Who needs police horses? Scotland Yard has bolstered its fleet of high-powered e-bikes to rev up its battle against phone snatchers plaguing the West End.

The Sur-Ron bikes, which can weave through London’s chock-a-block traffic at 50mph, have been credited for reducing phone thefts by 13,000 last year.

Moped muggers and thugs on e-bikes could usually evade capture by embarking on dangerous pursuits through winding alleyways or smart shortcuts through estates. But the Met are hoping by increasing the unit to 25 riders they will have nowhere to hide.

The lightweight machines are ridden by a highly trained unit of riders who will circle central London looking for criminals preying on tourists and commuters.

A police statement said: ‘The lightweight bikes enable officers to cut through traffic, navigate narrow streets, and even tackle staircases, allowing them to reach and catch criminals in places inaccessible to conventional police motorcycles and cars.

‘They are a game changer in the fight against phone theft, enabling officers to pursue offenders quickly and intervene moments after a snatch offence.’

So far this year, officers have seized more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, often modified with high-powered batteries or uninsured.

Profits seized from criminals has been reinvested into policing with the Home Office helping to pay for the new bikes.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Louise Puddefoot said: ‘Expanding our Sur-Ron fleet gives officers another powerful tool to stay one step ahead of criminals. These bikes allow officers to move quickly through busy streets, access areas traditional vehicles cannot reach, respond faster to crime and arrest more suspects.’

Just in the last month two suspects have been chased down by Sur-Ron bikes.

In one incident a suspect sped off and shot into a council estate where they were intercepted by an officer on an e bike and found to be in possession of class A drugs.

The assistant commissioner added: ‘Criminals are using high-powered, often illegally modified e-bikes to commit offences such as phone theft and robbery. By expanding this capability, we are ensuring our officers have the tools they need to disrupt criminality and keep Londoners safe.

‘Londoners are already seeing the results of our relentless focus on tackling street crime, with neighbourhood crime down 14 per cent over the past year and 13,000 fewer phone thefts.’

Many illegal e-bikes confiscated by police have been modified to travel much faster, with some exceeding 70mph.

Non-compliant machines are effectively electric mopeds or motorbikes, which must be registered, taxed and insured.

While major retailers sell thousands of legal e-bikes every year, many illegal machines are bought on the internet.

Kits which add an electronic motor to a conventional bike are available online for under £300.

As well as being used for crime, illegal e-bikes are also often used for legitimate journeys such as food deliveries and commuting.

MORE: Chucky-masked suspect arrested in Vegas after two-week Philadelphia manhunt

MORE: Who is Lindsay Clancy’s ‘fierce’ lawyer Kevin Reddington as murder trial grips Internet?

MORE: ‘Snapping’ is the dangerous teen craze every parent should know about

The Thursday letters page tries to predict the contents of tonight’s GTA 6 Netflix special, as one is disappointed by the new Mega Man game.

Today’s the day
So, I’m going to guess I know what the majority of people reading this are going to be watching tonight, eh? As I write this there’s still no clue as to how long the GTA 6 Netflix show is going to be or really anything at all about it, and I really couldn’t guess. Well, I guess that’s a lie because I’m about to.

My guess is it’ll probably only be about 10 minutes of gameplay in total, not too different from what you’d usually get as an ordinary trailer. And then they’re going to put a lot of padding around that, with dev interviews and celeb interviews and people talking about how great GTA and Rockstar are.

And you know, I can’t blame them. If I’d made a game this popular I’d want to show off about it too. I can’t really see it being a disappointment either. The games have got by on mediocre gameplay since they started and if the story’s bad it wouldn’t be the first. I’m very happy with my pre-order.
Cranston

Bad footage
These GTA 6 leaks are so freaky. Why are they so bad? Why is the guy (and let’s face it, we all know it’s a guy) choosing these particular clips to show, when there’s usually nothing going on? He cuts in a few seconds of cut scenes for no reason and the person playing it – maybe him but who knows – plays like they’ve never touched a video game controller in their life.

The one I watched today was just aimlessly driving around at night, really badly, five seconds of an apparently random cut scene, and then the police flagging him down, and then it cuts out. Just what is the point?

