Weeks of heavy snowfall in Japan has killed at least 35 people, government officials have said.

And there are fears the worst is yet to come – with more heavy snowfall expected this weekend.

Nearly 400 more have been injured, 126 people seriously, primarily around the northern and central regions of the country – and more than a dozen properties damaged.

As of Wednesday, 15 prefectures were affected, with snow in some areas estimated to have reached up to 2m (6.5ft).

Task forces have been set up and deployed to some of the worst-hit regions.

Most of the fatalities and injuries reported across the country were caused by falls as people tried to clear the snow from around their homes.

There have also been reports of people suffering sudden heart attacks.

In the northern city of Uonuma in Niigata prefecture, a rice-growing region, a man in his 50s was found collapsed on the roof of his home.

In Nagaoka city, a man in his 70s is believed to have died after falling from the roof of his house.

The weather is getting warmer, but officials have warned melting snow could cause landslides.

“Please do pay close attention to your safety, wearing a helmet or using a lifeline rope, especially when working on clearing snow,” chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters.

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The reason behind the heavy snowfall is unclear – however snow-related deaths and accidents are not uncommon in Japan.

During the six winter months last year 68 people were killed, according to the country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The report comes almost 10 years after an investigation into baby deaths at the hospital, with the Scottish Government ordering a review.

A Scots maternity ward has fallen short of standards in 16 different areas in a recent inspection, including potential gaps in incident reporting.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) carried out an unannounced inspection of Ayrshire Maternity Unit at NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s University Hospital Crosshouse on October 8-9 last year, and later carried out another on October 27 the same year.

The report comes almost 10 years after an investigation into baby deaths at the hospital, with the Scottish Government ordering a review. Between 2008 and March 31 2016, there were four significant adverse event reviews concerning stillbirth deaths at the unit at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire.

A BBC investigation at that time found there had been six so-called “unnecessary” deaths of babies at the hospital since 2008. In a report released on Wednesday, HIS said it had found 16 requirements, two recommendations, and 10 areas of good practice.

Requirements included better fire safety, incident reporting, ensuring women can receive timely access to midwifery telephone assessments, better governance and oversight of the maternity ward, and the right care at the right time. It also called for ongoing engagement among staff to ensure a transparent workplace, and to ensure timescales of significant adverse events reviews are achieved to support and improve the quality and safety of care.

It also found the hospital must take more steps to ensure patient equipment is clean and ready for use. The inspection also noted a number of areas where the ward is excelling – including support for families with newborns, a dedicated area for bereaved families, and that families were given the opportunity to stay in the hospital during births.

Speaking of the report, Donna Maclean, chief inspector, HIS, said: “During this inspection we observed cohesive team working in all areas inspected. Maternity staff we spoke with described positive working relations between midwifery, obstetric, anaesthetic and the health care support team. Staff described feeling supported to escalate staffing issues and concerns to their senior charge midwife.

“Women within the unit told us they felt listened to and supported in making decisions about their care – women described positive experiences of communication and compassionate interactions with staff. Women and their families also told us they would be happy to recommend NHS Ayrshire & Arran maternity services to their family and friends.”

She added: “However, we raised concerns regarding potential delays to care for women accessing maternity triage and potential gaps in incident reporting, which may impact on the learning from adverse events and reducing opportunities to improve safety. We also raised concerns regarding fire safety. Other areas for improvement identified include flushing of infrequently used water outlets and some improvements required in the cleanliness of patient equipment.”

This inspection resulted in 10 areas of good practice, two recommendations and 16 requirements. Jennifer Wilson, nurse director of Ayrshire Maternity Unit, said she acknowledges the findings in the report, and says NHS Ayrshire & Arran is committed to making the necessary improvements.

She said: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran is committed to the provision of high standards to ensure our patients receive safe and dignified care at all times. Our teams have a strong focus on ensuring that improvements are made to deliver the best possible care across health and social care services.

