Criminal Record has brought together a round-up of today’s biggest crime stories.

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Friday.

Man in court after grandad ‘beaten black and blue in home robbery’

A man has appeared in court after a grandad was allegedly beaten black and blue and robbed in his own home.

Gus Tierney told the Record he was viciously attacked by a robber who burst into his home in Renfrew, near Paisley, in the early hours of April 24.

The 68-year-old claimed he had £700 in cash stolen, and was repeatedly beaten to reveal his bank account pin number.

Police Scotland confirmed a 25-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Read more: Man in court after grandad ‘beaten black and blue in home robbery’

Teen texted ‘I may not survive tonight’ before fatal crash with drunk driver

A terrified teenager texted friends saying “I may not survive tonight” moments before she was killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Erin Slane, 19, sent the messages while travelling as a passenger in Kyle Patrick’s Ford Fiesta on September 1, 2024. Prosecutors said Patrick, 23, had been driving at speeds of up to 119mph on a secluded Perthshire road while heavily intoxicated.

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Advocate depute Graeme Jessop KC told the court Patrick had spent the night drinking in Perth city centre before offering lifts home to people. Investigators later found he was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit when police took a blood sample around two hours after the crash.

During the journey, Erin texted friends saying: “I may not survive tonight. I’m scared. Kyle is steaming.” Minutes later, Patrick lost control of the car on the B9099 near Stanley. The vehicle crossed the opposite carriageway, smashed through fencing and rolled several times down an embankment before coming to rest upside down in a field.

Patrick survived the crash and another passenger, 19-year-old Keira Jones, escaped with injuries. Erin, however, died at the scene. The court heard Patrick had also accepted £10 from another teenager for a lift earlier that night.

Read more: “I may not survive tonight” Terrified woman text pals moments before dying in crash

Four suspected voter fraud cases reported in Glasgow during Holyrood election

Election officials have reported four suspected cases of personation during voting in Glasgow constituencies in the Scottish Parliament election.

Three alleged incidents were recorded in Glasgow Southside, with a further case reported in Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn. Personation is when someone attempts to vote while pretending to be another registered voter.

Officials confirmed the ballots involved would still be included in the count, but the cases will be reviewed and referred to police for investigation.

Vote counting across Scotland is due to begin at 9am on Friday after polls closed at 10pm on Thursday. The first constituency results are expected around midday, with further declarations continuing throughout the day and evening.

Read more: Four suspected voter fraud cases found in Glasgow

Farmer finds stabbed body of missing father-of-two in murder that remains unsolved

A farmer made a grim discovery early one morning after spotting a man’s body hidden beneath a hedge while collecting hay bales near Langbank in Renfrewshire.

Police found the victim had been stabbed multiple times and had his throat cut, with evidence suggesting he had been killed elsewhere before being dumped in the field.

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The man was later identified as 34-year-old father-of-two Martin Toner from Glasgow’s south side. He had been reported missing by his wife two weeks earlier and was due to stand trial on cocaine smuggling charges at the time he disappeared.

Toner, who ran a bin-cleaning business, was last seen on June 29, 2004, in Langbank’s Main Street, having earlier visited a gym in Pollokshaws. At the time, police initially believed he may have gone on the run due to his pending court case, but his family always insisted he would not have abandoned his children.

Despite appeals and a £3,000 reward, investigators were met with silence, with officers suggesting Toner’s alleged links to criminality may have discouraged witnesses from coming forward. His mobile phone and distinctive sports bag were never recovered.

The case remained unsolved for years until 2014, when former police officer Douglas Fleming was charged with Toner’s murder.

Read more: Mysterious murder of man found stuffed under hedge with throat slashed in sleepy Scots village

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Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, the list goes on. They’re just some of the star names from Belgium’s golden generation that wrote their name into the Red Devils’ history, finishing third at the 2018 World Cup.

