Mehmet Gundez was not asked to enter a plea during the hearing at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (August 12).

Ibrahim Yesildeniz, 25, who died after the ‘altercation’ in Bridlington (Image: Humberside Police)

The 24-year-old was charged with murder after the death of Ibrahim Yesildeniz, 25, in Bridlington on Monday (August 10).

Gundez, of Bridlington, was remanded in custody to appear at Hull Crown Court at 10am on Friday for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Humberside Police said Mr Yesildeniz was pronounced dead in hospital after reports of an alleged “stabbing” in First Avenue at about 5.20am on Monday.

“Ibrahim’s family are being supported by specially trained officers and have asked for privacy,” a police spokesperson said.

Revealing the accused has 31 previous convictions, the prosecutor spoke of further offences committed whilst on bail, including threatening to kill his former partner

An application to vary the bail of a man charged with drug offences to allow him to go on holiday to Alicante was refused today.

Last January Gerald Verner was denied a bail variation sought to enable him to travel to Spain to help in the search for murdered Belfast man John George, whose remains were subsequently discovered on the outskirts of Alicante.

The 37-year old former soldier was back in court today where the application to vary his bail to allow him to go on a four-day holiday with his partner was made and refused.

From Inverary Avenue in Belfast, Verner is facing a number of offences including firearms and drugs charges. Asking for a variation of his client’s bail at Belfast Crown Court, a solicitor told Judge Mark Reel that Verner’s partner had booked a four-day trip to Alicante.

Providing details of the flight plans and the hotel, Verner’s solicitor said dates for the holiday were this Friday to next Monday.

Opposing the application, a Crown barrister raised several concerns including a risk of further offending.

Branding the two sets of offences faced by Verner as “very, very serious”, the prosecutor said these included charges of possessing firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life in May 2023.

It’s the Crown’s case that Verner was seen coming out of an address at North Street in Carrickfergus. He was stopped in a car where cannabis edibles were found on his person.

When the address in Carrick was also searched, further drugs were found along with an assault rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition, whilst more drugs were located during a search of Verner’s home.

Following his arrest, Verner refused to comment during interview but denied any knowledge of the gun and ammunition.

Revealing Verner has 31 previous convictions, the prosecutor spoke of further offences committed whilst Verner has been on bail, including threatening to kill his former partner.

She also raised concerns about the “significant disparities” regarding the details of the holiday in the initial application made to the PSNI compared to one presented in court today.

This included a change from an initial proposal of travelling to Malaga to the updated destination of Alicante.

The Crown barrister told Judge Reel: “We are very concerned, Your Honour, that his involvement in drugs and drug dealing, as charged for which he awaits trial, is linked to this proposed trip to Alicante.

“This court will be aware of the significant issues that have arisen in the last number of years in that part of the world, with some very high profile gang-related murders.”

In addition, the Crown barrister spoke of a previous application made by Verner regarding his bail condition of reporting to police.

During that, Verner’s defence made the case that due to his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues, he could not travel on public transport.

The prosecutor said the court had not been provided with any updated information that this “aversion to travelling on public transport” has “improved so drastically to allow him to travel on an airplane.”

She added that if Verner was allowed to leave this jurisdiction, the police would have “no ability to monitor him” and that with his alleged link to drugs Verner would be heading to a “significant hotspot at the moment for such activity.”

The prosecuting barrister also reminded the court that “this is not the first time he has asked to go to Alicante”.

She said: “In January of last year he was refused permission to fly to Alicante and the purpose of his trip was to help search for the body of John George. That was refused on the basis of organised crime links.”

The Crown’s submissions concluded she told Judge Reel: “We have no confidence that Mr Verner could be telling the truth about where he is going and why he is going there and quite simply we cannot manage the risks that he poses should Your Honour grant this application.”

Verner’s solicitor then addressed the Crown’s concerns and said the holiday had been booked and paid for by Verner’s partner who initially wanted to go to Malaga but wasn’t able to get the right flights.

He told Judge Reel this was the only reason for the disparity and that the sole purpose of the trip was “nothing more that a short holiday with his partner … he has no ulterior motive or intention to do anything else.”

