The route had been closed in both directions between the A67 at Bowes, County Durham, and the A685 at Brough, Cumbria, due to safety concerns amid blustery conditions on Tuesday (March 24).

RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE#A66 in both directions between the #A67 (#Bowes, #CountyDurham) and #A685 (#Brough, #Cumbria).

ROAD CLOSED TO HIGH-SIDED VEHICLES

Due to strong winds.

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The Met Office forecast wind speeds likely to reduce late morning/early afternoon. pic.twitter.com/iDCN6uNX0K

— National Highways: North-East (@HighwaysNEAST) March 24, 2026

In an update on Wednesday (March 25), National Highways North East said wind speeds had now eased sufficiently to lift the restrictions.

A spokesperson said: “A66 has reopened to high-sided vehicles in both directions between A67 (Bowes, County Durham) and A685 (Brough, Cumbria).

Wind speeds have decreased, allowing the lifting of restrictions. We’ll continue to monitor wind speeds and will advise if things change.”

The closure initially came as unsettled weather continued across the region, with the Met Office warning of a sharp drop in temperatures in the coming days.

Forecasters say daytime highs could fall into single digits by midweek, with colder nights and the potential for wintry conditions in some areas, particularly further north.

Motorists are still being advised to take care, as conditions remain changeable with frequent showers and gusty winds expected to persist.

Karen Maidment began her career at the airport in 1981 and took up a permanent post in 1985, before starting her shift in the control tower in 1990.

During her time with the team, she worked her way up to become Head of Air Traffic Services, though her Type 1 diabetes prevented her from qualifying as a full air traffic controller under historic health regulations.

Karen Maidment, who has celebrated 40 years working at Teesside International Airport Picture by Tom Banks (Image: Tom Banks)

She said: “Watching people progress has been so rewarding and fulfilling – and there aren’t many people who get that in a job.

“Watching them go from strength to strength to become marvellous, and safe, Air Traffic Controllers makes me so proud of them – and they should be proud of themselves.

“It’s been marvellous – and I’d recommend this job to anybody.”

Ms Maidment, originally from Fairfield in Stockton, started out on the airport’s information desk before moving into air traffic.

She eventually stepped back from her leadership role in 2024 but continued to support the team with her experience until her retirement in March.

Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside Airport, said: “Karen has been a titan of the Air Traffic team.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside her and get to know her during my time here – the guidance, support, knowledge, expertise and friendship she’s offered at the airport and in the tower across more than four decades has been invaluable.

“She’ll be sorely missed but on behalf of the entire airport team, I’d like to wish her a long and happy retirement.”

Ms Maidment met her husband Gary at the airport in 2005.

He is now Teesside Airport’s longest-serving Air Traffic Engineer.

During her long career, she waved off Princess Diana and Concorde from Teesside.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley mayor, said: “Karen has been at the heart of the airport through huge changes – helping us grow and supporting generations of people around her in our Air Traffic Control Tower.

“We owe Karen a huge thank you for everything she’s done, and she leaves behind a lasting legacy at our airport.

“I wish her all the very best for a well-earned and happy retirement.”

Ms Maidment marked 40 years with the airport team last year and finally hung up her headphones for the last time on Saturday, March 21.

The properties were refused unanimously

Two houses in South Belfast have been stripped of their HMO status after their landlords failed to follow correct procedure.

At the March meeting of the Belfast City Council Licensing Council, elected representatives refused HMO applications for 41 Claremont Street, between University Road and Lisburn Road and 32 Flat B Candahar Street, off the Ormeau Road. Both were refused unanimously on the basis of overprovision.

The Claremont Street property previously had an HMO licence issued by the council with a start date of December 2 2020, and an expiry date of December 2 2025. The ownership of the property transferred to Emma Convery from her father on May 2 2021.

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The council report on the application says it “was not made aware of the change of ownership at that time.” In accordance with council policy the licence in the name of the previous owner ceased to have effect on the date of transfer.

