Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor’s cause of death has been confirmed at an emotional inquest, with heartbreaking testimonies from close friends and dance partners

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The cause of death for former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor was determined today following a three-day inquest.

A jury concluded the death was suicide after hearing the dancer was “vulnerable to rejection both emotionally and professionally.” Windsor was discovered dead at the Hoxton Hotel in Shepherd’s Bush, London, on February 19, 2024 at the age of 44.

The ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer had a blood alcohol level more than double the drink-drive limit and had consumed the drug GBL. Following approximately two hours of deliberation, a 10-person jury established that Windsor had taken his own life, determining that the likely causes were “an accumulation of many attributes to depression”.

The jury forewoman informed the court: “Windsor suffered from childhood trauma, he was vulnerable to rejection, both emotionally and professionally.”

The jury also concluded that “loneliness, the lack of emotional maturity, the pressure of mounting debts, the lack of consistent mental health care and support and recurring heartache” were “contributing factors” to Windsor’s decision to take his own life, reports the Mirror.

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In a message to a close friend written before his death, Windsor stated: “This all actually really started when I lost my place on Strictly and I have been fighting it ever since.”

He wrote: “I had a good run, I’ve done some incredible things in my 44 years and had an unreal life doing what I loved, but all things must come to an end and my curtain has come down for the final time.”

A separate message addressed to former partner and actor Ollie Augstin, from whom Windsor had separated the previous year, stated “I need you to understand, this is not your fault!”.

The Latin and ballroom performer became part of Strictly in 2010, partnering with actresses Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson and Lisa Riley, alongside Dragons’ Den businesswoman Deborah Meaden across four series until 2013. A back injury prevented him from participating in the 2014 series and he wasn’t invited back in 2015, though he still featured in that year’s Christmas special, performing with TV presenter Alison Hammond.

Upon delivering the verdict, Coroner van Dellen addressed Mr Windsor’s family member present in court: “I hope the family can take some comfort from the joy Robin brought to so many people and the positive effect he had on so many people.”

The coroner continued, “That’s a wonderful legacy for Robin to leave.”

Van Dellen instructed jurors to establish how Windsor met his death.

“You will need to consider the extent to which matters or events probably more than minimally contributed to Robin’s mental health deterioration, which in turn led him to take his own life,” van Dellen explained.

Throughout the inquest, deeply moving evidence was provided by Windsor’s friends and professional associates, including his Strictly partners Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden, along with former Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff.

In evidence presented at Wednesday’s hearing, Emmerdale actress Riley revealed that Windsor’s “glow had gone” following his removal from Strictly. “It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into endless depression,” she explained.

The soap actress revealed that she and Windsor maintained a particularly strong bond that endured well beyond their stint together on the 10th series of Strictly.

“To say we hit it off was an understatement. We were joined at the hip. Robin was my rock, my best friend.”

Lisa revealed Robin would “tell me of times where he would not feel good enough”. Riley indicated that Windsor had faced difficulties in his love life, splashing out on expensive presents which left him “drowning in debt”.

“Robin was and always has been influenced by other men. It became a standing joke he would fall in love after three days. He craved to be loved. I warned him so many times he was covering up his true feelings with booze, parties, and recreational drugs.”

The court was also informed that Windsor had battled with his perception of his own appearance. “Body image played an enormous part in his insecurities. He took steroids for his body shape” Riley documented, noting that she felt the steroids amplified the impact of Windsor’s excessive alcohol consumption.

Her statement continued: “He opened up to me and told me of a time where he was molested by his old dance teacher.”

In a separate statement, entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den personality, Meaden, acknowledged that whilst Windsor “always did his best to present a bright and sunny face”, she had witnessed her dancing partner “tearful and distracted at times.”

Another witness, John Gleede, a pantomime performer, revealed that Windsor “seemed obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing” whilst working on a 2023 production of Aladdin, a decade after his departure from Strictly.

He explained: “During the rehearsal period he had a lot of time on his hands. He was sitting on the sidelines watching footage of strictly, the current series. He was looking at it on his phone continuously. He missed it dearly.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the UK & ROI, Samaritans are available on 116 123. In the US, call or text 988.

When the UK’s offensive chemical and biological weapons programmes were terminated in the 1950s, work at the high-security military research centre in Porton Down, Wiltshire switched to defensive strategies. These included developing chemicals for use in riot control and countermeasures to the evolving threat of chemical and biological weapons.

