There are over 12,672 across the country – including 601 in South Lanarkshire.

Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey has said that Scotland continues to lead the way in the provision of public electric (EV) charging points as new figures showed there are over 12,672 across the country – including 601 in South Lanarkshire.

In 2024, Scotland reached its target of installing more than 6000 public EV charge points, two years ahead of the 2026 target..

Scotland continues to have the highest number of public charging devices per head of population of any UK nation.

The SNP Government is committed to making sustainable travel accessible to everyone.

Ms Haughey saidr: “I welcome these new figures that show there are now over 600 public EV charging points working in South Lanarkshire.

“On the back of scrapping peak rail fares on Scotland’s trains, this is further evidence of the SNP Government’s commitment to making sustainable travel accessible for everyone in Scotland.

“I will continue to work with local businesses and private charge point providers to secure more investment here, so that we can maintain this progress and deliver more public charge points locally.

“By fast-tracking EV infrastructure, we’re paving the way for a more environmentally friendly Scotland.”

Neighbouring North Lanarkshire has 583 public electric (EV) charging points.

EV charging points are accessible stations that allow drivers to recharge their cars away from home.

They are located at supermarkets, motorway service stations, and residential streets.

Charging speeds range from slow (7 kW) for overnight top-ups to ultra-rapid (350 kW) for quick 20-minute highway stops.

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Luxembourgers like to travel.

The country has the second highest rate of outbound tourism in the European Union, with 83% of residents taking at least one international trip each year. But Luxembourg doesn’t attract visitors in the same way.

The Grand Duchy has long been afflicted with a boring reputation.

Described as a ‘ghost town at weekends’ and ‘all work, no play’, it is small, quiet, and a financial hub for the ultra-wealthy… not exactly key ingredients for a tourist destination.

Still, ‘Europe’s most misunderstood’ country has more to it than meets the eye, if only you know where to look.

Pauline Weis wants to help with that.

The content creator, who has a masters in European studies and speaks nine languages, grew up in Luxembourg but left at 18 to see the world.

In recent years, however, she has fallen back in love with her homeland and is frustrated that it doesn’t get more attention on the international scene.

‘There’s a misconception about Luxembourg that everyone is rich and drives a Porsche. I don’t have a Porsche, I know my father certainly doesn’t have a Porsche!’ Pauline, who posts as @PaulinaOnTheRoad, tells Metro.

What they do have, she says, is a country full of luscious forests, medieval castles and some of the most beautiful (and quietest) hiking trails in Europe, not to talk of a thriving food scene.

But more on that later. First, let’s get clued up on the basics.

Luxembourg is Europe’s seventh-smallest nation, with a population of just 699,000. You can cross the whole country in about an hour.

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The capital, Luxembourg City, is built on a rocky plateau overlooking dramatic gorges and a sweeping canyon, which create a striking multi-level cityscape.

It is home to the imposing Bock Casemates, a natural fortress carved into a cliff face that was one of Europe’s most strategic strongholds in the 17th-Century (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994).

Following the decline of the steel industry in the 70s, Luxembourg was forced to diversify, fast.

Astutely, it focused on services, and today, with the highest GDP per capita in Europe, it’s a great place to do business.

In March 2020, it became the first in the world to offer free public transport across the entire nation.

Sure, it was primarily to solve the traffic problem in the capital, but now visitors can zip from the airport to the city centre on a modern tram system without paying a penny.

The capital also boasts free city-wide WiFi and Europe’s second-lowest gender pay gap.

Pauline is proud of what her country has become: a progressive place full of nature, history, and excellent restaurants.

But what she loves most, she says, are the people.

‘Luxembourg is very, very international,’ she says. ‘You hear all kind of languages, and you’ve got all nationalities living peacefully and very happily together in a very limited space.’

While Luxembourg City only has a population of around 120,000, more than 70% of its residents are non-Luxembourgers.

Within that number are citizens from some 170 countries, an eclectic mix that has created an exciting culinary scene.

‘Luxembourgish food is hearty stuff, we like to say it’s the quantity of the Germans and the quality of the French,’ says Pauline.

Alongside places serving traditional fare (such as Kniddelen, dumplings served with fried bacon lardons), the capital boasts a long list of cafes and restaurants that illustrate its cultural diversity, from Italian and Greek to Bangladeshi and Japanese.

