The crash happened on Rivington Road, where there have been a number of crashes over the years, on May 6.

Lancashire Police were called to the incident near Ward’s Reservoir, known locally as the Blue Lagoon, at around 11.20pm.

The crash is believed to have involved a car striking a roadside bollard.

A spokesperson for the force said: “This was a damage-only incident.”

The road was temporarily closed while emergency services dealt with the scene.

Although the cause of this crash is not known, the incident is the latest in a series of crashes that have fuelled long-standing concerns about the roads in Rivington and Belmont area.

There have also been weather-related incidents, including a crash in icy conditions which led to road closures in Belmont in January this year.

(Image: Phil Taylor)

Local residents and councillors have repeatedly warned that the road’s layout and speed limits in and around the village.

At a multi-agency meeting in September 2023, involving the parish council, United Utilities and county councillor Kim Snape, calls were made for speed control measures, verge posts and double yellow lines on key routes including Rivington Lane, Horrobin Lane and Sheephouse Lane.

Some measures have since been introduced.

Double yellow lines were installed on Horrobin Lane in spring 2025, but parish Council

Other proposals have stalled, the parish council agreed to fund a mobile speed detector in late 2024, but by May 2025 it was still awaiting approval from Lancashire Highways to use it.

Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline side have reached the Scottish Premiership play-off semi-finals

Neil Lennon expressed his delight as his Dunfermline team continued to deliver “minor miracles” following their progression to the semi-finals of the William Hill Premiership play-offs after a goalless stalemate with Arbroath at Gayfield.

Protecting a slender 1-0 advantage from the opening leg, the Pars demonstrated their resilience as they stood firm against a robust Arbroath side.

The match appeared destined for additional time when the home side were handed a penalty in the 84th minute, but goalkeeper Aston Oxborough delivered a superb stop to deny defender Aaron Muirhead from the spot and secure their passage through.

Dunfermline will now face Partick Thistle with a place against the team finishing 11th in the Premiership at stake.

“The players are performing minor miracles at the moment. I’ve got a 17-year-old coming on in a play-off game – it’s brilliant,” Lennon remarked.

“Over the two legs we were the better team and had the better chances.”

Reflecting on the defensive display, the Lurgan man added: “We weren’t under massive pressure but we defended the duels brilliantly – it wasn’t pretty but I don’t care.

“The tie was defined on moments. We had chances and we didn’t take them.”

Speaking about his goalkeeper’s contribution, Lennon said: “Robbie (Fraser) has made the wrong decision and so has Aston. There’s no doubt he’s made us better. I’ve worked with good goalkeepers like (Artur) Boruc, (Fraser) Forster and (Ofir) Marciano – they make a big difference.

“I was raging with him for the tackle but he made a brilliant save.” The Pars manager was also satisfied that his team would now have two additional fixtures before their Scottish Cup final clash with Celtic later this month.

If they progress to the play-off final, the matches would be rescheduled to the Tuesday and Friday after the showpiece encounter at Hampden Park.

“There’s loads of ways to play football, what we’ve done is given ourselves a chance to remain in the competition,” Lennon said.

“It’s two competitive games before the Scottish Cup final.

“We’re in there to win it, we’ll give it everything we’ve got but for now, we’re just glad to have Arbroath out of the way because they’re such a difficult team to play against.”

Arbroath co-manager Colin Hamilton praised Muirhead following the defender’s disappointing final outing for the club.

Muirhead, who is departing Gayfield Park to join Annan Athletic in the summer, failed to convert a late spot-kick which confirmed Dunfermline’s progression to the semi-finals.

It has been a remarkable season for Arbroath, who secured third place after claiming the League One championship last term.

“It’s a tough one for Aaron on his last game for us,” Hamilton said.

“For the last year-and-a-half he’s been excellent for us. He’s a great player, team-mate and work colleague.

“I thought we deserved at least extra-time, but it just wasn’t our day. The boys gave us everything.

