on the roof began filming us – they were wearing surgical masks. It was a very strange experience.”

This week Connor was informed verbally by Booking.com that he was entitled to a £47.14 refund within 10 days.

“The whole thing has irritated me,” he said. “How can a hotel behave like this? I’ve read of people driving hours to get there only to be turned away, and having to sleep in cars because they couldn’t find alternative accommodation.”

OYO Rooms said that the difficulties encountered were temporary while the hotel underwent refurbishment. A spokesperson said: “We would like to clarify that Llyndir Hall Hotel by Belvilla is fully operational and complian, and we are honouring all confirmed bookings.

“It appears that some of the recent complaints relate to a short period when the property experienced an unexpected hot water issue, which affected guest experience for a couple of days. This issue has now been fully resolved.

“The hotel has remained open and while some improvement and maintenance works have been carried out, the property is ready to receive guests and continues to do so.

“We would like to reassure customers that the hotel is operational and guests with confirmed bookings can expect their stays to be honoured.”

Other guests raised concerns about non-functioning televisions and “horrible smells”. One man described it as “100% the worst hotel I have ever stayed in”.

Others have praised Llyndir Hall’s “lovely surroundings” and “peace and quiet”. One couple said the hotel was affordable. They wrote: “Low price, so imperfections expected.”

Wrexham Council confirmed the hotel is liaising with its Trading Standards department. A spokesperson said: “We have received complaints from the public recently in regards to the property.

“Trading Standards have visited the hotel and are advising them on all relevant legislative compliance. This work is ongoing and the new hotel owners are cooperating with Trading Standards to ensure compliance.”

Booking.com said its reviews and ratings serve as a vital resource for prospective guests – and will take action on any complaints it receives.

A spokesperson for the company added: “We have stays for every budget and before a customer books there are a number of things they can check, including the reviews and the property score. The hotel owner is responsible for ensuring the stay meets expectations, managing their availability and any refunds.

“In the unlikely event that concerns are raised about a specific property, we always investigate. We can remove accommodations from our platform should our findings show they did not comply with our terms and conditions.”

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Tiana Krasniqi, from Lewisham, South East London, has given new details of the execution of her husband James Broadnax in a Texas jail

The British wife of a convicted US death row murderer has revealed his final moments as she insists he was innocent.

Law school graduate Tiana Krasniqi, 31, was left distraught and screamed ‘I love you’ before throwing herself against the window of the execution chamber when rapper James Broadnax, 37, was put to death by lethal injection on Thursday.

Recounting the harrowing moment, she said: “His last words to me was ‘don’t give up’ and ‘I love you’, we spoke to each other the whole time he was strapped in the gurney. His head jerked back and couldn’t finish his last word and his head fell looking at me and he closed his eyes.

READ MORE: Killer husband’s final words to British wife before execution – and her tragic missionREAD MORE: Brit mum never touched death row rapper she married – then screamed as she watched him die

“I screamed ‘open your eyes’ and told him I loved him and sorry I failed him. I dropped to the ground and they picked me up and told me I had to wait for 20 mins till he died.

“We had promised that we would look at each other and talk to each other whilst it was happening. The whole thing felt like the final destination movie.”

Tiana, who left her daughter in Lewisham, South East London, to cross the Atlantic to be with her new man, has been left angered by media reports Broadnax passed peacefully after being given a fatal dose of pentobarbital in a Texas prison just hours after the US Supreme Court denied his final appeal.

Writing on her TikTok account, Tiana added: “I watched his lips go blue, his face go blue and then his veins on his forehead appeared. He suffered. His body struggled. So what part of that did he die peacefully?”.

Tiana is convinced her husband did not commit the crime he was executed for. Broadnax was convicted of gunning down and robbing music producers Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in a recording studio car park in Garland, Dallas, in 2008. She vowed: “I will not let this go. Texas got it wrong.”

