A couple from the United States said they heard “an explosion” when a police boat travelling at “high speed” struck Westminster Bridge on the River Thames today, injuring five officers.

Jim Bagley, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, told the Press Association: “We were standing in line to get onto the city cruise hop on, hop off tours, and we saw two police boats coming up the river.

“One was an orange boat that went under the bridge and left a great big wave, and then there was a black boat that came up behind it, the police boat.

“It looks to me that he got stuck in the wake of the other boat that had just passed through the bridge and slammed into the wall on the opposite side.

“We didn’t see it happen, but we heard the explosion… the next thing we saw was three people in the water, coming down the river.”

He added: “We were wondering why they were under way at high speed to begin with.”

Katherine Bagley said: “They were both in pursuit of something farther down the river, but they never… the second boat never got to it because it crashed into the bridge with a big bang.”

What do kids need to be ‘school ready’?

What parents can do to support

The best sensory and learning toys to get kids ready for school

As well as being a fun creative task where kids can draw colourful shapes with the stencils, this kit teaches scissor skills and builds hand strength.

Another toy to help develop their motor skills, this set uses play sand to help your little one learn how to hold a pencil. Beware, things are going to get messy.

“All about Me is a popular first topic during the first few weeks of a new school term where children learn about their own identity and about their peers so products that can enhance social skills and emotional development are not only beneficial but also wonderful to play with together,” says Hayhurst.

“Our All About Me collection not only helps to give children a better understanding about themselves and the world around them, they are also designed to support colour recognition, pattern spotting and matching.”

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This set uses counters to help your kid explain what you family looks like.

Meanwhile, these mirrors are to help encourage self-awareness by teaching them about facial expressions, body language, and emotions. On one side is a regular mirror, and the other has a distorted effect for an extra element of fun.

Likewise, this set supports kids to develop emotional awareness and creates a safe space so they can talk about their feelings.

To teach them easy maths skills like adding and subtraction, this dinosaur kit comes with 115 blocks that can be assembled through challenges and puzzles.

Yearsley Villa, a small residential care home in Huntington Road, has been rated ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its latest inspection.

The care home provides support for two people, both of whom have mental health needs, but only one person was under its care at the time of the inspection in May, according to the CQC’s report.

Inspectors visited the home from May 7 to May 21 and said they found “significant improvements were required to ensure safe, effective, and well-led care”.

Yearsley Villa declined to comment.

Yearsley Villa, a small residential care home in Huntington Road, has been rated ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its latest inspection (Image: Google)

Inspectors said people had not been affected by the “shortfalls identified”, but “people were put at potential risk of poor care due to the concerns found during the inspection”.

They said the care home was “receptive to feedback during the inspection and had started to make some improvements, including updating documentation”. “However, these changes were not yet embedded or sufficient to demonstrate sustained improvement.”

In their report, inspectors said care records at the home “were often incomplete, inconsistent, or lacked detail, and did not always reflect people’s current needs or how care should be delivered”. “There was limited evidence of person-centred planning, including people’s preferences, routines, and goals.

“Risks were not always assessed or mitigated effectively. Risk assessments were either missing or lacked sufficient detail in key areas such as mental health, finances, and behaviours.

“Following incidents, there was limited evidence of review or learning, and appropriate safeguarding notifications had not always been submitted, which is a regulatory requirement.”

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Inspectors also raised concerns over how medicines were managed at the care home.

They said people were described as “self-medicating” but there were no “clear risk assessments, capacity assessments, or consistent systems to monitor this safely”.

“There were also shortfalls in staff training and recruitment practices,” the report said. “Training was out of date in key areas and recruitment checks had not been consistently completed in line with the provider’s own policy.”

Inspectors raised further concerns about decision-making processes at the care home, which they said “were not always in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005”.

They found that “capacity assessments and best interest decisions were either absent or not decision-specific, meaning we could not be assured that people’s rights were consistently protected”.

Watchdog finds people satisfised with care but raises concerns over systems

Meanwhile, inspectors said “people expressed satisfaction with their care” and were “positive about their experience of living at the service”, but “found the systems in place did not always support consistent, person-centred care”.

