Motorists in England, Scotland and Wales may already be seeing the new ‘76’ vehicle registration numbers on the road after they were released on Tuesday.

Amid the release of the new number plates, the DVLA has warned drivers to be on the lookout for stolen plates.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, the agency said: “Be aware of stolen number plates. If you’ve lost yours, make sure you get one from a registered number plate supplier.

“You’ll need

• an identity document
• proof you can use the registration number”

Be aware of stolen number plates. If you’ve lost yours, make sure you get one from a registered number plate supplier.

You’ll need:

• an identity document
• proof you can use the registration number

For more, go to: https://t.co/jsU9sNaxN1 pic.twitter.com/OZDuBU3CMD

— Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (@DVLAgovuk) August 28, 2026

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For more information, you can visit the DVLA website here.

DVLA number plate fine warning

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is reminding drivers to check their own plates meet the required specifications.

Plates that do not comply can lead to a fine and an MOT failure.

The DVLA said: “Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly. You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they’re hard to read.

“You could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.”

Is your number plate legal?

These are the rules you should be aware of around licence plates from the DVLA.

The number plates on your vehicle must:

• be made from a reflective material
• display black characters on a white background (front plate)
• display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
• not have a background pattern
• be marked to show who supplied the number plate
• be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021

The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.

Your number plates can also:

• have 3D (raised) characters
• display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
• display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle

Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing , said: “Characters must not be removable or reflective, however, your number plates can have 3D (raised) characters, display certain flags, symbols and identifiers and display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle.

“It’s important to drivers to understand the nuances of what’s required for their licence plates as even the smallest modifications could make it illegal. For example, 3D characters are allowed on licence plates, but if the raised letters are not black or have a reflective coating on them, this could make them illegal.

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“It’s also important for drivers to understand that any modifications around their licence plate, that could make it unreadable, are also considered illegal.

“For example, licence plate lights must be white – not tinted blue or any other colour – and need to illuminate the plate evenly without causing any shadows. The bulbs themselves must not be visible.

“Failure to meet these requirements can result in fines of up to £1,000, as well as an MOT failure for the vehicle.

“Motorists looking to replace or customise their plates should only buy from DVLA-registered suppliers who follow the legal guidelines. Plates that feature illegal fonts, incorrect spacing, tinted backgrounds, or missing supplier information can all lead to penalties.

“For those unsure whether their plates comply, checking with a reputable supplier or consulting DVLA guidelines is the safest way to avoid unnecessary fines or complications.”

Race Across The World victor Alfie Watts has opened up about his relationship with his family and said he no longer speaks to them.

The 23-year-old stormed to victory on the globe-trotting BBC show in 2024, competing alongside his friend Owen Wood on a route that spanned 15,000 kilometres from Japan to Indonesia.

During his stint on the show, the football referee movingly spoke to Wood about losing his mother to breast cancer. He was also seen releasing a lantern in Vietnam in her honour.

He did not know his father until he was a teenager, so was predominantly raised by his grandmother in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

In a new podcast appearance, Watts has spoken about how his differing approach to grief caused a rift between him and his family.

Appearing on Matt Willis’s On The Mend podcast, he said: ‘Me and my family have never got on. Basically, I cannot resonate with a giving-up attitude. It’s not in me and they gave up. That really annoyed me, even from an early age.’

He continued: ‘At that point, they just decided that there was nothing left to live for, even though they had so many years to turn things around and make something for themselves.

‘There was never any passion to go out and see anything, any kind of hobbies, any urge to go and see friends. 

‘Any time I did something, it was almost like I felt guilty for it because I should be feeling this level of grief they were experiencing.’

He went on to say that gap got ‘worse and worse’ as he grew older and more successful, adding: ‘It’s completely boiled over in the past year. As a three, we now just don’t talk to each other.’

Watts went on to say that he has had to discover a found family outside his bloodline, with close friends and a form tutor at school who became a pivotal male role model for him.

After being crowned the victors of Race Across The World 2024, Watts told Metro how his friends factored in his plans for spending his winnings. 

He revealed he ‘had a great summer’ with the winnings, telling us: ‘I took all of my friends away.

