John Lewsley of brownfield developer NPL Group, who own some of the land, commented after seeing Bolton Council state they were making “efforts” to agree terms with landowners.

But Mr Lewsley, disputes this, stating instead that Bolton Council has not been in touch since October 2025.

Former MP Chris Green on site at the new road (Image: Office of Chris Green MP)

Mr Lewsley said: “The Directors of Landcare Manchester are fundamentally disappointed by false and misleading statements suggesting our business is responsible for delays to the New Spine Road at Horwich.

“Any fair-minded review of the absolute facts proves otherwise.

“We have always been supportive of the new road and the wider scheme, which is why we entered into the licence to build the road in the first place.

“Landcare Manchester has consistently acted in good faith to progress this critical infrastructure.”

Mr Lewsley works with Landcare Manchester, a subsidiary of the larger NPL group.

He felt it necessary to comment after a recent statement by Bolton Council, wherein they reconfirmed their determination to finish the project.

A Bolton Council spokesperson had said: “Rivington Chase remains one of Bolton Council’s highest priority regeneration projects and represents one of the borough’s most significant long-term investments.

The crucial link road has still not been opened to the public (Image: Newsquest)

“The wider masterplan will deliver approximately 1,700 new homes together with supporting mixed-use development, transforming the former Horwich Loco Works into a sustainable community with new homes, employment opportunities, community facilities and extensive public open space.

“The council remains committed to securing the completion and opening of the Rivington Chase Spine Road as soon as practicably possible.

“Over recent months, efforts have been made to reach agreement with the owners of the remaining land interests required to complete the final section of the road. Those discussions have not resulted in terms that could be progressed.

“The council’s preference remains to reach agreement with the landowners, and will seek to continue discussions to this end, but will need to consider all available options to facilitate the completion of the link road.”

Mr Lewsley stated that, having received no communication from the council since October 2025, it is not true that “efforts have been made” to reach an agreement over the land “in recent months.”

Bolton Council have since secured permission to use “compulsory purchase powers” to complete the road if they feel it necessary to do so.

A Bolton Council Spokesperson said: “The spine road is a key council priority and we are working with all parties to complete the work as soon as possible. 

“We have recently brokered a meeting between the lead developer and landowner with the aim of resolving matters in relation to negotiate for the land needed to complete the final section of the road. 

The road will be crucial to helping to reduce traffic (Image: Office of Phil Brickell MP)

“The constructive discussions are ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment further on commercially sensitive or legal matters at this stage.

“There has never been a 500-home cap on development at Rivington Chase linked to the completion of the spine road. 

“However, there is a S106 agreement which includes a 500-home threshold, this requires the developer to fund agreed off-site highway improvements for delivery by the council.

“These works have either already been delivered or are in the process of being delivered. 

“Bolton Council’s cabinet recently authorised the use of compulsory purchase powers to complete the spine road, if needed.

“However, we remain committed to securing a negotiated resolution wherever possible.”

The original deal signed in May 2020 allowed developer Novo BlueMantle five years to finish the road and have it adopted by Bolton Council.

This five year period expired last year.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of Carrick’s press conference.

This is the United boss’ final pre-match press conference before the international break and already this weekend feels big for him and the Reds. Another defeat, at a side who have not won in the Premier League yet, would be a hammer blow and would set a dark tone heading into a three-week break. It is always ideal to win, but it feels more imperative than usual.

Shaw’s return from injury would be a big boost for the Reds. The left-back has missed three matches in a row, and United have won only once in that time. After the drab display against Brighton, we can expect Carrick to ring the changes and, hopefully for United, Shaw is one of those who can come back.

Stay tuned for updates…

How does someone’s personality relate to their choice of political party? It’s a fascinating question, and one that has interesting implications in the changing landscape of British politics right now. Would someone joining a party, for example, want to see their own personality traits reflected back at them via the party’s leader?

The question of personality becomes even more intriguing when it comes to traits that are generally seen as malign rather than benign – the so-called “dark triad”, for example. This group is made up of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. While all three are distinct, these dark traits share features such as egotism and a willingness to lie and cheat to achieve a goal.

In our previous research we’ve covered the demography, sociology and ideology of British political party membership. But we noticed that there was little or no research on its psychology. Our most recent research aimed to fill that gap.

We wanted to uncover any links between personality and membership of the main British parties (Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform UK). We used surveys of 4,266 members of these parties to learn more about their personalities – including those traits associated with the dark triad. Then we looked at what these characteristics meant in terms of the party leaders they were most attracted to.

