Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott’s transfer stance has now emerged following Chelsea’s initial £64million bid, with Manchester United and Arsenal also admirers

Alex Scott is reportedly pushing to secure a move to Chelsea after the Blues saw a £64million bid rejected. The midfielder is subject of interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

However, Scott is keen to join Chelsea, according to the Standard, and has no intention of committing to an extension at Bournemouth. The former Bristol City midfielder has two years left on his current deal on the south coast.

Despite his determination to secure a summer switch, Bournemouth insist he is not for sale and remain hopeful of convincing him to agree fresh terms. The Cherries offered Scott a new contract in March, but talks have stalled, with the Guernsey‑born midfielder focused on leaving.

Scott featured in all but three Premier League fixtures for the Cherries last season. He contributed to the club’s sixth-place finish in the top division and secured their spot in the Europa League.

In addition, Scott received his maiden England senior call-up last November, although he didn’t feature in any matches.

He was selected as one of five players – alongside Rio Ngumoha, Jason Steele, Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri – who would link up with the Three Lions squad for the preparation camp ahead of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Chelsea kept a watchful eye on Scott and his development throughout last season.

With central midfield firmly in Xabi Alonso’s sights as an area requiring improvement, the Blues have stepped up their pursuit of Scott, lodging a £64m bid – though Bournemouth were quick to send it packing.

Prior to the move for Scott, Alonso had hoped to reunite with Granit Xhaka, with Chelsea submitting an £8m offer to Sunderland for the 33 year old last month, only for it to be promptly knocked back.

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The Blues initially received positive signals from the Switzerland international regarding a potential switch to Stamford Bridge, and a second offer was being mulled over – however, Xhaka subsequently pledged his allegiance to the Black Cats, prompting the west Londoners to walk away from talks.

Chelsea also harbour a longstanding interest in Adam Wharton, sources say, with the Crystal Palace midfielder’s future at Selhurst Park far from certain.

The Blues have monitored Wharton’s progression closely at their London rivals over the past couple of seasons, though in a central midfield market, one that has seen Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes cost almost £100m, the England international is unlikely to come at a bargain price.

Meanwhile, United have added Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow to Michael Carrick’s squad at Old Trafford in this transfer window.

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By ELEANOR MANN

Published: 02:06 BST, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 02:31 BST, 23 July 2026

A search and rescue mission is underway for a group of people at an Essex beach. 

A number of people are feared to have drowned in what police have described as an ‘ongoing incident’ at a beach in West Mersea, Essex. 

An Asian family, including children, are believed to have become trapped by the rising tide after possibly walking out to a sandbank off the holiday beach some time around 5.30pm on Wednesday. 

At least six ambulances, a dozen police cars, a fire engine, a lifeboat, two air ambulances and a coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene as the incident unfolded.

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One coastguard truck remained on the shingle beach into the night near an area which was cordoned off with a wind break. 

Other emergency vehicles were parked behind a row of multi-coloured pastel beach huts beside the West Mersea Holiday Park. 

The area is known for its strong currents, which can take swimmers and tourists by surprise.

One holidaymaker said: ‘We heard that the incident involved an Asian family. Children got into difficulty and adults went in the water after them, only to get into difficulty as well. 

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A search and rescue mission was underway on Wednesday night in West Mersea, Essex 

A number of people are feared to have drowned after a family are believed to have entered the water

‘Other people on the beach went into the water to try and help, but it looks like there were fatalities.’ 

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Two air ambulances landed on the green beside the caravan park’s Sandbanks bar and restaurant while the coastguard helicopter is reported to have landed on the beach. 

Witnesses reported seeing at least one casualty being loaded into an air ambulance, while others said they had heard reports of ‘multiple people in the water’. 

A caravan owner said: ‘The first we knew something was wrong was when we heard a helicopter overhead. 

‘I spoke to someone who saw the emergency services working on someone and pumping their chest on the beach. 

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‘People were shouting, ‘Come on you can do it’. They couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.’

Essex Police said in a statement on Wednesday night: ‘Emergency services are currently on scene of an ongoing incident in West Mersea.

‘While we remain on scene, we would ask the public to avoid the Seaview Avenue and beach area.

‘We appreciate that this will cause some local issues, but would ask for your patience and understanding as we may be there for some time yet. Thank you.’

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An identical statement was issued on social media by Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said they could not comment. 

