Officers from Cleveland Police attended Lime Crescent in Hartlepool at around 4.35pm, to make an arrest attempt.

The police force confirmed that two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old were all arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of a firearm.

The 16-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary in relation to a separate incident.

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: “A police presence will remain at the scene whilst our investigations continue, but officers are not looking for anyone else.

Unemployment in the UK has increased to its highest rate in five years, according to official figures.

The unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in the three months to December, up from 5.1% in the three months to November, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.

The figure is the highest seen since January 2021, when the country was in a national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The family had visited inland surf destination, The Wave, in Bristol., which Alex recommended for those learning or wanting to surf.

The One Show’s Alex Jones has recommended an outdoor family activity spot ahead of the half term. The presenter shares three children with her husband Charlie Thomson, and often shares their elaborate and active holidays on her social media platforms.

The family have been staying at Villa Farm in Aust, just across the old Severn Bridge. During their stay they’ve been looking after goats, and bathing in a wilderness tub, but Alex also shared on Instagram that her sons and husband were trying out a new hobby.

The family had visited the inland surf destination, The Wave, in Bristol., which Alex recommended for those learning or wanting to surf. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

She shared: “We’ve come here to The Wave today. Now, this is a man-made kind of beach with guaranteed waves so you can learn to surf, or if you surf already you can.

“I think get some membership here. There’s a cafe, there’s a playground.

“The boys are on dry land at the minute having a lesson. So, yeah let’s see how it goes when they get in the water. Annie and I are going to find a hot chocolate.”

The mother of three showed updates throughout the day of her husband and sons attempting to surf at the Bristol attraction.

After initially mastering their skills on dry land, the three of them headed into the water with the instructor. Alex posted another photo where one of her sons was surfing, she captioned it “we have success!”

Later on she added: “Also, a brilliant place for scooters and balance bikes. There’s an actual skate park too..

“A great time had by all an delicious lunch too. We’ll be back in the summer.”

So, if you’re looking for somewhere to take the kids this half term, The Wave in Bristol is Alex Jones-approved.

It’s just under an hour away from Cardiff, located at Washingpool Farm, which is situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol.

Its website says: “The Wave Bristol is a slice of the ocean inland. Where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can experience the joy of waves and their many physical and mental health benefits.

“It’s about getting back to nature, improving health and wellbeing, connecting with other people, enjoying wonderful food and drink, immersing yourself in an incredible day out and having a load of fun in the process!”

It offers a surfing session, surfing lessons, as well as summer bundles, however its opening times vary so it’s best to check the website before heading down. From Thursday, April 2, it will be open seven days a week, but until that point it’s open weekly from Thursday to Sunday.

It even holds events, and this Saturday, February 21 it will be hosting a GB Surfing Expression Session from 6pm until 7pm. Here you can watch the UK’s top pros unleash high performance manoeuvres for free. It will also have Red Bull DJs and a lakeside MC.

You can find more information about The Wave here.

The pub has become world-famous after featuring on the hit Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm.

But the popular pub is now facing a legal battle after being sued by Elizabeth Palmby, 68, following a fall in the Farmer’s Dog car park.

Farmer’s Dog visitor seriously injured after fall at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub

Elizabeth broke her ribs and had to have surgery after tripping and slicing open her hand on “razor sharp” temporary metal covers in the pub’s car park.

Surgeons later had to operate to remove metal fragments (from the carpark) that were left inside her hand.

She has been left with a “horrible” jagged scar as a permanent reminder of when what was supposed to be a “fun” trip to the pub turned into a nightmare.

Elizabeth Palmby broke her ribs and had to have surgery after tripping and slicing open her hand in the Farmer’s Dog car park (Image: Simon Lennon / SWNS)

Elizabeth, from Scunthorpe, said: “It was supposed to be a great fun trip – I really wanted to visit as I enjoyed watching his Amazon show. But it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

“I bought my most expensive boxes of eggs from the farm shop, but then I fell on them and was left with diddly squat and was badly injured.

