Around 12,000 counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes were also recovered

Thousands of cigarettes, tobacco and potentially dangerous children’s ‘squishy’ toys were seized during a day-long crime crackdown.

Council bosses in Bolton joined forces with police to launch the operation, which saw nine premises in the town visited with specialist sniffer dogs also used.

Around 12,000 counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes were seized, together with half a kilogram of hand-rolling tobacco and more than 500 ‘squishy’ toys that failed to meet UK safety standards.

The council estimated the value of the goods to be more than £14,500 and said investigations were ongoing.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The operation formed part of Greater Manchester’s Operation Avro initiative.

Councillor Akhtar Zaman, the leader of Bolton Council, said: “By combining our resources and acting on intelligence from local communities, we are delivering real results, tackling crime, disrupting illegal activity and making our neighbourhoods safer places to live, work and visit.

“We would like to thank residents for their ongoing support and encourage anyone with concerns to continue reporting them so that we can take action together.”

Councillor Robert Morrisey, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “Counterfeit tobacco and non-compliant toys pose a real risk to consumers, the latter of course impacting children.

“I would like to thank our trading standards team and partner agencies for their work in removing these illegal goods from circulation and helping to keep our communities safe.”

It’s no secret that the creative arts industries are struggling financially right now. And for all the talk about stratospheric ticket pricing for big artists and festivals, the UK’s grassroots music venues – locations that allow smaller artists to tour and new acts to emerge who will one day play said festivals – are in a pretty dire position. Just look at the Music Venue Trust’s 2025 report, which found that 6,000 jobs had been lost and 30 venues had fully closed over the course of the year.

As our name suggests, The Independent is all about supporting projects that stray from the mainstream. That’s why this summer saw us team up with the Music Venue Trust to relaunch the Main Stage programme for the first time since 2024, allowing us to shine the spotlight on and support the country’s grassroots venues. We’ll be speaking to the people running the show at eight venues spanning the UK, talking to them about the importance of these spaces and what they need to stay afloat.

Each venue that features in the Main Stage series will be the subject of an article in The Independent, and receive £5,000 worth of ad inventory, along with design assets that they can use in their comms and marketing to highlight that they’re a Main Stage picked venue.

Located in Skelmersdale, E Rooms is an independent, music-based community hub serving the people of west Lancashire for a decade as of this year. On the one hand, the venue has everything touring and local musicians could dream of, with the 140-capacity venue featuring industry-standard sound and lighting and an atmospheric stage to perform on. But the other side of E Rooms is its beating local heart, a not-for-profit space where “music, arts and community can thrive side by side”.

Founded by a group of passionate local musicians who wanted to bring people together through creativity, E Rooms is a gig venue (and a great one at that). Yet it offers so much more to the people of Skelmersdale: music education, rehearsal spaces, SEND arts and music sessions, open mic nights and its own choir. “From day one, the aim has been simple: give Skelmersdale a safe, welcoming space where music, arts and community can thrive side by side,” Ste Horrocks, one of the team members behind the venue, tells The Independent.

The Independent: How would you describe E Rooms to a newcomer?

E Rooms is an out-of-town grassroots music venue that has a strong sense of community at its core. We offer a safe, inspiring creative space that is relaxed, welcoming and full of energy, with music happening in every available space, and people of all ages learning, rehearsing, creating and connecting.

Our vibrant 140-capacity stage room is fully wheelchair accessible and equipped with a professional, industry-standard PA system and lighting rig. We also offer three fully equipped rehearsal spaces that provide local musicians with everything they need to hone their craft, alongside local bands occupying our seven monthly-let rehearsal rooms, which are used daily.

The Independent: What are some of the biggest challenges you’re up against?

One of the biggest challenges we face is attracting bands to come and play our out-of-town venue. Geographically, we are right in between Manchester and Liverpool, and we’ve found that more established bands and their agents/promoters are reluctant to book a show at a venue that is not in a city centre. We also have challenges securing funding for new music and youth programmes, as well as core running costs. Keeping up with the rising prices of running a large community music hub takes an enormous amount of resources. Like many grassroots music venues, we’re constantly balancing our creative objectives with sustainability.

