A POPULAR York shop is starting a new lease of life – just down the road in a North Yorkshire town.

Born of Botanics has opened up a new premises having moved out of York city centre.

The business, run by entrepreneur Alex Hall, started off in a historic shop in Goodramgate before moving into Stonegate in 2022.

Originally it was known as The Little Yorkshire Candle Company then rebranded as Born of Botanics to reflect the fact the shop also sold body oils and creams and scent diffusers as well as aromatic candles – all hand made from natural ingredients.

It’s new base will be at 21 Kirkgate in Tadcaster, where Alex says there is a thriving independent retail scene.

Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics moves to Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

She told The Press: “There is a lovely high street here which is full of independents.”

The new shop opened on Tuesday this week and will stock Alex’s products as well as run a series of workshops, focussed on wellbeing and creativity.

Alex will be making her products in the front of the store, so customers can see what goes into each one.

She said: “I will have my workshop here and will be making in the shop front – candles, body products, bath products and oils.”

Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics moves to Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

The new shop has an upstairs which allows her to offer workshops too; this follows a run of successful workshops she has already run at alternative venues.

“Last year we ran a few workshops such as yoga, sound baths and scent blending, which customers loved. And it made me think about what I wanted to do next,” she said.

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At the new Tadcaster shop, Alex has already organised a paper flower-making workshop and has a calligraphy class and ‘blend and unwind’ session in the pipeline.

Flower making workshop at Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics in Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

During the latter one, customers can blend their own oils and take away their own scent, said Alex.

And she said Tadcaster was a great location, because many of her customers were based along the Leeds to York corridor – and she lives locally.

“I’ve known Tadcaster for years. Geographically, it is very central, and an easy stop off the A64.”

She added many independents were setting up and flourishing in the town.

“I feel like something is happening here at the moment – and it is something I want to be part of!”

For all the latest follow Alex on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/bornofbotanics/

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There is also beautiful countryside with picturesque walks waiting to be discovered

Cambridgeshire is a historic place, filled with many stories of the past. Some of these stories are light hearted and seem mythical, yet some stories are dark.

In the village of Babraham, there is one dark story about a former vicar. At the centre of Babraham is St Peter’s Church.

This has been on the same site since the 12th century. Babraham was a wealthy village, however in 1445 the vicarage was exempt from paying tax due to its poverty. In 1535, the village was reported to be one of the poorest.

From 1549, John Hullier served as vicar and remained vicar for six years. Before he became a vicar in Babraham, he was a chorister at Cambridge’s King’s College and also attended Eton.

During his vicarage in Babraham, John refused to renounce the Protestant faith. By doing this, it resulted in his death.

On April 16, 1556 – which was Maundy Thursday – John was burned at the stake on Jesus Green in Cambridge.

The village itself, like many other names in Cambridgeshire, has a name that is hard to pronounce. Some may think it’s pronounced like Bab-ra-ham, but its correct pronunciation is Bay-rum.

Despite being a tiny village, the ancient location has much on offer. It is home to the world-famous Babraham Institute and Babraham Research Campus, considered one of the UK’s major bioscience research hubs.

There is also lots of surrounding countryside that provide scenic places to walk. A hidden nature spot to visit is Babraham Pocket Park.

This is a community-run green space in the village, and it offers visitors a serene place to walk around.

Also amongst the surrounding countryside is wildlife including sheep, so it’s a great way for animal lovers to get closer to nature.

WHILST Upper Wensleydale has some wilder mountains and remoter valleys the scenery, from Askrigg to the West is tamer, more tranquil and full of interest and beauty.

The River Ure marks the backdrop for the walk which includes Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Castle and pretty Redmire.

Head across the fields from Redmire towards the village of Castle Bolton. The path heads directly for Bolton Castle (it’s the village name which is Castle Bolton – confusing), certainly the best preserved castle in the area.

Bolton Castle is most famous as the ‘prison’ of Mary Queen of Scots for six months as she awaited the pleasures of Elizabeth I. It is worth paying the entrance fee at least for the gardens which are impressive throughout the spring and summer.

However, the walking has hardly started so it is soon time to move. From the castle leave via a gate to the west of the castle car park (follow the farm track to keep your height) and head initially through fields of sheep but soon onto the open moors. The views both up and down Wensleydale are excellent.