Pointing out his client has been on bail since 2023, the solicitor said this had been varied in the past to allow overnight stays in Northern Ireland including at a hotel and a glamping pod.

The solicitor then raised Verner’s PTSD which he said was “real” and which was a result of serving two tours in the army – one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

During these tours, the solicitor said Verner was both injured and witnessed a number colleagues being killed. He added that Verner “forces himself” to travel on public transport when necessary.

After Judge Reel questioned the differences in the travel plans, checks were made and it emerged that flights on the proposed dates of travel to and from Malaga were still available.

Saying he was refusing the application, Judge Reel said that as the holiday to Malaga “could have proceeded”, this called into question why an application to Alicante was now being made.

The Judge added: “I come to the conclusion that the applicant has been less than forthcoming with the court in terms of framing this application.”

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Scarlett Ungurs, now 15, is the focus of a special anniversary film on The One Show revisiting the impact of her story.

It also explores the legacy of donor Evey Staley, who died aged 10. Evey’s organs were donated by her parents after she died in a 2012 drink-driving crash.

North East teen Scarlett Ungurs, whose BBC One Show story boosted organ donor registrations, has revealed her ambition to become a transplant nurse 10 years after her life-saving heart transplant. (Image: Supplied)

Scarlett, of North Tyneside, said: “I understand how big it is now, it’s always been a part of me.

“On heart anniversaries, on her anniversary of when she passed away, and we’re still in touch with the family so when we celebrate me, we celebrate her.”

Ten years ago, The One Show reported on Scarlett’s story, revealing how she received a donor heart just in time to save her life.

The episode led to a spike in organ donor registrations, with a 70 per cent rise reported after it aired.

Evey’s parents, Neal and Penny Staley, made the decision to donate their daughter’s organs in the midst of unimaginable loss.

Mr Staley said at the time: “I just made the decision that yes we’ll go ahead with organ donation. It was as simple as that really.”

Kept Alive: 18-month-old Scarlett Ungurs, with dad Darren, and transplant co-ordinator Lynne Holt, pictured when she needed a new heart (Image: Supplied)

The two families later met in an emotional reunion. Mr Staley said meeting Scarlett reinforced their choice.

He said: “It’s very special and just reinforces the decision we made, we’re proud of Evey really for giving Scarlett the life she’s got now.

“She’s just fabulous.”

A decade on, Scarlett remains deeply conscious of the gift she received and stays in contact with the Staleys.

She described how important those connections remain.

She said: “On heart anniversaries, on her anniversary of when she passed away, and we’re still in touch with the family so when we celebrate me, we celebrate her.”

The experience has also shaped her ambitions.

She said: “This is where I had my transplant.

“I’d love to be a paediatric nurse back on Ward 23 when I’m older because they’ve just inspired me.

“All the staff here are so caring and it is like a second home.

“Just makes me want to do the same as them.”

During the anniversary film, Scarlett and The One Show revisit Ward 23, where she recovered following her transplant.

They meet Julie, one of the transplant nurses who has known Scarlett since she was a baby.

Julie said: “It certainly has its challenges at times but then you see people like Scarlett who has so many wonderful things to look forward to, it’s fantastic.”

Scarlett said the transplant was the ‘greatest gift’ she has ever received.

She said: “I just feel very fortunate because I could have had a very different outcome so I’m going to make the most of it.”

Scarlett’s mother previously described the Staleys’ decision to donate Evey’s organs as the reason her daughter is alive today.

When Evey’s mother read an article about a girl from the North East receiving a heart transplant in August 2012, she instinctively knew it was her daughter’s heart.

The Staley and Ungurs families were later connected through NHS Blood and Transplant.

Their meeting and Scarlett’s story drew national attention to the life-saving impact of organ donation.

During the original broadcast of Scarlett’s story, thousands more people joined the NHS Organ Donor Register.

At the time, Mr Staley said one reason the family spoke publicly was to encourage others to talk about organ donation and consider signing up.

• The One Show’s feature on Scarlett aired on Monday August 10 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer as part of the week of celebrations of 20 Years of The One Show.  

