It’s like a scene from one of those hard-bitten American crime movies of the 1930s. The police and a key prosecution witness are discussing problems with their evidence in a fast-approaching trial.

It turns out that the facts in the case have changed, rather awkwardly. It is a glum scene. And the cops say to the witness: ‘Yeah, we can’t change the data.’ And then they say: ‘But we can change the interpretation of it.’

It’s easy to imagine, isn’t it, in some smoky interrogation cellar in a dingy precinct of Los Angeles or Chicago? But in fact it happened in the pretty English city of Chester, in April 2024.

The witness was Dr Ravi Jayaram, once a rising star of TV, now the only person who has ever come close to seeing the nurse Lucy Letby doing anything wrong. 

Amazingly, Letby is now in prison till she dies, for seven murders and seven attempted killings. This is despite there being no hard evidence that she harmed anybody. So this is quite important. But is it what it seems?

Dr Jayaram gave evidence to both of Ms Letby’s trials on the same event. His evidence to her second trial in 2024 led to headlines that he had caught her ‘virtually red-handed’ standing by a seriously ill baby.

Though he did not witness her actively harming the tiny child, he said she was failing to help when the infant was clearly in difficulties. As the years have gone by, many have begun to wonder if it was more virtual than red-handed.

My colleague Glen Owen wrote in The Mail on Sunday in 2025 about an explosive email, written by Dr Jayaram in 2017, which appears to go against his later evidence that he found her up to no good.

In that email, Dr Jayaram wrote that he went to investigate Baby K because Letby herself had raised the alarm and asked him for help – not because he had suspicions about the nurse.

Now comes this conversation between Dr Jayaram and the police. The full transcript of this exchange was obtained last week by the distinguished investigative journalist Cleuci de Oliveira.

In the transcript, Dr Jayaram struggles to cope with the fact that swipe records for one crucial door were back to front. They appeared to show a key nurse leaving the Neonatal Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital when she was in fact entering it.

This is important because Dr Jayaram’s account involved Ms Letby being alone while the other nurse on the ward was absent. His account, in Letby’s first trial, depended partly on those records.

Shortly before the second trial, Dr Jayaram met Cheshire Police. During a half-hour conversation with Darren Riley (a civilian investigator) and Detective Constable Kate Millins, this key exchange takes place.

Dr Jayaram’s account involved Letby being alone while the other nurse on the ward was absent

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Dr Jayaram: I’m just looking at the swipe data now, to look at the timings… So, it was this, where it says that Jo Williams [another nurse] left the unit at 3:47?

CI Riley: Yeah…

Dr Jayaram: Yeah.

CI Riley: That actually means coming back.

Dr Jayaram: Oh, is that when she comes back?

CI Riley: Yeah, we can’t change the data.

Dr Jayaram: Ah, OK.

CI Riley: But we can change the interpretation of it.

The three carry on for some minutes discussing this confusing mess in what was once key evidence. They also discuss various other aspects of Dr Jayaram’s testimony.

When I asked Cheshire Police about it, they said they would not be commenting.

Dr Jayaram has yet to answer an email I sent him, asking for his response.

Former Tory Cabinet minister, Sir David Davis, said: ‘It is deeply troubling to see what appears to be the police and a key witness reshaping the interpretation of the evidence to Lucy Letby’s disadvantage in advance of her retrial.’

He called for another force to review Cheshire Police’s handling of the case.

Red box beats off red rage by Two Jabs 

The late John Prescott still fills us all with mixed feelings. Many of us enjoyed the day he punched a man who threw an egg at him, and I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d sloshed the fat, plummy Tory MP who used to jeer snobbishly at him about his old trade as a waiter. 

The late John Prescott lost the keys to his ministerial red boxes so frequently that he was given a total of 16 spare keys

Now it emerges that he kept losing the keys to his ministerial red boxes, so often that he was issued with 16 spare keys between 1997 and 2007. Alas, he would sometimes try to smash his way back into the box with a cold chisel and a lump hammer, a scene all too easy to imagine. 

But the boxes are tougher than they look. The old-established firm of Barrow, Hepburn and Gale, which has been making and restoring the boxes for decades, tells me he still failed to get them open. The mangled cases were classed as ‘compromised’ and had to be replaced. 

Left’s sick love affair with the guillotine 

Nigel Farage seems to be carving out a new life for himself as a victim. It’s sad to watch. Imagine the old Nigel demanding that the police arrest someone for posting a picture of a T-shirt. 

