Mum with no heating for three months forced to use kettle to make daughter's baths
By Lauren Chaloner
A pregnant mum says she fears for her daughter and unborn baby after being left without heating and hot water for THREE MONTHS.
Chloe Welsh is forced to boil pans of water on the stove and in the kettle to make baths for her two-year-old daughter Harlow.
The 25-year-old says the boiler in her two-bedroom flat in Redditch, Worcs., broke in January and has yet to be fixed.
Chloe, who is 12 weeks pregnant, uses a small fan heater to keep one room warm but says Harlow still suffers constant coughs and colds.
She says she has repeatedly told Sanctuary Housing, which manages the flat, about the issue but nothing has been done.
Chloe, who works at a garden centre, said: "This has been going since January 15 which is almost three months now and it is just getting out of hand.
“If I want to give Harlow a bath I either have to spend ages boiling up water on the cooker and kettle or drive an hour to my mum’s house.
"It isn't just about the hot water not working, but it's the petrol money, the time off work waiting for repairs and the electricity costs on the heater and kettle.
“I am under so much stress both emotionally and financially and nothing is being done.
"It is not acceptable and my daughter has had colds and been ill as it is freezing in the flat especially in the morning.
"I bought us both thick hoodies to wear at night but it's so cold we wear them all the time inside the flat."
Chloe, who moved into the property in 2021, says she feels as if she is being ignored by the housing provider.
She said: "I'm just exhausted and drained. It's a joke. I just have no words for them even though I've argued this is an emergency repair.
“They haven't even offered to put us up in a hotel.
"I've asked them to reimburse my costs as bills soon mount up and they've said we are all in a crisis.
"Three months is long enough and I just want my flat fixed. It's really stressful and I don't know what else to do."
Sanctuary Housing manages 125,000 properties making it one of the largest housing associations in the UK.
A spokesperson said: "We are committed to completing the required repairs as soon as possible and are sorry that it has taken longer than it should have done to resolve this issue.
"We have offered the family the option of a temporary move until the repairs are completed and having also provided portable heaters for them to use, we have reassured them we will cover the cost of any extra energy used."
The housing provider said it has also issued an apology directly to Chloe.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Schoolboy, 15, making £2k-a-month selling Fortnite-themed art
By Kate Pounds
Meet the schoolboy already making more than his parents - raking in £2k-a-month selling Fortnite-themed art.
Savvy Shakir Hussain, 15, already has his own design agency based around the popular video game.
He creates artwork and customers pay into a PayPal account set up in dad Amjad's name.
His proud parents have praised his entrepreneurial spirit - and say he's always had a passion for cash.
Shakir, from Birmingham, fits in the graphic work around his schooling and has not spent much of the money.
He said: “It’s amazing that I’m making so much money.
"I love playing Fortnite and it’s awesome that this hobby has given me a business as well as lots of fun.
"I love seeing the money come in and piling up in my savings.”
Charity worker Amjad, 38, said: "We're incredibly proud of him.
"He's always had a passion for making money and been good at it. He's helped me with charity fundraising since he was very young.
"I certainly wasn't earning that at his age and I still don't - he's earned more in a day than I do in a week."
Shakir, who lives with Amjad, mum Rifat Bibi, a nursery worker, and his younger sister, created Fortnite-themed graphics on an old computer and started selling on freeance platform Fiverr when he was 14.
He made a couple of pounds a piece.
The youngster then set up his own agency, Akito Media, when he was given his first iPhone for his 15th birthday, in November.
The cash started rolling in when he began taking commissions and paying other artists to create the Fortnite pieces for him, via a platform called Discord.
Shakir made over £2,000 in January and February, and has nearly made £2,000 this month (22/3).
The lad has no immediate plans for his money and puts it all into his savings account.
Amjad said: "I get a message every time he's payed.
"He used to get a message here and there, earning a couple of pounds, then after we got him the iPhone it went crazy.
"Suddenly I was getting messages all the time, and the figures went up.
"The biggest single sale so far is £280.
"He just has the mindset for making money but he's not bothered about spending it: I'm proud of him for earning it and for saving up."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"Eye test saved my life - when optician spotted a brain tumour"
By George Mathias
A woman says an eye test 'saved her life' - after her optician spotted a brain tumour during a routine examination.
Katie Everett, 31, was referred to at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital for an MRI scan after her optician noticed an abnormality in both of her eyes.
Doctors there diagnosed her with meningioma - the most common type of primary brain tumour - in July 2021.
Katie believes the routine eye test 'saved her life' as the tumour would have been otherwise undetected.
She underwent two operations to have the mass removed in July 2021 and went on to have radiotherapy in November 2022.
The surgery was a success, though not all the tumour could be removed, meaning Katie has to have check ups for the next 10 years.
Katie, a beautician, from Romsey, Hampshire, said: "I feel like the eye test saved my life and eyesight – as if it was left any longer, I could have lost my vision completely due to it pressing on my optic nerve.
"It’s hard to believe, I really don’t think something like that could happen, it’s quite upsetting and shocking."
The type of tumour Katie had is classed a benign as it is slow-growing, however, had it been left undetected it could have caused life-changing or life-limiting problems.
