Whether you’re a widow, widower or divorcee, the thought of online dating can feel daunting. However, more and more people are turning to the internet to find romance. Roughly 16 per cent of UK adults met their long-term partner online, according to Statista. Among them, there are lots of singles over 50 using dating sites to find a companion.

So here’s how to navigate your online dating life with expert advice from psychologist and dating coach Dr Pam Spurr, and sex and relationship coach Angela Vossen.

How do I know if I’m ready to date again?

Coming out of any relationship is hard. If you’re hoping to date after a divorce, bereavement or break up, it can take a long time to feel ready to date again. Dr Spurr advises taking your time.

“Many people feel bruised, even traumatised, after coming out of a long-term relationship or having been bereaved,” she explains. “Your feelings naturally vary from day to day about whether you’re ready to get back out to look for love – or even for fun. A crucial factor is if you’ve come to the point where you have more good days compared to bad days”.

Dr Spurr explains that good days are the days on which you feel more optimistic about life generally, and you find your thoughts turning to meeting someone new. “That’s an important sign that you are healing,” she says. “However, if you’re still feeling deeply insecure or are riddled with self-doubt about your worthiness, take your time. When you feel worthy, you will find someone worthy of you”. 

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How to start dating online for seniors

If you’re new to online dating, it can feel intimidating at first. The secret is taking things step by step so that you do things at your own pace. The first step, however, should be choosing a senior dating site that will help match you with like-minded people. This will narrow your search and ensure your dating experience is more successful.

Step 1: Create an online profile

Once you’ve decided on a dating service and signed up, you’ll be asked to write a dating profile. This should reflect who you are along with your passions, values and what you seek in a partner. 

Try to be authentic rather than creating a fantasy version of yourself. If you exaggerate your accomplishments, your date will only feel deceived once they get to know you. Likewise, don’t be tempted to use a photo of yourself from 10 years ago. 

Step 2: Spark meaningful chats with potential dates

Once you have signed up to a senior dating site and created a profile, you will be free to start looking at other people’s profiles and sending messages to anyone that catches your attention. But how can you initiate a conversation after an introduction? 

“When messaging people on dating sites, ask open-ended questions to spark meaningful chats,” says Angela. A good example would be, ‘I can see you enjoy travel. What place have you always wanted to visit but haven’t yet?’ or “tell me more about your love of tennis? Did you watch the US Open?” If things go really well and the chat seems to flow naturally, you may decide to organise a phone chat or ask them out on a date. An initial chat over the phone can help gauge how well you get on and how easily the conversation flows. If this goes well, meeting in person may feel less nerve wracking and a little less ‘blind’. 

Step 3: Prioritise your safety

“While most people are well intentioned online, it’s important to protect your safety,” advises Ms Vossen. “Keep personal details private (like where you live or your social media profiles) until you’ve met in person and built trust”. You should also arrange first dates in public places, share your plans with a friend, and trust your instincts if something feels off. 

If the first date or two doesn’t quite hit the mark, try not to be too disappointed and remember that you can say no to another date. Ms Vossen says: “Be patient – online dating takes time, but with practice, you’ll gain confidence and enjoy the journey”.

Traditional ways to meet senior singles

Of course, couples continue to meet in a manner that predates online dating sites. If you’re keen to join the dating scene but find the online world overwhelming, there are plenty of ways to meet people in real life. 

1. Holidays and group trips

We are often our best selves on holiday, so it’s the ideal place to find a single senior woman or to meet men if the opportunity presents itself. Why not organise a trip on which you meet new people while doing what you love, whether that’s cycling, walking, sightseeing or just travelling around a new part of the world. There are many escorted tours that cater to specific age groups and interests. They also take away the stress of organising a trip yourself.

“An organised holiday or trip can be a great place to meet someone new and there are many organisations offering these for the over 50s,” says Dr Spur.  “A word of caution though, you can spend a lot of money and there’s no guarantee that you will meet that special person. However, if it’s a place you’ve wanted to travel to then go with the mindset that you’re going to have a great trip. If you meet someone, that’s an added bonus”. 

2. Activities and social groups 

​The Beachdale Guesthouse at 2 Brooklands, Filey, is set to become a four-bed residential house following the approval of plans.

​The three-storey terrace, which is in the town’s conservation area, was a guesthouse with a private living area for the owners and five ensuite bedrooms for visitors.

​North Yorkshire Council’s tourism officer said the guesthouse had not been a member of Visit North Yorkshire “for a number of years” and as such, the organisation did not have any data on the level of bookings on which to base a decision.

​The officer added that they did not currently have enough occupancy data “elsewhere within Filey to either support or object to the application on the basis of change of use”.