I would say that maybe he’s just got random clips from somewhere and this is all there is but then he seemed to actually be playing the game, because he spelt out ‘Cyberleek’ in it. It’s just so weird and pointless for some dude to ruin their life over.
Maser

Final reveals
Not a bad Opening Night Live for Gamescom but I have to agree with Wednesday’s Inbox, that I wish I’d just skipped to the end. The Witcher 3 Remastered look great and I appreciate the generosity of it all. I don’t think people are down enough on CD Projekt to skip The Witcher 4 but they definitely won’t now.

It was kind of a nothing reveal for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation though. After all the hype that the director was going to be there, he didn’t really say anything and I don’t think the trailer had any real surprises. I’m not saying it’ll be bad, but what they showed didn’t move the needle for me.
Kimps

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Dark material
Metro 2039 looks very impressive and I have total respect for the people making it in Ukraine, but I worry it’s going to be just too bleak for me. When the real world is so awful, and getting worse by the day, I want some escapism and positivity from my entertainment.

I’m not surprised the developers didn’t turn around and make a 3D platformer, given the position they’re in, but I don’t need to have it hammered home to me how awful humanity is and that there’s nothing you can really do about it.

I’m surprised movies haven’t realised that as well, and try to focus on uplifting stories, but that’s not really something games do. Maybe I should just play more Astro Bot to cheer myself. You know, the kind of game Sony only makes once every four years or so.
Kosh

Bethesda gonna Bethesda
I see that Crimson Desert is receiving a huge new update that revamps the story. Merits of the game notwithstanding (it’s always looked like a cool sandbox world with a rubbish story to me), the developers have done an amazing job in frequently updating that game to address player feedback.

Obviously, I’d prefer if games launched in great shape initially, but when you have things like Oblivion Remastered, that is pretty inherently broken (huge traversal stutters, memory leak causing frame rates to drop with longer gaming sessions) and has been for a long time, it’s good to see a developer be responsive and at least try to fix things quickly.
Magnumstache

Xbox Wars
Great review of Star Wars Zero Company, I was already pretty set on getting it but seeing the positive reception it’s a definite. As others have said, I hope it’s a hit and can help inspire more turn-based strategies. I assume Rainbow Six Tactics is just a coincidence but hopefully it’s a positive sign.

Galactic Racer is looking like it’ll be a good time, which will mean we’ll have two top notch Star Wars games in one year, who would’ve guessed? I’d ask what’s next, but who can really answer that, knowing the state of Star Wars at the moment and EA probably not wanting to do any more licensed games (I bet that Iron Man game never happens).

It’s ironic but Star Wars is in a similar situation to Xbox at the moment. Xbox has its 25th anniversary coming up this year and it’s in the worst state it’s been in, in all that time. Star Wars turns 50 next year and it’s at an all-time low too. So… happy birthday corporate products!

I’ll be honest, I couldn’t care less about Xbox, they did that to themselves, but Star Wars has so many things that are still good coming out, but it’s mixed in with so much rubbish. I’d say that the video games were easily the most consistent thing about the franchise now.

What I’d like to see is them concentrate on keeping the quality up, with the new Old Republic game looking like a really good bet and Star Wars Jedi 3 hopefully inevitable. Quality and variety is the important thing, so I’d love to see a grand strategy game maybe, like Hearts Of Iron. If Paradox can make a Lego game I don’t see why they wouldn’t go for Star Wars too.

Then something more arcadey, maybe Battlefront 3 but I’d prefer to see something more like Gears Of War but set in the Star Wars universe. There’s so much that could be done, but at the moment it feels like the popularity of the movies and show is what’s holding things back.
Jono

Arrested development
I don’t know why I thought the new Mega Man might not be super hard but I’m disappointed to find out it is. What is it with Capcom and some of its older franchises? They’re the same with Ghosts ‘N Goblins; just because they were stupidly hard back in the day doesn’t mean they have to be now. Assuming you actually want new people to play them.

Games like Super Mario Bros. and Castlevania are just as old but they haven’t kept the same old school difficultly, why would they? I feel by making them this way Capcom are preventing them from ever evolving into something new.
Goku

Don’t miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Advertisement

Inevitable leek
I’m not sure I really understand why GTA 6 developers would be ‘heartbroken’ about the leaks. Apart from the fact that they’re going to be forgotten about, by ordinary people, the second the game comes out it’s not like it makes the game look bad or anything. In fact, I’d say it’s a good way to get people used to what to expect from the graphics, before they go in assuming total photorealism.

