She successfully prosecuted child killer Mark Bridger as one of Wales’ leading barristers. Now Elwen Evans faces an altogether different type of case to resolve

On almost any metric the university sector is changing. Declining participation rates, rising costs, and changes in policy relating to international students have hit the sector from multiple directions.

Higher education bosses have warned no institution is immune to pressures. That is being shown in participation numbers particularly in Wales. The 2025 cycle saw the second-smallest proportion of 18-year-olds applying to university from Wales.

Early indications are that this has flatlined in the current year, bucking the UK-wide trend for increased participation rates. The gap in 18-year-old participation between Wales and the rest of the UK is, sector authorities say, a very significant concern.

Hundreds of jobs have been cut at universities across Wales triggering fears about their sustainability but also the offer to students.

Students themselves will, from September, face fees of £9,790 for undergraduate courses plus the cost of housing and expenses.

One of those tasked with solving not only her own institution’s approach to all those problems, but now as a spokesperson for all nine Welsh universities, is Elwen Evans. Formidable is probably the only appropriate word with which to introduce her.

She is regarded as one of the UK’s leading criminal barristers. During her legal career she was involved in some of the most high-profile criminal cases in Wales in recent years including prosecuting Mark Bridger, the murderer of April Jones, and defending the owner of the Gleision mine where four men died.

As King’s Counsel, a Recorder, she has been a bencher of Gray’s Inn since 2006. Between 2002 and 2015 Ms Evans was the head of Iscoed Chambers in Swansea.

In 2015 she combined legal work with being head of the College of Law and Criminology at Swansea University. She then became the institution’s pro-vice-chancellor before becoming vice-chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

In 2015, when she entered the world of higher education, universities were still expanding. Few places was it more evident than in Swansea with the boom of the Bay Campus changing even the physical appearance of the city. By August last year when she took over as chair of Universities Wales, tasked with representing the interests of Wales’ nine universities, the climate was radically different.

Since taking over she has been clear that while universities should be, and are, an integral part of Welsh life the changes are, in her words, complex and urgent.

Wales will need an additional 400,000 graduates by 2035. While recent UK figures, though, show there were 619,360 applicants – a record high – and 40.7% of 18-year-olds applying for university the percentage in Wales was much lower. Here only 32.1% of 18-year-olds were making an application.

Only the northeast of England performs worse on that measure. The mature market – classed as those aged 25 and over – also continued to decline.

In Wales the gap in higher education participation between the most and least disadvantaged is wider than elsewhere in the UK.

With those warning signs on the horizon, and given her career to date and reputation, why, I ask, did she made the decision to move away from practising law?

She admits she had “kept her hand in” when she was head of Swansea’s law school but when she became pro-vice-chancellor the workload, and perception of two high-profile jobs, meant she felt she had to stand back.

She retains her practising certificate just in case, she says. “I still can’t quite sort of bring myself to sort of stop that identity. Because I think once you’re a lawyer, a trial lawyer, you’re always a lawyer.

“Strangely enough some elements of being a lawyer have been quite useful in the sort of new role.

“I enjoy [the new role] because you really feel you are potentially making, if it goes right, a difference that impacts on your students, your staff, your places. So that’s a real privilege to be doing that.

“If you get it wrong then it’s quite a responsibility but one’s working with fabulous teams of people, whether it’s Universities Wales [or] whether it’s within one’s own university.

“There are some wonderful people working in the sector and it’s really great to be working with them to try and make that difference.

“In a trial you’re really only, if it goes right [or] if it goes wrong, you’re impacting on that case. In the context of universities it’s possibly a different sort of impact.

“I think it’s been clear that the sector has faced challenges for some time, and it’s become increasingly evident, but it’s a great sector to be in because at the end of the day education is absolutely at the heart of any community, any country.

“So for me at least trying to have some role in helping to understand what those challenges are, but more significantly, what the steps forward may be that bring sustainability, that enhances social cohesion, social mobility, participation, trying to play however small that role is, I think, is a real privilege.”

She says her own journey, from west Wales to renowned barrister, is proof of what education can do to change lives.

Coming from a first-language-Welsh farming family her father, now 94, was an apprentice carpenter while her mother, 96, left grammar school at 14 to go home to help run the farm, holding a certificate in dairy farming.

She, however, got a double first at Cambridge.

“I never plan. I have not planned my life. I’ve just tended to sort of go… I went to Cambridge, did my Bar finals in London because you had to do them then. In London there was only one place you could do them. Then did my pupillage in London and then came back to Wales,” she says.

When I ask if her motivation is to give the same chance sto the next generation of Elwen Evanses she replies with a smile: “Well I wouldn’t wish a next generation of Elwen Evans is on anyone. But for that next generation of young people so that they can have those opportunities to take decisions that sometimes are not the expected ones.

“I’ve taken a lot of decisions that are not the obvious sort of career choices and I think I’ve been able to do that because of the power of education.

“So it sounds a bit twee but, ultimately, it is the power of education, whatever type suits you, that really gives you the ability, I think, to thrive in your chosen world of operation.”

But one of the questions facing the students of today is whether the expense is worth it – particularly in light of a changing work world along with the growth of AI and subsequent changes in job prospects in particular fields.

