Running from May 11 to May 24, the campaign encourages people to consider fostering and celebrates the dedicated teams who support families every step of the way.

East Riding’s fostering recruitment team, including support staff, assessors, and social workers, guides prospective foster carers through the application process and beyond.

Marie, team manager at East Riding Fostering, said: “We have a wonderful team of support staff and assessors who ensure we make the process warm, welcoming and supportive.”

Team member Jo added: “I love meeting people, and I’m proud to be part of a team that strives to give the best outcomes for all children and young people.”

Lindsay, a fostering social worker, said: “Over the past 12 years, I’ve been really lucky to work in a variety of roles from safeguarding, adoption support, and fostering.”

The team also works closely with local businesses to create new opportunities and experiences for foster families.

Foster Care Fortnight aims to highlight the individuals who play a vital role in helping foster families thrive and supporting children in need of a safe and nurturing home.

The victim was left terrified of Craig Britton, who has avoided an immediate prison sentence

A man held a knife against his partner’s throat and threatened to do worse next time if she contacted police and he went to prison. Craig Britton has spent time on remand in custody since his arrest but avoided receiving an immediate prison sentence for his actions.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court told him: “I have given you a chance it is up to you whether you take it.”

The court heard that the first incident Britton was before a judge for happened in October. The victim got up to leave the bedroom when the defendant “lashed out” unprovoked. She believed he may have been under the influence of crack cocaine. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

The 42-year-old pushed his partner into cupboards, leaving her with some bruising and a small cut. During the assault, the victim told Britton she would phone the police to which he responded: “If I ever go to prison because of you I will do my time” and then threatened to do worse the next time.

The defendant then went downstairs to get kitchen knife and brought it into the bedroom. Prosecutor Georgia Donoghue told the court Britton held it at the victim’s throat for “few minutes”. He didn’t say anything and then left the property.

The defendant’s partner was left with a small cut on her chest as a result of the incident. The court heard that she ended the relationship after this.

On another occasion, Britton turned up at his then-ex-partner’s friend’s address while she was there. He asked her to lend him money, which she refused and he then became aggressive. He then stole £350 in cash from her purse.

Both matters were reported to the police and the defendant was asked to attend a police station. Following the incidents, the defendant called the complainant and asked her to drop the charges.

In another incident, Britton turned up at the complainant’s party unannounced. Ms Donoghue told the court they socialised for a few hours before Britton’s behaviour “changed”. Unprovoked, he slapped the woman in the face. He also threatened to smash her phone, television and house up.

Ms Donoghue said the victim was “terrified of the defendant”. She eventually managed to phone the police while in the bathroom and Britton was arrested at her home address.

The court heard Britton was thought to be under the influence of drugs during the assaults.

The defendant denied two offences of battery, two counts of theft, threatening with an article with a blade in a public place and threatening to destroy or damage property when interviewed by police. He later pleaded guilty to the six offences on the first day of trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard he has 45 previous convictions, including for drug and driving offences. He also has previous convictions for possession of an offensive weapon in a public place as well as battery. Some of the offences were of domestic violence, Ms Donoghue said.

In mitigation, Ryan Bowen, for Britton, said the defendant had first appeared before the court at 16 years old. He said his upbringing was “marked by violence in the family home” from his father. He was placed into the care system but eventually ran away to live on the streets.

Mr Bowen said his client had struggled with drug addiction since he was 16 and now accepts that this isn’t an adequate coping mechanism. He said the defendant feels his time in custody has “done him a favour” and wants to carry on his sobriety when he leaves prison.

Sentencing, Judge Huw Rees told Britton his actions were serious, to which the defendant, appearing via video link from HMP Swansea replied: “Yes sir.”

He told the 42-year-old: “I hope [your time in custody] has sobered you up”. Judge Rees said it was “disturbing” to note that some of the defendant’s previous convictions were for domestic violence.

He sentenced Britton, of Glamorgan Farm School, Lane From Burnside To Glamorgan FA+, Neath Port Talbot to 19 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

He will be required to complete 10 days’ rehabilitation activity and drug rehabilitation for 12 months, along with an accredited programme.

