Police are in attendance in Ashton-under-Lyne town centre this morning.

A cordon is in place on Delamere Street.

The street has been taped off between Wood Street and Stamford Street Central.

The scene is around a cardboard box, which is underneath some scaffolding.

Details on the nature of the incident are yet to be confirmed.

Greater Manchester Police has been approached for details.

Updates will follow in this blog.

Experts have urged the Government to reveal the source of contaminated eggs that led to a major outbreak of deadly salmonella which killed one Briton and sickened 200. 

Officials have revealed that a spate of illness is related to eggs imported from abroad, but have not yet specified where. 

Meanwhile, health chiefs in Belgium today announced they are investigating a similar salmonella outbreak at a poultry farm that’s said to have affected 300 people, and eggs shipped to nine nations.

The UK is not yet listed as one of the affected countries although Poland, which supplies eggs to Britain, is. 

The Government was previously warned of the dangers of imported eggs in a major report published earlier this year by industry experts, which highlighted ‘significant’ safety risks of importing eggs from countries like Poland and Ukraine.

While most eggs on supermarket shelves are produced in the UK, increasing quantities are being brought in from overseas where farmers use practices that are banned in the UK. 

Egg imports to the UK have risen by 60 per cent since 2021, data shows. Exports from Ukraine jumped by 65 per cent in the last year alone.

‘The source of the contaminated eggs should be public information,’ Paul Wigley, a professor in animal microbial ecosystems at University of Bristol told the Daily Mail. 

‘If necessary, restrictions should be imposed on importations.’

Professor Wigley added that scientists have long been concerned about the safety of non-British eggs.

‘A UK-produced egg will come from a hen that’s vaccinated against Salmonella,’ he said. 

‘Every flock is tested for Salmonella roughly three to four times, every two years.  You’re extremely unlikely to get Salmonella from a British egg – there’s almost zero risk.’

Other experts have told the Mail that UK food safety officials ‘will know where the contaminated eggs have come from’ but ‘are unlikely to reveal it’. 

So far, 199 cases from the current outbreak have been confirmed in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. 

The specific strain identified is Salmonella Enteritidis, commonly found in poultry and eggs.

More than a third of those affected needed hospital treatment, while two developed potentially life-threatening bloodstream infections, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, and one died. 

The UKHSA yesterday confirmed that those affected had become sick after eating in cafes and restaurants. 

It has identified five unnamed food businesses which two or more of those affected reported attending in the week before getting symptoms.

Official guidance states that Salmonella is typically caught by eating contaminated foods. As well as eggs, these include poultry, meat, raw fruit and vegetables and unpasteurised dairy products.

Cooking foods thoroughly usually destroys the pathogen, which is why runny yolks are higher risk.

The disease usually causes symptoms such as a fever and vomiting which clear in a few days. But in rare cases, it can be fatal, with infants, pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems most at risk. 

In March, the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) warned the Government that the public may be exposed to ‘significant’ risks as a result of importing eggs from elsewhere in Europe. 

In its report, entitled Shell Shocked, the body found that there had been an increase of 600 million imported eggs to the UK since 2021, largely driven by rising intake from Ukraine and Poland.

They raised particular fears over Ukraine’s use of battery cages – small enclosures made completely of wire which have been banned in the UK since 2012 – on its chicken farms.

The BEIC said receiving imported eggs from Ukraine risked ‘undermining the integrity of the British egg market’ and raised ‘significant food safety, economic, ethical and reputational concerns’.

They added: ‘The principle is simple: if a production system is not legal in the UK, its products should not be allowed to enter the UK market, and neither should food produced to lower food safety standards.’

Furthermore, the report warned: ‘Imports of eggs… may expose the British public to potential risks, including Salmonella, chemical residues, and eggs produced in conventional ‘battery’ cages’.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Nick Allen, chief executive of the BEIC added: ‘It is deeply concerning that imported eggs are once again under scrutiny in connection with a serious Salmonella outbreak.

‘We have repeatedly raised concerns about the risks associated with imported eggs and egg products with Government, most recently through our Shell Shocked report.’

Meanwhile Kevin Coles, of the British Egg Information Service, today told the Mail that people have the right to know where their eggs come from, particularly in the case of an outbreak.

‘We have been urging the Government to protect British consumers by banning imported eggs for a while,’ he said. 

‘But in the meantime, you can check if your eggs are British by looking for the British Lion mark.’ 

Jacquelyn McCormick, Head of Incidents at the FSA, said: ‘We are working closely with the UK Health Security Agency and other partners to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis.

‘The exact cause has not yet been identified, however investigations so far have identified links to eggs imported from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants or cafes, as a potential source. 

‘There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected.

‘While investigations continue, our advice around eating eggs remains the same. Eggs which are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk.

‘Infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should only eat runny or raw eggs if they have a British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain egg assurance scheme. This advice does not apply to those who are severely immunocompromised and require medically supervised diets.’