The Independent: What’s on the cards for E Rooms in the future?

We want to continue to grow our grassroots music venue by promoting and developing an original live music scene within a small town. We feel we do this by inspiring confidence and creativity, and exposing young people, especially those who struggle in traditional education, to live music. We want to support more bands and musicians to navigate the rocky road into the music industry, expand our alternative provision programmes, and build on collaborating with other creative organisations locally and nationally. We plan to open more doors than ever; everything we do is about opening doors for people who need a chance, a spark of creativity or just someone to believe in them.

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.

Advertisement

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

The Independent: What is it about running a music venue that makes it worthwhile?

The best part of running E Rooms is watching people grow: young people gaining confidence, new bands forming, artists developing, and community members supporting each other. We’re lucky to have incredible local backing, so people donate equipment, volunteer their time and help us keep the place alive. That sense of community, creativity and shared purpose is what makes all the hard work worthwhile. There’s a lot more to grassroots music than meets the eye, and we’re lucky enough to see it in action every day.

The Independent: What’s been one of your favourite recent gigs at the venue?

We’ve had brilliant established artists play here, including Mark Chadwick of The Levellers. But our favourite gigs are always the ones featuring new, upcoming bands, especially our E Rooms Academy bands. Right now, Skelmersdale has a genuinely healthy new band scene, full of raw energy and creativity. Watching these young musicians rehearse, learn, and then blow the audience away is what inspires us most. Every year, we host Skemfest in collaboration with a local social club – two days of live music from established and upcoming bands, outdoors in a field full of music fans. Seeing original local bands wow the crowd year after year pushes us to keep building and supporting this scene.

An enormous 30kg marrow and a metre-long carrot have netted their grower two coveted prizes at a local vegetable competition.

Mike Libby won the categories of longest carrot and heaviest marrow during judging at Stubton Village Hall in Lincolnshire.

Eleven hopefuls entered the competitive carrot category, with entries ranging in length from 170mm to an entire metre.

Mike took first place, followed by Ted Critchley and Cath Senior.

Mike said the longest carrot competition began as a small challenge between Ted Critchley and Ian Phillips before being opened up to the whole village around five years ago.

‘Certainly, when we kick it off, the whole village is told,’ Mike said.

Mike started the heaviest marrow challenge three years ago after being inspired by a friend who had a shop in the Lake District and was the north west giant marrow champion.

He said: ‘We went in a few years ago and he had this newspaper clipping displayed behind the counter of him with this giant marrow, which was nearly as big as he was.

‘So being a gardener, I was interested in that.

‘So we got to talking, and he gave me some seeds. So I invited other people in the village to have a go at growing a giant marrow.’

This year’s competition saw nine entries, with weights ranging from 8.5kg to 30.5kg, and the organiser took first place, followed by Lindsay Critchley and Tony Gelsthorpe.

Mike said the marrows were smaller than those entered last year, which he put down to the challenging weather.

He added that the giant marrows require a lot of space and that villagers are now ‘racking our brains’ to come up with other forms of competition.

He added: ‘The nice thing about the carrot and the potato competition that we run is that you can’t see until you unearth it.’

The potato-in-a-bucket competition attracted around 45 entrants, according to Mike.

The longest carrot and heaviest marrow competitions were measured and weighed by parish council chairman Sam Kirk, assisted by his son Ralph.

Ted Critchley said: ‘The weather has been particularly challenging for growers this year, but it’s all just for a bit of fun.’

MORE: ‘Phenomenal’ response to new ferry plans between UK town and Isle of Man

MORE: Supervolcano responsible for one of biggest ever eruptions found lurking under England

MORE: Wonky church which leans more than the Tower of Pisa saved from collapse

Francesca Allen wowed in her dramatic couture gown as she tied the knot while supported by her Love Island co-stars in Monaco. 

The reality star, 30, shot to fame on season five of the ITV2 series in 2019 and has since found love with family friend Ed Crossan, 36. 

After a legal ceremony in London last month, she jetted to Monaco for her incredible big day where she was flanked by bridesmaids including Elma Pazar and Georgia Steel as she sashayed down the aisle in a Eden Aharon dress.

