The headteacher said that they are “all incredibly proud” of their “wonderful pupils who impressed the inspectors so much”

A Cambridgeshire primary school where children are “proud of their school” and “celebrate” their differences has been praised by inspectors in its latest Ofsted report. Oakdale Primary School in Peterborough has been rated ‘strong standard’ and ‘expected standard’ in its report published on Thursday, April 23.

The primary school, on Oakdale Avenue, earned a ‘strong standard’ rating in four categories assessed including in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance as well as in personal development and wellbeing. The school, described as a “high achieving school”, said it offers a “unique family feel” with an “exciting and inspiring” curriculum.

Inspectors found that pupils are “proud of their school” and they describe it as “fun, kind and caring”. The report said: “Pupils are highly motivated to attend school regularly. They enjoy warm, respectful relationships with staff and each other. Pupils celebrate the differences between them and say everyone is welcome here.”

It added: “The values of ‘care, respect, collaboration, aspiration and challenge’ are woven through everything they do. These values equip pupils with invaluable knowledge and skills for later life.”

Children were found to achieve “very well” and are well prepared for their next steps by the time they leave Oakdale. The headteacher at Oakdale, Ilona Wrigley, said that these high grades are “due to the commitment and hard work” of the team and school community.

Ms Wrigley added that they are “all incredibly proud” of their “wonderful pupils who impressed the inspectors so much”.

The school was also praised for maintaining “a sharp focus on pupils’ experiences” during a period of change seeing a major building project and a significant increase in pupil numbers.

Ms Wrigley said: “We are thrilled with the outcomes of our recent inspection under the new framework. We achieved the strong standard in four areas, attendance and behaviour, leadership and governance, personal development and well-being, and inclusion with all other areas rated at the expected standard demonstrating the high quality education we are providing for our pupils. The report recognised the skilled teaching and impact of the extra experiences we offer the children.”

In its next steps, inspectors asked leaders at the school to ensure that staff promote pupils’ progress and even higher achievement and ensure that provision in the early years continues to develop and strengthen through consistently high-quality teaching and staff interactions with children.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to visit the United States from Monday

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit to the US will proceed with operational adjustments following what the White House has called the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

The visit was under scrutiny following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned.

“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow.”

Earlier today, the King had said he was “greatly relieved” that President Trump, the first lady and other guests at a media dinner were unharmed after a gunman tried to charge the venue, Buckingham Palace said.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos by the attack on Saturday night, with video footage showing the president stumbling as he was bundled from the room by secret service agents who also grabbed vice-president JD Vance by the shoulders and escorted him to safety.

The King and Queen are understood to have reached out privately to the president and his wife, Melania, to express their sympathies with all those affected on the night, and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury. The suspect, said to have been carrying a shotgun and handgun, has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. One officer who was shot but protected by his bulletproof vest was taken to hospital.

The 31-year-old is understood to have been a guest in the Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner was being held. He faces charges including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but acting US attorney general Todd Blanche said additional charges will be filed.

Mr Trump survived an attempted assassination in 2024 when he was shot in the right ear by a gunman during a campaign rally.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that discussions on the King’s security during his visit to the United States would take place on Sunday.

Asked if that meant there would be any escalation on what had already been planned, he said: “There’ll be appropriate security in place in relation to the risk.”

The historic visit, the King’s first visit to the US as monarch, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and herald the start of celebrations across the US. Charles and Camilla will mark the milestone at a “block-party”.

The royal couple, who will begin their visit with a private tea hosted by the president and first lady, will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that brought down New York’s Twin Towers.

Mr Jones told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News Sir Keir Starmer had been in touch with the White House: “These are remarkable scenes. The Prime Minister has, this morning, sent a message to the president of the United States in solidarity for the events that took place.

“As you would imagine, with the visit of His Majesty the King this week, our teams are working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place.”

Asked if there are any extra concerns for the King’s safety during the state visit that begins on Monday, Mr Jones said: “As you would imagine, the Government and the Palace take the security of His Majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days.”

Sir Keir said he was “shocked” by the incident overnight.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said: “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”

The prime minister later spoke to the US president and extended his best wishes while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured officer.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the incident was “an attack on democracy”.

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The show ran at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall across April 23-26 and drew in big crowds as families enjoyed a new way of watching their favourite programme

In the last year, everyone in our home has become a big fan of Bluey, one of those shows that is a delight for kids and adults alike.

