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
FINTASTIC SIGHT - Photographer captures incredible shoal of thousands of mobula ray fish cruising through the sea off Mexico
Image by: Nadia Aly
These jaw-dropping images show a sea filled with thousands of mobula ray fish appearing like large winged birds.
Ocean photographer Nadia Aly spent four hours swimming above the huge shoal in Baja California, Mexico.
Mobula rays, which are closely related to sharks and come from the same family as some manta rays, are normally shy and difficult to film.
Nadia, 35, said: “It is very rare to get an encounter like this, with this many rays, in near perfect visibility.
“I estimate that there were over 10,000 rays
“They were also not as skittish as they normally are.”
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
The animals, known to local fisherman as 'flying tortillas', gather in their thousands before launching themselves out of the ocean.
They are closely related to sharks but have long, flat bodies and wing-like pectoral fins.
They use their fins like wings to reach heights of over two metres before belly-flopping back down into the sea to join the school.
Video by: Nadia Aly
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL - Video captures motorist dozing at the wheel of a 'self-driving' Tesla moving on a busy California highway
Image by: Video Contributor24
This shocking video shows a motorist who appears to be FAST ASLEEP at the wheel of a 'self-driving' Tesla while moving on a busy interstate in California.
The footage was shot from a passing car travelling at around 35mph on Interstate 5 near San Diego on Saturday afternoon [Sept 21, 2019].
Tesla’s autopilot function is capable of keeping a car in lane and changing lanes but users are advised to monitor the system and keep their hands on the wheel at all times.
A passing motorist, who was travelling with his wife and children, said: “He was totally out - none of us could believe it.
“My wife was screaming 'call 911', she was really worried. We called 911 a bit further down the road and they said they’d come and investigate.
“This is the issue with self-driving technology, it allows people to relax so much on the freeway that they fall asleep.
“We were going about 35 or 40 miles per hour when we saw him. The traffic had just started slowing down, there were cars pulling around him and changing lanes. But his car stayed in the same lane while we were next to him.
“I have never seen someone asleep at the wheel like that before, this is a real safety issue that we need to consider for the future. It’s a sign of our times.
“He was driving a Tesla, one of those new electric, full self-driving ones, I think it was a Model 3.”
The Tesla company, fronted by CEO Elon Musk, has come under fire for purportedly overselling the capabilities of its self-driving vehicles.
Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told NBC News earlier this month: “Drivers are believing that the cars are autonomous, there are no fully autonomous vehicles that are on the market today.”
A Forbes article published last month [August 25, 2019] suggested that Tesla is a long way from creating a fully autonomous car, noting that the current models only “consist of semi-autonomous capabilities.”
There was a fatal Tesla crash in 2018 in California and another last month in Florida, which are still under investigation by the NTSB.
Media reps at Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Mum found five-year-old daughter stuffing her face with birthday cake she’d stolen from the living room
Image by: Sharon Pitcaithly
This adorable video shows the moment a mum found her five-year-old daughter stuffing her face with an entire birthday cake she'd stolen from the living room.
Five-year-old Bethany Pitcaithly Nelson pinched her mum Sharon's 50th birthday cake, after it was left on a table following the party.
Sharon discovered her daughter sat in the hallway in her nappy, shoving the massive cake into her mouth.
Home carer Sharon said she found it so funny, she couldn't resist taking a video of cheeky Bethany, in their home in Auchtermuchty in Fife, Scotland.
Image by: Sharon Pitcaithly
Image by: Sharon Pitcaithly
Image by: Sharon Pitcaithly
Sharon said: "The previous night, my children and all my family held a surprise 50th birthday party for me, and when I got home I left it on the living room table.
"It had been a fun but boozy night. I was a little tipsy.
"Bethany went into the living room the next evening, reached up, pulled the box off, then went into the hallway to hide and eat it.
"It was almost a full birthday cake. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her.
"Once I stopped filming, I sat down and had a bit of cake with her as well!"
Bethany tucked into the cake at around 9pm on June 16.
Sharon said mischievous Bethany gets into all sorts of bother when her mum's back is turned, and has even broken four TVs in six months.
Video by: Sharon Pitcaithly
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."