The One Show is made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions and this VT was produced by Harbourside Films. 

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Authorities in Hungary will begin taking steps to raise the level of the Danube River this week in order to ensure the country’s only nuclear power plant can continue operating, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Wednesday.

Persistent drought and successive extreme heat waves in recent months have deprived one of Europe’s largest rivers of water, bringing Danube levels to record lows and pushing the Paks nuclear power plant to the brink of shutting down for the first time in its 44-year history.

The Soviet-built plant, which uses water from the Danube to cool its four reactors, is currently operating at little more than 10% of its 2,000 megawatt capacity due to low water levels. It supplies Hungary with around a third of its electricity.

In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Magyar said authorities would begin building a bed sill — a low concrete or stone structure built into the riverbed to slow the current and raise upstream water levels — on Thursday on a section of the Danube just upriver from the plant.

Delivery of some 145,000 cubic meters of rocks used in its construction would begin on Wednesday evening, Magyar said, adding that the intervention could raise the level of the Danube by up to a meter (3 feet).

Meanwhile, two 80-meter (262-foot) barges will be transported to the site near Paks and may be sunk in order to raise the Danube up to a further 20 centimeters (8 inches) at the plant’s cooling pumps. A decision on whether to sink them will be made on Friday, Magyar said.

“We can no longer consider this extraordinary situation as a one-time natural extreme,” he said, adding that the work must be carried out quickly to avoid a full Paks shutdown.

Magyar referred to the construction of the bed sill as a “long-term” solution which could ensure that water levels never fall below the threshold at which reactors at Paks must be powered down.

He said that after a recent temporary rise in water levels, they were expected to begin falling again in coming days which, without external intervention, could lead to the complete shutdown of the Paks plant.

“The Danube has given us days, not months,” he said.

Similar measures were taken in Romania last week when authorities sank four barges laden with rock into the Danube in an attempt to redirect water downstream toward the Cernavoda nuclear plant, which had already shut down one of its two reactors due to low water levels.

On Wednesday, Magyar said the Paks plant operating at its current output is costing Hungary’s economy up to 50 billion forints ($158 million) per month. By contrast, he said the planned interventions on the Danube will cost around 6 billion forints ($19 million).

Officers were called to Howard Place in Stockton at around 9pm on Tuesday, August 11, after receiving information that a group had entered an address armed with weapons.

Cleveland Police were told three individuals fled the area by car.

An extensive search was launched and armed officers later stopped the car believed to be involved in Station Road, Billingham, which is near a train track.

No weapons were recovered at the time of the search. 

Two 16-year-old boys and a 19-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a firearm.

Cleveland Police have confirmed that all three remain in custody and that enquiries are ongoing.

Inspector Barnes, from Stockton CID, said: “Officers swiftly attended the scene and made three arrests.

“We are working as quickly as possible to establish the circumstances of what happened, however, at this time we do believe that this was a targeted incident.

“There will continue to be a police presence in the area so please speak to our officers if you have concerns.”

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 160132.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers.

Officers were called to the Burdon area of Sunderland just before 6.45am on Wednesday (August 12) after reports of a suspected burglary. 

A vehicle had reportedly been taken from a property and driven in the surrounding area before heading into the Durham force area.

When Durham Police officers were trying to locate the vehicle, it was spotted in the Cooperative Terrace area of Sunderland just after 8.30am. 

While an officer approached on foot and attempted to secure the suspected stolen vehicle, it was driven away and collided with an unconnected parked vehicle.

An officer was injured in the process and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Northumbria Police has confirmed that six boys, aged between 13 and 17, have been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently in police custody.

Enquiries are ongoing to locate anyone else believed to have been involved.

The road is currently closed to traffic, and officers are expected to remain on scene for a number of hours.

Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, of Northumbria Police, said: “Firstly, we’d like to extend our thoughts to the officer from our neighbouring police force who has been injured in this incident.

“Police officers attend work with the sole intention to help people – not to be hurt in the line of duty.

“We wish this officer a speedy recovery and we’d like to thank him and his colleagues for their assistance with the response to the initial report.

