Two young farm workers have been hailed as heroes after they put their lives and machinery at risk to stop a wildfire spreading to a housing estate.

Jay Loft, 22, and Cameron Bartram, 19, reacted quickly when a blaze spread over 750 yards across wheat fields in the Woodthorpe area of York on Sunday afternoon.

The duo had been working at a nearby site when they were called about the fire – and with landowner Russell Wagstaff 45 minutes away, they sprang into action.

As the blaze headed towards homes, Mr Loft and Mr Bartram jumped into tractors and disced the fields to create a firebreak until the emergency services arrived.

Dramatic video recorded from the tractors showed the fire just yards away from the machinery as huge plumes of smoke resulted in near-zero visibility on local roads.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service eventually brought the flames under control, but the suspected arson attack caused an estimated £30,000 of damage to crops.

Two girls aged 15 and 17, both from the local area, were arrested on suspicion of arson by North Yorkshire Police soon afterwards and an investigation continues.

Detectives said a further eight fires were reported across the area last weekend, with six of these being treated as deliberate.

Cameron Bartram (left) and Jay Loft (right) helped to stop the potentially devastating fire 

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The farm workers disced the fields to create a firebreak until the emergency services arrived 

As the blaze headed towards homes, the workers jumped into tractors and disced the fields

Mr Bartram said the fire was ‘spreading really quick’ when he arrived, telling the BBC: ‘I was just glad I was nearby and could get there to help a neighbouring farmer.’

‘If it happened to us I’d like to think that a neighbouring farmer would be here to help us. It was horrible really. And for the farmer as well, just a massive loss. It’s just that dry at the minute, everything can catch alight like no problem at all.’

Mr Wagstaff, of Wagstaff Farm in Sutton-on-the-Forest, has since been clearing up the remains of the fire with his combine harvester.

He told the York Press: ‘Jay contacted us as we saw the smoke from home and we’re so grateful for his quick thinking. We contacted John Sykes and Steven Beckett – both local farmers – who helped and also sent a water bowser to the fields.

‘It was a great effort from the farming community, bringing everybody together, especially as times are tough at the moment and prices are not good.

‘As I was making my way there on Sunday the hope was that everyone was safe and that the fire was not spreading to homes. It would be nice to have an apology from whoever did this.’

Meanwhile Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, has praised Mr Loft and Mr Bartram for their quick thinking and invited them to Parliament.

He said: ‘People are often far too quick to write off the younger generation, but Cameron and Jay have shown the exact opposite.

‘They’re two Yorkshire lads who didn’t stand around waiting for someone else to sort it. They rolled up their sleeves and stepped up when their community needed them the most.

The tractor can be seen attempted to make a firebreak to stop the blaze speading to homes

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The fire was just yards away from the machinery as huge plumes of smoke billowed into the air

The farm workers had been at a nearby site when they were called about the fire on Sunday

Huge plumes of smoke resulted in near-zero visibility on local roads during Sunday’s blaze

‘Their quick thinking helped stop the fire spreading towards people’s homes, and our city owes them a huge thank you.’

Mr Charters posted a letter of thanks to the duo, along with ‘a couple of beers’ to say thanks.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Ben Ambler, of North Yorkshire Police, said: ‘Arson is a serious offence that puts lives at risk and, in this case, has caused significant damage to a local farmer’s crops.

‘Two local teenagers were swiftly arrested in connection with the suspected arson in Acomb yesterday, and our investigation is progressing at pace.

‘We have a problem-solving plan in place to address this issue and will continue our joint work with partners to educate young people about the dangers and consequences of fires as we head into the summer school holidays.’

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Nick Allenby said: ‘Fire spreads quickly and can be unpredictable. A fire can endanger lives no matter what size it is.

‘Even a small fire can spread quickly and divert crews away from life‑threatening emergencies.

‘By working with partners, including North Yorkshire Police, we aim to educate children and young adults about the dangers of fire and help them understand the wider consequences of their actions before someone is seriously harmed.

