A range of Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo comforters have been recalled due to a choking hazard.
Manufacturer Dunelm has identified a potential safety issue where the sewn in care label can be pulled off which is then a choking hazard for small children.
The Winne the Pooh comforter which is being recalled
The affected products are the White Dumbo Comforter with barcode 5050390072731, and the Winnie the Pooh Comforter, barcode 5050390072892, sold in the UK through Dunelm stores and www.dunelm.com from September 2015.
Anyone having purchased either of these items is advised to return this product to their nearest Dunelm store for a full refund.
The company added that where a child has become attached to their comforter, no replacement would be available with only only offer a full refund on offer. However, removing the full care label and date pip (the small label underneath) would make the product safe.
More information can be obtained by emailing customerservices@dunelm.com or calling 0333 234 0870.

Children’s comforter recalled due to choking fears


Get the latest breaking news from the Milton Keynes Citizen - politics, transport, education, health, environment and more.


Call it divine intervention but I’m sure Saint Herbert is watching over me as I pass my first bushcraft test at one of Britain’s most heavenly destinations.
Faced with having to boil water on a magical island without the aid of matches or a lighter, my prayers are answered by the former monk when the tiny pieces of bark from a silver birch tree crackle and then burst into flames with little more than a flick of flint on steel.
Chris gets a helping hand making a fire.
Saint Herbert must have performed a similar task every day when he lived as a hermit on this island in the middle of Derwent Water, Cumbria, back in 687 AD.
He would have caught fish in the crystal-clear waters, poured himself a drink and then sat back in wonder at the beauty of his surroundings, the four highest mountains in the Lake District rising out of the deep blue lake in majestic splendour.
More than 1,300 years on, it’s my turn to feast on the views, and I feel blessed to be there on such an enchanting summer’s day.
A tree-laden haven for wildlife, St Herbert’s Island features heavily in the remake of Arthur Ransome’s classic children’s tale Swallows And Amazons, which is expected to be one of the blockbuster films of the summer.
The nostalgic big-screen adaptation follows the adventures of the four Walker siblings - John, Susan, Roger and Titty (controversially renamed Tatty for political correctness) - on holiday with their mother in the Lakes while their father is at sea with the Royal Navy.
They are given permission to sail their boat Swallow for a camping trip to Wild Cat Island, when their father responds to their eager request with a telegram, saying: “Better drowned than duffers if not duffers won’t drown.” But after encountering rival sailors the Amazons (sisters Nancy and Peggy Blackett), they engage in warfare.
Eventually, though, the children join forces to aid the Blacketts’ uncle James Turner (or Captain Flint) who is caught up in murky dealings with Russian spies.
In a nod to Ransome’s shady past - he was kept on file by MI5 as a suspected spy - the plot takes an altogether more sinister turn, with plenty of subterfuge and high-speed chases.
The scenes were shot at Derwent Water, Windermere and Coniston Water, plus parts of North Yorkshire and Scotland.
Along with my wife, Carole, I’m introduced to the joys of sailing and bushcraft by Graham Little, a friendly, weathered Cumbrian from the Keswick Canoe And Bushcraft Group, who has the patience of a saint.
He pushes our canoe out on to the flat, calm water and gently guides us around the lake, offering tips for technique, interspersed with observations about the bountiful wildlife.
We pass Derwent Island, once owned by the eccentric Joseph Pocklington who, in the late 1700s, used to hold a regatta once a year and challenge the townspeople of Keswick to attack the island whilst he shot at them with his cannons.
Sailing across Derwent Water brings back memories of my own childhood. Like Ransome and the fictional Walker children’s father, my dad, Graham, had a spirit of adventure that sometimes got my brother, Stephen, and I into trouble.
On one memorable holiday when I was still in short trousers, he bought a small, second-hand RIB boat and a rattling outboard motor, and took us out into a big, sweeping bay down on the south coast.
It was only when the boat started filling up with icy water that it dawned on him that perhaps he should have bought some life jackets as well.
Fortunately, we made it back to shore before the boat completely submerged, only to be met with a fearful dressing-down from my mum and grandfather, for putting my brother and I at risk.
The base for our weekend trip to the Lakes is the delightful Borrowdale Gates Hotel, a five-minute journey from the market town of Keswick.
Ransome would often make the short walk from Keswick to Friars Crag, a small headland that the renowned poet and art critic John Ruskin once said offered one of the three best views in Europe. It’s named after the monks who sailed over to St. Herbert’s Island to visit the saint and, when the sun breaks through the clouds, the scene is achingly beautiful.
Afterwards, we head south for an hour along one of the most picturesque roads in Britain to Coniston Water, the third largest lake in Cumbria at five miles long.
I’m here to savour the delights of the restored Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola, which has been picking up tourism attraction awards for its luxurious interior and knowledgeable staff.
It was the gondola that gave Ransome the idea for Captain Flint’s houseboat in Swallows And Amazons, and extracts from the novel regularly feature in a fascinating commentary, as the passenger boat makes its way around the lake.
In fact, Coniston’s Ruskin Museum has a black and white postcard of the gondola that Ransome sent to his illustrator, with changes to the outline to show how he wanted the houseboat to look.
After a cuppa at the aptly named Swallows And Amazons Tearoom, on the east side of Coniston lake, we start making our way home, but not before a stop to savour the view of Peel Island (the inspiration for Wild Cat Island).
A fifty-something New Zealand tourist and fan of Ransome’s writing is taking photographs alongside me, and reveals he’s always wanted to see the strip of land for himself “because the guy was a genius”.
As I bid my farewell, it dawns on me there is probably no greater example of the power and reach of the old rascal’s work.
Just like Peel Island, Swallows And Amazons is likely to be enjoyed for generations to come by people throughout the world.
TRAVEL FACTS
Chris Wiltshire from the Press Association was a guest of Cumbria Tourism and Visit England. To plan your own Swallows And Amazons adventure holiday, visit www.visitengland.com/swallowsandamazons and www.golakes.co.uk
Doubles at the Borrowdale Gates Hotel (www.borrowdale-gates.com; 01768 777 204) start from £95 per night half board.
Half-day sessions with Keswick Canoe And Bushcraft (www.keswickcanoeandbushcraft.co.uk) start from £25pp.


Visit now for travel and holiday news and features from the Milton Keynes Citizen


The most popular pet name in the UK is Charlie, according to new research into the names we choose for our animals by Pets at Home.
Pets at Home surveyed more than 800,000 pet owners through its My VIP club and has found the top 50 most popular names for each pet type. Whether the pet is a bird, cat, dog, fish, horse, reptile or small animal, Charlie was the clear winner with almost 34,000 of British pet owners choosing this name for their animal friend, topping the list of most common names for birds, cats and horses.
Poppy also proved to be a popular choice for many pets, particularly canines and felines, ranking at number one for dogs and number two for cats. Other common selections include Alfie, Bella, Billy and Molly.
George also ranked highly across all species with almost 10,000 of those taking part choosing this name within the top 50, again regardless of pet type, suggesting the young Prince’s influence may not end with toddler fashion and toys.
The world of entertainment, particularly children’s cartoons, appear to have had an effect on the names owners select. Bird based film Rio saw the film’s title rank in 10th place for birds, while classic cartoon character name Tweety came in at number 32.
Bestselling book A Cat Called Alfie may have inspired cat owners, with Alfie being the eighth most popular name for cats. Winnie the Pooh fans are meanwhile drawn to Tigger, which ranked at 11 in cat names. Demonstrating that classic films can still influence our decisions, Thumper, who appeared in the 1942 film Bambi, is still the seventh most chosen name for rabbits. Nemo, is the second most popular name for the nation’s fish following Goldie in first.
Gavin Hawthorn, Group CRM Director, said: “It’s interesting to see that just as popular culture and famous faces influence what we name our children, likewise, these trends can help the nation’s pet owners select a name for their animals. It seems likely that children being allowed to name their first animal friend forms a big part of the naming process, particularly among the film and TV inspired monikers.
“However, it also seems that books and even the Royal family are also helping Brits to decide on what to call their pet. Meanwhile Charlie and Poppy scored highly across species, suggesting that cute, traditional names will always appeal when it comes to naming our pets.”
Top 10 names for British pets by species
Top 10 names for dogs
1. Poppy
2. Alfie
3. Bella
4. Charlie
5. Molly
6. Max
7. Daisy
8. Bailey
9. Ruby
10. Lola
Top 10 names for cats
1. Charlie
2. Poppy
3. Molly
4. Bella
5. Oscar
6. Daisy
7. Tilly
8. Alfie
9. Millie
10. Smudge
Top 10 names for small animals
1. Daisy
2. Fudge
3. Nibbles
4. Poppy
5. Rosie
6. Charlie
7. Thumper
8. Fluffy
9. George
10. Harry
Top 10 names for reptiles
1. Spike
2. George
3. Rex
4. Charlie
5. Sid
6. Monty
7. Bob
8. Leo
9. Rango
10. Sheldon
Top 10 names for fish
1. Goldie
2. Nemo
3. Bob
4. Bubbles
5. Fishy
6. George
7. Fred
8. Jaws
9. Dave
10. Tom
Top 10 names for horses
1. Charlie
2. Jack
3. Rosie
4. Molly
5. Harry
6. Alfie
7. Billy
8. Poppy
9. Murphy
10. Lady
Top 10 names for birds
1. Charlie
2. Joey
3. Billy
4. Bobby
5. George
6. Blue
7. Alfie
8. Rosie
9. Sky
10. Rio


The internet is 25 years old today and we take a look at 25 things the world wide web changed forever.
Happy 25th birthday to the internet! In August 1991, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee published the first web page.
And on August 23, 1991, he gave the public access to it.
Handily, the page told readers how they could set up their own website, whatever the heck a website was.
You can view a version of that original web page here. Compared to what we have now obviously it is very basic but will go down in history as one of the most important developments of all time.

The World Wide Web is 25 today: Here’s 25 things the internet changed forever


Are you a drill sergeant, a worshipper, a skipper or a teammate? Experts have identified four types of parent when it comes to teaching their children how to DRIVE.
Goodyear have created a ‘parent personality’ quiz - so people can work out exactly which category they fall into.
But which type are you?


