The ex-partner of a man whose wife died after he allegedly drugged her so that other men could rape her has revealed the horrific abuse he put her through. 

Daniela Aichinger, 39, died on June 25 after sustaining injuries while being sexually abused. 

Police are investigating her 51-year-old husband, Robert Aichinger, who was found to have exchanged messages with men revealing that he had drugged his wife repeatedly and handed her unconscious to men for payment.

The disturbing case has been called ‘Pelicot 2.0’ by prosecutors, in reference to Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was raped by dozens of men on numerous occasions after being drugged by her husband.

Now, the man’s ex-wife has revealed shocking details of their marriage, telling of her then-husband’s violent outbursts – which saw him abuse their pet dog and punch her in the face.

The 48-year-old woman, who has not been named, said in a police interview that her husband at the time became increasingly violent following the birth of their first son, Austrian newspaper Krone reports. 

She said her husband asked her to have sex with other couples, to which she refused.

‘As a result, he sat down on me…and punched me in the face alternately with both fists,’ she said.

Daniela (pictured with her husband) died on June 25 

Pictured: The exterior of the home where the alleged absue took place

Advertisement

‘I had never experienced him like that before. Eventually he let go of me and went to sleep.’

The woman was left with a broken jaw, as well as bruising to her jaw and cheekbone.

She also described an incident in which her ex-husband had ‘severely beaten’ their dog, saying that the incident left the pet trembling in fear at the sight of the man. 

The woman’s claims come after her ex-husband was arrested following the death of his current wife, who was found lifeless and covered in blood on a waterbed by her teenage daughter back in June.

Her husband, who was intoxicated, initially told first responders his wife had an accident during ‘rough sex’, news outlet 20 Minuten reports.

Police did not initially suspect the 51-year-old husband. However, an autopsy and a search of his phone revealed that the woman’s death was linked to something more sinister.

Following his wife’s death, police found that the man disposed of the waterbed and deleted an app on his phone.

Cops discovered that just days before his wife’s death, the man had allegedly looked up how to drug someone on his device.

Pictured: Robert’s mugshot following his arrest

The couple’s neighbour (pictured) has been arrested and stands accused of sexually assaulting Daniela twice

He subsequently drugged his wife repeatedly over an extended period and handed her, unconscious, to men for payment, including on the night she died, local media reports.

The woman’s husband was paid up to 500 Euros per session and would refer to his wife as ‘dead meat’ in text messages.

Her husband has been arrested alongside a neighbour, who is accused of sexually assaulting the woman twice, including on the night of her death.

He is understood to have left the house before she died.

Text messages between the two men were found to mention the alleged abuse of the woman, newspaper Krone reports.

On the night of her death, her husband allegedly sent his neighbour a photo of his unconscious wife.

In one text, the woman’s husband wrote: ‘I’ll get her properly drunk. Then you can have sex with her again. The way she was whining the other day was amazing.’

His neighbour responded: ‘She almost screamed. You cover her mouth again.’

He also thanked the woman’s husband for ‘allowing me to use her’.

In another text, the husband revealed his wife had not consented to the acts. He wrote: ‘She’s not participating willingly.’

He also said: ‘If it worked, if I had date rape drugs, I would regularly make her available for you to rape.’

The day before the woman’s death, her husband also allegedly shared photos of his wife with the man, and in a separate text message wrote: ‘But he does know that it’s a real rape and she would never go along with it?’

The case has been likened to that of Gisele Pelicot (pictured in October 2025) who was raped by dozens of men on numerous occasions after being drugged by her husband

More suspects remain under investigation as a police probe continues.

The case follows the high-profile trial that shocked France in 2024, in which Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging his wife Gisele for almost a decade and inviting dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious.

He was found guilty on all charges last year and sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was the maximum possible.

He admitted his role and did not appeal.

All 50 of his co-defendants were also found guilty of various charges related to the case.

The trial drew international attention after Gisele opposed a closed hearing, a demand made by several defendants.

