Security expert Mark Blackbourne says Scottish football must take a far tougher approach to fan violence, calling for automatic sanctions, stadium closures and new football banning orders following the March 8 disorder.

The hard-hitting report into the March 8 shame game by security expert Mark Blackbourne has demanded a major shake-up to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes.

The review points out that “the current sanctions framework holds individuals accountable but largely insulates clubs from the consequences of their supporters’ behaviour”, saying this provides “insufficient motivation” to curb the problem.

There is a call for stronger sanctions, including stadium and stand closures, suggesting the SFA “has the disciplinary powers to act more severely than they have done but have chosen not to use them”, with the governing body described as “too modest and too inconsistent”.

Other key recommendations include.

* Clubs taking more accountability for supporter behaviour.

* Section closure, not ticket reduction, should be the standard first-response for confirmed unacceptable conduct.

* An escalating tariff of sanctions should be introduced, based on a rolling 3-year period, that includes section or stadium closure. Published in advance with no discretion allowed.

* Where incidents are linked to Ultra groups, clubs must formally sanction those groups as a condition of continued stadium access. Failure to act should itself constitute a breach of rules regarding unacceptable conduct.

* The Scottish FA should lead consideration of the establishment of a Joint Safety and Security (JSS) body to oversee governance of safety and security across Scottish football.

* The SFA should also Appoint an Executive Head of Safety and Security for Scottish football to implement new safety measures.

* Operators transporting supporters to designated matches must register with Police Scotland: company name, registration numbers, driver details and passenger numbers. Non-registration exposes operators to criminal liability.

* Football Banning Orders should be brought in for Pyrotechnics and tailgating – a specific offence for gaining entry using another person’s ticket – Face coverings and pitch incursions.

* Extended netting to prevent objects thrown between sections. Netting on the front three rows of the away and ultra sections to deter pitch incursions and allow a permanent trackside police/steward presence.

* Ultra-groups and commercial interests must not override safety. Host clubs must provide a genuinely welcoming away environment. Pre-match music playlists actively managed at high-risk fixtures. Club mascots must not antagonise the away support.

* Clubs must brief all players, in relevant languages, on the safety and legal consequences of celebratory conduct directed at supporter sections.

* Increased use of digital Away ticketing and more visual ticket differentiation should be introduced between major fixtures where paper tickets remain in use to reduce forgery risk.

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Kaylee Hottle, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in the Godzilla franchise, has tragically died at the age of 18 following a car crash in Frederick, Maryland. Her co-star, Millie Bobby Brown, led tributes to the young talent, expressing her devastation at the news.

Ms Hottle’s death was confirmed by her father, Joshua, in an emotional livestream shared on Facebook on Tuesday, conducted entirely in American Sign Language (ASL), reflecting that the Hottle family is deaf. Her mother, Ketsi, also posted a tribute in ASL, featuring a selfie with her daughter and the poignant message: “Privilege to be your mom, Kaylee Hottle.”

Millie Bobby Brown, who starred alongside Ms Hottle in Godzilla Vs Kong and its sequel, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, shared a black and white image of her co-star on Instagram. The Emmy-nominated actress wrote: “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee.”

Ms Hottle made her feature film debut in Godzilla Vs Kong, portraying Jia, an orphaned deaf girl who forms a unique bond with the giant ape Kong through ASL. She reprised this role in the 2024 sequel, earning a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor. Throughout her career, Ms Hottle was a vocal advocate for the inclusion of deaf individuals in the entertainment industry.

Hottle was one of two passengers involved in a collision at 3am on Tuesday morning, while the driver was a 19-year-old man who was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries, The Associated Press reports.

AP said the crash is under investigation, with Frederick County Sheriff’s Office saying “excessive speed” is believed to be a factor.

Further tributes poured in from across the acting community. Marlee Matlin, the first deaf actress to win an Oscar, shared a photo on X with Ms Hottle and fellow actress Shoshannah Stern, stating: “I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity.” Ms Stern also expressed her grief on Instagram, writing: “I am heartbroken. My deepest sympathies to the Hottle family.”