‘We are appealing to anyone with parental responsibilities to explain the hazards, risks and potentially devastating consequences of setting fires especially ahead of the summer holidays.’

Parts of Scotland are at very high risk of wildfire over the next few days.

The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, has issued wildfire warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland.

The alert, warning of a very high risk of wildfire, came into force on Wednesday and lasts until Monday.

It follows days of hot and dry weather in many parts of the country.

SFRS wildfire tactical adviser Kevin Dingwall urged the public to take “simple steps” to prevent fires from starting.

He said: “Hot, dry conditions increase the risk of wildfire across Scotland. Even if a warning is not in place where you live, we ask everyone to stay vigilant.

“Wildfires can destroy property, landscapes and wildlife. That’s why it’s so important that everyone takes extra care during these conditions.”

Earlier this week the Met Office released a report on the UK’s climate, which said that weather once considered extreme was becoming the “new normal”.

Scientists say that the country’s climate is “on the move” as northern areas of Britain now see warmer temperatures that used to only affect southern England.

If you see a large outdoor fire, call 999 immediately. Give the location and any other relevant information so fire crews can respond quickly.

Meghan Markle would have felt ‘humiliated’ and filled with ‘a lot of sadness’ during her first visit to the UK in four years – a trip where she was never seen in public, friends of the Duchess have told People magazine.

The Duchess of Sussex is letting her husband take the lead in the ongoing conflict with his family, including the row over staying at Buckingham Palace, friends say.

But despite Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet’s reunion with King Charles, she was left with ‘a lot of sadness’ after plans to support her husband at several public engagements in Britain fell apart.

Harry had wanted Meghan and his young family to join him for the entirety of the five-day trip, which was focused on Invictus and his former charities. 

Instead, he flew to Britain alone, and hours before he arrived in London, fresh chaos erupted when an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn.

Meghan delayed her arrival and entered the country secretly with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, amid ongoing security concerns.

A friend of the couple told People magazine, widely considered the Sussexes’ preferred publication in the US, that Meghan would have felt ‘humiliated’ by the way the week unfolded.

A second source said Meghan ‘is very supportive’ of Harry, but that there was ‘a lot of sadness’ at being unable to stand alongside him publicly in London and Birmingham.

Prince Harry walked the red carpet at the TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on Thursday. Meghan is said to let him take the lead when dealing with his family

The King is said to have lost patience when Harry dithered over an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace at the start of his trip.

The Duke initially rejected the accommodation before changing his mind and attempting to accept after the deadline had passed.

Harry’s spokesman subsequently briefed the BBC that he would be staying at the Palace, only for the King’s aides to indicate that he had left it too late.

When it comes to Harry’s relationship with his family, Meghan ‘always lets him lead’, a third source told People.

‘This is not the first time it has not been plain sailing with correspondence or trying to make things work,’ the source said.

‘It all comes back to security. If that was resolved, there would be so much more certainty every time he comes – or they come.’

The week ended on a happier note with a secret family reunion involving the King and Queen Camilla at Highgrove – the first time Charles had seen his daughter-in-law and grandchildren since 2022.

But Meghan missed all of Harry’s public Invictus Games engagements, something friends say left her deeply upset.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been asked to comment. 

Harry is said to have been ‘buoyed’ and ‘really energised’ following his family reunion with King Charles.

The Duke of Sussex was ‘very happy’ that his wife and children joined him to spend time with his father and stepmother, Queen Camilla, at Highgrove.

Harry and his family are believed to have met the King and Queen for more than an hour.

The King is said to have been determined to see his grandchildren for the first time in four years during a week in which Harry suffered a crushing defeat in his privacy court case against the Daily Mail.

Friends of Harry claimed he was ‘buoyed, very happy and really energised’ after the meeting, which also marked the monarch’s first time meeting with Archie and Lilibet in four years.

His wife Meghan Markle, who was famously accompanied down the aisle by her father-in-law the King on their wedding day in 2018, was also present after secretly flying the family to Britain.