Tiana first made contact with Broadnax in October 2024 while applying for a master’s degree in international human rights law and wrote to him as part of a dissertation which examined racial disparities in US capital punishment.

Earlier this month she revealed she fell in love with the inmate within a “few months.” She said: “We kind of realised that it was more than a study, but it was never intentional.

“It was never something where you go on there and be like: ‘Hi, let’s be in a relationship.’” Tiana added: “He’s very intelligent, very well-spoken, very respectful, he is just your normal person. Just that fact that he was on death row made the difference. Believe it or not, he does have a moral compass.”

Tiana moved to Houston and enlisted a team of lawyers to submit appeals against his execution. It meant months apart from her daughter, who remains in the UK with her father. Tiana admitted: “Nobody agrees with [the relationship]. And I don’t expect them to. Like I said, it’s not conventional. I miss my daughter. I haven’t seen her in a month. I’m probably not going to see her for another two. It is hard.”

Broadnax’s cousin Demarius Cummings, who was jailed for life without parole over the same crime, claimed he pulled the trigger. Speaking in a prison video filmed in a last-ditch bid to stop the execution, he said: “I’m really gonna tell it like it’s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swan.”

Lawyers for Broadnax claimed the confession was supported by forensic evidence and that Cummings’ DNA, not Broadnax’s, was found on the murder weapon. But despite a last-ditch appeal, officials pressed ahead with the execution at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston.

Broadnax’s attorneys had also claimed his constitutional rights were violated as prosecutors allegedly eliminated potential jurors during his trial on the basis of race. Lawyers alleged prosecutors dismissed all seven potential black jurors, “utilising a spreadsheet during jury selection that bolded only the names of every black juror,” according to court documents. One black juror was later reinstated to the jury.

In a 1986 ruling, known as Batson v Kentucky, the US Supreme Court determined that excluding jurors because of their race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Broadnax’s lawyers also alleged prosecutors further violated his constitutional rights by using rap lyrics he wrote as evidence that he was a violent and dangerous person. During the trial, the prosecution presented the jury with a selection of rap lyrics that alluded to murder, robbery and drugs, to make the case for execution.

But speaking to ITV’s This Morning earlier this month, Tiana said: “He had about 40 pages of rap lyrics, and when it came to the guilty verdict, the jurors had asked to see the rap lyrics twice before they made a decision to see if he was of future dangerousness. They tried to make him out as a psychopath but nobody ever evaluated him directly.”

Prosecutors had long insisted Broadnax was the gunman, pointing to his own confession. Speaking to reporters outside prison, he previously said: “I pulled the trigger.” But in a later video, Broadnax insisted that the confession was false and made when he no longer cared about his life. His legal team said he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the interviews.

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Tiana has said: “He was under the influence of PCP (phencyclidine) when he was interviewed, he had only been interviewed four hours after the arrest and he had made clear to the police he was high. They did put five interviewers in front of him and he took the blame for something that he didn’t do, and he acted in a way that showed he was under the influence.

“They had excluded all African American jurors from the case until the last minute… they only added one, and within that time, there was the questioning of the jurors, and it wasn’t the most racially neutral.”

In a separate statement, Broadnax expressed regret for his role in the robbery, saying: “I wish I could show them my soul, so they could see just how sorry I am. I am very much remorseful for everything that happened.”

The case drew backing from high-profile rappers Travis Scott, T.I. and Killer Mike. But Texas officials dismissed the cousin’s confession and the victims’ families fiercely opposed any delay. Mr Butler’s mother, Theresa, said: “This so-called confession from Cummings is just a stall tactic by Broadnax’s desperate defence team. It’s all a lie.”

When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Broadnax said: “I prayed to God for your forgiveness. Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered. But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself. Period.”

Images taken from the scene show the red vehicle involved toppled onto its side with its boot cracked open.

A car has flipped onto its side in a horror crash on a residential street in Glasgow.

Police are currently in attendance at the single-vehicle collision on Drakemire Drive in the Croftfoot area of the city.

