Police say a body found in the search for the missing sister-in-law of actor Mackenzie Crook is that of Laurel Aldridge. The 62-year-old was reported missing from her home in the village of Walberton, near Arundel in West Sussex, on 14 February. Crook, who is known for roles in The Office, Pirates Of The Caribbean
UK
The Chinese owner of Thomas Cook is plotting an outright sale of the British holiday brand three years after it rescued the name from corporate ignominy. Sky News has learnt that Fosun Tourism Group is in preliminary discussions with a number of potential purchasers of the online travel agent (OTA). Fosun, which is part of
Sue Gray has been appointed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to serve as his chief of staff. The senior civil servant became a household name during the partygate scandal, authoring the report which found “a failure of leadership and judgement” in Number 10 during Boris Johnson’s premiership. Conservative MPs and former cabinet ministers have
Police questioning Constance Marten and Mark Gordon believe the baby, whose remains were found in Brighton, may have been dead for “several weeks” and have been unable to confirm its gender. The Metropolitan Police said it was “too early” to provide a specific date as to when the baby died, adding that a post-mortem examination
Sir Gavin Williamson accused teachers of looking for an “excuse” not to work during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to leaked messages from Matt Hancock published by The Daily Telegraph. In May 2020, as teachers prepared for classrooms to reopen, the then education secretary had messaged Mr Hancock asking for help in securing personal protective equipment
England has had its driest February in 30 years prompting a warning of the potential for a drought. The nation saw its eighth driest second month since 1836 with an average of just 15.3mm of rainfall. The south and east of England faced particularly dry conditions. Essex was the most affected county with only 3.5mm
An urgent search for the baby of aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon has entered its second day amid growing fears for the child’s safety. Marten and Gordon were arrested in Brighton on Monday on suspicion of child neglect after being spotted by a member of the public at about 9.30pm. They were
Household bills could rise if the government further delays its plan to rid the power network of polluting fossil fuels by 2035, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. Energy officials committed to the target almost 18 months ago, but their plan to deliver it was delayed by the energy crisis as they focussed instead
The COVID inquiry has “doubled down” on its decision not to examine the impact of structural racism during the pandemic, according to bereaved families and campaigners. People from ethnic minority backgrounds, whether healthcare workers, key workers, or members of the public, were disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and racism should be “explicitly interrogated” by the inquiry,
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has called for people to “come together and celebrate Wales” in his St David’s Day address. In his remarks, Mr Drakeford also made reference to Wales being a “Nation of sanctuary”, having welcomed more than 6,400 refugees from Ukraine in the year since the start of the war
New details in the decoration of the chair the King will be crowned on during his coronation ceremony have been revealed. King Henry VIII, King Charles I, Queen Victoria and the late Queen Elizabeth II were all crowned on the golden throne. Despite its history, the chair is covered in graffiti – much of it
Drivers leasing new electric cars are being overcharged by hundreds of pounds each month, it has been claaimed. Companies have been accused of failing to reflect the strong resale value of cleaner cars when they set their prices, according to clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E). The monthly cost is typically based on
England’s Sarina Wiegman has been named women’s coach of the year at the Best FIFA awards. The Dutch coach masterminded England’s Euro 2022 run last summer, which resulted in them winning the tournament for the first time. She beat off Lyon’s Sonia Bompastor and Pia Sundhage of Brazil at the awards ceremony in Paris. Accepting
A nurse accused of murdering seven babies tried to murder another infant within two hours of her birth, a court has heard. Lucy Letby denies the murder charges along with the attempted murder of 10 babies between June 2015 and June 2016. The 33-year-old defendant deliberately dislodged the girl’s breathing tube just moments before a
An unverified claim of responsibility by the New IRA for the shooting of an off-duty detective is being investigated by police in Northern Ireland. Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell has been in hospital since he was shot in front of his young son in Co Tyrone on 22 February. He was targeted at a sports
The energy regulator has reduced the cap on the amount they can charge customers but bills are still expected to increase. Ofgem has today announced the cap on the amount households pay on electricity and gas bills will drop to £3,280 from 1 April. It’s a decrease from the previous cap of £4,279 effective from
Ofgem is expected to announce that it will drop its cap on the amount energy suppliers can charge by around £1,000 – but bills could still rise by an average of £500. According to the latest forecast from energy consultancy Cornwall Insight, the energy regulator is expected to announce a fall in the cap to
Manchester United have won their first trophy under manager Erik ten Hag, beating Newcastle United 2-0 at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup. United’s goals came from their Brazilian midfielder, Casemiro, and an own goal from the Magpies’ Sven Botman. Both came in the first half. Casemiro headed home a Luke Shaw free-kick before Botman
The body of missing hillwalker Kyle Sambrook and his dog have been found in Glencoe, police confirm. The 33-year-old and his beagle, Bane, were seen last weekend in the Lost Valley area in the Scottish Highlands. Scotland Police said the bodies of a man and a dog were recovered by mountain rescue teams and the
Police searching for the missing sister-in-law of actor Mackenzie Crook have found a body. Laurel Aldridge, 62, was reported missing from her home in Walberton, near Arundel, West Sussex, on 14 February. Crook, who is known for roles in The Office, Pirates Of The Caribbean and Worzel Gummidge, had made public appeals to find Ms