Sir Keir Starmer is facing a backlash after he called for a ban on some pro-Palestine protests as part of a crackdown on antisemitism.

The prime minister suggested there were “instances” where it was appropriate to prevent such marches happening on UK streets –as they have done in France – as he said he would fight “with every breath I have” for a diverse and tolerant Britain following a series of attacks on Jewish communities in recent weeks, including the Golders Green terror attack.

But even his government’s own independent adviser on antisemitism said it would be “unconscionable” to outlaw peaceful pro-Palestine protests opposing Israel’s actions in the Middle East.

Lord Mann led a chorus of voices who rallied against the idea, including Green Party leader Zack Polanski who accused the Labour leader of threatening “further authoritarian restrictions on peaceful protest”.

Sir Keir’s independent adviser on terrorism, Jonathan Hall, called for a pause on pro-Palestinian marches this week, as did the chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who said they had contributed to a “tone of Jew hatred”.

Lord Mann told The Independent: “There are multiple small anti-Israel (or similar) protests every week. Usually involving a tiny number of people.

“If they are not calling for violence… then it is unconscionable in a democracy that any such concept could be acted upon. The safety and security of the Jewish community requires effective strong leadership – not gestures.”

Mr Polanski accused the prime minister of “using the pain and fear of Jewish people to threaten further authoritarian restrictions on peaceful protest”.

“This would be the worst response to the attacks in Golders Green and would just produce more division, when it’s the job of responsible leaders to bring people together,” he added.

Meanwhile, Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti, the former director of Liberty, the civil liberties and human rights group, warned: “It’s perfectly reasonable for political leaders to urge sensitivity and restraint around protests in the wake of terrorist violence and the fear it breeds. But it is quite another thing to equate protest with violence or to clamp down on peaceful dissent even further.

“I urge the government to lead by example and demonstrate the balanced judgement they recommend to others.”

Organisers of pro-Palestine marches also hit back at the PM.

Protest group Defend Our Juries responded to Sir Keir’s comments on X (Twitter), saying: “End the genocide, not our freedoms to oppose it.”

John Rees, the co-founder and national officer for the Stop The War coalition, warned against striking “at the root of free assembly and free speech” in the UK.

Police in England and Wales can restrict protests and even ban them outright under some circumstances.

The row came as the head of the Metropolitan Police warned British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat in the wake of the terror attack in northwest London.

Sir Mark Rowley said Jews were facing a “ghastly Venn diagram” of hate from all sides. Asked if the threat to the Jewish community was greater than it had ever been before, he said that polling suggesting the prevalence of antisemitic views showed “that has to be true” in an interview with The Times.

Britain’s terror threat has been raised to “severe”, meaning authorities believe an attack in the UK is “highly likely” in the next six months, after the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London.

Sir Keir’s call came in an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, just days after he was heckled during a visit to Golders Green, where he was met by a group of protesters holding signs and chanting: “Keir Starmer, Jew Harmer.”

Asked if he wanted a crackdown on the chants or to stop some protests altogether, Sir Keir told the BBC: “I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter.”

He indicated that he wanted “tougher action” over some elements of the marches. “I don’t want to get involved in operational policing, but I think when you see, when you hear some of those chants, ‘globalise the Intifada’ is the one that I would pick out, then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that,” he said.

He went on: “In relation to the repeated nature of the marches, many people in the Jewish community have said to me ‘it’s the repeat nature, it’s the cumulative effect’. Now I accept that, which is why we intend to deal with cumulative effects.”

He urged “some people protesting to just reflect on what the Jewish community is going through and the overall impact that this is having”. The PM also called for a “whole of society response” saying that “too many people are not seeing antisemitism or they don’t want to see it”.

He said: “We all have to fight for this together because it is about the sort of country that we want to live in. I want to live in the Britain that I love, which is a decent, tolerant, live and let live, diverse Britain. But that is contested now in a way that it hasn’t been contested in my lifetime.

“We have to fight for the Britain that we believe in with those values. That is who we are. That is what it is to be British. And I will fight for that with every breath I have.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the interview showed the prime minister did not “seem to know what to do about” antisemitism in the wake of the terror attack.