Before being tested on military personnel, potential riot control compounds had to go through an informal preliminary screening. According to a 2006 history of Porton Down published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), this would sometimes involve laboratory staff “cautiously sniffing” new compounds in order to “eliminate the less promising ones”.

Today’s scientists working inside the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), which is headquartered at Porton Down, won’t be doing any sniff tests. But according to an anonymous whistleblower, Porton’s CEO, Paul Hollinshead, has warned that the laboratory needs to improve its health and safety record, or risk losing its operating licence.

The Guardian reported that an internal survey had raised widespread concerns about staff lacking the “resources to work safely”. The facility is now undergoing a major reorganisation, but a Porton spokesperson stressed to me that “any changes will protect and enhance its critical functions” – including working with government departments beyond the MoD.

A history of staff self-testing

My research with colleagues inside Porton Down found that between 1941 and 1989, staff took part in more than 1,300 tests of 78 different chemical and biological substances.

These included highly toxic nerve agents such as Tabun, vomiting agents including diphenylchlorarsine, and the blister-forming agent sulphur mustard. In the later decades, staff self-testing focused on pre-emptive therapies for nerve agent attacks, using drugs such as Pralidoxime.

Other historical accounts suggest Porton scientists were given great latitude to develop experiments – and join in with them too. One long-term staff member, Mark Ainsworth, described testing a new piece of equipment in the wound ballistics laboratory. Working in it was “heroic”, he wrote in 1976, as the machine would “charge itself up to 300,000 volts, then discharge itself randomly, turning [the testers] into nervous wrecks”.

In an echo of the recent whistleblower complaints, Ainsworth also revealed that he “swore at the management for not being more generous with staff deployment”.

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Inside Porton Down: what I learned during three years at the UK’s most secretive chemical weapons laboratory

During the cold war era, Porton scientists developed troop protection including nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) suits, respirators, and the triple-therapy “combo pen” for treating exposure to potentially deadly nerve agents.

These scientists would have been shocked to find products stemming from their research being used decades later, in March 2018, on civilian shoppers just a few miles down the road. Porton Down was a key part of the emergency response to a chemical weapons attack on UK soil when Novichok was used to try to kill former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter at their home in Salisbury.

Despite the aggressive toxicity of this nerve agent, neither died – partly thanks to Porton Down expertise that was shared with the emergency and health services involved in their care.

Three months later, however, another Salisbury resident, Dawn Sturgess, died after spraying herself with Novichok hidden in a discarded perfume bottle. Her partner Charlie Rowley was also exposed to the nerve agent, but survived.

Biosecurity risks

Insights into the secretive work carried out at Porton Down also come when its scientists’ work is published in academic literature. DSTL senior fellow Tim Atkins, for example, is among researchers leading the global response to Q fever and melioidosis – two potentially deadly bacterial diseases.

Porton also conducts research into the continuing response to COVID and other highly infectious pathogens such as Yersinia pestis (the bacterium that causes plague) and Ebola virus. The highest levels of biosecurity are therefore required to prevent outbreaks of disease against which the public would not be protected.

My experience of working inside Porton’s secure area between 2002 and 2008 was that entry to, and passage around, the site was strictly controlled. Machine gun-armed MoD police were stationed at the facility’s outer entry points and also guarded the secure inner area.

We were investigating risk of cancer and mortality in the approximately 20,000 service personnel who took part in tests at Porton Down between 1945 and 1989. While we found a small increased risk of mortality, it could not be attributed directly to Porton attendance. The last documented case of staff self-testing, in June 29 1984, involved 7-methoxy cycloheptatriene, a non-corrosive “irritant compound”.

One former senior staff member I spoke to recalled working at Porton as “stimulating” and “fun”, partly because of the freedom scientists were afforded to innovate. Such freedom may be a thing of the past – but the work inside this top-secret British laboratory remains as important to national security as ever.

According to the Porton Down spokesperson: “Our people remain the bedrock of DSTL, and their dedication has ensured that our performance this year is better than last … Through the largest reforms to defence in more than 50 years, we are strengthening our ability to anticipate and respond to evolving threats, including increasing our safety standard.”

Key senators and the families of the 67 dead in an airliner collision with an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital are convinced that advanced aircraft locator systems recommended by experts for nearly two decades would have prevented last year’s tragedy. But it remains unclear if a bill will pass Congress requiring the systems around busy airports.

