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SOCIAL media giants such as Meta must stop dragging their feet and tackle online fraud, the UK’s financial watchdog says. 

Financial Conduct Authority boss Nikhil Rathi criticised tech firms for being too slow to remove harmful content. 

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FCA boss Nikhil Rathi has hit out at tech giants for being too slow when removing harmful online content[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

Social media giants such as META have been told to stop dragging their feet and tackle online fraud[/caption]

Speaking to MPs, he urged companies to “get on and do it” without waiting for further guidance. 

There is concern people are being fleeced by dodgy investments promoted by so-called “finfluencers”. 

Last May, the watchdog charged nine suspects, including ex-Love Island and former The Only Way Is Essex stars, over a dubious online trading scheme promoted on social media. If convicted, they could face up to two years’ jail. The trial is set for 2027. 

Consumer group Which? has also exposed a surge of misleading health adverts on Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram.

These include false medical claims, fake endorsements and products that never arrive. 

One targeted diabetics with a fraudulent glucose monitor. Another promoted bee venom cream with bogus claims of medical approval. 

Mr Rathi said the FCA needs social media firms to cooperate to remove harmful content. Some are, but others are slow to act. 

The Online Safety Act should force platforms to remove illegal content. 

But Which? warned it could take until 2027 to fully implement. 

NATWEST SHUTS 55 MORE 

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NatWest will shut 55 more branches in the coming months, on top of 53 closures already announced for this year[/caption]

NATWEST is closing 55 more branches in the coming months, adding to 53 ­closures already planned this year. 

The move follows a shift towards online banking by customers. 

Since 2015, NatWest Group has shut more than 1,400 branches across the UK.

NatWest said more than 80 per cent of current account holders now use digital banking.

It plans to invest £20million to upgrade surviving branches and improve customer service. 

Pop-up services will support communities during “branch transitions”. 

RENTALS COOL 

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Average rents for new leases in April increased by 2.8 per cent year-on-year, from the 6.4 per cent recorded in 2024. 

Average monthly rent is £1,287. Richard Donnell at property site ZOOPLA said: “The average annual cost of renting is still over £2,500 higher than three years ago.” 

WATER BLOCK 

MILLIONS of households are being blocked from bill support due to a loophole in the WaterSure scheme. 

It helps the disabled and benefits claimants using lots of water, but requires a meter which many homes cannot install. 

Scope’s Abdi Mohamed urged change, saying: “Consumers cannot choose their supplier, and more needs to be done to ensure consistency and fairness.” 

ELIZABETH Hurley has gone totally naked and ditched all her clothes to celebrate turning 60.

The actress left her followers open-mouthed as she stripped off for a celebratory Instagram post.

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Liz Hurley went totally naked to celebrate turning 60[/caption]

Instagram / @billyraycyrus

Billy Ray shared his own snap to celebrate the glam actress[/caption]

Liz could be seen perched in a meadow as she posed in order to protect her modesty from being on full display.

Alongside the stunning snap, Liz shared her blessings in life as she marked her birthday – including a sweet nod to her boyfriend, Billy Ray Cyrus.

She confirmed she was “in love” in the caption of the photo after going public in her romance with the country singer and father of Miley Cyrus earlier this year.

Liz said alongside the snap: “Happy birthday to me!

“This year has already been a wild ride; my 30th year of working with the Estée Lauder Companies, my 30th year as the Global Ambassador of the @esteelaudercompanies Breast Cancer Campaign, the 20th anniversary of @elizabethhurleybeach and… I’m in love.

“Feeling very blessed and grateful for having the best friends & family in the world.

“Pic taken this afternoon… in my birthday suit xxx.”

Not long after, Billy Ray shared his own loved-up snap as he embraced Liz and sent her birthday well-wishes.

The singer said: “Happy birthday to the love of my life.”

It seems that Liz and Billy Ray’s romance is headed in the right direction with her son Damian adding a slew of love hearts underneath Billy Ray’s most recent post.

It also seems that his daughter, popstar Miley, is warming to the relationship after famously cutting ties with her father in 2023 following the end of his marriage to her mother, Tish.

Despite their messy and public fallout, Miley now wishes “happiness” to her three-times wed dad and Liz despite struggling with the “pain” of seeing her parents go their separate ways.

