A binman has shared advice on what you should and shouldn’t put in your recycling bin. It’s reported placing a common item inside can prevent rubbish from being taken away

Putting the bins out is a job nobody really likes to do, but it’ll likely feel better if you at least know where to place certain items, as simple errors can cause your rubbish to be left behind.

Placing the wrong items in your recycling can create a number of issues, and can even result in smelly rubbish being left uncollected outside your home. Not to worry though, as a binman known on TikTok as The No1 Binman, has shared some expert guidance that is likely to prove invaluable to many households.

What you may not be aware of is that including certain items in your recycling waste could land you in difficulty, as collectors are within their rights to refuse collection if a few basic rules are not observed, and a certain item can cause you a problem.

What did the binman say?

In a video posted online, he said: “Plastic, not all plastic is the same. Ok, so you have thin plastics, you have soft plastics, you have hard plastics, and it depends on the council which they actually take.

“Most of them just take normal bottles, or tins and stuff like that in your plastic bin. [They are] the only things they’ll take. They won’t take anything like carrier bags, black bags, they also won’t take any films.

“All that sort of stuff, it ruins the machines they send the stuff to. Every recycling centre is different, so they get told what they can take and what they can’t take, and they’re the ones who make the rules. Not the binmen.

“It’s not our choice. We just get told. So, if there are any plastics that you’re unsure about, maybe ask your council website or maybe you can ask the binmen. They might know.”

Many people are unaware that certain items should never be placed in your recycling bin, with carrier bags being a prime example — and there is a significant reason why this rule exists.

Can binmen refuse to take your rubbish?

It may come as a surprise, but refuse collectors are within their rights to decline picking up your waste. The most common grounds for doing so include contaminated recycling, excessive amounts of waste (either too heavy or bags left beside the bin), or a bin that has not been presented correctly.

That said, collectors are generally obliged to remove household waste unless there is a legitimate reason not to, as councils have a duty to provide this service.

Where collection is refused, it typically comes down to safety concerns, contamination, or failure to comply with council guidelines — leaving “side waste” beside the bin, for instance, can be problematic.

It is also worth noting that carrier bags should not be placed in your household recycling. While they are recyclable, they must be taken to dedicated collection points, which are typically located at larger supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose.

These retailers provide in-store drop-off bins for “soft plastics”, including bread bags, films and pouches. Should carrier bags be found in your recycling, there is a real possibility your collection will be refused, as they risk contaminating the entire load.

For more details, make sure you visit your local council’s website to find out the specific rules applicable to your area. Regulations can occasionally vary from one council to another.

If you have some outdoor plans, you’ll want to know how the weather is shaping up over the coming days.

The weekend is almost here again and if you have some outdoor plans, you’ll want to know how the weather is shaping up over the coming days.

It comes as the UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far, as temperatures provisionally reached 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday, the Met Office said.

While much of England is under an amber warning for extreme heat, a yellow warning was issued for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland, which is in place until 6am on Friday.

Here’s what we can expect over the coming days.

Friday:

A mix of variable cloud and some bright spells with a scattering of light showers. Temperatures returning back to near normal. Maximum temperature 20°C.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Mostly dry at the weekend with variable cloud and bright spells, and just a few light showers on Saturday. Likely turning wet and windy through Monday.

UK long range weather forecast: Tuesday 18 August – Thursday 27 August

A rather more changeable spell of weather through the mid to latter part of August, with Atlantic frontal systems bringing some rain or showers at times to the UK.

The heavier and more reliable rainfall is more likely to be in parts of the west and northwest, but it is possible that some southern and eastern areas will see rain at times too.

Later in the period high pressure may have more of an influence with drier conditions returning for many areas. Temperatures are likely to remain above average overall, with the possibility of further hot weather developing.

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It is part of the plans for a new £14m hotel, bar and restaurant complex in the city centre

Northern Irish pizza chain Little Wing is set to move its flagship store in the heart of Belfast City Centre.

Little Wing opened on Ann Street in the heart of Belfast back in 2009 before expanding across the country, with twelve restaurants – including a slice shop at the Odyssey complex.

Those who love to avail of Little Wing’s lunch deal in the city centre need not panic at the news of the relocation, as the flagship store is only set to move next door.

A sign appeared outside the Ann Street location reading “relocating next door soon” stating there will be ‘more space, more tables and more pizza’.

