Police were alerted after a Ford Transit was seen in the Barnard Castle area in the early hours of the morning.

Special Constable Salkeld, who was on night shift with Durham Roads and Armed Policing B relief team, identified the vehicle and linked it to recent rural thefts.

Two people have been jailed after a police sting operation on suspected rural thieves (Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Officers set up a stinger as the van headed towards Spennymoor while travelling in convoy with a Fiat Panda.

Both vehicles failed to stop for officers when instructed, but police had already moved into position further along the route.

With SC Salkeld in place, both vehicles were successfully stopped.

The driver of the Transit then attempted to ram officers before being stopped and arrested.

The suspected stolen quad bike in the back, with the matching key found on the driver (Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Officers searching the van found a suspected stolen quad bike in the back of the vehicle, with the matching key in the driver’s pocket.

Ashleigh Fairhurst, 36, of no fixed abode, and Kyle Wright, 26, of Spennymoor, were later charged and appeared before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on April 2.

Fairhurst pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having no licence or insurance, failing to stop and failing to provide a specimen of blood. She was sentenced to eight months in prison and disqualified from driving until April 1, 2030.

Wright pleaded guilty to disqualified driving, failing to stop and having no insurance. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and disqualified from driving until March 1, 2030.

The health food store will be closing at the end of April

A major high street brand will be closing a store in a Cambridgeshire town. Holland & Barrett has confirmed it will be closing its location on Broad Street in March on Wednesday, April 22.

The health food store will be closing as part of an ongoing £70 million investment to “transform” the brand’s stores. The investment will include opening and renovating over 200 new locations across the UK. The Holland & Barrett store in March will remain open as usual until April 22.

A spokesperson for Holland and Barrett said: “The Holland & Barrett store in March will close on the 22nd April. This is part of an ongoing £70 million investment into transforming our stores, which includes opening and renovating more than 200 new locations nationwide.

“In the meantime, the store is open as usual, bringing expert-led advice alongside our range of science-backed products and services to our customers. Opening hours are available on our website, which also offers our full range of wellness solutions, plus links to health and wellbeing advice, and free 15-minute one-to-one appointments with our Body Qualified Experts.”

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Passengers, regardless of airline, may need to be prepared for some changes

Passengers set to fly soon with easyJet have been urged to stay prepared ahead of changes to travel. On an update on its website on April 1 of this year, easyJet notes that in an “important update”, there are “new border checks may affect queue times.”

It explains: “Airports across Europe may experience longer queues at passport control whilst the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) border checks are being completed. This will mean you may need to have your biometrics taken including your face and fingerprints scanned.”

With this in mind, it is wise for passengers to be patient as the new system is rolled out.

The budget airline suggests:

• Plan your travel to and through the airport, as you may experience longer queues
• If you need to go to Bag Drop, go there as soon as it opens
• Make your way through security as early as possible
• There may be additional checks at passport control before your gate
• Head to the gate or boarding area as soon as it’s announced
• Make sure you have the correct documents to travel
• You may experience longer queues in your arrival airport

What is EES and why is it being introduced?

An EES-dedicated website says: “The new Entry/Exit System (EES) started to be operational on 12 October 2025. European countries using the EES are introducing the system gradually at their external borders. This means that data collection will be gradually introduced at border crossing points with full implementation by 10 April 2026.”

It is being introduced as the EES:

• Modernises border checks and gradually reduces waiting times at the borders.
• Easily identifies non-EU nationals who do not fulfil the conditions of entry and stay or those who stay longer than permitted in the Schengen area.
• Enhances the security of Europe’s borders.

Which European countries use the EES?

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Bulgaria
4. Croatia,
5. Czechia
6. Denmark
7. Estonia
8. Finland
9. France
10. Germany
11. Greece
12. Hungary
13. Iceland
14. Italy
15. Latvia
16. Liechtenstein
17. Lithuania
18. Luxembourg
19. Malta
20. the Netherlands
21. Norway
22. Poland
23. Portugal
24. Romania
25. Slovakia
26. Slovenia
27. Spain
28. Sweden
29. Switzerland

You can find out more information about EES here. You can also read about it online via the GOV.UK website.