‘The whole thing was I was gonna do Race Across The World, then I was going to have a period after where I went travelling again, and then I was going to settle down and become an air traffic controller.’

But life took a different turn, as he instead became a social media influencer, adding: ‘It hasn’t quite gone as I’d imagined back then. There is a part of me now that actually wishes I’d been a bit more responsible with the money. But you adapt to what’s in front of you.’

Race Across The World airs on BBC One.

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Mr Polanski said he ‘loves’ the community and ‘knows it well’

Zack Polanski has announced he will stand in a crunch London by-election after Sir Keir Starmer quit as an MP.

The Green Party leader said he ‘loves’ the community in Holborn and St Pancras and ‘knows it well’ after former prime minister Sir Keir announced his resignation as MP after 11 years on Tuesday (September 1). The step down for Sir Keir, who said he would turn his focus to ‘international affairs’, has triggered a by-election in the constituency.

Mr Polanski told the Camden New Journal the constituency ‘has everything that’s the best of our country and so much potential’. He said: “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.

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“It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.” He added: “For too long now it’s been held back by governments who have failed to make the changes to improve people’s lives.

“We know that the Greens can win here, and by electing me, voters will have someone who will always fight their corner – never scared of big donors or the party whip. Too often Labour has stood up for corporations and big money. I will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills.”

Mr Polanski has been the leader of the Green Party since September 2025. He has also been a member of the London Assembly since May 2021.

Sir Keir announced he would quit as an MP on Tuesday, as Parliament returned from its summer recess, despite having previously insisted he would stay on as a backbencher until the next general election. He said: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.

“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely.

“It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”

This is the moment a van is driven the wrong way down a dual carriageway during a high-speed 15-mile police chase. 

Footage appears to show a white Citroën repeatedly swerving between lanes on the A20 in Kent on Sunday, as dozens of drivers attempt to avoid a head-on crash. 

The 53-second clip, which was filmed by a passenger in a car on the other side of the road, shows a van travelling along the eastbound carriageway with its hazard lights flashing.

The Citroën allegedly exited the A20 by driving the wrong way up a slip road before police rammed it off the road in Bromley, south-east London, and arrested the driver.

Photos show the vehicle, which had allegedly been stolen, suspended in the air surrounded by shards of glass. 

The alleged pursuit took place little more than a week after a separate incident in which two officers were killed when a car, which had been travelling the wrong way along the A66, smashed into their marked police vehicle, near Middlesbrough. 

PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38, and five members of the public travelling in the Volkswagen Passat were pronounced dead at the scene. 

A van is seen suspended in the air surrounded by shards of glass after a police chase ended in a crash on the A20

The 53-second clip, which was filmed by a passenger in a car on the other side of the road, shows the van travelling along the eastbound carriageway with its hazard lights flashing

At least eight police vehicles attended the scene following the crash in Bromley 

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That crash also came just days after five young men were killed and an innocent family injured in a head-on collision on the M9 in Co Kildare, Ireland. 

Kent Police said a man had allegedly smashed a window and stolen the Citroën van from a property in Swanscombe at around 2.55pm on Sunday.

The force said the owner was known to the suspect.   

Officers located a van several hours later in Swanley, where it allegedly failed to stop and travelled into London, where the Met Police took over the pursuit. 

Met Police officers detained the driver after making tactical contact – a manoeuvre used to bring a fleeing vehicle to a controlled stop – on Mottingham Road in Bromley.

A Met Police officer sustained an injury to his hand and was taken to hospital before being discharged. No other serious injuries were reported. 

The force confirmed that a van was driving along the wrong side of the A20 for a ‘short period of time’.

One person who saw the scene of the crash told The News Shopper: ‘It sounded like an air raid was about to kick off.

‘Never seen so many police cars before.’

PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed in a separate incident when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 

Police officers at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough on August 22

PC Tom Clough also died in the crash in Middlesbrough, which occurred around ten seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off

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At least eight police vehicles attended the scene following the smash.

Barney McGinley, 33, has been charged with causing serious injury by driving a vehicle dangerously, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and no insurance. 

He appeared before Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody. 

A spokesman for Kent Police said in an updated statement: ‘Kent Police was called at 2.55pm on Sunday to a report that a man had smashed a window and taken a van that did not belong to him from an address in Swanscombe. 