“Coming into the Championship after winning League One and finishing third, we didn’t just scrape into the play-offs, we were up there all year.”

Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories .

I wouldn’t say that I’m afraid of heights. I can stand on a cliff path or look out from a tall building without the rush of panic people often associate with vertigo. What I really dislike is something much harder to explain: the peculiar feeling in my feet.

It’s a sensation that’s difficult to describe. It isn’t numbness, it isn’t tingling either. The closest I can come is a strange awareness in the soles of my feet – a kind of buzzing.

For a long time I assumed this was just an odd personal quirk. But many people report something similar when standing near a drop. Around one-quarter of people describe some level of discomfort at height, and in experimental settings most participants show measurable changes in balance and posture when exposed to a drop. Far from being irrational, it reflects a remarkably elegant piece of neurological engineering.

At height, the nervous system shifts balance control. Sensory input from the feet is “upregulated” (dialled up), postural muscles (muscles that help you stay upright, balanced and stable) stiffen slightly, and movements become more cautious. This is part of normal proprioception – the body’s internal sense of where it is in space.

Unlike vision, which tells you where things are around you, proprioception tells you where you are.

Near a drop, the brain begins to rely more heavily on signals from the feet, effectively turning up their volume. Small shifts in pressure and sway are amplified, and control of movement becomes tighter and more deliberate. This is quite different from vertigo. Vertigo arises from disturbances in the inner ear or its connections, creating a false sensation of movement, often described as spinning.

The feeling at height is not that the world is moving, but that the body is being held more carefully in place.

What’s striking is that this response is not unique to those who notice it. The nervous system makes these adjustments in almost everyone. For most, it remains in the background. For others, it rises into awareness as a peculiar sensation.

Why the feet?

As the body’s primary point of contact with the ground the feet are one of its richest sources of sensory information. The soles contain a dense population of specialised receptors, including Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles, each tuned to different aspects of pressure, stretch and movement.

Merkel cells respond to sustained pressure, giving a continuous readout of how weight is distributed across the foot – whether you are leaning slightly forward, back, or to one side.

Meissner corpuscles are more sensitive to light touch and subtle changes, detecting the small shifts that occur as the body sways.

Pacinian corpuscles, deeper in the tissue, are exquisitely sensitive to vibration and rapid changes in pressure, allowing the nervous system to detect even the smallest disturbances in contact with the ground.

Under ordinary conditions, these receptors work quietly in the background, allowing you to stand, walk and shift your weight without conscious thought. But near an edge with a drop, their importance is suddenly elevated. The margin for error narrows. Small changes in pressure – the subtle sway of the body, the shifting of weight from heel to forefoot – carry greater consequence.

The nervous system responds by increasing the gain on these signals. In effect, it listens more closely to the feet.

That heightened input does not feel the same for everyone. Some people describe a buzzing or tingling in the soles. Others report a sense of heaviness, as though their feet are being drawn more firmly into the ground. Some feel an urge to grip with their toes, or to widen their stance. Others notice a faint unsteadiness, a need to hold still, or a curious reluctance to move forward. Why is it that some people experience this so vividly, while others are unaware?

Part of the answer lies in how we process sensory information. The signals from the feet are being generated in almost everyone standing near an edge, but not all of them reach conscious awareness. The brain continuously filters incoming information, prioritising what seems most relevant.

In some people, that filter is more permissive. Subtle changes in pressure, sway and muscle activity are allowed through, registering as a distinct sensation in the soles. In others, the same information is handled automatically, without ever rising to conscious notice.

Attention plays a role too. Once a sensation has been noticed, the brain becomes more likely to detect it again.

There are also differences in sensory sensitivity. Some people are simply better at detecting fine changes in touch and position – a heightened form of proprioception. For them, the shift in balance control near an edge may feel more pronounced.

