The London Fire Brigade confirmed it received 19 calls reporting the blaze, prompting more than a dozen fire engines to be dispatched to the scene where crews found three people trapped
Rachel Vickers-Price UK and World News Reporter
23:32, 20 Jun 2026
Three people have died following a blaze that erupted in west London on Saturday night (June 20), the London Fire Brigade has confirmed.
Approximately 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines rushed to tackle the inferno on New Zealand Way, which started at around 6.52pm, after the fire brigade received 19 calls about the incident.
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Speaking at the scene on New Zealand Way in White City, London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “The fire involved a single-storey pavilion, with just over half of the structure damaged by the fire.
“Three men were rescued from the building by firefighters and treated on scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service. Sadly, two of the men were declared dead at the scene. The third man was taken to hospital for further treatment, but was later declared dead.”
He said the brigade received the first of 19 calls reporting the fire at 6.52pm, and crews from North Kensington, Acton, Chiswick and surrounding fire stations were dispatched to the scene, with firefighters managing to bring the blaze under control by 9.25pm, reports the Express.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade’s specialist fire investigation officers and the Metropolitan Police Service, Mr Goulbourne said.
Get ready for a new week (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Solstice has passed and we are into full summer now, with Mars moving into Gemini and a Mercury Retrograde on the horizon.
Feels like a good week to get organised before they kick in and stir things up, and get all your priorities established, lined up and scheduled for action.
When you’ve got your to-do list spot on, you just feel more on top of things — and actually, in the mood to have fun, because you can see the glimmers of time available and feel like you deserve a treat.
What needs organising in your realm this week? Let the tarot guide you…
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
Get some help from an organised pal (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Aries for this week: Page of Wands
Meaning: You need some help getting organised. In fact, you need to organise how you get organised, right now. Aries are not known for schedules and to-do lists, so you need to find a Capricorn, Virgo or Gemini who can give you the head start on how to approach a jumble of tasks and ideas and turn them into something achievable, streamlined and robust.
See this not as a chore but an experiment. Imagine how much you could get done, succeed in, and have the pleasure of experiencing if you planned your time to the best of your ability? Get to it.
A little leeway can make a big difference (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Taurus for this week: Eight of Cups
Meaning: You’re pretty organised at heart as you like to wield control over your life. The only thing to change this coming week, and through summer, is to leave more ‘wriggle room’ when you’re embarking on something big.
Make extra time to be late, delayed, presented with an unforeseen treat or unmissable activity, consider a better option, pursue a fresh opening that wasn’t there before. Put this ‘wriggle room’ into everything you’ve got going on and you will get way way more out of it, even if it’s just arriving more relaxed and refreshed. There are surprises ahead. Create space for them to land in your daily life.
Something major arrives in your realm this week (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Gemini for this week: The Sun
Meaning: You are organising your summer holidays, and beyond! That’s not frivolous — travels, trips and vacations take a lot of work and sorting out, and better to do prior to a Mercury Retrograde than during, right? You’re well aware of Mercury’s tricks, bring ruled by that planet yourself.
This is going to be a good week. The change of season enlivens and energises you, and you’re ready for adventures, escapades and creative projects. Love, success and achievement are all on the cards for you, so the sky’s the limit. Look out for lovely Leos, golden invitations, new career openings and almost too-good-to-be-true offers… anything is possible.
Give yourself a pat on the back (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Cancer for this week: Strength
Meaning: Look back and smile at how far you’ve come and how brave you are now about dealing with things you might once have side-stepped or scuttled under a rock to avoid. The crab is a courageous creature! And you’re out there, pincers up, handling your business and sorting out what needs attention. Every confident step you take, proactive move you make, and challenge you rise to meet only serves to make you feel stronger, better, bigger, and more capable. It’s all a win/win.
Make this a week of celebrating your resilience and success, of dealing with things you don’t want to drag along into your sign’s season. It’s Cancer season — be your full, amazing self!
