Lorraine Hughes said the data, which shows that one in four children aged five has decay, is “a concern”. 

One of the main reasons for hospital admissions among children in Darlington is poor oral health, with tooth extraction related to tooth decay being the most performed surgery.

Yet Ms Hughes told a council meeting that it is preventable and several schemes are in place to improve oral health. 

Last year, a toothbrushing scheme was introduced at primary schools and pre-schools throughout the borough, providing thousands of children with access to toothbrushes and toothpaste. 

The scheme was launched to increase access to oral care for local children, after tooth decay was identified as the main cause of hospital admission among children aged five to nine.

Some schools have now extended the offer to other year groups.

Ms Hughes said: “The supervised toothbrushing scheme is not a replacement for brushing at home, but an evidence-based programme to improve oral health in children and give them the skills and knowledge to carry out this task at home.”

Children living in the most deprived communities are about three-and-a-half times more likely to have teeth out due to decay than those in the most affluent areas. 

Dental decay is often cited as the first sign of poor healthcare, the council added. 

As part of the council’s annual public health report, health officials have pledged to embed the supervised toothbrushing programme across all early years providers. 

Ms Hughes said staff are also working towards increasing the number of children cleaning their teeth correctly twice daily through a range of communications and oral health interventions.

“Improving oral health locally across the life course is a priority for us; we will take this work forward with partners and services,” she added.

What do you think about the figures? Have your say in the comments.

The Salvation Army is urging people to donate items by using the dedicated banks or taking them inside the centre

A charity has said it is “saddened” to see donations being left outside of its donation centre in a Cambridgeshire town. The Salvation Army Wisbech Donation Centre posted on social media calling for people to stop leaving items outside when the centre is closed.

Leaving items outside means they could be damaged and can no longer be used as donations. The charity then has to use its own money to remove the items meaning “less money” goes towards the Salvation Army’s cause.

In the post, it said someone had left a “mouldy, dirty, still-frozen fridge/freezer, a glass TV stand, and several bags of items”. Staff and volunteers also have to spend time away from sorting through donations to help clear up the fly-tipped items.

The charity is now urging people to stop fly-tipping outside of the centre and to donate items by using the dedicated banks or taking donations inside.

A Salvation Army spokesperson said: “We are saddened when donations are left outside out of hours. This is considered fly-tip as items left outside can be damaged and cannot be used for donations. These also cost us to clear up which means less money to our charitable cause and means our dedicated staff and volunteers are clearing these items up which takes valuable time away from sorting through donations and serving customers. We urge people not to leave items outside our store or clothing banks – fly tipping can lead to fines issued by local authorities.”

To get more news and top stories delivered directly to your phone, join our new WhatsApp community. Click this link to receive your daily dose of CambridgeshireLive content.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

The application submitted is for a vacant unit formally occupied by Sports Direct

Plans submitted by Barclays bank could see a new branch open in a Cambridgeshire city centre. Barclays have submitted an application to Peterborough City Council for a vacant unit formally occupied by Sports Direct on Long Causeway.

The unit has been vacant since Sports Direct closed down late last year. Barclays currently has a bank open on Church Street in Peterborough.

The proposed plans, submitted on March 23, include alterations to the existing shopfront with a new Barclays Branch Exterior Shopfront design and refurbishment of the ground floor shopfront to reflect current Barclays branding. The planned works would not involve any extensions or significant structural alterations.

In a design statement, the applicant said: “The customer area will be located at ground floor level, providing a welcoming and accessible banking hall directly accessed from Long Causeway Street. This area will include customer service points and ATM facilities designed to support assisted and self-service banking functions.”

The statement continued: “Supporting accommodation such as staff workspaces, storage, and ancillary facilities are arranged on the first floor which is back of house (BOH). The layout has been designed to utilise the existing structural arrangement wherever possible in order to minimise intervention to the building fabric.”

A decision date has not yet been set.

In January this year, it was announced that the broadcaster had been diagnosed with cancer and was unable to walk.

The presenter had been undergoing treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and “a lot of scans and painkillers”, his friend and podcast producer Peter Everett shared.

Born in Rochdale, Kershaw – the brother of fellow broadcaster Liz Kershaw – grew up a fan of artists such as Bob Dylan and went to university to become a journalist.

So sorry to hear the passing of Andy Kershaw brill DJ RIP ANDY

— ericgreen (@ericgreen866) April 17, 2026

Kershaw was a familiar voice on Radio 1 for 15 years from 1985, known for his eclectic taste and for helping champion world music.

