Innovation

'I feel that I am not valued as a carer'

by Jason
written by Jason

A woman who looks after both her father and son says she believes she is not "valued as a carer".

Speaking during Carers Week, Becky Pain-Tolin, from Gloucestershire, said the care system was "diabolical" and "incredibly underfunded".

Ms Pain-Tolin, whose 11-year-old son has complex disabilities and whose father has advanced vascular dementia said: "Unpaid carers deserve more, my father deserves more and my son deserves more."

A spokesperson for The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said they understood "the huge difference carers make, as well as the struggles so many face".

They said the government increased the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold by £45 a week to £196, which would benefit more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30.

Ms Pain-Tolin's son needs two-to-one care at all times and three-to-one care when in the community.

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Innovation

Seven appear in court over acid attack on man

by Avery
written by Avery

Seven more people have appeared in court charged over an acid attack which left a man seriously injured.

The victim was at home with his daughter in Lipson Road on 21 February, Plymouth Magistrates Court heard.

Ria Park, prosecuting, said two men broke in and threw acid at him, "causing significant injuries to him".

The defendants, six men from London and a woman from Plymouth, were all charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to kidnap.

Jenna O'Grady, 38, from Plymouth, is charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to kidnap

Ramarnee Bakas, 22, of Bethune Road, London, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 22, of North Circular, London, Arrone Mukuna, 24, of Werrington Street, London, Jean Mukuna, 23, of Werrington Street, London, Brian Kalemba, 22, of Estbury Square, London, Jenna O'Grady, 38, Ernesettle Green, Plymouth, and Isanah Sungum, 22, of Stirling Way, Edmonton, London, were charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to kidnap.

Mr Bakas, Arrone Mukuna, Jean Makuna and Mr Adedoja were also charged with laundering the proceeds of crime.

The defendants spoke only to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth and were all remanded in custody to appear at Plymouth Crown Court on 12 May.

Arrone Mukuna, 24, from London, was among seven who appeared in court

Israel Augustus, 25, of Pulford Road, north London, who appeared at Plymouth Magistrates' Court earlier, was charged with applying a corrosive fluid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or do grievous bodily harm.

Mr Augustus, who was also charged with aggravated burglary, possession of an offensive weapon, and drug offences, was due to appear before Plymouth Crown Court on 16 June.

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Industry

Town seeks ambassadors to 'reshape' its image

by Stephanie
written by Stephanie

A campaign has started to find ambassadors to help "reshape" the image of a town in Nottinghamshire.

The Destination Mansfield brand initiative was launched at the town's Palace Theatre on Tuesday.

Bosses said the aim of the project was to recruit businesses, community organisations and residents to promote the town and surrounding district in new ways.

New branding for the town has also been unveiled along with a new website.

Mansfield District Council hosted the launch, which is part of a wider two-year £715,000 project funded jointly by the authority and from a £12.3m Towns Fund grant from the government.

Mansfield District Council
The Gaia art installation is on display at the Palace Theatre until Sunday

Destination Mansfield spokesperson Michael Fisher, who is one of the new ambassadors, said they would "raise the profile of the area to help put it on the map, change perceptions, and drive investment".

Mr Fisher added: "This journey is a long journey, and like anything that develops it needs to be nurtured well and more importantly loved by people in and around the area."

The council said the campaign to rebrand the town, known for its industrial heritage and its proximity to Sherwood Forest, would be backed by a number of events to attract people to the town.

They include the unveiling of a 6m (19.7ft) artwork globe, called Gaia, which can be visited without charge at the Palace Theatre until Sunday.

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Market

Cycle hub plan dropped due to lack of interest

by Heather
written by Heather

Plans to introduce a cycle parking hub as part of regeneration efforts in an area of Sheffield have been shelved because of a lack of interest.

The idea to build the hub at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe formed part of a major scheme to encourage active travel in the area.

The aim now is to use £30,200 of the £17m Levelling Up Fund project budget to design up to 100 cycle parking spaces and associated infrastructure.

Rather than a big cycle hub, like the one at Sheffield railway station, this will comprise sets of street bike stands near the Olympic Legacy Park and tram stops.

