Dog hilariously howls the final note of the Countdown theme tune - every time she hears it
Image by: David-Joe Williams 
Image by: David-Joe Williams
This hysterical video shows a telly-addict Jack Russell that howls every time she hears the final note -- of the theme song to COUNTDOWN.
David-Joe Williams has no idea why Hollie has such a reaction to the iconic jingle.
The 14-year-old Jack Russell will wait patiently until the end of the countdown, the howl in tune with the final note - every single time.
David-Joe, from Ilfracombe, Devon, said Hollie has done it since she was a puppy, and has now shared a video of the hilarious reaction.
He said: "We have no idea why she does it, but it always makes us laugh.
"It had become pretty normal to us but I thought other people might find it amusing.
"I filmed her doing it a few times and put one of the clips on Facebook. It has now had more than 42,000 views.
"In one of the clips I only had to play her a recording of the Countdown clock and she still howled."
David-Joe, whose family run the St James Dairy convenience shop in Ilfracombe, said they don't even watch Countdown too often.
He said: "We'll watch it if it's on, but we're not exactly massive fans.
"We watch '8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown' more, and Hollie reacts the same way to that.
"There must be something about that music she loves."
Video by: David-Joe Williams
SAVED BY A WHISKER - Farmer saves four cubs after he performed an emergency C-SECTION on a dead fox
Video by: Ashley Moran 
Image by: Jean Rolfe
A farmer saved the lives of four cubs after he performed an emergency C-SECTION on a dead fox on the side of a busy road.
Chris Rolfe, 24, carried out the operation after a female vixen was knocked out and killed by a car.
The farmer witnessed the crash happen and immediately stopped his vehicle to check if the fox was still alive or if it was suffering.
Chris was travelling back from his farm on the A272, near Cowfold, West Sussex at around 11.45pm when he says his "instinct" kicked in.
The countryman said he couldn't leave a fox to die or suffer on the side of the road without checking on it first and seeing if he could help.
Chris, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex said: "I saw her on the road and stopped to check and see if she was suffering.
"It was instinctive otherwise instead of one life lost, it would have been the death of all of the cubs as well as the mum."
After carrying out a few checks on the injured animal, he had found that the vixen had died but when he checked its stomach he could see it was moving - which indicated to Chris that she was pregnant.
He said he ran to his car to get a knife out and performed an emergency C-section on the fox - taking out four little cubs measuring around six inches long.
Although Chris did not have any veterinary training, he has previously performed a C-section during lambing season.
Chris then put them into his jacket pockets and drove them to his mum, Jean Rolfe, house where they have since be hand-reared.
He added: "I didn't think about it, I just done it."
Image by: Jean Rolfe
Image by: Jean Rolfe
The cubs are now seven weeks old and the family are working with the Fox Project - a registered charity dedicated to treating the Red Fox - to get them strong enough to go back into the wild.
The little furry youngsters have been named Ginger, Biscuit, Big tip and Little tip.
Chris said: "I am really pleased they are all healthy.
"It was just something I felt obliged to do, I wouldn't want to see the mum suffer and that is why I got out of the car.
"And then when I realised she had passed away when I was checking her body, I saw her stomach moving.
"I couldn't think about it too much, I just had to perform the C-section because every minute is crucial.
"After I got the cubs out, I took them straight to my mum's and she cared for them - making sure they were clean and getting their circulation going, making she they were up and running."
Image by: Jean Rolfe
Jean, 51, from Haywards Heath, who has previously cared for foxes with the Fox project, said they both acted fast when Chris arrived at her home with the cubs.
She added: "Chris put them in his pockets and delivered to me.
"They arrived all bloody, and in the wild mum would lick them to get clean.
"Mum would also have quite a rough tongue as well, which would help to get the circulation going. But I wasn't going to do that.
"So we got a damp towel and just really rubbed them quite hard, harder then what you would think, and that actually washes them and gets the circulation going.
