And even though no hosepipe bans have been announced in the UK, a peek at Google Trends shows that searches are significantly up from last week. It looks like gardeners are prepping, or at least checking, for sanctions.
But are those fears reasonable, and how can we get our gardens ready now for possible bans later on?
Will we have a hosepipe ban in 2026?
Advertisement
We can’t say for sure yet.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)′ Chief Horticulturist, Guy Barter, said: “Although we had a wet winter which filled reservoirs and aquifers and there is no indication of temporary use restrictions (as hosepipe bans are officially called), supply and demand problems in the intense recent heat have been reported in the press”.
Professor Emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, Prof Bill McGuire, previously told HuffPost UK that this extreme weather event could have “a huge impact on global weather, bringing drought, floods and other extreme weather right across the planet”.
How can I start to prepare now for possible hosepipe bans?
Barter told us that “Episodes like this [recent heatwave] remind gardeners why it is wise to have water butts for tiding the garden over dry periods. With luck, they will be refilled by summer rainstorms.”
Water butts divert rainfall from places like your gutter into a large barrel, which often has a tap on the bottom, so it’s smart to place it on a stand.
In that case, try mulching to keep whatever rain has fallen on your soil. Additionally, putting saucers under plants allows rain to collect in helpful puddles underneath pots.
During water shortages, the RHS added, “grey water” from e.g. your shower or washing-up bowl will do the job for a while.
Advertisement
“Waste water from the kitchen, bathroom basins, baths and showers can also be used in summer gardening. Plants seldom resent this and it ekes out mains water supplies,” Barter said.
Smart planting matters, too.
“Gardeners who have planted drought-tolerant borders and gardens have been rewarded by lovely flowers and plants with no need to water. Where watering has been needed, consider planting more drought-tolerant plants in autumn for next year,” the expert said.
“It is a bit late for planting now, but any containers or baskets that need restocking can be planted with angelonia, pelargoniums and salvia, all of which can get by with less water than most plants.”
TRNSMT came to an end at Glasgow Green for 2026 with headliner Lewis Capaldi taking to the stage.
23:08, 21 Jun 2026Updated 23:09, 21 Jun 2026
Lewis Capaldi was met by cheers and rapturous applause as he closed the final day of TRNSMT 2026 with his emotive set and powerful vocals and turned the festival into a giant singalong.
The singer even issued a cheeky Father’s Day message before joking he was about to make everyone feel miserable with his songs. He said: “Happy Father’s Day to those with fathers and if you don’t have a father, I’ll be your daddy.”
The Scots singing star spoke after entering the stage to his song Hollywood swiftly followed by a powerful rendition of Grace.
Advertisement
His vocals were stronger than ever as he followed up with songs including Forever and arms were raised and waved in the air as he sang anthem Bruises followed by Pointless.
Lewis reminisced about his appearances at previous TRNSMT festivals saying he was there performing for the fifth time. Asking if everyone was ok and reassuring everyone he was too, he said: “Right. I’m having a good time. Is everyone having a good time?
“Thanks for that. Hey, man. I know this is the fifth time I’ve played TRNSMT, fifth time at this festival. 2017, we played over in the King Tut’s stage. I think I had one song out at the time, maybe two. I was quite busy. It was nice. We were on the come up. It was good.
“In 2018, I opened up the main stage for the first time. It was fucking empty. I thought, ‘f***, this has gone tits up. This is not going well.’ 2019, Snow Patrol were playing. But they couldn’t play so we stepped in, and we were second to last, and we stepped on here.
“And 2022, yeah, we headlined it for the first time as I mentioned. This evening, in front of you I’m back. Thank you very much for sticking with me all this time. Thank you TRNSMT for the money over the years. It’s been nice.
“It still holds a special place because you know, we’ve done f***ing so many things here from the start we belong here. About almost 10 years later, the festival holds a special place, genuinely, and they shine the light on an incredible thing, the stars of tomorrow.“
Lewis also gave a special shout out to fellow West Lothian local Susan Boyle who was watching him at the side of the stage.
Advertisement
He said: “Susan Boyle’s standing there – big shout out to Susan Boyle. I love Susan Boyle we’re from the same town. I’ll never be the most famous person from there.”
And the singer touched on his mental health and his big comeback following a break saying: “At the start of the set I mentioned I took a break for my mental health in case I wasn’t feeling so great. I am feeling better.