The Senate Commerce Committee is planning a hearing Thursday to highlight why the National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending since 2008 that all aircraft be equipped with one system that can broadcast their locations and another one to receive data about the location of other aircraft. Only the system that broadcasts location is currently required. The hearing will review all 50 of the NTSB’s recommendations to prevent another midair collision like that of Jan. 29, 2025.

Everyone aboard the helicopter and the American Airlines jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, including 28 members of the figure skating community, died when the aircraft collided and plummeted into the icy Potomac River.

The Senate already unanimously approved the bill that would require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have both kinds of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems installed. However, leaders of the key House committees seem to want to craft their own comprehensive bill addressing all the NTSB recommendations instead of immediately passing what’s known as the ROTOR act. The ADS-B out systems continually broadcast an aircraft’s location and speed and have been required since 2020. But ADS-B in systems that can receive those signals and create a display showing pilots were all air traffic is located around them are not standard.

If the American Airlines jet and the helicopter had also been equipped with one of the ADS-B in systems that can receive location data, the NTSB and the victims’ families and key lawmakers say, the pilots may have been able to avoid the collision.

The receiving systems would have provided more warning along with an indication of where the other aircraft was. But for that to work the helicopter’s ADS-B out system that’s supposed to broadcast its location would have to be turned on and working correctly, which wasn’t the case on the night of the crash.

Tragedy could have been prevented

These locator systems are one of the measures that might have been able to overcome all the systemic problems and mistakes the NTSB identified in the disaster. That’s why this requirement was endorsed by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy — the only witness called to the hearing — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and all of the Senate.

“This seems like a no-brainer, right? Especially when this is not a new thing that they’re proposing,” said Amy Hunter, whose cousin Peter Livingston died on the flight with his wife and two young daughters.

Afterward, the FAA made several changes including prohibiting helicopters from flying along the route where the crash happened whenever a plane is landing on the secondary runway at Reagan National Airport and requiring all aircraft to use their ADS-B out systems to broadcast their locations.

The crash anniversary and NTSB hearing on the causes of the crash have made recent weeks challenging for victims’ families. And now the Olympics are reminding Hunter and others that their loved ones — like young Everly and Alydia Livingston — will never have a chance to realize their dreams of competing for a gold medal.

Cost concerns for plane owners

The biggest stumbling block is cost. Upgrading some airline jets might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, placing an expensive burden on some — especially regional airlines with tighter profit margins like the one that flew the jet that collided with the Army helicopter. Some also worry whether general aviation pilots could afford the upgrades.

But some airlines have already begun to add the technology to their planes, partly because in addition to the safety benefits, the systems can help increase the number of planes that can fly into an airport by spacing them more precisely. American Airlines leads the industry, having added the technology to its Airbus A321s over the past several years, equipping more than 300 of its roughly 1,000 planes to date.

Any plane more than a decade old likely doesn’t have either of these systems installed. Most newer planes have at least an ADS-B out system that broadcasts their location.

But roughly three quarters of the pilots of business jets and smaller single-engine Cessnas and Bonanzas use portable devices that only cost several hundred dollars, made by companies like ForeFlight, that can tap into this location data and display the information about nearby aircraft on an iPad. So it doesn’t appear the legislation would create a significant expense for them.

Tim Lilley, a pilot himself, said having both these locator systems would have saved the life of his son Sam, who was copilot of the airliner, and everyone else who died. He said small plane owners have an affordable option, but even the expensive upgrades to large planes would be worth it.

“If those recommendations had been fully realized, this accident wouldn’t have happened,” Lilley said. “I don’t know what value we put on the human life, but 67 lives would still be here today.”

Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert team has also warned people of phrases to avoid

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When we receive a letter saying a contract for a household bill is ending, many providers rely on us doing nothing – even if prices rise sharply. Whether or not the cost-of-living squeeze has hit your household hard, nobody welcomes higher bills, and for those struggling, every single penny genuinely matters.

One effective strategy to dodge price hikes and trim costs is negotiation – something Martin Lewis consistently champions as worthwhile.

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder created his platform specifically to assist people in navigating financial challenges – and in one of their comprehensive guides, the website’s financial experts have compiled a list of powerful phrases that can help dramatically reduce your broadband and line rental costs. These tactics can prove equally effective for other household bills as well.

Once you are through to the retentions department. You should always be polite and never rude as anger won’t get you anywhere. Companies value loyal customers and this is what MSE are calling your “powerhouse weapon”.