Now’s the time to get set for summer and your season (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Leo for this week: Five of Swords
Meaning: Summer is your most powerful season. You are ruled by the Sun in astrology, the source of warmth and light in the Universe (fittingly) and it’s your zodiac season come the end of July. So please use this week to iron out any and all squabbles, rifts or misunderstandings in your realm that are bothering you come 4am; you know, the conversations you replay over and over, the questions you never asked, the things you said that might’ve landed wrongly.
Iron it all out. Do what you need to do to restore clarity, understanding and goodwill, so you can enter summer on an absolute high, on the crest of a wave of friendship and fellowship. You’re a people person. Pay attention to your people this week.
You’ll reap what you sow now, well into the coming months (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Virgo for this week: Ace of Coins
Meaning: Organised? You are never anything but organised, Virgo, so you don’t really need to do this homework before summer begins. Instead, look to this week as a place to plant new seeds that can grow through summer and beyond — even into 2027.
The Ace of Coins invites you to put new projects, chores, ambitions, tasks, targets and ideas in motion, especially relating to health, wealth, work and home. What can you begin that is a long-term project with magnificent potential and rewarding results? It will take steady investment and consistent action, but you’re up for it. The results are worthwhile. This starts here.
Meaning: Your social life is always busy — being ruled by Venus you are wonderful company, a charming lover, and an easygoing presence in all circles. You move effortlessly around many different territories.
The Ten of Cups wants you to plan your social life with care this summer. Don’t just go with the flow, think about who you want to prioritise, and put that intent into action, into your actual plans each week. Don’t be ‘done to’ and swept into other folks’ stories… write your own. And if romance or your partner is top of the list, then make it like that in real life. Summer is a time of love and passion, maybe this is your calling this year.
Get your schedule in order and the good times will follow (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Scorpio for this week: Eight of Wands
Meaning: Catch up on all of your correspondence and invitations and summer events already known of. Get this planned in over the coming months and see how it’s shaping up. What looks clustered or busy? What could be condensed and pulled together into one? What looks like a good window for a holiday or an extended break?
You are going to be busy and in demand this summer, so take a peek at the known factors and assess where and when is a good time to add more… or try and avoid. Social success, good holidays, and happy times do take planning and forethought, this is your window of time to do that.
Tarot card for Sagittarius for this week: The Wheel of Fortune
Meaning: The Wheel of Fortune is so your card, Sagittarius, reflecting your spontaneous, courageous and devil-may-care attitude to life. You go where you please, plans can change at a moment’s notice if a better option arises (which it often does because you’re lucky and attractive) and there’s no reason this summer will be any different, So, forget organisation and just be openminded, as ever. Things will turn out fine.
Know that whatever you think is coming along this season may well turn into something completely different. That might faze other folk, but you’re okay with it, going with the flow, taking what’s given in the moment and enjoying every second of it. Power to you!
It’s not what you expected, but it works (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Capricorn for this week: Eight of Cups
Meaning: Sometimes it’s all about timing, right? And this card signals that the time is right to return to a lost opportunity, a broken relationship, a forgotten pastime, or a failed attempt, and try again. Do this before the end of the week, because it might be the making of your summer.
Even if the attempt doesn’t land exactly as you hope, something will shake loose from the tree of opportunity and land in your lap, and it is that fruit which is the one you were always meant to pick. So, shake that tree! Use this week to circle back to things you didn’t fulfil that once meant a lot. Try again. Something better is coming along as a result.
Tarot card for Aquarius for this week: Ten of Coins
Meaning: Feels like this summer is a foundational time for you, a ground in which to sow new seeds that you’re going to be invested in for the coming decade. As such, it’s a good idea to use a long-term lens when evaluating what you spend time and energy on, and what you prioritise.
This is the lens that will dictate what decisions you take this summer, so spend this week reflecting on your long-term plans, ambitions, ideals and steps. Create a vision! Consider what, therefore, is needed and useful this year, what action would create the right foundation or platform… and make that your goal for the season.
What would make your summer one to remember? (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Pisces for this week: Knight of Wands
Meaning: Adventures are coming your way, and summer 2026 is going to be epic! Your homework this week? Simply start daydreaming, imagining, researching, and inviting. Set wheels in motion, serve balls to willing players, activate your ideas in real life.