While the vast majority of that glittering squad have now hung up their boots, there are a few stars remaining, still looking for one last taste of glory. The likes of Lukaku and De Bruyne remain key players at Napoli, but there’s a perception that the last of the golden generation are past their best.

They’re out to prove the doubters wrong at this summer’s World Cup. Sure, Belgium aren’t quite the same team that beat England to finish third in Russia, getting the better of Gareth Southgate’s men for the bronze medal, but there’s still a romantic hope they can go far in the competition.

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It’s no secret the most recent major tournament was a disaster for the Belgians, with Domenico Tedesco’s side dumped out of the 2024 European Championships by France after edging through their group with Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia. Real Madrid’s Courtois had fallen out with the head coach and was left out of the squad for the tournament, while Lukaku admitted he wanted to quit the team, claiming there was a toxic environment in the group.

Tedesco was relieved of his duties after the tournament, and French head coach Rudi Garcia was tasked with reigniting their fortunes ahead of the World Cup. Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast has given an insight into the current state of affairs in Belgium and why Hazard could have a say on this summer’s tournament, despite retiring from football in 2023.

“Absolutely,” he said when asked if it was last chance saloon for the final few members of the ‘Golden Generation’ this summer. “That’s the spine of the side. Obviously, Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku, who have one more tournament in them and are going to have to, not only be fully fit, but perform at their best if Belgium are going to do well.

“What we’ve seen in their qualification for the World Cup has been, for the most part, unconvincing. And they’ve really been untested on the whole. They were in a qualification group where Wales were probably their stiffest competition by quite some distance and were always going to be.

“But that’s not enough really to kind of give us a gauge on where this side actually are at. Garcia is the second coach to have come in since [Roberto] Martinez left and it’s part of what is really a continuing transition. I mean, the work that Tedesco did didn’t generally go down that positively with the fan base, but I think he’s been kind of quite harshly treated.”

Belgium sneaked through their group at the recent European Championship and weren’t particularly convincing before they were knocked out by France. Tedesco was sacked after less than two years in the job, with Belgian fans wondering what would come next.

Coyne said: “I think history might remember that relatively short spell that Tedesco did positively because the one thing he did do was realise that they were essentially at the end of a major cycle. That this was going to have to be the beginning of something new, and that the process in itself is often long, longer than fans’ patience tends to be, and sometimes quite painful as well, with a lot of experimentation.

READ MORE: England Player Ratings: Morgan Rogers was not rested against Tottenham – and it is really showing

“That’s exactly what we saw under Tedesco, this kind of wave of youth and players getting their first caps, which I think was a good thing, and it was certainly something that had to happen. But at the same time, you’re still looking to get results, and I think he did.

“I think just patience ran out a little bit, and there was a feeling that they needed to kind of make a change, because I think the confidence and the speed of the process probably was waning a little bit, rather than what he was actually doing in itself. On the whole, there were far more positives, than negatives to take out of what he did during a short time.

“Garcia’s come in, his appointment’s interesting insofar as there’s been a lot of change at the Belgian FA in the background. So Roberto Martínez leaves, a lot of staff leave with him, and then the FA then go on effectively what is a downsizing programme under a new sporting director, where they’re cutting costs, basically.”

Despite Belgium being somewhat of an unknown quantity heading into this summer’s tournament they still boast an array of Premier League talent, including Manchester United’s No.1 Senne Lammens, Aston Villa midfield duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans and Manchester City’s electric winger Jeremy Doku, currently enjoying his best season for the club.

Although they don’t have the hype of the previous golden generation, they can also call on one of the country’s best-ever players – Eden Hazard – for vital tournament experience.

Coyne said: “Most of the side don’t come from the sort of background that a lot of the golden generation did. I think it’s very difficult for somebody to kind of fulfil that same role really on any level.

“I mean, it’s one of the reasons that Rudi Garcia has brought back in players like Axel Witsel, albeit on a short-term basis. And it’s more about having that experience and that presence in that camp to rub off on younger players than to be able to kind of go and play and contribute too much.