Judge Rees told the defendant: “I have given you a chance. It is up to you whether you take it.”

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice

You don’t need to book a flight to experience the pristine shores of the Caribbean, as a stunning beach in Wales has frequently been hailed as a beautiful alternative

A beautiful beach in Wales with turquoise waters and unspoilt golden sand has been dubbed the UK’s answer to the Caribbean.

Pembrokeshire has some of the UK’s most stunning coastlines, with more than 50 beaches of golden sand framed by towering cliffs, secluded coves, and lapping waves. The stretching coast of around 186 miles is a haven for a day out at the beach, particularly ahead of the impending UK heatwave later this month, or for a weekend escape by the coast.

Yet with an abundance of beaches to choose from, it’s hard to know what sun-kissed Pembrokeshire shore to visit. Nevertheless, there’s one pristine sand beach that has frequently been hailed as the best in the UK and dubbed the ‘Welsh Caribbean’ – and it’s just as breathtakingly beautiful as you’d imagine.

READ MORE: Twenty Welsh beaches awarded blue flag status for 2026 – full listREAD MORE: Tenby beach loses Blue Flag status

Advertisement

Not far from Stackpole Quay and Bosherston in Pembrokeshire, is the pristine coast of Barafundle Bay. The secluded beach has golden sand, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and is backed by dunes and pine trees, offering a setting that easily rivals those in the Caribbean, albeit without the tropical climate.

Barafundle Bay is a haven for those looking for an unspoilt oasis to lap up the UK’s balmy rays, or to take a dip in the glistening waters. Its isolated location only adds to its appeal, with the sound of rippling waves and sea air the only necessary background noise, alongside its picture-perfect coastal vistas.

It’s often been named one of the best beaches in the UK, even in the world, and is frequently likened to Caribbean shores. Barafundle Bay has also been deemed one of the cleanest beaches in the UK, thanks to its stripped back setting, free of ice cream shops or eateries.

Advertisement

Despite its more remote location, the beach is accessible by a half-mile walk over cliffs from the nearest car park at Stackpole Quay, which takes around 20 minutes. However, it’s important to note that due to its rugged terrain and steps to reach the beach, it’s not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

There are no facilities at the beach, but there’s a café and toilets at Stackpole Quay – perfect for a refreshment break. For those looking to extend their stay, there’s a collection of self-catering accommodations in the local area and a pub in Stackpole village for that classic British dish and pint!

Following a trip to Barafundle Bay, one visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “Stunning beach after a short walk from the National Trust car park. I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful beach.”

“In my top 5 beaches in the UK”, another shared. “Great walk to get to and the lack of commercialisation just makes it the place to go. Would recommend.”

One more commented: “Such a beautiful beach. Feels lovely and secluded. The weather wasn’t great but it was still beautiful. The walk there was also enjoyable.”

However, some travellers warned that the beach can get “extremely busy” during school holidays and hot weather days. Some advised getting there early to make the most of the secluded oasis, while others said there was still “plenty of space”.

Visit Pembrokeshire also advises that people should plan their trip to the beach accordingly. “If you’re planning to visit, check out the tide times to make sure you’ve plenty of beach to play on and that you don’t get cut off by the incoming tide”, they said.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

In letters written to the BBC from inside a detention facility, Davies says he was captured by Russian forces after being seriously injured on the front line. “My radio broke, my partner was killed and I couldn’t escape,” he writes, “I had to make a decision: lie there and die, or take action. I crawled 150 metres [500 feet] to reach an area I knew. It took a whole day.”

The Tuesday letters page struggles to imagine a world in which GTA 6 is actually out, as a reader suggests making a Lego One Piece video game.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

No guesses
I don’t really understand what happened with the Best Buy pre-orders and how the emails can be real but they didn’t happen, but somehow I find it very hard to believe anything happening at all ever! At some point I know it will, but I’ve lived a large portion of my life with no GTA 6 and when it actually squeaks into existence it’s going to be a shock.

