The school saw a significant improvement in GCSE results compared with last year, something staff and pupils are extremely proud of.

Among those to secure exceptional results was Francis Cheung, who got a clean sweep of Grade 8s and Grade 9s.

Francis Cheung achieved a clean sweep of Grade 8s and Grade 9s. (Image: Tottington High School)

Meanwhile, Lucy Morris gained six Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and an L2 Distinction*.

Interim Tottington High Headteacher Louise Jaunbocus-Cooper said: “These results are a clear reflection of the progress our school is making and the positive impact of the hard work, commitment and high expectations shared across our whole school community.

“We are particularly proud of the substantial improvement in outcomes for our SEND and Pupil Premium students compared with last year.

“This is a significant achievement and one that reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring every student can succeed.

“We could not be prouder of all our students.

“Your hard work and commitment have truly paid off.

“We know you will go out into the world and make a difference!”

The new season of the English Premier League is almost ready to kick off, and with it another annual cycle of the national game. Each August brings hope and expectation for supporters with an opportunity to start anew. But, rather than excited anticipation, frustration, anger and anxiety are the overriding emotions of many fans currently.

This summer some of the English clubs with the richest history – including Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool – have caused controversy for revoking the season tickets and issuing lifetime bans to thousands of supporters.

Our latest research has examined how the increasing commercialism of English football, which has accelerated since the return to play following the COVID lockdowns, threatens the future existence of football stadiums as an inter-generational space.

Despite significant changes in the finances, infrastructure and scale of the national sport over the past four decades, English football stadiums remain a key focal point for fan communities and distinct spaces of connection and bonding between the generations.

The intergenerational nature of football fandom is largely taken for granted, despite the growing realisation of the importance such shared spaces for the transmission of cultural values across generations. These latest initiatives may exacerbate the risk to this communal experience by digitally excluding fans.

Crackdown on ticket touts

Ostensibly the action taken by the clubs is part of an anti-touting crackdown, as ever-rising demand has created a lucrative secondary market for touts to resell tickets at hugely inflated prices. Ticket touting – the act of buying tickets for live events and reselling them at highly-inflated prices – has been illegal in English football since the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. While frowned upon in other sports and entertainment sectors – such as live music – it is only criminalised in football.

A serious attempt by clubs to clampdown on such activity is long overdue. The advent of digital tickets has witnessed the rise of online touting on an industrial scale, with bots used to harvest hundreds of tickets to be resold to supporters across the globe. There are also signs that such actions are proving effective – it has been reported that the actions taken by Liverpool FC, in conjunction with Merseyside Police, have led to the seizure of £1.2 million in assets related to organised ticket touts.

However, there is also evidence that ordinary fans are being caught up in this crackdown. There has been outrage among Manchester United supporters, as thousands of season ticket accounts were restricted or threatened with closure after been flagged due to vague claims of “sustained activity”.

In many instances this appears to be caused by supporters helping friends or family members, less familiar with online ticketing systems, manage their accounts. Several fans have voiced their concerns about the blunt use of automated software and AI to identify their accounts and the lack of proper redress, highlighting the club’s disregard for its most loyal supporters.

Some fans are more conspiratorial. They view this as the latest attempt to exclude longstanding season ticket holders. As one Manchester United fan said: “I feel angry about it – they just want us gone”. Such a view is not without credence.

All three clubs have defended their actions and point to successes in combating the illegal re-selling of tickets. Manchester United admitted some mistakes and promised to refine its processes.

Price hikes

In the last couple of years there seems to have been a step-change in the approach of Premier League clubs to maximise revenue at the expense of maintaining a core group of local, inter-generational support. Whether through price increases or the reduction in concessions for young and older fans, clubs have already taken active steps to curtail the proportion of season ticket holders.

At the start of the 2024–25 season, amid a wider cost of living crisis, 19 out of the 20 Premier League clubs raised ticket prices. At some clubs, the increases jumped as high as 28% and included one reported case of a 111% price increase for a child’s season ticket. These price hikes represent an acceleration of a long-term trend, with the cost of tickets rocketing by 800% between 1990 and 2025.

There was a feeling that clubs were actively seeking to undermine the season ticket model through prohibitive pricing to free up seats for more lucrative overseas “tourist fans” more willing to pay higher prices and spend more money on merchandise. Fans across rival teams united in protest, calling on clubs to “Stop Exploiting Loyalty” and reverse ticketing policies that undermine long-standing community ties and make football less accessible to future generations.