Man claims he has found his true calling as an undertaker - after being born Mr COFFIN
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
A man stuck in a 'dead end' job has retrained to find his true calling as an undertaker - after being born Mr COFFIN.
David Coffin, 33, said his surnma has been the butt of jokes all his life - so eventually decided to fulfil what he considered his destiny.
He admitted there was a certain inevitability about the job he'd end up doing - so described his move to "Walter C Parson Funeral Directors" no-brainer.
And Mr Coffin, of Plymouth, Devon, who said he has heard all the jokes, said he couldn't be happier.
He said: "It was a long-time joke with my family.
''My great uncle was in the funeral profession for a while - and it's always been said to me, 'Well, one day, you never know, you might be made for that job, too'.
"So here I am... and my name was certainly a tremendous ice-breaker during the interview."
David said he spotted a recruitment advert for Walter C Parson Ltd and went for his interview in July of this year. He started his new career the following month.
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
He added: "This role came up and at the time, I was looking and I did want a change of career.
"I was in a dead-end job where I didn't really have much to think about, and I just wanted to better myself.
"I thought it sounded like something I'd like to do - something that makes a difference for people every day - and that was the driving force behind my decision.
"I didn't want to be doing nothing, I wanted to make an impact on something. So I went for the job and, luckily, I was successful."
Needless to say, David is already thoroughly enjoying his new career and says it was the best decision he ever made.
One of his tasks involves being on call 24 hours a day and driving the limousines.
He added: "It has been a complete career-change and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't actually had a job before that I enjoy doing, and now I go home from work each day feeling like I've achieved something."
"One day we might have not much going on, and the next we could have three or four funerals to plan or attend.
"Something I've noticed since working for Walter C Parson is that every funeral is different and unique.
''People want a million different things for their loved ones. You get a great variety of requests - it's very personal and I really enjoy that aspect of the job."
Video by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Britain's oldest female kickboxer nicknamed 'The Beast' training for first fight aged 76
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS 
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS 
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Britain’s oldest female kickboxer nicknamed "The Beast" is training for her first official fight – AGED 76.
Jean McKenzie Baldwin has had two knee replacements and suffers from arthritis but
her coach says she goes into “beast mode” in the ring.
The Scots-born gran is now preparing for her first bout when she takes on a woman 16 years her junior in a charity match next month.
She said: “I can’t explain how good it makes you feel. It’s so invigorating.
“Even though I’m full of arthritis I feel absolutely great.”
Jean, from Smisby, Derbys., took up the sport in a bid to combat her grief after her husband Peter died in 2013 aged 76.
She said: “When I lost Peter I didn’t want to speak to anybody, I didn’t want to do anything.
“It took me quite a few years to get my confidence back.
“My son suggested I take up a sport and I went along to a gym nearby and saw these people kickboxing and I just thought ‘why not give it a try’.”
Jean, who has three grandchildren, now works out three to four times a week at a kickboxing gym in nearby Swadlincote, Derbys.
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
She added: “My husband was one in a million and would certainly have approved of me getting in the ring. I would have said: ‘Good on you, girl. Go for it’.
“The grieving never really stops, but you’ve just to get out there. Stop sitting in the house all day long.
“Even though you have got all the wrinkles and grey hair, you will feel 20 years younger when I’m in the ring. I'm called The Beast which I think is hilarious.
“I’ve got my first bout coming up, it’s just for charity but I’m taking it very seriously.
“I’m going to go up against a woman in her 60s and I’m determined that I’m going to be the one that’s going to come out of it.
“It’s about speed and accuracy and watching out for your opponent’s weaknesses while defending yourself from kicks.
“I become totally focused in the ring and I just give it my all. It’s a wonderful feeling.
“I get my energy from willpower and more than anything pride.”
Her coach, Jamie Fearn, who co-owns Martial Sports Gym, said: “I say she goes into ‘Beast Mode’ She's so nice, but she does not stop.
“If I say to her, ‘don’t do this it’s too hard for you’ she’ll say ‘no, I’m going to do it’
Jean McKenzie Baldwin will be 77 when she fights her first competitive match early next year.
Her coach Jamie Kearn said: "I am a qualified referee so the match will be official but it will be more like an upscaled sparring match at the gym.
