Security experts are defending last month’s controversial Air Force One decoy flight — while also noting that it’s just the latest ruse to protect an American president from harm.

An Iranian assassination threat led President Donald Trump to be sneaked off Air Force One in a catering container and flown to the U.K. in a military jet following the recent Nato summit in Turkey, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Journalists and some White House staffers made the July 8 trip on the presidential plane without knowing Trump was no longer aboard, according to the Post.

Former Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald told The Independent that the “threat level” against Trump was “very high, and has been high for a while.”

“It’s been a very long two years of both domestic — and now international — potential assassination attempts,” McDonald said Tuesday. “You’ve got to be creative. You’ve got to be nimble. You’ve got to make things happen.”

McDonald, now an assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology at New Haven University, said the Secret Service has a long history of using “dummy motorcades” and other techniques to conceal the movements of American presidents.

Former Secret Service agent Bill Gage, who led the agency’s elite Counter Assault Team, also told The Independent that the details of presidential travel can be kept so hush-hush that he once got chewed out by a supervisor for leaving CAT members at the White House after President Barack Obama secretly left on a 2009 trip to Iraq.

“I had to ask him, what are you even talking about? And he’s like, didn’t you see the news? Obama wasn’t even here,” Gage recalled. “And I had to convince him that I didn’t know.”

Gage, now director of executive protection at the SafeHaven Security Group, also said he stood guard at President George W. Bush’s Texas ranch in 2003 without knowing that Bush had been whisked off under cover of darkness to celebrate Thanksgiving with U.S. troops in Iraq.

“The amount of people that know in the Secret Service when they do these fake-outs is so limited,” he said. ”You’re probably talking the president, maybe one or two of his closest advisers and probably the director of the Secret Service and the SAC [special agent in charge] of the detail.”

The journalists who boarded Air Force One in Ankara, Turkey, were instructed to lower the plane’s window shades, with Trump later telling them, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight.”

The former Secret Service agents differed on the likely reason why the shades were ordered pulled down.

“You want to hide the ability for anyone to see that there’s a plane going overhead,” McDonald said. “The Iranians, from the reports, don’t have much radar, don’t have much of an air force. So, allowing light to come out of the plane makes it — potentially makes it visible, and makes it a target.”

Gage, however, called the move “kind of a silly precaution” to prevent anyone from looking out and wondering why a loading truck was pulling up alongside the plane.

“I don’t want to speculate because I’m not an air safety specialist, but I would say it was just so that they couldn’t see anything that was going on,” he said.

Whatever the motive, McDonald said he was confident there were “other assets that were up in the air” to protect Air Force One. He called moving Trump onto the military jet “just an added layer of a security apparatus that’s put into place.”

“There’s no way in the world there was no care and concern for those other people on that plane,” he said.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton used a similar maneuver to travel to Pakistan, where he arrived in an unmarked Grumman Gulfstream C-20 executive jet about 10 minutes after a similar plane labeled “USA” and painted red, white and blue had landed and departed, UPI reported at the time.

Trump traveled to Turkey on a newer model Air Force One that’s a retrofitted Boeing 747-8 gifted to him by Qatar, and he was initially advised to leave on an older one because the new plane lacked advanced anti-missile capabilities, The New York Times reported last month.

At the time, Trump claimed he was going to fly on the older plane “for old time’s sake,” and so U.S. troops in the U.K. and their families could tour the new Air Force One and check out its $400 million in upgrades.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called Monday for a congressional briefing on the matter.

“I want to know what precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One, which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe,” he told CNN.

Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod also told CNN that it’s “kind of stunning” that Air Force One passengers “were sort of a decoy there and were not told that the president wasn’t on board, and that the deception was continued even after he safely returned to Washington.”

Ned Price, a former Department of State spokesperson during the Biden administration, said on social media that “subterfuge is sometimes a necessary safeguard” to protect a president.

“But misleading reporters in the moment and, worse yet, continuing to lie to the American people weeks later is never acceptable. As far as I know, it’s unique to this White House,” he wrote.

Other Trump critics were even more outspoken, with podcaster Tommy Vietor saying the incident “makes Trump look like both a liar and a scared little bitch.”

“The mental image of Trump hiding from Iran in a catering cart is devastating. A weak, stupid old man hiding from the consequences of his own decision while endangering others,” the former Obama National Security Council staffer said on X.

