The hospital has to be redeveloped as it was built with RAAC brick

A building has been demolished as part of work on a Cambridgeshire hospital. Hinchingbrooke Hospital, overseen by the North West Anglia NHS Trust, is undergoing a major redevelopment after “structural issues” were highlighted with the current building.

The hospital, built in 1983, was constructed with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). As part of the plans, a replacement hospital building will be built, as well as a new hospital-related ancillary office, research, admin and education facilities.

In the latest progress made at the site, a former nursery building has been demolished to make way for new staff accommodation. Demolition work began in December and is now complete. The new staff accommodation, designed and installed by Zed Pods Ltd, is expected to be completed by spring 2027.

Deborah Lee, senior responsible officer for the Hinchingbrooke redevelopment, said: “This is a major milestone in our redevelopment journey and marks an important step for the New Hospital Programme. We are very excited to be working with local supplier, Zed Pods Ltd to create sustainable and homely environments for our staff to stay in.

“In turn, this will enable the demolition of our existing staff accommodation blocks at the back of our hospital site and create the space we need for our new hospital.”

The former nursery building was located between two car parks at the front the hospital, and it was used for storage. The new staff accommodation will provide a home for medical, nursing and students on placement at the hospital. It will provide 85 bed spaces, as well as wi-fi and a courtyard space.

Tom Northway, Chairman of Zed Pods Ltd, said: “We are proud to work again with the Trust to deliver much needed, sustainable staff accommodation. This scheme demonstrates how modular construction can rapidly provide comfortable, low-carbon homes that support NHS staff wellbeing while helping unlock complex underutilised sites for development.”

Why is Turkey so popular for hair transplants?

Turkey has become a world-class destination for hair transplant procedures, attracting hundreds of thousands of medical visitors each year. The growth is driven by several factors. First, the country has a large number of clinicians specialising in hair restoration, creating a deep pool of experience. Second, clinics are designed for international patients and offer structured systems that reduce the organisational burden of treatment abroad.

Another reason is the availability of Turkish clinics that use modern hair transplant techniques such as FUE and DHI, as well as refinements like the microsapphire blade. These approaches prioritise natural results and strong long-term results, especially when the donor area is carefully evaluated. 

As Dr Acar explains: “ We calculate mathematically how much is needed for real density. If a patient needs 4,000, it’s better to do it in one session than make him come back three times.”

How much does a hair transplant cost in Turkey compared to the UK?

Compared cost of a hair transplant in Turkey vs in the UK (Image: Cosmedica Clinic)

The Turkey hair transplant cost is one of the biggest drivers of medical travel. In the UK, the average hair transplant price can range widely, often between £4,000 and £10,000, depending on the technique and the number of grafts. Many patients find that the transplant cost in Turkey offers a structured alternative with clearly defined packages and no unexpected add-ons.

At Cosmedica, package pricing usually includes hotel accommodation, airport transfers, consultation, procedure-day services, and post-operative checks. The cost of hair transplant differs from many UK clinics, where travel, accommodation, and optional follow-up services may fall outside the quoted fee. Let’s take a look at their packages:

FUE Sapphire Package

The FUE Sapphire package, priced at £2,058, includes FUE techniques, including graft extraction with micro punches and implantation using forceps. Sapphire blades are used to create precise channels in the scalp. Patients who need more coverage can choose the megasession upgrade for +£756, which increases the total graft capacity.

Micro Sapphire DHI Package

The Micro Sapphire DHI package, priced at £2,680, combines sapphire blade incisions with hair implantation DHI, using a implanter pen. This pen protects each graft during placement, reducing the need for handling. A megasession upgrade is available for +£672, making it suitable for those who need more grafts.

VIP Micro Sapphire DHI Package

The VIP Micro Sapphire DHI package, priced at around £6,720, offers additional benefits, including needle-free anaesthesia and the Regenera Activa treatment. Dr Acar performs the incision stage personally, adding an extra level of involvement. The megasession upgrade is priced at +£1,680 and is designed for patients who require the maximum graft number in a premium setting.