“There are things that we can do,” she added. “We can ban hate preachers from this country, stop them from coming in. We can remove visas from those people who are not British, who are here spreading hate and antisemitism. But we need to do more. Enough with the platitudes, we need action. We need to shame people who think antisemitism is acceptable.”

Lord Walney, the government’s former adviser on political violence, said: “The prime minister sounds committed and sincere but he’s not offering anything different – he needs to stop refusing the law changes that would genuinely reduce the harm being caused by these hate-infested marches.”

But Your Party Chair Jenn Forbes said her party condemned “all attempts to link the safety of Jewish communities with restrictions on protests for Palestine”.

The Golders Green stabbings are the latest in a series of attacks on Jewish sites since the outbreak of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Iran and have prompted accusations that the UK government has not done enough to tackle antisemitism.

The Heaton Park synagogue in Greater Manchester was targeted in a terror attack in October last year. In March, four Jewish community ambulances were set alight in Golders Green. There has also been an attempted arson at Finchley Reform synagogue in north London, among others.

On Friday, Sir Mark called for 300 extra officers to tackle the growing pandemic of antisemitism in the UK.

He also said he was considering whether police powers should be used to limit two upcoming protests in London later in May – one a pro-Palestine march and the other a rally led by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Green MP Hannah Spencer has reportedly been branded a ‘b****’ by a fellow MP after criticising Parliament’s drinking culture.

The MP for Gorton and Denton prompted a backlash earlier this week after she revealed she felt ‘really uneasy’ about the prevalence of alcohol in Westminster.

The plumber-turned-politician, who won a hotly contest by election in February, claimed she can ‘smell the alcohol when people are in between votes’.

She went on to claim there had been ‘questionable and dangerous behaviour’ by staff and potentially some MPs because of Westminster’s ‘unprofessional’ drinking culture.

Among her critics were Labour’s Luke Charters, who dismissed the remarks as a distraction from what he described as the Greens’ ‘wacky policies’.

He may have been hinting at the party’s controversial pledge to legalise and regulate all drugs, including heroin and cocaine, should it win power.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was equally scathing and joked that while the Greens supported legalising all drugs, ‘an afternoon pint’ was too far.

However, some MPs have come to her aid.

Former shadow cabinet minister Emily Thornberry said she was ‘surprised at the drinking culture’ when she first arrived at Parliament although she added that it is ‘much better than it used to be’.

The issue was later discussed on the BBC’s satirical panel show Have I Got News for You, where Ava Santina, the journalist who reported the story, discussed the backlash.

JOE.co.uk’s political editor said one MP had referred to Spencer as a ‘b****’, while others had accused her of being a ‘snitch’ for reporting it.

She said: ‘I went down to that room where they drink on Monday. There was a lot of: “Why are you snitching?” I didn’t say it, I just filmed it.’

She added that one MP told her: ‘She’s such a b****, this is the only time I get away from my children.’

Reflecting on the exchanges, Santina suggested that some MPs attempted to downplay the issue, saying: ‘All of the sort of robust defences that MPs made — we just have a beer here or there, we normally have coke (the soft drink).’

This prompted laughs from other panel members for the unintended insinuation that some MPs take the Class A drug.

Panellist Ian Hislop responded: ‘Now the story is getting interesting’, while comedian Paul Merton joked: ‘Is that why they say the “nos(e)” have it?’

Since the story was published, Spencer has continued to defend her comments, arguing that Westminster’s drinking culture would be unacceptable in most workplaces.

Speaking to The Guardian after the backlash, she said: ‘I don’t think it’s much to ask for an MP to be sober when they vote on decisions that affect everyone else. 

‘I’d have been sacked at work if I did this, same goes for almost every profession, but especially working-class jobs. 

‘MPs defending this and lecturing me are the exact reason I’ve been saying this place is full of people who are out of touch.’

Spencer is not the first MP to voice concerns about Parliament’s drinking culture.

In 2021, former Tory minister Tracey Crouch criticised Parliament’s drinking culture, saying she had witnessed MPs ‘reeking’ of alcohol between votes.

Parliament’s subsidised Strangers’ Bar – where MPs can drink between votes – closed temporarily last January after a report that a woman had her drink spiked.

This led to security measures being tightened. New rules mean that visitors and parliamentary staff can visit only with an MP present.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Green party leader Zack Polanski apologises over Golders Green posts ‘undermining hero officers’

MORE: Why is it so easy for MPs to get hammered in the Houses of Parliament?