Huffington Post White House correspondent S.V. Dáte also said those aboard Air Force One were “considered expendable,” adding, “Donald Trump was ready to let you die while he secretly made his escape.”

The White House didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry from The Independent.

At first glance, Gabrielle’s Ice Cream on the Redcar promenade looks like a traditional seaside parlour.

But while customers still flock there for the classic Redcar lemon tops and strawberry tops, the business has grown into much more than a place to grab an ice cream on a sunny day.

Located on Redcar seafront, Gabrielle’s offers a wide range of food, drinks and family entertainment all under one roof – making it a destination in its own right for visitors of all ages.

Pistachio and matcha sundaes on offer at Gabrielle’s. (Image: Gabrielle’s Ice Cream)

Sweet treats remain at the heart of the business, with ice cream flavours including chocolate fudge brownie and Mars Bar gelato proving popular with customers.

The parlour has also embraced food trends, serving Dubai chocolate sundaes inspired by the viral craze which has swept social media over the past year.

Matcha-flavoured drinks and sundaes have become another customer favourite, joining a menu packed with indulgent desserts.

Dubai sundae. (Image: Gabrielle’s Ice Cream)

Visitors can also enjoy chocolate-covered strawberries, available in milk or white chocolate, alongside cakes and sweet treats in flavours including forest fruits and Bakewell tart.

For those with dietary requirements, there is also a range of vegan and dairy-free ice cream to choose from.

But not everyone who visits only comes for the ice cream.

Gabrielle’s also plates up smash burgers, fries, chicken tenders and milkshakes, giving families plenty of choice whether they are looking for lunch, an afternoon treat or something to enjoy after a walk along the seafront.

One of the venue’s more unique features is Planet Kidz -a giant indoor soft play area designed to keep children entertained while parents relax.

The venue has a dedicated ‘Tiny Town’ toddler area, a sensory zone, a giant drop slide, a huge spider-web climbing frame and interactive dance floor games.

Combining food, drinks, desserts and soft play in one venue, Gabrielle’s has become a popular choice for families whatever the weather.

The parlours famous smash burger is just one savoury option visitors can enjoy before choosing a sweet treat. (Image: Gabrielle’s Ice Cream)

Seasonal specials also keep customers coming back throughout the seasons, with limited-edition creations such as Cadbury Easter Egg sundaes popping up throughout the year.

Away from the parlour itself, the business is also known for supporting the local community, regularly taking ice creams to lifeguards on Redcar beach as a thank-you for helping to keep beachgoers safe.

Whether it’s a traditional lemon top by the sea, a viral Dubai chocolate sundae, a smash burger or an afternoon in soft play, Gabrielle’s has built its reputation on offering something for everyone.

Former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings has died at 46.

Knowings was hospitalized after an asthma attack that reportedly left her with brain damage. She was placed on life support and died Tuesday, as TMZ first reported.

She joined All That in late 1997 along with Leon Frierson and Danny Tamberelli. They starred in a cast that included Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Nickelodeon breakout star Amanda Bynes.

Knowings’ standout characters during her time on the sketch comedy show included news anchor Brenda Stone whose lucky pen had been stolen and Jessica the valley girl whose catchphrase was “whateverrr.”

Her other Nickelodeon appearances included the Rosie O’Donnell sketch comedy pilot And Now This! and the game show Figure It Out.

Knowings also appeared in three episodes of Sesame Street alongside her brother Chris Knowings, singing a duet about what it’s like to be a twin.

As a singer, she released her song “To the World” in 2020, calling it a “hauntingly gritty folk single” in a post shared on X.

In 2022, Knowings voiced her support for Bynes amid her fight to end her conservatorship.

“Awesome! I was able to push my schedule around, and I WILL be joining my fellow @AllThatOfficial cast member @leeboytv tomorrow! We will be there in support of our All That fam, @amandabynes as she takes this head on,” she wrote in a post on X.

Just weeks before her death, Knowings shared on Instagram that she was to be honored by Black Beat Magazine.

“Honored to be featured as a Special Guest during the Black Beat Magazine Relaunch & BET Weekend Celebration. Looking forward to celebrating culture, music, and entertainment. See you June 28!” she wrote in the caption.

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That post is now filled with condolences from fans.

“You made lasting memories for many of our childhoods. Appreciate the laughs when I was young. God bless your family,” one fan commented while another wrote, “R.I.P. Thank you for being apart of my childhood!!”

California has been struck by a series of rapid earthquakes erupting right along what experts call ‘America’s most dangerous’ fault line.