A TV company is on the hunt for separated families and parents across the UK, to take part in a new Channel 5 series.
The show, with the working title of The Modern Family, wants to talk to people who would like help resolving any issues they feel are getting in the way of co-parenting, or getting on with an ex-partner for the sake of their children.
Separation affects around a quarter of children in the UK, with the common belief being that being brought up by both parents after separation, where safe and possible, is in the best interests of a child.
“Breaking up with a spouse or partner is one of life’s biggest upheavals,” said a spokesperson for producers Pulse Films. “The difficult part is getting to the stage where separated parents are still able to do things for the sake of the child, like arrange a joint birthday party, or attend a parents’ evening together.”
So the team at Pulse want to film with separated mums and dads who may have moved on to other relationships, and are keen to sort out the issues with their ex for the sake of the children.
Francine Kaye, relationship expert, family mediator and author of Divorce Doctor said: “Kids don’t divorce, parents do. Paradoxically couples need to understand each other more during and after separation, than they did when they were together - in order to parent effectively.”
Working under the guidance of a trained therapist, anyone who has children with an ex and has difficulty with the complicated relationships this has created, can get more information by texting ‘FAMILY’ or call: 07983 640463 / 07555 242 993, by emailing: modernfamily@pulsefilms.co.uk, or by calling Janette Hodds or Lyttanya Shannon on 0207 426 5700.


Daniel Ricciardo made it three podiums in a row for Red Bull Racing in Belgium on Sunday as Max Verstappen failed to convert a front row start into points.
Ricciardo, who finished third in Hungary and second in Germany, crossed the line second again at the Belgian Grand Prix behind race winner Nico Rosberg.
A dramatic start helped Ricciardo through the field, but hampered his Red Bull Racing team mate Verstappen, who was starting from the front row.
Slow off the line, the Dutchman was involved in a collision with both Ferraris and needed a first lap pit-stop to repair a damaged front wing.
Battling through the field, Verstappen renewed his rivalry with Kimi Raikkonen, who has openly criticised the teenager’s driving style in the past, and the pair clipped on several occasions as they battled down the order.
Ricciardo meanwhile saw off Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg to move into second. A potential battle with championship leader Lewis Hamilton looked set to unfold until the Mercedes driver pitted late on, handing Ricciardo a safe second place.
Verstappen was caught up with the two Ferraris at the first corner
Verstappen’s tyre problems saw him eventually finish 11th, out of the points.

Ricciardo on the podium in Belgium as Verstappen struggles


Visit now for the latest motor sport news - from the Milton Keynes Citizen


It’s after dark, it’s a crisp, clear and slightly nippy night and I’m on the top deck of a Viking river cruise longship clicking madly.
Like everyone else, I’m trying to get the perfect ‘sail-away’ picture of the Budapest skyline and in particular the spectacularly illuminated parliament building, that I have seen a hundred times in most of the glossy river cruise brochures and Sunday papers.
Budapest Parliament Building
Once the Viking Embla captain had finished demonstrating his prowess with the river equivalent of a ‘three point U turn’ in the middle of the Danube, we cruised under the famous Chain Bridge and elegantly began our ‘Passage To Eastern Europe’ and our voyage of discovery through five countries – Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Still clutching our cameras and phones, we suddenly became aware of how chilled we all were… after all we’d been jostling like the paparazzi, to get the best pictures for over an hour. Time for a hot cup of tea and bed!
River cruising as a sector has enjoyed exponential growth in the last five years and no company has expanded its fleet and market presence more than Viking river cruises.
I wanted to find out why river cruising has become so popular and the ‘must do’ holiday and whether Viking’s ‘strap-line’ claim about ‘Exploring The World In Comfort’ is justified or just marketing hype!
Iron Gate Gorge Face
Our Eastern European adventure had begun with a short flight from London to Budapest and a seamless transfer to the centrally located luxury ‘Sofitel’ hotel, our base for the first two days.
Within minutes of arrival, we were offered a short and helpful walking orientation tour. Whilst many of us were admiring a first look at some of the historical architectural masterpieces Budapest has to offer, it didn’t take long for some of our fellow British guests to become much more excited by a nostalgic spotting of a large C&A shop. Yes, the same famous nationwide retail brand which disappeared from our high streets about 15 years ago!
This two nights stay in the Hungarian capital, was really a good combination of pre-cruise tours offered by Viking and personal sight-seeing. Like most guests, we took the organised coach tour and discovered that it was really a joining of two cities… ‘Buda’ the hilly and older side of the Danube and ‘Pest’ the flatter and more modern.
The city tour took in both and included a visit to the castle complex in ‘Buda’ to see the Mathias Church, with a fantastic view over the whole city from Fisherman’s Bastian. Back in the Pest side, we enjoyed a trip down busy and vibrant Andrassy Street – the Oxford Street of Budapest – all the way to Heroes Square.
However, it was also nice to have the time to explore the city independently, including the colourful and huge Central Market Hall and the infamous House of Terror, once the Nazi and fascist headquarters. It’s now a museum and a dark reminder of the cruel persecution that took place in Hungary after the Second World War.
On the subject of human cruelty and persecution, no visit to Budapest would be complete without a stroll along the edge of the Danube to see the ‘Shoes’, one of the most emotional and poignant memorials in Europe.
These bronzed shoes are in homage to the many Jews, who were herded to the river by the Nazis in the 1940s, made to take off their shoes – because they were expensive – and leave them. They were then shot at this spot and their bodies allowed to fall into the river.
As we took in this unbelievable sight, tearful visitors could be seen to light memorial candles and utter prayers. This was a place to reflect on how fortunate we are.
After a hectic couple of days sightseeing, it was almost relief to make the short stroll from the hotel to our ship ready for the cruise. Seamlessly, our bags were waiting for us in our cabin.
Our stateroom, as they like to call it, was on the middle passenger deck. It was spacious, with a sumptuously comfortable bed; excellent bathroom with luxury toiletries; a safe big enough for a laptop computer; a fridge and a private verandah. Given how lucky we were with the sunshine in eastern Europe in May, this was a fantastic facility for Danube watching.
With open seating and informal dining, you could sit anywhere for any meal. This meant you could stick to the people you were travelling with, or use it as an opportunity to meet interesting new people all the time.
We met a classical cellist; a former record company boss; and a senior NASA boffin, amongst many others. It made for interesting and lively meals, though the folks from the US mainly wanted to grill the Brits on the upcoming EU vote and even more importantly to them, Downton Abbey!
Our second port of call in Hungary, brought us to the contrasting small town of Kolocsa and a visit to the Puszt Horse Stables. Here we were treated to a horse show with riders cracking their whips; riding without saddles and generally showing off their equestrian skills. I tried my hand at ‘whip-cracking’ but failed miserably. Given that whips were on sale as a souvenir, I suspect my wife was secretly relieved by this particular lack of natural talent!
As we cruised gently eastwards down the Danube, meeting different local tour guides along the way, there were two recurring themes… dumplings and Dracula!
Yes, it seemed that every guide we had, would attempt to convince us that their grandmother’s dumpling recipe was the best and that their version of the Dracula legend was the most authentic. In the end, I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps there was a connection between the two, as the closer we got to the Transylvania region of Romania and the Vampire legends, the more we were told about the importance of garlic in the dumpling recipes. I guess one can never be too careful!
Our next two ports of call were Vukovar in Croatia and the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Despite continuing to play jolly tourists and seeing the sights, there was no escape from the ever-present physical reminders of the bloody war, which tore apart the region in the early 1990s. We encountered bombed out buildings yet to be restored, bullet holes in walls and locals with their vivid memories of what had happened here.
Perhaps the most telling moment, was when we were divided into small groups for home visits in a rural Croatian village. We went to the house of Bianca, who served up Slivovitz and chocolate cake. She told us how she had been forced to leave her home during the war and how Serbs had occupied it for six years. After the war, she was thankful to be able to get it back. With tears in her eyes, she told me, “I am happy though, because unlike so many of my friends and family, I didn’t lose anyone”. Again, we left with a refreshing sense of perspective.
One of my favourite things about river cruising, is the ‘cruising’. There is something elegantly relaxing and peaceful about sitting on the sun deck with a book and a hot coffee, watching the scenery slide by. We had a whole day of this as we left Serbia and cruised onwards to Bulgaria.
The only time we needed to leave our seats was for another delicious lunch served with wine and to grab our cameras. This was in readiness of our passing through the famous Iron Gate Gorge, and for a look at the magnificent 120 foot high sculptured face of the last king of Dacia glaring at us from the rock face.
By the following day we had arrived in the town of Vidin, in the north-western part of Bulgaria, bordering Romania. It was from here that we had the chance to take a roller coaster-style coach ride through the rural countyside to visit what are known as the Belogradchik Rocks.
Made largely of limestone, these impressive rock formations form a long strip over a mile wide, more than 18 miles long and 650 feet high. Many fit members of our group braved the climb to get the best pictures, whilst the rest of us, myself included, satisfied our photographic desires by taking pictures of the people struggling up the 150 steps to get the best view of the rocks!
In contrast, the following day we had arrived in Rousse, the fifth largest city in Bulgaria. Sometimes known as Little Vienna because of its many elegant buildings, and impressive architecture, the city attracts many tourists. Here another tour guide, passionate to share everything about her city and indeed herself, tried to convince us that her grandmother’s dumplings were the best. She also told us that she was a triplet. The other two are both boys she told us. This didn’t stop one guest asking: “Are you all identical?”
Finally, we had our shortest cruise of the trip, literally across the river to Giugiu in Romania, where we boarded our coach for the two hours drive to the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
Given our close proximity to Transylvania, again we heard all about the exploits of Vlad the Impaler, who lived there during the 15th Century. It was Vlad and his evil deeds, who was we were told the real inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula creation.
It was in Bucharest that we spent our final night, this time in the very comfortable Radisson Blu hotel. Contrary to our expectations however, this city was busy, seemingly affluent, modern and booming. Some of the buildings and monuments were spectacular and almost pointlessly massive.
Dominating the city was the People’s Palace… the Parliament building, built by Nikolai Ceausescu during the height of his influence. Believe it or not, this building is the second largest in the world after the Pentagon in the United States. We were lucky enough to have a tour and after being guided around the building for two hours, our guide told us: “You have now seen just three percent of the building”.
This cruise through eastern Europe, felt different from other river cruises I have been on. Heading east on the Danube towards Romania was more than just a relaxing and romantic vacation. The opportunity to pass through five countries, all coming to terms with huge challenges in recent years, turned it into an historical and at times emotional adventure as well.
As we were seamlessly transferred back to the airport for our flight home, I understood with great clarity why river cruising has become so popular. Without doubt the Viking River Cruise claim about ‘Exploring the World in Comfort’, was perfectly justified.
Cruise Travel Facts
Professor Ian Cooper’s sailed with Viking River Cruises on their ‘Passage To Eastern Europe’, an 11-day holiday along the Danube priced from £1,695 per person on selected dates in 2017. It includes full board with all meals plus drinks (wine, beer & soft drinks only) and seven guided tours. The price also includes return economy flights and is based on two people sharing a standard stateroom.
For further information: www.vikingcruises.co.uk
Tel no: 0800 319 66 60