In our research interviews, fan activists expressed general suspicion that clubs were colluding to adopt similar ticketing policies to minimise reputational damage. This suspicion was reinforced by the decision by some clubs to diminish the established concessionary prices for younger (such as under-18s and students) and senior (over-65) supporters.

Along with hyper-inflated ticket prices, these new measures may irrevocably alter the composition of the matchday crowd by pricing older and younger fans out.

The irony here is that these clubs seem to be motivated by the same rationale as the touts – displace the season ticket holders and maximise revenue by reselling to overseas fans.

In the wake of the most expensive World Cup ever held and Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s ill-fated plan to sell a 20% stake in the competition, a growing proportion of English football fans feel alienated and actively excluded by the increasing commercial interests in the game.

Voicing his opposition to Infantino’s World Cup sell-off, new Prime Minister Andy Burham (a lifelong Everton fan), said that: “Football does not belong to investors … Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will”.

Football’s strength has always come from the commitment of generations of supporters who pass their club loyalties from parent to child. If rising prices and digital barriers continue to push local fans to the margins, the game risks losing the very communities, traditions and atmosphere that made it the world’s most popular sport.

Thames Water has said its hosepipe ban is likely to be enforced until the end of the year.

More than 27m people across England have now had hosepipe use restricted in their area, including Thames Water’s 10.1m customers after a ban was put in place last month.

After several heatwaves over a record-breaking summer and historic lows of rainfall, hosepipe restrictions in England’s capital and surrounding areas could last for several months, the water firm said.

Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, told Times Radio: “I think realistically, it’s going to be towards the end of the year before that comes off.

“That’s something that we need to make sure we do just to protect the environment.”

Earlier this week, it urged customers to continue efforts to reduce water use as it revealed household demand has fallen by 3 per cent across London and more than 6 per cent across the Thames Valley and Home Counties since a hosepipe ban began on 23 July.

In an update on Tuesday, the utility said London reservoir storage was at 74 per cent, which is lower than what the firm would expect for this time of year but the Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire is 92 per cent full.

It also said rainfall in the Thames catchment area during July was less than 1mm, which is just 2 per cent of the long-term average, while customers used around 100 million litres more water every day than normal, adding further pressure to rivers, reservoirs and the water network.

Mr Muncaster said that dry conditions were still expected, even though some rain is forecast to fall.

“The Environment Agency forecast is that it will be drier than normal for the next few months, but we’ll wait and see,” he added.

The beleaguered water firm, which is the country’s largest, is struggling under almost £20bn in debt, with cash running out to see the firm through beyond the end of this year and widespread concern about which direction is best for the future of the business.

Mr Muncaster told Times Radio that a new reservoir at Abingdon in Oxfordshire is unlikely to be ready until 2040.

He also defended the fact the company’s £250m Beckton desalination plant, which opened in 2010 to provide water during droughts, had been offline this summer.

He said: “It was something we planned. We had a very wet winter, so we took the opportunity to do that maintenance, expecting us to be able to work through the summer.”

Pocklington-based Jason and Belle Richardson, who created SealStop in 2024, will be pitching for investment for their pioneering SealStop, the ground-breaking automatic shut-off valve designed to eliminate water waste and save gardeners’ time.

Together, they say, they have found an innovative solution to an everyday problem.

SealStop, which is now sold across six countries across the world, has won 12 major awards during the past two years, including recognition for sustainability and innovation.

RECOMMENDED READING:

The episode will air on Thursday August 27 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

During the episode, Jason and Belle will pitch to Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman and Steven Bartlett, as well as footballing legend Gary Neville.

Belle Richardson said: “We are so thrilled to have been featured in this series. It’s such an honour and a privilege and we cannot wait for the episode to air. What started as one of those everyday frustrations on our smallholding has completely changed our lives.

Jason and Belle Richardson on Dragon’s Den (Image: Pic supplied)

“We never imagined it would lead us to building an award-winning business together and standing in front of the Dragons. We’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come in such a short space of time, and we hope our journey inspires others to back their ideas and just give it a go.

“Our appearance on national television comes after an exceptional period of growth.

“Apart from the awards we have won, we have expanded into international markets; we are recognised as one of Yorkshire’s fastest-rising startups; we are proud to be standard bearers for British manufacturing; and our mission to help people waste less water through simple innovation is gaining real traction.”

