The referral was revealed after world No43 Matthew Selt was taken to court by Susan Hickenbotham in a row over the family home

A snooker pro’s mum will be referred to the authorities for alleged housing benefits fraud after a bitter legal battle over a £620,000 family house.

Susan Hickenbotham claimed her son Matthew Selt, the world No43, his sisters Claire Noble and Charlotte Hamblin ganged up and demanded she sign the family home over to them, reducing her to tears. Hickenbotham, who has been claiming social security and housing benefits since 1992, claimed ownership of the house in Romford, where she has lived since 1998, and which is now worth around £620,000.

Hickenbotham was served an eviction notice by her daughter Claire Noble in 2024. She claimed she bought the property from her ex-husband Michael David Selt for £75,000, as a gesture of goodwill after they split up. The mum-of-three claimed she put £7,500 towards the mortgage in 2000 and bought the house outright in 2011 after she was left some money by her father.

She claimed this money was given to Noble to put towards the house, but Noble kept it for herself. Hickenbotham’s lawyer has claimed her children created a ‘sham tenancy’, listing Noble as the owner and her mother as the tenant so she could claim housing benefit. Selt, 41, said he didn’t remember the details of the property being acquired in 2000 or the deed signing in 2019.

Judge Simon Monty KC on Thursday warned the family the case could end in “mutually assured destruction.” In his judgement, he said Hickenbotham’s account of how she raised £7,500 to put towards the house was “unconvincing.”He said Hickenbotham did pay Claire £7,500 in cash to Ms Noble but it was to be used towards renovations rather than being a deposit.

The judge said: “None of Susan, Claire or Charlotte come out of this well and I did not think that any of them were convincing witnesses. I approach their evidence, all of it, with considerable caution.” The judge decided Hickenbotham was lying about being forced to sign a deed.

He said: “In my view, there was a meeting, which was probably on 6 June 2019, at the property, attended by Susan and the three children. There was no draft deed produced at the meeting, and there was no shouting by the children. Claire went through the proposed deed, and whilst she and her siblings were very keen that Susan should sign it, there was at that time no document to be signed and nothing was signed at that meeting.

“I do not accept Susan’s version of events- I accept what Claire, Matthew and Charlotte say about the meeting. None of the children recall Mark being there. He was not. I do not accept anything Susan says about the shouting or the tears or her being distressed and upset. I regret to have concluded that Susan has made all of this up.”

The judge dismissed Hickenbotham’s claim but said she did contribute £7,500 to the purchase. He also concluded that Hickenbotham had given Noble £96,000 which she had got to her father in order to pay off her mortgage but that Ms Noble did not put it into the mortgage. The judge said the tenancy document was a ‘sham’ by Noble and Hickenbotham to deceive the local authority.

He said: “Susan, with the assistance of Claire, has perpetrated what appears to have been a housing benefits fraud between 2000 and 2019 by setting up a false tenancy agreement naming as the tenant the true owner of the property knowingly in order to receive housing benefit which was used to pay the mortgage. I do not think Charlotte was involved. Matthew was not involved.

“Although Susan had a 10 per cent share in the property, the deed was freely entered into. By the deed, Susan declared that she had no interest in the property. The claim is dismissed. I intend to report Susan and Claire to the appropriate authorities in relation to the apparent benefits fraud. This is a very sorry, and I have to say, entirely predictable, end to these unhappy proceedings.”

Tom Russell, KC, representing his mum, earlier said the sportsman gave “no significant detail” during his evidence. He said: “I wonder if this is an effect of his profession, being in the public eye, which is to deny everything. It was like a no comment interview, he didn’t recognise any documentation, he did not recognise any facts of the case supported by documentation,” he said.

He said Selt could not remember details of his eldest son’s first birthday party, at which Mr Selt and his siblings say the deed was signed by their mother in 2019. Judge Monty had said Selt was not as involved in the case as his mother and sisters. He said: “He’s not really at the centre of all of this, he’s the most distant.”

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Hamblin, who represented herself and her siblings, told the court: “The claimant has shown she can be violent to both the public and her family. Hamblin said there were “huge evidential gaps” in her mother’s case, and that she had been happy with the arrangement on the house for years before bringing the lawsuit.

