Two families reportedly moved out after being spooked

A ghost is rumoured to have spooked two families away from living in a Cambridgeshire home. The home, which was the site of a historic murder, has long been claimed to be haunted.

Maidservant Elizabeth Pateman was murdered in Febuary 1734 aged only 19 at the cottages of Moco in Steeple Morden. She was believed to have knowledge about the occupants of the cottages, rumoured to have been involved in the disappearance of a packman.

Elizabeth was murdered with crude farming utensils: a coulter, peak hook, and a penknife and her ghost was said to have haunted the cottages for more than 150 years. In January 1901, the Cambridge Daily News reported a sighting of her ghost.

Mr and Mrs Steggles had lived in one of the cottages at Moco for about nine months before they heard blood curdling cries of agony. When the couple heard a loud thud and the firing of a gunshot in one corner of the room they had had enough, and moved in with the shepherd next door, refusing to re-enter their home.

The Rule family moved in shortly before WW1. After their son, Frederick, went off to fight, they heard footsteps in the cottage, and believed it was Frederick returning home.

But every time they checked, nobody was there. The footsteps seemed to always stop at the same point.

One day, Charles Rule, the father, and his friend decided to inspect where the footsteps stopped. He said he discovered a black void hidden behind a hollow wall.

That night he said he felt an aggressive pressure around his throat, like he was being strangled. But nobody was there. The next morning his friend reported the same.

The footsteps stopped, but the family were spooked and left the home after the war.

The original Moco area next to Cheyney water is now a field area with plants growing over it, rather than the haunted historic cottage and farmland.

‘Soaking in the last of summer in the garden’ is, as Instagram captions go, pretty standard fare – but for the Duchess of Sussex it may well carry an extra degree of poignancy.

The image posted on the account of her lifestyle brand As Ever – showing Meghan in a white T-shirt, matching skirt and oversized sunhat – appears to have been taken at the Montecito mansion she and Harry have called home for the last six years.

It could well be the last time we see it for some time. 

The Sussexes – Harry, Meghan, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet – are now staying in the UK for an ‘extended period’ after flying in on August 26.

Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled at a school in Britain and the family are said to be preparing to settle down in the Cotswolds, an area proving increasingly attractive to tech bros and liberal Hollywood celebrities fleeing Donald Trump‘s presidency.

Reports suggest the Duke and Duchess spent time with friends and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland during their last weekend in California before their surprise return to Britain last week.

Sources told People magazine – a publication sympathetic to the Sussexes – that the final Stateside gatherings were not ‘a goodbye forever’.

‘It was much more, “We’ll be back, but this is what we’re doing right now”,’ the source added, noting that Archie and Lilibet had been given time to see their own friends too.

‘They’ve been planning this for some time, and they feel it’s the right thing for their family, but that doesn’t mean leaving was easy.

‘Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there. They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust.’

The image was shared on Saturday, three days after the Sussexes touched down in Birmingham on a private jet

Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are thought to have moved to the Cotswolds, and the children enrolled in a UK school

The As Ever shot was posted on Saturday, three days after the Sussexes touched down at Birmingham Airport.

It shows Meghan in what fans have identified as a £100 Anine Bing cashmere T-shirt, a £292 Heidi Merrick skirt and a £130 Sarah Bray Bermuda sunhat.

And while the location was unspecified, there are hints that the snap represents Meghan’s temporary farewell to the Californian lifestyle that the brand represents.

She can be seen appearing to forage from the garden, with a large basket in her hand to collect her finds.

The basket of multicoloured eggs positioned in the foreground is unlikely to be an accident, coming after reports that her prized flock of chickens is staying in Montecito.

Meghan had posted an image of a novelty tea towel last week that read: ‘People who take care of chickens are literally chicken tenders.’

While the birds are staying behind, the Sussexes’ pet dogs, black labrador retriever Pula and beagle Mia, are joining the family in Britain.

Their arrival comes amid fervent speculation over Meghan’s rumoured return to acting several years after she stepped away to focus on royal life.

Conflicting reports say she may or may not have a role lined up for the third series of Netflix’s The Gentlemen, the high-octane gangster drama spin-off of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film. 

Asked about the rumours at the Edinburgh TV Festival last week, Netflix’s UK head of scripted series Manda Levin would only say: ‘All bets are off’.

The Sussexes have also returned to Britain despite Harry’s vow that he would not bring his family to the UK without the same royal-level security that he enjoyed as a working royal, which was removed following ‘Megxit’ in 2020.

He lost a legal challenge to the downgrade last year against the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which makes decisions on the level of protection afforded to key public figures. 

The committee is made up of representatives of the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household, including the monarch’s private secretary. 

Following the conclusion of the case, Harry had told the BBC: ‘I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.’