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The move is part of a £14 million development project currently underway on the busy city centre street. Beannchor, owners of the Merchant Hotel, are currently transforming former retail and restaurant units into a new hotel complex.

Plans show the new site will contain a 41-bedroom hotel with a bar and restaurant, which will connect internally to the current Little Wing location.

It appears Little Wing will move into the former Spoon Street unit, which will open directly onto a courtyard space with the original flagship store becoming a new bar, according to plans submitted to Belfast City Council.

No further information has been revealed so far about what we can expect from the new restaurants and bar joining Little Wing in the complex but 95 full-time jobs are expected to be created in the hospitality and retail sector once it is operational.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

The baby who was born to a surrogate in Texas is now in the custody of his biological parents after the couple demanded the child be aborted over a heart defect, according to a new report. 

Nausheen Gilkar, 43, and Omar Ahmed, 45, have their newborn son in physical custody after McKenna West gave birth to him on Wednesday morning, a lawyer for the couple told TMZ. 

Lee Bunder, of Dallas-based family attorney’s office Calabrese Bunder, told the outlet that the child, whom West named ‘Baby Gabriel,’ is receiving medical care while in their custody. 

Bunder added that his clients are focused on the baby’s health and following the advice of medical professionals about treatment for his hypoplastic left heart syndrome. 

The baby was diagnosed with the defect during West’s 20-week scan. The condition means that the left side of his heart is too small and cannot pump blood to the rest of his body.  

After the diagnosis, the California couple told West she must get an abortion, but the surrogate refused and relocated to Texas after finding a hospital in Dallas that has a high success rate for babies with the defect. 

The story quickly caught the country’s attention, and just one day before his birth, West was granted clearance to get life-saving care for the baby in Texas, but she was forbidden to have contact with the child after his birth, a judge ruled.

On Wednesday, the baby was born and received life-saving surgery right away, West’s attorney, Lincoln Wilson, told The Dallas Morning News. 

The case has caused quite a stir across the country, and up until today, there has been no comment from Gilkar and Ahmed. 

According to their attorney, the couple is ‘devastated’ over the attention to it. 

‘As if the heartbreak of his condition were not enough, they are devastated to see their family tragedy transformed into political theater by the Texas Attorney General’s office and McKenna West,’ Bunder said. 

The child’s biological parents first mentioned that West should get an abortion after learning of the defect.

West, 28, signed a contract with the couple that included a clause that would require her to abort the baby in the event of an ‘anomaly.’

The nurse and mother of two from Alaska expressed concern over the clause to the Connecticut-based Worldwide Surrogacy Specialist, but the agency told her a situation like that is rare.

She went on to ask the agency if she could help financially assist the couple regarding care for their child so they wouldn’t abort him, and told his parents she’s heard of people surviving with the condition. 

Despite her best efforts, Ahmed told West he and his wife had already removed the baby’s 12-week ultrasound from their fridge at home and told her she could mail the 20-week images – but to address the envelope only to him.

The story quickly caught the country’s attention, and just one day before his birth, West was granted clearance to get life-saving care for the baby, but a judge also ruled that she cannot have contact with the baby after his birth

But that’s when West discovered a hospital in Texas that had a 100 percent success rate in recent years with the first of three surgeries an affected baby would need right after birth.

She then told the surrogacy agency that she would live with a friend in Texas to mitigate the costs for the couple, but a liaison for the agency said the biological parents were still concerned about the baby’s future quality of life.

Meanwhile, West, who would have been 24-weeks pregnant at the time of the abortion, was appalled at the idea that doctors would inject the baby with ‘a solution that will stop his heart and then he’ll be literally ripped apart and dismembered as he’s taken from [her] uterus,’ Live Action previously reported.

West was soon put in touch with Live Action founder and president Lila Rose, who assured the surrogate that she would help her and her children get to Texas to meet with doctors about saving the baby’s life. 

The biological parents went on to file a $250,000 lawsuit demanding that West return the money they had paid her as well as any additional charges.

They also demanded she come to them in California to give birth, but it was unclear whether they would allow doctors to perform the life-saving surgery or if they would only provide him with ‘comfort care’.

Live Action founder and president Lila Rose (pictured) helped get West and her children to Texas to get life-saving care for the infant

Through her attorneys, West agreed to go to California if the parents commit to providing the baby with surgery.

