Anti-migrant campaigner ‘Danny Tommo’ has accused Left-wing activists of sabotaging a boat he bought to help police the English Channel after it sank.

Daniel Thomas is founder of the Patriot Platform, a group of protesters he describes as ‘working-class men who are bricklayers, roofers and carpenters who build the house you live in, the roads you drive on’.

They have been involved in recent anti-migrant disturbances in Dover in Kent and his home town of Portsmouth earlier this month, the latter of which forced the city’s RNLI station to close.

Earlier this year the 37-year-old’s followers helped pay for a small rigid-hulled inflatable boat, called The Patriot, which was intended to be used to patrol the sea between England and France.

However, having posted about his team having access to the boat on social media site X in April, the vessel then sank in Littlehampton, West Sussex, weeks later.

Two months later Thomas launched a crowdfunding appeal to salvage the vessel and  suggested, without evidence, that it could have been a result of sabotage by his political opponents.

A video was posted on his YouTube channel with the title: ‘EMERGENCY: Left Trying To Seize/Destroy Our Boat – Need To Move It ASAP! #ThePatriot’.

He wrote: ‘I’m paying £400 myself, just need a little help with the rest if your able to! If you can help in any way, please support us right now. Every contribution gets the boat out and back into action.

‘This is our boat. Our future. Our resistance.’

The Times now reports that the vessel had got into problems due to mechanical issues at the mouth of the river Arun and began to sink in Littlehampton Harbour, where officials had to retrieve it. 

While Mr Thomas later collected it, the boat’s present whereabouts are said to be unknown and it has reportedly not been used by him since. 

A campaign on the website GiveSendGo, so far generating more than £20,000, shows Mr Thomas promising to use donations for ‘new boats and marine equipment for essential water-based operations’.

Money would also go towards fuel, accommodation and storage for the group’s ‘assets’, the appeal states.

Mr Thomas has previously shared on social media an invoice suggesting he was charged £1,775 by Littlehampton Harbour, including £738 for use of a recovery vessel. 

He posted a video of the boat on X on August 25 this year accompanied by the message: ‘”The Patriot” is about to receive a full makeover and will return stronger than ever, ready for the Patriot Platform.

‘Thank you to the lads who are about to make her sea worthy again.’

The campaigner, known as ‘Danny Tommo’, has shared online fundraising appeals to help restore the vessel

The boat got into problems due mechanical issues at the mouth of the river Arun and began to sink in Littlehampton Harbour, where officials had to retrieve it

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Mr Thomas previously served time in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and is a long-time associate of far-Right campaigner Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Father-of-four and roofing company director Mr Thomas has a military background, having served as a tank driver with the King’s Royal Hussars.

But his Army career was cut short, having been discharged on medical grounds before seeing any active service.

He has said that his violent past brought him to a turning point and forced him to recast himself as a Christian activist.

He was jailed for two years in 2016 after bursting into the home of Graham Page in Hayling Island, Hampshire, along with two accomplices.

The three men were armed with knives and shouted ‘you’re coming with us’ before punching the victim, pinning him against a wall and trying to force him from his home.

They had wrongly accused Mr Page of stealing £10,000 worth of drugs from them.

The Daily Mail has approached Mr Thomas for comment on the latest claims. 

The Met Office has said there could be “air frost” this week

The Met Office has forecast “chilly nights” in parts of the UK this week alongside possible “frost” in the air at times.

It comes as the UK is set to see a generally “warm” week, with temperatures climbing into the mid 20s in places. But the week will also see cooler snaps as well as some strong wind and heavy rain.

The Met Office said that Monday (September 21) will be dry, warm and sunny across southern parts of the UK, with light winds forecast. More clouds and some patchy rain will be expected in the north and west of the country, with temperatures reaching highs of 24C in the south and 22C in the north.

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A cold front will move over the country across Scotland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday (September 22), bring a mix of cloud and sunshine to the country. Temperatures will be warmer in the south east, reaching 25C or 26C.

More changeable conditions are then expected to hit from Wednesday.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson said: “The forecast becomes more changeable from Wednesday as a series of weather fronts move across the UK.

“There remains some uncertainty over the exact track of a frontal system on Wednesday which could bring a spell of heavy rain, particularly across eastern and southeastern Scotland, and potentially parts of northern and northeastern England.”

Mr Wisson continued: “We’re closely monitoring this development and would encourage people to keep up to date with the latest forecasts over the coming days. It’s likely that many southern areas will remain largely dry.

