The probe into years of failings at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust will be chaired by a retired judge, the government announced on today, and begin on Monday (September 21).

Chair Judge John Potter said his first priority was “to meet and listen to those affected” and promised the long-awaited inquiry would be independent, thorough and fair.

The date of the inquiry’s first public hearing has not been announced.

TEWV has been dogged by calls for a full statutory inquiry after being convicted and fined over the deaths of two patients and blamed at inquests for contributing to the deaths of others, slammed by watchdogs, and branded as ‘requiring improvement’.

Families who have spent years campaigning, backed by the Northern Echo, finally had their calls answered in December when former Health Secretary Wes Streeting ordered the investigation during a meeting with them in Darlington.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Mr Streeting said they had made a “strong case” and thanked them for “sharing their harrowing experiences, not only of losing loved ones but also encountering significant failings of care.”

Wes Streeting meeting the families in Darlington where he called a public inquiry into TEWV

The new chair, His Honour Judge John Potter, is a retired circuit judge and former deputy judge in the Court of Appeal’s criminal division, with more than 40 years’ experience.

He said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to chair the TEWV inquiry. I am conscious of the responsibility that comes with this role and of the experiences of the patients, families and others affected by the matters the inquiry will examine.

“My first priority will be to meet and listen to those affected. Their voices and experiences will be central to the inquiry’s work and will help inform the development of its terms of reference.

“The inquiry will approach its task independently, thoroughly and fairly, and with respect for everyone who takes part. I will work with the inquiry team to put the necessary arrangements in place so that our work can begin as promptly as proper preparation allows.”

Judge John Potter. (Image: DHSC)

While families have welcomed progress, many had expressed frustration at the delay in appointing a chair.

In July this paper called on new PM Andy Burnham to progress the stalled inquiry, as families feared a lack of progress.

Alistair Smith, a solicitor at Ison Harrison, which represents more than 200 families affected by TEWV, said: “The appointment of a chair is important and we welcome this step forward for the many families who have campaigned tirelessly for answers about the care provided by TEWV.

“For years, bereaved families and individuals have raised serious concerns about patient safety, avoidable deaths and the culture within the trust. They have shown remarkable determination in pursuing accountability and meaningful change. 

Lawyer Alistair Smith who is representing families affected by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV)

“While the appointment of a chair marks progress, families will be looking for reassurance that the inquiry will move forward without unnecessary delay and will be given the scope and resources needed to fully examine what went wrong.

“They want the inquiry to establish the truth, ensure lessons are learned and provide confidence that improvements are made to protect patients in the future. 

“Many families and individuals have waited a long time for this moment. There remains a strong desire to see the inquiry begin its substantive work as soon as possible so that those affected can finally have their experiences heard and properly investigated.”

As chair of a full statutory inquiry, Judge Potter will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The families who were let down by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust have suffered immeasurable pain.”

Yvette Cooper in Durham this week

“Judge Potter has been asked to deliver a report explaining why things went so wrong across the trust’s mental health services and what must change.”

TEWV has long said it will cooperate with the inquiry.

Duran Arnet was trying to escape police when he raced through the streets

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A man has been jailed after he was seen driving into oncoming traffic while trying to escape police.

Duran Arnet even had a child in his car, who was sat in the passenger seat, without a seat belt on at the time he sped through the streets on Thursday (September 10).

The 36-year-old caught officers’ attention after the force spotted a red Ford Focus and tried to stop it due to intelligence on the vehicle. Yet Arnet sped off from behind the wheel.

Arnet, of Berwick Road, Easton, made off on the A4174 near Wick Wick Roundabout in a bid to evade officers.

During the incident, which saw police pursue Arnet, he was seen driving into the path of oncoming traffic, mounted the pavement, and travelled at excessive speeds. He also drove the wrong way around a roundabout while carrying a minor passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt, Bristol Live reports.

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Police said the dangerous driving continued through Longwell Green before the vehicle entered the Emerald Park area, where Arnet abandoned the car and ran off.

He tried to evade officers by running into the A4174 dual carriageway but was arrested after a short foot chase.

You can watch the dramatic police chase at the top of this article.

Amet was charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police and using a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate.

He was remanded into custody and attended Bristol Magistrates Court on Friday, September 11, where he received an immediate custodial sentence of 28 weeks.