Of course, in psychiatry it’s considered unethical to diagnose someone with a personality disorder without meeting them – and we are most definitely not psychiatrists. So when it came to these dark traits, we borrowed the definitions from the psychologist John Rauthmann.

Narcissism is the “tendency to harbour grandiose and inflated self-views while devaluing others”. Narcissists have been shown to be extremely vain, and to seek attention and admiration. They can also exhibit feelings of superiority, authority and entitlement, as well as exhibitionism, bragging and manipulation.

Machiavellianism is described as a “tendency to cynical, misanthropic, cold, pragmatic and immoral beliefs”. It’s also characterised by the pursuit of things like power and money – as well as manipulative tactics.

Psychopathy, on the other hand, is characterised by “impulsive thrill-seeking, manipulation and antisocial behaviours”. Someone meeting the criteria for psychopathy would also be likely to demonstrate shallowness and a lack of empathy and remorse, while being superficially charming. Like those with Machiavellian traits, they can also be manipulative.

‘People who mess with me will regret it’

Our study looked at the extent to which members of each of the parties exhibited those three traits by asking them to agree or disagree with statements that tapped into them. These were things like “group activities tend to be dull without me”, “avoid direct conflict with others because they may be useful in the future”, or “people who mess with me always regret it”.

Then we looked at whether party members who exhibit dark triad traits prefer – at least in the abstract – leaders who seem to show them too. But rather than name real leaders, we asked them about the kind of leadership characteristics that they admired or disparaged. Each of these was linked to a dark triad trait – so whether, for example, they liked a leader who saw themselves as exceptional, or was happy to manipulate people to get their way, or was unconcerned if they hurt someone’s feelings.

We found that the higher members scored on the dark triad themselves, the more likely they were to favour “dark” leaders. We then went on to examine whether those leaders were more likely to find favour with members of particular political parties.

And it turns out that they do. Reform UK members and Conservative members scored higher on dark triad measures than those from Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens. And party members with stronger dark triad traits are indeed more likely to favour leaders displaying them too.

It is no surprise, perhaps, that Tory and Reform members gravitate towards populist leaders such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. In many ways they are the personification of the kind of leader they say they like − supremely self-confident and charismatic “alpha”-types who mix charm with something of a take-no-prisoners attitude.

Our research also supports the notion that there is something of a convergence – in our case a psychological and not merely ideological convergence – between, on the one hand, members of the centre-right Conservative party and the populist radical right Reform UK, and on the other, those who belong to the Greens, Labour and the Lib Dems.

This is yet another piece of evidence supporting the emerging consensus among political scientists that the UK is now characterised by two-bloc, rather than two-party, politics. This has huge implications for tactical voting at the next general election.

If there is little voter traffic between the two sides then what we should see is voters supporting whichever party in their bloc is best placed to beat the candidate put up by the other bloc. This is something that we’ve seen in several recent byelections, including the one that saw Andy Burnham triumph in Makerfield. Helped by tactical voting from those who might otherwise have voted Green or Lib Dem, the prime minister won a seat which, on paper at least, initially looked like a good prospect for Reform.

Should that bloc/anti-Reform voting be repeated at the general election, then Farage may find it difficult to convert what might turn out to be an impressive vote-share into the the kind of seat-share that would propel him into the premiership. He will hope to offset that problem by persuading Conservative voters to vote Reform in order to stop a Green, Labour or Lib Dem candidate making it to Westminster.

If we’re right, then Britain’s party members may tacitly facilitate such tactical voting. This could be by making little effort to campaign against a supposed rival from their bloc, for example, if it looks better-placed to beat the favourite on on the other side of the divide.

When your connection depends on roaming, you can’t see your data draining away, you don’t know the final total in advance, and you hit your limit precisely when you need the internet most.

More and more Britons are getting around this by setting up a travel eSIM service before they leave home — from the Swiss company Yesim, for example. It gives you a straightforward data package with a price and an allowance you know in advance, and it switches on within seconds of landing. Before we get into the details, though, it’s worth working out where your megabytes actually go on a trip, and why roaming turns that into a problem.

Where your megabytes go when you travel

On a trip every megabyte counts, especially when you’re paying roaming rates for it. Here’s how much data the popular apps and tools we’re all so used to relying on while travelling get through:

Google Maps services are the most economical thing on the list, getting through around 3–5 MB per hour of ordinary navigation. Outside the city you can drive around all day and still use less than 50 MB. There’s a catch, though: satellite mode or 3D view together push that up to 15–30 MB an hour and beyond. And abroad the consumption often doubles (10–30 MB an hour), because your phone is loading unfamiliar sections of the map for the first time.

