THEY SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD! - Neighbours want no more than five "shrieking" children allowed in nursery playground
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A nursery is locked in a planning battle with its neighbours - who want no more than five "shrieking" children allowed in the playground.
Winton House Day Nursery, in a leafy suburb of Cheltenham, Glos., has been the subject of stringent operating restrictions since it opened several years ago.
Following repeated complaints from a single neighbour, planners stipulated that no more than five children could play outside at any one time.
The windows must also remain shut at all times to avoid disturbing locals in the residential neighbourhood.
But nursery bosses say the restrictions have become impractical and have applied to have them relaxed to allow 12 children in the playground.
They have also requested permission to open nine windows in the six-room baby unit.
However three neighbours have submitted written objections to Cheltenham Borough Council, saying noisy play ruins the enjoyment of their gardens.
One complainant wrote: “Unfortunately when we sit in the garden our pleasure is greatly diminished by the noise of shrieking children.
“We appreciate that there is a need for nurseries but surely a business such as this would be better sited in an area of family homes.
“We feel that it is rather unfair that we cannot enjoy peace and quiet in our own garden.”
The property in Warden Hill Road was converted from a residential property into a nursery for 20 children aged from birth to five years in 2000.
It has a 300 square metre garden which is surrounded by laurel hedging and a cluster of mature trees, beyond which are neighbouring bungalows.
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
The business has now swelled to accommodate 40 children and says the restrictions are unfair on the children and staff.
The application submitted by the nursery says: "The children who attend Winton Day Nursery are, by virtue of their age and sociability, not excessively loud.
“Any potential noise source, ie babies crying, is not sustained, as it is the job of a nursery to retain a peaceful environment.
“Furthermore, by virtue of their age, the babies have scheduled nap times during the nursery’s opening hours.”
But neighbours fear more children in the playground will result in more noise disturbing their peace.
One objector pointed out that many people living in the bungalows surrounding the nursery are retired and spend a lot of time at home and in their gardens.
Another complainant who has lived on the street for 19 years said that whilst they have accepted the current level of noise, the idea of it getting louder was distressing.
The complainant wrote: "The proposal to more than double the number of children in the garden does however worry us.
“It must be that noise levels will increase substantially and we cannot see that it would possible or desirable to ask carers to quieten their children in any way.”
The letter also included: "The words quoted from the application, put in simple lay terms, are saying that expansion equals more children, equals more noise, equals the need to reduce residential amenity to accommodate the increased noise.
“The logic is one-sided and is unreasonable. The currently acceptable situation will deteriorate.
“Clearly 12 children will make far more noise than five."
However, a neighbour who lives directly next door to the nursery where they run their own business, wrote in support of the nursery's application.
The resident wrote: "Throughout the summer I have the windows open and so am as directly impacted by noise from the nursery and their gardens as anyone could be.
“The noise in the day from the garden is very light, there is a background sound of children playing which is nice and barely noticeable.
“This never disturbs me working in the office and I can't recall a single time when I have been inconvenienced or annoyed by the noise.”
A decision on the application is expected to be made next week.
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
DELIVERY SUITE DISASTER - Young mum left in agony as her epidural 'stopped working' during her emergency c-section
Image by: Jodie Marsden
A mum has told how she was in utter agony after her epidural wore off midway through her c-section - and she could feel EVERYTHING.
Jodie Marsden, 27, had no idea of the nightmare that lay ahead when she arrived at hospital to be induced - but it left her vowing to never get pregnant again.
After two days of very slow labour, Jodie's unborn baby's heart started to dip with every contraction and doctors rushed her into theatre for an emergency c-section.
They gave her an epidural - an anaesthetic around the spinal cord - and while it worked at first, Jodie said she began to feel pain.
By the time she realised what was going on, she was in so much pain she could barely whisper - despite being able to feel the clamp, suction, "jiggling" and shoving inside her.
Thankfully baby Arthur was healthy but the whole experience - which happened on Friday the 13th - has put Jodie off having any more kids.
Jodie from Wakefield said: ""I could feel them juggling about inside my stomach - one person was shoving down on the top of my stomach whilst another was pulling the baby out.
"It was agony. I could feel the clamp inside me and the suction going around and I was really struggling to breathe."