In my view he is quite wrong about Green Supremo Zack Polanski’s Instagram, or whatever it was. A guillotine is not a murder weapon. Imagine attacking someone with this unwieldy machine in the street. 

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In Peter Hitchens’ home town, Oxford, he often sees people wearing T-shirts similar to this one that Zack Polanski shared on Instagram

Polanski’s action is actually worse than Farage thinks, but in a deeper way. Left wingers claim to be furiously opposed to all executions, but they aren’t really. As experience shows, they’re actually quite keen on killing people for having the wrong opinions. And you can buy, for about £20 on the internet, a popular T-shirt bearing a picture of a guillotine and the words ‘a platform for fascists’. 

I see people wearing them in Oxford, my home town. By ‘fascist’ they mean people like me. They’ll say it’s a joke. But is it? 

As recently as 1959, similar Western fun revolutionaries were cheering on the Cuban firing squads run by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in Havana. The moat of the La Cabana fortress was disgustingly wet with their opponents’ blood. And plenty of respectable anti-death penalty Leftists in 1930s Britain excused Stalin’s murderous purges. 

England’s Dimeji Shittu was left upset by the decision following the contest in Glasgow

Controversy has erupted at the Commonwealth Games after England’s Dimeji Shittu had to settle for silver following a controversial defeat by India’s Ankush Panghal.

Despite appearing to have had the better of his opponent in Glasgow, it was Panghal who was awarded the gold in the men’s 80kg boxing final.

The Englishman won the first round convincingly and forced Panghal to receive a count.

But things turned in the second; Shittu was handed a two-point deduction for holding and hitting, in the second and third rounds respectively, with the judges scoring the bout 4-1 in the Indian’s favour.

Four of the judges awarded Panghal the final round.

The result left the 24-year-old visibly emotional and TNT Sport commentators completely stunned, while the crowd booed the confirmation when it was announced.

“Shocking, terrible, totally robbed,” said co-commentator Richie Woodhall. “He [Ankush] certainly had the referee on his side there and the referee has cost Dimeji Shittu the contest.

“He’s been robbed there, I really feel for him.

“How did [Ankush] win that last round on the judges’ scores? That is absolutely terrible. Shocking decision. Totally robbed and that’s not sour grapes.”

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Delicious Orie echoed Woodhall’s frustrations, adding that AI scoring would be one way to improve scoring in boxing.

He also added that the lack of warnings to Shittu was a head-scratcher.

“In my opinion, it was a total robbery,” he said in the TNT Sports studio. “I think the referee has stripped that gold medal from Dimeji.

“There’s this thing in boxing, because it’s subjective, the refereeing is subjective, the judging is subjective… I’ve been hearing stories that it would be good to potentially add AI judging into boxing.

“I wouldn’t necessarily be against it because then it becomes an objective sport. In track and field, you’re running to the line, you can’t argue with time.

“If I knew there was a specific set of scoring, then bring AI, because I would follow that scoresheet instead of someone else’s opinion. That can be the difference, as we’ve seen here, between a gold and silver medal.

“It’s a real shame for Dimeji. He scored some really good points, he pushed his opponent back. I don’t know what the referee was thinking. There weren’t even any warnings, so to give him two point deductions really doesn’t make any sense to me.

“I’m no ref, but speaking to Dimeji, stopping the fight, looking him in the face and saying ‘don’t do it again’. That’s enough for him to not do it again. Essentially stripping that gold medal is no good.”

Shittu himself refused to blame the referee. He said after the fight: “A lot of people might say this about the referee, the judging, but at the end of the day I can only blame myself.

“Those are the rules. We live and we learn. At the end of the day, it’s a foul in amateur boxing. It cost me the fight.

“If people think I should have got the decision, fair play, I understand.

“But if I’m sitting here blaming judges, blaming refs, I’m not going to get better.”

Adam Peaty has stated he will ‘forgive but not forget’ his family amid their ongoing rift.

The swimmer, 31, has spoken out about the drama, the roots of which go back to 2024, when Adam and his now-wife Holly Ramsay snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party and wedding.

The conflict has since escalated and earlier this week, his family – including parents Caroline and Mark – begged for reconciliation after watching the star score a double bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 

Speaking to The Guardian, Adam, who embraced Christianity in 2023, stated that his religion means there is prospect of forgiveness, but insisted he will only reconcile with his family if he ‘feels they have improved as people’.

