By REBECCA DAVISON, DEPUTY HEAD OF SHOWBIZ

Published: 09:52 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 10:14 BST, 15 July 2026

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has spoken about when lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction, admitting they’ve never spoken since. 

Tom left the band in July 2020, the day before he pleaded guilty to assaulting his now wife Vikki Ager at their home, the April before.

Serge, 45, was urged by his bandmates to ‘step up’ into the role of lead singer but he says that time was ‘dark, horrendous, you can’t even imagine how tough it was.’

He admits that the band could have ended once and for all.

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Serge and Tom, also 45, were once the best of friends and he told The Telegraph when asked if he misses him: ‘I miss the old Tom.’ 

He confirmed that they are no longer in touch and that the last time they spoke was ‘when it happened.’ 

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has detailed the ‘dark and horrendous time’ lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction and says they’ve never spoken again 

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Serge said: ‘We were left with no choice but to ask Tom to leave the band. There is absolutely no way we can condone his assault conviction.

Tom pleaded guilty to assault and the band released two statements. One came the day before the case reached Leicester magistrates’ court. 

They stated Tom was stepping down by ‘mutual consent’ due to unspecified ‘personal issues.’

Tom was told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete five days of rehabilitation. 

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After the case, the band released another to say they had made a joint decision to stop working with Tom as soon as they found out about the charges.  

Serge and Tom, also 45, (pictured) were once the best of friends and Serge said: ‘I miss the old Tom’. They have not spoken since his assault conviction against his now wife Vikki

Tom and Vikki married at Harbourgh Registry Office, Leicester, a year after his conviction, saying: ‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year’

Tom continues to have a career as a solo artist and he previously said of the band’s split to The Times: ‘We were together a long, long time, we were a family, we grew up together. That’s what’s so… hurtful.’ 

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In his latest interview, Serge was asked if he would have handled things differently and while he seems pained by what happened, he doesn’t appear to say so. 

‘The thing is with this,’ he said. ‘It’s too deep to go into the little ins and outs… It’s happened. It’s done.’  

Tom issued a public apology after his conviction back in 2020, in which he said: ‘I am very sorry and deeply regret my recent behaviour.

‘In no way am I trying to condone my actions or make excuses. I am completely to blame and accept all responsibility.’

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He went on to marry Vikki – one year after the wine-fuelled assault.

In a statement, the couple said: ‘We are pleased to share the news that on Tuesday the 13th July 2021, Tom Meighan and Vikki Ager were married at Market Harborough Registry Office, Leicester.

‘It was an intimate affair, in accordance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines, with the couple becoming husband and wife surrounded by their children, family and a few close friends. 

‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year.

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‘They are very much in love and looking forward to sharing the rest of their lives together.’

Kasabian will headline Boardmasters Festival on August 9 and Leeds Festival on August 27, Act III is released on September 4, via Sony.  

Donald Trump’s retreat over claiming Strait of Hormuz tolls of 20% for all shipping passing through is the latest climb-down by the US President. Every time he makes a threatening outburst it erodes his chance of making a favourable deal with Iran, even though the war has fractured the regime. Its military is vastly depleted, its defences are degraded but the less hardline within the upper structure of Tehran’s rule are losing the argument to end the war.

Washington is now torn between continuing to step up pressure in the hope that Tehran’s defiance will collapse or take over Kharg Island and impose a permanent presence. The former would require another climb-down eventually, possibly giving up control of the Strait of Hormuz and the latter would embed the US in a military operation for years. It is near-impossible, without a major military operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz, with boots on the ground, to imagine Iran not retaining some control over the waterway.

It is a diplomatic and military mess further confused by the President’s rolling bulletins of lies and obfuscation that make it impossible to see a way out. He has hinted again at a major military campaign stepping up, hitting more civilian infrastructure and even launching a boots on the ground operation. Again, he has been vague, possibly using dissident Kurds to launch a campaign within Iran, which will be messy, unpredictable and inevitably will require US Special Forces.

