Michael Carrick joked the viral fan hoping for a long-awaited haircut will not be making it into his team talk as Manchester United head to West Ham looking for a fifth straight Premier League win.

Frank Ilett has racked up more than two million social media followers since pledging in October 2024 to grow his hair until the Red Devils secured five victories in a row.

Erik ten Hag was in charge at the start of a challenge that could end after nearly 500 days if Carrick can continue his winning record since succeeding Ruben Amorim by beating his former club West Ham on Tuesday.

The former midfielder has not been keeping a close eye on the viral stunt but learned about “The United Strand” through his children.

“I can say I’m aware of it, yeah,” Carrick said with a smile. “My kids have made me aware of it, if anything, but it certainly won’t go into the team talk from a professional level.

“I can understand what’s going on with it and it does make me smile but it won’t have an impact ultimately in the end.”

Opportunity knocks for United, who can move eight points clear of sixth-place Liverpool with victory at the London Stadium. Arne Slot’s team face a stringent test at Sunderland tomorrow night, without a specialist right-back to select from.

Man Utd have lost each of their last three league games at West Ham though, while Nuno Espirito Santo also boasts a very respectable record against them. Across 11 league matches in charge of Wolves, Nottingham Forest and West Ham against United, Nuno has only lost three.

West Ham have won three of their last four games, and in the one game they lost in that run they raced into a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge. A front four of Crysencio Summerville, Taty Castellanos, Pablo and Jarrod Bowen has been causing problems; let’s see if they stick with that front-footed approach against a United team who look potent.

Full team news on the way shortly.

For obvious reasons, the secretive world of intelligence agencies and the people who revolve in its orbit remains opaque. So much so, that some of those people may not even be aware of any involvement in the secret world.

The Epstein papers have thrown up speculation about whether the late financier and sex offender might have performed services for one or another of the big intelligence agencies. And in the wake of that speculation, it has been noted that the father of Epstein’s one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was the late Robert Maxwell, well-known as a larger than life publisher and newspaper proprietor in the UK from the 1950s to the early 90s. He, too, was the subject of much speculation that he might have been involved in intelligence work.

Epstein is now better known for his sex trafficking network and Maxwell for stealing from his employees’ pension funds. But their examples point to how intelligence, high finance and influence work.

Generally speaking there are three main classes of people involved in state intelligence gathering. “Officers” are full-time employees of state intelligence agencies such as MI6. They run their groups of “agents”, who are not formally employed by the state but who deliberately and knowingly gather intelligence and perform tasks for intelligence officers. And there are what is known as “intelligencers” (or sometimes assets) who may not even know they are providing information to a spy agency.

The currency of human intelligence is access, knowledge and often the ability to compromise officials and influential people.

We often think that intelligence agencies and their agent runners seek to directly recruit people with the access and motivation to pass on state secrets. While this is undeniably the case – and the examples of the American Aldrich Ames and the Briton Melita Norwood provide good evidence of this – intelligence agencies are equally interested in recruiting what’s known as “access agents”.

Access agents

The value of an access agent is not the secrets they have access to, but the social and professional access they provide to people who do. People in high-end society, scientific research, banking, politics and culture make excellent targets for access agents. And from an agency’s point of view, the best thing is that these agents are deniable and under the radar.

Intelligence officers and their operatives require funding, mobility and a credible back story (known as a legend). Businessmen like Robert Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein had plenty of all three, making them excellent candidates to theoretically serve the needs of intelligence agencies.

But rather than indulging in speculation about Epstein and Maxwell, which is unlikely ever to be conclusively confirmed or denied, it’s more instructive to look at what we know about access agents. They are often business people, sometimes academics or journalists with a reason to travel and the opportunity to meet people in influential circles in the course of their legitimate business.