The Texas School For The Deaf (TSD) in Austin, where Ms Hottle was a senior, also released a statement following the “heartbreaking” news. The institution shared a photograph of her, adding: “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland. Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.” The school concluded by asking for thoughts for Ms Hottle’s loved ones “as we mourn this tremendous loss together.”

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Beyond her prominent film roles, Ms Hottle also appeared in a 2021 episode of Magnum PI and featured in several advertisements, including one promoting support for the deaf community’s pursuit of equal rights.

Marc Anthony, who was married to Jennifer Lopez from 2004 to 2014, has welcomed his eighth child with his 30-years younger fourth wife.

The singer, 57, and model Nadia Ferreira, 27, took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to share a joint post revealing they have welcomed their second child together – a girl named Myla.

The couple shared a sweet snap of their eldest child Marco, three, holding his new baby sister and also included a photo of the three of them holding onto the newborn’s arm.

There was also an adorable picture of the three of them holding onto the arm of newborn Myla. 

The happy baby news comes just a month after Anthony’s ex Lopez, 56, took a rare swipe at him.

The singer, 57, and model Nadia Ferreira, 27, took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to share a joint post revealing they have welcomed their second child together – a girl named Myla 

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Anthony and Ferreira captioned the announcement in Spanish, which when translated reads: ‘What a great blessing to be able to share with you the arrival of our precious MYLA. You can’t imagine the happiness we have at home, we are over the moon.’

Myla is a name of English and Slavic origins most commonly meaning ‘merciful’ or ‘gracious’ according to The Bump.

Back in March, Anthony and Ferreira revealed the gender of their second child two months after announcing her pregnancy.

The news was shared via a set of photos posted to Instagram at the time as the growing family posed on a boat in coordinating blue outfits.   

‘A surprise full of love… God through it all,’ read the caption of the couple’s joint post, translated from Spanish.

Ferreira held a tiny pair of pink shoes in three photos as her husband cradled her growing baby bump.

The expectant mother bared her burgeoning belly in a two-piece knit set with a cropped sweater and maxi skirt.

She accentuated her hips with a two-tier gold chain featuring small beach-themed charms including a starfish, shells and seahorse.

‘You can’t imagine the happiness we have at home, we are over the moon,’ the couple wrote in Spanish as they shared their happy news

Anthony wed Ferreira in January 2023 following an eight-month engagement. Pictured in Miami in March 

The husband and wife announced their baby news in January

Her long, dark hair flowed down her back and she looked serene in the images taken on a sunny day at sea.

For his part, Anthony was dressed in a button-up shirt, navy blue shorts, and a matching baseball cap.

In addition to his kids with Ferreira, the singer-songwriter has six other children from past relationships.

He shares son Chase, 35, and daughter Arianna, 31, with ex-girlfriend Debbie Rosado.

His sons Cristian, 25, and Ryan, 22, are shared with ex-wife Dayanara Torres.

And Anthony, born Marco Antonio Muñiz, shares twins Emme and Max, 18, with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.  

Anthony wed Ferreira in January 2023 following an eight-month engagement.

The couple hosted a swanky, star-studded ceremony at the Perez Art Museum in Miami.

Anthony and Jennifer Lopez at the Met Gala in 2011

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Lopez at the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton in January

The wedding was not attended by Lopez nor their twins Emme and Max.

Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez acted as the wedding officiant and the nuptials were attended by famous faces including Maluma, David Beckham and Romeo Santos. 

Other big name guests included Salma Hayek, Lin Manuel Miranda and Luis Fonsi.

Beckham was one of the singer’s best men, along with close friend Carlos Slim, who also stood by his side.

Marc’s sons Cristian and Ryan were both in attendance for their father’s special day. 

Ferreira was crowned Miss Paraguay in 2021 and finished as first runner-up in the Miss Universe Pageant, falling behind India’s Harnaaz Sandhu.

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves.

Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving effort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have become a deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East.

While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones first appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight with continually adapting technology.

In recent years, Ukraine’s domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows. But it’s on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military innovation — grassroots technology born of battlefield necessity that now draw international interest.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. allies in the Middle East have approached Ukraine for help in defending against Iranian drones, the same type that Russia has fired by the tens of thousands in the 4-year-old war.

Iran has also used the same drones in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, at times overwhelming far more sophisticated Western-made air defenses and highlighting the need for cheaper and more flexible countermeasures.