Miley said: “I’m being an adult about it. 

“At first it’s hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, ‘Yes, that’s your dad, but that’s just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy’.

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The pair’s romance has been hotting up in recent weeks[/caption]

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Liz has celebrated turning 60 in style[/caption]

HORSES have their own “language” with more than 800 facial expressions, scientists have found.

Researchers set out to unravel the mystery of the creatures’ long faces and find how they exhibit a range of emotions.

Aberystwyth University observed horses when they were friendly, angry or tense, attentive and playful.

They then analysed individual muscle movements, created a list of facial expressions among horses and matched them to moods of other animals.

During friendly interactions, horses pointed their ears forward and extended their nose.

To show dominance, they flattened their ears, dilated their nostrils and lowered their heads.

When horses were alert, scientists noticed they put their ears forward and increased blinking.

“Play faces” resembled primates and dogs — as horses opened their mouths, raised chins and had visible eye whites.

Lead researcher Dr Sebastian McBride said: “We found horses use a wide range of facial movements, which vary depending on the social context.

“What’s particularly fascinating is some of these facial behaviours, especially during play, mirror those seen in chimpanzees and dogs, supporting the hypothesis facial behaviours may be deep rooted in mammalian biology.”

Scientists indentified the AUH21 “facial tightener” movement, previously only seen in humans and gibbons. It could help vets detect pain in horses.

The research team also said the study would change how we interact with horses, “leading to better care and stronger human-animal relationships”.

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Horses have their own ‘language’ with more than 800 facial expressions, scientists reveal[/caption]

CARING for someone you love is a tough, relentless and, very often, such a lonely task.

But it is also a privilege that all carers embrace.

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Derek died in January 2024 aged 56 four years after contracting Covid[/caption]

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Kate, above with her husband in 2008, says looking after him was one of the greatest honours of her life[/caption]

Looking after my husband Derek — who died in January 2024 aged 56, four years after being left seriously ill from Covid — was one of the greatest honours of my life and I wish I was still doing it today.

The children and I were so grateful he had survived despite the terrible damage the virus had done to him, and that with the help of doctors, nurses and professional carers we had the chance to give him the best life possible.

Being a carer, its joys and its responsibilities, stays with you even after you have lost the person.

I still wake up in the middle of the night panicking that I haven’t given him his medicine, or that I have forgotten to move him every hour to prevent the painful contractions in his limbs.

The next second I realise he no longer needs that care. There is a moment of relief — that I did not let him down — before a tsunami of sadness hits.

Caring takes over your whole life. You don’t begrudge it, but you suffer because of it.

A report by non-profit organisation Carers UK this week reveals that 58 per cent of carers struggle to look after their own health.

Four in ten have cancelled medical appointments to prioritise the person they look after and 1.2million live in poverty, including 400,000 in deep poverty.

Almost half of adults who have looked after a loved one have physical or mental problems as a result, with seven in ten living with long-term conditions afterwards.

That works out as 10.7million people whose lives have been turned upside down and left with serious health problems.

I was one of the lucky ones, with hugely caring family and friends and supportive employers, but the harsh reality is that my own health still suffered.

One day in November 2022, I was heading to Good Morning Britain when I woke up with searing chest pain.

I could barely move, but I forced myself into the car. On the way in, I threw up.

By the time I arrived at the studio, something was clearly wrong. Dr Hilary told the producers to call an ambulance.

Instead of going on air, I was in hospital, wired to machines, with doctors fearing a heart attack.

Thankfully, it was not. It was what they described as a “heart event”.

The stress of fighting for Derek to get the support he needed along with the physical demands of being a primary carer 24 hours a day was such a strain that my body was feeling the effect.

And there were other signs too. Missed appointments. No time to rest. My autoimmune thyroid condition — neglected during Derek’s illness — has now worsened significantly. Surgery now looks likely. It could have been avoided.

During a three-week gap in care, while the system tried to work out which agency should give Derek the life-saving care he needed, I had no choice but to try to get through looking after Derek 24/7 completely alone.

How could the only answer be to abandon someone who couldn’t move, couldn’t safely be left alone — but was fully aware and trusted me — to God knows what, just to have a cry for help answered?