An application for a new HMO licence was received from Emma Convery on November 29 last year. An application for a Temporary Exemption Notice was received on December 3 last year and granted until June 8.

On the date of assessment, February 18 this year, 97 percent of all dwelling units in the policy area “Fitzwilliam” were made up of HMOs and other intensive forms of accommodation apartments – well above the 20 percent development limit. There are 74 licensed HMOs with a capacity of 363 persons in the area.

Ms Convery told the committee: “Yes the name wasn’t right for several years, but this was unknown to me that I had to change the name. I was told that it was okay until I had to renew the licence.

“This property is used to house post-graduate health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, midwifery staff and other members of health care teams. I have never had any problems with this property, and it is quite a pleasure to rent out.

“This is the only property we do rent out. I believe in providing affordable accommodation to those close to our hospitals in Belfast.” She added: “I have spent a lot of money trying to get it to this point, and I will be very disappointed if I wasn’t re-awarded the HMO licence.”

The Candahar Street property previously had an HMO licence issued by the council with a start date of January 11 2021, and an expiry date of January 11 2026, in the name of the existing owner Norton Cross Ltd.

A reminder letter was sent to the owner on December 3 last year informing them that they were required to renew the HMO licence before the expiry of the existing licence on January 11 this year. They missed the expiry date, and an application for a new HMO licence was received at the council from Norton Cross Ltd on January 23. A Temporary Exemption Notice was granted until April 27.

On March 2 2026, 26 percent of all dwelling units in policy area “Ballynafeigh” were made up of HMOs and intensive forms of accommodation apartments, which in turn exceeded the 20 percent development limit as set out in policy.

An agent for the property owner told the committee: “This was a simple mistake. I have a spreadsheet with all my HMOs on it, and I have a very good staff, who don’t make many mistakes, but they put in the date December 15 2026 for the renewal, instead of January. It was a simple typographical error.” He said the penalty “didn’t fit the crime.”

Houses of Multiple Occupation, also known as a “house-share” residencies, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour in places like the Holylands and Stranmillis in South Belfast, where landlords pack houses with undergraduates and others.

Applications for new HMO licences have increased in other parts of the city in recent years. A series of applications have been refused across the city, but many applicants are successfully appealing the decisions via the Planning Appeals Commission.

HMO licence renewal cannot be refused on the basis of overprovision of such properties in an area, but new licences can be refused on this basis.

While the council policy is that HMO’s should not account for more than 20 percent of any area of housing management, in reality many streets exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percent. Outside housing policy areas the threshold is 10 percent.

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Opposition is mounting to Belfast City Council’s plans to extend Sunday trading hours, with retail groups warning the move could harm workers and independent businesses

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Several organisations have voiced strong opposition to Belfast City Council’s latest public consultation on extending Sunday trading hours during periods of high tourist and visitor numbers.

The council launched the consultation on Monday, March 23, inviting feedback from residents, visitors and business representatives on plans to introduce a ‘holiday resort’ designation across the city.

If approved, the designation would allow larger stores — those with a floor space exceeding 280 square metres — to open for extended hours during certain periods. This would be for up to 18 Sundays between March 1 and September 30 each year, excluding Easter Sunday.

Elected members previously agreed in principle to explore the move in July last year. The outcome of the consultation, which runs on the Your Say Belfast platform until May 14, will help inform a final decision. However, retail trade union Usdaw said it is disappointed the issue has been revisited.

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Usdaw General Secretary Joanne Thomas said similar proposals had been considered multiple times in recent years including in 2024, 2020 and 2017 — with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.

She said: “Usdaw is disappointed that the issue of extended Sunday trading hours in Belfast is yet again being discussed by the City Council. Repeatedly considering extending Sunday trading hours is a distraction from tackling the real issues that impact the retail sector.

“Usdaw has repeatedly fully committed to working with Belfast City Council and others to support and improve the retail experience at the weekend and for tourists. Our members remain opposed to extending Sunday trading hours.