It’s currently unknown if there are any injuries.

Images taken from the scene show the red vehicle involved toppled onto its side with its boot cracked open.

Police have also been pictured in attendance.

The Record has approached Police Scotland for comment.

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The Bannsiders won the Irish Cup after a wonderful decider at Windsor Park

Clear Water Irish Cup final: Coleraine 3 Dungannon Swifts 2Coleraine claimed the Irish Cup following a thrilling five-goal final against a dogged Dungannon Swifts side at Windsor Park.

With Ruaidhri Higgins’ men finishing the league campaign like a train by winning all five of their post-split games and the Swifts losing all five of theirs, the result certainly went according to form.

But the men from Tyrone played a full part in a wonderful showpiece occasion for the local game, and might well have maintained their hold on the trophy but for fine margins that didn’t go their way.

Playing as a makeshift striker, Sean McAllister took the fight straight to Coleraine, spinning into space before testing Ryan Schofield with a low shot that skidded off the wet surface and thudded off the goalkeeper’s chest.

Seconds later, the 23-year-old took advantage of uncertainty in the Bannsiders’ box to fire an acrobatic volley at goal that Schofield tipped over.

For his next trick, McAllister surged down the left before slipping an inch-perfect pass into Kealan Dillon, who wasted a golden chance by prodding weakly at Schofield from eight yards out.

Coleraine finally came into the game, with Joel Cooper taking the ball off team-mate Matthew Shevlin’s toes to drill a shot across goal that Declan Dunne pawed wide, before Shevlin passed up a great opening by taking a loose touch in the box when a first-time finish might have paid dividends.

The striker was much sharper in the 19th minute as he pounced on an awful mix-up in the Dungannon defence. Dunne and Caolan Marron both attempted to cut out a Lyndon Kane cross from the right but got in each other’s way and there was Shevlin to fire into the unguarded net.

Dungannon almost hit back straight away as Leo Alves showed wonderful technique to smash a volley at goal that Schofield pushed over, and from the corner, Marron got up to head Alves’ cross against the post

It was breathless stuff, and while the chances dried up for a spell, the pace never relented, with both sides going at full throttle all the way to the break.

On the restart, the question was whether the teams could maintain that intensity. Coleraine did, but the Swifts didn’t, and they paid a hefty price as they suddenly found themselves 2-0 down in less than a minute.

Shevlin got up well to flick a long ball into the path of Cooper, who motored away from Cahal McGinty before burying a clinical finish low past Dunne.

Dungannon lack nothing in courage, however, and halved the deficit in the 55th minute.

Alves raided down the left before cutting the ball back across goal where McAllister laid it off to Paul Doyle, who took a touch before curling a brilliant shot beyond Schofield’s grasp from just outside the area.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as Coleraine restored their two-goal cushion on the hour mark.

Zane Okoro had been on the margins of things but burst into the box from the left and let fly, with the unfortunate Marron getting a block in only for arch-poacher Shevlin to gobble up the loose ball and poke it past Dunne.

Back came Dungannon, with McAllister now causing havoc down the right after Andrew Mitchell came on for Dillon to play up top. And it was that pair who gave Swifts renewed hope in the 66th minute when a cross from McAllister unhinged the Coleraine backline and Mitchell used his power to get to the breaking ball and nudge it home from close range.

Coleraine’s game management had been questionable up until that point but they now sought to take the sting out of a tiring Dungannon side, with Cooper dropping deeper to help his side keep possession for long spells.

With time running out, the Swifts opted to start going long and when Mitchell challenged Schofield in the air and both men hit the deck, it looked like McAllister was primed to fire at the open goal but referee Steven Gregg whistled for a foul on the Coleraine keeper.

From there, the Bannsiders comfortably saw out seven minutes of additional time to bring the Cup back to the north coast.

