Noah was wearing a white t-shirt with the TV character Bluey on, shorts and black Vans trainers with a white stripe, say police.

He is three years old and has curly ginger hair.

Anyone who believes they have seen Noah is asked to contact Suffolk Police, quoting CAD 203 of 15 September.

The force can be contacted on its website or by calling 101. Alternatively, you can use the Live Chat service by clicking the icon at the bottom right corner of the Suffolk Police homepage.

He died in hospital after an incident at a property

A man who passed away on Sunday following an alleged assault in Newtownards the previous week has been identified as former jockey Patrick (Paddy) Donaghy.

The 39 year old was a flat racing jockey operating out of Britain for ten years from 2005 to 2014, notching up more than 60 victories throughout a career that included regular rides for northern England-based trainers Pat Haslam and Jedd O’Keeffe.

Mr Donaghy died in hospital after an incident at a property in the Stratheden Heights area of the County Down town on Monday, 7 September.

His final race was at Wolverhampton in October 2014, while the last of his 63 career wins came aboard a horse called Hamble at Lingfield in June 2014.

His brother, Joseph Donaghy, 46, appeared before Newtownards Magistrates Court last week facing charges of causing grievous bodily harm relating to the incident.

The PSNI have declined to release additional information about the circumstances of the incident or how the man came to be hospitalised.

Police announced the investigation into the man’s death on Monday, 14 September, six days after the incident at the residence.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statement confirmed: “Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man aged in his thirties.

“The man died in hospital on Sunday, following an incident at a house in Stratheden Heights, Newtownards, on September 7. There are no further details at this time.”

A death notice for Donaghy published on Funeral Times read: “Peacefully in hospital. Late of Stratheden Heights, Newtownards. Dearly loved son of John and Sarah Donaghy. Much loved brother of Joseph, Brona and her husband Simon and Sarah. A loving and devoted father of Lennon, a dear uncle to his many nieces and nephews. RIP.

“Service in St Patrick’s Parish Church, North Street, Newtownards on Friday 18th September at 11:00am, followed by committal in Movilla Cemetery. House Strictly Private Family Only.

“Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to ICU Ulster Hospital may be made online at https://sclarkeandson.co.uk/donate. Or cheques payable to SEH & SCTrust. Lovingly remembered and sadly missed by the entire family circle.”

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Residents of a tiny Oxfordshire village have voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from Britain in a symbolic referendum staged in protest at plans to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a former military base nearby.

Piddington’s parish council announced the result at 7am today after villagers went to the polls yesterday to decide whether their community should ‘secede’ from the UK.

Some 312 votes were counted, making up 92 per cent of the ballot papers issued – with 285 voting ‘yes’ and 26 voting ‘no’. One spoiled paper was also recorded.

The vote has no legal force and will not take Piddington out of the UK, but campaigners hope the gesture will send a message to Westminster over the proposed asylum accommodation at the former Ministry of Defence site at Bicester.

The result was announced by a returning officer to an audience of dozens of journalists and residents gathered outside Piddington village hall this morning. 

Parish council chairman Tim McNally said today that it was an ‘incredible day’, adding: ‘Yesterday was the anniversary of the Battle of Britain and for us it was the Battle for Britain. We’d been identified as Ground Zero for a whole number of issues.’

He spoke in front of a pennant reading ‘Battle for Britain 2026’ outside the village hall, alongside another marking the date of the Battle of Britain – September 15, 1940.

Addressing politicians including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he added: ‘This is an example of democracy in action. This is an example of a mandate of behaviour.’

Mr McNally continued: ‘I didn’t realise what I was opening up and getting involved in. I just thought we were going to be opposing a plan. A plan that would have an impact on our village, that could turn our village upside down in a way not quite envisaged before.’

He described residents as ‘underdogs’ with a ‘plucky idea’, but said: ‘We have given an absolute message, not just to the region, not just to the country but to the world.’

Residents attend a parish council meeting in the village hall in Piddington yesterday

Parish council chairman Tim McNally told residents today that it was an ‘incredible day’

Piddington’s women campaigned against plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers in their village

The result comes as the Government’s planning application for the site remains under consideration.

The Home Office is seeking permission for the temporary use of the former Bicester Garrison, including new modular accommodation, health and welfare facilities, roads, security infrastructure and recreational areas, to accommodate up to 1,256 people.

The proposed site is now the subject of a formal consultation, with representations due by tomorrow. But the proposed number of asylum seekers would be more than three times the size of Piddington’s population, which is around 350 people.

