A simple baked potato recipe can be transformed with one easy step.

Whenever a fuss-free midweek supper is required, a baked potato is typically the first port of call. Simple to prepare and difficult to surpass, a perfectly cooked baked potato is a genuine comfort food classic.

That said, without proper preparation, they can end up soggy and shrivelled. The exterior should be a deep golden brown and wonderfully crispy, while piercing the skin should reveal a soft, fluffy centre.

Many people simply coat their baked potatoes in oil and wrap them in foil; however, this approach can result in a mushy skin, as the foil locks in moisture.

Instead, ditch the foil and, alongside the olive oil, coat your potatoes in one straightforward ingredient — salt.

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Salt is the secret to achieving that distinctive crackling skin. The coarse flakes draw moisture from the skin during baking, producing a crust that audibly snaps when sliced.

This ingredient also prevents steam from softening the potato, ensuring the olive oil functions effectively, ultimately delivering a considerably crispier skin.

While table salt will suffice, sea salt is the recommended option. Table salt has a finer texture, resulting in a less impressive crust.

Ordinary sea salt works perfectly well, though rosemary sea salt — readily available at M&S — takes the flavour of baked potatoes to an entirely new level. It also works wonderfully with roast potatoes.

How to make tastier and crispier baked potatoes

Ingredients

• One potato
• Olive oil
• M&S rosemary sea salt
• Toppings – tuna mayo, butter, cheese, or baked beans

Method

1. To start, preheat your oven to 200°C Fan, then thoroughly wash the potato under cold running water and dry it as well as possible using paper towels.
2. Next, pierce the skin all over with a fork. Steam can accumulate inside potatoes, potentially causing them to burst in the oven, and piercing the skin allows the steam to escape.
3. Generously drizzle the olive oil over the potato and coat it in the rosemary salt, ensuring every part of the skin is covered.
4. Before placing the potato in the oven, make use of your microwave. You can put your raw potato straight into the oven if you prefer, but this method can take considerably longer to bake, sometimes upwards of an hour.
5. Additionally, pre-cooking the potato in the microwave helps achieve a wonderfully soft and fluffy centre, without resulting in an overly tough skin.
6. It only requires six to 10 minutes, though eight minutes proved ideal for the potato used here. When it’s ready, the skin should just be beginning to wrinkle.
7. Transfer the potato to a baking tray, being sure to use tongs and an oven mitt, as both the potato and plate will be extremely hot at this stage.
8. This potato required 40 minutes in the oven. It should be tender enough for a knife to slide through the skin with ease.
9. Once the potato is cooked through, leaving it in the oven for a further five minutes will help the skin crisp up even more.

Once cooked, I slice open the top and squeeze the sides to open it up, before fluffing the interior with a fork and piling on the toppings.

On this occasion, I went for tuna mayo, though the options are virtually endless — from baked beans and cheese to chilli con carne, sour cream, or simply a generous knob of butter.

It has just been branded the unfriendliest place in the UK – and people living for years in the ‘miserable’ east London town of Barking say they agree.

One grandmother told the Daily Mail she expected not to be helped but instead robbed, should she collapse – and advised others to best ‘keep yourself to yourself’. 

The London borough of Barking and Dagenham has the unenviable ranking in a new study drawing on government data from a community life survey.

The area might have given the world football stars such as Barking’s Sir Alf Ramsey, Bobby Moore and John Terry as well as EastEnders actor Ross Kemp, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Meanwhile, Dagenham’s celebrity count includes former Ford Dagenham car plant clerk and later Eurovision winner Sandie Shaw, comedy legend Dudley Moore and TV personality Stacey Solomon.

Yet locals suggest Barking and Dagenham is on the decline – and while some still have hope and pride for the area, others agree with the gloomy new findings. 

This latest report measures how often people chat to neighbours, how lonely they feel, local pride and levels of participation in civic life.

Next up, in order, on the ‘unfriendly’ list are Stoke-on-Trent, then Ashfield and Mansfield – both in Nottinghamshire – before Ipswich in fifth.

Others, however, have spoken about the positive elements Barking does have to offer – with stores such as this still trading on the streets

In contrast, the friendliest place in England was named as the Isles of Scilly, followed by South Hams in Devon, then West Devon, Derbyshire Dales and Richmond-upon Thames in south-west London.