“Our investigation remains at an early stage, however we already have got six suspects in custody.

“We’re aware this incident will have caused concern and disruption in the local community.

“As this is a live investigation, we ask the public not to speculate on the circumstances or comment on social media.

“Officers will remain in the area, and we would ask anyone with further concerns, or information to report, including CCTV, dashcam, or mobile phone footage, to get in touch with us.”

Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen, from Durham Constabulary, said: “Our thoughts are with the officer who sustained injuries during the incident. Thankfully, he has since been discharged from hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“We are working closely with our neighbours at Northumbria Police as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

“We would encourage anyone with any information that could assist their enquiries to get in touch with them as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information which could help should send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, or use the live chat and report forms on the force’s website, or call 101 quoting reference number: 26000422478.

R and N, located on High Street in Eston, has been ordered to close for three months.

It comes after a joint investigation by Redcar and Cleveland Trading Standards and Cleveland Police to combat the sale of illegal tobacco products.ho

R & N has been closed for three months following investigations into the sale of illegal tobacco. (Image: Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council)

Councillor Ursula Earl, Redcar and Cleveland Council’s cabinet member, said: “The sale of illicit tobacco harms our communities, undermines legitimate local businesses and can make tobacco products more accessible to children and young people.

“This closure order demonstrates our commitment to working with partners to tackle illegal trading activity and hold those involved to account.

“We would encourage anyone with information about the sale of illicit tobacco to report it and help us protect residents and businesses across the borough.”

Authorities say the illicit tobacco trade is linked to organised criminal activity and can make the products more accessible to children and young people.

Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The illicit tobacco trade is driven by organised criminal gangs and poses serious risks to local communities, especially young people.

“Since its launch in January 2021, Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, has removed 102 million illegal cigarettes, 20,550kg of hand-rolling tobacco, and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, helping to clamp down on this illicit trade and protect communities and honest businesses across the UK.”

Anyone with information about the sale of illegal tobacco is urged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or report anonymously through the Keep It Out campaign website.

Britons are being warned not to swim in the sea and keep their headlights on during tonight’s eclipse.

Tonight’s solar eclipse will see the moon pass in front of the sun, blocking out as much as 96 per cent of our solar system‘s star for watchers in the UK.

The first contact between the moon and sun in the sky will take place at around 6.08pm in parts of Scotland, before spreading southwards within minutes.

It will peak just under an hour later, at 7.05pm in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 7.10pm in Manchester and Liverpool, 7.11pm in Birmingham, 7.12pm in London, Bristol and Cardiff, and at 7.16pm in Cornwall.

The last total solar eclipse visible from the UK was in 1999 – although it was only visible in Devon and Cornwall, with the rest of the country experiencing only a partial eclipse. The next total eclipse in Britain will not take place until 2090. 

While a once-in-decades event for British eclipse chasers, the near totality of tonight’s event comes with its fair share of risks with scientists warning everyone should be aware of.

As well as the usual warnings of not looking directly at the sun – which can cause permanent eye damage – drivers and swimmers are also being told to exercise caution. 

The RNLI has warned against swimming in the sea during this evening’s eclipse, saying it is dangerous.

The Greenwich Observatory sold out completely it eclipse glasses ahead of the event tonight

Camila Calero aged 7 from Greenwich poses with solar glasses ahead of tonight’s eclipse

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A man in central London sells eclipse glasses and is surrounded by a mob hoping to get their hands on the elusive spectacles

The warning from the charity’s Jersey lifeboat station said it will not be safe to swim off the Channel Island during the eclipse due to strong tides. But this also applies to all of Britain’s coastline.

Solar eclipses always coincide with a new moon, meaning tides are at their strongest.

This is due to tides being affected by the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth – tides are highest furthest from the moon as it circles the Earth, as the planet mass is denser than water, and therefore gets pulled slightly in the moon’s direction.

Tides are particularly dangerous during a new moon because the gravitational pull of both the moon and the sun align, meaning a stronger force known as a ‘spring tide’.

This is seen in higher tides as well as a greater difference between low and high tides than the rest of the month.