These are known as Sheffield stands because the idea to use metal piping bent into a square arch shape to create low-cost bike racks apparently came from the Steel City, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A meeting of the council's finance and performance committee heard that as well as a lack of interest, any plans to lease a building for a hub would not be possible as Levelling Up funding pays for capital projects and not rents.

Major plans for Attercliffe include building a NHS children's health research centre being developed by Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust at the Olympic Legacy Park.

Other works include the redevelopment of the former steel production site Spartan Works as the Attercliffe Waterside community, including more than 1,000 homes and the creation of an arts complex, based at the old Adelphi cinema.

South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

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Economy

Biker in his 70s dies in collision with van

by Audrey
written by Audrey

A motorcyclist aged in his 70s has died after the bike he was riding was involved in a collision with a van on the North Yorkshire border with Lancashire.

The white BMW motorbike and a Peugeot Partner van collided on the A65 near Ingleton at about 13:00 BST on Tuesday, North Yorkshire Police said.

The biker died at the scene despite the efforts of members of the public and the emergency services, the force said.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who had dashcam footage from the scene, was urged to contact police.

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Innovation

CCTV watches over nesting swans in town centre

by Lillian
written by Lillian

Measures to protect swans in a town centre after two were attacked last year have been reintroduced.

Fencing and CCTV were put in place in April 2024 following a number of incidents where bottles were thrown at two birds.

The safety measures have again been put in by Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue (CWR) to protect two nesting birds on the River Freshney in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.

The swans, in the same spot as last year, have laid two eggs and CWR is monitoring the video footage to ensure their safety.

Security measures have been reintroduced to protect swans on the River Freshney

CWR volunteers were granted a licence by North East Lincolnshire Council to put in the fencing and CCTV.

The rescue group said the safety measures were considered a success last year, with disturbance of the nest dropping from an average of four a day to fewer than four over the entire incubation period.

They have asked people not to feed the swans on or near the nest as it attracts predators, which puts the birds at risk.

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

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Industry

Teens arrested after boy, 16, is stabbed

by Brooklyn
written by Brooklyn

Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 16-year-old suffered serious injuries in a stabbing.

The boy was wounded at the junction of Weedon Road and Spencer Bridge Road in Northampton between 16:45 BST and 17:30 on Sunday.

Police said a 15-year-old and 16-year-old, both from Northampton, were being held in custody for questioning.

The victim, who was airlifted from the scene, remained in hospital and anyone with information about the assault was asked to call 101.

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Market

US tourist takes wrong boat, ends up Southend fan

by Danielle
written by Danielle

An American tourist who mistakenly boarded a boat full of die-hard Southend United fans has ended up a Shrimper.

Evan Johnston, a student from Arizona, thought he was taking a hop-on hop-off cruise past London's iconic landmarks on Saturday.

But the 21-year-old mistakenly boarded a Thames cruiser packed with a rowdy crowd of Shrimpers en route to their National League fixture at Sutton.

"It was a daunting start for him without a doubt, but he absolutely loved every minute of it," Southend fan Andy Ward said.

The day culminated with the Essex faithful singing "Evan is a Shrimper" from the away end as their side drew 1-1.

He has now been invited to be a guest at Roots Hall for Southend United's home fixture against Solihull Moors on Saturday.

Andy Ward
Accidental fan Evan Johnston gets in the Southend spirit among fans at Sutton on Saturday

Suspicions first arose when Mr Johnston was seen sitting by himself while everyone partied around him.

"He didn't know what was going on," Mr Ward told BBC Essex.

"But everyone made him feel welcome and in the end all the young lads bought him beers and gave him a match ticket.

"He absolutely loved it and the younger fans need praise because they were fantastic with him."

Andy Ward
Mr Ward has invited his new American friend for a tour of Southend-on-Sea

Mr Johnston admitted thinking it was strange that so many of his fellow passengers knew each other, but staff allowed him on board and he took his seat.

"He was loving it.. He said he'd never had that before. It was a bit surreal for everyone," Mr Ward said.

'Southend 'til I die'

However, the American guest missed what would have been the first goal he had ever seen scored – because he was at a burger van.