"The whole experience was absolutely terrifying and I am totally traumatised from the birth.
"We said ourselves that he would wait until Friday the 13th to make an appearance, and then we noticed it was a full moon, but it never crossed our mind what would happen.
"I could feel them actually pulling my stomach apart as they were ripping the muscles and I was in extreme pain.
"It felt like I was screaming in pain, but my partner said it was only coming out as a whisper, but luckily they could see I was uncomfortable.
"I'm never having another baby ever again, that's for sure."
Dog groomer Jodie was in no rush to start a family after tying the knot with husband Matt, 34, in September 2018.
She fell pregnant unexpectedly but weeks later, but sadly miscarried at just seven weeks.
The miscarriage changed Jodie's thoughts on motherhood, and after celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, the pair found out Josie was pregnant again.
Jodie said: "We didn't actually plan on having children so soon after the wedding, as I'm a very career driven person and wanted to focus on my dog grooming business.
"I've never really been a maternal person, it was never something I had in a plan and I could never see myself with children, but the miscarriage changed my way of thinking.
"After the miscarriage, I was convinced that there was something wrong with me.
"We had no plans to try again, we just went with the flow and said if it happens, then it happens, and if it doesn't, then it wasn't supposed to be.
"I found out I was pregnant again just after Christmas, and although I was happy, it was a tough set of emotions to deal with as I was convinced it was all going to happen again."
She developed pregnancy hypertension in the last six weeks of her pregnancy so was induced on her due date, 11 September 2019, at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield.
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Doctors administered an epidural, but two days later, she had only dilated 6cm and was given a hormone drip as well to encourage her baby to arrive.
As the contractions started, doctors grew concerned when Jodie's unborn child's blood pressure dropped dangerously and prepped the young mum for an emergency c-section.
Once in theatre, doctors upped the dose of Jodie's epidural, but despite checks to ensure she was numb, all hell broke loose when she could suddenly feel everything.
Jodie said: "They did multiple checks to make sure I was numb, with an ice cold spray on several areas of my stomach, followed by jabbing me with a needle, and all was fine, I was numb.
"For the incision, I just felt slight pressure, but then I felt them actually pulling my stomach apart as they were ripping the muscles and I was in so much pain.
"The anaesthetist was asking me if it was pain or pressure, and I was saying pain, but Matt said it was just like a whisper coming out of me.
"They could see I was uncomfortable, so they gave me more medication to try and get the pain under control but I was still in pain."
Jodie's pain relief from the epidural had stopped working in the middle of her c-section, and the first time mum was able to feel the entire procedure.
Her blood pressure rose dangerously and after her baby Arthur was born, doctors were forced to put her under general anaesthetic, fearing she might suffer a stroke or heart attack.
The young mum lost 2.5 pints of blood and stayed in theatre for another hour and a half before being monitored in recovery for 16 hours.
Jodie said: "When they finally pulled Arthur out, all I remember was hearing this little scream which suddenly stopped.
"I can't remember seeing him, and I turned to Matt and repeatedly asked him 'Where is my baby?'
"Then it was like an out of body experience, I could hear things but it was like I was just watching from above.
"I could hear them saying they needed to get the bleeding under control, and then the anaesthetist said 'We're going to have to send you to sleep'.
"They escorted Matt out and then took Arthur to see him and my mum, but I had to stay in theatre for another hour and a half without holding my baby.
"Before the c-section, the anaesthetist told me that general anaesthetic is literally the last resort because it's best for mums to have skin to skin contact straight away, but nothing was working for me so they had to do it."
Jodie finally got to hold her baby boy Arthur the next day, and thankfully the young mum is now doing well and is back home with her family.
Traumatised by the experience, Jodie has decided not to have any more children and is focusing on raising her only son.
Jodie said: "It definitely wasn't what we expected - it's not like you see on One Born Every Minute where they're laid all calm and comfortable.
"It was like living in a nightmare, and I'm definitely not having any more children.
"I love Arthur and am enjoying being a mum, but there's no way I'm going through that all ever again."
Clinical background information released by Pinderfields Hospital states that when a woman has an epidural for labour, it can be topped up for a c-section, which means a stronger solution of analgesia would be administered to the patient.
During a c-section under local anaesthetic, the hospital advises women that they will feel some pressure during the surgery, and if a woman complains of pain, the surgery is stopped and analgesia is given.