So when we heard the stage show of the popular TV programme was coming to Belfast, we knew we had to take the kid along to see what it was all about.

Our pair are six and two and both just love the show, the giggles that come from them when they are watching it is something else. It’s probably the one show they both agree on.

The strangest thing I have found is how drawn to it I am as an adult, it just gets you and poignant moments can catch you off guard.

Bluey’s Big Play is no different and is a wonderful way to introduce children to the joys of theatre through the medium of their favourite show.

On Sunday morning, families flocked towards the Waterfront, with many (even the adults) decked out in Bluey clothing.

The play is an entirely new story and sees mum Chilli, dad Bandit and Bluey and Bingo get up to some mischief around the house. The idea behind the story is that Bluey want to keep their dad off his phone so he will play with them. An important message to us adults in this day and age to put the phone down and engage with our children.

For the kids, they see Bluey and Bingo face problems when Bingo copies her big sister. A lesson then ensues, in the usual humorous way, for us all.

The staging set as you walk in is the familiar landscape of the area surrounding the Heeler home and moves seemlessly to inside the family home and into their garden.

It is incredible how they can make a cartoon come to life on stage and between the staging and the team behind the puppets, it really is a magical experience.

The giant puppet characters of each member of the family are brought to life by a team on stage who manage to blend in and it is amazing how they make them move around the stage.

Our kids were enthralled by it and there were plenty of giggles when Chattermax and Lucky’s dad also made guest appearances.

And with a run time of 50 minutes and no interval, it is the perfect length for little ones, especially if they find sitting still for too long tricky.

The show ends with a giant game of keepy uppy for the whole audience which was a huge highlight for our son in particular and a lovely way to get everyone involved.

But I have to say they were great at getting the audience involved throughout and you could tell how much the young ones in the crowd loved the show.

It really was a heartwarming experience for all, and as with Bluey itself, there was something for young and old to take away from it.

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

Retired IT Analyst Roman Dubowski became the seventh winner of £1m on the popular TV show.

The seventh winner of the top prize on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrated scooping £1 million with a cup of tea. Roman Dubowski said: “I did sort of go home quietly, to be honest, but I didn’t get drunk. I had to have a cup of tea.

“So I think it was just sitting in a quiet room and letting it all sink in and thinking about what happened in the previous 24 hours and just letting it seep into my brain, if you like. So yeah, I didn’t celebrate too much, strangely because I didn’t expect to win a million, so there’s a bit of shock value and that takes a bit of time to sink in.”

The game didn’t get off to the best start for the quiz-loving retired IT Analyst from Stockport. He needed to ask the audience for help with the £1000 question about mayonnaise. But after phoning his sister for help on the £4000 question, he stormed all the way to the maximum prize.

On ITV, Roman said: “It doesn’t feel real at the moment. It hasn’t quite sunk in. It is one of those slow motion things that will sink in later today. At the moment I will just take one thing at a time.”

Reflecting months after the show was recorded in December, Roman then told the Mirror: “I thought I was good enough for let’s say a five-figure sum because I’ve seen the show so much. It’s a show I always watch and I’ve seen very good quiz names not do so well because just the one question can catch you out.

“And the point about a millionaire is your run stops if you get one wrong. That’s it. So winning the top prize, it never actually was in my sort of consciousness that I do that, but it was a great feeling, obviously.

“It was recorded back in December so I’ve had four or five months to wait for this point and I think the money won’t come in to my account until another four weeks,I think it is. So it has sunk in now because I’ve had so much time for it to sink in.”

Roman got to the £1million question with two lifelines intact, before Jeremy Clarkson asked him which trademark logo used since 1876 was in the novel ‘Ulysses’ and paintings by Picasso and Manet. After looking at the four possible answers he said he had ‘something in his head’ but was unsure it was right.

He then took less than two minutes from seeing the question, to asking to go 50-50, to then giving his final answer as Bass Ale, based on a memory he had of a Manet painting which he thought used the logo.

Stunned host Clarkson responded by saying “but you don’t know that,” as Roman replied “It’s because of the painting”.

His hunch paid off and he was crowned a winner with £1million, but rather than tears of joy or punching the air he simply smiled and chuckled to himself.