So I guess we’re back to guessing any random day for Trailer 3 or pretend the next random gravy spot on a new DLC T-shirt is a blatant clue. The one thing I will predict is that when it does happen absolutely no one will have predicted it and it’ll just come out of nowhere and suddenly GTA 6 will be something you can buy.

I’ll make a guess though, just for the hell of it, and go with the late summer rumour. So probably August sometime for pre-orders starting. Let’s see if I’m more reliable than Best Buy!
Cosmo

Force of nostalgia
So, it’s the 50th anniversary of Star Wars next year, so that’s got to mean a new game annoucement or something, right? We’ve got two new games out this year, with Zero Company and Galactic Racer, so it’s probably unlikely we’ll get a new one next year as well.

It’s been a long wait for a Star Wars Jedi 3 annoucement though, so maybe that’s being saved for the anniversary and a quick release afterwards. I would like to see something more retro though, given the significance of the date.

Personally, I’d like to see a new port of the old Atari coin-op, but with a VR option so you can sit in a virtual sit-down cabinet.

If they really want to push the boat out, I’d like to see remasters of other classic games through the years, connected with the original film, like Super Star Wars, Rogue Squadron/Rogue Leader, and Star Wars Arcade. No idea if they would but I’d buy it.
Grackle

Slow copy
It is going to be so wild if Nintendo doesn’t actually have a Direct this summer and we’re all left wondering for even longer. I’d say it’ll be funny but I think it’ll be a really bad idea and, like most people, I’ve really no idea why Nintendo thinks the lack of announcements benefits them in any way.

If the big game is a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, why is it not good to know about that as soon as possible? I used to get the idea that Nintendo liked to keep things secret because other people would copy their ideas, since they blatantly did.

But that was back when you could knock a new game out in a year. Those days are long gone and there’s nothing a company can do without at least three years warning, at a minimum. And besides how can anyone copy an Ocarina Of Time remake? That doesn’t even make any sense.
Tolly

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

Good Knight
Great review of Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight, GC. I love playing the Lego game with my girlfriend, so will definitely be getting that one. Crazy to think just how many Lego Batman games there have been over the years though. You don’t think of the Lego games as being that old a thing, but the first one was before Revenge of the Sith had even been released!

I do like Batman, so I’m fine with this one, but I feel it’s about time they tried something new. All you need is something with a lot of characters and a unique world. Considering there are Lego sets of it already I would’ve thought One Piece would’ve been perfect.

There are some Lego Zelda sets, and also now Pokémon, so they’d probably work too. A game with all or most pokémon in it sounds like it’d be very popular, although I’m not sure how things would work in terms of the action or collecting.
Gimble

It happened again
So Sony is raising prices again and it’s not market conditions, it’s greed. What with GTA 6 just around the corner they want to do it now so players don’t moan and they know soon as that game is out everyone will be buying a PlayStation 5 or getting PS Plus for online play.

I haven’t had PS Plus for at least five years; went on the other day and saw it has gone up £60. Last time I saw the price it was £40. This is nothing more than greed. If GTA 6 does come out 19th of November Black Friday is just a few weeks away and hopefully they will do a deal on it but, like I said, greed is the reason and it’s because of GTA 6.
David

GC: Market conditions are absolutely a factor. No shop in its right mind will discount GTA 6 eight days after it first comes out.

Let it die
I feel like we’ve heard about Sony bringing back old PS1 games several times before in the past, but it never seems to happen. Most companies, and you see this in movies too, seem to find it impossible to say a franchise is dead or doesn’t need a new sequel.

I loved Ape Escape and Warhawk and Jak And Daxter back in the day but I’m not sure there’s anything obvious to do with them anymore. It’s been too long and so you either have to do the same thing again or evolve them into something that’s probably unrecognisable, which if they’d had more sequels along the way would’ve happened more naturally.

I’m not saying no to it, but I would’ve been a lot more interested if Sony said it was going to make new IP, instead of just reviving washed up games that had their chance. Even in a best case scenario how many are going to be hits? I in 4 at most? And how much time and money is it going to be wasted getting to the one hit?

Nintendo long ago realised that sometimes a franchise has just gone as far as it can. There wasn’t a Metroid on N64 and F-Zero hasn’t been around since the GameCube. They might come back but only when there’s a good reason to take advantage of new tech.