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Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is available to people of working age who have a disability or long-term health condition

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The most recent figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveal there are currently over 3.9 million people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The statistics also show that 683,994 individuals of State Pension age were claiming the disability benefit at the end of January, increasing their monthly income by up to £1,670.80.

Following the annual State Pension and benefits uprating in April, that amount has now increased to up to £1,743.40 – although paid in two separate instalments. The full New State Pension is valued at £965.20 every four-week payment period, while PIP – or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland – is worth up to a maximum of £778.40.

Numerous people over 56 approaching State Pension age may be unaware of a change to PIP guidance in 2019 which states “claimants whose review would have taken place when they were of State Pension age means they are now generally awarded ongoing awards”.

Ongoing awards generally last for 10 years, although award types and review periods are determined on an individual basis, depending on the claimant’s circumstances and the probability of those circumstances changing. This considers factors such as planned treatment or therapy, or learning to manage a condition.

It’s also worth noting the State Pension age began a phased increase to 67 last month, with the transition expected to be completed by 2028, reports the Daily Record.

PIP awards

Guidance from DWP states:

• For fixed length awards, the review period usually ranges from a minimum of nine months to a maximum 10 years
• Review periods of less than nine months are set only in exceptional circumstances
• An award of two years or less is considered short-term

Combined incomes

The full New State Pension is worth £2421.30 each week (£965.20 every 4-week pay period) and the Basic State Pension up to £184.90 (£739.60 every 4-week pay period) – the amount you receive is determined by the number of National Insurance contributions made.

While State Pension, PIP and ADP payments are issued separately, they could together provide a combined monthly income of up to £1,743.40 – based on an individual receiving the full New State Pension alongside the highest rate of PIP or ADP awards for both the daily living and mobility components.

PIP and ADP payment rates

An assessment will be required to determine the level of financial assistance you are entitled to, and your rate will be periodically reviewed to ensure you are receiving the appropriate support. Payments are issued every four weeks.

Cambois is a small former fishing village between Blyth and Ashington in Northumberland, with a long stretch of sand that gets glowing reviews on sites like TripAdvisor.

Reviewers have hailed it as a “completely unspoiled area” and a “lovely place to visit with your dog”, making it an appealing option if you want space to breathe away from the crowds.

With Saltburn, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay expected to be packed over the bank holiday, Cambois offers a quieter coastal walk, sea views and dog-friendly sands a short drive from the A189.

But how do you actually say “Cambois”?

One of the most common questions people ask online about Cambois is how to pronounce its name.

Visitors often guess at “cam-bwah”, influenced by the French-looking spelling, or “cam-ber”, as if it were the better-known East Sussex resort. Locals, however, flatten the word right down.

The pronunciation most widely given by residents and local guides is “CAM-iss”. Think “camera” without the “era”, followed by “iss”.

The emphasis is on the first syllable – “CAM” – and the final “bois” is said like “iss”, not “bwah” or “boys”.

Other North East coastal names people get wrong

If you’re heading for the coast this bank holiday, Cambois isn’t the only name that might catch you out.

Here are a few more commonly mispronounced coastal or coastal-linked places in and around Northumberland:

• Alnmouth – Often read as “Aln-mouth” with a hard “l” and a full “mouth”. Many locals say something closer to “AAN-muth”, with the “l” and “mouth” softened and run together.
• Alnwick (a key stop on the way to the coast via Alnmouth) – Frequently said as “Aln-wick”. In reality, it’s closer to “AN-ick”, with the “l” and “w” effectively disappearing.
• Bamburgh – Many visitors go for “Bam-burg” or “Bam-borough”. Locally, you’ll often hear “BAM-berr-uh” or “BAM-bruh”, with the “gh” silent and the ending softened.
• Warkworth – Sometimes pronounced exactly as spelled, “Wark-worth”. You’ll often hear something nearer “WORK-worth” or “WORR-kuth” in local speech, with the “a” shortened and the ending blurred.
• Newbiggin-by-the-Sea – Occasionally mangled as “New-BIDGE-in”. Locals typically say “NEW-biggin”, with a soft “g” as in “begin”.

