By ALESIA FIDDLER – TRAVEL REPORTER

Published: 11:34 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 12:15 BST, 14 August 2026

Tourists visiting the Lake District have been warned about a blue-green algae growing that can be poisonous to humans and dogs. 

Around 40 permanent information boards are set to be placed around popular Lake Windermere informing people of the dangers of the cyanobacteria algae blooms.

A further 40 signs are also to be installed across other locations in Cumbria too. 

The blue-green algae thrives in still bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs and slow-flowing rivers – and grows faster in hot, dry weather.

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Nutrients found in pollutants like sewage can also encourage the growth, according to the BBC. 

Humans can become ill from coming into contact with the toxins the algae produces and ingesting it can be fatal to animals and wildlife, including dogs.

The Lake District hotspot is currently at its busiest, drawing in hordes of visitors every day over the summer months who come for the beautiful views of the water and surrounding hills.

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Signs are being installed by Lake Windermere and other locations across Cumbria warning tourists about potentially dangerous blooms of algae

Each sign will provide information on what the algae looks like, to help people identify the potentially dangerous blooms. 

The signs have been funded by the Environment Agency and are the result of a collaboration between organisations within the Love Windermere partnership.

The permanent signs will provide year-round guidance on the blue-green algae including what it looks like, where people can find current bloom information and how to report sightings of it. 

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The signs link users to the Bloomin’ Algae app and other sources of up-to-date information. 

People and animals can become exposured to the blooms through swallowing the water, inhaling airborne droplets or coming into contact with water containing the algae.

Symptoms include nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, irritation of the eyes or throat as well as breathing difficulties, the BBC previously reported. 

They aim to spread awareness of the toxic blue-green algae that blooms on still bodies of water

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The algae is known for its distinctive blue-green hue bur can be fatal to animals who drink it, and can cause skin and eye irritation in humans (Pictured: The algae at Frampton on Severn in Gloucestershire)

Visitors who plan to spend time on or around the water have been advised to check current conditions before travelling and familiarise themselves with the signs of blue-green algae. 

Liz Cheslett-Davey, catchment coordinator at the Environment Agency, said:  ‘Blue-green algae can appear quickly and the conditions that encourage it to form aren’t always easy to predict. 

‘These are both actions that affect water quality and natural factors. 

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‘Clear on-site signage, alongside the Bloomin’ Algae app and other online resources, helps people make informed decisions about using the water safely.’

Nearly 250 cases of the toxic blue-green algae have been reported in Northern Ireland‘s waterways, with others hitting Scottish lochs and lakes as far afield as Lancashire to Hampshire.

The latest case on a lake in Essex has left heartbreaking scenes of dead ducks, geese, moorhens and fish floating on a surface of ‘scum’ left by the algae, with many residents hitting out at council bosses for not taking enough action.

Andrew Robinson, of Weir Street, Darlington, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on August 11.

The court heard the 51-year-old was driving a Mini on June 23. Robinson gave a breathalyser reading of 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

On July 16, Robinson pleaded guilty to driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £48 surcharge. He must pay in monthly instalments of £20, starting September 8, 2026.

Robinson’s disqualification may be reduced by 17 weeks if he completes an approved drink-drive rehabilitation course by June 18, 2027.

An interim disqualification took immediate effect on July 16.

The city council leader insisted “this is not just a one-off spring clean”

A large amount of needles were reportedly discovered during a city centre clean-up operation in Peterborough. City council staff and councillors were out in high-vis jackets on Wednesday as part of Operation Horizon, which aims to get tough on issues in the city centre.

Councillor Chris Wiggin, cabinet member for environment, was among those who carried out a litter pick during the morning and said he was shocked by what they had found.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’d been out with officers from the environmental side, along with volunteers from the Litter Wombles and IRC, looking at areas around The Embankment and nearby. We were finding all sorts of things in there. One of our teams found over 71 drugs needles which have now been cleaned up.

“We also found evidence of homeless people living in the woods and we were looking at the river front to see what we can do to make it a nicer place for people to enjoy.”

Cllr Wiggin added: “We did a walk along Potters Way and found some fly-tipping which included evidence of the name and address of the person who left it, so that’s been passed onto our enforcement team to be dealt with.”

Some of the action taken during the operation has included: jet-washed streets, street drinkers being handed fines and offered support, litter picking in hot spot areas, and businesses being visited to check they were meeting licensing requirements and Food Safety Standards.

Other issues being tackled included: begging, rough sleeping, taxi and private hire compliance, parking contraventions, and boat-related anti-social behaviour/encroachment onto the embankment.

Peterborough City Council leader Shabina Qayyum noted that Operation Horizon was a continuous effort that would see the team of staff, councillors and other volunteers meet every few months to keep on top of the issues that harmed the city centre.

