The boy cannot be named for legal reasons

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A high school ‘star pupil’ has been sentenced to youth detention after stabbing a pupil in the back, a court heard.

The 15 year old, who cannot be named, knifed his teen victim in an apparent revenge attack after believing he had been speaking badly about him.

He is said to have lurked near the shops in Brookfield, Preston, in waiting for his victim and was seen circling the area on his bike.

When he saw the other boy approaching with a friend, he ran up behind them and lunged at his victim with a knife before telling him: “You’ve just been chopped”, Lancs Live reports.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee said the attack, which happened at 7:21pm on March 17, 2026, was premeditated and motivated by revenge. He played CCTV footage, taken from outside a house on Ingleton Road, which showed the attacker running up behind the unsuspecting schoolboy.

The youngster thought he had been punched and walked away from the attack but when he arrived home, a short distance away, he realised he had blood coming from his head.

He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital by ambulance where he was treated for knife wounds to his torso, the back of his neck and a defensive wound to his hand.

Michael Lavery, defending, said the boy had received glowing school reports and was considered to be academically high-achieving. However, he had adverse experiences in his childhood and was suspected of having autism.

These contributed to a heightened threat response, poor emotional awareness and emotional detachment, a psychological report said.

Sentencing, Judge Philip Parry said the teenager’s parents had worked with the authorities and sought support with their son. He said the teenager’s psychological profile helped to explain why ‘an intelligent boy could behave in such a catastrophic way.’

He said: “You told the author of the pre-sentence report that there was an issue between you and the other boy which you interpreted to be him being out to get you. You took a knife out in case he had one and was going to hurt you.

“I see no evidence at all of him threatening to hurt you or carrying a knife. There is no justification for you to take that knife from home and go in search of him, then waiting to find him and attacking him from behind.

“You offer no apology to your victim. Your only regret is you wish you had attacked him with just your fists, not with a knife.”

The judge said it was ‘concerning’ that the attack took place after intervention from the Youth Justice team after the teenager was cautioned for being involved with class A drug supply at a previous time.

“That intervention was unable to prevent serious future offending by you”, he said.

The court heard the youngster was initially charged with attempted murder, however he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of section 18 wounding, along with possession of a bladed article.

Judge Parry said he must pass sentence based on the sentencing guidelines for young people, which prioritise rehabilitation and preventing future offending. However he said the offence was so serious it could only be met with an order for youth detention.

He said: “This was very serious offending indeed. There is too much knife crime on our streets. Young men and boys lose their lives frequently in knife attacks similar to this one.

“It is as depressing as it is terrifying.”

The victim said he now feels on edge and on high alert as a result of the attack. He is receiving counselling in an attempt to move forwards, he said.

Judge Parry handed down a two-year detention and training order meaning the 15-year-old will spend a year in custody and a year under supervision in the community.

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Officers are searching for the missing man, named Anthony, from Aberystwyth, who is believed to have travelled to the Whitby area.

Anthony was reported missing on Wednesday, August 26, and is believed to have travelled to Whitby the following day, North Yorkshire Police said.

The force urged anyone with information about Anthony’s whereabouts to get in touch.

Aberystwyth and Machynlleth Police said Anthony could be using a dark blue Nissan car, and it is believed he may have also travelled towards the Norfolk or Suffolk areas.

Police said Anthony is described as being 5ft 9 tall and of a stocky build. He has short grey hair which is brushed back and has tattoos on both arms.

He was last seen wearing a light blue polo shirt, black trousers and black shoes with a gold necklace, and walks with a slight limp.

The ten-year-old fought back tears of joy in a heartwarming moment as she met her hero

Young fan Clodagh Keating told of her delight after being brought into the ring by Katie Taylor at the boxing great’s open workout on Wednesday evening.

The 10-year-old from Coolock fought back tears of joy in a heartwarming moment as Taylor showed her some boxing techniques at The Helix in Dublin.

“It felt so amazing,” Clodagh told RTE afterwards. “I couldn’t believe when someone just lifted me over and said you’re going to go and meet Katie.

“I’ve always wanted to meet her for so long and it just made me so upset that I went into the ring and she gave me her gloves as well… it’s just so sweet that that I got picked out.”