“As a learning organisation, NHS Ayrshire & Arran values scrutiny and inspection of our services. We acknowledge the recent Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s (HIS) report following their visit to Ayrshire Maternity Unit. The report highlighted cohesive multidisciplinary team working and positive working relationships and demonstrated that our teams provide a good standard of care for families, supporting patients to make decisions about their care.”

She added: “We acknowledge that there are areas where we need to make further improvements, and these have been addressed within our action plan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teams for their hard work in caring for the women, babies and families who use our services.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray was asked about the report in an interview on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme. He was asked why issues around the reporting of adverse events have been raised almost a decade after a review ordered by the Scottish Government.

Mr Gray said: “I welcome Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s report, it demonstrates that our inspection regime is working to ensure that localised issues are being addressed, and I expect Ayrshire and Arran to respond timeously, to ensure that all of the recommendations, all 16 recommendations, are delivered as fast as possible.

“This is the fifth inspection that Healthcare Improvement Scotland has carried out at our acute maternity services across Scotland, when we consider that NHS Tayside has now implemented all of the recommendations in its report into the maternity services at Ninewells.

“I expect a similarly timeous response from Ayrshire and Arran in Crosshouse to ensure that the safety of patients is absolutely paramount, and that we can ensure that our maternity services are safe for women and their families.”

Asked whether they are safe today he said: “Yes I believe they are.”

“Huge thank you to everyone who reposted, shared and supported,” Sabate said.

“Because of you, Universal Studios reconsidered and officially granted the rights for this one special occasion.

“There are still a couple of things to be tied up with the other two music of the program, but we are so close to accomplishing it! And it’s all thanks to you.

“I’m so happy to see that the Minions hitting Olympic ice is becoming real again!”

The routine in Sabate’s short program – the first of two routines in singles figure skating – has proved a hit in competitions, including in Sheffield at this year’s European Figure Skating Championships, where he finished 18th but became a fan favourite.

Sabate, a six-time Spanish champion set to make his Olympic debut in Milan, said he followed all required procedures and submitted the music through the International Skating Union’s (ISU) ClicknClear system in August.

If he is unable to perform to the Minions mix, he may use music by the Bee Gees for his short program, as this was the routine he performed to in 2024-25.

The men’s event starts in Milan on Tuesday.

“As soon as we have more details on this specific case, we will share them as appropriate,” read an ISU statement.

“Copyright clearances can represent a challenge for all artistic sports.”

The Daily Telegraph have reported that Brook, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue could be subject to an investigation from the cricket regulator with regard to the incident in Wellington, which occurred the night before a one-day international which England lost.

The incident, which happened in November, did not come to light in the media until January, and followed a mid-Ashes break in Noosa which also drew criticism for some excessive drinking by players.

“Cricket is 12 months a year, you have to be able to enjoy yourselves. I don’t think the boys went overboard at all,” McCullum said of the Noosa trip.

“A lot of the pile-on for it was completely out of line. Noosa is where people go and retire, there’s a reason why we chose Noosa.

“It’s being made [out] as this big stag do place, it couldn’t be further from that. If we wanted a stag do and we wanted a tear up, we’d have gone to the Gold Coast.”

McCullum’s leadership style has drawn criticism from outsiders, with some feeling the players are given too much freedom on and off the pitch.

However, McCullum bristled at such sentiments and believes his message has been misinterpreted by those outside the dressing room.

“I think you guys [journalists] have got to work me out a little bit better to be honest,” he said.

“If you go back to the day I walked into the job, the first thing I said to these boys is don’t do anything that lands you on the front page of the paper and nothing good happens after midnight, but we’re going to have a good time.

“[I said] we’re going to grow, we’re going to enjoy ourselves, cricket is a tough game, it has its challenges mentally, which we’ve seen with many people that have played cricket in the past, but we’re going to try and play a style of cricket that allows us to succeed.

“I’m not against making sure these boys are controlled in a manner. It’s [about] looking after them to ensure they don’t make mistakes. The curfew is a different interpretation of the words I mentioned three and a half years ago.”

