They had been engaged in the heaviest fighting on the Somme since September 15, practically without a break, and many had paid the heaviest price – within five days the 9th Battalion had lost four officers and 44 men were dead, 27 were missing and nine officers and 219 men were wounded. This meant that 44 per cent of the battalion’s strength had been wiped out.

Even the young commanding officer, Col Bradford, 24, had been wounded when he was struck by shrapnel. It was a nasty wound, but he stayed with his men rather than seek treatment, meaning that he took many months to heal.

Brigadier-General Roland Bradford.

A day before the assault on October 1, the British heavy guns began a bombardment of the German trenches. The Germans returned fire.

Ninety minutes before the Durhams were due to go over the top disaster befell the 6th Battalion. Its commanding officer, Major GE Wilkinson, was struck by shellfire and had to retreat to a casualty station, leaving it leaderless.

SEE MORE: NORTHERN PERSPECTIVES VIEW OF THE WITTON PARK STATUE ERECTED IN 2016 TO COMMEMORATE BRADFORD AND HIS BROTHERS

Into the breach stepped Col Bradford who swiftly and decisively led the two battalions into battle.

For 24 hours, “bomb fighting of a severe nature raged around” the DLI. Despite the heavy shelling they made it into the first German trenches. They saw off the enemy counter-attack and, by sending out patrols probed deep into the German defences – a maze of trenches known as ‘The Tangle’.

The British troops on either side of the Durhams appear not to have been so well marshalled and had not made such good progress, so after two days of constant fighting the battalions dug in and consolidated their gains, even as shells rained down on them.

In his report back to the 9th Battalion headquarters Col Bradford spoke of how the men had “fought conspicuously well and with great gallantry”. He wrote: “In all, we had 70 officers and men killed and 400 wounded…

“The men are all happy and fit and eager to meet the accursed Germans.”

Carwood House in Witton Park, where the Bradford brothers spent their early years. The house still stands

Col Bradford was one of four fighting brothers, all born in Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, where their tyrannical father was a colliery manager. When Roland was two the family moved to a farmhouse at Morton Palms, on the eastern edge of Darlington, and four years later into a large Victorian house in Milbank Road in the West End of town. This was the house Roland called home.

Milbanke House, Milbank Road, Darlingotn, home of the Bradford brothers.

The fighting Bradfords: the four brothers in the garden of their home at Milbank Road, Darlington, in 1914. From left: Roland Boys Bradford: awarded the Victoria Cross and the Military Cross; he became, at 25, the youngest brigadier‑general in the British Army and was killed at Cambrai in 1917; George Nicholson Bradford: Royal Navy lieutenant‑commander whose leadership in the Zeebrugge raid on St George’s Day 1918 earned him a posthumous Victoria Cross; James Barker Bradford: An officer in the DLI awarded the Military Cross for his actions on the Somme, before dying of wounds after a week‑long battle; Sir Thomas Andrews Bradford: The eldest and only surviving brother, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and twice Mentioned in Despatches, later becoming a knight and holding public offices in County Durham

On October 3, after nearly 20 days fighting on the frontline near Eaucourt L’Abbaye, what was left of the battalions was stood down. The men moved back to a training camp, where it rained heavily on their tents.

Col Bradford barely rested. He was designing, making and erecting a large wooden cross in memory of his fallen men. He was badgering those higher up the command chain to send his men a weekly parcel of treats – “of, say, polonies, cakes, kippers, condensed milk and a few socks”, he wrote. He was organising a battalion band.

As many of his men had Durham musical backgrounds he had campaigned for those at home in the county to send out spare instruments, and arranged shows with the new band supporting his theatrical group. He was doing anything that could make life better for his troops.

Lt Col Roland Bradford of DLI awarded VC for bravery on October 1, 1916;.

Plus, he was planning their next attack.

Because of their success the DLI was tasked with capturing the Butte de Warlencourt – a prehistoric burial mound, 50ft high, that stood out like a sore thumb in the flatlands around the Somme.

