Luxury bath, body, and home brand Rituals has delayed the opening of its new store at Middlebrook Retail Park after previously announcing it would welcome customers on Saturday, July 4.

Instead, signs outside the new boutique now state it will open on Wednesday, July 8.

Opening soon, on July 8. (Image: NQ)

The retailer had announced a range of opening day offers, including complimentary goodie bags for the first 50 customers to make a purchase.

Annemarie Forsyth, managing director of Rituals Cosmetics (UK and Ireland), previously said: “We look forward to welcoming the Bolton community into our new space.

“Our aim is to bring moments of calm and connection into everyday life.

“Thoughtfully curated, our bath, body, and home collections are crafted to support wellbeing and encourage mindful living, even during the busiest days.”

The new shop will be near the Hollywood Bowl. (Image: NQ)

The standalone store spans 170 square metres and will stock the company’s full range of bath, body, and home products.

The opening follows the launch of a Rituals store at The Rock shopping centre in Bury earlier this year.

Before the planned opening, the company had advertised a number of jobs for the new shop, including management, supervisor, and sales advisor roles.

The Bolton News has contacted Rituals for comment on the revised opening date.

PARIS (AP) — Swimming in the Seine is settling into a new Paris summer ritual as the city on Saturday opened three supervised bathing sites for the second year in a row.

The free swimming areas near City Hall, the Eiffel Tower and in eastern Paris will remain open through the summer, depending on water quality and weather conditions. They are placed under strict lifeguards’ watch and authorities conduct daily water quality testing.

Visitors described swimming in the heart of the French capital as an unforgettable experience.

“It’s amazing to be swimming in the Seine while looking at the Eiffel Tower,” said Stewart Talbot, a tourist from Melbourne, Australia, visiting Paris for a week. “Maybe it’s not as good as the sea in Australia, but it’s better than our rivers.”

Some Parisians also have added swimming in the Seine to their bucket list.

“It’s great because it’s such a mix of people,” Hermine Jegou, 19, said. “I love that everyone can get into the water — grandmothers, children — it’s just really nice.”

Her sister, Joanne Jegou, 21, said she’d do it again. “It’s such a cool experience, especially being out in the sun and cooling off.”

The Seine was a venue for some swimming and triathlon competition during the Paris 2024 Olympics, which accelerated a multibillion-euro cleanup of the river through major sewer upgrades, new rainwater storage infrastructure and other projects designed to reduce pollution.

However, last summer, several swimming days were canceled due to heavy rain, which increases pollution upstream.

At the Grenelle site near the Eiffel Tower, officials prepared for large crowds escaping hot weather in the coming days.

“The maximum capacity here is 200 people,” said Clémence Donazzan, deputy manager of the Grenelle site. There’s a waiting system at the entrance and they will monitor the number of swimmers in real time, “so everyone will eventually have access, even if there’s a short wait.”

Before 2024, swimming in the Seine had been banned for about a century because of poor water quality. Public swimming has been available for years in a canal in northeastern Paris during summer.

A three-year-old boy allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Cambridgeshire last month has now had five surgeries and faces at least two more

A three year old lad allegedly hurled into a crocodile pen at a zoo last month has undergone five operations and requires two additional procedures, his distraught family have revealed.

The youngster fell 15ft before being attacked by a crocodile at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on June 18.

The child, whose identity remains undisclosed, was pulled to safety before being transported to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, in a critical state. While now stable, he confronts an extensive recovery journey.

Through a statement shared alongside a GoFundMe campaign established for them, his grief-stricken family disclosed they have been “living at the hospital” for the previous fortnight where their son has endured five surgical procedures. He necessitates a minimum of two further operations, including nerve reconstruction in his arm, according to the statement.

It read: “We are extremely grateful for everyone’s generosity. We could never thank you enough for the support you have given our family in this horrible time.”, reports the Mirror.

“We have been living at the hospital for 2 weeks now and our son has undergone 5 surgeries. At this moment in time we know that our son is to undergo at least two more surgeries, one of those surgeries being a nerve reconstruction in his arm.

“These last two weeks have been a very uncertain and unsettling time. This uncertainty remains as we still don’t know the extent of his feeling, movement and function in both of his arms, wrists and hands.