The bridesmaids looked stunning in olive green slip dresses as they supported the stunning bride who wore a breathtaking corseted dress. 

The gown featured lace cups and a structured corset while dramatic hips extended from the racy sheer lace slip underneath which left little to the imagination. 

A series of videos on multi social media platforms gave a glimpse inside the wedding, including their arrival on a golf buggy and platters of cigarettes and matches. 

After a legal ceremony in London last month, she jetted to Monaco for her incredible big day where she was flanked bridemaids including Love Island co-stars Elma Pazar (left) and Georgia Steel (centre left) 

The bridesmaids looked incredible in their slinky gowns 

They stood with their bridal party, with Claudia standing out in pink 

Georgia referred to Francesca as her ‘angel’ alongside a montage of images from the day, where she joined four other pals as well as Elma as bridesmaids. 

Francesca’s sister Claudia, whose partner is Sam Faiers’ boyfriend Paul Knightley’s brother Tony, looked sensational in a pink gown. 

Despite joining the bridal party, Claudia opted against wearing the same dress as the other bridesmaids and instead wore the strapless dress.  

The reality star looked incredible as she emerged from the venue alongside her suited husband after six years of dating and a five-year engagement.

Ed, who previously dated TOWIE’s Amber Turner, is a family friend of the reality star. They knew each other for years through their families before things turned romantic.

He was named vice chairman of his father’s company Powerday, in January 2019 and is featured on the company’s website.

His working title is described on the website as: ‘Edward joined the family business in 2007, starting as a machine driver and has worked in various roles within the company to now being a director overseeing the development of the business’.

Francesca and Ed officially confirmed their romance in November 2021 after sharing holiday pictures from Dubai.

Francesca’s sister Claudia, whose partner is Sam Faiers’ boyfriend Paul Knightley’s brother Tony, looked sensational in a pink gown

Advertisement

Despite joining the bridal party, Claudia opted against wearing the same dress as the other bridesmaids and instead wore the strapless dress

The guests were all using fans in the roasting heat 

The bridesmaids were seen dancing away 

Videos showed the finer details of the day including platters of cigarettes and personalised matches 

Advertisement

The group posed for a final ‘fit check’ while wearing their glam green 

When one of her followers asked how long she and Ed had been dating, Francesca replied on social media: ‘This is a strange one. When someone’s your friend, you don’t necessarily date. There’s been times where I’m like, ‘Was that a date?’

‘In the past I used to get really freaked out and be like ‘Oh my god, was that a date? Was this a date? I’m so scared, this is my friend.’

She continued: ‘We would just FaceTime every day. We never got intimate, it was always just my friends with his friends and we would have the best times out together. That’s so weird… did I get friend zoned?’

‘It’s very complicateddddd haha there just came one point where we both just said shall we try this out and now look at usssss haha!’

Just seven weeks after going Instagram official, Francesca revealed they had gotten engaged.

Ed was seen wearing a white suit jacket with his black bowtie 

Francesca displayed every angle of the couture gown 

Advertisement

The groomsmen looked dashing in black tie 

Georgia Steel looked stunning in her gown 

Francesca said yes to Ed’s proposal at Marylebone’s swanky members club Home House and shared images of the moment with her Instagram followers.

She gushed that it was the ‘best Christmas present a girl could ask for’.

The reality star then revealed that she had been dating Ed for 18 months before he popped the question but kept their relationship on the low.

She told OK!: ‘Obviously I kept Ed away from any social media and any platforms for a long time, because I just– I don’t know, he’s quite private anyway and he doesn’t have social media, and I also didn’t want to put him out there until I knew he was my 100%.

‘I’ve known [Ed] for so many years and it was so funny because the press was like ‘Oh Fran Allen engaged after three months’ or something, and I was like guys, little do you know, we’ve actually been together for a year and a half so…’

‘My Instagram page is mainly for fashion and I love him so much and I didn’t want people to try and ruin it,’ Francesca went on.

Sri Lanka’s High Court has convicted 15 men who had been charged with plotting the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed 270 people and injured more than 500.

Those found guilty include Naufer Moulavi, who prosecutors said masterminded the suicide bombings. Nine other men were acquitted.