“It’s not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones,” said a pilot with Ukraine’s 127th Brigade, sitting at his monitor after completing a preflight check. “We did it because we had nothing else.”

How the drone war began

Moments earlier, the pilot carefully landed his interceptor drone to avoid damaging it. He spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

Though designed to be disposable, limited resources mean Ukrainian crews try to preserve every tool they have, often reusing even single-use drones to study their weaknesses and improve them.

“Just imagine — a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200,” the pilot said. “And if it doesn’t hit the target, I can land it, fix it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge. And the effect? Not any worse.”

Ukraine’s 127th Brigade is building an air defense unit centered on interceptor drone crews — a model increasingly adopted across the military.

Leading the brigade’s effort is a 27-year-old captain, who previously served in another formation where he had already helped organize a similar system. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

Another challenge soon emerged: how to intercept the hundreds of fast, durable Shahed drones flying far beyond the front line.

The young captain’s search for a solution led him to the 127th Brigade in Kharkiv and to cooperation with a local defense company. Their joint efforts resulted in aircraft-style interceptor drones capable of matching the speed of the Shaheds.

Kharkiv is not only where they work — it’s where their families live, a city that regularly comes under Shahed attacks.

Working with the company allows soldiers to test interceptor drones in real conditions and quickly refine the technology through direct feedback.

The company’s Skystriker drone differs from more widely known interceptor systems such as Sting or P1-Sun, which are based on modified first-person view, or FPV, drones. Instead, it resembles a small aircraft with wings, allowing it to stay aloft longer.

“Yes, this is a joint effort,” said the director of the company, who spoke on condition he not disclose the name of the firm or his own identity for security reasons.

“It’s not enough just to build it. It has to work — and work properly — and perform real combat tasks,” he said. “That’s why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time.”

Nonprofits and volunteers

In Ukraine, cooperation often goes beyond the military and manufacturers. Volunteers frequently act as intermediaries between the two, sometimes even helping them find one another.

The Come Back Alive Foundation, a nonprofit think tank and charity that raises money to equip Ukraine’s forces, launched a project called “Dronopad,” loosely translated as “Dronefall,” in summer 2024.

The idea grew from battlefield reports that FPV drone pilots were occasionally able to track and intercept aerial targets — early cases that helped shape efforts to counter the Shaheds.

“At that moment it wasn’t clear whether this was even a scalable solution or just isolated incidents,” said Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. “Our goal was to turn it into a system — to help units that already had their first successful cases build the capability and scale what they had achieved.”

The foundation worked with drone manufacturers to better understand what systems soldiers needed. As the project developed, the capabilities of interceptor drones evolved.

“At some point they were able to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), which made it possible to intercept targets like Shaheds in the air,” Tymochko said.

The team closely monitored the rapidly growing drone market. A key factor, he said, was ensuring close cooperation between manufacturers and the military so that engineers could receive feedback quickly from battlefield tests.

“It’s always action and counteraction,” Tymochko said, noting both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize each other’s responses. “That cycle is what drives the evolution of drone warfare.”

The technology itself, he said, is not especially difficult to copy. The real value lies in how it is used — and in the experience of the pilots who have learned to operate it effectively.

“People were very skeptical about the technology,” Tymochko said of the early days of interceptor drones. “Some thought it wouldn’t work, that within a month the Russians would come up with countermeasures and the drones would become useless.”

Nearly two years later, the results suggest otherwise.

“Many people called it air defense for the poor,” he said. “But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more effective than air defense for the rich.”

___

Associated Press journalist Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Expect ‘tomb’ much fun as the award-winning children’s history show confirms a new spot at London’s Battersea Power Station

Families can step back more than 3,000 years this summer as the team behind Horrible Histories brings its trademark mix of comedy and history to London’s NEON at Battersea Power Station. Launching inside the blockbuster Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold exhibition, the new ‘Horrible Histories – Live at the Museum!’ experience promises an interactive adventure packed with ancient treasures, larger-than-life characters and plenty of laughs.

Inspired by the life and reign of Ramses II, the experience begins with visitors being led through the exhibition by “Ramses” himself. As families journey through the galleries, they’ll uncover fascinating stories from the legendary pharaoh’s rule while coming face-to-face with more than 180 priceless Egyptian artefacts, including the actual coffin of Ramses the Great and the dazzling gold mask of Amenemope.