The experts explain that when approaching the end of your contract, or already beyond it, informing the company of your intention to switch providers should trigger the ‘why are you leaving’ discussion. According to MSE, the retentions department represents the “Holy Grail of haggling” as these staff members possess the authority to offer substantial discounts, reports Bristol Live.

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So what phrases do I need to use?

The money experts say that if you are not happy with the small discounts you are being offered, you can use phrases which could lead to further bill slashing – and maybe even added bonuses.

They recommend trying:

• ‘I’ve worked out my budget, and my absolute max is £[insert amount here] a month…’
• ‘[BT/Sky/Virgin Media] can do it for less…’
• ‘I need to think about it…’
• ‘I think my other half/housemate/horse will go bonkers if I agree to pay that…’
• ‘It’s still a lot of money…’
• ‘Is that the very best you can do?’

Never do this…

MSE warns against accepting the initial offer presented to you. The likelihood is that it won’t be their most competitive deal.

They also urge consumers not to buckle under pressure. They point out that sales staff may try to push you towards accepting by insisting the offer is only valid for a ‘limited time only’.

However, don’t cave in and agree to any price or package until you’re completely satisfied it suits your needs. You can read more about broadband haggling on the moneysavingexpert.com website here.

53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites will close

Lloyds Banking Group has revealed it will be closing 95 branches across the UK as part of a new round of announced closures. Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland are all part of the Lloyds Banking Group, and the closures will see a number of branches from each of these brands disappearing from the high street.

The group has revealed the branch closures will be taking place between May 2026 and March 2027, with 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites shutting under the plans. Lloyds have not yet revealed how many staff members will be impacted by the closures, but all those who work at the branches will be offered a role at another branch or in another part of the business.

The move comes after Lloyds Banking Group announced in September that it would be shutting 49 of its branches. These sites are expected to all have closed by October.

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Once all of the group’s previously-announced closures are complete, Lloyds is expected to have 610 branches remaining.

But despite these closures, cash access network Link said 14 new locations will be receiving a banking hub in order to protect access to cash across the country. These banking hubs will be shared spaces that are operated by staff at different banks on different days, and will offer services including withdrawing and depositing cash as well as paying bills.

A spokeswoman for Lloyds said: “Customers want the freedom to bank in the way that works for them and we offer more choice and ways to manage money than ever before. From our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service to local banking options like our community bankers, PayPoint and access to all of our Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches, we’re giving our customers the flexibility to bank wherever and whenever they need us.”

Full list of Lloyds Banking Group closures

Lloyds Bank branch closures

• Aberdare, Wales – June 23
• Altrincham, Greater Manchester – June 9
• Birkenhead, Merseyside – June 8
• Birmingham Blackheath, West Midlands – June 10
• Birmingham Bordesley Green, West Midlands – June 16
• Birmingham Kingstanding, West Midlands – June 3
• Birmingham Maypole, West Midlands – June 4
• Bournemouth, Dorset – May 28
• Bristol Fishponds, Bristol – August 6
• Camberwell Green, Greater London – June 22
• Cardiff Victoria Park, Wales – June 3
• Cheapside, Grater London – June 1
• Clevedon, Somerset – March 15*
• Coalville, Leicestershire – June 23
• Crowborough, East Sussex – June 9
• Daventry, Northamptonshire – August 3
• Didcot, Oxfordshire – June 24*
• Ebbw Vale, Wales – March 15*
• Golders Green, Greater London – June 8
• Heswall, Merseyside – June 23*
• Hinckley, Leicestershire – June 10
• Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire – June 22
• Honiton, Devon – March 16*
• Horncastle, Lincolnshire – August 10
• Hull Ings Rd, East Yorkshire – June 15
• Kingswinford, West Midlands – June 22
• Lancaster, Lancashire – June 9
• Llangefni, Wales – June 16
• London Bridge, Greater London – June 3
• London Oxford Street 113-117, Greater London – May 27
• London Tottenham Court Rd, Greater London – May 27
• London Victoria, Greater London – May 27
• Longton, Staffordshire – March 17*
• Lymington, Hampshire – June 8
• Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire – June 15
• Newmarket, Suffolk – June 24*
• Norwich Aylsham Rd, Norfolk – June 2
• Redhill, Surrey – May 28
• Ringwood, Hampshire – June 23*
• Sevenoaks, Kent – June 18
• South Newington, Oxfordshire – June 10
• Southam, Warwickshire – June 9
• Staines, Surrey – June 1
• Streatham, Greater London – May 28
• Street, Somerset – March 15*
• Swansea Enterprise Park, Wales – July 2
• Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire – June 17
• Uttoxeter, Staffordshire – June 18
• Wareham, Dorset – June 16
• Wednesbury, West Midlands – March 16*
• West Byfleet, Surrey – June 1
• Wolverhampton Tettenhall, West Midlands – June 11
• Woodley, Berkshire – June 17