When asked if he would heal the rift, he said: ‘For me, as a Christian, there has to be forgiveness. It doesn’t mean you have to forget, but forgiveness takes time…

Adam broke down in tears following his third place finish on Saturday, and said his feud with his family had ‘taken its toll’. Adam broke down in tears following his third place finish on Saturday, and said his feud with his family had ‘taken its toll’

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‘I’m not saying that it won’t get better but it has to come from a place where I feel like they’ve improved as people, in a sense, and opened that communication up… I haven’t told one thing to the media. I haven’t done one story’. 

On speculation around the row, he said: ‘I wouldn’t say on me because I’ve got a thick skin. But I care about my wife, I care about my son [George, five, from his previous relationship].’

Earlier this week, Adam’s family pleaded with the swimmer to heal the rift with his estranged mother Caroline saying: ‘Please don’t hurt her any more.’

Adam’s failure to score gold at the Commonwealth Games saw him break down in tears in post interviews – in which he partly blamed his family for his poor performance, saying the fallout ‘had taken its toll’ during training.

Caroline and Mark had to watch their son on TV at home after being banned from cheering him on poolside, while his pregnant wife Holly, whose father is Gordon Ramsay, watched on and kissed him after the swim.

An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘Adam blaming his family for his failure at the Commonwealth Games is not right. Our message is ‘Come home and talk to your mother. You know your mum will forgive you! Please don’t hurt her any more…

‘You both need to heal. Even the public are turning against you. You have to be careful what you put out in the universe because it always comes back at you threefold.’

The source added: ‘We never thought you would treat your family the way you have. All we have done is love you and support you.’

After finishing in third place during his 100m final, Adam rushed to embrace Holly in the stands, before kissing her bump

Adam waved goodbye to the Games where he was supported only by Holly and his team – with three medals. He notched up two bronze in the individual 50m and 100m breaststroke, and finally a silver in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

The three-time Olympic champion aims to get back to the top for Los Angeles 2028.

He said: ‘I’ll almost have to forget the experience I’ve had this week in my personal situation and learn from it very quickly.’

The swimmer’s family from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, willed him on from afar.

The source said: ‘There was a small family gathering willing him on. It’s a shame he didn’t get the piece of metal he wanted. But bronze is better than naught.

‘We’re still proud of him but he seems to have lost some focus, and he’s the first one to admit that.’

Adam – competing for the first time under his new married name – failed to mention the Peatys during broadcast interviews. He said: ‘Thankfully, I’ve got an incredible wife and an incredible support circle around me.’

As the star bowed out of the event in Glasgow with no predicted gold medals he partly blamed his family for his poor performance (pictured previously with parents Caroline and Mark)

After his first disappointing defeat, he took a swipe at his family, whom he is still embroiled in a bitter rift with, as he broke down in tears.

A visibly upset Adam acknowledged the feud and said the fallout ‘has taken its toll’.

He said: ‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked. I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll.’

In a fresh swipe at the swimmer the source said: ‘The first words out of Adam’s mouth should have been positive words for the other swimmers.

‘The courageous young lad Archie Goodbourn who swam his heart out with inoperable brain tumours, where was the praise for him? It was all about the self-indulgent Adam.’

Holly, 26, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, was quick to heap praise on her husband following his disappointment.

Taking to Instagram, she shared photos of her and Adam and alluded to his tough week, she wrote: ‘Proud. Watching your comeback to championship racing has been inspiring.’

She added: ‘It’s not been an easy journey but your determination and faith have never wavered and we will keep going, through the good and the bad together.’

Adam has stated that he ‘wants to get lost in being a husband and father’ as he and Holly prepare to welcome a baby girl together in December.

It’s only two weeks since Gianni Infantino joined President Donald Trump in handing over the Jules Rimet trophy to Spain in New Jersey, wearing a dark suit, blindingly white trainers and the self-satisfied grin of a man celebrating a World Cup triumph of his own.

The FIFA president declared the tournament – and its new 48-team format – a huge success after spending the previous six weeks flitting around North America in a private jet to see his vision become reality.

Anybody else might have been inclined to spend some time reflecting on a World Cup that produced more than its fair share of talking points, or even have some time off.

Not Infantino. He was already moving onto his next project; one that backfired spectacularly this week and has left the 56-year-old Swiss fighting to stay in power.

It took less than four days for his grand plan to sell off football’s crown jewel to private investors for £3.1billion to go up in smoke, from the bombshell news breaking at lunchtime on Tuesday to Infantino’s humiliating statement in the early hours of Saturday confirming it has been scrapped in the face of widespread opposition.

At the end of a seismic week for world football, it is hard to see how he can survive after leading confederations and even senior executives at FIFA turned on the embattled president, and UEFA made the first move towards removing him from office with a vote of no confidence on Saturday morning.