It’s worth remembering that Kim Philby, the most notorious of the Cambridge spy ring, cut his teeth as a reporter in Spain during the civil war, before embarking on a career as an MI6 officer (and Soviet double agent). Australian journalist, Richard Hughes – who appeared lightly disguised in novels by Ian Fleming and John le Carre – was believed by many to be an agent for British intelligence, working in southeast Asia during the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.

Perhaps the most famous businessman-agent was Cyril Bertram Mills who combined being the director of the Bertram Mills Circus with a four-decade career spanning the years before and after the second world war with British intelligence. Travelling widely in Europe, ostensibly to seek out circus acts, he provided his spymasters with evidence of German rearmament in the 1930s. He also recruited Garbo, one of the most successful double agents, who was instrumental in convincing Germany that the D-Day landings would be in Calais, not Normandy.

An access agent is trained “to be the friend the informant doesn’t have”. They can provide what their contact needs and cannot get hold of: whether that’s useful inside information of some kind, an introduction to someone important, a sexual partner or finance for one of their ventures.

MI5 is quite open about this on its website: “Agents operate by exploiting trusted relationships and positions to obtain sensitive information. They may also look for vulnerabilities among those handling secrets.

Secrets and lies

Determining truth in intelligence is complicated. Very rarely do we see a single piece of incontrovertible evidence that proves someone’s intelligence status or the ethics or efficacy of their actions. But then as we know, all of this is shrouded in secrecy and supposition.

In Maxwell’s case, historical scholarship and TV documentaries have provided unverified hints. In Epstein’s we have indicators such as the claim by former US attorney, Alexander Acosta that he was told Epstein “belonged to intelligence”, when he negotiated his plea deal. But it’s unlikely we’ll ever know the truth about either.

Panama’s supreme court invalidated a contract in late January that had allowed Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based firm CK Hutchison, to operate two ports on the Panama canal since 1997.

The decision, which ruled that the laws allowing the firm to operate the ports were “unconstitutional”, comes one year after the US president, Donald Trump, threatened to take control of the canal to limit Chinese influence over the waterway.

Beijing reacted to the ruling angrily, calling the judgment “absurd, shameful and pathetic”. It also said the Panamanian government will pay “a heavy political and economic price” for evicting the company from the ports. The ruling is the latest sign that China’s ambitions in the region are losing momentum.

Chinese influence in Latin America is a relatively recent phenomenon. Since 1823, when President James Monroe declared the western hemisphere closed to further European colonisation, the US has largely maintained strict control over the region’s affairs.

But that changed after the end of the cold war in 1991, with successive US administrations reducing their focus on Latin America. This allowed emerging superpowers such as China to assert their influence in the region.

China is now the top trading partner for South America and is becoming the largest for Latin America as a whole. It is also a major source of foreign direct investment and infrastructure lending for the region.

Chinese influence in what the US considers its own backyard has irked the Trump administration. Shortly after the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, declared: “This is the western hemisphere. This is where we live – and we’re not going to allow the western hemisphere to be a base of operations for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States.”

The eviction of Panama Ports Company from the Panama canal will have been celebrated as a victory in Washington, which is looking to promote its own national interests in the region. But it is also possible that the incident could prompt countries throughout Latin America to address their reliance on China.

Over the past two decades, China has swamped countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with loans. However, unlike loans from the World Bank or International Monetary Fund that are contingent on structural and institutional reforms, Chinese loans come with few conditions attached. China generally requires governments to guarantee repayment through the future export of commodities such as oil.

At the same time, Chinese investments generally bring low environmental and labour standards. In a 2023 analysis of 14 Chinese mining, hydroelectric, fossil fuel, infrastructure and agriculture projects in Latin America, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights identified patterns of serious rights abuses. These included abuses against the rights of Indigenous people, as well as the rights to health, a healthy environment, water, food and housing.

Chinese investments also tend to focus on areas that give Beijing control over a country’s critical infrastructure. For example, China controls a majority stake in the strategically important Chancay port in western Peru and Chinese firms now control approximately two-thirds of Chile’s energy distribution. Under these circumstances, reducing reliance on China is probably in the interests of many Latin American countries.