“I don’t think the expectation was that somebody like Axel’s going to get that much game time for obvious reasons, but just having him around.”

Thomas Tuchel has taken a similar approach in reintegrating Jordan Henderson into the Three Lions’ set-up, but England haven’t yet brought in one of their nation’s best-ever players to help the national side. While Belgium have given Hazard a call.

“It’s the same as being able to bring Eden Hazard into that kind of training environment as well and deliver some training sessions,” Coyne said. “He’s not officially part of Rudi’s coaching staff, but he has done some work in there because they know each other very, very well.

“There was an expectation that Hazard probably would join the staff. And who knows? I mean, there is still the possibility that he might join the staff to go to the tournament, just to be in there as well, because the influence of these players, it’s a very difficult thing to kind of put a value on in that.

“I think there are indications that some players who, given time, I think could step into what would be considered sort of a senior leadership role. They are still very, very reliant on De Bruyne and Lukaku as well.”

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De Bruyne boasts 115 caps for his country, while Lukaku has scored an incredible 89 goals in 124 caps. In the international break, 17-year-old Nathan De Cat made his first bow for the senior team – not only one to watch in the future, but someone the Red Devils believe can make an impact this summer.

Of those players called up for recent international friendlies, just seven players had over 30 caps, with De Bruyne, Witsel, Thomas Meunier, Timothy Castagne, Tielemans, Lois Openda and Doku among the most experienced players in the squad, though the latter two players only have 33 and 41 caps respectively.

Despite their reliance on the likes of De Bruyne and Lukaku, the Red Devils’ expectations are low ahead of the World Cup, but that’s where previous teams have thrived.

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“The thing they’ve built up historically, is they’ve always done better when they’ve had kind of no real expectation of them,” Coyne said. “And for a long time, up until probably the early 2000s, early mid-2000s, Belgium nationally had a reputation for being very good defensively and on the whole quite good in midfield.

“There was a good balance between the defensive side of the game and offensively in midfield. But it was always up top that the doubts were about, they always lacked world-class strikers.

“That was the thing that kind of held them back. The reason they did punch above their weight in a number of tournaments, pre the golden generation, was probably because the collective was greater than the sum of its parts.

“A series of coaches had really done very, very well, actually knitting together a really good team ethic. And that’s something people forget, that it is a team game.

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“Everyone focuses on the stars and the any nation and always talks about them at the expense of kind of the collective unit. Belgium were very, very good at employing that, over a 20, 30-year period leading up to the golden generation, exceeding expectations at tournaments for that very reason.

“They then have a terrible Euro 2000, and off the back of that start to invest in their footballing infrastructure in a major way. That’s what leads to a kind of revolution and their coaching methods and their academies, with some of the Belgian club academies now some of the best ones in Europe.”

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Kim McGuinness says the Prime Minister has a “very short window to turn this around” in the wake of a brutal set of local election results.

Sir Keir insisted on Friday that he was “not going to walk away”, despite Labour haemorrhaging support across the country and mounting speculation about his future in Downing Street.

In the North East, Labour has ceded control of Sunderland City Council to Reform and was on course to lose power in Newcastle, Gateshead, and South Tyneside.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Friday afternoon, Ms McGuinness said the Prime Minister “has got to get this turned around and get it turned around urgently”.

Asked if he should resign, she replied: “Not now, but I think he is on borrowed time. I think there is an opportunity now to demonstrate that the people of the country have been understood, but Keir needs to show he speaks the same language as the people of our region and he wants the same things. 

“I think he does, I think he hears that. But he is now on borrowed time as far as I am concerned. He has a very short window to turn this around and do it very very quickly.”

The mayor, who was elected to a four-year term in 2024, called this week’s local elections a “really sad day for a lot of good councillors” who were not largely responsible for their losses.