“This is not just a one-off spring clean,” she said.

Cllr Qayyum insisted that there would be a “renewed focus” on the city centre and residents would be able to see a change in the look and feel of the city centre over the coming weeks and months.

The council is carrying out the operation alongside partners including Peterborough Positive and Cambridgeshire Police.

Mehmet Gundez, 24 of Bridlington, entered a plea of ‘not guilty’ during a plea and trial preparation hearing at Hull Crown Court today (August 14).

The 24-year-old was charged with murder after the death of Ibrahim Yesildeniz, 25, in Bridlington on Monday (August 10).

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Humberside Police said Mr Yesildeniz was pronounced dead in hospital after reports of an incident in First Avenue at about 5.20am on Monday.

“Ibrahim’s family are being supported by specially trained officers and have asked for privacy,” a police spokesperson said.

A further appearance is scheduled for September 28 and the case is set to go to trial on November 23 at Hull Crown court.

Firefighters battled for an hour and a half to get the fire under control at Errington Woods in New Marske, on Thursday (August 13).

They were called around 7.20pm to reports of smoke coming from a field near the woodland.

Four fire engines from Coulby Newham, Grangetown, Redcar and Saltburn attended and used water bowsers to put out the blaze. They left the scene at about 8.40pm.

Cleveland Fire Brigade believes the blaze covering an area of about 40,000 square meters, was started deliberately.

A spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident at Errington Woods, New Marske at 7.21pm on August 13.

“Four fire engines from Coulby, Grangetown, Redcar and Saltburn were in attendance.

“Approx 200m x 200m field well alight. Ground beaters and a water bowser were used. A stop message was received at 8.40pm. The cause is believed to be deliberate.”

Andrey Santos joined Man Utd this summer and staff have been blown away by the impact he has made at the club.

Manchester United’s transfer business this summer might not have got pulses racing just yet, but inside Old Trafford there is a confidence that the signings they have made so far will be a success and that all three will add to the dynamic in the squad.

Karl Darlow has joined up with the squad on a more regular basis in Ireland this week as he continues to recover from a minor operation, while Youri Tielemans’ quality and leadership were clear even before he arrived at the club.

Andrey Santos was a more unknown quantity after he joined from Chelsea for £50million, but it is the 22-year-old Brazilian who has made the biggest impact, both on and off the pitch.

Santos looks a certainty to start against Hull City on the opening day of the Premier League season and he has started every pre-season friendly so far. The make-up of Michael Carrick’s midfield looks like Santos and one of Tielemans, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo at the moment.

On the pitch, Santos has brought assurance to the midfield. He wants the ball at all times, drops deep to get on it and has a good passing range. He believes he can be an elite-level No.6 and is embracing the challenge of replacing Casemiro.

Off it, his leadership and maturity have stood out to staff. He has impressed staff in training and with his general demeanour around the group. Carrick spoke as highly of him on Thursday as I think I’ve ever heard a manager talk about a player.

“Andrey, for such a young man to come in the way he’s came in, his character, his personality is a dream. Literally, he’s a dream,” said Carrick.

“He’s so positive, so mature, so switched on; he wants to learn. He comes in straight away and he’s trying to help other players and talk in games and communicate in games, and has that personality where he’s got a real substance to him, and delighted to have him, delighted to have him when he came in.”

United have shifted their transfer policy in the last couple of windows and now place as much store in the kind of people they are signing as what they can do on the pitch. It has been a success, and the squad feels more harmonious than it did under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.

Santos has added to this balance and fits within the personalities that now frequent the Old Trafford dressing room. It has been noticeable in pre-season that he is a constant talker on the pitch, particularly when communicating with the centre-backs. That is an impressive and important trait for a young midfielder to have.

So swift has Santos’ impact been that you wonder if United have signed a future captain. His leadership credentials are not in question, despite his youth and the fact he is still learning his trade in the Premier League. He moved to this country from Brazil in 2023 when joining Chelsea from Vasco da Gama, but has settled quickly.

There have been six caps for Brazil so far and that tally could rise swiftly if he carries his pre-season form into the competitive action, but for a measure of how highly he is rated within federation circles, he has captained his country on numerous occasions at age-group levels.

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He has captained Brazil Under-23s on six of his eight caps and led the Under-20 team at the Under-20 South American Championships and Under-20 World Cup in 2023. The 13 games he played as captain in those tournaments saw him score eight goals as he led from the front.

That is evidence he can play as a more progressive midfielder, but at United, his future lies in a deeper role. He is one of two No.6s in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 and looks likeliest to be the one sitting back and trying to dictate play. Carrick wants a midfield that can control games.