The court sided with her. Her courage inspired campaigners against sexual and sexist violence, and the shocking case spurred a national reckoning over rape culture in France.

The evidence included stomach-churning homemade videos of rapes and assaults that Dominique Pelicot filmed in the couple’s home in the small Provence town of Mazan and elsewhere.

Bus substitutions have been put in place

A number of trains have been cancelled after what Translink are calling a “tragic incident” on the line between Newry and Portadown.

The 6:50am Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Central Station due 08:58 was terminated at Dundalk and will no longer call at Newry, Portadown and Belfast Grand Central Station.

Posting on social media, Translink said: “Due to a tragic incident, the line between Newry and Portadown is closed.

“Bus substitutions will operate from Belfast to Newry and from Portadown to Newry.”

In an update on their website, Translink said: “Due to operational reasons between Newry and Portadown, the line is closed. Train services through these stations may be subject to disruption on all routes. Disruption is expected until further notice.”

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

Martin Rolfe has, as they say, got one job. As head of National Air Traffic Services (NATS), he’s responsible for making sure an average of 8,000 scheduled flights take off and land safely at 15 of Britain’s airports every day.

Some liken Rolfe’s role to running a sort of motorway in the sky. So long as staff turn up to work and computers don’t crash, travellers and freight shipments generally reach their destination on time and few people give NATS a second thought.

For performing this generally dull role, Rolfe is paid very handsomely indeed. 

Last year, he trousered £1.418million in pay and bonuses; the year before £1.493million. In his past five years in the job, which he’s held since 2015, the 54-year-old aerospace engineer has earned a whopping £6.187million.

To put that in context, Rolfe’s Dutch counterpart, Joost Meijs, is paid a mere €262,000 (£225,000) a year. 

Given this huge – some might say grotesque – disparity in remuneration, you might expect him to run Britain’s skies with ruthless efficiency. Yet the exact opposite appears to be true.

In the first half of 2025, for example, UK air traffic control was responsible for 2,770 flight delays. For the Netherlands, the figure was just 284. 

Ryanair, which dug out those figures a few months back, duly described Rolfe’s pay as ‘a vastly excessive package for a glorified bureaucrat who doesn’t do a particularly good job’.

A ‘technical issue’ brought chaos this week with up to 2,000 flights cancelled and a quarter of a million passengers stranded

This week’s events will add grist to that mill. On Tuesday, a ‘technical issue’ involving NATS’ flight processing system – a computer crash, in other words – brought chaos to the nation’s airports, with nearly 2,000 flights cancelled by Wednesday night and a quarter of a million passengers stranded. 

Rolling news bulletins were filled with images of passengers sleeping on floors or confined like cattle on runway-bound planes for hours on end. Various airports resembled homeless encampments.

It wasn’t the first, or even second time in recent years that Rolfe has overseen this kind of disaster. 

Another computer crash, in July last year, saw 150 flights cancelled, while a third, during the August Bank Holiday of 2023, saw Britain’s entire airspace closed on one of the busiest weekends of the year, affecting 700,000 passengers and costing the industry at least £65million.

Each time, Rolfe has sought to characterise the incident as a freak occurrence, claiming lessons will be learnt (he described 2023s meltdown as a ‘one in 15million’ event). 

Yet his organisation’s technology keeps breaking. Little wonder that patience in the industry, which must count the cost of NATS failures, is now paper thin.

British Airways called this week’s events ‘incredibly frustrating’. Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan called for Rolfe to resign, dubbing his organisation ‘not fit for purpose’. 

She said: ‘In any industry, when you have had three failures you need to consider three strikes and you are out.’

Ryanair accused Rolfe of an ‘abhorrent failure’ to learn lessons of previous crises. 

Its chief operations officer Neal McMahon said of NATS: ‘They have a crap system and they don’t invest in it. Instead they pay big bonuses to management and they pay huge dividends to the shareholders.’

Rolfe did at least face some music, telling interviewers he ‘understands the frustration’ of travellers and will ‘take accountability and responsibility’. 