They also found that the facility was caring, writing: “Providers knew people well and we observed kind and compassionate interactions, with people treated with dignity and respect.

“People were supported to maintain relationships and access the community, and feedback reflected a relaxed, family-style environment.

“The environment was safe, clean, and well maintained, with appropriate safety checks in place.

“The provider collaborated with external professionals, including mental health teams, to support people when their needs changed.”

Craig Bowe was enjoying a family day trip to West Mersea with his wife and daughter when he heard harrowing screams coming from the sea – he has described the moment he decided to step in and help

A dad on a family day trip to West Mersea has reflected on his attempts to save a mother and daughter who drowned off an Essex beach.

Craig Bowe, 42, was on a day trip from Hertfordshire to celebrate his daughter’s 10th birthday they arrived at the beach at about 11am and recalled seeing the victims having a “great time” together, until several houts later they heard harrowing screams coming from the water on Wednesday evening.

Without hesitation Craig sprang into action and managed to haul Shally and Samiha Rahman from the waves and also helped a seven-year-old boy onto a lifeboat. However, despite his efforts Shally and Samiha – aged 41 and 15 – sadly died at the scene. While the young boy was airlifted to hospital and remained there in a critical condition on Friday.

The tragedy unfolfed at around 5.35pm when Samiha had tried in vain along with her mother Shally to save her seven-year-old cousin from the water . The mother and daughter were reportedly caught in the high tide and, despite the the valiant efforts of teenagers on the beach, were unable to be saved.

Craig, from Northaw, sprang into action after hearing a man screaming in the water and seeing bodies floating. He told the BBC: “When I got there, the first two people I saw were actually face down, so [it was] more serious than I initially thought.”

Speaking about how he helped load the seven-year-old boy and another child, who were about 150 yards (137m) out at sea, onto a lifeboat he said: “I helped sort of shoo him onto the boat, because he was face down too… but the seven-year-old was not in a good way.”

Bowe’s wife, Carly, was among the group of people trying to resuscitate the mother and daughter on the sand. She told the BBC: “I just wanted them to survive and every bit of me was willing her to breathe.”

She added: “Everybody on that beach that day played their part in giving that family the best chance they could to survive. Everyone really stepped up and it was incredible to see.”

Essex Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher said: “My thoughts, and those of my team, are with the friends and family of the woman and girl who died yesterday. We can now confirm they were a mother and daughter from London and we are supporting their family in what is an unimaginable time.

“Since yesterday we have been working to establish the circumstances which led up to this incident. At this stage we believe they were trying to help a seven year-old boy who had got into difficulties.

“The boy was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition but the woman and teenage girl, sadly, died. All the people involved in this incident are related to each other.

“As part of our investigation we are working through speaking to dozens of witnesses and taking their accounts, and we are building a picture of what happened. These enquiries are ongoing and I need anyone who has any information to get in contact.

“Finally, I want to thank the first responders who worked tirelessly to try save their lives and I want to pay tribute to their efforts.”

Just days after the tragedy Colchester Council said an independent Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK beach risk assessment was carried out on West Mersea Beach four months ago – and found that life-saving equipment was “not recommended” as it was “unlikely to be deployed effectively”.

A spokesperson the council said “decisions on water safety measures” are “informed by professional risk assessments and advice from specialist organisations”.

A Colchester Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of views that have been expressed regarding additional public rescue equipment. However, decisions on water safety measures are informed by professional risk assessments and advice from specialist organisations.

“As part of our risk assessment process for the site, the council commissioned an independent RLSS UK beach risk assessment in March 2026, which did not recommend the installation of public rescue equipment within the assessed area of West Mersea beach.

“The assessment concluded that, due to factors including the beach profile, tidal range and lateral currents, public rescue equipment would be unlikely to be deployed effectively in an emergency and was therefore not recommended on that stretch of coastline.