Britain faces thunderstorms and flooding today after some areas experienced their first rain in two months – but wildfires continue to ravage drought-hit areas.

Parched southern England finally saw downpours this morning after 60 days without rain during successive extreme heatwaves and exceptionally dry weather.

Forecasters warned of localised flooding but said the rain would not mark an end to the drought conditions across nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales.

The Met Office confirmed the overnight rain saw Wisley in Surrey break its 62-day dry streak, the longest of any area in the UK, with 1.6mm falling in the early hours.

Other locations seeing their first rain after a long time included London Heathrow Airport and Odiham in Hampshire after 56 days, and Preston in Dorset after 53 days.

Up to 23mm (0.9in) of rain fell in Merseyside in the 12 hours to 6am today; while up to 13mm (0.5in) fell in Northern Ireland and 10mm (0.4in) across south-west England.

The Met Office has also issued three separate yellow thunderstorm warnings for the UK – in Northern Ireland from 12pm today until midnight; northern England from 7pm today to 10am tomorrow; and north-east Scotland from 2pm to 9pm today.

Meanwhile fire crews continued to battle a peatland blaze which started 11 days ago at Holme Fen near Peterborough and now measures around 60 football pitches.

Kent was also particularly badly hit by further wildfires, with six fire engines battling a huge blaze on a farm in St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe near Dover at 8pm last night.

Grass also caught fire at Mote Park in Maidstone at 7pm, after a separate blaze on a field at Iwade near Sittingbourne sent black smoke billowing into the sky at 6pm. 

Storm clouds gather over Cullercoats Bay and Tynemouth in North Tyneside this afternoon

Swimmers take an early morning dip in the sea today after West Bay in Dorset finally sees rain

The Met Office has issued three separate yellow thunderstorm warnings for the UK today

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Elsewhere Kent Fire and Rescue Service used hose-reel jets and beaters to put out another fire in Gravesend after grass and bushes went up in flames at 4.30pm.

Twenty miles away in Deptford, 100 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade battled a blaze involving 50 tonnes of household waste at a recycling facility overnight .

Wildfires have swept across parts of the UK following the hot and dry summer, including in the West Midlands where a blaze in Stourbridge destroyed 19 homes.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said England and Wales has had 1,132 wildfires in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.

Several fire services have asked people in recent weeks to call 999 only to report a genuine emergency, and millions of people in England and Wales received an alert on mobile phones last Friday warning them of a ‘very high risk of wildfires nationally’.

One of the biggest wildfires was near Aviemore in the Cairngorms, where crews completed work this week to tackle it nearly five weeks after it began on July 15. 

A summer of heatwaves and dry weather has left many areas facing an elevated wildfire risk as well as water shortages, with nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales now in drought.

But the Met Office said some areas of the country were finally seeing the ‘first meaningful rain for a long time’ this week.

The UK will experience showers over the coming days, although a forecaster said the rain is ‘not going to solve the drought situation overnight’.

The rainfall is not expected to be a ‘huge amount’ and ‘highly hit and miss from place to place’, before conditions became drier again over the weekend.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said today would be a ‘very showery day’ across the UK, with Northern Ireland and areas in western and central Scotland seeing ‘frequent showers with heavy downpours, hail and thunder’.

The showers would be ‘fewer and further between’ in southern areas, while central England and eastern Wales could still see some downpours, the forecaster added.

He said: ‘I suspect many people across England and Wales will at least enjoy the feel of some rain falling out of the sky during the next few days, but it’s not going to solve the drought situation overnight because we’re not expecting huge amounts and it will be highly variable because a lot of it will come in the form of showers.’

Highs of 25C in London, 20C in Cardiff, 19C in Manchester and 16C in Glasgow are expected today.

Straw bales alight during a huge wildfire on a farm in St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe, Kent, last night

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Emergency services on scene during a wildfire in St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe near Dover last night

A major fire burns at a recycling facility in Deptford, south-east London, last night 

Firefighters continue to tackle a fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire today

Tomorrow will begin with some ‘very heavy rain’ across parts of northern England and north and west Wales with frequent showers in the southwest, Mr McGivern said.

That afternoon will bring a ‘better chance’ of showers further south and ‘dumping a reasonable amount of rain in places’, he added.

‘But again, because they’re showers, it will be hit and miss, very speckled in nature,’ he said.

Temperatures will be below average for a large part of the UK tomorrow, which is ‘something we’ve seen on only a handful of days this summer,’ the forecaster continued.

The Met Office also warned that ‘localised flooding cannot be ruled out beneath the heaviest downpours’, but added: ‘Rainfall is expected to be variable in nature, with many places also experiencing drier interludes between showers.’

Looking further ahead, its outlook said meteorologists were expecting a ‘continuation of the more unsettled conditions that have developed this week’.