“This will only be identified after casts and bandages are able to be removed and he can begin his rehabilitation journey. His rehabilitation journey is uncertain but we do know that it won’t be a short process.”

The youngster is reported to have plummeted onto a concrete pathway, sustaining a fractured arm and pelvis, before landing in the water. It is thought he was subsequently attacked by either a saltwater or Nile crocodile in an incident the zoo’s proprietors have described as “one of the most distressing” in their history.

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the boy “was pulled out by staff from the zoo”, with co-owner Tracey Johnson reportedly leaping into the enclosure to rescue the child.

Officers arrested a 30 year old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder shortly after the harrowing incident, though he was subsequently released on bail after being “assessed as being not fit for interview”. The man is believed to have learning difficulties and had been visiting with carers.

Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo proprietors Andy and Tracey Johnson broke their silence on the terrifying ordeal this week, expressing their gratitude to staff, emergency services and courageous bystanders for their prompt actions in saving the boy.

“Everyone who was on site that day acted with incredible speed and determination. Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid,” they said in a statement. “The emergency services arrived very quickly, supported by the MAGPAS Air Ambulance, and we cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, compassion and dedication in such difficult circumstances.”

The Johnsons continued: “We are immensely proud of our own staff, who responded without hesitation and did everything they could to help and support the child until the emergency services took over.

“The kindness we have received from our local community and from people across the country has been overwhelming. Every message of support, every kind word and every expression of concern has meant a great deal to our family and our team during an incredibly difficult time.

“Thank you for standing with us. Above all, our thoughts remain with the young boy and his family. We continue to hope and pray for his speedy recovery and ask that they are given the privacy, compassion and support they need at this time.”

Cambridgeshire Police were alerted to the incident at the zoo at 1.24pm on June 18. Contributions to the GoFundMe appeal, which has amassed over £25,000 at the time of publication, can be made here.

11-year-old Mason Keilhauer was knocked down in March this year

A family fun day in memory of a Belfast schoolboy who died earlier this year has raised vital funds for the youth club he loved.

Mason Keilhauer was knocked down on the Shankill Road, close to the junction with Dover Street, on March 7 and later passed away in hospital.

The 11-year-old’s death sent shockwaves through the local community and he is remembered as a “precious son” and “loving brother”.

In order to create a legacy in his name, Mason’s mother Michele vowed to do all she could to help kids in the local community and keep them away from anti-social behaviour.

His family have been fundraising for Townsend Street Social Outreach, where Mason attended the youth club run by Ruth Petticrew and hosted a family fun day and BBQ at Townsend Street on Saturday.

Chatting to Belfast Live at the event, Michele spoke about how important the Townsend Street Social Outreach is to the community while unveiling a new mural dedicated to her son.

She said: “Ruth is severely underfunded and needs funding to try and keep the kids off the street and for the kids to have somewhere to go – somewhere to drop in if they’re needing someone to talk to.

“We need funding to get her building up and running and to have it open longer, maybe open during the day so kids can drop in and the community can drop in.

“Our plan is to maybe get like some mum and tots and stuff organised, stuff for pensioners – so she needs bigger funding from the community and other people.”

Over 70 children enjoyed face painting, bouncy castles, ice cream and more at the family fun day on Saturday, continuing to create positive memories for local kids as part of Mason’s legacy.

“It’s just good to have somewhere for them to go and have a bit of fun and just be kids,” Michele added.

“Mason went to Ruth’s as well and he just loved being out and about – he loved his friends and it’s just something I feel I want to do to help other children in his memory.”

VIDEO JUSTIN KERNOGHAN

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Two men who went ‘fishing for Jews’ in north London as they filmed anti-Semitic TikTok videos have been given suspended prison sentences. 

Adam Bedoui and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, both 21, previously pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated intentional harassment after they shouted anti-Semitic abuse at a Jewish person. 

Bousloub approached the victim and started shouting abuse while filming it on a mobile phone as Bedoui stood alongside him, laughing and also harassing the victim.  

Videos published by Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood-watch group, show the pair smirking as they saunter along a street with a fishing rod in Stamford Hill.

They have attached a note to the end, in reference to vile anti-Semitic tropes about Jews.

A CCTV clip shows Bedoui holding the rod in front of him while Bousloub films with his mobile phone as they walk along an entrance hall.

Later footage shows the pair being searched and arrested by police, with Shomrim volunteers standing nearby.