The labelling of Barking came as little surprise to Martha Davis, a grandmother in her late 60s who has lived there for 28 years but spoke of its downturn – and her fears.

She said: ‘Absolutely it’s unfriendly. They spit in your face rather than talk to you.

‘Keep yourself to yourself – best thing to do in Barking.

‘I’m in and out, I wouldn’t spend the whole day here. There are pickpockets – the place is dying.

‘It’s terrible. I feel unsafe. People are so miserable. If I collapsed I think someone would rob me.’

While many the Daily Mail spoke to spoke up for their area, plenty criticised ‘miserable’ and uncommunicative residents for hardly helping its feel and reputation.

The unfriendliness findings come from an Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion study using data from the Government’s Community Life Survey. 

Barking has plenty of history – and famous names born and bred there – though there are concerns amid its main high streets and surrounding areas about more ‘miserable’ people

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The area scored eight out of 100 on the National Conversation’s ‘connection barometer’. 

Ten per cent of locals say they feel lonely ‘often or always’ and only 21 per cent said they could trust their neighbours.

It is a view shared on the street where residents fear being spat on or attacked.

Omar Mukhtar, 40, who has been in Barking for 23 years, said: ‘It depends on your aura.

‘You can interact with anyone. People are approachable – they could smash your face but also ask for directions.’

Local resident Faysal Khan, who has lived in Barking for six years, said: ‘Yes and no on whether it’s unfriendly.

‘It depends on the person basically. People are chatty, every kind of people you find in Barking. Some people are good as gold.

‘I go with the flow – I just try and listen to others instead of debating.’

Barking resident Omar Mukhtar, 40, told of the contrasts in how people you approach behave

Cafe worker Sally O’Brien, 44, said: ‘Our customers are lovely, but the average person out there isn’t.

‘There’s a fear of what might happen. People are rude and obnoxious.

‘The community has gone as well really. People don’t know each other. It’s a lost area.

‘People don’t even smile. They constantly spit out there or they’re on their phones.

‘Our cafe is very friendly but being out there is like another world.’

Martin Whitting, 44, who has run an ice cream van in Barking for several years, said in response to people in Barking being unfriendly: ‘It depends really. If they can speak English and communicate, then it’s a good community.

‘There’s lots of drugs and that’s the trouble. It’s a nice place but a bit unpredictable. You never know what you’ll get.’

Janice, a woman in her 40s, said: ‘It’s just weird – Some people are polite but everywhere I go it is bad mental health: Barking is bad for mental health. People don’t smile. They don’t speak.’

Ice cream van man Martin Whitting called Barking ‘nice’ yet also ‘a bit unpredictable’

Adnan Tariq, a shopkeeper in Barking for 14 years, said: ‘Maybe yes, maybe no. I’m not going to say everyone is horrible.

‘If you walk around, you’ll see yourself people are nice.

‘What you hear and what you see are different – I’m pretty sure there are worse areas than Barking.

‘Barking used to be a bit trickier but a few years passed by and it’s getting better now.

‘There used to be gangs, but they’ve removed bad council estates and they’ve cleaned up Barking.’

Dave Parsons, 45, a delivery driver, felt people were often rude, adding: ‘I think it’s the area that gets people down. They probably don’t think they’ve done well if they’re here.

‘I get a lot of people who simply don’t say thank you – it’s sad really but I am used to it now.’

The National Conversation is run by the Conservative ex-Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid and former Labour policy coordinator Jon Cruddas – himself a former MP for Dagenham between 2001 and 2024.

Adnan Tariq, a shopkeeper in Barking for 14 years, spoke up for the town – insisting it had improved in recent years and he was ‘pretty sure there are worse areas’

Organisers say it aims to help better understand the country’s state of connection and cohesion to create a vision for how people can live well together. 

The foreword from its first report published last year claimed that ‘communal life in Britain is under threat’ due to declining infrastructure and institutions, a loss in trust in those institutions, growing inequality and chronic neglect from policymakers.   

It also identified threats causing social disconnection such as the mismanagement of immigration, cost of living pressures and social media-driven extremism.

The commission warned the results show that the UK was ‘sitting on a tinderbox of disconnection and division’.

Mr Cruddas said: ‘I nearly choked on my cornflakes when my old area came rock bottom. 