It still does, beside the tree-lined D929 that runs dead straight through the flat fields on the northern bank of the river.

Its past gives it a presence, and it grabs the eye of passers-by as it looms over the landscape in much the same way that Roseberry Topping stares down on the Tees Valley.

The Germans were entrenched on top of it; the fields approaching it had been churned into a porridgey quagmire, and Col Bradford wondered whether the cost of capturing it would ever be worth it – it was so exposed that it attracted enemy fire, and it was such an obvious target that it would have been difficult for the British to hold.

He later wrote that the Butte – which is French for ‘mound’ – was “of doubtful value” and “of little use”.

The Butte de Warlencourt, looming large over the flat fields of the Somme

“The Butte de Warlencourt had become an obsession,” he said. “Everybody wanted it. It loomed large in the minds of the soldiers in the forward area and they attributed many of their misfortunes to it. Newspaper correspondents talked about “that miniature Gibraltar”.

“It seems that the attack was one of those tempting and, unfortunately, frequent local operations which are so costly and which are rarely worthwhile.”

And it was the Durhams that would pay the cost.

As well as Bradford’s 9DLI on the left, the 8DLI were on the right and the 6DLI – recruited mainly from the Bishop Auckland area and rejoicing in the nickname of the ‘black buttoned bastards’ – were down the centre, like a football formation.

But it was so wet that their match was postponed for a fortnight as day after day it came down like stair-rods. The opening of November was a little drier, but a heavy shower before kick-off filled the trenches and ensured the field of play was as bad as any infantry ever faced.

“The muddy ground, torn by shellfire and churned into deep porridge by heavy rain, was from knee to thigh deep,” wrote Aycliffe historian Harry Moses in his book, The Fighting Bradfords.

Zero hour was 9.10am on November 5.

Attacking the Butte de Warlencourt, drawn by Capt Robert Mauchley of the DLI

“The officers’ whistles sounded the advance,” wrote Lance Corporal Harry Cruddas of 6DLI. “Immediately the first wave mounted the trench, they were met by a terrific and annihilating fire and crumpled up like snow in summer.”

Even though they had to advance just 300 yards to the Butte, 6DLI could not make any headway. 8DLI fared a little better, but when they got within 30 yards of the mound, under heavy fire from the Germans in front, they were suddenly struck by British artillery from behind and Australian artillery from the side.

Those who were not killed outright fell from their wounds and drowned in the mud.

Perhaps because the other battalions took all the fire, 9DLI, led by Lt Col Bradford, made it out of their Maxwell Trench, across No Man’s Land and up to the top of the Butte within an hour.

But the Butte was a honeycomb of trenches and the enemy was ensconced as tightly as a nest of ants beneath a heavy stone in workings that had first been dug out during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

Lt Col Bradford wrote: “Over 100 German soldiers were lurking down in the dark warren of dugouts and tunnels beneath and around the Butte. So began a murderous game played out with bomb and bayonet, with little or no quarter on either side.”

Plus, reinforcements were able to reach the Germans.

They counter attacked at noon. 9DLI held on.

They counter attacked at 3pm, knocking 9DLI back – but still the Durhams held the Butte.

The memorial to the DLI on top of the Butte de Warlencourt

“About 6pm the Germans made a determined counter attack preceded by a terrific bombardment,” wrote Lt Col Bradford. “A tough struggle ensued. But our men showed the traditional superiority of the British in hand-to-hand fighting, succeeding in driving out the enemy.

“The 9th DLI was now getting weak, but it was hoped that the Bosche had now made his last counter attack for that day.”

He hadn’t. Further reinforced, the enemy came again at 7.15pm, all but forcing the ‘Gateshead Gurkhas’ to relinquish their grip on the Butte.

“At about 11pm, battalions of the Prussians delivered a fresh counter attack,” wrote Lt Col Bradford. “They came in great force from our front and also worked round from both flanks. Our men were overwhelmed. Many died fighting, others were compelled to surrender. It was only a handful of men who found their way back to Maxwell Trench and they were completely exhausted by their great efforts and the strain of the fighting.”