Why did it unravel so quickly? How did Infantino, a skilled political figure, get it so horribly wrong?

It was clear this wasn’t going to end well from the immediate sense of shock and outrage when The Times revealed that Infantino wanted to create a subsidiary company called FIFA Forward Enterprise to run its flagship events, primarily the World Cup, in a deal that could be worth up to £15bn.

Private investors would have been able to buy stakes in FFE through a group led by Thrive Eternal, a US venture capital company founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared.

The 211 member associations were offered a £30m cut if they agreed with the proposals by September 19.

UEFA were the first to voice their opposition with a strongly worded statement agreed unanimously and co-signed by the English FA and Europe’s other 54 associations. They criticised Infantino for ‘a profound failure of leadership’ and presiding over ‘governance by intimidation’, adding: ‘None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.’

UEFA followed that up with a threat to boycott the World Cup if Infantino refused to back down and abandon his plans.

Two other Confederations then came out against Infantino on Thursday and Friday. CONCACAF, which represents 41 countries across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the proposal and expressed ‘deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal and the artificially short deadline imposed’.

The Asian Football Confederation followed, saying: ‘Football should never have been placed in such a position. It has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed.’

Infantino needed a majority of the 211 member nations to vote through his proposals, but already 136 of them were opposed to him.

He doubled down on Friday morning when FIFA issued a statement insisting that ‘nobody is selling football’ – but opposition was growing at an alarming rate.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham weighed into the controversy, questioning whether Infantino is the right man to lead FIFA anymore.

‘This was an outrageous suggestion,’ said Burnham. ‘The idea that it could even be brought forward, in my view, shows that the FIFA president is the wrong man to lead the organisation.’

More damagingly for Infantino, two of his senior aides turned against him in the space of a few hours.

President of the US Soccer Federation Carlos Cordeiro was a key Infantino ally before he fell on his sword

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has emerged as an early contender to stand against Infantino in March

Carlos Cordeiro, who was FIFA’s representative on the White House taskforce for the World Cup and at Infantino’s side throughout, said: ‘As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.

‘I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.

‘Selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2bn makes little sense. It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification.’

If that wasn’t bad enough for Infantino, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour then quit, claiming that Infantino had ‘deceived’ his own administration and accusing him of a ‘lie by omission’. He blasted the plans as a ‘the project of one person’.

‘This (lie) and unilateral exercise of power are not trivial,’ added Lamour. ‘They are indicative of a lack of trust, a lack of transparency, a lack of discernment, a lack of good governance. And a serious lack of respect.

‘Not only must this project not go ahead, but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.

‘My colleagues – some of whom have dedicated their lives to football – deserve better than contempt and intimidation.

‘The ball is now in the court of those who have the power to change things. I know I have a duty of loyalty to my employer. But I also, and above all, have a duty of loyalty to certain values and to the upbringing I have received, and a duty to support my colleagues. And if that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.’

Shortly after midnight, Infantino inevitably bowed to the pressure and announced he was scrapping the proposals because ‘it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place’.

If he thought that would be the end of the matter, however, it quickly became clear on Saturday that the implications could be far greater when UEFA declared a vote of no confidence in him.

Europe’s governing body hit out at Infantino for the ‘shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched’ and promised to work with the other confederations in world football to ‘identify those responsible and hold them to account’.

It added: ‘This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.’

So what next for Infantino? He has been in power for 10 years and was expected to win re-election for a fourth term unopposed at the next FIFA congress in Morocco in March.

But with support dwindling fast and UEFA on the warpath, it looks increasingly likely that a rival candidate will stand against him.

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has emerged as an early contender, along with current FIFA general secretary Mattias Granstrom and Dariusz Mioduski, a vice-president of the European Football Clubs body.

Two weeks after he had the whole world in his hands, it feels as though Gianni Infantino’s time is almost up.

Doesn’t a £20-per-person getaway to Malta sound delightful? What about five nights in Greece for two for £280pp?  

These are just some of the bargain deals to be found on a website that’s being dubbed the ‘eBay of travel’.

Transfer Travel is an online marketplace for holiday bookings that allows you to buy and sell trips others can no longer – or don’t want to – go on. 

It operates on an international scale with more than 162,000 users across over 170 countries, with the top three countries for user activity split across the US, UK and Canada. 

Maisie Blewitt, head of commercial at Transfer Travel, tells the Daily Mail: ‘We’ve always said we’re like Vinted for travel or eBay for travel. If you can’t go on your holiday, you can just pop them on our platform and then resell them. 