An RNLI spokesperson confirmed its West Mersea lifeboat was launched earlier this evening and its lifeboat from Clacton was also sent to the emergency. They added that they did not know the nature of the incident at this stage.

A spokeswoman for the East Anglian Air Ambulance said it had also sent a helicopter to West Mersea, but that they had no further information at this stage. 

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I feel embarrassed to admit that when I first bought my four-bedroom cottage in Somerset, it was with a fantasy that I’d meet the love of my life and we’d fill the house with children. Instead, I ended up with a cohort of lodgers.

I bought my rural, almost-off-grid home, just outside Frome, after leaving my fiancé. Together, we’d often talked about selling my cramped studio flat in London and moving to a farmhouse in rural North Wales, where I grew up.

So when I left him, I bought my own cottage – half-thinking that he would come and find me in it. When he failed to materialise, I started dating again.

Of course, it’s a miracle really that I, a 45-year-old Millennial, had been able to afford to buy in the first place – thanks to a bit of family money, selling my London flat and earning enough to get a good mortgage. For many, it’s almost impossible to get on the property ladder.

So my friends were initially protective over the risk of gold-digging men. ‘You don’t want a man who’s only after you for your house,’ they would tease.

Some were more positive, suggesting that flaunting my lovely, detached home – on a third of an acre! – might bag me a husband.

Boy, they could not have been more wrong. At best, I have found men are totally indifferent to the fact that I own a home and, at worst, it seems to act as a man repellent.

I met a nice solicitor who impressed on me that he owned his own place in a nearby village. We went for a few drinks, the conversation flowed, the attraction seemed matched.

But things went sharply downhill on our second date, when he picked me up for dinner at the local pub. My house – a fat cottage but no country pile – was bigger than he’d expected, he said. He noted how much I must be earning to live in it. He stopped trying to discover who I was and instead began making assumptions: I must come from a privileged background; I must be very independent; I must never usually date men from his background.

This was insane talk to me, as he was solidly middle-class. But it seemed I’d dented his pride. He did not offer to pay for dinner and I was relieved not to hear from him again.

Another man I briefly dated – who, despite being in his 40s, still lived with his parents – showed his irritation by making endless digs about what a poor job I was making of the renovation work – and how he’d tackle it differently.

The defensiveness of these men was off the charts. My dates would, unbidden, launch into a full rundown of their own financial position and their intention to get a mortgage, while aggressively listing the reasons they hadn’t yet – when I hadn’t enquired and didn’t care.

Friends report similar experiences. ‘My ex-boyfriend was so jealous of my house that he became fixated on buying one of exactly the same value,’ said one. ‘He started sending me Rightmove links to properties, which he seemed to think would impress me. Instead, I just thought he was delusional because I knew he couldn’t afford it. He was always making nasty remarks about how “not everyone can just buy a house and do it up”.’

She sold her cramped studio flat in London and moved to a charming four-bed farmhouse in rural North Wales

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One of Katie’s dates said that her property, on a third of an acre, was bigger than he expected. Another made snide comments about how he’d tackle the renovation work differently 

Another friend admits: ‘Even if they like you, it pushes them away.’ Her ex-husband was so frustrated that she held the house deeds in their marriage that he ‘wouldn’t work and was constantly angry with me’.

All of this comes as a surprise to me. Property ownership is not something I look for, but if I was dating a man with a decent-sized home, I’d consider it a bonus. I have a male friend I’d never particularly fancied, until one evening, drinking in the garden of his gorgeous Georgian pile, I found myself dreaming about marriage. I also dated a lord whose stately home impressed me far more than his title.

Yet men don’t seem to find women’s houses nearly so intoxicating. Perhaps this is because women’s interest in equity stems from a time when we married because our financial – and domestic – security depended on it. Until 50 years ago, lenders refused single women mortgages. It was only after the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, which banned discriminating against someone because of their sex or marital status, that things changed.

Now more women than ever are applying for mortgages on their own. Skipton Building Society has recorded up to 11.5 per cent more solo female applicants than solo male applicants in recent years, especially among younger women – in their 20s and 30s.

Only one man I dated stands out as an exception. The first time he came to my cottage, he cooed and compared himself to Elizabeth Bennet arriving at Pemberley. To be honest, that gave me the ick.