In February 2025, Panama became the first country in the region to withdraw from China’s global infrastructure and investment project, the Belt and Road Initiative. The announcement followed a visit by Rubio, drawing criticism from Chinese officials over what they saw as US attempts to “deliberately sow discord” between China and Panama.

At a press conference, the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, said: “I do not know what was the intention of those who signed this agreement with China. What has it brought to Panama all these years? What are the great things that this Belt and Road Initiative has brought to the country?”

China’s choices

China itself already appears to be deprioritising Latin America as an investment destination, largely due to the region’s mediocre growth trajectory and frequent delays to loan repayments. It has scaled back on sovereign loans since 2020, while Chinese investment in large-scale Latin American infrastructure projects has reduced in recent years.

And it may be in China’s interests to accelerate this trend. The US capture of Maduro demonstrates the Trump administration’s willingness to induce dramatic changes in the Latin American political environment. These changes may undermine China’s ability to extract unpaid debts from governments in the region.

For example, analysts suggest there is a risk that the new Venezuelan government will attempt to challenge the legitimacy of the roughly US$10 billion (£7.3 billion) of debt it owes to China under a legal doctrine known as “odious debt”. This arises when a government argues that debt incurred by a previous regime did not benefit the nation and is therefore unenforceable.

The future ownership of the two ports previously operated by Panama Ports Company is unclear. The firm has announced it is launching international arbitration proceedings against Panama over the contract ruling, a process that is likely to last years. But it appears the high noon of Chinese economic domination in Latin America may well be over.

A GoFundMe page was launched to support Darren Southworth, 57, owner of Darren’s Barbers on Lee Lane in Horwich, whose shop was badly damaged when a car crashed into the building in the early hours of Saturday, February 7.

The shop was left boarded up due to the scale of the damage, prompting a show of support from the community and neighbouring businesses.

However, Mr Southworth later used Facebook to clarify that the fundraiser had not been set up with his consent.

He said: “I haven’t authorised any GoFundMe or fundraising on my behalf.

Darren’s Barbers is on 14 Lee Ln, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7BY (Image: Ruby Watson)

“I’ve asked the organiser to close it and return all donations.

“I’m genuinely grateful to the organiser, whom I don’t think I know and I don’t recognise from her photos, and for the thought behind it and for everyone who has already donated so kindly.

“I do have insurance in place, and I’m hopeful it will cover the financial losses once everything is processed.

“Please do not donate further.

“I have contacted GoFundMe to try to get this stopped because this does not feel necessary when I have shop insurance.

“Thank you again for the kindness and generosity you have all shown.

“I am extremely grateful.

“Your continued support and kind messages are enough.”

GoFundMe confirmed the fundraiser has now been removed and that no funds were released.

A spokesperson for the fundraising platform said: “The fundraiser was removed by the organiser.

“No funds were released and all donors will be refunded.”

Despite the misunderstanding, Mr Southworth has been touched by the support shown by the Horwich community.

Darren Southworth, owner of Darren’s Barbers (Image: Darren Southworth)

Nearby barbers have offered him a chair so he can continue working until his shop is repaired.

Well-wishers have also sent him messages of encouragement and support.

The crash itself remains under investigation.

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that the collision resulted in life-threatening injuries, though there were no fatalities.

As Mr Southworth waits for repairs to his shop, he remains hopeful that his insurance will cover the majority of the damage.

An inquest in to the death of the Strictly star has opened in which it has been revealed the impact being cut from the show had on him

Robin Windsor said he felt a “constant sadness” after being dropped from Strictly Come Dancing. An inquest into the death of the dancer has been opened, two years after he died.

Windsor left a suicide note when he died, aged 44, in 2024, the inquest heard. The star was found dead in his hotel bed by a receptionist with police and medics then attending the Hoxton in West London.

PC Emily Hampson discovered two notes near him. One of which was addressed to his ex, Ollie Augustin, and said his suicide was not Augustin’s fault.