The scale of the plans prompted the campaign, with residents arguing infrastructure and the local road network are not equipped to deal with the proposed development.

Pensioner Herbert Owen, known locally as Herbie, described the referendum as the ‘Battle of Britain’ after casting his vote. 

The 76-year-old said: ‘It means everything our grandparents, our parents fought for – today is the Battle of Britain. This isn’t just about Piddington, this is about our whole country. This Government is destabilising our country.

‘Wherever they put these people, in camps, in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), or whatever, they’re ruining people’s lives.’

Mr Owen said Piddington was a ‘wonderful little village’ and that it had changed little since he moved there 33 years ago.

The referendum follows an earlier vote in July in which 96 per cent of those who took part backed holding an independence referendum.

The date of that vote, July 4, was deliberately chosen because it is associated with the American Declaration of Independence.

Residents have since stepped up their campaign against the asylum plans.

Last week, 133 women from Piddington wrote to female MPs warning that their lives could be transformed if the plans went ahead.

The letter said: ‘life as we know it will be destroyed’ if the plans succeed.

‘We will not feel safe walking our streets. We are already living in fear,’ they wrote.

More than 20 women have also reportedly signed up for self-defence classes after residents said they had been advised by police to take precautions.

A protest sign pictured outside the Bicester Ministry of Defence site in Oxfordshire

A blank ballot paper in Piddington

Residents gather waiting for the results to arrive

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Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe outside the village hall in Piddington

A protest sign is seen (bottom right) outside Bicester military camp this week

Melise Witkin, 59, said: ‘This is not about being rich or poor, this is about safety. People have worked really hard throughout their lives to live in this village.

‘It is not such a rich or poor village. I just don’t think that is a conversation to be had. This is about safety.

‘We are 356 people in the village with 46 children and 1,250 men turning up is a recipe for disaster. People walk their dogs, children play, I just think it is madness.

‘This is about safety, nothing more. Even for them [the asylum seekers], along that road there is no pavement, there are no street lights. We just have to be realistic.’

The road access has been a particular concern.

Parish councillor Mike Nixon said the proposed site has no pedestrian access areas and that the Government had suggested asylum seekers could be given high-visibility jackets while walking along a busy road.

He said: ‘The nearest path is about a mile and a quarter away, down a very busy road that’s unlit.’

The Government’s own travel plan describes pedestrian access as ‘limited’ and says travelling on foot is ‘not recommended’. It adds that cycling and public transport options may be provided.

The Government has stressed that the former military site would be designed to be largely self-contained to minimise its impact on the surrounding community.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government is working to ‘fairly house asylum seekers’ across the country as it closes asylum hotels.

‘As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area,’ the spokesman added.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the Government was ‘working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country’.

Reform’s Suella Braverman backed the residents. She is pictured speaking to one of them

A sign for the village of Piddington is pictured next to another saying ‘350 residents, 1250 proposed, nearly 4x our village population’ – in reference to local objections to a government plan to house some 1,200 asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence (MoD) site

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Shadow home secretary Chris Philp (right) and shadow minister for women and equalities Joy Morrissey (left) speak with residents in the village

An ariel view of the village of Piddington in Oxfordshire

They said the government was ‘engaging with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities and we’ve saved taxpayers more than £1bn on asylum support costs since the election’.

‘The Home Office has submitted an application to obtain planning permission to use the Bicester site for asylum accommodation, but it remains the case that no final decision has been taken on the site’s future use,’ the spokesman added.

The Home Office first announced the Bicester proposal in June as part of its efforts to reduce reliance on asylum hotels and move people into alternative accommodation.

The current planning application is for up to 1,256 people and says the proposed use would be temporary.

The Home Office has stressed that submitting the application does not mean a final decision has been taken, with the proposal still subject to planning, due diligence and other approvals.

The referendum has nevertheless attracted national political attention.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he would support other communities seeking to hold similar symbolic votes, while Reform MP Rupert Lowe told reporters outside Piddington village hall that the referendum should be ‘lauded’.

He said: ‘I think if we’re going to stop this, the people have to rise up and say they’ve had enough, and they’re not going to put up with this.’

Former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman also visited the village before the vote.

She said: ‘This will dramatically transform the character of the village. These are the wrong plans for this village, and you know only harm and damage will come from it.

‘I applaud the efforts of these women to make their voices heard. They’ve spoken very powerfully, and they are the reason I’m here. I stand with them.’