Back where they had begun, the Durhams counted the cost. The 6th and the 8th battalions had lost, in one way or another, about 1,000 men between them. 9DLI’s figures are more precise and of a similar magnitude: 42 killed, 230 wounded, 157 missing.

It later transpired that in total, 273 Durham men had died.

And all for the Butte that was worth b*gger all.

The survivors stayed in the frontline trenches around the Butte until they were withdrawn for recuperation at a rest camp at Millencourt on November 16.

The Victoria Cross

There, on November 25, they received an announcement: Roland was to receive the Victoria Cross for leading the two battalions into battle on October 1.

The men joyously chaired their young colonel around the camp – although he modestly said it was recognition for them all.

His citation told of how the 6DLI’s commander had gone down injured, causing the men to “become dangerously exposed at close quarters to the enemy. Raked by machine gun fire, the situation of the battalion became critical”.

But, said the citation, Col Bradford “asked permission to command the exposed battalion in addition to his own”. When permission was granted, “he at once proceeded to the foremost lines”.

“By his fearless conduct under fire of all description and his skilful leadership of the two battalions, regardless of all danger, he succeeded in rallying the attack, and captured and defended the objective.”

It concluded that by his “most conspicuous bravery and good leadership in attack, he saved the situation”. For that he was awarded the nation’s highest award for military gallantry.

He became the youngest recipient of it in the First World War and when his brother, George, was also awarded the VC for his naval bravery in 1918, they became the only brothers in the war to ascend such a pinnacle.

But Roland could barely be bothered to collect it. He stayed on the Somme with his men that Christmas and got them a special lunch of pork. He stayed with them through the winter, despite picking up another little wound, developing new tactics and leading them into battle. He stayed with them despite receiving the devastating news that on May 10, 1917, his brother James was killed fighting with 18DLI.

Perhaps that insight into mortality softened him a little because at the end of the month he gave in to pressure to return to England to receive his VC.

“I made a hard fight to get out of it, but the General said he could not disobey a direct order from the King,” he wrote.

So on June 2, at Hyde Park in London, George V was able to present this remarkable soldier with his richly deserved award.

It was a huge occasion – 350 military medals were presented, including 11 VCs, watched by 600 hospitalised soldiers and thousands more interested people.

“For the convenience of the onlookers a booklet had been prepared in which each recipient was numbered and the number was displayed as the heroes marched up to the platform,” said The Northern Echo. “Two VCs, Capt A White, Yorkshire Regiment, and Lt-Col Roland Bradford, Durham Light Infantry, were kept by the King chatting for some moments.

“During the ceremony, four or five aeroplanes passed over the enclosure. They were acting as aerial guard to the king.”

Immediately afterwards Roland dashed up to Darlington to see his mother, Amy, and his brother’s new widow. The town mayor wanted to make a song and dance of ‘wor’ war hero’s homecoming, but Roland refused such ‘pomp and ceremony’ and threatened to take the first train to London if anything was in the offing.

He didn’t stay long, and as he left his home in Milbank Road he must have known there was a good chance he would never see it again.

And so it was.

Roland Bradford.

Back on the Western Front, in September 1917, he led 9DLI on what his commanding officer described as “an excellent raid full of originality and thought”. He had planned it so well that on November 4 he was promoted to Brigadier-General – at the age of 25 he remains the youngest member of the British Army to hold this exalted rank.

It didn’t last long. He led his men into the Battle of Cambrai, on the Somme, then fell back for rest and recuperation.

On the morning of November 30 he left his headquarters to visit his men. By early afternoon he hadn’t returned and a search party was sent out.

He was found lying dead: shrapnel from a stray shell had pierced his spine and flukishly killed him outright.

