Last week Northern Ireland equalled its warmest June day on record

After last week’s heatwave, this week sees a return to temperatures around average for this time of year in Northern Ireland.

On Thursday, June 25, Northern Ireland provisionally equalled its warmest June day on record with 30.8 C recorded at Castlederg, putting it level with the peak figure on June 30, 1976.

Overnight on Thursday into Friday, Northern Ireland also provisionally broke its highest minimum nighttime temperature, with 19.1 C reached at Murlough. The Met Office said at the conclusion of the heatwave, the verification process begins for any new national records.

The equipment and site will undergo a rigorous validation process before a decision is made on officially inducting any new figures into the meteorological record books.

Here is how the weather in Northern Ireland is looking for the week ahead.

Monday

Mainly dry with variable amounts of cloud and a few bright spells. The odd light shower in northwest. Outbreaks of rain spreading northeast in the evening. Maximum temperature 20 C.

Tuesday

Scattered slow moving showers, occasionally heavy. Early rain should clear leaving sunny spells and showers, with a chance of some thunder. Maximum temperature 19 C.

Wednesday

Turning increasingly windy and cloudy on Wednesday, with showery rain arriving by the evening. Maximum temperature 18 C.

Thursday

A few showers at first on Thursday, otherwise dry with variable cloud and sunny spells. Maximum temperature 19 C.

Friday

Drizzle and a moderate breeze. Maximum temperature 20 C.

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You’re sat at your desk fielding multiple messages on Slack, requesting the latest report here and tweaks to the presentation there.

Then you get a message from Mark who wants to ask you a quick question. The only thing is, Mark is sat right opposite you.

He could simply take a few steps over to your desk and ask you, face-to-face, it would be much quicker. But, no.

Mark is the office ‘pinger’. It’s a term Metro has coined to describe the employees who are in the office with you, but choose not to talk to you in person, and communicate everything via message instead.

But this isn’t an isolated incident. Despite the push for a return to working in the office, with 41% of people now not working from home at all, water cooler chitchat has yet to make a proper comeback.

In fact, a fifth of those employed say they go an entire workday without speaking face-to-face with a colleague.

The study of 2,000 UK workers, commissioned by workplace training platform Kahoot, determined half of workers use emails or messaging services to communicate with colleagues who are in the same room as them.

It’s left 40% of those with office jobs feeling disconnected at work, despite sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow workers. After all, what’s the point of being in an office if you can’t have a fun little gossip?

‘For too many workplaces, employees are constantly in touch, but never actually connecting,’ leadership and workplace coach, Emma Georgiou, tells Metro. ‘Workers are communicating across too many channels, using email, Teams and WhatsApp – and clients and colleagues can access them in any way at any time.’

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Jim Moore, employee relations expert at HR consultants Hamilton Nash, has seen a big culture shift over the years in the way workers communicate in the office, with pingers on the rise.

‘Younger generations who grew up in the world of the internet and instant messaging are making up an increasingly large part of the workplace,’ he tells Metro. ‘Boomers and Generation X, on the other hand, are more used to phone calls and in-person communication.

‘It’s also a matter of perceived convenience, as sending messages lets people respond at their own pace, while a ringing phone basically screams “Stop what you’re doing and pay attention to me”. Similarly, in my experience, Gen Z don’t welcome being interrupted by someone walking up with a question.’

He believes that the shift to remote working during Covid, which resulted in the hybrid work model many of us have today ,contributed to this communication problem.

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‘It becomes easier to work in isolation and send an instant message if you need anything,’ he adds.

The productivity price

If you thought that not leaving your desk to wander over to a colleague meant you could get more done, you’re likely mistaken.

Emma agrees that people seem to think messaging makes things quicker, but that it’s a misconception. ‘It’s actually slowing things down overall,’ she explains.

‘A five-minute conversation becomes a long email chain of back-and-forth, all the while other chains of messages compete for your attention.

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‘This reduces productivity and causes stress for employees. Constant notifications leave employee’s attention fragmented, and I think organisations can start to mistake responsiveness for effectiveness.’

Jim agrees that a quick face-to-face chat is far quicker overall, even if you’re a little shy.

It’s on the bosses

While it may be easy to dismiss pingers as anti-social or lazy colleagues, Emma explains this behaviour has as much to do with office culture as it does the employees.

‘Simply telling employees to socialise more is not going to work,’ she says. ‘Companies need to be clearer on when it’s best to message, and when a conversation is more effective.

‘Leaders have a key role to play, as the way they communicate sets the tone. If they make a small shift towards having more in-person conversations, it will quickly ripple through their teams.’

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The former Greater Manchester Mayor is also reportedly considering creating a “Number 10 in the North” if he became Prime Minister.

The plans would form part of wider proposals to devolve more powers away from Westminster.

With people being so sure on what is to come for Mr Burnham, we’ve been asking Boltonians in town what they make of everything.

Danielle Harris, from Breightmet, said: “I think it will be a good idea. It lets everybody know about him and lets people realise how much of a good mayor he was.

“He’s excellent.”

(Image: Newsquest)

Reports suggest Mr Burnham could set out further plans for devolution in the coming days if he pursues a bid for the Labour leadership.