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also visited residents and said: ‘The mothers and grandmothers of Piddington are clearly terrified for the safety of their daughters and granddaughters, because we know young male illegal immigrants are disproportionately likely to commit sex offences and rape.

‘Being here underlines how important it is to kick out this Labour Government and leave the ECHR, which would enable us to deport illegal immigrants upon arrival, instead of imposing them on places like Piddington.’

The Government has not yet made a final decision on the future of the Bicester site.

And despite Piddington’s symbolic declaration of independence, the village remains legally part of the United Kingdom.

For residents, however, the vote was intended to demonstrate the strength of feeling over a development which they say would fundamentally alter their community.

The UK inflation rate rose to 3.1 per cent in the year to August, pushed up by “soaring” petrol and diesel prices.

The latest figures were released on Wednesday morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Inflation hit 2.9 per cent in July, which was its highest level in four months, after the price of energy was pushed up by the conflict in the Middle East.

Inflation measures the increase in the price of goods over time. The Bank of England has set a target of keeping the rate at 2 per cent.

The ONS said that the cost of transport, “particularly motor fuels”, made the largest upward contribution to the higher inflation rate.

“Sharp price rises for petrol and diesel pushed inflation up again in August,” ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said.

“Higher airfares, particularly for long-haul journeys, also contributed to the increase.”

Prices in the transport division rose by 4.6 per cent in the 12 months to August, the ONS said.

“The average price of petrol rose by 9.1 pence per litre between July and August 2026, compared with a rise of 0.3 pence per litre between July and August 2025.”

On Tuesday, the RAC said that the cost of filling a family car with fuel had risen by almost £5 since the start of September.

Average UK forecourt prices reached 170.54p a litre for petrol on Tuesday, while diesel climbed to 192.86p, the motoring services company said.

Diesel is now at its highest price since 29 July 2022, with petrol reaching levels not seen since 23 August 2022.

The Bank of England will meet on Thursday to decide whether to change its interest rate, which it uses to control inflation. The rate currently sits at 3.75 per cent.

This is a breaking news story. More follows. Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The Independent.

Without the world reducing climate-warming emissions, most of which come from burning fossil fuels for power, homes, transport and industry, to net zero, global temperatures will continue to rise with worsening impacts including extreme heatwaves, floods, drought and rising seas.

Three people have died after a news helicopter crashed into the ground as reporters covered another deadly bus crash in Los Angeles.

NewsChopper 4, which provides coverage for NBC LA and a local Telemundo channel, fell from the sky in Chatsworth.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed while circling the bus accident below.

Four vehicles were damaged and police are investigating what prompted the crash.

‘From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,’ the police said in a statement.’

NBC and Telemundo said: ‘We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening[

‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.’

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The SNP is resorting to “gimmicks” to sell the idea of Scottish independence to voters, a leading expert on the party has said.

Professor James Mitchell rubbished John Swinney’s prediction that Andy Burnham would be the last Prime Minister of the UK – and said the case for independence had not been moved forward by this week’s Cardiff summit.

And the academic, who has studied the history of Scottish nationalism for 40 years, said the meeting in Wales which brought together the leaders of the SNP, Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru was “yet another blind alley”.

Swinney used a press conference in the Welsh capital to insist he would continue pushing for an IndyRef2 by 2031 and claim the UK’s days were numbered.

He later signed a joint agreement which declared: “The political landscape across these islands is changing.”

Mitchell told the Record: “The claim Burnham will be the last UK Prime Minister will be forgotten long before it is disproved.

“John Swinney knows this, which allows him to say it. It’s easy to say something to get a headline, knowing it will soon be forgotten – just as the numerous other predictions of independence’s imminence have been.

“The SNP approach is now very clear. Lots of gimmicks, declarations and the like, but evade the weaknesses exposed in the 2014 referendum – currency, pensions, Scotland’s very challenging fiscal status, and how to attain EU membership criteria.

“Without credible answers, it is easier to indulge in posturing – but these matters are real and unavoidable.”

Mitchell described the Cardiff summit as “novel” but “lacking in substance”. And the academic at the University of Edinburgh said Swinney would be “relieved” independence was being talked about rather than the recent Pisa report which found standards in Scots schools slipping.

He added: “The fact that the leaders of three minority parties are First Minister is indeed novel but does not materially change the constitutional situation.

“While Plaid saw a significant breakthrough in Wales in May, the SNP and Sinn Fein have lost momentum.