The co-ordinated blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels were the deadliest in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war in 2009. Forty-five foreigners were among the dead.

All the bombers who carried out the attacks died in the blasts. Investigators have previously blamed the bombings on Islamist extremists, and the 25 men indicted were from Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority. One died in custody.

The accused had been charged with more than 23,000 offences, including murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possessing firearms.

More than 2,300 people gave evidence for the prosecution.

There were also 2,076 pieces of evidence, including explosives, swords and firearms.

In the wake of the attacks, Sri Lankan authorities pointed to a “major intelligence lapse”. Its parliament heard that a tip-off from India about the attacks was not properly shared with the authorities.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ordered former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay millions in compensation to the victims of the bombings, after finding him responsible for national security failures that led to the attacks.

Last month, two former senior officials were sentenced to death for criminal negligence that led to the bombings. Death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in Sri Lanka due to a decades-old moratorium on executions.

For years, Sri Lankans have held regular demonstrations demanding justice for the victims of the Easter attacks.

The verdict comes as a separate investigation on former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is under way. Sallay is accused of orchestrating the bombings with Islamist extremists.

The allegations echo those aired in a 2023 documentary by British broadcaster Channel 4, which heard whistleblower testimony claiming the attacks were allowed to happen to boost the popularity of the Rajapaksa family, which long dominated Sri Lankan politics.

Sallay, who was arrested in February, denies the allegations. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected months after the 2019 attacks, with a campaign of tackling Islamist extremism has also denied the allegations.

Rajapaksa, who has been banned from leaving the country, has asked the court to prevent his potential arrest in connection with the ongoing investigations.

Richard C. Bower, 50, was offered a four-book deal after posting his poems online, and later quit his careers adviser job to write poetry full-time.

A careers adviser ditched his day job to become a full-time poet after landing a multi-book deal off the back of his social media posts. Richard C. Bower, 50, always harboured a passion for writing from an early age but kept his work entirely to himself until a decade ago, when his mother passed away unexpectedly.

His therapist urged him to channel his grief through writing and share it online. Publishers quickly took notice and offered him a four-book deal.

As his profile grew, he quit his job as a careers adviser to dedicate himself to his poetry full-time. Since then, he was approached by his local football club, Mansfield Town Football Club, to pen the club’s official poem, ‘This Is Mansfield’. In 2024, he was appointed poet laureate of Mansfield.

Richard said: “I’m just a Mansfield lad, and I’m so privileged to be recognised as a poet of the people.”

He is currently working on a new book drawing inspiration from nature and the great outdoors, using beloved local spots such as Sherwood Forest to fuel his creativity.

Until a few months ago, Bower didn’t have a phone, but as demand for this work grew and new creative opportunities emerged, he got one to help him stay connected and support his expanding business.

He now uses his mobile constantly as a thesaurus, notetaker and even live streams to his YouTube channel.

“I get inspired by walking around Mansfield, and the convenience of the phone helps to accelerate my creative process,” he said.

He added: “I write about real life, whether it’s nature-inspired, being outdoors, about mental health, about love or loss – I just write about reality.”

According to the data from OnePoll.com, over 17 million moments of inspiration become real side hustles or small businesses across the UK every year.

Of those who have ever started a business or side hustle, 11% got their inspiration while spending time alone, 9% talking to friends or family and 8% when walking.

As an idea strikes, 35% use their smartphone to immediately search for more information.

More than one in five (22%) have used their connection to work remotely, collaborate with other people (20%) and share creative work (18%).

Nine in 10 (92%) find their phone helpful for capturing or developing ideas, while 87% said mobile connectivity is important when they want to act on an idea or opportunity immediately.

Overall, more than half (55%) agreed getting online while out and about has helped them turn inspiration into something tangible.

To celebrate the places inspiring creativity and driving regional economic growth, VodafoneThree is bringing ‘Opportunity Hubs’ to communities across the country to help people turn ideas and inspiration into opportunities.

The hubs will pop up in locations, including Mansfield, where notable network improvements are giving more people the connectivity to put their ideas into action.

Andrea Dona, chief network officer at VodafoneThree, said: “As our research shows, we reach for our phones the moment inspiration strikes – another reason why fast, reliable connectivity is so important.