‘There’s well over a thousand listings on the website at the moment, well over a thousand different people who need to kind of recoup a bit of money or sell travel plans when things change. 

The website demonstrates hot deals, standout holidays that may lure in keen bookers

‘A buyer from our community can bid and haggle down the price slightly, say if it’s nearing an expiry date and they want a better deal, or they can just buy it there and then as well.’

It’s free to sign up – and can see travellers make huge savings. 

When a listing is purchased, the seller has 72 hours to complete the name change and transfer the documents confirming such name changes to the buyer. 

The trip is then in the buyer’s name, ready for them to enjoy their trip at a discounted price.  

Marketplace listings have increased by 185 per cent year-on-year, showing a significant rise in travellers choosing to resell holidays they can no longer use. 

Over £7million worth of travel bookings has been listed on the Transfer Travel marketplace thus far for this year.

The average holiday across all categories is worth around £1,545, making resale an increasingly attractive way for consumers to recover money from unused trips while also offering buyers a meaningful saving. 

‘Typically, we say you can see savings between about 40 to 70 percent, but within the past month, the typical saving was around 62 per cent,’ Maisie says.

‘If you only have one trip a year, travel is a luxury – so why would you not want to go on more, or make the most of the trips that you do have?’

Some breaks are really cheap, too – Maisie points out one Malta trip that cost £90, which the seller agreed to sell for £45 – divided by two people, this would be just over £20 each.

The downsides? The level of detail about the trip is down to the seller so, just as with purchases made on eBay or Vinted, you might not get the same level of information as you might if you were buying direct from a holiday company or rental site. 

There’s also no functionality as yet for children, so a family would search for ‘four adults’.

The company also engages with the community by offering ‘hot deals’.

For example, efforts within social media, specifically TikTok Lives, allow Transfer Travel to highlight the top savings, provide exclusive discounts, show off never-before-seen listings and live reductions.

The site also does hot deals, last week featuring accommodation in Rhodes, at the Alia Beachfront suite and spa, for early September, selling for 50 per cent off. Two guests for five nights was discounted to £563, from £1,128. 

A tool on the platform allows users to use a Google Flights API Integration to find cheap flights to complement their deal.

There are many successful examples of travellers using the site – including a couple from South Wales who were facing a £9,000 loss on a cruise they could no longer take, with no refund from the provider and their insurance not covering the situation.

Just six weeks before departure, one of them was advised not to travel following a heart-related health concern. The timing left little room to act, with no option to cancel for a refund, and the nature of the condition meant their insurance wouldn’t cover it, removing what is typically the main financial safety net for travellers.

Cruises are a popular second-hand holiday available on the website

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With few options and the full cost at risk, the couple’s son, Owen Basset, 43, began looking for a way to salvage some of the money and sell the booking securely.

He said: ‘I was looking for a quick way to get something back. I assumed there must be somewhere you could move these bookings on. 

‘You could probably try something like Facebook Marketplace, but I wouldn’t have been comfortable selling the trip privately because there’s too much that could go wrong.

‘When you’re dealing with large sums of money, you want a level of protection and reassurance that both sides will follow through.’ 

The cruise, which was departing from Lisbon, was listed for resale on Transfer Travel. With the departure date fast approaching, the listing needed to find a buyer and the transfer needed to be completed within the provider’s deadline.

Luckily, a buyer was secured just days before the final transfer deadline – Jorge Pavia. 

Originally listed at around £9,000, the cruise sold for £3,000, allowing the couple to recover part of the cost that would have been lost entirely otherwise. The transfer was completed in time for the trip to go ahead under the new booking.

Owen said: ‘At that stage, we’d already assumed the money was gone, so getting anything back felt like a real win and it made a big difference. 

‘Once everything was agreed with the buyer, the sale moved quickly and the whole process felt really safe and secure. There wasn’t that worry that it might fall through at the last minute.’

He added that while the situation was unexpected, it was one that others could easily find themselves in: ‘Travel resale is not something you expect to need, but I’d definitely suggest people look into it if they’re in a similar situation.’

Jorge Pavia snapped up the cruise for just £3,000 – a bargain purchase

They are not the only winners.  

A mother from the US visiting the UK turned a spontaneous social media discovery into a first-class rail experience from London to Glasgow, securing return train tickets worth £240 for just £150 through a travel resale platform.

Kirsten Crocker, 38, had never heard of travel resale before coming across it in an Instagram Reel. At the time, she was already planning a UK trip with her two children, and was considering adding Scotland to her itinerary.

