You may need to call up Nationwide about the issue

Nationwide Building Society has outlined its rules regarding changes to accounts. The organisation issued the clarification after an enquiry from a customer.

The customer reached out to the group on social media, explaining that they held a credit card and a savings account with Nationwide. They asked: “I’ve recently opened up a joint account with my partner. How long does this take to appear on my mobile banking app?”

With a joint account, both individuals can access and withdraw funds from the account using separate cards. Should there be an overdraft, both parties share joint liability for it. At Nationwide, you will both be members of the building society, though only the first named account holder will be entitled to cast their vote on matters where customers have a say.

Responding to the customer, Nationwide said: “It can take seven days for the account to show on your account list, if it’s been longer than this please call us on 03457 302011 to look into this further.” Nationwide has previously pledged to retain all of its existing high street branches until at least 2030.

The organisation confirmed it will not shut any of its 605 branches unless circumstances outside its control compel it to do so. Dame Debbie Crosbie, CEO of Nationwide Building Society, said: “Our customers can be confident that they can bank with us whichever way they choose.

“Branches are important to our customers, to communities, and to the health of our high streets. That’s why Nationwide will continue to keep branches open in addition to our investment in online and telephone channels.”

Stephen Noakes, director of retail at Nationwide, recently spoke to MPs about the significance of maintaining a high street presence for the building society. He revealed that 56 percent of customers have used face-to-face services over the past year,

He told the Treasury Committee that these services hold particular importance for older customers. He said: “We are probably seeing a disproportionate number of those customers who are offline, but I think it is good for the development of the banking sector that you have a large mutual – it is not just ourselves; other building societies are in the same situation – that will continue to do more channel of choice.”

“Eleven million students complete Grade 12 [final school year in India] each year, with roughly 1.5-1.7 million falling within the top academic bracket. India’s top-tier institutions admit only about 200,000 of them annually,” Aritra Ghosal of OneStep Global, which helps foreign universities enter the Indian market, told the BBC.

Call police if you see man wanted on recall to prison with links to Cambs

A man wanted on recall to prison has links to a Cambridgeshire city. Hertfordshire Police is appealing for information to find Michael Pomroy, 41.

Pomroy, who is also known as Michael Reynolds, has links to Stevenage, Peterborough and Luton. A police spokesperson said: “We are appealing to the public for their help in locating a wanted man.

“Michael Pomroy, aged 41 and also known as Michael Reynolds, is wanted on recall to prison. He has links to Stevenage, Peterborough and Luton.” Anyone with information should call police on 101 or report it online.

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Snow is possible in Northern Ireland and Scotland on Tuesday, with temperatures plunging to 6C on Wednesday and overnight lows of -5C in rural areas

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Last week saw thermometers climb beyond 20C as Britain experienced its warmest day of the year thus far – however Met Office meteorologists now warn snow is approaching this week.

Weather systems will deliver rainfall, powerful winds and chillier conditions throughout the coming days, with Wednesday particularly anticipated to be a “shock to the system”. Daytime temperatures will drop as low as 6C – though will feel considerably colder owing to the wind chill.

Tuesday is forecast to bring wet and blustery conditions for much of the country as well. Northern England and Wales will be struck by substantial rainfall, according to the Met Office, whilst hail and thunderstorms are predicted for Northern Ireland and Scotland. It adds that snow may also fall tomorrow across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: “Wednesday could be quite a shock to the system. Temperatures will range from 6C to 10C, but it will feel closer to low single figures for many areas in the wind.

“Wintry showers are likely, especially over higher ground in the north, and a widespread frost – with icy patches for some – is possible on Wednesday night. It should be a little milder again by the end of the week, with many areas seeing another spell of rain on Friday.”, reports the Mirror.

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Whilst snow descends over elevated terrain in the north, overnight temperatures on Wednesday may plummet to as low as -5C in certain countryside locations, the Met Office indicates. Ice is anticipated across northern regions on Thursday morning. The Met Office forecast states: “Most places remain dry with sunny spells on Thursday, although cloud and rain pushes into Northern Ireland and western parts later on.

“Temperatures return closer to average from Friday onwards, though further weather systems may affect the UK at the weekend, most likely affecting northern areas.”

BBC Weather also predicts snowfall on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their forecast reads: “Tomorrow will see a band of rain pushing south-east, turning locally heavy across parts of England and Wales. Sunny spells and scattered rain, sleet and snow showers will develop behind this. Windy.

“Wednesday will see a chilly and windy day with sunny spells and showers, these wintry over the hills. Drier on Thursday with sunny spells for many, with some wintry showers lingering towards eastern coasts. Friday will have a cloudy start with rain pushing eastwards. Drier and brighter in the afternoon, with just a few isolated showers.”