Allowing large stores to open for longer on Sundays would have a negative impact on retail workers, their families and our communities. Longer Sunday trading would take a heavy toll on staff who would come under even more pressure to work, when they would rather be spending time with family and engaging in community, sports and leisure activities or attending church.

“There would also be a detrimental impact on smaller retailers who can already open longer hours on Sundays. These traders rely on the boost in trade they get on Sunday morning, with St George’s Market being a prime example. Even supporters of extended Sunday opening hours have not been able to show it will lead to economic benefits or job creation. Put simply, opening shops for longer does not mean people have more money to spend.

“We all want to see a strong and diverse retail sector in Belfast and across the nation, but that means striking the right balance. We urge City Councillors to listen to the majority of shop workers and retailers who do not want extended Sunday trading.”

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “To completely deregulate Sunday trading and create another normal shopping day shows a poverty of ambition and ideas for the city. It is an idea that belongs to the past and not to a modern progressive 21st century City.

“We need new thinking to animate Sunday mornings and offer shoppers and visitors something different. This proposal will provide large multinationals with even more trading time, directly at the expense of small independent retailers who use trading time on Sunday mornings to sustain their business.”

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

The 32-year-old who will be a notable absentee from the Donegal team when they contest Sunday’s NFL Division 1 final

The surgeon gave it to Paddy McBrearty straight after the fourth operation on his left knee in a decade last October. Time to consider retirement.

So it’s tempting to feel sorry for the 32-year-old who will be a notable absentee from the Donegal team when they contest Sunday’s NFL Division 1 final.

Then again, he almost walked away himself anyway at the end of Donegal’s horror 2023 season, when the future looked particularly grey and bleak. Donegal were relegated from Division 1 that season, were beaten by Down in Ulster and tanked by Tyrone in the All-Ireland series.

That he got two more Ulster titles out of it before retiring, captaining Donegal both seasons, means McBrearty actually did pretty well for himself.

It was his persistence that ultimately got Jim McGuinness to return to the Donegal hotseat for 2024.

And if he hadn’t gone to the lengths he did, calling to his former manager’s door uninvited the morning after Donegal’s 2023 Championship exit, these glory days probably wouldn’t have returned.

McBrearty was captain in 2023 and said: “It was a difficult period, standards had slipped big time. I suppose the position I was in, I took it really, really to heart.

“You learned a lot that year. You knew who was in it for the right reasons and who was only in it for the good days. That’s when you know the really, really good lads.

“Personally, if Jim wasn’t going to come back in at the end of the 2023 season, I probably would have thought about retiring then.

“Because I was coming off a really serious hamstring injury, my business was starting at that stage and I wanted to give that a proper rattle. I wasn’t going to stay on for a rebuild.

“I was glad to get two more years out of it. I had 13 years done at that stage in 2023.”

And yet the surgeon’s words were still hard to hear last October, after the operation in Santry. The rest of the Donegal team were in Cancun at the time, their reward for reaching the All-Ireland final.

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The 32-year-old GAA+ pundit for 2026 said: “It was my fourth surgery on the left knee. I partially tore my cruciate back in 2015 and completely ruptured the cruciate badly in 2018. I came back and got a few years out of it.

“At the end of 2024, I had to go in and get a cartilage repair, meniscus repair. Halfway through the season last year, it was just wear and tear basically, but I didn’t want to know the nature of the injury until after the season.

“I got a scan, bit of damage, got the meniscus cleaned again, got the cartilage cleaned up again. The surgeon then came out and said, ‘Listen, there’s extensive damage there. You need to have a few thoughts about the future. What do you want life to look like at 40?’

“That’s what his exact words were, ‘What would you like your Tuesdays and Thursdays to look like?’

“I said I would like if I was fit to be able to play a bit of astroturf. He said, ‘Well, these are the things you need to consider then’. I took his words on board, got a second opinion, same kind of diagnosis.