She has since then had two surgeries to remove the tumour and in October 2022 underwent fertility preservation as she hopes to have kids in the future with husband James Everett, 33.
She then began radiotherapy to prevent the tumour from growing which is successful in 90 per cent of cases.
Katie said: “I’ve had some hair loss where the radiotherapy was targeting the mass and my nose and throat are still recovering from the second surgery as they cut away what they could of the tumour via my nose.
“Other than that, I feel fortunate to be able to share my story to help raise awareness.
“It's made me realise that even when you don’t feel that you’re strong enough to deal with something like this, when it comes to it you somehow find the strength within you.”
The tumour was pressing on Katie’s pituitary gland which caused her menstrual cycles to stop while also severely impacting her vision.
It also strangely made colours were appear “more vivid.”
“I almost needed to wear sunglasses because everything felt brighter,” Katie said.
She is now monitored with regular scans.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re grateful to Katie for sharing her story with us as well as fundraising an incredible amount and we wish her well with her ongoing scans.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Incredible rare footage shows orcas and sperm whales in a fraught battle
By Leo Black
Incredible rare footage shows a pod of orcas and sperm whales in a fraught battle.
The large pod of orcas can be seen laying siege to a maternal pod of sperm whales, possibly to steal prey.
A whale-watching vessel filmed the extremely rare event on March 24 in the Bremer Canyon, 70km off the coast from Bremer Bay, Western Australia, Australia.
Naturaliste Charters, a whale-watching company, had been tracking the orcas as they searched for food.
But the giant predators suddenly attacked a group of sperm whales, resulting in a long and savage battle.
Jenna Tucker, a marine biologist who was on board the vessel, said: "Everyone was on the lookout for a small dorsal fin and long slender body, characteristic of beaked whale species.
"Instead, what we saw left our jaws gaping, the unmistakable arched back and tail of a sperm whale."
The pod of orcas, in the dozens, swam circles around the five whales, who huddled together and attacked them.
Jennah didn't notice any injuries but saw a large dark bubble which she initially suspected was blood.
She also saw an orca swim away with a piece of meat, although she can't confirm if it came from a sperm whale.
She said: "The group of sperm whales appeared distressed and exhausted, huddled in a tight group.
"Members of Split Tip’s pod [orcas] including Wonks and Flapper swam tight circles around the huddled sperm whales who were thrashing their tails around to fend off the predators.
"The head of one of the larger adults emerged from the surface, with its mouth wide open, displaying its powerful toothed bottom jaw.
"Then, a large dark bubble rose to the surface amongst the huddle, believed at the time to have been blood."
According to Jennah, this was an extremely rare sight as both animals are predators but they tend to leave each other alone,
While the origin of the meat and the dark bubble remains unknown, Jennah suspects the liquid was feces.
She explained: "Historically, it was thought that sperm whales, due to their size, herding behaviour and strong-toothed jaws were not vulnerable to killer whale predation.
"Sperm whales are known to defecate when threatened, referred to as emergency or defensive defection.
"Events like this are rarely witnessed, let alone documented, with only a handful of accounts having been recorded globally and will always remain an immense privilege and a reminder of just how wild these animals and this place are."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
New pictures surface of man 'believed to be Banksy' at site of tree mural
By Josie Adnitt
New pictures have surfaced showing a man believed to be illusive artist Banksy at the site of his latest mural.
The photos were taken on Saturday 23 March but have only just surfaced – and show a man believed to be Banksy at the scene of his work.
Taken by a passerby - who wished to remain anonymous - the images show a man in a black Nike hoodie stood in front of the painting.
The man, who has short hair and glasses, can be seen climbing over the black railing.
The passerby who captured the pictures said: “I noticed the man in a black hoodie who seemed to have finished his work hand over a box to an assistant in a grey checked flannel shirt with grey hair.
“He then started to climb over the fence I had a gut feeling that it could be a Banksy mural and that was Banksy himself.
“I quickly focused on taking pictures of him he looked at me with an expression which seemed to say 'I’ve have been spotted’.
“He quickly left the scene in a black van parked near the mural.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Wild monkey causes chaos in restaurant
By Leo Black
A wild monkey caused chaos in the buffet restaurant at a three-star resort.
Video shows the monkey climbing all over the tables and knocking over chairs while hotel guests were having breakfast.
Junior, 33, was staying at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort in Cancun, Mexico with his wife when he captured the moment on camera.
The couple had been at the hotel for two weeks when the incident happened on February 24.
Emil noticed some movement while eating and looked up to see the furry creature darting between tables.
Junior, from California, USA, said: "We think that it knew there was a buffet there and wanted food.
"I saw something coming on the side and it startled me.
"[People were] startled, scared. Some didn't fuss about it because we knew that these monkeys are mostly harmless."
After just a few minutes of chaos, the animal was able to get out on its own.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Ambulance explodes in fireball after dropping off elderly patient
By Nathan Pynn
Shocking footage shows an ambulance explode into a fireball - moments after an elderly patient is dropped off at home.
David and Marilyn Brinklow were having a cup of tea when they heard a huge bang and saw flames engulfing their front garden.