Santos looks like he can deliver that, and a whole lot more as well. He hasn’t even made his competitive debut for the club so far, but it doesn’t seem particularly far-fetched to talk of him as a potential future captain, given the impact he has made. Bruno Fernandes is going nowhere this summer, but at some point over the next few years, that armband will be available.

Countdown to Kickoff: The Essential 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle

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City could conceivably spend £300m on central midfielders this summer, an outlay that has plenty quoting a slightly lower figure in a mixture of anger, disbelief and ignorance at how the Blues can splash such cash. Until a decision is finally reached on the outstanding 115 charges, that mud will continue to be splattered in City’s direction. But if those furious at a club spending so much on new talent wanted to look, there are more subtle explanations than crying financial foul play.

For one, few can match the revenues City are able to rake in, with the Blues earning £694.1m in the financial year ending June 30, 2025, albeit with a marginal loss of £9.9m, and more than £700m in the two years prior to that.

Read more here>>>

The Strictly Come Dancing class of 2026 came together for the first time on Thursday as they headed to their first dance rehearsals. 

Despite fans branding the lineup the ‘worst ever’ in the show’s 22-year run, the contestants still looked in great spirits as they arrived at the studio in London. 

Ready to give Strictly another go after an injury forced her out of last year’s lineup was Dani Dyer, who flashed a smile as she walked in.

Dani – who was paired with Nikita Kuzmin last year but fractured her ankle before the first show – looked effortlessly stylish in a black top and leopard print skirt. 

Also looking chic was Delta Goodrem, who paired a white top with a brown leather skirt and towering heels. 

Meanwhile, Jaime Winstone embraced the UK heatwave in a pair of denim hotpants and brown cowboy boots. 

Despite fans branding the lineup the ‘worst ever’ in the show’s 22-year run, the contestants still looked in great spirits as they arrived at the studio in London (pictured: Delta Goodrem, left, and Jaime Winstone) 

Gavin & Stacey actress Melanie Walters, who was announced as the final star to join the line up this week, couldn’t stop beaming as she met up with her fellow contestants.

Also in this year’s lineup is EastEnders’ Lacey Turner, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, Love Island star Cach Mercer, Big Brother host Will Best and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey. 

They are joined by House Of The Dragon’s Bethany Antonia, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, presenter Graeme ‘The Dogfather’ Hall, Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, YouTuber John Nellis and Olympian Tabby Stoecker.

Strictly is one of the BBC‘s most popular shows, with millions tuning in every weekend and the professional dancers quickly becoming household names. 

This year, however, there’s been one big problem – that the dancers are better known than the ‘stars’ they’re set to partner up with. 

YouTuber John, for example, doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. 

But that doesn’t seem to matter to producers, who are said to have specifically selected stars who have large social media followings.

Stars such as Kim Kardashian’s hair stylist Chris might not be a household name, but he does boast a huge social media following with 4 million fans on Instagram. 

John has an even bigger fanbase, with 15.7 million YouTube subscribers.

Ready to give Strictly another go after an injury forced her out of last year’s lineup was Dani, who flashed a smile as she walked in

Dani – who was paired with Nikita Kuzmin last year but fractured her ankle before the first show – looked effortlessly stylish in a black top and leopard print skirt

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Dani also shared a selfie on her way to the studios 

Also looking chic was Delta, who paired a white top with a brown leather skirt and towering heels. She accessorised with a small snake print handbag

Jaime Winstone embraced the UK heatwave in a pair of denim hotpants and cowboy boots

Gavin & Stacey actress Melanie Walters, who was announced as the final star to join the line up this week, couldn’t stop beaming as she met up with her fellow contestants

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EastEnders star Lacey Turner looked summery in a pastel striped midi dress 

Love Island’s Cache Mercer sported a grey vest and baggy jeans 

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton opted for double denim in a shirt and jeans 

Chris was spotted giving fellow Strictly star Lawrence Robb a hug 

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Lawrence was casually clad in a navy vest paired with white trousers and sandals 

Former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips opted for a black T-shirt and white trousers

Graeme ‘The Dogfather’ Hill kept things casual in a paisley shirt and shorts 

Olympian Tabby Stoecker paired a white vest with linen trousers and flip flops 

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Tabby also shared a throwback from when she met last year’s Strictly contestant Montell Douglas who taught her how to waltz

However, loyal fans have been left scratching their heads over the lineup, with many of the comments on the Strictly social posts asking who the celebrity is, rather than expressing any excitement. 

Indeed, while bosses may be keen to attract Gen Z – the majority of Strictly viewers are in fact Gen X and Baby Boomers.  

Audience demographic data indicates that around 60 per cent of the audience is aged 55 or older, putting the average viewer age firmly in the mid-50s and above. 