The Northern Echo of December 5, 1917, reporting on the death of Brig-Gen Roland Bradford

He is buried in Hermies Cemetery, a small, quiet, immaculately tended graveyard from the Bapaume to Cambrai main road. By the gate in its low brick wall is a metal cupboard containing a visitors’ book. Many of the messages have been left by the people of Darlington and south Durham who have been to see his last resting place.

Chris Lloyd with the grave of Brig Gen Roland Boys Bradford

When I last visited, one of the most recent messages read simply: “Our hero.”

THE Germans finally retreated from the Butte de Warlencourt on February 24, 1917, allowing the British to clamber up its slopes. On its chalky peak, they erected three rudimentary wooden crosses – one for each of the three Durham battalions who have fought so valiantly, and at such cost, in November 1916 to capture it. In 1926, the crosses were taken down and brought home, in lieu of the men who had lost their lives. One went to St Andrew’s Church in Bishop Auckland; another went to the Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert in Chester-le-Street, and the third was positioned in Durham Cathedral.In July 2016, to mark the Battle of the Somme, the three Butte crosses were brought together in the cathedral’s DLI Chapel where they stand arm to arm just as they had once stood on top of the hillock overlooking the D929 were so many Durhams, fighting hand-to-hand, had died exactly 100 years ago.

Before his death in November 1917, Roland Bradford had ordered thousands of these Christmas cards for his men in the trenches

The Bradford sculpture in the Witton Park memorial garden was made by sculptor Ray Lonsdale and unveiled in 2016. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

The unveiling of the Bradford memorial garden at Witton Park Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT.

Unveiling of the Bradford memorial stone in the new garden in Witton Park by the Lord-Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon, in 2016

By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER

Updated: 21:12 BST, 30 June 2026

Christopher Wilson, 34, from Kellington, died after the black Honda motorcycle he was riding crashed with a red Vauxhall Corsa near Selby on Friday, June 19.

North Yorkshire Police said the two vehicles crashed on the A19 through Chappel Haddesley shortly before 2pm.

“Despite the best efforts of emergency services and doctors, he passed away in hospital later that evening,” a police spokesperson said.

They said the 18-year-old man who was driving the Corsa was helping officers with their investigation.

Mr Wilson’s family said he was a “much loved son, brother, uncle, partner, stepdad and proud new daddy”.

“Christopher was his mum’s blue-eyed boy, remembered for his cheeky smile, his dimples, and the warmth that lit up every room he entered. He was treasured by all who knew him and deeply loved by his family and friends,” the family said in a statement released by North Yorkshire Police

“Family meant everything to Christopher. He was a devoted partner, an amazing stepdad, and had recently welcomed his beautiful baby girl into the world. His family was complete, and she was everything he had ever wanted.”

The statement added: “Known as the life and soul of the party, Christopher had a way of bringing people together. He was always the one entertaining everyone, especially the children, who adored him for being a big kid at heart.

“He embraced life with enthusiasm and adventure, whether he was out on his motorbike, travelling, fishing, or enjoying a day at the go-karts.

“A proud Leeds United supporter, he lived life with passion and made lasting memories wherever he went.

“Christopher’s kindness, laughter, and love will never be forgotten. He leaves behind a family and many friends who will carry his memory with them always.

“Ride off into the sunset, Christopher, until we meet again. Forever loved, forever missed.”

North Yorkshire Police previously issued an appeal to trace the driver of a red Seat Ibiza believed to have been travelling directly behind the Corsa at the time of the crash.

The force said the Seat’s driver “may hold vital information that could assist with the investigation”.

Police are urging anyone who saw the crash or either of the vehicles before to email mark.patterson@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101 and ask for Mark Patterson quoting reference 12260103591.

LeBron James has confirmed that he will play in a 24th NBA season – but he will be in search of a new team.

The basketball star has informed the Lakers that he will be competing elsewhere and that the franchise can ‘move on without him,’ according to ESPN.

A bidding war is likely to soon be underway for the services of the 41-year-old in what could be his ‘last dance’ in the 2026-27 campaign.

His departure not only raises questions about his future, but that of his son and Lakers teammate Bronny James as well. 