"We then put them in a cardboard box on top of a heater to keep them warm.
"Cubs also can't pee and poo themselves and so mum would normally lick them.
"So we got damp cotton wool and cleaned those areas, to make sure they are able to go to the toilet because that is a major factor in what could kill them."
Jean said she began feeding the cubs milk every 20 minutes which then went to "two hours, and three" and they now being weaned.
She added: "They are eating puppy dog food, plus frozen chicks.
"The reason being they would have fur, and bones and all sorts when they are in the wild. So we are trying to get them ready for the wild.
"It has taken a lot of care and effort to look after them. And thankfully all four survived."
The cubs are under the Fox project programme and will aim to go back into the wild at the age of six months.
And during this time, the foxes will travel to other fox foster homes without Jean or Chris - where they can become more independent by themselves, trying to get used to new surroundings and smells.
If the cubs are not ready to be left in the wild at the six month stage, they will continue to travel to different fox foster homes until they can become more independent.
Jean said: "If Chris hadn't stopped, they wouldn't have survived. So Chris just got on with it and dealt with it.
"He was in that frame of mind, I guess because he was looking after the sheep his instinct was there.
"A lot of people talk about having foxes as pets, and even though they are lovely animals, they are wild and they need to be wild."
Shocking dashcam footage shows motorists forced to slalom around mounds of fly-tipped rubbish on a mile long country lane
Image by: Robert Bevan Video by: Robert Bevan
Shocking dashcam footage shows how motorists are being forced to slalom around fly-tipped rubbish stretching over a MILE along a picturesque country lane.
Shameless fly-tippers have left the entire road "looking like a landfill site" after dumping the abandoned waste in Llantrisant, South Wales.
Mountains of trash, including fridges, cardboard boxes, crates and bin liners, can be seen strewn along the rural lane in footage taken by farmer Rob Bevan.
The 40-year-old said he was left disgusted after spotting the piles of rubbish as he drove along on Wednesday afternoon (15/5).
His footage shows no less than EIGHTY FIVE separate mounds of brazenly dumped trash scattered across the 2,000 yard stretch of road.
A second video reveals how dozens of bin liners have also been callously left in a pretty stream near to the quaint Welsh town.
Rob said he was alerted to the eyesore after his wife Deborah, 40, called him in floods of tears to tell him she was stuck on the road due to the mess.
The dad-of-one has now been single-handedly taking the rubbish to a recycling depot - which is only one mile away from where it was dumped.
Rob said fly-tipping has been blighting the area since he moved in four years ago and described it as an "ongoing nightmare."
He said: "My wife rang me up about 3.30pm on Wednesday and she was in tears as she got stuck on the lane and I had to go and help get her out.
"It was just a hell of a mess and Deborah was in shock.I thought it was just a bit of rubbish on the side the of the road but it went on for a mile.
"Shockingly, the people who did came it back an hour-and-a-half later and unloaded loads of rubbish into a stream.
"And then overnight there was another load that was dumped - it is just absolutely dreadful and they need to be caught.
"It stretches the entire length from my farm to the next farm which is a mile long. I use the road everyday to go to work, but they don't seem to care.
"Its a bit of everything - there's baskets, flyers, signs, fridges, used needles and endless pots used for cultivating cannabis. It looks like a landfill site.
"I've been here now for about four years and we've had these problems ever since. Its an ongoing nightmare for us.
"I've been the one who has been picking this rubbish up and I've taken it down to the recycling depot free of charge.
"Why people do it I have no idea, the recycling depot is only a mile away and they'll take the rubbish.
"I don't know what the world is coming to. What these people are doing is disgusting.
"They are brazen and to do this in the afternoon on the same day is crazy.
"I'm hoping the videos does push the Rhondda Cynon Taff council to look after the road and carry out some maintenance on it.
"I've been phoning them to put cameras up but I don't seem to be getting anywhere with them.