Three men and a woman were reported to have been fighting outside the town hall around 6.40pm on Tuesday (April 7).

Police believe the woman left the scene and are now keen to locate her as she may have suffered serious injuries and could require medical treatment.

A Durham Police spokesperson said: “If you are this person, or know who they are, please contact officers.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the force on 101 quoting reference CRI00674512, or email hayley.outterson@durham.police.uk.

What horse racing fans can expect when they want refreshment at the Grand National meeting

The Randox Grand National Festival is about to get underway. From Thursday, April 9 to Saturday, April 11, thousands of racing enthusiasts will flock to Aintree Racecourse for three days of top-class horse racing, culminating in the main event.

As the finishing touches are put to the venue, we can reveal some of the beverage prices for the festival. There are numerous bars throughout the racecourse, so drink prices may differ depending on your choice of refreshment.

Below, we’ve outlined the typical prices for draught, bottled and canned drinks, wines, champagne and spirits. Some outlets vary by approximately 50p…

Spirits 25ml

• Gin – £6.75
• Pink Gin – £6.75
• Tanqueray Gin (Various Flavours) – £7.25
• Ketel One Vodka – £7.25
• Ciroc Vodka – £8.00
• Grey Goose Vodka – £8.00
• Vodka – £6.75
• White Rum – £6.75
• Jack Daniels – £6.75
• Southern Comfort – £6.75
• Spiced Rum – £6.75

READ MORE: Grand National 2026 sweepstake kit: Print YOURS here ahead of Saturday’s big race at AintreeREAD MORE: Grand National 2026 pinstickers’ guide: All 34 runners rated, best chances and top 4 prediction

Champagne and Sparkling

• Bernard Remy Brut (750ml) – £89.00
• Canal Grando Prosecco Brut (750ml) – £46.00

Cocktails

• Pornstar Frozini – £13.00
• Strawberry Daiquiri – £13
• Strawberry Woo Woo – £13.00
• Gin N Juice – £13.00
• Tropical Rum Ball – £13.00
• Red Rum Dark N Stormy – £13.00
• Paloma – £13.00

Wines (187.5ml)

• House White – £9.50
• House Red – £9.50
• House Rosé – £9.50

Draught Beer

• Madri Excepcional – £7.80
• Rekorderlig Strawberry & Lime – £7.80
• Aspall Suffolk Cyder – £7.80
• Guinness –£7.80

Bottled / Canned Beer

• Pravha (330ml) – £7.30
• Madri Excepcional (330ml) – £7.30
• Peroni Gluten Free (330ml) – £7.30
• Doom Bar (330ml) – £7.30
• Guinness Zero (500ml) – £6.00
• Madri Excepcional 0.0% (538ml) – £4.40

Minerals & Mixers

• London Essence Mixers (150ml) – £3.10
• Fruit Juice (150ml) – £2.80
• Coca Cola (200ml) – £2.80
• Coke Zero / Diet Coke (330ml) – £3.50
• Lemonade (330ml) – £3.20
• Cordials (25ml) – £1.05

Grand National 2026 tickets

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The Grand National 2026 is just around the corner, with the world-famous Aintree racecourse set to host three days of racing across April 9-11.

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Standard and hospitality tickets start at £33.50 at The Jockey Club, with VIP and hospitality packages also available from £249 at Seat Unique.

Traditional shuttlecocks are made of 16 duck or goose feathers – each taken from the same wing to give the correct flight and spin as feathers from different wings curve differently.

China is the leading producer of shuttlecocks, but poultry production in the country has decreased in recent years because of outbreaks of bird flu and as people return to eating pork following an outbreak of African swine fever in 2018.