He went on to report for Radio 4, both on music and global conflicts, including the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.

On his broadcasting philosophy, he talked about how his mentor John Walters had influenced him, saying: “We’re not here to give the public what it wants. We’re here to give the public what it didn’t know it wanted”.

His distinctive take on life and humour could also be seen when he released a statement after learning of his cancer diagnosis.

Sorry to hear of the passing of English broadcaster and disc jockey, Andy Kershaw. Aged 66. Former presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test, he co-presented BBC television coverage of Live Aid in 1985 #AndyKershaw #RIP 🥀 pic.twitter.com/PDVzX7CyR7

— Kenny (@kennylanglea) April 17, 2026

Saying he was in “good spirits”, he joked: “I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant’ n ‘Dec.

“That should keep me going for a while.”

Andy Kershaw’s autobiography

In 2012, he published an autobiography, titled No Off Switch, which detailed his improbable rise through UK media, including his work as a war correspondent.

“It’s an insatiable curiosity, basically, a nosiness,” he told The Independent that year of his approach to music and life.

“I think initially Radio 1 wanted another [John] Peel, but I got quickly bored of those awful, insipid demo tapes I was receiving from Liverpudlian indie acts, especially as I was beginning to discover properly fantastic, amazing music from Malawi, the Congo, South Africa.

“The way I saw it, this was music that would have an appeal way beyond the circle of African music aficionados.

“And the letters I received from enthusiastic listeners suggested I was right.”

So sad to hear this. Andy Kershaw was a brilliant broadcaster & brought so much joy to radio. A real loss. 💔

— Ezra Foster (@Ezr_Fst5) April 17, 2026

Tributes to Andy Kershaw

People on X started posting tributes to Kershaw after learning the news of his death.

One said: “So sad to hear this. Andy Kershaw was a brilliant broadcaster & brought so much joy to radio. A real loss.”

Another posted: “Sorry to hear of the passing of English broadcaster and disc jockey, Andy Kershaw. Aged 66.

“Former presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test, he co-presented BBC television coverage of Live Aid in 1985”

Meanwhile, someone else commented: “So sorry to hear the passing of Andy Kershaw brill DJ RIP ANDY”.

The Lido has submitted a licence application to open for a variety of different events

Advertisement

A much-loved Peterborough landmark has submitted a premises licence application to offer more entertainment. The application for the Lido was made by Peterborough Culture, Heritage, Learning and Leisure to Peterborough City Council on March 30.

It requests permission for the Grade II listed open-air pool to host plays, films, live and recorded music, and dancing within its grounds from 6am to 11.59pm, Monday to Sunday.

While the licence application also makes a request to provide “late night refreshment” from 11pm to 11.59pm, Monday to Sunday, the application does not include requesting permission to be able to sell alcohol.

The application lists “Theatrical production, midnight swims, solstice celebrations, 12 & 24-hour swimming events, sound bath events and other evening events” as activities it hopes to put on after standard opening hours.

It also states that some seasonal events may also necessitate later opening times, and that “paranormal events may run until midnight”.

Over the last few years, the 90-year-old venue has hosted a run of al fresco evening shows by Peterborough Mask Theatre where audiences have enjoyed picnics while watching comedic Shakespeare performances.

In February, it announced it would be hosting Sound Bath sessions run by Synergy Body & Mind UK this June, July, and August. These sessions will offer participants the chance to be “gently guided by crystal bowls and therapeutic sound vibrations” while resting on double air mattresses on the water.

Anyone wishing to make representations concerning this application can do so by writing to the Licensing Section of Peterborough City Council at Sand Martin House by April 24, 2026.

FBI Director Kash Patel has threatened to sue over bombshell claims reported in a magazine profile that the Trump administration official is deeply paranoid about being fired and often drinks to excess, alarming officials at the law enforcement agency and beyond.

The alleged conduct, which Patel has called “false reporting,” has left officials alarmed about what would happen if the FBI was needed in a national crisis such as a terror attack.

“That’s what keeps me up at night,” one unnamed official told The Atlantic, which published the claims Friday evening.

The piece details a host of concerning incidents and allegations.

On April 10, according to the magazine, the director flew into a paranoid “freak-out” when faced with a technical issue with a computer system. The report claims Patel thought it was a sign he was being fired and he began calling aides and allies in a panic.

Word of the alleged meltdown reportedly spread quickly through Washington D.C. and the White House got calls about who was really leading the FBI, according to The Atlantic.

The most explosive allegations in the article are regarding Patel’s alleged excessive drinking.