Taylor said seeing the joy on Clodagh’s face, as well as all the other young girls in attendance, means more to her than any world titles.

“That’s the greatest part to see so many little girls here and imagining all the thousands of stories of those little girls in the stadium on Saturday night who might be at a boxing event for the very first time or might be watching for the very first time,” she said.

“I’m hoping that these little girls actually fall in love with this beautiful sport and surpass anything that I’ve ever achieved and that’s what it’s all about.

“Just looking at Clodagh’s little face, the smile on her face, that’s worth more than any of these titles.”

Taylor is just days away from her last ever fight. She faces France’s Flora Pili at Croke Park in what is set to be one of the greatest nights in Irish sporting history.

Taylor, who turned 40 in July, says she feels as good as ever and is ready to deliver one last massive performance in front of over 80,000 people.

“I feel great, I think 40 is the new 30, isn’t it?” she told DAZN after her workout.

“I obviously just turned 40 a few weeks ago but I feel great, thank God. It’s been an amazing few months, preparing for this fight.

“I’m expecting a tough fight but this is what I’m made for, this is what I’m born for.

“This isn’t going to be a walk in the park, I have a tough, young challenger in front of me, but I purposely chose a tough challenger for my final fight.

“I built my whole reputation on taking tough fights throughout my whole career. Why treat my last fight any differently?”

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

At least 80 people, including a baby, have been found dead on a boat that had been adrift for 26 days off Spain’s Canary Islands.

Spain’s news agency EFE Noticias reported that the victims were discovered in a small vessel off the islands, which lie off the coast of northwest Africa.

The Civil Guard told Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras that the boat had likely travelled from Gambia, according to inscriptions on the vessel’s hull.

The boat, which was rescued on Thursday morning, was carrying around 128 people. Only 45 survivors and five bodies were found on board, EFE reported.

Survivors on the boat, which was brought to the port of Arguineguin in Gran Canaria, reportedly told the Red Cross they had left for the Canary Islands with more than 100 people on board.

It comes one day after the Moroccan navy intercepted 201 migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands after departing from Western Sahara. The boat was intercepted 185 kilometres (115 miles) southwest of Dakhla, according to the Moroccan general staff, EFE.

The Independent has contacted the Maritime Rescue, Guardia Civil, and Red Cross for further comment.

The western Africa to Canary Islands migrant route has become one of the world’s most deadly in recent years, with lives lost rising by 480 per cent between 2019 and 2025 (202 to 1,172), according to the Migration’s Missing Migrant’s Project.

“We’re seeing that, because the counter-smuggling enforcement on a lot of the West and North African departure countries is getting stricter, people are leaving from as far south as the Gambia, an overseas journey of weeks, which is crazy when it’s often a fishing boat,” a spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which runs the MMP, previously told The Independent.

More to follow…

Motorists in England, Scotland and Wales may already be seeing the new ‘76’ vehicle registration numbers on the road after they were released on Tuesday.

Amid the release of the new number plates, the DVLA has warned drivers to be on the lookout for stolen plates.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, the agency said: “Be aware of stolen number plates. If you’ve lost yours, make sure you get one from a registered number plate supplier.

“You’ll need

• an identity document
• proof you can use the registration number”

Be aware of stolen number plates. If you’ve lost yours, make sure you get one from a registered number plate supplier.

You’ll need:

• an identity document
• proof you can use the registration number

For more, go to: https://t.co/jsU9sNaxN1 pic.twitter.com/OZDuBU3CMD

— Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (@DVLAgovuk) August 28, 2026

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For more information, you can visit the DVLA website here.

DVLA number plate fine warning

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is reminding drivers to check their own plates meet the required specifications.

Plates that do not comply can lead to a fine and an MOT failure.

The DVLA said: “Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly. You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they’re hard to read.

“You could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.”

Is your number plate legal?

These are the rules you should be aware of around licence plates from the DVLA.

The number plates on your vehicle must:

• be made from a reflective material
• display black characters on a white background (front plate)
• display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
• not have a background pattern
• be marked to show who supplied the number plate
• be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021

The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.