“It’s set to be a notably chilly night on Wednesday into Thursday, with a chance of localised air frost in some rural locations, as cooler air moves in from the northwest.

“Thursday should bring long sunny spells for much of England and Wales, though we’re also monitoring the potential for strong winds to affect the far northwest of the UK. Temperatures in London may reach around 22°C, but another cool night is likely to follow in the south.

“With watchpoints ahead this week, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the forecast as the week goes on.”

Alexander Brennan killed Brodie McGregor at her flat in Glasgow’s Springburn on August 26, 2024.

A thug who brutally murdered his partner in a frenzied attack was given a life sentence. Alexander Brennan, 54, killed young mum Brodie MacGregor, 23, at her flat in Glasgow’s Springburn on August 26 2024.

Brennan left Brodie’s face effectively hanging off after he repeatedly struck her with glass bottles in a scene a witness said would “stay with me forever”. Callous Brennan got rid of his blood-stained trousers and locked Brodie’s dead body inside her flat before dialling 999.

He then boarded a train to the Falkirk area where he told a friend’s partner “I just couldn’t stop.” Brennan, of Larbert, was found guilty today of murdering Brodie and was jailed for a minimum of 22 years.

Judge Lord Scott told him: “You murdered her when she was 23 – there were no victim impact statements but I am told about surviving siblings and a young child left without their mother. You brutally murdered a woman who offered no threat to you.

“A doctor described her injuries as ones seen in high velocity impacts or falling from a building. As she lay there for around an hour, conscious or unconscious, you took no steps to seek medical assistance which would have offered a slight chance that she would survive.

“You showed complete disregard to whether she lived or died.” The High Court in Glasgow previously heard that Brennan had fallen out with Brodie.

A taxi from Stirling dropped Brennan off at Brodie’s home around 1.35am and he went inside. Brodie dialled 999 around 4.35am, where she was heard to say on the call: “You attacked me.”

Officers attended Brodie’s home but were told by her that the call was a mistake and that she was safe in Brennan’s company. CCTV later showed the pair separately leaving the property and walking in the surrounding area before returning to the flat.

Around 9.41am, footage showed Brennan putting his blood stained trousers in a clothing bin near Brodie’s flat. He was seen to place a phone to his ear at 9.55am in a 999 call which lasted over 90 seconds.

When asked by the call handler if the patient was breathing, Brennan replied: “I don’t think so.”

Later in the call, the handler asked him what happened and he did not respond to the question. Paramedics quickly arrived at the flat but could not get in so the fire brigade were called to force open the door lock.

Witnesses found Brodie lying face down on the living room floor, surrounded by fragments of broken glass bottles. Prosecutor Alan Parfery asked detective sergeant David White what he noticed about Brodie’s mouth and he replied: “It looks like her mouth has been severed completely.

“Her face more or less was hanging off.”

The flat – which was in a state of disarray – was found to have blood in various areas. DS White said: “There was a lot of blood spraying which extended to the ceiling. This was one that stood out for me and will stay with me forever.”

Brodie was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene at 10.15am. Meantime, Brennan was on a train to Camelon in the Falkirk area where he visited the home of friend Robert McCallum.

Mr McCallum’s then partner Tina Marie Hatton, 46, told jurors that Brennan had “blood all over him” and she put his stained jumper in the washing machine. Miss Hatton asked what had happened and was told “I couldn’t stop.”

When asked by Mr Parfery if he gave an explanation for the comment or who he was referring to, Miss Hatton said: “He just mentioned Brodie and that she was a b****.”

Miss Hatton added that Brennan told her that he was “done.”

Hatton was seen on CCTV to go into a shop that day and the next day before his eventual arrest at an associate’s house in Stirling on August 28.

The blood stained jumper was seized from the washing machine and the trousers were recovered from the clothing bin. The blood on the garments was found to have come from Brodie.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Brodie after her death identified a total of 78 injuries to her head and body.

Doctor Julie McAdam, 54, stated that Brodie’s cause of death was “facial injures.”

The doctor added: “She had extensive facial injuries.

“There were a mixture of blunt force injuries, bruises, abrasions and lacerations.

“She also had severe sharp force injuries to her face, particularly her mouth.”

An injury which separated Brodie’s lips from her gumline, is one the experienced pathologist said she had never seen before.

Brodie was described as having two “bilateral black eyes”, which Dr McAdam said is seen in “high velocity injuries, people in road traffic injuries or seriously assaulted.”

It was further stated that Brodie had also swallowed a lot of blood which filled her lungs and airways.