The first earthquake struck right in the heart of California’s Bay Area at 11.30am ET (8.30am local).

The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured it as a magnitude 4.1 earthquake just 14 miles from San Francisco. That measurement was quickly downgraded to a magnitude 3.8 tremor.

That quake was followed by three more tremors less than an hour later, striking in rapid succession between 12.07 and 12.38pm ET.

Those aftershocks were measured at magnitude 3.0, 2.8 and 1.7, respectively.

The San Francisco-Bay Area is home to nearly eight million people. Thousands of people reported feeling the initial earthquake, with some reports coming in from as far away as Sacramento, roughly 75 miles east of San Francisco.

The earthquake swarm took place right along one of California’s most concerning seismic regions – the Hayward Fault.

The Hayward is a 74-mile-long fault line that is part of the massive San Andreas fault system. Like the more famous San Andreas, the Hayward is capable of producing a devastating earthquake stronger than 7.0 in magnitude and is considered extremely overdue for a major seismic event.

USGS scientists have previously warned that an earthquake stronger than magnitude 6.7 has a 95 percent chance of striking near the Bay Area (Pictured) by 2043 

Thursday’s earthquakes produced relatively light shaking throughout the Bay Area, according to USGS.

However, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train service in the area was stopped during the event and is now running with delays of up to 20 minutes throughout the rail system. No injuries have been reported.

The last time a major earthquake erupted along the Hayward was 158 years ago in 1868, but scientists have calculated that this fault typically ruptures every 95 to 183 years.

A team from California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said in a statement: ‘The fault is overdue for an earthquake that could cause extensive damage to such a dense population zone.’

An analysis by the University of California, Berkeley determined the Hayward fault has a 33 percent chance of rupturing and producing a major magnitude 6.7 earthquake or greater by 2043.

Researchers at USGS have previously warned that there was a 72 percent chance of such a disaster striking the Bay Area in the next two decades, along the Hayward or another major fault in the area.

In recent days, however, geophysicist Stefan Burns has predicted that a major seismic event that devastates parts of California may be only months away.

Burns said during a YouTube livestream that the US West Coast was now firmly ‘in the crosshairs’ after multiple magnitude 7.0 earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia this summer.

The first, a magnitude 3.8 quake, was reported by thousands of residents from Sacramento to San Francisco

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The scientist explained that energy released during the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia’s San Jose Del Palmar earthquake on August 10 would not stay local.

Those seismic waves and stress changes travel through the Earth and can ‘load’ geological faults thousands of miles away with more pressure that will eventually cause more earthquakes.

Burns warned that the next six to 12 months would be a critical time, especially in California, as many mega earthquakes throughout recent history have occurred within months of each other.

‘It’s that six [month] to one year time frame that we’re worried about and if we get kind of past that then maybe we can start to breathe a bit of a sigh of relief,’ Burns said on Monday.

‘But because we’ve been seeing so much activity in Northern California, it’s hard to rule out Northern California. So really all of California is problematic right now.’

According to ABC7, Thursday’s initial quake struck right under the Oakland Zoo, which sent chimps and parrots in a frenzy.

The zoo’s CEO, Nik Dehejia, said animals often feel low-frequency vibrations, such as minor earthquakes, even when humans do not.

This causes them to ‘vocalize,’ meaning the animals send out warnings of potential danger through sound.

Military experts have told the Daily Mail that there was a real risk of assassination for Donald Trump following Israeli intel that the Islamic Republic had planned to kill the US president in Turkey last month.

New details have emerged about how Trump was smuggled off Air Force One and into an inconspicuous catering truck in a covert plane-swap on July 8, after fears emerged about an imminent assassination attempt.

The extraordinary operation, following the Nato summit in Ankara, was in response to an Israeli tip-off about an Iranian plot to kill him.

Now, it has been revealed that the CIA were sceptical about the reports of threats against Trump’s life, dubbing the intel ‘Israeli-derived, not US-generated, and viewed as low confidence’.

Nevertheless, the elaborate plan enacted by the Secret Service in Ankara was done out of an abundance of caution.

While US intelligence officials questioned the credibility of the threat, military experts have since said that there is a credible chance that the Iranians might stage an assassination attempt against the US president.

‘The Islamic Republic has been working on plans reaching varying levels of development to assassinate Trump since 2018 in Trump’s first presidency. So this establishes that it is indeed possible,’ said Jonathan Hackett, a retired US Marine Corps interrogator, counterintelligence agent and special operations capabilities specialist.

