Councillors shared concerns from residents across the borough and questioned the usage of the current cycle paths. 

Work is ongoing to create a safe walking and cycling route from the town centre to West Park and Faverdale.

The first phase included making improvements to Duke Street and creating a cycle route along part of Woodland Road. A further phase to continue the active travel route through Cockerton to the Brinkburn Road junction will be developed later in 2026. 

Councillor Paul Walters, Conservative member for Hurworth, said: “I think it’s a great initiative – but my concern is, how are you going to get people out of their cars and onto their bikes? I have been on Duke Street many times and have not seen a bike on that cycle path. 

“It’s a great idea and wonderful initiative, but getting the public to use them is something that needs to be looked into.”

The comments were made during a debate on how active travel measures are being implemented across the town to encourage people to be less reliant on car travel.

Conservative councillor Pauline Culley, of Mowden ward, spoke of her previous experience cycling around Europe and said Darlington roads are not suitable for cycling. 

“We seem to be spending a lot of money on something people are not going to use,” she told the committee. 

Matthew Snedker, Green councillor for College ward, said Culley’s testimony was a “damning indictment” for Darlington’s infrastructure. He added: “The fact that many people in Darlington do not feel safe doing a completely normal thing cuts to the heart of why our low network isn’t serving more people.”

Darlington Borough Council said it aims to create a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists as part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s (TVCA) Tees Valley local cycling and walking infrastructure plan.

But Cllr James Coe, Independent for North Road, reported how the current cycle paths take people “to a dead end” and not where they want to go. 

He added: “Once we start connecting these areas up, it will encourage more people to use it.”

Anthony Hewitt, assistant director of highways and capital projects, admitted the council needs to improve the public’s perception of cycling throughout the borough. 

He told the committee: “We agree we need to do a lot more work to promote the cycle lanes. Hopefully, as active travel neighbourhoods and our network builds out, people can see more connectivity.”

Monitors are in place along Duke Street and Woodland Road to track the number of cyclists, the council said. 

One area of Cambridgeshire saw fly-tips that cost the taxpayer £65,800 in clean-up costs

Cambridgeshire’s fly-tipping hotspots have been revealed by a new map showing the parts of England with the worst rubbish problems. In the year ending March 2025, local authorities in England dealt with 1.25 million flytipping incidents, a 9% rise on the previous year.

That included 777,000 collections of household waste ranging from bin bags to old furniture and carpets, 7,000 of animal carcasses, 70,000 dumps of commercial waste, and 3,000 involving asbestos.

There were 19,224 separate illegal dumps in Cambridgeshire alone. In our area, fly-tippers dumped more rubbish in Peterborough than anywhere else, with a total of 10,474 separate fly-tipping incidents.

That included 188 large-scale incidents in which at least a tipper lorry-sized load of waste was dumped, costing taxpayers £65,800 in clean-up costs. That’s the equivalent of 29p from the pockets of everyone who lives in Peterborough on large-scale clean-ups alone. Defra has not published the clean-up costs for overall fly-tipping incidents, only the large-scale dumps.

In Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire had the next-largest rubbish problem, with 3,560 illegal dumps, followed by Cambridge with 2,166 fly-tipping incidents. Last year, councils in Cambridgeshire made a total of 9,392 enforcement actions, including issuing 482 fixed penalties and collecting £11,669 in fines.

You can see how badly your area is affected by fly-tipping and how it compares to the rest of England, using our interactive map.

Nearly two thirds of fly-tipping (62%) involved household waste, which ranges from black bags of day-to-day rubbish to old furniture, carpets, and bric-a-brac from loft and shed clearances.

Fly-tipping most commonly occurs on pavements and roads, accounting for more than a third of cases (37%), according to the figures. Almost a third of incidents (31%) were the size of a small van load, while 27% were the equivalent to a car boot or less.

However, 52,000 cases involved an amount of rubbish that was equivalent to a tipper lorry load or more, an 11% increase, costing councils in England £19.26 million to clear up.

In addition to the figures from local authorities, the Environment Agency dealt with 98 incidents of large-scale illegal dumping last year, Defra said. In response, councils issued 572,000 enforcement actions, an 8% increase on the previous year, and 69,000 fixed penalty notices, a 9% rise.

However, the number of court fines fell by 9% to 1,250, and the combined value of those fines dropped from £730,000 to £673,000. Councils also seized 139 vehicles last year.

New guidance has been published by Defra to help councils seize and crush more vehicles used for fly-tipping, or repurpose them for clean-up operations, along with advice on how to take cases to court. Councils are also being urged to name and shame fly-tippers on social media.