‘The owner of the property was known to him. At around 6.45pm Kent Police officers located the van in the London Road area of Swanley. 

‘It did not stop and travelled into London, where Metropolitan Police officers assisted in the detention of the driver after making tactical contact with the vehicle in Mottingham Road, Bromley. 

‘One Metropolitan Police officer suffered an injury to his hand during the incident and no other serious injuries were reported.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Kent Police and the Met Police for further comment.  

Stars of The Gentlemen have dismissed claims Meghan Markle could join the cast, with Vinnie Jones insisting the show already boasts ‘a lot of pretty women‘.

The Duchess of Sussex has not given up hope of appearing in Guy Ritchie‘s crime drama now she is back living in the UK, a source told the Daily Mail.

But members of the current cast absolutely ruled it out on the red carpet at the London premiere of the second season last night.

In his typically direct style, Vinnie Jones said: ‘I think it’s hot air’, adding: ‘We’ve got a lot of pretty women in this series, so I’m not sure there’s room for any more.’ 

Theo James, who plays drug baron Eddie Horniman, the 13th Duke of Halstead, said: ‘I think it’s a spurious rumour. She’d fit in well because she’s actually from the Royal Family, but I think the practicalities of that are impossible.’

He also joked that ‘Prince Harry is playing one of my love interests’.

Fellow Londoner Ray Winstone added: ‘It’s the first I’ve heard of it’ but added that she would be a ‘better looking’ addition than him.

Hugh Bonneville was equally dismissive, describing it as ‘a genius bit of marketing by the person who dreamt up that idea.’ While new star Maya Jama said: ‘I’d be the last person to know.’

Guy Ritchie declined to give any interviews on the red carpet on Wednesday where he could have quashed rumours that Meghan had personally held preliminary talks with him over a possible role in the gangster hit’s third series. 

Vinnie Jones said: ‘I think it’s hot air’, before adding: ‘We’ve got a lot of pretty women in this series, so I’m not sure there’s room for any more.’

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Guy Ritchie, pictured with son Rocky and wife Jacqui Ainsley last night, declined to comment

Meghan is said to be keen to return to acting, both on screen and even on stage

Royal author Tina Brown claimed that Meghan’s offer of an acting job was withdrawn within 24 hours of the Sussexes returning to the UK because the ‘backlash was so intense it became untenable’.   

Industry experts even claimed talk of Meghan being linked with a role in the show could have been leaked as a cynical PR tactic to create a buzz around her upcoming arrival in the UK. 

But a source told the Daily Mail there are still rumours in the TV world that there is ‘still the possibility of a role’ for Meghan, who is said to be keen to return to acting.

‘I gather talks are still ongoing despite claims that it’s all off. It was a factor for her in moving back to the UK’, they said.

It has been claimed that she may have spoken directly with Guy Ritchie. 

Another source in Theatreland said there were deafening rumours that the former Suits actress wants to land a serious stage role in London’s West End.

But Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading PR gurus, said he felt ‘the timing of this has an ulterior motive to do what it’s doing, to generate as much attention as possible without saying anything at all’.

Addressing claims that the leak was deliberate from the Sussex side, he told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s totally plausible because there’s not been a single quote from the production, so they’re enjoying all the publicity, it’s good for them.’

Meghan played lawyer Rachel Zane for seven seasons of the US legal drama Suits

The star-studded cast were out in force for the premiere of season two at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London last night.

Maya Jama, 32, wore a daringly cut leather gown, custom made by R&M leathers and styled by Rhea Francois, as she arrived on the red carpet for her first ever premiere as an actress.

The Love Island host makes her acting debut as Aisha, the wife of a criminal associate of Theo James‘s character, Eddie Horniman. 

Meanwhile, Kaya Scodelario, 34, channelled her impeccably styled character Susie as she dazzled in diamonds while dressed in a custom Paolo Sebastian corset gown.

Scodelario returns for season two as the daughter of a mobster named Bobby Glass, played by Ray Winstone, who has a cannabis empire on English country estates.

And life imitated art as James channelled his duke-turned-crime-boss character Eddie, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit.