Is getting a hair transplant in Turkey safe?

@qiasomar24 10 month hair transplant update!! How’s it looking?? Happy I trusted @cosmedicaclinic make sure to check them out if you’re interested 🙏🏻 #hairtransformation #hairtransplant #hair ♬ original sound – Qias Omar

Safety depends on choosing the right hair transplant surgeon and clinic. Turkey’s industry includes both boutique clinics and high-volume centres, so patients should review qualifications, clinic registrations, and procedural transparency. Many reputable clinics follow high health and safety standards and clearly outline their safety protocols.

Clinics aligned with the International Society of Hair Restoration typically follow globally recognised safety guidelines.

What differentiates Cosmedica Clinic from other transplant clinics in Turkey?

Cosmedica is one of the leading hair transplant clinics in Turkey. Dr Levent Acar is the founder of Cosmedica. He is a renowned surgeon with over 16 years of experience in this field.

His clinic has conducted over 20,000 successful operations. He has since pioneered a method called the DHI Sapphire method or DHI hair transplant. His revolutionary technique has an outstanding 98% hair growth rate.

What does a stress-free medical tourism trip look like for UK patients?

For many, travelling to Turkey for a hair transplant feels more straightforward than expected. That is due to clear scheduling and support. Most visitors follow a simple 3-day timeline.

Day 1: Arrival

Patients land in Istanbul, meet their driver, and check into their hotel. The clinic provides any pre-procedure instructions and confirms the schedule.

Day 2: Procedure Day

After consultation and hairline design, the hair transplant procedures begin. It starts with FUE extraction using micro punches. Incisions are created with sapphire blades, and grafts are implanted using forceps or DHI pens, depending on the technique. According to Dr Acar, “The surgery is pain-free. Recovery is just a bit uncomfortable.”

Day 3: First Wash and Review

Patients return for washing, postoperative guidance, and a review of graft placement. Swelling management and sleeping positions are discussed in detail. Dr Acar adds, “The best moment is after about 13 days, when the scabs wash away and you see the clean hairline.”

For long-haul travellers returning to the UK, advice includes staying hydrated, avoiding tight hats, and gently managing forehead swelling during the flight.

How important is aftercare once UK patients return home?

Aftercare is essential for achieving strong long-term outcomes. Once back in the UK, patients need to 

• follow the washing schedule, 
• avoid strenuous activity, and 
• protect the extracted hair. 

Cosmedica provides structured 12-month follow-up support, including digital check-ins and progress reviews. This aftercare guidance helps patients understand the stages of growth. Over the first few months, shedding and regrowth occur naturally as part of the hair cycle. “The real results come after eight to 12 months,” Dr Acar explains. “Patience is important.” Because ongoing support continues long after the procedure, patients do not feel isolated after returning home.

How can UK patients evaluate whether the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey is worth it?

Before and after results of a Micro Sapphire DHI hair transplant in Turkey at Cosmedica Clinic (Image: Cosmedica Clinic)

Evaluating the cost of a hair transplant in Turkey involves looking beyond headline prices. UK patients benefit from comparing:

• Price per graft
• The surgeon’s involvement in design
• Safety standards and clinic registration
• The full package structure
• Photographic evidence in the hair transplant before and after gallery
• Aftercare quality
• Travel requirements

High-quality clinics detail every step of the procedure and offer transparent expectations. Cosmedica, for example, displays hair transplant before and after results and provides direct consultations to support decision-making.

Final thoughts: What should UK patients keep in mind?

The Turkey hair transplant cost remains a major motivator for UK patients, but the appeal goes beyond savings. Clinics like Cosmedica combine experienced leadership, structured travel support, and modern techniques. With clear timelines and a streamlined international pathway, many travellers find the process more manageable than expected.

As Dr Acar summarises: “When people look at a face, the density and hairline are immediately connected with youthfulness and health.”

