In early March 2020, just before the UK went into Covid lockdown for the first time, Reggie was a sporty, confident 11-year-old boy, enjoying his final months of primary school. “My primary school was great. It didn’t look like I was going to have any issues with anxiety whatsoever,” he said. Like so many children of his generation, Reggie, now 16, who is taking his GCSEs this summer, developed anxiety. London Park School Hybrid, in Mayfair, costs

There are recycling centres all over the region, but the opening times vary across all of them, which can be a massive pain. For example, it can vary from tip to tip, so we lay out the rules for rubble too. Tip opening times in North TynesideWallsend Road NE29 7SH: Monday to Sunday: 8am to 8pmYou can dispose of some types of DIY waste, but there will be a cost associated. Tip opening times in NorthumberlandAll Northumberland tips close at 6pm from November 1 to March 31. You can bring a maximum of 6 rubble bags and any amount of other DIY waste with no associated charge.

Thousands of students are suspected of fraudulently claiming hundreds of millions of pounds from Britain’s university loan system. A Sunday Times investigation has discovered that individuals with “absolutely no academic intent” are enrolling on degree courses every year to take out loans, with “no intention of paying it back”. The majority of students under scrutiny are believed to have enrolled at so-called franchised universities — which are small colleges paid to provide courses for established universities but often have low grade requirements. There are at least six franchised providers where fraudulent claims from students have been identified, it is understood. The investigation reviewed leaked financial documents and company accounts, and interviewed a dozen sources

Plus, four of our favourite hotels across the UK from castles to cosy stays with secret doorsTOP TIER The hotel named the best in the UK has Peak District views and guests say is ‘worth every penny’THERE are almost ten thousand hotels across the UK - so when it comes to picking the best place to stay, it can be daunting. The Cavendish Hotel has 28 rooms, two restaurants and incredible views of the Peak District. They also crowned Saltmore in North Yorkshire the 'best beach hotel' and New Park Manor in Hampshire as the 'best family-friendly hotel'. And the best hotel according to TripAdvisor that has been called a 'hidden gem'. Here Are Our Favourite Hotels You Should Visit in 2025 Four of our favourite hotels across the UK from countryside retreats to city pads...

Part of the charm of the NCAA tournament is the early-round upsets. Here are the picks for Sunday's second-round games, with all odds from BetMGM:All times Eastern. 1 seed that breezed through the SEC tournament and its first-round NCAA tournament game. SEC teams should all be ready for any challenge the NCAA tournament throws at them. Everyone knows Tom Izzo's track record in the NCAA tournament.

This Easter some friends and I are off to a luxury villa in the Greek islands, a great find that we could not have afforded during the summer holidays. The timing also means we have avoided huge crowds and soaring temperatures. As people practiced in the art of group holidays, we knew it was important to find a destination with multiple flight options a mere few hours’ hop away. So we excitedly secured the villa of dreams, buoyed by the idea we were contributing less to the overtourism problem by travelling out of peak season, and making it less painful for our wallets too. Until, that is, it dawned on us that there were only indirect flights available at this time of year, and that

The London Stock Exchange is stepping up its campaign to stop companies listing their shares in New York by lobbying firms on the “myths” surrounding the US market. In a detailed analysis being sent to bankers and prospective candidates for initial public offerings (IPOs) and seen by The Sunday Times, the LSE sets out some of the risks that companies face when opting for New York instead of London — from increased exposure to litigation, to higher fees. Its attempt to woo companies to London comes with several major listings up for grabs, including the flotation of Singapore-based fast-fashion retailer Shein, and Verisure, the £20 billion security business owned by the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman. The New York Stock Exchange has a less diverse range of investors, the LSE says JEENAH MOON/REUTERSLondon recently lost out to Amsterdam for the

A domestic violence protection order was authorised at Northampton Magistrates Court on Sept 5, which remained in place until Oct 1. The gross misconduct notices on two detective constables cover alleged failings to progress enquiries and communicate with Brella after her report of domestic abuse at the end of Aug 2024. The misconduct notices on two more senior officers relate to their supervision of the case and relevant risk assessments. At the end of the investigation, decisions will be taken as to whether any officer has a disciplinary case to answer. Brella's father, Satbir, told the BBC in Dec 2024 that Brella had called her father crying on Aug 29.