‘Now the question is really: is it probable? The gap between possible and probable can be quite wide, but perhaps not as wide in this case as others. A successful operation would require a permissive environment and perhaps collaboration from the inside.’

In a clandestine manoeuvre, Trump was smuggled off Air Force One and into an inconspicuous catering truck in a covert plane-swap on July 8, following the NATO summit in Ankara 

Despite the CIA being sceptical about the reports of threats against Trump’s life, the Secret Service made a decisive decision.

‘The Secret Service has had three near misses with this president, so they’re not taking any chances,’ an official told the Washington Post. 

‘They did what they had to do.’ 

The New York Times reported that US officials were also alarmed to discover that Iranians knew where ​Trump was staying in Ankara, including the exact floor of his hotel. 

Trump was bundled off the presidential jumbo jet – which he had been filmed boarding moments earlier – and shoved into the tight metal confines of the waiting food cart just before takeoff.

The mission was carried out unbeknownst to journalists and even some White House staffers who believed they were still on the same plane as the president. 

Instead, he was secretly flown out of Turkey on a separate military jet following news of the Iranian threat to fire a missile at Air Force One.

Inside that cramped catering truck also sat Trump’s most trusted inner circle: executive assistant Natalie Harp, described by a source as the president’s ‘connective tissue’, and director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta.

Another report has indicated that White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino rounded out a three-person team who accompanied Trump on the covert escape.

All within 60 seconds, the group had entered the food and beverages container at the side of Air Force One and were lowered back on to the tarmac. 

They then sped across to a waiting C-32A military jet and were hoisted inside.

Left behind on Air Force One were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, top adviser Stephen Miller, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Ambassador Monica Crowley, who took off on a three-hour and 45-minute flight to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. 

According to Hackett, besides Iraq, Turkey is arguably the most permissive environment for high-level Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Qods Force activity. 

‘This has only become more so now that Hakan Fidan, the former director of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation, is now foreign minister,’ he said.

‘Fidan has had a close relationship with the IRGC since the early 1990s. Now that relationship can operate in the open, since he is foreign minister, instead of in the shadows when he was formerly in the intelligence community. 

‘So the environment is permissive and there are people at high levels in Turkish government who would at the very least be sympathetic to such an operation.’ 

Ex-Army intelligence officer Philip Ingram told the Daily Mail that an ‘assassination attempt is distinctly possible’.

‘Hence even if the specific intelligence is not assessed as credible – the overall threat is there.’

In the event of an assassination attempt, he said the ‘implications would be unthinkable’.

‘Any response would be diplomatic – maybe sanctions and likely a large conventional military response,’ he said.

‘Nuclear will always be off the table, unless we are in a MAD [Mutually Assured Destruction] scenario.’

Tehran has not officially commented on the allegations of an Iranian plot to kill the US president, or on the airplane switch.

But Iran’s state media has mocked Trump after new details emerged about his secret aircraft switch, saying it showed just how nervous he is about the Islamic Republic’s power.

‘Again, Trump, with his new scandal, has become the top subject in the US ‌media these days. A scandal stemming from fear of Iran’s military power, a power that caused Trump, last month, while returning from Turkey, to secretly switch his plane,’ said a presenter on state television, adding that the episode has become a source of ‘humiliation’ for Trump. 

Billboards and murals around Tehran take aim at the US president and Israel, showing images from Trump lying in a coffin to drowning in the sea. 

Meanwhile, the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last month pledged vengeance for the death of his father and predecessor, who was killed on the first day of the war. 

Iran’s embassy in South Africa said in a post ⁠on X that Trump ‘will be hidden in a trash can before long’. 

It was accompanied by a meme picture of Trump inside a catering box full of food.

That X account often goes viral for the social media memes it shares, which Iranian state media have reported. It is listed on the official website page of the embassy.

‘As the president has said, he has faced numerous threats on his life, including ones from Iran, and every measure is taken to ensure his safety,’ a US official said in a statement to The Post.

The official, like the other sources cited in the outlet’s report, spoke on condition of anonymity.

‘The United States Secret Service’s core mission is protecting the president, which they achieved,’ the source added. 

But some US officials believe this was not an isolated incident.

They pointed to what they described as Israel sharing the warning not only to protect Trump, but also to influence his political decisions. 

Officials suggested that such efforts could ultimately shape how the US approaches Iran, Turkey and other countries across the Middle East.