Halifax branch closures

• Armthorpe, South Yorkshire – March 17*
• Ashington, Northumberland – June 3
• Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester – June 1
• Beeston, Nottinghamshire – June 4
• Billingham, County Durham – June 4
• Bognor Regis, West Sussex – June 15
• Bramley, West Yorkshire – June 15
• Bridgend, Wales – June 11
• Cardiff Albany Road, Wales – June 11
• Chichester, West Sussex – June 1
• Chorley, Lancashire – June 24
• Croydon City, Greater London – June 25
• Cwmbran, Wales – June 2
• Didsbury, Greater Manchester – June 10
• Ellesmere Port, Cheshire – June 8
• Goole, East Yorkshire – June 17
• Greenford, Greater London – June 16
• Halesowen, West Midlands – June 17
• Hammersmith, Greater London – May 28
• Horsham, West Sussex – June 2
• Hunts Cross, Merseyside – June 8
• Islington Upper St, Greater London – May 27
• Mexborough, South Yorkshire – March 15*
• Shipley, West Yorkshire – June 9
• Skelmersdale, Lancashire – May 27*
• Southgate, Greater London – June 2
• Surrey Quays Shop Ctr, Greater London – June 2
• Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands – June 3
• Thornaby, North Yorkshire – June 17
• Torquay, Devon – July 9
• West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire – June 16

Bank of Scotland branch closures

• Benbecula – July 1
• Blairgowrie – June 18
• Bridge Of Don – June 10
• Broughty Ferry – June 15
• Garrowhill – June 4
• Haddington – June 11
• Kelso – June 18
• Lochgilphead – June 22
• Penicuik – June 4
• Rutherglen – June 11
• Stonehaven – June 18

The schools are set to start offering free breakfasts from the summer term with funding from the Hungry Minds programme to run clubs for three years.

Matt Brown, headteacher at Osbaldwick Primary Academy, which is one of those chosen for the expansion, said breakfasts would help children learn and thrive and support families during challenging times.

Cllr Bob Webb, York Council’s Labour children’s spokesperson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the move would take his administration’s pilot scheme to children across the city.

The schools chosen for the expansion are:

• Haxby Road Primary
• Hob Moor Primary
• Lakeside Primary
• New Earswick Primary
• Osbaldwick Primary
• Poppleton Road Primary
• St Lawrences Primary
• Stockon on Forest Primary
• Tang Hall Primary
• Woodthorpe Primary

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It comes as part of a scheme which began with funding lunches for children in Years Three to Six at Westfield Primary Community School in January 2024.

The council has committed £100,000-a-year to fund the meals at Westfield until at least the end of the current Labour administration’s term next year.

Free breakfasts have also been offered to children in Burton Green Primary School and Fishergate Primary School through Hungry Minds, which is financed through council grants and private donations.

The council estimated in July that more than 50,000 meals had been served through the programme and the latest expansion is expected to provide 170,000 breakfasts.

The programme was launched to help disadvantaged children with the cost of living crisis and it comes as the Government is planning a national expansion of free breakfast clubs.

Research from the University of York and University of Leeds and feedback from teachers has found children’s behaviour, attendance and concentration in lessons has improved.

But the programme has faced criticism including from the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition councillors who have questioned whether it is value for money and how future expansions will be financed.

It is estimated that rolling out free school meals to all 57 of York’s primary schools would cost around £3 million a year.

Liberal Democrats also claimed the move to free breakfast clubs is a departure from the lunches first funded at Westfield and said children outside the programme were being left out.

Labour Children’s Executive Member Cllr Webb told LDRS officials had chosen the schools where they believed the biggest difference could be made to struggling children and families.

York Council’s Labour Children’s Executive Member Cllr Bob Webb (back) with council Leader Cllr Claire Douglas (end, left) and school pupils (Image: City of York Council)

He added the move to breakfast clubs was based on the academic research done which showed they were better value for money.