He said: “Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’ll knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate. Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.” Whether Kurdish forces will have the appetite for this, having been treated so shabbily by the US in Syria and Iraq, is uncertain.

It was different factions of Kurdish forces who deposed Islamic State, backed by the US who then all but abandoned them, leaving them to cope with swollen jails packed with ISIS terrorists. Iran has hit out aggressively at the UK’s finally designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a banned terrorist organisation and we can expect threats to follow. They could be sabotage, violence towards Iranian dissidents within the UK or perhaps even terrorist threats towards UK interests abroad.

Although currently a bit of a sideshow to the worsening US war with Iran this could become very serious if the conflict in the Middle East settles into the shadows. America’s dumb escalation in the Middle East has put the UK in the sights of the IRGC and they cannot be bombed out of existence as we have already seen. The shadowy force, which exerts immense control over the running of Iran, has tentacles of contacts all over the globe, through Europe and all the way to South America.

Our intelligence agencies and counter-terror police are already stretched with the Islamist terror and far-right threat plus state-sponsored or planned disinformation campaigns, sabotage and murder campaigns by enemy states such as Russia. And Britain’s rightful reticence towards becoming involved in Trump’s war- plus that of the rest of NATO- is alienating our strongest ally, which in turn has been weakened by it. The effect of Trump’s war on Iran has been to put countries such as the UK under threat at a time when our military and intelligence structures are already wrestling with Russia.

Seven Brits have been confirmed to have died in the deadly wildfire that swept through Andalusia in southern Spain, with one victim feared to be a woman who bought her home on ‘A Place In The Sun‘.

Twelve of the 13 victims of the blaze were foreign nationals, the authorities said on Tuesday after completing post-mortem examinations.

In a statement, officials said seven were from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, and one each from France and the United States. The last victim was a Spanish citizen.

Annette Kilgore, who appeared on the Channel 4 reality show, is feared to be among the Brits who died after she became separated from her husband amid the inferno.

The 69-year-old lived in the village of Bédar with her husband Malcolm Timbrell, 70, after the couple moved there from Cornwall following their appearance on the hit series in 2023. 

Bédar, a municipality of the Almería province in the south, was ravaged by flames last Thursday in one of Spain’s deadliest fires in recent years.

Timbrell recounted how he had become separated from his wife and seven of their friends and neighbours as the flames raced towards their idyllic home. 

‘We have had an amazing life together and now it’s stopped,’ the heartbroken husband told the BBC. 

The couple have been together for 17 years.

Harrowing photographs show how British wildfire victims ran out of road while fleeing down dirt tracks to escape a deadly blaze in Spain 

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Firefighters of the Infoca (Andalusia Wildfire Service) work to extinguish fire in the area of a wildfire that killed at least 13 near Bedar, in Los Gallardos district, in Almeria Province, July 10

‘If we had done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive. But when you’ve got animals, you don’t think like that,’ he added.

‘We are just waiting now for DNA clarification. And after that, I will probably just fall apart,’ he said.

The couple had decided to flee the scene by car, but Timbrell went back to their home to save their two beloved cats, Charlie and Misty.

When he attempted to catch up to his wife and their friends, he realised they had ditched the cars and were trying to escape the flames on foot.

‘My wife and our other seven friends and neighbours – against me screaming at them not to – decided the only safe way was to walk out in front of the firewall.

‘I’ve subsequently heard that the firewall was moving at 20 kilometres an hour [12mph] plus. They had no chance.’

He and one of the cats hid in one of the vehicles as the blaze raged on.

‘Of the six cars, four of them instantly combusted and as each one started to go, I moved back one car,’ he said.

‘For some reason of fate, the last two cars, although very, very badly singed and paint bubbled and burnt, survived. And I survived inside the last one with a cat.’ 