Pokemon GO players who are found to be cheating will have a permanent ban slapped on them, it has been announced.
The game’s developer, Niantic, has altered the terms and conditions to include the condition that a life ban will ensue for anyone caught using trickery to bag Pokemon.
The new clause prohibits: “Falsifying your location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokemon GO clients or backends in an unauthorized manner including through the use of third party software.”
It has been reported that some users have managed to fool the app into thinking they were at a different location. Some Pokemon are region-specific, although taken to extremes, a player could play the game without leaving their home.
“Our goal is to provide a fair, fun and legitimate game experience for everyone,” Niantic said:
“We will continue to work with all of you to improve the quality of the gameplay, including ongoing optimization and fine tuning of our anti-cheat system.”
Anyone believing that have been unfairly banned can access an appeals system.


Being stuck in a dead end job by your early 40s is bad for your health.
Having an unrewarding job as you start out on the career ladder makes you more depressed, worried and had more trouble sleeping.
And if you stay stuck in positions with low levels of job satisfaction it affects you not just you mentally but physically too, including catching more colds, having a bad back and poor heart health.
But if you are happy in your job or finally get your dream job as your career progresses your overall health gets a boost.
The study by Ohio State University sociologists found job satisfaction in your late 20s and 30s has a link to overall health in your early 40s.
While it impacts on physical health, its effect was particularly strong for mental health.
Lead author and doctoral student Jonathan Dirlam said: “We found that there is a cumulative effect of job satisfaction on health that appears as early as your 40s.”
The study highlighted the importance that early jobs have on people’s lives.
Associate professor of sociology Dr Hui Zheng said: “You don’t have to be near the end of your career to see the health impact of job satisfaction, particularly on your mental health.
“The higher levels of mental health problems for those with low job satisfaction may be a precursor to future physical problems.
“Increased anxiety and depression could lead to cardiovascular or other health problems that won’t show up until they are older.”
He added the study was carried out before the credit crunch and said: “The recession almost certainly increased job insecurity and dissatisfaction, and that could have resulted in more negative health effects.”
The study used data from 6,432 Americans followed from the ages of 14 to 22 as part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.
Researchers examined job satisfaction trajectories for people from age 25 to 39 and their health on turning 40.
Participants rated how much they liked their jobs from 1 - dislike very much - to 4 -like very much.
They were then divided into four groups: consistently low and consistently high job satisfaction, those whose satisfaction started high but was trending down and those who started low but were trending higher.
About 45 per cent of participants had consistently low job satisfaction, while another 23 per cent had levels that were trending downward through their early career.
About 15 per cent of people were consistently happy at their jobs and about 17 per cent were trending upward.
Mental health was most affected by people’s feelings about their jobs with those in the low job satisfaction group throughout their early careers scored worse on all five of the mental health measures studied.
They reported higher levels of depression, sleep problems and excessive worry and were more likely to have been diagnosed with emotional problems and scored lower on a test of overall mental health.
Those whose job satisfaction decreased were more likely than those with consistently high satisfaction to have frequent trouble sleeping and excessive worry, and had lower scores for overall mental health.
But they didn’t see an impact on depression scores or their probability of being diagnosed with emotional problems.
Those whose scores went up through the early career years did not see any comparative health problems.
Those in the low satisfaction group and those who were trending downwards reported poorer overall health and more problems like back pain and frequent colds compared to the high satisfaction group.
But they weren’t different in physical functioning and in doctor-diagnosed health problems such as diabetes and cancer.
As with mental health, no effects were seen on physical health for those trending upward.
The findings was presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Seattle.


A study has found that half of parents with children under the age of 14 allow them to drink alcohol at home.
And, perhaps more worryingly, one in 10 respondents to the Churchill Home Insurance survey allow children between the ages of five and seven to drink alcohol.
While it is not illegal for a child between the age of five and 16 to drink alcohol on private premises, it flies in the face of advice from the Chief Medical Officer whose official advice warns: “Children and their parents or carers are advised that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. However, if children drink alcohol underage, it should not be until at least the age of 15 years.
“Parents and young people should be aware that drinking, even at age 15 or older, can be hazardous to health and that not drinking is the healthiest option for young people.”

Do you think it’s okay to allow children to drink some alcohol at home?


A recruitment firm has been named the best company in the UK for work-life balance.
Financial recruiter Goodman Masson took first place in the list by jobs site Glassdoor, based on reviews submitted to its website by current and former staff.
The company, which is based in London and also has offices in Dusseldorf, was praised by staff for its “huge investment” in staff benefits and “great” parties twice a year.
“The attention paid to the wellbeing of staff is at a level rarely matched elsewhere,” said an anonymous employee working in the London office.
In second place was technology firm Cisco Systems, and in third place was insurer HomeServe.
West Midlands-based HomeServe, which employs 1,200 people at its headquarters in Walsall and has 2.1 million customers in the UK, was commended for its attitude towards the treatment of its staff.
“The salary is very competitive and you are rewarded very generously for your hard work and just for carrying out your role. The company has a great framework for career progression and is always looking to promote people internally for job roles,” said a water supply engineer working at the firm.
Greg Reed, chief marketing officer at HomeServe, said: “We believe if you take care of your people, they will take care of your customers. This means creating a culture where people genuinely enjoy coming to work every day because they feel what they do really makes a difference in our customers’ lives.”
Temping firm LOLA and Screwfix completed the top five. Other companies in the top 20 included Apple, American Express Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever and John Lewis.
Google is known for its plush offices, but doesn’t make the top 20 companies for work-life balance. Its new London office has sleep pods so workers can take a nap, although perhaps this is an indication of long hours.
For a company to have been considered, at least 50 work-life balance ratings must have been submitted by UK-based employees in the past year.
The top 20 companies for work-life balance:
1. Goodman Masson
2. Cisco Systems
3. HomeServe UK
4. LOLA Staffing
5. Screwfix
6. American Express
7. BP
8. Peninsula Business Services
9. ARM Holdings
10. Unilever
11.Thomson Reuters
12. Kantar Worldpanel
13. Atkins
14. Téléfonica
15. Credit Suisse
16. Rolls-Royce
17. John Lewis
18. Waitrose
19. Lloyds Banking Group
20. Apple

Revealed: The top UK companies for work-life balance


Get the latest breaking news from the Milton Keynes Citizen - politics, transport, education, health, environment and more.


Motorists now change their car more often than they switch their mattress or even their mobile phone, suggests new research.
The length of time motorists keep a car has plummeted from around five years to two years or less, reveal latest figures.
The data produced by automotive experts, cap hpi, shows that some car makers now see average returns of vehicles in 24 months, and there is evidence of a growing number of 18-month leases in the market.
Mattresses should be changed every seven or eight years to ensure a good and healthy night’s sleep, according to chiropractors, while mobile phone contracts are on average between 18 and 24 months.
Expert say car manufacturers are managing volumes in the used market by varying contract lengths by model and remarketing channels.
Philip Nothard, retail and consumer specialist at cap hpi, said: “What we are seeing is the ‘iphonification’ of the car industry as consumers increasingly pay to drive rather than pay to own their vehicles.
“It’s the same model as the mobile phone industry where people are comfortable paying a monthly fee - only they are now doing this with their vehicles as well as their mobiles.”
He said the growth of personal contract purchase (PCP) and other finance options is having a “profound” effect on the car industry.
Personal Contract Hire (PCH) is also increasing, as motorists increasingly look towards usership rather than ownership.
Around four out five new car sales (80 per cent) are now on finance, according to estimates by cap hpi.
Mr Nothard added: “Not so long ago it was fairly common for motorists to have their cars for a minimum of five years or longer, but that has now changed dramatically and dropped to just two years for millions of motorists.
“After buying a house, the car was usually the biggest outlay for most consumers but now they are far more likely to change their car more often than their mattress.
“Consumer demand remains strong in the used car market and there are lots of used bargains waiting to be snapped up.
“As PCP becomes more popular and accessible in the used market, motor dealers expect its use to double in the future so we’re going to see people changing their cars with increasing regularity.”