The other detailed how being axed from Strictly in 2015 left him in “a dark place”. He wrote: “This all really started when I lost my job on Strictly and have been fighting it ever since.

“The way they treated me destroyed me…It started me on the road I’m still on. All I wanted from life was to be happy. I loved my job more than anyone else.”

He added that the “heartache, the loneliness, the constant sadness” all got to be “too much”. “I just live permanently in a dark place,” Windsor said. “I just can’t live like this anymore. It’s just too painful.

“I had a good run, I’ve done some incredible things in my 44 years and had an unreal life doing what I loved, but all things must come to an end, and my curtain has come down for the final time.”

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Windsor was partnered with big names Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden between 2010 and 2013, but suffered a back injury that meant he needed surgery.

Due to his injury he was unable to partake in the 2014 series and the following year bosses decided not to bring him back. His friend and former colleague, Kristina Rihanoff, told the hearing that the “psychological impact” of leaving Strictly was “very severe” as he “couldn’t do what he loved” due to his back pain. She added that is was “heartbreaking” to see him so “sad, subdued and burdened”.

The inquest heard that a post-mortem ruled Windsor’s death was likely an overdose on drugs and alcohol. Former Strictly executive producer Louise Rainbow said Windsor was one of three stars dropped ahead of the 2015 series and that though he was “very disappointed” when he was told, his reaction “wasn’t that different” to the other dancers and did not cause her concern.

She added that Windsor was offered work on the Christmas special and the spin-off, It Takes Two, both of which he accepted. She described him as a “joy to work with”.

Marcus Collins, Windsor’s ex-boyfriend, also testified. His witness statement read out by the assistant coroner said Windsor was inconsolable after being cut. He said: “The day he was informed he was no longer required really broke his spirit.”

His aunt, Alison Windsor, said he was “absolutely devastated”. She said on at the hearing: “He lived for dancing, breathed it, slept it. That was his vocation in life.

“Being called for Strictly is every professional dancer’s dream. I think things started with his back problems, when he was told he wasn’t required again. I do honestly 100 per cent believe that was the start of Robin’s decline.”

In another written statement, Windsor’s former dance partner Deborah Meaden said the last time she’d heard from him was a year prior his death. “We talked about his mental health problems, but he had come through the bad times and had plans for the future.”

The court also heard that Windsor has said to his ex Augustin that he “would kill himself”. He said that Windsor was on suicide watch over Christmas 2023 and that “he’d say things like he would kill himself if he couldn’t be with me”. However, as mentioned one of the notes insisted that this was not the reason Windsor committed suicide.

The inquest continues. The Mirror has approached Strictly Come Dancing.

If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

Bad Bunny’s halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl drew a massive 128.2 million viewers, but fell short of the record set last year when 133.5 million viewers tuned in to watch Kendrick Lamar.

The Puerto Rican superstar’s showstopping Sunday performance came midway through the NFL championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, which was itself watched by an average of 124.9 million people, according to new data published by Nielsen.

Viewership peaked during the second quarter of the game when 137.8 million people were watching simultaneously, the highest peak viewership in U.S. television history.

While Bad Bunny may not have broken Lamar’s record, he did easily exceed the 6.1 million people who tuned in to the YouTube livestream of the right-wing organization Turning Point USA’s rival All-American halftime show, headlined by country singer Kid Rock.

The alternative MAGA event was held in protest of Bad Bunny’s selection as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime star. After he was announced last September, he faced a barrage of MAGA hate, including from Donald Trump, who slammed him as a “terrible choice” that “sows hatred” due to his past criticism of the president’s ICE raids.

During Bad Bunny’s 13-minute, high-energy set, he managed to squeeze in a medley of at least 12 songs and a handful of celebrity cameos.

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His performance, widely praised by critics, was a joyous celebration of Latin culture and a call for pan-American unity. Towards the end of his performance, the “DtMF” artist, 31, was handed a football with the words, “Together, We are America,” written on it. He told the crowd, “God bless America,” before listing the names of every country in the Americas.