McCullum said he thought there was a “misconception” that he ran a “loose ship” and wanted everyone out drinking, and that he didn’t care about cricket.

“It couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.

“I’m fiercely determined, I’m fiercely competitive and I want the best for these guys, and I want the best for English cricket.”

England start their World Cup campaign against Nepal on Sunday, 8 February (09:30 GMT).

Brook will lead the team in India and Sri Lanka and McCullum says he is impressed by the Yorkshireman’s captaincy so far.

“I think Harry Brook is an outstanding leader on the field,” he added. “His tactical acumen is as good as I’ve seen in a short period of time from a young man.

“He has work to do off the field without a doubt, as do some of the other young lads we have in our side – and that’s what happens when you come in at 20 and you’re growing up on a world stage with spotlight, fame, fortune and the pressure that comes with it.

“He’s a strong leader, he’s a young man but he’s got a very good head on his shoulders. People will say he’s not that clever, I couldn’t disagree with that more, he wears his intelligence lightly and he’s a very strong leader.

“He’s a player they play for in that dressing room and our job is to keep looking after him because he is young and he’s got his best days in front of him.”

Camila Morrone has shared behind-the-scenes snaps with Tom Hiddleston as BBC’s The Night Manager series 2 comes to an end.

The Night Manager star Camila Morrone has bid farewell with a heartfelt social media post alongside co-star Tom Hiddleston.

The highly anticipated second series of the BBC thriller, which returned an incredible decade after its last appearance on screens, concluded with a dramatic finale last week.

Hollywood actor Tom, 44, returned as former British intelligence operative Jonathan Pine, this time joined by Camila, 28, who portrayed Roxana, a businesswoman caught up in the criminal arms-dealing underworld.

The thrilling conclusion was met with widespread acclaim from viewers, who called it the ‘cliffhanger of cliffhangers’ after the shocking deaths of two key characters.

Reflecting on the final series, Camila posted a series of behind-the-scenes photographs on Instagram, featuring herself beaming alongside co-star Tom, reports the Express.

The opening image showed Camila wearing a pink suit as she leaned in with a smile beside the Loki star, who crouched down to align his head with hers. Another photograph captured the pair smiling side by side in a car park, sharing a warm embrace before filming commenced.

Additional images revealed Camila’s scripts, filled with handwritten notes, footage of herself and Tom driving in a luxury vehicle, and her in tears as the season’s filming drew to a close. “End of an era. That’s it for Night Manager season 2,” she posted to her followers, who flooded the comments section praising the ‘spectacular’ programme.

After Friday’s finale aired, viewers flocked to social media to lavish praise on the gripping storyline that saw two characters perish.

One viewer enthused on X: “‘The Night Manager had one of the drama’s great finishes. It really was one you’ll never forget. The cliffhanger of hangers.”

Another gushed: “More needs to be talked about The Night Manager… it’s the best drama that’s been on the telly for a long long time! Absolutely brilliant!”

“Now we can talk about how extraordinary an actor Tom Hiddleston is; this season was breathtaking, he always gives Pine a different nuance, this ending was devastating, he’s brilliant,” a third declared.

A fourth praised: “What a terrific season finale. Very few series in their second season are able to match the quality of the first. The game has just started anew. Hugh Laurie has outdone himself as Richard Roper. Absolute cliffhanger of a finale.”

Meanwhile, a fifth viewer remarked: “How sad and how realistic the ending of #TheNightManager. This one… was brutal.”

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This follows Tom Hiddleston’s recent revelation about the future of the popular BBC drama. During a recent appearance on This Morning with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, he disclosed: “I can reveal that there will be, there’s going to be more, but we always constructed this one as the beginning of a 12-episode story.

“It gave us greater scope in terms of imagining where this story might go knowing that we had another season to come – and we like trilogies, there’s something satisfying about it.”