“The sort of levels of debt that some students are experiencing you can see that that becomes a real question mark in their heads. ‘Is this really what I want to be doing?’

“I think that’s become more acute more recently but it was clear, I think, that there were some big questions that needed to be asked and addressed.

“And it’s an entirely non-political point but if one looks for example at the current government in Wales they’ve commissioned a significant piece of work, ‘The future of tertiary education in Wales five challenges and a call for evidence’, and they’ve identified areas of participation in equality, financial sustainability, demographic change, economic delivery, competition, and collaboration as areas that need to be the subject of a call for evidence.

“Plaid Cymru has said that they would look at a review of the funding model, sustainability of the funding model not just of course for the institutions but also for the students, and how are you going to maintain the students?”

Aside from a change in the makeup of the Senedd, and the political groupings, a non-Labour-led government for the first time in devolution could well change an awful lot more after May 7.

Careful throughout our conversation to walk the pre-election tightrope of not sharing any opinion at such a volatile time she says: “My sense is that all of the parties, in whatever combinations and whatever colours, recognise the significance of education and so I think being able to work and seek to help influence and shape policy and any policy changes that may be considered appropriate from day one.”

So what, I ask, could be done to make the sector sustainable.

“I think what we’re looking for is a structure in place and an operationalisation of what we are doing that is financially sustainable by which I would mean thrives for the future. So that you’ve got places where your students can go and have that fantastic experience that higher education gives but it’s part of a really big ecosystem of education and of course of prosperity and nation-building and all of those things that would I hope help underpin Wales’ future under whichever colour of government we get.

“We’ve been quite careful in positioning our asks in the manifesto. We’re asking for that independent review of university funding student support, an independent review of degree apprenticeships, an independent commission on participation.

“We don’t want to come to the table saying: ‘We think we’ve got the answers to this and we know what the solutions are’.

“We want to convene and be part of a convening a conversation about what the options are.

“I think there’s a wide range of possibilities but an awful lot of that will depend on the policies of the next government in Wales.

“It’s an unbelievably complicated landscape because of that jagged edge between England and Wales because although we are devolved as education in Wales as a sector we obviously have an awful lot of cross-border involvement and engagement and of course global involvement as well.”

Does she think the worst, in terms of redundancies, has now passed for Welsh universities? “I can’t comment on individual universities because that’s very much within the patch of those individual vice-chancellors and their governing bodies and so on and the decisions that they need to be making.

“But for me success is ensuring that we get to a place where all of us as a sector are thriving and not having to put energy and time and focus into: ‘What are we doing in this year?’. Let us look at that medium-, longer-term horizon.

“In a world where there is so much change going on, whether it’s in Wales or broadly globally, and after the pandemic we owe it to the students of today and the future to try and ensure that there is a stable, secure environment within which they can look to achieve their ambitions.

“It was education that gave me, I think, a wonderful life and a range of opportunities. It is what unlocks the door to a lot of life chances isn’t it? And I think we need to be looking at the ways we can ensure that all of the young people in Wales have that opportunity.

“I do have a thing around hierarchy. It’s not all about academic success is it? It’s not all about going to university and it’s making sure that there are opportunities for all the young to achieve their objective.” For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

The point has been made that universities have become too focused on their approach as businesses, rather than their role in places or to their students. Is that fair?

“I understand the point but the reality is that is where policy has driven them because you can only operate if you are financially sustainable and so that has become an inevitability. I don’t think any of us find that the space where we would have chosen to be,” she says.

“It’s a real challenge at the moment and I hope I don’t sound too trite in saying this but the time of challenge also gives the opportunity to look at things differently and I think that’s a part of the landscape that having a review into these different things may help shape because you can’t assume that what we did 10 years ago is necessarily going to be the shape of the future.”

As if to demonstrate just how interwoven higher education is when we meet in central Cardiff, from the windows surrounding us, two universities and a higher education college are within our eyelines.

Does she have faith in the future however it will look? “I absolutely have faith in the future because we have to have faith in the future and people will always be wanting to achieve their ambitions and have the opportunity to reach their dreams won’t they? Whether it will look the same way it looks now? Probably not.

“I think things will look different but in a sense that’s why we’ve got a different sort of structure in Wales, the tertiary sector.

“Universities will absolutely be at the heart of that future but it has to be at the heart and the future of our graduates but also of Wales. To be a strong, this isn’t a political point at all, but I think to be a strong country into the future we need strong universities, we need successful education, we need to drive prosperity, we need research and innovation that is going to position us where we should be.”

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Clare McAlister told of the family’s heartache amid a rehousing struggle, with their home in Harthill, North Lanarkshire, no longer suitable for husband Thomas’ needs.

A disabled Scots dad, who was fit and adventurous before a stroke nine years ago left him paralysed, has been “trapped” upstairs in his family home for years. Thomas McAlister’s family blame “systemic failures” for the 66-year-old’s diminished quality of life.

In 2017, Thomas, then aged 57, suffered a stroke while behind the wheel of his car after a fishing trip near Lockerbie. The dad-of-two was rushed to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, before being transferred to St Johns Hospital in Livingston where he spent three months recovering.

The tragic stroke left the left side of Thomas’ body paralysed. Now, his speech is “very little” and he can only feed himself independently if the food is cut up small. His wife Clare, daughter Krisheron, and son Byron have become his full-time carers.