Ms McGuinness said: “This is a reaction to how people feel about national government and the state of the country at the moment. That is something that absolutely needs to be listened to urgently. It needed to be listened to before this and now it is absolutely imperative.”

She added: “It is very clear that people do not feel listened to or understood by government – and I get it. They voted for change and, while we have to be realistic about the fact that change takes time, it is not happening quick enough for people. And so part of this is about making sure the promises made to the public are delivered upon and part of it is about making sure it happens quicker.

“Then, finally, I think they [the government] are absolutely terrible at communicating what they are doing. That is definitely having a negative effect on how people feel and understandably so. The voters are never, ever wrong. Now is the time to listen and make sure people know that they are listening and understanding the scale of the challenge.”

Asked if she would support metro mayor Andy Burnham as a potential replacement for Sir Keir, she said that the Greater Manchester figurehead “would make a great prime minister, but he is not an MP and there is not a leadership contest”.

Former deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner and health secretary Wes Streeting have also been touted as potential contenders to move into Number 10.

Ms McGuinness also said she had seen “green shoots” from the government, like the Renters Rights Act and lifting the two-child benefit cap.

Speaking in London on Friday, Sir Keir said:  “The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved.

“I was elected to meet those challenges but I’m not going to walk away from those challenges.”

Channel 4 has confirmed that Secret Genius will return for an extended second series with hosts Alan Carr and Susie Dent, expanding to seven episodes

Popular Channel 4 programme Secret Genius is set to make a comeback with an extended second series.

Channel 4 has confirmed that the hit show will return for a lengthier second run, expanding to seven episodes. Presenters Alan Carr and Susie Dent will also reprise their roles as hosts, guiding viewers through a fresh collection of challenging puzzles and intelligence tests designed to uncover the remarkable abilities of ordinary people.

The debut series, which launched in February, attracted 2.1 million viewers for its opening episode, as contestants from varied backgrounds arrived at Genius HQ to tackle large-scale interactive challenges inspired by the IQ tests used by Mensa.

The forthcoming series, co-produced by Mothership and WPP Media Motion Entertainment, will feature even more games for audiences to participate in from the comfort of their own homes, alongside new and inventive ways to put both contestants and viewers through their paces.

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Expressing his delight about the new series, Alan said: “I’m absolutely thrilled Secret Genius is back and to be doing this alongside Susie again!” reports the Mirror.

“We met people last series with unbelievable brains who had no idea how brilliant they were and watching that penny drop was genuinely magical.

“This series feels really special – bigger, more playful, and giving everyone at home the chance to join in and maybe discover a bit of hidden genius themselves. I can’t wait to meet our next batch of undercover geniuses… and try to keep up!”

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Meanwhile, lexicographer Susie, who is also a well-known face on Channel 4’s Countdown, revealed that the first series was “life-changing” for some of the programme’s contestants.

She said: “I’m delighted that Alan and I will have a new chance to discover people who have as yet no idea just how special they are. The first series of Secret Genius proved genuinely life-changing for some of our participants, and it was a privilege to see their newfound confidence.

“I’m already excited at the prospect of witnessing some more incredible minds!”

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Madonna Benjamin, who works as a Senior Commissioning Editor, Documentaries and Factual Entertainment at Channel 4, said: “Secret Genius and the wonderful Alan and Susie struck a real chord with the audience by celebrating intelligence in all its forms and turning it into a joyful, shared experience.

“We’re delighted to be bringing it back with a bigger, bolder new series, helping even more people from across the country to unlock their hidden genius.”

Secret Genius series one is available to stream on Channel 4.

The Record brings you its 5pm round-up of the big election stories so far.

John Swinney declares SNP victory in Scottish election

John Swinney has declared victory for the SNP in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections after a disastrous day for Labour.

The Nationalists have secured an unprecedented fifth term at Holyrood despite party veteran Angus Robertson set to lose his seat in Edinburgh following an historic breakthrough by the Greens.