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She might be a finalist for next month’s Miss Great Britain Belfast 2026 competition but her story isn’t about pageantry

Lucy Watson is a determined young woman on an important mission.

She might be a finalist for next month’s Miss Great Britain Belfast 2026 competition but her story isn’t about pageantry – it’s about power, pain, and how she is using her platform to confront a crisis happening in our own communities.

The Media and Broadcasting student at Queen’s University Belfast is using her voice to help tackle the violence faced by many young women here.

READ MORE: Call for tougher firearm checks to tackle violence against women in NIREAD MORE: Pictured: The 30 women killed in Northern Ireland since 2020

As a young woman growing up in Northern Ireland, the 20-year-old has experienced firsthand the realities many statistics attempt to capture.

Violence against women and girls has been brought to the fore in Northern Ireland as the number of women killed here since 2020 has now reached 30. That number includes a pregnant mum-of-two in Lucy’s own hometown of Donaghadee.

Sarah Montgomery, 27, was found dead inside a house in the Elmfield Walk area of the Co Down town on Saturday, June 28 2025.

For Lucy, an aspiring journalist, the issue of violence against women and girls had been a “passion” of hers for some time having faced grief, depression, bullying, and a toxic relationship as a teenager.

She told Belfast Live: “That relationship, in particular, showed me how easily control, fear, and emotional harm can take hold — and how difficult it can be to recognise and leave. Finding the strength to walk away was not easy, but it changed my life. It is why I now speak not just with passion, but with lived experience.

“Across Northern Ireland, the scale of violence against women is deeply concerning. Studies suggest that up to 98% of women will experience some form of violence or abuse in their lifetime — whether physical, emotional, or sexual.

“In addition, domestic abuse incidents remain consistently high, with police responding to thousands of calls each year. These are not just numbers; they reflect the lived reality of women in our communities — our friends, classmates, colleagues, and neighbours.

“For a long time, I felt silenced by my experiences. Then I made a decision: I would turn my voice into something stronger than what tried to break me.”

She added: “30 women have been killed since 2020 and I’ve seen this even in my hometown, Donaghadee with the murder of Sarah Montgomery, so it’s something that’s affected me and my community personally.

“We need to erase the sort of taboo of talking about it. We need to let girls and women know that what happened to them isn’t normal. They are normal people and they are extraordinary people to be able to wake up and carry on their life even after what’s happened to them.”

As part of her degree, Lucy worked on an assignment on drink spiking which included an interview with Justice Minister Naomi Long, another experience which fuelled her desire to tackle relationship violence.

She has also created an Instagram page @but_shesaid in a bid to encourage others to speak out.

“Today, I use my platform to speak out about violence against women and girls across Northern Ireland. I have interviewed political leaders, including Naomi Long, produced academic research on issues such as spiking and gender-based violence, and built an online advocacy space focused on women’s safety and empowerment,” Lucy explained.

“I don’t describe myself as a victim of my circumstance, I would describe myself as a victor of my circumstance.

“I’m in the very fortunate position that I’ve been able to come out the other side of what happened to me, a very strong and independent woman, but this isn’t the reality for a lot of other women.

“They’re killed or they have mental health effects. I’m so lucky and I know I am but I want other women and girls to be able to look at me and see that there is hope I can shoot for the stars, I can achieve my dreams.

“In my initial sort of circle, I would be quite open about what happened to me if I’m asked, but I think people are usually quite shocked that I’d been through something like that because I come off as bubbly, confident and loud.

“I’m very much not someone to stand for injustice – if I see something going on that’s not right, I’m the first person to be over there and say ‘stop that, snap out of it’.”

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As a finalist for Miss GB Belfast, victory in the contest at The Merchant Hotel on June 7 will be about much more than the title to Lucy: “If crowned Miss Great Britain Belfast, I won’t just be wearing a sash — I’ll be using it to amplify a conversation that urgently needs to be louder.

“My goal is to ensure that women feel seen, heard, and supported — and that conversations around abuse, particularly toxic relationships, are no longer hidden in silence.

“I’m also pushing for a Women’s Safety Minister in Stormont and I’d go and bang on those doors to say why it is so important.”