Anaesthetists can not administer a spinal block during a c-section but they can top up the epidural and if an epidural is not effective then a woman will be given analgesia (such as morphine or diamorphine) through an intravenous drip.
The hospital states that if a woman is still not comfortable at this point they will be given a general anaesthetic, however the priority is to get the baby delivered if the uterus is open and cord exposed.
Where mothers have raised blood pressure, it is normal that they would be monitored closely for 12 or more hours following surgery.
British holidaymaker tracks down eight-year-old stray mongrel she found roaming the streets on holiday in Greece - and brings him home
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A woman has tracked down an eight-year-old stray mongrel she found roaming the streets on holiday in Greece - and brought him home.
Levi Danyeil, 22, visited Zante earlier this year and befriended a stray pooch named Punter.
When her holiday came to an end, Levi was devastated to leave Punter behind and return to her home in Plymouth, Devon.
But she said she couldn't forget about him and contacted search groups on the island in a bid to reunite.
The pooch was eventually found and has now been brought back to the UK with Levi travelling to London this week to greet him after he arrived on a ferry.
Levi said: "I was in Greece for seven nights and on the very first night I met him.
"Then I saw him the night after that, and then the next until I grew really attached.
"I started to ask the locals about him to find out if he was owned, but lots of them said he was new to the village and they hadn't seen him before, so then I found out he was a stray.
"I tried to track him down before we left, roaming the streets with a lead and dog treats, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful and had to leave the country without finding him."
Levi was determined to track Punter down so she got in touch with two Zante-based animal charities, Zante Strays and Healing Paws.
She begged them to help her, and soon they got to work and started looking for Punter.
Levi continued: "I'd been in England for about 24 hours when a lovely lady who was there on holiday messaged me a photo of the dog asking if it was the one I was looking for.
"Straight away I contacted the charities who sent a volunteer down to the beach to get the dog. Then they started the process of bringing him home."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
After choosing a name for her new furry friend, Levi waited patiently while Punter was put into boarding in Zante, paying fees to get him vaccinated and a passport.
And yesterday Punter finally arrived in the UK after a couple travelled to bring him home on the ferry.
Levi added: "I travelled to London to be re-united with him yesterday, and I just cried. All the way home he had his nose on my hand."
"He's settling in now, he's been going mad roaming around the house and it's so nice to finally have him here.
"I already have Oscar, a Jack Russell and Bella, a Bull Mastiff cross, so he's even gained a new brother and sister.
"He's so desperate for love and affection, and such a lovely dog after all he has been through.
"Before he was dodging cars not knowing when he'd next be fed, even having to eat horse faeces to survive, yet he was so loving and happy from the moment I saw him.
Levi's determination to bring Punter home has gained him a whole army of fans on social media.
"Lots of people have been so touched by him and the story, and I've gotten so many messages of support which is just lovely," she added.
"One lady even commented saying that he doesn't have a clue how famous he is, and it's so true, it's so nice to see how many people care about animals too."
Levi also urges anyone who is thinking of adopting a stray not to give up.
She said: "If I hadn't of pushed to find Punter and been so determined, then he probably wouldn't be with me now so to anyone thinking of doing something similar, be patient and don't give up.
"To think about the awful life he must have had, to now know that he's got a bed, he's got food he's got everything that a dog should have, I can't wait to shower him with love!"
I'LL NEVER LOLLI-STOP - Britain’s longest serving lollipop lady has no plans to hang up her stick – after an incredible 50 YEARS patrolling the same stretch of road
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Britain’s longest serving lollipop lady has no plans to hang up her stick – after an incredible 50 YEARS patrolling the same stretch of road.
Ann Perry, 76, has been safely guiding children to and from Kingsbury School since 1969.
Every school day she walks a quarter-of-a-mile from home to do the morning crossing from 8.15am to 9am, and again in the afternoon from 3pm to 3.30pm.
She makes an average of 40 daily crossings of the 5m-wide road, meaning she’s covered over 1,250 miles carrying her lollipop stick back and forth over the years.
Ann started her job at the school in Warwickshire in September 1969 and has just celebrated her 50th year in the job.
She was presented with flowers by the non-selective secondary school as thanks for keeping its 900 pupils - and thousands more over the years - safe.
