MCDONALD’S will bring back a menu item which has not been seen in almost a decade in just a matter of days.

The home of the Golden Arches soon start selling its iconic McRib burger across its 1,300-plus sites in the UK.

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From October 16, foodies will be able to get their hands on the burger which has not been on UK menus since 2015.

The savoury treat was first added to the main UK McDonald’s menu in 1981 but was taken off just four years later.

It comes with a boneless pork patty covered in barbecue sauce and topped with onions and pickles and will cost £4.49 as an individual item.

Or punters will be charged £6.19 if they include it as part of a medium extra value meal.

The news comes as social media has been awash with rumours about whether or not McDonald’s would bring the much-loved burger back.

Maccies teased the return of its McRib with a test notification on the McDonald’s rewards app, sending customers into a frenzy.

It is still unclear how long the burger will be on McDonald’s menu.

However, limited-edition foods like this are usually on sale for about six weeks

News of the McRib’s return comes just days after Maccies confirmed another new menu item.

The fast-food giant will add mini hashbrowns to its breakfast menu on the same day.

They will be a twist on the usual full-sized savoury snacks already available on the breakfast menu.

From October 16, customers will be able to bag a five-pack of the mini hashbrowns costing £1.49.

If you’ve still got room for more, a 15-piece sharebox will set customers back £2.99.

While a single regular-size hashbrown costs £1.19.

But do remember that prices do vary from restaurant to restaurant so make sure you double check before you pay.

The mini hashbrowns join a host of other McDonald’s menu items, including the McMuffin and Cheesy Bacon Flatbread.

It has been a while since the burger and fries specialist has shaken up its morning menu.

Back in 2022, the home of the Big Mac added mini potato waffles to its breakfast offering.

While they were a big hit with fans, they weren’t around for very long.

It is not yet clear if the hashbrowns will become a permanent menu item, so if you want to give them a go you might want to be quick.

What else is new at McDonald’s?

McDonald’s regularly shakes up its menu to make way for new items.

Last month, the fast food chain shook up its menu to coincide with the launch of McDonald’s monopoly. 

To participate in the game you must collect stickers that represent train stations or colour-coordinated streets. 

If you are curious about how the game works and what prizes you can win, read our article here. 

To mark the return of its sticker peeling game McDonald’s has brought back a number of fan favourites

These include:

• Mozzarella Dippers 
• Philly Cheese Stack.
• Chicken Big Mac, 
• Galaxy Chocolate McFlurry 
• Twix Chocolate McFlurry
• Twix Latte 

If you are keen to try any of these new menu items you will need to act quickly as they are set to be pulled from restaurants in about two weeks.

How do I know which side I own?

A boundary feature can be a fence, wall, hedge, ditch, piece of wire, or sometimes even just the edge of a driveway.

The only way to know for certain who owns what side and to avoid any neighbour disputes, is to refer to the title plan or Land Registry. 

In this, the T mark is used to indicate who the boundary belongs to and therefore who is responsible for its upkeep, say pros at Jacksons Fencing.

Larger developments tend to have some indication provided by the builder, but there are no hard and fast rules

People often think they are responsible for the left (or right) hand boundary wherever they live, but there isn’t any legal basis for this.

You can check with HM Land Registry to see which boundary feature you are responsible for.

Often households can’t get hold of the paperwork but experts say they shouldn’t panic.

Homeowners can guess who owns the fence by checking where the rails are.

Pros say: “The fence is typically facing away from their property so that their neighbour gets the ‘good’ side. 

“This is the most secure way of facing fencing so there are no rails for anyone to use to climb into your garden. 

“This is then repeated with the neighbour on the other side to ensure that each home has both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fence side.”

Walls and fences are often built on the land of the boundary’s owner with the edge of the wall marking the limit.

While professionals agree a glimpse at the fence can give you a hint, it’s not foolproof – so you can’t be certain.

Fines and punishment

It is recommended to always check legal documents before making changes to avoid hefty fines.

There is no law that the neighbour has to get the good side of the fence, so it’s completely up to whoever owns the fence. 

Fencing pros have suggested: “It may be worth selecting a double-sided panel with no ‘bad’ side as both sides look the same and rails are concealed within the fence panel.”

If one boundary backs onto a road or footpath you can install the panels with the rails on the inside

But if it’s installed on the outside, it can provide an “easy ladder for burglars to enter your garden”.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Property Litigation Association have created a mediation service to help neighbours resolve disputes over their property boundaries without resorting to court action. 

RICS also provides a list of surveyors who could assist in boundary disputes.

If a dispute continues, it is ultimately a court that makes decisions, but they do not like such disputes being put before them.

Changing a boundary

If you want to change an existing boundary, such as replacing an old fence with a new one, we always recommend discussing with your neighbour first and making sure it is all agreed.

The registered titles can help you to reach an agreement, but only if this information has been added.

In terms of decorations on a fence legal advisers recommended asking around over who actually first installed it.