Context matters as well. Fatigue, stress, or unfamiliar surroundings can all make the system more noticeable. What this means is that the sensation itself is not unusual. What varies is the degree to which it is perceived. The same neurological adjustment is taking place either way – quietly in the background for some, and vividly, almost curiously, present for others.

Out of all the villains on Coronation Street, Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) has got the busiest schedule. Not content with destroying her sister Shona’s life, she’s found a brand new target…

Revenge is a dish best served cold, but for Jodie it’s more like a buffet, because she’s got way too much on her plate. The whole purpose of moving to Weatherfield and getting her feet under the Platts’ table was to tear Shona’s family apart from within, to pay her back for ‘abandoning her’ to their toxic dad by fleeing the family home as kids.

However, so far, this bunny boiling baddie’s got a tendency for getting just a wee bit distracted. She’s deviated wildly from her vendetta by keeping a weird box of trinkets and mementos, stolen from her neighbours, including Bernie Winter (Jane Hazelgrove) and Brian Packham (Peter Gunn).

Not only that, but she’s started feuds with Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) and Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) simply because she refused to clean up after her dog.

Well, her bonkers behaviour really came back to bite Jodie in the behind last week. Her months-long to slowly seduce David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) went down in flames shortly after Jodie discovered a letter she sent Shona years ago when they were kids – a letter Shona always claimed she never received. This letter proved that Shona had no interest in reaching out to her little sister.

Betrayed, Jodie saw red – and that was her downfall.

Dressing in Shona’s lingerie, Jodie lit and candles and set the mood,waiting for a drunken David to stumble home from Swarla’s wedding. He climbed into bed with who he thought was Shona… and kissed Jodie.

That’s when everything fell apart.

Months of careful scheming went down the tubes as a raging David accused Jodie of trying it on with him. Despite Jodie’s best efforts to gaslight the hell out of him, David wasn’t having any of it and Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) got involved, siding with her brother.

Jodie was kicked out, into the cold with nowhere to go.

But this is Jodie we’re talking about. She’ll always find a way to talk her way out of trouble. Next week’s Corrie will see Weatherfield’s answer to Fatal Attraction try to stick around despite David’s demands that she moves out by planting seeds of doubt in Shona’s mind about what happened between them in the bedroom.

Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Advertisement

Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Jodie, she makes a new enemy… and potentially, one just as mad as she is.

Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) is set to run afoul of Jodie in upcoming episodes, which is particularly interesting, seeing as her ‘explosive’exit has recently been teased by Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks.

‘As you know, Cassie’s leaving us, and so it will contribute to her exit, which is going to be massive and quite explosive.’

The formidable mother of Tyrone Dobbs’ (Alan Halsall) and girlfriend of Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) may have changed her ways since her days struggling with drug addiction, but she’s still got a crazy streak a mild wide – as proved when she almost killed Corrie legend  Ken Barlow (William Roache) by lacing his drinks with drugs so she wouldn’t lose her job as his carer.

You don’t want to get on Cassie’s bad side… which makes her upcoming conflict with Jodie all the more delicious. Upcoming scenes will see the two warring women going to war over how Cassie treats the kids in her care.

Outside the Kabin, Cassie is laying down the law to Bertie and Dorin and refuses to buy them any sweets, when a passing Jodie takes issue with her decision.

When Jodie makes a dig suggesting she’s too old to look after young children Cassie marches off.

Later, Jodie fills Daniel Osbourne(Rob Mallard) in on her run in with Cassie. Daniel fills Jodie in on how Cassie drugged Ken to try and con him out of cash and warns that she’s playing with fire.

Will Jodie listen? More importantly, will this clash of Corrie titans result in Cassie leaving the Cobbles?