Those are just a handful, and different families and villages will have their own twists, so we want to hear yours.

If you’ve got a North East coastal name everyone seems to say differently – from Lynemouth and Cresswell to Seaton Sluice or somewhere more obscure – let us know in the comments how you pronounce it and where you’re from.

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash put on a united front as the shut down speculation of a divorce with a joint appearance on Britain’s Got Talent

Stacey Solomon was all smiles as she shut down divorce rumours with an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. Rumours had been rife that the reality TV star and her actor husband Joe Swash were in troubled waters in their marriage.

The former X Factor star, 36, was in the audience for the ITV contest on Saturday and she happily sat beside Joe and some of their kids. And she was clearly wearing her wedding ring for the appearance as she spoke to hosts Ant and Dec.

The duo looked happy together despite the rumours, which came after she had been spotted on a number of occasions without her band. While Stacey continued to deny any fallout, speculation continued be intense. But now, Stacey was in the crowd with her clan to watch on as her Golden Buzzer act took to the BGT stage.

READ MORE: Katie Price hits out at ‘disgusting’ police officer fired for mocking HarveyREAD MORE: Christine McGuinness ‘finds new love’ with Olympic boxer and Strictly star

Earlier this week, Stacey returned to social media to share an adorable family update. She shared a roundup of snaps taken in April, as she welcomed the month of May.

Breaking her social media silence of a month, she shared snaps of the family enjoying some time outdoors. Joe wasn’t in the images, but Stacey a number of shared adorable snaps of her children and pets. There were also aesthetic photos of nature.

She captioned the upload: “A slow April, in our little world…missed coming on here and chatting to you all, but had a lovely April shutting off from the world and just being. Hope you’re all OK.”

Stacey met her husband Joe while filming ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010. The began their relationship in 2016 and later tied the knot in 2022. The couple live in a stunning home called Pickle Cottage in Essex.

In recent months there had been huge speculation on their relationship. The TV favourite was spotted flashing a smile despite reports that she and her husband of almost four years had hit a rocky patch – and shock claims the pair were never officially married.

It was confirmed last week, despite claims their popular show had been cancelled, that their fly-on-the-wall show Stacey & Joe had been renewed for a third series. The BBC cameras returned to Pickle Cottage for more family drama.

As in the previous two series’, this latest offerings will give viewers an insight into the pair’s hectic work and family lives. While the family remain together, it’s said Joe is attempting to make his dream come true of building a fishing lake and glamping site on the grounds of their £1.2m Tudor-style Essex home, Pickle Cottage.

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Nato is at risk of ‘disintegrating’ after Donald Trump pulls 5,000 troops out of Germany following arguments over the Iran war.

The US President has repeatedly lashed out at German chancellor Friedrich Merz over claims the US had been ‘humiliated’.

Merz said Iranian leaders were ‘negotiating very skilfully, denouncing the lack of a US exit strategy’ and had humiliated the US when it got officials to travel to Pakistan for talks with no real result at the end.

In a rant on Truth Social, Trump then accused Merz of tolerating a nuclear-armed Iran, telling him he needed to ‘fix his broken country’.

Following this Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius has said Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security.

Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk warned Nato is ‘disintegrating’.

He wrote on social media: ‘The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance.

‘We must all do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend.’

A NATO spokesperson said the alliance was working with the US to understand the details of the decision.

Merz is among many European heads who have been on the receiving end of Trump’s rants.

Even UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was told he was no ‘Winston Churchill’ after he would not let the US use British bases for Iranian attacks at first.

Starmer also said he did not support a Nato operation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has said for years about reducing the American military presence in Germany, and has railed against Nato for its refusal to assist Washington in the war, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Mr Trump wrote Wednesday on social media that the US was reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany, with a “determination” to be made soon.

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