"The local authority need to recognise this is a council road and it needs to be looked after and they've been ignoring it."
In a statement on Facebook, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council wrote: "Fly-tip in RCT and we will catch you and hold you to account for your actions!
"Evidence has now been taken from this horrific mile long discovery and we will be speaking to a local business.
"Details from another site have also been shared with South Wales Police. #WhoDoneIT #CaughtRedHanded."
Image by: Robert Bevan
Cat stuck on a bridge for SIX days has shocked her owner by wandering home - after a £5k rescue mission by firefighters was called off
Image by: TM Devonlive
A cat at the centre of a £5K mission to save her from a bridge simply wandered home - hours after rescuers had left.
Hatty the five-year-old Maine Coon-Serengeti cross had been perched on a ledge of the 'Brunel bridge' in Plymouth, Devon - for six DAYS.
Thousands of people followed her plight online and as crowds gathered to help some even tried to send up food - with catapults.
Fire crews and the RSPCA were dispatched and Network Rail were making arrangements to close the rail line over the bridge.
Firefighters arrived on Wednesday lunchtime and prepared the ground before sending up a massive ladder.
One rescuer scaled to the top armed with a large bag and tried to tempt the feline out - with 'Dreamies' cat treats.
But they failed to coax Hatty and the cat was last seen peering out from behind a crevice under the famous bridge.
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Fire crews eventually called off the rescue - which costs the taxpayer about £500 an hour - on Wednesday at 5pm and vowed to return the next day.
But at 11.30pm after everyone had left Hatty simply clambered down and suddenly appeared at home - with evidence she'd eaten a SEAGULL to stave off the hunger.
Owner Kirsty Howden, 39, of Saltash, Cornwall, said she was "shocked and elated" that her beloved pet, who initially went missing from her home on May 11, had returned.
The mother-of-three said she had been about to leave the house to meet Network Rail and RSPCA staff at 11.30pm on Wednesday to attempt a second rescue attempt.
It is thought the total cost the the rescue involving staff from fire crews, the RSPCA and Network rail was around £5,000.
She said: "I was sat responding to comments, heard a meow outside, had a look through the window and there she was.
"She is a bit skinny and smelly, very vocal and has now headed upstairs and put herself to bed."
She said that Hatty appeared to seem very pleased to see her two dogs, and there was "kisses all round".
Just hours earlier a major operation to rescue Hatty was called off for the night.
She is believed to have been stuck on the Royal Albert Bridge, known locally as the 'Brunel Bridge' since last Thursday and has been missing from her home for two weeks.
Firefighters spent most of the day trying to coax her down and there were countless visits from RSPCA inspectors.
There were also arrangements in place by Network Rail for the train lines to be closed.
It is understood that at a cost of around £500 an hour the total bill for the rescue efforts was around £5,000.
But it seems that the five-year-old feline didn't need rescuing at all and Kirsty says she walked in like nothing had happened.
The cat first hit the headlines on Tuesday evening when a picture emerged of her being on the Royal Albert Bridge, also known as the 'Brunel bridge' which connects Plymouth and Saltash.
These had been taken by Dawn Lapthorn, admin of the popular Facebook page Plymouth UK Pets Lost and Found.
Image by: TM Devonlive
Image by: TM Devonlive
Dawn had been contacted by Kirsty Howden, who had seen photos of her missing kitty on the page.
Both of the women attended the bridge in a bid to look for Hatty, but at around 9pm on Tuesday contacted the fire service for help.
On Wednesday morning, fire crews, Network Rail and RSPCA inspectors worked together to try and attempt to get Hatty off of the bridge.
Firefighters from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service spent most of Wednesday trying to coax Hatty out of a nook in one of the bridge pillars.
Dreamies and fish were used in a bid to coax the cat out, but nothing was successful - although she did manage to capture a seagull.
This attempted rescue was called off at around 5pm and at that point, Hatty's owner Kirsty had spent the best part of ten hours down at the foot of the bridge waiting for her safe arrival.