Your number plates can also:

• have 3D (raised) characters
• display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
• display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle

Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing , said: “Characters must not be removable or reflective, however, your number plates can have 3D (raised) characters, display certain flags, symbols and identifiers and display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle.

“It’s important to drivers to understand the nuances of what’s required for their licence plates as even the smallest modifications could make it illegal. For example, 3D characters are allowed on licence plates, but if the raised letters are not black or have a reflective coating on them, this could make them illegal.

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“It’s also important for drivers to understand that any modifications around their licence plate, that could make it unreadable, are also considered illegal.

“For example, licence plate lights must be white – not tinted blue or any other colour – and need to illuminate the plate evenly without causing any shadows. The bulbs themselves must not be visible.

“Failure to meet these requirements can result in fines of up to £1,000, as well as an MOT failure for the vehicle.

“Motorists looking to replace or customise their plates should only buy from DVLA-registered suppliers who follow the legal guidelines. Plates that feature illegal fonts, incorrect spacing, tinted backgrounds, or missing supplier information can all lead to penalties.

“For those unsure whether their plates comply, checking with a reputable supplier or consulting DVLA guidelines is the safest way to avoid unnecessary fines or complications.”

Race Across The World victor Alfie Watts has opened up about his relationship with his family and said he no longer speaks to them.

The 23-year-old stormed to victory on the globe-trotting BBC show in 2024, competing alongside his friend Owen Wood on a route that spanned 15,000 kilometres from Japan to Indonesia.

During his stint on the show, the football referee movingly spoke to Wood about losing his mother to breast cancer. He was also seen releasing a lantern in Vietnam in her honour.

He did not know his father until he was a teenager, so was predominantly raised by his grandmother in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

In a new podcast appearance, Watts has spoken about how his differing approach to grief caused a rift between him and his family.

Appearing on Matt Willis’s On The Mend podcast, he said: ‘Me and my family have never got on. Basically, I cannot resonate with a giving-up attitude. It’s not in me and they gave up. That really annoyed me, even from an early age.’

He continued: ‘At that point, they just decided that there was nothing left to live for, even though they had so many years to turn things around and make something for themselves.

‘There was never any passion to go out and see anything, any kind of hobbies, any urge to go and see friends. 

‘Any time I did something, it was almost like I felt guilty for it because I should be feeling this level of grief they were experiencing.’

He went on to say that gap got ‘worse and worse’ as he grew older and more successful, adding: ‘It’s completely boiled over in the past year. As a three, we now just don’t talk to each other.’

Watts went on to say that he has had to discover a found family outside his bloodline, with close friends and a form tutor at school who became a pivotal male role model for him.

After being crowned the victors of Race Across The World 2024, Watts told Metro how his friends factored in his plans for spending his winnings. 

He revealed he ‘had a great summer’ with the winnings, telling us: ‘I took all of my friends away.

‘The whole thing was I was gonna do Race Across The World, then I was going to have a period after where I went travelling again, and then I was going to settle down and become an air traffic controller.’

But life took a different turn, as he instead became a social media influencer, adding: ‘It hasn’t quite gone as I’d imagined back then. There is a part of me now that actually wishes I’d been a bit more responsible with the money. But you adapt to what’s in front of you.’

Race Across The World airs on BBC One.

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Mr Polanski said he ‘loves’ the community and ‘knows it well’

Zack Polanski has announced he will stand in a crunch London by-election after Sir Keir Starmer quit as an MP.

The Green Party leader said he ‘loves’ the community in Holborn and St Pancras and ‘knows it well’ after former prime minister Sir Keir announced his resignation as MP after 11 years on Tuesday (September 1). The step down for Sir Keir, who said he would turn his focus to ‘international affairs’, has triggered a by-election in the constituency.

Mr Polanski told the Camden New Journal the constituency ‘has everything that’s the best of our country and so much potential’. He said: “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.

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“It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.” He added: “For too long now it’s been held back by governments who have failed to make the changes to improve people’s lives.

“We know that the Greens can win here, and by electing me, voters will have someone who will always fight their corner – never scared of big donors or the party whip. Too often Labour has stood up for corporations and big money. I will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills.”