No overthinking or heavy schedules, just act on things that pop into your mind as ‘that’d be great or fun!’ and kick the idea over to someone who can collaborate, help, action it, or just bounce the idea around some more. Spontaneous, uplifting things are going to start unfolding from here, and you just need an open mind, a clear space in your diary, and the confidence to say yes, I’m in!
Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
It’s never as simple as you think (Picture: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
‘I’ve decided to give sex work a go!’ the message read.
My chest sagged, for I knew I was about to be pummelled for information by a friend who imagined my job was immensely easy, the money quick, the rewards limitless.
Which can be true, with the right mindset.
Soon, however, her opening remark was qualified. ‘Obviously, though, I can’t show my face, because of my other work. And my boyfriend, my mum, the kids….’
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Well, obviously.
‘And I don’t want to actually meet men, because, you know, as a woman, I’m worried about my safety.’
‘And I don’t really want to degrade myself by showing any other body parts either, you know, the private bits. But I understand I can make money just by selling pictures of feet?’
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Women think selling feet pictures is enough, but for most this won’t result in big earnings(Picture: Getty Images)
You can. But there are millions of women in your predicament trying that very trick.
Feet content is already the highest revenue generator year on year for porn site Clips4Sale, with countless creators putting up their prices by 56% for things like boot worship and 36% for dirty feet. Put simply, the market is already saturated.
Then you saunter into the scene, waving your newly pedicured trotters vaguely near your phone, feeling thrilled by your own daring, and expect to be a millionaire by sunset? Sister, dream on.
Sometimes the kinkier ones ask to sit in on my own sessions, perhaps give a feeble, misjudged blow to a gentle regular’s kidney, then expect gratitude, a slice of the fee, and me to provide them with more work.
Give a girl a client, she’ll eat for a day; teach a girl to net a client, she’ll eat for life. And I do try to guide them, really I do. Advertise, market yourself, get your own clients, practise walloping a pillow, I urge!
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But no. They prefer to turn up at my house and simper at how easy I make it all seem. They want the money I earn without running any of the risks, doing any of the work, or spending decades building up contacts and knowledge, a reputation for delivering on my promises.
Kinksters are slow to trust, reasonably: their lives are in your hands.
And underneath my girlfriends’ pleas for help all I hear is: ‘Obviously, I’m far too valuable and important to degrade myself with any of the disgusting risky muck you undertake, but I really want all the money you have, and this irresolvable conundrum is now your problem, so tell me how to fix it.’
Sorry. I can’t. I realise now how lucky I was to begin sex work so young, when I had nothing to lose, no proper job, no kids, no boyfriend, and to come from such a low social class I suffered no parental expectations either.
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Women are scared of meeting clients face-to-face for fear of violence (Picture: Getty Images/Image Source)
My family were never respectable, thank goodness. How the dreadful strain of respectability wears a decent girl down.
Occasionally, however, being bold, and brave, and admitting who you are and what you’ve done, can earn you some grudging respect from the respectable world, too. Why, it even scored me a column in Metro, and a place on the reality show Nobody’s Fool.
You must decide what you want more than anything. If it’s money, and you’re a woman, sex work isn’t a bad option: but it does involve closing off a lot of other options.
For me, it is money, and I regret nothing.
Still, becoming a sex worker reminds me of the Little Mermaid who chose to walk, for love’s sake, every step agony. You must completely surrender any hope of a normal life. It will be painful, and in the first few months, it won’t feel worth it; you’ll make almost no money at all.
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Even with my help: you’ll be just another lonely lady screaming into the abyss, begging the abyss to scream back at you.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Newly released video from an officer’s body camera and a surveillance camera at a Texas running track captures the moments after a teenage athlete fatally stabbed another teen from a rival team in the stadium bleachers during a high school meet last year.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder on June 10 in the death of Austin Metcalf, 17, and sentenced to 35 years in prison. A jury rejected Anthony’s claims of self-defense. The videos were included in a batch of evidence released by the Collin County court following the conclusion of the trial.
