Former solider John Landgon requested a photo and used it generate sexual AI videos

A social worker sent sexual AI-generated videos to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Former solider John Landgon contacted the profile of what appeared to be a child on a chat app and requested photos which he then used for making AI videos of them hugging and kissing and a video where the “girl” was undressed. When arrested he denied getting any sexual gratification from what he had done.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said was clear the 63-year-old defendant was in denial about being a paedophile – at least publicly – and said given that fact there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation and immediate custody was the only appropriate sentence.

The court heard that in March this year Landgon made contact with a profile on the dating and chat app Just Say Hi which appeared to be that of a 14-year-old girl. In reality the profile was being operated by members of a so-called paedophile hunter group.

The defendant and the decoy moved to WhatsApp where they continued chatting with Langdon saying he was looking for “fun with the ladies”. When reminded of the decoy’s age he said he was “fine” with it. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter.

The court heard Landgon told the decoy he wanted to give her a hug and then asked for pictures. When an appropriate photo was provided, he used it to generate AI videos of him and the “girl” hugging and kissing which he sent back to the decoy. He then sent an AI-generated video of the “girl” being undressed.

The court heard the defendant went on to send the decoy further AI videos of oral sex.

The court heard the operators of the decoy subsequently went to Landgon’s address and confronted him in an incident which was livestreamed on social media.

The police were called and the defendant was arrested.

In his interview Langdon said when he realised the person he was chatting to was only 14 he only wanted to be her friend, saying he spoke to other 13- and 14-year-olds and had “platonic friendships” with them.

He accepted making the AI-generated videos in what he called “a moment of madness” and said he did not get any sexual gratification from doing so.

John Langdon, of Brickfield Street, Machynlleth, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child and to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Caitlin Brazel, for Langdon, said the defendant had served for nine years in the Army and then found employment in a variety of jobs before working a social worker for adults with learning difficulties for the last eight years.

She said her client’s “troubled upbringing” no doubt contributed to his mental health battles and his time in the military “did not help”.

The barrister said the offending was out of character for her client and said he had told her he wished he could turn the clock back and undo what he did.

She said they remained her instructions that the defendant is not sexually attracted to children.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said there were elements of grooming and deviousness in what the defendant did and he noted Langon had told the author of the pre-sentence report that he was not guilty and had been, in effect, “stitched up” by his legal representative.

He told the defendant: “It is clear from the facts of the case you are a man with a significant sexual interest in young girls. In other words you are a paedophile. It is equally clear that you do not – publicly at least – accept you are a paedophile.

“Perhaps you do not want to admit this fact to others.

“Your continued denial that you are a paedophile makes me question the effectiveness of any intervention designed to address this deviancy.

“he author of the pre-sentence report comes to the same conclusion. I find there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the moment.”

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Langdon was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order to run for the same length of time.

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The facilities in Church Street, Norton have closed after basins were ripped from the walls and the facilities flooded.

The vandalism has been condemned by Cllr Keane Duncan, who is working with North Yorkshire Council and Norton Town Council to safeguard the future of the facilities after persistent vandalism.

Cllr Duncan said: “I’m so disappointed to report yet more mindless vandalism at Norton’s toilets. The facilities have been targeted a number of times now, but this is the worst damage we have seen.

“Operatives from the council found wash basins ripped from the wall, and a toilet cistern damaged in such a way that water was shooting up to the ceiling, leading to the toilets to be flooded.

“The facilities are currently unable to open until the council can make repairs. The police are aware and investigating. There is CCTV at the toilets and I am very keen for this to be reviewed in an attempt to identify who may be responsible.

“At a time when our toilets have already been under threat from charging and closures, further vandalism is yet another blow that I fear could lead to permanent closure of the facilities.

“I feel very strongly that we should not give in to a minority by closing these facilities permanently. We should identify who is responsible and ensure they are the ones punished, not the wider community by denying access to important facilities.”

The latest vandalism is thought to have happened on Saturday morning (March 28). Anyone with information should report this to North Yorkshire Police quoting the following reference number: NYP-28032026-0379

No Brainer, a local favourite which “celebrates food culture from all around the world”, is moving from its current location to a new site on Bedale High Street.

Taking to social media on Monday (March 30), the business said: “It’s official, we’re moving.

“Don’t worry, it’s not far from our current place, it’s on the Bedale High Street. And yes, takeaway will be coming back.

“We’ll be renovating our new spot on our closed days, so if you wanna pop in and say hi feel free.”