​However, the officer considered that there is a “sufficient level of serviced accommodation within Filey to not warrant an objection”.

​Brooklands, where the property is located, was constructed between 1890 and 1914, according to a planning report.

​“The appearance of the terrace is reflective of that period, and the terraces were originally constructed as dwellings, although there is evidence that some of the units are now used as flats,” it notes.

​No objections were made by the Highway Authority, which said that “there is not expected to be an increase in vehicle movements as a result of the development”.

​Planning officers concluded that there are “a number of existing guesthouses in the area and the loss of the guesthouse subject to this application would not have a material impact on the demand for this type of application”.

​The council added that it did not have “any data to counteract this argument”.

​The application was approved by NYC, subject to conditions.

Ruud Gullit has backed former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie to manage Manchester United ‘at some point’.

Van Persie established himself as one of Arsenal’s greatest ever goalscorers after being signed by Arsene Wenger in 2004.

The Netherlands international scored 132 goals in 278 games for the Gunners, including Arsenal’s most in a Premier League season and calendar year.

After a breakdown in his relationship with Arsenal bosses, Van Persie completed a controversial move to Manchester United in 2012 and enjoyed three productive seasons at Old Trafford.

His 30-goal campaign in his first year at United helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s side win the Premier League title and saw him bag a second consecutive Golden Boot award.

As an integral member of the last Manchester United side to lift the Premier League trophy, Van Persie is still remembered fondly at Old Trafford.

His compatriot Gullit, a former Ballon d’Or winner, believes Van Persie has developed into a ‘great manager’ since hanging up his boots and ‘hopes’ he takes charge of the Red Devils ‘one day’.

Van Persie, 43, began his managerial career at Eredivisie side Heerenveen and has been at Dutch giants Feyenoord since the start of 2025.

‘It would be great if Robin van Persie became the manager of Manchester United in the future,’ Gullit told Gambling Insider. ‘I definitely hope that happens at some point!

‘Robin is a great manager, but he’s struggling a little bit at Feyenoord at the moment. I feel like the expectations for him are very high because of the career he had, so he’s under the spotlight a lot more than other managers in the Eredivisie.

‘He’s under fire over here in Holland at the moment, but I hope he’s given time to rectify it and prove how good he is.

‘Look what happened with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United – they kept him, and look how good he ended up being!

‘Down the line however, I think it would be great for Robin to manage at Old Trafford one day.’

Manchester United will appoint Ruben Amorim’s permanent replacement in the summer after sacking the Portuguese boss last month.

Michael Carrick was placed in temporary charge of United and has overseen four successive wins to take the club back into the Champions League places.

Manchester United beat ten-man Tottenham 2-0 on Saturday and return to Premier League action on Tuesday night against relegation-battlers West Ham.

United could only draw 1-1 with West Ham when the two teams last met in one of Amorim’s last games before his sacking.

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Today, the Press approached the four Labour MPs in our region- York Central’s Rachael Maskell, York Outer’s Luke Charters and Selby MP Keir Mather.

As previously reported, the four MPs were all asked by the Press whether or not they supported Sir Keir staying on as Labour leader and PM and if he did go, who should replace him.

They were also asked whether the resignation of his Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney changed anything and when might the PM resign.

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First to respond was Luke Charters who condemned both Jeffrey Epstein and Lord Mandelson, saying getting on with the jobs of being MP was his “relentless focus.”

However, his statement did not contain any mention of his support or otherwise of the  PM, even though that was directly asked for.

Next came Rachael Maskell, who simply responded: “With the PM about to address the Parliamentary Labour Party, I will listen carefully to what he has to say to understand how he proposes to take things forward.”

Just now a statement released by Alison Hume, who won Scarborough and Whitby from the Conservatives in July 2024 said: “I was elected eighteen months ago as part of a Labour government tasked with delivering the change this country wanted to see after years of decline.

“We are starting to see the positive impacts that only a Labour government can make; free school meals and breakfast clubs, renters’ rights, the Employment Rights Act.

“This is not the time for a leadership election.  The Prime Minister has my full support. We have a five year mandate from the British people and we must not waste a second on in-fighting. The last thing we need is the kind of instability we said we would get rid of.

She added: “My main priority, as always, is working hard for the people of Scarborough, Whitby and villages.”

As the Press previously reported, Downing Street has been rocked by the resignations of Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and his Director of Communications Tim Allan.

This afternoon Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar called for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down, however he has been backed by Labour Deputy Lucy Powell.

The Prime Minister is set to address Labour MPs about the Mandelson affair and his leadership later today.

Keir Mather has yet to respond.