There’s never going to be any good reason for a new Syphon Filter or Resistance except cheap nostalgia.
Carfemt

Clobberin’ time
I know GC was a fan of Marvel Cosmic Invasion and I am too, but it’s a shame that the game doesn’t seem to have had any impact and has ended up as another example of a Marvel game not being a licence to print money at all – surprisingly it’s the opposite.

But anyway, they’ve announced Cyclops and The Thing as new DLC characters. It was very odd that the Fantastic Four weren’t in it from the start but there you go. I could’ve done without another X-Men character though. I never think of them as cosmic myself, even though I know they are.
Renton

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

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

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

Advertisement

Add us as a Preferred Source

Be careful what you wish for
Fun to think that GTA 6 would be a year old today if it had come out when first intended, although, like you said, 18 months isn’t really that late considering. I mean, how late is HS2 at this point?

It is interesting to think of a time when GTA 6 is not the most anticipated game of all time but something people are just used to. I’m not sure what will take over from it, as the thing everyone looks forward to, but I’m sure there’ll never be anything like GTA 6 again, given how long it’s been since the last one.

Even if Red Dead Redemption 3, or something similar, is next I feel certain it’s not going to take 13 years for it to come out. In fact, it’s quite exciting to imagine a post-GTA 6 world because I think there’s good reason to hope Rockstar will release a lot more games a lot more quickly at that point.

However, all this stuff about Roblox style user-generated content is going to be massive. I don’t think Rockstar has even officially confirmed it yet, so most people don’t know it’s coming, but it’s such a no-brainer I’d bet everything it’s true.

Roblox but GTA Is going to be massive and I actually think that between the two, one for kids and one for adults, a lot of casual gamers aren’t going to see a need for normal video games after this. GTA 6 coming out may end up being a bit of a monkey paw situation.
Tacle

Inbox also-rans
I wonder if they’re going to shoehorn Krystal into the Star Fox remake. I never liked that character, she wasn’t anything like the other Star Fox crew and she was drawn so sexy it was kind of embarrassing.
Dawson

Forza Horizon 6 seems to have made quite a big impact on Steam but imagine how much bigger it would’ve been if the PlayStation 5 version was out at the same time. That seems a real own goal to me.
Biff

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

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

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

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

MORE: Games Inbox: Will Nintendo make more cross-gen Switch games?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Forza Horizon the best arcade racer franchise?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are 3D platformers a dead genre?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” are underway to end the war.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy,” Trump said at the White House on Monday evening, after first making the announcement in a social media post.

Trump said he had planned “a very major attack” but put it off — “for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever.” He said America’s allies in the Gulf asked him to wait for two to three days because they feel they are close to a deal with Iran.

Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran did not make a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement. Over the weekend he warned, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”

The president has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. But he’s also previously indicated he would hold off on military action to allow talks to continue — only to turn around and launch strikes. That’s what happened at the war’s outset, when he ordered strikes in late February shortly after indicating he would let talks play out.

Trump said the current pause for negotiations was a “very positive development,” while acknowledging there were times in the past when a deal seemed close but nothing came of it. “But this is a little bit different,” he said.

Trump credits Gulf allies

The president, who had not previously disclosed that he was planning a strike for Tuesday, did not offer details about the planned attack but said in his social media post he had instructed the U.S. military “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

Trump said he was calling off the attack at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran and allied Shiite militias in Iraq have launched drone attacks targeting the Gulf Arab states in the war. The United Arab Emirates has recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks despite the ceasefire. On Sunday, a drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the UAE’s sole nuclear power plant in what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack” while not assigning blame.

Trump in recent days has also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the Iran war.

Oil prices affected

Trump’s post quickly caused a fall in the price of oil, which had been rising on the prospect of a prolonged standoff that would keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.

Minutes before the president’s announcement, petroleum futures had been trading at $108.83 a barrel. His word about negotiations almost instantly shaved more than $2 off the price, but it crept up again and ended on Monday at $107.25 a barrel.