The family’s life has “never been the same”, says wife Clare, 62, who is “living in constant fear”.

Speaking to Glasgow Live, Clare told of the family’s heartache amid a rehousing struggle, with their home in Harthill, North Lanarkshire, no longer suitable for Thomas’ needs.

Claire said: “Before falling ill, Boyd (Thomas) lived an active life, he liked to keep himself busy. Now he is bedbound, and for the past five years has been trapped in his upstairs bedroom after the stairlift we had installed was removed as it was no longer safe for transfers.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking, he is completely isolated, it’s soul destroying.”

In May 2025, Thomas fell seriously ill and contracted sepsis. A 999 call was made immediately by a doctor who assessed him at home, however, the family claim it took crews over three-and-a-half hours to remove him from the property, during which time he suffered three cardiac arrests.

Clare – who sleeps on a mattress on the floor next to her husband’s bed – say the family are “living in constant fear” of another life-threatening incident, as there is “no safe evacuation route” for her husband.

The family have lived in their Harthill home for around 30 years, but now require a single-storey property with enough space for Thomas’ hospital bed and equipment.

Clare continued: “A new home all on one level would be life-changing for us, it would eliminate so many problems. Boyd requires 24-hour care, someone needs to be nearby in case of emergencies, or to hear him should he need anything.

“Over the years he has been completely isolated from family life. We try our best, we really do. You know, last Christmas we ate our dinner on an ironing board just so we could all be in the same room as Boyd. I’d hate for him to ever be left out, it breaks my heart.”

It is understood that North Lanarkshire Council offered the family a newly built property in June 2024 however, it was declined as it “did not meet Boyd’s needs”, and according to Clare, had stairs.

“Boyd has not been outside in five years, he has missed hospital appointments and has been advised to only attend in emergencies”, Clare added.

And son Byron said his dads mental health has “deteriorated significantly, he has little to no stimulation.”

The family blame “systemic failures” for Thomas’ decline in livelihood, and claim communication has “broken down” with the council’s housing and social work teams.

A council housing project, delivering 26 new homes for the local community, is currently underway on Laburnum Road in Viewpark, North Lanarkshire. One property will be a four-bedroom bungalow, a home which would be suitable for the McAlister’s who have been on the housing list for several years.

Though, despite enquiring, the family claim they were told that the property – which is due to be complete by January 2027 – is already earmarked for someone else. The setback has left Clare and her children “heartbroken”.

North Lanarkshire Council confirmed that the McAlister family have been offered “a flexible care package” but Clare insists on caring for her husband at home. She added: “Don’t get me wrong, I do long for the life we once had, but Boyd is not a burden. He is my husband and we will continue to look after him. It’s our family’s love that has kept us going over the years.

“There has been failures here since day dot, in 2017. It’s made me lose faith in people – it’s the full sector as a whole really.”

A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We recognise this is a difficult situation for Mr McAlister and his family, and our priority is to work with them to find a solution that meets his assessed needs as quickly as possible.

“Mr McAlister requires highly adapted, wheelchair-accessible accommodation. A newly built property which met these needs was offered in June 2024, however this was declined by the family.

“We continue to work closely with them, however their request for a four-bedroom, bungalow-style property significantly limits the options available, as this type of accommodation is extremely scarce. Despite this, we are actively exploring both existing housing and new-build opportunities to find a suitable solution.

“Our social work team have also offered ongoing support, advice and a flexible care package, but the family have chosen not to take this up and prefer to manage care themselves at present.”

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Inserting garlic rectally can boost your immune system. Tomatoes will thin the blood as effectively as prescribed heart medication. Skin cream made from yams outperforms HRT for menopause symptoms…

These are just some examples of the rogue health advice currently circulating online. Of course, none of these claims are true – but some could potentially be fatal.

When documentary‑maker Sam Tullen noticed a surge of fake doctors, nurses and avuncular‑looking experts pushing misleading health tips across his social media, he decided to find out where the were coming from and who was profiting.

‘I was getting these AI‑generated health videos all over my feed and I wanted to know who was behind them. There is so much online now and it is becoming harder to spot the truth,’ Sam tells Metro. 

‘One video said if you have a tumour, use this essential oil and it will be gone within a week. Another claimed garlic water outperforms antibiotics and that pharmaceutical companies buried the study to make money.

‘There was even one that said: if you have a lump, do not see a doctor. This turmeric soup will make it disappear in 24 hours. These are just crazy claims,’ he says.

Sam says he tracked these videos until they were taken down after around a day or so, however similar clips are uploaded every week across social media, in a bid to keep the cycle going. 

Metro also quickly found a fake video claiming to fix clogged arteries with ginger and apple cider vinegar, while one said that a tincture of salt, lemon and cinnamon and ‘one secret ingredient’ mimics the effect of liposuction. Another AI video we discovered promised to fix erectile dysfunction with milk, eggs and honey.

This constant spewing of fake experts doling out rogue advice, is known as content farming – a mass production of low‑quality, superficial material designed to maximise views, clicks and ad revenue. 

The scam advice encourages clicks which enables content farmers to make money from affiliate links.