There were plans for the RSPCA, firefighters and Network Rail to meet at 11.30pm on Wednesday evening to attempt a second rescue.
There were also plans to close a section of the railway in the early hours of this morning so firefighters could carry out the rescue from the railway tracks.
But neither were needed and after she returned home, Kirsty has thanked everyone who helped in attempting to rescue Hatty, as well as everyone who offered support.
She added: "I'd like to thank Dawn for going above and beyond, Jim from the RSPCA for all his help, Saltash fire crew for all their efforts.
"I'd also like to thank the people who have followed Hatty's story and the community in Saltash for rallying around, especially the ones who tried so hard to help get Hatty home."
SINKING FEELING - Couple "devastated" as their £850k thatched cottage on the Norfolk Broads is sinking
Image by: Adam Harnett
A couple have been 'left devastated' after waking up to find their stunning £850,000 riverside cottage on the Norfolk Broads sinking.
Ken Pitts and wife Gail discovered to their horror that their idyllic thatched home on the River Bure at Horning in Norfolk had developed a severe lift around three months ago.
Neighbours have claimed the 1970s-built cottage started sinking shortly after it was re-thatched because wooden pile foundations had broken under the weight.
The couple have now been forced to move out of their home of 17 years while they wait to find out whether it will have to be demolished.
Signs have been erected around the property with the words 'Danger; Unsafe."
Today Ken said there had been no warning signs that the west side of their home starting to sink and that it simply happened "overnight", leaving them "devastated".
He and his wife declined to speak further and said they are working with their insurers to try and find a resolution.
The site of their reed-thatched home leaning significantly to one side has caused a stir among locals and passers-by.
Some locals took to Facebook to express their concern for the couple.
Local Maggie Tuck said: "I heard one end was steel piles the other was old wooden piles . It's the wood piles that have collapsed.
"They are going to take off the thatch to save it and then demolish . Very sad."
Sally Blackburn added wrote: "We passed this last week and I actually couldn't bear to look at it, too upsetting!"
Viv Garner added: "I used to dream of living there when I was a child. So sad to see this."
The three-bedroom house offers a large garden with a river frontage, along with allocated boat mooring and fishing opportunities.
It also includes a master with king-sized bed and balcony, a well-equipped kitchen and a light and airy sitting room leading out onto a large riverside sundeck.
Over the last five years 25 properties have been sold on the road in the village which has shops, pubs and restaurants.
A Broads Authority spokesperson said: "It is a huge shame that this lovely cottage appears to be in such a precarious position.
"Unfortunately it is something that can be an ongoing danger for properties built on unstable ground.
"We wish the owners all the best as they assess what can be done.
"If the cottage is within our area as a planning authority we would offer free pre-planning advice should this be needed in the future."
The owners of the house were contacted for comment but did not wish to speak.
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Building surveyor at North & Hawkins Building Consultancy, Tom North, 40, said: "Looking at it, the chances are there is something going on underground.
"Obviously the area is extremely wet and most of those properties, and certainly the old ones, will have timber pile foundations which will be driven down to the ground.
"One possibility is the house may have timber pile foundations and the timber piles may have broken because the ground below has shifted or has decayed and deteriorated. Because the timber piles have broken it may be imposed by the mass and isn't able to support it anymore.
"It is similar to a rock on top of a wet sponge.
"You can put new foundations in. The questions is whether you try and stabilise it. Sometimes you don't want to risk the damage it may cause."
Video by: Ashley Moran
CAMPAIGN FOR TEEN - Outrage as popular and bright teen dumped by human traffickers as a child near where Sajid Javid grew up faces deportation
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A popular and bright teen dumped by human traffickers as a child near where Home Secretary Sajid Javid grew up now faces deportation by his office.
Stiven Bregu, 18, was left by people-smugglers alone in the middle of the night near Bristol five years ago - and could barely speak English.