She said for years there was “no mention of the deed, no mention of the tears, and no mention of the duress.” She added: “It is only when the claimant’s relationship with the first defendant [her eldest daughter Ms Noble] failed, and she was asked to leave because of her own evidenced conduct. The claimant agreed under oath her divorce was toxic. “What is more likely, that the father wanted his children to have the property, or he wanted to give it to his ex-wife?”

Hamblin said an email from her dad was shown to the court “confirming he did not want the property to go to his ex wife,” adding: “He is either not being truthful in court to benefit herself financially, or she has been lying to the benefits system for many years both are acts of dishonesty.”

Matthew made his first 147 of his 24-year career at the BetVictor Championship League in January. Last year he was removed from his position as vice-chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) players’ association for ‘rude and aggressive’ behaviour at the 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters.

The nurse told a jury she was shown a mobile phone video of the baby boy which made her feel ‘uneasy’

One of the men on trial over the death of a baby Preston Davey remarked to a nurse that medics would ‘think they were abusing’ him, jurors have been told.

Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazackerly, 32, are charged with a string of offences against 13-month-old Preston, who they were in the process of adopting. He died after being taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023.

Mr Varley is accused of murder; sexual assault of a child under 13; inflicting grievous bodily harm; five counts of child cruelty; and further counts of making, taking and distributing indecent images.

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Mr McGowan-Fazackerley is accused of causing or allowing the death of a child; two counts of child cruelty; and sexual assault of a child under 13. Both men deny the charges against them and are currently on trial at Preston Crown Court.

On Thursday (May 14), the trial heard evidence from Nikki Wilson, a staff nurse who was on duty at Blackpool Victoria Hospital during a previous occasion Preston was brought in, June 30, 2023.

Ms Wilson said Preston was with two adult men, a ‘taller’ man and a ‘larger’ man and that Preston had a ‘bump or bruise’ to one side of his head.

“One of them stated that the hospital would think they were abusing the child” Ms Wilson said, adding she ‘can’t remember’ which of the men made the comment.

“They were raising a previous admission that he had come in on” she continued. She said the pair showed her a video on a mobile phone which showed Preston sat in front of an ‘activity block’ which she said they told her he had got as a birthday present.

She said the video, which was shown to the jury, showed that Preston ‘went to pull himself up’ and ‘you could see it tip.’ It ‘ended there’ and there was ‘no sound’ when she viewed it, she said, adding she ‘didn’t see anyone else on the video other than Preston.’

She said the video made her feel ‘uneasy.’ “For me, personally, when you see something tip you would automatically run to stop it from tipping over” she said. Adding: “I just think you would have run to the child when you saw it tipping over.”

Under cross-examination from Nick Johnson KC, representing Mr Varley, she confirmed she believed the mens’ behaviour in the hospital was ‘appropriate and caring’ towards the baby boy.

Earlier, a forensic pathologist who carried out a post-mortem on Preston said she did not believe injuries she discovered were caused by attempts to resuscitate him.

Dr Alison Armour concluded the cause of his death was acute upper airways obstruction, caused by either smothering or an object being inserted into his mouth, the jury were earlier told.

During cross-examination, Mr Johnson took her through a number of the more than 40 separate internal and external injuries she found during her examination.

Being questioned by Mr Johnson, she described a bruise found at the back of Preston’s throat as ‘unusual.’ When asked if it could have been caused during the attempts to save Preston’s life, Dr Armour said: “I find it very difficult to accept this bruise was caused by medical instrumentation.”

She said that she ‘cannot accept the logic’ of the proposition that the ‘extensive’ bruise was caused by intubation when there was ‘no bruising to any other resuscitative mark.’

‘There is no evidence that this child choked on vomit’, pathologist tells jury

When asked about ‘linear’ bruising to Preston’s thigh, she said it was ‘consistent with a slap.’ When it was put to her by Mr Johnson it was ‘consistent with a firm grip’, Dr Armour replied: “That’s inconsistent with a grip.” Adding: “If this baby does not have cardiac output, those bruises are not due to any handling or resuscitation.”

Dr Armour said 14 bruises she found to Preston’s head and face were ‘consistent with fingertip pressure.’ She said many of them were ‘difficult to interpret’ as ‘you don’t see them on the skin.’

She agreed with Mr Johnson there were no bruises around the mouth, but added ‘that’s not where you get fingertip bruises in the cases of smothering of a child.’

