BBC’s Escape to the Country presenter Sonali Shah helped a house-hunting couple discover their dream Devon home, with success

BBC’s Escape to the Country ventured to Devon on Wednesday (26 August) as a couple joined Sonali Shah in their search to purchase their first property together.

Matt, who works as an aerospace engineer, lived in Eastley, Hampshire, while his partner Jamie, employed as a genetic counsellor for the NHS, was situated in the Oxfordshire town of Wantage, and the duo had chosen to move to a tranquil area of Devon.

With a healthy budget of £550,000 at their disposal, the couple was seeking a home with up to four bedrooms, off-street parking, a garage or workshop, and a generous garden.

Escape to the Country host Sonali took Matt and Jamie to view the initial property in Mutterton, on the market for £550,000. A cottage dating from the 19th century, the residence offered three bedrooms, an annexe, and an expansive kitchen.

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The second viewing was a barn conversion in Landscove, priced at £530,000, which offered three bedrooms, substantial garden space, and original features throughout.

Though impressed, Matt confessed he found it difficult to picture the property suiting him and Jamie, particularly given their intentions to begin a family, reports Devon Live.

The third and final property was located in Ipplepen and priced at £530,000. The Georgian residence featured four bedrooms and two reception areas and sat in the village centre.

Sonali confessed she was “obsessed” with the house before Jamie subsequently described it as a “dream home”. As Matt and Jamie toured the charming property, one particular feature left them genuinely impressed — a first-floor laundry room.

Matt remarked, “It’s a clever use of space, actually,” to which Jamie responded, “It is a really smart idea. You’re not having to lug washing baskets up and down the stairs every five minutes. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do that.”

While Jamie acknowledged the “perfection” of the property’s interior décor, she noted the garden lacked sufficient space for a workshop — something that could prove a dealbreaker. Matt conceded the home failed to satisfy their “practical needs”, yet remained genuinely keen.

Later in the episode, which originally aired in 2024, the couple disclosed the outcome of their search on Escape to the Country.

The pair delightedly revealed they had submitted an offer on the very first property they’d visited, with Matt explaining: “After seeing the second and third one, the first was the best fit for us.”

Their offer was subsequently accepted, and Matt and Jamie successfully completed the purchase of the property in Mutterton.

Escape to the Country is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Two wildfires which destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge were started accidentally in fields where agricultural machinery was being used, fire chiefs revealed today.

The huge blazes spread over more than 500 acres in the West Midlands on August 13, destroying a series of properties including family homes worth over £1million.

One firefighter was taken to hospital and a further five suffered minor injuries including smoke inhalation as the blazes rapidly spread to residential buildings.

Some residents had to be evacuated after a further 18 homes were damaged on top of the 19 that were destroyed during what was Britain’s hottest day of the year.

Fire crews were alerted to the first blaze in a field near Racecourse Lane at 1.27pm, then a second began soon after in a field near Quarry Park Road and Worcester Lane.

Local farmers ploughed fields next to houses, which prevented the blazes from spreading to other nearby buildings as firefighters attempted to put them out.

Specialist fire investigators working with police have now established that farming equipment was being used in the areas of both fields immediately before the fires were first reported. They also confirmed the fires were not started deliberately.

West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said today: ‘Our thoughts remain with everyone affected, whether directly or indirectly, by events on August 13 in Stourbridge and beyond.

An aerial view of the remains of a home on Brunswick Gate in Stourbridge on August 14

Smoke continues to rise from Stourbridge on August 14 after the devastating wildfires

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‘Many people in Stourbridge face having to rebuild homes and lives and, understandably, have questions as part of that process. That’s why we are confirming that both fires were not started deliberately. They were accidental.

‘I know that many are still struggling to comprehend the scale of damage and personal loss. I’m also acutely aware that this information will not bring those back homes, livelihoods or cherished memories.

‘I remain immensely proud of the response from our firefighters, staff and officers, who worked tirelessly in incredibly challenging conditions to protect lives and property.