‘You’d never imagine it could happen,’ he said. ‘And when it does, and you’re the only survivor, then you’re left in a situation of: “What can I do?”‘

‘A Place in the Sun’ presenter Leah Charles-King helped the couple buy their dream home in Spain three years ago, with Kilgore telling the host at the beginning of their episode that she wanted to ease into the Spanish way of life after retiring from many years working in mental health.

‘We’ve started kayaking, which is great fun. I haven’t fallen in. I now know that I don’t panic when I fall in, so that’s a good thing,’ she said back in 2023.

Describing why they picked Almeria, Kilgore said: ‘It’s not as commercialised, it’s a smaller area of villages, so it just seemed the perfect place.’

She continued: ‘So, to sit and have a glass of wine in our own property that we’ve thought about for so long and just have that lovely feeling: “This is ours, we’ve done it.”‘

‘It will extend our adventure,’ Timbrell added.

While the stone cottage was on the market for £215,746 at the time of filming, the couple ended up purchasing it for £200,000.

After confirming the sale, Timbrell said: ‘I couldn’t be happier at the moment.’

His wife added: ‘We’ve just bought that Spanish beautiful stone cottage up on the top of a mountain. And that isn’t what we came for? It’s what we’ve bought, because it’s what we fell in love with.’

‘We have had an amazing life together and now it’s stopped,’ heartbroken Malcolm Timbrell told the BBC 

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Firefighters working on the wildfire, which has ravaged homes and claimed several lives

The wild fire is one of Spain’s deadliest, with extreme heat causing them to become more frequent in recent years 

Fran Gillam, who lived in Bédar, was among the 13 people killed, her daughter confirmed

Fran’s husband, Pete, was also killed in the deadly blaze that swept through southern Spain

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‘The 13 people who died are eight women and five men, all adults,’ the public body responsible for identifying the victims added.

The picturesque southeastern province of Almeria is home to many foreign residents near the Mediterranean coast.

Pete and Fran Gillam, who also lived in Bédar, were among the 13 people killed in the blaze, the couple’s daughter confirmed in a social media post.

The couple disappeared on Thursday, after Fran texted her daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton to confirm they were evacuating. 

That text, sent at about 7pm Thursday, was the last time Danielle would hear from her parents before communication was cut off, with frantic messages and calls to them failing to connect.

In a heartbreaking update shared on social media, Ms Gillam-Kirton confirmed the devastating news: ‘We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire. 

‘Thank you for all your love, support and prayers over the past few days. They have meant more to us than we can ever express.’

Flames fanned by high winds ripped through forests and scrubland made tinderbox dry by extreme high temperatures, turning picturesque rural settlements into ghost towns.

Emergency services initially recovered 12 bodies that were so badly burned that DNA samples were needed to identify them.

The fire, one of Spain’s deadliest in recent years and caused by an electrical cable falling on a road, devastated some 7,000 hectares (more than 17,000 acres) of land.

The fire has since been brought under control and residents have been able to return to their homes since Sunday.

Spain has in recent years experienced increasingly long and frequent heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 40C, creating perfect conditions for wildfires.

In 2025, more than 393,000 hectares were destroyed by fire, according to the European Forest Fire Information System – the most in Spain’s recent history.

Demand for accommodation in Atlanta has surged ahead of the England v Argentina World Cup match tonight.

After England beat Norway 2-1 during extra time on Saturday, the team will now meet Argentina’s squad in the southern US city for the semi-final.

Booking.com said that between 9 and 11 July, searches by UK travellers for Atlanta rose by 1,902 per cent for stays taking place between 14 and 16 July.

Searches do not necessarily indicate booking patterns, but they give a good outline of how eager English travellers are to look into booking a place to stay in Atlanta ahead of the match.

Argentina fans have also caused a surge in travel. Bhanu Chopra, founder of RateGain Travel Technologies and creator of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Market Pulse Index, told CNBC that flight bookings from Argentina to Atlanta more than doubled since the tournament kicked off, rising nearly 108 per cent.