“I know Jeremy is a perfectionist and the pub itself was perfect, and the staff were great, but the carpark was a total disaster.

“It is very dangerous and an accident waiting to happen. I am probably scarred for life.

“Luckily, I keep myself fit and healthy and I think that helped me but anyone frail could have been more seriously injured.

“At the minute that carpark is a danger to visitors and needs fixing urgently.”

NHS worker Elizabeth and her husband Darren had made the three-and-a-half-hour journey down from their home in November last year, first visiting the Diddly Squat Farm, then the following day the Farmer’s Dog pub.

Driving rain the previous night had turned the field car park of the pub into a virtual mud bath with large metal sheets/panels covering hidden puddles.

Elizabeth had a soft drink in the pub and visited the on-site Diddly Squat farm shop to buy two boxes of six eggs as a gift, and was carrying them back to the car when she fell.

She added: “It happened in slow motion – I caught my foot on one of the upturned sheets and my feet went from under me.

“I instinctively threw my hand out to save myself and badly banged my knee. I fell flat, landing on the bag carrying the eggs, smashing them all.

“It was really scary as then I was struggling to breathe and was in incredible pain. I knew I had done some damage then and had to go to hospital.”

The fall is being blamed on the metal covers (pictured) in the Farmer’s Dog car park. (Image: Simon Lennon / SWNS)

After reporting the accident to staff in the carpark her husband, a former ambulance worker, rushed her to Witney Community Hospital, where they X-rayed her hand and knee.

It was only then that she saw the full extent of the damage to her hand after it had been cleaned of mud.

Grandmother Elizabeth added: “The first I knew my hand was injured was on the way to the hospital when I touched the door handle and I saw blood, but it was still covered in mud.

“So, I didn’t know how bad it was. But when they cleaned it up, I saw a gaping open and jagged ugly wound. It was horrible and very painful.

“The carpark covers must have been razor sharp to do that sort of damage. The nurse could only put steri strips on where the cut was because she said normal stitches would reopen.”

Elizabeth has been left “scarred for life” following the fall. (Image: Simon Lennon / SWNS)

After being discharged and bandaged, she returned to the pub to fill in the accident book, and after a complimentary meal and new eggs, she returned home.

But after a consultant from the Witney Hospital reviewed her X-rays, he rang, suggesting she go to her local Scunthorpe General Hospital to have metal fragments removed from her hand.

The part-time NHS administrator had shortness of breath, so also had a chest X-ray, which revealed broken ribs.

She was then referred to the nearby Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham to see a plastic surgeon for hand surgery.

Doctors there spent hours “reconstructing” the wound and removing metal carpark cover pieces, eventually using ten stitches to close the jagged, deep gash.

“I knew something had to be done” – Jeremy Clarkson sued following fall at Farmer’s Dog pub

Elizabeth later returned to the pub with her husband to see if things had improved after her accident and was shocked to see nothing had changed.

She added: “I stayed in the car as my hand was still bandaged and I was embarrassed about what happened.

“But I had to see if it had been made safe, but it was exactly the same.

“Nothing had changed. I at least expected to see a sign saying ‘caution, uneven surface.’ But there wasn’t.

“There appeared to be little or no maintenance of the sheets, they weren’t screwed in or fixed in place. It was very shoddy.

“It was as if nothing had happened to me and business as usual.

“When I saw someone else nearly fall, I knew I had to do something as i couldn’t forgive myself if an elderly person or child was seriously injured and I could have stopped it.”

Elizabeth later wrote to/emailed Clarkson and the Farmer’s Dog pub, highlighting the dangers of the carpark. But she got no reply.

Despite feeling a bit “intimidated” by the former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter’s “celebrity persona”, she contacted accident specialists Express Solicitors and started a legal compensation claim.