The move was confirmed by Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, who wrote on social media, ‘LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers – including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.’

Hours later, James responded with a tweet of his own, saying, ‘No, THANK YOU! Truly a honor to wear the [purple and gold] while trying to continuing [sic] the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.’ 

James’s departure puts the immediate future of the Lakers up for debate as he leaves a vacuum

Rumors have linked James to join USA Olympic teammate Steph Curry on Golden State

Speculation about James’s future has linked him to a return to either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Miami Heat. There is also the possibility he could join USA Olympic teammate Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State links have particularly gained steam after rumors suggested the team may be looking to bring in both James and Anthony Davis to make a final push for a title.

Considering his age, it is hard to determine what James’s contract value would be. But his status as the most popular player in the game is enough for any team to consider offering him a deal. 

On the court, James also hasn’t shown massive regression in terms of production. In the season aged 41, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 60 games.

His final months with the Lakers were defined by tension with his will-he, won’t-he status for the upcoming season – as well as rumors he didn’t appreciate the way he was being treated by the organization.

There is also the issue of his son, Bronny, who may now be left on his own in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, Bronny remained on the Lakers’ roster – confirming and guaranteeing the third season of his four-year rookie contract.

But as a source told the Daily Mail, that decision proved to be a key point of contention between James and the Lakers.

James’s departure will open up a bidding war for his services from NBA teams

It may also complicate the dynamic his son, Bronny James, has with the Lakers

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‘All the Golden State talk is legit, and LeBron is very interested in going there, but by leaving, he is going to leave his son high and dry and he won’t be there to protect his career that most believe only exists because of him in the first place,’ the source revealed. 

‘If LeBron ends up signing with the Lakers, he is expecting Bronny to be signed to a new contract himself. If the Lakers don’t promise that, then he will head to Golden State immediately.’

Now, even though Bronny has a guaranteed contract, James is now off to new pastures – leaving behind a leadership and talent vacuum in Los Angeles that the Lakers will now scramble to fill in free agency.

Within the past week, the Lakers signed two-guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million deal to keep him alongside superstar Luka Doncic.

But beyond those two, the Lakers’ roster is in massive need of improvement – with the three-through-five spots projected to be filled by Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Deandre Ayton.

James leaves behind a complicated legacy with the Lakers. While he did experience success with the team, he was one of the rare examples of an NBA legend choosing Los Angeles – but failing to truly cement himself as a franchise icon.

After arriving in Southern California in 2018 from Cleveland, James won his fourth NBA title with the Lakers in 2020 in what would be the pinnacle of his LA career.

James won the 2020 Finals with the Lakers, but failed to reach the championship series again

In the years to follow, James and the Lakers would reach the playoffs in five of six seasons – but suffered first-round eliminations in three of them. 

They reached the 2023 Western Conference Finals before being swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. This past season, they were swept in the conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

During his time there, James set the record for the most points scored, most games played, most minutes played, most field goals (and field goal attempts) and most turnovers in an NBA career.

He arrived in Los Angeles after his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers – where he made four straight NBA Finals and won the 2016 championship.

Prior to Cleveland, James won a pair of NBA titles as part of the ‘Big Three’ in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. 

Thomas Hugh Robinson was wearing a balaclava and was wearing a jacket with the hood up in a bid to disguise himself as he used  a hammer to force the employee to open two tills and hand over money, York Crown Court heard.

But as the 28-year-old robber left the Co-op, the shopworker was already contacting his colleagues and police were immediately alerted, said Kelly Clarke, prosecuting.

Less than an hour after the robbery, police were at the robber’s home, an officer having identified Robinson from the shop’s CCTV despite his attempt to disguise himself.

He had walked into the shop at 7.50pm on February 8 and police arrested him at 8.47pm.  In a kitchen drawer they found £215 in £5 and £10 notes taken from the shop, said Ms Clarke.

Today Robinson, who lives 10 minutes’ walk from the shop in Coggan Close, South Bank, York, is starting more than five years in jail and the £215 has been confiscated.