The adventure doesn’t end there. After exploring the exhibition, guests will be treated to a hilarious live stage show featuring the infamous Mummy Rap, audience participation and a funny, fact-filled look at the extraordinary process of mummification.

READ MORE:

Tickets for Horrible Histories – Live at the Museum! are available now via the Fever website. Click here to find out more.

If ancient Egypt isn’t quite your child’s thing, there are plenty of other ways to keep the family entertained over the summer holidays. ATG Tickets is currently offering 15% off selected productions until September, including Wicked, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and other popular West End shows.

Book tickets for Horrible Histories here

Horrible Histories celebrate the Awesome Egyptians at Ramses and the Pharaohs Gold, and tickets are out right now.

For young dinosaur fans, Dinosaur World Live offers the chance to step into a prehistoric adventure, where families can come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs, including a towering Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops.

While the new Horrible Histories experience doesn’t open until July 27, the Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold exhibition has already attracted glowing reviews on TripAdvisor from visitors who have explored its remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian treasures.

The exhibition has already earned plenty of praise on TripAdvisor, with many visitors describing it as both fascinating and beautifully presented. One visitor wrote: “Amazing- excellent audio and exhibition. Makes you wonder how the British Museum survives when you see such well organized and thoughtful pop up exhibits. The VR at the end was also worthwhile.”

Adele was very impressed with the experience, saying: “Fabulous exhibition. Very easy to hear and see all the artefacts. Very well laid out and a really good atmosphere. The admission slots are just right to allow good uncrowded flow through the different rooms. Lots of benches placed throughout for those with mobility issues. The fee I think is realistic for such an informative exhibition. We arrived via Tube and followed the yellow footprints to the exhibition halls quite easily. We were at the exhibition for around 90 to 120 minutes.”

Judith was also delighted, adding: “Fabulous exhibition. We stayed 2.5 hours. Really informative for the non-specialist. Beautiful jewellery. Impressive top notch graphics. Lot of exhibits from the Cairo Museum. Also the staff are very pleasant and helpful.”

Another visitor described it as “the best” ancient Egypt exhibition they had seen in recent years, writing: “Ramses II gets a worthy exhibition in London. Like many ancient Egypt related exhibitions that come to the capital this collection has had a bit of a world tour. This has been the best I’ve seen in recent years with real artefacts from the time of one of Egypt’s longest ruling kings.

“Statues, gold jewellery, mummies and pieces from other kings and dynasties. The VR was definitely worth the £14 extra fee. Some amazing pieces that will end up in the recently opened GEM at Giza when this current tour comes to an end and of course there’s a gift shop and cafe at the end.”

Not everyone was completely won over, however. One reviewer pointed out that the virtual reality experience comes at an additional cost, commenting: “Advertising shows VR experience. This is an extra payment. You would be better off going to the museum.”

A different five-star review was pleasantly surprised by the experience saying: “Wasn’t sure what to expect here but this is absolutely worth going to for museum fans – a treasure trove of fantastically well-preserved and priceless artefacts from the height of ancient Egypt. Well laid out and good descriptions that provide the context and history of the era in the right amount of detail – we learnt a lot about the incredible life of Ramses II and seeing his well-preserved coffin at the end was spectacular.”

Horrible Histories presents Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold tickets are available to purchase now.

There have been ongoing anti-social behaviour concerns in the area for a number of weeks

Those involved in disorder have been holding a community in West Belfast to ransom, a local MLA has said. On Saturday night, July 18, large crowds of up to 100 people gathered in the Stewartstown Road area.

A police officer was injured, and several PSNI vehicles were damaged in the incidents. Bins and loading cages were placed across part of the road at its junction with Bell Steel Road, with fires being set from some of those bins.

Throughout the day, police launched an operation relating to dangerous driving in the area with a large number of young people travelling at speed on scrambler-type bikes. The PSNI said many riders had their faces partially covered and were not wearing helmets.

The trouble came after weeks of sporadic disorder in the area, with scenes of anti-social behaviour outside flats over weeks, and trouble breaking out at the beginning of May at a diffing event in memory of Shea McGreevy, who died in a jetski incident in Lough Neagh.