But West has also filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Alaska seeking sole custody of the baby so she can allow doctors in Texas to treat him. 

Alliance Defending Freedom, the firm Wilson works for, issued a statement after taking on West as a client. 

‘It’s an honor and privilege to represent McKenna in her courageous stand for Baby Gabriel’s life. Every life matters. No woman should be forced to kill the baby she is carrying, and every child deserves a chance at life. 

‘We are thrilled that the court’s order calls for Baby Gabriel to receive the surgery necessary to save his life. And we are so grateful for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s heroic, invaluable efforts to preserve this precious child’s life.’

The Daily Mail contacted Bunder for comment.  

Within days of Mr Farage’s resignation and declaration of intent to stand again, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain all ruled out contesting the by-election.

A party spokesperson said Labour ‘will remain focused on delivering for working people and holding Reform to account’.

They added: “Farage should let the parliamentary investigation into his finances run its course and face the consequences.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Farage of triggering a ‘fake’ by-election ‘to distract people from what is happening’

“The best thing for him to have done would have been to call a press conference and explain what he did with the money, apologise if needs be, and that would have been the end of it,” she added. “Instead, he has been running away from scrutiny. No one is bigger than Parliament. We all have to register our interests.

The leader of the Lib Dems, Ed Davey, said: “If this by-election does go ahead now, we are calling on all parties to stand aside and refuse to give oxygen to Farage’s vanity project.”

Davey also went further in calling on the government to block the election until the parliamentary standards commissioner has finished his investigation.

“The people of Clacton should have all the facts before they cast their votes,” he declared.

Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, said his party would not stand a candidate in the “unnecessary sham”.

The Green Party are also not standing, and said “we have no intention of helping to legitimise a by-election that appears designed not to serve local residents but to serve Nigel Farage’s personal political ambitions”.

Denise Welch has announced she’s leaving Loose Women after 25 years.

The Coronation Street star, 68, shared she’s decided to step down from the ITV show to focus on her acting work, having been offered a string of roles in recent months.

Denise first appeared on Loose Women in 2000, before becoming one of the show’s most recognisable faces. Her last appearance on the show was on June 29.

In a video on Instagram, Denise shared she had decided to step down so she could focus on the ‘wonderful opportunities’ she’d been given.

Paying tribute to her fellow panellists, Denise said she would remain friends with ‘all’ of her co-stars, and insisted that despite claims of behind-the-scenes tensions, they were a ‘happy band of campers’. 

Denise recently starred in the Channel 4 drama Tip Toe, and is also set to star in an adaptation of Graham Norton‘s novel Forever Home. 

The Coronation Street star first appeared on Loose Women as a guest panellist in 1999 (pictured during her last appearance on the show in June)

Sharing news of her departure, Denise said: ‘I’m leaving Loose Women.

‘After best part of 25 years, off and on, I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018. This show has been a part of me and my family’s life for nearly a quarter of a century. 

‘I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it’s just that acting has always been my first love and I think the thing I’m best at, and at the moment I’m having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way.

‘I’m grabbing them by the you know whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life.

‘So I just wanted to say that in person to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me, I’ve shared my life with you, the good, the bad and the ugly.

‘I’m very Marmite, but I cherish all the comments good or bad that I’ve had over the years and I just hope you wish me well for this new and exciting chapter in my life.

‘I’ll miss everybody but I will remain friends with the whole gang because… we are a happy band of campers. Anyway lots of love, thanks for sticking with me.’

A spokesman for Loose Women said: ‘Denise has been such a brilliant part of the Loose Women family and we are going to miss her hugely on the show. 

In a video on Instagram, Denise shared she had decided to step down so she could focus on the ‘wonderful opportunities’ she’d been given (pictured on Loose Women in 2006)

‘We are sending her all of our love and best wishes for her next chapter.’

Despite sharing plans to appear in a string of new dramas, Denise was recently been mingling with some of Hollywood’s finest.

As well as meeting stars at her son Matty Healy’s wedding, the star’s husband, artist Lincoln Townley is pals with stars including Michael Caine and Tom Cruise.

Both Denise and Lincoln have spoken openly about their struggles with alcohol addiction, yet it was through their relationship that they made a pact to embrace sobriety together. 

Since then, Lincoln’s career has gone from strength to strength, with Sir Michael Caine hailing him the next Andy Warhol and selling millions of pounds worth of art. 