Shortly after Trump’s post, Iranian state TV called it a “retreat” based on “fear” in its broadcast ticker and on its X account.

It reported earlier that defense systems were activated late Monday on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It added the situation was “under control” there, the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 people and a water desalination plant.

Major sticking points remain

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products. The U.S. is blockading Iranian ports and has redirected 85 commercial vessels from mid-April through Monday, U.S. Central Command said in a social media post.

Earlier Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the immediate concern of the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran was keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, but Iran’s nuclear program remained a central issue.

Speaking during a joint news conference with his German counterpart in Berlin, Fidan said much of Iran’s enriched uranium that could potentially be used for a nuclear weapon was buried under collapsed tunnels following attacks in June that the U.S. launched with Israel. The U.S. has said it is closely monitoring any movements around the stockpile.

“At present, there isn’t a situation that poses a real threat,” Fidan said. “But for this to continue, the parties must reach and conclude a nuclear negotiation among themselves.”

The Turkish minister said he believes Iran is not opposed in principle to complying with nuclear conditions, but added: “the question is what will be given in return, in what order, and under what conditions.”

With talks at a standstill last week, Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that a lack of trust was the biggest impediment to negotiations.

Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war. But Trump dismissed the proposal as “garbage.”

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Darlene Superville in Washington, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

It received the funding over the course of five years

A controversial daycare in West Belfast that was part owned by a priest received tens of thousands in Department of Education funding it can be revealed.

Acrewood Daycare on Grosvenor Road told its staff last week that it was going to become insolvent just days after it had been condemned from stopping children from attending it at short notice and telling other workers they no longer had jobs. Staff were told to fill in RP1 Forms, normally associated with businesses becoming insolvent, to claim redundancy and any unpaid wages.

Concerns were also raised about an Airbnb that was operating on the same premises as the daycare that did not have planning permission.

Following a question to the Education Minister from West Belfast People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, it can now be revealed that the daycare received £160,000 in Pathway funding from the Department of Education in the past five years, including £38,000 in the 2025/26 financial year.

The DE Pathway Fund aims to improve the development of children who are at risk of educational underachievement and is provided to a range of different childcare providers and projects.

Former staff at Acrewood Daycare and families spoke to Belfast Live about the issues they have had with the daycare that is part owned by Hannahstown Parish priest Father Patrick Devlin.

They said they couldn’t believe the way that they had been treated with some former staff having to wait up to eight weeks to claim unpaid wages and families having to take unpaid time off work due to a lack of childcare.

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

The latest Liverpool news sees an update over Arne Slot’s future on Merseyside come to light

Liverpool are still reeling from a bad performance on the pitch against Aston Villa at the weekend and the subsequent drama, that followed, off it.

Mohamed Salah’s bombshell social media statement, in which he targeted recent standards at Liverpool, has piled more pressure on Arne Slot. The Reds fell to their 20th defeat this season on Friday night against Unai Emery’s side.

Ever since, calls for the Dutch coach’s sacking have reached deafening levels. While Slot was said to have the backing of Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, there have been rumours of discord in the Liverpool boardroom over the manager’s future since Friday’s loss.

Elsewhere in the latest Liverpool news, a leading contender to replace the under-fire Slot, should he be relieved of his position this summer, has emerged.

Arne Slot update

According to TEAMtalk, not everyone behind the scenes at Liverpool is ‘aligned behind the idea that Slot should definitely stay’. The update comes after Salah’s inflammatory post on Saturday, which took aim at Liverpool’s form this season.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

READ MORE: Xabi Alonso told Liverpool job could’ve been his if he ‘sat tight’ before Chelsea agreementREAD MORE: Wayne Rooney slams ‘selfish’ Mo Salah and tells Arne Slot to deny him Liverpool farewell

“Edwards and Hughes have some serious thinking and talking to do,” the outlet’s journalist, Graeme Bailey, said. “The situation with Slot is escalating at a pace, and I can tell you not everyone internally is aligned behind the idea that he should definitely stay.

“Liverpool are not a club that reacts emotionally or impulsively, but the ownership absolutely recognise this is becoming a very concerning situation.