Many of the clips Sam has seen mostly on Facebook and Instagram are crafted to look like expert advice, supposedly revealing what the healthcare industry is trying to hide.

Reading the comments, Sam became concerned that people believe the advice and delay proper medical treatment. ‘I saw people talking about the content and discussing what helps with their ailment, and that maybe they should give this advice a try. It was alarming’, he says.  

Over three weeks in March, he messaged hundreds of accounts posing as an aspiring content farmer in the hope that he could understand how and why they work. 

None replied. Eventually, he reverse‑searched one video and traced it to an account belonging to someone calling himself Bilal Roy, who had posted on LinkedIn.

The post, clearly written by AI, claimed he earned $10,000 per month from AI‑generated affiliate links and was offering to mentor others to do the same. 

Sam doesn’t know whether Bilal was using a fake name, but he’s been unable to track him down anywhere on social media, so he thinks it was an alias the person was using to conceal himself. However, he is sure the post was written using ChatGPT, due to the proliferation of emojis and em-dashes. 

So, Sam messaged him. Three hours later, he got a reply.

When the documentary-maker asked for proof that these accounts work and generate views, Bilal sent screenshots from logged‑in profiles of multiple content‑farming pages he claimed to own. They were generating more than 4 million impressions in a month across three accounts.

Hetold Sam that if he followed his advice, he would make at least $6,000 in his first month, and more than $10,000 thereafter.

Pretending to be interested in mentoring, Sam paid the $860 fee and scheduled a call, which Bilal later cancelled.

Instead, he was sent a ‘secret document’ via LinkedIn (which Metro has seen) outlining Bilal’s methods. It explained how they could use special affiliate tracking links to let a company know that a customer came through a recommendation and award them commission. It also suggested the best AI tools to use to produce the most convincing videos.

More troubling was the guidance on exploiting viewers’ health fears.

One page, describing which videos generate the most affiliate sales, stated: ‘it dont matter if lieing about the health tips or treatment just try to sell product’ [sic].

Another line instructed creators to ‘make them (the viewers) think they could get sick or even die so they buy it’.

It stunned Sam. ‘These horrible ethics shook me. These videos prey on people’s vulnerabilities, especially older users who do not understand AI. It is predatory and it could delay urgent care.

‘I am worried about the harm that can come from health misinformation. It can literally stop people seeking medical treatment because they believe in natural remedies or supplements that do not work.

‘AI allows this misinformation to spread like wildfire, impacting real lives.’
Armed with the document, Sam tried to arrange another call, this time to challenge Bilal, but his LinkedIn post and account had been deleted. Sam has not been able to find him since.

‘I believe he will be doing the same thing elsewhere under a different name,’ he says.

Through his online documentary series Disclosed, Sam hopes to give viewers the tools to separate fact from fiction. He is also investigating bots, illegal streaming and fame laundering, where influencers buy engagement and followers to inflate their online presence.

‘The series pulls back the digital curtain to expose hidden corners of the internet. It is getting harder to spot the truth, so this is a place where audiences can trust what they are being told, where they know they are not being misinformed about important topics,’ he says.

Sam is also calling for social media platforms to do more to monitor harmful health advice and for younger or more digitally savvy users to call out AI‑generated content wherever they see it.

‘If you want to know whether health advice is coming from a professional, ask yourself: is the account verified? Are they asking you to click links in their bio? That is a big red flag.

‘And if you are worried about something, go and see a doctor. Please do not take health advice from random online videos, as you do not know who is delivering it or why.’

Metro has reached out to Meta and Linkedin for comment.

Disclosed is produced by Tullen Productions – it will be available to watch on DOCO Documentaries from 6pm, Friday 1 May 2026.

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It will impact 200 restaurants across the UK and cut 3,800 jobs

Premier Inn’s parent company is set to close down two well-known restaurant chains, with numerous sites across the north west to be impacted.

Whitbread has announced it will shut the remainder of its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants. This will see 200 restaurants across the UK close down and will hit 3,800 jobs.

The closures comes as part of a new five-year strategy which will see the firm attempt to make a quarter of a billion pounds in cost savings while overhauling its restaurants. The firm said it will retain the vast majority of its 30,000-strong workforce, however the cuts will see roughly 12 percent of employees laid off across the closed locations, the Mirror reports.

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Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants are typically located next to or inside Premier Inn hotels. The closures will see Beefeater restaurants close after 50 years in business, while Brewers Fayre was not far off celebrating the same milestone in 2029.

Whitbread has blamed Rachel Reeves’ budget for the closures and its chief executive Dominic Paul said the move was necessary “in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and National Insurance”. The change will see Whitbread selling and leasing back up to £1.5 billion of its freehold properties, and will “recycle” the amount to “fund future growth”.

Speaking about the plan, Mr Paul said: “We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms. Our continued efforts to drive our commercial plan and efficiencies will extend our market-leading position and allow us to take share from our competitors, many of which are struggling to grow.”