Rain and showers are ‘likely to remain a frequent feature through the remainder of August’ and ‘temperatures will generally be close to average but with occasional warmer spells’.

Into early September, Met Office forecast guidance suggests ‘wetter-than-average weather remains more likely, particularly across northwestern areas of the UK’.

The weather service added: ‘A northwest to southeast split appears the most probable pattern, with the northwest generally seeing more unsettled conditions and the southeast enjoying the greater chance of drier weather.

‘The long-range outlook also indicates temperatures may trend above average later in the period, although confidence in any specific hot spell or heatwave remains low at this range.’

Meanwhile water companies could be forced to reduce the amount they take from the River Severn to prevent parts of it drying out in the ongoing drought.

Cheltenham Racecourse from Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire in March (left) and today (right)

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Satellite images show how weather conditions have changed significantly over the past week

Rain begins to fall yesterday over the drought-hit Hollow Pond in Leytonstone, east London

The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have applied to the English and Welsh governments for a drought order for the River Severn, warning of the impact the conditions are having on the Severn’s habitats and surrounding farmers.

If granted, it would require Severn Trent Water, South Staffordshire Water, Bristol Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy, to reduce the amount they abstract from the river by 5%, which they have said will not affect water supplies.

The order would also impose a cap on the amount of water the Canal and River Trust could take for the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and reduce releases from a reservoir at the river’s headwaters to stretch the amount of available water over a longer period to support fish and other wildlife.

As the Environment Agency announced the application for the drought order for the Severn, a spokesperson said: ‘We are exceptionally concerned about the impact that the drought is having on the River Severn’s habitats and surrounding farmers.

‘We need to see significant and sustained rainfall for this drought to end.’

Water levels in the Severn are artificially supported by releases from groundwater and the Llyn Clywedog and Lake Vyrnwy reservoirs at the head of the river in Wales.

But reservoir levels are declining and the proposed drought order – which would be the first on the river since 1989 – is designed to stretch the available water for longer, officials said.

The drought order asks to slow down releases from the Llyn Clywedog reservoir, where water levels are at 48 per cent and continue to fall.

It would also impose an initial 5 per cent reduction on water abstraction from the Severn by the region’s water companies, to keep more water in the local area.

The Environment Agency said the water companies, which currently have no hosepipe bans in place, had confirmed the move would have no impact on public water supplies.

And the abstraction cap on the Canal and River Trust for the Gloucester and Sharpness canal would be ‘manageable’, according to the agency.

The EA spokesperson said: ‘This drought order, if made, will stop the Clywedog reservoir from being completely exhausted and will prevent sections of Britain’s longest river from drying out.

‘We still expect water companies to follow their drought plans and encourage an earlier use of Temporary Use Bans to protect public water supplies and preserve the environment.

‘Every drop we can save is a drop more for your local farmers, local wildlife, and local rivers.’

Without the order, releases from Llyn Clywedog reservoir are at risk of stopping and sections of the upper Severn could be at risk of drying out, resulting in the whole river experiencing record minimum flows and environmental stress, officials warned.

It comes after a hosepipe ban began for all of Wessex Water’s 1.4 million customers across areas in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire yesterday.

This is the first ban the company has put in place for 50 years, since the summer of 1976.

Meanwhile, Thames Water has urged its customers to continue to reduce water usage as it said household demand has fallen by 3 per cent across London and more than 6 per cent across the Thames Valley and home counties since it introduced a hosepipe ban on July 23.

In an update yesterday, the utility said London reservoir storage was at 74 per cent, which is lower than the firm would expect for this time of year but the Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire was 92 per cent full.

According to the company, rainfall in the Thames catchment area during July was less than 1mm, which is just 2 per cent of the long-term average, while customers used about 100 million litres more water every day than normal, putting more pressure on rivers, reservoirs and the water network.

More than 28million people across England have now had hosepipe use restricted in their area after months of hot and dry weather.

The cooler and wetter conditions come after the UK’s sixth heatwave of the summer last week, during which the hottest day of the year was recorded at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday when temperatures reached 38.1C.

Manchester United’s interest in Carlos Baleba could leave manager Michael Carrick with some big selections decisions to make

Manchester United have been busy this summer but there could be plenty more business to be done before deadline day. A new bid for Carlos Baleba might not have been high on everyone’s bingo card after the arrival of fellow midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans but things can change very quickly in football.

United have bid £60m plus add-ons for the Cameroon international. That’s a significant drop from the £100m+ Brighton were after last summer but could yet be enough to get a deal over the line.

If Baleba does join, it could provide the kind of depth Michael Carrick needs as the manager prepares for a busier season at Old Trafford. Last season’s third-place finish secured a return to the Champions League and Carrick will need to make good use of his whole squad.