He also met Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander yesterday, and according to Downing Street retains the confidence of the Government.

Yet whether that position is tenable remains to be seen. Rolfe has been in his job for more than a decade. 

Stranded passengers were forced to sleep on airport floors during the disruption caused by the NATS system failure

He cannot exactly blame NATS’ creaking infrastructure or accident-prone tech platform on his predecessor. And his status as one of Britain’s best-paid quangocrats adds to his vulnerability.

That £1.4million package, made up of a salary of £650,000 plus a pension and bonus, is almost ten times what the Prime Minister commands, and far more than any civil servant is able to justify. 

Yet since 49 per cent of shares in NATS are publicly owned, he is effectively half a state employee.

Rolfe’s pay, which allows him to live in splendour with his firefighter wife Anna in a mansion in Hampshire that boasts a swimming pool and tennis court, would of course be easier to justify were his organisation a model of ruthless efficiency. But evidence suggests that is not the position.

NATS employs more than 5,000 staff at a cost of £585million a year, meaning its average salary and pension package is a whopping £115,000. Even so, it has for years failed to employ sufficient numbers of air traffic controllers.

In 2024, Ryanair suffered a series of cancellations due to NATS’ ‘staff shortages’, prompting boss Michael O’Leary to say: ‘They bunk off. Through the summer on Saturday mornings there’s always a reduction in NATS capacity. 

‘And when there’s a big English soccer match there’s a big reduction in capacity the morning after.’

Thanks to the fees it levies on every ticket sold, which equates to just over £2 a passenger, NATS makes a hefty profit, of £165.9million last year, down from £174.6million the year before.

Yet rather than investing this in making its computer systems fit for purpose, it has paid huge sums in dividends to shareholders, including Government and airlines. 

Last year it paid £70million; the year before, £170million. From 2010 to 2020, £550million went out the door.

‘The main problem is its core computer in Southampton is decades old: part of it still operates on Cobol, one of the original coding languages,’ says aviation security expert Julian Bray. ‘They bolt on smart new front-end systems, but what they need to do is go back to square one and replace it.

‘But NATS has a very entrenched board that doesn’t want to spend the cash despite this being a major national strategic asset. If it fails it can devastate the economy.’

Employment practices are famously woke, with Rolfe taking great pride in a so-called ‘agile working’ regime that allows many highly paid staff to work remotely.

This exacerbated 2023s disaster, since the on-call engineer supposed to sort out the system when it crashed, was working at home.

He struggled to log in remotely, and had to drive to the office, which took an astonishing 90 minutes. 

He then tried a ‘full system re-start,’ which didn’t work. It wasn’t until four hours had passed that someone thought to phone the system’s German manufacturer, who sorted it all out.

An official report into the incident sparked wide criticism, with O’Leary saying engineers were ‘sat watching Football Focus in their jim-jams’. 

Yet three years on, NATS continues to endorse home working ‘where possible’.

As hundreds of thousands of passengers endured the chaos that has cost the sector, and Britain’s economy, tens of millions of pounds, the NATS website yesterday declared to potential recruits the virtues of ‘agile working’.

To put it another way, Rolfe has failed to learn from his mistakes, and travellers are paying the price. 

Could it be long before Britain’s best-paid quangocrat becomes a former quangocrat?

Primark is set to launch home delivery in the UK in a bid to bolster the retailer’s online offering.

The fashion retailer’s owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), which also runs large food, sugar and agriculture operations, did not specify when home delivery would start but said it would come “in the future” for England, Scotland and Wales.

The company has acquired a highly automated warehouse in Sheffield from the Debenhams Group in a £90 million deal to support the plans. It is not expected to have an impact on jobs.

Over the years, Primark has grown its “click and collect” offering for people to shop and make purchases online, then collect in stores. However, it has long resisted a move into home delivery, saying it did not make economic sense with its low price points.

The retailer recently unveiled price cuts on hundreds of fashion items, which the company said had led to positive sales momentum particularly for nightwear, leisure and fitness ranges.