The surveillance video shows the track and bleachers on a rainy day. Suddenly a figure wearing a gray sweatshirt is seen popping up from behind a yellow tent and then running down the steps. The video has no sound.
He got to the bottom of the bleachers, tripped and fell on the ground, and then kept running along the edge of the fencing that separates the bleachers from the running track. He stopped briefly, turned to look at what appeared to be someone chasing him, and then kept running.
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After making his way part way around the track, he was joined by an unidentified person. They stopped to talk and then hugged. They started walking again and were joined by another person. After talking more, Anthony walked toward the fence where he appeared to meet up with a police officer.
The officer put him in handcuffs and walked him toward the police cruiser. Anthony obeyed the officer’s commands and then started crying.
“He put his hands on me,” Anthony said in a broken voice. “I told him not to. He put his hands on me.”
The officers escorted him to the police cruiser and placed him inside.
Recently, Stylist described “parachute friends” – mates who seem to drop back into your life only when they need something from you.
That might take the form of one-sided emotional support, physical help, or an unreciprocated confidence boost. Whatever the demands are, they can feel never-ending and leave you wondering if you’re being taken advantage of.
HuffPost UK spoke to BACP member, head counsellor and behavioural science researcher at Cardamom Counselling, Ragini Jha, for signs you might have one of these friends.
We also asked what to do if you suspect one of your pals meets the criteria.
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How can I tell if I have a “parachute friend”?
Jha told us that some signs might include the following:
They only text when something’s going wrong in their life – never to share good news or just check in.
They mirror your energy in person but never initiate that warmth themselves.
They’re great listeners in the moment but never reference what you told them later, like it didn’t register.
They cancel on you but show up reliably for people higher in their social hierarchy.
Conversations end abruptly once their immediate need is resolved.
They’re warm and present during a crisis (yours) but disappear once things stabilise, almost like they need the drama to stay engaged.
What should I do if I think I have a “parachute friend”?
The counsellor said that you could try a two-week “experiment”, the counsellor advised.
This isn’t meant so much as a way of testing your friendship as it is a means of looking at the patterns your communication typically takes.
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“Stop initiating entirely and just observe what happens,” Jha suggested.
If you notice a trend you don’t like after that, or if you already think you’ve spotted habits that leave you unhappy with the relationship, address it.
Don’t begin with accusations, though, as that can leave your friend feeling attacked and defensive.
“Avoid leading with the pattern itself [by saying things like] ’you only talk to me when…”, the expert said.
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“Instead, try naming what you want going forward: ‘I’d love it if we caught up more, I would love to tell you some positive updates.’”
If naming the issue and allowing your friend to come to greater alignment with you doesn’t seem to redress the issue, Jha said: “If the imbalance is causing real hurt, it’s worth checking whether you’re seeking from this person something that’s better met elsewhere (a partner, a therapist, other friends)”.
Kerry’s defence of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship lives on after a crushing win over Armagh at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.
The Kingdom picked the perfect moments to score key goals, ensuring a facile win against Armagh in a manner eerily similar to last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final win over the same opposition.
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Kieran McGeeney’s side actually started the brighter of the two teams and took a deserved three-point lead when Cian McConville sent one over the black spot in the 10th minute.
Moments later, and David Clifford was rounding Ethan Rafferty before finishing soccer style following an excellent pass from Dylan Casey.
The Ulster Champions went about regrouping, and would have been the happier of the two sides as they trailed by just three points with seconds ticking down towards the first half buzzer, especially seeing as they were playing into a stiff breeze.
With goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty up the field, Armagh worked towards a buzzer-beater to sicken Kerry before the interval. Instead, Jarly Óg Burns’ pass went to the deck, and two passes later, Paul Geaney was kicking into an empty net to make it a six-point game.
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Disappointment for Armagh: They’re second meltdown at the buzzer in six days after Sam Mulroy’s epic winner for Louth last Sunday.