“I don’t think I would have contributed a lot this year, to be honest, by the time I got back and was up to the pace of it.”

In only slightly different circumstances, McBrearty could have ended his career with a Hallmark moment – by captaining Donegal to All-Ireland final success against Kerry last July.

He said: “We didn’t get a lot wrong on the day. Obviously I would say there’s a few things that would be changed. We lost the game by 10 points but there was 10 minutes to go and we were only a few points down. I remember I missed a shot into the Canal End.

“I’ve thought about it a lot since, it was a shot that I should have nailed.”

Those are the regrets that beaten All-Ireland finalists have to live with. Even winning Sunday’s Division 1 decider at the expense of Kerry wouldn’t bring any great closure for them, although it would be a statement of summer intent.

McBrearty said: “We had a really good year last year but there was a lot of hurt there as well and a lot of the team would have carried that through the winter. It’ll be interesting to see how they get on on Sunday. I’d say Donegal will want to lay down a marker.”

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Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool career is coming to an end.

After nine years, 435 appearances and 255 goals for the Reds, Salah has announced this will be his last season at Anfield.

Liverpool‘s third-highest scorer of all time will undoubtedly leave as one of the Reds’ greatest players, but where does he rank in terms of Premier League icon status?

BBC Sport looks at some of the league’s best-ever forwards and asks you to decide where he ranks. As always, this is not an exhaustive list.

Do you judge them purely on goals, maybe it is their contribution to their teams, their success or all-round involvement?

There is plenty for you to get your head around before ranking them below.

Officers have issued the warning after a recent rise in Toyota Hilux thefts across the county, with similar incidents reported in neighbouring areas.

The Hilux, a popular 4×4 pickup truck, is commonly used by rural communities and farmers, making it a prime target for organised vehicle theft.

Sergeant Lauren Wilkinson, of Richmondshire Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “While no security system is foolproof, taking precautionary measures will significantly reduce the risk of theft or damage to your Toyota Hilux.

“More and more vehicles in our area being protected by trackers and other security systems, making life extremely difficult for thieves.

“By continuing to invest in high-quality crime prevention kit, parking in secure locations, and remaining vigilant, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your vehicle is as well-protected as possible.”

Officers are carrying out crime prevention patrols in rural areas and are advising owners of Hilux and other at-risk vehicles to take action.

They recommend fitting tracking devices, steering wheel locks, immobilisers, and CCTV systems to help deter theft and improve the chances of recovery.

Police also believe some of the thefts may involve keyless entry technology, known as ‘relay theft’.

This technique uses devices to capture the signal from a key fob inside the owner’s home, tricking the vehicle into unlocking and allowing the engine to be started.

To minimise the risk of relay theft, police advise owners to keep key fobs well away from the car and to store them in signal-blocking pouches such as Faraday bags.

Other recommended steps include reprogramming keys after purchasing second-hand vehicles and turning off the wireless signal on key fobs when not in use.

North Yorkshire Police are offering crime prevention visits to help residents improve the security of their vehicles and property.

Anyone interested in arranging a visit can contact lauren.wilkinson@northyorkshire.police.uk.

A homelessness crisis has surged after average property prices in Scotland jumped by 47 per cent and average monthly private rents by 51 per cent, with a lack of supply blamed.

Scotland’s housing emergency is “going from bad to worse” as new figures show thousands of Scots children have spent more than a year living in temporary accommodation.

The Liberal Democrats said tackling the housing emergency was “clearly not a priority” for the SNP ahead of May’s Holyrood election.

Families which find themselves homeless for whatever reason must register with their local authority before they can be found a social housing tenancy.

But a nationwide shortage of affordable properties – particularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow – means families are routinely offered temporary accommodation such as hostels or B&Bs.

Figures provided from Scotland’s local authorities via Freedom of Information requests show that between 2020 and 2025, total of 17,811 children were trapped in temporary accommodation for longer than a year.