Anas Sarwar conceded his party had no chance of winning a first Scottish Parliament election since 2003 after just seven seats were declared on Friday afternoon.

Read the full story

Angus Robertson crashes out of Holyrood after Greens gain in Edinburgh

SNP veteran Angus Robertson is set to crash out of Holyrood after losing to the Greens in Edinburgh Central.

Lorna Slater triumphed in the Capital in a breakthrough moment for the environmental party. The Greens have relied on the list vote to elect MSPs at all previous Holyrood elections, with Slater becoming their first candidate to win a constituency seat.

The result is a crushing blow to Robertson on a day of SNP triumphs elsewhere in the country. His position on the party list means it is unlikely he will now return to the Scottish Parliament.

Read the full story

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar concedes Holyrood election

Anas Sarwar has conceded the Holyrood election to the SNP after a crushing defeat.

The Scottish Labour leader pointed the finger at the UK Government by blaming a “national wave” of anger.

Sarwar had based his campaign of toppling the SNP on prioritising 38 constituencies across the country.

Read the full story

Reports first emerged in the Spanish media on Wednesday that midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni had been involved in a heated verbal disagreement during training.

It was later confirmed by Valverde himself and the situation is understood to have escalated on Thursday at Real’s training base.

Sources have told BBC Sport the argument continued after training and culminated in Valverde being taken to hospital with a head injury following a dressing room altercation.

Valverde later denied reports the pair had physically fought, insisting the injury occurred after he “accidentally hit a table” during the confrontation.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday evening, the Uruguay midfielder said he suffered “a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital” and rejected suggestions either player had struck the other.

An emergency meeting was later called involving club president Florentino Perez, members of the coaching staff, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa and captain Dani Carvajal.

Real Madrid subsequently released two statements.

The first confirmed disciplinary proceedings had been opened against both players, adding that the club would provide updates “once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed”.

The second was a medical update confirming Valverde had suffered a concussion and would need to rest for between 10 and 14 days, ruling him out of Sunday’s El Clasico.

“Clearly, someone here is spreading rumours, and with a season without titles, where Real Madrid is always under scrutiny, everything gets blown out of proportion,” Valverde said.

On Friday, Real said the pair had “apologised to each other, the club and their team-mates” and been fined 500,000 euros (£432,037.50) each.

In most cases, neighbours will allow you access for works that need to be carried out, but they are within their rights to refuse access.

So, before you do anything, hear what the experts have to say about gaining entry to your neighbour’s property.

Can a neighbour refuse access for maintenance or repairs?

In short, yes, a neighbour can refuse you access onto their land/property for maintenance work or repairs.

In most cases, neighbours will be accommodating and allow you access for the works that need to be carried out, but if they don’t, here is what to do.

If your neighbour refuses access, your first course of action is to check the deeds to your house.

This will show if you already have a right of way allowing you access to your neighbour’s property, according to BLB Solicitors’ property disputes specialist Mike Hansom.

If not, you may have acquired a right of way over time. You will have achieved this if you are able to demonstrate that you have accessed the area without force, secrecy, or permission continuously and without any interruption for at least 20 years.

You may be able to acquire an access order from the courts allowing you entry onto your neighbour’s property. (Image: Getty Images)

Failing that, you can ask the court to grant you an access order to carry out ‘Basic Preservation Works‘ under the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992, Mr Hansom said.

To obtain this order, you must be able to prove the work being carried out meets one of the following criteria:

• Maintenance, renovation, or repair of a property (or parts of it) to preserve it
• Clearing or repair of any sewers, drains, cables, or pipes
• Removal or filling in of a ditch
• Felling of a tree, plant, or hedge (or parts of it) which has died, become diseased, or has become insecurely rooted and unstable, which is likely to pose a danger.

The BLB Solicitors property disputes specialist adds: “The work must relate to preserving an existing structure instead of building a new house, an extension or a conservatory.