By the end I was so sleep-deprived I was scared it was no longer safe — for me, for the children, let alone for Derek.

In desperation I called health services again and this time refused to get off the phone until some answer was given.

In the end, the person on the other end of the phone, who was also clearly exhausted, told me, “There is nothing I can do but — and this isn’t official — you are not alone and what I always say to people is take him to A&E and leave him there, then they legally have to do something.” 

I knew she meant well but how could we have come to this?

How could the only answer be to abandon someone who couldn’t move, couldn’t safely be left alone — but was fully aware and trusted me — to God knows what, just to have a cry for help answered?

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Shutterstock Editorial

Carers are the backbone of this country — but are being broken under the weight, says Kate[/caption]

I didn’t take him, I just couldn’t, physically or morally.

Final straw

I got through another day somehow until a family member took time off their work to come — and we got through.

But others are not so lucky. And they are simply breaking and fearing even worse is to come.

I have more friends than ever taking on caring roles. And my own mum is now caring full-time for my dad following a stroke, and they are both in their eighties.

There are millions out there in far worse situations than I found myself in. 

Carers UK has raised serious concerns about the Government’s proposed welfare changes, particularly reforms to Personal Independence Payment.

If eligibility becomes stricter, many carers could lose vital financial support and their Carer’s Allowance.

These changes could affect up to 150,000 carers, with losses of more than £8,000 a year per household. For many, barely surviving, that would be the final straw.

Carers are the backbone of this country — but are being broken under the weight.

They are doing the work of a second NHS. Silently. Without pay. Without recognition.

Every day, 12,000 more people become unpaid carers. And every day, 600 workers leave their jobs to care full-time.

Britain depends on an army of unpaid carers who save the country £184billion a year — more than the entire NHS budget.

But who is caring for them?

This week is Carers Week and, just as the Chancellor prepares to give her spending review today, investment in the sector is at an all-time low. So my message to Rachel Reeves is: Please do not forget the carers.

My message to Rachel Reeves is: Please do not forget the carers

Put them at the heart of your plans. Invest in their health, give them real support and recognise the vital role they play.

When you support carers, you take pressure off the NHS, you keep people out of hospital and you help get them home — where they want to be, where they belong.

Carers are not asking for praise. They love what they do.

They are just asking not to be forgotten. Not now, not again, and not when they are holding up the very fabric of our country with their bare hands.

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Kate’s autoimmune thyroid condition has now worsened significantly after being neglected during Derek’s illness[/caption]

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Kate and Derek pictured with their family[/caption]

SHAMED BBC anchorman Huw Edwards’ divorce has been delayed as the asking price for his family home was slashed by £750,000. 

His TV producer wife Vicky Flind filed for divorce days after he admitted possessing indecent images of children. 

Their six-bedroom detached mansion in Dulwich, south London was then put up for sale for £4.75 million last October following the couple’s split. 

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Edwards’ wife Vicky Flind filed for divorce days after his child sex image confession[/caption]

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Shamed BBC presenter Huw Edwards’ divorce has stalled after £750k was knocked off the asking price of his family home[/caption]

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But no buyers have come forward to take on the plush property amid fears it has been blighted by its links to the telly paedo. 

The property has attracted so little interest that online site Zoopla is still urging “be one of the first to view” – nine months after it went on sale. 

Agents reduced its asking price by £250,000 in February – but a further £500,000 has now been hacked off as the couple attempt to accelerate their split. 

The couple bought the six-bedroom home for £1.85 million in 2006 and it is mortgage-free – and 63-year-old Edwards expected to rake in more than £2 million from his share of the sale. 

But the plummeting price means the presenter – who earned £475,000 at the peak of his career – has already lost more than £300,000 he hoped to rake in last year. 

He did not pay back £200,000 in wages funded by licence payers which he earned between his arrest over child sex charges and his resignation. 

Court records obtained by The Sun confirm that no decree absolute had been granted to end his 32-year marriage up to June 5. 

It was unclear whether property sale problems were affecting the divorce – which had been expected to have been finalised by February this year 

Edwards, 62, pleaded guilty in September to three charges of making indecent images of children and was given a six-month suspended jail term. 