I also feel that Rockstar Games kind of brought this on themselves. If you’re going to go 13 years without a new game, and less than three months before it’s out you still haven’t shown any raw gameplay, of course people are going to go stir crazy.

I’m not saying the leaker is right in any way but I think something like this was inevitable when you’re this secretive for no reason. Sure, you don’t want to give away plot points or anything but so far everything that’s been shown of GTA 6 is exactly what you’d expect, no more, no less. So what was the point of the secrecy?

The reader the other day was right to compare Rockstar to Nintendo, as I feel they both act very similarly. Like they said, why choose Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, of all things, to be extra secretive about it? If it turns out to be a 1:1 remake it’s going to seem even more pointless, and to be honest vaguely insulting to fans.
Banoffee King

Inbox also-rans
So I guess Half-Life 3 isn’t happening after all? I know it’s a long-running joke, but when Valve was talking about the Steam Machine it really seemed like it would happen. To be honest I’m not even sure if Steam Machine even came out in the end.
Gilk

GC: It did, but it’s very expensive.

This ‘It happens on PS5’ tagline is terrible. Now I think about it, all PlayStation taglines are pretty bad. Here’s my suggestion for the next one: ‘We hate our customers but at least our games are good.’ Honest, no?
Pr0metheus

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: What was the best game at Opening Night Live 2026?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will the new The Witcher 3 DLC be worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is the PS5 boycott still happening?

It is thanks to Dolly Parton that children in Yorkshire get a free book every month for the first five years of their life.

Dolly’s Imagination Library project started with a few dozen books posted to children in East Tennessee – and went on to gift more than 300 million books worldwide.

READ MORE: ‘Rest in Peace Dolly. There will never be another’

The first Imagination Library in the UK was launched in Rotherham in 2007. A Bradford branch was founded in 2012, on Canterbury estate, later extending to Keighley.

The idea is simple: an age-appropriate book is sent through the post, addressed to the child, every month from birth until their fifth birthday. The aim is for them to build up a home library and foster a love of reading.

“We believe literacy is a way out of poverty,” said Jan Winter, who founded the Bradford branch. “Encouraging a love of books and reading in children’s earliest years will pay dividends for their future education, employment and life skills.”

Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995, handing out books to children in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up, one of 12 children, in a two-room log cabin. The child literacy project was a tribute to her father, who couldn’t read or write.

Today, one in seven children under five in America receives a free monthly book from the scheme.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell posted on X that Dolly “sparked a lifelong love of reading in kids around the world”.

It’s one of the reasons the country music superstar is remembered for her philanthropy, as well as for being a legendary singer-songwriter, following her death this week, aged 80.

Think of Dolly and it’s her songs – 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You, Jolene – that spring to mind. And that signature look; the carefully cultivated brassy blonde.

Behind it all was a shrewd business brain and a great humanitarian. Her Dollywood Foundation, set up to inspire children to achieve educational success, led to a significant decrease in the US high school drop-out rate.

She donated hundreds of millions of dollars to literacy projects, healthcare, disaster relief funds and wildlife conservation.

Dolly was a grafter. She grew up, in her own words, “dirt poor” but was powered by optimism. She was Pollyanna, but boy was she smart…with that knowing sense of humour.

Dolly Parton superfan Mark Wilson in 2007

Often ridiculed for her style, she had the last laugh. “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb…and I also know I’m not blonde,” she famously said.

She was a rarity – a showbiz legend nobody had a bad word about. She transcended generations, race, politics and class.

And, in a world where so many celebrities turn every cough and spit into public property, she kept her private life private. As Taylor Swift said in her tribute to Dolly: “She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted.

“Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist.”

“She could give a masterclass on how to handle fame,” Dolly superfan Mark Wilson once told me.

For Mark, who met the singer several times, her appeal was “her star quality, talent and down-to-earth attitude”.

“She’s so grounded when you meet her, she never forgets your name and is always happy to pose for photos – she insists you take two in case one doesn’t come out,” he said.