Messengers such as WhatsApp are almost weightless — a quiet text conversation costs just 5–10 MB an hour, and once you add voice notes and photos, up to 30–50 MB an hour.

AI assistants — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude. They’re handy for asking about a route or reading through reviews. If you type and stick to text, it costs next to nothing: around 1–5 MB an hour. Voice mode is another matter entirely, using dozens of times more data, roughly 1–2 MB a minute (that is, 60–120 MB an hour).

A video call home over WhatsApp or FaceTime is where the drain really starts to make itself felt. That’s about 5–15 MB a minute, or roughly 200–400 MB an hour. A single long evening catch-up with the family can easily come to hundreds of megabytes.

Instagram and other social networks — around 100–200 MB an hour for simply scrolling the feed, but switch to stories and it’s already 300–500 MB an hour, while reels and video can drive it up to 1 GB an hour.

Posting your own photos and stories is fairly light in itself. A single photo is 1–5 MB, or 10–20 MB at high quality. An hour of uploading and watching video stories, on the other hand, can come to 150–300 MB.

TikTok is one of the biggest data guzzlers on the entire list: 500 MB to 1.2 GB an hour.

Streaming video on YouTube or Netflix runs from 500 MB to 1–2 GB an hour even at standard quality, and in HD it’s several gigabytes an hour.

Why roaming is a financial trap

Roaming doesn’t just make all of this expensive. There are three specific reasons why it’s no longer a workable model.

The first is that you can’t see what you’re spending until it’s too late. Data leaks away in the background, and the final figure often only becomes clear once you’re back home. Plenty of British tourists have no idea that their operator charges separately for calls, messages and internet abroad, on top of their home plan. And other travellers never check roaming rates before a trip at all.

The second is that the allowance included in your plan can run out faster than you’d counted on, especially if you settle into a video call or scroll through reels for an hour. Buying more has to be done once you’re there, and it’s usually pricier — at separate roaming rates rather than domestic ones.

The third is that the price depends on exactly where you are, yet most people only find that out on arrival. Roaming carves the world up into zones, and it’s rarely obvious in advance which one your particular country falls into. Spain or Greece is one thing; Egypt, Morocco or India is a completely different and far more expensive zone.

All three of these traps can be avoided. A travel eSIM gives you a known amount of data at a fixed price.

How an eSIM differs from a travel eSIM

An eSIM is simply a built-in chip, found in every iPhone from the XS onwards, in every Google Pixel, in recent Samsung and Motorola models, and in most current mid-range and higher Android phones. It lets you load an operator profile remotely, with no trip to a phone shop.

A travel eSIM is the service that uses that chip: an app, a range of plans, technical support and the ability to manage data across several devices at once.

How a travel eSIM removes the roaming traps: Yesim as an example

Yesim is a Swiss company founded by specialists from telecoms and IT. It has been working in the travel eSIM market since 2019. Today more than 4 million people use the service across over 200 destinations.

You set your connection up in advance, before you even fly. To do that you check that your phone is compatible, install the Yesim app and load the profile — nothing complicated, as the app talks you through every step. Once you land you activate the travel eSIM, which takes a matter of seconds.

The price and the amount of data are known upfront. You buy a specific package — unlimited data for a fortnight, say — at a price locked in before departure. Yesim covers most types of trip, incidentally: there are plans by country, by region and even by city. And there are global ones — the Global Package covers over 80 countries, the Global Plus Package more than 140. You can also choose the Pay & Fly plan, where you only pay for the data you’ve actually used (the price per gigabyte is known in advance).

With Yesim you can also test the quality of the connection without committing to anything. A 500 MB trial package costs around £0.45 — enough to form an impression of the service without spending a large sum.

Your connection stays under your control the whole time. You switch the eSIM on yourself when you need it, and throughout the trip the app shows you how much data is left.

On top of all that, you get a reliable connection. Thanks to SwitchLess Networks technology, your smartphone automatically connects to the strongest of more than 800 partner networks. That’s a particular help in a remote location, or somewhere thousands of people need a signal at the same time — at a concert, for instance.

Important calls and messages won’t get lost either. Your British number stays active throughout: the eSIM handles the internet only, so bank codes and incoming calls still reach you as usual.

For families and groups of friends there’s the Multiple eSIMs feature: from a single account you can manage several profiles at once and share them with other users, even if they don’t have the app installed on their phone.

New users are entitled to a 15% discount with the promo code GETYESIM15.