The restaurant is known for its classic smash burgers, buffalo chicken, rice and noodle dishes, flatbreads, tacos and loaded fries.

It also serves brunch, including a full English and French toast, alongside coffees, cocktails and seasonal specials.

In February, the independent restaurant shared the “disheartening news” that its takeaway service would have to stop due to planning issues.

However, the move to the high street will allow it to bring takeaways back.

Although an opening date and exact location has not yet been confirmed, the owners say the new venue will undergo extensive renovations and is likely to open within the next few months.

They have also reassured customers that the original location will operate as normal while work takes place.

The post added: “We don’t have an open date yet, we’ve got a hell of a lot of renovating to do so I can imagine a couple of months away yet, but we will keep everyone posted with updates.

“No Brainer will be running as usual until we move, but again we’ll let you know when the move over will be happening when we know.”

Since announcing the news, the business has been inundated with messages from customers.

One said: “This is the best news. Friday night takeaway and therapy back on! So glad you guys are sorted, can’t wait.”

Another commented: “Fab news to have a high street shop filled again.

“Wishing you all the best. Seems to be going from strength to strength!”

The venue at 35 Bedale Road, Aiskew, Bedale, DL8 1BL, will remain open as normal until the relocation takes place.

It currently operates Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm.

Rated five stars on TripAdvisor, customers praise No Brainer for its “great value” and “friendly atmosphere”, with one describing it as their “go-to spot”.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said rates should not be set by an “arbitrary assessment”, adding: “You should not be disincentivised to refurbish your premises, in the understanding that when those revaluations come around again, that’s going to be penalised against the value of your business.”

The shopping centre teased the big news in an earlier post

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A Northern Ireland shopping centre has teased customers that “something big” is on the way with the announcement of a new store.

Rushmere Shopping Centre confirmed on Instagram on Thursday April 2 that home furnishing retailer Dunelm will be “coming soon” to the complex. The popular brand will join major names already at the retail destination including H&M, River Island, DV8, Superdrug and Mango.

Earlier in the day, the centre sparked speculation with a post reading: “Something big is coming to Rushmere Shopping Complex. That’s all we’re saying, for now.”

READ MORE: NI Easter road safety warning as crash death numbers doubleREAD MORE: Police concerned for wellbeing of “high risk” missing 14-year-old girl

Shoppers quickly began guessing which brand it could be, with suggestions including HMV, Sports Direct, Homesense and Hobbycraft. Some were on the money, correctly predicting Dunelm ahead of the official announcement.

Revealing the news at around 7pm, the centre posted: “Something big is coming to Rushmere Shopping Complex, and trust us, you’re going to love this one.

“Say hello to Dunelm. Get ready for beautifully styled spaces, cosy comforts, and everything you need to make your house feel like home.”

The announcement was made in a short video showing a woman walking through the centre’s car park before dropping a piece of paper, which another shopper picks up to reveal the news.

No opening date has yet been confirmed. The update was met with a positive reaction online, with one person commenting: “Its about time, it’ll do so well.”

Another joked: “Goodbye money.” A third responder added: “We cannot wait. Welcome to the neighbourhood.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

In the same week that a new archbishop of Canterbury was installed, YouGov admitted that a poll suggesting there was a “quiet revival” of Christianity was a dud. It had been inflated by fraudulent results and should be ignored.

To those of us who study the bigger picture of religion in Britain, this comes as no surprise. There are good reasons to doubt that Britain is experiencing a Christian revival today – but that does not mean it is dying out.

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Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I’m sceptical of a new report

To understand what is happening in Britain, it is helpful to compare it with the US, which has has long been viewed as exceptionally religious in comparison. Recent evidence suggests something less clear-cut.

In a major recent study, sociologist Christian Smith assembles the data. In the 1970s and ’80s, only around one in ten Americans identified as “nonreligious”. But from 1991, the proportion of people who identify as such has risen steeply, reaching 29% in 2021.

Today, 43% of young American adults aged 18-29 say they are nonreligious, and only a quarter of generation Z are regular church attenders.

In Britain, being nonreligious was much more common, much earlier. Today, around half the population say they have “no religion” – a proportion that has remained rather stable since the 2010s, according to the reliable British Social Attitudes survey.

By contrast, the proportion saying they are Christian has fallen steadily to around 40% today. Levels of regular weekly churchgoing are around 5%.

In other words, the decline of Christianity started later in the US than in Britain, and has not yet gone as far. But in America, it has been swifter, more dramatic and shows no sign of slowing down.