PC Jack Fare said: “Amet’s driving showed a complete disregard for the safety of other road users and pedestrians. Throughout the incident, his actions created significant risk to members of the public.

“It is particularly concerning that he carried out these dangerous manoeuvres while a passenger, who was a minor and not wearing a seatbelt, was in the vehicle.”

“We welcome the custodial sentence, which reflects the seriousness of his offending.”

The driver was speeding and allegedly under the influence of drugs when she drove the wrong way down a street before ploughing into a city bus on Tuesday

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The driver of an SUV that slammed into the side of a Los Angeles city bus before a TV news helicopter, that had been covering the collision, went down has been charged with murder by police. Bailee Lynn Rios was speeding and allegedly under the influence of drugs when she drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue and struck a vehicle before ploughing into a city bus on Tuesday (September 15), Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told a news conference, according to the Associated Press. Rios, 36, faces two charges of murder in the deaths of the two people on the bus, identified as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31.

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Rios is now being held on $4.1 million (£3 million) bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday (September 18). Rios’ mother, Cindy Rios said she was shocked and saddened by what had happened, adding she had not spoken to her daughter since her arrest. As for the news helicopter crash, both people on board – pilot George Marciniw and reporter Eliana Moreno – were killed, as well as and a man on the ground, Edy Gutierrez Mejia. At least four cars and two storage containers burned after the helicopter caught fire.

There were no immediate details on what caused the helicopter to go down, but investigators said significant clues could come from the last seconds of video the crew broadcast. In it, an alarm could be heard inside the helicopter’s cockpit as it lost altitude. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Fabian Salazar said Wednesday that the video is “probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far.” Just after the beeping starts, a woman’s voice says “uh oh.” The helicopter moves quickly away from the bus crash site and starts losing altitude. The woman says “You can’t pull up?” before the video stops as the chopper nears the ground.

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Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said the alarm suggests a potential loss of engine power and a dangerous decrease in the main rotor speed. He said the pilot appeared to be trying to perform an emergency manoeuvre to use the wind to force the rotor to spin again. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the bus collision. There have been at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the US since 2000, killing 16 people, according to a review of federal accident records and news accounts.

A vigil was planned for Thursday evening local time to remember those killed in both crashes.

Heidi Klum celebrated HeidiFest in her German homeland with her family right by her side.

The 53-year-old model donned traditional Bavarian attire as she arrived at the event in Munich with her younger husband Tom Kaulitz, 37, daughter Leni, 22, son Henry Samuel, 21, and mother Erna Klum.

She looked stunning in a vibrant, low-cut yellow floral dirndl – a traditional dress that features a lace-up bodice and wide apron skirt. Klum styled the look with a matching flower wreath and yellow heels. 

Her husband also opted for a traditional look, wearing distressed olive-brown lederhosen with a light blue shirt and vest over it. The Tokio Hotel guitarist completed the look with knee-high grey wool socks.

The pair, who married in 2019, were seen sharing a passionate smooch at the event.  

HeidiFest, which kicks off the traditional annual Oktoberfest celebrations, is a star-studded party held at the iconic Hofbrauhaus beer hall. 

The model donned traditional Bavarian attire as she arrived at the event in Munich with her husband Tom Kaulitz, 37, daughter Leni, 22, son Henry Samuel, 21, and mother Erna Klum

Klum’s mom Erna opted for a vivid red dress with a matching wreath and boots. 

Her son Henry matched Kaulitz in a similar traditional look but opted to keep his socks rolled down.

Meanwhile, Leni wowed in a baby blue dress paired with a blue apron and UGG slippers.

The Victoria’s Secret Angel shares Leni with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, and Henry with ex-husband Seal. She also has son Johan, 19, and daughter Lou, 16, with Seal. The British musician officially adopted Leni in 2009.

Klum and Seal were married from 2005 until 2014.

The festival comes shortly after the family celebrated Henry’s 21st birthday on September 12.

Klum surprised her son with a flashy, red Ferrari F430 to mark the occasion.

She shared an Instagram video of the moment she presented the special gift to him and captured his surprised reaction. 