Speaking to Belfast Live in the aftermath of the most recent scenes of disorder, Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker said the local community has been “hemmed in” by those partaking in anti-social behaviour.

He said: “Tensions were building for a number of weeks, we had a major event here on May 4th which caused a lot of chaos, and it’s been building since then. What we saw on Saturday was a real escalation of that with huge numbers coming out onto the street, lots of young people on souped-up strong motorbikes driving dangerously, and there were lots of spectators.

“In the days leading up to it, there were stolen motorbikes and a stolen car came into the area, we were trying to get young people away from being spectators to that. There’s a real safeguarding issue here; if one of these cars or bikes loses control, with some of them being driven really dangerously, like going onto footpaths at high speeds, a life will be lost.

“Like many communities, we’re facing the difficulties of e-scooters, motorbikes, and scramblers. This isn’t unique, unfortunately. After the events at the start of May, we’ve seen the behaviours escalate, with more high-powered bikes coming into the area as well as stolen vehicles. This isn’t just traffic offences, this is putting lives at risk.”

Following the trouble on Saturday night, a 14-year-old boy was among those arrested. A minority of young people are turning towards such disorder, but Danny said many adults and people from outside the area have been “adding fuel to the fire” by getting involved and spectating.

He said: “There were lots of adults there as well, we can’t solely just put this down to kids misbehaving. There were adults on these motorbikes, adults cheering it on and bringing their kids along.

“They’re only adding fuel to the fire; they’re not doing any favours to the children or to the community. The more people come down and watch these behaviours, the more chance more people are gonna be coming in from outside of this community, and then it’s us as a community that has to pick up the pieces.

“Adults who have been coming as spectators need to reflect on their behaviour. There is an element of criminality, adults who are coming in a sinister way to try and influence our young people to get them into trouble.

“They don’t care about their young people’s futures, and I do; that’s the difference. This community does, and we want our young people to have the best future they could possibly have because the actions of Saturday and actions even leading up to that could follow them for the rest of their lives.

“It could cost them getting jobs, or it could cost them their life. The danger in all this is someone could be seriously hurt or killed.”

The impact of the trouble over the past few weeks means many people have been afraid to leave their homes, with many local businesses impacted in the aftermath.

“I work hard with families with children with additional needs, and I’ve got to know a lot of them. They have been telling me their routines have been messed up by the trouble,” Danny explained.

“One parent said their child would walk up and get ice cream in the garage, and they haven’t been able to do that for three weeks.

“That is not on. It’s a disgrace, and those behind that need to reflect on the real-life consequences that this is having for everyone in this community.

“People should not feel afraid to go about their daily business, and people should not be afraid to go to work, and that’s what is happening – businesses are being impacted. This community was hemmed in on Saturday, lots of businesses had to close and that has a massive knock-on effect.”

Danny said the disorder of recent weeks is not reflective of the wider Colin community, and he has called for those cheering on riotous behaviour or getting involved in it to pause and reflect.

He added: “We have hundreds of kids going through our youth clubs today, and we had a group of kids going off to represent this community in the Foyle Cup.

“There are so many great activities and great sports people in this community, as well as great role models. Then, unfortunately, we have some who are hellbent on destruction; we can’t allow them to win, and they need to get off the back of this community.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and it’s true, that’s what we’re going to keep doing. We’re going to work really hard to give our young people the best opportunities, and those who should know better really need to reflect on what they have done. To those who want to exploit our young people, get off the back of this community.

“Anyone who is cheering this behaviour on or involved in it they need to reflect on what they’re doing. They’re holding a community to ransom with their dangerous driving, and at the end of the day, they’re putting their own life at risk as well.”

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Chief Inspector Kelly Gibson, PSNI West Belfast Area Commander, said: “We know the local community is very concerned about what took place in west Belfast on Saturday night – and of ongoing antisocial behaviour in the area.

“We’re continuing to progress our investigation and to review evidence from the weekend. As such, we intend to make further arrests following these shameful scenes.

“Our targeted patrols will subsequently continue in the Stewartstown Road and surrounding areas to detect offenders on bikes who are driving illegally.