King Charles faced criticism in some quarters for meeting Harry and Meghan after suffering years of potshots at the Royal Family from California since Megxit, including claims of racism.

But a royal source responded that ‘blood is blood’ when asked about the decision to meet.

‘Every journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep,’ the source added.

Harry and his family are believed to have spent around an hour at Highgrove with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The gathering was particularly significant because it marked the first time that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet had seen the 77-year-old monarch – who is still undergoing treatment for cancer – in person since 2022.

Earlier in the day, there had been clues that something important was unfolding when Harry arrived at an engagement for the Invictus Games at the National Exhibition Centre, near Birmingham.

An observer said: ‘Harry turned up at Invictus with a massive smile plastered all over his face.’

Harry was said to be absolutely thrilled to have reconnected with his father in a meeting that saw Meghan, Lilibet and Archie also see the King for the first time since 2022

The family reunion at Highgrove had clearly put Harry in high spirits following a week dominated by negative headlines, including a row over his security and a crushing defeat in his court case over privacy against the Daily Mail.

After the visit to Highgrove, the Duke of Sussex was all smiles as he appeared at Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire. 

Harry is the global ambassador for the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which supports bereaved children from military families.

During the festival, Harry posed playfully with children as he took part in ‘goat yoga’, surrounded by the animals. At one point, he joked: ‘Is there health and safety? Do they bite?’, before taking his place on a mat and performing the tree pose on one leg while miming goats’ ears with his hands.

As Harry lay on his back and the goats trampled over his body, someone in the crowd quipped that his security team should step in to ‘protect the crown jewels’.

The Sussexes are believed to have been staying at the Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire – the ancestral home of Princess Diana’s family and where she is buried on a private island in the middle of a lake.

The Duke of Sussex made his first public appearance since the UK trip – again without Meghan – as he walked the red carpet for the TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City last night. 

Harry revealed he is among the millions of England fans left heartbroken by the team’s World Cup exit.

The Duke of Sussex said he was upset that the Three Lions lost to Argentina as he joined LeBron James, Lindsey Vonn, Jalen Brunson, Folarin Balogun and other sporting royalty for the glitzy event in New York. 

After arriving at the gala, Harry – who was without his wife Meghan Markle – was asked if he was sad after England lost in the World Cup semi-finals in Atlanta.

‘Of course!’ the 41-year-old told Page Six, in his first appearance since a week in the UK to promote his Invictus Games.

Harry is pictured alongside US soccer star Folarin Balogun during the event in New York

The Duke also spoke with Eric Kelliher, from TIME, and fellow guest of honour Lindsey Vonn

Harry with former NBA star Masai Ujiri

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Harry was in New York after being named among the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 in the ‘leaders’ category.

England threw away a 1-0 lead in the dying moments of Wednesday’s semifinal against bitter rivals Argentina in Atlanta.

The Three Lions were beaten 2-1 after Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic late comeback for the defending champions.

Harry’s older brother, Prince William, previously posted on social media that he was ‘gutted’ after Thomas Tuchel’s team fell short of a first World Cup final in six decades.

‘England, you gave it everything and we are all so proud of you,’ he wrote. ‘Thank you to everyone on and off the pitch, for an incredible tournament. 

‘The fight and belief you have shown has inspired us all… the most complete England team in a tournament,’ he continued. ‘Hold your heads high.’

Just one month ago, Andy Burnham was still mayor of Manchester. He had not even returned as an MP as he waited for the constituents in Makerfield to cast their votes in the by-election.

Today though, he is set to be unveiled as the new Labour leader, replacing Sir Keir Starmer in a bloodless coup after emerging in a leadership “contest” as the only candidate for the job. On Monday he will be confirmed as the UK’s new prime minister.

But in that month, Mr Burnham has avoided serious scrutiny despite being elevated to the most important job in the country.

A speech he gave in Manchester when the leadership election was triggered saw no opportunity for the media to ask questions.