One of the biggest success stories is Chiche!, a thriving restaurant that brings Lebanese and other Levantine dishes to the heart of Europe.

The business employs 70 staff, most of them refugees and migrants from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and beyond, allowing chefs from abroad to integrate and find meaningful work in their new home.

‘The food is unbelievable, the service is great and the prices are okay, affordable for Luxembourg City,’ Pauline says.

Getting there is cheap, too. You can fly direct to Luxembourg from London for as little as £38 return, and remember: it’s free public transport on arrival.

So what should you do when you land?

Pauline’s first recommendation is to get out of the city and onto the Mullerthal Trail, a 112km trek through verdant forest and dazzling waterfalls in a region known as ‘Little Switzerland’. The journey takes just over 30 minutes.

Cool with its own micro-climate and prehistoric rock formations that date back to the dinosaurs, she says it’s where she hides when summer temperatures get too high.

Next, she recommends Vianden Castle, an architectural masterpiece voted one of the world’s most beautiful castles by CNN Travel.

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Around it are beautiful cycling trails and a romantic landscape where Pauline goes when she ‘needs to breathe’.

After that, she says you shouldn’t miss Fond-de-Gras, a preserved industrial heritage site in the south of Luxembourg where a vintage steam train trundles through the old mining landscape.

Covered by dense forest, this area also has a microclimate, keeping it cool while other parts of the country (and the continent) feel the heat.

Back in the capital, Pauline says a good way to start the evening is a stroll through the Grund, the oldest part of the city that feels more like a village.

Try a local beer at Liquid, a lively bar overlooking the Alzette River next to a scenic viewing point.

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Then, she says, move on to the Rives de Clausen neighbourhood, a 12th-Century brewing district that’s been revamped as an entertainment quarter.

For dinner, Pauline recommends Beim Siggy, Um Dierfgen and her favourite, Chiche!, then Hotel Cravat for cocktails and Rock Box bar for a proper night out.

The essentials

Getting there

Ryanair flies direct to Luxembourg from London Stansted. Return fares start from £38 in August.

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Where to stay

In Luxembourg City:

Outside the capital:

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MORE: 7 travel experts reveal their top European ‘coolcations’

MORE: My honest review of Lisbon’s newest hotel that’s all about colour

MORE: An insider’s guide to Legend of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship

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Your exclusive seven-day guide to travelling with confidence from Metro’s resident travel expert, Alice Murphy.

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Robin Thicke‘s second wife April Love Geary showed off her incredible bikini body while enjoying a family summer vacation at the commune Saint-Tropez in the South of France on Wednesday.

At 49, the Masked Singer panelist is 18 years older than the model, but they’ve been inseparable ever since they met at a party when she was just 19.

Geary wore a black and white two-piece as she strutted through the surf on a Tropezian beach.

The 5-foot-11-inch stunner and her family love the French Riviera so much, they also vacationed there during the Cannes Film Festival two months earlier.

Geary wore gold hoop earrings and dark sunglasses over her flawless face.

Meanwhile, Thicke went shirtless in black swim trunks while sporting dark shades.

At 49, the Masked Singer panelist is 18 years older than the Photo/Genics Media-repped model, but they’ve been inseparable ever since they met at a party when she was just 19

At one point, the May-December duo drove a white pedal boat with a large slide attached to the front for more fun in the sun.

Joining Thicke and Geary in the water were their three children – eight-year-old daughter Mia, seven-year-old daughter Lola and five-year-old son Luca.

The Canadian crooner and the Orange County native were engaged for six years before finally tying the knot at Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 14 months ago.

Thicke and Geary went on to honeymoon at a private island resort called The Brando in Tahiti.

The five-time Grammy nominee, who enlists a nanny, shared snaps via Instagram story of their two daughters enjoying a boat cruise on Thursday.

Later, Thicke and the pretty socialite attended a gala aboard a yacht where he and Shaggy performed their new single, Looking Lovely.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the married couple’s reps for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Thicke and Geary began dating in 2014 – the same year he legally separated from his high school sweetheart Paula Patton following a decade-long marriage.

The Blurred Lines hitmaker and the 50-year-old Actor Award nominee, whose divorce was finalized in 2015, amicably co-parent their 16-year-old son Julian.

But the ex-couple didn’t finalize their custody arrangement until 2017 due to her making allegations against him involving ‘child abuse, domestic violence, infidelity and drug/alcohol addiction.’