Dr McAdam added that Brodie would have been alive for an hour after suffering her injuries and could have survived had medical assistance been sought sooner.

The advocate depute suggested a scenario that the face and head injuries could be explained by Brodie being struck with intact and broken glass and then being continued to be struck with broken glass.

Dr McAdam replied: “Yes.”

Mr Parfery told jurors in his closing speech: “In a stunning act of brutality he struck her with broken glass bottles multiple times.”

Brian McConnachie KC, defending, stated after the verdict: “As far as events are concerned, he has very little recollection.

“As I understand it, he has some recollection of an argument taking place but has unable through proceedings to accept total responsibility for what took place.”

It was revealed that Brennan has previous convictions for assaults which include to injury.

Family and friends flocked to social media to pay tribute to the mum following her death.

One wrote: “So sad. RIP Brodie, thoughts go out to her family.

Another said: “May her soul rest in peace and her family stay strong. My thoughts are with them all.”

A third added: “Poor girl, RIP sweetheart. My thoughts are with your family and friends.”

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Meghan Markle will not be joining Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards celebrating the achievements and resilience of seriously ill youngsters and their families.

The Duchess of Sussex has not been seen at a public event since the Sussexes returned to the UK in late August, and speculation was rife she would attend the event being staged later in London.

Harry attended major events associated with his Invictus Games on consecutive days last week but there was no sign of his wife.

It has been reported Meghan is aiming to rekindle her work with her UK-based charities but it is understood she will not attend today’s charity event.

Harry has been patron of WellChild – the national charity for seriously ill children and their families – since 2007 and regularly attends the awards ceremony.

The engagement is described as ‘continuing his long association with WellChild as the charity’s patron’, with the awards, which he has attended 15 times, being a ‘significant part of his annual programme’.

In a message on the charity’s website the duke said: ‘It is always a privilege to be part of the WellChild Awards and to meet the extraordinary children, young people, families and professionals whose courage and determination inspire us all.

‘This year feels particularly special as we celebrate 20 years of the WellChild Nurse programme; two decades of supporting thousands of children and families and helping them to live more of their lives at home.

‘These awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that impact, but above all to celebrate the incredible people at the heart of it. Their stories are a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through compassion, connection and community.’

During the event Harry will meet this year’s winners and their families, carers and health professionals to hear about their experiences supporting children with serious and complex health needs.

Last Thursday, Harry made his first public appearance since returning to the UK, when he attended an event for the Invictus Games, describing life since his return as ‘eventful’.

He then played pickleball with schoolchildren at Ninestiles Academy in Birmingham on Friday, to mark the launch of a new Invictus Games education scheme called Inspire.

The duke’s public engagements come as the serialisation of a book about his mother Diana, Princess of Wales written by his uncle Earl Spencer made serious allegations against the King.

The earl accused the monarch of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace pushed back against allegations that he said ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’ after Diana died.

Prince Harry play fights with a WellChild award winner at the last ceremony in September 2025

Since the Sussexes flew home on August 26 they have been involved in their own public spat with Buckingham Palace about their status and their children have moved schools after issues were raised by their security team about the school run.

The Sussexes stepped down as working royals in 2020 for personal and financial reasons but rumours remain rife as to why they unexpectedly relocated to the UK from California, where they had created a life away from the institution of the monarchy.

Speculation ranges from the couple wanting their children to develop a closer relationship with their grandfather the King, Meghan seeking a return to acting and the Sussexes wanting to increase their profile.

In the run-up to their return Charles was said to be glad to be able to spend more time with the Sussex family, but remained adamant they would not be working royals, and there was no half-in, half-out option.

Within two weeks of arriving there was reported pushback from the Sussexes after a letter, authorised by the King, was circulated by the Lord Chamberlain to senior stakeholders in the Government and military reiterating the couple were ‘private citizens’ and setting out guidance on how they should be treated.

Harry and Meghan were said to be ‘surprised’ by the formal letter and the couple, who are waiting to hear whether they will be given taxpayer-funded security, were reported to prefer the term ‘public figures’ instead.

School has been an issue for the Sussexes, with their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, moved to a new undisclosed institution after just two days in class.

The decision came after heavy traffic and the lengthy journey to the school reportedly put the Sussexes’ security team under strain.

Declan Rice and Cole Palmer lead the withdrawals from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad since the World Cup, with Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner receiving call-ups.

Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento have also pulled out of the squad for the Nations League games against world champions Spain, Czech Republic and Croatia due to injuries.