He added: “It will be sooner [than ten years]. It’s booked in, and if we had to wait another ten years I’d be 55, and I don’t know how much running I will be doing [then].”

The Night Manager is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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A team of North East business leaders also discussed what needs to be done to inspire further growth.

On the panel were Stephen McDonald, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Durham County Council; Stewart Stewart, Chief Executive of Nova Pangaea Technologies; Grant Glendinning, Chief Executive and Group Principal at Education Training Collective; Faye Gordon, Executive Director of Finance and Investment at believe housing and Miles Askew of Cummins.

Mr Houchen said that nowhere in the UK can match the Tees Valley for investment in renewable energy.

He told the audience: “Where we stand today, we have, objectively, the biggest renewables, green energy investments in the country, certainly over the last ten years.

“We have SeAH Wind here and Net Zero Teesside now under construction, just those two projects alone represent north of £5bn-worth of capital investment, probably closer to £7bn by the time it’s all finished.

“It is significant, and you can’t point to anywhere else in the country that has that type of investment.

“There’s lots of people that wish it, lots of people that hope that it comes, but it comes with issues around Development Consent Orders, planning, regulation – and energy connections are increasingly a big thing, particularly as there’s a shift at industrial sites towards data centres, which obviously we’re looking at here as well.

“But I do think we are at the centre of it and have some incredible businesses. And it’s not just this site, you’ve got Wilton just across the road, which is an equally incredible site.

“We have Nova Pangaea here, you’ve got Arcadia eFuels, you’ve got Proteum, a couple of SMR companies, and community energy on the north bank of the rive – really big, exciting frontier green energy projects for the UK all within this region. “

He said it was difficult to predict the “direction of travel” for Net Zero but is confident there will be no immediate change thanks to “fanatic” energy secretary Ed Miliband.

Mr Houchen said: “I think the one thing I can have confidence in is, with this government, it’s not going to change. To give an insight into a little bit of politics, Ed Miliband’s seniority and security in his position in the Labour Party is supreme and he is an absolute fanatic.

“Yes, he’s at the Department of Energy and Net Zero at the moment but if there are changes of leadership, he might end up being the Chancellor.

“So I think within this government, it’s not going to change, which means there’s at least three and a half years of consistency in this policy. The bit that is unknown for everybody is what happens after that.

“But that is causing some questions and reflections from some investors who may feel that if they’re putting their money in now, these are 20, 30, 40 year investments and three and a half years isn’t a long time so they are also looking to the next political cycle.

“So you’re also seeing a bit of churn and a little bit of delay and some questions being asked about the future of the national framework.”

The area’s industrial heritage has helped create a unique climate for a burgeoning green energy sector on the Tees, he said.

“When we started out on regenerating Teesworks in particular, we knew that the unique thing about this was, if we could get it right, knock down the steelworks, it was the scale of the site as in the land available,” Mr Houchen said.

“And then more recently, it was also understanding what’s going to make us unique. It’s the industrial heritage and it’s having large scale, energy intensive businesses.

“You don’t pick winners by saying ‘we want this specific business to come’, you’re creating a platform that says, “if you are a large scale, capital-intensive, energy-intensive business, then this is pretty much the only place in the country that you’re going to be able to come to with any speed.”

He said energy prices have become a key consideration for investors.

Impact event at Teesworks Skills Academy Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Mr Houchen said: “I would say from a large-scale energy intensive manufacturing point of view, if you’re going to come to the UK, you’re going to come to Teesside.

“The big question that sits beyond that, which is increasingly causing us a bit of a headache and is causing businesses to reflect, is energy pricing.

“ When you have the world’s highest industrial energy pricing at north of £25 per kilowatt hour and you look at American investors, of which we have many, who can do about five cents a kilowatt hour in Texas.

“In Finland it’s a different market and there are other drivers, but you can see sometimes one pence a kilowatt hour.

“So, that’s the biggest challenge we have for the energy intensive industries. Will there be a downturn? I don’t know, but we’ll keep fighting, we’ll keep trying to get investment and there’s lots of interest and there’s lots of investors who are continuing to look to Teesside.