Belle added: “Saving water has never been so important. It has been predicted that, by 2050, there will be a five billion litre water shortfall daily in the UK. Meanwhile the Government, realising this potential water crisis, has set a 20 per cent reduction target for household water use,” added Belle.

Tune in on August 27 to see how Jason and Belle fare and discover if they impress enough to gain investment.

For further information about SealStop, please visit www.Sealstop.co.uk

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 11:20 BST, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 12:30 BST, 21 August 2026

Teofimo Lopez takes on Rolando Romero in Las Vegas this weekend, with the winner likely to face whoever comes out on top between Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia

The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is the place to be over the next couple of weeks, starting this weekend when Teofimo Lopez takes on Rolando Romero for the super version of WBA welterweight title.

Lopez moves up to 147 pounds as he bids to recharge his career after the defeat to Shakur Stevenson last time out. Stevenson was all wrong for Lopez, who loves opponents to come on to him.

He won’t have far to look for Romero, who knows only one way to fight. Romero has been quiet since his surprise win over Ryan Garcia 15 months ago.

Victory will likely open the door to a moneyed showdown with the winner of Garcia and Conor Benn, who meet in the same Vegas ring next month.

Romero’s two defeats have come against compact aggressors with big punches. Lopez does not offer the same heavy-handed threat as Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz, but he can still punch and has more strings to his bow. Lopez is the better technician. He can box, counter and wallop.

What he can’t do is back up opponents, which is precisely the game of Romero, who is tough, takes a shot and fights at pace.

Romero reminds me a little bit of the great Mexican Carlos Palomino, who knocked out John H Stracey and Dave Boy Green a year apart at Wembley half a century ago for the WBC welterweight crown.

Romero doesn’t have Palomino’s finesse but he fights in the same mauling style. He wants that slugging match, but Lopez is too smart for that.

Advertisement

It’s all happening at 147 with Garcia and Benn setting the economic agenda with their big- money match. The fight generated $6.3m in ticket sales in the first 24 hours. Benn was demanding $15m to take the fight. The details of the deal have not been disclosed but it’s fair to say the numbers for both boxers will be big.

Lopez and Romero are doubtless fighting for less in the hope of hitting the jackpot against next month’s winner. For Lopez it is a real chance to get everyone talking about him again after the Stevenson setback.

The defeat to Stevenson was predictable. Lopez doesn’t like guys who run or stand off him. He can’t chase them down.

That is why this has the makings of a classic. Lopez wins by controlling the centre of the ring with his jab and whipping in the right at every opportunity. Expect Lopez to start getting through in the later rounds and possibly winning by stoppage.

Follow Barry on X at @‌ClonesCyclone @mcguigan’s_Gym

Trumpington residents said the developer, who remains responsible for the roads, has been ‘very very slow’ to fix broken lights

Cambridge residents fear their safety may be at risk after delays in fixing broken streetlights in a new development has left streets “completely dark at night”. Clay Farm and Glebe Farm saw their first homes occupied more than a decade ago, but residents report ongoing issues with road management.

Central to their concerns is that responsibility for the roads still lies with developer Vistry, not Cambridgeshire County Council, as they remain unadopted. Residents on the Trumpington estates have reported issues with parking enforcement and long delays for repairing street lights.

Dr Kevin O’Brien has lived on Clay Farm since 2016, but said that since then they’ve got no closer to road adoption. The 56-year-old said the developer, who sub-contracts much of the road management, has not taken responsibility for the roads.

He said: “In the summer of 2023, a whole series of lights went out – both street and pathway lights – and it has been an ongoing battle to get these things fixed.”

He said three years on, some lights have finally been fixed – only for new ones to go out. Dr O’Brien even tried to get the police involved due to safety concerns, but was told they couldn’t do anything as the roads are privately owned.

He said: “There are complete blackspots where you can’t see anything. The police have had a major push to combat violence against women and girls – and one of the concerns around violence against women and girls is poor lighting and dangerous streets. There’s an enormous amount of frustration as a home-buyer – you buy into a new development, get all these promises of how it’s going to be brilliant, and then left in these rabbit holes from all of these issues.”

David Plank, a Glebe Farm resident and member of the Trumpington Residents’ Association, said the developer had been “very very slow to attend” to the lighting issues.

The 82-year-old said: “There are significant street lighting problems in the new developments with lights not working. A very significant number of street lights on Glebe Farm are not working and the developer is being very very slow to attend to it. There are safety issues apart from anything else.