He was sent to the UK against his will to escape the violence of Albania and was left in a street in Keynsham, Somerset.
Stiven was left with no money or possessions when he was dropped in the UK - but managed to find a police station and was taken into care by a foster family in Bristol.
He then enrolled at the city’s St Mary Redcliffe School and within six months had learned enough English to make friends.
He went on to become an excellent student who passed his GCSEs with flying colours at the school - three miles from Stapleton Road where Sajid Javid grew up.
But now he has turned 18 has been told he will be deported by the Home Office.
Staff and students at his school have launched an online petition which has so far been signed more than 4,000 times to force a U-turn on the decision.
Stiven is currently sitting A-levels in biology, maths and chemistry, and is expected to achieve high grades.
Rob Shaw, sixth form tutor, said: “Stiven did extraordinarily well in his GCSEs, better than anyone expected, and progressed to Sixth Form where he has again excelled.
“He has been identified as a student who will be a future leader demonstrated with his success at being selected on to the City Leadership Programme.
“He even spoke at the Global Parliament of Mayors Summit in October last year and received a standing ovation.
“Stiven has developed strong relationships with a wide group of friends and plays an important role in the school and wider community, including giving up his time to support younger students.
“He could easily go to university, but he’s very grounded and has decided he wants to get an apprenticeship. He’s amazing at maths, so has been offered a really good apprenticeship.
“He is a positive role model for other vulnerable young people in our city and beyond.
“After his A-levels, Stiven is hoping to accept an apprenticeship offer that he has received from Rowan Dartington, a wealth management firm in Bristol.”
In 2017, despite being in the country for only two years, Stiven excelled at his GCSEs.
He said at the time: “I am really pleased with my results.
“I am in two minds whether to study medicine or engineering at university.
“The last two years have been challenging but manageable meeting different people, different languages and different cultures.
“In the beginning it was hard but I got with it. School was so different to how things work in Albania.
“I did speak some English when I came to Britain but the way the teachers teach English in Albania is different to the way we speak and write English here so I started again fresh.”
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A week before his first A-level exam, the Home Office denied his application to remain in the UK.
He has an appeal hearing in July but the stress of preparing for it has hindered his A-level revision.
Mr Shaw added: “Unless his appeal is successful he faces deportation back to Albania, a country which he has no connections to and no family contacts.
“We need the Home Office to reconsider this in light of the difficult circumstances surrounding Stiven’s arrival in the UK, his current contribution to this society, and also the absolute uncertainty of what he would be going back to in Albania.
“As a young man with so much ambition and talent, Stiven is a tremendous asset, and would give back tenfold to a nation and city that have looked after him so well.”
Home secretary Sajid Javid grew up in a two-bedroom flat above his parents’ shop in Stapleton Road in the north-east of Bristol with his four brothers.
Mr Javid said in April the area had been dubbed "Britain's most dangerous street", provoking criticism from local residents who said his comment was not justifiable.
He told youth workers in London: "It's not so difficult to see how, instead of being in cabinet, I could have turned out to have a life of crime myself.
“There were drug addicts who stood near my school gates and told me if I joined in I could make some easy money.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Government has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution.
“When assessing asylum claims, all available evidence is carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.
“Stiven Bregu’s application to remain in the UK was refused as he did not qualify for asylum under immigration rules.”
Jimmy Carr has been slammed by Warwick Davis-affiliated charity for cracking "offensive" abortion joke about dwarfs
Image by: Jon Mills
Warwick Davis' charity has slammed Jimmy Carr for a 'joke' in his latest show asking: “Is a dwarf an abortion that made it?"
The controversial comic is currently on tour with his 'Terribly Funny' show which critics claim contained the gag.
Charity Little People UK - co founded by actor Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha - has slammed the comic and contacted Carr and his agents to complain.
The charity, which support people with dwarfism, said it took action after staff received messages from people with the condition who were offended by the jibe.