‘I think government stats miss a lot of what really makes an area tick, including my old town. 

‘But that’s why we have developed it, to spark a conversation – because what we really want is your view on your area.’

FOREST GROVE, Ore. (AP) — The bodies of five people were found on a rural property outside Portland and authorities said Sunday it was being investigated as a quintuple homicide.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said authorities initially responded early Saturday to reports of a vehicle fire at a property in Forest Grove, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Portland. Responders then found the remains of five people and “several domestic animals.”

Detectives do not believe it was a random act of violence, authorities said, without sharing much detail. No arrests have been made and no one was in custody.

They did not disclose the ages or genders of the people found, how they died or what possible connections they might have with one another. The type of animals found dead also was not specified.

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Detective Shannon Wilde with the sheriff’s office said they were still working to determine who the victims were.

“Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge,” Wilde said, noting the complexity of the investigation and the large crime scene.

When asked by reporters about the amount of time that passed between authorities first discovering the dead bodies and releasing information the following afternoon, Wilde said authorities were trying to identify the victims and notify their next of kin before holding a news conference while also working on a “very active investigation with a lot of moving pieces.” Authorities wanted to ensure they released accurate information in a responsible way, she said.

Sheriff Caprice Massey urged anyone who is familiar with the property or the people who live there to share any information they may have.

“I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation,” she said.

Karucha Sripramote, known locally as Monk Kom, says he was walking through a park when a thug started spinning his bike wheel to spray dirt on him – before the situation escalated quickly

A Buddhist monk was hit with a “rapid flurry of strikes” to his face when he was attacked by a balaclava-clad thug riding a bike in a UK park.

Karucha Sripramote, known as Monk Kom by locals in Newcastle, said he was “repeatedly harassed” by a boy on an electric bike during a walk through Hebburn Riverside Park. After he was shouted at and had his path blocked by the lad on a bike, the situation escalated quickly.

The boy flicked dirt on Karucha with his bike wheel last Tuesday (August 18) before punching him repeatedly in the face. Police are now investigating the attack, reports Chronicle Live.

“He began by sounding a horn behind me and shouting,” Karucha recalled. “I was aware of him, but could not hear clearly due to my earphones, so I simply moved aside to avoid his path.

“He then rode in front of me to block my way and continued shouting. I pointed to my earphones and waved my hand to indicate that I had no wish to engage.”

The 34-year-old added: “He then rode closer, turned his bike, and deliberately spun his rear wheel to throw grass and dirt over me. I tried to walk away, but he followed and repeated the action.

“Seeing that he would not leave me alone, I approached him to ask him to stop, but grew concerned he might ride directly at me. I held onto his sleeve to keep distance and reason with him safely, at which point he began punching me repeatedly in the face.”

Karucha, who suspects he may have been attacked as he was wearing his orange monastic robes, said he was punched “multiple times in quick succession” and received “a rapid flurry of strikes” to his face before the boy’s friend appeared from elsewhere in the park and kicked him with “full force” and knocked him to the ground. He estimates that the boys were between 12 and 15 years old.

Karucha said his glasses were damaged in the attack and he sustained a cut to his lip. He hopes that sharing his experience will prevent anyone else from being targeted.

Karucha said: “Groups of youths wearing balaclavas frequently ride e-bikes dangerously close to pedestrians in this area to intimidate them. It has happened to me before, but this was the first time it escalated to physical violence. My only hope in speaking out is to prevent someone else from getting badly hurt.”

He added: “Initially, I intended to let it pass and carry on quietly with my life. However, I realised that staying silent might leave other members of the public, especially elderly residents and families, vulnerable to escalating behaviour.”

Since speaking out about his experience, which happened at around 3.30pm on Tuesday, Karucha has been “deeply touched” by the “overwhelmingly kind and supportive” response from the community. He said he has received many kind messages and even flowers from the community.

In an update and heartfelt thank you to the Hebburn community, he shared on the Dhammakaya Meditation Centre of Newcastle Facebook page.

Karucha wrote: “Following my initial post regarding the incident at Hebburn Riverside Park, I thought the matter would quietly pass. Instead, I have been deeply touched by the outpouring of support, warm messages, and today, a beautiful arrangement of flowers delivered to our centre by a kind resident on behalf of the Hebburn community.