“It really is a scandal that more than ten years on none of the roads in those two developments have been adopted. It leads to difficulties for residents actually getting problems sorted out and it can be an obstacle to selling your house if people see the roads aren’t adopted.”

Cllr Olaf Hauk, of Trumpington, raised a motion at last month’s Cambridge City Council meeting to highlight the issues residents face on estates with unadopted roads.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “As a resident of a new development, you encounter broken street lights and street furniture, missing or confusing signage, uncertainty over parking rules. If there is something weird and it don’t look good, who are you going to call? Well you don’t know because you don’t know who owns the place.

“And sometimes it really feels like we are hunting ghosts. Some streets are completely dark at night because streetlights have not been fixed. The fundamental problem is that public services are expected to be publicly accountable.

“Residents on these estates pay exactly the same council tax as everyone else in Cambridge. Yet often they receive fewer public services because essential infrastructure remains in private hands.”

A spokesperson for Vistry said they have done a survey of the lighting infrastructure across the development and started work to fix them.

They said: “The works are now underway and will be carried out over the coming weeks. We recognise the frustration experienced by some residents and are committed to improving the reliability of the lighting network across the site. We will continue to work with relevant stakeholders as the programme progresses.”

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said developers can offer roads up for public adoption but they do not have powers to mandate this.

They said: “As such, it is not possible at this time to suggest when these roads may be adopted. However, the council has been in dialogue with the developers throughout the design and construction phases of these developments.

“We approved the design of the streets and we have inspected the works throughout the entire construction period. The Council therefore remains content, in principle, to adopt the internal roads within Clay Farm and Glebe Farm once all technical and legal requirements have been fulfilled by the developer.”

Prince William was spotted on his Balmoral summer holiday with Kate today as they come to terms with Prince Harry and Meghan’s surprise return to Britain.

The Prince of Wales and the King have held a ‘Sussex summit’ during their stay in Aberdeenshire as the royal family discuss Wednesday’s shock announcement.

Photographs taken this morning outside the estate showed a convoy of royals driving out, including William and Kate who were together in a Land Rover Discovery.

Princess Anne was behind the wheel in another car, while Zara and Mike Tindall were spotted in a further vehicle and Prince Edward was driven by his son James.

A source told the Daily Mail that the royal family are believed to have gone grouse shooting in the area of Corgarff Castle, which is about a half-hour drive away. 

William remains estranged from his brother after Harry unleashed a barrage of accusations about him, his family and other royals in the wake of Megxit in 2020.

This situation is unlikely to change for now, with a source telling the Mail that William ‘has no desire whatsoever to reconcile will his brother, as it stands’. The Waleses are also said to ‘have no interest in engaging with anything Harry and Meghan do or say’. 

Kate and William have not reacted publicly to Harry’s return while they are on holiday at Balmoral with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

They are joining Charles and Camilla and a series of other royals for the annual trip to the Highlands, following the monarch’s arrival on Tuesday for his summer break.

Earlier that day, Zara and Mike were spotted walking to Balmoral’s gates with Peter Phillips and his new wife Harriet Sperling to watch the official welcoming ceremony.

The Tindalls’ children Lena and Mia were also seen, along with Peter’s children Isla and Savannah from his marriage to Autumn Kelly; and Harriet’s daughter Georgina.

The royals were at Balmoral when news broke publicly on Wednesday night that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were moving back to Britain after six years in the US.

Another view of the Prince and Princess of Wales this morning in their car outside Balmoral

Princess Anne drives herself in another vehicle outside Balmoral today amid a convoy of royals

Advertisement

Mike Tindall and his wife Zara leave Balmoral this morning as their summer holiday continues

Prince Edward is driven by his son James, Earl of Wessex outside Balmoral this morning

The King was told of his youngest son’s return just three days earlier on Sunday, while Harry’s brother William was also informed in advance of the announcement. 

But the news will have been a shock, given sources insist the topic was not raised or discussed when Charles and Camilla hosted the Sussexes at Highgrove in early July.

Other members of the inner royal circle would have also been surprised, given they are all said to have been unaware that the couple had been planning a return.

One point to discuss will be questions over who will pay for the Sussexes’ security in the UK, given the family are set to live in a non-royal residence outside of London.

Decisions about whether taxpayers will foot the bill for their security still remain unanswered, as does the exact reason for the couple’s decision to relocate.

They have already enrolled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in British schools, and the children will likely need a form of security given their high-profile nature.

