Police, fire, and ambulance crews were called to Charlotte Street just after 1.30pm on Sunday (August 16) after a blaze broke out at a home. 

The road was taped off while emergency services tackled the fire, which sparked the evacuation of a number of residents as a precaution. 

Pictures taken at the scene showed at least two police vehicles parked near Charlotte Street, with officers seen standing in the road. 

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has confirmed that one person was taken to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough for treatment for smoke inhalation. 

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

The cause of the fire and extent of the damage remains unknown at this stage. 

The road has since reopened.

A Cleveland Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The time of call was 1.35pm and we sent two appliances, from Redcar and Grangetown, to the scene. It was a flat fire. 

“We came away at 2.39pm. There was one hose reel, two breathing apparatus, a positive pressure ventilation system and two thermal imaging cameras used. 

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

“There were two civilian casualties and they were handed over to the NEAS.”

Cleveland Police said at the time: “Officers have closed Charlotte Street near to Lord Street in Redcar following reports of a fire at a property.

“A number of residents have been evacuated from their homes as a precaution. One person has suffered smoke inhalation and there are no reports of anyone with serious injuries.

“Please avoid the area while emergency services are at the scene. Thank you for your patience.”

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 1.39pm this afternoon to reports of two male patients following a fire at a private property in the Lord Street area of Redcar.  

“We sent an emergency ambulance crew to the scene who took one patient to James Cook University Hospital for further treatment for smoke inhalation.”

The grieving family of a teenager who died in New York City are suing the city for $105 million, claiming that a ‘stray electrical current’ spooked the horse pulling their carriage around Central Park.

Romanch Mahajan, 18, died in June after he jumped out of the ride and hit his head while trying to rescue his mother during their family trip to the Big Apple from India. 

Mahajan’s brokenhearted family have since filed a claim against the New York City government and several municipal agencies alleging that a stray electrical voltage spooked the horse pulling the cart, the New York Times reported. 

The notice filed on Friday accused the city and Con Edison of failing to ensure the safety of the carriage industry and the park it operates in, claiming that a stray voltage ’caused, precipitated, contributed to and/or was a substantial factor in’ the horse’s sudden agitation.  

Also named in the claim are the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Health and Mental Hygiene, Transportation and Consumer and Worker Protection, the outlet reported. 

Jamie McShane, a spokesperson for the electrical company, told the outlet that the utility ‘observed very low levels of stray voltage on July 16 and July 23.’

‘We determined that neither instance originated from Con Edison equipment,’ he added. 

Following the discovery of stray voltage activity, the Transport Workers Union said on X: ‘NYC Council Members should now reconsider and reject the proposed carriage-horse ban, which would unfairly punish drivers for faulty city and Central Park Conservancy electrical infrastructure.’

Mahajan’s family have since filed a claim against the New York City government and several municipal agencies alleging that a stray electrical voltage spooked the horse pulling the cart

The notice filed on Friday accused the city and Con Edison of failing to ensure the safety of the carriage industry and the park it operates in

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Mahajan’s family have been publicly critical of the horse carriage industry and pushed for a ban since their son’s death. The teenager’s parents appeared on video during a Health Committee hearing on the bill that would see the industry’s ban, the Times reported.

In a statement to New York Daily News, the union said that the revelation ‘raises serious questions about whether the horse was shocked and whether stray voltage triggered the tragic incident.’ 

‘Now that we know there is a utility failure, it would be horrifically unfair to eliminate the jobs of 200 overwhelmingly immigrant workers without allowing a full investigation to be conducted,’ the union Vice President Alexander Kemp told the outlet.

To the Times, Kemp said in a statement: ‘Blue-collar carriage drivers should not be punished for an unforeseeable hazard caused by flaws in the city’s power grid.’

PETA Director Ashley Byrne released a statement in June in response to the incident.

‘From collapsing horses to careening carriages, how many more disasters have to strike before we get these beleaguered horses out of the park?’ Byrne said.

‘For everyone’s safety, PETA is calling on council members, Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman, and Speaker Julie Menin to stop dithering and pass Ryder’s Law immediately.’

Currently, the bill has secured the backing of enough Council members to pass but awaits an environmental review to determine its economic impact, the outlet reported. 

Mahajan’s family have been publicly critical of the horse carriage industry and pushed for a ban since their son’s death. Pictured: A group of animal rights activists outside NYC City Hall

Mahajan was killed in the tragic accident at Cherry Hill on June 17 after the carriage driver had stopped to take a photo of the family. The horse, Sampson, suddenly bolted with all of them inside, Deepak Mahajan, the teen’s father, told the Times in June.   

‘We were yelling, “Help me, help me!”,’ his distraught father recalled to the outlet.

Deepak said he and his family clung to each other, but as the carriage stormed down the pavement, his wife, Priya, flew out, and their son immediately jumped out to save her.