"He said 'I'm Southend 'til I die' and that really made me laugh," added Mr Ward, who also planned to show Mr Johnston the city's famous pier.

A spokesman for Southend United said the club would give him a behind-the-scenes tour of the ground on Saturday.

"After hearing he was one of the 1,459 fans in the away end at Sutton – by complete accident – we now want to make sure he can experience and enjoy a home match," he said.

"Full credit to our brilliant supporters who continue to back the team in their numbers.

"This story is a perfect example of the incredible community spirit that brings our club together."

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Business

'Punching a bag helps release the hurt inside'

by Ryan
written by Ryan

A man who was previously addicted to drugs and alcohol says boxing replaced his vices and helped him turn his life around.

Former European champion boxer Ewan Welsh made a bet in the pub with his friend that he was going to get into the sport.

An epileptic seizure while in the ring meant the end of his time as an athlete, but coaching others gave him another avenue to pursue.

He went on to set up the "Brothers In Arms" group at Korefitness in Silverdale, Staffordshire, where men can learn to box and open up about their issues.

Participant Ethan Mourn said the retired boxer's group was a place where he felt able to talk.

"I was in a kind of dark place, confused and bit emotional, but then I came here, spoke to Ewan and he's helped me quite a lot," he said.

Josh Shepard said boxing helped him process his grief

Another participant, Josh Shepard, said he lost his job after his dad and cousin died within the space of six months.

He felt boxing with the group helped him, and that he also benefitted from chatting to others.

"The gym just didn't do it for me," he said. "Just punching a bag really does just release a lot inside hurt."

He said he was hooked after his first session, and the brew and biscuits at the end were an important reason for attending.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be," he added.

Ben Betts, a mental health coach, says working out helps release endorphins

Ben Betts, a mental health coach at the group, explained working out helped release endorphins, which in turn enabled the men to feel more able to open up.

"Even if you're having a really bad week, you can come here and hit the bag, release your evil energies," he said.

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Global Trade

What we know about killings near US-Israeli backed Gaza aid site

by Ella
written by Ella

Over the past three days, there have been a series of deadly incidents on the route to an aid distribution site in Gaza run by a controversial group backed by the US and Israel.

The three incidents took place on roads approaching one of the new sites in the extreme south-west of Gaza, which is under full Israeli military control. The facility is being operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The first incident took place early on Sunday morning when 31 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency. Another three people were killed by gunfire on Monday morning, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Meanwhile, a further 27 people were killed by Israeli fire near the site on Tuesday morning, according to health officials.

Israel has denounced what it called "false reports" that its troops fired on civilians at or near the sites. It said that some soldiers fired warning shots on Sunday 1km away, and that they also opened fire after identifying "several suspects" on Monday and Tuesday.

Very few videos have emerged from Gaza that show the incidents themselves, but BBC Verify has examined available footage and attempted to map how they unfolded.

Where have the incidents taken place?

All three are reported to have taken place near an aid distribution centre in the south-west of Gaza, in the Tal al-Sultan area.

The site, named Safe Distribution Site 1 (SDS 1) by the GHF, opened on the 26 May. It is one of four such facilities, three of which are based in southern Gaza.

The facilities are part of a new aid system – widely condemned by humanitarian groups – aiming to bypass the UN, which Israel has accused of failing to prevent Hamas diverting aid to its fighters. The UN says that has not been a big problem and that the GHF's system is unworkable and unethical.

However, only SDS 1 has been open and operational since Friday, according to official GHF posts online. It follows a chaotic opening week which saw the site overrun by desperate civilians, and projectiles being thrown towards Gazans at another facility at the GHF's northern site near Nuseirat on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the foundation did not respond to messages asking why the other facilities have been closed for several days.

The GHF has also encouraged civilians to follow a set route when approaching SDS 1, directing them along a coastal road called al-Rashid Street.

The instructions have been issued on the foundation's official Facebook page.

Chris Newton, a senior analyst at the Brussels-based think tank Crisis Group, said the route was neither "safe nor effective".

He added that directing civilians down a single route towards the site was "a very far cry from what was possible" under the UN-based system, which saw 400 distribution points scattered across the strip.