"As far as I am aware Jean is the oldest kickboxer training in the country and she will 77 by the time she steps into the ring."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Couple kicked out of their home by the council - after skipping out on paying their rent - to splash their benefits on TAKEAWAYS
Image by: KM Group
A couple dubbed 'Wayne and Waynetta Slob' have been made homeless by the council after skipping out on paying their rent - to splash their benefits on TAKEAWAYS.
Fast food-loving Daniel Eyers, and his eight-month pregnant partner Lucrezia Worrell, were forced out of temporary accommodation with their four children after being turfed out of their council flat for not paying the rent.
But when Medway Council investigated why the couple had fallen behind on the rent for their flat, in Chatham, Kent, they discovered the greedy pair forked out up to £40 on takeaways every week.
Daniel, 32, says he cannot work because he needs to take his children, aged five, four and two-year-old twins, to school, and Lucrezia, 27, is set to give birth any day.
But the jobless dad, who said Indian and Chinese takeaways were his favourite, hit back and, while admitting being late paying the rent, said he "always pays the money that's owed".
He said: "We like to treat the children once a week to a takeaway.
"They don’t usually get much, so it’s a nice treat.
“It was my son’s birthday the other month and we spent £45 but were told by the council we were spending money on non-essentials rather than paying rent.”
Medway Council officials asked them to provide their bank statements after they failed to keep up with the rent.
Officers told them they had made themselves "intentionally homeless" after the receipts revealed they paid for takeaway orders instead of the rent.
They had left a property in Chatham, Kent, in April after receiving a section 21 notice, meaning their landlord wanted to end the tenancy, in June 2018.
They have been in emergency accommodation in Gillingham, Kent, since but were recently told by the council their case for housing in Medway was being reviewed.
Daniel and his partner had to send over their bank statements where the takeaway app payments were uncovered, and have since been asked to leave the temporary council accommodation.
He said he’s been offered a house in Tyne and Wear, in the north east of England, by the early help team, but wants to stay in Medway.
He said: “I’ve been a Medway resident my whole life.
"It was hard enough being moved from Chatham to Gillingham as my children go to school in Chatham.
“I couldn’t get a job as it meant my children would miss out on school, as I have to drive them there everyday.”
Mark Breathwick, head of strategic housing at Medway Council, said support was provided to Daniel before he was evicted and the council has continued to help him since.
He added: “Emergency accommodation is provided to people where appropriate.”
Bailiffs turned up at the house on Monday while Daniel and Lucrezia were on the school run.
The family are currently staying at Daniel’s mother’s home and have no idea where to go next.
Web commenters were less than supportive of the jobless pair.
Kirstin Vincent wrote: "If neither of thema re working, and are currently a family of six, then how can they afford to spend at least £160-a-month on takeaways?
"They must eat very little else.
"They need to learn about financial management quite swiftly. Good luck to them."
Facebook user Kaherlah Wilks said: "Many a moon ago when I was on benefits, with two young children, I couldn’t afford takeaway.
"My treat was a pack of basic custard cream and a tin of chicken curry.
"The sad thing is, I’m not even joking."
Many others compared the pair to Wayne and Waynetta Slob - a filthy pair of benefits scroungers who featured heavily in smash hit sketch comedy show Harry Enfield and Chums.
James Taylor added: "Tough luck, Wayne & Waynetta."
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
SPEED DATE - A couple who met on a dating app got engaged after ONE month and then tied the knot just four weeks later.
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
A couple who met on a dating app got engaged after ONE month and then tied the knot just four weeks later.
Christopher Rimmer and Viktorija Vakulenko, both 34, met through an app called Christian Dating for Free and arranged to meet face-to-face after a month of chatting online.
Viktorija, originally from Latvia, travelled to the UK for work and met Chris in his hometown in Southport, Merseyside, where they discussed the idea of marriage on their first date.
Despite feeling an instant connection, the pair abstained from having sex, and after dating for one month, Chris popped the question on Southport Pier where they had one of their first dates.
The pair set a date for June 2019 – two months after they first met – and tied the knot at Shoreline Church, Southport, surrounded by 60 family and friends.
Chris and Vicktorija have now returned from their honeymoon in Barcelona and can’t wait to start the rest of their lives together.
Vicktorjia, said: “The moment I saw his profile I felt a connection to him – his photos made him look open and kind.