For UK patients exploring their options abroad, Turkey offers a transparent entry point into that journey.

Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins has continued to keep fans up to date with her motherhood journey on Instagram.

While her alter ego, Victoria Sugden, recently bowed out of the ITV soap under incredibly dark circumstances, fleeing the village after killing her utterly psychotic half brother, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), the real reason for her departure was much more wholesome: Isabel was expecting her first baby.

Isabel gave birth to her beautiful baby, a daughter named Georgie Grace, on February 11, posting a reel of her in labour, alongside a super sweet black and white snap of her cradling her new born weeks later.

On her first mothers day, Isabel’s partner, Adam Whitehead, shared a gorgeous tribute to her, posting a carousel of images of mother and baby, alongside an adorable caption.

‘Your first Mother’s Day,’ he began.

‘As if I didn’t already think you were amazing…but watching you become Georgie’s mum has opened my eyes even more. The love, patience and strength you show every day is incredible. We’re so lucky you’re ours.’

Yesterday, Isabel shared a reel detailing a morning with Georgie to her Instagram feed, captioned: ‘Mornings with my little miss’.

Beginning with baby Georgie wriggling on Isabel’s bed, before having a wardrobe change, a couple of nappy changes and Isabel feeding Georgie, the video serves as a glimpse into a morning with a new born.

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The comments section was flooded with love, including messages from some of Isabel’s co-stars.

Danny Miller, who plays brother in law, Aaron Dingle, said: ‘Oh hello!!’, to which Isabel replied with a slew of laughing face emojis. Lawrence Robb, who plays Mackenzie Boyd, added: ‘Song choice’, with clapping emojis, while Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt added simply: ‘Unreal’,

@sandrahicks89 wrote: ‘Nothing beats a wonderful bonding, with mummy and baby, Isabel, seeing you with your beautiful daughter is one of the most amazing things in the world, such a lovely memory to have,’ while @barbarawhite2015 added: ‘Aww how beautiful! She’s absolute beautiful hun just like her beautiful mam’

@rebeccamason8085 said: ‘Such an adorable little Miss! She’s certainly growing you’re certainly doing something right’, while @julie560595 posted: ‘Motherhood definitely suits you Isabel! Beautiful Mummy & enjoying every minute of your beautiful daughter’

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Victoria’s departure from Emmerdale

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Victoria’s exit from the village came as Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) upped his ‘scumbag of the year’ campaign efforts.

With video footage of Victoria sticking the fatal syringe into John, Joe used this to manipulate Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into planting incriminating evidence at Moira Dingle’s (Natalie J Robb) farm and ensuring that she be arrested for the murders of Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Anya Berisha (Alia Al-Shabibi), while also being framed for the human trafficking racket ran by the former.

Forced to sell her share of the farm land Joe so desperately craved and battling with the guilt of ending a life, alongside the guilt of Moira languishing in prison as a direct result of her actions, Victoria felt she had to escape the village that held so many painful memories.

With Joe seemingly unbeatable and his control over the village spreading, Victoria decided to head to Portugal for a new life with step-mum, Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen).

We know, though, that Isabel, and Victoria, will be back. As the war between the Tates and the Dingles heating up, will the village even look the same upon her return? And with a queue forming to take revenge on slimy Joe, will she play a part in his inevitable downfall?

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Two police constables lied to their bosses and claimed they were sick with flu in order to go on a course about a cruise ship career.

PC Ben Matthews and PC Alex Tribe were caught in the act after pictures of them attending the programme appeared on social media.

They had already resigned from Kent Police at the time of misconduct proceedings earlier this month but bosses said if they had still been employed, they would have been sacked.

Both were based at Coldharbour Station in Aylesford, in Kent, where they worked in the same team.

PC Matthews had worked in the force for 13 years and had a ‘highly sought after’ role in a proactive targeting team within the tactical operations group.

At the time of his fabricated illness, he was supposed to be working on a murder investigation.

PC Tribe had eight years of experience and was working in the same team.