American-style Christianity can no longer be assumed to be the future for the churches in Britain. Such religion has always been more enthusiastic, congregational and separate from the state.

When Christianity last experienced a revival in the US, with the rise of the New Christian Right and televangelism in the 1980s, conservative and fundamentalist churches were prominent, and megachurches did well. Some blamed the decline of churches in Britain on the fact that they were not more like American ones. They were said to be insufficiently enthusiastic and self-promoting.

Megachurches never really took off in Britain, except for a few examples in big cities that tend to serve diaspora communities. And though the last archbishop, Justin Welby, hoped that an evangelical revival would reverse church decline, this failed to materialise.

The resilience of old churches

But Britain’s churches are not doomed. In light of the recent Christian decline in America, the stately power and traditional ways of the UK’s older churches may turn out to be an asset.

Though few people attend regularly, the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland are still the largest and most powerful of the UK churches. Institutional embeddedness matters.

The Church of England is constitutionally established, and all these churches play a central role in the school system by way of state-supported faith schools. Although the Church of England is not funded through taxation like some of its sister churches in Scandinavia, its considerable wealth – around £11 billion – protects it.

If generation Z show an interest in religion, it is traditional forms that appeal to them as much as the trendier forms that seek the attention of youth. We see this not just in Christianity, where both the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches are reporting new interest, but also in Orthodox Judaism and, to some extent, in Islam.

Still, the traditional churches are unlikely to return to a position like they held in society as recently as the 1980s. Today, revival is virtually impossible. When American evangelist Billy Graham won converts in Britain, he was not winning over people who had grown up nonreligous, he was speaking to people with a Christian background.

It is sometimes suggested that war or social collapse could lead to a revival of Christianity. That is possible, but history suggests that a plethora of different intense, sectarian kinds of religion and spirituality emerge in such situations.

Others argue that the Holy Spirit stirs individual hearts and minds, irrespective of the state of the churches. That is how Protestant Christians have often thought about revival, perhaps recalling Methodist enthusiasm or the chapel movement in Wales.

The striking thing about such revivalism, however, is how quickly it can fade. The chapels are mostly closed now. The Methodists are dying out. “Nonconformity” as a whole, still a major force in England in the 1950s, is almost forgotten.

Though the Christian nationalists on the American right are currently very loud, they have had no impact on the continued decline of Christianity in the US or the alienation of young people. Attempts by some on Britain’s political right to talk up Christianity are even less likely to succeed. They are reviving words, not religion.

What we have in Britain today is a landscape in which the historic churches appear a little stronger than once thought, and revivalist forms of Christianity weaker. Overall, however, Christianity occupies a much diminished space. Other world religions, especially Islam, are stable or growing.

“Nonreligion” is the biggest affiliation after Christianity, but that label hides diversity. Some of the nonreligious are atheist, some agnostic, and some are actively interested in new forms of spirituality, magic and supernaturalism. Although old landmarks remain, like church steeples on the horizon, the religious landscape of Britain is greatly changed.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the UK’s most lethal cancers, with around 10,500 new cases each year

People born before 1966 are being urged to look out for a potentially “serious” warning sign that could indicate a deadly disease. Doctors are warning that one subtle yet significant symptom – frequently overlooked – might point towards pancreatic cancer, which mainly affects those aged 60 and above.

The NHS stresses that identifying symptoms early could prove lifesaving, although the condition is notoriously difficult to detect. This is down to early warning signs being vague, leading to numerous diagnoses happening at an advanced stage.

Dr Asiya Maula, a private GP at The Health Suite, said that pancreatic cancer can readily slip under the radar during its early stages: “Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage because symptoms can be vague or non-specific, which is why understanding the lifestyle factors linked to risk is so important.

“Small, consistent habits over time can have a significant impact,” Dr Maula added, highlighting risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption and what we eat.

Amongst the less widely known symptoms is a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, known as jaundice – one of the most visible early signs.

The NHS points out that jaundice is usually more apparent in the eyes, particularly amongst individuals with darker skin. It happens when a substance called bilirubin accumulates in the body, which can result from serious illnesses such as liver disease, gallstones, or pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in Britain, with approximately 10,500 new cases diagnosed annually, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK. The charity highlights that over half of all diagnoses affect people aged 75 and above, emphasising the importance of greater awareness among older adults.

The prognosis remains bleak, with less than 10% of patients surviving five years or longer, according to Cancer Research UK. Delayed diagnosis contributes significantly to this, as warning symptoms including fatigue, weight loss and digestive complaints can be easily confused with less severe conditions.