Geezer’s charges needed a response. Instead, Kerry took the game away from the 2024 All-Ireland champions, and when Joe O’Connor blasted home in the 45th minute, it was all but over.
Armagh tried gainfully, but Kerry kept them at arm’s reach down the stretch to take home the comfortable win, with Keuth Evans’ lovely dink down the stretch adding further gloss to the scoreline.
It’ll be the end of the road for many of those men in orange, but for Kerry, it’s another step closer to Sam Maguire, and they will be the team that everyone wants to avoid in Monday’s quarter-final draw.
Carole Grace, 70, of Thornaby, has dedicated 40 years to Stagecoach, having first worked in the industry during the 1970s before returning in 1986.
She began her career in 1976 as a bus conductress, later qualifying as a driver.
After six years, she left to raise her son and returned to Stagecoach at its Stockton depot once he started full-time school.
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Ms Grace said: “I first started my life on the buses as a conductress and after a few months passed my test and went driving.
“Over the years I’ve been fortunate to experience a number of different roles.
“I enjoyed representing colleagues and later working in the training department as a driving instructor, helping others build their careers in the industry.
“I still enjoy driving today, especially with the introduction of the new electric buses.
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“No two days are the same and I’ve always enjoyed the banter with customers and colleagues.
“I’ve had some great laughs along the way and made many lasting friendships.”
Throughout her career, she has taken on several responsibilities, including serving as a union representative, employee representative on the ESOP committee, non-executive director, and driving instructor.
Malcolm Bell, operations manager at Stagecoach’s Stockton depot, praised her dedication and long-standing commitment.
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Mr Bell said: “Carole is a well-respected, dedicated employee here at Stockton and is liked by all of her colleagues.
“We are incredibly grateful for her loyalty and contribution over four decades and she is a credit to our depot.
“Reaching 40 years of service is a fantastic achievement and reflects Carole’s commitment to both our customers and her colleagues.
“We are proud to celebrate this milestone with her and thank her for everything she has contributed to Stagecoach over the years.”
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Ms Grace said she still finds joy in the everyday routine of driving, particularly with the introduction of new electric vehicles.
She said her career has offered her many opportunities to learn, grow, and support others within the industry, and she continues to value the connections she’s made along the way.
She has helped to support and develop future generations of drivers.
She remains a valued member of the Stockton team and a familiar face to passengers across Teesside.
Members meet every Sunday for what they describe as “Dadventures” at locations across Northern Ireland
A Belfast-based group that supports fathers through outdoor activities and peer support is marking Father’s Day with a special camping weekend to help young dads strengthen their relationships with their children.
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DadBods NI, which was established in 2022, is hosting the event this weekend, culminating in a family walk at Crawfordsburn Country Park on Sunday.
The organisation was founded to encourage fathers to spend quality time with their children and has grown from a small walking group into a charity supporting dads from across Belfast and beyond. Members meet every Sunday for what they describe as “Dadventures” at locations across Northern Ireland.
Founder Col Bignell said the group had evolved significantly since its beginnings.
“We’re just a group of dads that started out as a simple walk on a Sunday, and we’ve since developed into a charity,” he said.
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“We’ve found that we have built better bonds with our children through this group. We’ve really connected and become a community which has really had positive impacts on our mental health.
“This weekend we decided to organise a DadBods camp and will be having a full family walk on Sunday at Crawfordsburn to celebrate Father’s Day.”
The group recently received its first major funding award through Save the Children Northern Ireland’s Innovation Fund, which awarded grants of £5,000 to 10 community projects as part of work with the Eastside Early Learning Community.
DadBods NI plans to use the funding to develop a series of workshops designed to build skills and confidence among new fathers.
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Group member Philip Brady, who will lead the workshops, said becoming a parent can often feel isolating.
“I’m a dad, I have a one-and-a-half-year-old little boy and I know the importance of building that connection with him,” he said.
“I want to help other dads build their confidence and connections because it’s hard to do in isolation. Being a dad can be lonely at times and wanting to do your best while you’re working or whatever that looks like for you, it’s really important to have that community.”