Yet this year, it’s time for an overhaul, with suggestions Strictly is following a similar, hugely successful social media strategy employed by its US counterpart Dancing With The Stars. 

Dancing With The Stars has used their celebrity contestants’ followings to their advantage, introducing a TikTok Night last year – an episode which saw the contestants perform viral dance routines, sparking an uptick in interaction from younger viewers.

The Dancing With The Stars TikTok account now has more than 5 million followers, in comparison to Strictly’s 670,000.

‘Although your traditional Strictly audience might not know who some of the signings are, that’s not as important as bringing in new viewers who are more than familiar with them,’ a source told The Sun.

‘Their followers are vast in numbers, enthusiastic and, by sharing content on Strictly, raise the profile of the show massively.

‘And, in time, the viewers who don’t know these people get to know them. If anything they end up going on much more of a “Strictly Journey” than the stars you’d describe as “household names.”‘

The following day the celebrities were back to meet the professional dancers for the first time and for their first rehearsal 

Delta looked great in a plunging black top paired with flared leggings and blue trainers 

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Dani opted for a skintight co-ord and trainers for the rehearsals 

Chris donned a plaid shirt and jeans while Cache opted for a vest and shorts

Jaime rocked a pair of oversized shades as she headed into the studio 

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This year has seen a number of changes to the show – which was previously known for its formulaic regime in its 22 years on air. 

Perhaps most pertinent is the change in presenters, after longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit the show. 

There are now a trio of new hosts – all of whom have a strong online presence. 

Comedian Josh Widdicombe has more than half a million Instagram followers on his personal account whilst the Insta page for his hugely popular podcast Parenting Hell has 250,000.

Emma Willis has two million Instagram followers and fan-favourite dancer Johannes Radebe, who will act as a co-presenter this year, has 458,000 followers. 

The celeb lineup was also announced on social media this year rather than on radio and TV. 

And before the celeb reveals, there was a big reshuffle with the professional dancers.  

In recent months popular dancers Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez have all been given the boot.

It’s understood pros with bigger online followings have been chosen over dancers who are not so TikTok friendly as the series tries desperately to attract a younger audience.

One example appears to be axed Nadiya, who has 214,000 Insta followers, while Dianne Buswell, with 1.2 million Instagram followers and 973,000 on TikTok, has kept her place in the line-up.

Meanwhile five new young pros have been recruited with ballroom champ Maddie Ingoldsby boasting 364,000 TikTok followers. 

Former Strictly judge and renowned choreographer Arlene Phillips recently criticised the pro hirings, telling Good Morning Britain last month: ‘The new pros, as long as they can dance. I mean, most of them are sort of influencers and they talk an awful lot. As long as those pros can dance.’

The trio of new hosts also have a strong online presence. Comedian Josh Widdicombe has over half a million Instagram followers (pictured with Johannes Radebe and Emma Willis)

Five new young pros have been recruited. From left, Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi and Mark Karmalita

Yet while there is clearly a pull for stars with a large online presence, an insider claimed that part of the problem with booking celebrity shows now is that the landscape has changed.

The source continued: ‘Crucially the pipeline that used to feed these big shows has changed.

‘Boyband and girlband stars aren’t as prevalent any more and, once upon a time, getting someone from a soap or a big drama was a massive deal, but now even that has diminished somewhat.

‘Now, though, social media is continuing to boom and big stars from the world of TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are known to a vast section of society.’

Strictly is set to return for its 24th season next month, when loyal viewers will finally be able to give their say on all the changes. 

An investigation is underway

Detectives have launched an investigation after a man was seen exposing himself in woods near a major Cheshire road. Police are looking into reports of a man exposing himself in Kennel Woods, off Kennel Lane in Sandiway, close to the A556 near Northwich.

Cheshire Police says the victim reported seeing a man expose himself at some point between 4.30pm and 5pm last Friday (August 7). He was reportedly wearing a dark t-shirt and dark shorts at the time.

Enquiries in relation to the incident are ongoing. Officers are appealing for any further witnesses, or anyone with relevant video footage that could help with the investigation, to come forward.

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That could include drivers on the A556, which runs between Greater Manchester and Chester. Detective Constable Caitlin Clark, of Northwich CID said: “Incidents of this nature are extremely concerning, and I would like to reassure residents that we’re committed to doing everything we can to identify the person responsible.

“Kennel Woods is a popular spot for dog walkers, and as part of our enquiries, we’re keen to hear from anyone who was in the area and believes they may have witnessed the incident. The same goes for anyone who was driving on Kennel Lane, or the A556 Chester Road, and may have any dashcam footage which could aid our investigation.

“I would also urge people visiting the area to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or online, quoting IML-2391087.