Host Jeremy Clarkson was more animated. He said: “That is fantastic. Yes! It happened so quickly. I don’t even know what to say and you did it without my help! That is just extraordinary. A million pounds. Enjoy it. All of your life assimilating that knowledge has paid off so well done you. A great champion.”

Looking back on the final question Roman said: “One of my strategies was to stay calm and not rush to speak slowly and think things through rather than jump at an answer. The question referenced a painting by Manet, and I immediately remembered seeing it in the Courtauld Gallery. I could picture the barmaid and, crucially, the red triangle of Bass beer in the image.

“That was the key. I also remembered that Bass has one of the oldest registered trademarks, which reinforced it for me. I used my 50:50, but in truth I was already confident – it simply confirmed what I thought.”

Roman, who describes himself as in his sixties, has now grown a goatee beard in the hope he won’t get recognised too much and asked for money when he is out and about.

But he says he will still play his usual Sett Valley Quiz League pub quiz on Thursday nights and this week will get his wallet out to buy team members a drink.

“It tends to be a communal bar tab, but it’s about time I sort of opened my wallet,” he said with a chuckle, admitting there is no cash prize if they triumph in a final game this week.

“I think the most I’d won before was a bottle of Campari in a raffle once,” he admitted.

Asked what else he will spend the prize money on, Roman, who has been on TV quiz Fifteen-to-One in the past, said: “Well when it was reaching five figures, I think I said a new kitchen would be nice. And I think Jeremy came back with something like, ‘There’ll be marble tops’. But now that it has reached the seven figure sum, I think I’m wanting to move. So it will probably be a new house, actually. It will go towards that. I’ve been in this house for 30 odd years. So it’s about time. I’ve gotta do it at this stage of life because I don’t want it to be too old when it happens. So most of the money will go towards that, I think.”

Roman also said he would treat his niece and nephew to gifts after their mum, his sister Danuta, helped him to the prize.

Looking at more lavish ways to spend his cash he added: “As I said on the show, travel is my main thing. So I do like visiting other countries and, for the first time, I went to New Zealand in February and I was so taken by the country, I’ll probably go again. It’s an expensive place to go to, especially with, you know, what’s happening in the world and the aviation fuel costs going up.

” But I still would love to go there again because it was, I found it an incredibly beautiful country. And then like I said on the show, I’ve not been to South America, so spending quite a lot of time in the countries there, particularly Brazil and Peru, I’d love to do that as well. So I’m more an ‘experiences person’ rather than ‘a buying stuff’ sort of person.”

Roman is one of a number of quiz experts who has done well on the ITV show down the years.

Asked what his advice would be for anyone looking to apply or play in the future, Roman said: “If people don’t like quizzes, they shouldn’t come on this show, but a lot of people do. I think most people watch quizzes, actually.

“There’s no harm in trying, even if you don’t get to the top, there’s a good chance that you’ll win something. So that’s a good reason to go and it’s always worth revising your weak subjects. But that’s not so easy because you have no idea what questions will come up.

“But with regard to choosing your friends, I think it’s got to be friends who know things you don’t know, so that you can ask them something which you know that they might know. And I think a lot of people do choose family members because you’ve known them all your life, you know their strong points and their weak points.”

The new series continues next week and ITV have already teased that another contestant gets to the £1m question but have not said when or if they also win. Before Roman there had been six winners in the show’s 28 year history.

The previous £1 million winners are: Judith Keppel (2000), David Edwards (2001), Robert Brydges (2001), Pat Gibson (2004) and Ingram Wilcox (2006). And then Donald Fear became the sixth winner on 11 September 2020, and the first contestant to win the top prize in 14 years.

Here are Roman’s 15 Questions, could you answer them to win £1million?