Denise tied the knot with Lincoln in 2013, and was previously married to actor Tim Healy from 1988 to 2012. They share sons Matty, 37, and Louis, 25.  

Denise Welch was a huge hit on Loose Women, but her string of opinionated rants divided opinion over the years. 

Last year she took aim at her son Matty‘s ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift during an appearance on Bravo TV’s Watch What Happens Live.

Denise seemed to accuse Taylor’s fans of lashing out at anyone who dares to criticise the hitmaker, despite the pop star taking personal digs at her exes in her songs.

When answering a question about her reaction to the The Tortured Poets Department album, Welch replied: ‘Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost.’

Elsewhere, Denise has clashed with many of her Loose Woman co-stars over the years, including Kaye Adams and Stacey Solomon. 

Her most famous rants have been about Covid-19 restrictions, Matt Hancock entering I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Denise made a not-so-subtle dig about her ‘younger’ co-stars on Loose Women following an on-air row with fellow panellist Stacey Solomon.

Denise and Stacey, 36, came to blows during a live episode which the actress later insisted wasn’t a feud between the pair.

Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s podcast, So Wrong It’s Right, she said: ‘I’m always happy to have new blood on because we do get bored of each other.

‘But I’ve always been sceptical when younger people come in because, sometimes, they may have a great life story but they are either not prepared to talk about it yet, or are too worried about what the public are going to say.’

Revealing the backstage discussions, and added: ‘So they’ll be in a meeting saying “I’m not going to talk about that,” and it’s kind of like, “what are you gonna talk about then?”

During the debate, Stacey jumped to the defence of people who have been working from home since the Covid pandemic.

But Denise felt that the country was ‘grinding to a halt’ because staff had ‘disappeared’ from the workplace.

Stacey replied: ‘They don’t disappear because they’re working from home,’ but Denise insisted: ‘But, where are they Stace?’

Stacey continued by saying the pandemic proved how many people were able to do an ‘adequate if not better job from home’.

The duo failed to come to an agreement on the dispute, with viewers noting the palpable tension from home. 

In June 2021, Denise also had a furious row with Gloria Hunniford over Covid-19 restrictions shortly after the height of the pandemic.

Denise criticised the ‘double standards’ of the UK government after being unable to travel in an ambulance with her elderly father, who passed away in September 2021.

Denise and Kaye Adams also locked horns during a fiery exchange, as they debated whether the public should still follow Covid restrictions after Matt Hancock was caught breaking them himself.

She and Jane Moore also locked horns in a heated row about Prince Harry, with the former soap furiously defending Harry declaring herself ‘team Harry and Meghan’ but was met by resistance from Jane who described his accusations as ‘hurtful’. 

Last year, ITV announced that Lorraine and Loose Women will only air for 30 weeks a year rather than 52, resulting in more than 220 of 440 staff involved losing their jobs. 

Due to the cuts, Loose Women has been on a break for the summer since July 17, and will return in September. 

Under the plans, production of Good Morning Britain will be handled by a dedicated team at ITV News, which is made by ITN, the company that also holds the contracts to produce the news for Channel 4 and Channel 5. 

Further cutbacks mean that Susanna Reid has lost her own dedicated hairdresser, and no longer gets as much attention from the remaining hair and make-up artists as she once did, as Good Morning Britain staff now have to share their backstage resources with ITV News.

Previously all daytime TV shows were shot at the sizeable Television Centre in White City, and the reduced space is said to be causing issues off-camera.

A source told the Daily Mail: ”It’s incredibly chaotic behind the scenes. The space for all three shows – Loose Women, This Morning and Lorraine – is downstairs in the basement so three different sets are all crammed into one place.

‘Backstage the dressing rooms are limited. There just isn’t enough space, especially when there are four women getting ready to be in front of the camera at the same time.

‘It’s not an ideal situation at all. There have been some meltdowns.’

Mr Farage added: “I’m not scared of these people, far from it. But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for, and you’ve tried to fight for, and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not sadly be attending the count.”

Wildfires caused apocalyptic scenes on Thursday night as they engulfed homes on the hottest day of the year.

Temperatures soared to a blistering 38.1C as firefighters battled several infernos across the country. 

Residents were forced to flee – with some told to dampen the outside of their properties first – as blazes ravaging swathes of grassland spread to homes.