Hugh Bonneville appeared alongside his partner Heidi Kadlecova after joining the cast as the colourful Lord Hawthorne. 

Maya Jama , 32, injected a sprinkle of gangster glamour in a daringly cut leather gown to the premiere of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen season two tonight

Meanwhile Kaya Scodelario, 34, channeled her impeccably styled character Susie as she dazzled in diamonds

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And life imitated art as Theo James channelled his duke turned crime boss character Eddie Horniman, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit

Joely Richardson, who plays Lady Sabrina, looked criminally stylish as she oozed glamour in a gold chained gown

Hollywood actress Joely Richardson, who plays Lady Sabrina, oozed glamour in a dramatic gold-chained gown. 

Ritchie, who has directed the crime drama, was joined at the premiere by his son Rocco, 26, whom he shares with ex wife Madonna, and his second wife Jacqui Ainsley, 44. 

The new series of the crime comedy-drama, which releases today on Netflix, also sees Vinnie Jones and Daniel Ings reprise their roles as stoic gamekeeper Geoffrey Seacombe and the not-so-clever brother Freddy Horniman respectively.

Vinnie leant into the countryside chic in a tweed suit, putting on an animated display on the carpet.

In a pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Board, the author said there was “absolutely nothing they could do for this lady”

A serial shoplifter was warned by a judge she was “on her last chance” after he suspended a prison sentence for a spate of thefts.

Deirdre Ann McKeown, 59, of Ballymoney Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, had previously pleaded to two sets of charge sheets levelled against her.

The first bill of indictment related to the thefts of groceries, BBQ meat items and cleaning products from a Spar shop in Ballymoney to the value of £75.50p.

She also admitted three counts of going equipped for theft which included a shopping bag, six security de-tagging hooks and a leather shopping bag.

All of the offences were committed on dates between May 29 and July 2, 2025.

The second set of charges related to April 15, 2025, when McKeown stole travel items worth £52.98p from the Home Bargains store in Ballyclare.

On the same date, she received stolen goods, namely a belt and underwear, from the DV8 store in Ballymena.

During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Judge Gordon Kerr KC said the amount of money involved in the thefts was “small in the least”.

“Ordinarily, these cases would be dealt with in the magistrates courts and given her record of 134 previous convictions, the sentencing would have been in months at the lower end of the scale,” outlined Judge Kerr.

McKeown has over 30 convictions for theft along with entries for forgery, fraud and handling stolen goods.

Added Judge Kerr: “Clearly it has been decided because of her history that it is time for her to come before the Crown Court.”

In a pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Board, the author said there was “absolutely nothing they could do for this lady”.

Said Judge Kerr: “They have done everything, they have tried everything. They have had her under all types of orders and they just think they can’t manage to do anything with her as it is partly because she is not responsible enough.”

He noted there were some medical and psychiatric issues with McKeown and there was a suggestion at one stage she was suffering from kleptomania.

Judge Kerr said a further report before the court indicated McKeown had “genuine medical problems” and if she was in a prison setting the authorities would not be able to treat her in the same way if she was living in the community.

“I have only one way of dealing with this case and that is the custodial way and throwing it back at her by imposing suspended sentences.”

Prosecution barrister Eoin Macdonald told the court that in the past suspended sentences had not worked with McKeown.

A defence barrister agreed with suspending the prison sentences, saying McKeown had appointments this month with the chest X-ray team, the Older People Services team and the stroke support team.

Following legal discussions around sentencing, Judge Kerr imposed a global sentence of 11 months to cover both charge sheets, but suspended the sentences for a period of two years.

Judge Kerr told McKeown: “You have not been receptive to the help offered to you by probation. None of the normal non-custodial sentences have worked for you.

“In the past even suspended sentences haven’t worked for you. But according to the medical reports you have some significant medical conditions.

“The only that this court can deal with you is by leaving responsibility for your future in you hands.

“Being in prison is something that you will bring upon yourself if you don’t change your attitude and stop offending.

“There will be no more chances. This is your last chance. If you breach these sentences any court you come back to will have no choice but to send you immediately to prison.”

