GREATEST SHOWMAN - This is the moment superstar Hugh Jackman went 'full Wolverine' for one of his biggest fans during a show
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
This is the moment Hugh Jackman delighted a front row fan during a concert by grabbing his phone and recording an epic Wolverine tribute.
Taylor Van Engen, 29, was standing in front of the stage during Hugh Jackman's singing and dancing tour and screamed in delight as the showman did a Wolverine pose.
His reaction caught the attention of the X-Men actor who walked over and went "full Wolverine" - growling and shouting into Taylor's phone.
Taylor can be seen jumping up and down uncontrollably before Jackman hugs him and says: "You've waited one-and-a-half hours for that moment!
"For that moment! I love you brother!"
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Postman Taylor said: "I lost sleep because I was too excited. For a week, I watched the videos we took and videos from other people's perspectives over and over again.
"During the intermission, I told my wife that I knew the Wolverine pose was coming - and I was gonna be ready for it.
"Hugh was going to do his tap routine, finish with the drums, then kick it out of the way.
"I was going to walk up to the security guard in front of us, stop there so they knew I wasn't going to be trouble - and Hugh did the rest.
"After the show, a few people shared their videos and pictures with us, and several others congratulated me.
"Even more would point me out and go - 'that's him, that's the guy!'
"I still like the fact that someone even referred to me as Wolverine to get my attention."
Taylor, from Rock Valley, Iowa, has taken his wife Sarah, a social worker, to see Jackman's show 'The Man. The Music. The Show.' twice this year.
He's has been a massive Hugh Jackman fan since he was 10, and has gone to the cinema to watch every X-Men film made.
His close encounter with the actor came when he went to see the show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 13.
He said he wanted to get close enough to give Hugh a 'high five'.
As the lights went down, Hugh posed as mutant Wolverine from his X-Men movies - leading to cheers from the crowd.
Taylor went wild, shouting at the top of his lungs to attract Jackman's attention.
Taylor said: "One security guard came up to me and said that Hugh didn't do all of that for every show.
"He said it was special and really awesome. I totally agree."
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MOULD DEATH - A 14-year-old died after she caught a one-in-a-million fungal infection - by breathing in mould
Image by: Louise Owens
A 14-year-old died after she caught a one-in-a-million fungal infection - by breathing in mould spores.
Jade Owens was "full of life" just three weeks before a rare fungal infection killed off the inside of her throat, airways and passageways to her lungs.
Keen horse rider Jade was suffering from a suspected chest infection but when it wouldn't shift, medics ordered extra tests.
Initial tests revealed she had Type 1 diabetes and was put in an induced coma to save her life.
She miraculously pulled through, but just as mum Louise thought she was on the mend, Jade began coughing up blood.
Jade passed away just 20 minutes later. Tests later revealed she had mucormycosis - a fungal infection usually caused by breathing in mould spores.
The infection targets people with a weakened immune system and for Jade, led to the tissue and blood vessels in her throat to be killed off when being overrun with fungus.
For reasons unknown, people with Type 1 diabetes are especially at risk of catching mucormycosis.
It is not known where Jade came into contact with the mould spores - but her heartbroken mum suspects it could have been due to her outdoorsy hobbies like horse riding.
Mum-of-two Louise, 35, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: “I’m heartbroken. You never think anything like this will happen to you and I want to make sure no one else goes through what we have.
“I think about Jade every single day.
"It’s something I’ll never forget, walking into the room and seeing my daughter covered in blood.
“It was like a murder scene. The blood vessels in her throat had burst and she bled to death.
“She choked on her own blood and had coughed it up. It was horrific to see and that will never leave me.
“The infection is opportunistic. Jade caught it because her immune system was weaker with diabetes.
“We had no idea she even had diabetes. No one else in the family has it so we had no idea what to look out for.
“If only we knew about the signs then we could have done something. I feel guilty in some ways for that."
Image by: Louise Owens
Image by: Louise Owens
Image by: Louise Owens
Image by: Louise Owens
Image by: Louise Owens
Jade, the eldest of two children, took ill unexpectedly on May 20 this year.