The pair, who married in 2019, were seen sharing a passionate smooch at the event 

Klum and Leni both matched in traditional looks  

She looked stunning in a vibrant, low-cut yellow floral dirndl – a traditional dress that features a lace-up bodice and wide apron skirt

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Klum styled the look with a matching flower wreath and yellow heels

She wore her blonde tresses cascading down her shoulders 

Her husband also opted for a traditional look, wearing distressed olive-brown lederhosen with a light blue shirt and vest over it

The Tokio Hotel guitarist completed the look with knee-high grey wool socks

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The Victoria’s Secret Angel shares Leni with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, and Henry with ex-husband Seal

At one point Henry carried his older sister in his arms 

The siblings appeared to have a blast at the event 

Leni wowed in a baby blue dress paired with a blue apron and UGG slippers

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Henry matched his stepfather Kaulitz in a similar traditional look but opted to keep his socks rolled down

Klum’s mom Erna opted for a vivid red dress with a matching wreath and boots

Henry also posed with his grandmother 

In the clip, Klum was standing outside alongside the car, which costs upwards of six figures and averages around $200,000.

Kaulitz led Henry outside toward the surprise awaiting him.

‘I can’t believe it is that time. You’ve been waiting for so many years,’ Klum said to Henry in the video.

‘Oh my God! Jesus Christ. I don’t even know what to say,’ Henry could be heard saying after the luxury car was revealed to him.

Kaulitz was also heard in the birthday surprise video, explaining that he held up his end of the bargain after he and Henry made a video game bet many years earlier.

He said he purchased the Ferrari at a car show ‘last year’ and had been hiding the big purchase in their garage ‘the whole time’ leading up to Henry’s birthday.

Klum noted how her husband ‘kept his promise’ to Henry. ‘Literally, it’s what? Seven years ago when you guys said that?’

Klum then shared a follow-up post and revealed the gift was related to when Henry was a teenager and made a bet with his stepfather Kaulitz.

HeidiFest – which kicks off the traditional annual Oktoberfest celebrations – is a star-studded party held at the iconic Hofbrauhaus beer hall

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The festival comes shortly after the family celebrated Henry’s 21st birthday on September 12 

‘It’s happening on Christmas, and if I lose Mario Kart, then I can’t play video games for three months, and I have to do a painting of me driving,’ Henry said in the clip. ‘But if I win, then Tom has to give me a Ferrari when I’m 21.’

On the same day, Klum also shared an adorable throwback photo of her four children when they were young children.

In the black-and-white snapshot, her children were wearing birthday hats and smiling at each other during a special moment.

Klum wrote in her caption alongside the adorable picture of her kids and a slew of red heart emojis: ‘Henry WOW. Time flies. We love you sooooooo much. Happy 21 Birthday.’ 

By ED HOLT

Published: 01:37 BST, 18 September 2026 | Updated: 01:44 BST, 18 September 2026

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:53 BST, 18 September 2026 | Updated: 01:55 BST, 18 September 2026

It was confirmed by Channel 4 that the show would be starting on Tuesday, September 22, with new bakers heading to the famous tent.

If you are looking for any information about Bake Off 2026, here you can find everything you need to know from who the new contestants are to how to watch the show.

Latest Bake Off news

When is the Great British Bake Off starting?

The Great British Bake Off will start on Tuesday, September 22, at 8pm on Channel 4.

The show is set to be on weekly.

Who are the contestants?

12 new bakers from across the UK have been announced.

The 12 bakers taking part in the 2026 series of the Great British Bake Off:

• Clara from Hertfordshire
• Connie from London
• Danni from Dorset
• Gabe from the West Midlands
• Gary from Nottinghamshire
• Mo from the West Midlands
• Molly from London
• Moyin from Essex
• Nikki from London
• Shannon from Gloucestershire
• Tom from West Yorkshire
• Yannis from London

Read more about the Bake Off line up here. Insert link to the bake off line up.

Who is presenting and hosting the Great British Bake Off?

Paul Hollywood is returning as one of the judges on the show after he first joined in 2010 alongside Mary Berry.

Paul then worked with Prue Leith after the show moved from BBC One to Channel 4.

After it was announced earlier this year that Prue would be leaving the show, Nigella Lawson has been brought in as the second judge.

Other familiar faces include the hosts, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, who are also returning to bring more chaos to the show.

How are the weekly episodes set out?

The bakers will be expected to take on three challenges each week: a signature, a technical, and a showstopper.

The bakers are able to practice their signature and showstopper bakes ahead of the show but will be going into the technical completely blind.

Each of the bakes are judged by Paul and Nigella, who will provide the contestants with feedback.

After all three challenges are complete, the judges will decide on who is the Star Baker, the best baker of the week, and who will be going home.