“When I first took that break there was a time I never thought I’d be here. To be here is really special and this song is about the time I took that break and it’s called The Day I Died.”
Advertisement
The powerful song led into Lewis singing Hold Me While You Wait, the star ended on Forget Me before he returned for an acoustic guitar cover rendition of Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
He thanked Glasgow and told them he was going away for a while to write a new album and hoped everyone would be there on his return.
As the sun went down on TRNSMT Lewis thanked Glasgow for being there today and got the crowd swaying in unison to Survive. Inevitably, he then finished his set with a guitar-led rendition of his biggest hit, Someone You Loved.
As the pyrotechnics lit up the stage, it was the perfect ending to the three day long festival.
Advertisement
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.
Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
The Sun forges a key connnection with the North Node, bringing a reflective energy to the day before you. Take time to pause.
Pisces, Aquarius and Capricorn, the power is in your hands today. Whether it’s a conversation or your imagination, power rests where it’s needed.
This is a potent cosmic blend that could feel intense. Stay grounded, despite what is thrown at you.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Monday June 22, 2026.
Advertisement
Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.
To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.
Aries
March 21 to April 20
Being an action-oriented sign, when the planets create gentle background energies, which are more about feeling than doing, you can find it disconcerting. Today can be a point in case. The best way to embrace this is not to try to override it. You may find that your usual drive and energy feel lower. So, if needs be, just give yourself the permission to pause, Aries.
Your earthy nature is complemented by some lovely, flowing, intuitive influences. A riverbed is also earth, but carries water perfectly, and today, you can have the happy knack of combining your intuition with your communications. These may see you discuss things that are practical and need clarifying or organising but still be in touch with the feelings around them.
Your mind is rarely still, but that creates a lot of energy and sparkle, which can draw people to you. However, every so often, a day will come when you are nudged to step back from these fast exchanges and consider the big picture. Today can be one of them. Whether it is your finances or your career, taking a moment to consider where you are can prove fruitful.
The Sun, newly arrived in your sign, forges a very powerful connection to the North Node. Something unplanned could have quite the impact. It could be a conversation, or it may be your inner thoughts that take you somewhere different. Engaging with ways to feel surer of your personal destiny may be part of this, but also seeing that being open-minded is important too.
A seemingly everyday conversation could have an element of intrigue. Why? Well, perhaps not because of what’s said as much as what isn’t. It may be because the other person isn’t opening up, but you can still get a feel for what’s going on, as you’re likely extra perceptive today. However, you can also lean into this person and be supportive without making a fuss.
Friendships, your network, and long-term hopes are all firmly in the picture. However, it can be a particular friend with whom you feel a deeper connection at present. You may both bring different qualities, but that’s a good thing, as you complement one another and can spur each other on. This is an opportunity to use collaboration to achieve something truly special.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
Your leadership credentials are to the fore. Even if you don’t see yourself as someone who fronts things up, don’t underestimate how others view your ability to make suggestions and give well-timed advice. With the Moon in Libra in a brief face-to-face with the shape-shifting energies of Neptune, any pearls of wisdom you give will likely though, be delivered with delicacy.
You often feel most comfortable when your situation feels under control, and you can apply your natural intensity to managing things in a way that feels comfortable. Today’s energies suggest you might surrender a little more and let the process guide you. This does require letting go, and that may feel like a test, but it could prove quite liberating, in a unique way.
The Moon is moving through the sign of balance, Libra, and this can see you enjoying some convivial exchanges. Whilst you can be attuned to friends, you will also want to feel they are in touch with your situation. The Sun and the North Node are in a particularly acute angle, but one that suggests you’ll want to dive deep beyond the pleasantries that today can serve up.
Your need to achieve is a big part of you. However, the expansive Jupiter has, over the last twelve months, given you the opportunity to work on your relationships, proving that there are more markers of success than status. Indeed, today, as the Sun, like Jupiter in Cancer, links to the subtle energies of the North Node, a conversation can show the importance of one tie.
Your imagination can be fabulous today. If you are writing, presenting, or formatting, you can bring an extra dimension to all of them. This can see your words and ideas shimmer with possibility as the Moon and Neptune go face to face. And also, the practical strands of your situation can flow along nicely too, and particularly if you don’t try to overanalyse them.