Vice-captain Rice, who featured in Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday, made 69 appearances for club and country last season through to the end of the World Cup and England are being careful with his load management.

Palmer, who was recalled by Tuchel last week after he was left out of England’s squad for the World Cup, is reportedly dealing with a small muscle injury, though he completed Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night.

The 24-year-old has featured in all five of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this term but struggled with injuries in a disrupted campaign last season, recently saying during a Twitch stream that he “had one leg for 10 months”.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick confirmed Rashford picked up an “issue” during the 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday, with the forward substituted while appearing to be struggling with his hip – which was a persistent issue over the summer.

Midfielder Mainoo, who travelled to this summer’s World Cup but did not play a single minute of the tournament under Tuchel, was also substituted during the closing stages of the draw at Craven Cottage, while Livramento missed Newcastle’s win over Hull.

Gibbs-White, meanwhile, has received his first England call-up in almost a year. The Nottingham Forest captain, who has scored more Premier League goals this calendar year than any other player, missed out on England’s World Cup squad despite his outstanding form.

Gibbs-White has yet to start a match for England but won the last of his six caps in October last year when he featured as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 win over Wales.

The 26-year-old was also overlooked last week when Tuchel named his first squad since the World Cup but Palmer’s withdrawal has opened up a place in the No 10 position, with Phil Foden once again overlooked.

Everton midfielder Garner received his first England call-up in March, with Tuchel praising his versatility, but he missed out on the World Cup due to Mainoo’s strong end to the season.

England will play four matches over the newly expanded three-week international break, kicking off against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday 26 September.

That is followed by trips to Czech Republic and Croatia, before concluding the set of Nations League games against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday 6 October.

Updated England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Jason Steele

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrad Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Lewis Hall, Nico O’Reilly

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, James Garner, Morgan Gibbs-White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Alex Scott

Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka

Nats saying the two incidents in September are unrelated does not offer reassurance, the managing director of Wizz Air UK said.

Yvonne Moynihan said in a statement: “Last week, a Nats system failure brought widespread disruption to the south of the UK. Today, another failure has affected the north. Passengers and airlines are entitled to ask: which part of the country will be next?

“Nats claims the two incidents are unrelated. Far from offering reassurance, this raises an even more serious question: how many other hidden weaknesses remain within its systems? Repeated apologies are no longer enough.

“Nats must urgently fix these failures, demonstrate that robust back-up systems are in place and provide full transparency about how repeated outages can occur within such a short period.

“Airlines are once again being left to manage the operational and financial consequences of a failure entirely outside their control while passengers pay the real price through delays, cancellations and disrupted plans. This cannot continue.”

Donald Trump declared today that Russia has ‘lost control’ of its diesel industry after a Ukrainian blitz, even as his own war with Iran sends US fuel prices to record highs.

‘A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning.

‘This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended,’ he said, claiming 25,000 people, ‘mostly soldiers’, were being killed every month. ‘What a shame!’

The statement came hours after Trump pressed Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Kyiv‘s strikes on Russian refineries during a Sunday phone call, the Financial Times reported. 

The president’s message was ‘diesel, diesel . . . diesel’, a senior Ukrainian official on the call told the paper. A second official said Trump wanted Russian fuel flowing back onto the world market to push prices down.  

Trump claimed a week ago that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to stop striking each other’s energy sites, while blaming the global diesel spike on the Ukraine war rather than his conflict in Iran. Ukrainian officials said no such truce existed. 

The US and Israel’s strikes on Iran in February effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes. US diesel hit a record $6.51 on Monday, according to AAA, up from about $3.76 before the war. 

The squeeze has become a headache for Republicans weeks before the midterm elections. Diesel prices are particularly important to the economy because the fuel powers trucks, trains and farm machinery that move food and goods. 

Flame and smoke is seen rising from Moscow’s oil refinery in the south east of the city following a largescale Ukrainian drone attack, Sunday

Flame and smoke is seen rising from Moscow’s oil refinery in the south east of the city following a largescale Ukrainian drone attack, Sunday

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Trump’s call with Zelensky came hours after Ukraine launched what Russian officials said was the largest drone attack ever on Moscow, setting a major oil refinery ablaze and killing at least two people.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were shot down.

Kyiv’s drone crews have increasingly targeted the intricate distillation towers that are among the longest parts of Russian refineries to repair. 

Around a third of Russia’s refining capacity has been knocked out, forcing Moscow to restrict refined-fuel exports and turn to imports from India.