She said: ‘I’d never used or even heard of any of these platforms before. I saw an Instagram Reel from the influencer Mrs Dow Jones talking about how people resell trips they can’t use, and Transfer Travel was one of the sites she mentioned.

‘I went on to the site out of curiosity and immediately saw the train tickets. I travel to Manchester quite often, and I’d been thinking about going to Scotland as well. It just felt like perfect timing.’

The listing was for two return first-class train tickets from London Euston to Glasgow Central in March. Originally priced at £240, Kirsten submitted an offer of £150, which was accepted straight away.

‘It was quite impulsive,’ she said. ‘I saw the tickets and just decided to go for it, it just felt like a great deal.’

As travel costs continue to rise and more travellers look for ways to make their budgets go further, resale is emerging as not just a fallback when plans change, but as a way to access experiences that might otherwise feel out of reach.

Even train travel – which is notoriously expensive in the UK – is available to buy

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Transfer Travel’s research shows that while awareness of resale platforms is still relatively low, interest is growing, particularly among travellers open to flexible, last-minute opportunities. 

Travel expert Laura Carden-Lovell from Transfer Travel says this case highlights the evolving role of resale in travel planning: ‘Stories like this show how resale isn’t just a safety net, it’s becoming a discovery tool for travellers. People aren’t always starting with a fixed plan; sometimes they come across an opportunity and build a trip around it.

‘In this case, a first-class rail journey that might have felt like a luxury became an accessible, spontaneous addition to a family trip. That’s where resale is really adding value – giving people the flexibility to do more with their travel, often at a reduced cost.’

For Kirsten, what started as a casual scroll quickly turned into a memorable family experience and a first-class journey she may not have booked otherwise.

“he million-pound view did not disappoint.”

Many parts of northern England are hailed for their rolling hills and serene countryside, which can be best taken advantage of during the summer period. With clear skies and sunny conditions still expected in the coming months, there are plenty of opportunities to take your friends, family, and dogs out on a peaceful stay away.

One such place, Mitchaven in Rothbury, Northumberland, is a three-bedroom holiday cottage offering ‘breathtaking’ views of the northern countryside. Perched in the gorgeous Coquet Valley, this dog-friendly cottage allows visitors to bring up to two pet dogs and accommodates up to six people from up to £779 for seven nights, although not many days are left now for this summer.

It also provides nearby access to Rothbury’s many independent galleries, restaurants, pubs, and shops. For those who want to breathe in more of the nearby scenes, though, can also visit the National Trust property at Cragside, which features peaceful gardens just two miles away from Mitchaven.

READ MORE: Mum-of-two, 33, reveals how she survives 6-week school summer holidays with just £300

READ MORE: I found a clever way to add extra privacy to my garden and stop nosy neighbours

The property itself features a lounge/dine area with floor-to-ceiling windows, letting in a large amount of natural light throughout your stay. The fully equipped kitchen also allows visitors to sort all of their catering needs, providing access to an electric oven, a hob, fridge, microwave, and Tassimo coffee machine.

Meanwhile, the sleeping areas are sorted into a split-level plan, with the lower area including a generously-sized king-size room with an occasional chair, a double room, and a bunk bed room with patio doors and hardwood flooring. The included family bathroom also features a shower, bath, and a separate WC for extra privacy and convenience.

When the sun does come out during your stay, you also have access to a south-facing terraced garden, providing the perfect opportunity to dine al fresco. This is further supported by outdoor furniture and a BBQ that visitors can freely use.

However, if you want to try a different space to enjoy the northern countryside, you could opt for Beck Cottage, Pennington, Cumbria, which is offering seven-night stays from £362. This holiday cottage comes with a double bedroom plus a sitting area and is in close proximity to various shops and pubs.

Otherwise, you could visit Rooftops in the Lake District, which is offering seven-night stays from £500. This second-floor apartment provides beautiful views of the Cumbria Fells and includes plenty of amenities while also being dog-friendly for up to one furry friend.

Back to Mitchaven, many visitors who previously stayed there praised it for its accommodation and views, with one traveller writing: “This was our 2nd visit. The million-pound view did not disappoint. Cottage well equipped, comfortable seating and beds. Lovely walks straight from the cottage up to the old hill fort.

“Then down into Rothbury and along the river. There is a lovely, friendly vibe to Rothbury. A must-visit is the Art gallery. Wide range of are and crafts from local artists on sale at really reasonable prices. Cragside is just up the road. The views from all points are stunning”

Another added: “A fantastic rental within walking distance of Rothbury and the river. Spacious and comfortable house with all you need for a stay. Amazing views and great location!”