You might find a particular item alluring. And it’s possible that you can conjure up all sorts of reasons why you should buy this. However, as much as desire can be strong, logic can be blurred. If unsure, ask yourself what practical value it brings – but it may save you from a case of buyer’s remorse – if you convince yourself, you just have to have it!
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.
Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum were all smiles after England won the first Test at Lord’s, apparently on the same page after a bruising Ashes winter. In the run-up to the home summer, both men denied Australia had damaged their relationship.
Assessing where they are after this episode is mainly done through the words of McCullum. The New Zealander has spoken and Stokes is yet to.
Two days before the second Test, for which Stokes was absent, McCullum repeatedly spoke of his “worry” and “concern” for the all-rounder. However, when Stokes returned to play for his county, Durham chief executive Tim Bostock said he was “bemused” by McCullum’s take.
Two things can be true at the same time. McCullum said he has been in daily contact with Stokes, and could have been given cause for concern. Meanwhile, the 35-year-old could have felt relaxed with Durham, away from everything going on with England.
Advertisement
Before the Test, McCullum would not be drawn on Stokes’ future as a player or captain. He may have genuinely not known, and probably had a right to be frustrated it was Stokes, of all people, who had allowed himself to be caught up in a nightclub incident.
Following a crushing defeat in the second Test, McCullum confirmed Stokes’ return and said: “I anticipate we’ll be able to work together really well in the week coming and I’m sure that both of us have that same vision for this cricket team.”
Stokes will speak to the media on Wednesday, while England train in Nottingham for the first time on Tuesday. There will be plenty of interested observers.
From Beamish Museum to Ryhope Engines Museum and some of Newcastle’s most historic buildings, the production leans heavily on local landmarks to bring Woolf’s 1910 world to life, and many are an easy day trip.
Beamish Museum, County Durham
Beamish is the big one.
The open‑air living museum doubles for Edwardian London, its cobbled streets, trams and shopfronts giving Gharavi the scale and period detail she needed without leaving County Durham.
She has called Beamish “the jewel in the crown of the Northeast locations” and hopes the film will show national and international audiences just how extraordinary it is.
Advertisement
(Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)
Where it is: Beamish Museum, Beamish, County Durham, DH9 0RG.
Ryhope Engines Museum, Sunderland
One of the most distinctive locations is Ryhope Engines Museum, the former pumping station in Sunderland. Gharavi only discovered it while scouting, but it quickly became one of her favourites: “It’s such a gem… staggeringly good for the region,” she says.
The preserved Victorian and Edwardian beam engines give Night and Day a real industrial backbone, and the director is full of praise for the volunteers – including one called Keith, who has been involved for around 40 years.
(Image: GOOGLE)
Where it is: Ryhope Engines Museum, Waterworks Road, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0ND.
Advertisement
Durham Cathedral, Durham City
Durham Cathedral brings academic prestige to the screen.
Its cloisters, already known to many from Harry Potter, are used as Cambridge University, providing a backdrop for scenes set in the rarefied world of Edwardian higher education.
Gharavi says she was drawn to the “crazy parts” of the building – arches, walkways and enclosed courtyards – that could convincingly pass for Oxbridge colleges.
Durham Cathedral doubles for Cambridge University in the movie. (Image: BRIDGE & TUNNEL PRODUCTIONS)
Where it is: Durham Cathedral, The Cathedral Office, The College, Durham City, County Durham, DH1 3EH.
Advertisement
The Lit & Phil, Newcastle
The Literary and Philosophical Society – better known as the Lit & Phil – appears in several key scenes.
The independent library’s reading rooms and galleries help recreate London’s intellectual and social circles, echoing the bookish, debate‑filled spaces that run through Woolf’s novel.
Where it is: The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE.
The Common Room and Mining Institute (Neville Hall), Newcastle
Neville Hall, home to The Common Room (formerly the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers), and the adjacent Mining Institute are also used prominently.
Their wood‑panelled lecture theatre and Victorian interiors stand in for professional and academic spaces in London, with Gharavi describing the circular lecture theatre as feeling exactly like a 1910 meeting room.
Advertisement
Common Room, Newcastle. (Image: GOOGLE)
Where it is: The Common Room / Mining Institute, Neville Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE.