I interviewed Mark at his home, which was a shrine to Dolly. He was 12 when he discovered her, in a photo in his mum’s magazine. There she was, spilling out of a red glittery dress, a mountain of blonde curls piled on her dainty head, lipstick glossy as a skating rink.

“Who’s that?” Mark asked his mum. “That’s Dolly Parton,” came the reply.

Mark had been obsessed with Dolly ever since, spending £50,000 on memorabilia, concert tickets and trips to Dollywood. He’d been to more than 30 Dolly concerts and met her several times – once queueing for 10 hours.

“I’ll never forget the first time I met her,” Mark recalled. “This tiny shoe with a 5in heel appeared from behind the car door, then a hand with 2in painted talons – then she was right there in front of me!”

I could hear Dolly singing before I reached Mark’s front door. Inside, walls were covered in posters and everywhere I looked there were DVDs, CDs, vinyl, books, magazines, mugs, plates, T-shirts, caps and a collection of Dolly dolls – Dolly in gingham, a little black dress, white lace bellbottoms…

His most prized possession was a “bottle of Dolly water” retrieved from a concert. “She was sipping from a bottle, I was on the front row and as soon as she’d left the stage I grabbed it! It has her lipstick on,” he smiled.

Mark, who ran a website and newsletter dedicated to the star, posted a copy of my article to Dolly, and later told me she’d replied to say she enjoyed reading it. I was thrilled.

Farewell Dolly. The world is a poorer place without you – but all the richer for having had you in it.

What a woman. What a legacy.

The AppleTree Country Inn at Marton, near Pickering, has been lovingly restored and plans to offer dining “at the higher end of gastropub, breaching into fine dining.”

The venue is owned by Matt Stanley, 28, who has worked in a range of hospitality roles, including wine waiting, cheffing and management, with roles in Ripon, Malton and across North Yorkshire.

Matt says he discovered the property by accident whilst out walking the dog one day.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Head chef Connor Anderson and owner Matt Stanley (Image: Pic supplied)

He told the Press: “It was a shame to see it rotting away.”

“It was run down. I was about to close a deal on another property but that deal fell through. I looked through the window. It was like the Mary Celeste.”

“It took six weeks to trace the owner to Guernsey but we got the sale through quickly.”

Some of the elegant food that will be available. (Image: Pic supplied)

Matt picked up the keys on April 16 and started work on restoring the pub on May 13, 13 years to the day since it closed.

He explained: “I want to change how hospitality works. I want to celebrate hospitality, showcase what our team can do.”

To help with the task, he has enlisted Connor Anderson as head chef and Nathan Joseph as bar manager.

Head chef Connor Anderson (Image: Pic supplied)

Connor has worked with Tom Kerridge at The Coach in Marlow.

Matt said: “Our visions aligned”

Nathan has worked in cocktail bars in city venues.

The inn has a semi-open kitchen and aims to offer food at the “higher end of gastropub, breaching into fine dining.”

Owner Matt Stanley (Image: Pic supplied)

Matt said: “We will be guest budget conscious but providing the best service we possibly can.”

The Appletree County Inn will have a sustainability promise, aiming to source everything within 25 miles.

It will feature a wine list of 70 bottles, all available by the glass.

The food will be “at the higher end of gastropub, breaching into fine dining.” (Image: Pic supplied)

There are no rooms yet, but there may be in future.

For now, Matt is busy preparing for an official launch party on Friday, featuring a black tie evening with drinks reception and canapes.

He added: “Saturday will see us close the doors to the public to celebrate with friends, family, press and a good group of people who have worked incredibly hard on the refurbishment!”

“Sunday we will be open as usual from 1200-1600 and are thrilled to report that we are now fully booked for this service!”

The normal operating hours will be Mondays 5-10pm (bar only); Tuesdays closed, Wednesdays to Saturdays 12-3pm and 5-11pm; Sunday 12-4pm. However, the pub is closed this Bank Holiday Monday.

By DAVID OLASEINDE

Published: 00:09 BST, 27 August 2026 | Updated: 01:52 BST, 27 August 2026

At least one person has been killed and 10 people injured after a car crashed into a group of people near a train station in northern France, police say.