Motorists change their car more often than their mobile phone


Fertility experts are calling for tougher regulations around IVF treatment because the solutions used to grow embryos can influence the birthweight and health of babies.
They want firms a clear list of ingredients for the solutions like those used to regulate food such as peanut butter.
The demand follows the results of a trial that shows that the composition of these laboratory cultures influence the health of the resulting embryos and babies.
The trial found that they affected the numbers of viable embryos created, the rates of successful implantation in the womb, the pregnancy rates and the babies’ birthweights.
The findings were published in the journal Human Reproduction, together with a second paper that reviews what is currently known about embryo culture media.
The second paper concludes: “There is a strong case for demanding full transparency concerning the compositions of and scientific rationale behind the composition of embryo culture media”.
The journal’s editor-in-chief, Professor Hans Evers, called for “urgent action” by industry and regulators in the wake of the findings, saying that, just as with foods such as peanut butter, the exact composition of the culture media should be listed.
He said: “Floating an embryo for only a few days in a culture medium affects the birthweight of IVF children nine months later.
“Small differences in birthweight may reflect more subtle disturbances that only will manifest themselves later in life.
“As of today, not knowing the exact composition of their IVF culture media is no longer an option for clinical embryologists.”
Dr John Dumoulin, the IVF laboratory director at Maastricht University Medical Centre in The Netherlands, and his colleagues recruited 836 couples who were scheduled for IVF or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) treatment at one of 10 IVF centres.
Dr Dumoulin said: “For the first time, by means of a large randomised controlled trial, we have shown that human embryos that are cultured in vivo are sensitive to their environment and that something is programmed into these embryos during those few days before transfer to the womb that still has an effect nine months later.
“This being the case, we must be aware that David Barker hypothesised that the environment in early life, from foetus to the first two years of life, can have a significant effect on long-term health.
“This means that we should be careful and we should no longer blindly accept new culture media, or other alterations in laboratory or clinical procedures, without first rigorously studying effectiveness and safety.”
In the second paper, a working group of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, led by Professor Arne Sunde, of the University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, made the same recommendations.
Their research showed that culture media vary widely, their composition is usually unknown by the embryologists, doctors and patients, and figures about the influence of the media on outcomes are conflicting.
Prof Sunde said: “The key issue is that we must know the composition of the culture media we use, since it seems to induce differences in the make-up of the children born.
“We have no information about long-term consequences of this, but we cannot rule out that the composition of the culture media may affect the health of children as they grow up and become adults.”
At present, there is no uniform regulation of embryo culture media. In Europe, the majority of media approved for use carry the CE mark, but other non-CE media can still be used.
Prof Sunde added: “It is not obligatory to declare changes and the information we might get is far from sufficient.
“We want to know in detail what changes have been made and the scientific basis for the changes, including animal and human clinical data backing the change.”


A fresh warning has been issued by Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting body, over iTunes gift card scams.
The iTunes scams first came to light in May this year and, to date, victims have reported almost £520,000 lost to fraudsters.
Apple’s iTunes store sells music, movies and other media via digital download and the vouchers, which can be bought online and are widely available in supermarkets and high street stores across the UK, serve as a popular gift in an era where CDs and DVDs have been surpassed by digital download as the format of choice for many.
Fraudsters have sought to confuse people unfamiliar with Apple’s contactless payment system Apple Pay and trick them into using iTunes gift cards to pay for goods or services over the phone or online.
The criminals don’t need the physical card to redeem the value, and they trick victims into reading out the code over the phone or sending via email. Once they have the code, fraudsters can steal the balance of the card.
Action Fraud has received multiple reports of this approach being used across a variety of scams including loan scams, fake mis-sold PPI scams and schemes urging victims to take action against banking errors.
One victim reported losing £46,000 to scammers via iTunes cards.
A spokesperson for Apple said: “iTunes Gift Cards are solely for the purchase of goods and services on the iTunes Store and App Store. Should you receive a request for payment using iTunes Gift Cards outside of iTunes and the App Store please report it to Action Fraud”.
If you have been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud using their online fraud reporting tool.

Fresh warning over iTunes gift card scam


Can you get 10/10 in our retro games quiz?
Video games have come a long way in the last 20 years but we’ll never forget the classics which formed the bedrock for the industry.
Try your luck in our fun ‘name the screenshot’ test - and see how you fare against your friends.

QUIZ: How well do you know your retro games?


Visit now for the latest entertainment and leisure news and features - from the Milton Keynes Citizen


For anyone who has found the whole process of internet shopping too much like hard work Amazon has come up with a solution.
The online retailer today revealed that it is introducing its Amazon Dash Buttons to the UK.
The dinky little gadgets are a one-touch way to order a host of popular products without all that complicated rigmarole of actually logging onto your Amazon account and searching for them.
The Dash Buttons are literally that, small plastic boxes housing a button, which when pressed will connect via wi-fi to your Amazon account and using one-click buying order your selected products.
Each button is linked to a particular item and there are 40 brands available from launch so you can get everything from cat food to condoms and nappies to NERF ammunition delivered to your door.
Daniel Rausch, director of Amazon Dash, explained the thinking behind the devices: “We’ve all experienced the frustration of running out of something we need - Dash Button and Dash Replenishment Service are designed to make that moment a thing of the past.
“Dash Buttons offer the convenience of one-click shopping from anywhere in the home - they can be placed near those frequently used items you don’t want to run out of, and when you see supplies running low, the Dash Button makes it easier than ever to order more. Just press the button and your item is on its way.”
The £4.99 devices are only available to Amazon Prime customers, which means you’ll have to sign up to the £79-a-year service to enjoy the Dash Button’s convenience. The good news is that you’ll get £4.99 back off your first order of each product.
Alongside the buttons, Amazon also announced the UK rollout of its Dash Replenishment Service.
Like the button this links to your Amazon account but rather than having to do the ordering yourself it allows connected smart devices to order supplies themselves.
This means the likes of washing machines, dishwashers and printers from big-name brands including Bosch, Samsung, Whirlpool and Siemens can monitor your consumables usage and order more before you run out.
If they could just design a button that remotely loads the dishwasher too, they could be onto a winner.

Amazon Dash lets you order your loo roll at the touch of a button


Video game escapism in its purest form.
No Man’s Sky in undeniably a work of art, but have you got time to look around the whole gallery?
No Man’s Sky launched last week after much hype and billed as quite literally the biggest video game ever made.
The self-perpetuating game, which promises to be potentially endless, was four years in the making by a tiny team in game production terms. And you can tell as it will instantly take your breath away.
Make no mistake there has never been anything like this before. As you fly ever deeper into the universe, new planets and solar systems roll silently into view – some will have been seen before, others discovered for the very first time. And you have 18 quintillion of them to choose from...
Each has its own set of flora, fauna and inhabitants. By exploring, players gain information about the planets that they can submit to The Atlas, a universal database that can be shared with other players of the game and for which they are rewarded in currency each time.
Each planet is a work of art you could spend hours studying, analysing and dissecting. These works of art are housed in an endless gallery and for art connoisseurs it will be Manna from heaven.
However, most people’s playing time will be finite.... unless you’re at university and can afford to miss the odd class here and there to squeeze in just one more exploration of a peculiar alien planet.
And that is where one of the game’s key sticking points comes in. As much as No Man’s Sky takes us to Infinity and leaves us wondering what waits beyond, there is also an almost irresistible itch which you can’t scratch because you can never truly “complete” this game in the traditional sense.
But that is very much a personal take on NMS, many people might enjoy jumping on for a couple of hours here and there, discovering lots of different things and logging it to the Atlas, if anything it could be cathartic but many people like a beginning, a middle and an end to their games.
No Mans Sky is undeniably a work of art
The care, thought, time and brilliance that has gone into this utterly original video game is mindblowing and deserves to be experienced by PlayStation gamers.
It is the purest form of video game escapism we have ever seen and should be celebrated as such.
But it will more likely go down as a cult classic than the blockbuster success it’s craft deserves.


The chance to stay in one of the country’s biggest castles with the promise of Knight School, Horrible Histories and huge looming turrets to explore was like music to my eight-year-old audience’s ears.
“So we get to play all day, then have a knights’ sleepover as well?” Even with mum and dad in tow he knew he was in for something special. And I wasn’t unexcited myself.
At over 1,100 years old Warwick Castle offers its 21st century visitors free reign to explore magnificent stately rooms, dungeons and impressive grounds.
And its owners, Merlin Entertainments have brought history to life with a flaming fireball launch from the trebuchet (the largest in the world ), breath taking displays from enormous birds of prey, blood and guts from the Horrible Histories, spooks and ghouls undergrounds, jousting, archery, knights and endlessly more.
But the best part? Now, you don’t even have to go home. When the castle closes its gates the fun is only just beginning as another exciting adventure awaits – the promise of a sleepover in the shadows of kings.
The castle has been home - and imprisonment - to kings and earls, hosted royal banquets and parties and even has links to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. So the latest addition of year-round camping lodges at Knight’s Village really does mean a sleepover steeped in history.
No time to make it round the maze or see the joust? We can come back tomorrow morning after breakfast. The words are like magic to my little knight-in-training. And even mum and dad are tingling to wake up in such magnificent grounds after enjoying an evening by the river and some of the best views you could ever wish for.
An afternoon arrival showed us that a day at the castle just isn’t enough. But once evening arrived there really was a whole new adventure waiting.
Families can banquet in the great food hall where majestic thrones, flags and plates of armour take you right back hundreds of years. But what really grabbed our attention was the entertainment and chance for children to go wild.
The castle’s brilliant staff pulled everything out of the bag for the youngsters. Circus skills, archery, more knight and sword training – it was a summer Kids Club, but one where the grown-ups are elbowing to get involved as well. Though the less interested still get to enjoy a superb evening relaxing on the porch, watching the fun and basking in the last of the sunshine.
But of course, the centrepiece of Knight’s Village - the lodges. They’re great. With everything from mod-cons (plugs, and WiFi) to replica weaponry and armour, there’s something to keep all ages happy.
Unless you go for the premium, they’re on the cosy side. But with hundreds of years of history on your doorstep, there’s certainly no reason to want to cram inside and watch television.
And of course if it’s sunny and you have a taste for something a bit more medieval, you can get yourself booked up for Glamping and take on a huge cloth tent, complete with four-poster beds and a pair of thrones to watch over the evening entertainment as the sun sets.
It was as peaceful and entertaining a night as you could hope for, with happy children and happy mum and dad all looking forward to a return to the banquet for a hearty breakfast and another go at flag spotting.
The best bit about sleeping among the trees where inspiring history once unfolded? Waking up to stunning views in complete tranquillity. Looking out over the new camping village (which prides itself on not harming the historic grounds in any way and that not one tree was felled in its construction), you really can imagine yourself hundreds of years back in time.
And being able to head back through the gates to do it all again for a second day of exploring.
Warwick Castle’s Knight’s Village is as magical as you could expect from a stay in a truly historic location, and with activities continuing well into the night, acres of grounds to explore, and a historic town just metres outside, there’s no reason not to be excited.
Earning an excited thumbs up from mesmerised children, the stay really delivered as the perfect place to enjoy history on your doorstep this summer.
Warwick Castle’s Knight’s Village offers seasonal stays in Glamping tents or year-round accommodation in its wooden lodges. Prices start from £41.30 per person.
Visit www.Warwick-castle.com to book or more information.