The company’s international standing is also reflected in its recent partnership with the World Players Super League — the world’s largest golf tour, which runs more than 1,800 tournaments a year across over 50 countries and reaches a combined audience of more than 7.5 million people.

Conclusion

Megabytes really do matter on a trip — the only question is who counts them, and how. With roaming, the operator does the counting: after the fact, by its own zones and its own rules, and you often only see the total once the trip is over.

With a travel eSIM you count for yourself: an allowance chosen in advance at a price known in advance, with nothing left to guess at. For anyone heading abroad the choice is fairly simple — a travel eSIM package bought beforehand instead of an anxiety inducing meter ticking away in your head.

The busy ceremony took place over the course of several hours, as the winners in the 11 available categories took to the stage to accept their awards.

Arbworks Ltd (Image: Dan Dougherty)

As well the the ten businesses and charities up for nominations, there was also the very special lifetime achievement award, which this year went to Dr Ged O’Dwyer, chair of the North West Aerospace Alliance.

Mr O’Dwyer said: “It’s unbelievable – I’m absolutely staggered.

“It’s completely out of the blue. I’ve sat on that table all night with my colleagues and they never said a word – I don’t trust anybody anymore!

The Wellbeing Farm (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“I’m so blessed to have a great family and colleagues. It’s beautiful.”

Winner of this year’s coveted Best Customer Service award was Rainbow Bridge Pet Funerals, who operate from Bridge Street Business Park.

Taking home the Heart of the Community award was Bolton Hospice, while the Family Business of the Year was won by Harrison’s Estate Agents Bolton.

This year’ prestigious Business of the Year award went to Boundary Gate and Barrier, a Bolton-based security system installation service.

Harrisons Estate Agents (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Melanie Yeardley of Boundary Gate and Barrier said: “We’re honoured, it’s fantastic.

“It’s great because we were born in Bolton and made in Bolton, so it’s fantastic to be given this recognition.”

Chorley-based outdoor leisure and learning spot The Anderton Centre took home the Apprenticeship, Training and Skills award, while arborist service Arbworks North West took home the Environmental / Sustainability award.

Bolton Hospice (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Winner of the Retail/Leisure and Hospitality Business of the Year award was Bolton Stalwart The Octagon Theatre, and it was Market Place Bolton that took home the sought-after Flying the Flag for Bolton award.

Sustainable, zero-waste events venue The Wellbeing Farm won this year’s Wellbeing Award, and the SME (small to medium) Business Award went to Horwich‘s Stirling Furniture Design.

The launch took place at St Lawrence Church, York, on Wednesday as part of the York CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival.

The map is the brainchild of Nick Burrows of Coulton Mill Cider, which is based near Scackleton in the Howardian Hills between Helmsley and York.

Nick says there is an informal group called Howardian Hills Cider, which aims to promote the region’s ciders.

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He told the Press: “I would really like to call it Yorkshire’s Cider Country because of the history.”

Nick continued: “The oldest cider recipe in the world was written at Newburgh Priory near Coxwold in about 1580.

Nick Burrows with the map at the York CAMRA beer and cider festival ai its launch on Wednesday. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

“It’s very accurate. It used spices. York was at the centre of the spice trade in Medieval England. It was controlled by the Merchant Adventurers. The ships would come to Hull and barges would take the spices up the Ouse.”

Coulton Mill produces a mulled cider featuring spices, continuing a tradition of more than 400 years.

Nick says Sir Paul Niele, son of the Archbishop York, a co-founder of the influential Royal Society, wrote the first paper for the organisation in the 1660s and it was about making cider.

Nick was due to give a talk on the subject at the festival on Thursday.

Nick works as a farm conservation officer for the Howardian Hills, helping farms diversify their operations.

Planting orchards, he says, helps the environment as well as providing an extra source of revenue to farms.

Nick continued: “I have been helping them create commercial orchards and working with providers to get the word out on Yorkshire cider.”

“In Scandinavia, cider is known as ‘a Yorkshire drink’.”

“The reason for this is the Vikings first colonised York and were introduced to cider. When the Normandy Vikings recolonised Scandinavia, they took the cider with them.”

The map showing the orchards and the sights of the Howardian Hills (Image: Darren Greenwood)

“Today, we have quite a diversity of cider. I like a cask cider. One I have here today is a rum cask cider from Jamaica.”

Cider is also made at Ampleforth Abbey, there is Thornborough Cider near Bedale, which makes sparkling ciders using the Champagne and Charmat processes.

Orchards of Husthwaite, near York, produce low-alcohol ciders.