The material included abuse videos of children as young as seven, which he received via WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021. 

Ms Flind initially stood by her husband but asked him to leave the family home after his arrest. 

He has since been living between a flat in Wandsworth, south-west London, and a property in Carmarthen, Wales. 

His Dulwich home is described by the estate agent as “a substantial detached mid-century family house” with “exceptionally spacious living accommodation”. 

It features three bathrooms, three reception rooms, a library, an office, a double-length garage, and mature gardens with decking. 

The agency said it sits “on one of Dulwich’s most desirable residential roads”. 

The couple, who married in 1993, have three sons and two daughters. 

THE historic majesty of the Old Course at St Andrews, the lush, rolling greens of Georgia’s Augusta National . . . 

And last but not least, the windswept, drizzly grandeur of Hastings’ Pelham Place, home to arguably the greatest fixture in the global sporting calendar — the 22nd World Crazy Golf Championship.

Chris Eades

Nick McGrath travelled to Hastings for the 22nd World Crazy Golf Championship[/caption]

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Sun man Nick trying his luck at the windmill[/caption]

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Nick looks unimpressed as he checks his score[/caption]

Standing on the slate-grey seafront, just beyond the miniature railway and the swan lake pedalos, the tricky 18-hole course has played host to some of the most compelling confrontations in golfing history.

And as the rain lashes the painted windmill on hole five, it’s my turn to take to the tee.

A hush falls over the cagoule-wearing crowd in East Sussex as I flick seagull poo from the soggy felt green and prepare to take the tournament by storm.

Nick “The Hack” McGrath — your time is now.

Feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, putter poised, I stroke my WCGC-monogrammed ball effortlessly past the windmill towards the par two hole.

My opponents in the novice competition — Dee “The Retailer” Relf, a 49-year-old Poundland store manager from Kent, and retired local aromatherapist “Fragrant” Sue Goodhand, 74 — raise their eyebrows in surprise, clearly intimidated by my commanding presence.

Seventeen holes, 55 scattergun shots and zero holes-in-one later, I’ve disgraced myself and almost detached the wooden watermill on hole nine from its hinges.

“You did really well,” lies Sue charitably. “Most first-timers average six or seven a hole, so well done.”

‘Pretty fierce’

Like Sue, it’s Dee’s second year in the championship, but she’s not confident about retaining the women’s crown she took home last year.

“Too many mistakes this year,” she sighs, before revealing how she will spend her prize money if she does top the leaderboard again.

“Probably down the pub with a nice Jack Daniels and Coke.”

Sue and Dee are just two of the estimated 11million Brits that play crazy or mini golf regularly. The first UK course opened in Skegness in 1926 and today there are more than 1,200 in Britain.

“There is definitely an element of crazy in crazy golf,” admits event organiser Simon Tompkins.

“We started with 24 entrants in 2003, and there are 162 competitors this year, from as far and wide as Hungary, America and New Zealand.

“It’s a fun pastime for all the family and all generations. But when you get to the final round with the elite players, all the balls are in play at the same time, and they can knock each other out. The rivalry can get pretty fierce.”

The titans of the modern game are two-time champion Adam “AK 47” Kelly and reigning, four-times winner Marc “The Force” Chapman, who will become the joint most successful player of all time if he takes home the £1,250 first prize in the Pro Contest.

When you get to the final round with the elite players, all the balls are in play at the same time, and they can knock each other out. The rivalry can get pretty fierce

Event organiser Simon Tompkins

A fencing coach from Canterbury, 39-year-old father-of-one Marc believes crazy golf divinity has nothing to do with luck, and everything to do with mental strength.

“If you only played a one-round shootout, then anyone could get lucky and win,” says Marc, competing for the 15th time.

“But over a weekend of six or seven rounds you need focus, consistency and presence of mind. Without that, you’re gone.”

And far from crumbling under the pressure, he positively revels in his rivalry with Adam Kelly and fellow elite veteran and former winner Michael Smith, who is sadly absent this year.

“We’re like the Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer of the Crazy Golf world,” says Marc, who plans to spend his prize money on servicing his Audi Q3.

Competing for the 16th time, double winner Adam, who triumphed in 2022 and 2023, is desperate to regain the title from his arch-rival.