Full list of Brewers Fayre restaurants set to close

• Abergavenny (Abergavenny)
• Afon Conwy (Conwy)
• Aire & Calder (Yorkshire)
• Bankhead Gate (Fife)
• Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria)
• Barry Island (Vale of Glamorgan)
• Bedford South (Bedfordshire)
• Bicester (Oxfordshire)
• Bideford (Devon)
• Bobbing Apple (Kent)
• Brampton Hut (Cambridgeshire)
• Brookers Oast (Kent)
• Burton House (Lincolnshire)
• The Carousel (Yorkshire)
• Castlewood (Derbyshire)
• Central Park (Warwickshire)
• Cepen Park (Wiltshire)
• Chafford Hundred (Essex)
• Chequers Corner (Essex)
• Cheswold Lodge (Yorkshire)
• The Clarence Pier (Hampshire)
• Cockermouth (Cumbria)
• Cottams Field (Lancashire)
• Craig House (Edinburgh)
• Crossways (Caerphilly)
• Dalesway (Yorkshire)
• Derry City (Northern Ireland)
• The Drove (Sussex)
• Duke of York (Kent)
• Exeter (Devon)
• The Farrier (Lincolnshire)
• Flagstaff Island (Leicestershire)
• Freebridge Farm (Norfolk)
• Glastonbury (Somerset)
• Gordano Gate (Bristol)
• The Hampton (Peterborough)
• Hanley (Staffordshire)
• The Harbour (Northern Ireland)
• The Howgate (Cumbria)
• Inn On The Quay (Devon)
• Inshes Gate (Highland)
• Kembrey Inn (Wiltshire)
• Kincardine Way (Falkirk)
• King William IV (Nottinghamshire)
• Lakeland Gate (Cumbria)
• Lewins Mead (Bristol)
• Lock Keeper (Derbyshire)
• Lodmoor (Dorset)
• Loggans Moor (Cornwall)
• Mains of Balquharn (Aberdeenshire)
• The Marina (Leicestershire)
• The Mayflower (Essex)
• Minehead (Somerset)
• Monkey Puzzle (Hampshire)
• Mulberry Tree (Essex)
• Newhaven Quay (Edinburgh)
• Oakenhurst Farm (Lancashire)
• Oaks (Norfolk)
• Ocean Park (Cardiff)
• Ocean Plaza (Merseyside)
• Old Nelson (Gloucestershire)
• Old West Quay (County Durham)
• Orbital (Staffordshire)
• Papermill (Buckinghamshire)
• Pirnhall Inn (Stirlingshire)
• Queens Crossing (Edinburgh)
• The Redwood (Staffordshire)
• Rhubarb Triangle (Yorkshire)
• Rising Sun (Hertfordshire)
• Royal Quays (Newcastle)
• The Sandpiper (Carmarthenshire)
• Stable Gate (Lancashire)
• The Swallow (Suffolk)
• Swansea Vale (Swansea)
• Telford Lodge (Northamptonshire)
• Tindale Crossing (County Durham)
• Tirfounder Fields (Rhondda Cynon Taff)
• Turnpike (Yorkshire)
• Victoria Park (Gwent)
• Walsall (West Midlands)
• Water Mill (Yorkshire)
• The Wessex Flyer (Bristol)
• The Wessington (Sunderland)
• Wheatlea Park (Lancashire)
• Whittle Inn (Gloucestershire)
• Widnes (Cheshire)
• Willen Dragon (Buckinghamshire)
• The Windmill (Sussex)
• Winsor House (Greater London)

Full list of Beefeater restaurants set to close

• The Anchor (Lincolnshire)
• The Applecart (Oxford)
• Badgers Sett (Worcestershire)
• Bagle Brook (Port Talbot)
• Balmoral Inn (Hampshire)
• The Barn (Buckinghamshire)
• The Beacon (Kent)
• The Belgrave (Devon)
• Bentley Green (West Midlands)
• Border Gate (Cumbria)
• The Brache (Bedfordshire)
• The Brecks (South Yorkshire)
• Broomside Park (County Durham)
• The Bull (Kent)
• Carnon Inn (Cornwall)
• Centre (Dundee)
• The Coldra (Newport)
• Countess Wear (Devon)
• The Cricketers (Surrey)
• Crossbush (Sussex)
• Crows Nest (Hertfordshire)
• Deer Park (West Lothian)
• The Dukes Worksop (Nottingham)
• Eureka Park (Kent)
• Euston Way (Shropshire)
• The Farmhouse (Cheshire)
• Farnborough (Hampshire)
• The Fountain (Greater London)
• The Foxburrow (Suffolk)
• Frome Flyer (Bristol)
• George In The Tree (West Midlands)
• The Gifford (Bristol)
• Gourdie Croft (Dundee)
• The Granary (Cambridgeshire)
• Great Oak (Hampshire)
• Great Yarmouth Seafront (Norfolk)
• Griff House (Warwickshire)
• Halfway House (Bedfordshire)
• Halifax (West Yorkshire)
• Hamilton (Glasgow)
• Harbour Lights (Hampshire)
• Harlow Mill (Essex)
• The Haywain (Essex)
• Heaton Park (Lancashire)
• The Kingswood (East Yorkshire)
• Lady Nairne (Edinburgh)
• The Ladybridge (Staffordshire)
• The Lakeside (South Yorkshire)
• Liberty Bell (Essex)
• London Woolwich (Greater London)
• The Longbow (Rhondda Cynon Taff)
• Longbridge (West Midlands)
• Longford House (Staffordshire)
• The Longwall (Oxford)
• The Lydiard (Wiltshire)
• Malta Inn (Kent)
• Manor Farm (Kent)
• Marsh Mills (Devon)
• Medina Quay (Isle of Wight)
• Mill House (Surrey)
• Mill Lodge (Lincolnshire)
• Millers Barn (Nottingham)
• The Millfield (York)
• Moor Mill (Hertfordshire)
• Morris Dancers (Lancashire)
• Morton Park (County Durham)
• Moseley Park (West Midlands)
• Oakley Hay (Northamptonshire)
• Oast & Squire (Hampshire)
• The Orchard (Worcestershire)
• Oxford Kidlington (Oxford)
• Oyster Reach (Suffolk)
• Packet Steamer (Merseyside)
• The Parkway (Surrey)
• The Pavilion (Somerset)
• The Plough (Kent)
• Preston Brook (Merseyside)
• Priory Marina (Bedfordshire)
• Quay House (Lancashire)
• Rackstraws Farm (Berkshire)
• Red Lion (Lancashire)
• Redditch (West Midlands)
• Roman Way (Nottingham)
• Sir Thomas Wyatt (Kent)
• Smugglers Haunt (Dorset)
• The Somerford (Dorset)
• The Southcote (Berkshire)
• Springwood Park (Cheshire)
• Spruce Goose (Hampshire)
• Stag & Rainbow (Merseyside)
• Strawberry Field (Essex)
• The Talpore (County Durham)
• The Three Fish (Shropshire)
• Travellers Rest (Greater London)
• The Turnpike (Northamptonshire)
• Twelve Bells (Gloucestershire)
• Walston Castle (Cardiff)
• Ware (Hertfordshire)
• The Waterfront (Swansea)
• The Watermill (Essex)
• White Hart (Sussex)
• White Lodge (Somerset)
• White Rock (Devon)
• Whitegate Inn (Lancashire)
• Whitley Bay (Northumberland)
• The Woolpack (Kent)