Not everyone will be available every week, of course, and we can expect a fair amount of rotation as the season goes on. That said, we have taken a look at four different ways in which United might line up with Baleba in their midfield.

1. The opening weekend option (4-2-3-1)

Injuries are already a factor in the lead-up to the first game of the new Premier League season. Benjamin Sesko hasn’t fully recovered from the shin problem he sustained during the run-in last season and is unlikely to be thrown back into the starting XI.

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Matheus Cunha has shown an ability to play as a central striker in English football and that’s something we could see when United take on Hull City on Saturday. That would allow Carrick to deploy Bruno Fernandes in the No.10 role where he thrived so often last season.

The obvious issue is that leaves just two deeper-lying midfield slots for three new midfield signings. Baleba and Andrey Santos could be the ones to start at Hull if the former signs in time, though Tielemans – and indeed Kobbie Mainoo – will no doubt also get minutes as the fixtures pile up.

2. The box midfield (4-4-2)

Baleba’s defensive prowess may leave Carrick wondering whether he can trust the former Lille man with more defensive duties in front of the back four. A midfield diamond would allow the boss to get more use out of Mainoo and Tielemans while not moving Fernandes away from the place where he can do the most damage.

In this situation it would be Santos who misses out. It’s a set-up you can envisage being used against opponents who are expected to allow United more of the ball, whether that’s in the league or the cups.

A narrower midfield would put a fair amount of pressure on the full-backs to get forward and support the attack. It could also provide scope for Bryan Mbeumo or Marcus Rashford to start in a front two in place of either Cunha or Sesko and drag opposition centre-backs wide.

3. The more attacking approach (4-3-3)

United fans grew accustomed to attacking football during the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson but things haven’t always been quite as gung-ho in the years since. Now, though, they are starting to build a squad capable of starting on the front foot.

A new midfielder in Baleba’s mould could boost this further if the Cameroonian is able to take care of the defensive work alongside two more expansive midfielders. Bruno Fernandes has dropped deep in the past and there will be games where he can orchestrate alongside Tielemans in a midfield three.

Such a set-up would allow Carrick to turn to the attacking trio of Mbeumo, Sesko and Cunha which started to gel towards the tail end of last season. There may also be times when it suits the boss to balance a more attacking midfield three with an attack capable of putting in the defensive yards, potentially offering opportunities to the likes of Patrick Dorgu and Amad on the wings.

4. The ‘life after Bruno’ option (4-2-3-1)

United don’t appear to have any plans to part ways with Bruno Fernandes just yet, despite apparent interest from Galatasaray. However, the captain will turn 32 in September and there will eventually come a day when he can’t do it all by himself.

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There may be matches this season where Fernandes gets a rest and that could allow Carrick to offer up a glimpse of the future with Tielemans used as a 10 and all three midfield signings (or two of them along with Mainoo) used in the same XI. The plans for the future could also involve increased responsibility for young centre-back Leny Yoro who, like Baleba, learned his trade at Lille.

It seems clear the Old Trafford chiefs have been keen to tweak the team one area at a time, with last summer bringing an attacking revamp and this year seeing attentions turn to the midfield. While there’s not just one missing piece, a move for Baleba could allow United to do a whole lot more with their squad.

Callum Turner is doing himself no favours if he ever wants to slip into James Bond’s legendary tuxedo. 

The Masters of the Air star is in the running to play the legendary spy in Amazon’s upcoming 007 reboot.

However, Turner’s most recent interview proves he’s not really got a license to thrill, so much as a signed and notarised permit to be excitable (but not excited) between the hours of 3pm and 4pm on Thursdays. 

In fact, his duller-than-particularly-dull dishwater chat with Esquire might be one of the most boring things I’ve experienced in some time, and that’s coming from someone who likes history podcasts. 

Now I’ll start with a caveat so large people who see it will say ‘wow, that’s a big caveat’: the piece, which is written by Henry Wong, is great. 

It does what a good feature should in that it both informs (Who knew that Turner spent time in Japan? Not me!) and it’s entertaining – I’d kill to have a piece like that in my portfolio, but I’m too busy writing about my disdain towards pistachio. 

No, it’s Turner who I’m afraid I’m a bit perplexed by, as he gives an answer so tedious it makes people who talk about their dreams seem interesting. 

Specifically, when he’s asked about the near-endless rumours that he’ll play Bond, he tries to dodge the question with all the grace of a clumsy bear having a crack at ballet. 

‘I’m not going to comment on that either,’  he says. ‘I don’t know anything, so I can’t comment. There’s nothing for me to comment on.’

Boring!

When pressed by Wong, however, he continues: ‘There’s nothing for me to comment on, and I think it’s best just to not say anything.’

And when Wong tries a third time (we love a tenacious line of questioning), he parrots: ‘I just know I’m not going to comment on it… just because there’s no point in commenting on it at this moment.’

Is that really how Turner chooses to answer a question you should have seen coming from a million miles away? 