But they also urged caution before getting to work on amending the fence without getting more certainty yourself – since there is a danger of actually being prosecuted for criminal damage.

How high can a garden fence be?

The height of the fence is measured from your ground level, this can have an impact when, due to slopes in the ground, your garden may be at a higher level than your neighbours‘.

A garden fence can be as high as 100m but you need to get planning permission if it’s over than 2m.

However, there are some complications to this.

If you are thinking about front garden fences, restrictions state that fences alongside a driveway can be a maximum of 1m or 3ft.

You would need to get planning permission for putting a trellis on a fence of 2m.

But, if any plant that you grow on that trellis exceeds 2m, you do not need to obtain a permit for the growing plant.

A BARGAIN supermarket has closed its doors for good, as residents mourn the loss to their local highstreet.

The branch is part of a major chain with more than 300 stores across the nation.

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Farmfoods sells frozen food and fresh groceries at bargain prices.

The closure of the Sutton branch in south London was announced last month, with the supermarket finally shutting up shop yesterday (October 5).

It was prompted by the landlord’s decision to redevelop the site, according to MyLondon.

After news broke of the closure, locals took to a residents’ Facebook group to voice their disappointment.

One wrote: “That’s really sad, I love Farmfoods, soon there shall be no shops left in Sutton.”

Another praised the branch, saying it was a “useful shop, especially in COVID times”.

Others were unhappy about yet another loss to Sutton highstreet.

One said: “Sutton could end up a dormitory town as Crawley was, no services, or many shops in town, but plenty of places to live and good transport to get to and from it.”

Another echoed: “Another one gone.”

A third wrote :”There will be nothing left except for flats. No shops anywhere.”

However, the chain does have plans to reopen the site at some point in the future, according to a spokesperson.

Property Director Alistair Kay said: “The closure is due to our landlord intending to redevelop the land the building sits on. No other Farmfoods shops are affected.

“We’re grateful to all our customers for their loyalty shopping with us at the site over the years and will continue to look for suitable opportunities to reopen in Sutton in future.”

Before the closure, the supermarket launched a huge closing down sale – with 50% off all stock.

HOUSEHOLDS claiming the State Pension and other benefits should be aware of a one-off payment due before the end of the year.

The Department for Work and Pensions Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free payment which is paid before December 25.

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If you meet the eligiblity criteria the cash bonus is usually paid directly into your account meaning you do not need to apply.

The money should go into your usual account and might show up as ‘DWP XB’ on your statement.

To qualify for the bonus you must be a resident of UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.

This is usually the first full week of December.

You must also be claiming one of the following benefits:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Child Disability Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
• Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
• Mobility Supplement
• Pension Credit – the guarantee element
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
• War Widow’s Pension
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension

However, the DWP State Retirement Age but have not claimed your state pension, for instance, because you are deferring it, then you won’t get the free cash.

How much will you get?

If you meet the criteria then the DWP will pay you £10 this Christmas.

It is not exactly clear when the money will appear, but the DWP does say that if you think you should get it and the money hasn’t come through by January 1, you must contact your local Jobcentre Plus office.

If you are over retirement age then you should contact the Pension Service.

It is also worth noting that payment is calculated per individual, which means that if more than one adult in the household is eligible, they’ll each get a £10 payment.

Even if your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if they reach state pension age by the end of the qualifying week.

However, you must be entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner, or the only qualifying benefit you’re getting must be Pension Credit.

How to check your eligibility?

For those who are unsure if they can get access to the bonus, you can use an online benefits calculator.

These are free-to-use online tools which can be accessed at a number of websites.

For example, charity Turn2Us’ has a benefits calculator that works out what you could get.

Entitledto also has a free calculator that determines whether you qualify for various benefits, including tax credits and Universal Credit.

You can also use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.

Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.

If you do not want to use an online calculator there are other options available.

For example, you can also check with a local benefits adviser to find out what you could be entitled to.

The website advicelocal.uk lets you enter your post code and informs you of your nearest adviser and how you can contact them.

For example if you enter on the website that you live in Wandsworth, London it will give you the details of the nearest support in the area.

In this instance, it was the borough’s local Age UK and Citizens Advice.

You should be aware that many organisations do not offer an open-door service.

If you are planning to contact an organisation for help or advice you might want to check their website for more information before doing so.

YOUR TV licence is a legal permit that allows you to watch live television and some online streaming services in the UK.

Anyone who wants to watch live TV, including the BBC, ITV and Sky, must pay for a TV licence.

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The Government is responsible for setting the level of the licence fee.

Last December it was announced that the government would raise the licence fee by 6.7%, in line with inflation, taking effect from April 2024.

This has brought the cost of a colour licence fee to £169.50 per year and a black and white licence fee to £57 per year.

It is a criminal offence to watch live TV without a licence and enforcement officers can carry out checks at your house if you do not pay.

This can lead to fines of up to £1,000 and if you dodge the fee you could face prosecution.

However, the rise in streaming services has meant it can be confusing for some households to figure out if they have to pay for a license or not.