This included a total of 10,147 children in Edinburgh and 3,742 children in Glasgow. In 2024, 3,504 children waited over a year in temporary accommodation- the highest level of the five-year period.

The Scottish Lib Dems, which obtained the FOI responses, said it was further proof that John Swinney’s decision to appoint Mairi McAllan as Housing Secretary had failed.

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Lib Dem housing spokesman Paul McGarry said: “These figures lay bare the SNP’s catastrophic neglect.

“As Housing Secretary, Mairi McAllan was supposed to offer a fresh start, but things have gone from bad to worse. Housing is clearly not a priority for the SNP.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out a realistic plan to tackle a lack of availability and poor-quality homes.

“We want to see change with fairness at its heart, which starts by confronting the housing crisis head-on: getting more homes built, maximising existing stock and giving everyone a safe place to call home.”

It comes after a damming report this week warned the SNP Government had built 250,000 fewer homes than it previously promised after first being elected.

The newly elected Scottish Government pledged in 2007 to increase the number of new homes built per year to 35,000 – which it described as “achievable and necessary”.

But annual housebuilding is instead down 26 per cent since 2007-08, with just 19,177 homes completed in 2024–25 – from a peak of 25,788 in 2007–08.

Modelling shows this leaves a total shortfall of a quarter of a million homes against the 2007 pledge – equivalent to the population of Edinburgh or twice the size of Aberdeen.

The Scottish Fabian Society this week blamed “unambitious, restrictive and counterproductive” policy choices which has decimated private sector housing provision.

This failure is a significant contributor to the housing emergency in Scotland, the study argues. In the last decade, average property prices have risen by 47 per cent and average monthly private rents by 51 per cent.

More than 190,000 people are pushed into poverty because of their high housing costs, the report finds – including 35,000 children.

McAllan said: “Temporary accommodation is an important safety net for those who need it. This is especially true in Scotland where our protective anti-homelessness laws mean everyone is entitled to temporary accommodation if they need it.

“In the vast majority of cases this is council homes and flats where people and families can live until moved to permanent accommodation. Therefore while a roof over a family’s head is a vital safety net we of course want the time spent there to be as short as possible.

“The key to reducing time spent in temporary accommodation is delivering more affordable homes and preventing homelessness in the first place – both of which we are determinedly delivering.

“Having delivered 141,000 affordable homes since 2007, we are ramping up activity with a record £4.9 billion in the coming four years. This will see 36,000 more affordable homes delivered.

“While those homes are being built, we have also been providing £120 million to councils so they buy homes off the market immediately, getting people out of temporary and into settled accommodation.”

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Wingstop is showing no signs of slowing down!

Wingstop just landed in Belfast at the beginning of March – but it already has plans to expand across the country.

The Boucher Road location opened, with huge queues forming as everyone tried to get their hands on the famous wings. However, according to the NI Planning Portal, it is set to open two further locations.

‘Lemon Pepper Holdings’, the parent company for Wingstop, has submitted plans to open a store in Belfast City Centre. It is set to open its doors on Castle Place right in the heart of the city.

The site, which previously operated as a Costa Coffee, has been secured by the company. There are no further details just yet on when this location is set to open.

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However, the expansion plans don’t stop there, with Wingstop signage being spotted in Dundonald. According to Wingstop’s recruitment site ‘Harri’, it will be opening in Unit 9, East Point Entertainment Village, Kings Rd. It will be found beside already established food spots like Sugar Rays.

The opening of the restaurant in Belfast comes hot on the heels of Wingstop launching its first restaurant in Ireland at Liffey Valley, Dublin in December 2025.

Known for its bold range of sauces and seasonings, from the fan-favourite Lemon Pepper to the sweet heat of Mango Habanero, the smoky kick of Louisiana Rub and the daring Atomic, Wingstop’s menu of wings, boneless, tenders, burgers, loaded fries, milkshakes and churros has already made it a viral hit across TikTok and beyond.

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