“I’m just a daft lad who wants to come to the North West and ride a motorbike and take in the atmosphere,” says British Superbike star, Storm Stacey as he prepares to make his debut on the Briggs Equipment North West 200’s 8.9 mile Triangle course this week.

The announcement that the 23 year old is to race a V4RR Superbike-spec Ducati at Portrush for Michael Rutter’s Bathams AJN Racing team has been met with great excitement by road racing fans.

“I think there is maybe a gap in the market at the North West for Storm Stacey,” he smiles. The rising star had his first taste of the event as a spectator 12 months ago.

“I like the Irish fanbase and I love how passionate they are for motorbike racing,” Stacey smiles. “You can see they really believe in it and I want to be part of that, in amongst it.”

Does he have any particular goal or expectation from his North West debut?

“Everyone has hidden expectations in their head and if I’m feeling comfortable and I’m up for it who knows but I also think it is perfectly OK to say that I am nervous as well. It is quite a big thing to take on, isn’t it? So, we will see how we get on.”

Stacey paid a recent fact finding visit to the north coast where the young racer was given a guided tour by former British Superbike (BSB) champion and NW200 veteran, Josh Brookes, in the company of fellow 2026 newcomer, Franco Bourne.

“We had a good look around with Josh but the biggest struggle for me was seeing the roads as a race circuit, imagining riding a motorbike around it,” Stacey reflected.

“I kept thinking we were driving to the supermarket! It was nice of Josh to show us around and I trust what he says. He said we would all be on different bikes.

“It is up to us to understand what we feel and he showed us what to look out for – the bumps, the manholes, grip levels and stuff like that. It is just going to be about finding that feel myself. The road surface looks amazing and I can’t wait to get out there.”

Stacey will be in full race mode as he arrives at Portrush direct from the opening BSB round of the 2026 season at Oulton Park. He intends to retain at least some of that approach for the North West.

“I am really looking forward to coming into the chicanes,” he smiled. “Big heavy braking, backing it in sideways and seeing how quickly I can get through them without messing up! Coming past the church and under the railway bridge looks amazing too.”

“There’s not really one part of the course that you can pin down and say I can’t wait for that bit. I can’t wait for all of it! I’m glad I’ve come today, it has been a worthwhile visit. Sitting at home you just think I’ll go there and just get on with it but I’ve a few different things to think about now with the bike that are different to BSB.”

Slated to ride only the fearsome Ducati on his North West debut, the young BSB star admitted to some nervousness alongside his excitement to get going.

“Everyone says that after five laps you’ll know where you are going and that looks pretty true but seeing it this morning brought me back down to earth,” Stacey said.

“It’s getting close and it will be a baptism of fire on a Superbike. It’s going to be a fast first practice session round there on a Superbike. It might have been good to have had a Supersport bike for the first few laps but that’s the way it goes.”

Balancing his nervousness, the young star talked up the reassurance that comes from having the vastly experienced Michael Rutter in his corner at Portrush this year.

The 14 times North West winner has competed in 100 races around the famous Triangle circuit, and Stacey says he will rely upon his mentor’s steadying influence

“Michael is a big influence and I sponge up his knowledge. He knows the place inside out and I knew that if I was going to do the North West, now is the time because I know he has my best interests at heart.

“I want to go home having achieved my first appearance at the North West with a nice safe ride, no crashes and not having given my Mum too much of a heart attack!”

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The EU’s Entry Exit System has resulted in long waits at passport control across Europe

Politicians in the Canary Islands have called for the Spanish government to suspend the Entry/Exit System (EES) at airports across the archipelago. It’s the latest destination to speak out against the European Union’s new border checks.

It comes as non-EU travellers have faced long queues at passport control as a result of the EU’s new entry restrictions which came into force on April 10. Under the EES, third-country nationals – which includes Brits – must provide biometric data which includes fingerprints and a photograph which creates a digital record that is valid for three years.

The system is designed to replace passport stamping and will monitor visa-free travellers to ensure that they do not stay any longer than 90 days within any 180-day travel period. Initially rolled out gradually in October last year, it was fully launched in April, but the system has been plagued with issues.

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Airports across the Schengen Area have struggled to cope with additional administration, which has even resulted in some passengers missing their flights. Now ahead of the busy summer season destinations across Europe have called for the EU to suspend the EES during peak travel times.

Greece has already suspended checks until September, and it is understood Portugal is waving passengers through when the queues are too long. Italy is understood to be following soon.

The Partido Popular in the Canary Islands has announced that it will take a proposal to the regional parliament calling on the Spanish government to suspend the EES across the islands, Canarian Weekly reports. David Morales, the PP’s tourism spokesperson in the Canary Islands Parliament, has questioned the implementation of the system.

Mr Morales has said the EES is not meeting expectations and is impacting airport operations, as passengers face long wait times and overcrowding at the border. He argues that both tourism business organisations and police representatives have previously warned that the system is “at risk of saturation” if “introduced without adequate preparation”.

He also states that the border queues damage the islands’ image for tourists. The Partido Popular is citing EU Regulation 2025/1534, which allows Member States to temporarily suspend the EES at specific border crossings in cases of technical failures or where excessive traffic leads to significant delays. The proposal is set to be debated in the regional parliament, where the PP is seeking formal backing to press Madrid for action.

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A police helicopter was seen circling above Plymouth last night after a man in his 20s was found dead at a property – a 57-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder

Police have launched a murder probe after a man in his 20s was found dead at a property in Plymouth.

Multiple residents spotted a police helicopter circling above the city last night as police confirmed a “serious incident” was ongoing in the area. Emergency services were called at around 8.20pm to reports of a serious assault of a man on Embankment Road.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, a man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and Devon and Cornwall Police said they are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.