Key was also a guest on the the TMS programme and he said England will make changes in the way they approach selection.

There had been a perception that the England Test team felt like a ‘closed shop’, particularly to players in county cricket who did not fit the aggressive Bazball style.

Key said the introduction of a “county insight group” to offer input into selection will attempt to formally rebuild relations with stakeholders, including directors of cricket, in the domestic game.

The 46-year-old former Kent captain also said England’s selection policy will become more cut-throat compared to the past when certain players have almost appeared undroppable.

“We’ve overvalued loyalty and overvalued having a settled team,” Key said.

“We thought what we wanted to do is make sure we have a team that is settled out there [in Australia], that we go out there and we’re not giving debuts to opening batters [during the Ashes] and stuff like that.

“But what that does is it creates an environment where there’s not enough consequence. We need to be more ruthless with our selection.”

McCullum is due to return to work towards the end of May as England gear up for a Test series against his native New Zealand which starts at Lord’s on 4 June.

However, Vaughan felt it would have been worthwhile McCullum spending time on the circuit during the early rounds of the County Championship – for good PR if nothing else.

“I’m a bit disappointed that he’s not coming a bit earlier,” Vaughan said.

“I think at this stage, when you’re trying to win back the fans, trying to win back a little bit of the game, if I was Brendon McCullum, I’d come a few weeks earlier, get seen around the counties.

“I’d go and talk to a few coaches, go and speak to a few umpires, get seen out and about just for the optics. Because at this stage he needs the fans, and he needs the game to kind of get behind his philosophy a little bit more.”

You can watch the full TMS debate over the post-Ashes review on BBC iPlayer or download it as a podcast.

Early symptoms of meningitis may be easy to dismiss or confuse

Meningitis is a serious infection that can develop rapidly and potentially cause lifelong complications if left without treatment for too long. However, some of its earliest warning signs can easily be dismissed and mistaken for much more common conditions.

Dr Donald Grant, GP and Senior Clinical Advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, highlighted seven specific illnesses that have a lot of overlapping symptoms with the early stages of meningitis. He emphasised that one of the key differences between these conditions and meningitis is that the latter will progress very quickly while others may take time for symptoms to worsen.

Key signs of meningitis according to the doctor:

• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Sensitivity to light
• Rash that does not fade when pressed

Flu

In the early stages, meningitis may cause fever, headaches, fatigue, nausea and muscle aches. All of which can be triggered by the flu as well. However, the flu usually doesn’t cause other symptoms like confusion or sensitivity to light which may be the key in telling the difference.

Severe Migraine

Meningitis causes intense headaches and when paired with the light sensitivity symptom it’s easy to see why it can be mistaken for a migraine. The GP warned: “If symptoms occur alongside fever, confusion or neck stiffness, medical attention should be sought urgently.”

Gastroenteritis

Vomiting, fever and general fatigue are overlapping symptoms shared by gastroenteritis and meningitis but the latter will soon develop neurological symptoms which aren’t usually caused by stomach bugs.

Covid-19 or Viral Respiratory Infections

Meningitis also shares a lost of similar symptoms with other viral infections like Covid. The doctor noted that one of the few ways to tell the diferrence between these conditions is seeing how quickly the symptoms escalate.

Severe Sinus Infection

Also known as sinusitis, this condition can cause fever, fatigue and severe headaches just like the early stages of meningitis. However, it usually doesn’t cause neck stiffness or neurological symptoms as meningitis does.

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Encephalitis

This condition involves inflammation of the brain. It can be very serious and must be treated as quickly as possible. Like meningitis, it also causes fever, headaches, confusion and sensitivity to light.

The GP said: “Because both conditions affect the brain and nervous system, distinguishing between them typically requires medical tests.”

Hangover or ‘Fresher’s Flu’

Dr Grant continued: “Interestingly, meningitis symptoms in young adults are sometimes mistaken for hangovers or what is often referred to as ‘fresher’s flu’, particularly in university settings where fatigue, headaches and nausea may seem routine. However, meningitis can progress extremely quickly, so persistent symptoms or sudden deterioration should never be ignored.

“If meningitis is suspected at any point, it is crucial to seek urgent medical attention. Early diagnosis and treatment significantly improve outcomes and can be lifesaving.”

If the long wait for GTA 6 is starting to get to you, there are a lot of older games that should be able to scratch a similar itch.

Given how long it’s been since Rockstar Games has released a new GTA game (13 years this September!), it’s no wonder people are getting antsy about GTA 6 and its promised release date this year.

It’s still going to be a long wait for that November 19 launch date, though, and it’s entirely possible it will be delayed a third time, forcing fans to wait until 2027 to play it.

