It has been described as the ‘biggest threat’

Gardeners are being urged to check their patches as invasive bluebells are spreading rapidly across the UK and threatening the future of the nation’s native blooms. Plant experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk warn that many homeowners may already have the invasive Spanish bluebell plants growing in their gardens – but they can quickly take over and outcompete native English bluebells.

Spanish bluebells were originally introduced as ornamental garden plants, but their ability to spread aggressively means they are now one of the biggest threats to native bluebells. They grow faster, produce more seeds and easily hybridise with native varieties, creating crossbreeds that dilute the UK’s iconic woodland flower.

Native bluebells are a protected species and a vital part of the UK’s natural heritage, but once Spanish bluebells escape gardens, they can spread into nearby countryside and woodlands, making gardens a key battleground in protecting the native species. Experts say many gardeners are unintentionally helping the problem grow, often because they don’t realise the difference between the two plants.

With bluebell season underway, homeowners are now being urged to learn how to identify Spanish bluebells in case they need to take action in their gardens. Spanish bluebells grow upright, with flowers all around the stem, whereas native bluebells droop to one side in a curved shape.

The Spanish varieties are often pale blue or lilac, and can sometimes appear pink or white, while native bluebells are usually deep violet-blue. There are also differences in scent and foliage – native bluebells have a strong, sweet fragrance, whereas Spanish bluebells have little to no scent and their leaves are broader and thicker compared with the narrow leaves of native plants.

Spanish bluebells are not on the government’s list of invasive plants in England and Wales. However, they are considered an invasive non-native plant in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, while in Scotland, it is an offence to plant any non-native plant in the wild.

Chris Bonnett, plant expert and founder of Gardening Express, said: “Spanish bluebells can spread more easily than our native species, so gardeners need to be aware of how quickly they can multiply. “The biggest risk comes from gardens, where they may be planted for their beauty but can spread beyond boundaries through seeds, bulbs and garden waste if left unchecked.

“Gardeners play a crucial role in protecting native bluebells. Even a single garden population can establish in surrounding areas within a few years, so early identification and careful management can make a big difference.”

Five tips to help homeowners control Spanish bluebells in their gardens:

Dig up bulbs carefully

Spanish bluebells spread through underground bulbs, so removing the entire bulb is essential to controlling the plant.

Dispose of plants properly

Never compost them or dump garden waste in the countryside. Bag plants and dispose of them via general waste.

Avoid planting or sharing bulbs

Even giving bulbs to friends or neighbours can spread the invasive species further afield.

Monitor your garden each spring

New plants can regrow from missed bulbs or seeds.

Choose native alternatives

Plant native bluebells or other UK-friendly spring flowers instead.

The latest cast of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa learned more than they needed to about Amanda Holden, thanks to her Heart Radio co-star Ashley Roberts

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Amanda Holden made her return to Heart Radio on Wednesday, and it wasn’t long before she confronted her co-star Ashley Roberts over a recent television moment. The Pussycat Dolls singer is currently featuring in I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, which was recorded last year. In a recent episode, Ashley, 44, left her campmates laughing after disclosing Amanda’s surprisingly swift bathroom habits.

“She can poo quicker than anybody I’ve ever met in my life,” Ashley told them. “She’ll have her stiletto heels on from the studio. A song will be playing and she’ll run off during the link. Then suddenly she’s back and I’m like, ‘You did not just…’

“And she’s like, ‘Yep, feeling great!’ Then she’s straight back on-air doing a link like nothing happened.”

Responding to the clip live on Heart Radio alongside Ashley and Jamie Theakston, the 55-year-old revealed she had watched the footage and “loved” it.

She went on to say: “You know I can run down there, do a poo and come back before the end of a song.”

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While Jamie acknowledged his co-host’s famously rapid comfort breaks, he questioned why Ashley felt compelled to share the story with the wider world.

“I’m proud of it,” Amanda laughed, confirming she was perfectly happy for people to know.