TRAVEL REVIEW: Exclusive sleepover at one of the country’s biggest historical castles


Visit now for travel and holiday news and features from the Milton Keynes Citizen


Fans of The Kinks are in for a spectacular evening with the arrival of Sunny Afternoon to the area.
The band from North London hit the music scene big time in the early Sixties with hits including You Really Got Me and Lola.
Brothers Ray and Dave Davies formed The Kinks. Ray was the primary songwriter and the band’s definitive sound rocked a nation and influenced generations of music lovers.
Sunny Afternoon has won multiple awards during its run in the West End, and now the show is on tour with stops at The Waterside in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Theatre.
Producer Richard Darbourne said: “Ray Davies is one of the best British songwriters we’ve ever had. There is an iconic Kinks sound and some amazing song writing. He wrote for a particular age, he was very observational. It resonates with that particular time and it either induces a memory in people today, or brings in new listeners who hear their music for the first time on radio.”
The show promises to have a real concert vibe to it.
Mr Darbourne said: “There is no band in the pit, it’s a quite spectacular event. The actors are musicians as well. Finding the right personnel for any show is a major challenge. We needed four Kinks and their understudies and they have to learn the music and sound like The Kinks with an authentic sound. There is a catwalk that goes into the audience, it’s a logistical nightmare but we’ve kept it for the tour. We felt it was important to retain it and keep the show as it is seen in the West End.”
Sunny Afternoon comes to Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday August 30 - Saturday September 3. To book call 0844 871 7652 or visit www. atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes. It then visits Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury from Tuesday September 27 to Saturday October 1. Call the box office on 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/ aylesbury.

Kinks musical hits Milton Keynes and Aylesbury stages


Visit now for the latest theatre, shows and comedy news - from the Milton Keynes Citizen


It could cost airline passengers £25 for making a complaint, following the introduction of new aviation rules.
Passengers traveling with British Airways, easyJet and Thomas Cook will be charged £25 if any claim they make is unsuccessful, as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will no longer mediate between customers and airlines.
Previously, the CAA would act as the ‘middleman’ in negotiations between customer and airlines in disputes regarding flight delays and cancellations or missing or damaged luggage.
British Airways, along with easyJet and Thomas Cook, have signed up to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), which charges customers a £25 fee for unsuccessful claims for compensation.
However, passengers with other airlines, including Flybe and Ryanair will be able to pursue complaints without fear of financial loss as these airlines have signed up with the Retail Ombudsman which does not charge customers to use the service.
Also, Eurowings and Lufthansa will use German company Söp, which similarly does not charge a fee.

BA and easyJet passengers could pay £25 charge for flight delay complaints


Get the latest breaking news from the Milton Keynes Citizen - politics, transport, education, health, environment and more.


In July 1966 the England football team was about to pull off the impossible and London was fast becoming the hip, groovy and happening place to be.
High in the charts was The Kinks, with their second hit, Sunny Afternoon. This popular four-piece pop combo, fronted by Ray Davies and his younger brother Dave, hailed from North London, and were to become one of the most influential rock groups of all time.
Sunny Afternoon UK Tour cast
Fast forward almost 50 years and you don’t have to be a Dedicated Follower of Fashion to realise that Sunny Afternoon is back and riding high.
In 2014 Ray’s searingly honest musical slipped onto the genteel stage of Hampstead Theatre, blasted out its silver-haired audience, and won a whole new set of fans, before transferring to the West End, becoming a major hit and winning four Oliviers.
England didn’t make the cut at this year’s World Cup but Sunny Afternoon is set for continued success with a national tour playing in Milton Keynes Theatre from next week (August 30) and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from September 27.
The cast were putting the finishing touches to the show at rehearsal studios on The Isle of Dogs in East London when I caught up with them.
I watched key cast members Ryan O’Donnell, playing Ray Davies, Mark Newnham, as brother Dave, Garmon Rhys as bassist Pete Quaife and Andrew Gallo playing Kinks’ drummer Mick Avory, going through their paces, including a rousing rendition of Sunny Afternoon before sitting down with them for a chat.
Tousle-haired Ryan, a former member of the Jethro Tull entourage, has already appeared in the 1960’s Who musical, Quadrophenia. He had to pass muster with The Kinks’ frontman Ray before bagging the part.
“I remember meeting Ray backstage once, after I’d got the part, and he said ‘Hi, nice to meet you’. He nodded his head and said: ‘So, you’re doing this are you? Ah’. And we shook hands and that was it, “said Ryan.
“Ray is very hands on. He comes to watch it quite a lot and he’s very supportive. He comes to all the auditions and is involved in casting.
“When you go into the final round of auditions there is this quiet man sitting at the back with a steely glare, passing judgement - which is pretty intimidating.
“I didn’t know much about The Kinks before I saw the show a couple of years ago, but obviously I knew the songs. They’re so iconic. But you don’t realise how many they wrote. It can be overwhelming for audiences. Just one great song after another. It’s a helluva show.”
Garmon, who has recently played Agatha Christie’s young detective, Tommy, and Wilfred Owen in the WWI drama, Regeneration at Northampton, here plays disillusioned guitarist Quaife, who suffers a crisis of confidence at the peak of the band’s success.
“My favourite song in the show is You Really Got Me,” he said, “Because it’s the first time you get to see the band play together as a four-piece properly, when they’re on Top of the Pops and you get a real buzz when you hear those first chords. It’s amazing.”
“I like Set Me Free, which is a pretty sexy tune, with all the trippy vocal harmonies and guitar riffs,” added Ryan.
“I have a constant battle with our music director, in songs like Sunny Afternoon. He comes up to me and says: ‘You are singing it like Ray but could you sing it a bit nicer? A bit brighter? It is supposed to be a happy moment in the show!’
“I say that it’s a lazy afternoon but he says: ‘Yeah, but it’s not a lazy moment in the show!’”
Garmon says that Britain can’t get enough of the 1960s. “It was a pioneering era for culture and fashion, especially British music and apparel.
“It was where a lot of modern fashions were started. Our wardrobe department have had it easy because the clothes and shoes, like the Chelsea Boots, are still in fashion.
“And our audiences are not all in their 60s. We have kids of all ages because everyone loves 1960’s music.”
“The reason Sunny Afternoon has been so successful is that audiences don’t just come to hear amazing songs that they remember but there are a lot of familiar themes - money, homesickness, the class struggle.”
“A lot of people come up to me,” said Ryan, “who were around at that time and didn’t know the full story. This has a strong narrative, is a fascinating play, as well as a great musical.”
Andrew Gallo, who came to MKT with Saturday Night Fever, has an impressive drum solo in Sunny Afternoon which earns the admiration of everyone.
“I was originally up for Pete, Mick and their manager. I had five drum songs to learn plus their scenes and, just in case, another song. I hadn’t touched the drums for a year so I booked myself into a studio and drummed for about four hours solid until I gave myself blisters!”
He first heard The Kinks at the age of 12 after discovering a cache of old cassette tapes while sitting with mates in a neighbour’s attic. “We just played them on a loop. They were amazing”.
Mark, who plays wild Dave, swilling fizz, swinging from a chandelier, bedding the birds and wearing a frock or two, used to play The Kinks songs when he was in a band in Brighton.
“I knew that Ray and Dave had a tempestuous relationship. Their songs are so iconic. It was so magical the way Ray wrote about stuff. He came up with some incredible lyrics. I haven’t stopped listening to The Kinks since I got the job.
“Dave is a real gift to play. He’s so flamboyant and has such a verve for life. And the script is fantastic. You could take the songs out and still have an incredible play.
“I auditioned in front of Ray, which was interesting. I had already auditioned for Pete and Dave. I did my Pete stuff first and had my fringe over one way and then, when I did my Dave audition, I said: “Do you mind if I manipulate my fringe?’ which made Ray laugh.
“I moved it into a centre parting and he said: ‘Oh yeah, you’re playing a different character’. ‘Yeah, I’m playing your little brother!’ and again I made him laugh.”
Sunny Afternoon plays at Milton Keynes Theatre August 30-September 3 and Aylesbury Waterside, September 27-October 1. To book visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes or www.atgtickets.co.uk/aylesbury,

No lazing on a Sunny Afternoon for new cast ahead of Milton Keynes and Aylesbury dates.