What happened to the craft of being able to answer a bloody question? Has it gone the way of cursive, reading analogue clocks, and making polite small talk, and they just don’t teach people those skills anymore?

Honestly, this really is the type of response journalists dread because what are you supposed to do with that? 

It’s the verbal equivalent of that tiny pocket jeans weirdly have. It might technically have a function, but it’s useless to me.

He didn’t even need to say something concrete. All he needed to do was flash a bit of figurative ankle by teasing that there was some truth to the rumours or showing his personality. I’m sure he’s got some in there.

Do you think I’d be writing this if Turner had said ‘I could tell you that, but if I did I’d have to kill you’? 

No, I’d be writing something like ‘Callum Turner is the PERFECT heir to Roger Moore’s IMPISH Bond, and this ONE quote proves it’ or ‘Licence to wow! Callum Turner just WON the internet with a witty Bond one-liner’

To make matters worse, when Turner was asked about the other big thing in his life, his marriage to one of the biggest music icons of our time, Dua Lipa, he apparently said he ‘doesn’t want to talk about it too much’. 

Seriously Callum? Play the game, mate!

There are exactly two things people want to know about you right now: your marriage (and your incredibly well-covered and much-photographed huge celebrity wedding) and Bond; you have to chat about one of them, because this is doing nothing to disprove the grumbling that you’re a boring choice for Bond. 

And look, I’m aware it’s slightly unfair to call Turner dull – I mean, he might be (I’ve not met him) – because I don’t think this is his fault.

Without showing you the bloody mess on the floor of the sausage factory, we journos are facing a bit of a crisis. 

The increase in social media scrutiny and the potential risk of alienating an intensely parasocial fandom is partly to blame for these non-answers. 

This is why when a big film comes out these days, you don’t see as many ‘straight interviews’ and instead you get countless clips of Zendaya eating a Greggs sausage roll or Henry Cavill playing Warhammer. 

Those clips are more likely to go viral, and there’s less chance of a star saying something that might upset people. 

It’s also why, when journalists do get the chance to speak to a celeb, stars so often answer the questions with all the enthusiasm of a person tasked with wallpapering the spare room on a hot summer’s day.  

They’ve had the fun media trained out of them; every answer so sanitised you could eat your dinner off it, it’s boring and made journalism all the more boring for it. 

So let this piece serve as a eulogy for the celebrity anecdote, because as Turner would say, there’s nothing to comment on anymore. 

RIP Celebrity Interview (1859-2026): 
‘Shot in the back by the coward Callum Turner’

MORE: Richard Osman leaks British actor being ‘strongly considered’ for James Bond

MORE: James Bond boss teases new 007 actor will be ‘really different’

MORE: Ignore James Bond frontrunners – the next 007 should be a complete unknown

A French civil servant allegedly drugged women’s drinks because he liked to see them wet themselves.

Victims have claimed that Christian Nègre spiked their beverages with a powerful diuretic during interviews before taking them somewhere with limited toilet access and waiting for them to lose control of their bladders. 

Anaïs de Vos, 42, says she was drugged while being interviewed for a job at the French Ministry of Culture in Paris in July 2011. 

She says she did not usually drink coffee but accepted one after it was offered to her by Nègre, a senior civil servant who was conducting the interview.

Ms de Vos, who was 27 at the time, said he made the drink himself before suggesting they leave the office and continue the meeting outside.

But as they walked through the streets of Paris, Ms de Vos began to feel weak and developed an uncontrollable need to urinate.

‘I was really weak. I couldn’t really feel my legs any more,’ she told BBC Global Women. ‘I was scared. I didn’t know what was happening.’

Ms de Vos said she told Nègre she urgently needed to find a toilet, but claimed he appeared to take pleasure in her distress.

She added: ‘He looked me right in the eye and said, “Oh, do you need a wee?”‘

Ms Brice said Nègre told her she appeared stressed and suggested they take a walk outside to calm her nerves

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Nègre, a former senior civil servant and human resources director at France’s culture ministry, is under investigation over claims he spiked 248 women’s drinks

‘I felt like a child. I thought it was really weird the way he looked at me, almost gleeful.’

She claims Nègre then directed her towards a storage cupboard beneath a bridge on the River Seine and told her: ‘You can do it here.’

Ms de Vos is one of nearly 250 women who claim to have been drugged by Nègre in alleged incidents between 2009 and 2018.

Police are thought to have uncovered a spreadsheet labelled ‘Experiments’ on Nègre’s computer, allegedly detailing dates, doses and the reactions of women who were applying for ministry jobs. 

The document allegedly noted the time the women arrived for their interviews, when the diuretic was administered, how long it took before they urinated and what kind of underwear they were wearing. 

Many reported trembling, dizziness, humiliation and, in several cases, wetting themselves or being forced to urinate in public.