In his personal statement, the victim said: “On the night of the robbery, there was too much adrenaline to think about what happened.

It was a first for me, I’ve never had anything like this happen before.

“I was in shock and numb to what had happened, but in the back of my mind I knew the incident was really going to impact me.”

He said as he gave his witness statement to police “on the surface I was acting normal, but underneath I could feel the panic was setting in, asking myself what just happened and why did it happen to me.”

After Robinson was sentenced Detective Constable Alex Dorlin, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Robinson subjected a member of staff who was simply doing his job to a terrifying ordeal.

“No one comes to work expecting to be threatened with a hammer.

“This case is a clear example of how – quite apart from the financial loss to businesses – the long-term emotional impact of retail crime can be devastating.

“An immediate and effective response by officers to the report meant we had the evidence we needed to secure a conviction, and ensure Robinson faces the consequences of his actions.”

Robinson didn’t answer police questions on the day he was arrested, February 8, and was released on bail.

When response officer PC Sophie Riley, went with other officers to Robinson’s home on February 8, they found clothing that matched that worn by the robber seen in the CCTV footage.

The shop employee gave officers the jacket he was wearing at the time of the robbery and they sent it to forensic scientists who found Robinson’s DNA on its sleeve. 

York Crown Court heard he had dragged the employee into the cashier’s booth.

Robinson was rearrested on April 24 and again refused to answer police questions. He was charged and has been in custody ever since.

Under a deposit return scheme, people get money back when they return containers to places like supermarkets

People in Wales will have to pay 50p extra for drinks sold in glass bottles unless changes are made by the new Welsh Government to a controversial recycling scheme, it has been warned.

A deposit return scheme is due to start operating across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in October 2027, covering plastic bottles and metal cans only.

It means people get money back for taking recyclable containers back to a specified location, like a supermarket, and help cut down on waste.

In Wales, the previous Labour government also wanted the scheme here to include glass bottles and concerns were raised about a different system operating in different countries.

However, industry leaders now say time is of the essence and that any further delays could prevent Wales from having a functioning scheme when the rest of the UK goes live.

They say that unless the countries all go live at the same time, the scheme is open to fraud.

They also say that if Wales goes ahead with glass included in the scheme, producers would need to charge 50p per bottle on glass drinks sold in Wales.

Under the scheme, which operates in countries like Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland, a redeemable deposit is placed on specific drinks containers that can be claimed when the item is returned to a collection point, such as a local supermarket.

People don’t need a receipt or proof of purchase, so anyone can return their own drinks containers or ones that they find, as long as they’re in good condition.

Exchange for Change has been appointed as the scheme administrator for the deposit return scheme in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to manage collection, recycling, and reverse vending machine operations and is waiting to hear if its application to also be the Welsh scheme administrator will be accepted

The industry is commiting a £1bn, it is said, to get ready for the scheme to launch. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

A letter has been sent to rural resilience minister Llyr Gruffydd asking him to take action over what it calls “significant delays”. It is signed by bosses of Radnor Hills, Brecon Carreg, Brains and Penderyn, among other members of the British Soft Drinks Association.

The letter reads: “We write to you as Welsh small and medium sized drinks manufacturers, all significant employers, to express our urgent concerns about the delayed appointment of a scheme administrator for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Wales.

“With just fifteen months until the DRS across the rest of the United Kingdom goes live in October 2027, there is no time left to deliver a scheme that is materially different in Wales.

“Going it alone would create significant challenges for our businesses and reduce choice for Welsh consumers.

“The economics of the scheme mean requiring full scale collection infrastructure for glass in Wales could necessitate a producer fee as high as 50p for every single glass bottle sold in Wales, a figure exemptions would only push higher. The practical outcome of this will be higher prices for Welsh shoppers as well as fewer glass products on Welsh shelves, fewer viable Welsh businesses like ours, and fewer Welsh jobs.