“We would reiterate our appeal to parents and guardians to speak to their young people and warn them of the dangers of getting involved in behaviour which could result in them obtaining a criminal record.

“We’d also ask that the community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of scrambler-type bikes so we can help to make our roads safer for everyone. The safety of local communities is paramount, and our officers have been working closely alongside our partner agencies, local representatives and the community to address these problems.”

Any photos or digital footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dash-cam footage, can now be shared with police through the Major Incident Public Portal here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI26W20-PO1

Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information can contact police using our witness appeal form at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, quoting reference 346 of 18/07/26, or call us on 101.

Video by Justin Kernoghan.

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

When the news reached Coronation Street’s Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) that Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) had suffered a stroke as a result of non-fatal strangulation, his immediate response was to claim he wasn’t responsible for it.

The youngster experienced a stroke in her home, and then another one in hospital.

After some tests, Betsy and her loved ones learnt that the damage to her neck, and temporary loss of circulation, had been sustained as a result of Dylan putting pressure on the body part while they were having sex.

DS Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) told the police about Dylan being responsible, which led to him being questioned. Afterwards, Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) suggested that someone else was responsible for putting Betsy in hospital due to the gap in time from them having sex, and her first stroke.

Sean and Dylan weren’t aware of the information that states a stroke may not occur immediately after the event. In fact, medical evidence shows it can happen days, weeks, or even months after the initial compression of the neck. This, along with the fact they were both in denial about the reality, meant they tried to accuse Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey) of sleeping with Betsy.

Everything changed for Dylan in this evening’s episode, as he visited Betsy in hospital. After hearing from her that he caused the strokes, Dylan panicked as he slowly started to accept the truth.

In the corridor, Dylan and Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) discussed how erotic asphyxiation, or breath play, is sometimes considered a kink, and reiterated that he didn’t squeeze Betsy’s neck very hard.

In the pub later, Dylan told his dad that he did put Betsy in hospital. The youngster knows that there’s a very real chance he could go to prison for this, and told Sean how terrified he is about returning there.

This plotline was conceived as a way to raise awareness surrounding the incredibly little know risks of consensual strangulation during sex, which can occur regardless of how much or little pressure is used.

Coronation Street has been worked closely alongside the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS), The Stroke Association and Safeline while plotting the story to ensure complete accuracy.

‘By consulting extensively with IFAS, the Stroke Association and Safeline, we aimed to handle Betsy’s journey with the care and sensitivity it deserves while sparking a difficult and somewhat contentious conversation that helps raise awareness of the risks involved in partaking in such acts’ said Corrie producer, Kate Brooks.

‘When I first got told about it, I learnt that it takes more pressure to open a can of Coke than it does to cause brain damage,’ Sydney Martin exclusively told Metro.

‘There was a study where they did a blood test on 30 women, 15 who had partaken and 15 who hadn’t, and the 15 who had all showed signs of brain damage.’

Keir Starmer’s regime got off to the worst possible start two years ago when, as soon as he took power, he said things were in a dire state, then his Chancellor discovered a £20bn black hole that meant things had to get even worse and to prove it, she clobbered the pensioners.

Andy Burnham’s reign has started in the opposite way. He says he wants to “bring back hope” and his first real announcement has been to remove VAT from electricity while saying that his cost-of-living government will “take that little bit of pressure off people’s shoulders”.

Now the £45 the VAT removal will save is paltry, especially as most of it will disappear when energy prices go up, as scheduled, this autumn.

But it is better than the slap that Rachel Reeves delivered when she tried to remove all pensioners’ winter fuel payments.

It will be interesting to see whether new Chancellor, John Healey, can convince us that this money is coming from a genuine saving that is being made by scrapping the digital ID scheme or whether it is just another visit to the magic money tree.

Mr Healey, though, is a surprise but stable appointment as Chancellor. He was respected as Defence Secretary and his resignation fatally wounded Mr Starmer’s government because it was over a point of principle, unlike Wes Streeting’s performative departure.

Now it falls to Mr Healey to find new money, from a country that is heavily taxed but without any spare change, to pay the billions needed to upscale our defence.

Mr Burnham might be hinting that things can only get better but the truth, for him at least, is that things will only get harder now he has to deliver from the hot seat.