‘I would also like to thank our colleagues in the police and ambulance services, members of the local farming community who assisted on the day, and the many residents, businesses and community groups who came together to support those affected. The response to this incident showed the very best of Stourbridge and the wider West Midlands.

‘While investigations continue into the full circumstances of what happened, we wanted to share this latest update as soon as possible. I hope it will go some way towards helping people understand what happened on that exceptionally hot and challenging day.’

The neighbouring county of Staffordshire saw a further fire destroy four homes in the Goldenhill area of Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service said six firefighters were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion after battling blazes across the county.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said a total of 54 people were treated by paramedics, including 19 who were admitted to hospital, following the fire outbreaks in the region.

A drone view of burnt-out houses on August 14 following the large grass fire in Stourbridge

Prime Minister Andy Burnham (centre) walks with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker (right) as he talks to Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill (left) during a visit to Stourbridge on August 14

A fire engine stands near a burnt-out house on August 14 following the fire in Stourbridge

In Stourbridge, the Prime Minister said during a visit to the town on August 14 that he had ‘never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted, smouldering’.

Andy Burnham revealed he had called in the military, announced a ban on disposable barbecues and said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires across the country.

In a separate blaze in Birmingham, a man said he watched his childhood home go up in flames in Highters Heath in which his mother had ‘lost absolutely everything’ – including 100 years of family photos.

The West Midlands was subject to an amber warning for extreme heat for much of the day before multiple fires were reported.

Images from blazes across the region show blackened and burnt-out buildings with collapsed roofs, as well as charred areas of grass.

Last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.

Police were called to the blaze on Birchington Avenue at 5.23am on Wednesday, August 26.

Two people sadly died, including one child, with both yet to be formally identified.

Emergency services at the scene of a major residential fire on Birchington Avenue, in Grangetown, Middlesbrough. (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

A 48-year-old woman remains in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in a critical condition.

Three other people suffered injuries which are currently believed to be non-life-threatening.

Two men, aged 23 and 31, have now been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody.

(Image: STUART BOULTON)

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “As we continue to investigate this morning’s tragic incident, we continue to support the families of those who have sadly died as a result.

“Our thoughts remain with those families and with everyone involved.

“Two men, aged 23 and 31, remain in police custody at this time and they are being questioned.

“We continue to work to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.

“We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area and encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information, to approach our officers or alternatively call us on 101.”

(Image: STUART BOULTON)

Police said enquiries remain ongoing as officers work to establish exactly what happened.

Anyone with information or concerns is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 170941.

Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111.

A group of Montana students, families and tribes has reached a settlement with the state Office of Public Instruction that’s set to bring closure to a yearslong legal dispute about how the state implements its constitutional requirement to provide Indigenous education.

The settlement, if approved, would resolve a class action lawsuit filed in 2021 in which plaintiffs alleged the state has failed to implement and enforce a constitutional mandate requiring K-12 public education to recognize the “distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians.”

In 1999, the state Legislature enacted the Indian Education for All (IEFA) Act to implement that constitutional mandate and require public schools to teach Native American history and culture. Since 2007, the Legislature has appropriated about $3.5 million annually to school districts to fund implementation. According to the IEFA Act, schools are supposed to use the funds to develop curricula, purchase class materials and train teachers.

In 2021, a group of Montana students, families and tribes filed a class action lawsuit against the Office of Public Instruction and the Montana Board of Public Education, alleging that school districts were improperly using funds intended to support IEFA. Tribal plaintiffs include the Fort Belknap Indian Community, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana.

Court documents alleged that in 2019 and 2020, only 10% of Montana school districts could account for their IEFA funding having been spent on appropriate expenses. One school, according to court documents, used some of its IEFA funds to pay a portion of librarian salaries. Other schools allegedly used the funds to purchase books unrelated to Native American culture or history.