Its heritage rolling stock, bridges and stations help extend the film’s period world beyond drawing rooms and libraries, adding movement and a sense of a country on the move.
(Image: Supplied)
Where it is: Tanfield Railway (Marley Hill), near Sunniside, NE16 5ET.
Advertisement
A region doubling for London and Cambridge
All of these locations are stitched together on screen to stand in for London and Cambridge, underlining just how versatile the North East can be as a filming destination.
For Gharavi, who has lived in the region for nearly three decades, the film is a statement of intent: proof that you can tell a major literary story using streets, stations, cathedrals and factories that Northern Echo readers know well – and can visit long after the credits roll.
NEW YORK (AP) — A 51-year-old Connecticut man fell to his death from an upper deck of Madison Square Garden during a concert on Saturday night, police said.
Officers responding to a 911 call around 9:51 p.m. found the man unconscious and unresponsive with injuries indicating a fall from an “elevated position,” New York City police said. Police did not say how far the man fell, but said he was in Section 300. They identified him as Paul Kueker of Niantic, Connecticut.
The man was with his wife, according to police. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police do not suspect foul play.
The rock band Goose was performing. In a statement on Facebook, the band said it was “deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred.”
Advertisement
AP AUDIO: Man falls to his death during rock concert at Madison Square Garden
Advertisement
AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on the death of a concertgoer at Madison Square Garden Saturday Night.
Sunday at Parklife saw sets from Arman Van Helden, Rudimental, Kettama, Zara Larsson and Calvin Harris
At the gates into Heaton Park on Sunday afternoon there was one accessory that all those-in-the-know had in their possession – and if they didn’t then they were queuing up to get one.
Advertisement
No, it wasn’t a bucket hat or cowboy accessory, but fans emblazoned with jewels and profanities – well it is Parklife. After an epic first day, the sun was firmly out for the longest day of the year, and sadly, those fans were doing little to quell the heat.
Saturday set a precedent with the sunshine and the good times with a surprise set from Aitch and a celebratory moment for Josh Baker during the day, followed by an electric atmosphere and an erupting crowd for Skepta, with DJ and producer Sammy Virji ending things off with a lively and uplifting set – ticked off with a rouse of fireworks.
Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter
With expectations high for Sunday, the weather instantly turned up – bringing highs of 25C basking down on Heaton Park for early sets from Manchester’s own Mix-Stress as well as the likes of Rich Reason and Fumi.
Advertisement
Summer solstice and a headliner who sings about the joys of Midnight Sun – it couldn’t have been more serendipitous for those heading down on Sunday. And fans poured through the gates in their thousands for day two of the UK’s largest metropolitan festival in anticipation of seeing both Zara Larsson and Calvin Harris later in the evening.
Of course the festival isn’t just about the headliners, though Sunday’s billing was rather good for that. On the Valley Stage thousands flooded through early doors to catch the first sets of the day – Nicola Bear and Clementine Douglas.
The latter kicked off her set with the instantly recognisable Blessings – her collab with fellow Parklife performer Calvin Harris. The award winning vocalist drew in crowds who came running to soak up her high energy set. By the end of the half an hour performance, festival-goers were dancing and singing along to her impressive roster of tracks – setting the tone for the party to come.
Advertisement
Over at Panorama, the party really had started. The new stage boasts cutting edge state-of-the-art production alongside new LED visuals and on-stage access. There’s also dancing platforms.
Yesterday, they were used more for a little sit down when the sun got a little but too much, but on Sunday, revellers made the most of the new additions, swinging, swaying and bringing good vibes as Sheffield’s Silva Bumpa gave them quite the show.
Amid the revival of UK garage, bassline, and speed garage, he has has driven the scene forward. His music is a mix of gritty base with the bounce and singalong quality of those beloved club classics – you know the ones we’re sad to tear ourselves away from when the lights come up at the club at 4am and we’re shooed out.
Advertisement
The stage too was packed out. A feature of Panorama is that fans are given the chance to get behind the DJ, up on stage, a little Boiler Room-esque. While festivals are all about the incredible acts, you could tell from the vibes up on stage that those attending we’re loving being in the spotlight too.
Lets just say Parklife-goers were loving this new stage. Arguably one of the busiest areas of the festival all day, the likes of Luuk Van Dijk, Chloé Caillet, and Ewan McVicar we bolstered by the fans out in the field giving it their all, throwing some interesting shapes and partying like the day would never end.