Where is the Great British Bake Off filmed?

The iconic white Bake Off tent is placed in Welford Park next to the country house while filming takes place.

Filming for series in the past has also taken place at the Down Hall Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Valentines Mason in Redbridge, and Harptree Court in Somerset.

Recommended reading

Bake Off introduces new themed week for 2026 and it involves the viewers

Release date revealed for new Great British Bake Off series

Bake Off 2026 sees spin-off axed with new presenters added to ‘revamped’ show

How can I watch the Great British Bake Off?

You can watch the Great British Bake Off live on Channel 4 when it airs at 8pm.

If you miss the show, it is available to watch on Channel 4’s streaming service, All4.

Will you be watching the new series of the Great British Bake Off? Let us know in the comments.

Jeffery Lee has been executed in Alabama just three months after a judge’s ruling blocked the state from putting the 49-year-old to death with the controversial nitrogen gas method

Alabama executed a man by lethal injection on Thursday for a 1998 double murder, three months after a judge’s ruling blocked the state from putting him to death with nitrogen gas.

Jeffery Lee, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m. at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, authorities said. Twenty-seven people have been executed around the U.S. this year. Lee’s execution was the second in Alabama this year.

Lee was convicted of killing two people during a December 12, 1998, robbery at Jimmy’s Pawn Shop in Orrville, a small town about 65 miles (105 kilometers) west of Montgomery. Jimmy Ellis, the store’s owner, and Elaine Thompson, a store employee, were shot and killed. Another employee survived by playing dead.

The execution got under way just after 6 p.m. and Lee’s final words were: “All is well. I just want to say to my family, I love them. To my brothers on life row. I love them.”

As the injection began, Lee clenched his fists on the prison gurney. His spiritual adviser held Lee’s feet and appeared to pray. Lee closed his eyes and did not appear to open them again.

Lee was scheduled to be executed in June by nitrogen gas, but the execution was halted when a judge ruled the state’s nitrogen method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Alabama attorney general’s office immediately filed paperwork to set a new execution date for Lee, this time using lethal injection.

Lee’s attorneys and supporters made an unsuccessful bid for clemency, noting the jury in his case had made a recommendation of life imprisonment, which the judge overrode. His attorneys also argued in court that the state should not be legally allowed to switch execution methods.

A jury voted 7-5 to give Lee a sentence of life imprisonment. However, a judge overrode that and sentenced him to death.

In 2017, Alabama abolished judicial override and stopped allowing judges to change juries’ sentencing decision in capital cases. But the law was not retroactive. Supporters of Lee’s clemency bid held a rally Tuesday outside the Alabama Capitol under the banner, “HONOR THE JURY.”

Two killed in 1998 pawnshop robbery

The surviving witness testified that Lee entered the store, asked to see wedding rings and said he would be back after getting money from his grandmother. Lee returned a short time later with a sawed-off shotgun and shot Ellis, Thompson and the other employee. The surviving witness fell to the floor, pretending to be dead, and called 911 once Lee left the store.

Ellis, a singer whose voice resembled Elvis Presley’s, had gained a national following for a time as an Elvis impersonator. He performed as the masked singer “Orion” and was the subject of a 2015 documentary.

Lee was convicted in 2000 of capital murder and attempted murder.

Supreme Court turns back on stay request

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied Lee’s request to stay the execution to consider if the state could make the switch to lethal injection. Justices turned back the request without comment. The ruling came about six hours before the scheduled lethal injection.

Lee filed a lawsuit in 2016 challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol. After Alabama authorized nitrogen as an execution method, Lee selected it as his preferred method. He agreed to dismiss the lethal injection lawsuit in 2018 because the state agreed that “if he is to be executed, defendants will carry out that execution by nitrogen hypoxia.”

Lee’s lawyers argued the state is bound by the terms of that agreement to not use lethal injection. They said the state could revise its nitrogen protocol to make it constitutional or use a firing squad.

“I feel like they owe me their word because they came into agreement in 2018 that wouldn’t do what they are trying to do now,” Lee said in audio clips released by his team.

The state attorney general’s office asked the high court to let the execution proceed, arguing that nothing precludes the switch to lethal injection.

“An unpunished murder is an intrinsic and ongoing harm to those interests and to the rule of law. Nearly twenty-eight years is decades too long,” lawyers with the attorney general’s office wrote.