Ann, who has two grown up children and three grandchildren, says she has no plans to retire.
She said: “I’m very proud of my job and what I do.
“It is a good advert for the service that people can still do the job at this age.
“I’ve crossed some children, then their children and their grandchildren.
“I don’t plan to retire. I want to keep going. It’s the best job in the world.
“I've barely missed a day and when I have it’s been through illness and I’ve missed having the chats with the parents and the kids.
"I love just meeting people and watching the children grow up.
“They are polite and say ‘good morning’ and ‘thank you’ as they cross the road.
“The job’s the same as always but there’s more traffic now so the roads are more dangerous.
“You still hold the lollipop stick and stop the cars to let the children cross.
"I shouldn't really give my secrets away, but it's important to stay warm because you're out in all weathers.
"I've used hand warmers and little hot water bottles in my pockets."
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Ann, who is married to retired builder Bob, 81, started the job when her two children, Elaine and Robert, started at the school.
She said: “It was handy for me because I could take the children to school and then pick them up after my shift.
“When they left the school I just carried on. I never wanted to stop and I still don’t. No day is the same and people are always so friendly.”
As well as her road patrols, Ann also runs the Kingsbury Youth Club near her home.
Paying tribute to Ann, Kingsbury School headteacher, Martin Clarke said: “As a school
it’s important our students don’t take Ann for granted.
“We wanted to take the time to pay tribute and say thank you to her for keeping all our pupils safe.”
Rosalie Taylor, School Patrol Officer Supervisor at Warwickshire County Council said:
“Ann has been helping children to cross the roads safely for 50 years.
“This is an unbelievable achievement and I am sure that many adults who remember
Ann and all of the children she currently helps will agree that she is a very special person with a real passion for the job she does.
“Standing in all weathers is not an easy job, but Ann has always done it with a smile on her face and a commitment to keeping young people safe on their journey to school.
“Despite her 50 years’ service, Ann has no plans to stop just yet and we couldn’t be more proud.
“Thank you Ann for everything that you do, you really are one in a million.”
Video by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Poppy seller turns mobility scooter into a military tank ahead of Remembrance Sunday
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
A patriotic poppy seller has transformed his mobility scooter into a TANK ahead of Remembrance Sunday - complete with tracks, a gun and mini rockets.
Eddie Wadsworth, 85, spent "many hours" creating his own version of an armoured vehicle out of disused cardboard boxes and other recycled materials.
The grandfather-of-two has even added military music to the tank as he drives around his home town raising funds for the Royal British Legion.
Eddie also painted the wooden-framed vehicle in camouflage green and brown and it comes complete with a turret and working doors, costing just £7 in total to make.
Eddie, of Swadlincote, Derbys., said: “The reaction to my tank has been incredible.
“I was a bit reluctant at first to go out in it. I was a bit unsure of the reaction I would get but people have really liked it, which has been brilliant.
“I have been surprised by the number of young people who are interested and have bought poppies and got involved.
"I didn't think the younger people were still following it. I'm pleased its been able to help people take an interest in Remembrance Sunday."
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
His father, John, was killed in action during World War Two in 1944. He lost his life aged 34 at the Battle of Anzio, where there were more than 40,000 Allied casualties.
He added: “I can vaguely remember my Dad. I never had a lot of contact with him because he had been in the army from 1939 to 1944. I was only a toddler when he left.
“I'm really repaying the Royal British Legion in the best ways I can. I remember my mother was in a right state with her losing her husband that young.
“The Legion used to the look after the children whose fathers had been killed and I think probably also any others that were in the services, not just the orphans.
“Every year at Christmas there used to be a big party and trips out to the seaside and stuff like that. I think there is a bit of that missing now in the services.”
Eddie has been volunteering with the charity for the last seven years and says he always tries to do something different for them each year. .
He added: “Four or five years ago I made quite a big memorial with all the names of the local Swadlincote people who had lost their lives in the World Wars.
“They have got various plaques up in the library that I have made over the years. I've got stuff all the over the place to be honest.
“I don't know what gave me the idea for the tank though. The thing is, I'm always making something and it's just one of those things that has developed.
“Now it's done I hope it commemorates my father’s death and all the others who died in wars.