I haven’t felt truly disheartened. Indeed, I’ve found men hating my house to be a boon – I’ve thrived alone among the peace and roses.

But I do wonder if it will turn out that men simply don’t like girlie pink cottages with beams to bang their heads on? Anyway, soon I plan to swap it for a penthouse in London or a one-bedroom garden flat – because I’m bored of country living. Perhaps then they’ll come running.

The Liverpool latest centres on club owners Fenway Sports Group and new head coach Andoni Iraola

This summer has perhaps not gone entirely as expected for Liverpool. It began with the seismic news of Arne Slot’s dismissal and the subsequent appointment of Andoni Iraola.

Following that, the club acted swiftly in the market by securing the services of Spanish winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5million. Transfer activity has since cooled, with the Reds still needing major surgery on their squad following the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate.

Matters have been somewhat complicated by news that the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have confirmed that a consortium of investors have made an approach regarding a stake in the club. Today’s latest news sees FSG break their silence on the investment bid, while Iraola has underscored his transfer objectives for the Reds.

FSG break silence over investment claims

Liverpool owners FSG have confirmed that a consortium led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia has approached them about a stake in the club.

The group is backed by the Mittal family, whose net worth was most recently valued at over £26 billion by Forbes. On Tuesday, Bhatia was confirmed to have left his role as co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, with the London club announcing his departure on its official website.

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Our sister title, the Liverpool ECHO, says the negotiations are being viewed as similar to the agreement with Dynasty Equity in 2023, which was worth between £82m and £164m.

An FSG statement given to the ECHO said: “An investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.”

No agreement is in place and talks remain at an early stage according to sources briefed on the matter. Matters were also complicated by the news that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was approached with an opportunity to join a new consortium of investors eyeing a stake in Liverpool..

According to Sky Sports, there is a notable sense of caution regarding Bezos’s potential involvement and it is far from certain that he will ultimately proceed with the move. FSG bought Liverpool for £300m in October 2010. The 20-time Premier League champions are currently valued at £5.2bn by Forbes.

Iraola makes demands clear

Andoni Iraola has outlined his ambitions for the remainder of Liverpool’s transfer window. Speaking from the United States after the Reds touched down in Chicago for the first step of their pre-season tour, the Basque made his demands clear.

Following the departure of Salah this summer, the Reds remain in the market for at least one winger. Iraola also admitted that right-back could be an area of focus, depending on Conor Bradley‘s recovery from a long-term knee injury.

The Liverpool boss said: “I think it is difficult to say a number when the market is open. You have to be always open to new options to improve the squad. There are obvious situations where we need to sign players.

“A winger for example, we definitely need to sign a winger, but there are other situations where we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what is the cost, how we also see the players we have.

“We have some tricky positions where we have injured players, that we trust, but it is still not the ideal situation, so it will depend on a lot of things.

“[At right-back] I think it depends on the Conor situation, at the end if you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go, and we would not be asking ourselves these questions.”

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Youth and community organisations working across the area have issued a joint statement condemning anti-social behaviour

Youth, community and sports organisations working across West Belfast have issued a joint statement condemning threats towards youth workers, anti-social behaviour, and violence that has left their community living in fear.

On Saturday night, July 18, large crowds of up to 100 people gathered in the Stewartstown Road area. A police officer was injured, and several PSNI vehicles were damaged in the incidents.

Bins and loading cages were placed across part of the road at its junction with Bell Steel Road, with fires being set from some of those bins. Throughout the day, police launched an operation relating to dangerous driving in the area with a large number of young people travelling at speed on scrambler-type bikes. The PSNI said many riders had their faces partially covered and were not wearing helmets.

The trouble came after weeks of sporadic disorder in the area, with scenes of anti-social behaviour outside flats over weeks, and trouble breaking out at the beginning of May at a diffing event in memory of Shea McGreevy, who died in a jetski incident in Lough Neagh.

Groups including the West Belfast Partnership Board, Lagmore Youth Project, Colin Gaels, St Lukes FC, Féile an Phobail, the Upper Springfield Development Trust and more have issued a joint statement condemning such scenes of violence.

The statement reads: “Colin is a proud, resilient community with a wealth of outstanding youth, community and sports organisations that work every day to improve people’s lives.

“In recent weeks, these organisations have gone above and beyond, providing additional programmes, increasing outreach, supporting families and engaging directly with young people on the streets to help keep them safe. Their commitment has been unwavering.