The RSPCA has today released a damning report on the “ineffective” Dangerous Dogs Act and called on urgent reform to a law which indiscriminately targets family pets.
Breed Specific Legislation: A Dog’s Dinner is comprehensive study on the controversial act which was introduced 25 years ago this week.
The animal charity wants a public inquiry into the act, which was introduced in the hope of cracking down on dog attacks.
However, the number of dog bites continues to increase and of the 30 people killed by the pets, 21 were breeds not banned under the act.
The RSPCA has dubbed it a “flawed law” and called for a new approach.
It claims on top of the ethical and welfare issues, there is the added emotional strain placed on the charity staff who are forced by law to put certain animals to sleep because of the way they look.
Under Section 1 of the act, there are four breeds banned - Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino and Pitbull Terrier - as well as crossbreeds which have Pitbull-type features.
Over the past two years, the RSPCA has been forced to put 366 dogs to sleep. Battersea Dogs Home, which has been equally critical of the law, has put 91 dogs down in the past 12 months.
Today’s report illustrates the weaknesses in breed specific legislation, which has failed to meet its goals of improving public safety by reducing the number of dog bites and eliminating dogs that are prohibited, according to the RSPCA.
The charity found more dog bites are reported now than ever before and the numbers of prohibited dogs continue to rise.
In Canada, there has been a decrease in dog bites by focussing on improving responsible dog ownership.
The report concludes the DDA is a failed law which has had “unintended negative consequences for dog welfare”.
The charity wants Section 1 repealed with resources diverted to Section 3, which targets owners who have a dog which is “dangerously out of control” and the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing.
It has called for a new, three-pronged approach - educating children, effective legislation for problem owners and a more research to provide a better understanding of why dogs bite.
Dr Samantha Gaines, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said: “The police, the RSPCA and other animal rescue organisations have to deal with the consequences of this flawed law by euthanising hundreds of dogs because legislation is forcing us to due to the way they look, despite being suitable for rehoming.
“Not only is this a huge ethical and welfare issue, it also places significant emotional strain on staff.
“It is the view of the RSPCA, and the public, that every animal’s life matters.
“We conclude that breed-specific legislation has not achieved its objectives whilst causing unintended harms - a new approach is required.
“The RSPCA believes it is paramount for the Government to launch an inquiry into the effectiveness of BSL, assess other options to improve human safety and dog welfare, and ultimately repeal the breed specific part of the legislation.”
CASE STUDY
Sarah Anderson had to watch vets put to sleep her 24 puppies and two dogs because of the Dangerous Dogs Act.
She had taken on two dogs from the same litter as her other dog, believing they were Staffie cross American bulldogs.
Both the dogs - Annie and Maisie - later gave birth to 26 puppies with 24 surviving.
However, when Sarah took Maisie to the vets with a leg injury, the police were contacted on suspicion of her being a banned breed.
The 18-month old animals were both put to sleep under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act - as were all of the puppies who less than six-weeks old.
Sarah said: “I blame myself for the death of my girls but I refuse to let them die for nothing.
“Back in 2008 I was ignorant as to how many dogs ended up in rescues and was one of the selfish people who decided to let my bitches have a litter before getting them neutered.
“I was devastated, haunted by the thought of those babies dying. I didn’t know the law so I took the pups to the vets, and my two friends and I cuddled them while the vet went around giving them the injection. I was sobbing.
“He proceeded to put to sleep 24 innocent babies only born because of my ignorance and stupidity.
“I live with that everyday and, no matter how much I suffer, I cannot stop punishing myself.
“My head was reeling and I was begging them not to take my dogs but to allow them to live. My world was falling apart.
“I remember sitting in the waiting room at the vets with them - who do you choose to die first?
“I took Annie in, she was scared of her leg being shaved, but showed no aggression. I remember holding her limp lifeless body and screaming, my heart was being ripped out, she’d done nothing wrong. I left with just her lead and collar.
“Then I went back in with Maisie. I sat, cuddling her and she died wagging her tail. The pain of losing them is something I’ve never felt before or since. I relive it over and over again and the guilt eats me up inside.
“I don’t want anybody to suffer like I have, or for any innocent dog to be destroyed for no reason.
“BSL [breed-specific legislation] destroys the lives of dogs and their families. Dogs aren’t born aggressive, they become a product of their environment and those that own them.
“I would like, more than anything, to see BSL changed or totally abolished.”
Jack the pitbull type has no teeth due to the stress he suffered after police seized him for being a banned breed.
The friendly animal had been kept in kennels by authorities for two years - leading him to over groom his front legs which resulted in sore patches.
During this period, Jack’s previous owners don’t believe he was walked and he constantly chewed the bars of the kennel - breaking all of his teeth.
But the seven-year-old dog was saved from a death sentence by Allie Green, who is part of the Draconian Dogs Act group.
Mrs Green applied to be Jack’s keeper and showed she could look after him. He now lives with her family in Horsham, Sussex.
Allie said: “He still has to be muzzled, by law, but he couldn’t bite even if he wanted to.
“Even a game of fetch, which he loves, is a challenge as he cannot hold the ball.”
“It breaks my heart to muzzle him. He doesn’t like it at all. Jack doesn’t enjoy going out. Despite intensive work, going out with the muzzle on is a massive issue.”
“BSL has failed to protect anyone. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands of dogs, cost millions in taxpayers’ money, and will never achieve its aim.
“It needs to be repealed and replaced with legislation that ensure the right dog is in the right environment with the right owner.”

RSPCA calls for urgent changes to ‘flawed’ Dangerous Dogs Act


Max Verstappen will start on the front row of the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman, who grew up just 50km from the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, will start second behind Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes after setting a time of 1:48.407, just 0.147 seconds behind the German.
Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing team mate Daniel Ricciardo will start fifth, behind the Ferrari duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.
Verstappen, at 18, becomes the youngest ever driver to start from the front row of the grid and felt pole position with within reach.
“You can always do a better job,” he said. “But Nico could have gone quicker too.
“We have to be pleased being so close to the Mercedes though.
“I had some issued this morning, but the mechanics did a great job and the car was working really well. It’s great motivation to see the fans cheering me on by the track.”
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start 18th on the grid after picking up a grid penalty.

Verstappen makes history with front row in Belgium


Visit now for the latest motor sport news - from the Milton Keynes Citizen


“THE greatest cricket festival in the whole of the world,” proclaimed Colin Graves of Scarborough during a lunchtime speech in the Festival marquee.
The England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, who is also president of Scarborough CC, described it as “top of my heart list” and promised that the ECB would retain the Scarborough and Cheltenham Festivals amid an ever-changing cricketing climate.
“Scarborough is a passion for me,” added Graves. “The wicket is the best outside the international venues.
“I got that from Steven Finn, who played here for Middlesex this year. He said that Scarborough is the best wicket he played on, which is a credit to Scarborough Cricket Club.”
Graves, the former Yorkshire chairman, thus gave a timely thumbs-up to a ground close to where he used to work as an ice-cream waiter.
With the number of Championship games being reduced from next summer, it is comforting to know that Scarborough retains his personal backing, and also that of the ECB board.
GOOD TOUCH: Stand-in captain Gary Ballance celebrates his second innings century for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire at Scarborough on day three. Picture: Dave Williams.
“I had some fantastic times when I worked in Scarborough, but we won’t go into that,” quipped Graves, who used to work at Jaconelli’s just down the road. “It’s always been a special place.”
Graves, who will be Scarborough CC president again next year, was speaking before a gathering of dignitaries and invited guests at a ground where Yorkshire are looking to close the gap on leaders Middlesex.
The champions would reduce that gap to five points with four games left with a win here, which looks a formality weather-permitting.
Notts, the bottom club, go into the final day on 61-3 in their second innings, trailing by 390.
But it is a formality only if Yorkshire can get on the field for long enough, with heavy rain permitting only 35.2 overs yesterday, although much better weather is forecast today.
Yorkshire, who declined to enforce the follow-on despite a lead of 188, will kick themselves from here all the way back to Headingley if the elements enable a Notts’ escape.
They will hope that the inquests prove unnecessary, though, after another commanding display yesterday before bad light, closely followed by heavy rain, prevented play from 2.50.
In gloomy conditions, which explained why the crowd of 2,634 was down from the 5,000 gates on the first two days, Yorkshire resumed on 200-4 in their second innings.
Stand-in captain Gary Ballance had 75 to his name, while Tim Bresnan had yet to score.
After rain delayed the start by 40 minutes, the pair added 62 in 12.2 overs before Ballance declared the innings at 263-4, 25 minutes before lunch, setting Notts a notional 452 to win.
He did so with 101 against his own name, his 29th first-class hundred, and his second Championship century of the season at Scarborough. He faced 164 balls and hit 14 fours, thus taking a big step in his quest to finish the season strongly on a personal level.
Criticism of his international displays have been over-the-top, and his game appears in pretty good order. Ditto Bresnan, who practically comes with the guarantee of runs.
He had made 35 of them from 59 balls with five fours and a straight six off Samit Patel when Ballance called a halt, leaving Yorkshire five overs at their opponents before lunch.
It took only nine balls for Notts to lose their first wicket in pursuit of what would be their second-highest total to win a Championship match, behind the 461-3 achieved at Worcester in 2001.
Jack Brooks, bowling from the Trafalgar Square end, had Steven Mullaney caught at third slip by Jack Leaning as the visitors dined on 4-1.
After Brooks bowled seven overs for 17 either side of lunch, he was replaced by Bresnan, who struck with the first and last balls of his first over to leave Notts rocking on 34-3. Jake Libby played back and was caught at fourth slip by Jake Lehmann, moving smartly to his left, and Michael Lumb was adjudged caught behind.
Lumb, the former Yorkshire batsman, who thus completed a pair, clearly did not think he had hit the ball, and it appeared to be an interesting decision.
In the newspaper, however, it reads: ‘MJ Lumb c Hodd b Bresnan 0’, just as it says ‘TJ Moores not out 41’, the 19-year-old’s innings his highest for Notts, and a performance of great skill and maturity.

Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire (day three): Gary Ballance hoping weather stays kind to boost defending champions’ title defence


Visit now for the latest cricket news - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


How closely have you been following the headlines?
Take our quiz to test your knowledge of this past week’s biggest news stories.
Click here to download the Apple version of the Yorkshire Post’s free app
Click here to download the Android version of the Yorkshire Post’s free app
Click here to download the YEP’s free app to your iPhone or iPad
Click here to download the YEP’s free app to your Android device

Quiz of the week’s news: Crashes, complaints and contempt but new world beckons


Visit now for the latest education news, analysis and opinion - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


BY LISTENING to her cakes and dancing constantly while cooking, Conisbrough’s Val Stones made it through the first episode of Bake Off - but tonight the pressure is on again.
It’s biscuit week and Val and her ten fellow remaining contestants will have to bake impressive signature dishes, technical challenges and showstoppers to stay in the competition.
The 66-year-old retired headteacher lives in Yeovil with husband Ian, but she is originally from Conisbrough, Doncaster, so we’ve claimed her as our own.
She delighted viewers with her odd baking tactics on BBC One last Wednesday.
Val exercises at the same time as cooking, lifting alternate feet off the ground as she’s mixing cake batter, or using the baking tray as a weight by lifting it above her head as it cools.
She also listens to her cakes, as she explained to the cameras during the first challenge of the contest, the signature bake.
Holding her precious sponge to her ear, she paused for a moment before saying: “And they’re not ready.
“They sing. And they say ‘I’m not ready, I’m not ready!’”
It’s not all singing and dancing though.
Although we know from last week that she makes a great mirror glaze chocolate genoise sponge, what if biscuits speak a different language to cakes so she can’t hear when they’re ready?
Or maybe her over-enthusiastic dancing will lead to a disaster - last week she dropped a whole rack of delicate decorative petals on the floor of the Bake Off tent.
I’m nervous for her. After all, biscuit week was full of surprises in 2015.
The star baker from week one, Marie Campbell, was sent home from the competition after forgetting to turn the oven on in the technical challenge.
(Iced) fingers crossed this won’t happen to our Val.