Aysgarth Falls Upper Falls

Where the farm track runs out, follow the bridleway as it bends south/left and starts to drop steeply down towards the village of Carperby. The bridleway turns into a lane just above the village and enters on its eastern fringes. Take your time walking through this lovely village, exactly as the ‘real ‘James Herriott (Alf Wight) did on his honeymoon in November 1941.

I find walking from Carperby to Aysgarth Falls not very satisfying; my best suggestion is to take the road heading south from the west end of the village for 350 metres and then head along the footpath in the fields to your right. This soon enters the car park and visitor centre at Aysgarth Falls.

If you have not visited the falls previously the most interesting circuit is to the east of the road near the visitor centre where there are viewing platforms and some lovely woodland walking. You can also get to the Upper Falls, to the west of the road near the road bridge at the foot of the road. It is a good time to stop and enjoy a bite and a brew.

Cross the River Ure at the road bridge and immediately in front of you some steep steps climb through some buildings into the grounds of St Andrews Church, a Grade II-listed building set in a large church yard. Pick your way through the gravestones to emerge at its east end and start four-and-a-half miles of excellent riverside walking.

More walks:

It is rare in the Dales that you can stick so close to a river on a public footpath for so long. It is well signposted.

There are only two things to disturb the walk: meeting the busy A684 for 100 metres as it crosses Bishopdale Beck, and a little further on where you may (and should not) be tempted to shorten the walk by crossing the stepping stones across the Ure.

The first bridge crossing of the Ure east of Aysgarth is at Bolton Hall, a lovely country house set in its own grounds. Continue north on the estate road, cross the busy road to Wensley and continue up the footpath to the attractive (another one!) village of Preston under Scar, a history dominated by lead mining. A footpath heads west through the village and some woodland for three quarters of a mile before emerging; at a road, turn left and drop the final half mile back into the village of Redmire.

Fact file:

Wensleydale map

Distance: Roughly 13.5 miles.

Height to Climb: 400m (1,310 feet)

Start: SE 047912. There is parking in Redmire to its north end.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard. A long walk but straightforward and easy to follow. The riverside section can be muddy after rains.

Refreshments: The Bolton Arms at Redmire is a lovely traditional Dales pub.

Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL30) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear correct clothing and footwear.

A man in his 50s who died after a cardiac arrest in Brownlow Street is not believed to be the result of criminal offences, North Yorkshire Police have confirmed.

It comes after police and forensic officers were seen investigating the scene after police announced the man’s death, which happened shortly after 4am on Friday (May 8), was being treated as “unexplained”.

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Several police cordons were placed around the area and officers were seen going door-to-door at homes near Lowther Street at 1.30pm.

A 56-year-old man was arrested and has now been released from custody with no further action being taken in connection with the man’s death.

Police were seen in the area at 9am on Saturday, May 9 (Image: Abby Backhouse)

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Extensive enquiries were carried out, including speaking to witnesses and reviewing significant volumes of CCTV footage.

“As a result, the man’s death is not believed to have resulted from any criminal offences.

“We know this tragic incident will have caused upset and concern in the local area.

“Neighbourhood Policing Team officers will continue to carry out high-visibility patrols there, to offer ongoing reassurance.”

The man’s family are now being supported by specially-trained officers through their grief.

North Yorkshire Police added: “We are grateful to the community for their support and understanding throughout the investigation.”

Casualty spoilers follow for Saturday’s (May 9) episode that is now available to view on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air on BBC One at 8:45pm.

Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) made the gravest of mistakes this week and it’s one that could’ve had major consequences – both in terms of her career and a patient’s life.

The fan-favourite ED consultant, who has been struggling with pains, was taken aback when her prescription was unexpectedly changed to opioids. At first, she vowed to do without them.

But with her pain levels increasing – not to mention stress at an all-time high in the ED due to a series of explosions on Wyvern Estate – she ultimately took the drugs.

Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke), meanwhile, rescued a young girl from the aforementioned explosion and, as the opioids took effect, Stevie made a big mistake, administering too much morphine to the patient.