GTA 5 and its GTA Online multiplayer mode have helped keep people satiated this long, but what if you’ve had enough of that and yet still hanker for something similar? Well, there have been plenty of GTA clones over the years; some of which are worth playing today, even if they don’t reach quite the same highs as their inspiration.

True Crime: Streets Of LA

PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC

One of the earliest GTA clones, launching just a couple of years after GTA 3, True Crime: Streets Of LA is also one of the most brazen, lifting all the core elements of the series, including a city you can freely roam, full of vehicles to commandeer and innocent civilians to gun down or run over.

It’s also one of the more successful examples, proving to be decently enjoyable even if it lacked originality; although it led to a sadly inferior sequel. While publisher Activision has long since abandoned the series, you can grab a second-hand PlayStation 2 copy for as little as £3 from CeX.

Wheelman

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

Something of a cross between GTA and the Burnout racing games, Wheelman is most notable for starring Vin Diesel in the lead role. In fact, Diesel was heavily involved with developer Tigon Studios, which also co-developed his Chronicles Of Riddick games with the core team behind Indiana Jones And The Great Circle.

With Diesel being a fan of video games himself, we’re a little surprised he hasn’t pushed to re-release Wheelman. Although it’s let down by its on-foot mission, the actual driving is a lot of fun. You can grab an Xbox 360 copy for just £2.50 through CeX, but it’s unfortunately not backwards compatible with the Xbox Series X and, like True Crime, isn’t on Steam.

The Getaway

PlayStation 2

Aside from two London expansions for the very first GTA game, Rockstar has stuck to using American cities for the series. If you’ve ever wanted a 3D GTA game that lets you roam the city of London, then The Getaway is the next best thing.

Its recreation of London isn’t as accurate nowadays, but that makes it an interesting time capsule for anyone nostalgic for the 2000s. While you can get cheap copies from CeX, it’s strange Sony never moved to re-release it, considering it spawned the Gangs Of London TV show. Although VR title Blood & Truth was originally intended to be an official part of the franchise.

The Godfather

PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PSP, and PC

It came out more than 30 years after the movie (and turned 20 this week), but this adaptation of The Godfather was surprisingly decent for its time and is still regarded as one of the better GTA clones; one you can buy second-hand from places like musicMagpie.

Featuring several actors reprising their roles (including Marlon Brando’s final performance), you play as an original character doing jobs for the Corleone family. There’s been some demand for a remaster, but it’s probably impossible given how much renegotiating for actors’ likenesses would be needed.

Scarface: The World Is Yours

PlayStation 2, Xbox, Wii, and PC

Isn’t it strange that 2006 saw two famous gangster movies, both well over two decades old by the time the games came out, being turned into solidly entertaining GTA clones, that featured many of the original actors?

The Scarface game, however, diverged greatly from its source material, serving as an alternate universe sequel where Tony Montana survives and goes on a revenge spree. A quick Google search shows second-hand copies can be a bit pricey, with the cheapest we can find being the Wii version for £5 at CeX.

An alleged re-release popped up on PC storefronts last year, but it was just as quickly delisted and reportedly uses fan patches without permission, so it’s extremely unlikely it’ll ever be officially available.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run

PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC

To this day, people are still demanding The Simpsons: Hit & Run see a re-release or remaster, especially now that the original developer, Radical Entertainment (which was also responsible for the Scarface game), has been revived.

While lacking guns, this Simpsons-ified take on the GTA formula was effectively authentic and, most importantly, quite funny. The game remains available through a fan-made PC mod (which saw a new update just this month) though you need to supply your own copy of the game.

Second-hand PC copies are rather expensive, although CeX is selling them for £15 at time of writing.

Sleeping Dogs

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC

The next batch of examples are much easier to play nowadays since they’re available on modern platforms through their digital storefronts. That includes Sleeping Dogs, which started out as a True Crime sequel set in Hong Kong.

Activision sold the publishing rights to Square Enix, with Sleeping Dogs going onto become something of a cult classic thanks to its atmosphere, a fun world to explore, and plenty of entertaining (if unoriginal) activities.

Marvel actor Simu Liu is so much of a fan that he pushed to revive the cancelled movie adaptation, which he’ll also star in as undercover policeman Wei Shen.

Watch Dogs 2

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC

The Watch Dogs series is allegedly dead in the water, after the poor sales of 2020’s Watch Dogs: Legion, which isn’t surprising as Legion felt like such a step back after the far superior Watch Dogs 2.

A vast improvement over the first game, Watch Dogs 2’s shooting and driving mechanics were better than GTA 5’s and it also offered some unique ideas of its own, especially its hacking activities. Had the story and characters been more interesting, this could’ve been an even bigger hit.