Geary wore a black and white two-piece as she strutted through the surf on a Tropezian beach

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The 5ft 11in stunner and her family love the French Riviera so much, they also vacationed there during the Cannes Film Festival two months earlier

Geary wore gold hoop earrings and dark sunglasses over her flawless face

Meanwhile, Thicke went shirtless in black swim trunks while sporting dark shades

At one point, the May-December duo drove a white pedal boat with a large slide attached to the front for more fun in the sun

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Joining Thicke and Geary in the water were their three children – eight-year-old daughter Mia, seven-year-old daughter Lola and five-year-old son Luca

The Canadian crooner and the Orange County native were engaged for six years before finally tying the knot at Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 14 months ago

Thicke and Geary went on to honeymoon at a private island resort called The Brando in Tahiti

The five-time Grammy nominee – who enlists a nanny – shared snaps via Instagram story of their two daughters enjoying a boat cruise on Thursday

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Later, Thicke and the pretty socialite attended a gala aboard a yacht where he and Shaggy performed their new single, Looking Lovely

Thicke and Geary began dating in 2014 – the same year he legally separated from his high school sweetheart Paula Patton (R, pictured in 2014) following a decade-long marriage

The Blurred Lines hitmaker and the 50-year-old Actor Award nominee – whose divorce was finalized in 2015 – amicably co-parent their 16-year-old son Julian (L, pictured April 6)

‘My relationship with Paula didn’t work, but our son is thriving and doing great,’ Thicke told the Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM in March. ‘She’s an incredible mom. I’ve tried to be an incredible dad’

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Last week, Fox hired the Hotel singer to replace Randy Jackson (L, pictured in 2025) as bandleader on the sixth season of the Jane Krakowski-hosted musical game show Celebrity Name That Tune, which premieres September 21

And in May, Deadline reported that season 15 of The Masked Singer will be filmed in New Jersey (because of tax incentives) rather than California due to the newly hired Fremantle-owned company, Eureka Productions

‘My relationship with Paula didn’t work, but our son is thriving and doing great,’ Thicke told The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM in March.

‘She’s an incredible mom. I’ve tried to be an incredible dad. And so now I don’t want to do that again, especially with three kids. You learn that there’s some things I could have done better and some things were just meant to be. I do love my life and I love that I have three extra kids.’

Last week, Fox hired the Hotel singer to replace Randy Jackson as bandleader on the sixth season of the Jane Krakowski-hosted musical game show Celebrity Name That Tune, which premieres September 21.

And in May, Deadline reported that season 15 of The Masked Singer will be filmed in New Jersey (because of tax incentives) rather than California due to the newly hired Fremantle-owned company, Eureka Productions.

In January, Parade estimated that Thicke earned $100,000 per episode to serve panelist duties on the Fox celebrity singing competition, but prior reports had him earning up to $2.5 million per season paychecks.

The Close to You singer will also soon launch a High-ABV canned espresso martini brand called Mimá.

Thicke, who pulls 7.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, hasn’t released a full-blown record since his eighth studio album On Earth, and in Heaven in 2021.

But the Bitter Sweet singer certainly had a nepotistic leg up in the industry thanks to his late father, Growing Pains alum Alan Thicke.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares skidded Friday in Asia after Brent crude shot to its highest price since May as heavy fighting in the Middle East again threatened to slow the global flow of oil and gas.

U.S. futures were little changed after tumbles for two of Wall Street’s most influential companies, Alphabet and Tesla, yanked U.S. stocks to their worst loss in a month.

Looming over markets: The deepening crisis in the Middle East, worries over the a potential bubble in investments in artificial intelligence and another round of tariff hikes by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. is imposing taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, saying they failed to fully enforce bans on goods produced by forced labor, the Trump administration said Thursday.

That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other such tariffs at the Supreme Court.

Such uncertainties have helped push the U.S. dollar to a 40-year high against the Japanese yen. A dollar bought 163.79 yen early Friday, down from 163.85 yen and a level last seen in 1986. The euro rose to $1.1387 from $1.1377.

South Korea’s Kospi stuttered lower, falling 5.7% to $6,690.62. Samsung Electronics sank7.6% and shares in computer chipmaker SK Hynix dropped 8.3%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 declined 2.7% to 64,611.15, led by losses for technology companies. SoftBank Group, which has massive investments in artificial intelligence, tumbled 7.4%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.4% to 24,861.44, while the Shanghai Composite index shed 1.4% to 3,822.13.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8% to 8,772.30.