Mr Polanski has been the leader of the Green Party since September 2025. He has also been a member of the London Assembly since May 2021.

Sir Keir announced he would quit as an MP on Tuesday, as Parliament returned from its summer recess, despite having previously insisted he would stay on as a backbencher until the next general election. He said: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.

“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely.

“It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”

This is the moment a van is driven the wrong way down a dual carriageway during a high-speed 15-mile police chase. 

Footage appears to show a white Citroën repeatedly swerving between lanes on the A20 in Kent on Sunday, as dozens of drivers attempt to avoid a head-on crash. 

The 53-second clip, which was filmed by a passenger in a car on the other side of the road, shows a van travelling along the eastbound carriageway with its hazard lights flashing.

The Citroën allegedly exited the A20 by driving the wrong way up a slip road before police rammed it off the road in Bromley, south-east London, and arrested the driver.

Photos show the vehicle, which had allegedly been stolen, suspended in the air surrounded by shards of glass. 

The alleged pursuit took place little more than a week after a separate incident in which two officers were killed when a car, which had been travelling the wrong way along the A66, smashed into their marked police vehicle, near Middlesbrough. 

PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38, and five members of the public travelling in the Volkswagen Passat were pronounced dead at the scene. 

A van is seen suspended in the air surrounded by shards of glass after a police chase ended in a crash on the A20

The 53-second clip, which was filmed by a passenger in a car on the other side of the road, shows the van travelling along the eastbound carriageway with its hazard lights flashing

At least eight police vehicles attended the scene following the crash in Bromley 

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That crash also came just days after five young men were killed and an innocent family injured in a head-on collision on the M9 in Co Kildare, Ireland. 

Kent Police said a man had allegedly smashed a window and stolen the Citroën van from a property in Swanscombe at around 2.55pm on Sunday.

The force said the owner was known to the suspect.   

Officers located a van several hours later in Swanley, where it allegedly failed to stop and travelled into London, where the Met Police took over the pursuit. 

Met Police officers detained the driver after making tactical contact – a manoeuvre used to bring a fleeing vehicle to a controlled stop – on Mottingham Road in Bromley.

A Met Police officer sustained an injury to his hand and was taken to hospital before being discharged. No other serious injuries were reported. 

The force confirmed that a van was driving along the wrong side of the A20 for a ‘short period of time’.

One person who saw the scene of the crash told The News Shopper: ‘It sounded like an air raid was about to kick off.

‘Never seen so many police cars before.’

PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed in a separate incident when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 

Police officers at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough on August 22

PC Tom Clough also died in the crash in Middlesbrough, which occurred around ten seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off

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At least eight police vehicles attended the scene following the smash.

Barney McGinley, 33, has been charged with causing serious injury by driving a vehicle dangerously, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and no insurance. 

He appeared before Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody. 

A spokesman for Kent Police said in an updated statement: ‘Kent Police was called at 2.55pm on Sunday to a report that a man had smashed a window and taken a van that did not belong to him from an address in Swanscombe. 

‘The owner of the property was known to him. At around 6.45pm Kent Police officers located the van in the London Road area of Swanley. 

‘It did not stop and travelled into London, where Metropolitan Police officers assisted in the detention of the driver after making tactical contact with the vehicle in Mottingham Road, Bromley. 

‘One Metropolitan Police officer suffered an injury to his hand during the incident and no other serious injuries were reported.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Kent Police and the Met Police for further comment.  

Stars of The Gentlemen have dismissed claims Meghan Markle could join the cast, with Vinnie Jones insisting the show already boasts ‘a lot of pretty women‘.

The Duchess of Sussex has not given up hope of appearing in Guy Ritchie‘s crime drama now she is back living in the UK, a source told the Daily Mail.

But members of the current cast absolutely ruled it out on the red carpet at the London premiere of the second season last night.

In his typically direct style, Vinnie Jones said: ‘I think it’s hot air’, adding: ‘We’ve got a lot of pretty women in this series, so I’m not sure there’s room for any more.’ 

Theo James, who plays drug baron Eddie Horniman, the 13th Duke of Halstead, said: ‘I think it’s a spurious rumour. She’d fit in well because she’s actually from the Royal Family, but I think the practicalities of that are impossible.’