“Last year, if I’m honest, I was just outplayed. Marc Chapman had a great year, and I wasn’t quite at my best.

“I’d love to get the title back and go on to win five championships and to be talked about among the all-time greats of the tournaments. Of course I would.”

But Adam is also a realist. He is aware that he and other elite performers are not striking fear into Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the professional golfing community.

‘Rude awakening’

“You’ve got to have a sense of perspective,” admits Lincoln-based Adam. 

“It’s great to be able to call yourself a world champion and not many people get to do that. But I’ve also got enough perspective to realise it is a bit silly.”

Flamboyant Texan Rainey “Rainman” Statum has travelled 5,000 miles from Houston to compete for the first time in the competition and he is struggling with the conditions.

“This one has been on my bucket list for years and years,” says the confident 63-year-old.

My ex-wife got rid of me because I played too much crazy golf, so yeh, it kinda cost me my marriage

Rainey 'Rainman' Statum

“But it’s been a rude awakening. I’m Texas-born and raised and it’s usually 95 degrees out there, so I’m freezing.

“I’ve got five layers on and I’m still shivering but I’m still confident. And if it doesn’t work out this year, I’ll be back next year.”

Rainey, who works in building maintenance at the Deerwood Country Club Golf Course in the US, featured in the 1996 comedy movie Tin Cup and has won $200,000 and numerous American crazy golf titles.

He believes that preparation is pivotal and played 25 rounds on the Hastings course before the event itself.

Chris Eades

Flamboyant Texan Rainey ‘Rainman’ Statum has travelled 5,000 miles from Houston to compete for the first time in the competition[/caption]

“I’ve also got this bible,” he says, clutching a notepad full of intricate line drawings of the undulations, angles and eccentricities of each hole. “This definitely helps, but you’ve still got to hit them.”

Obsession has its pitfalls though, reveals Rainey.

“My ex-wife got rid of me because I played too much crazy golf, so yeah, it kinda cost me my marriage. But my new lady friend loves it.” As the competition draws to a close on the Sunday afternoon, AK 47 slides down the leaderboard.

“But my new lady friend loves it.” As the competition draws to a close on the Sunday afternoon, AK 47 slides down the leaderboard.

Leapfrogging him into second place as the final round approaches is wily Welshman Seve “The Dragon” Kukielka, currently top seed in the British Minigolf Association Rankings.

He gets to within a single shot of Marc Chapman but the Canterbury competitor’s two holes-in-one in the final three holes earns him a record-breaking fifth title and enough prize money to service his Audi.

He is clearly jubilant after joining Tim Davies at the top of the all-time World Crazy Golf Championship table, and local player Murray Thompson eventually pips Seve to second place.

Marc is already thinking about passing the baton on to his crazy-golf-mad son Ambrose, three.

And how will Marc celebrate his triumph? “Probably with a restless night being kicked in the back by the little one when he gets in the big bed.”

ISRAEL has made light work of dispatching “selfie yacht” activist Greta Thunberg and others back from whence they came.

Swedish Greta was warned by her own country not to attempt the mission to deliver a small amount of aid to Gaza, which experts say might have been used to feed Hamas fighters anyway.

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‘Selfie yacht’ activist Greta Thunberg was swiftly deported unharmed by plane[/caption]

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Swedish Greta was warned by her own country not to attempt the mission to deliver a small amount of aid to Gaza[/caption]

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Passengers of the Madleen Gaza-bound aid boat pictured after the vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters[/caption]

And, as they headed along the coast of Egypt, they were told by Israel not to enter “an active conflict area”.

But they ignored the warnings, the boat was intercepted by the Israeli forces, and Greta and others were swiftly deported unharmed by plane.

If their goal was to highlight Israel’s over-excessive bombardment of Gaza and that aid is being blocked, they have achieved it.

Meanwhile, a couple of thousand miles away, small boat arrivals to the UK are predicted to hit 50,000 people this year alone. That’s approximately the population of Paignton, Devon.

That’s approximately the population of Paignton, Devon.

We have already paid squillions to France to supposedly ‘stop the boats’ and now it’s asking for more.

Judging by recent photos, it presumably spent the first down payment on new phones for gendarmes to idly scroll through Instagram while smuggling gangs loaded up boats right under their noses.