A train derailment in Sussex that left two people seriously injured may also have been a result of the scorching summer.

A major incident was declared as six houses were destroyed by a rapidly spreading wildfire in Stourbridge – one of several blazes that left West Midlands Fire Service facing ‘extreme levels of demand’.

Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled. A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’ 

A burnt-out property on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge, reveals the destructive extent of the wildfire

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Simon Tuhill, chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service, said his team had dealt with ‘thousands’ of 999 calls.

Local councillor Andrew Tromans said: ‘The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the effects of the blaze were ‘awful’ and his ‘thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have been injured or forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who have been taken to hospital’.

He added that he was in touch with local leaders, like the mayor of West Midlands, Richard Parker, and ‘will be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response’.

Around 100 firefighters were tackling the inferno which broke out near Stourbridge golf course at noon, obliterating 40 acres of land. Golfers are said to have fled in their carts.

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine. ‘When the fire brigade finally came, the whole lot was just engulfed in flames, including the fire truck,’ Michael Morgan said. 

‘The flames just came straight through the bushes and covered the fire truck in flames. It just engulfed it.’

Resident Chris Dunnington said black smoke swept over homes from nearby fields.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field

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Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled

‘Then we saw the fire coming on to the driveways and fences of the first house,’ he added.

‘The wind picked up so strong so it was just fuelling the flames. It was just the perfect disaster.’

Jane Baxter, who was among those evacuated, said: ‘We could see the flames above the rooftops of the houses – that was how high the flames were’. 

When a fire truck ran out of water, residents tried to beat back flames in nearby woodland themselves. 

At the same time, less than 30 miles away, another major incident was declared due to a large fire ripping through Salford Priors in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘There is a large emergency presence in the area and we continue to advise residents nearby to close all doors and windows.’ The service reported ‘several field fires around Bidford-on-Avon and Salford Priors’.

‘We have individuals who are being treated for smoke inhalation. Efforts are being focused on preventing risk to life,’ it said. 

Farmers were supporting the fire service by bringing bowsers filled with water to the scene.

Elsewhere in the region, homes in Castle Vale, Birmingham, were badly damaged by a fire, with one woman reported to have suffered serious injuries.

Images from the scene show two bungalows completely gutted by fire. Part of the roof of one of the homes appeared to have caved in.

The M6 northbound near Birmingham was temporarily shut between Junctions 5 and 6 due to thick smoke billowing across the carriageway. 

There were also fires in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, where a small number of homes have been evacuated, according to Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, and reports came in on Thursday night of houses on fire in Maypole, south Birmingham.

Several homes can be seen up in flames, with clouds of black smoke billowing from the properties as part of a ‘major incident’ in Stourbridge

Dozens of firefighters tackled the devastating blaze in the residential area, which is situated next to a golf course in Stourbridge

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine

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Several fires were also reported in Worcestershire including in Pershore where half a dozen homes were thought to have been affected. 

One witness said the blaze spread through as many as six homes like a ‘domino effect’.

‘I saw a lot of smoke and before the fire service arrived there was a fire in what looked like somebody’s back garden,’ James Lees said. 

‘All of a sudden a big puff of smoke came from a house, probably about four doors down from where it originally began.

‘It was big black, billowing smoke and then it has kind of just spread across the houses like a domino effect. Now there’s probably about five or six houses that are just covered in smoke – you can see flames at the front and out at the back.’ 

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said 200 properties had been left without power and one person had suffered smoke inhalation.

A spokesman added: ‘A number of homes have been damaged and 30 properties in the area have been evacuated.’ 

Another major incident was declared in Norfolk after the county was hit by a series of infernos.

Crews from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 16 emergencies on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath which saw local roads closed for some time.

It came after five homes were destroyed in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Wednesday when a fire on a field spread. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The blazes erupted as a fifth heatwave gripped the country, with the UK experiencing its hottest day of the year so far and the fifth hottest day on record.

The mercury peaked at 38.1C (100.5F) at Kew Gardens in west London, provisionally surpassing the 38C recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26.

A rare amber extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office was in place until Thursday night covering the Midlands and south-east of England.

It comes after the Fire Brigade Union this week warned the UK faces a shortage of firefighters to combat wildfires.

Union leader Steve Wright said 5,000 more firefighters were needed to prevent lives from being put at risk.