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By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 09:03 BST, 3 September 2026 | Updated: 09:09 BST, 3 September 2026

Zack Polanski has confirmed he does want to be the Green candidate in the by-election for Keir Starmer‘s old seat.

The party leader said he was ‘excited’ by the prospect of representing Holborn & St Pancras in the Commons as he ‘loves’ the community.

The announcement tees up a titanic battle with Labour, which is desperate to hold on to the seat as evidence of Andy Burnham‘s appeal to voters. 

However, there are rumours of a revolt among local Greens who are pushing to endorse a British Palestinian or pro-Gaza independent.  

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Zack Polanski has dropped a strong hint that he will stand in the Holborn & St Pancras contest, which the Greens believe they have a good chance of winning

Speaking to the Camden New Journal, Mr Polanski said: ‘I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.

‘It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.’

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Sir Keir conducted yet another U-turn to announce his immediate departure from the Commons on Tuesday, despite pledging to see out the rest of the Parliament. 

The move is a headache for Mr Burnham, presenting an early test of the poll ‘bounce’ the party has been enjoying.   

Labour has held the inner London constituency continuously since it was created in 1983, winning at least 40 per cent of the vote at every election.

Sir Keir had a majority of 11,000 in 2024, but that was significantly down from the 27,763 margin he secured in 2019. He came under heavy fire over his approach to Palestine during the campaign.

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The constituency is within the local authority of Camden, where local elections took place earlier this year in May.

Labour retained control of the council, but won only 30 of the 55 seats up for grabs – down from 47 in 2022.

Sir Keir had an 11,000 majority in 2024, but that was significantly down from the 27,763 margin he secured in 2019

The Greens won 11 council seats, seven of which were in the part of the borough covered by the constituency of Holborn & St Pancras. The party has since lost one of these seats to Labour in a by-election.

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The prospects for the Greens could be bolstered as independent candidate Andrew Feinstein, who racked up 18.9 per cent of votes in 2024, looks unlikely to stand. 

Labour is hoping to have a candidate in place by next Wednesday, with the contest potentially taking place as soon as October 1 or 8.

New Labour big beast David Miliband had been touted for a comeback, but appears to have ruled the prospect out. 

Labour squabbling has erupted as the party machines gear up for battle.

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Tulip Siddiq, a close ally of the former PM and MP for a neighbouring constituency, complained about candidates from outside the area trying to parachute in.

Ms Siddiq posted on X: ‘If I didn’t see you campaigning even once during the local elections in Camden, it’s probably best you don’t message me asking for help to run in Holborn and St Pancras,’ she wrote.

Emergency services were called to the road near Bowburn at around 2.45pm on Saturday, August 29, after a passenger became unwell in a car on the hard shoulder.

Police said the driver pulled onto the hard shoulder and paramedics were called for the passenger after he suffered a medical episode.

Paramedics performed CPR at the roadside, but the man, in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

National Highways North East closed the southbound carriageway between Junctions 61 and 60 after the medical emergency.

National Highways North East said delays had reached 15 minutes, with two miles of congestion on the approach.

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: “At approximately 2:45pm on Saturday, August 29 emergency services were alerted to the A1(M) southbound close to Junction 61.

“A passenger in a car, which had pulled onto the hard shoulder, had suffered a medical episode.

“Paramedics carried out CPR at the roadside but, sadly the patient, a man in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident on the A1 near Coxhoe in County Durham at 2.37pm on Saturday, August 29.

“We dispatched two ambulance crews and one specialist paramedic to the incident.”

In a post on X, National Highways said: “A1M southbound between J61 and J60 in County Durham is closed due to a medical emergency.

“The ambulance service are on scene.

“There are delays of 15 minutes and two miles of congestion on the approach.”

Lawrence Shankland scored twice as Rangers beat Falkirk 2-1 to ease the pressure on the club and manager Derek McInnes

Derek McInnes reckons Lawrence Shankland delivered a “proper captain’s performance” after netting twice in Rangers’ 2-1 victory away to Falkirk.

The Scotland international has endured a challenging period at his childhood club following his summer switch from Hearts.

Yet, having converted from 12 yards in Sunday’s 1-0 triumph against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, he put the Light Blues in front with an excellent seventh-minute effort.