“Independent Welsh business will be hardest hit trying to manage this challenge. To ensure Welsh citizens are not disadvantaged and left out of a world class scheme the Welsh Government must appoint the UK scheme administrator, Exchange for Change, as the Deposit Management Organisation for Wales and be pragmatic about glass by compromising and resolving that issue separately”.

The Welsh Government did not mention glass being exluded. But a spokesperson said: “This new government is committed to ambitious action on climate and nature, and a Deposit Return Scheme is an internationally proven way of delivering both environmental and economic benefits. The scheme must work for Wales, and we will continue to work closely with industry to ensure the arrangements are right.

“There is a formal process underway to appoint a Deposit Management Organisation. It is inaccurate to suggest there has been a delay, and it would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of the ongoing formal process.”

The supermarket chain has announced plans to open its first branch in Seaham.

The store would be built on George Street in Seaham’s industrial estate, on the site of the former Katmex factory.

David Murphy from Lidl said: “We are delighted to unveil plans for our first-ever store in Seaham. A new Lidl store off George Street would provide residents with easy access to our high quality and affordable products, create around 40 local jobs, and bring this site back into productive use.

“We look forward to speaking with residents at our drop-in event and gathering feedback to help shape the progress of this scheme.”

Former Katmex site in Seaham. (Image: Google Maps)

Lidl says the new shop would create around 40 jobs.

Plans also describe a customer car park with parent‑and‑child bays, accessible spaces, EV charging points and cycle parking.

Solar panels are proposed for the store roof, which Lidl says could generate up to a quarter of the energy needs for what would be the first-ever Lidl in Seaham.

A public consultation event will take place on Monday, July 13, at Seaham Library between 4pm and 6.45pm to discuss the plans.

Residents have already been sharing their opinions online, with some welcoming the plans and others raising concerns about potential traffic issues.

One commenter supporting the new store said it would “stop people trailing through Grangetown or Peterlee for Lidl, keeps more shopping local.”

Meanwhile, another wrote: “Traffic will be horrendous… we definitely don’t need a Lidl in Seaham, there’s plenty of shops available.”

Another wrote: “Yes to Lidl, location not so much due to traffic increase getting out on to tempest road.”

One of Channel 4’s most beloved comedy shows could soon be galloping back onto our screens.

More than two decades after Smack the Pony aired its final episode, original star Sally Phillips has revealed that the team has been offered a television special, with work already underway on brand-new sketches.

The cult sketch show, which launched in 1999, became a defining comedy of the era thanks to the surreal humor and sharp satire of Phillips, Fiona Allen, and Doon Mackichan.

Now, after years of fans hoping for a revival, it appears the trio are finally getting another chance.

Appearing on the Sunday Brunch Picky Bits podcast, Phillips confirmed the long-awaited return is in the works.

‘We’ve been offered a special, so we’ll do a special,’ she revealed.

The project follows the cast’s reunion at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they revisited the show in front of live audiences in a chat show format.

Phillips admitted she was stunned by the response. ‘It went well actually. People came and liked it,’ she said.

‘It was amazing that these sketches that I’d done at 27, people knew the lines to now. It was really touching.’

While fans can expect plenty of fresh material, the revival will also reunite many of the creative minds behind the original.

‘There was a writers’ room of about six people but anyone could submit and then we re-worked them and improvised them,’ Phillips explained.

For longtime viewers, the news will feel especially satisfying after the show’s creators spent years trying to bring it back.

Back in 2019, Mackichan revealed the trio had already written new sketches and pitched a revival to broadcasters, only to be repeatedly turned down.

Speaking at the time, she admitted she feared the cast’s age had become a stumbling block. ‘It’s just been really difficult,’ she told The i newspaper.

‘We’ve pitched to a few places and it’s not happening. I don’t know whether it’s older women but it’s not happening, which is, to me, astonishing.’

She added: ‘You think, how funny does it have to be?’

Fortunately for fans, attitudes appear to have changed.