“I would say even if there was a downturn, the fundamentals of the region, what we have to offer, are too solid. And so if we’re feeling it, the country is definitely feeling it.

“And as things get better, we’re going to come out of that first compared to anyone else, we are more insulated in that way .”

A student in the audience expressed frustration from young people who find it difficult to get work or even placements in the emerging businesses in Tees Valley.

Mr Houchen pointed out that Tees Valley has been chosen as one of eight UK regions to pilot the UK Youth Guarantee Trailblazer, a government-backed programme offering up to £5 million to help young people aged 18 to 21 who are not in work, education, or training.

The scheme will provide a mix of paid work placements and unpaid taster sessions to help participants gain experience and explore different career options.

Panel member Grant Glendinning said he was encouraged by the scope of new career opportunities for young people.

He said: “I’m optimistic about the Tees Valley and Teesside. I remain optimistic. We have a strategic plan in our group that talks about a resurgent Teesside as a vision.

“And I think, although how we get there might change through the years, we can’t lose sight of the fact that there are some fantastic large projects on their way.

“In the Education Training Collective, we’re all about trying to ensure that local people, local young people, and adults benefit from some of these investment opportunities and the benefits that they’ll bring. “

He was asked by BUSINESSiQ editor Mike Hughes, who hosted the event, whether the opportunities were filtering through to local students in practice.

Impact event at Teesworks Skills Academy Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

He replied: “At its heart, there is a core digital and engineering, huge skills gap in the country. And those are fantastic things to train for. We’ve run two very successful cohorts of scholarship programmes with bp at Redcar and Cleveland College.

“These are providing great opportunities for young people. Of the young people who are finished on our BP cohorts, one of them is now down in Barrow, to begin work at BAE Systems, after a spell at EDF, so that shows there are great opportunities around.

“Focus on those core transferable technical skills, and I think there’s some really bright opportunities for young people from this region.”

Stewart Stewart spoke about the opportunities arising at Nova Pangaea Technologies , which converts woody and non-food derived agricultural residues into high value ethanol and biochar.

The ethanol can be used to enable the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) while the biochar, a natural carbon removal product, can deliver an immediate decarbonisation and enable a negative CO2 emissions profile.

Mr Stewart said: “The good thing about all these businesses that are looking to focus on the Tees area for development of new forward looking industrial plants, is they use a lot of the same physical hands-on trades that have been used traditionally within other areas of industry.

“So, as a student, you may be thinking about carbon capture, sustainable aviation fuel or hydrogen. But you may be wondering how do I know which one to focus on?

“Myself, I wouldn’t focus on a particular industry, we’ll want to see your passion for why you want to work in those particular areas when you focus on a job.

“But realistically, what they’ll be hired for at an early stage is if they have worked on a project where they were designing something new?”

Stephen McDonald revealed exciting prospects for deep geothermal energy to be produced in County Durham.

He said: “It’s probably something that’s got me the most excited in my 20 years in local government.

“There are various methods of geothermal, you can go shallow, you can go to minewater. But I’m talking 6 to 7 kilometres down into the earth.

“Now, why I’m talking about that is because County Durham, going up into Gateshead, has the best resource for geothermal in the country other than Cornwall.

“That’s because of the geology, We’ve got granite underneath our feet, in various places. We always knew we had it but we didn’t think it actually extended right across to the north of the city.

“It’s a really stable form of electricity generation with byproductive heat, and that’s something which is going to be a real necessity for the future.”

Faye Gordon of social landlord believe housing, which has 18,000 homes across the region, said energy efficiency is a key aim.

She said: “We’re very much focussed on how energy efficient we can make it. We can work very closely with customers, going into those homes to make sure that they are fully informed about how to use the technology in their home to get the best out of it.

“I think that there is a big challenge for the sector in terms of some of that stock that has been there for 50, 60, 70 or over 100 years. How do you get that to operate on a more energy efficient footing?