And Panorama isn’t the only new feature for 2026. The festival has raised the bar with a host of new additions across the site, in both the main area and VIP section. This year, Parklife has delighted festival-goers with secret sets and brand-new stages as well as quirky attractions and upgraded amenities.
Advertisement
Revellers explored a new food court, browsed the interactive Bossmans supermarket experience, and could even pick up a vintage keepsake from roaming Polaroid photographers for £8. Among the new food offerings was Manchester favourite Jerk Junction, the popular Caribbean street food brand founded in Chorlton.
Meanwhile, VIP ticket holders were treated to an enhanced experience, with new charging lockers, dedicated areas to rest and relax, and shaded spaces to escape the summer sun between sets. There was even somewhere to get your high-end trainers professionally cleaned – now that’s VIP service for you.
Armand Van Helden took to the Valley stage ate afternoon for an hour of high-energy house hits. The American DJ played to a packed-out crowd at the centre of the festival, getting people hyped up and singing along to a mix that included some of his bestselling hits, such as I Want Your Soul, My My My and fan favourite Bonkers, which he made with Dizzee Rascal. As the evening drew closer, Parklife was bouncing to the expertly crafted set of the crowd-pleasing DJ.
Advertisement
When it came to fashion on the Sunday, there’s one person many festival-goers looked too. Since the release of her breakthrough worldwide hit Lush Life, Swedish pop star Zara Larsson has been inspiring fans with her sense of Y2K style emphasising neon, glitter and glamour.
Her nostalgia-tinged style continued to erupt with the release of her latest album Midnight Sun last year, which sees her headline Parklife this year. With her set eyed as a highlight for the entire weekend, fans have taken note from her Mermaid-inspired style with pink outfits, mesh tops, and candy-coloured fun.Outside of the Midnight Sun huns, there were more bandanas, low-rise shorts, bucket hats, football shirts and tie dye realness on show.
Parklife veterans Rudim3ntal returned to the festival for their sixth appearance – surely that must be a record?
The London-based three piece got the crowd hyped up and moving at The Valley stage as they played back to back hits in their heavily drum and bass inspired set. The crowd loved the setlist, which included Waiting All Night, Spectrum (Say My Name) and Good Feeling – despite the slight change in weather the late afternoon brought. Speaking mid-way thought the set, frontman Locksmith said: “I feel like we haven’t been in Manchester for a minute. And you know what Manchester, you always do it large.”
At the pinnacle of her career right now thanks to a plethora of viral hits – including 11-year-old hit Lush Life which just won’t grow old – Zara was one of the biggest draws of the weekend for pop fans.
Opening with Midnight Sun before kicking into the likes of Can’t Tame Her, Eurosummer and Never Forget You she brought a real sense of glitter-bombed mermaid style to proceedings.
Her baby blue swimsuit mashed with Daisy Duke-style shorts customised with trinkets incluidng what looked like a mini Hot Wheels cars, carabiners (din’t have her down as a mountain climber) and key rings, showed she’s all about the attention to detail.
Sadly, the only down side was the soundsystem. Zara’s lush vocals and those astounding notes that we all know she’s capable of hitting were achieved, but were sometimes a little mute. The soundsystem at The Valley has been pretty much flawless during this year’s performances, so for Zara’s set to be a little quiet was a tad disappointing.
Advertisement
That said, the crowd didn’t seem to mind, singing back the lyrics to Hot & Sexy and Stateside, before the crowd went loud for her remix of PinkPantheress’ Stateside. We did have a smile to ourselves during the set too when Zara complimented the outfits on display.
What amused us is she chose to share love to her fans during Pretty Ugly which, let’s be honest, does initially appear to be a bit of bad timing on her front. That said, it’s actually a song about rejecting what is expected – especially for women to be “ladylike” – and to own their selves. And to that we say Amen Zara, you pitch-perfect pop princess.
Of course, Lush Life made an appearance as a fan was brought on stage to recreate the 2015 hit’s iconic choreography, even gifting her a t-shirt – lucky thing.
Advertisement
For those that we’re there at the first Parklife, things were pretty different. First off, it wasn’t at Heaton Park but Platt Fields. Second, the lineup featured Friendly Fires, Booka Shade, Kissy Sell Out and The Japanese Popstars, and Calvin Harris.