You must have a TV licence to do the following:

• Watch or record live TV on any channel or service, such as Channel 4, ITV, BBC, SKY, Virgin or Freeview
• Use BBC iPlayer
• Watch live TV on any streaming service including Amazon Prime, ITV X, Channel 4 or YouTube.

You do not need a TV Licence to watch:

• Streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus
• On-demand TV through services like Amazon Prime Video
• Videos on websites like YouTube
• Videos or DVDs

However, if you are watching on-demand programmes on websites such as Amazon Prime and then switch over to a live programme the site is streaming you must have a license to do this.

It is worth noting that TV licences are per house not per person, meaning the £169.50 fee can be split between a household of multiple people.

However, this changes if you have separate tenancy agreements and you watch TV in your own room.

For example, if you live in a shared house and you watch TV in your bedroom and your housemate does not, then you will need your own license.

You can have one TV licence for the whole household if you either watch TV in a single shared area or have a joint tenancy agreement.

So, if you are confident that you will not be watching any live content from your home you do not have to pay a TV licence.

But it is worth being aware of the possible fines and charges if you change your mind.

If you are already paying for a licence you can cancel it and may also be eligible for a refund.

You can do this by visiting https://forms.tvlicensing.co.uk/.

Can you get a discount on your TV licence?

You can claim a free TV licence if you’re 75 or older and either receive Pension Credit yourself or live with a partner who gets Pension Credit.

You can apply for a free licence when you’re 74, but will still have to pay until the end of the month before your 75^th birthday.

You can apply for your free licence online or by calling 0300 790 6071.

You could also be eligible for a discounted TV licence if you live in residential care or sheltered accommodation, or if you’re registered blind.

If you live in sheltered accommodation or residential care and are over 60 or disabled you can get a licence for just £7.50.

Your housing manager should be able to check if you’re eligible and will apply for you.

If you’re registered blind, or live with someone who is, you’re in line for a 50% discount.

The licence must be in the name if the person registered blind, but if your existing licence is not in their name you can make an application to transfer it.

You can apply for the discount on the TV Licensing website.

BRITS planning to send Christmas cards have been warned to stock up ahead of a major price change in just hours.

Royal Mail has confirmed first-class stamps will go up in price tomorrow.

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The stamps will rise for standard letters by 30p from £1.35 to £1.65 – the second hike in a year and a 22% increase.

First-class stamps for large letters will go up from £2.10 to £2.60 – a 24% rise.

However, you can beat the hike somewhat by stocking up on stamps now so you don’t need to buy new ones come Christmas.

Martin Lewis previously said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance.

“Provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the hike.

“So you may as well stock up now, even if it’s just for Christmas cards for the next few Christmases.”

Royal Mail said it had tried to keep any price hikes on stamps as low as possible in the face of inflation and slumping demand.

It also cited the costs associated with maintaining the Universal Service Obligation for deliveries six days a week.

But Ofcom said Royal Mail could be allowed to drop Saturday deliveries for second class letters under an overhaul of the service.

Under plans being considered, second class deliveries would not be made on Saturdays and would only be on alternate weekdays.

But delivery times would remain unchanged at up to three working days.

Ofcom said no decision had been made and it continues to review the changes.

The regulator aims to publish a consultation in early 2025 and make a decision in the summer of next year.

Royal Mail has urged the Government and Ofcom to review its obligations.

The firm argues that it is no longer workable or cost-effective, given the decline in number of letter volumes being posted.

The delivery giant has previously said volumes have fallen from 20billion in 2004/5 to around 6.7billion in 2023/4.

The average household now receives four letters a week compared to 14 a decade ago.

What is rising?

Royal Mail previously raised the price of first class stamps from £1.10 to £1.25 last October, before hiking them again in April.

Right now, a first class stamp costs £1.35, which covers the delivery of letters up to 100g.

Historically, the cost of stamps has steadily increased over the years, reflecting inflation and operational costs. For example, in 2000, a First Class stamp was priced at 41p.

A second class stamp is currently priced at 85p and also covers letters up to 100g. The cost of second-class stamps isn’t rising from October 7.

The stamps can be bought individually if you buy it at a Post Office counter.

Otherwise, you can typically buy them in sets of multiple stamps.

The first class service typically delivers your post the next working day, including Saturdays, while the second class service usually delivers within 2-3 working days, also including Saturdays.

For larger letters, the cost of a first class stamp is £2.10 for items up to 100g, and a second class stamp for the same weight is £1.55.

Parcel delivery prices vary based on size and weight, starting from £3.69 for small parcels.

Additional services include the “signed for” option, which requires a signature upon delivery and adds an extra level of security.

The cost for first class signed for is £3.05, and for second class Signed for, it is £2.55.

The “special delivery” service guarantees next-day delivery by 1pm with compensation cover, with prices starting from £7.95.

Royal Mail periodically reviews and adjusts stamp prices, so it is advisable to check the latest rates on their official website or at your local Post Office.