‘My son, just to save his mother, he fell off. He was screaming, “Mom!”,’ Deepak, 44, continued. 

As he did so, he hit his head on the ground. He was pronounced dead on Wednesday night at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The rest of his family suffered minor injuries. Their carriage shattered into pieces after crashing into another during the incident.

The operator soon caught up to the startled horse near the restaurant Tavern on the Green.

The seven-year-old horse appeared to be uninjured and in stable condition.

Mahajan was killed at Cherry Hill after the carriage driver had stopped to take a photo of the family. As the carriage raced away, his mother, Priya, flew out, and he jumped out to save her

Just hours before the deadly incident, Romanch’s parents shared several pictures on Instagram of them traveling all over New York City.

They visited iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, the Charging Bull on Wall Street, the Oculus, and more.

The Daily Mail reached out to the City of New York and Con Edison for comment. 

Many people look forward to holidays as an opportunity to be carefree and relax – but a survey has found that money worries follow some holidaymakers around for several days of their break or even persist for the whole trip.

Just more than a quarter (27%) of holidaymakers who worry about money while away said they do manage to switch off straight away, the research commissioned by app thinkmoney found.

By the end of the first day on holiday, the proportion rises to 38%.

But it takes up to three days before the majority of holidaymakers with money worries have left their financial concerns behind, the research indicated.

By that point, just over half (53%) have switched off, according to the survey.

But more than two-fifths (42%) said they either take most of the holiday to switch off or never fully manage it at all, the survey found.

The research also found that holidaymakers from the West Midlands are particularly unlikely to have shed their money worries after the first day of their holiday, with 66% of those with financial concerns unable to shake them off by this point. They are closely followed by people from the East Midlands (65%) and London (65%).

By contrast, people from Wales were particularly likely to say they had put their money worries aside by the end of the first day of their holiday. More than half (56%) of people from Wales with money concerns said they are still worrying after day one of their holiday.

People from some parts of the UK were particularly likely to say they could not shake off their financial worries completely while on holiday.

Nearly half (48%) of financially worried holidaymakers from Scotland said they either take most of their holiday to switch off or never fully manage it. They were closely followed by holidaymakers from Yorkshire and the Humber (47%), according to the research.

More than 2,000 people across the UK were surveyed in June.

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The holiday switching off analysis was based on more than 1,000 people in the survey who said they experience money worries while on holiday and provided a definite timeframe for how long it takes them to switch off.

Vix Leyton, a consumer expert at thinkmoney, said: “You can’t put your money worries on airplane mode.

“For some people, the first few days of a holiday are still being spent mentally adding up what they’ve spent, checking whether there’s enough left for the rest of the trip and thinking about the bills waiting at home.”

To help leave money worries at home, Ms Leyton suggested setting a holiday budget, checking which household bills are due to be paid during the trip, and checking banking apps to help prevent overspending while on holiday.

Fiona Loud, policy director for Kidney Care UK, said: “The waiting list is sadly at an all time high, so where there are barriers like over-sensitisation, we very much welcome the science that could now make it possible to avoid an immune response which makes it more difficult to achieve or retain a successful kidney transplant. This news is reassuring to kidney patients, who frequently need blood transfusions, and women with kidney disease who want to have children.”

Husband and wife team Mark and Tor Bennett launched Sip & Sugar in 2022, and have since built a loyal following with their range of handmade cookies, cookie bars, pies and edible cookie dough.

Operating from a bakery in a Redcar village, Sip & Sugar specialises in all things cookies, from stuffed creations packed with popular chocolate bars and desserts to vegan-friendly alternatives.

Every product is handmade and decorated by the couple, who have expanded the business into what they say is one of the largest selections of cookie products in the North East.

Among the most popular items are stuffed cookies inspired by cinnamon rolls, chocolate cake, Milky Way bars, crème eggs and sticky toffee gingerbread.

As well as the classic cookie, the bakery sells cookie bars in even more flavours including Dubai chocolate, Biscoff, red velvet and even Party Rings.

Sip & Sugar offer a wide range of options based on their iconic cookie dough recipes. (Image: Sip & Sugar)

The creme egg stuffed cookie is one of Sip & Sugar’s most popular product – especially at Easter. (Image: Sip & Sugar)

The range includes plenty of vegan options, with a dedicated section on its website helping customers quickly find suitable sweet treats, as well as a customer order option for giant celebration cookies.

For those a little further afield – Sip & Sugar also ships their cookies and edible cookie dough across Great Britain.

Customers can visit the main bakery on Fridays and Saturdays in North Skelton – but many first discover Sip & Sugar at markets and events around the region.

The business is a regular trader at Newcastle Quayside Market and can often be found popping up at events throughout the North East.