Ms de Vos said she became increasingly alarmed and refused to enter the cupboard, fearing Nègre could push her inside and close the door behind her.

The pair instead walked to the Louvre to use the toilets, but Ms de Vos had left her purse at the ministry’s offices and Nègre allegedly claimed he had no money to pay the one euro charge.

Desperate and in pain from trying to hold her bladder, she eventually found a cafe which allowed her to use its toilet.

But by the time she reached the bathroom, she felt physically weak and lost control of her bladder.

After spending around three hours with Nègre, Ms de Vos said she was left feeling dizzy and drained.

She did not get the job and remained suspicious about what had happened, but was unable to explain why the encounter had made her feel so uncomfortable.

She received a letter from police in 2019 and was told investigators suspected she was among almost 200 women Nègre was accused of drugging during job interviews, purportedly for roles at the ministry.

Dozens more alleged victims have since emerged who believe they were subjected to chemical submission, where drugs are used to gain control over another person.

Police believed Nègre had used diuretics, which can be prescribed for conditions including high blood pressure and cause the body to produce increased amounts of urine.

Chemical submission came to prominence in France in 2024 when Gisele Pelicot’s husband was found guilty of sedating her and inviting strangers to rape her while she was unconscious. 

Another of Nègre’s alleged victims, marketing expert Sylvie Delezenne, had travelled to Paris in 2015 believing she was on the brink of her dream job. 

Instead, she says she was marched around the Tuileries gardens while growing increasingly ill and begging for a toilet break. 

Eventually, she was forced to crouch beside a tunnel to relieve herself as Nègre ‘shielded’ her with his jacket – a moment she says left her devastated.

Marie-Hélène Brice, another woman whose name allegedly appeared in Nègre’s notes, was interviewed by him for a Ministry of Culture job in Strasbourg in 2016.

She said Nègre told her she appeared stressed and suggested they take a walk outside to calm her nerves.

But while walking along a canal, Ms Brice also developed an uncontrollable and increasingly painful need to urinate.

She claims Nègre told her he knew of a nearby public toilet, but when they reached the location there was none.

Ms Brice said she became pale and was in tears from the pain before eventually being left with no choice but to urinate in public.

Nègre allegedly offered to shield her with his jacket, but Ms Brice said he continued watching her, leaving her deeply embarrassed.

She said she carried the shame of the encounter for years before police eventually contacted her and told her she was believed to be among Nègre’s alleged victims.

The case has still not come to court, 15 years after Ms de Vos’s alleged encounter with Nègre and seven years after she first spoke to police.

Ms de Vos is among a number of accusers who have expressed frustration over the length of the investigation.

She told the BBC she first spoke to police in 2019 but heard nothing further about the case until 2023, despite repeatedly contacting them.

Meanwhile, Nègre has continued to work in human resources, according to women’s rights group Fondation des Femmes, which is supporting around 30 of the women.

Ms Brice described the lengthy wait for justice as a form of ‘secondary victimisation’.

UN Women has called for governments, police and justice systems to do more to tackle drug-facilitated sexual assault, warning that delays in alleged abuse cases can have a devastating impact on victims.

The family who drowned off a beach in Sussex were a Palestinian refugee, his wife and daughter, it has emerged. 

Hossam El-Khawwas, his wife and their eldest daughter all drowned while swimming in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, at around 3pm yesterday while sea conditions were choppy. 

Their younger daughter remains in hospital in critical condition. 

The Palestinian Embassy confirmed Mr El-Khawwas was a Palestinian who had come to the UK from a refugee camp in Lebanon. 

The family had been camping on the harbour front in Shoreham, where they went swimming yesterday before getting into difficulty.  

Eyewitnesses claimed one of the children got tangled in a fishing net, sparking the tragedy. A fisherman is understood to have pulled one of the children out before raising the alarm.

In a tribute to the family today, the Palestinian Forum in Britain mourned the family’s passing.

‘With hearts believing in God’s decree, the Palestinian Forum in Britain mourns Mr Hossam El-Khawwas, his virtuous wife, and their daughter – from the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon – following their drowning in the Sussex area,’ it said. 

‘We pray for the recovery of their second daughter, who was transferred to the hospital.’  

Three members of the same family died after getting into difficulty in the water at Shoreham-by-Sea yesterday afternoon

Footage that emerged this afternoon shows a lifeboat being rocked by heavy waves as it carried out a search operation to find the family – with ambulances and two helicopters also at the scene. 

Eyewitness Joe Chrisp, 24, said: ‘One of the local fishermen said it was two adults, two kids.

‘One of the kids apparently got caught in a fishing net.’ 

Andy Burnham sent his ‘best wishes and love’ to the relatives and friends of the girl fighting for her life – and reminded people of the ‘dangers of open water swimming’. 