“We continue to work closely with partner organisations through the Mersea Water Safety Forum, a multi-agency partnership that brings together organisations with expertise and responsibilities in water safety. Together, the forum assesses local risks and develops and implements measures to help improve safety in and around the water.”

Cllr David King, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Local Government Reorganisation, Communities and Public Protection, added: “Everyone at Colchester City Council is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two people following the incident at West Mersea.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and all those affected by this devastating incident. We would also like to pay tribute to the emergency services and volunteers who responded.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the importance of taking care in and around the water. We encourage everyone visiting any coastline this summer to follow water safety advice and take appropriate precautions to help keep themselves and others safe.”

The Mirror has launched the Save Lives For Sam water safety campaign to tackle the UK’s growing drowning crisis. Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer.

Find out more about the campaign and how you can support it here.

Jaspah Too has moved from Derwent Street to Durham Street in Blackhill, Consett and reopened this month (July 3).

The business stocks handmade gifts and cards created by local people and books by local authors.

The previous Jaspah Too shop on Derwent Street. (Image: GOOGLE MAPS)

The business thanked customers for the support they have already received: “We’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has popped in to see us.

“We’re absolutely loving our new location, and it’s been great to welcome lots of new customers, as well as seeing plenty of familiar faces again.”

The shop sells jewellery, candles, ceramics, skincare, and more.

The shop boasts an almost perfect rating of 4.9 stars on Google.

One review said: “I love Jaspah Too.

“It is my local go-to place when am looking for a gift idea for someone.

“I treat myself too.

“There is so much to look at, so much variety, I always spend a while trying to look at everything.

“The friendly staff are people that make what is on for sale in the shop, and it is interesting to talk to them too.

“Do pop in, you will love it, I’m sure.”

Jaspah Too is open 10 am-5 pm, Monday to Saturday.

A gorgeous garden location near Cambridge has 250 acres of peaceful nature to explore, including lakes and trees – and it’s home to the ‘most beautiful bridge in Britain’

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One of the most tranquil places to visit in the UK is just an hour away from Cambridge. We could all benefit from spending more time outdoors to help clear our heads from the endless hours we spend glued to screens and confined inside, and there’s no finer way to achieve this than heading out for a walk and embracing the natural world.

Britain is brimming with wonderful walking destinations, and one spot just over an hour from Cambridge has recently gone viral online for being home to “the most beautiful bridge in Britain”, alongside a host of other breathtaking attractions. If you’re struggling to find things to do with the children during the summer holidays, this could make for an ideal day trip.

A woman named Braidie shared a video of Stowe House and Gardens on her travel TikTok, where she and her partner, Dan, regularly showcase “hidden gems” across Britain that are well-suited to those on a “budget”.

She said: “Stowe House is one of the most beautiful National Trust properties I’ve ever visited, with its temples, lakes, and amazing bridge. Save for your next UK day out.”

Stowe Gardens is a National Trust property in Buckinghamshire, situated approximately an hour and a half from Cambridge. The gardens offer 250 acres of grounds to explore at your leisure, filled with trees, temples, monuments, shrubs, and peaceful stretches of water.

Should 250 acres not prove sufficient, there is also a more expansive 750-acre park where visitors can stroll and observe wildlife. The parkland additionally features bridleways for those who enjoy horse riding.

Stowe Gardens are also home to Stowe House, although this is not owned by the National Trust. You can visit the grounds of the house, but the two locations have separate entrances, and you must pay separately to enter each area.

As Stowe Gardens are owned by the National Trust, members of the organisation can visit for free. For non-members, entry costs £18 for adults, and £9 for children aged five to 17, with under-fives going free.

For the house, adults must pay an additional £9.50, or £7.50 if you’re a National Trust member, while children are charged £3, and under-fives continue to enter for free.

Stowe Gardens has an almost perfect 4.4 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor, with over 1,300 reviews. Those who have visited the location before say the area boasts “great walks and beautiful views,” which are made even better by the on-site café, which serves delicious ice cream and cake.