On Thursday, the price of Brent crude shot to as high as $102 per barrel and settled at $100.69 per barrel, up 7%. Early Friday in Asia, it was down 0.8% at $99.87 per barrel. Before the Iran war began in late February it was trading around $72 per barrel.

U.S. benchmark crude slipped 1.1% to $91.23 per barrel.

The cause for the latest spike in prices: attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. That threatens another avenue that oil companies use to move their crude from the Middle East to customers worldwide, along with the Strait of Hormuz.

Underscoring the importance of the sea route for the economy, Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, if they keep attacking ships.

U.S. stocks fell under the pressure of rising oil prices, which raise costs for businesses and cut into their customers’ ability to spend.

The S&P 500 fell 1.2% and is on track for its first back-to-back weekly loss since March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 506 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 2.2%.

Higher inflation could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The European Central Bank held its main interest rates steady at its meeting Thursday.

Gasoline prices tend to follow oil prices higher, and a gallon of regular costs an average of $4.09 across the United States, according to AAA. That is still below highs of roughly $4.56 in May, but it was at just $3.93 a month ago.

Tesla tumbled 14.5% after Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle company reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Because Tesla one of the largest stocks in the S&P 500 by market value, its stock has more influence on the index than nearly every other.

One of the few that is larger is Alphabet. Its stock fell 7.1% even though the parent company of Google delivered stronger profit and revenue than analysts expected.

Investors focused instead on how much Alphabet is planning to spend on AI after the company raised its forecast for capital spending.

___

Associated Press Business Writers Matt Ott in Washington and Stan Choe in New York contributed to this report.

The head of the airline says anyone who can’t make it to their boarding gate on time, should not be allowed onto the plane

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The head of Ryanair has criticised the European Union’s new travel rules, which have already caused chaos for British holidaymakers. Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast Michael O’Leary said if a flight has finished boarding and all passengers are not at the boarding gate, it should leave without them, even if they were delayed by new passport control systems.

He said it is travellers’ responsibility to arrive for flights on time. He also called EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen ‘stupid’ during his appearance on the podcast, reports the Express.

British holidaymakers have had to add the add the stress of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES) to their travel plans after a change to the digital borders scheme took effect in April.

This has led to waits of up to three hours at Schengen Area airports.

“We will not wait for anybody,” he said. “Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts.

“If you’re not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you.”

Hundreds of travellers on a range of airlines have missed planes since April, including Ryanair who watched their flights take off without them because of extreme delays at passport control.

READ MORE: “My wee boy was mowed down by a dangerous e-bike rider – we need to clamp down on these thugs”

READ MORE: Commonwealth Games opening ceremony sees King and Queen emerge from Tardis

Stranded travellers have spent hundreds of pounds on replacement flights and hotels, only to find that neither the airline nor travel insurers will cover the cost.

Mr O’Leary called the lack of passenger rights “regrettable”.

He said that Ryanair will not delay flights for passengers.

“We’re not delaying our flights for people who are stuck in passport control queues,” he said.

“They have to show up at the airport earlier [and] be at the boarding gate, otherwise they’re not flying.”

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George Cox and Sons Ltd – Chris Cox (Managing Director), Matthew Edwards (Contracts Director), Mark Holroyd (Finance Director), John Walsh (Contracts Director) and Jovan Ristov (Operations Director) (Image: George Cox and Sons Ltd)

George Cox & Sons Ltd, a specialist civil engineering and highways contractor, delivers projects across the North West.

Founded in Farnworth in 1947, George Cox & Sons began when George Cox left his job as a street mason and started a flagging business using little more than a handcart to transport his tools and materials.

The company became George Cox & Sons in 1953 and has since grown into a leading North West civil engineering and highways contractor.

Still based in Farnworth and now run by the fourth generation of the Cox family, they have carried out recent work developing in cities and towns throughout the region.

Recent projects include developments on Stockport Interchange, Lancaster University’s Health Innovation Campus and the Leigh Cycleway in Wigan.

The family-run business has been recognised for its continued growth nearly eight decades after it was established.

Managing Director Chris Cox said the achievement reflected the efforts of the company’s workforce and its longstanding approach to customer service.

He said: “We’re extremely pleased to be recognised for this achievement, it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff that have got us into this position.