Great British Bake Off: Will Yorkshire lass Val crumble on biscuit week?


Visit now for the latest facts, figures and analysis on Yorkshire - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


ON the one hand, the portents were not favourable: Yorkshire had lost 16 of their previous 19 List A semi-finals dating back to 1979.
On the other, when they last reached a one-day final in 2002, Yorkshire beat yesterday’s opponents in the semi-finals at Headingley before going on to beat Somerset – who contest the other semi against Warwickshire today – by six wickets at Lord’s.
Surrey's Jade Dernbach celebrates taking the final Yorkshire wicket of Tim bresnan to seal a memorable semi-final win at Headingley. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA
Something had to give, and on a grey day at Headingley, that something was the hope that Surrey’s latest semi-final trip to Leeds might prove a good omen.
After the visitors scored 255-7, Steven Davies leading the way with 104 and Ben Foakes making a one-day career-best 90, Yorkshire came up short at 236 as their semi-final hoodoo continued apace.
Before a disappointing crowd of 4,836, which was not the bumper gate Yorkshire had been hoping for on Bank Holiday Sunday, the hosts made an excellent start after winning the toss.
Jack Brooks had Dominic Sibley lbw with the final delivery of the second over – umpire Peter Hartley deciding that the ball would not have drifted down leg-side, as replays suggested it might – and Tim Bresnan picked up the key wicket of Kumar Sangakkara with the fourth delivery of the third over.
Surrey's Steven Davies celebrates what proved to be a match-winning century against Yorkshire at Headingley in the Royal London Cup semi-final. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA .
The Sri Lankan, who had chopped the previous ball to the point boundary to get off the mark, drove on the up to cover, where Azeem Rafiq picked out the catch.
Sangakkara, who won the quarter-final against Northants with an unbeaten 130, has a mystifyingly poor record against Yorkshire; in eight innings against them in all cricket, he has managed 179 runs at 22.37.
From 8-2, things could only get better for Surrey, and they did as Davies and Rory Burns added 53 in 12 overs.
Davies, silky and stylish through the offside, injected impetus and Burns kept him good company, sensibly giving his partner as much strike as possible. Just as Surrey were starting to seize control, Matthew Waite, the 20-year-old making his first appearance in this year’s tournament, broke the stand with his opening ball from the Kirkstall Lane end.
Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan (left) and Will Rhodes encourage each other during the run chase against Surrey at Headingley yesterday. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA.
It was an innocuous leg-stump half-volley, and Burns carelessly helped it to Steve Patterson at deep fine-leg.
Waite might have had a wicket with his fourth ball, too, when Davies, on 43, drove back a return chance, but the ball seemed to come back a little slower than Waite expected, and the opportunity was lost.
It was another 24 overs before Yorkshire struck again, Waite finally getting Davies when he wellied a low full toss to deep square.
Thus ended a stand of 130 between Davies and Foakes, which beat Surrey’s previous best for the fourth wicket in one-day cricket against Yorkshire of 110 between Monty Lynch and Andrew Needham at Bradford in 1985.
Waite captured his third wicket when Sam Curran highlighted Surrey’s tendency towards over-funkiness by trying one ramp shot too many, stepping away so far to the offside that he was unable to prevent the ball clattering into leg stump.
Surrey ideally needed one of Davies or Foakes to be there at the end, but Foakes followed his partner back to the pavilion when he was sixth out at 249, ramping Bresnan to Brooks at short fine-leg.
Ollie Pope, an 18-year-old making his List A debut, chipped in with 20, but boundaries proved elusive as Surrey failed to summon a grandstand finish.
Yorkshire’s bowlers deserved credit for restricting them, and Pope was run-out off the final ball of the innings as only 63 came off the last 10 overs.
It felt as though Yorkshire had their noses in front at halfway, but those noses were put out of joint when Adam Lyth hit Jade Dernbach to cover in the third over.
Alex Lees played some handsome strokes before being undone in the flight by Gareth Batty, and Yorkshire lost the key wicket of Jonny Bairstow when he chipped Stuart Meaker’s third ball to mid-wicket.
In Meaker’s second over, Gary Ballance tried to steer to third man and was caught behind, and Meaker claimed his third victim in nine balls when Jack Leaning chopped on.
Having looked relatively comfortable at 75-2, Yorkshire were suddenly 81-5 and looking anything but in control, the soft nature of their dismissals undoubtedly a frustration.
But Yorkshire showed characteristic fight as Bresnan and Waite combined in a stand of 80 in 16 that changed the mood and momentum.
Waite, impressively unflustered for one so young, showed a fine temperament and some deft touches before falling for 38, the ball perhaps stopping in the pitch as he lobbed Sam Curran to Batty at mid-off. Bresnan then added 46 in eight overs with Will Rhodes, who was brilliantly run-out by a direct hit from Tom Curran at point as he tried to steal a single off Dernbach.
Tom Curran had Rafiq caught at long-on and Patterson held at mid-wicket, and Dernbach ended things with seven balls remaining when Bresnan picked out long-off.

Royal London Cup: Semi-final misery continues for Yorkshire as they come up short against Surrey


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
DRIVING rain failed to dampen the party atmosphere as the second day of Leeds Festival threw up some musical treats for drenched revellers at Bramham Park.
After Biffy Clyro took the plaudits for their headline act on Friday, Saturday served up a double helping of headliners.
27 August 2016. Leeds Festival at Bramham Park.
Discloure and Foals stormed the main stage, and treated the thousands inside Bramham Park to an unforgettable set - despite the torrential downpours and boggy conditions.
The afternoon saw the first offering of inevitable summer rain but held off long enough for early evening headliners Boy Better Know.
The grime group went on stage shortly after 5pm and proved a huge hit witzh thousands swelling the main stage surroundings to get a view.
Almost immediately after they left the stage, the heavens opened.
Foals then took to the main stage amidst a backdrop of rain-lashed fans, while the other stages saw the likes of Hannah Wants and local band Pulled Apart by Horses draw in big crowds.
Disclosure then closed out the evening on the main stage - and they didn’t disappoint.
Brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence always put on a spectacular show, with a variety of lights and pyrotechnics and their Leeds showing stayed true to that theme.
The duo book-ended their set with classics White Noise and Latch.
Inbetween were some old classics, songs from their new album and a peppering of new material.
The fireworks and stunning use of strobes and graphics just added to the set.
The only downside was the biblical rain which saw many revellers retreat for their tents before the end, but nevertheless it’s safe to say Disclosure pulled out all the stops on day two.

In pictures: Unforgettable Saturday for drenched music fans at Leeds Festival


Visit now for the latest music news - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
AUSTRALIAN Mark Minichiello described the Wembley win as the highlight of his career.
At 35, the second-row has vast experience having played more than 200 games in the NRL and represented Italy in the 2013 World Cup.
Hull FC players celebrate. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
But nothing compared to lifting the Challenge Cup after the win over Warrington Wolves - his first trophy as a professional.
“This is the highlight of my career by far; 15 years at the top level trying to achieve something like this and it’s finally come true,” said Minichiello.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling and the supporters were unbelievable for us, too.
“They deserve to celebrate this - the first time Hull has won at Wembley - and hopefully the club can now go on and win many more.”
The former Gold Coast Titans star said he has rarely had to strive harder eke out a win as Hull did, coming back from 10-0 down on the hour to win 12-10 in searing conditions.
“It was a draining game,” he admitted.
“It was very hot out there and it felt like we had no energy the entire game.
“I don’t know whether it was the emotion of it, the speed of the game, the heat... it was all factored in.
“You just had to dig deep and get through it. It was one of the toughest games I’ve played in and I was out on my feet.
“It needed a special group of guys to get the job done.”
Read more
Historic Hull FC Wembley win ‘surreal’ - Steve Michaels
When and where: details of Hull FC celebrations tomorrow
Hull 12 Warrington 10: Emotional Radford hails Houghton performance in Challenge Cup final win
Challange Cup final: Hull 12 Warrington 10 - Five talking points...
Hull FC 12-10 Warrington: Hull strike back to lift 2016 Challenge Cup
Hull 12 Warrington 10: Losing Wolves coach Smith gracious in defeat

Video: Wembley win highlight of my career - Mark Minichiello


Visit now for the latest Hull FC rugby league news - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