1. (£100) The planet Saturn famously has seven what? Rings / Necklaces / Bracelets / Anklets
2. (£200) At which of these locations is ice hockey traditionally played? Rink / Range / Court / Field
3. (£300) If you respond to an opponent’s attack with the same method, you are said to ‘fight…..’ what? Fire with fire / Smoke with smoke / Embers with embers / Cinders with cinders
4. (£500) What is the name of the famous mansion in Memphis that was Elvis Presley’s home from 1957 to 1977? Paisley Park / Graceland / The Troubadour / Dollywood
5. (£1K) What is mixed with vinegar, mustard and oil to make a basic mayonnaise? Plain flour / Salted butter / Egg yolk / Double cream
6. (£2K) In the Harry Potter books, which term is used to describe a non-magic person? Muggle / Moomin / Munchkin / Minion
7. (£4K) Which if these fashion retailers was founded in Japan? Zara / Uniqlo / Urban Outfitters / FatFace
8. (£8K) Which of these major historic events took place in the middle of the 14 th century? English Civil War / Norman Conquest / Black Death / War of the Roses
9. (£16K) Which of these sea creatures is NOT classed as cartilaginous? Shark / Ray / Dolphin / Skate
10. (£32K) Which word refers to a metal that can be stretched out in to a thin wire without breaking? Sonorous / Conductive / Ductile / Lustrous
11. (£64K) Which of these plays is part of the 20th century theatrical movement known as the Theatre of the Absurd? Death of a Salesman / The Glass Menagerie / The Seagull / Waiting for Godot
12. (£125K) The Rhone river begins its journey in which mountain range? Alps / Apennines / Carpathians / Pyrenees
13. (£250K) Which of these figures from Greek mythology is NOT known for slaying a monster? Theseus / Persius / Adonis / Bellerophon
14. (£500K) Presented in 1901, the first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of what? Wireless telegraphy / X-rays / Cosmic radiation / Quantum mechanics
15. (£1M) Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel ‘Ulysess’ and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso? Bass Ale / The Famous Grouse / Coca-Cola / Stella Artois

ANSWERS ARE: Rings, Rink, Fire with fire, Graceland, Egg yolk, Muggle, Uniqlo, Black Death, Dolphin, Ductile, Waiting for Godot, Alps, Adonis, X-rays, Bass Ale.

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The likes of Kasabian and Blur also performed at the pub

Before the most famous artists reached ultimate fame, they found their feet by performing at smaller venues. Names of artists today were once unknown people trying to make their way into the world of music.

They performed at smaller venues across the country, trying to gain a fandom. At one former bar in Cambridge, a number of now-famous artists once performed there. The former Boat Race pub in East Road was once a popular venue for live music performances.

Before it was the Boat Race, it had several different names. It was formerly known as the Waggon & Horses, and then The Falcon. The building dates back to 1827. It operated as The Boat Race until it closed in 2004. Today, it is still a live music venue known as The Six Six Bar.

When it was The Boat Race, it saw a number of well known acts perform there. Amongst them were Kasabian, Blur, Snow Patrol and Placebo. One of its most famous acts, who performed there in the 1990s were Britpop legends, Oasis. On May 11, 1994, as Oasis were just starting out, they performed one of the pub’s most famous gigs.

On this day, they performed songs that would become some of their biggest hits, including Live Forever, Supersonic and Cigarettes and Alcohol. They also performed The Beatles hit I Am A Walrus. The pub was popular with locals, and was praised it for “the sweat, the smoke and the atmosphere”.

The final band that played at the pub was The Broken Family Band. And to mark its closure, pub manager Stan, was given a card that was signed by locals and bands.

One hundred chefs gathered in London to make the world’s longest tiramisu.

The team of Italian cooks broke records with a dessert measuring 440.6 metres (1,445ft) at Chelsea Town Hall.

It was also more than 8cm tall and 15cm wide, according to Chef Carmelo Carnevale.

This smashed the previous longest tiramisu made by Milanese Galbani which spanned 273.5m (897ft).

To whip up this humongous sweet treat, chefs used a staggering 50,000 sponge fingers and more than 3,000 eggs, the BBC reported.

The Guinness World Record attempt was spearheaded by Mirko Ricci, who said the huge pudding was dedicated to the King and Queen.

It was topped with a golden crown and with the words ‘Grazie your majesty’, as well as the King’s personal monogram.

Ricci previously led a team that broke the tiramisu record in 2017.

He added that tiramisu is ‘the most incredible dessert that Italy has exported’.

Traditionally made with a mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone, cocoa powder and coffee soaked ‘ladyfinger’ sponge biscuits, the classic dessert is believed to have been invented in the 1960s.

Its exact origin is unknown but records suggest it was invented at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, near Venice in 1969.

The name ‘tiramisu’ comes from the Italian tirami su, which loosely translates to ‘cheer me up’.