One person said: “I love these grounds. I can spend hours just wandering around looking at all the different things, then popping into the cafe for a coffee. Everything is kept so neat and tidy. I have never been when I felt like it was too busy; it is always quite tranquil. If you want to while away a few hours in some beautiful gardens with great views then i would highly recommend Stowe Gardens.. Another added: “Beautiful. Lovely walks and even better during the week, no crowds at all.

Very different to the weekend. “. “What I would recommend is looking into getting national trust membership, paying without this is quite expensive, but getting membership means we keep returning to the delight of our dog. Nice Ice cream, and cakes!

“. A third shared: “Another lovely outing to another beautiful National Trust site. It’s a bit out of our usual area, and this was our first visit here.

It was lovely and a beautiful walk. We’d happily visit again.

“.

Lucie Jones, who auditioned for The X Factor aged 18 back in 2009, has announced she has given birth to her first baby with a sweet post sharing a number of adorable photos

X Factor star Lucie Jones has given birth to her first child and shares some adorable first photos.

Lucie shot to fame after she auditioned for the popular singing competition at the age of 18 back in 2009 for the show’s sixth series. She finished in eighth place after being eliminated during the live shows. After her stint on the ITV show she went on to represent the UK in Eurovision for the 2017 song contest.

In between X Factor and Eurovision, she established herself as an actress, being picked for countless West End productions and TV shows.

Back in January this year she announced she was expecting her first child with her partner George. Taking to Instagram she said: “We’re so excited and beyond happy to tell you we’re having a baby!

“Nothing comes close to this feeling… we feel like the luckiest people in the world. She’ll be here in July and we cannot wait to meet our little girl.”

Yesterday Lucie took to social media to confirm the birth of her baby. Captioining the announcment: “Elowen Hersey-Jones. We are so lucky to be parents to the most perfect angel on the planet. This little girl has dropped in to change everything and we are utterly besotted.”

She share a slew of snaps of their newborn baby in hospital and her fans were quick to share their well-wishes with the star online. One wrote: “Oh Lucie. She is absolutely beautiful! Congratulations.” Another added: “OMG She’s perfect!!!! Congratulations Mummy & Daddy.”

A number of celebrities also shared their well-wishes Giovanna Fletcher, who hosts a parenting podcast said: ” huge congratulations”. The Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast is a popular UK audio show hosted by Giovanna Fletcher where she talks with high-profile parents about the real-life highs and lows of raising children.

Other famous faces including presenter Scarlett Moffatt said: “Huge congratulations and sending so much love and quick recovery mamma. She is absolutely beautiful xxxx”

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Until August 30, children can collect a free apple while shopping in more than 800 Tesco supermarkets and 77 large Tesco Express stores across the UK. Families using Click & Collect will also receive free apples for children at selected locations.

The move comes as millions of families face the extra cost of feeding children during the six-week school break, when free school meals are unavailable for many households.

But the free fruit isn’t the only support on offer.

Tesco’s Kids Eat Free offer returns

Tesco is also extending its popular Kids Eat Free café promotion throughout the summer holidays.

Families can claim one free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘N’ Mix meal with the purchase of any adult café item from just 60p, provided they scan a Tesco Clubcard or Clubcard app.

The offer is available in 317 Tesco cafés across the UK and now runs every day of the week, including weekends, until September 1.

Extra support for families

Tesco has also announced several new initiatives aimed at helping households struggling with the cost of living this summer.

These include:

• Pre-filled food donation bags costing between £2 and £4, available in larger stores to support food charities Felix and Trussell.
• A Round Up at the Till campaign running from 3 August to 9 August, allowing shoppers to donate spare change at checkout.
• Continued investment in its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, which already supports more than 500 schools.

The supermarket says the measures are designed to help children who may miss out on free school meals during the holidays.

Why Tesco is offering free fruit

The announcement comes amid growing concern about holiday hunger.

According to Trussell, food bank support for children remains 34% higher than before the pandemic, while more than 900,000 emergency food parcels for children were distributed through its network last year.

Research from Felix also found that 41% of charities receiving redistributed food have seen demand rise over the past year, with many expecting even greater pressure during the school holidays.