And today, when he is unveiled as Labour leader, it is widely expected that he will not take questions from the media.

He will give a second speech today behind closed doors to Labour members somewhere in the south east.

Labour actually tore up the order paper in parliament to prevent the Tories using an opposition day debate to force an extension of parliament into next week to allow MPs to scrutinise the new prime minister.

It means that, with parliament in recess, Mr Burnham has until September to lead the country without facing proper scrutiny, including on major decisions around the direction of his government.

So far he has exposed himself to 15 minutes of friendly chatter with the journalist Andrew Marr on LBC, a discussion about football with Gary Lineker, and answered some carefully curated questions from the public on Reddit.

Rather amusingly, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch gatecrashed the Reddit Q&A just to get a question into him.

Even his appearance in central Cardiff this week, where he took an hour of questions from the public, was cut down to a short clip on his social media channels that didn’t offer any enlightenment on his plans for government.

Instead, Mr Burnham is adopting a strategy being used now by Nigel Farage – who also wants to duck questions about his undeclared donations – of avoiding the press and instead doing direct videos on social media to the public.

He needs to listen to the warning given by Sir Keir’s former director of communications Steph Driver, who has written a report for the Institute for Government (IfG) about the failings of current government communications.

She wrote: “It’s fashionable to suggest prioritising digital strategies, and disregarding legacy media. This is a false choice. government comms now means being everywhere, to everyone, all the time, from TikTok on the bus, to the 10pm headlines, to chasing the front pages.

“To use all these channels well, with quality and targeted content, needs an urgent revisiting of current rules on civil service neutrality, which are holding back thousands of talented potential storytellers.”

Regarding Mr Burnham, there is so much that remains unanswered. Who is going to be his chancellor and why? What changes can we expect to the Middle East policy now he said Labour got it wrong on Gaza? Why did he give a massive loan to a developer in Manchester who failed to build social housing? What exactly does he plan to do with his devolution agenda? If we are tearing up 40 years of economic consensus what is he going to replace it with? Does he still think we should rejoin the EU?

That is just a taster of the questions he needs to answer and it is very worrying that a new prime minister should start his tenure with such an unwillingness to be scrutinised.

Mr Burnham is hoping that he can get by with positive vibes and cheery messages to get him through and continue with a “Burnham bounce” in the polls.

The lesson of Sir Keir and, in fact, Mr Farage, is that positive vibes run out very quickly and public suspicion of those who are not willing to put themselves up to answer questions can grow very quickly.

Ukrainian forces hit 116 shadow-fleet vessels in a week-long drone onslaught in the latest humiliation for Vladimir Putin and his army.

The most recent blow on July 14 saw explosions light up the night sky as Kyiv‘s drones swooped down and attacked Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov.  

‘The shadow fleet is wasting away,’ said Major Robert ‘Magyar’ Brovdi, the commander of Ukraine‘s drone forces, in a post updating the operation’s ‘score-card’ on the morning of July 15.

He said that Ukraine had hit ‘116 vessels over the past nine days’, including several tankers and cargo ships, in the Azov Sea.

He said the aim was to damage Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ and to limit Russia’s petrol supplies to Moscow-controlled Crimea.

The Azov Sea lies between Russia, the southern stretch of Ukraine that has been occupied by Moscow‘s army and Crimea.

It is an important export route for agricultural products – including grain from occupied Ukraine that Kyiv says is ‘stolen’ – and for supplies to Crimea.

The sea strikes come as Ukraine has massively intensified drone attacks deep into Russia, causing nationwide shortages.

They target Azov vessels – small courier craft that transport fuel to Crimea or transfer it to larger Black Sea ships blocked from shallower waters

Ukraine’s success stems from three main factors: coordinated strikes on Russian air defences and oil refineries that distracted Moscow and weakened its anti-drone capabilities, the precise development of long-range FP-2 drones, and a strategic miscalculation by Putin.