For decades, lethal injection was the generally preferred U.S. execution method until problems procuring and administering the drugs led states including Alabama to consider alternatives.

Lethal injection remains Alabama’s primary execution method. But in 2024, the state began carrying out some executions using nitrogen gas, which involves replacing breathable air with gas through a respirator mask, causing death from lack of oxygen. Nitrogen has now been used in seven executions in Alabama and one in Louisiana.

A tiny wild cat living in Bolivia’s cloud forests has been identified as a new species in a remarkable discovery.

The feline, known as the tilcayo by local communities, measures just 18 inches (46cm) long and weighs around 3lb (1.4kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat. 

It was found in Bolivia’s lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region of humid forests that are often shrouded in clouds. 

Researchers used genetic analysis to confirm the animal was a previously unknown species and named it Leopardus tilcayo, retaining its local name. 

The discovery marks the first time a new living feline species has been formally named and described in more than a century. 

The tilcayo belongs to a group of small South American felines known as tiger cats, which are found across much of the continent. 

Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer and one of the authors of the study published in Current Biology on Thursday, said: ‘Its fur is light brown … with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body.’ 

Scientists still know relatively little about how the elusive cat lives. 

Small rodent remains discovered in scat samples suggest they could form part of its diet, while camera traps indicate the animal may be more active at night. 

The feline, known as the tilcayo by local communities, measures just 18 inches (46cm) long and weighs around 3lb (1.4kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat

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It was found in Bolivia’s lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region of humid forests that are often shrouded in clouds

Tiger cats are considered ‘cryptic species’, meaning different species can be extremely difficult to distinguish based on their appearance alone. 

They were once thought to comprise a single species, but genetic research later suggested there were several distinct groups. 

Study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, said researchers currently have information from just two living tilcayos and a small number of camera-trap sightings.

One of the animals studied is a ten-year-old male now living at the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia after previously being kept in the home of a local family.

Scientists became intrigued because the animal’s features did not match existing descriptions of tiger cats, which were largely based on animals from Brazil.

The researchers analysed DNA from 38 cats collected across several South American countries, including eight museum specimens. 

Their findings suggest tiger cats actually comprise five genetically distinct species.

‘We never expected this Bolivian tiger cat to be a separate species, and no one had ever proposed it as a different animal, subspecies or otherwise,’ Lescroart said.

Genetic analysis indicated that the tilcayo’s lineage split from other tiger cats around 1.4million years ago.

The researchers also identified a new tiger cat subspecies in Peru’s Yungas region, which they named Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo after Antisuyu, the region of the Inca empire that once included its habitat.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently treats tiger cats as two vulnerable species with declining populations.

Researchers have now shared their findings with the IUCN, which is expected to consider the five lineages separately in its next review.

Scientists said this could reveal that individual species, including the tilcayo, face a greater threat of extinction than previously recognised.

Bolivia’s Yungas forests are under increasing pressure from deforestation, expanding agriculture, human-caused fires and mining.

Eduardo Eizirik, an evolutionary biologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and senior author of the study, said the discovery showed how much of the natural world remains unknown.

‘There are many undiscovered species out there in the world, and they are at risk of disappearing before we even discover them,’ he said.

In an update, Northumbria Police confirmed an 18-year-old man and a 37-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of affray.

Another 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault following incidents at the Misfits Boxing event at Utilita Arena on Saturday, September 12.

All three have been released on bail and remain under investigation.

The Utilita Arena in Newcastle (Image: GOOGLE)

The latest arrests follow four initial arrests made on suspicion of assault after officers were called to reports of fighting inside the arena.

Police later confirmed all four people had been released with no further action taken.

Two other people were also questioned voluntarily under caution as detectives continued their enquiries.

Videos of the fights quickly spread across social media after the event, showing groups brawling as security staff tried to intervene.

Thousands attended Newcastle‘s Utilita Arena to watch influencer boxing bouts, including a contest between “UK’s Hardest Man” Big Stacks and Jordan McCann.

Northumbria Police said officers were still working to identify everyone involved.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We want to make it clear that the violence and disorder demonstrated by those in attendance at the boxing event will not be tolerated.

“Our enquiries are very much ongoing as we work to identify all those responsible.”

Police said no serious injuries had been reported, but launched an investigation and appealed for information as footage spread online.

Anyone with information should contact Northumbria Police by direct message on social media or through the force’s website.