The new programme is intended to provide practical support and create opportunities for fathers to connect with others facing similar challenges, while continuing the organisation’s focus on strengthening family relationships and supporting mental wellbeing.
And here in Bolton, there is no shortage of beaches within easy reach of the town, a short drive or train journey away, with one named the best in the country by experts.
The Daily Mail on Saturday named Southport in its popular travel section, put together by travel writers and experts.
Travel writer Rob Crossan chose the beach, stating at low tide the beach stretches so far, it creates one of the “most immense, widescreen coastal views in Britain.”
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The beach was named alongside those in Devon, Dorset and Cornwall.
Southport really does offer something for everyone, including the traditional seaside fun.
Visit Southport states: “With long sandy beaches and a coast-line that stretches 22 miles across Sefton, you can soak up the panoramic view of golden sands and admire the beauty of the coast!
“Southport beach has one of the most unique natural environments in the country.”
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“If you enjoy walking you will fall in love with the paths and trails through the dunes.
“Southport beach is a place where sea and sand are in harmony with nature and countryside – a rare combination that will bring enjoyment for young and old alike!
“If you fancy a spot of traditional seaside fun, a trip down memory lane where nostalgic feelings come flooding back, you can guarantee Southport has it all.
“From beach-combing with the little ones to collect shells or guided historic walks along the coast.”
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Southport beach is only a 10 minute walk from the local train station.
A simple task done in June could have a big impact
Talya Honebeek Content Editor – Spare Time and Alex Evans Deputy Audience Editor
04:34, 21 Jun 2026
Households are being urged to pour mouthwash into their washing machines for an important reason this June.
A cleaning expert from an appliance repair firm has shared the unusual tip in a bid to help eliminate bacteria and reduce unpleasant smells during your laundry cycle.
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Washing machines, despite being regularly filled with hot water and detergent, do build up dirt, grime and germs over time and can even become prone to mould.
Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance repair specialist at Domestic and General, suggests that adding a splash of mouthwash directly into the detergent drawer is an inexpensive and simple way to maintain your washing machine’s cleanliness, and that this ‘maintenance wash’ should be performed every three months.
He explained: “Your washing machine should be deeply cleaned every one to three months to prevent bacteria, mould, and detergent build-up. However, you should perform a maintenance wash once a month; this involves running a hot, empty cycle with a dedicated washing machine cleaner. If you don’t have a dedicated cleaner, white vinegar or baking soda are good alternatives.”
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“Mouthwash can also be used to clean your washing machine. Pour half a cup of alcohol-based mouthwash directly into the drum or the detergent drawer, and run an empty cycle. This allows the antiseptic properties to kill bacteria, sanitise the drum, and leave it smelling fresh. For best results, pair this with cleaning the detergent drawer and filter as these are often the quickest places to get dirty.
“You can also try disinfecting your laundry load with mouthwash. Using mouthwash on clothes with stubborn odours, like activewear and socks, can help to remove lingering smells and bacteria.
“Make sure you use a colourless option to prevent staining your clothes or the washing machine’s interior.
“Using mouthwash in moderation should not damage your washing machine, but it’s important not to use too much at a time as this can lead to excessive suds and even overflow if it reacts with your detergent.
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“An overflowing machine can cause internal damage and costly faults, so remember to keep an eye on your laundry cycle when you use this cleaning hack. Having washing machine insurance in place can provide peace of mind and help cover any unexpected costs should something go wrong.
“Additionally, high alcohol content in some mouthwashes can degrade certain fabrics, so it’s best not to use this tip on delicate clothing.”
The crash, which killed a train driver, involved two East Midlands Railway services on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday
Ellie Crabbe and Rosie Shead
18:43, 20 Jun 2026Updated 18:49, 20 Jun 2026
Twenty eight people remain in hospital, nine of them in a critical condition, after two trains collided near Bedford, police have said.
The crash, which killed a train driver, and injured 100 others, involved two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, with one smashing into the back of the other on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday.
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Speaking at a press conference near the scene on Saturday, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said: “Tragically, the driver of one of the trains died in the collision.