Minutes earlier, a private ambulance had dropped off the couple’s 91-year-old wheelchair-bound neighbour after a hospital stay.
Footage shows two care workers wheeling the woman to her home in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffs., at around 1.45pm on March 14.
Video shows one of the carers checking the ambulance after a worried passerby spots smokes pouring from the engine and alerts them.
Minutes later the vehicle exploded with such force the ambulance roof was ripped off and flew 50ft into the air before crashing through David and Marilyn’s garage.
Firefighters dashed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames before they spread to neighbouring properties.
Incredibly, no one was injured in the blast which caused extensive damage to the couple’s home and set fire to their garden.
The heat was so intense the back of their Honda Civic melted while their living room windows shattered and their curtains were singed.
Marilyn, 74, said: "It was like a Hollywood movie. I suffer with my nerves and it didn't do me any good.
"I keep having flashbacks. There was nothing left of the ambulance and all the bits of it like a volcano were flying off like glass and started burning our nets.
"It’s horrible to talk about."
Retired carpenter David, 69, said the house suffered smoke damage and the electricity was cut off to the garage.
He said: "It went off like a roman candle. I was shocked - it was like a horror show.
“It’s incredible no one was killed. Our neighbour was in the ambulance a short time before it exploded.
“The heat was so bad the back of our car literally melted. We just want the insurance company to hurry up so we can repair our home.”
The private ambulance company EMED, which provides patient transport, said they were investigating the cause of the explosion.
A spokesperson said: "On Thursday 14th March 2024 , during a routine patient drop-off in Barton Under Needwood the engine of our ambulance caught fire.
"Unfortunately, some of the neighbouring properties suffered damage, which we are now managing through our insurer.
"All our ambulances undergo robust safety checks on a regular basis and our absolute priority is the safety of our patients and the communities we serve.
"We are working closely with the vehicle manufacturer and an independent safety consultant as part of our on-going internal investigation."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"We've visited 23 countries world schooling our kids"
By Emma Dunn
A British family ditched the rat race to travel to 23 countries and say world schooling has put their children "way ahead" of other kids.
Nikki Collinson-Phenix, 47, had always dreamed of an "adventure" with her husband, Ian, 50, and their children - Laanii, 12, and Raif, six.
She managed to convince Ian, a distance running coach, to travel Europe full time in a caravan and the family have now been on the road for three years and have visited 23 countries including Greece, Turkey and Spain.
Nikki says world schooling both her children has been "powerful" and they are now "way ahead" of other kids their age in education.
Nikki, a remote working consultant, originally from the Isle of Wight, said: "I think my children are way ahead.
"Their confidence is through the roof.
"I want them to be worldly wise.
"I don't think it is good for kids to be sheltered. I feel they should see the realities of the world."
Nikki and Ian had become fed up with "rigid" structure of their lives and decided to take the plunge to travel full-time with their kids.
Nikki previously worked as a chiropractor and Ian as a prison officer.
Nikki said: "Life before was like a hamster wheel.
"Everything was to a rigid time.
"It was everything we wanted to move away from.
"I felt like life was rinse and repeat."
The couple spent two years getting their finances in order and finding remote jobs before leaving the UK in September 2021.
The family set off to France without a plan and have spent the last three years travelling around Europe.
In making the choice to travel full-time, Nikki decided to homeschool her kids.
She said: "We enrolled Laanii in an online school - following the British curriculum.
"Some of what she does is home educated. She has a mix of books and online resources.
"I had thought home educating was sub-standard but it's been so powerful."
Nikki's son, Raif, is completely homeschooled but Nikki is looking to enrol him a similar online school.
She said: "He's working at the level of an eight-year-old.
"If he'd been in local school he possibly would have been quite disrupted.
"Teachers are restricted with what they can teach."
The kids spend the morning doing online learning before the family go out to explore.
Nikki said: "We got to museums. We just go and have fun.
"They don't see us as teachers. They see us as mum and dad.
"They get global and cultural learning.
"They have no fear to giving it a go.
"They have a cultural awareness.
"It's important for kids to see opportunities they have by seeing cultures who don't have so much.
"It's experiences you don't have at school in the Isle of Wight."
Nikki loved taking her daughter to Greece - as she expressed an interest in Greek mythology.
She said: "She planned out where she wanted to go.
"We went to see Olympus."
Nikki also loved visiting Venice, Italy, for her son - who had seen the city in a cartoon.
The family bought a renovation in Bulgaria in May 2023 - but still rent out their home in the Isle of Wight.
The family have an ambition to travel to America.
Nikki said: "We regularly have a meeting to check everyone is happy.
"The moment someone says we're not feeling it we'll revaluate."
Nikki wants others to take the plunge and travel if they have the urge.
She said: "One of my biggest fears is regret. I just thought we have to try it.
"It's exceeded my expectations.
"People make assumptions that we're filthy rich. We're busting that myth.
"Our children are thriving and are over and above what they would have been."
List of countries the family have visited -
France
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Motenegro
Bulgaria
Hungary
Austria
Germany
Belgium
Luxenbourg
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Romania
Turkey
Albania
Greece
Kosovo
North Macedonia
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