MORE: Coronation Street spoiler videos confirm Jodie caught out as police pursue murder culprit

MORE: Ian stunned by Bea’s explosive reaction as he dumps her on EastEnders

MORE: Hollyoaks’ James Sutton reveals why he joined OnlyFans – and if he will return to acting

Shoppers say the garden furniture set is ‘sturdy’ and ‘looks so much more expensive in real life’ – so I bought it myself and couldn’t agree more

When it comes to picking out patio furniture , it’s important to settle on something that ticks all the boxes. It needs to be within budget, comfortable and durable, but without compromising on personality and style.

As a first time homeowner in 2026, I was on the hunt for an affordable, colourful garden set to seat four, and with the Bank Holiday weekend looming, I wanted it fast. After searching high and low and realising that, much of the time, you get what you pay for when it comes to these things, we found a stunning set at Habitat that not only met all of our requirements, but was also on sale and could be delivered at short notice.

Habitat’s Cali 4 Seater Metal Patio Set was originally priced at £150, but was reduced to £120 in the sale. I actually ordered mine through TopCashback so I also earned £1.20 in cashback, and gained 120 Nectar points on my order, too.

READ MORE:

Part of Habitat’s Cali collection , this four-seater set is made up of two chairs, a bench and a low rectangular table, all made from steel with textilene seating. While the online description states that the set is orange, the box says its terracotta, which I personally prefer as it brings those gorgeous Mediterranean vibes to the garden, but others who bought the set were disappointed it wasn’t the vibrant orange they’d hoped.

The assembly is relatively beginner-friendly, but like many flat-pack garden sets, this isn’t a quick 20-minute job. My partner and I – a 28-year-old journalist and 30-year-old mechanic – haven’t put all that much flatpack together yet, but we managed to build the whole set within an hour and a half at a pretty leisurely pace.

Habitat Cali 4 Seater Metal Patio Set

£150

£120

Advertisement

Habitat

Buy here

This bright orange 4-seater patio set oozes contemporary charm. Made from steel with fabric seats for a comfy fit with a low matching table perfect for drinks and nibbles.

The screws, nuts and washers all came in a very handy pack so as to not lose anything, and it contains everything you need for the build. If you have additional tools already like a wrench or allen bit, it may be faster than the supplied allen key, but it’s by no means essential. The instructions were easy to follow, but if you prefer, there’s also a YouTube tutorial available, which I found helpful to watch prior to unboxing.

The most difficult part of the build is adding tension rods to the chair and bench for support, and attaching the mesh seating to the main frame, as it requires one person to hold the seat taut, and one to put the nuts and bolts on.

Once built, the set is very comfortable to sit on, with a slight recline for that relaxed, lounging feel. The table is a handy size for drinks and snacks, and the whole set is surprisingly lightweight at 24kg, making it easy to move around the garden depending on the sun. One downside is, however, that the set doesn’t stack particularly well for storing, so we’re going to have to buy a good sized patio furniture cover.

For smaller spaces, this Padstow Outdoor 2 Seater Round Bistro Table and Chairs at DUSK is £139. Coming in a pretty Moss shade, the folding design makes it easy to move and store, while the durable metal frame ensures it stands up to everyday outdoor use.

For those in need of even more seating, Dunelm has this Windsor 8 Seater Large Corner Set available for £599. It’s made up of a stylish corner sofa as well as a glass top table and cushioned bench.

Advertisement

Back at Habitat, for those looking for items to match the set, there’s this Habitat Cali Metal Sunlounger available for £45 , but shoppers can get 20% off with the code GREEN20 at the checkout. I think it would be good if you could purchase some of the chairs from the patio set individually, too, as it would be ideal to turn it into a six-seater set, if we wanted to.

Speaking on the four-seater set, one person noted it ‘looks good and sturdy’, adding that it ‘brightens up the garden’.

Another said: “Really nice looking and comfortable garden set. Very light so easy to move around but at the same time feels very sturdy. Easy to put together but does need two people.”

“Funky and contemporary patio set – gorgeous orange,” wrote a third. “Looks wonderful on patio, grass or Astro.. really pleased with it.”