Harry and Meghan’s plane was met on the tarmac by a private security convoy – after the Duke failed in a legal challenge over his security arrangements

Harry and Meghan are thought to be in the back of this Mercedes minivan leaving Birmingham Airport – with Harry’s close confidante David Langdown riding shotgun

Despite this, the Sussexes were met by a private security convoy at Birmingham Airport last week, among them Harry’s close friend and security adviser David Langdown.

The move will have arguably carried some risk in the Duke’s eyes. Unlike taxpayer-funded royal protection officers, Harry’s private security team in the UK is not permitted to carry firearms.

A source close to him told the Sunday Times: ‘His security team cannot even carry a cricket bat as a means of defence – all they’d have is angry rhetoric and their physical strength if someone attacked him or his family. 

‘With his return home, the game has changed: the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens and that includes Harry, his wife and his children. 

‘It’s not about the role he has here – it’s about the risk he and his family face, and he cannot simply stop being the son of the King.’

Harry reportedly gave Ravec less than half the standard amount of notice for his family’s return to Britain amid fears the news would leak.

Since 2020 – when his entitlement to automatic, taxpayer-funded UK police protection ended – Harry has been expected to give Ravec 28 days’ notice of any plans to visit home so arrangements can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

But the Telegraph reported that Harry’s father King Charles was said to have learned of the Sussexes’ return just ten days prior to the plane landing.

A source told the paper: ‘An obvious off-ramp exists for the committee to do the sensible thing: protect the King’s son and grandchildren.’

Ravec has reportedly prepared a fresh risk assessment on the Sussexes, the results of which are yet to be disclosed to Harry. 

He is said to have written to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking a personal intervention in his family’s case, after learning that Ravec allegedly failed to inform him of an Al-Qaeda assassination plot in 2023.

Asked last week about the Duke’s security measures, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was a ‘private matter’. A YouGov poll found that 71 per cent of British adults believe the Sussexes should foot the bill themselves.

A Government spokesman told the Mail today: ‘The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. 

‘It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.’

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been contacted for comment. 

Merseyside Police launched a murder investigation after a woman’s body was found in a bin bag in Stanley Park, Liverpool, on Friday, August 28 — a distinctive pink Nike t-shirt is the key clue in identifying the victim

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A distinctive pink Nike T-shirt has emerged as the crucial evidence in a murder investigation after a woman’s remains were discovered inside a bin bag. Merseyside Police initiated the inquiry on Friday August 28 following a call from a member of the public regarding Stanley Park.

Attending officers discovered the woman’s body within a bin bag in the park’s walled garden section. Authorities believe the remains had been left there for several weeks.

While the victim’s identity remains unknown, she is believed to be in her 70s, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair. The most significant clue is the clothing she was wearing – a distinctive pink Nike T-shirt.

A press conference was held on Monday afternoon at Merseyside Police headquarters, with Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan and Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, from the force’s major incident team, providing an update into the investigation.

Det Supt Wilson said: “Forensic work relating to this continues, as do other lines of enquiry. We’re carrying out house-to-house, CCTV and other enquiries as a matter of urgency, but of course the methodical nature of such work can mean it takes time.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.

“So today, I want to take the opportunity to ask people to please consider whether you have any neighbours, family members or friends who live in the area, someone you may not have seen or heard from for a few weeks.

“Missing people reports in Merseyside and elsewhere have been checked but, so far, these have not resulted in an identification. Sometimes people go missing without those close to them realising, through holidays being planned, or simple misunderstandings, and so we may not have received a report of any concerns.

“Although we do not know the woman’s exact age, we think she was in her 70s. She is white, around 5ft 2in tall, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair. She was found wearing a pink Nike t-shirt.

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“While we do not want to worry people unnecessarily, it is vital that we follow every possible lead, both to rule people out, and ultimately to identify the woman, notify her next of kin and apprehend the offender. We have had calls in the past few days with information, and I am really grateful to those who have been in touch.

“As this work continues, be assured that we are doing all we can to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice. This is a shocking crime.

“If you live in the area of Stanley Park in Anfield and have seen or heard anything suspicious in recent weeks, regardless of whether you have reported it or not, or whether you dismissed it as something trivial at the time, please come forward.

“Although we are carrying out comprehensive enquiries, any piece of CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage may be absolutely vital in solving this crime. Please don’t assume that we already hold this information as our team will make an assessment and take the appropriate action.”

ACC Ryan added: “If anyone recognises the description of this woman or you have any concerns whatsoever about someone you may know and haven’t seen or heard from recently, please tell us as a matter of urgency.”

Anyone with information can contact police through www.merseyside.police.uk or ring 101, using reference number 26000706383. People can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, which is independent of the police.