Tesco: ‘Every little bit helps’

Christine Heffernan, Tesco’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, said: “We want to be able to support our charity partners to help those needing a little extra support this summer. Our partnerships with Felix and Trussell are central to this aim.

“When you’re out doing your weekly shop this summer, dropping a few tins into a food collection point, picking up a food donation bag in our stores or rounding up your grocery bill can make a difference to the lives of thousands of children in communities across the UK.”

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How to claim Tesco’s free fruit

Children can pick up a free apple at participating Tesco stores until August 30.

To claim the Kids Eat Free café offer, customers simply need to:

• Buy any adult café item from 60p
• Scan a Tesco Clubcard or Clubcard app
• Have a child present
• Visit before September 1

With supermarket prices and childcare costs continuing to squeeze household budgets, the offers could help families save money on trips to Tesco throughout the summer holidays.

LONDON (AP) — Andy Burnham is a man in a hurry.

Since entering 10 Downing St. on Monday, Britain’s new prime minister has traveled to the southeast, southwest and northwest of England, and to Scotland, spoken to more than a dozen world leaders and made a flurry of small but symbolic economic announcements: a tax cut on household electricity bills, a 2 pound ($2.70) cap on bus fares and a tax break for pubs.

“We are on borrowed time if we don’t get a move on,” newly appointed Housing Secretary Angela Rayner told the BBC on Friday. “This is a down payment within the first week that says, ‘We get it.’”

On Friday Burnham gathered Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants and regional mayors at “No, 10 North,” an outpost of the prime minister’s office in Manchester, 165 miles (265 kilometers) northwest of London.

Burnham says he will work at least one day a week from the northern office, which will serve as the cockpit for his goal of spreading economic growth to “every post code” in the land.

Decentralizing power and spreading wealth from southern England to post-industrial cities and depleted seaside towns is key to Burnham’s platform, and he told staff as he arrived at No.10 North on Friday: “This might be the best day of my life.”

Opposition politicians have called the northern office — housed for now in an office building shared with a branch of the cyberintelligence agency GCHQ — a gimmick. But Burnham said it will be “the nerve center for a rewired Britain.”

Writing in The Guardian, he said that for decades too much “decision-making power has remained in London,” and struggling areas of the U.K. “have been unable to turn things around because they simply do not have the necessary power to do so.”

No, 10 North “is about taking power down and placing it in the hands of people who can use it best,” he wrote.

Burnham became prime minister and leader of the governing Labour Party after his predecessor Keir Starmer was forced out after two years in office marred by missteps, scandals and plummeting popularity ratings.

Starmer floundered because he failed to deliver the economic growth he promised in his 2024 election campaign. Burnham says he will be different, but faces many of the same challenges, especially finding a way to reinvigorate an economy that has grown an average of less than 1.5% a year since 2009 and unearthing funds to restore frayed public services.

Foreign policy pressures mount quickly

Burnham, who has little foreign policy experience, also must deal with the same volatile world. He has signaled continuity with Starmer in key foreign policy areas. He reassured President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that U.K. support for Ukraine remains “resolute” and told Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that Greenland’s future “should only be determined by the people of Greenland and Denmark,” in reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated desire to take over the vast Arctic island.

Burnham has maintained Starmer’s policy of letting American forces use U.K. bases to hit targets involved in attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s threat came after Britain banned the powerful Revolutionary Guard and accused it of being behind a series of arson attacks on the Jewish community and Persian-language media outlets in the U.K.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said “the U.K. stands ready 24/7 to defend itself.”

“The U.K.’s approach to the conflict remains the same – we are committed to defending our people, our interests and our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the wider conflict,” it said in a statement.

Why have public displays of piano playing become so compelling? At railway stations, shopping centres and airports, an instrument usually associated with concert halls bursts into everyday life. In the space of a few moments, shoppers and passengers become an audience – and once a recording of the performance is posted online, this encounter can reach thousands or even millions of people.