The UK has already seen more than 1,000 wildfires this year, making it the worst year on record.

The aircraft, G-ILDA, is a restored Supermarine Spitfire with the military serial number SM520 and was photographed by several enthusiasts as it flew over the region, before landing back at Teesside International Airport.

The Spitfire in the air above the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

Over the last few days, the Spitfire has been spotted over the region’s skies, and is believed to be using Teesside Airport as a base.

Members of the Northern Echo Camera Club were among those to capture the distinctive aircraft, with pictures shared by Jon Irwin and Mike Kilo Bravo prompting excitement from people who were surprised to see the famous fighter overhead.

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: JON IRWIN/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

SM520 dates back to 1944 and was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory during the final stages of the Second World War.

Records show it was delivered to the RAF in November that year before later being transferred to the South African Air Force in 1948.

The Spitfire in the air above the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The aircraft has since been restored and converted into a two-seat Spitfire, allowing it to be used for passenger flight experiences. It now flies under the civilian registration G-ILDA.

Its appearance over the North East was particularly fitting given the region’s long association with wartime planes.

Teesside International Airport began life as RAF Middleton St George during the Second World War and has retained links to its military past through commemorative events and appearances by historic aircraft.

Despite the Spitfire becoming more and more rare, flight paths for the iconic plane remain, with events celebrating the 80th and 90th years of the Spitfire having seen Spitfires flying over the North East over the last few decades.

The Scottish Government has sparked a “TikTok gold rush” as SNP ministers step up their use of social media influencers to promote campaigns online.

They include a former TV star as well as regular family bloggers who have built huge followings on Instagram and YouTube thanks to their accessible brand of content.

A PR industry figure said civil servants were increasingly scrambling “for the attention of young and apathetic voters” as the public is turned off by politicians who share “pre-rehearsed soundbites”.

A Freedom of Information request found 40 social media influencers have been paid by the Scottish Government in the first half of 2026 – more than in 2024 and 2025 combined.

In 2024, the Scottish Government hired 12 influencers, before rising to 17 influencers hired in 2025.

Influencers to appear on recent Scottish Government-produced content include Eilidh Wells, who regularly shares videos about family life with her 35,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Wells was filmed driving to Loch Lomond for a family day out to promote the “benefits of electric vehicles”.

Other content creators appearing on the Government’s social media channels are the Olive Tree Family, who share their experience of bringing up two young sons.

They were also filmed on a trip to Loch Lomond – but this time on the bus, in a clip to promote the use of public transport.

Celebrities like TV personality Gail Porter have also joined Scottish Government campaigns.

Porter was part of a campaign launch video last year for mental health, where she sat down at Hampden Park with a group including digital creator Howey Ejegi, former professional footballer Zander Murray, and founder of Street Soccer Scotland, David Duke, to discuss their personal experiences.

Sam Fisk, associate director at Tangerine, an independent PR firm, said: “This year marked the start of a TikTok gold rush in Holyrood as Scottish Government departments scramble for the attention of young and apathetic voters.

“The public are craving authentic voices and increasingly turning off from watching government officials trumpet out pre-rehearsed political soundbites.

“The Scottish Government shouldn’t be sneered at for their use of influencers. This is a smart shift given the fall in TV viewership, however, the challenge is now delivering genuinely high-quality content. It won’t be easy to stop a Gen Z scrolling for a government advert.

“We know Gen-Z are far more likely to stop scrolling for an influencer video compared to a government body posting. There is no end in sight for this new era of communications.”

The Scottish Government has refused to reveal how much it pays individual influencers, citing an FOI exemption for “commercially-sensitive information”. Government marketing activity is commissioned through its Marketing and Media Services Frameworks.

In an FOI response, the Scottish Government said it “does not directly pay individuals or media organisations. Payment is made from the appointed Scottish Government media or marketing agency to the recipient.”

The Record previously revealed how the Scottish Government halted all advertising spending on Twitter, now known as X, shortly after Humza Yousaf became first minister in 2023.

The former SNP MSP has clashed on several occasions with Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, and branded him “one of the most dangerous men on the planet”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “All governments have a responsibility to inform the public of key services and policies. As social media use grows it is important that the way we engage with the public responds accordingly.

“Working with influencers ensures we can reach audiences traditional channels cannot reach, which is why work with influencers is growing in governments across the UK.”