The pressure comes as the war with Iran expands into Yemen, where Saudi Arabia urged Trump over the weekend to strike Iran-backed Houthi targets.  

Trump withdrew at the last minute on Sunday as US commanders were lining up targets and troops had missiles locked and loaded, the New York Times reported.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized territory in Yemen in weekend fighting with Saudi-backed forces. The fighting has further threatened shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route for global energy supplies.  

The route has become more important as the conflict has disrupted other energy corridors, including Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, which carries Aramco oil around Hormuz. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russian Federal Customs Service Valery Pikalev in Moscow, Monday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) attends a ceremony of the National flag rising in the reclaimed city of Izyum in Kharkiv’s area, Ukraine, 2022

Putin said this month he had ordered his forces to prepare a mass air strike campaign in retaliation for Kyiv’s attacks on Russian energy sites.

‘They are hitting ours. They’ll get an answer. That’s basically how it is,’ he said.

The Kremlin leader is unlikely to agree to any energy truce before winter is out, when his forces plan a punishing air assault on Ukraine’s grid, people briefed on his thinking told the FT.

One senior Ukrainian official believes Trump may be sitting on the sweeping Russia sanctions law he signed last week as leverage to get Kyiv to stop the refinery strikes, the paper reported.

Zelensky, who meets Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, defended the campaign on Monday, calling the strikes ‘part of the pressure that is actually working and the world can feel it.’

Axel Rudakubana also allegedly punched an officer and threatened to “soak” another

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was back in court today (Monday, 21 September) after allegedly throwing boiling water mixed with sugar at a prison officer.

During the alleged incident on May 8 last year, Rudakubana threw the substance through a hatch on his cell door at HMP Belmarsh in south London. Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday that “prompt medical attention prevented lasting injury”.

Two days prior, Rudakubana allegedly threatened to “soak” a female officer outside his cell if she did not pass him a newspaper and then threw an “unknown liquid” at her, causing no damage, prosecutor Catherine Pattison said.

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On October 28, Rudakubana also allegedly “punched a male officer who had challenged the defendant when he had attempted to walk past officers seeking to establish if he had taken certain medication”, the prosecutor said.

Ms Pattison added that in June last year, Rudakubana had allegedly sharpened stone shards at the prison, “seemingly prised from the floor of the defendant’s cell”, which were found stuck to the underside of a shelving unit. She went on: “When questioned by a prison officer, he said that he was keeping them for self-defence.”

Rudakubana claimed after the alleged boiling water attack that prison officers had been poisoning his food, the court heard. He is charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and possession of an offensive weapon in prison.

Ms Pattison told the court: “Since his incarceration there have been a number of incidents that have arisen that have resulted in four charges for which he appears before you today.”

Rudakubana, now 20, was given a life sentence for the murders of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. He carried out the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024.

Rudakubana appeared via video link from Broadmoor psychiatric hospital and had his head rested on his hand during the hearing, during which he was not asked to enter pleas. He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on October 19.

In July this year, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that he was transferred from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.

Offenders who present an increased risk and cannot be managed safely in a prison environment because of mental disorders can be moved to secure psychiatric units. People in these units are treated as patients rather than prisoners.

Broadmoor, in Berkshire, is the oldest of the UK’s three high-security hospitals and has held some of the UK’s most high-profile criminals, including Ronnie Kray and serial killer Peter Sutcliffe – also known as the Yorkshire Ripper.

Under the Mental Health Act, officials acting for the Justice Secretary have no choice but to accept the advice of clinical professionals to transfer prisoners to a secure facility.

An offender in a secure hospital will be compelled to engage with treatment and to undertake therapies before any return to prison or release into the community. Where offenders no longer require treatment in hospital, the Act allows a swift return to prison.

A pensioner was forced to have both his legs amputated after it took 29 medical appointments and four years to diagnose a common medical condition.

Nic Olsen, 80, visited his GP in 2020 after he began to experience foot and leg pain.

Believing it was linked to the back problems Mr Olsen had suffered with for years, he was referred to an orthopaedic specialist. 

What followed was years of appointments with consultants, specialists and GPs, as well as endless scans and tests while his pain continued to worsen.

Each time he was sent away with new remedies, including being told to ‘walk more’, put insoles in his shoes or take cholesterol tablets. 

The semi-retired financial adviser from Tugby, Leicestershire, even collapsed and saw his big toes ‘burst open’ before a blockage was finally spotted in the arteries in his lower legs. 

He was diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which causes arteries to narrow due to the build-up of fatty deposits in the walls, leading to blockages.