“The scenes witnessed on the Stewartstown Road have no place in our community. They offer nothing but fear, intimidation, destruction and an unacceptable risk to residents, businesses, road users and, most importantly, our young people.”

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In a message to those behind such disorder, the statement continues: “Those orchestrating and encouraging this behaviour need to stop living in the past and come into the 21st century. They are exploiting young people for their own ends while placing lives at risk and undermining the work of those who dedicate themselves to creating opportunities and hope.

“Our youth workers, community organisations and sports clubs provide positive pathways for young people every day. We encourage parents, families and the wider community to support that work by encouraging young people to get involved in positive activities and to reject those who seek to draw them into dangerous and criminal behaviour.

“Keeping our community safe is a shared responsibility. Parents, families, statutory agencies and the wider community all have a role to play in challenging this behaviour and supporting young people to make positive choices.

“We will not allow a small minority to drag our community backwards or to intimidate those who spend their lives working to improve it. Youth and community workers are frontline workers. They deserve to carry out their vital work free from intimidation, threats and abuse. There must be zero tolerance for anyone who targets them.

“As a sector, we stand in solidarity with every youth and community worker serving the Colin area. We will continue to support our young people, stand with our communities and work together to ensure that those who seek to spread fear and division will not succeed.”

Chief Inspector Kelly Gibson, PSNI West Belfast Area Commander, said: “We know the local community is very concerned about what took place in west Belfast on Saturday night – and of ongoing antisocial behaviour in the area.

“We’re continuing to progress our investigation and to review evidence from the weekend. As such, we intend to make further arrests following these shameful scenes.

“Our targeted patrols will subsequently continue in the Stewartstown Road and surrounding areas to detect offenders on bikes who are driving illegally.

“We would reiterate our appeal to parents and guardians to speak to their young people and warn them of the dangers of getting involved in behaviour which could result in them obtaining a criminal record.

“We’d also ask that the community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of scrambler-type bikes so we can help to make our roads safer for everyone. The safety of local communities is paramount, and our officers have been working closely alongside our partner agencies, local representatives and the community to address these problems.”

Any photos or digital footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dash-cam footage, can now be shared with police through the Major Incident Public Portal here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI26W20-PO1

Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information can contact police using our witness appeal form at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, quoting reference 346 of 18/07/26, or call us on 101.

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The prize fund on the Powerball regularly exceeds a billion dollars with a record-breaking win of $2.04 billion won in 2022

Lottery players in Belfast bought the most tickets online on launch day as the UK joins the American Powerball lottery for the first time this week.

Powerball tickets went on sale across the UK on Tuesday. National Lottery players have been snapping up tickets for their chance to win the world’s biggest rolling jackpot game for the very first time tonight.

With hundreds of thousands of tickets sold across retail and online through the National Lottery website and app in the first 24 hours alone, Powerball fever is here as players take their chance on the life-changing estimated £300M jackpot.

When it comes to who is playing, digital players in Belfast purchased the most tickets in the UK on launch day.

Meanwhile, a customer at The Candy Bar in Ballymena was one of the first to buy a physical ticket when they went on sale at 5am on Tuesday morning.

Players have until 11.55 pm on Wednesday, 22nd July to secure their chance to be part of Powerball history, ahead of the first draw at around 4 am (UK time) on Thursday 23rd July. Following the launch, draws will take place three times a week from the Powerball studio in Florida.

The game is behind some of the world’s most extraordinary lottery wins, including the record-breaking jackpot worth more than $2.04 billion won in 2022. With uncapped jackpots starting at £10 million and capable of growing into the hundreds of millions, and even beyond £1 billion, Powerball offers prize potential unlike anything previously available through The National Lottery.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “What a brilliant start, as Powerball fever grips the UK and our players get their tickets for the very first draw! The £300M jackpot is bigger than any UK jackpot ever won so this is a massive moment for UK National Lottery players.

“A win of this size, scooping Powerball Money, opens up a world of possibility and allows you to dream bigger than ever before.”

Priced at £4 per line, UK players will play for a chance to win the shared jackpot by matching five main numbers plus the Powerball, with the jackpot paid to UK winners over 30 years.

Players choose five main numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26, or can opt for a Lucky Dip.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Yemen’s Houthis say they have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as the US launched its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.