“I am writing this to express my sincere gratitude to everyone and to share a brief update:

“Our Community: I have lived in Hebburn for over six and a half years; I know first-hand how kind, welcoming, and peaceful this town is. This single incident does not change how much I value and appreciate living here.

“Reflections on the Incident: As a Buddhist monk, I contemplate life through understanding, patience, and the principle of cause and effect (Kamma). I hold no anger, resentment, or bitterness towards the young lads. While their actions crossed a line, panic and poor judgement often lead young people to react recklessly.”

Karucha said he has “no lasting injuries” and has now “almost completely healed” following the incident. Northumbria Police is investigating the report.

Karucha added: “My only hope is that these young lads take a moment to reflect on the kind of community they wish to grow up in. The way we treat others inevitably shapes the environment our own loved ones and families live in. Thank you all once again for your immense kindness, care, and solidarity.”

He is expected to emphasise the importance of UK-Irish economic ties in meetings that will also discuss joint security concerns and commitments made on Northern Ireland legacy matters

The Northern Ireland Secretary is to meet the Irish ministers for justice and foreign affairs on his first official visit to Dublin on Monday.

Sir Chris Bryant, who will be joined by Northern Ireland Minister Baroness Ruth Anderson and British ambassador to Dublin Kara Owen, was appointed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in July.

He is expected to emphasise the importance of UK-Irish economic ties in meetings that will also discuss joint security concerns and commitments made on Northern Ireland legacy matters.

The Secretary of State will attend a roundtable with key business leaders from across the UK and Ireland to explore opportunities in Northern Ireland, as well as boost cross-border trade and encourage investment.

Sir Chris said: “The UK-Ireland relationship is fundamental to our shared security and prosperity, and has been significantly strengthened over the past two years.

“I am committed to working collaboratively with ministers in Dublin to foster joint cooperation, uphold the Good Friday Agreement and deliver on the commitments on legacy that both governments have made under the Joint Framework.

“I am also here today to make the case for Northern Ireland’s immense economic potential, and for trade and investment that benefits communities both in Northern Ireland and across these shared islands.”

In September the UK Government, then led by Sir Keir Starmer, made several commitments as part of a joint framework with the Irish Government on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles.

This included major reforms of a body tasked with investigating unsolved Troubles murders, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

Earlier this month, Sir Chris said he was “full steam ahead” on a Bill to replace the controversial Legacy Act brought in by the previous Conservative government.

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

A widow who bought a patch of fly-tipped wasteland for £57,000 and transformed it into her dream mini farm has been told to tear it down after being dragged into a bitter planning battle.

Tara Dexter bought a smallholding in Sidlesham, West Sussex, while mourning the death of her veteran partner, Gary.

The couple had long dreamed of owning a slice of the countryside, creating a micro-farm and living their own version of The Good Life.

She spent two years transforming the site from a fly-tipped dumping ground filled with car parts and rubbish to a smart smallholding with plants, pigs, chickens and wildlife.

Deer and buzzards now visit the plot, raised beds have been planted and she keeps peacocks on her farm.

Children from a nearby primary school have also used the land for outdoor activities and help her on the land. She also created a willow igloo which is used by disabled children who often visit to help out.

But Ms Dexter became embroiled in a planning row after Chichester District Council objected to her transformation saying the container and sheds on the land breached countryside planning rules.

And when she applied for retrospective planning permission she was turned down.

Ms Dexter insists the site was once a fly-tipped dumping ground filled with car parts and was covered in rubbish but she is now embroiled in a planning row after Chichester District Council   claimed her sheds breached countryside planning rules

Now her appeal to the Planning Inspectorate has failed and she has been given four months to dismantle her dream micro farm.

She said: ‘It’s absolutely ridiculous. It seems the council and planners would rather have a fly-tipped wasteland than a managed smallholding.

‘The place was an absolute tip when I took it over and I have totally transformed it and spent huge amounts of time, money and effort to make sure it blends with the environment and contributes to the wildlife.

‘Schoolchildren come on visits and are amazed by the rich variety of wildlife, flowers and plants. It’s such a shame.

‘I am devastated this will all stop. I hope the council and planners enjoy it when this place returns to a foul, toxic scrap of wasteland for fly-tippers.’

She said: ‘Other plots around me include a burnt-out barn and mountains of fly tipping? Fly-tipping which has been ignored by the council for years.’