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Love Island winner Dani Dyer has told her followers she is in “agony” after a piercing went wrong and she has resorted to holding frozen peas up against her ear

Dani Dyer has been left in “so much pain” following a recent ear piercing. The former Love Island winner, 29, explained on Sunday afternoon that she once had her tragus pierced and decided to get the small piece cartilage of redone after realising how “pretty” the area can look with a stood in it.

But the star, who is the daughter of EastEnders legend Danny Dyer, has now taken to Instagram to ask her followers for advice after waking up in the middle of the night in “agony” and mistakenly took the piercing out, which has now left her potentially prone to infections.

Holding a bag of frozen peas up to her ear, she said: “Guys, I am in so much pain. So, years ago, I had my tragus pierced. I don’t know if it was sore but I took it out. Anyway, I thought ‘They look so pretty, let me get it re-pierced.’ and, absolutely fine, bit sore on the day but no issues.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve been piercing for 30 years and these are things clients should never do’READ MORE: Dani Dyer disgusted by dad Danny’s crude comments about sex with mum

“Last night, I woke up at four o’clock in the morning and my ear had another heartbeat. I have never been in so much pain with my ear.

“Then, I took the piercing out but I’ve looked online and it said I shouldn’t have done that because of like infection and stuff. I just thought I had to get it out. I’m in agony, I’ve been sitting here with peas. Has anyone else had this? It is so painful!”

Dani has endured a few painful injuries since her rise to fame on the ITV2 reality show and towards the end of last year, she had to miss out on competing on Strictly Come Dancing just before it was all set to take place after suffering a fall in rehearsals.

Fellow Love Island winner Amber Davies, who since her own time on the ITV2 programme has carved out an impressive career in musical theatre and currently starring in a touring production of Legally Blonde, served as her replacement and Dani subsequently had to endure a recovery period for her foot.

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At the time, she said: “It’s been a lazy.. emotional week I was so excited for this side of the year but it really hasn’t ended the way I wanted it too.. taking everyday as it comes whilst my annoying foot gets better!”

Prior to that, the TV star part in ITV2’s Survival of the Fittest shortly before she entered Love Island. But even then, she had to quit before she could show off her survival skills, as she dislocated her shoulder while zooming headfirst down a waterslide while filming a challenge.

The reality star was treated by the medics on site and later taken to the hospital, a day after she entered the show’s lodge in the wilderness. Unfortunately, producers said she wasn’t able to finish the show due to the injury.

Later speaking about the incident on Good Morning Britain, Dani said: “I tried to put it back in and carry on with the challenge, and it just got worse. It was so bad the pain, it was horrible.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

“I believe to stay up. If I stay here, it’s because I’m positive, now, because I’m a coach of Tottenham, Tottenham is not important on the pitch, if you are Tottenham or another team, the most important are the qualities of the players, and the human level of the players,” the Italian said.

An inquest heard Zara Afua Ampong-Appiah, 30, combed the internet looking for a lethal substance before taking her own life – as police probe five deaths linked to the “suicide kits”

A young psychologist took her own life after searching online for a substance used in so-called “suicide kits”, the Mirror can reveal.

Zara Afua Ampong-Appiah combed the internet looking for the lethal substance before she was found dead in her bed last year, an inquest heard. Scotland Yard detectives are now investigating at least FIVE deaths in the UK linked to an overseas “kit” seller.

An inquest was told Ms Ampong-Appiah, 30, had a promising career ahead of her and was a postgraduate research student of the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. However from February 2023 she struggled with her own mental health. She required time off work and needed medication for a combination of depression and anxiety, according to a statement from her GP.

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After her death in April [2025], police downloaded data from her digital devices and found repeated searches for a US-based pro-choice suicide website as well as a substance often used in so-called “suicide kits”. Ms Ampong-Appiah’s mother Elly Oppong, 66, said her daughter’s death “broke her heart”.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, she said: “No parent wants to go through this. There was absolutely no warning, nothing. She had friends and a supportive family and not one of us saw this coming.”

Ms Ampong-Appiah’s case is believed to be one of a number the Met Police are investigating in which lethal substances were brought online from abroad. A spokesperson for the force said “enquiries remain ongoing” in Ms Ampong-Appiah’s case. But the kits have been linked to a number of other cases.

Last year a post-mortem on Jane Louise Colechin, 44, revealed she died from the effects of the substance, according to an inquest. Her partner found her dead at her home in Forest Gate, Newham, on New Year’s Day 2025.