They’ve come up with some vieille merde about how they can’t stop the vessels once they’ve entered shallow water, but what were they doing prior to them entering it? Or do they only work office hours?

Whatever. Lives are being lost at sea because of their pathetic inaction, and the solution is very simple, non?

They don’t need to go near the poor souls risking their lives in these fragile death traps.

They just need to pick off the bloke in the balaclava with the boat keys, charge him with people smuggling and, after he’s served his time, put him on a plane back from whence he came.

Then put his fate on Instagram as a deterrent to others who might also be considering a career in the trade of exploiting human desperation.

DECENT DEMO

GREENPEACE activists in Paris temporarily stole a waxwork of Emmanuel Macron and positioned him outside the Russian embassy with a sign saying “business is business” in protest at him allowing French firms to carry on doing deals with Russia.

Now this is the kind of activism I can get behind.

Ingenious, amusing and hammers the point home, without causing reckless damage to ancient works of art or holding up ordinary people just trying to get to work.

SHAME ON YOU

WHEN the latest victim of this country’s knife crime epidemic was stabbed in north Manchester, he begged for help at a nearby house.

Ibrahima Seck, 14, who later died from his injuries, told the family who invited him in and called an ambulance: “I don’t want to die.”

They said he had tried two other houses before theirs, “but they wouldn’t do anything”.

Whoever they are, shame on them.

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A RARE, 200-year-old condom has gone on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Rumours that it came from a Hugh Hefner probate sale are greatly exaggerated.

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Rumours that the 200-year-old condom on display came from a Hugh Hefner probate sale are greatly exaggerated[/caption]

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THAT’S A BIT RICH

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‘Financier’ Jho Low has ‘vanished’ after embezzling billions of Malaysian state money[/caption]

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Low reportedly paid Leonardo DiCaprio $250k each every time he attended one of his shindigs[/caption]

ANOTHER day, another fraudster who has “vanished” after embezzling billions of Malaysian state money.

“Financier” Jho Low, who was educated at Harrow school, was fond of throwing lavish parties frequented by Hollywood A-listers who seemingly failed to question where the money was coming from.

He reportedly paid Britney Spears $1million to jump out of his birthday cake, and gave actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Megan Fox $250,000 each every time they attended one of his shindigs.

Given Fox’s less than successful movie career, one can see how such easy money might appeal. But why on earth would DiCaprio see fit to be a dancing monkey for a sad wannabe with so few friends that he has to buy them?

Not to mention the fact that DiCaprio flew to Australia “for a few hours” on Low’s private jet before returning to celebrate New Year in Vegas.

Another contract shown in court was for DiCaprio to be flown in an “exclusive private plane” to attend another of Low’s birthday parties.

DiCaprio wasn’t to know that the money was being taken out of the mouths of Malaysia’s poor, but he damn well knew that he was taking pointless private plane trips for his own gain while simultaneously lecturing the rest of us about climate change.

What a jet-propelled hypocrite.

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FOLLOWING Valerie the dachshund being found alive and well after 529 days lost in the Australian Outback, another dog has survived 36 days on the run.

Amber, a golden retriever cross, evaded traps and thermal imaging to swim, it’s believed, to Brownsea Island off Dorset.

She is thought to have covered 100 miles and entered a “wild mindset” before being caught.

Once again proving the point that dogs don’t need monogrammed coats, organic kibble and a prime position on their owner’s bed or sofa to survive in life.

They’re descended from wolves, and they’re just fine with being treated like animals rather than children.

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A CHEAP WAY TO RESOLVE BECKHAM BUST-UP

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Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola could kill the family feud story for far cheaper than hiring an expensive crisis management specialist[/caption]

BROOKLYN BECKHAM and wife Nicola Peltz have reportedly hired an expensive crisis management specialist to handle their, er, reputations following reports of a fallout with his parents David and Victoria.

Look kids, there’s a far cheaper way to kill the story stone dead.

Either hop on a plane and be photographed having a cosy dinner with them or, at the very least, post a cutesy family photo with a caption saying ‘miss you guys’ or whatever it is that online influencers say these days.

Job done. Where do I send the invoice?