This semi-final will be the first time the teams have faced each other since 2005 and the first competitive match between the sides since the 2002 World Cup, meaning Lionel Messi has never faced the Three Lions until now.

Historical tensions are also at play between the two countries, with the Falklands War still considered a politically sensitive topic.

Atlanta Police are aware of the tensions between the countries and have confirmed that security will be increased ahead of the match at Atlanta Stadium.

Demand for accommodation in other host cities has also surged amid football fans following their teams around the World Cup stages.

In Miami, ahead of England v Norway’s quarter final, Booking.com said that searches by UK travellers were up 403 per cent.

Comparison site Expedia.co.uk reported similar figures, saying that lodging searches between 5 and 8 July have increased by 300 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Read more: Demand surges for Miami hotels ahead of England v Norway World Cup match

The scheme, submitted by E.ON Drive Infrastructure UK and Apsley Galliard Conn, will see a canopy-covered hub installed at Portrack Retail Park in Stockton.

It will feature 12 ultra-rapid charging bays, a substation, fencing and a kiosk.

The number of parking spaces on the site will reduce from 51 to 32, though the green areas will not be affected.

A second phase of the development could add a further four drive-through bays, bringing the total to 16.

A planning statement submitted on behalf of the applicants said: “The site is well positioned to provide convenient EV charging for both local residents and through traffic.”

The hub sits just off the A19/A1046 junction, making it easily accessible for both local drivers and those passing through the area.

The statement added: “While the proposals will increase the number of vehicles which access the site, a substantial proportion of those may simply be extensions or diversions of existing trips.”

The existing site entrance will be used, with no changes planned for the surrounding road network.

Apsley said the hub would “strengthen local provision and support the continued shift towards low-emission transport,” with the scheme aligning with the Tees Valley Strategic Transport Plan and wider regional goals to reduce carbon emissions.

Stockton Council approved the application subject to conditions.

A British man jailed in Iran after being accused of spying has had two years added to his decade-long sentence, according to family members.

Craig Foreman was arrested with his wife, Lindsay, in January last year while passing through Iran on a motorcycle journey from Europe to Australia. Both adamantly deny espionage.

In February they were each sentenced to 10 years in jail, but relatives of Craig Foreman said he had been told his punishment is being extended for talking to the media from his cell in Tehran’s Evin prison.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said the department was “urgently following up with the Iranian authorities about the reported increased sentence”.

“We understand he was told he was being taken to see his lawyer but was instead brought before a judge and informed of the additional sentence,” said Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son and a spokesperson for the family.

Bennett, of Folkestone, Kent, added that, despite requests, his step-father “was allowed no lawyer, no translator and no opportunity to defend himself”.

“We didn’t think we could be any more shocked at their appalling treatment, but in this case we are absolutely flabbergasted,” he added.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, from East Sussex, have both been on hunger strike since May, when prison authorities prevented them from calling their families.

The family, who are growing increasingly concerned for their health, are now appealing to the Iranian authorities to show mercy, and set them free.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

The Channel 4 documentary will return with a repeat episodes that fans have branded the “best ever”

Channel 4 viewers do not want to miss another episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody which will air tonight (Wednesday, July 15).

The landmark documentary has been a hit with fans wince it first aired on Channel 4 back in 2014. It plunges viewers into real life investigations after a serious crime rocked a community.

From the minute a chilling 999 call is made, viewers are given unprecedented access into a criminal investigation as detectives work around the clock to bring justice. Often, horrific truths are uncovered along the way as viewers witness everything right up to a potential sentencing.

With new episodes aired earlier this year, each exploring its own horrific case, Channel 4 has aired repeat instalments over the last few weeks, with another set to air tonight.

Last week (July 9), The Home Country Cartel Part 1 aired, taking viewers into a covert police take down of a £58million drug smuggling ring – making it one of the largest in the history of the area. Tonight at 9pm, Part 2 will broadcast, having first been seen on screens back in 2020.