It was praised for being ‘family friendly’ as well as having many local amenities

Residents say they like living in a neighbourhood just outside of Cambridge becasuse it is “well connected” and provides the “perfect balance” of city and village life. Trumpington is conveniently located around two miles away from the city centreand is home to more than 12,000 people according to the 2021 census.

Within the rather large neighbourhood, there are a number of amenities including convenience shops for essentials, parks, schools and local services. There are also a range of charming places to eat and drink such Sole & Duck Restaurant, Hudson’s Ale House and Cafe Trumpington.

As part of our Exploring Cambridgeshire series, we spoke to residents in Trumpington about what they think of it. Daniela Casti, 38, really enjoys living in Trumpington, but since having her child, she said: “We actually enjoy it much more because it is a quiet area, very family friendly, and there’s lots of playgrounds.”

Daniela commutes to London on the weekends and she either goes via Cambridge Station or to Royston and she believes it will be “much easier” when Cambridge South opens. “It is well connected to the city centre. So by bike, we can reach the city centre in seven minutes”, she added.

Hanako Kawasaki, 26, previously lived in Chesterton but moved to Trumpington around two years ago. Hanako “loves” living in the neighbourhood and says “it is much more residential” than Chesterton. Comparing it to Fen Ditton, Hanako said that Trumpington has similarities to the newly built area especially because of the architecture and houses.

The 26-year-old cycles from her house to the city, and said it can take around 10-minutes. She said this is ideal for her because it is “really close” to the city centre but still far enough away that she can enjoy her privacy.

Hanako said it has the “perfect balance” between village and city life, so that she can enjoy the nature around her, but not be far from shopping, cafes, and experience the “city vibe”. On the other hand, Hanako also feels as though Trumpington is swallowed by the city due to its close proximity, and bustling life.

She said that she would “highly recommend” Trumpington as a place to live for those who want “a good balance between city and nature”.

Raneem Almutairi, 32, has lived in Trumpington for around eight months. She said she thinks it is the “best area for families to live in Cambridge”. She added: “I like how everything is so close, we have supermarkets here, Sainsbury’s, Nisa, the library, schools here, so I think for families, it is perfect.”

The 32-year-old used to ‘love’ living in London but she said that now she has a family, living near Cambridge is “more reasonable” because of the close connections.

Oliver and Rachel have both lived in the neighbourhood for more than 20 years and have seen it “grow and change” overtime. More recently, Oliver said he lives in part of the newer development, and since moving there, he is of the opinion that it has “doubled in size” and is generally comprised of ‘wealthier people’.

Frazer Leader, 33, highlighted the ideal links to the city, and alternative transport options to get elsewhere. He is particularly looking forward to Cambridge South Station because he thinks that Trumpington will get “busier and busier” which will “build more of a community”.

It has been a long time, hasn’t it? With the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races, F1 has had an enforced and unexpected spring break after just three rounds of the new regulation set. But here we are, back in Miami for a sprint weekend, with some tweaks to the regulations.

Without going into too much detail – and the new regulations are so detailed that it beggars belief – there will, of course, be hope that the tweaks make for better, more sensible racing as well as bringing some of the challengers close to leaders Mercedes. Hard to say if that has happened on the basis of one (albeit extended) practice session in Miami, but there were some fairly promising signs.