“We have been around 79 years and we’re a fourth generation family business and our head office is based in Bolton.

“We believe that this growth is a testament to the values we have always maintained.”

Mr Cox added that the company’s professional, reliable, and collaborative approach helps it stand out in a competitive market and encourages clients to return.

Clothing brand Represent were listed as one of the fastest growing in the North West (Image: Represent)

Joining George Cox & Sons on the list is Represent, the premium fashion brand founded in 2011 by brothers George and Mike Heaton.

Operating from Northgate Close in Horwich, Represent has grown from a local start-up into an internationally recognised clothing label.

The brand’s designs have been worn by celebrities including Justin Bieber and 21 Savage and has collaborated with major names such as Liam Gallagher and Metallica.

Represent now has around 150 stockists worldwide, including leading retailers Selfridges, Harrods, and Nordstrom, offering contemporary menswear inspired by street culture.

The recognition of both firms showcases the success of businesses from Bolton across very different industries, with one building on generations of engineering expertise and the other establishing itself as a major name in global fashion.

Michael O’Leary says Ryanair flights are being diverted due to ‘aggressive’ passengers who have had ‘copious amounts’ of booze while waiting for takeoff in the airport

Airports should stop serving alcohol to passengers before ‘11am or 12pm’ to prevent ‘misbehaviour’ on flights, according to Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.

The CEO of the budget airline has called for restrictions on the amount of booze passengers can buy before boarding a plane, saying bars and airports are ‘passing the problem on to poor old dumb airlines’.

Speaking on The Travel Expert with Simon Calder podcast on Friday (July 24), Mr O’Leary also suggested policing the amount of alcohol holidaymakers can purchase in bars with similar rules used in duty free.

The 65-year-old Irishman said he would be happy to implement a two-drink limit on Ryanair flights as part of a ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement with airports to stop ‘aggressive, argumentative’ drunk passengers disrupting flights.

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When asked if airlines should introduce a two drink limit, he replied: “No problem with it. I mean very few passengers on board our aircraft would buy more than two drinks anyway, but if the quid pro quo was the airline’s limited to two drinks? Done. In a heartbeat.

“The real issue we have to recognise is an industry problem of misbehaviour, and the misbehaviour is getting worse. Particularly due periods of flight delays, you have people sitting in airports consuming copious amounts of alcohol.”

Mr O’Leary said stopping drunks boarding is difficult for Ryanair staff. He continued: “It is very hard to identify unless they are staggeringly drunk, unless they can’t stand up straight.

“Most people, even drunks, can pass through, show your passport and get onboard. And you have a combination, some cases, of alcohol and drugs, and they get aggressive and argumentative. In the old days, if you drank too much, you just fell asleep on board a plane.”

He then took aim at airport policies for serving customer booze from early in the morning. Mr O’Leary added: “It continues to be a mystery to me why pubs at airports are allowed to open at 6am in the morning, serving alcohol. Why do you not serve tea and coffees until 11 o’clock or 12 o’clock in the afternoon? “

He also suggested to The Telegraph podcast that another measure could work: “But the critical thing here is we limit the amount of people, duty-free, can buy — [we] say, show your boarding pass.

“Why don’t we do the same but with alcoholic drinks at bars? [Bars] pass the problem on to the airline. The airports don’t care. They just passed the problem on to the airlines, and the poor old dumb airlines are diverting planes.

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“Like it causes real upset to fellow passengers onboard. When you’ve aggressive people, they’re shouting and screaming and drunk and disrupting our crews.

“Our crews shouldn’t have to work in that environment. And our fellow passengers deserve the respect that airports will not be shovelling alcohol into these people, particularly during flight delays, copious amounts of alcohol, so that they can misbehave.”

Mr O’Leary’s appearance on the podcast comes days after his company announced pre-tax profits fell by nearly a third as oil prices surged thanks to the Iran War. When pressed on the news, he remained upbeat about the airline’s future, pointing out passenger numbers were rising.

The development would be opposite a car park for Longsight Park, which is off Longsight Lane.

The new proposal is being described by some as a compromise, due to it reducing the scale of development from previous proposals.

It could see more than half of the land also made available for community use.

The application seeks Permission in Principle for up to nine homes on land, where a previous proposal for 20 houses was dismissed on appeal earlier this year.

The plans off Longsight Lane (Image: Planning Documents)

The latest application covers a smaller area of the site and is now open for consultation.