A Channel 4 synopsis reads: “The covert police operation tracking a major drug smuggling operation closes in on the ringleaders in a nerve-shredding conclusion.”

Previously, The Home Country Cartel was branded as fans’ favourite instalment as one person wrote on Reddit: “I think my favourite was when a crook was caught out by his own dashcam.

“He didn’t realise it was recording, and when the evidence was presented to him, you could see the blood drain from his face.”

On Facebook, another commented: “The best of the lot this 2 parter.” Another echoed: “One of the best episodes they ever did.”

It hears from investigators as surveillance operative ‘Coops’ made a heartbreaking admission: “It’s a demanding job for the hours that you put in. We’re at the beck and call of what the criminals are doing or whatever the job is that we’re doing and what we’re covering at the time.

“Your home life is affected. You’d be at home for five minutes and that call could come in so then you’re back into work just as dinner’s going on the table. Missed birthdays, Christmases have gone out the window but it’s not something you don’t enjoy.”

With the episode already being made available to stream online, another warning had been issued which warns against “strong language” in the instalment, adding: “This programme isn’t suitable for younger viewers.”

Despite airing repeat episodes, 24 Hours in Police Custody remains a firm favourite amongst viewers. One person previously wrote on social media: “This is my fave TV programme. l still watch them if they are repeats.”

Another said: “24 hours in police custody is the best thing to happen to TV.” A third penned: “Without doubt the best programme on TV > #24hoursinpolicecustody.”

A fourth added: “Without doubt the best Tv program being made anywhere, by anyone! #24hoursinpolicecustody watched all 100 episodes.”

A fifth admitted: “I watched the repeats of these programmes, so many times, I am starting to feel I should be recognised as part of the investigation team!”

Tonight’s instalment, titled The Downfall of Jaguar Palace, will continue the police investigation into the drug cartel and how their covert investigation came together.

24 Hours in Police Custody airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. Episodes are also available to stream online.

A serious review of MPs’ security is needed following the death of Ann Widdecombe, Andy Burnham has said.

The former Greater Manchester mayor, who is expected to become prime minister next Monday, said politics had “darkened” in the decade he had been away from Westminster.

He said he was “shocked to see how much security now has to be in place”, but added that it may need to be increased further still.

The killing of Widdecombe – a Reform UK spokeswoman and former Conservative MP – is now being investigated by counter-terrorism police, and has prompted renewed debate over the security offered to politicians.

A 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, before being re-arrested on Monday on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

A leading figure on the right of British politics, the former minister was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon on Thursday.

Asked why he thought frontline politics had become so dangerous, Burnham said: “It’s easy to blame social media, but it feels like it’s having some impact in just building that kind of toxicity that’s around the political debate.”

He added: “It’s obviously appalling what happened to Ann.

“I knew Ann over many years in the House – we got along and everybody got along, but it feels like something has changed.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Reform’s Robert Jenrick accused the government of a “dereliction of duty” over Nigel Farage’s taxpayer-funded security, claiming it had previously been “downgraded”.

Jenrick said his party leader had not been offered the security he needed, after it emerged Reform turned down an offer of government-funded security last year.

The Home Office said Jenrick’s comments were “categorically untrue”, with a spokesperson adding that ministers were not involved in deciding MPs’ security.

Before he entered Parliament at the 2024 general election, any state-funded security for Farage would have been provided by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), a team of officials from across government.

Once he became an MP responsibility then switched to the Parliamentary Security Department.

Reform sources say Farage was offered an enhanced security package by parliamentary authorities in July 2024, amounting to two rotating teams of eight security officials.

They say that in September 2025 parliamentary authorities reviewed the threat to the Reform leader and offered a downgraded security package consisting of a car, driver and one close protection officer.

Reform rejected this offer of state-funded support and chose instead to privately fund Farage’s security.

Parliament’s second offer to Farage was still much bigger than the support offered to most MPs.