To reach the Sea of Azov, drone teams launch from small, mobile positions inside Ukraine. 

The aircraft then pass over Russian-occupied land, avoiding Moscow’s ‘softened-up’ air defences.

FP-2 drones carry light payloads that enable them to travel at least 250 miles to hit Russian tankers. 

They target Azov vessels – small courier craft that transport fuel to Crimea or transfer it to larger Black Sea ships blocked from shallower waters. 

To evade radar, these drones fly just above the waterline. During attacks, they strike the bridge to disable steering and communication systems rather than sinking the vessels. 

This tactic forces Moscow to deploy tugboats to rescue drifting ‘ghost ships,’ creating new targets for Ukraine and straining Russian military logistics. 

Major Brovdi aims to force Russia back onto land supply routes, which remain vulnerable to precise Ukrainian drone strikes. 

With the new strikes in the Black Sea, Russia could face difficulty in exporting grain and petroleum through the city of Novorossiysk.

Industry sources said that several grain ships were hit on July 13 and July 14 and caught fire

Industry sources said that several grain ships were hit on July 13 and July 14 and caught fire.

‘They are standing there like targets before a firing squad. In a couple of days, there won’t be a single intact boat left in the Sea of Azov, only damaged ones,’ one of the sources said.

Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of terrorism over its escalating attacks.

‘What the Ukrainian regime is doing goes beyond even piracy. Pirates, at least, plunder and keep the spoils for themselves,’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

‘But here, it benefits neither them nor anyone else – the goal is simply to cause damage and intimidate. It is terrorism, pure and simple,’ Lavrov said.

Shipping in the Sea of Azov remained restricted on Tuesday. It lies at the mouth of the Don River, which flows through Russia’s main southern grain-producing region, and handles mostly smaller, coastal ships.

A source said on Monday that commercial vessels were unable to enter or leave the Sea of Azov via the Kerch Strait or the Azov-Don channel connecting the sea with the Don River.

Ukraine’s operation forces Moscow into a dilemma. On 28 June, Putin directed his government to increase maritime fuel shipments to Crimea, reacting to intense Ukrainian drone strikes that turned the overland route into a deadly corridor. 

However, the Moscow Times reports that Russian insurers have withdrawn war-risk coverage for tankers, and the state is refusing to step in. 

Due to budget constraints, the finance ministry is actively blocking proposals for state-backed insurance guarantees. 

With the new strikes in the Black Sea, Russia could face difficulty in exporting grain

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The Agriculture Ministry acknowledged that exports may get diverted to other routes. 

‘Given Russia’s significant capacity for transshipping agricultural cargo in various regions, supply logistics will be redirected if necessary,’ the ministry said in a statement.

A Ukrainian military source said: ‘The Ukrainian Armed Forces strike only military targets or targets that contribute to strengthening Russia’s combat capability.

‘Civilian cargoes are not among them. By talking about attacks on civilian vessels, Russia is looking for a pretext to justify its cynical strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.’

Russia has stepped up its strikes on Ukrainian Black Sea ports since the end of last year, and Ukrainian officials say ports in the Odesa region could see their monthly grain export capacity cut by as much as one-third.

Around 7,000 tickets are still listed on Fifa’s ticket sites for Saturday’s World Cup bronze medal match between England and France.

As of Friday at 10:00 BST, the game in Miami (kick off 22:00 BST) has not yet sold out with 1,246 tickets on general sale listed at $865 (£657) and $1,125 (£855).

There are a further 5,864 tickets available on the official resale platform, with the cheapest being category three available at a face value of $455 (£346) plus Fifa’s 15% fee.

However, there are many tickets in the higher-priced categories listed well below what they were purchased for.

A category one ticket with an original price of $1,125 (£855) has a hugely discounted price of $659 (£500).

Sunday’s World Cup final is also not yet fully sold out, with 32 of the most expensive tickets still on general sale.

However, these tickets cost between $29,995 (£22,796) and $32,970 (£25,057). These are standard tickets, not VIP.