“I was a carpenter until I retired, then I moved into my flat. Obviously, I can't use woodworking tools in a flat, such as saws and drills.
“My neighbours wouldn't care for it and they don't much like me playing my trumpet now anyway.”
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
The tank is made out of recycled cardboard boxes, which Mr Wardsworth got from local shop Forever Mobility which is in Swadlincote town centre.
Eddie has also managing to waterproof the cardboard for the wet winter months ahead by covering it in plastic.
He said: “I started making things with cardboard simply because it is a good substitute material for wood.
“I covered it with the clear sticky back plastic to try and waterproof it. It was all recyclable stuff anyway.
“That plastic covering was the only cost, so it only cost me £7 altogether. To be quite honest, that's where the skill is in the whole project.
“You have to get the wrinkles out when applying it and make sure it is even all the way around. I made a good job of that because everyone I speak to thinks it is metal.
“I was thinking this morning, what could I do with it when I have finished this? What could I do next? I’ve always got to be doing something.
“It is a flat pack, basically. It all breaks down to small pieces. I call it my Ikea Tank.
“Forever Mobility have been good enough to store it for me because I can't store it here in my flat.
“I got all the cardboard from the shop because they have a lot of scooters coming from abroad and the cardboard is really good quality."
Lee Sherratt, 36, owner of Forever Mobility, said the tank is ‘absolutely marvellous’ and many hours have gone into its creation.
He added: “Eddie has spent so much time on it. We have saved him good bits of cardboard.
"He told us he has spent hours and hours on it, but he is so modest.
“The attention to detail is just brilliant, even the doors open. He’s thought of everything right down to how to actually be able to fix it onto the buggy.
"‘He takes it so seriously, even down to wearing a helmet."
Mr Wadsworth, who lost his wife Shirley in 2011, would have celebrated 60 years of marriage this year.
He will be out visiting shops and businesses ahead of Remembrance Sunday, hoping to raise as much money as he can for the Royal British Legion.
The Poppy Appeal has 40,000 volunteer collectors and sees more than 40 million paper poppies distributed each year.
Video by: Ashley Moran
An exotic bird known as a rhea which fled his farm in the summer has been literally “driven home for Christmas” - like the Chris Rea classic
Image by: Grantham Journal
An exotic rhea bird on the run for months has showed up at Christmas - 'driven home' just like the Chris Rea classic song.
Inca the rhea fled from Ridgeview Farm near Belmesthorpe, Lincs., in July after reportedly being spooked by the noise of farm machinery.
His owner Rufus Shoon has had several reports of him being spotted since then but finally managed to capture the bird on December 23 - two days before Christmas.
Inca was last seen near to home only a week before he was captured but managed to escape.
He was finally caught after being spotted near Uffington Riding Stables, near Stamford, Lincs.
Inca has been re-united with his brother Aztec since returning home.
Image by: Grantham Journal
Image by: Grantham Journal
Mr Shoon said: “I was hoping he would come home safely. You just pray for a miracle.
“He needs some food but at least we got him home for Christmas.
“I gave him some bread and managed to coax him through a gate so I could pick him up and load him into the truck.
“He usually grazes on insects and greenery so in the Summer months he would have had plenty to survive on and would have been happy to be out, but in the last few weeks there has been a lot of rain and not much growing so it looks like he was hungry.
“Hopefully he has had enough wandering now and won’t disappear again.”
Rheas are often mistaken for emus, but the species comes from South America rather than Australia.
They are not usually thought to be dangerous but can reach speeds of 30mph which is why Inca has proved to be difficult to catch when he had been seen.
Sightings of Inca were reported several times in the media during his break from the farm.
SLEEPING ON THE JOB - A pair of nurses were sacked after they were caught sleeping while working on a ward for suicidal patients at a mental health trust
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A pair of nurses were caught sleeping while working on a ward for suicidal patients at a mental health trust.
Christopher Smith, 32, discovered the two women sleeping on the job just hours after he had nearly taken his own life.
Mourning the loss of his grandmother and a stillborn child, he was talked down from a bridge by passers-by and police, and taken to the crisis wing at Priority House in Maidstone - which cares for people at the highest risk of suicide.
Mr Smith, who has been diagnosed with personality disorder, said: “When you’re in that moment of crisis and you can’t remember why you’re there, you just need to speak to someone.