Neither attended the proceedings at the Kent Police Force Headquarters in Maidstone, which were overseen by Assistant Chief Officer Andrew Pritchard.

In his report, he said: ‘The case as alleged is simple. That both officers claimed they were sick, but during the period of alleged sickness, they attended a training course provided by an external training provider, I understand, with the purpose of readying them for a potential career on cruise ships.

‘The facts of the matter are accepted. Both officers accept that they were dishonest in claiming they were sick in January 2025, when in fact they were on a training course with an external provider.’

PC Tribe booked her place on the course on December 17, 2024, and on January 20, 2025, called in sick to work with influenza for the first few days, with the last days of the course falling on her rest days.

PC Matthews booked the initial day of the course off for childcare reasons, then also called in sick with the flu for the rest of the course.

The report states that the event from January 20 to January 24 was not the only one available that year, and was ‘not a one-off activity’.

Both officers had enough annual leave for the course, but neither put in a request in with their supervisors.

In their defence, PC Tribe and Matthews both said they were, in fact, sick – but with stress, not influenza.

They accepted misconduct but denied gross misconduct.

PC Tribe also said her mental health had been suffering at the time of the incident, and that she felt she was being bullied at work.

The report said: ‘The former officer puts forward several examples of how she felt oppressed and unable to make representations about her supervisor, and that her concerns were not being taken seriously.

‘There is indeed evidence that she did raise these issues in October 2024, two months before booking this course.

‘The former officer also has provided several messages between herself and some colleagues as evidence of how she, amongst others, felt that the supervisor was very hard to work with.’

But performance reviews showed positive interactions with her supervisor, and there were records of her being congratulated for her achievements.

The report continued: ‘She has sought to persuade that she was under such strain that booking the course and taking time off work (lying in the process) was her only option, and that this should mitigate the seriousness of her actions.

‘She also asserts that she felt she could not request leave as it would be rejected, and that this was not a discussion she could have with her supervisor.

‘There is no evidence that she did try to request leave and no evidence that she considered changing the course to a later date when leave would be more likely to be granted.’

PC Matthews also said he was a victim of bullying in the workplace, and was receiving unfair treatment compared to others and working long hours.

He said he was in receipt of unjustified criticism from his supervisor, but this was the same supervisor PC Tribe said she would turn to for support in the force.

Assistant Chief Officer Pritchard said: ‘I find that former PC Matthews has booked the training course with the likely intention of reporting sick from the outset.

‘He could have requested leave. Indeed, he did so for the first day, stating he needed childcare, and this was granted.’

It was decided that both officers’ actions were serious enough that they amounted to gross misconduct and that, had they still been serving, they would have been sacked.

The report added: ‘I believe the public would be appalled to think that officers in Kent Police could act with such obvious disdain for the rules and procedures that they are expected to follow in order to serve their own purposes, and would lie to achieve this, in addition to failing to turn up to duty when fit to do so.

‘Further, the officers are shown to be on the course in published social media articles.

‘The harm, therefore, is not just potential harm, but actual harm to the reputation of Kent Police and the profession of policing.

‘There are clear aggravating factors here of premeditation and planning (between the booking of the course, the conspiracy between the two officers and then later reporting sick).’

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Wales’ World Cup hopes ended in the cruellest of fashions as they lost to Bosnia on penalties on Thursday night

Wales’ hopes of making it to this summer’s World Cup crumbled to dust on Thursday night as they lost their qualification play-off semi-final to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties.

Dan James’ sensational long-distance strike had given Craig Bellamy’s side the lead early in the second half, but Edin Dzeko’s 86th-minute header drew Bosnia level and took the game to extra-time. But when the two teams still couldn’t be separated after a further half an hour, it came down to the dreaded spot kicks.

Karl Darlow’s fine stop from Ermedin Demirovic’s attempt handed the hosts in Cardiff an immediate advantage in the shoot-out, but Brennan Johnson skied his effort before Neco Williams’ kick was saved as Wales’ World Cup dreams were extinguished in the cruellest of fashions.