As noted earlier, it is tricky to put together, and the colour may not be as expected, with another review reading: “Defo a two person job to put together but not impossible. More terracotta than orange but still really nice and worth the price.”

Another wrote: “Love the look of this and it’s very comfortable but deducting a star as it was really a bit of a faff to put the sofa together. The chairs were easier. More of a terracotta colour but seems very sturdy and the table is brilliant. Very reasonable price too.”

But generally, people are as pleased as I am with the Cali set, commenting: “Beautiful and comfortable. We get so many compliments on it every time we have guests.”

With another customer said: “Such a gorgeous set and looks so much more expensive in real life. The colour is beautiful and the fabric feels nice and strong. Bit tricky to build but got the hang of it after the first chair – not as complicated as first thought or as some of the comments allude to. Looks so great in our garden.”

Habitat’s Cali 4 Seater Metal Patio Set is a stylish, comfortable and sturdy set that won’t break the bank but absolutely will be a great focal point in outdoor spaces. Now all that’s required is some sunshine and perhaps a Victoria sponge cake.

What people tell me is a bit odd about me is that I can recall every room, every bit of decor, every window, every door in the flat. And more: I can describe the rooms and corridors of the schools I went to and when I look at the old photos, I can reel off most of my classmates’ names. And more yet: if I home in on individual children, I can bring to mind the shoes they wore, or the sound of their voices, or the way they laughed or flicked their hair. And, as some people might know, I’ve written many, many times about the incidents that happened to me during that time in my books: Chocolate Cake, The Babysitter, The Go-Kart and the like.

Chelsea are expected to be without a number of players for their Premier League with Liverpool this afternoon.

While there is an FA Cup final to look forward to next weekend, the Blues’ league campaign is spiralling towards a dreadful conclusion, losing six games on the bounce and scoring just once in that run.

Robert Sanchez was involved in that dreadful head-to-head collision with Morgan Gibbs-White during Monday’s defeat against Nottingham Forest with both men requiring stitches.

The former Brighton goalkeeper will not be involved today, nor will Jesse Derry who was also involved in another sickening clash of heads in a separate incident.

To add to Chelsea’s woes, both Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto are expected to miss out with knocks. With Estevao’s season over due to a serious hamstring injury and Jamie Gittens sidelined, it leaves Calum McFarlane very light on the wings.

In better news for the Blues, Reece James and Levi Colwill trained this week. Colwill played the second-half against Forest having also played a full 90 for the Under-21s in April.

Liverpool meanwhile hope to have Alexander Isak available to start after he missed the defeat at Manchester United last time out.

The Sweden international returned to training on Thursday with Arne Slot hopeful he can have a role to play. Giorgi Mamardashvili also returned to training this week and will be pushing to reclaim his place in goal with Alisson Becker still out.

Mohamed Salah meanwhile is still to return to training after his hamstring issue and is set to miss out again.

Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate missed training earlier this week but both were back among the group on Friday.

Chelsea XI to face Liverpool – Metro prediction

With no wingers fit, Calum McFarlane may turn to Enzo Fernandez to occupy a more advanced role once again.

Joao Pedro is also an option to drop deep if Liam Delap gets the nod up top.

While Colwill has only recently returned to action after his ACL injury, he will be desperate to be fully up to speed for next weekend’s FA Cup final against City. A starting role today at Anfield would certainly aid that.

Liverpool XI to face Chelsea – Metro prediction

Isak’s availability offers a focal point up top for Liverpool with Hugo Ekitike a long-term absentee.

Liverpool vs Chelsea live stream, TV channel and kick-off time

Liverpool vs Chelsea kicks off at 12:30pm today (Saturday 9 May) at 12:30pm.

You can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 with streaming also available through the HBO Max app.