“She is the quickest poo-er in the land!” Ashley quipped. “I need a sash or a crown,” Amanda replied.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge went on to say that she doesn’t understand why anyone would want to “hang around” in the bathroom. “Just get out,” she added. “I don’t even like sitting down – especially in public toilets. Fire and go!”.

Leaving her co-star astonished by the revelation she doesn’t sit down, Amanda joked: “I’ve got the strongest thighs in showbiz!”.

During the conversation, Ashley also revealed who she missed most from the programme. Those battling to be crowned Legend of the Jungle are; Ashley, Scarlett Moffatt, Sinitta, Sir Mo Farah, Seann Walsh, Adam Thomas, David Haye, Beverley Callard, Gemma Collins, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard and Harry Redknapp.

Looking back on her experience, she said: “I had good relationships with everybody, I was lucky in that sense. But, me and Scarlett were bush sisters – and we still are.

“Honestly, I couldn’t have gotten through that without her. We just kept each other sane. You know when you look at someone across the room and you just know what they’re thinking? We were always on the same page. It was pretty much that.”

Meanwhile, tensions escalated in camp on Tuesday evening after the Rhinos defeated the Lions in another challenge. The victory meant the Rhinos had more food for dinner, while the losing side were left with rice and beans.

Frustrated by the outcome, David threatened to pinch the other team’s food when it passed their camp.

Speaking in the Bush Telegraph, he outlined his strategy: “If the food comes across, whoever it was potentially for – or not for – is neither my concern. I’m going to take it and I’m going to eat it.”

The I’m a Celebrity… South Africa airs weekdays from 9pm on ITV and ITVX. The live final airs on April 24th.

Will you be changing your holiday plans due to the new EES changes?

UK travellers now face new data checks at European airports as the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully implemented across 29 countries in the Schengen area, including Spain, Italy and Greece.

The new system means UK holidaymakers now have to “create a digital record” when they first travel to the Schengen area. This will require travellers to provide additional information upon arrival at the border, replacing the previous system of passport stamping.

However, the introduction of the system has led to significant travel disruptions, including hundreds of people missing flights after being stuck in queues at an airport in Milan at the weekend.

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One mum from Oldham found herself unable to get back home for her children and work after being stuck in a queue at the airport for four hours, only to be told her flight back to Manchester had taken off without her.

She has since had to cover the extra expense of staying in Italy for longer as the next available flight back was five days after her original departure date.

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Representative body Airports Council International recently reported that EES was causing delays of up to three hours, with airports in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy among the worst affected.

And the chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, Julia Lo Bue-Said, has since warned of a “summer of chaos” if changes aren’t made.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4, the travel expert said: “The real issue is the volume of passengers that are trying to go through border control at one time. It’s clearly creating significant bottlenecks. The biggest frustration is these airports know what passengers are arriving, they know how many flights are coming in.

“There needs to be better coordination on arrival and on departure – because the same thing happens when you leave – to ensure we are not facing a summer of complete chaos.”

She added to the Press Association that what happened in Milan is “a warning sign that cannot be ignored”.

She said: “Even isolated incidents at Schengen borders are having serious knock-on effects, with passengers missing flights, facing long waits and navigating processes that are unclear and inconsistent. That is simply not good enough.”

She claimed some airports have the “physical infrastructure to handle demand but are simply not deploying the staff to match it”, which “demands explanation”.

She added: “We have consistently called for a pause in EES registration during peak travel periods and at times of high passenger volumes, to minimise disruption and protect the customer experience.”

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at travel trade organisation Abta, said: “While for many the travel experience remains smooth, we’re disappointed and frustrated to see some passengers being caught up in delays due to EES.

“Abta has been warning destinations and the (European) Commission for some time about the need for proactive steps to be taken to avoid delays, including the full use of contingency measures to stand down biometric checks at busier times, and adequate staffing especially at peak times.”

The actress shared a string of adorable snaps as she was seen returning to her Manchester wedding location, a year after tying the knot

Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins has shared a string of adorable snaps as she was seen returning to her Manchester wedding location with her baby daughter, as she and her husband marked one year since their big day.

The actress, who is best known for having played Victoria Sugden in the ITV soap for two decades, recently gave birth to her and her husband Adam Whitehead’s daughter, Georgie.