Ms Ampong-Appiah was described by her mother in a statement read at her inquest as a “very calm and likeable person” who “loved learning” and was “ambitious and loved her job.” She had been working as a talking therapist at Talk Changes, a free NHS service in East London for those aged 16 and over struggling with their mental health.

But unbeknown to her family, she was also struggling with her own and in February 2023 had visited her doctor’s surgery, Kingsmead Healthcare in east London, where she had been a patient since birth. She said she was feeling anxious and depressed but denied wanting to harm herself or others or having suicidal thoughts, the inquest heard.

Between then and June 2024 she was repeatedly signed off work and took several courses of the anti-depressant Citalopram. A statement read to East London Coroner’s Court by Det Sgt Tom Boow (CORR), of the Met Police, revealed that police were called out of concern for Ms Ampong-Appiah following intelligence that a substance may have been delivered to her address in Leytonstone, east London, from overseas.

After officers broke into the property on April 10, 2025, officers discovered Ms Ampong-Appiah dead in bed with early signs of decomposition. Two keys were found inside the room, which was locked from the inside and two windows were also secured.

No overseas purchases were found and there was no note left, the statement added. “No drugs or substances were apparent,” Det Sgt Boow said, adding that bins at the property were also searched. A notebook had been left open on a page with some scripture on it regarding death, he said.

Digital forensic technician Connor Tkacziw (CORR) looked at Ms Ampong-Appiah’s electronic devices. He found 44 recent mentions of suicide, 19 relating to the substance which caused her death, 35 relating to a pro-suicide website, study notes relating to suicide as well as Google searches.

Toxicology tests found Ms Ampong-Appiah had vastly elevated levels of two substances in her blood, one of which was 14,569 times the amount that should be found in a healthy person. Expert Amrita Ahluwalia said levels could be elevated in infectious diseases as well as from some food sources, but it was “unlikely”.

“It’s not possible to exclude infection as a contributory cause but it’s unlikely that they would provide these extremely high levels,” she said. Pathologist Dr Ashraf Ibrahim recorded the cause of death as toxicity from two forms of a chemical.

Ms Oppong, a retired cook, of Hackney, east London, said Ms Ampong-Appiah had not mentioned her poor mental health to family members. She queried whether GPs should be able to tell a mother or father if their child was struggling or prescribed anti-depressants, even if they are over 18.

She said: “They say the person is over 18 so it’s private. If the person is going through mental health problems, a mother or father should know, maybe that would help? It would have been easier if I knew she was struggling, we could have supported her. The last year hasn’t been easy but family and church are supporting me.”

Estimates suggest that hundreds of people in the UK may have died by ordering ‘suicide kits’ containing lethal substances from other countries. A growing number of UK deaths have also been linked to the same US pro-suicide website that Ms Ampong-Appiah visited.

The website is currently blocked for UK users although some say they have found a way around the block. In the UK, under the Suicide Act 1961, it is illegal to assist or encourage someone to end their life.

This includes ordering, supplying or importing ‘suicide kits’ or lethal substances into the UK from any other country. If this transaction happens online it is still considered illegal. The legality of specific substances depends on the substance. However in general purchasing substances that are intended for the purpose of self harm is a criminal offence in the UK.

It comes as Canadian chef Kenneth Law prepares to face trial following allegations he supplied people around the world with lethal substances used to end their lives. He was arrested in 2023 for aiding suicide and was later charged with 14 counts of first degree murder. So far he has been linked to 131 suicides worldwide with 97 of those thought to be in the UK. Law is currently awaiting trial due to start this month. There is no suggestion he is linked to the Met’s ongoing investigation.

As far back as 2021, Caroline Jones, Assistant Coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, wrote a Report to Prevent Future Deaths following the case of James Nowshadi, 23, whose death on April 1, 2020, was linked to the substance. Ms Jones said there should be national guidance available for dealing with the deaths, adding: “In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.”

Nadia Persaud, area coroner for East London, recorded a conclusion of suicide in Ms Ampong-Appiah’s case. She said: “Zara was found deceased at her home address and police attending found clear signs that life was extinct. The circumstances all suggest that Zara had taken a substance that had caused her death.

“Analysis of her devices showed a number of searches relating to suicide and a post mortem investigation revealed toxicity (relating to the chemical). Therefore the conclusion is that she died as a result of suicide.”

For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.