Accident specialist Jack Klein of Express Solicitors said: “Elizabeth suffered a horrific injury on what should have been a fun day out.

“Celebrities are not above the law, they need to make sure their premises are safe and fit for purpose to protect people visiting their premises inside and out.”

The Farmer’s Dog has been contacted for comment.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Planning permission for new Farmer’s Dog car park approved

Planning permission to install a permanent hard surface to the Car Park has since been approved by West Oxfordshire District Council last month but work cannot begin until a “detailed” surface water drainage scheme has been submitted and approved in the next few months.

But until then customers still face the temporary metal coverings, which Elizabeth says pose an ongoing hazard.

She added: “It needs fixing now, not later, as more people could be seriously injured in the meantime.”

The county’s police force said Boots in Market Place, Knaresborough was burgled between 2.30am and 3am on Sunday, February 15.

A force spokesperson said perfume and electrical goods were stolen and the store was damaged.

The North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We’re appealing for information about anyone who may have been in and around the Market Place at this time or any local businesses who may have CCTV footage covering Boots.

“Please email beth.long@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Beth Long or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Please quote reference 12260028781 when passing on information.”

Robert Dorgan, 56, who also goes by the name Roberta Esposito, is thought to have opened fire during the tragic incident

The first images of a suspect believed to have opened fire at a high school ice hockey match, resulting in two death and leaving three others critically wounded, have been released.

Authorities have named the gunman as 56 year old Robert Dorgan, who carried out the attack during a game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA on the afternoon of Monday, February 16, reports the Mirror..

Pawtucket’s Police Chief, Tina Goncalves, revealed that Dorgan also goes by the name Roberta Esposito.

At the time of the incident, the venue was hosting games for several local schools. A livestream of one match captured the terrifying moment when spectators and players hit the deck and sought cover as shots echoed through the arena.

“We have identified the person, the suspect, by a birth name, the birth name was Robert Dorgan,” Goncalves confirmed.

“We have also learned that the person does go by the name of Roberta, also uses a last name of Esposito.”

Footage circulating online shows players scrambling out of the penalty box, discarding their skates, vaulting over the rink’s barrier and sprinting towards the changing rooms.

Among the victims is a young girl, with investigators suggesting earlier that the shooting was targeted and “that may be a family dispute.”

Claims have surfaced that Dorgan’s wife and three children were among those shot. It is understood that Dorgan died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Reports indicate that Dorgan was the father of a senior student at North Providence High School.

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Today, the government is considering accelerating planned increases to defence spending.

The news comes after the PM dropped some heavy hints that he was ready to spend more on defence during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

Katya Adler and James Landale drop by to explain how America is trying to rewrite the global order… and get Europe to sign on and Joe Pike explains why spending more on defence is never politically straightforward.

Plus, Joe and Adam discuss the government’s decision to scrap it’s plans to postpone elections for 30 councils after recieving “legal advice”. They also review the government’s latest proposals to crack down on online safety for children and Starmer’s response to claims that a Labour Think Tank paid a private investigator to look into journalists.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Brentford edged into the last-eight of the FA Cup after a 1-0 win over Macclesfield

Keith Andrews showed his class as he heaped praise on Macclesfield after the Premier League progressed in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win.

The Bees booked their place in next month’s quarter-final away to top-flight rivals West Ham United after Silkmen defender Sam Heathcote turned the ball home into his own net in the dying embers. Macclesfield were resilient and dogged, ensuring that the team 116 places higher than them in the football pyramid didn’t have an easy ride at Moss Rose.

Luke Duffy and Paul Dawson had efforts that caused Hákon Valdimarsson some concern. The problems that Macclesfield caused the higher-league opposition made for an uncomfortable night for Andrews.

READ MORE: Macclesfield hand Brentford major scare as non-league side’s magical FA Cup run endsREAD MORE: Diego Simeone’s Old Trafford incident, Roy Keane rejection and warning to Man United stars

The Irishman said: “A tricky game for us, for obvious reasons. A lot of respect for the way they play, the spirit they have I think it was very impressive, seeing a lot of their performances over the last few days.