Defra Minister Mary Creagh said: “We are empowering local authorities to clamp down on waste cowboys and restore pride in our local areas. I share the public’s fury at seeing our streets, parks and fields used as dumping grounds.

“Fly-tippers should know – if you use your van to trash our countryside, don’t be surprised when it ends up on the scrapheap.”

Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) thinks she’s God’s gift in Coronation Street, and because of that, it’s made her a woman who doesn’t believe anyone will suspect she’s got something to hide.

The newcomer, introduced to us towards the end of last year, currently works at Weatherfield High. She’s in a relationship with colleague Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard), and lets everyone believe she’s spending extra time with Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) so he can reach his full potential as a young athlete.

In reality, Megan is only with Daniel to cover up her abuse of teenager Will. She has been grooming him for months and is now carrying his baby.

The only person on the cobbles who has worked out that Megan isn’t as nice as she says is Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan). After reaching the conclusion that Megan had lied about a tracksuit top she had among her belongings, Sam suspected the teacher was having an inappropriate relationship with Will.

Proving this has been extremely difficult for Sam, as Megan has tried to be a step ahead of him at all times. This, and she’s also targeting Sam with manipulation and threats, which is now having a serious impact on his mental health.

Next week, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) picks the wrong person to open up to as she tells Megan that she’s concerned for Sam and thinks something is bothering him.

Megan assures her that she’s worrying over nothing and later, assuming that she’s alone, Megan takes a call and flirts with Will.

When Leanne emerges from the bathroom, Megan is horrified.

The next day, Sam appears at the flat for his school books and Megan takes the opportunity to have another dig at him.

Meanwhile, Leanne shares her concerns about Sam with Daniel, and apologises for interrupting his call with Megan the night before.

Leanne’s curiosity starts to grow when Megan ends up cancelling her date with Daniel. It’s clear that she’s picking up on Sam and Megan’s changes in behaviour, but will she make the connection and realise Megan is the reason Sam is becoming withdrawn?

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Or will Megan act fast and silence Leanne once she realises she’s becoming suspicious of her?

MORE: Coronation Street confirms comeuppance for abuser Megan in grim new trailer as the end looms

MORE: Megan’s vile true nature exposed in dramatic Coronation Street videos

MORE: Coronation Street fans have the most brutal response to the upcoming death storyline

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two children were among at least 10 people killed on Saturday in a Russian missile that hit a five-story residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, officials said. Sixteen others were wounded.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and called for an international response. He said that Russia struck Ukraine overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, targeting energy facilities in Kyiv and other central regions and with damage reported in at least seven other locations across the country.

According to preliminary data, air defense systems downed 19 missiles and 453 drones with hits from 9 missiles and 26 strike drones recorded at 22 locations.

In Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors. Among the dead was a primary schoolteacher and her son, a second-grade student, who were killed in their home and an eighth-grader who also died with her mother, according to the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov.

The regional Prosecutors’s Office said the building was hit by a new Russian cruise missile, known as Izdeliye-30. Ukrainian reports said that the new subsonic air-launched weapon that Russia has recently started to use against Ukraine has a range of 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) and is equipped with a new satellite navigation system more resistant to jamming.

In the Kyiv region, damage from debris was reported in three districts, according to local authorities. In the southern Odesa region, 80 firefighters were called in to help battle massive fires at infrastructure facilities following an attack with multiple drones. Ukraine’s state rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said damage to the rail infrastructure forced changes to a number of routes in the center-west of the country.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the overnight strike targeted Ukrainian military factories, energy facilities and air bases.

“There must be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Russia has not abandoned its attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential and critical infrastructure, and therefore support must continue. We count on active work with the European Union to guarantee greater protection for our people. I am grateful to everyone who helps strengthen our protection.”

Russia has fired tens of thousands of Iranian-designed drones at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years. It has launched a large-scale domestic production of them and battered Ukraine with hundreds of drones in a single night — more than were used during some entire months in 2024.

Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by launching the same type of Shahed drones at countries in the Middle East.

Zelenskyy said he had received a U.S. request for support to defend against the Iranian drones in the Middle East and had given the order for equipment to be provided along with Ukrainian experts.

The war in the Middle East has drawn international attention away from Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, and forced the postponement of a new round of U. S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine planned for this week.

‘A solid investment that’s worth every penny for a great night’s sleep,’ said one shopper

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The Supreme 80% Goose Down Duvet Collection is now available for £48 down from £60 on the Dusk website for the 4.5 tog double size, saving buyers £12. It is also available in other sizes: single (£40), king size (£56) and super king (£64), so there should be a choice for everyone. Plus shoppers can get an extra 15% off with the code EXTRA15.