Asked during re-examination by prosecutor Peter Wright KC if she had considered if any of the injuries found on Preston were caused by attempts at resuscitation, she said: “That’s not my position at all sir.”

She said that although she found Preston had inhaled vomit into his lungs, this was not the cause of his death. “There is no evidence that this child choked on vomit. It has gone into the lungs, and it was a recent event” she said, adding: “This was not the cause of death. It has happened for a reason. It was not the reason Preston Davey died.”

When it was put to her by Mr Johnson that she could not ‘reasonably exclude’ it as a possible cause of death, she replied that there ‘has to be a reason for it’, adding that a conclusion that he had died as the result of ‘aspiration of stomach contents’ would have been ‘unacceptable.’

Both men, of Staining Avenue, Blackpool, deny all charges brought against them. The trial, scheduled to last around six weeks, continues.Proceeding

One voter said: “I don’t believe that politics is a football team – you don’t always have to vote for the same party”

Voters have reacted to last week’s local election results which saw the Greens snatch six seats from Labour and their leader lose his seat. Cameron Holloway, the previous leader of Cambridge City Council, lost his Petersfield seat Kathryn Fisher by just over a hundred votes.

Tony Murphy, a Petersfield resident, said he didn’t vote for the party this year because of Hughes Hall’s plan to build on a site next to Fenner’s cricket ground. The Cambridge University college hopes to build more student accommodation and academic spaces at the site off Mill Road.

The 71-year-old said: “I’ve always been a Labour supporter but this time I voted Green because of Hughes Hall and I feel the Greens will help us more.

“It’s just a disaster both nationally and locally – they’re going to be wasting loads more money on these bins and new special lorries to pick them up. It’s crazy – fill in some of the potholes.”

While the Greens massively increased their vote share, Reform UK were the biggest winners nationwide, taking control of 14 councils in England. Tony said: “I lived most of my life in the Midlands and sort of guessed Reform would win there, but I’m really surprised they’ve taken it nationwide almost.”

Ultan Rowan, who works at Arjuna Wholefoods on Mill Road, said it was a “shame” nationally but he was pleased with Cambridge’s results. The 24-year-old said: “I was really happy to see the parties that we brought in – it was a shame nationally, I’m not happy about Reform.”

He said he wasn’t surprised to see Cambridge voters turn their backs on Labour for the Greens and that “people want change”.

He said: “A lot of people are very unhappy and people need things to change – it’s the same reason why people are voting Reform. They have vastly different opinions on why things need to change, but people aren’t happy with what the Labour Government is doing.”

Locally, he hopes more Greens on the council will mean more bike infrastructure is built and active travel is made easier. Ultan said: “That’s something I think is beneficial – for neighbourhoods and for public health – I’m an avid cyclist myself, that’s how I commute.”

Maya Parkin lives in neighbouring Romsey and hopes the results will send an important message to the current government.

The 26-year-old said: “I’m quite involved with the local Green Party and they’ve gained a lot this year which is really good – I think it’s a good signal. I don’t believe that politics is a football team – you don’t always have to vote for the same party, but I think it’s important to signal to the current government how things should be improved.

“By voting Green I felt that I was putting my vote towards reducing wealth inequality and hopefully the fact that so many Green councillors got elected and Labour have faced significant losses hopefully that will prompt them in the right direction.”

The applicant said the hotel will provide ‘modern guest accommodation’ for the area

Plans to add guest rooms to a riverside restaurant have been given the go ahead, despite concerns about parking. Quay House in Quayside, Ely, is set to undergo a transformation, with plans first approved in January for the first floor to be turned into a restaurant.

Then in April, plans were submitted for phase two to turn the second floor into three hotel rooms with en-suites. The proposals also included adding additional dining to this floor, a reading room and lounge ancillary for the restaurant.

The applicant said the hotel rooms would put the building into “long-term use” and it would introduce “modern guest accommodation” to the area. They also said it would “strengthen the building’s economic sustainability” and contribute to the “vitality of the Ely riverside area”.

These plans have now been approved by East Cambridgeshire District Council. There had been some objections to the plans prior to approval, with concerns raised over parking and traffic in the area, as well as the impact on nearby residents.