A district court judge on Monday preliminarily approved the settlement, which is subject to final court approval after a notice period. The Office of Public Instruction has agreed, in part, to:

1. Use its accreditation system to require districts to provide evidence of IEFA implementation

2. Establish enforcement mechanisms, including a yearly evaluation of at least seven schools’ IEFA expenses and potential funding reductions for noncompliance

3. “Strengthen and formalize” tribal consultation processes

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4. Require schools to report IEFA expenses and publish a list of noncompliant schools

Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen wrote in an emailed statement that she is “pleased” an agreement has been reached so “that we can move forward with ensuring every Montana student receives authentic instruction on our state’s tribal nations.”

“The OPI has also launched a new website and professional development portal to house additional IEFA resources for educators and families,” she wrote. “In Montana, we support all students and work to ensure they are seen and supported.”

Michael Dolson, chair of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, described the settlement as “long overdue.”

“This settlement means accountability for implementing that commitment, with real reporting, real curriculum developed with Tribes, and real consequences when schools fail to deliver,” he said in a statement.

In May 2025, the Montana Board of Public Education agreed to a separate settlement in the same lawsuit, by which it agreed to improve content standards, tribal collaboration and teacher training regarding the implementation of IEFA.

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This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

The incident happened on August 24 at about 11.40am on Wykeham Street in Scarborough.

The victim was walking when a dog, without an owner, jumped on her and bit her face, said a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police. 

The animal then reportedly ran off towards Manor Road.

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The woman needed numerous stitches for her injuries, which are expected to leave permanent scars.

The victim described the dog is described as a husky or malamute type, possibly a puppy, with a black head, mostly brown body, and wearing a black collar.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for information, particularly if anyone has seen this dog without an owner before or knows who the owner is.

They are also asking for any witnesses or anyone with CCTV footage of the incident to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police online by emailing josh.nolan@northyorkshire.police.uk, visiting the website and selecting ‘Tell us about’, then ‘An existing case or report’, or via live chat, available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Alternatively, information can be given by calling North Yorkshire Police on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

When providing information, please quote reference 12260165486.

Legendary film and TV actor Tim Curry has died at the age of 80.

The star, best known for playing the Dr Frank-N-Furter in cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died at his home in Los Angeles last night – his manager confirmed today.

A cause of death was not given, but Curry had been suffering with serious health issues for more than a decade after suffering a stroke in 2012, which left him unable to walk.

His other iconic roles came in films such as Clue, Annie, Spamalot, Home Alone 2 and It.

Despite his wish to avoid being typecast, Curry’s sensational portrayal of the mad ‘transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania’ inevitably defined his career.

A hedonist in heels and fishnets, the deviant doctor was hell-bent on creating the perfect man – and the character railed against the dull all-American teen couple, Janet and Brad.

He played the role for two years – first on stage and then in the film version, released in 1975. 

Curry later went on to join the cast of 1992’s Home Alone 2 – playing Mr Hector, a stuffy and suspicious concierge at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Between 2004 and 2007, he portrayed King Arthur in the Monty Python musical Spamalot on stage in Chicago, Broadway and the West End. 

The 80-year-old also played the concierge in Home Alone 2 

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Curry in 2016 attending the red carpet premiere of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Lets Do the Time Warp Again’ at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California 

Some of his stage credits include What About Dick? My Favorite Year and Travesties, among others. 

In 2015, he was honoured with The Actors Fund Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tony Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles. 

Curry opened up about his wellbeing last year during a special screening marking The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s 50th anniversary. 

Speaking to the audience at LA’s Academy Museum, he said: ‘I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting.

‘So, I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg.’

Since suffering a stroke aged 66, the legendary actor remained largely out of the public eye. 

Born Timothy James Curry in Cheshire, England, in 1946, Curry was the younger child of Patricia, a school secretary, and James, a Royal Navy chaplain. He had an older sister, Judith – a concert pianist, who died in 2001. 

Curry grew up in Plymouth and went to boarding school. Then, in 1958, when he was just 12 years old, he lost his father to pneumonia.