For Middlesbrough FC supporters, matchdays at the Riverside Stadium are also a chance to try Sip & Sugar’s Boro-themed treats.

On match days, Boro fans can often find Middlesbrough FC themed cookies on hand at Sip & Sugar’s event stall. (Image: Sip & Sugar)

As well as offering takeaway treats, visitors to the bakery can find cookie pies and a range of hot and cold drinks.

The business has earned glowing reviews from foodies across the region.

Jennifer Nichols wrote: “Love Sip & Sugar’s treats. Often treat myself to something naughty when they’ve been at local markets. Seasonal stuffed cream egg cookies are my favourite.”

Another customer, Samantha, described the cookies as the “best cookies I’ve ever eaten”, while vegan customer Barry Price praised the amount of choice available.

The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil sat down with Mopreme Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s stepbrother, ahead of opening statements on Monday in trial of the man accused of killing the rapper.

During the interview, Mopreme reflected on Tupac’s legacy 30 years after his death, recalled the night of the shooting, and shared what it was like to grow up alongside one of the most influential figures in hip-hop.

Read more about the case here.

Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen took over the North Yorkshire coast venue on Saturday, August 15, as the American supergroup continued its first UK tour in almost three years.

• Read our reviewer’s verdict of the show here.

To celebrate the crowd-pulling occasion, we’ve created a gallery of some of our favourite photos from the night. Enjoy. And if you’re in the crowd, share your highlights in the comments below.

The concert took place just hours after one band member – the Godfather of Shock Rock Alice Cooper – was spotted ambling around Scarborough Market Hall where he picked up a tote bag in support of one of the independent businesses.

A sell-out audience of 8,000 fans greeted Hollywood Vampires at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Saturday, August 15, 2026. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

The Hollywood Vampires were joined by punk and goth-rock trailblazers The Damned, who opened the night in style before the headline act delivered a raucous 105-minute set.

Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen, performed to 8,000 fans at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Saturday, August 15, 2026. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

Fans sang along to classics including Aerosmith’s Livin’ On The Edge, David Bowie’s Heroes, AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Run-DMC’s Walk This Way, alongside the band’s own material.

Johnny Depp back at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Saturday, August 15, 2026. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

There were huge balloons sent bouncing through the crowd during a mash-up of Alice Cooper’s School’s Out For Summer and Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall, before Cooper popped them as they made their way back to the stage.

Recommended reads:

Fans queued all day for a glimpse of Johnny Depp in York

Thousands of fans turn out as music icons turn Scarborough into an 80s time machine

32 brilliant photos from Holly Johnson’s hit-filled Scarborough show

Hollywood Vampires also paid tribute to guitar icon Jeff Beck, closing the show with High Ho Silver Lining.

Were you there? What were your highlights – let us know in the comments below.

Shoppers are being encouraged to “shop” businesses they believe could be involved in illegal activity, with HM Revenue and Customs making it easier to report suspicious behaviour anonymously.

The crackdown will see HMRC carry out more than 30,000 interventions this year targeting tax fraud, money laundering, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

The tax authority’s improved Report Tax Fraud service asks members of the public to provide factual details about anything they have witnessed that appears suspicious.

That could include the behaviour of staff, the location of a business, when suspicious activity took place or concerns about money laundering and tax fraud.

Information submitted will then be assessed by HMRC enforcement teams, helping investigators identify patterns and target businesses they believe could be breaking the law.

Vape shops and barbers in spotlight

The Government says the crackdown is aimed at tackling criminal networks operating on Britain’s high streets, with vape shops, barber shops and other businesses potentially coming under scrutiny.

Chancellor John Healey is calling on people to speak up if they believe something is not right.

Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey leaves number 11 Downing Street, London. (Image: Yui Mok)

He said: “Too many high streets have been blighted by dodgy shops that harm local communities and undercuts honest businesses.

“If you see something that doesn’t look right, like suspected tax fraud or money laundering, use HMRC’s fraud reporting service and help protect our high streets.”

Reports can be made anonymously here, meaning members of the public do not have to give their name when passing information to HMRC.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner (right) speak with police officers outside a vape shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire (Image: Toby Shepheard/PA Wire)

30,000 HMRC interventions planned

HMRC announced in June that it would carry out more than 30,000 interventions during 2026-27 aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in tax fraud, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

The crackdown is part of a wider Government push against organised crime on the high street.

Recommended reading:

A new High Street Organised Crime Unit was launched by the Home Office in May with £30 million of funding, bringing together HMRC, Trading Standards, police partners and the National Crime Agency.

The Government says information from the public will help enforcement teams build intelligence, identify links between suspicious activity and decide where to focus investigations.

For anyone who suspects a local business is involved in tax fraud, money laundering or other HMRC-related criminal activity, the message is clear: report it.