“It’s a testament to John, testament to the coaching staff and the spirit and the character of the football club.

“It was never going to be easy, I didn’t think we made it easy for ourselves in the first half, in the second half, I thought we did it very well, controlled large parts of it and eventually got the goal.”

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Monday’s showdown was the first meeting between the two since 2009, when Macclesfield ran out 2-0 winners during their respective League Two campaigns.

Some eleven years later, in September 2020, the town was ripped of its football club when the High Court wound up the Silkmen before being reborn shortly after, thanks to owner Rob Smethurst.

Six months or so later, Brentford secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time and returned to the top-flight for the first time since 1947.

He added: “A lot of respect for what they’ve achieved and the journey that they’ve been on. It’s only been 17 years since this was a league fixture. I love the English football pyramid, I love what it stands for and the structure of it.

“There’s always journeys that clubs are on and this club are on a really good journey and I like stories like that, it actually fills my heart so I thought they were immense tonight. I thought that they were absolutely immense right to the end.

“They gave us a proper, proper cup tie that most people would have really enjoyed. I can’t say I did. But again, a lot of respect for what they are and what they stand for.”

Despite the disappointment, Macclesfield have landed an eye-watering financial return, period-defining for most clubs, as they continue to strive for a fourth promotion since Rob Smethurst took over the club.

As a result of their FA Cup heroics, which began in August when they overcame Atherton Laburnum Rovers in the Second Qualifying Round, the Silkmen have a backlog of fixtures to catch up on in their quest to secure a playoff place.

Rooney’s side currently sit in the top seven with a one-point cushion over the chasing pack but as many as five games in hand on some of their rivals.

They continue that quest on Saturday when King’s Lynn Town visit Moss Rose.

When going on holiday, there are not many items more important than a passport.

And while it is crucial to ensure it is in date and good condition, it is also vital that you have two blank pages.

Experts have urged holidaymakers to ensure their passport has this beforehand and warned that they could be refused entry if not.

What are blank pages in a passport for?

A standard British passport has 34 blank pages, which are required for immigration officials to place entry/exit stamps when coming and leaving a country.

Blank pages are also used for affixing visa stickers that are required by many countries.

If you travel regularly, these can get filled up quickly, and most countries require two, sometimes more, empty pages.

Experts have warned Brits of the consequences if passports do not have enough space.

Brits urged to check passports for blank pages before travel

Laura Evans-Fisk is the head of digital and engagement at foreign exchange company Eurochange.

She said: “It’s common knowledge that you need to check the date on your passport before travelling, but a lot of people don’t realise you also need to check how many blank pages are left. 

“In fact, some countries require travellers to have two to four blank visa or stamp pages in their passports before travelling. 

From 25 February 2026 most visitors (except British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals) wishing to travel to the UK will need either an eVisa or an ETA.

Check what you need to apply for at https://t.co/y1p166Dbom pic.twitter.com/KUDY4V88lX

— UK Visas & Immigration Official (@UKVIgovuk) January 28, 2026

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“African countries, including South Africa and Kenya, Asian countries, including Indonesia, India and Thailand, and European/Schengen countries all require at least 2 blank pages. In Namibia, it is required to have up to six blank pages.

“It’s really important to check the number of pages a few months before you travel. If you leave it until you arrive at immigration, you can be denied entry into the country and airlines may refuse boarding if you don’t meet the entry destination’s requirements.”

Travel expert Gavin Lapidus, Director of eShores, described blank pages as often being “overlooked” but said they are “just as important as expiry dates or passport damage”.

He added: “A passport is your gateway to the world, and even small issues such as too few blank pages or minor damage can result in complications at airport check-in desks.

“Even when a traveller might technically be admitted on arrival, airlines can still refuse boarding if the passport doesn’t meet the stated requirements.”