The common condition affects one in five people over the age of 60 and can be diagnosed with a simple Doppler test, which uses ultrasound to measure blood flow.

However, by the time Mr Olsen was diagnosed, it was already too late and his condition was so advanced that treatment was unlikely to succeed. 

Mr Olsen visited his GP in 2020 after he began to experience foot and leg pain

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He was given an angioplasty followed by two bypass surgeries to reopen the arteries, but after that didn’t work he was forced to have a double amputation.

Both legs may have been saved had he been diagnosed earlier.

His ongoing treatment is also estimated to have cost the NHS £1million. But the figure would have been a fraction of this had his condition been properly diagnosed earlier.

Mr Olsen’s initial symptoms included pain, swollen feet and the loss of the hair on his lower legs – all recognised signs of PAD.

His wife Fiona said the Doppler test would have quickly identified a circulation problem in his legs.

Instead, he had a spectrum of tests including MRI scans, X-rays and blood tests over the next four years.

The mother-of-one, a retired travel and tourism teacher, said: ‘A Doppler is a simple test – you’d be able to hear from that if there is a circulatory problem. But nobody did one for years.’

‘All Nic ever talked about was the pain,’ she added.

‘He would say it was like someone was stabbing him with a carving knife.

‘He had all kinds of examinations and saw all kinds of doctors, surgeons and specialists.

‘Finally, after four years, someone looked at his ultrasound and said, “Oh my God, this is serious”.

‘They tried everything, but we were left with no option but amputation.

‘Nic’s care from start to finish has cost the NHS over £1million – if this condition had been found at the start, it could have been a fraction of that.

‘He could have had an angioplasty there and then, when it was still early, which costs the NHS about £1,000 – and would have saved his legs.

‘He had 29 different appointments before he got a diagnosis, it’s disgraceful. Lessons have to be learnt.’

Mr Olsen, pictured with his wife Fiona and daughter Emma after his double amputation

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For months after his first appointment, Mr Olsen continued trying to find answers to what was causing his pain, as it turned to agony and he became less mobile.

During a holiday to Tenerife in January 2024, one of his toenails burst open and began gushing blood.

However it wasn’t until nine months later that a different podiatrist asked about whether he’d had a Doppler test. 

Mrs Olsen, who is now her husband’s full-time carer, said: ‘She did the Doppler finally and there were no sounds of circulation. We knew then that it was bad.’

He was sent for an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test to record the electrical activity of the heart.

He was also referred to a vascular hospital where a consultant revealed that he had chronic PAD.

Despite the diagnosis, he was just told to walk 10,000 steps a day and was prescribed cholesterol tablets, she said.

In January, 2025, Mr Olsen collapsed from the pain and was unable to walk.

After three further trips to the hospital, a different consultant looked at his ultrasound scan and raised the alarm.

Mr Olsen was sent for an angioplasty – a procedure to unblock arteries – but the procedure didn’t work.

He then underwent an arterial bypass – a large and risky 13-hour surgery, again to no avail

She said: ‘By this point the pain was phenomenal for Nic, so the next option was amputation.’

He had his right leg – the worse of the two – amputated below the knee in April 2025.

Within two weeks of returning home from his amputation, his second foot became ulcerated and he needed a second amputation in July 2025.

Mr Olsen, who also has two sons from a previous relationship, went through months of gruelling rehab using prosthetic legs to walk again.

In June 2026, he was strong enough to walk daughter Emma Olsen, 30, down the aisle on her wedding day.

Mr Olsen went through months of gruelling rehab using prosthetic legs to learn to walk again

Fiona said: ‘Nic is very brave and doesn’t say a lot, but every now and then he’ll gasp from phantom limb pain.

‘I know he has some dark thoughts, but my husband is so strong.

‘Nic is doing so well because of his massive strength and stamina.’

Mr Olsen said: ‘I don’t think any of the people I spoke to knew what PAD was. All the symptoms were ignored.

‘After amputation, it’s two or three weeks after you get home is when reality hits, and you reach your darkest mental state.

‘I slipped through the net. But early diagnosis saves lives, and it’s totally preventable if it’s diagnosed early enough.

‘I wouldn’t be anywhere without Fiona there behind me.’

Mrs Olsen is now campaigning to make more people aware of the PAD symptoms her husband had – including resting leg and foot pain, swollen toes and no hair on his lower legs.

She said: ‘The whole thing was shambolic. The only way I can let my anger out is to help people in the future.

‘Even the specialists say we need to keep banging the drum – PAD can easily be put right if you spot the signs early.’