Video: Justin Kernoghan

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York singer songwriter Alistair Griffin’s Ignite Concerts is staging a concert on Yorkshire Day, Saturday, August 1 in York Minster which will see top vocalists perform classic ABBA hits including Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Fernando, Mamma Mia, Waterloo, and The Winner Takes It All.

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The performance will be hosted by Alistair and feature live string accompaniment from Ebor.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing the music of ABBA to York Minster,” said Alistair.

“These songs are loved across generations and deserve a setting as special as this.

“With outstanding vocalists, beautiful live strings, and the incredible atmosphere of the Minster, it promises to be a really memorable evening.”

Alistair Griffin’s Ignite Concerts is set to stage a night of ABBA music in York Minster on Yorkshire Day (Image: Supplied)

He described York Minster as “such a special venue” for concerts, noting the positive feedback from audiences.

He said: “York Minster has become such a special venue for our concerts, and audiences always tell us how magical it feels to hear live music in that setting.

“We can’t wait to welcome people for what should be a fantastic night.”

Alistair on stage at a previous performance (Image: Marek Strods)

The event follows a series of successful concerts by Ignite Concerts at York Minster and other venues across the region.

Back in 2022 Alistair, who shot to fame on the BBC talent show Fame Academy in 2002, scored a number 5 hit with a track co-penned with his former mentor, BeeGee Robin Gibb.

Tickets are available now through Ignite Concerts’ website at igniteconcertsyork.com/events/the-music-of-abba-at-york-minster.

The comedian had to be ushered off stage just 45 minutes into his show at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on the evening of Friday May 1 after a “potentially suspicious bag” was found.

A full evacuation took place and West Midlands Police has confirmed that a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax.

The Utilita Arena has now confirmed that tonight’s Peter Kay show at the same venue will go ahead as planned.

The venue had to be evacuated (Image: Social Media)

A statement said: “Following the precautionary evacuation of Utilita Arena Birmingham during Peter Kay’s performance last night, Friday May 1, we can confirm that tonight’s Peter Kay event, Saturday May 2, will go ahead as planned.

“Following an extensive search by West Midlands Police, no items of a suspicious nature were found, and the building was determined to be safe.

Officers outside the venue (Image: Steve Aspinall/PA Wire)

“West Midlands Police are satisfied with the security measures in place.

“We would like to thank the attendees of yesterday’s Peter Kay event for their cooperation, which secured a swift and safe evacuation.

“Ticket holders for yesterday’s Peter Kay performance will be contacted with the next steps from their original point of purchase.”

The venue was packed last night (Image: Steve Aspinall/PA Wire)

Witnesses said two members of staff came onto the stage about 45 minutes into the performance, whispered into the Bolton born comedian’s ear, and then escorted him off.

In an update on Saturday morning, a West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “Following searches of the Utilita Arena last night, no items of a suspicious nature were found.

Police were called (Image: Steve Aspinall/PA Wire)

“A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax offence and remains in custody this morning as our inquiries continue.

“We’re grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding. As always our priority is the safety of the public.”

Steve Aspinall, who was at the gig with his wife, told the Press Association: “Two guys came on, one with a mic and headphones, one guy whispered to Peter Kay and then he and Peter Kay shot off down the side.”

He said the audience was told to look for security guards and listen out for any announcements.

“To be honest, I thought it was part of the show at first,” Mr Aspinall, who lives in Bideford, Devon, said.

“It was a strange atmosphere, eerie, just confused really (about) what was happening.

“But it was alright and everyone was calm and left quite quickly with no panic.”

Lando Norris eased to victory in the Miami Grand Prix sprint to claim his first win of the season.

The world champion started from pole and was never under threat as he took the chequered flag almost four seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who started second, again paid the price for a poor start to cross the line in fourth, before he was hit by a five-second penalty for track limits to finish sixth. The Italian’s early lead in the standings was therefore cut to seven points by finishing two places behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Norris is now 42 points adrift of leader Antonelli. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a ding-dong battle, with the Dutchman coming out on top as they finished sixth and seventh, Verstappen promoted one place by Antonelli’s penalty.

Here are the standings after the sprint.