“I’d been brought in the night before and woke up around 4am. I still really needed to talk to someone as I couldn’t stop thinking about hurting myself.
"I tapped on a door but got no answer, so I tried again. Then I peeked around a window and saw them sleeping. I thought no way, I couldn't believe it.
"I felt even more frustrated that these two ladies were actually being paid to sleep, there's people crying out for these jobs who could be helping others who are in a crisis."
The nursing office where the pair were sleeping, on October 13, during their overnight shift, is reportedly not covered by CCTV cameras.
Staff at Priority House get a one-hour break and have a separate break room where they can relax. Some may want to sleep here during their eleven hour overnight shift.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Mr Smith made an official complaint to the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KPMT), which is responsible for Priority House.
It has since distanced itself from both workers, saying it will not work with them again.
A KPMT spokesman said: "We are grateful to the person who quite rightly raised this concern with us.
"As soon as it was brought to our attention, we carried out an investigation and found those concerned were employed through an agency and NHS Professionals and were not permanent staff of KMPT.
"This type of behaviour is not what we expect from anyone providing care to our patients and they will not work with us again.
“Both employing organisations have been asked to carry out their own investigations."
NHS Professionals, an organisation that provides temporary staff to NHS trusts, released the following response: "NHS Professionals is carrying out an immediate investigation into this issue.
"We are working with KMPT to understand the circumstances of the incident. The worker has been excluded from working any further shifts through NHS Professionals.”
A black man has alerted police after he was the victim of a racist attack when a Wetherspoon's customer used its app to send a BANANA to his table
Image by: Mark D'Arcy-Smith
A black man has alerted police after a Wetherspoon's customer used its app to send a BANANA to his table.
Mark D'arcy-Smith was sat in The Richmal Crompton in Bromley in Kent with a friend when a waiter delivered the appalling order.
Bananas can be ordered for 30p on the pub chain's app and sent to any table in any Wetherspoon.
Shocked Mark, 24, soon left the pub saying staff didn't treat the incident seriously and has since contacted the police.
He now wants to speak out to raise awareness as he said the unpleasant incident left him feeling unwanted - in a place he'd previously felt at home.
He said: "It made me feel confused, angry, lost and lonely. It was really overwhelming. All these emotions came in a matter of seconds.
"I don't feel like many people understand what it feels like to be racially abused. The staff didn't take it seriously."
Mark had arrived in the pub with his friend at around 8:30pm on November 8 - a usual trip on a Friday.
The pair sat down and enjoyed a few drinks before the abhorrent order arrived at around 10:05pm.
Wetherspoon allows its customers to order food and drinks to tables using numbers on an app - meaning you can send items anywhere unidentified.
He said: "We both looked at each other then looked at the banana. It clicked that it wasn't ours. It was clearly sent by someone who was trying to be racist.
"My friend went to talk to a staff member but they didn't see what the issue was. He said: 'do you know what's wrong here?'.
"They thought they had brought an incorrect order. We had to explain what was wrong with that.
"I was sat on my own at this point. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone. I got anxious. I think someone sent it because it was anonymous.
"Two girls came over and asked if I was okay, if I was going to stay."
Gutted Mark says his pal then went up to a worker at the chain pub to complain - who claimed they didn't see what the issue was.
But Mark asked his friend if they could leave when he returned from talking to workers and the pair walked out.
Image by: Mark D'Arcy-Smith
Image by: Mark D'Arcy-Smith
He said he returned to the pub the day after to complain again and ask what was being done but was met with a similar response - so then went to the police.
But even the memory of the horrible incident now gives Mark a bad feeling in a town he's lived in for many years.
He said: "When I walked past [the other day] I had this weird moment. My hands were shaking and my palms were sweating. I don't think I was very comfortable.
"I had hoped they [Wetherspoon] would take the situation seriously. They just treated it like other incidents - like a bar fight."
Football fan Mark added that he thinks a rise in racism in the beautiful game is fuelling the behaviour away from the stands.
A Wetherspoon spokesman said: "We apologise to the customer and appreciate the distress caused. This is now a police matter.
“We have responded to the customer and pointed out that the pub cannot be held responsible for app orders.”
A Wetherspoon spokesman said: “We apologise to the customer and appreciate the distress caused.