The executive member said: “It gives children a soft start to the school day, instead of going straight into lessons they can chat to their friends and talk about what’s going on at home.

“The data so far shows this is showing real improvements in the children who are part of these pilots.

“In an ideal world we’d do this everywhere at the same time, but I don’t not want to do this just because we can’t do it everywhere.

“I want to thank school staff for putting time and effort into bringing this about, it’s a positive thing that will support a lot of young people in the city.”

The initiative highlights how far a vehicle can travel in just a second or two when concentration slips, with drivers unaware of the danger they pose to themselves and fellow road users.

A new Road Safety Scotland and Scottish Government campaign is urging drivers in Lanarkshire to keep their minds on the road, warning that even a moment’s distraction can lead to devastating consequences.

The initiative also highlights how far a vehicle can travel in just a second or two when concentration slips, with drivers unaware of the danger they pose to themselves and fellow road users.

It reveals that:

– At 60mph, in one second of inattention, such as reaching for a coffee, you will travel around 27 metres, roughly the length of a tennis court.

– At the same speed, with a two-second glance at a phone you will lose around 54 metres, equivalent to the length of four double-decker buses.

– At 30mph, looking away for four seconds to update a sat-nav also covers around 54 metres – greater than the length of an Olympic swimming pool.

– At 30mph, with three seconds of distraction caused by something outside the vehicle, you will miss around 40 metres – approximately the length of ten cars.

The warning follows research showing 80 per cent of road users, including drivers and pedestrians, admitted their mind had wandered while using the road.

READ MORE: Football fundraiser, and ‘Scotland’s version of Soccer Aid’, coming to Lanarkshire for its second game

A total of 42 per cent admitted they had zoned out on a journey and couldn’t quite remember how they got to their destination.

The consequences of lack of proper attention can be devastating, with over one in five distracted drivers reporting a collision with another vehicle (16 per cent) or a pedestrian (five per cent).

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop urged all Lanarkshire road users to keep their minds on the road.

She said: “All road users, but especially drivers, have a responsibility to stay focused on the road and make sure they are aware of other road users at all times.

“This research shows how easy it is for both drivers and pedestrians to become distracted, and the consequences of these distractions have the potential to be devastating.

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“It’s important to ensure our attention always remains firmly on the road.”

The impact of everyday distractions on drivers and pedestrians was reflected in the research behind the campaign.

Of the road users who said they experienced distraction, over a third (38 per cent) said thinking about other activities, tasks and plans was a regular cause.

After weather, drivers cited not knowing their route well (36 per cent), being tired (32 per cent), being in a hurry (25 per cent), and being worried or stressed (23 per cent) as the things that affect them most while driving.

The campaign is encouraging drivers and pedestrians across Lanarkshire to reflect on their own journeys and the everyday distractions that can take their attention away from the road.

The Scotland-wide campaign will run across TV, radio, digital and outdoor channels; for more information, visit roadsafety.scot

READ MORE: North Lanarkshire Council investing in projects across all nine Community Board areas

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

Student Ela Guneri, 20, was using another person’s Blue Badge on her dashboard in a disabled person’s space in Castle car park, said a City of York Council spokesman.

She claimed to parking enforcement officers she had found it discarded in York and was displaying it in the hope the badge holder would see it and claim it.

Investigations revealed the badge, which had been reported as stolen to the issuing authority, Bedford Borough Council, and to Bedfordshire Police, had been mis-used on at least two other occasions.

Guneri of Queen’s Drive, Bedford, pleaded guilty by letter to wrongful use of a disabled Blue Badge in York.  She was ordered to pay a £80 fine, a statutory surcharge of £32 and costs of £744.70.

Sara Knaggs, 49, of Woodlea Avenue, Acomb, was abusive to a parking officer who asked her about the Blue Badge she was displaying when she parked on a single yellow line in a restricted parking zone in Stonebow, said the spokesman.

She claimed it was her badge, but when interviewed later, said it was a relative’s badge and that she had dropped the relative off in town before driving to and parking in Stonebow where she had gone into a shop.

Ms Knaggs failed to attend York Magistrates Court which found her guilty of the wrongful use of a Blue Badge, and ordered her to pay a fine of £440, a statutory surcharge of £176 and costs of £584.20.

Kim Jong Un has chosen his teen daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as North Korea’s future leader, a South Korean spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.