Charles Leclerc was fastest for Ferrari ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, nearly 0.3sec behind, followed by Oscar Piastri, Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton and then the lead Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. George Russell, who is hoping to overturn the Italian’s championship advantage this weekend, was sixth, only marginally behind his team-mate.

I am not sure the additional 30 minutes in FP1 feels like enough time for the teams before sprint qualifying, but who cares? It’s up to them and the drivers to get on with it. Plenty of upgrades here as well as the regulation amendments, so let’s see if they have made a difference.

SQ1 begins at 9.30pm and the whole session should be done in about an hour, so let’s get back on with it, shall we?

​North Yorkshire Water Park wants to build a pair of padel courts at its site in Wykeham, Scarborough, which is located 1.5km south of the village of West Ayton.

​The site and facilities at the Water Park are accessed off Long Causeway Road.

​If the plans are approved by North Yorkshire Council, the two padel courts would be constructed at an accessible location adjacent to other sports facilities in “a safe environment”.

​Padel is a racquet sport that uses the same scoring conventions as lawn tennis, but is played on courts around a third smaller, the submitted plan states.

​The siting of the new padel courts has been proposed adjacent to the site’s main water park facilities, which are owned and managed by Dawnay Estates.

​The two courts would be enclosed by a lightweight steel frame and green wire mesh sides, incorporating tempered glass panels.

​Each court is set to be 10 metres wide and 20 metres long.

​The applicant said that the padel courts would be open for use between 8am and 9pm, seven days a week, and access would be via a code generated through an online booking system.

​The North Yorkshire Water Park has its own designated general manager, as well as other full and part-time staff, who ensure the site is well looked after and managed.

​According to submitted plans, the padel tennis court is owned and managed by Padel X and would be leased from the land owner if planning permission is granted.

​North Yorkshire Water Park boasts one of the largest natural water sports lakes in North Yorkshire and offers a “unique range of fun-filled activities, including stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, open water swimming, pedalos, and a zip line.

Padel Court Elevations, North Yorkshire Water Park. Courtesy Applicant

​Since its expansion in 2021, North Yorkshire Water Park has received around 80,000 visitors annually and has capacity for up to 1,000 people a day in the summer at peak levels.

​The site is “readily accessible” from the A170, is within an hour’s drive from York, Middlesbrough, Filey and Bridlington, and is only six miles from Scarborough, the applicant added.

​North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the application.

Ants are common in the spring, and it can be easy for them to get into your home, but two common items will get rid of them in seconds – and will also destroy the nest

You could banish your ant problem in seconds with a hack that uses just two common household items from your kitchen cupboard.

With winter now well and truly over, countless households are opening their windows wide and allowing the crisp spring breeze to flow through their homes. While warmer weather signals an end to cold and gloomy days and ushers in evenings of enjoying the garden, the arrival of spring does bring certain drawbacks.

Most significantly, spring marks the return of insects. Some of these creatures, such as bees and butterflies, are a delightful sight for keen gardeners, but others are far less welcome – particularly when they venture inside your property.

Ants are one pest that nobody wants to discover indoors. While they’re largely harmless in the garden, spotting them crawling across your kitchen worktops first thing in the morning can be deeply unsettling.

Fortunately, there’s a straightforward and effective solution to rid yourself of these uninvited visitors and stop them returning, using just two ingredients you’re likely to already have in your kitchen.

A viral TikTok clip showed how to combine baking soda and sugar to successfully tackle ant infestations. The technique also works on cockroaches, should you encounter them in your property, though they’re far less prevalent in the UK than in warmer nations such as the US.

The man in the video explained: “You’re going to need some baking soda and some sugar. It doesn’t really matter what kind of sugar you use, the sugar is just to attract the ants and the cockroaches.”

He recommended combining one cup of baking soda with one cup of sugar, though you can adjust the quantities depending on the severity of your infestation. The crucial thing to bear in mind is that the 1:1 ratio must be maintained – so if you add more baking soda, be sure to add more sugar as well.

Should the ants’ entry point be visible, he advises scattering the mixture directly over that spot. If the entry point cannot be located, it’s best to spread a layer of the powdery blend along the skirting boards instead.

He explained: “What’s going to happen is the cockroaches and the ants are both going to eat this mixture because they’re going to be attracted to the sugar. But it’s going to have baking soda mixed in with it.

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“They’re going to be completely fine for now, but when they go back to their nest, and they drink water, a chemical reaction will happen inside their stomach, and it’s going to kill them.”

What’s more, the ants will carry the mixture back to their colony, sharing it with fellow ants that never entered your home, ultimately resulting in the complete elimination of the entire nest.

How to get rid of ants in your home

To tackle an ant problem, you first need to make sure there’s no reason for the insects to find your home attractive. This means you need to remove food sources by cleaning up any crumbs, spills, or leftover food in your home. Empty your rubbish bins and wipe down countertops with a mixture of vinegar and water to destroy scent trails.

There are a range of home remedies you can use to try and get rid of ants:

1. Vinegar and water: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray this solution directly on ant trails, entry points, and even their nest if it is visible. Repeat daily and ants will lose interest in the area.
2. Lemon juice: Squeezing fresh lemon juice along ant entry points and windowsills can disrupt their scent trails and repel them, as they dislike the smell of citrus.
3. Baking soda and sugar: Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar together and place in shallow dishes near ant trails. The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda disrupts their digestive systems, killing them.
4. Ant bait: If these methods have not worked, you can buy commercial ant baits that the insects will carry back to their nest, killing the colony. This may take a few days to get results.