Nick explains the map features images of orchards and notable landmarks of the region, including the White Horse of Kilburn, to help people find their way around the region as they cycle from one orchard to another.

He added: “The artist is a York-based artist called Elliott Harrison. He cycled the entire route himself.”

The Howardian Hills Cider and Orchards map can be downloaded at www.howardianhills.org.uk

The York CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival continues at St Lawrence Church, York, today and tomorrow.

The new store is set to open in October

A new Greggs store is set to open at a filling station in West Belfast next month.

The store is set to open at the Beechlawn Maxol garage on Kingsway in Dunmurry next month with the popular high street bakery saying it will reveal the exact date very soon.

Work is currently underway in the former retail kiosk that used to operate alongside the filling station and the new store will also see new parking spaces and cycle spaces created.

It is understood that the new Greggs will allow customers to eat inside the premises alongside its takeaway offering.

A Greggs spokesperson said: “Greggs is due to open a new shop in Dunmurry, Belfast next month. We will be able to share further details with you closer to the opening.”

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

Thomas Tuchel has recalled Cole Palmer to the England squad this morning after the Chelsea forward was left out of the World Cup, with the German manager also making the huge call to restore Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of three upcoming Nations League fixtures.

But Morgan Gibbs-White and Phil Foden have been snubbed, while Harry Maguire remains sidelined after his outspoken response to being left out of the World Cup squad, and eight players have been dropped altogether including Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney.

England made a rollercoaster run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in North America this summer, where they fell to a hugely disappointing defeat by arch rivals Argentina in Atlanta, giving up a one-goal lead with a defensive retreat for which Tuchel and his players were heavily criticised.

Now the England manager and his team have the chance to reset with bumper three-week international break as the 2026/27 Nations League campaign begins. The Three Lions are drawn in League 1, Group C with world champions Spain, Croatia and Czechia, and the group winner will qualify for the Nations League finals in June.

England host Spain at Wembley on 26 September, before away trips to Czechia on 29 September and Croatia on 3 October. The international break will wrap up on 6 October when Czechia visit Wembley for the return fixture.

Follow the latest updates and reaction, including Tuchel’s views, ahead of the international break, below:

Tuchel to talk

Thomas Tuchel will hold a press conference at 11am BST (in about 20 minutes) to discuss his England squad and explain his changes.

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Also expect an injury update for a few omissions, namely Chelsea captain Reece James who surprisingly missed out.

Will Castle18 September 2026 10:42

Scott and Ngumoha get first call-ups

It’s a big day for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, who have been handed their first senior England call-ups by Thomas Tuchel.

The pair were part of the five-man support group that travelled to the United States to help England during their World Cup warm-up phase, alongside Josh King, Ethan Nwaneri and veteran stopper Jason Steele – who is also back in the squad.

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Starlet winger Ngumoha, 18, is a regular fixture at Liverpool after a breakout season last term, while Cherries midfielder Scott, 23, is one of the highest-rated young midfielders in the league, attracting interest from Chelsea.

Will Castle18 September 2026 10:32

Who’s been snubbed?

Morgan Gibbs-White will probably feel the hardest done by of the lot, with the Nottingham Forest star missing out on a call-up despite his strong start to the campaign. Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze keep their places, perhaps fortuitously amid their comparatively questionable early-season impact.

Man City’s Phil Foden is still out of favour under Thomas Tuchel, a fact that is less surprising after the England boss watched him get sent off in the Manchester derby last weekend. He is still without a goal in 2026. Noni Madueke is another creative player to miss out.

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Man United’s Harry Maguire remains out in the cold after his outspoken reaction to missing out on a World Cup spot, while there is no space for the Saudi-based, with Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney and Al-Hilal new boy Ollie Watkins dropped.

There is also no room for departed ex-Tottenham left-back Djed Spence, who became a favourite at the World Cup.

Will Castle18 September 2026 10:24

Nine new names in huge Tuchel shake-up

Thomas Tuchel has shaken things up with his first squad post-World Cup.

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We’ve got the unsurprising return of Cole Palmer, but who’s that creeping into the defensive ranks? Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in the fold!

The Real Madrid right-back was overlooked in the summer, even after Tino Livramento’s injury, but Tuchel has given him a shot for the first international break of the season.

Lewis Hall is also into the squad after missing out on a World Cup spot, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is included as a midfielder.

Alex Scott, as was reported, has been picked for a first senior call-up, but he isn’t the only one from that World Cup warm-up group to be included. Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool’s 18-year-old starlet winger, also makes the cut ahead of the likes of Phil Foden and Jarrod Bowen.