The Grammy-winning rapper and singer not only smashed viewership records, but he also made history as the first solo male Latin artist to headline the event. He is also the first person to perform on the NFL’s most high-profile stage entirely in a language other than English. That detail didn’t sit right with Trump, who fumed on Truth Social: “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”

His all-Spanish set, however, didn’t appear to deter fans, who have since rushed to Duolingo to learn the language. The popular language-learning app, said that during Bad Bunny’s halftime show, its platform experienced a significant surge in users learning Spanish as viewers seemingly turned to the app to understand the lyrics.

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In a four-star review of Bad Bunny’s show, The Independent’s Mark Beaument declared it “might even be the moment that the Latin world steals away the global musical zeitgeist from a nation folding in on itself.”

“Because this — this wild, inclusive fiesta — was Old America at its best,” he wrote.

Police Scotland has launched an investigation into the deaths of six patients, including adults and children, believed to have contracted fatal infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The inquiry follows a long-running controversy over hospital-acquired infections at the site, with concerns raised by families and clinicians about water contamination, ventilation systems and wider environmental safety within the hospital.

The hospital has been under scrutiny for several years after campaigners raised questions about possible links between infections and environmental factors within the building. The investigation will examine whether any such factors contributed to the deaths.

Modern hospitals are generally safe places to receive care. But infections remain a risk wherever large numbers of vulnerable patients receive complex treatment.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as nosocomial (meaning originating in hospital) or healthcare-associated infections, are infections patients contract during or after receiving treatment in healthcare settings that were not present when they were admitted.

These infections can occur not only in hospitals, but also in nursing homes, rehabilitation centres, outpatient clinics and dialysis units. They represent a persistent and serious threat to patient safety worldwide. Patients may develop bloodstream infections from contaminated intravenous lines or severe diarrhoeal illness after exposure to resistant bacteria on hospital wards.

Hospital-acquired infections are among the most common adverse events in healthcare globally. They can lead to longer hospital stays, higher costs, disability and death. Across the European Union and European Economic Area combined, surveillance data suggest more than four million patients are affected each year. In the UK, healthcare-associated infections affect hundreds of thousands of people annually and remain a major patient safety concern.

Most hospital-acquired infections are treatable. However, they can become life-threatening when they lead to bloodstream infection or sepsis or occur in already vulnerable patients. Many involve microbes that no longer respond to standard antibiotics.

À lire aussi :
Sepsis: why this deadly condition is so hard to diagnose

These infections are especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including older adults, newborn babies and patients undergoing surgery or intensive treatments. Healthcare workers are also at risk because of repeated exposure to infectious patients and contaminated environments.

Causes of HAIs

Hospital-acquired infections can be caused by many microbes, including bacteria, fungi and viruses.

One well-known bacterium is Staphylococcus aureus, which often lives harmlessly on the skin or in the nose but can cause serious infection if it enters the body. A particularly problematic strain is methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which has evolved resistance to several commonly used antibiotics.

À lire aussi :
Golden staph: the deadly bug that wreaks havoc in hospitals

Another major cause is Clostridioides difficile, which can trigger severe diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon, particularly after antibiotic use disrupts normal gut bacteria. These pathogens have been major concerns for decades because they resist treatment and spread easily in healthcare settings.

Other emerging threats include carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, gut bacteria resistant to carbapenems, a class of last-resort antibiotics. These gram-negative bacteria have a cell wall structure that makes them naturally more resistant to many antibiotics and harder to treat. They frequently cause bloodstream infections and urinary tract infections in hospitals.

A growing fungal threat is Candidozyma auris, a drug-resistant yeast that has caused outbreaks worldwide and can survive for long periods on surfaces.

Viruses also play a role. Respiratory viruses such as coronavirus, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus can spread rapidly in wards. Norovirus frequently causes outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea because it spreads easily and survives well on surfaces.