Iranian state media said two people had been killed in the US strikes on Wednesday, and a tanker caught fire in an explosion in a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ahead of the latest round of strikes, US President Donald Trump had threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant if Iran attacked a ship in the strait and to “take care of” the Houthis if they blocked the Red Sea.

If confirmed, the Houthi attack would be the first since the Iran-backed group announced a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis named the tankers as the Encelia and the Layla, though neither their responsibility, nor the attack on the Layla has been confirmed.

The group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said they had targeted the ships with drones and missiles for allegedly violating its naval blockade.

Saree added that the Houthis promised to continue their naval operations and would continue “enforcing the ‘siege for a siege’ equation”.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency confirmed early on Thursday that the Encelia was struck “while sailing in the Red Sea”, resulting in a fire on its bow.

Citing an unnamed official source at the Transport General Authority, it described the attack as a violation of international law. All crew were safe, it reported.

UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) reported an “unknown projectile” struck a Saudi tanker about 130km from Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia at 20:00 GMT. The attack caused a fire but no casualties, it said.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard also reported that the Saudi tanker Encelia had been hit.

US Central Command (Centcom) said at 21:30 GMT it had launched strikes at Trump’s direction “to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters”.

The strikes targeted “Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets,” it said.

Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain soon reported responding to airborne threats, before Iran’s military said they had targeted US assets in all three countries, according to AFP.

Iranian state media reported two people had been killed in US strikes on the country’s south near its border with Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said the Strait of Hormuz was “completely closed” after an explosion in the channel, Iranian state media reported.

The IRGC said it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the strait.

One tanker caught fire and two others turned back after attempting to pass through a mined route south of the strait, according to Iranian state media.

It comes after Trump promised earlier on Wednesday to attack an Iranian bridge or power plant if its forces hit ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later warned of an “eye for an eye” response to attacks on Iran.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters he would “take care of the Houthis” should they obstruct the Red Sea as they had said.

Few details of the “maritime embargo” were given by the Houthis when it was announced on Monday, but a media official said they were closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait – the Red Sea’s southern gateway – to Saudi vessels.

The next 10 days of weather are crucial in determining the impact of record-breaking dry and hot conditions on food supplies in Britain, farmers have warned. 

The South-East has seen the longest spell of no rainfall for more than 30 years, while England as a whole has had just 3 per cent of its long-term average July rainfall – and 23million people across the country are now under or facing hosepipe restrictions.

Three heatwaves have brought the UK’s hottest ever days in May and June, while the latest one earlier this month saw 12 consecutive days of temperatures above 30C.

Now, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned that ‘the next week to ten days could have an impact’ on food supplies given some areas have not yet harvested.

Cucumbers are also under threat after extreme heat in Spain and Morocco led to an overreliance on Dutch imports where suppliers are charging over £1 per vegetable. 

The National Drought Group has revealed this year’s extreme conditions have had a ‘severe impact on our environment and affecting water supplies and food production’.

The organisation – which brings together the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers and conservation experts – said harvests have begun early and the heat was increasing the risk of fires breaking out in combine harvesters.

The high temperatures are also said to be causing moisture issues for cereals while spring barley yields are set to be impacted by a lack of rain earlier in the season.

Parched fairways at Scraptoft Golf Club in Leicestershire yesterday as dry weather continues

Visitors enjoy the hot weather at East Cliff beach in West Bay, Dorset, yesterday afternoon

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Scorched and parched grass at Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon, south-west London, yesterday

People queue for ice cream at the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire yesterday

Some farmers in East Anglia, where it has been very dry, have had to stop abstracting water from local rivers because of the reduced flows caused by limited rainfall. 

An NFU spokesman told The Independent: ‘Some areas haven’t harvested yet so what happens over the next week to ten days could have an impact. We’re asking the Environment Agency to be flexible when it comes to abstraction.’

South-east England has now seen the longest unbroken spell of no recorded rainfall since 1995, with an average of zero rainfall measured across the organisation’s weather stations in the region for 17 days in a row.

London has now not had rain for 25 days since June 27 – while Wisley in Surrey holds the current record, having had 34 consecutive dry days.

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said: ‘Farmers and growers across the country are working around the clock to harvest crops which have come early, keep fruit and vegetables watered, and care for their livestock.