“The court can refuse to grant access if it could cause your neighbour severe hardship or financial loss.

“Alternatively, the court may order you to pay compensation as a condition of allowing access.”

The order will specify what work you can undertake and by when.

Access orders can also be applied for by the likes of contractors, not just property owners.

However, Mr Hansom said these kinds of orders are a “rarity” and surrounded by “uncertainty”.

He continued: “Although a recent High Court judgment has provided some welcome guidance, this remains a complex area of the law, so always seek early legal advice.”

Your rights outlined above also apply to erecting scaffolding on your neighbour’s land to carry out any works.

Have you ever had a dispute with your neighbour about access to their property/land? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

It comes after more than 50 homes and businesses were evacuated after the explosion – the cause of which is yet to be confirmed – in Cambridge Street, Scarborough at 5.45am on Friday (May 8).

North Yorkshire Police placed a cordon on the residential road, along with Victoria Road, as emergency services worked to make the scene safe.

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The incident was described as “absolute chaos” by owner of Lillys Reptile Rescue, in Victoria Road, Dave Bigsby.

In a post on social media, he said: “I received a notification that some services were down early this morning.

“When I got there, it was absolute chaos, but I was able to go inside the cordon to check that my animals were safe and well.”

The police joined North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, multiple ambulance crews and the gas board in investigating the scene.

Their efforts were commended by Scarborough and Whitby MP, Alison Hume, who urged members of the public to stay away from the area.

She also thanked staff at The Street, a community centre in Lower Clark, for opening up their space to help evacuees.

Speaking to The Press, Benita, a representative for The Street, said: “We wanted to help those left without their homes at the minute.

“We have a hall that can fit up to 200 people, so we have plenty of space, along with lots of tea, coffee and refreshments.”

She added: “It’s been quite chaotic for everyone, with road closures and building traffic.

“We hope everyone is ok.”

Businesses within the cordon, including Aldi in Northway, were closed as a result of the explosion, with many more homes evacuated from around 6am.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service left the scene shortly after 12.45pm.

At the time of publication, the cordon was still in place while an investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the explosion.

The project, which will see the final single-carriageway stretches of the A66 dualled between Scotch Corner and Penrith, was given the green light in July last year.

Despite being approved in summer 2025, campaigners, MPs, councillors, and members of the public have questioned when a full timetable for the dualling scheme will be revealed.

A66 near Scotch Corner (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

But, providing an update this week, the DfT said it has “confirmed our commitment to this scheme, and we expect work to begin in the period of five years from 2026/27 to 2030/31 inclusive”.

It added that “National Highways is working to commence construction by the end of 2026”.

A spokesperson from the DfT said: “More detail will be provided in due course, including later this year when National Highways publishes its Delivery Plan, expected this summer.

The A66 near Scotch Corner (Image: a66)

“These improvements will strengthen road safety, cut journey times and support businesses and freight across the North.

“A business case for the scheme will need to be approved by the Government before main works can start, as with any major Government project.

“The scheme will support the Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth, by supporting businesses and freight across the North.”

The A66 stretch near Scotch Corner (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Campaigners and local MPs hailed the approval as a “pivotal moment” for communities across North Yorkshire, County Durham and Cumbria, where residents and businesses have long called for safety improvements and better connectivity.

When complete, the 50-mile corridor will provide a continuous dual-carriageway between the M6 and A1(M), reducing journey times by up to 12 minutes and offering greater reliability.

Previously, local MPs, including Rishi Sunak, Tim Farron and Sam Rushworth, welcomed the investment, citing safety benefits, reduced congestion and economic opportunities for their constituencies.

With at least 12 fatalities reported on the A66 since 2023 and a heavy reliance on the route by freight hauliers, campaigners say delays to the start of work could have real consequences, as 25 per cent of vehicles are HGVs.

The scheme is expected to support thousands of jobs during and after construction, and act as a catalyst for wider investment across the North.