“I’m told Salah’s comments hit home in a massive way. Internally, there’s actually a lot of sympathy towards what he said, and people at the club understand why he voiced those frustrations.”

The report also claims Liverpool have drawn up a shortlist to replace Slot. This reportedly includes Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann, Al-Ahli’s German coach Matthias Jaissle and outgoing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

World-class manager favourite for Liverpool job

However, if the bookies’ latest odds are to be considered, then the Reds’ shortlist could be set to add another name: Luis Enrique. The Paris Saint-Germain boss is gearing up for his side’s second consecutive Champions League final, which will take place at the end of the month agianst Arsenal.

The two-time Champions League winner won two titles at Barcelona, the European Cup and a host of domestic trophies. He has won three Ligue 1 titles with Paris, as well as the Champions League and two Coupe de France, amongst others.

However, one major stumbling block are the rumours that the 56-year-old Spaniard is reportedly interested in extending his stay at the Parc de Princes until 2030. With Slot still in the Liverpool job, such speculation is entirely conjecture, yet bookmakers seem to believe the world-class coach could be a shoo-in for the job should the Anfield outfit need a new man in the dugout.

According to Sky Bet, the odds on the next Liverpool boss are as follows:

Luis Enrique – 7/2

Andoni Iraola – 4/1

Sebastian Hoeness – 9/2

Julian Nagelsmann – 6/1

Jurgen Klopp – 17/2

Oliver Glasner – 9/1

Marco Silva – 10/1

Unai Emery – 10/1

Zinedine Zidane – 12/1

Join our LFC WhatsApp community and get all the latest LFC news, views, transfer gossip and more, as it happens We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Advertisement

Peter Tutton, director of policy, research and public affairs, StepChange Debt Charity, said: “Whilst the Consumer Credit Act contains important and much needed consumer protections, new steps to move communication requirements into FCA rules allow flexibility and a ‘test and learn’ approach that will offer better outcomes to consumers and reduce harm around debt.”

They said the council told them it is not policy to inform families if a grave has been damaged.

A Belfast family was left upset and distressed after a loved ones grave was damaged at Roselawn Cemetery during the opening of another.

On Saturday, the son of the late Irene and Robert Cowan visited his parents’ grave at the cemetery only to find that it had been damaged and left in a state of disrepair when a grave next to it was being opened.

The family say they received no contact from Belfast City Council to tell them what had happened to the grave which was damaged on the Monday prior.

The Cowan family said that they attend the grave every week and the damage to it has caused them a lot of upset and distress. They said the council told them it is not policy to inform families if a grave has been damaged.

Alongside Irene and Robert Cowan, the grave also has the remains of baby Abigail Evangeline Magill who was born sleeping in 2010.

The granddaughter of the couple, said to Belfast Live: “In my family’s eyes this is an act of criminal damage and it has caused so much distress. This is the final resting place of our loved ones and it feels like they have showed very little respect to their grave and to us as a family.

“This grave is attended weekly, very well kept and like many families our grief and loss is still very raw. We tend that plot with pride and passion for our loved ones and through our actions continue to show them the same dignity in passing as they would have been afforded in life. Belfast City Council certainly did not afford them the same courtesy.

“While we appreciate that the damage was caused while opening the grave beside ours, the level of destruction suggests that very little care or attention was taken.”

She continued: “My father went to the maintenance office on Saturday morning to report his findings, and he was given very little reassurance or explanation. The BCC member of staff informed my Dad that the ground on that section of the cemetery was bad ground and these things happen.

“He went on to suggest to my Dad that perhaps he should remove the detached marble before it was further damaged or stolen. This offered very little comfort or reassurance and added insult to an already distressing situation.”

The council has since apoligised to the family for the damage that has been caused and reportedly told them the grave will be repaired in the coming weeks. However, they hope that by raising awareness of the issue it can help change council policy so that families are informed of any damage to their loved ones graves.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the damage caused to a grave at Roselawn Cemetery and we understand this is a difficult and sensitive issue.

“We are currently assessing the situation and officers from Bereavement Services will engage with the family directly.”

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