Matty Linlaker (Aron Julius) later worked out what had transpired and confronted Stevie but he ultimately refrained from telling her what she did, instead taking the blame when confronted on it by Dylan Keogh (William Beck).

The question is: will the truth come out? will Stevie face consequences for her actions?

Matty subsequently asked Stevie out for dinner but she declined.

The doctors, as fans will know, commenced an affair after they grew close in the wake of Kim Chang’s (Jasmine Bayes) death.

A number of weeks ago – at the beginning of the latest boxset Lethal Legacy – after the team spent the day trying to deal with what appeared to be the start of a new pandemic, the two were seen kissing passionately behind an ambulance

The relationship received quite the reaction from viewers and in the show it seems Stevie fears a similar reaction if Dylan – who is Matty’s dad – were to find out, opting instead to keep her dalliance’s with Matty a secret.

But as any soap fan knows, secrets don’t stay secret for too long.

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In terms of viewer reaction to the new coupling, fan Hannah wrote on social media: ‘stevie why???? I love you sm but matty???’.

Predicting more drama for Stevie, this person added: ‘STEVIE NO!!! this won’t end well’.

Casualty airs Saturday at 8:45pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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MORE: Casualty trailer appears to confirm shock death and fans are terrified

Having missed out on selection for last year’s Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France, Marlie Packer’s remarkable international career may have seemed to some to be winding down.

The 36-year-old, who lost the England captaincy to Zoe Stratford at the start of last year, had slipped down the pecking order and was fighting to make a home World Cup squad.

Packer went on to play at the tournament but remained on the fringes and did not feature in any of the knockout games as England claimed glory.

Less than a week on from becoming a two-time World Cup winner, she announced she was “not hanging up her boots any time soon”.

Despite being leapfrogged by Sadia Kabeya, player of the match in the World Cup final, the Saracens forward said she was contracted until June 2026 and felt fitter than ever.

It was a good decision to continue. The Red Roses have lined up another Grand Slam decider against France next week thanks to Saturday’s 61-33 victory over Italy, a win spearheaded by Packer’s four tries.

The performance earned her the player-of-the-match award, as did her two-try display against Wales, with the veteran forward taking advantage of injuries and pregnancies disrupting John Mitchell’s starting pack.

“My secret weapon is that I am enjoying it and I have a smile back on my face,” Packer told BBC Sport.

“I am getting the minutes. For the last couple of years, Sadia Kabeya has had the nod over me but fair play, I have my opportunity at the moment and I am enjoying it. I have a smile and there is no pressure.”

In Parma, Packer showed impressive acceleration to latch on to a kick through for her opening try, before bulldozing her way to the tryline three more times – smashing through a number of Italy defenders for her fourth score.

Despite being the oldest player in the squad, Packer is now firmly in line to feature in the decider against France next Sunday at the 42,115-capacity Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux.

“Marlie doesn’t go away, does she?” Mitchell said to BBC Sport when asked about the 115-cap flanker, who led her country to back-to-back Grand Slams in 2024.

“After the World Cup she was like, ‘Where do I sit?’ and I said, ‘Marlie, you are one of the best sevens in the country and if you are happy with that, I am happy with that’.

“She is so determined and she has achieved so much. All the standards that we have now have very much been shaped by the way she leads.”

England captain Megan Jones was also full of praise for her former skipper, who registered 12 tackles against Italy and made 92 metres from 14 carries.

“She has a never-say-die attitude and is next level. She goes 100% even when we are walking,” Jones added.

A Labour MP has dramatically warned would-be leaders in the cabinet to challenge Sir Keir Starmer by Monday – or she will – following the party’s disastrous local election results.

Catherine West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, who was sacked by Sir Keir as a junior minister in the Foreign Office, said the cabinet should “reorganise themselves” and put forward their “best communicator” to replace the PM, avoiding a contest.

If that did not happen she would seek the 80 names needed to trigger a contest, she said.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms West said: “We had cataclysmic election results last week and our response so far does not match the emergency that faces us.”

She added: “I am terrified we will end up with Prime Minister Farage.”

Her intervention came as Sir Keir recruited party favourites Gordon Brown and Baroness Harriet Harman to try and help secure his flagging premiership.

As the scale of Labour’s failures at the local elections ballot box emerged, The Independent has also learnt that some senior ministers were attempting to prevent a leadership election amid fears that the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner could launch a coup as early as next week.