ABF is preparing to separate Primark from its food business and list it on the FTSE 100 as a standalone entity by the end of 2027.

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets for AJ Bell, said Primark offering home delivery was the “biggest UK retail news of the year”.

“Having full online transactional capabilities is something the company has always shied away from,” he said.

“It has always argued that low price-point items are uneconomical to send, particularly if someone is only ordering a pair of socks or a T-shirt costing a pound or two.

“It stubbornly retained this view for longer than anyone expected, before easing back by launching a click and collect service.

“We’re now primed for the full home delivery experience.

“While physical stores remain relevant, online shopping is well established and Primark clearly had no choice but to adapt to the modern retail world.”

In a trading update to investors, ABF said Primark sales are expected to have dipped by 2.6 per cent over the past financial year, which ends on Saturday, when compared like-for-like with the year before.

The decline has been driven by weaker sales in continental Europe, whereas sales in the UK are estimated to have edged up by 0.6 per cent year-on-year.

Primark sales started the summer season strongly but were then impacted by the prolonged hot weather, which delayed the transition to buying autumn clothing ranges, according to the business. Trading has improved in the more recent weeks that temperatures have cooled, it said.

ABF’s chief executive George Weston said: “Our priority focus areas, the UK and womenswear, continued to outperform our other markets and categories.

“Primark has made significant progress in building its digital capabilities and will continue this through both growing click & collect and by offering home delivery in Great Britain in the future.

“There is now an opportunity for incremental and profitable growth through this channel.”

ABF owns a roster of brands in the grocery sector like Kingsmill, Twinings, Jordans, Patak’s and, following a recent acquisition, Hovis.

It warned that adjusted operating profits for the division are expected to be slightly lower than previous expectations for the full year, partly because of Twining sales being dampened by the heatwaves reducing demand for hot tea.

It also has a sugar business which has been impacted by higher gas costs linked to the Middle East conflict and the prolonged spell of hot and dry weather affecting the UK beet crop.

The company is expecting to report an adjusted operating loss for the full year for the division towards the “higher end” of its guidance range of £25 million to £60 million.

Shares in ABF were down by around 9 per cent in early trading on Thursday.

The friends and family of a ‘hero’ police officer and former soldier who lost his life in the A66 tragedy will gather today to say a final goodbye.

Police Constable (PC) Tom Clough, 38, will be given full police honours at his funeral in Redcar, North Yorkshire, just as his colleague PC Matthew Blades did in Hartlepool yesterday.

The two officers died together last month when their armed response car was hit head-on near Middlesbrough by a Volkswagen Passat containing a group of youths who were fleeing the law.

PC Clough served with Cleveland Police, saw active duty with the British Army and had also served with the Civil Nuclear Police and British Transport Police.

His family said he devoted his life to public service to ‘make the world a better place’.

PC Clough was in 11 Troop, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment, based at Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh – and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lauren Somerville, Chair of Cleveland Police Federation, said: ‘Tom’s family want to say thank you, the public support has been overwhelming for them and it has kept them going in these very dark times.

Police Constable Matthew Blades was the other officer killed in the head-on smash on the A66 in Middlesbrough

‘Tom wasn’t just a Cleveland Police Officer, he was a partner and a brother and a son – but he was also a father to a sausage dog called Frank, who he loved so deeply.

‘Tom used to say that there wouldn’t be anybody at his funeral. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Tom was so full of fun – he is described as giving everything to everybody.’

She added: ‘Tom was loved deeply by his colleagues, people have been contacting me who worked with Tom, years and years ago. He served in the military, he was in the Civil Nuclear Police, the British Transport Police and Cleveland Police.

‘I would say that it would be an understatement to say that every single place that he served was privileged to have him with them. He will be hugely missed.’

In a statement, PC Clough’s family said: ‘He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour who jumped into action whenever needed, and was willing to help anyone for any reason.

‘He proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place and was 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.’

Chief Superintendent Richard Clark, who was PC Clough’s commanding officer at Sellafield Operational Policing Unit, also paid tribute to him.