"This all looks designed to fail," he said of the new aid system.

How Sunday's incident unfolded

According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, some 31 people were killed by gunfire on Sunday.

The GHF posted on its official Facebook page early on Sunday, telling civilians that SDS 1 would be open from 05:00 local time.

However, just an hour later it posted again saying that the site was closed. By this time many Gazans had gathered at the Al-Alam roundabout as they waited to be granted access to the site, Mohammed Ghareeb, a journalist based in Rafah, told the BBC.

We have seen a limited amount of video that is claimed to relate to the shootings. In one video filmed on the route to the aid site, purportedly on Sunday, people lie on the ground and an explosion is heard.

There is a "realistic possibility" this blast sound was a battle tank firing its main armament, says David Heathcote, an intelligence manager with security analysts McKenzie Intelligence, but he adds that "there could be other explanations". Another expert we spoke to said the source of the sound was unclear.

An audio recording provided to the BBC by international staff at the UK-Med field hospital about 3km away from the site captured two apparent explosions and protracted gunfire for over five minutes.

Video footage posted at 06:08 showed dozens of people lying prone on sand, with automatic gunfire audible. BBC Verify could not definitively geolocate the footage.

Another clip reviewed by BBC Verify, which claimed to be from the aftermath of the incident, showed a number of bodies lying on a beach on Gaza's coast. As the video progresses, several of the bodies were covered by white bags. One of those lying on the beach appeared to be a young woman.

We cannot definitively geolocate the footage. However, lights seen in the distance suggest that the footage may have been filmed in an area about 1km from SDS 1.

Images – provided to the BBC by doctors – of bullets recovered from those killed and wounded in the incidents showed that both 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds were used.

But Benedict Manzin – an analyst with the risk consultancy Sibylline – said that the source of the rounds was unclear, noting that both the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian armed groups "will have access to weapons that fire 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds".

The IDF denied its troops fired at civilians "near or within" the site and said reports to this effect were false. But an Israeli military source later said warning shots were fired approximately 1km (0.6 miles) away from the site "to prevent suspects from approaching the troops".

The GHF said in a statement: "There were no injuries, fatalities or incidents during our operations yesterday. Period. We have yet to see any evidence that there was an attack at or near our facility."

What happened in the later incidents?

On Monday, three people were killed while waiting for food near SDS 1, according to the ICRC.

The Israeli military said "warning shots were fired toward several suspects who advanced toward" troops approximately 1km from the site.

The Gaza health ministry said at least 27 people were then killed when Israeli forces opened fire near SDS 1 early on Tuesday.

Very little footage has emerged purporting to show the moment of the shooting. But one clip posted online showed people running with gunfire audible. BBC Verify geolocated the footage to a road near SDS 1 and established it was newly published on Tuesday although we cannot say for certain it relates to Tuesday's incident.

  • Killings near Gaza aid centre will deepen criticism of Israel's new distribution system
  • How controversial US-Israeli backed Gaza aid plan turned to chaos
  • Gaza aid trucks rushed by desperate and hungry crowds, WFP says

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence agency, told the BBC that the incident again occurred a few hundred metres away from the Al-Alam roundabout. He said most of those killed or injured "were hit by gunfire from tanks, helicopters and quadcopter drones".

Yasser Abu Lubda, a 50-year-old who has been displaced from Rafah, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that the shooting began shortly before 04:00 local time. Rasha al-Nahal, another witness, told AP "there was gunfire from all directions".

And the ICRC said in a statement that its field hospital in Rafah received "a mass casualty influx of 184 patients".

"This includes nineteen cases who were declared dead upon arrival and eight more who died due to their wounds shortly after. The majority of cases suffered gunshot wounds."

In a statement, the IDF said approximately 0.5km from the aid distribution site "several suspects" moved towards them. It said troops shot warning fire and when "suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects". It said it was looking into reports of casualties.

Responding to Tuesday's incident, the GHF said: "While the aid distribution was conducted safely and without incident at our site today, we understand that IDF is investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone. This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area."

BBC Verify will continue to investigate footage surrounding each of the three incidents.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

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