À lire aussi :
Norovirus: what to know about this bug as northern hemisphere countries face outbreaks

Bloodborne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can spread through contaminated needles, blood products or failures in infection control. Other viruses, including varicella-zoster and measles, have also caused hospital outbreaks.

Hospital-acquired infections spread through multiple routes. Direct contact between patients and healthcare workers is common, as is transmission via contaminated equipment or surfaces when cleaning is inadequate.

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Environmental sources can contribute. Hospital water systems have been linked to outbreaks in some investigations. Surfaces and medical devices such as catheters and ventilators can harbour microbes if not properly sterilised. Research also highlights less obvious routes, including insects carrying resistant bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance

One of the biggest challenges in tackling hospital-acquired infections is antimicrobial resistance. This occurs when microbes evolve so that medicines designed to kill them become less effective.

Hospitals use large quantities of antibiotics, creating pressure for microbes to develop resistance. Over time this can lead to superbugs that spread quickly, including among frontline healthcare workers. Clear communication about risk and prevention is essential.

Global surveillance indicates that antibiotic-resistant infections in healthcare settings are rising sharply.

Hospital-acquired infections can be fatal, particularly when they lead to bloodstream infection or sepsis. In 2019, antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide.

Outbreaks occur when infection rates rise above expected levels and may begin with a single infected patient, contaminated equipment or environmental sources. Once established, infections can spread quickly between wards.

Preventing hospital-acquired infections requires strict hygiene, sterilisation, environmental cleaning and responsible antibiotic use. Surveillance systems and rapid responses help contain outbreaks early. Improved ventilation, antimicrobial materials and better hospital design may also reduce transmission.

Hospital-acquired infections remain a major global public health challenge because they occur in places meant to heal. No one should enter hospital for treatment and leave with a preventable infection.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology, the company announced Tuesday.

The news is the latest sign of the FDA’s heightened scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly those using mRNA technology, which he has criticized before and after becoming the nation’s top health official.

Moderna received what’s called a “refusal-to-file” letter from the FDA that objected to how it conducted a 40,000-person clinical trial comparing its new vaccine to one of the standard flu shots used today. That trial concluded the new vaccine was somewhat more effective in adults 50 and older than that standard shot.

The letter from FDA vaccine director Dr. Vinay Prasad said the agency doesn’t consider the application to contain an “adequate and well-controlled trial” because it didn’t compare the new shot to “the best-available standard of care in the United States at the time of the study.” Prasad’s letter pointed to some advice FDA officials gave Moderna in 2024, under the Biden administration, which Moderna didn’t follow.

According to Moderna, that feedback said it was acceptable to use the standard-dose flu shot the company had chosen — but that another brand specifically recommended for seniors would be preferred for anyone 65 and older in the study. Still, Moderna said, the FDA did agree to let the study proceed as originally planned.

The company said it also had shared with FDA additional data from a separate trial comparing the new vaccine against a licensed high-dose shot used for seniors.

The FDA “did not identify any safety or efficacy concerns with our product” and “does not further our shared goal of enhancing America’s leadership in developing innovative medicines,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

It’s rare that FDA refuses to file an application, particularly for a new vaccine, which requires companies and FDA staff to engage in months or years of discussions.

Moderna has requested an urgent meeting with FDA, and noted that it has applied for the vaccine’s approval in Europe, Canada and Australia.

In the last year, FDA officials working under Kennedy have rolled back recommendations around COVID-19 shots, added extra warnings to the two leading COVID vaccines — which are made with mRNA technology — and removed critics of the administration’s approach from an FDA advisory panel.

Kennedy announced last year that his department would cancel more than $500 million in contracts and funding for the development of vaccines using mRNA.

FDA for decades has allowed vaccine makers to quickly update their annual flu shots to target the latest strains by showing that they trigger an immune response in patients. That’s a far more efficient approach than running long-term studies tracking whether patients get the flu and how they fare. In an internal memo last year, Prasad wrote that the streamlined method would no longer be permitted – leading more than a dozen former FDA commissioners to pen an editorial condemning the statements.