Isabel and Adam shared the news of their baby girl’s arrival in a sweet social media post on February 13. The video showed Isabel in the hospital in labour, before a blank screen appeared with the message: “On the 11th of February at 1:02am… Georgie Grace Whitehead. 11.02.26. 8lbs5oz [heart emojis].”

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The couple have since been candidly sharing their parenthood journey with fans, having posted a number of adorable updates on their baby girl on social media in recent weeks and months.

But they were recently seen celebrating one another as they marked a year since they tied the knot. Isabel and Adam said ‘I Do’ in a fair-tale wedding at Castlefield Rooms in the city centre. The elegant celebration was attended by Isabel’s Emmerdale co-stars Danny Miller, Mark Jordon, Laura Norton, Jeff Hordley and Zoë Henry.

And Isabel, who hails from Salford, previously admitted that Manchester was the only place for her to tie the knot. “Some of our first dates were in town,” she previously told the Mirror. “And we like to run there, so I think it was nice that we kept it there.”

Now, Isabel and Adam have take Georgie to The Castlefield Rooms and shared a string of photos from their return to their wedding location with their newborn in tow. Sharing the sweet images on Instagram, the soap star wrote: “Showing Georgie where Mum and Dad got married. What a difference a year makes.”

Emmerdale co-star Laura Norton was quick to respond, as she commented on the post: “Unbelievable [heart eyes emojis],” and after sharing a number of their wedding snaps in between the new family images, their original photographer THE BRIDE TRIBE by Louise Cuppello, gushed: “Oh guys! How emotional.”

It comes after Isabel marked her one year anniversary on social media by sharing pictures from her and Adam’s wedding day. Alongside the post, she wrote: “Happy 1st wedding anniversary to My Love My husband. My best friend. My biggest supporter. What an incredible 3 and a half years HOW LUCKY ARE WE?!” Also in the post, Isabel shared their first Valentine’s together, the night Adam proposed, the day they found out they were expecting, and their first family photo together.

Adam also took to his own Instagram and posted a heartfelt tribute to their big day. He penned: “Happy 1st Anniversary 3 and a half years together… and this last year has been the best yet We didn’t just get married, we built a whole new life together. And honestly, the best part has been watching you become a mum. It’s made me fall in love with you in a completely different way. The way you look after her, even on little sleep, is unreal.

“You’re my best mate, my audience to my shows and the person I’m proud to call my wife. What we’ve got, our little family, means everything to me. Love you more than ever.”

Planners admitted it would be good to “bring life back into” the former Masons Arms in Abbeygreen, but expressed concern over car parking and other issues.

A bid to convert an empty Lesmahagow hotel into houses and flats has been turned down.

Planners admitted it would be good to “bring life back into” the former Masons Arms in Abbeygreen, but expressed concern over car parking and other issues.

The two-storey town centre hotel and pub closed during the Covid 19 pandemic and hasn’t re-opened.

Glendevon Group lodged conversion plans with South Lanarkshire Council. The idea was to create two three-bedroom terraced houses and two flats.

A report by the authority’s planning department stated: “The principle of conversion to residential use is acceptable.

“The building has been vacant for some time without any apparent interest in reopening it as a pub or hotel.

“Bringing the building back into productive use would generally be beneficial in terms of securing its future and bringing life back into it.”

However, the report said there were “significant concerns about certain details of the proposal”.

The flats would have “little or no natural light” and views would be “oppressive”.

READ MORE: Scots’ Bishops give blessing to SCIAF’s WEE BOX annual fundraising appeal

There were also concerns over access arrangements and roads officials had objected because of the lack of car parking spaces.

The report concluded: “The proposal does not comply fully with the relevant policies of the adopted development plan and consent must, therefore, be refused.”

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READ MORE: North Lanarkshire hotels claim finalist berths in national awards event

Phoebe-Rose Douglas died on October 29, 2019

A baby who died after being found with heroin and cocaine in her system arrived at the hospital “unkempt and smelly”, despite several concerns being raised to social services, an inquest has heard.