Meanwhile, support is growing for energy secretary Ed Miliband, health secretary Wes Streeting and defence minister Al Carns.

Ms West’s move comes amid speculation from Labour MPs that the serious candidates to replace Sir Keir – including Ms Rayner and health secretary Wes Streeting – were awaiting “a stalking horse” to “allow them to swoop in”.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms West said she would welcome Mr Streeting, Mr Miliband, Ms Rayner or education secretary Bridget Phillipson taking over as leader and prime minister.

But she warned that time was running out for Labour with an election two to three years away.

“We need to tool up for this, because it’s going to be the fight of our life. We need to take on Reform and to put forward a centrist vision of the country that people can really get behind.”

Ms West, who originally comes from Australia, warned that the urgency meant that it was no longer possible to wait for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who would need to win a by-election to become an MP for a takeover bid.

Ms West has been in contact with the party leadership over her intentions, including party chair Anna Turley and Ms Phillipson who will be on the morning media round with her on Sunday.

She said: “Basically, the cabinet needs to get into the room, close the door and sort it out between themselves. Give Keir a role of some sort. He’s very good on the international relations.

“I think there’s so many good people, not just in the cabinet but her newly elected people, dust off your CV, get yourself in there.”

Downing Street has not commented on Ms West’s challenge but in a bid to win back the party faithful, the prime minister appointed Mr Brown – once described by Tony Blair as “the big clunking fist” – as his special envoy on global finance and brought in former deputy leader Baroness Harman as his adviser on women and girls.

Sir Keir posed with both on the steps of Downing Street on Saturday, ignoring questions about his future.

But an attempt on Friday night to get his cabinet to wheel in behind him backfired after a number of senior figures notably remained silent.

One ally claimed that Mr Streeting was “waiting for another candidate to go first before entering the fray”.

Others not to publicly endorse the prime minister were home secretary Shabana Mahmood, energy secretary Ed Miliband, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who have all been identified as possible leadership contenders.

Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines commander who has growing support among Labour MPs, also notably avoided offering his support.

An ally of Mr Carns added: “Al’s problem is if he jumped he could just be seen as a stalking horse. Wes [Streeting] and others want him to go so they can swoop in.”

With at least eight Labour MPs now publicly demanding Sir Keir sets a timetable for his departure, pressure was mounting on the prime minister as more privately said he could not lead them into the next election.

The latest to speak out was Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, who saw Reform sweep his area. He said: “I’d prefer by party conference [in September], but setting the timetable is the critical thing.”

Another told The Independent that “it is not just MPs on the left who want him to go”.

A previous loyalist added: “The mood is generally awful as you can imagine. I’m not saying anything publicly right now but clearly we can’t go into the election with him as leader.”

A second minister added: “The fear at the moment is we will end up with Angela as our version of Liz Truss.”

A source close to Ms Rayner denied speculation that she could launch a bid as early as next week.

But the hopes to get Mr Burnham in as an MP as a “unifying figure” to lead the party appeared to have united ministers with leftwing rebels.

There was speculation that MPs were being told they would get a peerage if they stepped aside for Mr Burnham.

However, one MP warned: “Given what just happened I am not sure where Andy Burnham could stand and win a seat even if someone was willing to step down to give him an opportunity.”

Labour’s disastrous performance saw Reform winning most of the council seats in the north west of England, including all 22 available in Wigan and 16 out of 17 in the Tameside Council area which includes Ms Rayner’s constituency.

Sir Keir continued his fightback on Saturday with a video put out on social media where he admitted that the party needed to do more to convince voters.

He said: “It’s important that we reflect and respond to these results – we haven’t done enough to offer people hope for the future.”

With plans for a major speech on Monday, he added: “In the coming days I’ll be setting out the path ahead.”

Manchester City beat Brentford on Saturday evening to ensure the Premier League title race against Arsenal goes down to the wire

Manchester City picked up a crucial 3-0 victory against Brentford on Saturday to keep the Premier League title race against Arsenal alive. Goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush sealed the win to take Pep Guardiola’s side to within two points of the Gunners before they face West Ham United on Sunday.