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER

Published: 16:52 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 18:09 BST, 31 August 2026

Dozens of thrillseekers were trapped on a rollercoaster 50ft in the air for around three hours.

Firefighters rescued 27 people left stranded on the Wipeout rollercoaster at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk, after the ride broke down.

The incident happened just before 1.30pm today.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the people have been stuck for several hours and crews from three stations attended the scene.

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Pictures posted by the fire service show the riders sitting upright in their seats.   

A spokesman said: ‘The carriages, which came to a stop on the track, are approximately 15 metres in the air, but not upside down.

‘Crews will be using advanced rescue at height equipment to bring down the ride passengers.’

The stranded passengers were rescued at 4.05pm. 

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Nearly 30 riders have been left trapped on the Wipeout rollercoaster at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk

The incident happened just before 1.30pm on Monday and has seen the thrillseekers left stranded nearly 50ft in the air

A spokesman said on Monday afternoon: ‘Firefighters have now rescued all 27 passengers and brought them safely to the ground using our aerial ladder and a scissor lift. No one was injured.’ 

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The surfing-themed ride opened at Pleasurewood Hills in 2007 billed as ‘the tallest, fastest and most extreme ride in East Anglia’.

It is the only Vekoma Boomerang in the country – a type of rollercoaster that shoots down a lift hill before hurtling through a cobra roll and a vertical loop.

Pleasurewood Hills has been contacted for comment.

In 2017, firefighters had to cut an injured man free from the rollercoaster when the ride broke down. 

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It had stopped working after heavy rainfall, leaving dozens trapped at its highest point before it was due to descend.

The man was rescued using a cherrypicker. 

A spokesman for the theme park told the BBC at the time it was ‘a minor incident that was dealt with by [our] team’. 

The ride underwent a £1million transformation in 2024/25, which included a new train with waist restraint lap bars for improved comfort and safety.

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Pleasurewood Hills describes Wipeout on its website as the ‘ultimate adrenaline rush’. 

‘Wipeout delivers an unforgettable ride experience, sending guests speeding forwards through twists, turns, a loop, and two cobra rolls, before stopping and reversing along the same track for the ultimate backwards thrill,’ it reads. 

‘With six inversions in total, this high-octane coaster keeps hearts racing and adrenaline pumping from start to finish.’

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Olivia Bromley recently opened up about her departure from Emmerdale after playing Dawn Fletcher for eight years.

Her departure had been rumoured earlier this year as the soap made a range of major cuts within the cast.

Dawn died in hospital on the show after being involved in a huge car crash on her wedding day that also killed Jimmy King, who had been played by Nick Miles for 22 years.

Olivia Bromley says Emmerdale exit was “scary”

Olivia has spoken about how she would have been “too scared” to decide to close the door entirely on her character, so was pleased the writers had given her an “amazing” story for her exit.

The actress told Digital Spy: “I was excited about the storyline and ready for my own new chapter.

“But I was surprised about how emotional it was to film, even after I’d known this was coming for a long time!

“It was the physicality of it as an actor and saying goodbye to this character that I’ve lived with for eight years.

“I didn’t think it would be a problem, but suddenly I was very emotional about it!”

She went on to say she is interested in doing other things in her career.

She continued: “I wanted to go and do other things – I think most actors want to at some point when they’ve been playing a character for so long.

“But it was the producers’ choice to do the storyline of Dawn’s death, so as an actor, you just have to play with it.

“The story was great and I thought: ‘Okay, this is probably a good thing because it’s a big, massive exit’.

“It’s not like: ‘Oh, go away for a bit and maybe come back’.

“It was very final, which for an actor is scary.

“But for me on a personal level, I think it was absolutely perfect.

“I think I would have been too scared to close the door entirely.

“So to be given this amazing story for Dawn’s exit was really exciting to me.”

Olivia said she would like to “play lots of different” characters now she has left the Dales with a particular interest in acting in a period drama, as “that’s so different” to her role in Emmerdale.

What did you think of Olivia Bromley’s exit from Emmerdale? Let us know in the comments.

Here is an updated statement from GMP Bury as they confirm there is ‘no risk to the public’.

“This evening, a small cordon was put in place after what was believed to be a historic unexploded ordnance device was discovered in the basement of a property on Clifton Road, Prestwich, earlier today (Monday 31 August 2026).

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists attended the scene to assess the item and subsequently determined that it was not ordnance and posed no risk to the public.

“The roads have now reopened, and we would like to thank residents for their understanding and patience while officers worked to ensure the area was safe.”

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Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football following Argentina’s defeat in the World Cup final to Spain last month.

The 39-year-old revealed on Monday afternoon that he made the decision to retire two days after the 1-0 defeat in the final on July 19, citing it was ‘the right’ time’.