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The Supreme 80% Goose Down Duvet Collection is available from Dusk

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The duvet collection is available for single, double, king size and super king.

The Supreme 80% Goose Down Duvet Collection has got 885 five-star reviews on the Dusk website. One shopper was particularly enthusiastic about their purchase.

They said: “I bought two of the 13.5 All Season quilts, one for myself and one for my daughter who struggles with sleep and night sweats. The quality of the quilts is extremely high and the performance superb. The cotton casing is very high quality. Using both quilts, 4.5 & 9, they are lightweight but warm and snug, but not too warm.

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And a fourth added: “Purchased this but was a bit sceptical as it was expensive but I’m so glad I got it. Worth the money. You get what you pay for.”

One shopper was disappointed, saying: “Received order very quickly. However despite being a 13.5 tog it doesn’t feel as warm as I expected.”

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Kerry Katona has candidly revealed her plans to move out of UK may come sooner rather than later as she revealed her daughter Dylan-Jorge’s school is set to close later this year

Kerry Katona has revealed the closure of her daughter Dylan-Jorge’s school could be a ‘sign’ for her to fast-track her plans to move abroad with her beau Paolo and their children.

The 45 year old, who is a proud mum to her five children, revealed in her first joint interview with Paolo Margaglione with OK! magazine last month that the couple plan on moving their blended family to sunnier climates within the next year. And now, it seems that move may come sooner as Kerry has revealed the news that her daughter Dylan-Jorge’s school is closing down might be a “sign”.

Writing in her latest column for new! magazine, Kerry revealed: “I recently got a message announcing they are shutting DJ’s school down in July. Molly, Lilly and Heidi all went to that school, so I am truly gutted. Now we’re running around trying to get her into a different school, but they favour pupils who already have siblings who attend, so DJ’s been put on a waiting list.”

READ MORE: Kerry Katona’s huge fears for major pop star – ‘I’m so worried’READ MORE: Kerry Katona makes cheeky confession about sex life with boyfriend Paolo, 34

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The mum added: “I’m in touch with another school but we keep missing each other, so I’m wondering if this is a sign to up and leave to Spain and start fresh…” It comes after Kerry and Paolo shared their plans to move out of the UK within the next year as she opened up about their romance in their first joint interview.

When asked where they see themselves in a year’s time, Paolo spilled to OK!, “Hopefully somewhere hot and sunny. The idea is, at some point, to potentially move away from the UK. It’s something I wanted to do and something Kerry’s wanted, too.” Meanwhile, Kerry revealed: “We do have a plan”.

Kerry is a proud mum to Molly, Lilly-Sue, Heidi, Max and DJ while her businessman beau Paolo has two daughters, Milani and Nola, from a previous relationship. Kerry even teased a move to Dubai after her trip to the UAE city last month.

Writing in her column at the time, she gushed: “I can see why so many celebrities move to Dubai. It’s definitely somewhere I’d consider moving to. It’s safe, clean, it’s lovely, everyone looks after each other – in fact I could probably see myself living there this time next year. And my children would come with me. Kate and Rio Ferdinand moved there last August and I can see why she might be struggling like she mentioned last week – sometimes it does take time to adapt.” However, in her latest column it appears she’s now got her sights set on Spain…

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It did feel cruel, and not a little unfair, to give up all hope of good prose as early as page four, but that’s where it happened. It was right there in capital letters: “IT’S GRISHAM DAY, PEOPLE.” As in John Grisham, whose looming visit to Aunt Orsa’s — the fine-dining restaurant in a Midwestern university town in which the novel is set — gives the book the tension that propels it along. Grisham’s books are a great holiday read, but the man is not known as a stylist. If he is one of Rebecca Kauffman’s literary heroes — and, given she’s framed a book around him, it feels fair to conclude he must be — then, you think, anyone who reads seeking beauty in words is in trouble.

She developed her brand Stil after years of frustration and reactions to mainstream chemical sunscreens.

Sunscreen is one of the most important skincare products we use, but it’s also one of the least loved.

But Co Antrim woman Tash Hagan is on a mission to change that. Tash, 33 and from Larne, has just launched a new mineral sunscreen after a flare-up of a chronic health condition inspired her to explore natural cosmetics.

She developed her brand Stil after years of frustration and reactions to mainstream chemical sunscreens.