While Israel sees Iran as its most immediate threat, it also considers Turkey a medium- to long-term danger and is increasingly uneasy about the growing closeness between Washington and Ankara, according to the current official. 

That relationship has been strengthened by Mr Trump’s personal rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

The former official told The Post that the warning ‘fit a broader pattern’ of Israeli intelligence reporting that some US officials believe is designed as much to shape presidential decision-making as to inform it. 

Despite being briefed on the Israeli threat intelligence and the Secret Service’s elaborate deception plan, Rubio still boarded the legacy Air Force One, which the source said presumably would have been an Iranian target.

Another US official familiar with security talks questioned how serious the threat really was, pointing to the tens of thousands of Turkish security personnel deployed for last month’s Nato summit.

Democrats have meanwhile pressed the administration to provide more details about the extraordinary deception operation. 

‘I am very curious about the extent to which the Israeli-provided intelligence was not only credible but independently verifiable,’ Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) told The Post. 

‘I have no doubt that Iran would like to see the president gone, but this all seems a little fantastical,’ he added.

Iran’s embassy in South Africa said in ‌a post ⁠on X that Trump ‘will be hidden in a trash can before long’

An Iranian woman walks next to an anti-US billboard at the Enghelab square in central Tehran, Iran, August 13

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In 2024, the US Justice Department charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran’s IRGC to assassinate Trump, ​then US president-elect. 

Tehran denied those accusations in September ⁠2024. 

‘Iranian hardliners, who have been talking about taking revenge for the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader on February 28, as well as some other senior political and military officials in Iran are basking in the fact that the United States was so ​afraid and concerned about President Trump’s safety and security,’ said Ali Vaez, deputy programme director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International ⁠Crisis Group.

Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source, who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal.

During a podcast on Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, commentator Alireza Majidi recounted a 2018 visit by ⁠Trump to ​the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq, a country where Iran enjoys support from armed groups. 

Trump himself described the extraordinary security measures he had to go through on that trip. 

‘If you had seen what we had to go through with the darkened plane, with all windows closed, with no lights on whatsoever anywhere. Pitch ​black. I have never seen anything like it,’ CNN quoted Trump as speaking to reporters at the base in Iraq.

A Cambridgeshire canoe racer is competing for her late father and grandfather as she tries to make her family proud on the global stage this month.

Lindsay Thorpe, 33, from Chatteris, will compete for Great Britain at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships later this month. She will take to the water in Poznan in competition, from 26-30 August, and the event will be another marker before the LA 2028 Paralympics.

Thorpe revealed that she lost her grandfather Cecil Cutting, and her father Mark Cutting in the space of six weeks. Her father lost his battle with cancer aged 62 on the day of her selection race for the World Championships.

“My dad was my biggest cheerleader, so I’m still finding my feet when it comes to pre-race pep talks. It’s given me extra motivation to go in his honour,” Thorpe said. “It’s my story, they are part of my story. It’s always going to be connected. There’s the side that wants to give it a mile, but we are all humans. We all have personal lives and our reasons why. As time passes, it might not be as strong, but this year I will pride myself in doing well for them.”

She is part of a team which includes reigning Paris champions Emma Wiggs and Charlotte Henshaw, as well as 2024 silver medallists Hope Gordon and Jack Eyers. Perhaps with a new take on life after suffering personal loss, Thorpe wanted to make the most of another opportunity to wear the flag on her vest and represent not only her country but her family.

She said: “My goal is to make the A final, in the top nine athletes. The atmosphere is going to be big and exciting. The fact I’ve got the opportunity to go out there and give it my all is a blessing. I’m lucky that I have some of the fastest on the globe as my national competition.

“I’ve been in the sport 10 years now, and every time that the announcement comes out, I get goosebumps. You don’t know what’s going to happen next with sport.”

Paddle UK is the national governing body for canoeing, kayaking and all other paddle sports. For more information, visit https://paddleuk.org.uk/

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is seeking to postpone a trial in a lawsuit filed by a former security guard at his Donda Academy, asking a judge to move the start from this fall to next spring over claims the plaintiff has stalled on giving a deposition.

Benjamin Deshon Provo filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the rapper in April 2024.

Provo alleges that Ye, now 49, reprimanded him over his dreadlocks, worn in observance of his Muslim faith. Provo worked at Donda Academy and for Yeezy, Ye’s apparel company.

“Kanye and members of his management team subjected Provo and other Black employees to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts,” according to the suit, which further alleges that Ye often screamed at the plaintiff.