It keeps thousands of people in jobs, ensures Yorkshire’s moorland stays diverse with wildlife and contributes more than £2bn to the national economy.
But as gamekeepers across the region mark the Glorious 12th and the start of the grouse season today, a new group set up to fight for the survival of shooting on the moors of North Yorkshire has urged people to recognise the multitude of benefits it brings.
Gun dog handler Fiona Kirk with her English Setter, Zeus and Anthony Dowson 28, Moorland Beat Keeper for the Thimbleby estate, stalking game on the moor.
The North Yorkshire Moors Moorland Organisation (NYMMO) brings together keepers from 12 North Yorkshire estates, including Danby, Rosedale and Westerdale, Sleights and Goathland and Thimbleby, who felt their livelihoods - and way of life - were being threatened, both by misinformation and the possibility of a ban in future.
They are now working to promote the benefits that managed moorlands bring, not only to the moors and wildlife, but also to communities and the rural economy that is helped by the shooting parties. It is a picture replicated across the country, from Scotland to the Peak District.
NYMMO coordinator Tina Brough said: “There seems to be more and more bad publicity about shooting, and following the hunting ban, people were thinking ‘will we be next?’. We want to promote the good side of moorland management before it gets to that point.”
Shooting, and preparing for a shoot, is just a small proportion of a keeper’s role. Trapping predators such as stoats and foxes allows ground nesting birds such are the red-status lapwing, curlew and merlin, to thrive, and the NYMMO plans to survey wildlife on the moors in an attempt to show that once-threatened species are benefitting from moorland management.
Anthony Dowson 28, Moorland Beat Keeper for the Thimbleby estate, near Northallerton. Picture: James Hardisty.
“People have the misconception that we kill everything just to keep grouse but that’s not true,” Miss Brough said. “If game keepers weren’t there the moors would not be sustainable.”
At Thimbleby Estate, near Northallerton, heather burning is key to moorland management.
In May, 200 acres of heather moorland in the Peak District were destroyed after an accidental fire spread. Moorland management, which includes creating firebreaks, was not in use.
Thimbleby head keeper David Dickinson said: “If we didn’t burn, a summer fire would run for miles and miles. It would be a disaster. People seem to think moorland management is all about wealthy people shooting, but it’s so much more than that.
Grouse on moorland.
“It’s about creating a healthy moor that can be the best it can be - and also an environment where a wide range of people can get enjoyment from it. On shoot days we have ladies beating, students helping us when they’re off college - it’s a big part of the community.”
Meanwhile, a row between Sir Ian Botham and Chris Packham over whether grouse shooting should be banned saw the former England cricketer label the BBC wildlife presenter an “extremist”.
More than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for shooting to be outlawed.
Sir Ian, wholives in North Yorkshire, is a supporter of the shoot while Mr Packham has backed the petition, and the pair engaged in an angry clash over the issue on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Mr Packham said the shoots damage bird of prey populations while Sir Ian suggested the presenter should not be allowed to publicly take sides because of his status as a BBC employee.
At the same time, a report by government conservation agency Natural England has concluded that England’s uplands could support more than 200 breeding pairs of hen harriers, but the bird of prey’s numbers are being kept down by illegal persecution.
The RSPB recently pulled out of the Government’s hen harrier action plan because it felt the plan was not delivering the “urgent action and change in behaviour” needed to bring the bird of prey back from the brink of extinction in England.
The wildlife charity also raised concerns about the “environmental damage” caused by practices it says are used by grouse moor managers, such as draining and burning habitat and killing mountain hares to reduce disease in grouse.
It has called for the licensing of the industry, which it argues would drive up standards and ensure grouse moors complied with the law or risk losing their right to hold shoots.
The renewed debate comes as early hopes for a relatively good grouse shooting season, with better chick survival than the “calamitous conditions” last year, were undermined by adverse late weather during the nesting period.
The Moorland Association, whose members own and manage 860,000 acres of heather moorland in England and Wales for red grouse, said there could be pockets of poor grouse numbers on some moors and shoot days being cancelled.
But chairman Robert Benson said that there were still “positive outcomes” on land managed for grouse shooting, with 18,000 acres of peatland habitat restored across northern England.

Glorious Twelfth: Ian Botham, Chris Packham and the fight for North Yorkshire’s moors


A childhood dream has come true for one Dalesman after Sir Patrick Stewart agreed to sell his Yorkshire home. Sharon Dale reports.
Sir Patrick Stewart bid a tearful farewell to his Yorkshire Dales bolt hole after it went under offer to a local man who has dreamed of owning it since he was a boy.
Scar Top House
The celebrated stage actor, who became an international film star playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, bought Scar Top House 25 years ago at the height of his Hollywood fame.
He put the secluded home on the market for £535,000 with Dale Eddison last month and, after a flurry of viewings, he agreed to sell it to someone who has long admired the secluded, stone-built property in Hebden, near Grassington.
Estate agent Amanda May, manager of Dale Eddison's Skipton branch, said: “We had a lot of interest from all over the country but particularly from the north. A sale has been agreed with a local Dalesman who has wanted to own the house since he was a little boy. It’s a lovely story. Sir Patrick came to say farewell to the house and it was quite emotional.” She adds: “There was a fair bit of disappointment from people who didn’t end up being the buyer. We conducted well over 30 viewings and there were five people who wanted to buy it. “
The half mile track leading to the house was a turn-off for some would-be buyers but is one of the main reasons why Sir Patrick bought the four-bedroom property. He wanted an escape from the spotlight and came up with the idea of buying a country home in his native Yorkshire when driving down a fume-filled highway in Los Angeles.
The cosy inglenook fireplace
“I was pretty much resident in LA by then thanks to the filming but as I drove into the smog I was suddenly gripped by the thought of buying a house in the Yorkshire Dales. It was bizarre. I was fearful of losing myself to Hollywood in the way I’d seen other British stage actors do and I wanted a toehold in England, somewhere to come home to.”
The Mirfield-born actor found himself longing for the feelings of contentment he experienced as a teenager in the 1950s when he cycled out into the Dales on his push bike, leaving the mines and the mills of his home town far behind.
“The Dales captured my heart from a very young age,” said Sir Patrick.
His brother, who still lived in Yorkshire, lined up a series of homes for him to view, including Scar Top House. It offered everything he craved. Remote and surrounded by moorland, it gave him seclusion, sensational views and it was a world away from the Hollywood spotlight.
The country kitchen
“It was more remote than I envisaged but the views are amazing and it is very private, which has been helpful,” he said.
He invited his family in England to draw up a holiday rota so the house could be used when he wasn’t there. When he was, it was quite often alone. There were times when he would fly from LA to London before taking a plane to Leeds-Bradford airport and then a taxi to Hebden, just to spend a day at Scar Top. “It was madness but the draw of the house was so powerful. It was my bolthole, my retreat. I loved being in that landscape and I enjoyed hiking. I’d go for 20-mile hikes and not see another person. The local people were very respectful of my privacy too, especially the wonderful couple who had the Post Office. Visitors used to ask them where I lived and they’d say ‘he doesn’t live round here’.”
Back in America, where he has just filmed the third Wolverine movie and episodes of TV series Blunt Talk, his Dales home has helped him to sleep. He imagines himself walking up the track and is in the Land of Nod before he gets to the top.
After buying the property, he insulated the roof, furnished with oak furniture from nearby Grassington company Royal Oak and converted a barn into a garage. More recently, he has used the the house less, which is why he is selling it.
The dining area
He now divides his time between a home in the Cotswolds, close to stage work, and a property in Brooklyn, which he shares with his wife, singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell.
Sir Patrick still has close ties to Yorkshire and will not be a stranger to his home county. He still has family here, supports Huddersfield University, where he was Chancellor, and is a Huddersfield Town football club fan.

Sir Patrick Stewart sells his Dales home and makes a dream come true


Visit now for the latest homes news and features - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.


THREE Wakefield Wildcats rugby league players are in hospital after have being injured in a traffic accident when a car was in collision with a tree.
The club said that Chris Annakin, Danny Kirmond, and Richard Owen were involved in the incident.
None of the injuries are said to be life threatening.
The accident was said to have happened in the Heath Common Area, near Wakefield at 4pm on Friday, August 26.
The Wakefield Wildcats said in a statement: “The club are aware of a road traffic accident that occurred at approximately 4pm in the Heath Common area yesterday.
“Three players, Chris Annakin, Danny Kirmond, and Richard Owen were involved in the accident, and all remained overnight in hospital with various injuries, although none are life threatening.
“Police and ambulance staff attended the scene, and the club are liaising with them to ascertain exactly what occurred.
“We hope everyone will wish the players a speedy recovery and respect their privacy at this time.
“There will be further information released as and when appropriate.”
West Yorkshire Police said they received a call reporting that a black Subaru Forester estate appeared to have been in collision with a tree on Black Road in Heath.
A force spokesman said: “A 26-year-old male suffered a neck injury and was taken to hospital, a 30-year-old male also attended hospital for cuts to his arms and legs and a 25-year-old male was later found to have suffered a dislocated hip.”
Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision, including a cyclist who is believed to have been on the road at the time.

Updated: Three Wakefield Wildcats players injured in traffic accident


Get the latest breaking news from the Yorkshire Post - politics, education, health, crime, showbiz, environment and more. Visit now.


A mum who went into hospital for a routine procedure after miscarrying her twins has been awarded a six-figure pay out after ending up with a dislocated jaw and a long legal battle.
Amanda Walker has received an apology from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust –half a decade on.
Amanda Walker. Image: RPY
The consequences of a mask being forcefully put on her face prior to the operation and causing the injury contributed to the break down of her marriage and her being unable to return to her work in PR and advertising.
She endured four corrective operations and had a titanium plated prosthetic jaw inserted which had been made bespoke in America.
Now the case has been resolved, Amanda of Knaresborough, is looking to the future with her 11 year-old son, and plans to open her own tanning business.
She said: “I am smiling again and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted. When my solicitor told me I had won I think I was in shock.
“It has been in my life for five years this battle and all of a sudden it is over and you think, ‘what do I do now?’”
In December 2010 Amanda at almost 12 weeks pregnant went for a scan. Within minutes she learned she was expecting twins and the heartbeats of both babies had stopped.
She was booked in for a routine procedure at Harrogate District Hospital to remove the foetuses but when she woke she was in pain and discomfort on the right side of her face and struggled to open her mouth.
She recalled: “I went from elation to sadness. It was not the first miscarriage I’d had so it was a very traumatic time.
“I was in pain emotionally and physically and I was overwhelmed with everything but when I woke up I knew something was wrong.”
The Trust maintained the pain was caused by a condition Amanda had experienced over 10 years ago but medical experts hired by Leeds-based lawyers for Irwin Mitchell proved otherwise. She said: “The Trust put a lot of obstacles in my way and made it quite awkward but I thought I am going to persevere – I had come too far to give up.”
Dr David Scullion, Medical Director, said: “The Trust is pleased an agreement has been reached. We have apologised to Ms Walker for the impact this injury has had on her. We conducted an investigation into Ms Walker’s care with us in 2010 and want to give assurance that we have learned all we can from this incident.”
CATALOGUE OF TREATMENT
* After the operation, Amanda Walker was unable to open her mouth restricting her diet, social life, normal life with Louie and her job.
* She had four corrective operations. Titanium plate and prosthetic jaw inserted leaving her with 80 stitches.
* For 30 minutes a day she exercises to repair damage caused to nerves, tendons and ligaments.
* The prosthetic jaw operation will have to be repeated and replaced in years to come.

NHS Trust agrees to six figure pay-out for Knaresborough mum after miscarriage operation led to dislocated jaw


Visit now for the latest health news, analysis and opinion - direct from the Yorkshire Post and updated throughout the day.