“I spoke to a few people on the site but after I met Chris on there I stopped my other conversations and put all my attention onto him.
“He had such a strong passion for ministry and it just felt right.
“I knew there was something special and we went for it.”
Vickorija, from Riga, Latvia, joined the dating site in March 2019 after her sister encouraged her to sign-up.
She had only been on the site for two weeks when Chris came across her profile and struck up a conversation with her.
The pair felt an instant connection and arranged to meet up for their first date in Chris’ home town Southport, in Liverpool, after Vickorija moved to the UK looking for work.
She said: “I wasn’t sure about joining the dating site but I’d moved home after travelling in Thailand and my sister suggested it would be a good way to meet people – even just to make some friends.
“I spoke to a few people and then Chris started a conversation with me and it just felt right.
“To be honest I was planning to stay alone for a while – I didn’t expect to meet someone so quickly.
“At the time I started applying for jobs in the UK and I planned to go over for the some interviews.
“It tied in together and I could also finally meet Chris.
“I remember being at the airport with my mum and she could already see how happy I was, giggling on the phone to him.
“I already felt like I was in love with him when we were talking online.”
Smitten Vickorija moved to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, to stay with a friend, before travelling up to meet Chris first the first time over Easter Weekend in April 2019.
She said: “There was a postcard in my host’s house of Southport and thought: ‘That looks so nice, what a cool place.’
“It felt like there were lots of signs for us to be together and I was taking those signs as direction.
“I was super nervous but there were lots of sparks the moment we met at the train station.
“He took me to the pier and it was such a romantic first date.
“We started talking about marriage that day – we both knew that’s what we wanted.
“We joined that dating app because we were hoping to meet someone to have a future and because we’re both have the same faith.
“Chris had a spare room for me to stay in that weekend and we knew nothing else romantic was going to happen.
“We were both prepared to wait until we got married because it felt right.”
Image by: Chris Rimmer
Image by: Chris Rimmer
Image by: Chris Rimmer
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
After their first weekend together, Vicktorija started looking for work in Southport so she could be closer to Chris.
Chris decided to pop the question on May 15 – less than four weeks after they first met face-to-face.
He hatched a plan to take her to the pavilion restaurant, Southport, where they had one of their first dates and he asked staff to film the moment he popped the question.
Vicktorjia said: “I knew we were going to get married because we talked about it but I didn’t know when it would happen.
“Chris took me to the restaurant and it was a beautiful sunset.
“When he asked me I was so surprised and excited - it was all perfect.”
The couple couldn’t wait to make things official and set a date for the big day on 15 June 2019 – less than two months after they first met.
They held the ceremony at Shoreline Church, Southport, in front of around 50 family and friends, followed by a reception at
She said: “My mum and sister came over from Riga but my dad couldn’t make is so Chris’ dad offered to walk me down the aisle.
“We had only just met and he said I was ‘perfect’ for Chris – it meant so much.
“Everyone had a great day and although it started cloudy it got sunny.
“It was a perfect day and it never felt like it was too soon, it felt like it was just the right time.
“We want children and I’m looking forward to the future and for now we’re looking for a place to live and focusing on our ministry.”
Chris, who had been on the dating site for a couple of years, recalls the moment he first came across Vicktorija online.
He said: “We were both of the site because we wanted to meet someone and get married, I just hadn’t met that person yet, not until I found Vicktorija.
“The moment I saw her pictures I thought: 'Who is this girl? I have to speak to her.’
“We were so similar and we both had a strong belief in our Christian faith which bought us closer together.
“The moment I met her I knew were going to get married – we wanted to get to know each other a bit and become best friends.
“The day I proposed I didn’t have much of a plan, I just knew I wanted to take her to the pier where we had one of our first dates.
“The sunset was incredibly and I knew I had to do it then.
“I told the staff I was going to propose and asked them to film us.
“It was perfect and they helped make the day really special for us.
“The wedding day was perfect – I felt like the luckiest man when I saw her walking down the aisle.
“After the big day we headed off for our honeymoon in Barcelona and did some trekking and exploring.
“ Vicktorija loves her food and we definitely put some weight on.
“Everything’s a bit up in the air at the moment, we’re looking for somewhere to live to get settled.
“We’re taking each day at a time and enjoying getting to know each other more.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