—-

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The Tottenham hierarchy now have a huge decision to make.

Thomas Frank’s future at the club is uncertain. That isn’t a secret, of course – it has been the case for weeks.

Large sections of the supporters want him sacked. The boos that rang round Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time were testament to that prevailing feeling from a disgruntled fanbase.

Crucially, there has been a loss of support towards the Dane internally.

So, the fact Frank’s disastrous first season in charge lurched to deeper depths following this defeat by Newcastle may have significant consequences.

If Nottingham Forest, who occupy 17th, beat Wolves on Wednesday night they will go level on points with Tottenham.

Frank is understandably hesitant to admit his side are in relegation fight – but the numbers don’t lie.

That said, it may not be Frank’s problem for much longer – Tottenham‘s latest loss will push the beleaguered manager closer to what appears an inevitable exit.

Indeed, such has been the level of contemplation regarding Frank’s immediate future at Tottenham in recent weeks that this loss will almost certainly trigger further soul-searching from the club’s leadership group.

The fact the Spurs board have stuck by Frank during such a difficult period proves they want the appointment to work.

The easier decision would have been to show Frank the door by now.

However, the Tottenham hierarchy believe Frank has been dealt a rough hand.

There’s an acknowledgment that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

There is also recognition that the squad needs repair work – particularly considering the departures of their two main sources of goals in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There is also a sense behind the scenes that the squad is lacking in leadership. It was why they signed England international Conor Gallagher and tried to land Andy Robertson from Liverpool – both with plenty of Premier League experience.

There is also a sense from Tottenham‘s executive team that the club require a period of managerial stability.

But by the same token, sources have told BBC Sport that work towards a contingency plan in the event they make a decision they really don’t want to make illustrates the precarity of Frank’s position.

If the club decide to part with Frank in the immediate aftermath of this Newcastle defeat, they will have 12 days until their next fixture against Arsenal on 22 February.

That leaves Tottenham with a prolonged window to execute their replacement plan and leave Frank’s successor with time to implement a blueprint for the north London derby.

The pressure on Frank is at breaking point. We are about to find out if Tottenham crack.

Ernest Howlett was spotted weaving all over the road in his VW Up before clipping the door mirror of the car, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The occupants of the car followed the 75-year-old, who continued to drive aggressively and brake heavily before crashing into their car again.

Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, showed the court a seven-minute clip of dash-cam footage which captured the incidents as they unfolded.

“The complainant followed the defendant towards Blackhall Colliery where the defendant repeatedly braked sharply, which the complainant believed was an attempt to cause a collision,” he said.

Mr Thompson said both cars eventually pulled over together and following a confrontation the defendant denied clipping the car before driving off at speed.

“While driving along Middle Street, the defendant has emerged suddenly from a side street causing a low-speed collision.

“He has got out of the car and aggressively approached the vehicle and began hitting the driver’s window and struck the complainant’s face.”

The court heard how the defendant denied that he had been driving dangerously telling police – ‘that’s how we drive in London’.

The defendant had 33 convictions for 89 offences on his record including 39 historic driving offences.

Howlett, of The Sidings, Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, was convicted of dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident following a trial at magistrates’ court.

Jamie Adams, mitigating, said his client moved to the North East to get away from his past and he had worked a lorry driver for a number of years.

He added the pensioner rarely leaves him home due to his disabilities and ailing health but had handed in his licence as a result of the incident.

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Recorder Taryn Turner sentenced Howlett to 12 months in custody suspended for two years, and made him subject of a six-month curfew between 8pm and 6am.

She added: “Driving is a privilege and not a right, and when that privilege is exercised as it was here, irresponsibly, the potential consequences are grave.

“It was only good fortune and good driving on your part that the outcome was not more serious.”

Howlett was also banned from driving for three years.