Ten-week-old Phoebe-Rose Douglas was rushed to the Royal Stoke University Hospital where staff discovered she had dirt beneath her fingernails, armpits and skin creases.

She had been transferred from a house on Meaford Drive, Blurton, on the morning of October 25, 2019, after reports that the infant had gone into cardiac arrest. Despite treatment at the paediatric intensive care unit, she died four days later, on October 29.

The court was told that a urine sample taken on the day of the baby’s death revealed a level of cocaine, and further testing on hair samples confirmed she had been exposed to cocaine, heroin and cannabis, StokeonTrentLive reports.

Parents Rachel Bourne and John Douglas both admitted child cruelty at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in 2024. Bourne was jailed for 31 months and Douglas was given a 10-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

An inquest into Phoebe-Rose’s death is now being held this week at Swann House, Stoke.

Phoebe-Rose was born in Halifax in August 2019, where her father lived, and returned to Stoke-on-Trent with her mother a month later, the inquest heard.

Both parents were drug users, with several referrals having previously been made to social services before Phoebe-Rose’s birth, prompted by concerns amongst family members. One such concern was raised in July 2019, relating to their living conditions.

The couple were subsequently evicted from the property, where drug paraphernalia was later discovered. Paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker told the inquest that hospital discharge notes from Phoebe-Rose’s birth showed no signs of neonatal abstinence syndrome – withdrawal symptoms that newborn babies may experience if they have been exposed to opiates while still in the womb.

“But she was a bit of a struggle to feed, reading between the lines of notes”, Dr Stalker said. “There was also evidence that feeding bottles were not sterilised prior to use – that had been observed in hospital.”

Dr Stalker told the inquest how, when Phoebe-Rose was admitted to hospital in October 2019, “she was unkempt and she was unclean”, adding “She was smelly and she had dirty fingernails and feet and creases under arms and neck.”

Dr Roger Malcolmson, a consultant paediatric and perinatal pathologist, was involved in post-mortem examinations conducted following Phoebe-Rose’s death. He described her to the inquest as “relatively small”.

“There was no evidence of external injuries of any significance that would suggest a pattern of physical abuse”, he said.

“Her brain was swollen, which correlates with injury to brain cells and hypoxia (reduced oxygen to the brain). There was no obvious underlying cause. I think the biggest risk factor for this death we can identify from the history is maternal drug use and smoking.”

Hugo Ekitike is expected to be sidelined for at least nine months with a serious Achilles tendon injury suffered in Liverpool’s Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool’s last hope of silverware this season ended on Tuesday night after defeat to the French champions at Anfield who sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.

But there was greater concern for their leading scorer Ekitike who was stretchered off in the first-half on Merseyside.

Eiktike fell to the ground unchallenged after 34 minutes, clutching the back of his ankle in visible pain.

Despite two attempts, the striker was unable to get back to his feet and received treatment from Liverpool’s medical staff before he was carried off the pitch in tears.

Arne Slot provided a grim update after the match, admitting the injury was ‘not good’ with Ibrahima Konare also fearing the worst for his teammate.

Liverpool are still to officially confirm the extent of the injury but L’Equipe report the former Eintracht Frankfurt star has ruptured his Achilles tendon which will sideline him for approximately nine months.

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The report adds that timeline represents a ‘best case scenario’ for the 23-year-old who will also miss France’s World Cup campaign this summer.

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When asked about Ekitike’s injury after his side’s loss,  Slot said: ‘Not too good, I think we could all see that.

‘Let’s wait and see what it will be. In the second half he went home so I haven’t seen him.’

Konate added: ‘I’m very sad for him. To be fair, I think it’s bad,’

‘I don’t want to talk about that, with a World Cup coming it’s very, very hard for him at the moment. I send him my prayers.’

MORE: ‘Never heard anything like this’ – Arne Slot slammed by Liverpool legend over PSG decision

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MORE: Man Utd target two Bournemouth stars as Andoni Iraola responds to interest

MORE: Manchester United star ‘agrees deal to leave’ as club prepare to announce transfer

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