In a statement, it said: "We are saddened that in 2019 we have to deal with such prejudice to the dwarfism community - and other minority groups - in a time where we all strive to live equal lives and celebrate diversity without fear of humiliation or preconception.
"Comments such as this are offensive to people with dwarfism and are incredibly detrimental to their wellbeing.
"People with dwarfism simply want to live their lives just like everyone else; going to school, shopping, walking down the street and going to work, sometimes in highly respected professions.
"To potentially hear a member of the public repeat such a comment, after seeing a stand up show, can affect them for their entire life.
"This causes unnecessary distress and anxiety through no fault of the person with dwarfism, simply because they have a genetic difference.
"Additionally, we consider the parents of people with dwarfism - with 80% of people with dwarfism born to average height parents as the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation.
"Anyone can have a child with dwarfism.
"For parents, particularly new parents, to hear such jokes about their child can have long lasting effects.
"We strongly urge reconsideration of using people with dwarfism as the subject of jokes.
"We appreciate comedy is a matter of person opinion, however in 2019, people with dwarfism should not have to live with the consequences of being the subject of someone else's humour."
Image by: Jon Mills
The joke has divided social media, with some Twitter users taking offence at the joke - while others thought it was funny.
One said: "I’ve only ever seen @jimmycarr on TV and hadn’t realised his humour was so smutty and demeaning. Note to self: Don’t ever go to one of his shows. (What he said about dwarfs is disgusting. I’m sorry you had to hear that!)".
@samcarlisle tweeted: “Is a dwarf an abortion that made it?” I challenge Jimmy Carr to come to my home and say that to my daughter’s face.''
Little People UK was co-founded in 2012 by Warwick Davis, his wife Samantha and others.
The actor is the president and patron and his wife is the chair of the charity's committee, which also includes their daughter Annabelle.
Jimmy Carr could face sanctions for making a joke about dwarves during an appearance on BBC1’s The One Show.
In 2015 Ofcom launched an investigation into Carr's comments about dwarfs made on the One Show.
“I tried to write the shortest joke possible,” he said. “So, I wrote a two-word joke which was: ‘Dwarf shortage’. It’s just so I could pack more jokes into the show.”
A four-year-old genius inventor and engineer has offered the French president his plans to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral - which he has made out of LEGO
Image by: Jon Mills
A four-year-old genius inventor and engineer has offered the French president his plans to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral - which he has made out of LEGO.
Super-bright Thomas Nourse-Wright has been taking apart and rebuilding clocks since he was just two and can build electrical circuit boards for fun.
He loves being surrounded by Lego blocks and cogs, and at the age of just four already classes himself as an "inventor".
After French president Emmanuel Macron announced a competition to replace the burnt-down Notre Dame spire Thomas has come up with his own design.
He has now crated his version - from Lego bricks.
The youngster, from Cheltenham, Glos., has been watching news clips of the Notre Dame fire on repeat since the blaze in April, according to his mother, Julia.
Little Thomas said: "I would really like it if the President would look at my design and talk to me about the drawing that I made.
"I made the model of what I want it to look like out of Lego. I came home and I got my ruler and made a plan of what I can do.
"In my design of the spire on Notre Dame, I want to put a sprinkler in so firemen do not have to do it if it was to catch fire, and it would be easier to put a fire out."
Thomas added: "I like building things out of Lego. I have also built a phonograph out of Lego. I am an inventor. I like to invent things."
After a fire devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in April, the French President announced a competition to replace its spire, and a flurry of designers have offered their proposals.
Thomas' mother, Julia Nourse-Wright, 33, said that she saw the window for plans to be submitted, and thought that Macron would like to see her son's ideas for the spire.
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
The mum-of-three said: "I have been in contact with the president and Notre Dame.
"But I have not heard anything back except that the presidents office suggest that I contact Notre Dame directly.
