By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 11:43 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 17:06 BST, 24 August 2026

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after around 140 cars were destroyed in a fire near Gatwick Airport.

Police and fire crew were called to the ‘significant and complex’ fire in Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant, near Crawley, West Sussex, at 8.56pm on Saturday.

It is understood the car park is used mainly for travellers going to Gatwick, though the airport does not operate it.

Huge flames and thick smoke were pictured on Saturday night before a 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson.

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He was bailed as an investigation continued, Sussex Police said. 

Eight fire engines and two water carriers brought the blaze under control overnight as more than 2,000 homes had their power cut after the fire damaged high-voltage equipment near the car park.

Members of the public have been told to avoid the area as firefighters remained there to ‘dampen down hotspots’.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue said its teams were ‘hoping’ to leave later today. 

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The aftermath shows the burnt out shells of cars 

Fire crews battled a large fire near Gatwick Airport on Saturday evening, after which a man was arrested on suspicion of arson

The 67-year-old man has been bailed as an investigation continues, police said

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Around 100 cars are believed to have been burned during the fire at a car park mainly used for travellers heading to Gatwick, it is understood

There were no casualties from the fire.

A London Gatwick spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of a fire at an unaffiliated third-party car parking site, which occurred on Saturday evening, and understand how concerning and distressing this will be for any passengers whose vehicles may have been affected.

‘We are advising any passengers who are concerned that their vehicle might have been affected to call the police on 101.

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‘The parking company is not endorsed or operated by London Gatwick.’

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: ‘On Saturday (22 August) at 8.56pm we were alerted to fire at Wallage Lane in Rowfant.

‘Crews have been at the scene since the initial 999 call, responding to a significant and complex fire involving a workshop, vehicles (including electric and heavy goods vehicles), and cylinders.

‘Approximately 140 vehicles were damaged, and a number of the vehicles involved in this fire were parked at a site used for holiday parking. Any affected consumers are advised to contact their operator directly.

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‘On Saturday night local residents and nearby businesses experienced a temporary loss of electricity as an overhead power line needed to be isolated.

‘Vulnerable customers were supported by West Sussex County Council’s Resilience and Emergencies Team, and the electricity supply has since been restored.

‘Fire crews have been at the scene this morning (24 August) damping down hotspots, and we are hoping to leave the scene later on today.

‘Fortunately there were no casualties as a result of this fire.

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‘A joint fire investigation is now ongoing with Sussex Police. Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 1504 of 22/08.’

United will receive a small sum when academy graduate Willy Kambwala completes a move away from Villarreal before the transfer deadline.

Italian club Como are reportedly in pole position to sign Kambwala, looking set to beat Spanish side Osasuna to his signature. United will receive a small percentage of the fee Villarreal bank due to a sell-on clause.

United sources described the sell-on clause for Kambwala as “sizeable” when he left the club two years ago, but Villarreal are not expected to sell him to Como for a significant fee, which will limit the cut United will receive.

Michael Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington all died instantly in the horrific crash on Saturday morning.

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Friends of the five young men killed in a head-on smash with a police car are planning balloon releases in their memory – including near the crash site.

Michael Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington all died instantly in the horrific crash on Saturday morning.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38 – who were not in pursuit of their Volkswagen Passat – were also killed in the devastating collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough.

Memorial events for the five youths, who Cleveland Police have said may have had links to organised crime groups, have been announced for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at different locations, including in South Bank, close to where the horror unfolded, reports the Daily Star.

The force has also confirmed it has arrested nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, into alleged criminal activity before the crash.

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One message, dedicated to all five, said: “We all knew use [sic] and knew use [sic] had hearts of gold and most loyalist [sic] lads.”

Another social media message reads: “We have been made aware that there are two balloon releases taking place for two much loved young lads, Cole and Jacob. Both are happening at the same time and date.

“Please feel free to go to whichever one you would like to attend but if you can please take an extra balloon so both boys are remembered and both families feel your love and support.”

It adds: “There are also balloon releases arranged for Theo makai and Michael full details for each will be posted below this post so everyone is aware and can show their support for all five families.

“Five beautiful souls all gone too soon. All loved all missed all forever in our hearts.”

A balloon release in memory of Cole Worthy is due to take place at 5pm on Monday. At the same time, a memorial for Jakub Matusiak is due to be held in South Bank.

One for Theo Rae will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, balloons will be released in memory of Makai Saddington on Wednesday at 6pm, while Michael Ray will be remembered by the helium-filled tributes on Thursday.

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It comes as more than £250,000 has been raised for the families of the two police officers who died when the Passat crashed into their vehicle as it was travelling the wrong way on the dual carriageway.

A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation on Sunday reached £228,000 early on Monday. Organisers said funds raised would be split equally between the two officers’ families and the federation would continue to provide support.

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Services are running again, but travellers have been warned to expect delays or cancellations until around 5pm.

TransPennine Express said: “Train services running through these stations are returning to normal but some services may still be cancelled or delayed by up to 45 minutes. Disruption is expected until 17:00 24/08.”

Twelve people have been arrested by police probing a crash on the A66 which killed five joyriders and two police officers. 

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died early on Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway near Middlesbrough crashed head-on into their marked armed response vehicle. 

Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have now been arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group. 

Cleveland Police received several reports of the Volkswagen Passat being driven dangerously on Saturday. Separate reports involved a second car, a Volvo XC60, which was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. 

Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection but were identified through the force’s automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system. 

The five young men in the VW, which had just been chased by other officers when the crash happened, all died and were named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.

Today, balloon releases will be held in memory of two of the joyriders, Worthy and Matusiak. Four of those killed in the VW had extensive criminal records, including convictions for offences such as drug offences, assault and robbery. 

Yesterday the Daily Mail revealed Saddington’s TikTok featured a string of videos appearing to show him in high-speed police chases.

One clip, filmed in May and set to rap music, showed the 18-year-old being driven in an Audi speeding through a housing estate while a police car with flashing blue lights followed behind. 

Another video on an account linked to him showed a green Nissan being driven around before it is set alight, while images posted elsewhere show him and a friend posing in cars wearing black balaclavas.

Police said there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning happened for the purposes of TikTok. 

PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, which occurred around 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen had been called off. 

This morning it was reported that Saddington was awaiting trial on charges of racially abusing and assaulting police officers. 

A video from Matusiak’s TikTok profile appeared to show him driving recklessly with the caption: ‘Unfortunately I’m not a nonchalant boyfriend.’ 

Filmed by the driver, it showed a car barrelling through a neighbourhood before swerving onto a green in the middle of an estate.

The vehicle appeared to career down a footpath as the driver casually spun the wheel with one hand.

On Saturday night the pair had been fleeing from police with the three other men when they drove the wrong way down the A66 and smashed into the officers, who were not involved in the chase.

The police pursuit had been called off around ten seconds before the crash.

The Middlesbrough crash came less than a week after an incident in Co. Kildare, Ireland, when five teenagers died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way down the M9.

A family in the other car – three women and a seven-year-old boy – were left seriously injured after the crash, when it is understood they were travelling to the airport to begin a holiday.

At least three of the teenagers had boasted online about driving the wrong way down motorways to evade police. 

Speaking in Kyiv today, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Government had urged TikTok and other platforms to remove videos which glorify dangerous driving.

Mr Burnham said those who share such videos are ‘doing something that’s truly reprehensible’.

Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers

Jacob Matusiak, another occupant of the car which hit the officers, also posted videos of himself driving recklessly

Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Robert Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday

Michael Robert Cahill was one of the five in the VW

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A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful and that is why we have raised the issue of this appalling content with social media companies since the tragedy.’

More than half a million pounds has now been raised for the families of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough following their tragic deaths. 

A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation yesterday for the two officers’ families reached £487,000 today.

Organisers said funds raised would be split equally between the two officers’ families, and the federation would continue to provide support.

A second crowdfunder for the families, started by former Cleveland Police officer Paul Cooper, raised more than £36,000.

PC Blades was a married father-of-two and dedicated football coach in his spare time.

He had recently joined Seaton Carew FC as a coach and was looking forward to coaching his son in its under-sevens Seahawks squad, the club said.

The officer also coached his eldest son and other youngsters in FC Hartlepool’s under-10s Reds team, which described him as ‘a role model, a mentor, a friend and someone the children looked up to and admired’.

Today, balloon releases will be held in memory of Jakub Matusiak

Cole Worthy will also be commemorated with a balloon release

PC Blades’ wife described him as ‘our superhero’ and said: ‘He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.’

Meanwhile, former soldier PC Clough, 38, was described by his family as ‘our hero’ who was ‘always on public duty’.

They said he ‘jumped into action whenever needed and was willing to help anyone for any reason’.

The family statement added that he ‘proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place’.

It continued: ‘We, as a family, and Tom’s partner would like to express our sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from friends, colleagues and the wider community.’

A man who knew PC Clough described him on social media as ‘a true friend, a fantastic soldier and, I have no doubt, an even better police officer’.

PC Clough’s commanding officer from his time serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary at Sellafield paid tribute to him as the ‘epitome of professionalism’, while also recalling his ‘fun-loving, cheeky nature’.

King Charles said the ultimate responsibility lies with the drivers themselves. Last year there were 947 cases reported of drivers going the wrong way on English motorways, he added. 

In the past 30 weeks, 31 people have been charged with wrong-way driving.

‘It perhaps happens a little more than than we would think,’ Charles said. 

‘There have been a couple of cases with very elderly drivers doing so, but many cases are to get those social media clicks. 

‘In other cases it’s people being caught in congestion or they’ve missed their exit and they’re fed up and they do a U-turn and go back up the hard shoulder to try and exit.’

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The group appears to have been based on Sunnyside Park, off Chelsea Street in Great Lever since around last Wednesday, August 19.

People living in the area say they have become concerned about how the Travellers appear to have entered illegally and about the length of time they have been there.

A resident said: “I think they arrived possibly Wednesday last week, I’ve tried to get hold of the council and the police but I’ve not had any response.”

She added: “They’ve literally trashed the place, they’ve left rubbish around the place, they’ve been litter.

A group of caravans and cars have been seen (Image: Public)

“If it was Moss Bank Park or Leverhulme Park they’d have acted about it a bit quicker than this!”

Images from the scene show a cluster of caravans and cars parked on the green space area on Sunnyside Park.

Sunnyside Park is a popular green space for families with young children and has recently been at the centre of plans for a new “community shop”.

This came after plans were approved back in April this year to turn the abandoned Sunnyside Community Centre into a new shop and café.

Earlier in August, Bolton Council announced that the community shop would be opening with the support of the authority itself and of bakery chain Warburton’s in September.

The shop will aim to offer vegetables and bread for only 20p and will also be the site of a new community café.

But the presence of the Traveller group over the last few days has alarmed residents about the safety of their children on the park.

Cllr Mohammed Ayub, of Great Lever, said: “Obviously we’ll go through the correct legal process to deal with this.

“I think it’s a shame these people have chosen this site where we are developing the Sunnyside Community Shop.

“We’ve working together very closely to open the shop on September 16 so we need to make sure the site is cleaned out.”

Bolton Council have said that they are aware about the Traveller group on Sunnyside Park and are taking the appropriate legal steps to move them on.

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation and will be going through the appropriate legal process.”

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There is something slightly ridiculous about using a kitchen blender to make graphene. This is, after all, the “wonder material” associated with futuristic technologies. You might reasonably expect its production to involve equally futuristic equipment. Often, it does.

Producing graphene in liquid form can rely on purified graphite (better known to many as the “lead” in pencils), specialist solvents or additives, ultrapure water and carefully controlled processing. Our latest research asked what happens if you try to make it using things you’d find in your household.

Could you start with graphite found in electronic waste, use old newspaper to help hold it in a liquid, mix everything in ordinary tap water and still end up with useful graphene?

Graphene is many times stronger than steel, yet it weighs less than paper or aluminium. It is also an exceptional conductor of electricity. Since its discovery just over 20 years ago, it has found uses in power banks and batteries, in medical sensors and even to make stronger concrete. Many other practical applications beckon for this incredible material.

Inside phones, laptops and other electronic devices are thin sheets of graphite used to spread heat away from components so they don’t overheat. When a device reaches the end of its life, that graphite generally follows suit and ends up as electronic waste. Chemically, however, it’s still graphite and has the potential to become its wondrous cousin, graphene.

The scale of the electronic waste problem is enormous. Around 62 million tonnes were generated worldwide in 2022, yet only 22.3% was documented as being properly collected and recycled. Valuable metals understandably attract much of the attention, but electronics also contain less glamorous materials that could have another life.

Could these graphite heat spreaders be one of them? Graphite is essentially a large number of sheets of the element carbon stacked on top of one another, like a deck of cards. These sheets are generally one atom thick. Each individual sheet of carbon is graphene.

The challenge is separating those sheets without destroying them. We used an Irish-pioneered process called liquid-phase exfoliation. We put graphite into a liquid and applied enough energy to break the stacked layers apart.

From this liquid form, the graphene can be turned into coatings, ink, membranes and composites with many potential applications.

Low-tech solution

Instead of a fancy processor, we used a simple kitchen blender, while a kitchen sieve removed lumps that hadn’t been properly broken down. Making graphene, however, is only half the problem. Once separated, the sheets have an
annoying habit of sticking back together again.

Researchers normally prevent this using carefully chosen solvents or stabilising chemicals. But we wondered whether untreated tap water and waste newspaper could do part of that job instead.

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Newspaper is rich in cellulose, the structural material found in plant fibre. We washed and softened old newspaper in tap water and blended it into a fibre-rich liquid. When graphite was processed in this mixture, the newspaper-derived material acted as a temporary barrier between the newly separated graphene sheets.

It wasn’t perfect, but that was never really the point. Without the newspaper-derived material, the processed material settled out of the water
within minutes. With it, the solution remained usable for several hours and could be mixed again with a simple shake. The result was still graphene.

Of course, a black liquid from a blender isn’t proof of that. We still needed sophisticated laboratory equipment at Dublin City University to confirm what we’d made. But almost none of that sophistication was needed to actually produce it – and that’s perhaps the more interesting part of the story.

Making graphene easily

In previous work, we showed that graphene could be made using pencil lead, tap water, soap, kitchen appliances and even coffee filters. That work asked whether nanoscience really has to begin in an expensive specialist laboratory. Here, we went a step further: could the ingredients themselves come from waste?

In a well-equipped university, it’s easy to take specialist chemicals, purified water and expensive equipment for granted. But research groups in lower-income countries can face tighter budgets, difficult supply chains and long waits for specialist materials. Schools and citizen-science projects face an even bigger barrier: simply getting started can be expensive.

Our approach turns that problem around. Rather than asking how sophisticated graphene production can become, we asked how much sophistication we could remove before it stopped working. The ingredients aren’t exotic: newspaper, tap water and graphite already sit inside most homes.

For most of our experiments, we used a commercial version of the graphite heat-spreading material because a single phone contains very little of it. But we also took apart a discarded smartphone and recovered some of its graphite. There wasn’t enough for the full study, but there was enough to show that material taken directly from real electronic waste could also be broken down into much thinner carbon sheets.

That opens up a different way of thinking about where research can happen. A school, community laboratory or small research group could potentially carry out the processing locally, then work with a university or shared facility when advanced measurements are needed. Expensive equipment becomes something used to verify the result, rather than the price of admission to the experiment.

So the point isn’t that we’ve found the world’s best way to make graphene. We certainly haven’t. A discarded phone, yesterday’s newspaper, tap water and a blender won’t replace a graphene factory. But they might make graphene research a little less exclusive, while giving two ordinary waste streams a chance at a second life.

There’s a nice irony in that. We needed sophisticated scientific equipment to prove that we’d made graphene, but actually making it was the accessible bit.

Giovanni Pernice packed on the PDA with his swimsuit-clad girlfriend Bianca Guaccero in Portofino on Monday – after revealing his Strictly axe left him suicidal.

The dancer, 35, and Bianca, 45, are enjoying a trip to Italy together ahead of the release of Giovanni’s explosive new memoir Gio: Taking the Lead which details his feelings around his exit from the show.

Giovanni was axed from the series after actress Amanda Abbington accused him of subjecting her to ‘vile abuse’ during rehearsals, prompting an enquiry from the broadcaster.

Following an investigation by the BBC, Giovanni was cleared of the most serious accusations made against him and the broadcaster issued a formal apology to Amanda. 

Now his new memoir reveals all in his own words, including how he felt suicidal in the aftermath. You can read his account HERE. 

As the couple relaxed by the pool, Giovanni showed off his shirtless physique in a pair of Gucci swimming shorts, while Italian actress, singer and television presenter Bianca wowed in an orange swimsuit.

The dancer, 35, and Bianca, 44, are enjoying a trip to Italy together ahead of the release of Giovanni’s explosive new memoir Gio: Taking the Lead which details his feelings around his exit from the show

The pair met in late 2024 when they were paired as dance partners on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly. Their professional partnership led to a romantic relationship and they won the competition together. 

Earlier this month it was revealed that Amanda has received a ‘substantial’ payout from the BBC after she made a legal complaint about her ill-fated stint on the show. 

The actress, 52, made a shock exit from the show just weeks into the competition in 2023 and later accused Giovanni of subjecting her to ‘vile abuse’.

She has now reportedly been given a five-figure out-of-court settlement and a contribution to her legal fees from BBC Studios. 

The settlement has reportedly been made in a bid to prevent a lengthy court battle and allowing Amanda – who was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – to put her ordeal behind her.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘Amanda’s friends and family are all relieved for her that this ordeal is finally over. It’s been a long, hard journey, but now she can close this chapter and move on with her life.

‘The fact the BBC have compensated Amanda as well as previously publicly apologising really proves that they are taking responsibility for the bullying she suffered on set.

‘She hopes that this case will give others strength and encourage people to speak up.’

The Daily Mail contacted representatives for Amanda for comment. BBC representatives declined to comment when approached. 

Following an investigation by the BBC, Giovanni was cleared of the most serious accusations made against him and the broadcaster issued a formal apology to Amanda.

Giovanni was axed from the show after actress Amanda Abbington accused him of subjecting her to ‘vile abuse’ during rehearsals, prompting an enquiry from the broadcaster

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Following an investigation by the BBC, Giovanni was cleared of the most serious accusations made against him and the broadcaster issued a formal apology to Amanda

As the couple relaxed by the pool, Giovanni showed off his shirtless physique in a pair of Gucci swimming shorts

They cosied up in the pool as they both topped up their tans 

Meanwhile Italian actress, singer and television presenter Bianca wowed in an orange swimsuit by the pool

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The pair met in late 2024 when they were paired as dance partners on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly

Their professional partnership led to a romantic relationship and they won the competition together

Earlier this month it was revealed that Amanda has received a ‘substantial’ payout from the BBC after she made a legal complaint about her ill-fated stint on the show

Giovanni has moved on from the Strictly drama and is now in a relationship with Bianca

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Giovanni looked happy and relaxed during the holiday

They relaxed on the sun loungers and topped up their tans 

The couple were seen flaunting their sensational figures by swimming and sunbathing by the pool

Giovanni is gearing up for his upcoming 2027 UK tour titled Unstoppable

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They were spotted enjoying a holiday in Portofino ahead of the upcoming Italian version of Dancing With The Stars in October

The pair were spending some quality time together on the holiday

The loved-up pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other

Bianca showed off her incredible figure in a burnt orange swimsuit 

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Bianca put her arm around her partner on the sun loungers 

They relaxed and enjoyed a coffee on the sun loungers 

They were seen enjoying their romantic trip away together 

They packed on the PDA in the pool

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Bianca was showing off her incredible figure 

The pair chatted away on their loungers 

The pair were enjoying a loved-up holiday together 

The report found that some of the language used by Giovanni towards Amanda could be ‘belittling’ and agreed with the Mr Selfridge actress that his feedback was, at times, ‘overly negative’ and that he had used profanity during rehearsals.

The report noted after reviewing several hours of rehearsal footage as part of an official investigation that there were two moments of ‘inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace’, which were found to simply have been ‘made and received as jokes’ between the pair.

The Sherlock actress previously admitted she was ‘relieved’ when a cancer scare led to her quitting the competition.

She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘By my final week, on the Thursday morning, I was in the shower and I found two lumps. I’d got the all-clear after a mammogram a couple of months before.

‘I went in for rehearsals to do the cha-cha-cha and just couldn’t concentrate. Giovanni said, ‘There’s no point teaching you this because it’s not going in. You can’t get it. We’ll be lucky if we get through because you’re useless’.

‘He refused to even look at me so I went to the toilet, came back and said, ‘I’m going to go to the hospital now because I found two lumps in my breast this morning’.

‘Then he was great. He said, ‘Well, let me know how it goes. It was the catalyst I’d been sort of waiting for, which is terrible. But that’s what I was thinking, that it was a healthier option than being in that room.

‘I’ve championed breast cancer charities but there was a part of me that was like, ‘OK, I have to deal with this now instead. Phew.”