Officers said “immediate searches” were carried out last night which led to a 57-year-old man being arrested on suspicion of murder, reports Plymouth Live.

Det Supt Rachael Bentley from the force’s Major Crime Investigation Team said: “This is a tragic incident in which a man has sadly lost his life. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

“A thorough investigation is underway to understand the full circumstances surrounding what has happened.

“We carried out immediate searches last night which resulted in a 57-year-old man being arrested on suspicion of murder and he is currently in police custody. A cordon remains in place this morning, and officers will be in the area throughout the day.

“Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who was in the area at the time, to come forward.”

Det Supt Bentley added: “At this stage, this is believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public. We are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in and around the area of Embankment Road yesterday evening and may have seen or heard anything suspicious. Even information that may seem small could be vital to our investigation.”

Officers have asked residents and drivers to check any CCTV, doorbell, or dash‑cam footage they may have from the area at the time. Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or online quoting reference number 794 of 04/05/2026.

Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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The possibility of holding the 2027 London Marathon across two days – Saturday and Sunday – is still being explored.

Brasher previously said the idea would be to hold the elite women’s race on one of the days, alongside other women to have gained entry through their previous marathon times – and wheelchair races.

The men’s equivalents would take place on the other day, with mass races across both days.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Brasher said he hoped it would be confirmed by the end of May.

“This is for one year only. We are engaging, and have been engaging for a long time, with a lot of stakeholders,” he said.

“Rightly, they want us to go through a process to ensure what we do is appropriate. People will get disrupted – it’s never happened before on a Saturday.

“There are lots of plans and mitigations that we’ve got and we would have do some unique things.

“But I think this shows the desire, the need, for the country. More than £400m of economic and social benefit would happen as a result of the two days, and we believe more than £150m would be raised for charities.

“It would be a one-off. We hope to get there – we’re not there yet. I’m positive it’s the right thing to do.”

A measles outbreak is sweeping across the UK in 2026, with 477 laboratory-confirmed cases recorded between January and late April

Brits are grappling with a surge in measles cases, with nearly 500 confirmed infections this year as the Victorian-era illness continues its spread.

Figures from the UK Health Security Agency reveal 477 laboratory-confirmed cases between January 1 and April 27, representing a significant jump in infections and extending a concerning pattern observed in recent years.

The highly infectious disease, which transmits through coughs and sneezes, had been largely controlled through vaccination programmes.

However, falling rates of MMR jab uptake have been associated with the recent comeback, and the most recent figures show that cases have risen progressively since the beginning of the year.

There were 106 infections in January, climbing to 142 in February and 140 in March, before dipping marginally to 89 cases in April so far. Authorities warn that April’s total is expected to increase further owing to reporting delays, reports the Mirror.

Youngsters are shouldering the heaviest burden of the outbreak. Roughly two-thirds of all cases – 317 out of 477 – have been identified in children aged 10 and under. A further 28 per cent have been detected in people aged 15 and above.

London has become the focal point of the outbreak, representing 58% of all cases. The West Midlands comes next with 23%, while the North West has logged 8%. Every region across England has reported at least one case this year. At local authority level, Enfield has recorded the highest number of infections, with 98 cases – accounting for more than one in five of the national total. Birmingham has logged 74 cases, while Islington has confirmed 44. Other London boroughs, including Haringey, Camden, Barnet and Hackney, have also experienced significant clusters.

Latest figures indicate the virus continues to transmit. In the four weeks from March 30 alone, there have been 101 confirmed cases, although officials caution this is probably an underestimate owing to lags in data reporting. London once more represented the bulk of these, accounting for 66% of cases.

Despite the rapid transmission, no fatalities linked to measles have been reported in England so far this year.

The present surge comes after a turbulent spell for measles infections. Throughout 2024, England recorded 2,911 confirmed cases – the highest yearly figure since 2012. While numbers dropped to 959 in 2025, the disease has not been eradicated and remains in circulation.

Public health experts have repeatedly cautioned that measles can resurge rapidly when vaccination coverage drops beneath the threshold required for herd immunity, generally around 95%. The illness can trigger severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation and, in rare instances, death.

The UKHSA has emphasised that vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing infection and containing outbreaks. The MMR jab, which guards against measles, mumps and rubella, is administered to children in two doses, though uptake has fallen in certain communities.

Officials have also pointed out that the figures remain provisional and are subject to change. Case numbers may be revised as additional testing takes place and some suspected cases are either confirmed or dismissed. The agency provides weekly updates on its measles surveillance data throughout April, before shifting to fortnightly reporting thereafter. The next update is expected on May 14.

Public health teams continue to keep a close eye on the situation, especially in regions experiencing the highest levels of transmission. While no deaths have been recorded so far this year, the extent and reach of infections highlight the danger of a disease many believed to be a thing of the past staging a significant resurgence.

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Two men were arrested by police

A man was injured with a “bladed weapon” after a fight in a hotel car park. Lincolnshire Police were called to the George Hotel in High Street St Martins, in Stamford, near Peterborough, just before 10pm on Saturday (May 2).

A fight had broken out between a group of people in the hotel car park. Officers arrested two men, one aged 25 and another aged 48, on suspicion of GBH.

In the incident, a 62-year-old man was injured and treated for non-serious injuries which “appear to have been caused from being slashed with a bladed weapon”, according to a police spokesperson. The 25-year-old man has since been released on bail and the 48-year-old man has been released with no further action.

A police spokesperson said: “Several people were spoken to at the time of the incident and other lines of inquiry explored, but investigating officers would still like to hear from anyone who hasn’t already been spoken to and who may have been in the area of the hotel at the time of the incident and who saw or heard anything.”

Anyone with information should email Andrew.james@lincs.police.uk or call 101 and quote incident 543 of May 2.

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