The NHS advises watching for additional signs such as loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, continuous tiredness and elevated body temperature. Digestive troubles including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and indigestion may also present themselves, alongside pain in the upper stomach or back area.

Medical professionals emphasise that while these symptoms are widespread and frequently associated with other conditions, any alterations that seem unusual shouldn’t be dismissed. Individuals are urged to see their GP if symptoms continue, deteriorate or feel abnormal.

The pressing guidance is unambiguous: anyone experiencing jaundice, continuous vomiting or diarrhoea should contact their GP or NHS 111 immediately. Prompt medical evaluation could exclude serious illness – or guarantee quicker treatment if required.

The owner of an average family car could save £15 by filling up at the cheapest forecourt in Cambridgeshire

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The cheapest place in Cambridgeshire to fill up your car with petrol is at a Central Co-op garage in Peterborough. According to the latest data supplied by retailers, a driver in an average family car could save up to £15 by filling up at this forecourt, compared to the most expensive petrol station.

The Central Co-op garage at Paxton Road, Peterborough is charging motorists 145.9p per litre, which means it would cost £95 to fill up an average 55 litre tank. This is based on a feed of live petrol prices which is published by the government.

Here are the cheapest places to top your car with petrol in Cambridgeshire

• 145.9p – Central Co-op, Paxton Road, Peterborough, PE2 5LD
• 148.9p – Esso, Murketts Of Stapleford, Cambridge, CB22 5DG
• 149.9p – Karan Thorney Toll Service Station, Thorney Toll Service Station, Wisbech, PE13 4AX
• 149.9p – Highland Group St Neots, St. Neots Service Station, St. Neots, PE19 1PJ
• 149.9p – Tesco, Barford Road, St. Neots, PE19 2SA
• 149.9p – Tesco, Hostmoor Avenue, March, PE15 0AX
• 149.9p – Karan New Toll Service Station, B P Petrol Station Wisbeach, Wisbech, PE13 4AT
• 150.9p – Sainsbury’s, Oxney Road, Peterborough, PE1 5NG
• 150.9p – Esso, Esso, Peterborough, PE1 5XL
• 150.9p – Tesco, Peterborough, PE4 6NA

The most expensive filling station in Cambridgeshire is a BP petrol station at Sawtry Service Area, Huntingdon. The cost of standard petrol at this station is 181.9p, meaning it would cost a total of £110 to fill up an average family car at this forecourt.

For the owners of diesel cars, the cheapest place to fill up is the Central Co-op garage at Peterborough. The cost of a litre of standard diesel at this forecourt is 171.9p, according to prices supplied by retailers.

Here are the cheapest places to fill up your car with standard diesel in Cambridgeshire this weekend.

• 171.9p – Central Co-op, Paxton Road, Peterborough, PE2 5LD
• 174.9p – Bp, Whittlesford Bridge, Pampisford, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3HD
• 177.9p – Tesco, Hostmoor Avenue, March, PE15 0AX
• 178.9p – Tesco, Serpentine Green Shopping Centre, Peterborough, PE7 8BD
• 178.9p – Tesco, Peterborough, PE4 6NA
• 179.9p – A&a Chapman Ltd Ta Acorn Garage, Acorn Garage, Cambridge, CB21 6BN
• 180.9p – Sainsbury’s, Oxney Road, Peterborough, PE1 5NG
• 180.9p – Tesco, Tesco Stores Ltd, Ely, CB7 4DJ
• 181.9p – Tesco, Barford Road, St. Neots, PE19 2SA
• 181.9p – BP, 33 Peterborough Road, Peterborough., Cambridgeshire, PE7 1NJ

You can use our interactive widget to find out the price of fuel at the petrol stations near you.

UK drivers are currently paying 154.5p per litre of petrol, while people who own diesel vehicles are paying 186.2p on average. In Cambridgeshire owners of petrol cars are currently being charged 0.3p more than the national average of 154.5p.

Diesel car drivers in Cambridgeshire are paying 1.2p less than the national average.

The cheapest place to buy petrol in the country is at a Tesco garage in Swansea where a litre of standard petrol is 140.9p. The most expensive petrol station in the country is a Cluanie Inn Hotel garage in Inverness where motorists are charged 188.4p a litre.

The prices quoted are for standard grade petrol (E10) and for standard grade diesel (B7). The figures are supplied by the major retailers under a scheme operated by the government to ensure motorists are given a fair deal at the petrol pumps.

The prices quoted are those supplied by retailers as of Thursday, April 2, at 4:45am.