The lawsuit alleges that Provo was ultimately fired for failing to follow Ye’s hair edict.

On Wednesday, Ye’s lawyers filed court papers asking Judge Brock T. Hammond to reset the scheduled start of trial from Oct. 12 to May 17, 2027, or to another date convenient to the court and available to Provo.

“Despite months of repeated requests from defendants, plaintiff Benjamin Deshon Provo has refused to sit for deposition and his counsel had refused to offer any dates for his deposition…,” Ye’s attorneys contend in their court papers.

Provo’s deposition testimony is “essential to the fair determination of this action,” Ye’s attorneys state in their court papers.

After producing several people for deposition and responding to hundreds of written discovery requests, Ye’s side sought Provo’s deposition and was repeatedly stymied, Ye’s attorneys further contend in their court papers.

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In his suit, Provo alleges that members of the rapper’s management team required Provo to choose between “critical aspects of his self-identity and financial stability.”

Last month, Ye appealed a jury’s $140,000 award to handyman Tony Saxon, who accused him of underpaying him for renovation work at his Malibu mansion.

Saxon’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed the pair had a 2021 agreement for $20,000 per week but that he received only one payment and an additional $100,000 for construction costs. Judge Brock Hammond upheld the March 11 verdict.

All Saints RC School was among the most successful schools for results this year in York.

Almost half of the Year 13 cohort achieved three A* to B grades, earning them spots at the most prestigious universities in the UK.

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Head teacher Sharon Keelan-Beardsley said: “We could not be prouder of our students.

“These results are a wonderful reflection of their hard work, determination and ambition, supported by the dedication of our staff and the strong partnership between school and families.”

Katie Wrenn achieved an A*, A*, A, and will go on to study Ecology and Wildlife at the University of Cumbria (Image: Newsquest)

Among the high achievers was head boy Charlie King, who was accepted to study law at the University of York after achieving an AAB in English Language, English Literature and Geography.

Charlie said he will be hoping to pursue family law after his job at a local primary school, where he works as a play worker.

He said: “I really want to help families after spending time at the school, and I want to specialise in family law.”

Climate activist and student Katie Wrenn said she would be attending the University of Cumbria to study Ecology and Wildlife.

The hard-working teen earned an A*, A* and A in Biology, Geography and RE, and will be taking a gap year, volunteering at a Methodist Church to help connect people with faith and nature.

Proud parents. Sid Burne will head to University of Liverpool to study politics and sociology (Image: Newsquest)

Sid Burne collected his results with his parents at school.

He sailed through A-levels in politics, business and PPT and was allocated his spot on the politics and sociology course at the University of Liverpool.

Another student Isaac Morris will take up a place at Princeton University, in the USA, following his gap year, after he represented Great Britain at Under-23 level in rowing – finishing eighth in the World Championships.

Head teacher Ms Keelan-Beardsley said: “A significant number of students achieved As or A* across the board and several achieved three or more A* in all their chosen subjects including Hope Fomekong Zome, Owen Fryer, Monty Parmiter, Oliwia Rosciszewska, Florence Slezak and Ava Thomas-Richards.

“A number of our young people have overcome challenges to achieve superb results, making their success all the more inspiring.

“Whilst academic achievement is important, we are equally proud of the confident, compassionate young people our students have become.

“The country needs a workforce that is flexible, resilient and innovative, and our young people possess these qualities in abundance.

“All Saints students leave us with far more than outstanding exam results; they take with them strong values, a commitment to making a positive difference and the ambition to succeed in whatever path they choose.

“We wish them every happiness and success for the future.”

At least 11 people have been injured after a train was derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in Sussex, with police declaring a “major incident”.

Two people were seriously injured while nine others sustained wounds after three carriages derailed onto their side at 3.54pm on Thursday, leaving a number of people trapped. They have now been safely evacuated, British Transport Police has said.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by the incident which involved a Southern Railway train travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith said: “We’ve declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response is ongoing at the scene” as police, ambulance, fire services and engineers remain on scene.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has also deployed a team to establish what happened.

James MacCleary, the MP for Lewes, wrote in a Facebook post: “I am aware of very concerning reports of a train crash in the Lewes area this afternoon.

“This is clearly a very serious and developing incident, and my thoughts are with everyone affected.”

Have you witnessed the crash or have pictures from the scene? Email bryony.gooch.ind@independent.co.uk