Lego City Undercover

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC

Between its initial Wii U exclusivity and it not being based on a famous movie franchise like Star Wars, Lego City Undercover went unnoticed by many people. That’s such a shame, since it’s not only a good Lego game in its own right, but unironically one of the better GTA clones – and one of the very few suitable for kids.

It’s lost some of its uniqueness over the years, thanks to how old the formula of the Lego games has become, but the open world city is very well designed and full of things to find, and the script can catch you off guard with how genuinely funny it can be.

Saints Row 2

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

When people think of GTA clones, Saints Row is perhaps the first that comes to mind. Although its reputation has wavered thanks to the woeful 2022 reboot, which helped kill developer Volition.

After the first game was decried as a straight GTA clone, Saints Row 2 helped form more of an identity by focusing on humour and over-the-top gameplay; something the series doubled down on with the sequels, until the reboot.

Saints Row 2 is considered the best entry thanks to its absurd plot and side-activities and while the humour hasn’t aged gracefully since its 2008 release, we respect its refusal to take itself seriously.

The Xbox 360 version is backwards compatible on Xbox Series X, so you can download it for just £8.99, and the original PC version is usually available for £8.79 on Steam, although it’s currently discounted to the very low price of £2.19 until Thursday, March 26.

Volition also made the Red Faction series which at first was basically Saints Row set on Mars, but with a more serious storyline.

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The records, seen by Sky News, show that applications were filed in September 2024, before they were approved last year. A range of product categories were approved, including jewellery, stationery, furniture, tote bags, skincare, candles and food products, among others.

The national chain lodged plans to increase the size of its Healaugh Park store last year by knocking into and extending the former Whitworth Chemist. 

Aldi had been considering an extension in the town “for some time” – and it was December that the proposals were finally approved by Stockton Borough Council.

Now, diggers and shipping containers have been pictured on site, with fences erected around the former chemist where the extension will be. 

A section of the car park has also been shut off to customers.

The Aldi supermarket at Healaugh Park in Yarm (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

On one fence around Whitworths, a sign states: “Your new, extended Aldi, is coming soon”. 

Once the works are complete, Yarm’s Aldi will have an extra 353m2 of floor space and include a new entrance lobby, staff room, and customer toilet. 

A new paved area will be added to the side of the store, similar to what currently runs along the front of Whitworths, and the trolley bay will be extended. 

The Aldi supermarket at Healaugh Park in Yarm (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

The overall car parking spaces will actually increase to 89, with 85 customer spaces to the south and four staff spots to the north.

Re-roofing of the shop is also scheduled along with the widening of the service yard. 

Aldi previously confirmed the works were due to get underway in the new year, with hopes to be completed between July and September. 

The Aldi supermarket at Healaugh Park in Yarm (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

It has not yet been confirmed whether the store will close at any point during the works. 

A spokesperson previously said: “Works are underway at our Yarm store and are due to complete towards the end of summer.

“Shoppers can continue to access the store as normal.”

The Healaugh Park complex as a whole, which is also home to Presto Pizza and Chinese takeaway Yarm Fast Food, has been owned by Aldi for many years.

It was home to a Post Office and corner shop until last year, which has recently been taken over by Cohen’s Chemist.

The Winter Fuel Payment is worth between £200 and £300 depending on age and circumstances, and is usually paid automatically to eligible households

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From April 1, pensioners in England and Wales will have the option to opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment for 2026/27, a move that could potentially help some avoid a later tax bill or adjustment.

Following rules implemented last year, the annual heating payment is now aimed at those with incomes at or below £35,000.

However, it will be paid automatically, even if someone’s income surpasses that level, unless they choose to opt-out before the September deadline.

For pensioners with higher incomes, any payment received will be reclaimed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), typically through adjustments to their tax code in the subsequent financial year. Opting out means the payment is not issued in the first place, eliminating the need for it to be repaid later.

The Winter Fuel Payment ranges between £200 and £300 depending on age and circumstances, and is usually paid automatically to eligible households.

Although the amount is based on household eligibility, it is paid to individuals. This means one person in a couple can opt out while the other continues to receive their share, depending on their income, reports the Daily Record.

Last year, some pensioners were unaware they could opt out before the qualifying week in September, resulting in them receiving the payment and later facing its recovery.

The qualifying week for the 2026/27 payment is typically the third week in September, so anyone wishing to opt out will need to do so before then. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will confirm the exact dates later this year.

Pensioners who opt out but later find their income falls below £35,000 can still make a claim for the payment up to March 31, 2027. Meanwhile, those who did not receive the Winter Fuel Payment for 2025/26 can still submit a claim before March 31 this year.