One person, who lives in Quayside, said there were “barely enough parking spaces” in the area already. They added: “There is precious little space for large/delivery etc vehicles to turn or manoeuvre in/around our homes not accounting for what will be a new multi-use premises.

“The scheme now viewed in the round is not a welcoming change to the peace of the Georgian riverside area.” The objector also said the “mainly peaceful” riverside area would be “unduly compromised/prejudiced” with the new plans.

Another person in Cardinals Way raised concerns about the potential noise and impact on “residential character”. They said: “I feel the additional plans for a function room on the first floor will generate additional, inappropriate levels of noise.

“The room will face the residential properties behind Quay House and with open windows in the summer, and likely music etc, noise will carry across the Bishops Walk development and Back Lane, late into the evening.

“Noise levels are already increasingly high, especially in the summer months from the Maltings and RBK. I have conditional support for the proposal for the restaurant, but I believe this new proposal seeks to turn the project into something that will change the character of the area, contrary to the public plans for it.”

The applicant said that Cambridgeshire County Council’s adopted parking standards generated a theoretical requirement of 11 customer spaces and six staff spaces. The applicant said due to the site’s “sustainable location” and proximity to public car parks, this could be provided without dedicated spaces onsite.

The family-run business has been operating through Scotland since 2023.

Another business has fallen into administration, which could leave another whole on Scottish high streets this year. It has been reported that a family-run company that operates a chain of multiple pharmacies has had to appoint administrators.

Operating since 2023, Amiry & Glibride Healthcare Limited (AGH) runs 13 stores in Scotland under LP North 14 Limited and LP North 15 Limited, as well as other branches. These stores can be found across Glasgow, including Anniesland, Bearsden, Drumchapel, and Paisley, as well as in Lanarkshire and the Highlands.

The company also owned two prescription collection units, which provided services to customers such as free medicine pouching and prescription locker collections. The pharmacies also offered free medicine care and reviews and a free enhanced minor ailments service.

According to the Express, an order from the Court of Session has appointed administrators to the holding company. However, neither of the two subsidiaries will be affected. Instead, they are expected to be sold, with the pharmacies continuing to run trading as normal.

The joint administrators of AGH have said they are creating a governance structure for the subsidiaries, which will be operated under director John Gilbride and his team. They said: “The joint administrators will work with John and his team to gain a clear understanding of the financial position of the AGH group.

“Once complete they will then look to sell the group via a marketing process. Interested parties are encouraged to make contact with the joint administrators without delay.”

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In 2023, Mahyar and Sara Nickkho-Amiry reportedly partnered with John Gilbride to take over the pharmacies that were being sold off to a larger corporation.

Ever since, the Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy and Travel Clinic has been described on its website as a family-run, independent business. However, administrators were appointed for the holding company on April 29.

AGH stores locations in Scotland

Glasgow

• Anniesland
• Barrhead
• Bearsden
• Cardonald
• Drumchapel
• St George’s Cross

Paisley

• Causeyside Street
• Anchor Mill Private Pharmacy
• Linwood
• Neilston Road
• Paisley High Street
• Tannahill

Lanarkshire

• Airdrie
• Uddingston
• Lincluden Private Pharmacy
• Wishaw

Highlands

This comes after it was announced that a Scottish carpet and flooring company has gone bust. The Floor Studio, located in Elgin, Moray, entered “compulsory liquidation” last week on May 5.

Founded in 2013, a public notice on the Gazette shared that Stuart Robb of Robb Advisory had been appointed as liquidator on April 29.

Listed as a carpet and flooring retailer, information on the Companies House website from 2024 show it employed 10 staff members.

United, meanwhile, are 11-time champions in this competition, which they most recently summitted in 2022, when one Alejandro Garnacho scored a brace in a 3-1 defeat of Nottingham Forest. They have got the better of Peterborough, Derby County, Oxford, Sunderland and Crystal Palace en route to this stage.

The actor died after suffering from a short illness

Alan Rothwell, best-known for playing David Barlow in the original cast of ITV soap Coronation Street, has died aged 89, his family told the Press Association.

The statement said: “The family of the actor Alan Rothwell wish to share the sad news of his death at the age of 89 on Thursday May 14.

“Alan was a professional radio, television, film and stage actor and director whose career spanned more than 70 years. He was one of the original cast members of Coronation Street, playing David Barlow in the very first episode broadcast in December 1960.