At the full-time whistle, Wales captain Ethan Ampadu said his side were “lost for words” about the result, with Darlow adding that they were “devastated”.

A gutted Bellamy, meanwhile, said his “heart hurt” over the result but vowed that his team will only continue to improve, adding that “there will be a solution” and “the sun will rise tomorrow”.

However, the Wales manager has been criticised by fans in the wake of the heartbreaking defeat, with many pointing the finger at his choice of second-half substitutions.

As the hosts pushed for a crucial second goal, Bellamy brought on Liam Cullen for Jordan James and Mark Harris for David Brooks, but the decision has been blasted as “criminal” and “a disaster waiting to happen” by disappointed supporters.

With both players struggling to make any impact after their second-half introduction, fans pointed to Josh Sheehan and the in-form Nathan Broadhead who were left on the bench, while Cardiff City star Rubin Colwill was left out of the matchday squad altogether.

Speaking after the game, Bellamy dismissed suggestions that his substitutions were to blame for the full-time result, saying: “I don’t think that’s fair. No, we make changes all the time and we have to.”

However, fans disagree, with one taking to X to write: “Bellamy has done a lot of good things since being manager, and is undoubtedly a very good coach but can’t help but think tonight is on him.

“Subs KILLED us, Mark Harris and Liam Cullen coming on… have a day off. Been here before with Wales.. and hurts all the same.”

Another added: “Got a lot of time for Bellamy, but Harris and Cullen over Broadhead is criminal,” while a third wrote: “No way we should be losing that. Shocking.

“Wales threw it away after getting complacent. Bellamy had to be questioned here for his game management and subs.”

One fan said the defeat was “100 per cent on Bellamy” for his “very, very, very bad subs”, while another commented: Craig Bellamy has absolutely murdered us with those subs tonight! Embarrassing decisions from him.”

“Crying out for Broadhead,” said another. “[But] he puts on Cullen and Harris. Unbelievable by Bellamy.”

The couple were the first of four people to die after falling from the cliffs in five days

An elderly couple who “jumped” from the cliff edge at Whitby have been named. North Yorkshire Police have confirmed David Jeffcock, 80, and Susan Jeffcock, 74, died on July 30 after falling from the cliffs near Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire.

Prior to their deaths, a witness told The Daily Mail how he observed a pair “jumping” from the cliff edge. He was camping nearby on the clifftop when “all hell broke loose.”

He said: “Police, ambulances, and mountain rescue and coastguard helicopters were on the scene very quickly. The helicopter was here around 8pm on Wednesday night. The path leading to the cliff was extremely busy with walkers and dog walkers.”, reports Yorkshire Live.

“I was told the couple who died were walking along the path. Another couple were coming the other way. The next thing we know is they jumped. It was absolutely horrific to see. The poor souls did not stand a chance. They fell straight onto the rocks below.”

The pair were the first of four individuals to die after falling from the cliffs within five days. On July 31, the body of a woman in her 60s was discovered at the base of the cliffs by the Pavilion. Subsequently on August 2, the body of a woman, believed to be in her 50s, was located further along the coastline at Sandsend near the main car park.

Her injuries were consistent with her falling from the top of the cliff edge. The identities of the two women remain unknown.

An inquest into the deaths of Mr and Mrs Jeffcock is scheduled for Monday, 22 September at Northallerton Coroner’s Court.

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Final preparations are underway for NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission around the Moon for more than 50 years. Four astronauts, three men and one woman, will spend 10 days aboard the Orion spacecraft, going further into space than any other humans as they orbit the Moon and return to Earth.

Issues caused by a fuel leak while testing the Space Launch System rocket used for the mission meant launch windows in February and March were missed. Now NASA is targeting early April for launch.