No British Prime Minister has systematically run part of the government from outside London, while Mr Burnham has long championed greater powers for regions outside Westminster.

Corey Grimes, from Farnworth, said: “I think personally we need someone that’s out of Conservatives, and out of Labour.

Corey Grimes, from Farnworth. (Image: NQ)

“We need to stop this ping pong game back and forth with them arguing the same fight, calling each other names.

“You don’t hear youth centres for the young ones, it’s more of a priority to keep the young ones busy, so they’re not doing drugs, they’re not getting into anti-social behaviour so they’re not idle-minded.

“It could be good, it could be bad, but you never know the true motive.”

Mr Burnham’s election as MP for Makerfield earlier this month triggered a Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, which is due to take place on July 30.

During his time as mayor, Greater Manchester secured a series of devolution agreements covering areas including transport, housing, skills and health.

Eddie Goodram, from Queensgate. (Image: NQ)

Eddie Goodram, from Queensgate, said: “I think if he does get in, he’ll make a good PM. Bolton and Greater Manchester have lost by losing him as mayor.

“I was surprised by [Sir Kier Starmer] resigning, just threw his towel in. It’s going to take time to change.

“If people expect things to change overnight, they’re dreaming. We’ll see how it is in a couple of years time.”

Gracie Maudsley, from Little Lever. (Image: NQ)

Gracie Maudsley, from Little Lever, added: “I think he’s a really great guy, done a lot for the north, especially with me being 17 and our past, and it gets a lot of benefits of being that age.

“I think there will be a lot more nationalisation of public transport and higher spending on public services.

“I’m glad to be honest. [Starmer] did a lot of U-turns and he didn’t have much authority to him. It is a lot better we have Andy Burnham coming in.”

The Bar Council, which describes itself as the voice of the barrister profession in England and Wales, has called for the minimum age of criminal responsibility to be raised from 10 to 14

Demands have been made to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.

The Bar Council, which represents the barrister profession in England and Wales, has been examining whether the existing age of criminal responsibility is still fit for purpose.

Both the Law Commission and England’s children’s commissioner have thrown their weight behind the Bar Council’s recommendation. Under current rules, children as young as 10 can be arrested and charged with a criminal offence.

Young people aged between 10 and 17 are handled by youth courts and placed in secure centres for juveniles rather than adult prisons. The Bar Council report, released on Sunday, stated that the age of 10 “remains low by contemporary global standards”.

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The Government, in a youth justice paper published in May, said it would “carefully consider” the review and its recommendations. The Bar Council noted that 14 is the lowest age recommended by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) for children to be held criminally responsible, and is the most widely used age threshold across the globe.

Scotland raised its minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 back in 2019. While recent efforts were under way in Northern Ireland to lift its threshold from 10, the proposed change appeared likely to be blocked via an Assembly veto mechanism, reports Chronicle Live.

Campaigners pushing for reform have previously suggested that the 1993 murder of two year old James Bulger in Liverpool by 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson has created hesitancy around raising the age of criminal responsibility.

Bar Council chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow recognised that any discussion about the age of criminal responsibility “brings back the memory of the James Bulger case”, but noted that while the case was “terrible and grave” it remained “exceptionally rare”.

“Current age of 10 years is far too low” The Bar Council report reveals that of the 1,590 children aged between 10 and 14 convicted of offences in the year to March 2025, only 22 received immediate custodial sentences, and contends that such a minimal figure “makes it clear that any argument for criminalisation of this cohort cannot realistically be supported by an appeal to the need for criminal process in order to protect the public, even for the short duration of a custodial sentence”. Regarding the current situation, Ms Brimelow stated: “As well as setting children on a separate track, which funnels them towards further crime and prison, this approach also produces inconsistencies within UK law.

“This report does not diminish the need for intervention and protection of the public. Rather, it asks whether criminalisation at such an early age is the most effective, proportionate or just response. It returns a definitive negative answer.”

The report indicates that the evidence “overwhelmingly supports” the finding that criminalising young children “undermines public safety and has adverse outcomes for the child by increasing future offending and perpetuating and punishing underlying vulnerabilities and disadvantage”. The report determines that age 14 “provides a clear and developmentally informed threshold below which children are not rendered criminally culpable”.

What do you think about raising the age of criminal responsibility? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.

The report notes that interventions for children under 14 can still take place “without being criminalised”, including child protection, education, welfare, mental health and family support. Raising the age “allows greater scope for diversion and rehabilitation, better serving prevention of a younger child becoming the older child who commits serious crime and, by doing so, protects those who would be the victims of the future”, it concludes.

Ms Brimelow said: “A ‘tough on crime’ approach to the treatment of children which focuses only on punishment as a method of shaping children’s behaviour is very rarely an effective strategy. Mechanisms that reduce the number of children brought into the criminal justice system, through diversion as well as raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility, are less likely to result in an increase in crime amongst this cohort.

“Bringing children into the criminal justice system is more likely to result in further offending. Diversionary programmes are more beneficial to the individual child and to the public in terms of reducing future crime and attendant resources.