Ms Dexter, 57, of Yapton, West Sussex says her mini farm helped her through the immense grief of losing her partner to cancer and she calls it her ‘lifesaver’.

Ms Dexter says the council’s planning department initially told her they had no problem with the container unit and the sheds.

Ms Dexter spent two years transforming the site from a fly-tipped dumping ground filled with car parts and rubbish to a smart smallholding with plants, pigs, chickens and wildlife

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Deer and buzzards now visit the plot, raised beds have been planted and she keeps peacocks on her farm

She even received almost £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows and trees on the land from Chichester District Council – the same council who later objected to her plans.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘This project has literally saved my life. I was so devastated by Gary’s diagnosis and death.

‘He was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer at the age of 52 after suffering a seizure at work and within six weeks he had passed away. It was absolutely devastating.

‘He’d always been so healthy. He served four tours with the Army in a 12 year career including tours in Northern Ireland and Belize.

‘He hadn’t been to the doctor since 1998 but suddenly suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with cancer and that was it.

‘We’d always wanted a little slice of nature to work as a smallholding and when I saw this I snapped it up. It was £57,000 and was a real mess but I was prepared to work hard. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

‘I worked all the hours I could transforming it and clearing the rubbish and mess from the site. It now has around 2,000 plants, fencing, hedgerows and has been cleared of all the toxic rubbish that was here.

‘I bought a container for £20,000 and then cladded it with wood to ensure it blended in and the place looks lovely now. It really blends in with the environment.’

Children from a nearby primary school have also used the land for outdoor activities and help her on the land

Ms Dexter said she also received almost £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows and trees on the land from Chichester District Council – the same council who is now trying to closer her down

She said: ‘When I initially told them about the container they said that as long as it was on bricks or raised from the ground they had no issue with it but when I applied for permission they turned it down and then issued an enforcement notice against me.

‘However the same council gave me close to £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows, plants and trees. It seems like one department doesn’t talk to the other. I was getting conflicting messages.’

She said: ‘My mental health has not been great since Gary passed away. He was my soulmate. We first met when he was 18 and I was 17 and then got back together when we were older.

‘My micro farm has been my retreat for the past two and half years and I don’t know what I’m going to do without it.’

Ms Dexter said she cannot continue to work on the land without the container and sheds and will be forced to sell up.

In a statement, Chichester District Council said: ‘The planning application for a container on the land was refused by the council in 2024, as it conflicted with key policies aimed at protecting the countryside and because the site lies within a floodplain.’

Dismissing the appeal the Planning Inspectorate said: ‘In reaching her decision the Inspector found the container harmful to its rural setting and uncharacteristic thereof.

‘Although there may be a functional need for welfare facilities, secure storage and facilities for educational visits from children it had not been demonstrated that the same benefits could not be achieved in a less harmful way.’

The Inspectorate said Ms Dexter has four months to remove the metal container building, dismantle and remove the two timber buildings, break up and remove four timber planters, break up and remove the concrete hardstanding and concrete plinths, together with all resultant debris.

This was a fitting race with a thrilling finale to end Zandvoort’s six-race stint on the F1 calendar, though home hero Verstappen’s participation ended before he crossed the finish line at the end of the first lap.

Exiting the final corner, still damp from a heavy shower 30 minutes before, he put a tyre onto the white lines on the inside. He lost control of his Red Bull, smashing into one barrier at the top of the track before rolling to a standstill, destroyed, at the bottom of it. The race was stopped for more than 30 minutes.

As for the championship leader? This was arguably Antonelli’s poorest weekend in recent memory, yet he managed to find a way to finish ahead of Russell for the eighth time in 12 rounds in 2026. That, too, sums up his season. His hopes of a home victory at Monza, though, will be dented by the news that he will take a hefty grid penalty for a power-unit change.

“In theory our calculations say that’s the best track to take it – obviously algorithms do not take nationality into consideration, but we are here to fight for the championship and not get the most PR,” Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, joked after the race.

The way this season has gone, the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be cancelled, and, as rumoured, the finale will be held in Imola. It could be that Antonelli is crowned champion – or enjoys a victory lap – at a track just 25 miles from his Bologna birthplace. How fitting that could be.