“This is an example of the SNP’s tactic of appearing to take the constitutional debate forward any real progress.

“The agreement is yet another blind alley in the pursuit of the SNP’s aim of independence. John Swinney will at least be relieved to have the constitution talked about, even if to no effect, rather than the latest PISA results.”

The first ministers of the UK’s three devolved nations used Monday’s summit to declare that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end”. During what Swinney described as a “landmark day”, he predicted Burnham would be “the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom”.

Asked by reporters whether the summit was an “appropriate use” of their offices, the First Minister insisted he was “simply advancing the mandate that was given to me by the public”.

The SNP fell seven seats short of a majority at May’s election – the benchmark Swinney had previously suggested was needed for him to begin negotiations with the UK Government over holding another referendum.

Half of drivers now say potholes are their ‘biggest worry’

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A summer of high temperatures will lead to more potholes during winter, the RAC has warned. Many parts of the UK experienced record temperatures during a summer frequented by heatwaves and it is these periods which will create even more potholes.

The RAC points towards the negative effect which UV rays have on the bitumen used to bind road materials together. When exposed to long durations of high temperatures, this can cause asphalt to become brittle and break away when it cools.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible which leads to cracking. Then water penetrates cracks and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed.”

A recent Report on Motoring conducted by the RAC spoke to 2,238 drivers and found that half of drivers saw potholes as their biggest worry, up from 47 per cent last year. Some 83 per cent of drivers say they encounter a pothole on most trips they make by car, while more than half come across potholes on every trip. In addition, 58 per cent say that they have to make an effort to avoid them on every trip.

Williams added: “Potholes are often associated with cold or wet winters, but prolonged periods of hot, sunny weather also takes its toll on the roads. Intense UV exposure and heat gradually oxidise the bitumen that binds asphalt together, making surfaces more brittle and prone to cracking.

“Once cracks develop, traffic and later rainfall can quickly turn them into serious defects.:

Most of us are used to hearing about the risks of not getting enough iron. Yet having too much iron in the body can also cause serious health problems.

Iron overload occurs when it gradually accumulates in the body. Excess iron can be stored in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas. This can scar the liver, weaken the heart so it cannot pump blood properly, and damage the body’s ability to control blood sugar, leading to diabetes.

Could changing what you eat and drink affect how much iron builds up?

In a recent scoping review, my colleagues and I examined 40 sources on food, drink and supplements. These included 38 peer-reviewed academic papers and two sources of grey literature. The findings suggest that diet could complement medical treatment by changing how much iron the body absorbs, although its usefulness depends on the cause of the overload.

Doctors describe inherited iron overload as “primary”, and overload caused by illness or treatment as “secondary”.

Hereditary haemochromatosis is the most common inherited form. It causes the body to absorb too much iron from food, and is particularly common among people of northern European ancestry. Standard treatment involves regularly removing blood, a procedure called venesection or phlebotomy.

Transfusion-related iron overload develops after repeated blood transfusions, in which a person receives donated blood. Each transfusion adds iron that the body has no active system for removing. Treatment generally uses iron chelators – medicines that attach to iron so the body can pass it out in urine or stools.

This type of overload can occur in thalassaemia, a group of inherited conditions affecting haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Some people need regular transfusions, and thalassaemia can also increase iron absorption from food (though for those receiving regular transfusions, food usually provides a much smaller share of their excess iron).

What the studies found

Tea contains polyphenols – plant substances that attach mainly to non-haem iron, the form found chiefly in plant foods and foods with added iron. This makes the iron harder for the body to absorb.

A small clinical trial involving 18 people with hereditary haemochromatosis found that black tea reduced iron absorption from a meal. Participants asked to drink tea with every meal accumulated about one-third less stored iron over the following year than those drinking water. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant, which means the researchers could not rule out chance.

A later “crossover” study, in which all 14 adults tried both the supplement and an inactive capsule, tested extracts of black tea, cocoa and grape juice. The supplement reduced non-haem iron absorption from one meal and drink by about 40%. But because the study measured only this immediate effect, it could not show whether the supplement slowed iron accumulation or reduced treatment needs.

Coffee also contains polyphenols and can reduce non-haem iron absorption when consumed with meals. Evidence in people with iron overload remains stronger for tea, though.

Haem iron, found in meat, poultry and fish, is absorbed more readily than non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis may therefore be advised to moderate red meat and particularly iron-rich offal, such as liver, while continuing to eat a balanced diet.