Asked during a visit to the North East if the Government needed to do more to tackle water safety, the Prime Minister replied: ‘Always. It’s so sad to hear what happened yesterday, and obviously we think there’s a young girl still in the hospital fighting for her life, and we send our best wishes and love to wider friends and family. 

‘The thing I can say today, and there is still, I think, a further heatwave to come in this summer period, is just to remind people about the dangers of open water swimming. 

‘The coldness, even when it feels hot outside, can shock people, and that can cause the difficulties. So people just need to remember that at all times.’ 

Mr Burnham added: ‘I do need to praise the emergency services, who I know were on scene very quickly yesterday. They’ve had a busy summer, but they were there, and we thank them. As I say, just huge sympathy to the friends and the family.’

Chief Superintendent James Collis confirmed at a press conference last night that the coastguard is not searching for anyone else. 

Sussex Police said: ‘Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl, were sadly confirmed deceased.

‘A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in critical condition. We can confirm, all four people were from the same family, and their next of kin have been informed.

‘Specialist officers are supporting them at this incredibly difficult time, and our thoughts are with their family and friends.’ 

Floral tributes and a lantern left at the scene after the tragedy yesterday

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A woman leaves a bunch of flowers at the scene after three people died and a girl was left in critical condition 

Two air ambulances were seen landing on the shore after the incident 

Police and ambulances rushed to the scene in West Sussex shortly after 3pm

A boy lays flowers on the beach near to where tragedy struck yesterday afternoon 

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An investigation has been launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. 

‘At this point, we believe all four entered the water from the land for a swim, and sadly, got into difficulty,’ the force added. 

Pictures from the Shoreham seaside showed a huge emergency service response to the incident as eight ambulances parked on the shore beside helicopters.

They remained at the scene, around a 20-minute drive from Brighton, for hours after their 3pm arrival. A police cordon was eventually removed shortly before 9pm.

Road closures had been put in place nearby with the A259 Brighton Road, which runs alongside the beach, blocked in both directions from New Road to Kingston Lane.  

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I heard from friends in the Coastguard that it was a family who had been living in tents by the harbour front.

‘They were camping just between the harbour arm and the fort. They have been there a couple of weeks, I’ve walked my dog past them. People don’t usually camp there.’

Joss Loader, who lives nearby and represents Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association on Adur District Council, said: ‘There’s just a really strong sense of shock, obviously people are really concerned for the young girl.

‘A small tightly knit community with a very deep sense of shock and that sense of disbelief you get after a tragedy because it has come out of nowhere.

‘It’s school holidays and we have had a wonderful summer so the beaches have been packed with families. 

‘People swim from those beaches even in the winter, generally it is considered as safe as the sea can be. You wouldn’t be swimming there and think you were taking a risk.’ 

Anna Peacock, 81, who lives near Kingston Beach across the water from Shoreham Fort, said emergency services were on the scene very quickly.

Witnesses said that fishermen first reported that four people had got into difficulty in the water

Police were seen searching a car nearby

Chief Superintendent James Collis said the family had entered the water for a swim

‘It was terribly sad to know that just across the road people have lost their lives,’ she said. ‘People come down to swim, particularly in the summertime and I don’t think they realise there’s a riptide along here.’ 

Gary and Victoria Flint took their children to the beach for the day. Victoria, from Horsham, said: ‘We arrived at about three and soon after we heard the siren for the lifeboat.

‘We watched it launch then about 20 minutes later, it came back. Ambulances started arriving – more and more of them – then the air ambulances started.’

Another witness told ITV News: ‘I was up near the Coastguard tower when I saw two police officers come past me holding evidence bags after they looked to be going through belongings of, presumably, those who were involved in the incident.’

Alan Facer, 41, a fisherman from Hove, said the water would have been rough when the family got into trouble. 

He said: ‘The wind earlier was south-westerly so usually the waves pick up quite a bit. At 3pm, the tide would have been quite high.’

MP for East Worthing and Shoreham Tom Rutland meanwhile described the incident as a ‘tragedy’, adding: ‘I am deeply saddened by the tragic news that three people have died following an incident in the water near Shoreham Fort this afternoon. 

‘I spoke earlier with Sussex Police and Shoreham RNLI and have been briefed on the response by the emergency services.

‘My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives, and I know the whole community here in Shoreham will be hoping and praying for the recovery of the young girl receiving medical treatment in hospital.’   

A spokesman from the RNLI said lifeboat crews were launched at around 2.50pm yesterday afternoon. 

Two other lifeboats were also launched from the Brighton lifeboat station shortly after 3pm.

The coastguard, meanwhile, said ‘it responded to an incident reported at Shoreham at about 2.45pm’. 

They added: ‘An HM Coastguard helicopter was sent as well as Littlehampton, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, and an RNLI lifeboat from Shoreham.’ 

A jury has been discharged in the trial of eight Palestine Action activists who were accused of helping to organise a raid on the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm.