READ MORE: Belfast man spends £3,550 on two hair transplants after years of tolerating baldnessREAD MORE: ‘We’re beauty writers – here’s what we’re buying as Sephora opens in Belfast’

A former pupil of Olderfleet PS and Cambridge House Grammar in Ballymena, Tash studied fashion at the University of Central Lancashire. She then spent over 12 years working in e-commerce across the UK, Australia and Europe, starting as a stylist and later becoming an Art Director at fashion brand Boden.

Living with Crohn’s disease for over 20 years made her ingredient-aware and increasingly frustrated by a category dominated by harsh formulas and outdated aesthetics.

Tash told Belfast Live: “I’ve had Crohn’s disease since I was 12 years old, and it’s made me fiercely protective of what I put in and on my body. I’ve spent my adult life dedicated to my health and wellbeing to manage my disease without medication.

“It started with clean eating, and after realising that personal care products also caused me to flare, I became obsessed with natural cosmetics and researching ingredients.

“When I returned home after living in Australia at age 29, I struggled to find an SPF on the UK shelves that I trusted. I couldn’t find a sunscreen I enjoyed using or wanted on my bathroom shelf, and I knew I wasn’t alone.

“Mineral sunscreens existed, but they were chalky, hard to rub in and felt like a compromise. This is when I originally had the idea for Stil. It’s the sunscreen I was searching for – kinder to skin, considered for the ocean, and feels like beauty.”

Launched just this month, Stil is on a mission to take minerals mainstream. Designed for sensitive skin and modern life, Stil creates mineral sunscreens that protect effectively, blend beautifully, and actually feel good to use – no white cast, no harsh chemicals, no clinical feel.

The brand made its debut with Daily Face SPF 30, a mineral sunscreen made with non-nano zinc oxide, 97.8percent natural ingredients and a ‘skincare-first texture’, said its founder. Additional products, including a body SPF and lip SPF, are already in development.

Tash explained: “Although we have slightly worse weather or not as many sunny days, I think that’s where we think we don’t need sunscreen. That’s really what I want to help change – the whole attitude and mindset around wearing SPF.

“People think they don’t need it when it’s not sunny, which is when UVA rays come into it, and they make you age quicker, leading to skin damage. We need protection from that on a daily basis, even on cloudy days and when we’re not just constantly in the sun.

“Sunscreen is always regarded as an inconvenience, and I’m flipping that on its head. It’s time to protect our skin and make it an enjoyable step in our everyday routine, something that’s not a hindrance, and not just for holidays.

“The mission is simple: to make suncare people trust, enjoy, and actually stick with. Sunscreen hasn’t changed in decades, but it’s time it did.”

More information is available at www.stilsuncare.com and www.instagram.com/stil.suncare.

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A message to Chelsea from Wrexham’s owner established just how clear their aspirations are

Wrexham welcomed Chelsea for their FA Cup fifth round encounter but it was following their previous international meeting that the Championship team signalled their Premier League aspirations to the London club.

The Saturday evening match at the Racecourse Ground marked the first competitive game between the two sides since Wrexham’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea in 1982. However, the two teams did face off in July 2023 during a pre-season match held at Chapel Hill in the United States.

Ahead of the Red Dragons’ inaugural season in League Two after being promoted from the National League, they were put through their paces against the Blues, then managed by Mauricio Pochettino.

Competing before a crowd of 50,000 spectators in North Carolina, Wrexham suffered a hefty 5-0 loss with the final three goals netted in the last 15 minutes. Despite the disheartening outcome, the club’s co-owner Rob Mac, previously known as McElhenney, remained upbeat as he delivered a message to their top-tier rivals post-match.

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The Always Sunny star posted on X: “Thank you @‌ChelseaFC!!!! Hopefully we’ll see you again in 5 years or so.” Currently enjoying a run of three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship, Mac’s optimistic forecast remains feasible with Wrexham currently occupying sixth place in the league – the final playoff spot.

After a challenging start to their campaign in the second-tier, which saw Wrexham secure just two victories from their first 10 league matches this season, Phil Parkinson’s team have rallied and now sit just nine points adrift of second place with 11 fixtures left.

The club have triumphed in their last three games – their second-longest winning run this season – and their 1-0 victory over Charlton earned them particular commendation from Parkinson. The manager said: “We showed incredible resilience today to get the win.

“There were some key moments in the game. Brilliant blocks by [Issa] Kabore and [George] Dobson — then a brilliant finish from Ollie. Arthur made a save from their first shot on target — but what a save it was. We know Carey is lethal from those situations. He has hit it low and hard, through legs, and Arthur has produced a match-winning save.”

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.