But Harry has faced a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family while in the UK, after his level of protection changed when he stepped down as a working royal and moved to the US.

In January 2020, the duke and duchess announced they intended to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support Elizabeth II, but split their time between the UK and North America.

The late Queen ruled at the famous ‘Sandringham Summit’, which was convened in Norfolk to resolve the crisis, that the couple could not be half in and half out.

By March 2020, Harry and Meghan had set up a permanent home in California, officially stepped down as senior royals and stopped using their HRH styles.

Now, Harry’s return to the UK could cost taxpayers up to £5million a year – with Dai Davies, the Metropolitan Police’s former head of royalty protection, describing it today as an ‘incredible expensive scenario’.

A welcoming ceremony for King Charles III as he arrives at the Balmoral estate on Tuesday

King Charles III meets well-wishers following the Balmoral welcoming ceremony on Tuesday

Zara and Mike Tindall at Balmoral on Tuesday with Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet Sperling to watch the ceremony. The Tindalls’ children Lena and Mia were seen, along with Peter’s two children Savannah and Isla from his first wife Autumn Kelly ; and Harriet’s daughter Georgina

Advertisement

The Tindall and Phillips families are seen leaving after the ceremony at Balmoral on Tuesday

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘The only way I can see it now happening if the security intelligence and the threat assessment both from terrorism and from fixated individuals would warrant you and I paying what will be an incredible expensive scenario for protecting him, his wife, his children, their schooling and all his adventures when he’s going out making money for himself.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham would not be drawn on Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements in the UK, saying the funding for it was a ‘private matter’.

At the end of June, Harry was still waiting for a review by the Risk Management Board, part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements – and he and his security detail were working to try to ensure his July visit could take place safely.

Individual decisions on protective security for key public figures, including members of the royal family, are made by Ravec, which includes the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Royal Household, which advises an independent chairperson. 

But an ex-cabinet minister told the Daily Mail it would be difficult for the public to swallow if the burden fell on taxpayers.

The former minister said: ‘The hard-pressed British taxpayer has been forced to watch an unedifying circus and spectacle around Harry for far too long. It was first and foremost a family fall-out but, secondly, it has been a display of flagrant entitlement.’

They predicted that Ravec would eventually be required to look again at the Sussexes’ case, adding: ‘It is right that Ravec will, most likely, go through all the due diligence.

‘His Majesty will be quite extensively consulted, I have no doubt. Ravec will be under some pressure here… they will consider what liabilities there may be if something were to go wrong. They will not want anything coming back on them.’

A security source said round-the-clock protection for a family of four ‘could easily run to millions a year, perhaps between £3million and £5million’.

Royal observers will also be keenly watching whether William makes any public statement about the Sussexes’ return, given he remains estranged from his brother.

A source close to Harry told Sussex-friendly publication People last night that his return will provide the ‘best opportunity’ for a reconciliation.

The source added: ‘It would never happen with him in America. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.’

Confirming there had been ‘no contact’ between the brothers, the source also said: ‘Catherine may step into that breach and try to help, too, because she knows how important family is and how important Harry is to William.

‘She would want to see that healed, as any wife would. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.’

The Sussexes decamped to California more than six years ago amid the turbulent Megxit crisis, which was followed by ongoing family fallouts and a barrage of accusations fired at the Prince and Princess of Wales and the King and Queen.

Charles is believed to be glad to be able to spend more time with the Sussex family, but remains adamant they will not be working royals, and there is no half-in, half-out option.

The source close to Harry also said: ‘He will want to see his sons together over time. This is the best opportunity we have seen in recent years.’

Archie and Lilibet are expected to start at their new schools in early September.

The Duke of Sussex in Washington on Wednesday for discussions about supporting veterans

Advertisement

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne in April

King Charles with Harry at Windsor Castle after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022

The Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

There will be no photographs of the children when they start school and on their birthdays as for working royals, it is understood.

The duchess will continue to run her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from their new base – and the Sussexes are keeping their homes in California and Portugal.

The departure from the US had raised questions over what will happen to their nine-bedroom Montecito mansion, which they purchased for $14.75million (£10.8million) from Russian tycoon Sergey Grishin on June 18, 2020.

But the Daily Mail understands that despite the huge cost of maintaining the Montecito property and its grounds, Harry and Meghan have no plans to sell up.

The 14,563-square-foot home, known as ‘The Chateau’, sits on 5.4 acres of land and boasts a swimming pool, a tennis court and immaculate gardens.