While a third said: “Fantastic view whatever the weather but especially when clear and sunny! Cottage had everything we needed.” A fourth added: “The house was really comfortable and well equipped, with plenty of seating, crockery, cutlery etc for a party of 5 (not always the case!). We never tired of the stunning view, and we appreciated the well-designed garden with its flowering shrubs.

“It was great to be able to walk from the door up onto the hills, and there were lots of fascinating places to visit very nearby. Rothbury itself is charming, with its independent shops where we got most of our supplies.”

While a fifth said: “A good location for visiting and getting around the area. The accommodation was excellent throughout and the views from the lounge were breathtaking overlooking the valley. Within easy walking distance of the centre of the village of Rothbury.”

However, another visitor pointed out a minor issue with the patio, writing: “A unique property which is ideally located for exploring the area. We found the property well equipped, clean and comfortable.

“Very quaint and quirky and as described. Steps to the patio areas a bit challenging for the less able-bodied. We all had an enjoyable week.”

Customers should also note that if they’re looking for a seven-night stay at Mitchaven, they may struggle with available if they plan on going this summer. At the time of writing, only a few three-day periods are available throughout August for the property, with the largest availability starting in the autumn period.

Delta Goodrem is set to grace the Strictly Come Dancing stage in September – and has one request about the professional partner she’s paired up with.

Months after representing Australia at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the actor-turned-singer was announced as a contestant on the all-new version of the BBC competition, which is shaking things up behind and in front of the camera.

In a new interview with The Independent, Goodrem said she was “excited to dive into” the Strictly glitz and glamour.

While the “Born to Try” singer said she did not have a preference as to which professional dancer she would compete alongside, she did say she would “love to be” paired with someone taller than her because she “doesn’t really want to be the one that has to lift people”.

Goodrem is 5 feet 10 inches tall, and if she got her wish, she would most likely be coupled with either Kai Widdrington or Aljaž Škorjanec, both of whom are over six feet tall.

Earlier this month, five new professional dancers were announced to be joining the series alongside the old familiars, including Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, and last year’s new arrivals Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon.

The newcomers are Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi, and Cristian Priori. They will replace outgoing pros Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas.

This celebrity line-up is slowly coming together, too, with football pro Shaun Wright-Phillips the latest to be announced. He joins Goodrem, Dani Dyer, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia, actor Jaime Winstone, Paralympian cyclist Dame Sarah Storey, TV presenter Will Best, reality star Cacheral Mercer, hair stylist Chris Appleton, and more.

Speaking about her appointment, former Neighbours star Goodrem said she is “thrilled” to be adding the Strictly stage to the many she’s performed on throughout her career.

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“I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from TV, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world,” she said.

“There is, however, one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor. I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can’t wait to get started.”

Goodrem has also been a judge on The Voice Australia and competed for the country at the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing fourth earlier this year.

The new series of Strictly Come Dancing will be hosted by trio Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe, who are taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. It returns to BBC One and iPlayer in September.

The UK is bouncing from one type of extreme weather to another this year. This is climate whiplash. Caused by changes in the fast-moving body of air high up in our atmosphere called the jet stream, climate whiplash has increased in likelihood with climate change. This constant changing of extreme weather makes it a challenge to build resilience.

Drought and heatwaves play a big role in this rollercoaster of weather extremes. There are many different types of droughts – in simple terms drought is an absence of water from an area, meaning it is drier. For a drought to be declared in a region of the UK, the National Drought Group (chaired by the Environment Agency which has responsibility for droughts) meets, looks at several factors and decides. This process is similar to how the UK decides to name winter storms.

There have traditionally been four key types of droughts. Hydrological drought is when lakes and rivers drop below certain regional levels. Meteorological drought is based upon how long it has been dry for. Agricultural drought links lack of rainfall to negative consequences on plant growth. Socio-economic drought happens when the demand for water is higher than the supply available.

There is also another type of drought which is relatively new – flash droughts which are caused by hot, dry, windy weather that acts like a hairdryer. One of the main drivers in flash droughts in UK spring and summers is atmospheric evaporative demand. This is how thirsty the atmosphere is. In some parts of the UK such as parts of southern England, it is suggested there is a flash drought where the atmosphere has been thirstier than the available moisture. In most other parts such as North Wales, we are simply experiencing a hydrological drought.