The sport has also grown in popularity in China, leading to increased demand.

Last year, the BWF played down its concerns about the shuttlecock market, while explaining its strategy to explore alternatives.

“We are aware of the global supply chain challenges and subsequent increases in feathered shuttlecock prices impacting badminton communities around the world,” BWF secretary general Thomas Lund said in a statement at the time.

“Our testing and trialling programmes for the production and introduction of competition and social-use synthetic shuttlecocks in collaboration with the manufacturers remains in place and is firmly part of our sustainability strategies for the future.”

QVC, owned by the QVC Group, was founded in 1986 in the US and has since grown into a multinational corporation, specialising in televised home shopping.

Launching in the UK in October 1993, QVC became the UK’s first full-time home shopping channel.

Now, the channel is on the brink of collapse, with it now in discussions with creditors after reports suggest it missed a regulatory filing deadline.

What is the QVC channel?

QVC UK was originally 20% owned by Sky, before it became a wholly owned subsidiary of the US broadcaster in 2004.

In its early years, it turned over a net profit of more than £12 million and has sold various products from cooking supplies to clothing.

In 2008, QVC UK launched a multiscreen video service with three video streams available to Sky viewers via the red button:

• QVC Live
• QVC+1
• Today’s Special Value presentation

QVC UK also operates three channels made up mostly of rerun segments from the live channel, QVC Beauty, QVC Extra and QVC Style.

The main channel broadcasts live 364 days a year from 9am to 1am, with rerun segments from the live channel shown during other hours and Christmas Day.

Shopping channel QVC at risk of collapse after 32 years

QVC Group is reportedly late with a regulatory filing deadline and is in discussions to voluntarily restructure its debt, according to Bloomberg.

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the parent company of QVC and HSN said it was unable to submit its annual financial report on time “without unreasonable effort or expense”.

QVC Group CFO Bill Wafford has confirmed that uncertainty linked to those negotiations has delayed the preparation of its financial statements.

The company has also warned about a “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue operating.

The QVC Group previously highlighted $2.9 billion (£2.2 billion) in debt due in October.

QVC Group intends to file its delayed results within 15 days, Broadband TV News reports.

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It has also been rumoured that any potential bankruptcy filing is expected to be a Chapter 11 protection.

This would allow the company to restructure its debt while continuing operations, rather than liquidation.

Newsquest has contacted The QVC Group for comment.

Are you a fan of shopping channels like QVC? Let us know in the comments.

The council said the plans would provide ‘poor standards’ of homes for future occupiers

Plans to build four new homes have been refused due to “cramped living” conditions. Fern Homes proposed to build the homes at Gaul Tree Farm in High Road, Guyhirn, Wisbech.

The developers said the plans would provide “four good-sized dwellings for private use within the village assisting in community cohesion”. Off-road parking was also proposed, as well as landscaping.

Fenland District Council has refused the plans. FDC planning officers said it went against a development requirement to “deliver high quality environments by promoting high levels of residential amenity”.

It said the homes would provide a “poor standard of accommodation for future occupiers”. The council added: “The internal layout and floorspace of the dwellings would result in a cramped living arrangement, and the level of private amenity space provided is inadequate.

“These deficiencies would result in a substandard living environment, harmful to the residential amenity of future occupants.” The council also said the developers failed to provide a specific flood risk assessment.

The planning officer added the application “fails to demonstrate, through a robust and site-specific flood risk assessment and breach analysis, that the development would be safe for its lifetime, without increasing flood risk elsewhere.”

Without a report, the officer said it didn’t demonstrate that future occupiers would be “safe from flood hazards”. Plans have previously been refused on the same site.

In 2024, plans were submitted to build seven homes on the site. The council refused on the basis it would provide a “poor outlook” for future homeowners, proposed gardens weren’t big enough, and there would be “potential noise and disturbance given the lack of separation” between the homes.