They also own a £6.3million villa on Portugal’s idyllic Melides coast, and are set to keep this too.

Meanwhile only 21 per cent of Britons are in favour of Prince Harry and Meghan returning to the UK.

That was the damning result of a YouGov poll of 5,810 adults yesterday, with 45 per cent unsure whether they wanted the couple back.

Another poll taken last month showed both Harry and his wife are viewed unfavourably by the public.

Only 22 per cent of Britons view Meghan positively, while 65 per cent hold an unfavourable view. Prince Harry performed slightly better – with 33 per cent seeing him positively and 58 per cent negatively.

Opinion towards the duke has improved over the last year, with his positive rating up six points and his negative rating down five points since May 2025.

The only royal less popular than Meghan is Andrew MountbattenWindsor, at just 2 per cent positive and 92 per cent negative.

The Prince of Wales is the most popular royal on 76 per cent, followed by his wife Catherine on 74 per cent. King Charles is on 62 per cent.

A year after successfully transmitting ocean data from a shark for the first time, scientists are pushing ahead with an unusual experiment that could eventually help predict the strength of hurricanes.

Researchers from the University of Delaware, US, first revealed the project last summer after fitting sharks with sensors that measure conductivity, temperature and depth as they swim through the Atlantic.

The researchers are continuing to test whether sharks could become roving, near-real-time ocean observers, gathering information from parts of the Atlantic that are difficult and expensive to monitor.

Of particular interest is the heat content of the ocean’s upper layer, which can influence how powerful a hurricane becomes before it reaches land.

Until now, researchers have relied partly on robotic ‘gliders’ – mini submarines that gather similar measurements – but the machines are expensive, relatively slow-moving and cover limited areas.

Sharks, by comparison, can travel vast distances. Researchers have identified shortfin makos, blue sharks, smooth hammerheads and juvenile great whites as promising candidates because they regularly surface, allowing sensors on their fins to transmit data to satellites.

The researchers stress that the idea is still being tested, but hope shark-gathered data could eventually supplement existing observing systems and help forecasters better predict hurricane intensity.

“They are amazing animals perfectly adapted to the ocean, and we can learn a huge amount from them,” principal investigator, prof Aaron Carlisle, told Reuters. “If we can show that sharks can help people, it’s a win-win situation.”

Image: University of Delaware

The top jumps trainer is aiming to cater for up to 2,000 people who will get a behind the scenes glimpse of the operation of a major racing stable

Top jumps trainer Olly Murphy is throwing open his doors to up to 2,000 members of the public next week determined to show horse racing in the best possible light.

Murphy will be joined by champion jump jockey Sean Bowen at his 145-box yard at Wilmcote, near Stratford-Upon-Avon, at the event on Tuesday, one of the biggest stable visits to be staged during National Racehorse Week.

Over ten days from August 22 to 31, 96 different racing venues across England, Scotland and Wales will be open to the public, alongside over 50 community events and three city activations held at some of England’s biggest cities and landmarks.

And the sport is coming to the heart of London for the first time when the public can meet a racehorse, at one of four city pop-up racing yards. Two will be held in Liverpool and another in Portsmouth.

Spaces are available for more than 15,500 people to attend public events this year, an increase on last year’s figure of 14,800 free spaces available to book. During the event there will be 111 public open days across 96 venues including: 76 training yards, 11 studs and nine aftercare centres

Murphy has been a staunch supporter of National Racehorse Week, believing he has a duty to show the sport’s commitment to horse welfare.

“We are opening our gates to an unlimited number,” he said. “We are at a very important stage in horse racing and this gives the wider public an opportunity to see what we do.

“I am very keen to have the public come in and see how these horses are looked after, spend the morning with us and meet myself and the staff and see how we operate.”

As well as Bowen signing brochures, Murphy will put on various demonstrations of the operation of a racing yard.

“This is not about me trying to get new business or new owners, it’s just to welcome everyone into Warren Chase who might not have seen a racing yard before or even those who have.” he said.

“It’s important we can show off our sport and what goes on behind closed doors. Anyone who hasn’t got the greatest perspective of how a racehorse is looked after and is very inquisitive please come along and see the love, care and attention we give these horses.”

National Racehorse Week runs from the 22nd to 31st August 2026. Bookings open on 15th July.

Events are free to attend, advance booking is required. At some events spaces are limited. To browse participating venues and secure your place, visit www.nationalracehorseweek.uk