The Metropolitan Police said Bedoui and Bousloub had travelled to Clapton Common with ‘deliberate’ intentions to capture anti-Semitic content. 

Adam Bedoui and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub pleaded guilty to a religiously aggravated public order offence

Shomrim reported that the pair had specifically targeted Orthodox Jews in the filmed encounters.

Officers were called around 9pm on Thursday, May 7, and detained the pair after they tried to flee.

According to the CPS, the defendants intended to publish the footage on social media. 

When interviewed by the police, Bousloub said he had gone to Stamford Hill to film a video with a fishing rod with the aim of getting a reaction and to copy what he had seen on an Instagram reel. 

He said he had intended to share what he filmed with others on TikTok and that he was expecting numbers in the hundreds or thousands of people to watch it. 

He tried to claim that he thought the Jewish community would find what he was doing funny. Bedoui made a no comment police interview.

The victim said the incident left him feeling vulnerable and targeted.

The pair have now been sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months. 

The two men were arrested by police after briefly attempting to flee from the scene in London

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Prosecutor Varinder Hayre said: ‘These men deliberately targeted a member of the Jewish community, and subjected him to antisemitic abuse in a public place.

‘They filmed the incident with the intention to upload it to social media and amplify the harm caused to the victim

‘The CPS worked closely with the Metropolitan Police to build a strong case, securing a conviction less than 48 hours after the incident.

‘Hate crime has a serious impact on victims and communities. We will continue to prosecute these offences robustly.’

Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the area, said: ‘These men thought nothing of travelling to Stamford Hill so they could generate social media likes from hateful so-called content.

‘There is no place for antisemitic hate in this city and this case carries a clear warning for anyone tempted to commit hate crimes in pursuit of online notoriety.

‘These men were arrested within minutes of the incidents being reported to us. They were then charged, remanded to court and convicted 48 hours after the original report.’

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘This sentence has absolutely no deterrent effect. 

‘If anything it reminds antisemites how little they have to fear from the criminal justice system even now amidst the worst wave of anti-Jewish attacks in modern British history. 

‘It is surely because of outrageously lenient sentences like this one that only 10 per cent of British Jews think that the courts do enough to protect them. 

‘When antisemites are given a slap on the wrist, it sends the message that Jews are fair game. 

‘This decision is appalling and will only further erode what little confidence the Jewish community has left in the criminal justice system. 

‘Antisemitic offenders must face punishments that actually reflect the seriousness of their crimes.’ 

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A second suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenage girl last seen 28 years ago.

Donna Keogh, 17, was last seen in Middlesbrough town centre in 1998.

Her body was never found, and police believe she was likely murdered after she disappeared.

Officers have now arrested a 62-year-old man in Manchester, who will be interviewed in custody.

It follows the arrest of a 64-year-old man on suspicion of murder in Leeds.

Ms Keogh was described at the time as 5 ft 2 inches tall, of slim build, with blonde hair tied by a leopard-skin bobble.

She was wearing a ‘sky blue backless/sleeveless dress’ and black knee-length boots with a crocodile design on the side.

Her disappearance was only flagged to police one month after she vanished.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder in 1999; however, no charges were brought against the pair.

Her parents, Brian and Shirley, have endured nearly 30 years of ‘heartache’.

They told Teesside Live they had ‘never gotten on with their lives’ since Ms Keogh’s disappearance.

‘Time has stood still with us,’ they said.

Cleveland Police publicly apologised for failings in the initial investigation.

Ms Keogh was reportedly living in a flat with her cousin at the time.

A friend who was among the last people to see her said she was safe at a property with four other men, where she was allegedly given money to buy cigarettes.

However, the alarm was raised after the parents were told ‘sinister things’ had happened to Ms Keogh.

Some 1,788 statements were taken as part of Operation Resolute, launched to determine Ms Keogh’s fate in 2016.

Police had found human remains after excavating an allotment in Teeside, only for forensic testing to reveal they dated to the Middle Ages.

Senior investigating officer Evan Kirtley said: ‘This morning we have made a second arrest in connection with the murder of Donna Keogh.

‘The man remains in police custody, where he will be interviewed.

‘We remain in close contact with Donna’s family and they are being kept fully updated.’