American skier Lindsey Vonn says she has “no regrets” after a crash in the women’s downhill competition at the Winter Olympics resulted in a “complex tibia fracture” which will require multiple surgeries.

The 41-year-old’s arm got stuck in a gate just 13 seconds into her run on Sunday at Olimpia delle Tofane in Cortina, throwing her off balance.

She was treated on the slope for a lengthy period before being airlifted off the piste to Ca Foncello hospital in Treviso, where she had surgery on a fractured left leg.

The 2010 Olympic downhill champion was already racing with ruptured ligaments in her left knee but was determined to compete in her fifth and final Games.

“Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” she said in a post on Instagram on Monday.

“It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairytale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.

“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.

“Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”

Vonn crashed in Switzerland in the final race before the Olympics nine days before competing in the downhill event in Italy.

In a media conference on Wednesday, she confirmed she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but expressed determination to compete.

The two-time world champion says the torn ACL and her previous injuries, including a partial right knee replacement, “had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever”.

Vonn’s decision to race has led to widespread praise for her bravery but also criticism about the dangers and potential risk of permanent damage.

“It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport. And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life,” she said.

“We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.

“I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.

“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”

Timothy Horrigan, 42, has been recalled for breaching his licence conditions following his release from prison on Tuesday (February 3).

Extensive enquiries to find Horrigan, police said, have been ongoing in connection with a non-molestation order.

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An appeal has since been launched by North Yorkshire Police – who said they believed Horrigan to be in the Harrogate, Ripon and Northallerton areas.

Horrigan, who is described as white, 6ft tall, with dark-coloured greying hair and of a medium build, also has links to Hull and Bradford.

A force spokesperson said: “For immediate sightings of Horrigan, please call North Yorkshire Police on 999.

“Information can also be provided by calling us on 101. 

“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Please quote reference number 12260021139 when providing details.”

Ukranian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych claims the International Olympic Committee has banned his helmet featuring images of people killed in the war in his home country, in a decision that “breaks my heart”.

The 26-year-old wore the helmet during a Winter Olympics training session in Cortina, and had promised before the Games to use the event as a platform to keep attention on the conflict.

The IOC is yet to confirm publicly if it has banned the helmet.

“The IOC has banned the use of my helmet at official training sessions and competitions,” said Heraskevych, who was a Ukraine flagbearer in Friday’s opening ceremony, on Instagram, external.

“A decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honoured on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.

“Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine.”

Heraskevych told Reuters that many of those pictured on his helmet were athletes including teenage weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko and ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, and stated some of them were his friends.

Heraskevych said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had been to the athletes’ village to tell him.

“He said it’s because of rule 50,” Heraskevych told Reuters.

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

He said earlier on Monday that the IOC had contacted Ukraine’s Olympic Committee over the helmet.

The IOC said it had not received any official request to use the helmet in competition, which starts on 12 February.

Meanwhile, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Heraskevych “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle” in a post on X, external.

The post continued: “This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event’. It is a reminder to the entire world of what modern Russia is.”

Heraskevych, Ukraine’s first skeleton athlete, held up a ‘No War in Ukraine’ sign at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, days before Russia’s 2022 invasion of the country.

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Heraskevych had said he intended to respect Olympic rules which prohibit political demonstrations at venues while still raising awareness about the war in Ukraine at the Games.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 athletes from Russia and Belarus were largely banned from international sport, but there has since been a gradual return to competition.

The IOC cleared 13 athletes from Russia, external to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in Milan-Cortina.

BBC Sport has approached the IOC for comment.

A local councillor says he is regularly contacted by frustrated residents looking to find their parcels

Residents in Co Tyrone have had to use social media to match front doors in order to track down wrongly delivered packages from Evri.

Those living in the Dungannon, Coalisland and Moy areas of East Tyrone have reported having a number of issues with the delivery service in recent months with many saying they have been unable to get packages delivered to the correct addresses that were supposed to be delivered by the company.

A number have taken to social media in order to post pictures of their parcels at someone’s front door in the hopes of tracking down the actual location that their parcels have been delivered.

READ MORE: Unlicenced driver caught after parking her car obstructively outside a police stationREAD MORE: Belfast man hits out at Evri after “constant issues” with deliveries

Local representative councillor Dan Kerr told Belfast Live that he gets calls from frustrated local residents on a weekly basis asking for help trying to find the address their parcels have been delivered to and claims that Evri is usually the company that was meant to deliver the packages.

Prior to Christmas he spoke at a council meeting and arranged for representatives to meet with Evri to discuss their concerns, however he says that the issues still remain.

Councillor Kerr said: “This is a problem that has been rampant across Dungannon, Coalisland, Moy, Arboe and all around the area for some time now and people are getting fed up with the poor service.