‘Parts of the country, particularly in the east and south, have seen exceptionally low rainfall this spring and summer, creating real challenges for farm businesses.

‘For many arable farmers, this could be another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather impacts in both 2024 and 2025 which saw both drought and flood.

‘To help farmers adapt, we must strengthen resilience to climate volatility. That means a more responsive abstraction licensing system, a consistent positive approach in planning to make building reservoirs easier, which will lead to investment in on-farm water storage.’

Extreme heat across Europe and North Africa has caused a shortage of cucumbers in the UK, according to the Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA).

Its secretary Lee Stiles said: ‘Reports of early aborted flowers in Spain and Morocco due to the heat has meant that Holland is the main cucumber market at the moment.

‘The Dutch are charging over £1 per cucumber at present and therefore the supermarkets can either pay the price or choose to have a lack of supply and empty shelves.

‘We have been here before many times due to climate change and global conflict and it once again highlights the importance of British food security.’

The LVGA represents 75 per cent of the UK cucumber crop, but the country is just 20 per cent self-sufficient for the vegetable.

The Met Office expects some parts of the North and West could start to see some rain from this weekend, although conditions will remain warm and dry in the South.

Chief forecaster Steve Willington said: ‘The high pressure has been a key feature of the UK’s weather forecast over the last few weeks, bringing above-average temperatures and extremely dry conditions for many.

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‘However, we will begin to see a modest change as a weak weather front pushes south across the UK on Saturday bringing some much-needed rain, albeit it light and mainly concentrated in the North and West.

‘Behind the front a showery air mass will bring potentially heavy showers some of which may be thundery.’

Next week some Atlantic dominated weather fronts will push in from the West and bring some rain, but there will also be brighter spells bringing temperatures in the mid-20Cs.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Greg Wolverson added: ‘Although there is a return to rain in the forecast, we have just come out of an exceptionally dry spell and the forecast rain is unlikely to be widespread or substantial.

‘Many areas are likely to continue experiencing prevailing dry conditions for the foreseeable future, especially in southern England.’

It comes after the Environment Agency said ‘prolonged dry weather’ has now been declared in East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs.

This means these eight areas are one stage away from official drought status, as dry and hot conditions continue for large parts of the country.

Six reservoirs are also classed as having ‘notably low’ levels, the regulator said, including Wimbleball in Somerset, Grafham in Cambridgeshire and Hanningfield in Essex.

Only 13 per cent of rivers are classed at normal levels for this time of year, with the Avon (Hampshire), Cam, Derwent (Yorkshire), Swale, Tone, Wye and Yare seeing exceptionally low levels.

There have been 28 days in 2026, consecutive and non-consecutive, when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the UK: seven in May, eight in June and 13 in July.

The Thames Water hosepipe ban covers the 10.1million customers that the firm supplies across London, the Thames Valley and the home counties. These areas are marked in blue

The record for the number of 30C-plus days in a calendar year is 34, which was set in 1995. 

It comes as Britain’s biggest water company implemented a hosepipe ban for 10.1million customers.

Thames Water said the restriction, also known as a temporary use ban (TUB), came into effect at 12.01am on Thursday.

The ban applies to all customers that it supplies with drinking water across London, the Thames Valley and the Home Counties – but not to waste-only customers.

It means hosepipes should not be used for watering gardens, cleaning cars or windows, or filling paddling pools, hot tubs or swimming pools.

The company is the latest in a string of utilities to announce a temporary use ban in recent weeks.

Officials say 23million people across England are now under or facing restrictions.

On Monday, South East Water announced that a hosepipe ban in Kent will be extended to parts of Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire from Saturday.

Bans are also in place for Southern Water customers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and South West Water customers in parts of Devon and Lyme Regis in Dorset.

Customers of Cambridge Water, Affinity Water and Anglian Water, which supply areas in the East of England, have also introduced restrictions.

Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews has suffered a huge blow as his own family turned on him in a new shocking statement on Wednesday. 

Lee has recently been released from prison in Dubai for a second time after facing allegations of fraud. 

Now in a new statement seen by the The Sun, Lee school friends said: ‘Kelly Andrews and I just want to take a moment to speak the truth.

‘Recent information shared has brought forward evidence that has left us both shocked.

‘We are the first to admit when we’re wrong, and now that there is proof, we feel it’s important to acknowledge that.

‘We also want people to understand that this involves Kelly’s brother, which makes this incredibly painful for their family.