Hundreds of police officers attended the funeral for their colleague Matthew Blades in Hartlepool yesterday

Pallbearers carried the coffin of PC Blades into St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool yesterday

Advertisement

Emotional police officers hugged each other before the funeral of PC Blades in Hartlepool yesterday

He said: ‘I had the privilege of knowing Tom during my time as Chief Inspector at Sellafield, where we worked together on numerous operational deployments and exercises.

‘Tom was the epitome of professionalism, bringing dedication, skill and commitment to every task, whether serving within our Dynamic Search and Interdiction Team, or in his role as a Police Medic.

‘Yet what made Tom truly special was his personality. Alongside his professional excellence, he possessed a fun-loving, cheeky nature and a wit that could lift spirits even during the most demanding shifts.

‘He had an extraordinary ability to light up any room he entered and to bring people together through his warmth, humour and authenticity.

‘Tom was a hugely popular CNC officer, respected by colleagues and leaders alike, and it is no surprise that many of those who served alongside him remained close friends long after he left the organisation.

‘While his life was far too short, it was undoubtedly one that was lived to the full. Tom will be remembered with immense affection, gratitude and respect, and he will be hugely missed by all who had the privilege of serving alongside him.’

Father-of-two PC Blades’s funeral took place yesterday in his home town of Hartlepool and was attended by around 1,000 police officers from across the country and hundreds of members of the public.

Some of the officers who attended the funeral wore identity patches ‘Pc 2443 BLADES’ and ‘Pc 3234 CLOUGH’ on their uniforms.

PCs Clough and Blades were killed at 3.39am on Saturday, August 22 when their armed response vehicle was struck at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, by a speeding Passat containing five youths and young men aged between 17 and 23.

Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Cahill, 23, Cole Worthy, 17, and Theo Rae, 17, were also killed in the crash. Cole Worthy’s funeral also takes place today in Middlesbrough.

Police said the five all had links to organised crime and had been trying to flee police when they drove the wrong way up the A66 into the police vehicle.

The Passat had set out in pursuit of a Volvo XC60 which had rammed the homes of relatives of Worthy and Rae as part of a tit-for-tat gangland turf war over the supply of drugs on Teesside.

PCs Clough and Blades died from severe head and neck injuries at the scene. An online appeal raised more than £1.2million for the police officers’ families.

Corrie fans think they know what Ross Wilkes will do next after he was involved in an unexpected altercation with Kit Green

Coronation Street fans think they have worked out what Ross Wilkes will do next after he was involved in an unexpected altercation with Kit Green.

Those who follow the ITV soap, which is filmed in Salford, will recall that newcomer Ross arrived in Weatherfield back in July and he quickly put a wedge between Cassie Plummer and her son, Tyrone Dobbs, as he was revealed to be his long-lost father.

The big reveal came after Tyrone’s children, Hope and Ruby, surprised him with a birthday present: they found his father through a DNA database. But it came as an uncomfortable shock to Cassie, as she had earlier flirted and made a pass at Ross, not knowing who he was.

Click here to sign up for more Coronation Street updates in our newsletter

Tyrone decided to get to know his dad, who was also quick to strike up a romance with Tracy Barlow, but it didn’t go down well with Cassie, who tried to expose Ross for who he really is.

When the Dobbs’ organised a little party for the newcomer, Cassie watched on in horror until she eventually snapped and revealed that Ross paid her for sex when she was just 15, resulting in her falling pregnant with Tyrone.

While horrified, Tyrone and Tracy didn’t want Ross out of their lives, as he agreed to apologise to Cassie before agreeing to a clean slate. However, he later threatened her life if she were to get in between him and developing a relationship with his son.

Determined to see the back of Ross, Cassie was seen spiking his drink with some of Tyrone’s painkillers, only for him to spot her, swap the drinks with Tracy, who collapsed and ended up in hospital following a drug overdose. As the truth came out, Cassie pleaded she had been set up, claiming she had only used a couple of the tablets so that Ross would fail a drug test at his new prison job.