"I can't even pinpoint when he became obsessed with it. We never spoke about it at home. He just kept watching news clips over the fire over and over.
"He said, 'I wish I could make it with Lego so it won't burn down.
"When I told him about the competition, he straight away went to get a pencil and paper, and he just drew."
Julia added: "His knowledge is amazing. He has always been fascinated with anything that has a mechanism - fans, dishwashers, air conditioning units.
"He has an obsession with clocks, ever since he was about two. His bedroom wall is covered in clocks. He likes to take them apart and put him back together.
"He just seems to have a natural understanding of how things work - and if he doesn't, he'll take it apart.
"The words he uses when he's working on thing is just amazing. He knows what a magnatron is, and how it converts into energy.
"He's just in his own little world most of the time, playing away.
"We bought him toys, like the electrical circuits that were meant to be from age eight years old and up and he has been playing with them since his last birthday.
"We realised quite early on that we couldn't stop him from playing with electrical things - so we just had to teach him about safety.
"He's very clued up on safety, he's very cautious," said Julia.
Thomas often comes out of school with ideas for new inventions.
He knows what he plans to be when he grows up - already he classes himself as being an inventor and loves all things science related.
Thomas said: "I really like the towers of Notre Dame. They look good and I like the structure. The towers' structure is very good as both parts of them survived.
"I have a book of the plans that I have made and I have taken it to school."
His family are very supportive of his work and hopes and dreams.
Thomas’ father George Nourse-Wright, 34 said: "I am very proud that he has found something that he is so good at. I hope that it is something that stays with him.
"He is always asking questions and always on the go. He is wanting to know more all the time."
An elderly couple were held hostage in their seaside home by seagulls - for six DAYS
Image by: Steve Chatterley
An elderly couple were held hostage in their seaside home by seagulls for six DAYS - and even ended up in hospital.
Roy and Brenda Pickard were unable to get out of their front door for almost a week after two seagull chicks slipped onto the canopy directly above their door.
The positioning of the baby gulls - just nine foot off the ground - meant any time Roy attempted to leave his home, he was confronted by two squawking adult seagulls.
At one point, 77-year-old Roy was hit so hard on the back of the head by one bird he had to be taken to hospital to treat the bloody wound.
Speaking about how difficult it has been to complete simple tasks while stranded inside, Roy from Knott End, Lancs., said: "The whole thing has been terrible.
"I've not been able to go out of the front door. If I try to get out of the door, the two adult birds are right there and I've got no chance. It's genuinely frightening."
He added: "My wife isn't well or very mobile at the moment so we're relying on me to get out.
"Thankfully, we have an integrated garage and I can get into it from the kitchen, open the garage door and drive out to get our shopping, but I have to leave the garage door open, which isn't ideal."
Retired ambulance man Roy can't bear to think what would have happened had he been injured more seriously by the seagull on his first attempt outside.
He said: "If that bird had hit me in the face instead of the back of the head, I dread to think how seriously injured I would have been.
"I had to go to Royal Lancaster Infirmary to get treatment but thankfully I could get in the car."
Frustratingly for Roy, Wyre Council revealed the gulls were Herring Gulls and are protected once nesting - which meant the couple had limited solutions available.
Frantic Roy also phoned the RSPCA, the RSPB and his local BBC radio station after the siege started last Friday (14/06).
Eventually BBC Radio Lancashire came out to the couple's home and arranged for a gazebo to be set up temporarily outside the door to provide some relief.
Roy has been left furious with the lack of help from the animal organisations.
Image by: JP Blackpool Gazette
Image by: JP Blackpool Gazette
Image by: JP Blackpool Gazette
Image by: JP Blackpool Gazette
He said: "The RSPCA and RSPB have been no help whatsoever, they seem to put the rights of these birds above those of people, which is ridiculous.
"The public pays donations to keep these organisations going and this is what you get.
"Wyre Council sent a man down and he took a photo, and then they seemed to tell me they would bring someone else around with an umbrella to protect us.