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ORGANISED crime gangs have managed to steal £47million from HMRC by fraudulently posing as taxpayers using phished details.

They stole the money by applying for fake tax refunds.

I’m shocked to the core . . . HMRC gives refunds?

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GNOME COURT FARCE

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The Lorraine Hutton garden gnome case shows something’s gone badly wrong with how we police this country[/caption]

WHEN Lorraine Hutton moved a garden gnome from a communal pathway and accidentally broke it, she put £20 through her neighbour’s letterbox to pay for the damage.

But her neighbour accused her of breaking the gnome “provocatively” and reported her to Dorset police.

Ludicrous enough, you might think.

But 66-year-old Ms Hutton was then interviewed, formally charged with criminal damage, and taken to court in a case funded to the tune of thousands of pounds by the British taxpayer.

After all, there was Ms Hutton’s psychiatric evaluation to pay for, the court costs, and a £55- an-hour Lithuanian interpreter for her aggrieved neighbour.

Fifteen months and three court dates later, she has now been formally cleared and says it has been “an enormous waste of time and public money”.

Quite. In fact, the only person who needs a psychiatric report is whoever decided this nonsense should go to court in the first place.

Meanwhile, according to data from the year ending June 2024, more than two million crimes went unsolved across England and Wales alone – the equivalent of nearly 6,000 a day.

You don’t have to be Sherlock Gnomes (sorry) to work out that something’s gone badly wrong with how we police this country.

NO PLACE FOR VEIL

It’s hard to believe we’re still having the debate over whether to ban the burka in a country where women are supposed to be equal.

It’s already banned in France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark so why are we still dragging our feet?

Perhaps the perspective of a female writer living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan might help?

Remaining Anonymous for obvious reasons, she has been writing to British author Kate Mosse about her life under the tyrannical regime where women are treated as second class citizens who aren’t even allowed to walk in their local park.

She points out that, back in 1919, reformist king Amanullah Khan ‘initiated a series of reforms, with women’s education and inclusion at the forefront.’ This included the ‘removal of the veil.’

But he was forced to flee when soldiers persuaded the masses that their wives and daughters would become infidels, so women’s rights were sacrificed by the next leader to maintain his rule.

He confined women to their homes, closed girls schools and re-imposed the veil.

This little snapshot from history alone should be enough to convince us that the veil is an oppressive and reductive item of clothing that has no place in a supposedly free society.

DEAR DEIDRE: AM I really cheating on my husband if all I’m looking for is a little fun while he’s locked up in prison?

I’m a woman of 42 and I have four children, all in their teens.

I’ve been with my husband since I was 16 and he was 18. He’s 45 now, but he’s in jail after getting dragged into working with a gang, who shifted high-value stolen goods. He’s still got another year to serve.

My husband was the only man I’d ever been with, but now my head has been turned by the lad, who lives next door.

My neighbour is 24 and he used to babysit the kids when my husband and I had a night out.

He knows what’s been going on in my life and he’s been a great support, cutting my lawn for me and taking me to the supermarket because I don’t drive.

Three weeks ago, he knocked on my back door and walked in like he always does.

At the time, I was feeling low and lonely. He’s a young guy, who gives the best hugs and, while he was holding me, he pulled my chin up and kissed me.

It set the sparks flying — I’ve not been kissed like that for a long time.

It was so dangerous, but we ended up going through to the lounge. He kissed my neck and all the way down my body, making me feel alive. The sex was off the scale.

We’ve been seeing one another when the kids are at school and college. I know he’s much younger than me and it isn’t right.

But I miss sex so much. Is it technically cheating while my husband is away for a long time?

DEIDRE SAYS: I think you know the answer to this question already, but are hopeful someone will give you a more convenient response.

Yes, it’s still cheating. It’s not your fault that your husband got involved in crime but, if you’re prepared to wait for him and keep your marriage intact, then you should remain faithful.

You may miss the sex, but your children have had enough to contend with without you muddying the waters by jumping into bed with their young babysitter.

You’re at very different life stages, so this relationship is unlikely to last.

Be the adult and tell him this was a mistake and it was never going to be anything serious while you’re married.

Contact Prisoners’ Families (prisonersfamilies.org, 0808 808 2003), who can offer emotional support while your husband is away.