MORE: Sunderland vs Man Utd: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news

MORE: Theo Walcott urges Arsenal star to reject England call-up for the World Cup

MORE: Liverpool urged to sign major Tottenham star ‘on the cheap’ if Spurs are relegated

Available for over a year

Today, Labour suffered a historic loss in the Welsh Senedd elections coming in third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

In Scotland, the SNP held onto it’s majority with second place too close to call between Labour and Reform as Newscast began recording.

And in England, a bruising run of results continued for Labour, who lost more than a thousand council seats. Reform won more than 1400 councillors and the Greens made gains.

Adam, Chris and James break down the results.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The assistant editor was Jack Maclaren. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Programme WebsiteShow less

Harry Poulton went on a “lads’ holiday” to Benidorm, Spain and decided to up sticks and move to the popular destination for good, with one thing in particular making his decision “easy”

Advertisement

A young man took the leap and moved to Benidorm after becoming enamoured with the tourist hotspot while on a lads’ holiday, and he’s sworn he’ll never come back to the UK. While the United Kingdom has its charms, it’s far from perfect. Between the famously fickle weather and the relentless cost of living crisis, it’s little wonder some people decide to up sticks and seek out sunnier shores.

That’s precisely what happened to Harry Poulton, 24, who fell head over heels for Benidorm during a lads’ getaway and immediately saw it as the place he needed to call home.

For Harry, one significant factor made the choice easy – enjoying a fun lifestyle on a far tighter budget compared to “gloomy” Britain.

The Brighton-born travel vlogger had grown weary of life in dreary England and, aged just 18, made the radical choice to completely upend his life by leaving his homeland behind for good.

Speaking in a TikTok video about his reasoning, he revealed that escaping Britain’s “horrible” weather was among his primary motivations for the move.

Financial pressures also played a crucial role in his thinking. Living in the Spanish coastal resort works out considerably more affordable for Harry.

He went on to say: “Everything in the UK is just going up, up, up and up, and no one knows when it’s going to stop. At least here in Spain, your money travels so much further – you’ll get way more for your money here in Spain than you would in the UK, and that’s my opinion.”

Speaking to Luxury Travel Daily, Harry explained: “I don’t know why anybody would want to live in Britain. It’s cold, dreary and gloomy all the time.

“There’s no room to have fun outside of the constant boring routine and work. After I visited Benidorm, I knew that it was the place I wanted to settle down.

“It offers great weather, beautiful beaches and such a laid-back vibe. It’s the complete opposite of the UK.”

Harry is a passionate advocate for Benidorm, believing many Brits unfairly make a “mockery” of the popular holiday hotspot. The Spanish resort is renowned for its bustling hospitality and entertainment sector, pristine beaches, and litany of high-rise buildings.

The municipality reportedly attracts equal numbers of international visitors as it does Spanish holidaymakers. He said: “Stop making a mockery of such a wonderful place. If you live here, you’ll know better than any British tourists what this country is really like.”

Harry continued: “Everyone says not to visit Benidorm, as you’ll get scammed or mugged. And that bars will rip tourists off with extortionate prices for drinks – but that’s all absolute rubbish.

“It’s crazy what Brits believe. It’s not just for party-goers or stag dos. Benidorm has so much on offer and it’s not a place you’ll regret going. There are so many haters out there that like to spread misinformation or myths, stopping people from coming here.”

He went on: “It’s mad. Look at the state of the UK – all of these things happen there more than they do in Benidorm.”

Harry believes his quality of life in Spain far exceeds anything he experienced back in the UK.

For anyone contemplating a similar leap across borders, he advised: “Learn some basic Spanish before coming. Ensure to plan financially, too. Be prepared for some paperwork, especially since Brexit, but it’s so worth it once you’re here.”

Looking back on taking such a momentous step while just a teenager, he added: “It’s completely transformed my life – and being so young, I’m glad I leaped now rather than later. Who wants to wake up to grey skies every day, when you can have blue ones greeting you each morning? Benidorm is paradise – anyone who says otherwise is lying.”