While no transmission date has yet been announced, Phillips’ comments suggest the special is no longer just wishful thinking but an active project, marking the first new Smack the Pony material since the series ended in 2003.

For a generation of comedy fans who can still quote its most memorable sketches line for line, that’s likely to be very welcome news indeed.

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The new Cambridge South station officially opened on Sunday (June 28)

A new train station in Cambridge has been dubbed a “game changer” for the city. The multi-million pound Cambridge South station officially opened on Sunday (June 28), after being delayed twice.

Managing director for GBR Anglia, Jamie Burles, has dubbed the new station as a “game changer” for Cambridge. He added: “It’s tremendously exciting and that’s not just me speaking, that’s all of the passengers. There seems to be a real sense of joy.”

Following Sunday’s official opening, Jamie added that it looked “brilliant”. He said: “The station was looking fabulous.

“There were so many people walking to the station at 6.30am in the morning. But then, the first train rolled out of the sidings on time, called at the station on time, departed on time and there was a big cheer from everyone. So yeah, it was a bit of a party atmosphere yesterday. Everything worked, which was brilliant.”

There is no parking at Cambridge South, but it features up to 1,000 cycle spaces, as well as a pick-up and drop-off area on the hospital side of the station.

On the lack of parking, Jamie added: “We’re on greenbelt land, so we had to adhere to the Cambridge local plan. Therefore, we had to make this station super well-connected.

“So, we’ve got space for up to 1,000 bicycles. We’ve got access to walking routes, cycle routes, the Cambridge guided busway just over the road and other bus services.”

Trains travelling through the station will be Thameslink, Great Northern, Greater Anglia, and Cross Country. Adrian Gogay, infrastructure director for Thameslink and Great Northern said it was “brilliant” to see the new station open.

He added: “At Thameslink and Great Northern, we’re going to be offering multiple services from the station, with connectivity up to Cambridge and down to London. We have two Great Northern services of transport down to Kings Cross in 45 minutes and beyond. This is a brilliant investment in not just the rail network, but the entirety of the economy.”

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The station is next to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Royal Papworth Hospital, benefitting hospital staff, students, and patients. Roland Sinker, on behalf of Cambridge University, said the station opening is an “enormously exciting and important moment”.

Roland added: “The opening of the station is incredible in its own right. What it really means is access to jobs for our population and new treatments. It means the catalytic effect for industry, the university, the National Health Service (NHS), which is working on treatments for the future and world.

“I think it’s a really good sign of what a good built environment can look like, which we’ve got to take forward sensitively as we move into the next phase of the development of Cambridge.”

The station has been funded with £250 million from the Government, as well as £5 million from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Astrazeneca, and the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

The family business announced its closure earlier this month

A Cambridgeshire town has been left without a butcher after its final shop closed due to “financial pressures”. Whittlesey has lost its butcher All About Meat, due to a “continued rise” in bills.

The business, on Broad Street, was formerly called Jones Butchers between 1957 and 2025 before it was taken over in June last year. Two other butchers dating back to the early 1900s have been there, reports the BBC.

The closure was confirmed by All About Meat on social media earlier this month. Announcing the closure, a spokesperson for the shop said: “Due to the continued rise in rent, utility bills and other operating costs, we have reached the difficult decision that we can no longer continue trading.

“This is a decision we never wanted to make, but unfortunately the financial pressures have become too great.”

The team thanked “every single customer” who has supported them over the last year, adding “your loyalty, kindness and custom have meant the world to us”.

The statement continued: “We are deeply sorry to let our customers down and know this news will come as a disappointment to many. Please know that this decision has not been made lightly. Thank you for supporting a local family business and for being part of our journey. We will always be grateful for the support you have shown us.”

Since the announcement on social media, it has received almost 50 comments in response. One person wrote: “I was gutted to find out you’d closed! Whittlesey without a butcher’s shop is unheard of.”

Another person wrote: “You guys are Whittlesey family for meat, all other butchers never compared to your quality and service”.

Meanwhile, others said they were “devastated” and highlighted that the business will be missed.