“It’s also why we’re investing £11 billion to build the UK’s best network, delivering high-quality connectivity to every corner of the country.

“That includes Mansfield, where Vodafone customers can now access up to eight times faster 5G speeds thanks to our recent network upgrades.

“By delivering stronger, more reliable connectivity, we’re helping people stay connected and make the most of every opportunity, wherever inspiration strikes.”

1) Avoid checking the time

2) Skip the screens

3) Don’t lie awake in bed for longer than 20 minutes

4) Remember to go easy on yourself

5) Stick to a regular routine as much as possible

No top-flight football for a month, you say? Struggling to get your head around three weeks of international games? No matter, we’ve got you covered with a quick guide to the storylines and talking points that matter.

Tuchel struggles to move on

Thomas Tuchel’s attempts to switch the narrative away from England’s World Cup heartache won’t be helped by the sight of tournament winners Spain grinning their way into Wembley on Saturday.

In truth, whatever the Three Lions manager claims about the 99.9% of fans who apparently don’t wish to discuss tactics with him, we’re not ready to move on, are we? The pain of capitulation against Argentina, after the immense highs of Mexico, Norway and the first half against Lionel Messi’s lads, is still too sore to be buried – even if the suspicion England would have been well-beaten by Spain in the final is some small consolation.

Tuchel has spoken of trying to play more like the team that swept away Croatia for periods in the group stage and France in the third-place play-off.

The temptation to ‘embrace the chaos’ sounds like an admission that this team will never be able to replicate the kind of control exerted by Luis de la Fuente’s Spain.

And yet, it really would be very England to have us all wondering what might have been by knocking off the world champions under the arch on Saturday night.

Lionel’s last dance

Argentina are coming to terms with Messi’s international retirement but they couldn’t let the little genius go without saying a proper goodbye.

So the Albiceleste, who play an eclectic trio of friendlies over the next couple of weeks, will give their captain a deserved send-off when Benin visit Buenos Aires on October 6.

An Argentine FA statement confirmed: ‘Following a discussion with national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, we have decided to invite the world’s best player, the icon of our national team, our captain Lionel Messi, so he can receive the send-off he truly deserves here in Argentina.’

With fellow 2022 World Cup winners Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo de Paul also bowing out its a new era for this summer’s beaten finalists.

The AFA have promised an ‘unforgettable match for all Argentinians who support the national team, as they watch the world’s best player’s last dance.’

Klopp casts wide net in search for unity

Jurgen Klopp takes charge of Germany for the first time during a fractious period in his country’s politics.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has dealt a number of electoral blows to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Klopp being Klopp, the new coach of Die Mannschaft hasn’t shied away from the issues affecting the country.

‘I do not want to entrust national pride to the wrong people,’ he said last week. ‘As a sportsman, I would very much like to reclaim the flag for myself, for all of us. I want it so that when someone waves it, no one thinks, “What is wrong with you?” Instead, I want people to understand, you are happy and realise how lucky you were to be born, grow up, or move to this wonderful country.’

Reflecting his message Klopp has been donning a cap proclaiming ‘one of 83 million’ but despite the unifying message, the former Liverpool boss has taken a divisive approach to selection – calling up 44 players split into two groups; the first for the Nations League games with Netherlands and Greece, the second for the ties with Serbia and Greece.

Neutral territory does nothing to ease Ireland’s discomfort

Politics has cast an even bigger shadow over the Republic of Ireland’s National League double-header with Israel, both of which will be played on neutral territory, behind closed doors.

Tennis balls were thrown on the pitch during Ireland’s May friendly with Qatar by fans opposed to playing Israel, so the protests which would have greeted any Israeli visit to Dublin would likely have been on a much grander scale given the level of feeling about events in Gaza.

The Football Association of Ireland considered a complete boycott of the games, before deciding such a move would cause the organisation, which will host seven games at Euro 2028, ‘significant and lasting harm’. Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has held talks with his players and admits ‘none of us feel comfortable playing in these games’. Tensions grew further on Monday after the Israel FA accuses Hallgrimsson of ‘ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity’ in comments made last week.