He added: ‘Donna’s family have lived with unbearable uncertainty for nearly 30 years as they need answers as to what happened to Donna, and we are determined to find those answers for them.

‘Somebody out there knows what happened and could tell us, in order to give the family some comfort and peace, after all this time.

‘If you have information, please tell us. You can contact us directly or report anonymously.’

A £20,000 reward has been offered by Crimestoppers for anyone with information about Donna’s suspected murder.

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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I still remember the first time I treated a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Back then, around two decades ago, the condition was considered rare and GPs seldom came across it. But the moment I did, the symptoms were unmistakable. The boy, no more than 11 years old, frankly, was a nightmare.

He wouldn’t sit still in school, he wouldn’t sleep, and he was disruptive at home. I can vividly recall his mother’s stress. She worried he would never live a normal life – get a degree, hold down a job or learn to drive.

How things change. Once seen primarily as a disorder that caused children to be disruptive, ADHD is increasingly associated with middle-aged, middle-class women struggling to focus at work.

Celebrities have led the way. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, has said her daughter’s diagnosis led her to get tested. ‘I thought, oh my God, I have this too,’ she revealed a few years back.

Singer Lily Allen, 41, is another. She claims her ‘adult ADHD’ is why she limits her time on social media – because ‘as soon as I look at it, it can be hours of my day gone’.

There’s a bigger picture, too. ADHD diagnoses among British women aged 31 to 49 rose by an astonishing 694 per cent between 2020 and 2025, according to an analysis of NHS records by health data company IQVIA. But there is a very uncomfortable truth here that many people – doctors included – refuse to acknowledge: many of these women may not have ADHD at all.

The central concern is that, over the past decade, the list of behaviours and symptoms said to be indicative of ADHD has broadened to such an extent that diagnosis can appear almost inevitable.

The NHS now cites ‘feeling restless’ and ‘not liking waiting’ among signs of the condition – but you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who does like waiting.

The result has been both spiralling numbers of children and also adults being labelled.

Something else I’ve noticed: People in affluent north-west London, where my own surgery is based, are three times more likely to be on ADHD medication than those in Yorkshire.

Anecdotally, many of these new patients are mothers who – like Ms Paltrow – get the diagnosis after taking their child to be investigated. They get tested too and, hey presto, are told they have ADHD as well.

This is hardly surprising when the ADHD industry has become a money-making scheme.

Patients hoping for an NHS assessment can wait as long as ten years, so most go private. The problem is these clinics have a financial interest – more diagnoses means more money.

Worse still, they advertise on social media, reeling patients in with baseless claims that a lack of motivation or always being late could be ADHD – and fixed with medication.

These clinics are preying on the insecurities of stressed midlife women, who are often fighting multiple battles. They may be going through the menopause, robbed of energy and a good night’s sleep. Children are growing up, relationships are worn down by years of childcare and chores while careers can feel aimless.

It’s hardly surprising many feel something is wrong with them – but calling it ADHD is the wrong move.

The condition does not simply appear one day in adulthood. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose hallmarks are present from childhood, whether or not they were identified at the time.

Think of that 11-year-old boy for whom simple tasks were impossible. There is no way he could have reached his 40s without a diagnosis.

Yet this is a hard message to get across. Many women hold on to their diagnosis tightly. Some describe themselves as ‘being ADHD’ rather than ‘having ADHD’. It becomes an identity.

But there is a real price to pay. First, the financial one: private assessments can cost £1,000. But more importantly, a mistaken diagnosis can distract from real solutions.

If it’s actually menopause or depression, then we have medication and other approaches that help.

Or the answer may be simpler still: put down your phone. We talk endlessly about phones and children, but adults are equally addicted – and it’s melting our brains.

Yes, adults do have ADHD – and some will have grown up with it undiagnosed. But such cases are rare.

So if you are a woman who believes she has ADHD, by all means talk to your GP. But first, try leaving your phone in another room for a few hours and reading a book.

It might prove far more effective – not to mention cheaper.

I have a painful bone spur – what can I do?

A bone spur is a small bony projection on the underside of the heel bone, causing pain and inflammation, particularly when standing or walking.

The heel and ankle are made up of several bones working closely together. When a spur develops, it pushes out from one of these bones and irritates surrounding nerves and tissue.

Spurs are more common in people with flat feet or high arches, those carrying extra weight, and those who wear unsupportive footwear, such as flip-flops. Most cases can be managed without surgery.