The mission is the next step of the Artemis programme, which plans to land astronauts back to the Moon by 2028. China has its own programme targeting a full crewed mission to the lunar surface by 2030.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast we speak to Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University about why NASA is sending people back round the Moon. Pace worked in space policy for the George W. Bush Administration, followed by a stint at NASA before his appointment as the executive secretary of the National Space Council during the first Trump administration, where he worked on the launch of the Artemis programme.

No human has set foot on the Moon since Gene Cernan climbed back aboard Apollo 17 in 1972. Pace says that once the Americans had beaten the Russians to the Moon “the geopolitical reason for continuing those missions really wasn’t there”.

Today, Pace believes the “geopolitical purpose for being on the Moon is to be there a lot”. He compares the Moon to Antarctica, arguing that the US and its allies have influence over Antarctica in part because they put 3,000 people on the ice every summer. “Rules are made by people who show up,” he says. It matters to him if China beats the US back to the Moon, “if China drives all the standards and the operating norms”.

For Pace, this means it’s important to up the flight rate to the lunar surface by building capacity to send more than one crewed mission a year. He thinks Artemis’s partnerships with commercial space partners will be crucial to achieving this.

“What we’re seeing now with Artemis is NASA and industry learning how to fly to the Moon, and then making a decision about what will be a sustainable future for doing this,” says Pace. “That is a current debate that will shape what happens after Artemis II.”

Listen to the interview with Scott Pace on The Conversation Weekly podcast and read an article based on the interview here. This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood and Gemma Ware. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

Newsclips in this episode from WTKR News 3, ABC News, International Astronautical Federation, CBS News,Space Policy and Politics and NBC News and British Movietone/AP.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.

A humpback whale that was stranded in shallow water off the north German coast has been set free by rescuers.

The whale had been stranded for several days on the Timmendorfer Strand, a popular resort town on the Baltic Sea coastline, with several rescue attempts made amid fears the marine mammal was going to die.

The 39 to 49ft-long whale was spotted on Monday, but the first attempt to free it was unsuccessful.

Experts gathered on Tuesday morning on the beach to find a way to get the whale off the ground, German news agency dpa reported.

Sven Biertumpfel, of the Sea Shepherd marine conservation group, told Sky News the Baltic Sea is not a humpback’s natural habitat, adding “maybe he followed some fish or some food”.

The whale, which weighs several tonnes, got entangled in nets, the conservationist said.

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Rescuers initially managed to turn the whale so its head was pointing towards deeper water. But the animal then turned back to its previous position.

Boats from the coastguard and the fire department created large waves in the hope of freeing the animal – but it remained stuck, German public broadcaster NDR reported.

The whale could not actively be pulled back into deeper water because it could be seriously injured in the process, experts said.

Attempts on Thursday to dig a channel with heavy machinery were finally successful, and the whale was able to swim out into the sea overnight.

It was slow work, with rescuers trying to get the animal used to the noise of the machinery so as not to upset it.

By Thursday evening, the whale, which had been getting closer to its normal state, started to make its way slowly through the channel.

The rescue team tried to encourage it to keep going with lots of noise, with the animal reportedly responding with a humming sound.

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Early on Friday morning, the whale was on its way out of Lubeck Bay, one researcher said.

Stephanie Gross, of the Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, said the mammal, which was nearly 1,000 feet off the coast, was being accompanied by a coastguard ship and several other vessels.

The whale must now make its way on a complex route past the Danish islands, out into the North Sea, before finally passing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Labour says the SNP have “serious questions to answer” after the former leader of North Lanarkshire council was found guilty.

John Swinney has been urged to “come clean” on claims complaints about convicted sex abuser Jordan Linden were ignored.

Linden, the former SNP of North Lanarkshire council, was convicted on Thursday of 10 separate offences after a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, including five sexual assaults.

His victims were five young men and boys aged 15 to 22.

During the trial, a councillor who made complaints about Linden said: “Everywhere I went for help in the SNP I was ignored or it was downplayed.”

The man said he contacted the police in 2023 because he “did not feel confident” the reports he had made to the SNP would be dealt with appropriately.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “These are despicable crimes, and it is right that this vile individual is held fully responsible for his crimes.