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin also gets a call-up for his continued form at Leeds, alongside Jarrad Branthwaite from his former employers Everton, while Brighton keeper Jason Steele returns to the squad in the third-choice role.

Nine come in, plus Trevoh Chalobah who was a late replacement for Tino Livramento during the World Cup, so nine must come out. From the World Cup squad, those are: Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Djed Spence, John Stones, Reece James, Jordan Henderson, Noni Madueke, Ivan Toney, and Ollie Watkins.

Will Castle18 September 2026 10:11

CONFIRMED: England squad in full as Palmer and Alexander-Arnold recalled

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Jason Steele

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Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tino Livramento, Jarrad Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Lewis Hall, Nico O’Reilly

Midfielders: Elliott Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Alex Scott

Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka

Will Castle18 September 2026 10:00

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Alex Scott set to receive call-up

Minutes away from the announcement, we’ve got our first real bit of news.

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is set to be picked by Thomas Tuchel, which would be his first call-up to the senior England squad.

Having represented the Three Lions at different youth levels, he travelled to the United States as part the group that supported England during the warm-up to the World Cup.

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He has one goal to his name for the Cherries this term and bagged an assist in Bournemouth’s Europa League win over Real Sociedad on Thursday.

Will Castle18 September 2026 09:56

Palmer’s point to prove

Cole Palmer said before the season got underway that he had a point to prove after being snubbed from Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.

Asked if he his omission gave him more motivation, Palmer said during a pre-season trip to Sydney: “Yes, naturally it’s going to. It’s like anything. If someone tells you you’re essentially not good enough to get in the squad, then you’re going to think, ‘all right then, I’m going to try to go that extra bit harder.”

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After an injury-marred 2025/26 led to a downturn in performance, he’s certainly began the new campaign playing like he’s got extra motivation. Four goals and two assists in six appearances under new boss Xabi Alonso, he’s excelled in Chelsea’s dynamite front-three.

Will it be enough for the elusive recall?

Will Castle18 September 2026 09:53

England squad announcement

Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad since the World Cup will drop in about 10 minutes’ time. Cole Palmer is expected to be included, but will Phil Foden or Trent Alexander-Arnold be back?

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Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha could be back involved. Other players under consideration are Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Fulham’s Josh King.

Lawrence Ostlere18 September 2026 09:50

‘No one knows what would have happened’

Tuchel recalls the moment that he decided to make the call and go to a back-five, a strategy that worked in England’s previous two knockout-stage triumphs against Mexico and Norway.

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He added: “I think a key moment, if I look back at it and think about what happened and what happened to my decision-making, we conceded a big, big chance right before the water break. And I thought, ‘Okay, we will not survive. This is waiting for death.’ We don’t have ball possession. We’re not defending good. We’re not defending properly in our 4-4-2. We need help.

“Coming with this mindset and coming with the experience that we ended the game against Norway in a back-five, we ended the match against Mexico in a back-five, and we did it. I thought they [Argentina] rely heavily on crosses. They have four strikers in the last line. I think like, ‘Okay, let’s play a back five here.’”

The decision proved ill-fated, and when asked by Sturridge if a different strategy might have played better for England, pressing higher and giving Argentina something to think about defensively, Tuchel said: “ No one knows what would’ve happened. We could have done it and maybe lost 2-1 and people would go like, ‘Is he crazy? Against Norway, he finished the game with five. Why not finish the game off with five?’

“I think from what I saw and the experience and the information and the level of craziness that Argentina put in, change after change after change, it was one offensive change after the other, that was just my solution to the problem.”

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Lawrence Ostlere18 September 2026 09:44

Tuchel opens up on World Cup pain

“It did something to me, it did maybe something to the players, and we suddenly shift into a mindset, ‘Let’s just overcome it’; that’s how we played.” he told Daniel Sturridge in the FA’s Reflections documentary. “We played like there are four minutes left, but it was actually 30-40 minutes left to play.

“From execution, the details of execution, playing around in the deep build-up, playing around Messi, bringing them to one side, switching the side, bringing the game in the opponent’s half, making them suffer, have time to recover physically, mentally in ball possession. We were lacking all these things.

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“Argentina then plays very, very quickly. Sorry for the language, ‘f*** it’ football. ‘We have nothing to lose, so let’s f*** it.’ They play two wingers, two strikers, and Messi. So they just take a six off and put a 10 in. At some point they play 3-1-6. And we struggled.”