“And that is very challenging. So I think as a sector, we’ve all got targets to hit in terms of energy efficiency rating of our homes.

“I think for us there is a challenge around whether we have the right skills coming through and can we work with our supply chain to give them certainty over pipeline work coming through so that they can also invest in their workforce and trade?”

Miles Askew, of Cummins said: “We manufacture engines, primarily diesel. So the industry that we work in is shifting and is evolving. And we’ve got a carbon based fuel at the moment.

“But there are leaps within the industry that could be made to make it more green. We’ve mentioned Sustainable Aviation Fuel and there is an on road equivalent, paraffinic fuel, which you can use in our products today, and that will give you a lower carbon footprint in a diesel, and you wouldn’t have to change the product.

“We’ve been spending time over the last five years or so looking at, what does the regulation mean? What do we invest in next? We’ve got pockets of investment in our core products, which are diesel, trying to improve the fuel efficiency of those.

“We’ve developed a zero carbon brand called Accelera, by Cummins, which is not hosted here, but there are elements of that washing up here.

“We are complementing a solar farm that we’re going to pipe into our sector in Darlington. So we’ve got product-related carbon, and we’ve got process-related carbon.

“In Darlington as a site, we try very hard, because there’s carbon in our products, to decarbonise our process.

“We’ve got some of those that wash down to Darlington specifically, and by 2030, we will try to reduce things like electricity usage. We’re trying to generate our own electricity through a solar farm. “

Coronation Street has reached the decision to kill off one of its most famous characters, more than 35 years after he made his debut on the cobbles.

Jim McDonald will die off-screen as part of a new story for Steve (Simon Gregson), who will face an emotional dilemma.

The story will unfold next month, as per storylines seen by Metro.

And Charles Lawson, one of the staples of the show in the 90s particularly, has insisted that he is okay with his alter ego being axed.

He responded to X users, confirming that there are no hard feelings with the show, and that they informed him of their decision last September.

However, in a separate post, he put the decision down cryptically to ‘politics’.

Outspoken on social media and a regular contributor on GB News, Charles is perhaps more known these days for sharing his views rather than his time as Jim.

He has also been candid on financial difficulties and lack of job offers.

The father of Andy and Steve, and husband to Beverley Callard’s Liz, will pass away, causing mixed feelings for Steve.

While it is unknown whether Nick Cochrane will reprise his role as Andy for the story, it has already been ruled out, as first reported by Radio Times, that Bev will make a comeback as Liz, given her new long-term role in Shortland Street.

It’s not the only exit centred around Steve either, with Claire Sweeney making the tough decision to quit the show after three years in order to take a stage role in Annie.

A spokesperson for Corrie told Metro: ‘We wish Claire every success playing Miss Hannigan and congratulate her on being offered a role she has long wanted to play.

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‘Cassie will be on the cobbles until the summer during which time she will continue to make her presence felt in Weatherfield leading up to a great exit storyline.’

As for Jim, he was notable for being overly protective of his family and, over time, the show went on to focus more and more on his temper.

In some of the show’s most controversial scenes, Jim was seen hitting Liz during a nasty argument.

He was also at the centre of many a Corrie brawl, as well as being seriously injured in a clash with son Steve which led him to plunging from scaffolding.

Later, to get gangster Jez Quigley out of Steve’s life, Jim brutally beat him to death and was then jailed.

He made several short comebacks over the years, meeting Peter Barlow in prison and also committing armed robbery.

His last notable – and very sour-taste leaving storyline – came when he conned Liz into believing their lost child was alive.

It is one of fans’ most despised plotlines of all time, with many taking to X sad that this may end up as Jim McDonald’s legacy.

MORE: Coronation Street’s Liz McDonald legend lands a surprising new soap role

Police would like to identify the man pictured in relation to a theft which occurred in South Moor, Stanley, on Wednesday, January 14.

A Durham Police spokesperson said: “Officers are looking to identify this man in relation to a theft which occurred in South Moor on January 14, 2026.