“His family have been informed and our deepest condolences are with them, his friends, and his colleagues at East Midlands Railway.
“The driver’s family, as you would expect, are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time.”
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She said more than 80 people had been treated in hospital on Friday night.
“As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition,” Ms D’Orsi said.
She thanked emergency service teams and railway staff for their response to the incident, adding: “I also want to thank local people who showed immense kindness to those stranded on trains and to the casualties.”
Paul Gates, strategic commander at the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS), said: “Tragically, one person died at the scene. 11 people sustained very serious injuries, a further 32 were seriously injured, and 57 others suffered minor injuries.”
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Andy Hopkinson, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue chief fire officer, said more than 70 fire officers had been involved in the response, adding that there had been no fire during the incident.
The two trains involved were the 4.40pm departure from Corby and the 3.50pm departure from Nottingham, both to London St Pancras.
East Midlands Railway’s managing director Will Rogers said it was a “profoundly sad day for the railway community” and that the company was supporting the investigation into the incident.
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He said “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with family, friends, and colleagues of our driver and everybody else who has been injured or affected by this tragic incident.
“Our priority is the welfare of everybody involved and we are here for customers and our colleagues.”
He added: “We’re fully supporting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigation and our thoughts are firmly with the family and loved ones of our colleague and everybody injured or affected by this tragic incident.
“This is a profoundly sad day for the railway community.
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“I’d like to thank everybody that has responded to this incident.”
Earlier on Saturday, Buckingham Palace said the King was “greatly saddened” by the crash and that his “thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured of affected by such a tragic incident”, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a post on X that he had spoken with the chief executive of EEAS.
“I expressed my gratitude to the air ambulance crews, the emergency services who responded under extremely difficult circumstances, as well as the NHS staff taking care of the injured,” Sir Keir said.
“My thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating incident.”
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Passenger Pete Knapp described people “crying, screaming” and said some seemed to have major injuries.
Dr Knapp told the Press Association: “There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke.
“People were crying, screaming, people were so scared and confused.”
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The 40-year-old said he saw people with “life-threatening, major injuries, minor injuries” as well as “people with bandages, people who couldn’t see straight”, while others like him were still able to walk.
Brett Byatt, another passenger on board, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he was among three or four people in his carriage who were not injured, adding: “Everyone else had either a serious wound that was bleeding profusely, or a situation where they couldn’t stand, or couldn’t move their neck, or I saw a woman’s snapped leg.”
Mr Byatt, a teacher, who lives in Bedford, said he was now feeling “angry” the morning after the collision.
“I don’t know at whom, who specifically, but it’s more about we’ve got one of the oldest railway networks and signal failures happen a lot, and now I’m just wondering… why wasn’t that signalled to my train and why did that train driver lose his life over this?” he said.
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The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said its inspectors continued to gather evidence at the scene on Saturday.
“RAIB will conduct a full, independent safety investigation into this tragic accident,” a spokesperson for the agency said on X. “We will provide a further update in the coming days once we know more.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said her prayers were with the family of the driver who was killed and all those injured.
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Writing on X, she added: “May God comfort and protect them, and equip all those who are caring for them in the aftermath of this tragic incident.”
On Friday, Sir Keir described the crash as “hugely concerning” and said he was “grateful to the emergency services for their swift response”.
There was a huge emergency response to the crash, which happened just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6. It included multiple air ambulance helicopters and road vehicles.
Police and network rail crews remained at the scene on Saturday as reporters were allowed on to a field next to the railway line to get a closer view of the site.
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The front of the train from Corby has been crushed where it collided with the rear of the train from Nottingham.
On the rear train, which has Luton Airport Express livery, there was visible damage to the rear of the carriages which had been shunted into ones in front.
Network Rail said on Saturday that part of the East Midlands route remained closed as the emergency response continued and teams assessed damage to the trains and infrastructure.
The company said it would provide updates when it had a clearer understanding of the recovery work required and when services can safely reopen, adding that passengers should check with their train operator for the latest travel advice.
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