Between 2004 and 2007, Curry played King Arthur in the Monty Python musical Spamalot on stage in Chicago, Broadway and the West End

The actor in costume during the filming of the television mini-series Will Shakespeare at the ATV studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire, in June 1976

Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975

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Despite his wish to avoid being typecast, Curry’s sensational portrayal of the mad ‘transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania’ inevitably defined his career

Curry pictured again in 1975 but without the makeup

The tragedy had a profound impact on his childhood.

Ten years later, the actor watched Judi Dench onstage as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at London’s Palace Theatre, a moment that cemented his ambition to become an actor.

After studying at Birmingham University, he burst onto the West End scene.

One of his early roles was in the original UK production of of the Hair – a hippie musical.

To land the role, he lied to producers about his youth and claimed to have an Equity card – allowing him to bypass union rules that would otherwise have prevented him from being cast.

He fondly remembered the experience of playing Woof, the free-spirited hippie, as ‘liberating’.

Crucially, however, he made firm friends with his co-star Richard O’Brien – who went on the write the role that would define Curry’s career – Dr Frank-N-Furter.

Curry took on the stage role for two years, performing in New York and at the Roxy in Los Angeles. 

For many years, he rarely discussed The Rocky Horror Picture Show, fearing he would forever be cast in similar roles.

He previously recalled the opening night during the show’s Broadway debut as ‘very exciting’ but said the critics were far too harsh.

‘I had to go on the Today Show the next day and they read the reviews, which were appalling,’ he explained. ‘That brought me down. It was very cruel.’

The reviews described his performance as ‘a mixture of Joan Crawford and Burt Lancaster’ and ‘Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Marc Bolan all in one’

In 2011, Curry was scheduled to appear in Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, but he withdrew from the production at the last minute citing ill health.

Actor and director Patrick Barlow shared a house with Curry while studying at Birmingham University. 

Recalling their student days, he told The Guardian: ‘I remember being amazed by his extraordinary singing voice – it was just completely perfect, just something he was born with – it came ready made.’

Lewis Hanson was blasted to the elbow

A drug dealer was shot by armed police as they swooped on him after carrying out surveillance.

Lewis Hanson, 20, was blasted to the elbow by an armed officer in Whitefield, Bury, after the cop ‘felt compelled’ to discharge his firearm. Police later discovered a converted gun in a flat in Radcliffe where Hanson stored cocaine and cannabis for onward sale.

Previously, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it has launched an investigation into the firearms operation which ended in Hanson being shot.

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During a sentencing hearing today, (August 26) Manchester Crown Court heard that Hanson, now 20, has been dealing cannabis since the age of 14, and had been trying to sell the gun prior to its seizure.

He will learn his fate tomorrow (August 27) after pleading guilty to drug and firearms charges. Another man, Paul Houghton, 40, who allowed Hanson to use his flat to store the drugs, was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Prosecuting, Caleb Suggitt said that police had been carrying out observations of Hanson, who was driving a white Cupra Ateca, on May 22 this year.

He was seen visiting flats on Chapelfield in Radcliffe, Bury, in particular a flat owned by Paul Houghton. Hanson used the flat to store cocaine and cannabis before selling it on at street level.

Mr Suggitt said that police stopped Hanson’s cat at 3.10pm at the junction of Bury New Road and Chestnut Avenue in Whitefield. The prosecutor said that during the course of Hanson’s detention, ‘one of the attending armed officers felt compelled to discharge his firearm’.

He was shot to the elbow and was rushed to the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Following searches of Hanson’s car and the flat, police seized £3,520 worth of drugs. They also found a gun in a bedroom in the flat.

It was found to be a Retay 17 blank firing pistol, similar in design to a Glock 17. It was manufactured in Turkey as a blank firing pistol, but had been converted to discharge live rounds, although the weapon was found not to be able to self load.

Police also searched the home where Hanson lived with his mother. Officers found two black face coverings, an anti-spy radio detector, described as being a ‘portable device designed to locate hidden microphones, wireless cameras, and GPS trackers by scanning for radio frequencies’, as well as a lock knife.