“This is now a police matter. We have responded to the customer and pointed out that the pub cannot be held responsible for app orders.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "Police are investigating a racially aggravated public order offence.
''The offence happened at about 22:05hrs on Friday, 8 November at a Westmoreland Place, Bromley and involves an item being sent to the victim’s table.
"The matter was reported to police the next day. Officers from the South Area Command Unit investigated.
"No arrests. Enquiries continue."
NINE LIVES - A woman was left fighting for life in a coma after contracting a deadly flesh-eating bug - from a CAT SCRATCH
Image by: Shirley Hair
A woman was left fighting for her life in a coma after contracting a deadly flesh-eating bug - from a CAT SCRATCH.
Shirley Hair, 65, almost died after her 'spiteful' Siamese cat, Chan, scratched her hand and the wound became infected.
Grandmother-of-five Shirley initially put her symptoms down to a bad bout of flu as she also felt dizzy, had no appetite, was confused and her muscles ached.
But Shirley was rushed to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, when the inflamed gash on her knuckle turned bright red and spread from her hand up her arm.
She was diagnosed with sepsis, septic shock, organ failure, pneumonia and Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) - a flesh-eating disease which results in the death of parts of the body's soft tissue and which can prove fatal.
Medics performed emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue from her hand before Shirley was placed in a medically-induced coma - to allow her body to rest whilst she recovered.
Shirley spent five days in a coma, more than six weeks in hospital and underwent a series of operations and skin grafts.
Now back at home in Winterbourne, Bristol, Shirley, has re-homed her £400 pedigree cat, Chan.
Image by: Jake McPherson
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Shirley Hair
Shirley, a retired carer, who lives with her husband, Bob, 69, a former betting shop manager, said: "'That cat had always been spiteful, he was very expensive though!
''The day he scratched me I'd been gardening, I tried to pick him up for a cuddle but he wasn't having it.
''The scratch was quite deep, but I didn't think much of it until I started to get flu-like symptoms and totally lost my appetite.
''A doctor came out to see me and prescribed antibiotics, but after a few days I was feeling worse than ever.
''Then my arm began to get red and started swelling up really fast. It was scary. I was rushed into hospital and I was terrified as by that point I'd realised this was something very serious.
''The medics were amazing, but even after the emergency surgery to remove the tissue, I just carried on deteriorating. I felt like I was going to die. I couldn't believe this could all happen from a simple scratch.''
Shirley bought Chan from a breeder in Frampton Cotterell, South Gloucestershire, in July, 2016, when she spotted an ad on Gumtree.
She brought him home as a 10-week-old kitten and he quickly settled into their household, alongside their Labrador, Finn.
At first the moggie was quite nervous and didn't like being handled, but as he got older he became 'quite savage' - regularly lashing out at his owners.
Shirley said: "Bob and I went to view a litter of kittens and we instantly fell in love with Chan.
"He was adorable and we thought he'd be the perfect addition to our family.
"We'd had Siamese cats before and knew they can be a bit cantankerous, but thought with some love and affection he would be the perfect family pet.
"But as Chan got older he only got more aggressive - often leaving us with bites and scratches."
After her hospital admission in April 2018, Shirley's devastated family were told to 'expect the worst' by doctors who formally identified the cat scratch as the cause of her illness.
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Jake McPherson
She was placed in an induced coma on 11th April until 15th when she began to come around.
The worried relatives, including her husband of 32 years, Bob, decided to keep a diary of her progress on the advice of intensive care nurses.
In one particularly poignant entry on 19th April, her daughter Rosie, 34, care home manager, from Bristol wrote: ''Mum you've had a difficult night your heart stopped beating but then restarted - we are all so worried.
''We know you are strong but also tired, we are willing your recovery. If love could fix you, you'd be home already.''
In another husband Bob writes: ''It's Friday , my brown eyed girl, and after a soggy chilly start the sun is beating down.We miss you at home. When I awake in the dark of night I feel you around and then you are gone and I realise what has been happening.''
After a series of procedures, Shirley continued to deteriorate and she suffered two heart attacks after another operation to remove the infection on Wednesday 18th April 2018.
Medics were then forced to sedate and ventilate her in order to stabilise her condition.