The very man that today has built a $300M music empire and holds the record for the most UK Top 10 hits from a single studio album. To say he’s a big a deal might not do the phrase justice.
Returning to Parklife 16 years later, the crowd was huge, potentially bigger than Charli xcx last year – and that’s saying something. Blending seamlessly between his back catalogue of massive hits – we’re talking ‘We Found Love’, ‘How Deep is Your Love’ and ‘One Kiss’ to name just a few, there was no lapse at all
Advertisement
Just when you thought is might subside, another hit came through the speakers, mobile phones aloft as the crowd sought to capture a moment that we know can’t be repeated. “Manchester you sound so good” he said encouragingly, as if to make sure they were supported through this high-energy, whistle-stop tour through the last twenty years.
High-end production – check. Pyrotechnics and fireworks galore check. Parklife history made? Check.
Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves while Iran and Belgium played to a 0-0 draw at the World Cup on Sunday, with Team Melli unable to break through after the Red Devils went down to 10 men in the second half.
Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card in the 66th minute when he miskicked a ball backward and then fouled Mehdi Taremi to prevent the Iran star from getting a clean breakaway scoring chance.
Iran couldn’t capitalize, and Belgium actually generated better scoring chances down the stretch — but both teams left with their second straight draw in group play.
Neither team will feel good about the result at SoFi Stadium.
Advertisement
During a tumultuous World Cup trip affected by travel restrictions and visa denials from the U.S., Iran will regret missing a golden opportunity to beat a European powerhouse sitting 10th in FIFA’s world rankings while playing before a loud, supportive crowd in the Los Angeles area.
Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand in action with Belgium’s Maxim De Cuyper, Iran’s Ali Nemati and Belgium’s Hans Vanaken (Reuters)
Meanwhile, star-studded Belgium has yet to score in two matches at the World Cup, getting on the scoreboard only through an own goal in its opening draw with Egypt.
Belgium dominated possession in the first 60 minutes, but Iran had a handful of strong chances stopped by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who matched Beiranvand’s excellence.
(Getty)
Maxim De Cuyper was denied twice in the second half by Beiranvand, including a golden opportunity in the 86th minute.
Belgium dominated possession from the start, but repeatedly failed to get behind Iran’s defensive shell. Team Melli had the best scoring chances early, including a beautiful set piece for a goal by Taremi — who was ruled offside by video review.
Standout Belgian winger Jérémy Doku missed the match with an illness.
The PSNI have tonight issued a statement quashing reports of men armed with a knife on a Northern Ireland beach.
Officers were dispatched to Portstewart Strand in Co Derry on the afternoon of Sunday June 21 after reports of men in the area, which was busy with families enjoying the fine weather.
Advertisement
However, the incident was de-escalated immediately when the patrol spoke with the men concerned and discovered they were preparing food for a barbecue.
The statement from the PSNI on Sunday June 21 said: “Police received a report of a number of men – one of whom was believed to have a knife – in the Portstewart Strand area on Sunday afternoon, 21st June.
“Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene where they spoke with the men.
“A subsequent search of the men’s van established that they had been preparing barbecue at the beach and the knife was being used for this purpose.
Advertisement
“No criminal offences were noted, however the knife was removed for disposal. No further police action was taken.”
Williams won her first Wimbledon singles title in 2002 – beating sister Venus in the final – and repeated the feat a year later.
She won again in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016 – with her seventh triumph meaning she equalled Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major singles titles.
After taking maternity leave in 2017, she reached the final on her next two Wimbledon appearances, but lost in straight sets to Angelique Kerber and Halep.
Her 2021 campaign ended after just six games as she retired injured against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and there were doubts she would return.
Advertisement
Given a wildcard in 2022, she was two points from victory against Harmony Tan before being edged out in a final-set tie-break.
Asked afterwards if that would be her final Wimbledon appearance, Williams said: “That’s a question I can’t answer. Who knows? Who knows where I’ll pop up?”
Williams has won 14 titles at Wimbledon, with six women’s doubles and one mixed doubles among her tally.
She also won Olympic singles and doubles gold on the same courts at the 2012 London Olympics.
Advertisement
Williams has won 107 of her 123 singles matches on grass courts, and it is the surface she has the best record on with an 87% win-rate.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login