Driver standings after Miami GP sprint

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 75 points

2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 68 points

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 55 points

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 43 points

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 33 points

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) -28 points

7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 17 points

8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 16 points

9. Max Verstappen Red Bull) – 16 points

10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 10 points

11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 2 points

14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – 2 points

15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 1 point

16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 1 point

17. Alex Albon (Williams) – 0 points

18. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) – 0 points

19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – 0 points

20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – 0 points

21. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 0 points

22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 0 points

Constructor standings after Miami GP sprint

1. Mercedes – 143 points

2. Ferrari – 98 points

3. McLaren – 61 points

4. Red Bull – 20 points

5. Haas – 18 points

6. Alpine – 17 points

7. Racing Bulls – 14 points

8. Audi – 2 points

9. Williams – 2 points

10. Cadillac – 0 points

11. Aston Martin – 0 points

What is the 2026 race calendar?

ROUND 4 – MIAMI (sprint weekend)

Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium – 1-3 May

ROUND 5 – CANADA (sprint weekend)

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal – 22-24 May

ROUND 6 – MONACO

Circuit de Monaco – 5-7 June

ROUND 7- SPAIN (Barcelona)

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – 12-14 June

ROUND 8 – AUSTRIA

Red Bull Ring, Spielberg – 26-28 June

ROUND 9 – GREAT BRITAIN (sprint weekend)

Silverstone Circuit – 3-5 July

ROUND 10 – BELGIUM

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – 17-19 July

ROUND 11 – HUNGARY

Hungaroring, Budapest – 24-26 July

ROUND 12 – NETHERLANDS (sprint weekend)

Circuit Zandvoort – 21-23 August

ROUND 13 – ITALY

Monza Circuit – 4-6 September

ROUND 14 – SPAIN (Madrid)

Circuito de Madring – 11-13 September

ROUND 15 – AZERBAIJAN

Baku City Circuit – 25-27 September

ROUND 16 – SINGAPORE (sprint weekend)

Marina Bay Street Circuit – 9-11 October

ROUND 17 – UNITED STATES

Circuit of the Americas, Austin – 23-25 October

ROUND 18 – MEXICO

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City – 30 October-1 November

ROUND 19 – BRAZIL

Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo – 6-8 November

ROUND 20 – LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Street Circuit – 19-21 November

ROUND 21 – QATAR

Lusail International Circuit – 27-29 November

ROUND 22 – ABU DHABI

Yas Marina Circuit – 4-6 December

Not only was the pub popular during World War Two, it has also earned a strong reputation in recent times

A long-lived tradition for many people has been to enjoy a drink at the end of a long day at work. The Plough in the pretty village of Duxford frequently hosted airmen from the nearby Duxford airfield during their breaks between flying Spitfires and Hurricanes in World War Two.

Duxford Airfield was built during World War One. A key role of its airmen in World War Two included fighting off Luftwaffe attacks on London during the Battle of Britain.

The airfield has since been transformed into Imperial War Museum Duxford, housing extensive collections of aircraft, military vehicles, and hundreds of personal stories of lives impacted by conflict. Visitors at the museum can learn about the aircraft used during wars and watch incredible air shows.

The museum is also only around five minutes away from the pub by car. A visit around the museum followed by a dinner at The Plough sounds like a lovely day to spend steeped in history.

The pub dates back to 1851, so has been frequented by locals and visitors for more than 150 years. Nowadays, the team prides itself on serving homemade pub food and a choice of roast dinners on Sundays. Traditional pub grub including the classic battered cod and chips as well as pie of the day are among the options.

Pub entertainment and games are also on offer such as darts, crib, cards, pool, and dominos so guests can indulge in some light-hearted competition with their loved ones.

It seems that this pub wasn’t only popular in war times, but it has also earned a strong reputation amongst guests more recently. One guest wrote on Google: “Dropped in after a visit to the IWM, they were very welcoming and friendly. Lots of choice of beers. The food choice was very good, from light bites, rotisserie chicken to pie specials. The portions were huge and absolutely delicious.”

Another wrote: “Wow. If this was our local we’d be here twice a week. Alas we only popped by after visiting IWM for a pint and rotisserie chicken. Super large delicious portions even in the sides, good prices, and craft beers on tap. It’s a must after IWM!”