"But they don't seem to be able to do anything about the birds - and these chicks could be there until the end of July.
"Why are seagulls protected? They are not an endangered species, they're a flaming nuisance."
A Wyre Council spokesman said: "“We sympathise with Mr Pickard’s situation, seagulls can be troublesome, particularly when nesting.
"We have visited Mr Pickard to assess the situation and have given advice on how he can deal with the gulls.
"For now, a solution is in place which will enable Mr Pickard to take his wife to her private appointment.
"The gulls in question are Herring Gulls and they are protected once nesting and so there are limited solutions available.
"We advise residents who have a problem with seagulls to bird proof their properties prior to the breeding season.
"We offer advice and support on our website on how you can bird proof you property at www.wyre.gov.uk/seagulls.”
Image by: Steve ChatterleyVideo by: JP Blackpool Gazette
BLADES OF GLORY - Moment a nine-year-old double leg amputee who wears blades shows off her martial arts skills
Image by: Steve Chatterley
This is the amazing moment a nine-year-old double leg amputee who wears blades shows off her martial arts skills - in front of a blown away Taekwondo president.
Maisie Catt perfectly executes a pattern three Sam Jang routine which includes a front kick, middle punch and low block.
The footage was captured by her doting father, Jonathan, 38, a site supervisor, at last month’s World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Maisie, who is a blue belt, and her family had been invited to attend the event as guests of World Taekwondo President Choue Chung after the pair first met in October last year.
Purely by coincidence, Maisie bumped into the president outside the arena who then proceeded to ask for a demonstration which was caught on film.
Maisie attends classes twice a week at Premier Taekwondo in Birkby near Huddersfield, West Yorks., and competes in Poomsae - which involves performing a set of Taekwondo moves.
She is quickly working her way through the belts and even trains once a month with the GB para Poomsae team although it’s not yet recognised as an Olympic category.
Her amazing progress comes following a difficult start to life when Maisie lost both legs after contracting meningitis as a baby.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
She wore prosthetic legs until she was seven years old when funding for her blades became available through the NHS.
Maisie took up the sport in January last year and her proud mother Sharon, 42, from Mirfield, West Yorks., believes nothing will hold her back
She said: “We were on our way to the event and the president had come outside for a short break which is when my husband started filming.
“It was a coincidence that we bumped into each other. Afterwards, he thanked us for coming to the event and asked how Maisie was getting on.
“She did pattern three which is Sam Jang, it’s one of her favourites. They are really pleased for Maisie and are absolutely blown away.”
Maisie had to have her legs amputated as a baby - one above the knee and one below - due to her blood being poisoned by septicaemia.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
She took up the sport last year after watching her brother Finlay, six, take part in lessons but has already shown a natural flair.
After just three months, Maisie was asked to attend a training session with the Para-Taekwondo talent pool and now trains with the squad once a month.
Para-Taekwondo is an adaptation of the sport for athletes with an impairment.
Since Maisie was given blades, Sharon believes her daughter’s life has been "turned around".
She added: “Back when she was a baby after she had lost her legs, the thought of taking part in a martial part was definitely not in the top ten things we thought she would have done.
“When she goes to classes it’s amazing to see. She is treated like everyone else and just gets on with it. There is no special treatment which I think is a good thing.
“She can only do non-contact sparring, but she always had a new target to work towards.
“Nothing is stopping her, she is a determined young girl and I’m sure she will get her black belt. I don’t think it matters how long it takes, she will do it.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
"She is a double amputee, to me it’s fantastic. To see Maisie love something so much is absolutely brilliant.
"She just wants to inspire other people. She wants others like her to go try anything.
"Anybody can do anything they set their mind too, in spite of any difficulties."
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art with speciality head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
Competitors wear white robes and compete in sparring, breaking boards and self-defence techniques.
Video by: Jonathan CattVideo by: Sarah Mundy