The official is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication at clubs in Washington and his home city of Las Vegas, according to the piece, violating FBI conduct standards and potentially leaving the nation’s top law enforcement official vulnerable to coercion or exploitation.

Early in his time leading the bureau, meetings had to be rescheduled to later in the day to accommodate his nighttime drinking, the report claims.

On multiple occasions, according to the outlet, Patel’s security detail had trouble waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, and at one point a request went in for emergency “breaching equipment” normally used in SWAT raids and hostage situations.

Patel has vowed to sue over the claims in the article, which he and the FBI say are all false.

FBI officials and other Trump administration members have reportedly questioned whether alcohol factored into missteps by the director, including his claim shortly after the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that a “subject” was in custody, only for the individual to be released and a different suspect, Tyler Robinson, to ultimately be arrested.

The director’s drinking reportedly angered the president himself, who is sober and whose brother died from alcoholism-related health issues. President Trump called Patel after the director was seen chugging beer with members of the victorious U.S. Olympic hockey team to express his displeasure, according to the profile.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Patel, as well as the FBI itself, have characterized The Atlantic’s reporting as entirely false, and the FBI director has vowed to sue the magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, the author of the article. Patel suggested in a social media post that the article met the high legal bar to qualify as defamation.

”See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,” Patel wrote on X on Friday. “But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.”

In his post, Patel attached an email from FBI communications official Benjamin Williamson to Fitzpatrick, which called the article “completely false at a nearly 100 percent clip” and alleged the FBI was only given about two hours to respond to the exposé’s numerous claims.

Erica Knight, an adviser to Patel, wrote on X that far from being an absentee leader, Patel has worked more days than his predecessors. Knight alleged that the magazine’s reporting was based on claims that “every real D.C. reporter chased, couldn’t verify, and passed on.”

Jesse Binnall, Patel’s attorney, called the article “categorically false and defamatory” in a post on X, and shared a letter he said he sent to The Atlantic before the story published.

The letter called the magazine’s reporting false and suggested it relied “solely on vague, unattributed sourcing” and did not allow enough time for the FBI to provide relevant information that would disprove its claims.

The letter suggested that the claim about breaching equipment being requested in case it was needed to reach Patel appeared to be based on “no corroborating public record” or “drawn from a single hostile and unreliable source.”

Binnall suggested the magazine’s reporting was similar to 2025 MSNBC claims that alleged Patel was spending too much time drinking, allegations that have prompted ongoing litigation.

Fitzpatrick, the Atlantic reporter, insists her story is entirely factual.

“I stand by every word of this reporting,” she told MS NOW on Friday.

Fitzpatrick added that the FBI is not a place where people are eager to leak to the press, so the volume of sourcing in her piece — which relied on more than two dozen interviews, including with current and former FBI officials — suggested real internal alarm about Patel’s stewardship of the bureau.

The allegations were all the more striking, she continued, because Patel has made it a mission to purge agents deemed disloyal or part of the anti-Trump “deep state,” and has made liberal use of polygraph tests on agents to identify suspected leakers.

“These are not the types of people who are willing to speak out outside of the FBI, especially right now,” Fitzpatrick added on MS NOW. “Because Kash Patel is going after people with polygraphs in a way that has never happened at the bureau. So for it to be this level of alarm, this is people genuinely concerned that America is in danger as a result of this conduct. I feel a real responsibility to take care of that reporting incredibly carefully.”

The Independent has contacted The Atlantic for comment.

The manager, for his part, has protected his players from the promotion pressure.

He said: “I try to be simple and direct about it. I don’t like to talk too much. My situation 15 years ago in a big game is maybe different to theirs but maybe it’s one of the positives of having a long career and then becoming a manager. You have lived it.

“I can give some personal reflections or words which can impact the players. I have been here before. Every game is a banana skin if you don’t approach it in the right way – if you either relax or allow the pressure to overcome you.

“So I try to keep it simple and if I feel it’s time for a little bit of a poke, I can give them a poke.

“I get on well with them, I think I do. I can give them that poke and sometimes you try to find the right situation.”

Those pokes have been rarely needed this season. They have lost successive league games just once, suffering defeats by Norwich and QPR in January as a 10-point lead evaporated.

Middlesbrough were level on 58 points at the end of January. Since then, Coventry have lost once in 13, winning eight of them.

Boro even went top in February but Coventry them beat them 3-1 to regain control.

In the past 99 seasons, Coventry have won five successive games only five times – three of them have come under Lampard this season after another streak last term.