Investigators combed through the burned-out remains of a power substation near London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday, seeking the cause of a spectacular blaze that shuttered Europe’s busiest travel hub for much of a day and raised broader questions about Britain’s energy infrastructure. Officials and energy experts said a fault in a transformer with 275,000 volts running through it probably sparked a massive, oil-fueled fire that severed the airport and tens of thousands of nearby homes from the power grid. Systems designed to prevent such a fire apparently failed, and the size of the blaze appeared to keep a second, nearby transformer from restoring electricity. But the mystery of what caused that fault in the first place remained far from solved by the end of the day on Friday, even as flights resumed at Heathrow. The Metropolitan Police in London said that counterterrorism specialists had taken charge of the investigation, “given the location of the substation and the impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure.” At the same time, political leaders and industry experts said it appeared most likely that the fire was an accident.

Now that the UK has finally experienced some sun, it’s time to think about summer and all the festivals there are to choose from. Glastonbury is far from the only one attracting big names, with Charli XCX, for example, performing at multiple other events across the country. Which are you planning on going to and which do you think we have missed? English Teacher TATIANA POZUELO/DAVID L F SMITHEnglish Teacher, Pete Doherty, Rizzle KicksLike SXSW but with more seagulls and fewer tech bros, this multi-venue festival of new music welcomes the hippest, hottest and strangest new acts from round the world. Plus, erm, Pete Doherty and Rizzle Kicks.

✉ My wife and I booked tickets to Hanoi in December on Vietnam Airlines via a travel agent and I then upgraded our seats online to exit row seats with extra legroom and paid about £300. On arrival at Heathrow, however, we were told we couldn’t sit in them because we’re over 60. We’re 66 and 63 and fit and well but despite our protestations the airline refused to budge. To add insult to injury they then allocated us bulkhead seats where we sat with two sets of parents with babies who screamed for hours. Vietnam Airlines has pointed out we should have checked its

Joshua Martin, 26, told the schoolgirl to say she was 19 when they met his friends (Picture: Getty/West Yorkshire Police)A convicted paedophile who groomed a 13-year-old girl for sex has been jailed for eight years. Joshua Martin, 26, told the schoolgirl to say she was 19 when they met his friends. Prosecutor Kitty Colley told Leeds Crown Court Martin sexually abused her ‘around 15 times’. She told him: ‘You embarked upon a sexual relationship with a girl. Prosecutor Kitty Colley said: ‘[The victim] told the officers she first met him when she was at McDonald’s with her friend.

Heathrow Airport in London was expected to be closed all of Friday, shutting down one of the world’s busiest air hubs and causing worldwide travel disruptions, after it lost power because of a fire nearby. An average of more than 220,000 passengers a day traveled through the airport last year, on flights offered by dozens of airlines to more than 230 destinations around the globe. Here is what we know about Heathrow’s closure. Heathrow said early Friday that it had been hit by a power outage, caused by a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport. The London Fire Brigade said that it had been called to the fire, in western London, around 11:20 p.m. on Thursday, and had deployed dozens of firefighters.

The city of Los Angeles has cleared the way for three Pacific Palisades homeowners to begin rebuilding on their properties. AdvertisementBass and L.A. County leaders have pledged to streamline permitting procedures for property owners who want to rebuild. The longtime property owners decided to submit the exact blueprints as before. As of last week, 72 property owners had submitted rebuilding applications to the city. Bass said at Friday’s news conference that there are more than 1,000 property owners who have not opted in or out of the federal government’s free debris removal service.

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2025 revealed this year's guide to the best places to live in the regions, featuring Ilkley, West Yorkshire, as the winner for the North and North East, and Saffron Walden in Essex as the overall Best Place to Live in the UK. The Best Places to Live guide's only Northumberland locale was Morpeth, snubbing Hexham and the rest of Tynedale. READ MORE: Town recognised as happiest place to live in North EastIt's not all bad news though - Hexham was crowned the third happiest place to live in the UK in December and was number one in the North East. Using their scores, Rightmove compiled a list ranking the happiest places to live and ranked Hexham as the third happiest in the whole UK. The Sunday Times' full list of North and North East locations is as follows:Ilkley, West Yorkshire (regional winner)Easingwold, North YorkshireHebden Bridge, West YorkshireHorsforth, LeedsMorpeth, NorthumberlandRipon, North YorkshireSheffield, South YorkshireTynemouth, Tyne and WearFor more information, go to https://www.thetimes.com/best-places-to-live.