I’M TERRIFIED OF LOVING MY NEW MAN AFTER OP

DEAR DEIDRE: I AM scared to have sex with my new partner because my doctor says I might not physically be able to do it.

I’m a divorcee of 56 and I’ve had lots of “women’s problems” and had four operations.

My specialist asked whether I was in a relationship at my last check-up. When I said no, he said, “Good. You must be careful if you have intercourse because you could tear the scar.”

I met a new guy through a friend two months ago and he’s lovely.

He’s 49 and I know he’s longing to have sex. I’ve done sexual things for him but I’m so worried about what the specialist said that I can’t relax enough to let him touch me sexually.

I don’t know what to do but if I don’t do anything, he may leave me.

DEIDRE SAYS: You do need time to heal after any operation but if your new partner is careful and you both take things slowly, you can try to get into a sexual relationship little by little.

Go back to your doctor and ask how long you should wait before having sex again.

Ask if your scarring is healing well. It will help you feel less anxious if you explain to your new partner why you are worried.

There are other sorts of things he can do to enable you to feel aroused apart from penetrative sex.

My support pack Self-Help For Painful Sex will give you both some guidance on how to make things comfortable for you.

WIFE ADMIRES MEN AT WORK

DEAR DEIDRE: MY wife rarely initiates sex because she’s too tired, but she has lots of energy to chat to her attractive male colleagues when she’s on a business trip.

We’ve been married for ten years. I work from home as an accountant with my own business. The work is pretty dull.

My wife works for a big corporation and she organises events for them across the world. She is the breadwinner and she loves her job.

She talks about her colleagues – both women and men, but mainly the men.

She mentions how tall or athletic they are, how attractive they are and how she could talk to them for hours when she’s away.

She never calls me or the kids when she’s travelling. Meanwhile, I stay at home minding the children and feeling like a doormat.

I’ve asked her whether she’s ever cheated on me and she says no, but when she comes home and I go to cuddle her, she pushes me away.

She takes me for granted and I’m fed up with it.

DEIDRE SAYS: I’m sure you are. If your job limits you to only talking to clients, it may feel a little humdrum while she’s off seeing the world.

Rather than letting this fester, find a quiet moment to tell her that you’re feeling neglected.

She’s unlikely to give up her job, and nor should she have to. It’s important to remember you don’t have any evidence of her cheating.

But ask that when she’s home, she commits to set time aside for you and the children.

When she’s with you, arrange some date nights. She may feel jet-lagged but if you pitch this right, she may be appreciative of being back home.

If she is unwilling to make an effort, talk about what is going on for her. My support pack Looking After Your Relationship will help you to see how you can reconnect.

GIVING your home a revamp for summer need not cost a fortune.

With just a few little tricks you can create bright and breezy decor that is perfect.

Here’s some ideas . . . 

PERFECT PRINT: Keep those holiday postcards and pop them in a frame. You can buy cheap black ones from around 99p at Wilko. 

Gather a few different postcards in varying styles — retro works particularly well. You can then use the framed pictures to create a gallery wall that livens up a room or hallway.

MELLOW YELLOW: Get your home feeling a little more vibrant with some brighter colours. A few pops here and there will work wonders. 

You can get summery-style cushions from around £7 at Primark. Or if you want to go a step further, create a feature wall in a shade such as butter yellow, which is on trend for this year.

LIGHT TOUCHES: Summer style is all about embracing the lighter side of life. Have some fun with your home by maybe changing up drawers or cupboard knobs.

A pack of six floral knobs is £12 from Dunelm. Or The Range has a few different styles — at pretty affordable prices.

SEAS THE DAY: If you are feeling more creative, shells collected from the beach can be glued on to vases, plant pots or mirror frames to make more of a feature of them.

Or simply fill a glass jar with some coloured seaglass and shells to add a beachy accent to a table or shelf.

BLOOMIN’ LOVELY: Nothing says summer quite like having fresh flowers displayed around the home. You don’t have to go overboard by spending loads on big, showy bouquets.

Work with just what’s in your garden or local woods. Perhaps try gathering up a big bunch of cow parsley — or even just a single stem in a small vase can look fabulous.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

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