Ian Sanders, Aleksandra Herbich, Teuta Hoxha, Sean Middleborough, Julija Brigadirova, Hannah Davidson, Madeleine Norman and William Plastow were charged with criminal damage after a raid on Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024.

They were all also charged with violent disorder, although Plastow was previously found not guilty of this offence.

The group denied any wrongdoing and have been on trial at the Old Bailey since 22 June. Judge Patrick Field discharged the jury earlier after 37 hours of deliberations.

The court heard none of the defendants were at Elbit during raid but were alleged to have helped to plan it, including by compiling an equipment list, reconnaissance, purchasing tools and weapons used by others, and co-ordinating the break-in and its filming.

The Crown Prosecution Service will now need to decide whether to seek a retrial.

A hearing has been set for 14 September to decide the future of the case.

The eight activists who were on trial are:

In Donald Trump’s recent public appearances, it’s been hard to ignore a particular attendee who seems to be next to him – all the time.

Natalie Harp, 35, is one of the President’s closest aides and is nicknamed the ‘human printer’ because of how many articles she prints for Trump to read.

She first caught Trump’s attention in 2019, when she shared a story of how she battled bone cancer. In 2022, after working as a far-right news anchor, she entered his inner circle.

This week, however, bizarre details about her relationship with the Commander-in-Chief have surfaced.

In 2023, Harp was unable to get a seat in his motorcade as the President rode to his court hearing.

CNN reported that a ‘screaming match’ ensued, with Harp insisting Trump asked her to attend. Eventually, she hopped into a car boot and rode along with the President to the courthouse.

Her closeness to Trump has raised a few eyebrows, however, and caused concern from Harp’s own brother.

Harp’s brother, Parker, told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t understand why my sister, or anyone, could want to work for Trump.’

Speaking of the reported car boot incident, he said: ‘It’s actually really sad. That’s obsession. That’s like an unhealthy obsession with someone if you’re going to jump into the trunk of their car.

‘Trump is like everything that my mom taught us to respect. I think that’s where her infatuation with Trump comes from, honestly.’

She was said to have left a personal note for the President in a ‘personal space’, reading: ‘You are all that matters to me.’

Last month, instead of Melania standing by her husband’s side while overseeing the transfer of the soldiers killed in the Middle East, Harp was there.

She’s also believed to be the one in charge of his bizarre Truth Social posts.

Harp has repeatedly said Trump ‘saved her life’ by allowing experimental treatments when she was battling cancer.

But her fierce loyalty to Trump is worrying those close to the President.

Insiders told CNN that she is so ‘territorial’ about the President that she brags to others about ‘only reporting to him’.

A White House spokesperson previously said of Harp: ‘No president has cultivated as much loyalty among their staffers and administration officials as President Trump; this is a testament to his commitment to our country and its people.

‘Natalie Harp is a beloved White House Official, and the Fake News Media will never understand what it’s like to be as trusted and admired as her.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The cook and broadcaster, 66, will join The Great British Bake Off as a judge for the new series starting next month on Channel 4.

She will be taking over from Dame Prue Leith, 86, who stepped down earlier this year from the programme she had joined in 2017.

In a post shared on Instagram, Lawson said: “I’m a bit nervous, very excited, and extremely happy: Bake Off is back on our screens next month.

“I’ve loved every minute.

“It’s a real honour to be part of something so special.

“Thank you Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding making me feel so instantly part of the family.

“You three plus cake: talk about the dream job.”

Her message was met with enthusiasm from fans and celebrities alike, including Alan Carr, who commented with fire emojis, and Queer Eye’s Tan France, who said he “cannot wait” to see her on the show.

Her comments come just a day after Channel 4 released a first-look image of Lawson on set, standing alongside presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, and fellow judge Paul Hollywood.

The broadcaster confirmed that filming for the new season is complete, with episodes set to air from next month.

Channel 4 said viewers can look forward to seeing Lawson bring her “trademark warmth, wit and passion for flavour to the tent.”

“I am excited, but I take it very seriously”

In January, during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning, Lawson shared: “I am excited, but I take it very seriously.

“The thing about Bake Off is that it’s about the programme – which is an institution of national treasure status – and it’s about the bakers, and I just want to be there and be a part of it.”

Lawson is one of the UK’s best-loved food personalities, having risen to fame in the late 1990s through her bestselling cookbooks and popular TV shows.

An Oxford graduate who began her career in journalism, she achieved literary success with her debut book How To Eat, followed by the award-winning How To Be A Domestic Goddess, which won her the British Book Award for author of the year in 2001.

Recommended reading:

She later fronted Channel 4’s Nigella Bites before moving on to programmes with ITV and the BBC.

Lawson has also appeared on MasterChef Australia and MasterChef US, and served as a judge on two seasons of the Australian show My Kitchen Rules.

Will you be watching the new series of The Great British Bake Off? Let us know in the comments.