Despite beating the Bees on the third last weekend of the Premier League season, City still have nine points to play for. Crystal Palace are the next visitors to Etihad Stadium with that clash – rearranged from Carabao Cup final weekend – taking place next Wednesday evening.

Their FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday means another midweek clash for City, six days on from taking on Palace with Bournemouth as their opponents. Andoni Iraola’s side are unbeaten since January and in a great position to finish sixth, which could mean Champions League football and thus presents City with quite the challenge.

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They end the season against Europa League finalists Aston Villa, with Unai Emery and his players heading north just a few days after facing Freiburg in Istanbul. As for Arsenal, the title race remains in their hands, and they can take one step closer to it with maximum points against the Hammers.

Arsenal then have an eight-day rest before hosting Burnley on Monday, May 18, in their final home match of the season. Winning the title in front of their own fans is a possibility if City drop points against Palace.

It is more than likely, however, that the Gunners will have to wait until the final day of the season against Crystal Palace to claim their first title in two decades.

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Similarly, to Villa, Oliver Glasner’s side are in a European final as they face Rayo Vallecano for the Conference League just three days after facing Arsenal.

Arteta’s side almost certainly have the easier remaining fixtures with the context of what their opponents are playing for also considered. A trip to Selhurst Park is far from straightforward but Glasner seems set to rest some key players.

Ahead of their clash with Everton, he was asked about exactly that. “To be honest, if somebody criticises for me, sorry, if I can say this, it would be nonsense,” he said.

“It’s just the last game but there were 37 games played before. That means if another team on matchday 25 rotated against City or Arsenal they affected the title race as well.

“I’m not responsible for Arsenal, I’m not responsible for Manchester City, I’m responsible for Crystal Palace and I get paid for doing the best things for Crystal Palace and not for City and not for Arsenal.

“Again, I don’t know what we’re doing yet. Maybe we’ll be playing with the same line-up that we’ll play against Vallecano but again, maybe it feels like the league title is decided on the last day but at the end, it’s a result of 38 matchdays and everybody gets what they deserve.”

Here are the remaining fixtures for both in all competitions:

Manchester City’s final fixtures

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace – Wednesday, May 13 at the Etihad Stadium

Chelsea vs Manchester City – Saturday, May 16 at Wembley Stadium (FA Cup final)

Bournemouth vs Manchester City – Tuesday, May 19 at the Vitality Stadium

Manchester City vs Aston Villa – Sunday, May 24 at the Etihad Stadium

Arsenal’s final fixtures

West Ham vs Arsenal – Sunday, May 10 at the London Stadium

Arsenal vs Burnley – Monday, May 18 at the Emirates Stadium

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – Sunday, May 24 at Selhurst Park

PSG vs Arsenal – Saturday, May 30 at Puskas Arena (Champions League final)

Human Rights lawyer Harriet Wistrich has claimed that police failures in the investigation of serial rapist John Worboys allowed him to ‘perfect’ his crimes and continue assaulting women

The real life lawyer from an ITV crime drama about the ‘Black Cab Rapist’ has revealed how he carried out the “perfect crime”.

Pioneering human rights lawyer Harriet Wistrich, who will be portrayed on screen by Amandaland’s Philippa Dunne in chilling new series Believe Me, has told what it was like to work on the horrific real life case and hold to account a system that failed women.

She says: “The shocking aspect was the serial rapist nature of his attacks, and the fact that this was effectively enabled by totally inadequate policing.”

Believe Me, starting on ITV tomorrow evening (MAY 10), is about John Worboys, one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history, who is currently serving multiple life sentences for sexual attacks on women between 2000 and 2008.

Worboys, played in the drama by Daniel Mays, preyed on women under the cover of being a ‘respectable’ licensed London black cab driver.

He would target solo women to pick up, claim he’d had a big win at a casino or on the lottery, then offer them a drug-laced glass of champagne to help him celebrate – which would knock them out.

After assaulting the women, he would often then boldly drop them at home. The women often had little or no memory of what had happened to them.

Harriet, founder and CEO of the Centre for Women’s Justice, who worked on the notorious case, says: “What Worboys did was shocking. The fact that he rendered the women unconscious and then raped or sexually assaulted them in the back of his cab and then delivered them home with the expectation they wouldn’t remember.”