Lawrence Ostlere18 September 2026 09:33

It was 2am when the phone rang and Fiona saw her 18-year-old daughter Zoe’s name flash up on her phone screen. Any trace of sleepiness instantly leaving her, she picked up the call to see Zoe and her new boyfriend Leo FaceTiming her from a club.

A few short months ago Fiona had been like every other mum sending her child off to university for the first time – fretting about whether she’d find friends, eat properly and cope with the coursework. But when she saw Zoe’s face, she realised she’d been worrying about the wrong thing.

‘I couldn’t really hear what she was saying, but she sounded almost manic. She was in a club with this boy. I’m not sure even now why they were calling – just to say hello, I think. It was clear they were both very worse for wear.

‘At first, I thought she was just drunk, but I’d worked in the City in the 1980s and I knew all the signs. Her pupils were huge and black, her jaw was moving strangely and she was tripping over her words. After just a few seconds, it was clear to me she was high on cocaine.’

Over the next week, around a quarter of a million parents will help excited children shop for Ikea kitchenware and pack up clothes for their first term at university. They may well know about the easy availability of drugs like cannabis and have heard of ketamine, the party drug sometimes known as Special K. But what they probably don’t know is how prevalent cocaine has become on Britain’s university campuses, and how easily accessible it is to students barely out of school.

A recent study carried out by Loughborough University covering students at 54 different institutions found that almost one in four (24 per cent) had used cocaine. The drug that used to be associated with ‘loadsamoney’ City financiers, 1990s supermodels and middle-aged dinner parties has so infiltrated modern student life, its presence is almost a given on a freshers’ night out.

‘Cocaine has never been more readily available. It’s never been purer and it’s never been more affordable relative to everything else we purchase,’ explains Harry Sumnall, professor in substance use in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Even though it’s a Class A drug that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years for possession, Sumnall says that many students no longer see cocaine as a dangerous substance.

‘For many young adults, it’s still seen as less of a drug. It affects brain and behaviour, of course, but compared to other products, ones more well known for dependence and addiction, there’s a distance from the stereotypes and stigma around drug taking,’ he explains.

It’s a perception backed by the attitude of Archie, a 20-year-old from London who’s about to start his final year at one of the country’s leading northern universities. ‘Cocaine is everywhere,’ he says. ‘We all take it when we’re out drinking. Alcohol makes you sleepy but coke wakes you up,’ says Archie. ‘It means we can stay out for longer.

‘For a lot of people in my generation who were locked away as teenagers because of Covid, meeting new people is really stressful. But cocaine makes you feel great. It gives you the confidence to chat to anyone and that helps you deal with your social anxiety. 

‘It’s not that expensive really either, especially when you compare it to alcohol. A pint costs about £6 now and a cocktail can be more than £10. But for half a gram of coke you pay around £40 and that will give you around six lines – enough for a big night out between two or three friends,’ he continues.

While mum Fiona says her daughter had never been into drugs before university, Archie admits to trying cannabis and ketamine in his sixth form at school. Until he went to university, however, he barely ever saw cocaine. Now he takes it most weekends along with his college friends, and doesn’t view his level of use as a problem.

‘If I am planning a night out, I will usually try to buy some. At the time I love the way it makes me feel, although I will admit the come down is awful. I feel anxious and out of it for most of the next day, but it’s not that much worse than a hangover,’ he says.

This blasé attitude is in stark contrast to the reality.

According to private addiction and rehab specialists the Priory Group, mixing cocaine with alcohol is extremely risky. It can cause blackouts, impaired vision, vomiting and alcohol poisoning as well as feelings of aggression, anxiety and paranoia.

‘I’d noticed that Zoe seemed quite anxious. She was moodier and tired, but I’d put it down to a new environment and all the pressures of leaving home,’ explains Fiona.

Zoe had also lost weight – another common side effect of cocaine since it acts as an appetite suppressant. ‘I still feel guilty for not spotting the signs sooner,’ says Fiona.

Indeed experts warn that missing the warning signs of cocaine use can have serious consequences.

‘Even when used relatively infrequently, particularly if young people are susceptible, cocaine can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing,’ explains Professor Sumnall.

A 2023 study of UK students published in Brain Sciences supports this, reporting that anxiety, depression, perceived stress and insomnia were all linked to increased reports of substance use, including cocaine.

Professor Sumnall adds that every episode of drug use involves ‘risky’ choices, and often leads to impulsive behaviour that can put a young person in danger. A 2021 study of 3,520 UK university students found that cocaine was associated with not only riskier sexual practices but also more years as a student, lower grades, PTSD, ADHD and psychological or emotional problems.