Tyrone refused to make amends with her, and with Steve also pushing her away, Cassie announced she had landed a job on a cruise ship and would be leaving Weatherfield. But her exit ended up becoming a mystery.

After an emotional farewell to her family, Cassie headed to the precinct where she planned to meet Steve McDoanld, but Ross got there first. He told Cassie that he’d give her a lift to the train station before confessing that he framed her over Tracy’s collapse. Cassie threatened to go to the police, but Ross wouldn’t let her out of the car, and as he took off, it was the last time Corrie viewers saw her.

Ross has since carried on as though nothing had happened, but was seen in the middle of some drama in Wednesday’s (September 9) episode of Corrie. As viewers saw, Kit accidentally collides with Ross in the Rovers, causing him to spill his drinks.

Advertisement

When Kit clutched his chest in pain, Ross accused him of overreacting, unaware that the detective was recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. It caused Kit to lose his temper and punch him straight in the face. Fuming, Ross said he would be reporting Kit, as Bethany Platt dragged him out.

Later, Todd Grimshaw, who knows about Kit’s recent diagnosis, headed to see Ross and try and smooth things over for him, Ross said he wouldn’t press charges, but would accept a few beers as an apology.

But Corrie fans are convinced Ross will let this one go. @Wee_Westie29 said: “Ross seemed interested in Kit and Sarah’s history. What’s he up too? #Corrie #CoronationStreet @itvcorrie.” @Audz32129841 commented: “Why doing get the feeling Ross is going to try and blackmail Kit #Corrie.” @Winis_World added: “Ross is gonna make sure Sarah’s life is hell inside, because of Kit. Sigh #Corrie.”

The laughing dormouse by Andrea Zampatti

I just can’t wait to be king by Bret Saalwaechter

Smile, you’re being photographed by Valtteri Mulkahainen

Social distance, please! by Petr Sochman

Diving fox by Angela Bohlke

The happy turtle by Tzahi Finkelstein

Almost got it by Oliver Dreike

Talk to the fin by Jennifer Hadley

Smiley by Arturo Telle Thiemann

The holiday park is a big family favourite, and it’s close to Cambridge residents. The Essex park in Five Lakes is a little over an hour on the road from Cambridge, while the Norfolk Hopton-on-Sea park is two hours from the city

Advertisement

The best holiday park in the UK has been crowned, and it’s an all-inclusive family favourite.

When it comes to holiday parks, there are plenty to choose from in Cambridgeshire. Hoseasons, Best of British and Fields End all have sites in the county. However, if you want a slice of the best of the best, then you’ll have to head over the border into Essex or Norfolk.

Potters Resort has been named the country’s favourite holiday park, and happily, its two locations are close to Cambridgeshire. The Essex park in Five Lakes is a little over an hour on the road from Cambridge, while the Norfolk Hopton-on-Sea park is two hours from the city.

By all accounts, the journey is well worth it.

“After opening its doors in the 1920s, family-run Potters claims to be the first-ever holiday park, and its all-inclusive model still sets it apart. The nightly rate at its two parks, in Essex and Norfolk, may be higher than rivals, but you stay in suites or bungalow-style accommodation (there isn’t a caravan in sight) and all food and drink (which is excellent) is thrown in. It was the only park to clinch the full five stars for its entertainment and activities (also included), which range from birdwatching to go-karting,” wrote Which? of Potters after readers awarded it five stars for customer service, activities, and food and drink.

Advertisement

“Guests loved that they could soak in the spa and play all the rounds of pitch ‘n’ putt without worrying about their final bill spiralling out of control. ‘Great entertainment, all staff helpful and polite, good food and plenty of it,’ one happy customer remarked. Forget everything you think you know about holiday parks, as Potters’ attentive service and first-class facilities will wow you, with no sneaky extra charges later on.”