She added:” “That dangerous modus operandi was quite distinct but it clearly worked and he was able to get away with it for so long. That’s a very growing and present issue, that if you spike somebody’s drink and they then can’t remember what happened, then there’s no credibility as a witness.”

“If you don’t capture evidence of their drink being spiked, it’s very difficult to hold perpetrators to account. Everything was difficult to prove. So that was a bit of a perfect crime.”

The four-parter focuses on Sarah and Laila (not their real names), played by Aimée-Ffion Edwards and Aasiya Shah, who reported sexual assaults by Worboys but felt they had not been believed by the police.

However, they fought back and won, thanks to the tenacity and compassion of Harriet and barrister Phillippa Kaufmann KC (played by Rachael Stirling).

The survivors approached Harriet as she was known for her work representing women who had been victims of sexual abuse or who had killed their abusive partners.

Crucially, she believed them. They took the unprecedented step to sue the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act for their appalling failure to properly conduct investigations, claiming it led to them being subjected to degrading and distressing treatment.

Not only did they make the police answer for failings, with the Met losing appeals all the way to the Supreme Court in 2018, but they also triumphed just weeks later by overturning Worboys’ parole.

Harriet, 65, recalls: “Unlike in the drama, the two women actually approached me separately. I was aware of the case and there had been some publicity about the police failures, but the more I delved into it, the more I understood the extent of the problems. The police failed them so badly.”

Harriett went on to add: ““We thought there was little financial risk as the police would just want to get rid of the case and settle, but they decided to fight it all the way.”

She adds: “What struck me was the prolific nature of his offending. It wasn’t just that an individual woman was let down by poor police investigation, but that because she and others were let down, it enabled this man to gain strength and confidence, to perfect his technique, to continue doing it, hurting so many women over a period of time.”

Though Worboys was formally convicted in 2009 for crimes against 12 women and in 2019 for four more, legal representatives and police suspected the true number of victims exceeded 100 women.

In powerful scenes in the true crime drama, Sarah gets into Worboys’ taxi after a night out in 2003, reluctantly accepts the drink, then passes out. She wakes up in hospital certain she has been raped by the cab driver.

After invasive examinations and gruelling questioning, the police are dismissive and her case is dropped. In Laila’s story, she is also drugged and assaulted before being dumped outside her student accommodation.

During humiliating questioning, even her red nail varnish is used to question her integrity. Harriet warns: “There is a really dangerous narrative that women make up false complaints. It’s a nightmare. No one’s going to make it up and go through that process with what they have to go through. It’s really hard for women to do, it’s quite traumatic.”

“One of the things that you get from this story is a particular way in which men target women, that women feel like they have to be polite,” she said.

“Even if a man’s bothering them, they don’t necessarily want to just tell them to p*** off. The way in which Worboys really pushed and persuaded them to take a drink and a lot of them didn’t really want to, I think that will ring true for most women. It is really quite hard to resist when someone’s being like that. It makes you seem really horrible if you’re not just friendly.”

The drama also highlights the many ways in which police did not handle the case correctly. Harriet explains: “The police were looking for evidence of a date rape drug, which there wasn’t, so they dismissed it. But actually, when you looked at the toxicology results, there were all sorts of other drugs in their system. So the women were left confused, left to think they just got very drunk or something weird had happened. That was a pretty shocking aspect.”

Recalling her time on the case, she said: “I also remember at the time of the attacks, the Mayor of London was doing a big campaign about ‘Never use an unlicensed cab, always use a black cab’. I remember both of the women saying to me how horrible it was to see this campaign.”

Harriet has also acted for the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, shot dead by Met police officers in July 2005, as well as a number of women in successful appeals against their murder convictions, including Sally Challen, abused and coercively controlled by her husband, and Emma Humphreys, who killed her violent boyfriend and pimp.

She still works tirelessly to highlight failures in the police and criminal justice system regarding violence against women, though it can sometimes be tough to keep the emotions in check.

Harriet, also a founder member of the campaign group Justice for Women, says: “If you want to remain empathetic, you’ve got to travel the journey a bit, but also you need to have a bit of separation so that you’re useful to your client, rather than an emotional wreck.”