People with iron overload are also generally advised to avoid iron supplements and multivitamins containing iron, unless a doctor has prescribed them. UK guidance advises people with haemochromatosis to avoid breakfast cereals fortified with iron.

Vitamin C increases the absorption of non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis are usually advised to avoid vitamin C supplements, although they can still eat fruit and vegetables containing it.

The advice can differ for people with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia, a form requiring regular transfusions, because some develop vitamin C deficiency. Medical guidelines allow small prescribed doses with certain iron-removing medicines or when deficiency has been confirmed. Unsupervised supplements can increase forms of iron in the blood that damage cells.

Alcohol is a particular concern, because it and excess iron can both injure the liver. A study of 206 people with the most common inherited form of haemochromatosis found severe, permanent liver scarring in 61% of those consuming at least 60g of pure alcohol a day, compared with 7% of those consuming less.

That amount is roughly 7.5 UK units a day and should not be treated as a safe threshold. UK guidance advises people who drink regularly not to exceed 14 units a week. Those with liver damage may be advised to avoid alcohol altogether.

People with haemochromatosis are also advised to avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters and clams. These can carry Vibrio bacteria found naturally in coastal waters. The resulting infection, called vibriosis, can be unusually severe in people with iron overload.

What the evidence can support so far

The evidence does not support a single “iron overload diet”. As a scoping review, our study mapped the available research but did not formally rate every source’s quality, nor combine the numerical results to calculate an overall effect.

The studies covered different conditions and approaches, usually in small groups over short periods. Many measured iron absorption or blood-test results without examining longer-term health or treatment needs. We therefore cannot say that dietary changes reliably reduce how often people need blood removed or should take iron-removing medicines.

For people with hereditary haemochromatosis, current guidance advises avoiding unprescribed iron or vitamin C supplements and limiting alcohol and frequent red-meat consumption. Tea or coffee with meals may help reduce non-haem iron absorption.

People with transfusion-related overload need individual advice that considers their treatment and whether they have low levels of any vitamins or minerals.

Anyone diagnosed with iron overload should discuss dietary changes and supplements with their doctor or a specialist dietitian. Diet can support treatment, but it cannot safely replace it.

A drug dealer threatened to blackmail a customer who owed him a £2,000 debt and threatened that men from Cardiff would put him into the back of a van and kill him. The customer was also told that if he was not found, there would be consequences for his family and children.

Dominic Price, 37, had been in contact with his victim Jonathan Mott, who had racked up a £2,000 drug debt, and an agreement had been reached for him to repay the debt. This involved him selling drugs on Price’s behalf for several months but matters came to a head after the defendant made repeated requests for the money.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Price contacted Mr Mott by telephone on February 22 and told him he needed to repay the debt in full. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

Prosecutor Abdallah Barakat said: “The defendant said he would give his name and address to people from Cardiff and those individuals would find (Mr Mott), drag him, cut him and stab him, put him into the back of a van and kill him.”

Mr Mott was told he needed to repay the money by February 23 or he would face the consequences.

The victim called the police and his voice appeared to be shaky as he was in a state of distress.

The defendant was arrested and interviewed, but he responded: “I haven’t done nothing and I have said nothing, this is a set up.”

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Mott said: “Dominic has ruined my life, the life of my parents and my children. When he made threats to me I was terrified, I was shaking and could not stop crying. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared to contact the police and make things worse but I felt there was no other way I could keep myself and my family safe.

“I feel Dominic is a predator who took advantage of me and has impacted every part of my life. Me and my family have never experienced anything like this before. My family is extremely nervous the threats are going to be carried out. My parents are still very nervous they will be targeted by Dominic or I will be hurt by them.”

The victim said he had to leave his job in a school as he was concerned about the safety of the children and he thought about making an attempt on his own life.

Mr Barakat said Price was also to be dealt with for drug possession offences after police attended his home on January 8.

The defendant locked the door and refused to open it but a search was carried out after police gained entry.

They discovered cocaine, amphetamine and bromazolam.

Price, of Clos Dyfodwg, Llantwit Fardre, later pleaded guilty to blackmail and possession of class A and C drugs.

The court heard he has 12 previous convictions, the majority of which are drug related.

In mitigation, Harry Baker said not all of the victim’s problems could be laid at the feet of his client, and referred to the victim losing his job at the school because of his involvement in drugs.

Recorder Paul Lewis KC sentenced Price to 27 months imprisonment.

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