Despite Gers full-back Kosta Nedeljkovic diverting an Ethan Ross cross into his own goal shortly before half-time, Shankland bent home the decisive strike in the 79th minute with his characteristic finish.

McInnes said: “I’m very pleased for Lawrence Shankland. I thought his second goal was particularly good, considering he missed the chance that he would be kicking himself with.

“But, like all good strikers, the experience of Lawrence, the calmness of Lawrence, the quality comes up with a big moment.

“His first goal was a fantastic strike. I was screaming to leave it for Gass (Djeidi Gassama), but he sticks it in the back of the net.

“I’m delighted for him because it’s not been, like for all of us, the easiest of starts.

“Obviously Lawrence would feel the weight of that a lot more than some others, I think, just because of his background and how eager he is. A proper captain’s performance out there tonight.

“I’m pleased that we’ve won the game, and I was pleased with certain aspects of our attacking play, but disappointed that we’ve not been able to enjoy the game a bit more in terms of giving Falkirk a lot of encouragement at times.”

Prior to kick-off, midfielder Thelo Aasgaard departed the squad’s hotel to finalise a temporary transfer to Belgian outfit Anderlecht, while Rangers turned down a loan approach from Turkish club Besiktas for Nicolas Raskin. McInnes remains optimistic that the Belgian midfielder will stay at Ibrox.

He commented: “Yeah, I think he will. I can’t say when it’s certain; they’re not in control of that.

“Obviously Nico’s had an opportunity to go today, and it wasn’t something he wanted or the club, I believe, entertained. It was hardly the ideal preparation.

“I’ve been keen to utilise Nico, but there’s been a lot going on for him.

“He’s been training with us every day, and I do think at times the team needs a bit more experience.

“Even coming through from Ibrox at lunchtime today, at the hotel, I had Thelo behind me and Nico three rows behind me and I didn’t know who was coming and who was going. It’s far from ideal.

“This is the difficulty when you’re playing games while the window’s still open.”

Meanwhile, Falkirk manager John McGlynn was left frustrated by squandered opportunities following the interval.

He remarked: “I think we’ve got two great opportunities in the second half that we could have put ourselves 2 or 3-1 up.

“If you give Lawrence any kind of space in the box, he’s going to punish you. And he’s got a wee habit of doing it against us.

“I thought for 30 minutes of the second half, we were the better team.

“We probably deserved something, but we don’t want to be this team that can play nice football and be attractive and play good games.

“We need to start turning that into wins.”

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Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have been replaced as hosts of The Grand Tour

New The Grand Tour presenter Francis Bourgeois has said the support of the show’s former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond has been “an absolute superpower”.

The 26-year-old will present the new series of the Prime Video motoring show alongside social media stars Thomas Holland and James Englesman.

Former Top Gear hosts Clarkson, Hammond, and May fronted the programme from 2016 to 2024 before they decided to leave. So when the streamer decided to bring it back this September, they replaced the hosts.

Speaking at the London premiere of the forthcoming series, Bourgeois, who is known for his trainspotting videos on social media, told the Press Association about his predecessors’ support: “They’ve been so warm and open. It’s that transition point where they know it’s going into nice, right hands, to have them, and to have their blessing is an absolute superpower.”

But his co-star Holland was quick to point out the new hosting team would avoid taking on similar roles to Clarkson, Hammond and May.

He added: “I mean there’s similarities between any of us and any other people right? Especially in the car world. You’re going to align with somebody on some things and disagree with them on others, that’s just kind of the nature of car enthusiasm right?”

Englesman added: “We’ve been presenting in our own worlds separately for so long, it’s more of a case of how we gel together rather than falling into the grooves of the old guys.”

The motoring journalist, who is from Canada, is best known for co-presenting YouTube channel Throttle House, with fellow Canadian Holland. Bourgeois, whose real name is Luke Nicolson, added that the trio’s relationship had built up a year before filming began, with Englesman calling Bourgeois “the missing ingredient”.

Clarkson, Hammond and May will make guest appearances during the forthcoming season, and the trio were there to support the new hosts at the premiere of the new series on Wednesday (September 2) evening.

The new series of The Grand Tour launches on Prime Video on September 4