“It is also cost-effective financially as well as societally. Increasing the minimum age of criminal responsibility is essential as it can tackle reoffending and prevent future victims of harm.”

Mark Evans, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, stated: “We support raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years; the current age of 10 years is far too low. This would be an important step towards aligning the system with evidence on child development and ensuring more effective responses to children who do wrong. We call on the government to accept this proposal as part of its youth justice reforms.”

England’s Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, commented: “I believe no child at the age of ten should be sentenced for a crime; instead, they need a robust and well-enforced alternative – but one which doesn’t push them into the criminal justice system. I hope the Government seriously considers the recommendations of the Bar Council.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson responded: “The current age of criminal responsibility is 10 and no decision has been made on changing it. Any decision we make will always be guided by expert evidence and have the public and victims’ best interests at its heart.”

The four-mile walk will take place on July 2 and July 4 and will explore sites linked to Samuel Crompton, the inventor of the spinning mule.

Led by local historian Peter Firth, the walks form part of the My Place Walks programme run by Live from Worktown CIC.

Participants will also have the chance to look inside Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum, which is currently closed for essential maintenance work.

The free walks are aimed at people aged over 50 and will begin at 10.30 am.

Places are limited and advance booking is required.

Further information, including the starting location, will be provided to those who book.

The walks are supported by Bolton Library and Museum Services.

Anyone wishing to book a place can email PDF1@hotmail.co.uk.

More information about the wider My Place Walks programme is available through Live from Worktown CIC.

Summer family fun is set to return to one of Bolton’s best-known historic attractions.

Smithills Hall stages its annual Garden Party just next month.

The free event will take place at Smithills Hall on Sunday, July 5, from noon until 4 pm.

Visitors can enjoy a range of activities throughout the afternoon, including garden games, story times, and fairground rides.

Organisers have said more attractions will be announced ahead of the event.

Smithills Garden Party 2024. Picture Henry Lisowski

While entry is free, some activities will carry a charge.

Guests are being encouraged to travel to the event by foot or public transport to help reduce parking pressures around the historic site.

The annual Garden Party has become a popular fixture in Bolton’s summer events calendar, attracting families from across the borough.

Smithills Hall, which dates back more than 800 years, is one of Bolton’s most significant historic buildings and sits within extensive grounds on the edge of the West Pennine Moors.

Last year’s event attracted hundreds of visitors who enjoyed food stalls, ice cream, games, and interactive storytelling in the estate’s grounds.

Ofsted said parents and carers hold ‘mixed views’ of the school

Teachers at a school near Cambridgeshire have been warned by Ofsted that all areas assessed “needs attention”. Staff at Sutton Bridge Westmere Community Primary School on Anne Road, near the Cambridgeshire border, have been praised by inspectors for being “well trained” and teaching a “consistent programme”.

The report, published on Tuesday, June 23, said progress varies across the curriculum. It added: “Pupils do not always remember key knowledge from previous learning. This limits how well they build knowledge over time and affects their readiness for their next steps.”

Pupils’ achievement is “uneven”, although it improved in 2025, according to Ofsted. Many pupils do not have secure reading, writing, or mathematics skills, the report said.

The school received a ‘needs attention’ rating in all seven areas assessed by the education watchdog. This includes: achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing.

Executive Headteacher Karyn Herd said: “ We are pleased that Ofsted recognised the caring, inclusive environment that defines Westmere. The report reflects many areas we were already working hard to strengthen, and we are encouraged that inspectors saw clear evidence of improvement.

“Our staff, pupils and families are committed to moving forward together, and we are confident that the positive changes underway will continue to accelerate.”

Part of the report from the inspection on March 10 said: “Parents and carers hold mixed views. Some praise the school, but others worry about safeguarding, behaviour, the provision for pupils with SEND and communication. Leaders continue to strengthen the quality of provision in response.”

Inspectors praised leaders and governors who “care deeply about the school’s inclusive values” and show “a strong commitment to helping children with complex needs”. The education watchdog said leaders and governors understand the school’s strengths and the areas that should be prioritised, including behaviour, attendance and the quality of the curriculum.

Behaviour in the school was found to show a “mixed picture” where suspension rates remain high. The report said “most pupils behave well in lessons and around school”.

A spokesperson for Sutton Bridge Westmere Community Primary School said: “The report highlights the school’s inclusive ethos, strong pastoral care and the dedication of staff who ‘take pride in welcoming pupils with the most complex needs’. Inspectors also noted improvements already taking shape, particularly in early years, curriculum structure and behaviour support.”

A new ‘pathway’ class, which provides bespoke support, meets pupils’ needs and has recently helped to reduce suspensions, according to Ofsted. The school has also reportedly introduced a new early years curriculum, strengthened phonics teaching and improved curriculum sequencing. Inspectors acknowledged that these developments are beginning to have a positive impact.

A spokesperson for the school added: “While the report identifies areas that ‘need attention’, this new Ofsted category is not the same as the previous ‘requires improvement’ judgement. It recognises that leaders understand the school’s priorities and are already taking effective steps to address them.

“The school will continue to work closely with families, governors and external partners to build on recent progress and ensure every child receives a high‑quality, consistent education.”