And North Yorkshire Police sent out a message to any other victims of abuse, saying: “It is never too late to tell us – we are here, and we will listen.”

As reported by The Press, Clive Michael Hartley was today (Friday, May 1) jailed for crimes he committed decades ago.

The child he raped didn’t tell police what had happened to her until  2024 – and then had to wait for two years to give evidence against him.

Today Hartley, 68, of Troutsbeck, Rawcliffe, is starting 14 years in jail.

Detective Constable Ebony Wonnacott of York and Selby CID praised the survivor’s bravery in coming forward and encouraged other survivors to get in touch.

She  said: “This has been a long journey for the victim in order to secure her deserved justice.

“I commend the victim’s courage in sharing what happened and her resilience in seeing out justice, despite the long and difficult process to get here.”

Det Con Wonnacott said: “I hope this case shows other survivors of abuse that the police are here for you, regardless of when the abuse took place.

“It is never too late to tell us – we are here, and we will listen.

“We are committed to bringing those responsible for such horrific abuse to justice – please don’t suffer in silence.”

Victims of rape and sexual abuse in North Yorkshire can contact police through the police website or by calling 101.

In an emergency, always call 999.

Support services are also available, including the North Yorkshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which can be reached on 0330 223 0362 or via acerhousesarc.co.uk.

If you’re short on time then a day trip can be an excellent way to see the most iconic sights of a city. This sunny destination under two hours from the UK has been named the best for a 24-hour break thanks to its compact centre

Is 24 hours really enough to experience a new city?

For people short on time or those who want to see only the highlights of a city, a 24-hour day trip can be a great way to get a taste of a new destination, if not a full-blown portion of a place.

Transport provider Mozio recently put together a list of the best European cities for a 24-hour holiday, and at the top is Barcelona: an iconic city with a flight time of under two hours from London.

Keen for a city to explore, and without much time to spare away from my busy family life back home, I hopped on a plane to the Catalonian capital to see how much of Barcelona I could take in in a single day.

Lke most visitors to Barcelona, I started off at the Sagrada Família. In fact, it wasn’t that long after I landed before I stood at the foot of Gaudí’s masterpiece, in awe of the way the ornate spires seemed to stretch endlessly towards the sky. Rosa, an endlessly cheerful and knowledgeable tour guide, was on hand to help me navigate this architectural behemoth.

The small group tour meant there was no aimless wandering. Not only did we skip the lines outside, but we also learned so much about the building, its little details, and the fascinating life of Gaudí, whose passion and money were poured endlessly into the project.

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A short walk away is the architect’s Casa Batlló, another attraction that is worth getting skip-the-line tickets for if you’re short of time. On the crowded pavement outside, crowds gather to take photos of the intricate facade, which features colorful mosaics resembling mermaid fins, skeletal columns, and balconies resembling masks with empty eyeholes.

Inside, Rosa led us through each beautifully designed room, explaining the features from the smooth, sleek, curved wood to the ombré tiles on the wall that get progressively darker as you climb the stairs. Every inch of the house has Gaudí’s architectural touches, down to the doorknobs.

A day isn’t a long time to try all the culinary delights that Spain has to offer, but one way to enjoy as much authentic cuisine as possible is to head to Mercat de la Boqueria. It was crowned the world’s best market by the New York Times, and it truly is a foodie heaven. The smell of jamón hangs in the air as you wander round stalls selling cones of cured meat, manchego cheese, olives, and other treats. Grab a bar stool and try some pintxos, a Spanish snack made up of small pieces of bread topped with seafood, meat, or cheese, best enjoyed alongside a cold beer or glass of wine.

For something more substantial, book a table at Can Culleretes, Barcelona’s oldest restaurant that sits off a winding side street near La Rambla. And I’m serious when I say book a table. The queues spill out into the street. Inside this charmingly rustic restaurant that dates back to the 18th century, we were served an incredible array of tapas, including anchovies, huge prawns doused in garlic, and plates of croquettes, washed down with Spanish wine. By the time the crema catalana came round for pudding, most of us were too full to make a proper go of it.

If you’re still standing after all that tapas, and many, many steps, then you may feel like heading somewhere a little more serene. Barcelona’s metro system connects to Funicular de Montjuïc, a short two-minute ride that costs around €3, (£2.60), yet gives you incredible hillside views across the city. From Montjuïc you can watch the sun go down and the lights of Barcelona twinkling below from the bustling city centre to the sandy beach.

Not bad for a day.

Book it

The Sagrada Família small guided tour including tower access starts at £70 per adult (11+), £51 per child (5-10), under 5s go free. A Casa Batilo private tour with skip the line entry for six people starts from £70 per person with early access. Both tours can be booked via TUI Musement.

TUI offers three-night city break packages to Barcelona, staying at the 4* H10 H10 Madison Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis, from £666 per person based on two adults sharing a classic double room, traveling on Ryanair from London Stansted Airport on September 15, 2026. Price includes 10kg of hand luggage.

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