At £88 per person per night, Potters is a little more expensive than the average holiday park, but guests clearly don’t feel hard done by, handing the park 4/5 for value for money. That may be because the park is the only one in Britain to offer all-inclusive, providing guests with four meals a day, as well as an ample selection of included drinks such as white wines, reds, beers and G&Ts.

Just like the kind of all-inclusive break you might associate with going abroad, Potters has plenty of activities throughout the day to keep young and old entertained. You can get your groove on at its silent disco, burn some rubber on the rally karts, immerse yourself in virtual reality, and bob around on the water at Five Lakes. Morning Pilates, yoga, birdwatching, and Nordic walking are also included for the more wellness-minded guests.

Another big draw is the entertainment. Each evening, its Musical Icons hits the stage, offering a celebration of legendary musical artists, from the golden age of Motown and Carole King’s much-loved songbook to ABBA, the Bee Gees and an unforgettable Bohemian Rhapsody finale.

The Mirror’s Mikey Smith visited Potters with his family and had a fantastic time.

“Imagine the good old British ‘holiday camp’ atmosphere – family fun by the sea, with nightly entertainment and everything you need on-site – but brought bang up to date, with comfortable rooms and high quality amenities. And then imagine it borrowed a few ideas from luxury cruise ships. Then you’re getting somewhere near what Potters is,” Mikey wrote.

“For many, the phrase ‘all-inclusive resort’ conjures images of lukewarm buffets, piled high with chips and pizza slices, perhaps the occasional chicken nugget and long benches of weird-looking salad. Not so at Potters. Each lunchtime and evening menu offers three or four restaurant-quality starter and main options. During my stay I had a buttery, flaky Sea Bass fillet, some deliciously crispy deep fried Halloumi and a perfectly cooked chicken breast with mushroom and thyme sauce.

“None of them would trouble a Michelin star – but they’d give any of the foodie pubs near me a solid run for their money. And that’s before we come to the carvery, which is served every evening with a different roast meat.”

You can read his full review here.

Mike Scott, managing director of Potters, said: “To be named the UK’s Best Holiday Parks & Resorts by Which? readers is a fantastic achievement. To have topped the list in three consecutive surveys since 2022 is something we’re immensely proud of, especially among so many well-known UK break providers. Recognition from Which? means so much because it reflects the honest opinions and experiences of guests. It tells people what it’s really like to stay with us and makes this achievement all the more special.

“As a family-owned business, we can’t compete with the household names on marketing budgets, and we don’t try to. Instead, we focus on giving every guest an exceptional experience. Our breaks are fully inclusive, so we’re not constantly trying to upsell or charge guests for every little extra. It means our guests can simply relax and have fun, while our team can focus entirely on looking after them and making their stay memorable.

“This recognition reinforces what we’ve always believed: Potters Resorts offers the best breaks in the UK. And, of course, a huge thank you must go to our amazing team and our lovely guests, who together have made Potters such a special place.”

The UK’s best and worst holiday parks

(Name of resort, overall customer score)

1. Potters Resorts – 83%
2. Hoburne Holidays – 81%
3. Darwin Escapes – 80%
4. Landal Parks – 80%
5. Waterside Holiday Group – 80%
6. Shorefield Holidays – 76%
7. Away Resorts – 75%
8. Bluestone Wales – 75%
9. Park Leisure UK – 75%
10. Highland Holidays – 74%
11. Lyons Holiday Parks – 74%
12. Largo Leisure – 73%
13. Park Holidays UK – 73%
14. Warner Coastal Villages – 73%
15. Forest Holidays – 72%
16. John Fowler Holidays – 72%
17. Center Parcs – 69%
18. Haven Holidays – 68%
19. Parkdean Resorts – 68%
20. Butlin’s – 63%
21. Pontins – 61%

Based on a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and general public conducted in February and March 2026.

A Tameside road has been closed off and people are being urged to avoid the area after a house fire broke out overnight.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service says it has been at the scene of a house fire on Park Road, in Dukinfield, since the early hours of the morning.

A cordon is in place along Park Road this morning as crews continue to work at the scene.

Further updates will be posted in this blog when they are available.