If the North Korean dictator makes the announcement, it will mark the first time a female leader will rule the hermit kingdom.

Mr Kim is making the move to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation, an assessment by the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed in a closed-door briefing to the country’s lawmakers.

North Korea is set to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Mr Kim will outline his major policy goals for the next five years and tighten his grip on the country.

The NIS will monitor whether Mr Kim’s, believed to be 13-year-old daughter, will appear with him as he addresses thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, said South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun after attending the briefing by the NIS.

“In the past, (NIS) described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of ‘successor training.’ What was notable today is that they used the term ‘successor-designate stage,’ a shift that’s quite significant,” Mr Lee said.

The speculation is not new for the experts monitoring the activities inside Pyongyang, as Kim Ju Ae is increasingly viewed as Mr Kim’s likely successor, with her high-profile trip to China in 2025 further cementing her prominent status.

The girl, likely in her early teens and bearing a close resemblance to her mother, accompanied her father on what was his first visit to a major gathering of world leaders and her first known trip abroad. North Korean state media footage captured her presence during the Beijing visit.

According to Mr Lee, the NIS is tracking the teenager’s growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Mr Kim was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.

The South Korean intelligence agency was initially sceptical that Kim Ju Ae could be chosen as a North Korean leader, owing to the country’s deeply conservative culture and male-dominated leadership seen to be at the helm of ruling the country.

However, in September last year when the North Korean leader was accompanied by his daughter, the NIS said in its assessment that the move was likely a part of an effort to build a “narrative” possibly paving the way for her succession.

North Korean state media outlets have never published her name, referring to her as Kim Jong Un’s “respected” or “most beloved” child. The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.

Her exact age is unconfirmed but South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born in 2013.

Kim Ju Ae first appeared in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022 and was later seeing accompanying Mr Kim to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings.

In a major turn, she appeared alongside her father in Beijing last September for Mr Kim’s first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she joined her parents on a New Year’s Day visit to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a sacred family mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the country’s first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the visit as the clearest sign yet that she’s positioned to be the heir to her 42-year-old father.

North Korea, since its foundation in 1948, has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the country’s founder Kim Il Sung and followed by his son, Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his father’s death in December 2011, he was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.

A food expert has shared the “best” method to cook bacon that doesn’t involve a frying pan.

There’s nothing quite like biting into a bacon butty for lunch, paired with a piping hot brew. But let’s be honest – scrubbing that greasy frying pan afterwards? Not so appealing.

Luckily, there’s a fuss-free trick to cooking bacon that sidesteps the splattery clean-up entirely. What’s more, this clever technique is hailed as the “best” method for serving up seriously flavoursome rashers.

Food journalist Ann Taylor Pittman, writing for The Kitchn, tried various cooking techniques to crown the “absolute winner”.

Her experiments ranged from cast-iron skillets and nonstick pans to water-based frying, oven baking with parchment, rack roasting, microwaving, air frying, and even sous vide.

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Declaring one approach as “perfection”, Mrs Pittman unveiled that oven-baking bacon atop parchment paper reigns supreme.

After giving the oven a 10-minute warm-up, “you simply line one or two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, arrange the bacon on top, and bake at 400F [204C] until it is crisped to your liking”.

Mrs Pittman added: “When the bacon is done, you transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate or platter to drain.” Standard rashers can be ready in as little as 18 minutes, whilst thicker cuts might need up to 24 minutes.

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Baking bacon on parchment paper

Mrs Pittman highlighted that the bacon “sits in its own rendered fat as it bakes”, meaning those bits turn out “wonderfully crispy”.

What’s more, you won’t need to faff about flipping halfway through – the rashers are “cooked evenly” lying perfectly flat.

The taste of bacon

Mrs Pittman said: “I loved the texture and appearance of this bacon, and that it cooks hands-free with no babysitting. I also loved that this method works for a few slices or up to 20, and that, if you use the overhang trick, cleanup is just so incredibly easy.”

For “effortless” tidying, she suggests letting the parchment paper hang over “on all sides” of your baking tray before you start.

That way, once the bacon fat has cooled down, you can simply bin the lot with the parchment paper, leaving your baking sheet spotless.

And if you’re feeling thrifty, you could funnel those bacon drippings from the parchment into a jar for safekeeping. Bacon fat works brilliantly as a substitute for oil when frying eggs, for instance, or for sautéing vegetables.