A bone spur is a small bony projection on the underside of the heel bone, causing pain and inflammation, particularly when standing or walking

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These include orthotics – specially made insoles that support the foot’s structure – as well as cushioning devices, heel cups that cradle and offload the heel, and targeted stretching exercises.

A podiatrist, a foot expert available on the NHS or privately, can advise on the best treatment.

Losing excess weight, wearing supportive shoes and taking over-the-counter painkillers can also help.

If the pain remains disabling despite this, surgery to remove the spur is an option – but it is a last resort.

Maternity inquiries that change nothing

Over the past few weeks we’ve heard the conclusions of not one, but two NHS inquiries into maternity care.

And they join a depressingly long list of inquiries with many of the same conclusions – essentially that maternity services are failing women. So why has nothing changed?

For the families who agree to participate they can be traumatic, as they relive some of the worst hours of their lives. They do it, no doubt, in the hope of preventing what happened to them from happening to others.

And yet it does – with pregnant women continuing to bear the brunt of the service’s incompetence.

Let’s hope these latest findings finally draw this shameful chapter in the NHS’s history to a close, and that policymakers and health chiefs work together to protect women and babies from preventable harm.

The DUP leader said that his priority remains making Northern Ireland stronger within the United Kingdom.

Thousands of Orange Order members have marched through Glasgow as part of the annual Boyne parade.

Several streets around the city centre were closed off for the event, which saw bands parading with music and banners before gathering at Glasgow Green where DUP leader Gavin Robinson was among those addressing attendees.

The route for the parade was different this year due to a number of works going on around the city centre.

In his weekly email to party members, the DUP leader said of the Glasgow event, “It is a privilege to address the Twelfth celebrations and bring greetings from Northern Ireland to friends whose history and heritage are so closely linked with our own.”

“Every visit reinforces just how deep the bond is between Ulster and Scotland. It is a relationship built over centuries through faith, family, industry, service and sacrifice. While politics inevitably changes, those foundations have endured.

“It has also been a timely reminder that, despite years of predictions to the contrary, the United Kingdom remains strong. For decades, we have been told the Union is in inevitable decline. We heard it before the Scottish independence referendum, after Brexit and after almost every election since. Yet those predictions continue to collide with reality. “One of the reasons is straightforward. Across the UK, people increasingly expect government to focus on the issues that matter most to their daily lives. They want waiting lists reduced, streets kept safe, businesses supported and opportunities created for the next generation. Constitutional campaigning simply doesn’t achieve those things.”

Mr Robinson also referred to this week’s meetings between party leaders and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at Hillsborough Castle and said that it was “embarrassing” that Sinn Féin spent as much time talking about constitutional issues as they did making a case for better funding.

“That is why my priority remains making Northern Ireland stronger within the United Kingdom. Every new investment secured, every job created and every improvement to our public services strengthens our place in the Union. Success prosperity remains the most powerful argument of all.

“I also believe we should never allow others to define our culture or identity for us. Too often those who cherish our British identity, our Orange tradition or our constitutional position are caricatured or dismissed by people who have little interest in understanding them. We should always reject hatred and sectarianism and equally we should never apologise for traditions rooted in faith, service, community and loyalty. “One part of my speech today reflects an issue on which I feel particularly strongly. Victims of terrorism deserve better than being told by the First Minister of Scotland to simply “move on”. “No society should ask innocent people to forget the loss of loved ones or minimise the suffering caused by terrorism. Truth, justice and respect must remain our guiding principles, and those values should never become politically inconvenient. “As I return home after two days in Scotland, I do so encouraged by the thousands of ordinary people who continue to celebrate our shared heritage with dignity and pride. They remind us that the Union is about far more than constitutional arrangements. “It is about people, communities, shared values and a determination to hand on an even stronger United Kingdom to the next generation.”

Ahead of the march, the Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland said: “The Grand Lodge Trustees convey their congratulations and best wishes to the County Grand Lodge of Glasgow ahead of their Boyne celebrations in Glasgow.

“We hope the day is marked by fellowship, dignity and success for Brother Mark Kirkland, RWCGM (Right Worthy County Grand Master) and all those who are participating.”

Around 11,000 people were expected to take part in the parade, which commemorates the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

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