Messi then added in a note at the bottom of a statement that the death of his father Jorge at the start of the month made him ‘even more convinced than before’ about his decision.

His statement on Instagram read: ‘After all this time that has passed since the final, and after much thought, I want to announce to everyone that I am retiring from the National Team…

‘It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts, to my core, but I understand that it’s the right time. I swear that I always gave my all, not just in the last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you proud to be Argentinian through football.’

Messi made his debut for Argentina in 2005 as an 18-year-old, going on to earn over 200 caps for his country, and captained the nation to their third World Cup triumph in 2022.

Messi played 207 times for Argentina and guided them to a World Cup triumph in 2022

Messi started his career on the international stage in 2005 when he was just 18 years old

The attacker netted 125 goals in the famous blue and white, eight of which came during the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, while he also won two Copa America titles.

But after 21 years of playing international football, Messi stated ‘I have nothing more to give’ and that he believes there are plenty of ‘great young players’ ready in line to replace him.

He continued: ‘Thank you for all the love and support over these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I’m going to be just one of you, cheering and supporting you from the sidelines (in good times and bad, even more so).

‘Thank you to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to each and every one of the coaches, teammates, and managers I had the privilege of working with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.

‘I leave with the peace and pride of having given you, along with my teammates, dreamlike moments. It was incredible to have experienced it with you all. I love you!

‘Thank you, God, for making me Argentinian. Go Argentina!’

The footballing world has paid tribute to Messi, whom many consider the greatest footballer of his generation – if not every – with many of the Argentina squad writing messages of thanks on social media.

Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul, considered one of Messi’s closest team-mates, wrote a heartfelt message for the legendary attacker on his Instagram story.

Messi also guided Argentina to two Copa America triumphs during his time as captain

It read: ‘Your unconditional love for our country, your internal battles to never give up, your strength to always endure injustice, your leadership and human qualities with every player who entered the training grounds to make them feel welcome, the thoughtful gestures towards every member of our national team staff…

‘Simply thank you, the greatest of all time, thank you for making us so incredibly happy, you can’t imagine how many smiles you brought to our faces. You are eternal.

Angel Di Maria, Cristian Romero and many others also relayed their love for their captain on social media.

Another team-mate of Messi’s, Leandro Paredes, who is currently serving a 10-match ban from international football for his antics following the World Cup final, dubbed the former Barcelona star ‘the greatest of all’ in his tribute.

‘Thank you for absolutely everything,’ he wrote. ‘You are and always will be the greatest of all. We love you, captain.’

Messi has previously hinted that he was considering retirement from football following the devastating death of his father, Jorge, who was an integral figure in the career of his legendary son.

Jorge passed away on August 7 following a battle with illness that overshadowed the Argentina captain’s mesmerising World Cup campaign in the United States.

Lionel, who broke down in tears following Argentina’s group-stage win over Algeria while Jorge’s health was deteriorating, shared a heartbreaking letter to his father on Instagram at the time – in which he cast doubt on his playing future.

‘Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in yet, or rather, I don’t want to accept it. It’s very difficult for me to imagine never seeing you again, never talking to you again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much to enjoy together.

‘I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on. I only played football and now I have serious doubts that I’ll continue doing that for much longer. You were by my side from the beginning, it was so close to the end. Why couldn’t you hold on that little bit longer and we could have finished together?’

Messi revealed that his father was the driving force behind his decision to play at this summer’s World Cup, but he will not attempt to play at a record seventh in four years at the age of 43.

The death of Messi’s father saw an outpouring of emotional tributes from the football world, including from Messi’s first team Newell’s Old Boys, as well as Barcelona and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, whose own father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, passed away in 2005, passed on ‘much strength’ to Messi in these ‘tough times’.

Messi steps away from international football as one of the most successful ever to play the sport. In his two decades playing for Argentina, he won five titles with the national team, including the magical World Cup triumph in Qatar.

The forward netted seven of his 21 goals in the tournament en route to Argentina lifting the trophy, including a brace against France in the final at the Lusail Stadium.

It is believed that Messi will continue to play at club level for Inter Miami in the MLS, with his contract set to expire in 2028.

The forward once again showed that he is still a class apart despite everything he has gone through this past month, netting four goals in Miami’s 7-1 thumping of CF Montreal in the league.

Messi’s historic career at club level dates back to 2000, when he moved to Spain to join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy from his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, in Argentina.

He became the greatest of all time in an incredible 21 years in Barcelona, before stunning the world with a move to Paris Saint-Germain – orchestrated by Jorge – in 2021.

He moved to Inter Miami in 2023, where it seems he will stay for a further two years as he enters his 40s.