More than a thousand tickets remain available on the Fifa resale site, several around face value plus the Fifa fee.

The original price of these tickets was $7,380 (£5,609), which means if you decided to buy one of these, Fifa will add an extra $1,107 (£841).

The most expensive resale ticket for the final is listed at $2m (£1.52m), plus a Fifa fee of $300,000 (£228,000).

Prices on resale are set by users and do not directly reflect what people are actually paying.

Mr Ahmed, now 73, has already been stripped of his British citizenship and is left with only Pakistani nationality.

The Government has already started the process of making changes to the law to allow the deportation of the convicted rapist and sex offender.

At the latest town hall meeting in Rochdale, councillors urged the government to end the legal loophole in the Immigration Act 1971 that prevented the deportation of Mr Ahmed and other offenders.

The 1971 law currently forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.

A motion, tabled by council leader Neil Emmott, also provided support to all victims of the grooming gang, who have to live with the devastating impacts of their crimes.

Cllr Emmott said: “For those survivors of grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation (CSE), every time this comes back into the media it tears a scab off the wound of those victims.  

“Shabir Ahmed was the leader of the grooming gang and sexually exploited those women in our community. He showed no remorse at that trial.

“Let’s see him deported.”

Reform, Workers, Conservatives and Lib Dems all agreed the grooming gang leader should be deported.

But Workers Party’s Cllr Mohammed Shafiq said all foreign nationals committing heinous crimes should be deported, no matter their race or ethnicity. 

This statement was repeated amongst councillors across the chamber in Rochdale Town Hall. 

Rochdale Town Hall. Uploaded by George Lythgoe. Credit: LDRS. free to use for LDRS partners

Cllr Shah Wazir simply said: “He is an evil man. We don’t want him in this country.”

Shabir Ahmed was one of nine in the grooming gang who exploited young girls at two takeaways from 2007. He was jailed in 2012 for 22 years for his crimes but was released earlier this month after serving 14 years of his sentence.

He is currently unable to return to his address in Oldham and is banned from parts of Rochdale.

The government has announced plans to change the law in order to facilitate his removal from the country. However Pakistan is continuing to resist any move to return him there.

They said it was the ‘worst feeling in the world’

The parents of a three-year-old boy injured in a crocodile enclosure said they didn’t think he “was going to make it” in a new update. The young boy was left seriously injured after he ended up in the crocodile enclosure of Johnson’s Zoo in Old Hurst on June 18.

He has since been in hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries to treat his injuries. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family and has so far raised more than £67,000.

The boy’s parents have provided an update on their son’s health, sharing that he has undergone his seventh surgery. In a post on the GoFundMe page this week, the parents said: “Our son had his seventh surgery.

“In that surgery the surgeons completed a nerve graft on his left arm. They harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve that was missing in his left arm.

“Over time, this nerve will hopefully embed and help our son to regain some function in his left hand. We won’t know whether the nerve graft has been successful until tests can be carried out in a few months time.”

The parents added that the boy has now been in hospital for more than a month. They explained that when he first arrived on June 18, he underwent a 12-hour surgery where surgeons “performed miraculous things”.

They added: “They were faced with tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage in both his arms, neck, head and face. Those were the worst 12 hours of our lives as before that we were signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation.”

In a devastating reflection, the update said: “We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world. 4 weeks later and the cheeky little boy that we love so much is talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again. We are amazed at how far he has come.

“We are not at the end of our journey but are hopeful that the surgery will be the last for now which means if everything goes well we will be able to go home soon.” Once home, the parents said they face “new challenges”, helping their son to recover “physically and psychologically”.

They added: “Both of us are taking time off work temporarily to support our son during his rehabilitation. We don’t know what recovery and rehabilitation looks like at this moment in time but we know our son needs us more than ever.

“Thank you again for all your well wishes and support during this difficult time. We are forever grateful that you have all helped us to stay by our son’s side every step of the way.”