“It’s about holding their hands through the process, but however hard it is, it’s their choice, and they’re doing it because actually, seeking truth and justice can have its own healing effect,” Harriett continued.

The drama also features Miriam Petche as Carrie Symonds, now the wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was targeted by Worboys in her youth and had a narrow escape.

Unbelievably, only eight years after Worboys was convicted for his crimes, his victims were made to fight again to keep him behind bars.

Carrie, by then a senior figure in the Conservative Party press team, spearheaded a huge media and political campaign pushing for the unprecedented review of the Parole Board’s decision.

Worboys’ parole was quashed and the bravery of these women resulted in significant changes to the law. His next parole hearing is due to be held in public in June.

Harriet, who describes her key legal battles in her book ‘Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men’, reveals she never ever felt like giving up.

She says: “It always felt like the truth, the justice, was on our side, and you just have to find a way to get there.” During filming of Believe Me, Harriet visited the ITV set and met Motherland actor Philippa, who was apparently nervous to meet her.

Harriet says: “She’s based on me, she’s not trying to mimic who I am. I think she was quite shy. I did actually send a couple of notes to clarify a point and also to say, ‘Could you just maybe show a tiny bit more empathy at this point’.”

She adds: “I’m really pleased the story is being told. I’m keen to use the drama as a vehicle to raise awareness about ways in which you can actually hold the police accountable. We need to protect women and girls.

“There are prejudices, sexism, misogyny, and a culture of blaming women for getting themselves raped. Women are being failed all the time. It’s still a massive battle. What you’ll get from the drama is why those women do it, why they continue to fight – not for themselves, for all women.”

Believe Me airs on ITV and STV from tomorrow night, Sunday 10th May at 9pm, with all four episodes available to stream on ITVX and STV Player

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MANCHESTER CITY 3-0 BRENTFORD: Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush scored the all important goals to ensure Pep Guardiola’s side remain in touch with Arsenal in the title race

It may not rival Vincent Kompany’s wonderstrike vs Leicester or Rodri’s historic winner in Istanbul when it comes to the pantheon of great Manchester City goals.

But for the third time in a week, Jeremy Doku delivered when his team needed him most to keep them alive in the title race – and to pile the pressure back on Arsenal ahead of their seismic showdown with relegation-haunted West Ham on Sunday.

After Doku’s 97th minute screamer salvaged a draw from the jaws of defeat in Monday night’s game with Everton, City knew there was no margin for error when Brentford rolled into town at The Etihad. To put it bluntly, anything but a win would pretty much make it game, set and match Arsenal in the title race.

And for an hour, it seemed as though only a Gunners implosion of absolutely epic proportions would deny Mikel Arteta and Co the domestic crown they have chased and craved so gamely for the last few years.

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But then, Doku produced what is fast becoming the Belgian’s trademark, bending a superb strike beyond the statuesque Caiomhin Kelleher and into the top corner.

The collective sigh of relief from around The Etihad could probably be heard all the way back in London, where all eyes will now turn to an Arsenal side who have form for being ground down by City in the championship rounds.

Erling Haaland plundered a second before Omar Marmoush added some gloss to a victory which, momentarily at least, puts City back to within two points of their title rivals. If Doku’s opener settled the nerves, Haaland’s scrappy goal extinguished them altogether. Marmoush’s added time strike was the icing on the cake.

This was not as comprehensive as the scoreline may suggest, though. City were booed off at the break after failing to break Brentford down despite accumulating 15 shots and enjoying 31 touches in the Bees’ penalty area.

The rather large caveat to those statistics was that just four shots found the target. But just as frustrations threatened to reach a simmering point, City found a way. Just as champions do.

Victory will not completely shift the trajectory of the title race. City are still the hunters; Arsenal started the day with the advantage and they were always going to end it in the ascendancy after City dropped points at Everton.

But this win means a first domestic title in a generation for the Gunners is not quite the foregone conclusion it would have been had City been unable to breach Brentford. And it means it’s now Arsenal’s turn to cope with the weight of expectation that comes with leading the league three games out from the post.

There were mixed emotions even in spite of Doku’s late goal against Everton. It didn’t feel like a point was enough. That may still prove to the case – but it certainly now feels a much better point that it did five days ago.

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