Anyone who can assist with this investigation, contact the officer in case, PC 9320 Bowes via 101 ext 209320 or via email: scott.bowes1@durham.police.uk – please quote crime ref: CRI00659201.

One of the convicted child murderer’s friends features throughout the new Netflix documentary

A letter Lucy Letby sent to one of her friends after being found guilty in court has been revealed in a new Netflix documentary.

Titled The Investigation Of Lucy Letby, the documentary about the convicted child killer was released globally on Wednesday morning (February 3).

Featuring ever-before-seen footage of the nurse during her arrest and questioning, as well as new testimony from police and contributions from the mother of one of the victims.

Some of the names, appearances and voices were altered from interviews conducted, with some interviewees digitally anonymised. This is to maintain their anonymity following the 90 minute film’s release

Letby, 36, from Hereford, is currently serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016. It was confirmed last month that Letby will face no further charges over additional deaths and collapses of babies that were investigated by police.

One person featured throughout the documentary is a friend of Letby’s named Maisie, a fellow nurse who she met when they attended the same University.

The nurse, who is one of the people digitally anonymised, had placement with Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital and defended her at several points in the film.

Towards the end of the documentary, Maisie reveals that she and Letby would write letters to each other ‘up until the trial and the verdict’. She said: “I would always try to be positive and now I don’t know what to say.”

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Reading a letter Letby sent her, Maisie said: “Maisie, there are no words to describe my situation, knowing that I have your friendship regardless is so important and special to me.

“I have my own room and toilet. I’m able to shower each day and go outside for a walk. Getting outside is so important, even if it’s a bit chilly. I miss Tigger and Smudge so much, it’s heartbreaking that they cannot understand why I’m no longer there.

“They must think I’m a terrible mummy. Mum and dad are taking good care of them and are no doubt spoiling them. I’m trying to do all that I can to remain strong and positive. I’m determined to get through this. I will not give up.”

Towards the end of the film, Maisie admitted that the last few years have seen questioning whether Letby ‘presented one side to her and and a different side to other people’.

“There’s always doubt because as much as you know someone, you never know the whole of someone.

“They can still have things you don’t know about them. Unless I saw actual evidence, I can’t believe it. I know people think I support a baby murder. She’s my friend and currently in jail. Forever,” she noted.

Reflecting on when Letby was found guilty, Maisie said: “I just couldn’t imagine why they did this. Once I got over the disbelief I was really scared for her.”

The Investigation of Lucy Letby is available now on Netflix

Last week’s branch closures will leave it with 244 full branches

Santander UK has revealed a hike in annual profits despite putting by another £183 million to cover costs of the motor finance mis-selling scandal and warned over further cost-cutting over the year ahead. The Spanish-owned lending giant reported a 14% rise in pre-tax profits to £1.51 billion for 2025.

It added the additional provision for motor finance compensation and costs, on top of £295 million for the saga in 2024, having earlier cancelled third quarter results to assess the impact of the Financial Conduct Authority’s redress scheme. But it cautioned “there continue to be significant uncertainties as to the nature, extent and timing of redress payments”.

“The ultimate financial impact could be materially higher or lower than the amount provided,” the bank said. In full-year results it also set the scene for more cost-cutting in 2026, less than a week after it revealed plans to shut another 44 branches, putting nearly 300 jobs at risk.

Santander said it expects further cost efficiencies in 2026 “driven by simplification and automation of our business”.

Last week’s branch closures will leave it with 244 full branches, although it will add more through the deal to take over smaller rival TSB. It said it expects to complete the £2.65 billion TSB deal in the first half of 2026.

The UK bank results came after its Spanish owner banco Santander announced a 12.2 billion US dollar (£8.9 billion) deal to buy American rival Webster Bank. Banco Santander reported a better-than-expected net income of 3.76 billion euro (£3.24 billon) for the fourth quarter, having brought the results forward by a day due to the announcement of the deal.