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“However, there are also serious questions for the SNP to answer.

“During the trial, one of the men targeted by Linden said that when he went for help from the party, he was ‘ignored or it was downplayed’.

“John Swinney must come clean and explain why that was allowed to happen, and he must also set out what the SNP has done to root out this behaviour within his party.

“We have previously seen the SNP’s attempts to evade accountability when Derek Mackay was found to have groomed a teenager, and they tried to halt publication of the story.

“And we saw their willingness to allow Patrick Grady to return to the party fold at Westminster, despite having admitted to sexually harassing an SNP staff member.

“Enough is enough. John Swinney must make clear what he will do to end this sleazy and abhorrent conduct within his party and explain why the party has consistently chosen cover-up rather than telling the truth.”

Linden, 30, was also convicted of directing unwanted sexual communications towards seven teenagers, the youngest aged 14.

They included photos of himself in a bath and shots of his genitalia.

The offences took place over a 10-year period from 2011 until 2021.

The jury reached their verdict after less than four hours following a seven-day trial.

Linden rose to become North Lanarkshire council leader in 2022.

He resigned from the post a few weeks later when the allegations emerged and was arrested in 2024.

An SNP spokesperson said: “We hope today’s verdict brings some justice to those who have bravely come forward and shared their experiences – their courage in speaking out cannot be overstated.

“As proceedings remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Linden is due to be sentenced at Falkirk Sheriff Court on May 5.

The Republic of Ireland suffered penalty heartache in their World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia on Thursday night after throwing away a two-goal lead in Prague

Republic of Ireland fans have taken to social media to demand an investigation into a ‘siren noise’ during their penalty shootout loss against Czechia. The Boys in Green lost the shootout in Prague following a 2-2 draw.

Things had started in the perfect way for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men took an early 2-0 lead through Troy Parrott and an own goal from Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovar. However, goals from Patrik Schick and Ladislav Krejci saw the hosts level the game.

With extra time unable to separate the two teams, it was down to a penalty shootout. While Parrott, Adam Idah and Robbie Brady scored their penalties, Kovar made up for his earlier own goal by saving spot kicks from Finn Azaz and Alan Browne.

Four of Czechia’s five penalty takers found the back of the net, seeing their side through to the play-off final. The loss dashed Ireland’s hopes of featuring in this summer’s World Cup finals.

Taking to social media during and after the penalty shootout, Ireland supporters pointed out a loud siren noise that could be heard during the shootout, with some suggesting it was even a deliberate ploy from the home side to put their players off. One wrote: “So the ambulance siren only happens when we’re taking our penalties?!?!!!!”

READ MORE: Sammie Szmodics health update as Ireland star taken to hospital after being ‘knocked out’READ MORE: Liverpool legend John Toshack hits back at son after claiming he has dementia

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“I’m not a bitter man, but I hope the Czechs and their police siren guy have a miserable miserable experience in the second round. Also, that they meet a referee who is willing and able to book them,” a second said.

A third fan posted: “FIFA need to investigate the Czech v Republic game. Every time an Ireland player stepped forward for a pen a siren of some kind went off. Absolute farce.”

“So when’s the investigation going to be done into the siren that Czech fans kept setting off when Ireland were taking their penalties??” wrote a social media user.

There were more demands for FIFA to look further into the incident, with another fan posting: “There has to be an investigation into that penalty shootout, the Czechs playing a loud siren every time the Irish took their pen is disgraceful!”

“Can’t believe we’ve lost that. The better side overall with by far the better chances,” a sixth fan wrote. “Should be an investigation into that siren during the Ireland penalties too.”

A seventh said: “The Czech cheated, pausing before the pens were kicked to see where the goalie was going and then blaring a siren when Ireland were taking their pens to distract them.”

Czechia will take on Denmark in their World Cup qualifiers play-off final on Tuesday night, with the winners of the game booking a spot for the finals of the tournament in North America.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL