By TOM MIDLANE

Published: 20:25 BST, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 20:34 BST, 23 August 2026

A politician dubbed Germany‘s ‘craziest councillor’ has announced plans to host a sex party in his local City Hall. 

While most councillors are focused on fixing problems with traffic lights or bin collections, Julien Ferrat wants to turn the city of Mannheim into a ‘swinger’s paradise’.

But Mr Ferrat, the leader of the liberal Die Mannheimer (Citizens of Mannheim) party, is facing pushback from the local government, in which the largest party is the socially conservative Christian Democratic Union.

The 35-year-old is an eager swinger and nudist, who previously invited German citizens on an eight-day fact-finding trip to the naturist village in Cap d’Agde, southern France to spread the word about non-monogamy. 

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That visit inspired him to try and turn his own city into a stopover destination for wife-swappers on their way to Cap d’Agde. 

‘For people in northern Germany or Scandinavia, Cap d’Agde is too far to reach in one day,’ he told The Metro. 

‘If they are looking for somewhere to stay, we can attract them to Mannheim. If we can attract more nudists and swingers it would be a good way to create more income for the city of Mannheim.’

Mr Ferrat says the town hall is ‘perfectly suited’ to a sex party and has so far secured 50 potential attendees to the saucy soiree. He plans to speak to them all individually to make sure they are genuine in their intentions. 

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Julien Ferrat, 35, is the leader of the liberal Die Mannheimer (Citizens of Mannheim) party 

Ferrat was elected as a member of the city council in 2024, having previously served between 2014 and 2019

‘At the moment, the focus is on determining which of the citizens who contacted me are seriously interested,’ Mr Ferrat told The Telegraph.

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‘Some of the 50 people who contacted me are part of the local swingers community, so they are ‘legit’. Some are people I don’t know yet. This week, I will start meeting the ‘unknown’ people in person.’

Home to around 330,000 people, Mannheim is a major industrial and university city in south-west Germany – and the birthplace of both the first gasoline-powered automobile and the precursor to the bicycle. 

There are an estimated 128,000 swingers in Germany and Mr Ferrat believes becoming a mecca for kinky travellers could provide the city with an economic boost.

His other goal in hosting the sex party is to challenge the taboos against swinging, he told the newspaper.   

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However, his free love approach has not been warmly embraced by local civic leaders.  

‘Based on the rudimentary information available so far, there are considerable doubts about the admissibility and feasibility of the plans,’ a Mannheim city hall spokesman told German news outlet SWR. 

The city’s administration said he had not specified a date or a room, or explained how the proposed event related to his role as a member of the municipal council.  

Mr Ferrat was elected as a member of the city council in 2024, having previously served between 2014 and 2019. 

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He was dubbed Germany’s ‘craziest councillor’ by the newspaper Die Zeit in 2017. On the party’s website he lists his key priorities as ‘combating rising rents, increasing security, and ensuring good healthcare’.

Five teenagers and young men who died driving on the wrong side of the road in a crash which also killed two police officers have been named.

Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, and Jakub Matusiak, 23, were in a Volkswagen Passat which struck a police car in the early hours of Saturday.

Cleveland Police had launched a pursuit after spotting the VW acting “suspiciously”, the force said in the aftermath of the fatal crash.

Officers began following the car in South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside, before it joined the A66 in the wrong direction.

Officers ended their pursuit, but just 10 seconds later the VW collided with an oncoming police armed response unit at 3.39am. The police car, which was travelling in the right direction, was not part of the pursuit.

No-one survived the collision, which is being investigated by the police watchdog.

Tributes have been paid to the “brave” officers, who were named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, by Cleveland Police chief constable Victoria Fuller.

Friends and family of the teenagers and young men have also spoken of their heartbreak.

In a post on Facebook, Sharon Morgan said she had lost her “beloved nephew” Makai Saddington, aged 18, from Middlesbrough.

“There are no words that can truly express the pain of losing someone so young, so loved, and so full of life,” she wrote.

“You brought so much love and happiness into our family, and your memory will stay with us forever. This loss has left a space in our hearts that can never be filled. Rest peacefully, my beautiful nephew. You will never be forgotten.”

Grieving mother, Kelly Cahill, paid tribute to Michael Robert Cahill, adding: “Fly high my boy forever 23 go and be at peace with ya dad keep me a place up there till will we meet again.”

Ellie Webster, who described herself as a close friend of Theo Rae, said watching his family’s hearts being broken was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

“Theo Rae you’ve left so many people broken,” she said.

“I’m gunna miss your daily checkins making sure we’re all okay. I wish I could take the pain away from your mam, how are we going to get her through this I’ll never know! It just doesn’t seem real. Rest in peace Theo.”

Channy Brown shared pictures of all five VW occupants as she called for their faces to “light up” social media.

Paying tribute, she said they were “top lads” with “kind hearts”. “Forever young forever going to be missed and loved by everyone who new them,” she added.

Others posted details of balloon releases in the coming days in memory of some of the five.

Doorbell footage from nearby Lime Road appears to show multiple police vehicles chasing a car at speed. The footage was filmed at 3.36am, three minutes before the fatal crash.

Teesville resident Neil Hutchinson told the Mail on Sunday: “There were police cars tearing down the street at 3.30am with lights flashing and their sirens going, it woke me up.”

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), confirmed it had launched an investigation into the “tragic incident” following a mandatory referral from the local force.

In an update on Sunday, the watchdog revealed Cleveland officers had been chasing the Passat for seven minutes, but ended the pursuit when it entered the A66 in the wrong direction.

The force had received intelligence regarding numerous incidents linked to the car, which was suspected of having cloned number plates.

The Passat struck the oncoming police response vehicle just 10 seconds after the chase was abandoned. The officers who were killed had not been involved in the pursuit but were in the area to assist in the search for the car.

IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell said: “We recognise the devastating impact the incident has had on those in the force, and the wider policing community, and offer our condolences.

“We have obtained initial accounts of officers involved in the pursuit, the incident log and in-car footage of the incident. Work is ongoing to obtain additional material.”

PC Clough’s family paid moving tribute to him on Sunday, calling him “our hero” and saying he was “always on public duty throughout his short life”.

“He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour,” they said. “Jumped into action whenever needed, and willing to help anyone for any reason. Proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place. Always on public duty throughout his short life.

“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.”

The wife of father-of-two PC Blades also paid tribute to him on Sunday night, saying he was a “devoted” father and her “best friend”.

“”He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle,” she said. “He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled.

“He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness. The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.”

She added: “”Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our superhero. Our Matt and Dad.”

had recently become a Seaton Carew FC coach and was preparing for his first turn teaching its under-sevens Seahawks squad.

“He was looking forward to being part of the team and, most importantly, to coaching his own son, who is going to be playing for the Seahawks this season,” the club said on social media.

“Matty and his oldest son are much-loved members of our club and our U10 Lions football family.”

FC Hartlepool also described PC Blades as a “much-loved member of our football family” and “so much more than a coach”.

“He was a role model, a mentor, a friend, and someone the children looked up to and admired,” the club said.

“He was able to share his love of football with his son while inspiring and supporting every child on the team.”

The A66 has been closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston as investigators examine the wreckage. A large white tent was erected over the scene, with multiple emergency service vehicles around.

The closed section of the A66 is bordered by large industrial units to the north and is close to the major Teesworks site.

Pc Tom Clough, 38, and Pc Matthew Blades, 37, both died when a Volkswagen Passat hit their marked armed response vehicle

The families of the two officers killed after a car travelling the wrong way along the A66 dual carriageway collided with their police vehicle have issued heartbreaking tributes to the men.

Pc Tom Clough, 38, and Pc Matthew Blades, 37, both died when a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, struck their marked armed response vehicle in Teesside in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Five males aged between 17 and 23 who were travelling in the Volkswagen also died in the collision.

PC Clough’s family said in a statement issued by Cleveland Police: “He was our hero with a fantastic of humour. Jumped into action whenever needed, and willing to help anyone for any reason.

“Proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place. Always on public duty throughout his short life.”

The wife of PC Matthew Blades, said: “No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt — my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys. He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle.

“He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled. He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.

“The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.

“Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always. He may have left this world committed to the duty he believed in, but his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave to his family.

“We would also like to express our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all of the emergency services and to our police family who have stood beside us through the most difficult time of our lives. The kindness, compassion, love and unwavering support we have received as a family has meant more to us than words could ever express.

“Every message, visit, gesture of support and every person who has stood alongside us will never be forgotten.

“Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our superhero. Our Matt and Dad.”

The circumstances surrounding PC Clough’s death were referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which confirmed on Sunday that neither PC Blades nor PC Clough had been involved in the original pursuit, but had instead been deployed to the area to assist in locating the Passat.

Cleveland Police had received intelligence relating to “numerous incidents” connected to the Passat, the watchdog stated in its account of events.

The vehicle, which was carrying five occupants and was believed to have been fitted with cloned number plates, was subsequently spotted after the plates triggered an ANPR camera, the IOPC added. An armed response vehicle initiated a chase lasting just under seven minutes before the Passat turned on to the A66 in South Bank, travelling against oncoming traffic.

Officers called off the pursuit and continued along the correct side of the carriageway.

The Passat collided with the vehicle carrying Pc Blades and Pc Clough approximately 10 seconds after the chase was abandoned.

IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell extended his sympathies to all those affected, saying: “We recognise the devastating impact the incident has had on those in the force, and the wider policing community, and offer our condolences.

“We have obtained initial accounts of officers involved in the pursuit, the incident log and in-car footage of the incident.

“Work is ongoing to obtain additional material.”

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EastEnders boss Ben Wadey has opened up about Sean Slater’s permanent return to Walford, teasing some big plans for the much-loved character as he comes back to the Square.

Rob Kazinsky is reprising his role as Sean, with the character set to make his comeback after more than a decade away.

Sean has already been a huge presence in EastEnders history, known for his unpredictable behaviour, complicated relationships and ability to cause chaos wherever he goes.

And while fans can expect plenty of the classic Sean when he returns, executive producer Ben Wadey has hinted that there will be some changes as viewers meet him as a 40-year-old man.

Speaking about bringing Sean back permanently, Ben said: ‘Sean is one of those characters who just promises chaos and energy and unpredictability.’

The producer admitted he was a big fan of Sean during his original stint on the BBC soap in the noughties, making the character’s return particularly exciting for him.

‘I was such a big fan in the noughties when he was so prevalent in the show,’ he explained.

Sean’s return also comes at an interesting time for the Slater family, who have remained at the heart of plenty of drama in Walford.

And according to Ben, Sean has enough history with the residents of Albert Square to immediately make an impact.

‘He is arriving at an interesting point for that Slater clan. He has connections all over the place,’ he said.

One of the relationships Ben is particularly interested in revisiting is Sean’s connection with Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd).

Sean knew Amy when she was a child and, despite all the years that have passed, that history is something he still remembers.

‘He saw Amy as a child briefly and still holds onto that a little bit,’ Ben teased.

But Amy isn’t the only familiar face Sean has unfinished business with.

His complicated history with Max Branning (Jake Wood) is also set to come back into play, while his relationship with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) is similarly far from straightforward.

‘He and Max have somewhat of a checkered past. He and Jack are also very complicated,’ Ben revealed.

That means Sean isn’t simply returning to Walford to reconnect with his family – he is stepping straight back into a Square filled with people who already have strong opinions about him.

‘He is one of those characters who can land back into the show and immediately have conflict or love with everyone,’ Ben said.

However, fans shouldn’t expect Sean to be exactly the same man they remember.

With Rob now returning to the role as Sean reaches his forties, Ben is keen to explore what all those years away have done to him.

‘I am interested in who Sean is at this age. As a forty-year-old man,’ he explained.

The good news for viewers is that growing older doesn’t necessarily mean Sean has suddenly become sensible.

Ben is keen to retain the qualities that made him such a memorable character in the first place.

‘Seeing him grow up a little bit, but not too much, because you still want the fun of classic Sean Slater.’

And it sounds like the cast and crew are already enjoying having him back.

Rob has been filming for several weeks, and Ben revealed that seeing the first footage of Sean’s return has been a particularly exciting experience.

‘It’s been great. He’s been filming for a couple of weeks now,’ he said.

‘I get to go in and look at the daily footage, and just looking at some of those early scenes and be like ‘Okay Sean is back’.’

For fans who have been waiting years to see Sean back in Albert Square, that should be music to their ears.

And Ben has promised there is plenty more to come.

‘I cannot wait for you guys to see him. We have very exciting plans.’

So, while Sean may have grown up since his last full-time stint in Walford, it sounds like viewers can still expect the same unpredictable energy that made him such a fan favourite.

The question is, who will be the first person to feel the full force of Sean Slater’s return?

MORE: EastEnders boss drops big flashforward clues that could be the end of Max

MORE: EastEnders boss reveals two returning stars that will ‘drop your jaws’

MORE: EastEnders fans now certain of a Stacey Slater comeback and it would be mega

Richard E Grant has revealed that he “edited” friends out of his life after they avoided him following the death of his wife, Joan Washington.

Washington — a renowned dialect coach — died in 2021, aged 74, eight months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. She and Grant, 69, had been married for 35 years and shared one daughter, Olivia, 37.

In the past, Grant has described how friends would avoid him following Washington’s death to avoid an awkward conversation.

In a new interview with The Times of London, Grant said he would never forgive those who kept their distance during that time.

“I’m very unequivocal, black and white, all or nothing,” he said.

“I’ve tried to go for the grey areas but it’s not succeeded for very long. There are people that have been edited out of my life and I will never see them again. If I had done that to them, I wouldn’t be able to look them in the face.”

“No, portcullis down,” he added. “Goodbye.”

Grant went on to share that he still writes to Washington every night before bed and that the idea of finding companionship again was incomprehensible. “I know it happens but I’ve not had any twinkles of that yet,” he said.

It’s not the first time that Grant has been ruthless about cutting friends out of his life.

Earlier this year, the Withnail and I actor revealed he cut off a friend of 29 years after he was accidentally CC’d on an email filled with “brutal” comments about him.

During a February episode of the Mad, Sad, & Bad podcast, Grant described the person as someone who he “thought was one of the five best friends in my life.”

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“She sent an email from Africa to a mutual friend in Australia who’d asked for my email address, and, because my name was in the body of the email, I got inadvertently sent this email.”

Grant explained that the message “arrived on a day when I had heard for a third time that a film that I’d written and was about to direct, the finances had collapsed. And I was doing the final episode of Frasier,” which aired in May 2004.

He said that the email contained “such toxicity” that he immediately decided to cut off the friendship.

“And I thought, ‘That’s not a real friend anymore.’ And I was absolutely devastated,” Grant said. “So I copied and pasted that and then sent it back. And I said, ‘29 years of friendship?’”

Asked what the offensive comments were about, Grant replied: “It was of my script that I had written, which was entirely autobiographical.” Grant’s 2005 comedy Wah-Wah was loosely based on his own life. “And she had read this script.”

He said that years later, his daughter, now 37, had questioned whether the friendship was really genuine in the first place.

“Our daughter was very smart, because she was 16, so exactly 20 years ago. She said to me, ‘In your heart of hearts, haven’t you always known this about that person?’”

Grant added that the turn of events was “just brutal.”

“Because that person knows you in the most formative part of your life, when you’re still dreaming of getting regular work out there as an actor,” Grant said. “Nevermind the other things that have happened to me since. So when you’re betrayed like that, there’s no going back for me.”

It comes after ‘almost all’ services were cancelled on Sunday including popular routes linking Glasgow and Edinburgh to various cities across England.

CrossCountry said it will run a “full service” on Monday after a power cut resulted in major cancellations across its network. The train operator said a “very limited” number of trains would run from around 6pm on Sunday, with a return to normal service expected on Monday.

A power outage in Birmingham, which started on Saturday, affected the company’s control centre, resulting in many of the systems used to manage the railway being unavailable, the operator said. “Almost all” services were cancelled on Sunday – including popular routes linking Glasgow to Edinburgh, Manchester to Birmingham, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Newcastle to Edinburgh.

A near-normal service was running between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport “due to the impact of planned engineering work”, the company said. A rail replacement bus service remained in place as planned between Leicester and Peterborough.

Two women have been arrested after a three-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in hospital following an incident in Rochdale on Sunday

Two women have been arrested after a three-year-old boy who reportedly fell from a window in Rochdale was left fighting for his life.

The women, aged 19 and 20, were arrested at a property in Blackburn earlier today (Sunday) on suspicion of causing serious injury to a child.

Emergency services were called to Spotland Tops, in the Cutgate area of Rochdale, shortly after 4.15pm on Saturday. Police and paramedics attended the residential estate, and an air ambulance was also seen landing nearby.

The Manchester Evening News, one of our sister titles, understands that the boy fell from a window on the first floor of a property. Greater Manchester Police said on Saturday that the child was taken to hospital and that he was in a critical condition.

In an update on Sunday evening, the force said the child remains in a critical condition and added that “enquiries into the full circumstances around this incident are ongoing”.

On a day when Tyneside and Merseyside united to celebrate Keegan’s contribution to both clubs, Yoane Wissa turned in his best performance yet for Newcastle as £130million man Alexander Isak, the man he was in part bought to replace, suffered a miserable return to St James’ in front of a hostile crowd of 52,630.

Police were called to Dundonald Main Street in Dundonald at around 4.05am on Sunday.

An “unresponsive” man found with injuries on an Ayrshire street in the early hours of this morning has died in hospital. Police were called to Dundonald Main Street at around 4.05am on Sunday August 23.

The 57-year-old injured man was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock where he died a short time later. Police said the man’s family has been informed, and a 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with assault.

The area is still taped off while a probe into the incident is carried out. Members of the public have been asked to avoid the area.

Pictures of officers in white forensic suits in the street circulated online. A number of emergency service vehicles have also been pictured at the scene.

A police spokesman said: “Around 4.05am on Sunday, 23 August, 2026, we were called to a report of an unresponsive man with injuries on Main Steet in Dundonald. Emergency services attended and the 57-year-old man was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock where he died a short time later. His family is aware.

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained. A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with assault and enquiries are ongoing.

“Officers remain in the area and anyone with any information or concerns can approach them. A road closure is in place on Main Street. Please avoid the area if possible.”

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Fans say they couldn’t put down the bestselling novel

If you’re looking for your next summertime obsession, fans of Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel This Summer Will Be Different may already have it lined up for you – and Netflix is about to bring it to screens.

A blurb for the novel teases: “Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother.

“Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night.” Readers have been praising New York Times Bestseller since it landed on shelves back in 2024.

One Goodreads reviewer wrote: “This was even better than I thought it would be. It was one of those books I couldn’t put down but wanted to last forever. I’ve loved all of Carley Fortune’s books so far and I think this is her best one.”

Another admitted: “I DEVOURED THIS BOOK. I read it in 2 days and just simply could not put it down.”

A third reviewer summed it up simply: “This was the perfect, steamy romance book for summer. But one of the things that I loved the most, was the friendship between Bridget and Lucy. More than a romance, this was a story about finding your alternative family.”

Now, Netflix is transforming that much-loved story into a 10-part series. Fortune’s name may already ring a bell because she also penned Every Summer After, which Prime Video recently brought to screens.

An early synopsis reveals the upcoming drama “is a simmering, sun-soaked romance set across multiple summers. It follows a young woman navigating her 20s and her first real love – with her best friend’s brother, the one person she was never supposed to fall for”.

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This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

Netflix has confirmed production on the new series commenced earlier this month, giving audiences ample opportunity to read the source material before the programme arrives on the platform.

Lead character Lucy will be played by Heated Rivalry’s Sophie Nélisse, who portrayed Shane Hollander’s (Hudson Williams) girlfriend and best friend in the HBO series. Meanwhile, Stranger Things’ Francesca Reale has been cast as Lucy’s best friend, Bridget.

The central romantic figure, Felix, will be portrayed by Roby Attal from The Haunting of Bly Manor. Additional cast members of note include Jordan Rodrigues (Lady Bird), Jude Wilson (Fellow Travelers), Natalie Brown (The Strain), and James Tupper (Big Little Lies), reports the Mirror.

Netflix has yet to confirm a release date for This Summer Will Be Different