“You’re welcome,” he joked. “I’m happy, of course I am, it’s should reflect on the players and the staff.

“Me, Chris [Jones] and Joe [Edwards] drove up here a year-and-a-bit ago and it was all new to us as well.

“We have enjoyed it but the boys and everyone have worked so hard. The players are the ones who deliver.”

Of the changes Lampard has driven, none have been bigger than shifting the pessimistic Sky Blue thinking.

After numerous blows on and off the field in the past decade – despite now three promotions in eight years – Coventry fans could be forgiven for their gloomy outlook. Reclaiming a top-flight place has restored belief.

“I watched them come down the leagues. Maybe the fans are entitled to have the syndrome,” said Lampard.

“I grew up a West Ham fan and it was similar, in a different way, as they reflected on 1966, I went to Everton for a year and it was similar.

“It’s human nature. Maybe it’s British culture – what’s round the corner, expect the worst – but I get it.

“It’s part of the fun – it doesn’t sound fun but you’ve got to suffer to enjoy the good stuff.”

Five acts competed for the chance to open for the country music superstar on the Late Late Show

Two Northern Irish country singers appeared on The Late Late Show Opening Act this evening as they competed for the chance to open at a show for Shania Twain.

Five acts from across Ireland took part in the competition hosted by Patrick Kielty on RTE on Friday where they hoped to earn the chance of opening for Shania Twain when she plays in Limerick in July.

The performers taking part were; Paddy Treacy from Co Fermanagh, Jesse Sludds from Co Wexford, Caitlin Mackin from Co Armagh, Midnight in Vegas , a girlband with members from Dublin, Waterford and Essex and Ryan Phoenix from Co Cork.

Patrick Kielty was joined on the night by a panel of special guests which included Una Healy, the multi‑platinum singer who began her career with pop group The Saturdays and has since become one of Ireland’s most recognisable country voices; Sandy Kelly, a true icon of Irish country music and The Late Late Show Country Hall of Fame 2026 inductee; Ben Earle, one half of The Shires, the UK’s most successful country duo; and Tom Dunne, the unmistakable voice of Something Happens and well-known Irish radio broadcaster.

Advertisement

Paddy Treacy from Lisnaskea in Co Fermanagh wowed the judges with his version of Stop The World by Declan Nerney. He has played the banjo since he was just nine years old and blew the judges away with his ability.

Ben said: “He got up there and set the energy in the room. I’d love to get to know his story a bit more.” “I was blown away by him,” said Tom. “This has been a very high standard.”

Caitlin Mackin from Armagh hoped to “break sterotypes” coming from an Irish and Filipino background and was the fourth act on the night. She played her version of Waagon Wheel with Sandy saying: “It was wonderful, I’ve never heard a female vocalist do this song.”

“I felt like there was a story there that I didn’t necessarily get from that performance,” said Ben. “But she really owned the stage and owned the moment.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

The demonstration, organised by campaign group Bolton for Palestine, saw activists holding placards in Victoria Square and speaking to passers-by.

The group remained at the scene until around 11am.

Kevin McKeon, speaking during the protest, said: “We’ve been protesting here in Bolton town centre for eight months now.

“We’re trying to raise people’s awareness of the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.”

He said there were concerns the situation in Gaza could be overshadowed by other global events.

He added: “At the moment, we’re particularly concerned that the situation in Gaza may be forgotten because of the concern throughout the world about the situation in Iran.

“Even though there is supposed to be a ceasefire in Gaza, we know that Israel is not keeping to that ceasefire.

The group are calling for Bolton residents to boycott Israeli goods (Image: NQ)

He added: “Israeli forces continue to prevent aid getting in, and the plight of the people is just desperate. And the world stands by. That’s the tragedy and the scandal.”

Mr McKeon also criticised the UK Government’s position on the conflict.

“We are particularly incensed that the British government has been complicit,” he said.

“We condemn their inaction and call upon them to sanction Israel, follow the example of Spain, follow the example of South Korea, follow the example of Pakistan.”

He urged people in Bolton to take action locally.

He said: “People in Bolton, obviously, we’d love more and more to come to our protests on Friday.

“But we also want people to do two things. One, write to their MPs, write to their councillors, insist that they take action.”

Bolton has seen regular pro-Palestine demonstrations since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, with campaign groups holding protests, vigils and awareness events in the town centre.

Similar demonstrations have taken place across Greater Manchester and the UK, reflecting ongoing public concern about the conflict and its humanitarian impact.

Organisers say the Bolton protests will continue in the coming weeks.