Angry locals are meeting at the local pub this week to voice their concerns

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Residents in a quiet village in rural Wales are angry over plans for a helicopter hangar and two helipads, according to a local councillor.

Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust has submitted a planning application to Denbighshire County Council for the creation of a helicopter hangar, staff facilities, offices, two helipads and parking at the site beside the village of Rhuallt south of Prestatyn.

The trust is also seeking permission for new access from the B5429 to the site west of the quiet village.

The trust has said the proximity of the site, which is near the A55, is vital to improving response times. It said no adverse noise impact is expected and air ambulances in the UK “routinely operate alongside key road infrastructure without issue”.

But local councillor Alastair Edwards, of Tremeirchion, Cwm, and Waen Community Council, predicts a significant pushback from residents.

Annoyed residents will gather at the White House pub and restaurant in the village on Wednesday evening, May 6, to voice their concerns about the proposed development. Cllr Edwards said those worries relate primarily to noise and safety for road users on the neighbouring A55.

He said residents fear the location raises serious concerns – particularly its proximity to homes, businesses, and the A55. “It’s right next to ten homes – within 160 metres of the properties – and the noise is going to be horrendous,” he said.

“There will be two helicopters stationed there, a fleet of emergency vehicles coming and going, housing for pilots, restrooms, and a car park. It is a massive development for that site.”

Concerns are also being raised about the potential knock-on effect for drivers on the nearby expressway. “They want it there because they say it needs to be close to the A55, but my other major concern is the rubber-necking effect,” Cllr Edwards said.

“Helicopters have to take off into the wind; if they are taking off right as drivers are coming down the A55 – which is already a blackspot – it’s going to have a massive impact on road safety.

“It is a terrible idea. We are not against the amazing work the air ambulance does. It is just the site selection.”

Cllr Edwards said the impact on nearby residents and businesses could be severe. “The noise impact will be devastating for local residents, especially for those ten houses and the businesses within a few metres of the field,” he said.

“For example, the White House holds weddings; a project like this will have a massive impact on local businesses like theirs.”

He also pointed to what he described as a nearby alternative site. “The reason I am opposing this location is that there is already a valid alternative site in Rhuddlan on Rhuddlan Road, where the police helipad is currently disused and being used only for storage and as a dog facility,” he added.

“People are angry. Residents are upset that this development will ruin their quality of life. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty full of agricultural land and they are planning to build right on top of it.”

A spokesman for the Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust responded: “Following seven weeks of community engagement, including a 28-day pre-application consultation, we have submitted a comprehensive, fully evidenced planning application to Denbighshire County Council.

“The application is supported by an independent specialist acoustic assessment which concludes that significant noise effects are unlikely and that no adverse noise impact is expected.

“As a service that operates by road and by air, a more central location next to the A55 is vital to improving our response capability – and will help us save more lives.

“We are consulting with the highways authority in relation to this. Air ambulance operations across the UK routinely operate alongside key road infrastructure without issue.”

This pretty 16th-century pub offers a variety of traditional classics

It is one of those rare weekends many of us particularly look forward to, a little extra time to rest, recharge, and enjoy some quality time with the people we love. This bank holiday weekend is looking like we could have the weather on our side with temperatures reaching 21C in parts of Cambridgeshire at times.

What better way to spend a day basking in the warmth than at a pub with a crisp drink in hand and a plate of food? The Black Bull in Brampton sits in a pretty village just two miles from Huntingdon and boasts one of the biggest beer gardens in Cambridgeshire.

One of the perks of this 16th-century pub is having all the traditional classics to choose from such as The Bull’s mac ‘n’ cheese, Black Bull’s homemade cottage pie, and a variety of different burger options. Breakfast is served from 9am at the weekends and there is also a roast dinner on a Sunday.

The glowing reviews on Tripadvisor speak for itself. The pub is described as having a “huge beer garden” with “fantastically friendly staff”.

One guest captioned their review as “out of this world food” and continued to say that they “were truly blown away”. The review added: “The food was delicious – such great quality and great value for money! I had the burger and can truly say it was probably the best I’ve ever eaten!”

Another wrote: “This is our local. We go here quite a bit and it never disappoints. Food is always lovely (chilli beef is one of my favourite things in the world). Always good in the summer with the bouncy castle, BBQ and outside bar.”