By JAMIE BOYS, REPORTER

Published: 01:31 BST, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 02:13 BST, 17 August 2026

Britain’s new chess queen has been crowned at the tender age of 11. 

England’s prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion – something she has achieved before starting secondary school. 

She beat a 39-year-old grandmaster on her way to the title at the nine-day British Championships held at the University of Warwick.

In a tense, rapid-chess playoff between the top female players, Bodhana defeated Ireland’s 14-year-old Trisha Kanyamarala, a hugely promising talent herself and the first Irishwoman to hold the Woman Grandmaster title. 

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Bodhana is widely considered a chess prodigy and some experts predict she will become Britain’s greatest ever player.  

Grandmaster Danny Gormally, commentating on the event for the English Chess Federation, said in the closing moments of the match: ‘Unreal! Bodhana, or Godhana as I call her has won. She is unbelievable, a generational talent.’

Bodhana broke a record set by Elaine Pritchard in 1939 – who won the championship when she was just 13. 

The new chess queen lost only to fellow child genius Shreyas Royal, 17, who went on to win the overall British championship. 

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England’s prodigy Bodhana became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted Bodhana, just eight, along with Shreyas Royal, aged 14

He topped the table after nine rounds, finishing half a point ahead of two of England’s more seasoned grandmasters, Luke McShane and nine-time champ Michael Adams. 

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The 17-year-old from south-east London became Britain’s youngest-ever grandmaster in 2024. 

Despite her rapid rise in skill, Britain’s new chess queen took up the game six years ago. 

She found a chessboard in a bag of discarded items left by a family friend in her home in Harrow, north London, during the pandemic. 

She told The Times: ‘I was fascinated by how the pieces looked, especially the knight and the queen, and I wanted to use them as toys outside of chess.

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‘But then my dad told me that if I did that then the next person who got the chessboard wouldn’t be able to play chess properly.’

He eventually taught his daughter how to play the game – despite only having a basic knowledge of chess. 

Bodhana then developed her skills by watching YouTube tutorials and was soon regularly beating her father. 

Bodhana is widely considered a chess prodigy and some experts predict she will become Britain’s greatest ever player

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She first entered a tournament at the Harrow Chess Club in July 2021, but success came in 2022 when she entered the European Schools Championship in May 2022 aged seven. 

There, she won all of her 24 matches and won three golds. 

From then, she started competing against players with decades more experience and became the youngest person to avoid defeat against a grandmaster in a competitive game at the European Rapid and Blitz chess tournaments in Croatia.

Despite becoming Britain’s Women’s Chess Champion – she is not content to stay where she is. 

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‘I’m happy about the title but I want to keep going for more in the future,’ she said. 

‘I want to become a grandmaster as soon as possible.’  

President Donald Trump has said the US will “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

He also noted on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the “denuclearisation” of Iran.

“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” Trump posted.

Seoul said the drills with the US would proceed “as scheduled”. Pyongyang has not yet commented. It comes after North Korea this month conducted ballistic missile tests banned by the United Nations.

Trump said in his social media post on Sunday that it was “too late to cancel”, as the US and South Korea were due to start their annual military exercises on Monday.

He added: “While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’”

Trump’s announcement came less than 24 hours after he posted an old photograph of himself and Kim from 2018, writing the two were great friends “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture”.

Last week, US and South Korean military leaders held a joint press conference announcing Ulchi Freedom Shield.

They said the 11-day event would be similar in scale to previous years, with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers participating.

During the news conference, military leaders also mentioned North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russia’s war against Ukraine.

US military spokesperson Ryan Donald said “our training accounts for that threat”, referring to North Korean soldiers returning from the battlefield. About 28,500 American military personnel are stationed in South Korea.

On Friday, North Korea’s foreign ministry condemned the joint military drills as “a rehearsal for an aggressive war”.

The joint exercises come days after South Korea, the US and Japan detected the second North Korean missile test in days.

Pyongyang has accelerated efforts to expand its nuclear and missile programmes since the collapse in 2019 of Kim’s high-profile diplomacy with Trump during his first term in the White House.

He became the first ever sitting US president to set foot in North Korea when he visited seven years ago.

Trump’s pointed remark about South Korea in his social media post seemed to hint at possible frustration with Seoul for declining to make direct military or logistical contributions to the US hostilities with Iran.

He has also expressed displeasure with other allies for their hesitance to get involved in the conflict, including Japan, France and the UK.

Trump’s move to downsize joint military exercises with South Korea is not without precedent.

He suspended the exercises entirely in 2018, during denuclearisation negotiations with Kim.

The exercises were again scaled back in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week, South Korea’s president proposed talks with its northern neighbour on officially ending the war between the two that is technically still active since an armistice was signed in 1953.