Officers also seized a Gucci sweatshirt with the £1,150 price tag still attached. Receipts relating to the purchase of designer clothing worth just over £1,000 were also discovered.

The seizure of a mobile phone provided evidence of Hanson having sold cannabis ‘in every year from 2020 when he was just 14 years of age, to the date of his arrest when he was 20’, Mr Suggitt told the court. He said his involvement was shown over 29 individual months between that period.

Mr Suggitt also said that messaging showed Hanson was speaking about thousands of pounds in conversations. He said voice notes were recovered, recorded in the days prior to Hanson’s arrest, which revealed Hanson was trying to sell a firearm.

The court heard this was the same gun which was seized from Houghton’s flat. Further phone evidence showed that Houghton became involved through being a customer of Hanson’s.

Houghton told Hanson the flat was vacant because he was living elsewhere with his partner. Houghton was arrested at an address in Radcliffe on May 26.

Defending Hanson, Mark Friend said the defendant questioned ‘whether there was a need’ for him to be shot by police during the course of his arrest. But he said Hanson pleaded guilty which he argued was evidence of ‘remorse and contrition’.

“He knows he did wrong, he knows there are consequences for that and he will accept them,” Mr Friend said. “None of the offences to which Mr Hanson has pleaded guilty do him any credit at all.”

Mr Friend said that Hanson came to deal drugs after initially becoming a user. He said another person was involved in Hanson’s bid to ‘make a profit’ selling the gun, which the barrister argued showed Hanson was not high up the chain.

Mr Friend claimed Hanson has not received the physiotherapy that he was told he needed following his injury, while on remand in prison. Hanson had ‘left his family down’, Mr Friend said. “He wears that burden very heavily indeed,” he added.

Dan Gaskell, for Houghton, said the defendant was not ‘exploited’ but was offered the opportunity to obtain ‘free cocaine’ from his involvement. He said Houghton works full time as a roofer and has stayed out of trouble for long periods.

Hanson, of Parr Lane, Bury, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a class B drug, conspiracy to sell a prohibited weapon, possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate, possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, and possession of a class B drug with intent to supply. He will be sentenced tomorrow (August 27).

Houghton, of Roch Crescent, Whitefield, pleaded guilty to permitting his premises to be used for the sale of class A and class B drugs. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was ordered to complete a three month alcohol treatment programme, 40 hours of unpaid work and five rehabilitation activity requirement days.

The IOPC released a statement in the aftermath of the incident. It read: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation into a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) firearms operation in which a man was shot.

It happened in Bury New Road, Whitefield, at 3pm on Friday 22 May during a policing operation in which officers attempted to stop a vehicle. During the incident, the driver of the car was shot in the arm by a GMP officer and suffered a broken elbow. The injured person, a man aged 20, was the car’s sole occupant.

“We have verified that one of the officers discharged a single shot during the incident, causing the injury, while another single shot was fired shortly afterwards by another officer to deflate a tyre on the vehicle.

“GMP referred the matter to us shortly after the incident, and we declared an independent investigation at 6.57pm that day. Our investigators attended the scene of the shooting to preserve evidence, plus the post-incident procedures (PIP) where the firearms officers involved in the operation gave their initial accounts of what happened. We have secured two police firearms for examination and officers’ body worn video recovered and viewed.”

Emergency services were called to Tindale Crescent just before 8pm on Tuesday (August 25).

 One person was taken to University Hospital of North Durham for further treatment.

A North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesperson said: “We were called to a road traffic incident on Tindale Crescent in Bishop Auckland on Tuesday, August 25 at 7.53pm.

“We dispatched one ambulance crew and one clinical team leader to the incident. One patient was taken to University Hospital of North Durham for further treatment.”

Durham Police said the road was closed while the vehicle was recovered.

A force spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a one car collision on Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland, shortly before 8pm on Tuesday, August 25.

“The road was closed for a short time while the vehicle was recovered.”

The road has since reopened.