He also joked that ‘Prince Harry is playing one of my love interests’.

Fellow Londoner Ray Winstone added: ‘It’s the first I’ve heard of it’ but added that she would be a ‘better looking’ addition than him.

Hugh Bonneville was equally dismissive, describing it as ‘a genius bit of marketing by the person who dreamt up that idea.’ While new star Maya Jama said: ‘I’d be the last person to know.’

Guy Ritchie declined to give any interviews on the red carpet on Wednesday where he could have quashed rumours that Meghan had personally held preliminary talks with him over a possible role in the gangster hit’s third series. 

Vinnie Jones said: ‘I think it’s hot air’, before adding: ‘We’ve got a lot of pretty women in this series, so I’m not sure there’s room for any more.’

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Guy Ritchie, pictured with son Rocky and wife Jacqui Ainsley last night, declined to comment

Meghan is said to be keen to return to acting, both on screen and even on stage

Royal author Tina Brown claimed that Meghan’s offer of an acting job was withdrawn within 24 hours of the Sussexes returning to the UK because the ‘backlash was so intense it became untenable’.   

Industry experts even claimed talk of Meghan being linked with a role in the show could have been leaked as a cynical PR tactic to create a buzz around her upcoming arrival in the UK. 

But a source told the Daily Mail there are still rumours in the TV world that there is ‘still the possibility of a role’ for Meghan, who is said to be keen to return to acting.

‘I gather talks are still ongoing despite claims that it’s all off. It was a factor for her in moving back to the UK’, they said.

It has been claimed that she may have spoken directly with Guy Ritchie. 

Another source in Theatreland said there were deafening rumours that the former Suits actress wants to land a serious stage role in London’s West End.

But Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading PR gurus, said he felt ‘the timing of this has an ulterior motive to do what it’s doing, to generate as much attention as possible without saying anything at all’.

Addressing claims that the leak was deliberate from the Sussex side, he told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s totally plausible because there’s not been a single quote from the production, so they’re enjoying all the publicity, it’s good for them.’

Meghan played lawyer Rachel Zane for seven seasons of the US legal drama Suits

The star-studded cast were out in force for the premiere of season two at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London last night.

Maya Jama, 32, wore a daringly cut leather gown, custom made by R&M leathers and styled by Rhea Francois, as she arrived on the red carpet for her first ever premiere as an actress.

The Love Island host makes her acting debut as Aisha, the wife of a criminal associate of Theo James‘s character, Eddie Horniman. 

Meanwhile, Kaya Scodelario, 34, channelled her impeccably styled character Susie as she dazzled in diamonds while dressed in a custom Paolo Sebastian corset gown.

Scodelario returns for season two as the daughter of a mobster named Bobby Glass, played by Ray Winstone, who has a cannabis empire on English country estates.

And life imitated art as James channelled his duke-turned-crime-boss character Eddie, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit.

Hugh Bonneville appeared alongside his partner Heidi Kadlecova after joining the cast as the colourful Lord Hawthorne. 

Maya Jama , 32, injected a sprinkle of gangster glamour in a daringly cut leather gown to the premiere of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen season two tonight

Meanwhile Kaya Scodelario, 34, channeled her impeccably styled character Susie as she dazzled in diamonds

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And life imitated art as Theo James channelled his duke turned crime boss character Eddie Horniman, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit

Joely Richardson, who plays Lady Sabrina, looked criminally stylish as she oozed glamour in a gold chained gown

Hollywood actress Joely Richardson, who plays Lady Sabrina, oozed glamour in a dramatic gold-chained gown. 

Ritchie, who has directed the crime drama, was joined at the premiere by his son Rocco, 26, whom he shares with ex wife Madonna, and his second wife Jacqui Ainsley, 44. 

The new series of the crime comedy-drama, which releases today on Netflix, also sees Vinnie Jones and Daniel Ings reprise their roles as stoic gamekeeper Geoffrey Seacombe and the not-so-clever brother Freddy Horniman respectively.

Vinnie leant into the countryside chic in a tweed suit, putting on an animated display on the carpet.