What to do if your passport doesn’t have enough blank pages

If you are due to travel and do not have enough blank pages needed, the experts have given some advice.

Passports are stamped by border control when entering or leaving a country (Image: Getty Images)

Ms Evans-Fisk said: “If you travel frequently, consider getting a new passport well before it becomes completely full.

“If you are travelling within two to three weeks and don’t have enough blank pages, you can use government-sanctioned fast-track services to get a new passport quickly.

“If you’re already abroad and realise you’re out of pages, contact your nearest embassy to request an emergency travel document.”

Sarah Rodrigues, a travel expert working with Avanti Travel Insurance, said that another option is considering a jumbo passport, or, for some, getting two passports.

She said: “For frequent holidaymakers, it’s worth considering the UK jumbo passport.

“With 54 pages, it offers significantly more space over the standard 10-year validity period. 

“While it costs £13 more than the standard passport, the application process is exactly the same.  

“Another lesser-known option for UK citizens is that they can legally hold two passports at the same time, if they meet certain criteria.

“This is typically granted to frequent travellers or for those needing multiple visas.  

“If your passport is filling up, plan ahead and apply early to help you avoid last-minute travel disruptions.”

Are passports still being stamped with the new EU Entry/Exit system?

The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is a digital, automated system that launched last October and replaces manual passport stamping.

It requires biometric registration (fingerprints and photo) at kiosks upon entry, with full operation expected by April this year.

However, experts warn that ensuring you have blank pages when travelling across other parts of the world remains crucial.

Recommended reading:

Mr Lapidus said: “The EU’s new digital EES will start replacing physical passport stamping across Europe, reducing page use within the EU.

“However, this does not affect requirements in the rest of the world, where paper stamps and visa stickers remain standard.

“Airlines and border officials continue to check page availability as part of normal entry procedures.”

How many different countries have you visited in recent years? Let us know in the comments.

GENEVA (AP) — The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold their second round of talks about Iran’s nuclear program Tuesday in Geneva as the United States ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over its deadly crackdown on recent nationwide protests.

The first round of talks Feb. 6 were held in Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and were indirect, with SUVs flying the American flag entering the palace venue only after it appeared the Iranian officials had left. The arrangements for Tuesday’s round of negotiations were not clear.

Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were traveling for the new round of talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Budapest, Hungary, said Monday that the U.S. hopes to achieve a deal with Iran, despite the difficulties. “I’m not going to prejudge these talks,” Rubio said. “The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the talks for Iran, met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Monday in Geneva.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Last week, a top Iranian security official traveled to Oman and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, in a meeting likely focused on updates from the first round and next steps.

“Regional peace and security is our priority, and we urge restraint and wise compromise,” al-Busaidi wrote on X after his meeting with Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iran has in the past communicated its positions in writing when dealing with the Americans. Famously, Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tried to hand Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a letter from Trump in 2019 that he refused to take.

Iran holds naval drills against the US military buildup

Iran announced that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started a drill early Monday morning in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, waterways that are crucial international trade routes through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

Separately, EOS Risk Group said sailors passing through the region received a radio warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill Tuesday. Iranian state TV did not mention the live-fire drill.

It was Iran’s second warning in recent weeks about a live-fire drill.

Last week, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Mideast to join other warships and military assets the U.S. has built up in the region.

The Ford, whose new deployment was first reported by The New York Times, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, which have been in the region for over two weeks. U.S. forces already have shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Lincoln on the same day last week that Iran tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran says any deal must include easing of punishing sanctions

The Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment or hand over its supply of uranium.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

“The ball is in America’s court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC on Sunday. “If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement.”

“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions,” he added.

The U.S. and Iran were in the middle of months of meetings when Israel’s launch of a 12-day war against Iran back in June instantly halted the talks. The U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites during that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israel’s attacks decimated Iran’s air defenses and targeted its ballistic missile arsenal as well.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

___

Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/