But the outcome can be even worse for some people as deaths from cocaine use are on the increase, with a 14.4 per cent rise in cocaine related fatalities since 2023 across all ages, including students. In 2021, Oxford University student Daniel Mervis died from a cocaine overdose after developing an addiction during his first year, while Bristol University student Lucy White died in 2018 at the age of 24 after a line of cocaine triggered a heart attack.

Hospitalisations have also surged over the past decade, especially cocaine-related mental health admissions, which tripled over a ten-year period to 2018.

In part, it’s down to a market awash with cocaine. UN figures show that global illegal cocaine production rose by 34 per cent in a single year to a record 3,708 tonnes in 2023 – and continues to boom. It’s also 44 per cent purer in quality today than it was in 2014, according to EU data – all of which creates a lethal cocktail.

A recent study carried out by Loughborough University covering students at 54 different institutions found that almost one in four (24 per cent) had used cocaine

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‘After that 2am phone call, I lay awake all night in state of blind panic,’ says Fiona. ‘I wanted to jump into the car and drive to see her, but the university is a five-hour drive away and I’m not a confident driver.’

Instead, the pair had a heart-to-heart on the phone the next day. ‘At first she was defensive and denied everything, but I kept pushing her until she broke down in tears and told me she had first tried cocaine during Freshers Week.

‘In hindsight it was obvious something wasn’t right. During her first term, she’d call home regularly. I had recently separated from her father, Mark, and she knew I was lonely in my empty nest, but as the weeks passed the calls became less frequent and typically she would only ring to ask me for money. I know how hard budgeting can be for students so I was happy to help. Now I realise I was funding her growing coke habit.’

Zoe’s drug use escalated when she started dating Leo, whose well-off middle class clique viewed cocaine as an essential part of a fun night out. Zoe didn’t ever buy the cocaine herself, but got it from Leo’s friends, they would either order it via social media like a Deliveroo for drugs, or buy it from friends of friends.

‘Not everybody who takes drugs has the confidence to get drugs,’ says Professor Sumnall. ‘They may be worried about the consequences of buying directly, but if they buy through somebody they know or a friend of a friend, that reduces the risk in their mind.’

Archie’s experience was similar. ‘At home I had smoked weed and tried ket (ketamine), but I’d never really seen cocaine until I went to university. In the student bars and clubs it’s easy to find someone to buy from.’

The SOS report found that almost half (44 per cent) of respondents believed students take drugs to fit in with their peers and 12 per cent agreed they had tried drugs because people around them were taking them and they wanted to fit in.

Zoe admitted to her mother that, as a state school girl, she had struggled to find her way at a university full of posh, private school kids.

‘That really broke my heart as I’d felt the same way among the rich City boys in the 80s and I hated the idea that Zoe had been put under the same pressure to fit in. I’d always been open about dabbling with cocaine when I was in my 20s and I’d hoped that would put Zoe off. But it seems like some things never change.

‘By the time she called me from the club she was taking cocaine multiple times every weekend. She felt low, anxious and exhausted all the time, but said the only thing that made her feel better was to take more of the drug. My heart ached for my beautiful girl – if only she could have told me sooner I could have helped her before it got so bad.

‘When Zoe came home I was tempted to make her stay at home and drop out of her course. I was terrified she would get even worse if she went back. But Zoe was determined to continue her studies. She agreed to see the student wellbeing team and ask for help. And amazingly she did. She saw them every week on campus and she could call them whenever she needed to. It was a lifeline for her get back on track.

‘But it wasn’t easy for her. I visited much more often to check on her. I think she got sick of me, but I wasn’t going to let any more danger signs pass me by. She broke up with Leo and built a much healthier friendship group who didn’t do drugs. The worst she gets up to now is a few drinks in the student bar.’

‘She’s about to start her second year now and I can finally sleep easy as I know she’s safe and is unlikely to touch drugs again, even if she had to learn her lesson the hard way,’ says Fiona.

‘It might not make me a “cool” mum to say this, but while students might not see the harm in cocaine, drugs are dangerous, particularly for young, vulnerable students away from home for the first time. Zoe was lucky nothing worse happened to her, but not everyone is.’

Fiona hopes that by sharing her story other parents will act faster when warning bells start to ring. But she recognises that it’s a hard balancing act for parents as their children move away from home. ‘I feel like such a bad mother for failing to quiz her about her behaviour changes, but I also knew I had to let go and allow her her independence. I suppose I didn’t want to be a burden to her as she was spreading her wings, but I took it too far and clearly neglected her.’

All names have been changed.