‘The Lee we knew was never like this, which makes it even harder for us, as his sister and as a friend, to get our heads around everything that’s come to light.’

Lee was taken by police to Lahab police station in the Dubai desert on July 10 and was scrambling to raise a £120,000 fine.

His father Peter was said to have been thrown into the same jail as Lee after being reported to officials on suspicion of fraud.

On Monday, it was reported Lee had been released but his father still remained behind bars. However, insiders have now said Peter is out and has spoken to Lee’s wife, Katie. 

‘Katie is aware that Peter has been let out and has spoken to him,’ a source told The Sun. 

‘She’s focusing on her life and job commitments in the UK at the moment and just putting her best foot forward’ 

Katie’s representative declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail. 

Lee and his dad are thought to have seen each other while behind bars as they both faced allegations of fraud. 

The sources added that Lee had to raise funds to pay off his debts before he could be released. 

Earlier this month, it was reported that Lee was put behind bars once again just a month after his release from Dubai prison Al Awir, yet was ‘bragging’ he was set for release as he had raised the £120,000 fine he was faced with.

Katie had been communicating with Lee’s father Peter when he first went missing in May, and it was he who first confirmed to the Daily Mail that his son had been arrested.

It’s thought that Lee’s wife Katie has finally reached ‘the end of her tether’ with her husband, with pals urging her to finally ‘leave him’.

A source said: ‘Both Lee and his dad are now behind bars, in the same prison. Lee maintains his innocence, and is hoping to pay off his outstanding debts and get out of that hell hole as quickly as possible.’

In a new statement, Lee’s family said: ‘The Lee we knew was never like this, which makes it even harder for us, as his sister, to get our heads around everything that’s come to light’

‘He is trying to raise the collateral to get him out of the country, and return to the UK where he hopes to start his life afresh.’

‘Whether poor Katie will be there to greet him on the other side remains to be seen. Right now she is furious with it all, and fed up with all the drama and white noise her husband is bringing. Friends are urging her to leave him.’

Earlier this week it was also revealed that Lee has allegedly been ‘touting his sex tape with wife Katie for months’ amid his plans to sell the footage for £250,000.

New reports claim Lee has considered selling the video to Vivid Entertainment, who cashed in on leaked videos of Kim Kardashian and Pamela Anderson.

Reports then emerged claiming a voice note allegedly sent by Lee to a friend before he was detained on fraud allegations, captures him discussing a tape that ‘might go for a pretty penny’. 

In the alleged recording, Lee reportedly says he needs to ‘get cash quickly’ and suggests the tape could earn him £250,000. He reportedly backtracked when he learnt that it would be illegal, saying he had only been joking. 

Katie has denied all claims of ever making a sex tape with Lee.

Claims of the sex tape were first documented by The Sun, who reported hearing a voice note allegedly made by Lee in which he discussed money making plans. 

They claim: ‘Lee was touting a “sex tape” he said he had of him and Katie around in the US. He seemed to be pretty au fait with companies he needed to contact.

‘People were talking about it over here, saying he’d contacted Vivid Entertainment and other companies who distribute adult content.

‘He had money on his mind too and there was a suggestion on his side of getting an advance of £250,000. It’s absolutely crazy. He wasn’t taken seriously and it all came to nothing in the end, but that didn’t stop him trying.’ 

The Daily Mail has contacted Katie and Lee’s representatives for a comment. 

Katie hit back at the reports of a sex tape on Saturday, sharing a statement that read: ‘This story is completely untrue. I have never made such a tape and any suggestion otherwise is false and deeply misleading.

‘The claims appear to be based on a voice note sent from Lee discussing a tape…a tape which does not exist and never will. This material has been passed to The Sun by a third party and does not reflect reality.’

She added: ‘I feel incredibly upset, abused and humiliated that such serious and false allegations have been shared publicly without any factual basis.’ 

In the voice note, Lee reportedly said ‘I could always release my sex tape with my wife, but it might go for a pretty penny. Yeah, there is a short one of that, but that’s between you and me.

‘So see if a newspaper will pay for that — quarter of a million f***ing quid…’

However, apparently when Lee was warned that it was illegal without Katie’s consent, he quickly backtracked on his alleged plans.

He reportedly replies: ‘I was not serious on that mate we have OnlyFans we will do our thing on this.’