“It is like playing pass the parcels for some people as they have no choice but to post pictures of the front door where their parcels have been delivered online in the hopes of finding out where they actually are. I am getting people contacting me every week asking for help to track down deliveries.

“I spoke about this at council prior to Christmas and arranged a meeting with Evri and we were told that these issues were due to increased number of packages they were dealing with prior to Christmas and that some were down to issues with subcontractors who are no longer working for them, but the issue still seems to be continuing.

“These deliveries could be worth a lot of money and people deserve much better than the service they are receiving.”

An Evri spokesperson said: “Evri handles more than 900 million parcels each year with the vast majority being delivered successfully and on time. We’re sorry that a small number of local residents have experienced an issue with their deliveries. We’ve taken swift action to support a new courier on the round and we’ll closely monitor service levels to ensure deliveries meet our high standards.”

“The overwhelming majority of our couriers are highly regarded by customers, with an average star rating this year of 4.6 out of 5”

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

The UK foreign secretary has said a 20-year jail term handed down by a Hong Kong court to pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai is “tantamount to a life sentence”.

The 78-year-old media tycoon and British citizen was found guilty ​of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one ​count of publishing seditious materials in December last year.

He had denied all the charges against him, ‌saying in court he was a “political prisoner” facing persecution from Beijing.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper agreed with that assessment and, in a statement, called the sentence a “politically motivated prosecution” aimed at Mr Lai “for exercising his right to freedom of expression”.

“For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” she added.

Lai’s son, Sebastien, told Sky News the case was a “show trial” and the result was not a surprise.

“I think many people expected it. This is essentially a life sentence… a death sentence,” he said.

China risks making Lai ‘martyr’

Commenting on the prospect of his father being released, he added: “I’m just holding out hope. I think we are in a situation now where it is in both Hong Kong and China’s best interest to release him as well.

“This is very damaging for their reputation. If my father dies, he becomes a martyr.”

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Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

Mr Lai’s lawyer gave no comment when asked if he would appeal his sentence.

On Sunday, the Hong Kong court said that Mr Lai’s sentence was in the most severe penalty “band” for offences of a “grave nature”, and that it was enhanced by his being the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

Mr Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in August 2020 after China imposed a national security law following massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Lia’s health ‘exaggerated’, say police

The long-standing critic of ⁠the Chinese Communist Party had previously been sentenced for several lesser offences during his five years in prison.

Mr Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement. His family say his health has worsened as a result and that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart palpitations.

‌The head of Hong ​Kong police’s National Security Department ⁠said on Monday, however, that claims of ‌his frail health are “exaggerated”.

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From December: Jimmy Lai’s son says UK government must ‘do more’

Speaking after the verdict, Sky’s Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith said she spoke to Mr Lai’s biographer Mark Clifford last month.

“He’s really the embodiment of what they fear,” she cites the author and close friend of the jailed tycoon as saying.

“A principled person, absolutely refusing to back down, smart, articulate, and crucially with a platform.”

Lai’s plight has been criticised by world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK ‍Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer.

Sir Keir discussed the case with ‌Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, according to people briefed on the talks.

Read more from Sky News:
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Several Western diplomats told the Reuters news agency that negotiations to free Mr Lai would likely start in earnest after his sentencing, and depending on whether he appeals.

Calls for Jimmy Lai’s immediate release

There has been widespread criticism of the jail term. The ‌United Nations human rights chief ​called for the verdict to be quashed and Mr Lai released.

“This verdict ‌needs to be promptly ‌quashed as incompatible with international ​law,” said UN High Commissioner for ‍Human Rights Volker Turk.

The EU’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), said it “deplores the heavy prison sentence” and called for Mr Lai’s “immediate and unconditional release”.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, added that the prison term was “effectively a death sentence” and was “both cruel and profoundly ⁠unjust”.

Speaking to Reuters, a former Apple Daily reporter who gave his name as Wong, said that “now that ‘red lines’ have formally become part of the judgments and sentences, the news industry – already severely weakened – will shrink even further”.

The Palace has not yet been approached by officers looking into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct

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The King has made clear his “profound concern” at allegations over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct and will “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims, Buckingham Palace said. Thames Valley Police has confirmed it is assessing suggestions that the King’s brother shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The reignited crisis which has engulfed both the monarchy and Westminster has shown little sign of abating since the US authorities’ recent dump of millions of documents associated with the paedophile financier Epstein.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.

“While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.

“As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”

The Palace has not so far been approached by Thames Valley Police over the claims which relate to Andrew’s time as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meanwhile publicly addressed the Epstein scandal for the first time on Monday, with Kensington Palace saying they were “deeply concerned” at the “continued revelations” and that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”.