Higher tides make swimming in the ocean much more dangerous as they can cause stronger currents – although the strongest currents do not generally occur at high tide itself. 

Brighton and Hove Council warns on its website: ‘Check the tide times and have awareness of spring tides, this is when tides are the strongest with the highest high tides and the lowest low tides. 

‘The currents are extremely strong on spring tides which will make for a harder swim.’

People are also being urged to stay safe and watch the eclipse from land. In London, anyone planning to swim in Hampstead Heath’s ponds during the eclipse will be told to leave the water.

The City of London Corporation said: ‘If you want to observe the eclipse, leave the water and use certified eclipse glasses.’

Long queues formed at shops across the UK selling eclipse glasses on Wednesday morning, with many selling out completely.

Anyone driving during the eclipse is also being told to take extra precautions and be prepared to turn on their headlights.

The RAC said the action might be necessary for vehicles which do not have automatic lights, to boost their visibility to other road users.

People queue around the block from 6am to buy eclipse glasses after Howleys Toymaster shop collected 10,000 pairs from the Midlands

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: ‘While total darkness is unlikely, those with vehicles that don’t have automatic headlights or daylight running lights may need to switch on their dipped beams to ensure they are easily visible to other road users.

‘The best advice to enjoy this rare event is to pull over somewhere safe and watch with specialist glasses.’

Mr Williams urged anyone driving in a westerly direction around the time of the eclipse to avoid being distracted.

He said: ‘Taking your eyes off the road even for a split second to try to catch a glimpse of the sun as it disappears behind the moon increases the risk of being involved in a collision, not to mention the potential for suffering long-term damage to your vision.’

The partial eclipse will likely result in light dimming and temperatures plunging temporarily.

Millions will pause to watch the natural phenomenon tonight but must ensure they are doing so safely.

Viewers should use special eclipse glasses bearing the ISO 12312-2 safety standard – and should be wary of purchasing them from non-reputable sources, as they could be fake.

Those unable to secure legitimate glasses can instead watch using a pinhole projector. These are easy to make at home and involve punching a small hole in a piece of cardboard and projecting the light through it onto another piece of card, or a surface such as the ground.

A colander can be used in the same way to view the eclipse.

There are also multiple livestreams, such as the one provided by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, which will show some of the best views around the country.

Children’s favourite Peppa Pig has travelled into outer space to commemorate a major solar eclipse in the UK.

On Wednesday, the moon is set to obscure more than 90 per cent of the Sun between 6.17pm and 8.06pm.

To celebrate the celestial event, the character embarked on a high-altitude mission, rising beyond 100,000 feet to drift just above the Earth’s atmosphere.

Captured in full 4K resolution, footage of the flight was presented at the NEC Birmingham’s Lakeside Cinema, the location of the interactive, walk-through Peppa Pig Space Adventure experience.

Produced as a bespoke addition to the attraction, the animation depicts her trip into space, tracking her ascent to the upper reaches of the planet’s atmosphere after launch.

From her vantage point aloft, Peppa caught sight of the NEC, alongside well-known landmarks throughout Birmingham and the surrounding region.

After soaring through space, Peppa returned safely to Earth as families watched her mission come to fruition from the ground.

NEC deputy chief executive officer Sarah Harvey said: “We’re thrilled to have helped Peppa Pig complete her world-first journey into space to launch a summer of adventure at Peppa Pig Space Adventure at the NEC!

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“It’s important for us to continue to inspire curiosity and creativity in the younger generation and this was a fantastic way of proving to young explorers that no dream is too big to achieve.

“We can’t wait to welcome more families to experience Peppa Pig Space Adventure this summer.”

Peppa Pig Space Adventure is a hands-on walk-through experience at the NEC, which encourages children to use their imaginations to blast off into space and land on the surface of the moon.

A competition is also now being held where young artists are being asked to design a rocket for Peppa.

Entries can be submitted online via peppapigspaceadventure.co.uk/competition before Tuesday, 1 September.

First launching in 2004, Peppa Pig is an animated children’s series that follows the titular character, an anthropomorphic piglet, and her family and friends.

It has since aired more than 450 episodes and spawned films, books, video games and theme parks.