When heatwaves and drought or dry conditions occur together in the UK, they make each other more intense. The baking dry ground causes a rise in the air temperatures. These conditions also raise the risk of wildfires occurring.

But heatwaves are a separate hazard to drought. Heat is so tricky because while you cannot see higher temperatures or hotter conditions, we feel extreme heat. This is why heatwaves are sometimes called silent killers and an invisible risk.

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Is Earth really getting too hot for people to survive? A scientist explains extreme heat and the role of climate change

The deadliest heatwaves can occur outside of drought or dry conditions. This is because moisture in the air, humidity, limits our ability to cool down. One way we measure this is through the wet bulb temperature. Meteorologists measure this by using a normal thermometer wrapped in wet muslin cloth – it is an indication of how difficult it is to lose heat through sweat.

Drought is the absence of moisture and so to reach a higher wet bulb temperature is physically more challenging and requires a lot more energy than when that moisture is present.

Opportunities for change

New research shows that many people in the UK are now fearful of climate change because of recent heatwaves. While it is good to be concerned, this can lead to inaction and not knowing what to do. There are many solutions to build resilience to climate whiplash and multi-hazards in the UK.

We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. Because we haven’t already mitigated greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough, we are now globally experiencing intensifying climate whiplash. Investment needs to focus on transitioning faster through scaling up clean energy, restoring natural environments and building resilience.

Climate change is also a social challenge. Tackling it can help address longstanding policy areas, social inequalities and emerging challenges. One of the main places we see heat-related excess deaths outside of hospital are in care homes. So mitigating and adapting to extreme weather can be integrated into long-term social care planning.

Unemployed young people can be upskilled to fill gaps in green and climate-related jobs and clean energy sectors. This gives them a purpose and creates a more specialist skilled workforce.

Investment and considerations of different models for the water industry in the UK can build resilience to multi-hazards. For droughts, storing water; for heatwaves, covering increased pressure; and for flooding and excess rainfall, addressing risk. Schemes such as improving pipe infrastructure, wastewater treatment, reservoir building and more sharing of water within relevant regions of the UK are also important.

Policy can be set out by the UK government to ensure the most vulnerable people to extreme heat in care homes, schools and hospitals will have access to air conditioning when they need it. Policy should also be designed with urban greening, retrofitting and long-term sustainable urban planning with extreme weather in mind. Energy resilience is also important and involves making use of sunnier days and building grid capacity to capture that energy from renewable sources.

While we may keep flashing from hot dry conditions to wet and wild ones, the solutions are in front of us.

Named after a forgotten Saxon

Darlington’s earliest recorded name was ‘Dearthington,’ first noted around 1040, derived from the Old English ‘Dēornōthingtūn’.

The name is believed to translate roughly as ‘the settlement of Deornoth’s people,’ referring to an Anglo-Saxon figure named Deornoth, whose personal name combined the elements ‘dēor,’ meaning dear, and ‘nōth,’ meaning daring or bold.

Nothing else is known about Deornoth himself, but his name effectively became attached to the entire settlement that grew up around his farm or estate on the banks of the River Skerne.

From Dearthington to Darlington

The town’s name went through several changes over the centuries as spelling conventions shifted.

By Norman times, it had become ‘Derlynton,’ recorded in 1457, before further variations, including ‘Darnton’ and ‘Darlington,’ gradually emerged during the following centuries.

The nickname ‘Darnton’ stuck around locally for generations, and not always affectionately.

In the 17th century, the town was famously mocked as ‘Darnton i’ the Dirt,’ a jibe inspired by its unpaved, muddy streets, said to have even prompted King James of Scotland to compose a mocking rhyme about the town during a visit in 1603.

A settlement shaped by conquest

Darlington’s origins as an Anglo-Saxon settlement predate the Norman Conquest by centuries, with the town developing on the banks of the River Skerne, a tributary of the Tees.

Like much of the North East, the area later fell under Viking control, with the Danes taking over Northumbria, including the land around Darlington, by 866AD, leaving a lasting Norse influence on place names across the wider region.

Towards the end of the 10th century, the settlement and its dependencies were granted to St Cuthbert, patron saint of Durham’s bishopric, in the presence of King Ethelred, cementing Darlington’s early ties to the Church that would shape much of its subsequent history.

(Image: Network Rail)

A name unrelated to darling or wool

Despite how it sounds today, Darlington’s name has no connection to the word “darling,” nor to the linen and wool trade the town would later become known for.

It’s a coincidence of modern pronunciation rather than etymology, with the true root buried in a Saxon personal name that vanished from record almost as soon as it was written down.