Jane Wilcock, a resident, said: “I don’t think building on any green site is very good, but there’s been a political change over the last couple of years.

“I think nine houses on a field that we don’t access, which fronts up onto Longsight Lane, given that we are then allowed community access, is the best that could happen.

“Obviously animals can get over into the park and onto the site of biological importance, so it is probably about as good as we can get.”

Although remaining land could potentially be being transferred for community benefit, details of how that would happen have not yet been agreed.

The planning statement says the reduced site avoids surrounding woodland, veteran trees, and the Site of Biological Importance identified during the previous appeal.

Permission in Principle would establish whether the site is suitable for housing in principle, with technical details such as access, ecology, and landscaping considered later if approved.

(Image: Jane Wilcock)

Dr Wilcock added: “I think it’s very difficult to defend that nine houses on that land in the current political climate, of building on green belts, and protected open land throughout Bolton.

“Provided he comes true with his promise on allowing that land to be gifted to the council, however they do it, then I think that’s probably the best of the bad job.”

Applicant Robin Day said the revised proposal followed discussions with residents after an agreement with a developer ended.

He said: “We thought a very good compromise was to develop the front field. Not all of it, but some of it.

A field on the land which could be built on (Image: NQ)

“And then give the rest of the land back to the community.

“We’ve had four years of this, and we just want to bring it to an end. It seems the compromise that’s been reached is a happy one.”

Mr Day said public footpaths would not be affected and that the remaining land could be used by the community if the plans proceed.

One of the Harwood and Bradshaw councillors, Les Webb, has objected to the application.

(Image: Bolton Council)

Cllr Webb said: “The planning in principle, in my opinion, should be refused on the basis that the Planning Inspector clearly stated why this site was unsuitable before.

“There is still discussion about the Site of Biological Importance, about the runoff, about the movement of animals, about the traffic.

“All of those objections and things that were upheld by the Planning Inspectorate still will remain in place.”

Bolton Council will decide the application after the consultation period ends.

The non-reduced items were then bought from the store.

The force said the activity took place in the Holland & Barrett store in McArthurGlen York Designer Outlet in Fulford at 5.25pm on Friday, June 26.

North Yorkshire Police has issued images of two people the force said it would like to speak to saying they may have information which could support its investigation.

A force spokesperson said: “If you can help our appeal, please email peter.henderson@northyorkshire.police.uk.

“Or call 101 and ask for PC1668 Henderson.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference 12260120596 when passing on information.”

SuperBike Factory was founded in 2010 and, over 16 years, developed into “Europe’s largest buyer, seller, and financier of motorbikes”.

The company operated an online stock list, offered delivery nationwide, and had relationships with more than 500 UK dealers.

In 2018, the business launched an online accessory store, before diversifying its range even further in 2020 with electric motorbikes.

The company has continued to expand in recent years with the opening of new sites in:

• Donington Park
• Bradford (West Yorkshire) – rebranded showroom after Ritebike acquisition
• Bristol
• Milton Keynes
• Crawley

SuperBike Factory closes after collapsing into administration

SuperBike Factory has now ceased trading after 16 years, having collapsed into administration.

In a statement on its website, the company said: “On 20 July 2026, Michael Lennon, James Saunders and Robert Halliday of KR8 Advisory Ltd were appointed as Joint Administrators of Superbike Factory Group Limited and Superbike Factory Limited (“the Companies”) pursuant to the provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986.

“The Companies have ceased to trade with immediate effect.

“All enquiries regarding the Companies or the Administration, including those from customers, should be directed by email to SBF@kr8.co.uk.

“The affairs, business and property of the Companies are being managed by the Joint Administrators, who act as agents of the Companies and without personal liability.”

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.

UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.

TG Jones will be closing 150 stores across the UK as part of a “restructuring” plan approved by the High Court on Wednesday (July 1).

The British Heart Foundation has also revealed plans to close around 150 charity shops over the coming years.

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

Several UK travel companies have also ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Luxury UK holiday company Salamander Voyages shut down back in April after entering administration.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Plus-size clothing brand Evans also returned to the UK high street recently after closing all its stores and concessions in December 2020.

Bodycare is also set to return to the UK high street in 2026 after closing all its stores last year, having fallen into administration.

Which company/store closure in 2026 has affected you the most? Let us know in the comments below.