One MP who also receives enhanced security is understood to have had a driver and one security guard only at certain specific events when the threat to them was deemed sufficiently high.

House of Commons authorities would not confirm or deny whether Farage’s security had been downgraded, but said security was “fundamental to our democracy” and “all MPs are offered appropriate” measures.

A spokesperson added: “Any assessment of an individual MPs’ security arrangements or advice is subject to a rigorous risk-based assessment, conducted by security professionals and with input from the police and a range of professional authorities.

“These are naturally kept under continuous review.”

Farage is not currently an MP after he resigned and triggered a by-election earlier this month, meaning any state-funded security would now be provided by Ravec, rather than Parliament.

The safety of politicians has been a prominent issue in recent years, with the murders of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021 and Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.

The Conservative government announced a £31m package to increase security for MPs in May 2024.

A 2022 review following Sir David’s murder also led to tailored security advice being given to MPs based on individual circumstances, rather than a standardised set of measures.

Neil Basu, a former head of counter-terrorism policing, said some MPs would be “very well protected” while others “will continually to be struggling to get the Parliamentary security budget to open its coffers and give them the kind of protection they want”.

He later added that providing the highest level of protection to all 650 MPs would require “thousands more armed police officers”.

“It is just not a practical proposition, so you have to prioritise them in some way, shape or form.”

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By LUKE AUGUSTUS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 07:28 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 09:12 BST, 15 July 2026

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have deservedly got the majority of acclaim for England‘s World Cup campaign so far, but the Argentine press have warned their squad of two other key players to watch out for.

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England and Argentina go head-to-head in the second semi-final on Wednesday in Atlanta (8pm, BST) with Spain awaiting the winner in Sunday’s showpiece.

Bellingham and Kane have spearheaded England so far with the pair having scored 12 of their 13 goals – including the former’s brace in a 2-1 after extra-time quarter-final win over Norway on Saturday.

And while their prowess has been rightfully acknowledged, Argentine media are wary of other threats posed from Thomas Tuchel‘s side.

While praising Bellingham and Kane, outlet Clarin has earmarked Declan Rice as one player the reigning world champions must stop.

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Writing about the Arsenal star, they put: ‘Rice is the balance. He protects the centre backs, covers the full backs’ runs forward, and gives direction to the build-up play.’

Declan Rice (left) and Elliot Anderson have been earmarked as two key players Argentina must stop if they are to beat England in the World Cup semi-final by the Argentine press

Argentina’s Clarin warn that their side must stop the midfield duo recieving the bal forwards 

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Alexis Mac Allister (centre left) has been urged to press the England midfielders on Wednesday

The other player Clarin note? Elliot Anderson.

‘Anderson is the thread that connects the pieces,’ they detail about Manchester City’s summer signing. ‘He makes himself available, receives the ball, turns, and makes himself available again.’

The publication doesn’t just stop there about Tuchel’s midfield base, as they explain what Lionel Scaloni’s side must do if they are to reach a second-straight World Cup final.

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‘This could be one of the keys for Argentina. Scaloni will have to pressure not only the centre backs, but also Rice and Anderson. The objective will be to prevent them from receiving the ball facing forward.

‘Julian Alvarez can orchestrate the build-up play. [Rodrigo] De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, or [Alexis] Mac Allister will have to press the midfielders. [Lionel] Messi, from a freer position, can block the back pass or wait for the right moment to receive the ball behind the double pivot.

‘Argentina will also have to reduce turnovers in midfield. England is very dangerous when they win the ball back near Rice and Anderson and can quickly launch attacks to their wingers.

‘A lost ball in the centre can turn into a run by [Anthony] Gordon, a diagonal run by [Bukayo] Saka, or a dribble by Bellingham. The best way to neutralise England will be to force them to attack from a static position, close down the central spaces, and push them towards long crosses.’

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Time will tell if Rice and Anderson receive such a detailed gameplan against them.

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