TikTok pianists such as @umutpiano (Umut Cetin) skilfully exploit the tension between high-art virtuosity and ordinary public spaces. This 21-year-old from Frankfurt offers a particularly striking example of the format’s viral appeal. As shoppers and commuters gather around him, their reactions become part of the performance and help give his videos their sense of immediacy. His account has attracted approximately 63,600 followers and 10.4 million likes across 246 videos.

This viral appeal mirrors the high-society “hype” of 19th composers and pianists; viewers are not simply watching a technical display, but witnessing a deliberate musical interruption of the mundane. In both the 19th-century salon and the 21st Instagram feed, the thrill lies in the proximity to talent when one least expects it.

Channel 4’s The Piano, currently in its fourth series, has successfully turned the same idea into a TV show. New and self-taught players perform in large train stations while presenter Claudia Winkleman hears their stories. Pop singer-pianist Mika and a guest mentor listen from a nearby observation room and choose one player for the final concert. It is both a talent search and an engaging exploration of the many reasons people make music.

Virtuosity, vulnerability and reinterpretation

The Piano does this in a gentle and inclusive way. In the first episode of the new series in Birmingham New Street station, classical pianist Tiffany Poon brings a concern for technique, interpretation and emotional expression to her role as guest mentor. At Liverpool Lime Street where the second episode takes place, Jamie Cullum approaches the performers from the perspective of a jazz-pop pianist and improviser.

Impressing Poon in the first episode, amateur pianist Ollie’s performance of Chopin’s Ballade No.2 in F major, Op. 38 illustrates the dialogue between technical command and individual expression. In the following episode, 19-year-old Calien’s arrangement of a traditional Scottish bagpipe tune highlights creative reinterpretation.

The 19th century virtuosos were similarly expected to do more than reproduce a score: they improvised, embellished and transformed familiar material according to their own artistic personalities.

As a musicologist, I study music in early 19th century Russia and the development of the nocturne – a reflective “night piece” usually characterised by a singing melody above a flowing accompaniment.

Frédéric Chopin and Claude Debussy are famous for their nocturnes but a lesser-known Irish composer called John Field was instrumental in establishing the genre, making them fashionable during the 1810s and 1820s. These gentle pieces of music were well suited to the intimate atmosphere of the aristocratic salon, where the compositions circulated and acquired wider social meaning.

Drawing people into music

A later episode of The Piano features Paul, a pianist from Glasgow who has lost the use of his right hand following brain tumour surgery. He movingly performs Alexander Scriabin’s Nocturne for the Left Hand, demonstrating how intimacy and poetic expression can transcend technical limitations.

Composed after Scriabin injured his right hand, this work belongs to the tradition of the piano nocturne established by Field, whose lyrical style also rejected empty virtuosity in favour of expressive, melodious lines. Spanning two centuries, the nocturne continues to immerse listeners in a deeply personal musical world.

Sometimes contestants in The Piano perform their own compositions, like a piece about the Grand Canyon performed by Chris in episode one. This also points to an important 19th-century salon trait: the presentation of new music. Salons allowed composers to test works in front of responsive listeners, just as today a busy railway station exposes unfamiliar music to people who were not expecting a concert.

In his nocturnes, Field eschewed overt virtuosic brilliance in favour of lyrical melodies that seemed almost to sing on the piano, immersing listeners in moments of quiet contemplation.

Contemporary accounts describe how the audience would fall silent while he played, absorbed by an intimacy that transformed the piano from an instrument of display to one of reflection. Much like the audience of The Piano, visitors to 19th-century salons understood that unforgettable performances were shaped in equal measure by artistic individuality and technical mastery.

Public piano performances today bring the player close to the crowd. There is no stage, dress code or need to know the work. There is just a pianist and a choice: keep walking, or stop and listen.

In a 19th-century salon, musical reputations travelled through invitations, conversation, print and society gossip. Today, a phone camera and an algorithm can carry a performance around the world before the station crowd has dispersed. The technology and scale have changed, but the emotional transaction remains strikingly similar. One person’s passion for music becomes an affecting, shared experience.