“He also appeared in Brookside as Nicholas Black and was a familiar face to generations of viewers as the presenter of the long-running children’s television programmes Picture Box and Hickory House.

“Alan died peacefully in hospital following a short illness. Beyond his professional achievements, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle.

“He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues and the many people whose lives he touched through his work.”

He left the cobbles of Weatherfield behind in 1968, and had other major roles such as playing Nicholas Black in Brookside (1985–1986). He also hosted children’s television programmes including Picture Box and Hickory House.

Alan also played multiple roles in Emmerdale, including a judge in 1993 and the more regular part of John Kenyon between 1997 and 1998.

He also appeared in Casualty, playing various parts over the years, as well as Heartbeat, where he played Reverend Jackson.

Issuing a statement, Coronation Street shared: “We’re very sorry to hear of Alan Rothwell’s passing and extend our sincerest condolences to his family at this very sad time.

“He created an iconic and memorable character in David Barlow and will forever be remembered as one of the original cast members of Coronation Street.”

Actress Samia Longchambon added: “So sad to hear this. Alan was a also drama teacher at our drama school and I have such fond memories of being taught by him.. he was a wonderful man”.

Striker Sam Kerr – Chelsea’s all-time top scorer in the Women’s Super League – will leave the club when her contract expires this summer.

Kerr, 32, has scored 115 times in 177 appearances for the Blues and her final game will be at home against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Australian, who joined Chelsea in November 2019, has helped the club win five Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and the Community Shield.

“When I reflect on my Chelsea career and doing it for the last time [against Manchester United this Saturday], I just feel happy,” said Kerr. “Happy that it happened, and I feel so grateful to have played for this club for six years and won as many trophies as we could.”

Timetable of what happens now and the date a by-election could be held in Makerfield

Andy Burnham has confirmed he intends to stand in the Makerfield by-election after it was announced the seat would become available.

Labour MP Josh Simons said on Thursday night that he would intend to step aside to allow Mr Burnham a potential route back to Parliament – and possibly to lead a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister.

It means there will now be a by-election where voters in the constituency will be asked to choose a new MP – just two years on from the last general election.

In order for the election to take place a process must first be followed in the House of Commons. By convention, the Labour Chief Whip will start the process by formally asking Parliament to start the election process – this is called moving the writ.

Once the writ is moved, the by-election must take place between 21 and 27 working days later – with by-elections usually held on a Thursday.

This means that if a writ is issued in the coming days, we could potentially see an election as early as Thursday, June 18, or June 25.

A by-election was held in in Gorton and Denton earlier this year after Labour Andrew Gwynne announced he was standing down. He made the announcement on January 22 with the by-election held 35 laters on Thursday, February 26.

Mr Burnham was previously blocked by the National Executive Committee from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which was won by the Green Party.

Makerfield has been held by Labour continuously since the constituency was created in 1983 and Mr Simons won it with a majority of around 5,000 in 2024.

But Reform UK could pose a threat, as analysis of the local election results from May 7 this year show that of the 10 wards contested on Wigan Council that fall within the parliamentary constituency of Makerfield, either wholly or partially, Reform candidates won every single one of them.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, said: “We look forward to the contest and we will throw absolutely everything at it.”

The hail turned parts of the ground completely white

Videos have captured the moment a “crazy” unseasonal hailstorm hit Cardiff in the middle of spring. The hail was so heavy in parts of the city that car alarms were being set off and the ground turned completely white.

It comes as temperatures have been below average despite summer supposedly being weeks away.

Many parts of south Wales were hit by the “insane” hail on Thursday afternoon which was also accompanied by thunder in some places.

If the hail hadn’t confused people enough, some areas were then treated to a remarkable change in conditions with bright blue skies following shortly after. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here

The Met Office forecasted “plenty of showers” lingering on Thursday evening and highlighted the possibility that these could turn heavy at times.

The weather agency added: “Becoming mostly dry through the early hours of the morning with some clear spells developing. Lighter winds but a cool breeze remains around Welsh coasts. Minimum temperature 5 °C.”

Friday looks set to be a bit nicer. The forecast says: “The odd early shower is possible, otherwise a dry day ahead with light winds and plenty of sunshine by the afternoon. Feeling less chilly in lighter winds. Maximum temperature 13 °C.”

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