Sebastien’s passion for Scotland’s new dawn

All change north of the border as Sebastien Pocognoli prepares for a new era following the conclusion of Steve Clarke’s seven-year reign. Clarke restored Scotland to major tournament football on a regular basis but moved on with his side unable to convert the enthusiastic backing of the Tartan Army into on-field results.

Pocognoli, a former West Brom defender, is a left-field but not necessarily crazy choice to replace him. The 39-year-old Belgian was highly impressive as coach of Union SG – leading them to a first league title in 90 years and a decent showing in the Champions League – but was sacked by Monaco after less than a season in charge.

He spoke of ‘passion’ and feeling a ‘connection’ when he took over and is expected to want his team to play more on the front foot. Hull’s Oli McBurnie, on the naughty step under Clarke, is back after five years while fellow striker Robbie Ure, featuring in LaLiga for Sevilla after a breakthrough spell in Sweden, is also included for the Nations League ties with Slovenia, Switzerland and North Macedonia.

MORE: Andros Townsend reveals how he escaped uninjured from ‘terrifying’ pitch roller incident

MORE: What Jude Bellingham said to Cristian Romero as World Cup row erupts during Madrid derby

MORE: Former England player tells Thomas Tuchel he’s ‘very fortunate’ to be manager

Blue Lights star Nathan Braniff said it will be “exciting” to see Richard Dormer return to the crime drama for its upcoming series, adding: “I think people are going to freak out when they see the episode.”

The 56-year-old actor, known for Game Of Thrones and Fortitude, starred in the hit BBC series as veteran officer Gerry Cliff, who was tragically killed in the first season after a violent ambush during an investigation.

Dormer, who is from Lisburn in Northern Ireland, will reprise his role as the constable in the latest instalment through a special flashback episode relating to a pending murder trial over the circumstances of his death.

Braniff, who stars as rookie police officer Tommy Foster, discussed the return of his former co-star while speaking to the Press Association.

The 29-year-old said: “Every time we ever did a panel or anything with the writers, you could bet your bottom dollar that one of the questions that would be asked is ‘why did you kill off Gerry?’

“I feel like they were almost left with no choice but to bring back Gerry in some sense to the fourth series.”

The actor, from Belfast, added: “I think people are going to freak out when they see that episode.

“I remember after they had finished filming the flashback episode. The whole crew came back on set, and they were super excited about it.”

“I think people will be glad to see a wee bit of Gerry again,” Braniff added.

The star said he did not reunite on set with Dormer for the eagerly awaited episode, but they “crossed paths a couple of times”, adding: “It was nice to see him walking around set again.

“We didn’t really get to see any of the scenes or anything, so it’ll be just as exciting for us to see it as it will be for everyone else.”

Braniff also touched on how the programme, which follows officers at the fictional Blackthorn police station in Belfast, resonates as it shows a “different side to Northern Ireland” and shines a light on the reality of policing.

He told PA: “It definitely humanises them. It doesn’t show them as the perfect police officers or the hero characters or anything.

“I think that’s partly the reason why people find themselves growing so attached to them – because you do see their flaws, and none of them are perfect.

“They all have good intentions, but sometimes they end up doing things that people might find questionable.”

Braniff went on to tease how his character is “totally at his wits’ end” in the upcoming series, saying viewers will see him “struggle with his relationship” with fellow officer Aisling Byrne.

“There’s so much pressure from the job, and it’s really taken its toll on their relationship,” he said.

“He’s totally at his wits’ end with everything that’s going on, and he’s really struggling with himself.

“There’s a side of Tommy coming out that I don’t even really think he knew was there. He does some questionable things.

“In one of the earlier episodes, he nearly makes a massive mistake. It was very close to potentially being the end of Tommy’s police career.

“Massive amounts of pressure are making him act out and it’s changing him. You’re seeing a Tommy that you’ve never seen before.”

The upcoming series of Blue Lights will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from September 29.

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

Denmark and its Scandinavian neighbours often appear at the top of many of the world’s “best of” lists, from happiest and least corrupt to best place to raise a family.

The Danish way of parenting has inspired a slew of manuals that have become bestsellers. To parents elsewhere, the picture presented is a near utopia of supportive government policies and effortless rearing of happy babies.