One person had been arrested and taken into custody after authorities launched a major emergency response in Caen, in the Normandy region, local officials told the BBC.

The incident took place near a bar, with local media reporting that a fight had broken out there before the incident took place.

Social media videos from the scene appear to show crowds gathering around police cars and ambulances, where a large area is cordoned off.

A spokesperson for the local administration of Calvados confirmed to the BBC that four people were receiving treatment in the emergency ward of a nearby hospital.

Six others were being treated for less serious injuries, the spokesperson said.

Detectives from Caen’s Specialised Crime Division are leading the investigation.

Locals have been told to avoid the area around the Caen train station.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external to get the latest alerts.

Scamp & Dude, which is popular with celebrities such as Alison Hammond, Kate Lawler and Davina McCall, will open at 2-3 James Street this October.

The store will be the brand’s first permanent site in the North and marks its 10th anniversary.

Jo Tutchener Sharp OBE, founder and chief executive of Scamp & Dude, said: “We’ve wanted a store in Harrogate for such a long time, it’s taken us over three years to find the perfect spot, so it’s long overdue, and celebrating our 10th anniversary this year makes the moment even more special.

RECOMMENDED READING:

“Harrogate is a real gem, and it feels only right that this becomes our permanent home in the North.

“So many of our community already live nearby, and we know the town has so much to offer those who’ll travel that little bit further to find us too.

“The store will bring the very best of our product and experience, and we simply cannot wait to welcome our northern community through the doors.”

The new shop will occupy a prominent corner unit directly opposite Harrogate’s mainline railway station.

Spread over more than 2,100 square feet and two floors, it will stock the brand’s full womenswear collection and host community events and experiences.

Scamp & Dude says it has built a reputation for combining fashion with purpose, and through its charitable campaigns has now donated over £4.4 million in cash and product donations.

Its #SuperScarfMission has donated more than 93,000 Super Scarves to women starting chemotherapy, with one scarf given for every one sold.

The brand has also distributed over 10,000 Superhero Sleep Buddies to children who have lost a parent or are seriously ill.

The store aims to serve as a welcoming space for its northern community while reaching new customers in Harrogate and beyond.

A standout feature will be the brand’s signature Bolt Room, a private fitting room that can be booked in advance.

The space allows groups to try on the latest collections together in a relaxed setting with complimentary refreshments.

Harrogate, known for its spa heritage and vibrant retail scene, attracts visitors from across the region and further afield.

With direct train connections to London, Leeds, York, and Edinburgh, the retailer says new store is ideally positioned to draw shoppers from a wide area.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Someone taped signs on Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s statue outside the Cleveland Browns ‘ stadium criticizing the team for having quarterback Deshaun Watson on its roster because of his checkered past.

Coach Todd Monken announced Monday that Watson, who was booed at home in Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo in a preseason game, will enter the season as the starting quarterback. Watson, making his first appearance in 22 months because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, lashed out at the fans afterward and called the booing “personal.”

Watson’s presence in Cleveland has been controversial since he signed a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022.

He was suspended the first 11 games of that season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. More than two dozen women accused Watson of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions.

Watson also was fined $5 million and force to undergo an evaluation before he could be reinstated.

One of the signs posted on Brown’s statue read:

“$280,000,000

27+ VICTIMS

ZERO SUPPORTERS”

Another sign called Watson’s presence on the team “PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE CITY & FRANCHISE.”

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

York Museums Trust has called off its Evening in the Gardens event which was due to be held at Museum Gardens on Friday (August 28).

A trust spokesperson said the forecast rain for Thursday and Friday is “expected to leave the lawn thoroughly drenched”.

“Combined with the prediction of further showers and lower temperatures on Friday evening, and with limited shelter to offer, we feel that this would significantly impact on the experience in York Museum Gardens,” they said.

The spokesperson said ticket holders will be contacted and refunded.

York Museums Trust held its first Evening in the Gardens event on Friday, August 14.

The adults-only event, held from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, featured live music, street food and cocktails for a £7.50 entrance fee.

Meanwhile, the weekend’s forecast of rain will come as tens of thousands of revellers attend Leeds Festival.

Festivalgoers are expected to brave the rain for the event at Bramham Park, south of Wetherby, with performances by Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C, Florence + the Machine and more.