She was kept in ICU for almost a month before she began to show signs of improvement.
Shirley explained: ''After coming out of the coma I was severely paranoid due to the combination of infection and medication. I became convinced that I was responsible for the whole thing.
''My son, James, told me that the cat did it but I didn't believe him, I thought they were all covering for me. It was so distressing.
''On top of that I'd been having dreadful nightmares - I was convinced I was in a video game, running from monsters. It was absolutely horrific.''
To combat Shirley's anxiety her loving family, including children, Zoe, 46, Jessica, 40, James, 38, and Rosie, 34, kept her calm by spending hours by her bedside.
Desperate to help her relax they tried talking and playing relaxing music, as the agitation was making her heart rate dangerously high.
Once she was well enough, doctors performed a skin graft from the top of her leg in order to cover the 'gaping wound' on her arm - which was so deep her tendons were exposed.
A vac pump - a machine which decreases air pressure on the wound - was fitted in order to help the skin tissue grow and she was given multiple physiotherapy sessions to regain movement.
After over eight operations and over two months in hospital the plucky gran is now home and well- with her hand 'almost as good as it was'.
She said: ''I can't thank my family and the NHS enough for getting me back to almost full health.
''It's really been quite an ordeal, but they've all supported me 100% every single step of the way.
''My memory isn't as good as it was, I can be quite absent minded nowadays and I'm definitely not as sharp as I was before I got ill. But I'm here and that's all that matters.
''I went back to visit the amazing nurses in ICU and they were speechless to see me looking so well.
''They said to me 'not everyone comes out of here as perky as you Shirley' and that's when it really hit home how lucky I am to be alive. Some people must not come out at all.
''I've even read through all the diary entries my family wrote, I can't get through them without weeping. The depth of love they have for me is just staggering.
''I feel like the luckiest woman alive! After all that happened I decided I really couldn't face Chan the cat anymore so my daughter Zoe volunteered to have him.
''She popped him in a basket and took him home to Wales on the train. She loves animals and isn't really fazed by much at all.
''Our lovely golden Labrador Finn is glad to see the back of Chan too, after having his ears bitten constantly, he can relax now.''
TIMELINE:
April 8th - Cat scratched her
April 11th- Admitted to hospital, placed in induced coma
April 12th- diagnosed with necrosis/sepsis etc had emergency op to remove infection
April 15th- began waking from coma
April 18th- Operation to remove infection and had two cardiac arrests, sedated again
April 20th- woke from being sedated
April 26th- first skin graft on her hand
May 2nd- transferred to plastic surgery ward
May 3rd- realised skin graft hadn't taken
May 7th - another unsuccessful attempt made to skin graft
May 18th- SENT HOME
May 29th- outpatient, back at the hospital for a vac pump to be fitted, no attempt at skin graft
July 21st- 3rd skin graft attempted, was successful!
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Where have you FIN all my life- Meet the worlds friendliest dolphin who has made best friends for life in both humans and dogs!!
Image by: Adam Harnett
Meet Jojo - the world's friendliest wild dolphin who has made best friends for life with both humans and dogs!!
Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin Jojo, who lives in the waters of Turks & Caicos, has a rare personality and actively seeks out human interaction.
He will chase his human friends at 'Wake to Wake Watersports' as they whizz past on their surfboards and speedboats - or enjoy a gentle swim with his 'best friend' - eight-year-old cocker spaniel Zyzz.
The heart-warming footage of the playful dolphin was provided by Wake to Wake Watersports, who operate out of Jojo’s home of Turks & Caicos.
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Mark De Fraine, on behalf of Wake To Wake, said: "We feel extremely lucky as Jojo seems to love our boat as much as we do!
"We often stop when we see him and he will swim over and look at the bottom of the boat.
“There is a tracking fin on the underside which resembles a dorsal fin and we have found that Jojo seems to really enjoy examining it.
“When we start moving and we kick up a good surfing wave Jojo jumps right in and loves to surf with us!
"On many occasions we bump into him as we are heading out onto the water and he will join in for the ride, or just wants to hang out.
“Jojo has spent time surfing, swimming and even Subwinging with our guests - it’s always an unforgettable experience!”
To keep up to date with all of JoJo's amazing adventures follow @waketowaketc on Instagram
Video by: Gabriella Petty