But how different is parenting in Denmark really from other countries, like the UK?

I am a professor of psychological science at Aarhus University in Denmark. My research focuses on mental health and parenting in the early years. Here’s what the evidence shows.

Health Gap / Sundhedskløften is a collaborative series from The Conversation UK and Denmark’s Videnskab.dk exploring what the two countries can learn from each other when it comes to health and wellbeing.

From cycling and alcohol to inequality, healthcare and everyday habits, the series looks beyond hospitals and medical treatment to explore how culture, politics and society shape the way people live – and how healthy they are.

More leave for dads

Denmark and the UK differ on leave for new parents in two striking ways: how much compensation is provided and how leave can be shared between parents.

Denmark provides more generous leave compensation than the UK and assigns equal amounts of leave to each parent that cannot be transferred.

In 2022, Denmark implemented a reform offering 11 weeks of leave to fathers, and the equivalent to mothers, that is “use it or lose it”, and fathers are now estimated to take most of their nontransferable leave.

For fathers in the UK, the statutory leave entitlement is much shorter, at just two weeks. It is also less well paid, at around 19% of average earnings, compared with about 50% in Denmark.

Employers in both countries can offer enhanced paternity leave that provides more time off or higher pay than the legal minimum. But nonetheless, UK fathers take much less leave than fathers in Denmark, with a recent survey finding that most took around two weeks.

But mums still do nights

Danish nontransferable paternity leave is intended to make the sharing of infant care more equal between parents and help mothers stay in paid work.

Along with subsidies of at least 75% of early childcare expenses, these policies help explain why Denmark has markedly higher rates of mothers in employment than in the UK.

Childcare does seem to be shared more than is the norm in the UK and financial support helps to smooth mothers’ transition back to work.

Despite these strong policies to support father’s involvement in early care, in most families in Denmark, as in the UK, it is still mothers who are the primary caregivers. Even during paternity leave, our research shows that mothers are the ones who report getting up more often at night.

This matters for mothers’ health and their postpartum experiences. Disrupted sleep in the months after birth is associated with low mood and, in some cases, symptoms of depression.

Danish fathers and mothers, too, endorse traditional ideas about men’s and women’s parenting ability, with most parents believing that mothers are better than fathers at early childcare.

So while policy clearly helps fathers take an active role, it does not fully equalise the caregiving load of fathers and mothers, or mean that men and women are perceived as equally competent carers.

Naps outside

Beyond policy, there are cultural beliefs about what is good for babies that differ between Denmark and the UK, too.

One highly visible example is the practice of leaving babies to nap outside, despite temperatures that frequently dip below zero.

Uncommon in the UK, babies in Denmark and the Nordic countries often sleep outside during daytime hours, well bundled up in prams. Parents believe that the fresh air is good for a baby’s developing immune system, improves sleep quality and buys mothers some time for themselves.

Though, it is perhaps easier for Danish parents to engage in such a practice against a backdrop of relatively high social trust. In Denmark, 74% of respondents in a nationally representative survey agree that most people can be trusted, whereas only 43% of adults in the UK say the same.

Calmer babies?

Given the generosity of Danish parental policies and the trust in others that allows outdoor napping, it is little wonder that headlines about contented Danish babies appear in the media with some regularity. Indeed, one analysis positioned British babies as crying “the most” and Danish babies “the least”.

Various explanations have been suggested: that Danish parents are less stressed because of generous parental leave; that outdoor napping promotes calmer babies; or simply that Danish parents view crying as a normal way for babies to communicate rather than something to fear.

However, a close look at the evidence suggests reason for caution. The estimates of Danish infants’ crying came from only a handful of studies conducted more than two decades ago, involving relatively small numbers of infants.

What distinguishes parenting in Denmark from the UK is not a single factor, but a combination of family policies, parenting practices and cultural ideas about what is good for children. Policies encourage fathers to be involved early on and make it easier for many mothers to remain in paid work.

They do not, however, mean that care is shared equally between parents. And based on the evidence to date, there is no guarantee that the Danish way results in babies that cry any less!

This series was commissioned as part of a partnership between Videnskab.dk and The Conversation, where articles are published in English and Danish.