Verstappen ‘caught out’ by conditions in front of home crowd

By TOM MIDLANE and NATALIE PENZA

Published: 00:30 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 00:42 BST, 24 August 2026

The health of Norway’s King Harald deteriorated over the weekend while in hospital, the royal household has said.

Harald, 89, Europe’s oldest current head of state, was hospitalised on Monday and treated for anaemia.

In a statement on Sunday, the palace said: ‘His Majesty the King’s health deteriorated over the weekend. 

‘The King is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood, and has responded to this treatment.’ 

The statement added that the monarch’s condition was stable.

It comes after King Harald was rushed to hospital with haemolytic anaemia, a disorder which sees red blood cells destroyed at an abnormally fast rate and leads to fatigue, paleness and breathing difficulties.

The head of state was admitted to hospital in Oslo and will be on sick leave for the next two weeks, it was reported on Monday. 

The palace said in a statement: ‘The King has been treated with cortisone for the blood disease haemolytic anaemia in recent weeks. 

Queen Sonja and Harald in 2018

The King pictured in Oslo in March 

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‘This has led to fluid accumulation in the body that requires treatment in hospital.

‘The King is on sick leave for two weeks. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is Regent during this period. 

‘We will return to the consequences this will have for the Royal House’s official programme.’

Harald visited the hospital only days ago for a ‘planned check-up and follow-up with a doctor’.

And in February the 89-year-old was rushed to hospital while spending time with his wife, Norwegian Queen Sonja, 89, in Tenerife. 

The monarch’s condition at the time was said to have been ‘satisfactory’ after he received treatment for an infection and dehydration at Hospital Universitario Hospiten Sur.

It came just two years after he suffered a similar problem while on holiday in Malaysia. That ordeal resulted in him having a pacemaker fitted.

The monarch has, however, insisted that he will never abdicate from his position due to poor health, arguing that he took a lifelong oath before ascending to the throne in 1991.

Harald has been suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a disorder which sees red blood cells destroyed at an abnormally fast rate and leads to fatigue, paleness and breathing difficulties

‘I stick by what I’ve always said, that I swore an oath to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) and it is for life,’ he said previously.

Harald has presided over a difficult few months for the Norwegian royal family amid a scandal involving his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Mette-Marit faced intense scrutiny when a tranche from the Epstein Files revealed she stayed at the paedophile financier’s Palm Beach mansion in 2013 – after his conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

One email suggested she was still in contact with Epstein just months before his death.

Mette-Marit, 53, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, later issued a grovelling apology in which she claimed the emails ‘do not represent the person who I want to be’.

Harald defended his daughter-in-law during a public appearance that month in which he insisted: ‘We must remember that the Crown Princess has not done anything illegal.

‘Unlike some others in Norway, she broke the connection very early. So I think we should give her credit for that.’

It came in the same week that Queen Sonja was rushed to Oslo’s National Hospital after experiencing ‘heart problems’.

At the time, a statement from the Norwegian Royal House read: ‘Her Majesty the Queen was admitted to the National Hospital today due to heart problems.

‘The Queen has heart fibrillation and heart failure, and has been hospitalised for a few days for examinations and observation.’

Sonja was later discharged and said to have been in ‘much better form’. The 89-year-old had a pacemaker fitted last year after experiencing cardiac fibrillation – a rapid and irregular heartbeat.

Harald became Norway’s Crown Prince in 1957 after the death of his grandfather. He married Sonja in 1968 before becoming the monarch 23 years later when his father, King Olav, passed away.

They are hunting the person responsible for a series of incidents on Wednesday and Thursday when vehicles in the town were searched and items taken.

A spokesman for the police said: “As part of our ongoing investigation, officers have recovered several items which we believe may have been taken from vehicles affected during these incidents. However, the items recovered do not appear to belong to any of the victims who have come forward to date.

“We are therefore making a further appeal to members of the community to check their vehicles again, even if they have not previously identified anything missing.

“In some cases, victims may not immediately realise that items have been removed, particularly if they are not used on a regular basis.

If, upon checking your vehicle, you discover that anything is missing, please report it to North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible.”

Police thanked Tadcaster residents for their support in their investigations and those victims which have already reported items missing from their vehicles.

Reports to the police can be made via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling  North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Police ask that victims provide as much detail as possible regarding the missing item or items, including any identifying features, as this may assist officers in linking property to its rightful owner.