Up to then she had been her happy, normal self, who enjoyed riding horses and spending time enjoying the outdoors with her family.
Jade had been focused on spending quality time with her family following the tragic death of her dad Paul Daniels, in 2016, whose relationship with mum Louise ended in 2007.
She started to complain about having a headache and flu-like symptoms and booked in to see her GP.
Jade, sister to Aiden, 17 and half-sister to Abley Stock, aged one, was prescribed a course of antibiotics as her doctor feared she was suffering with a minor chest infection.
But the next day, on May 21, her grandmother Charleen Owens, a nurse, suggested Jade goes to A&E after displaying rapid breathing and appearing discoloured.
Beautician Louise took Jade to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport and a finger-prick test found she was in severe DKA - Diabetic ketoacidosis.
DKA is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when the body produces too much ketones, effectively turning blood acidic.
It develops when the body can not produce enough insulin and leads to the breakdown of tissue.
DKA can be triggered by an infection and if left untreated - can be fatal.
Louise, who has a partner, Neil Stocks, 45, said she had no idea her daughter’s shortness of breath and frequent trips to the toilet had anything to do with type one diabetes.
It doesn’t run in the family and there is no known cause for it and Louise explains how she simply didn’t put two and two together when Jade first got poorly.
She said: “Jade looked very poorly and hadn’t been well all week. We went to the doctors and we thought it was just an infection and that was that.
"I had no idea it would turn out to be as serious as it did. I took her to A&E and they said she was in severe DKA. They said a virus can make it worse.
“Her body had stopped producing insulin and her muscles had started to break down.”
Jade was kept in hospital overnight but was transferred to Manchester Children’s Hospital on May 22 after doctors grew concerned at how she responded poorly to being given insulin.
Her condition rapidly decreased to the point where medics were forced to place Jade into an induced coma so doctors could carry out further tests.
Doctors told a terrified Louise her daughter only had a “50/50 chance of survival”.
A further scan discovered Jade had fluid on her lungs and she was given antibiotics, insulin and food via tubes whilst in a coma for five days.
And this seemed to work - when on May 27 Jade woke up - and uttered the words “I’m starving, can I have a McDonald’s"?
Louise said: “We were over the moon. We thought we were getting normal Jade back again and it was an amazing feeling.
“It was such a relief because we were told she was severely poorly and we thought we might lose her. She was moved onto a ward and taken off intensive care.
“It as great, she was up and about, was able to shower herself and everything. At this point we were quite hopeful she might come home soon.”
Louise said Jade was well in herself but still had fluid on her lungs and doctors were planning a procedure to drain the excess.
Jade spent “two good weeks” recovering in hospital, according to Louise, who recalls leaving her daughter in hospital on June 10 in “high spirits”.
But the following morning at 8.05am, Louise said she received a phone call from her mum who was at Jade’s bedside.
“All she said is that something bad is happening. I rushed down there as fast as I could.
“We were ushered into a room and the doctor said she was coughing up blood and they were trying all they could to stabilise her.
“They were working to save her. I didn’t know what to think. I was a mess. Twenty minutes later they came in and told us she had died. It was so sudden and unexpected.”
Louise said the cause of death has already been confirmed as mucormycosis, a fungal infection only found in an average of 1.7 out of every one million people.
People who go into DKA, like Jade, are placed at increase risk of developing the toxic infection that can be extremely difficult to treat if not spotted early enough.
The infection effectively invaded Jade’s immune system and ate away at the inside of her throat, airways and passageways to her lungs.
This caused the tissue to go through necrosis - the premature death of cells in living tissue - leading to the fatal bleed.
A devastated Louise said she’s still struggling to come to terms with her “angel”, and wants to speak out about the symptoms of type one diabetes to help raise awareness to others.
She said: “I miss her every single day, our lives will never be the same without her. To go what we have gone through is horrific. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what we have.
“She was very tired and had experienced some weight loss but she was hungry a lot, too.
“Since all this happened we have learned more about diabetes and they are symptoms of it.”
Jade's funeral, which featured a horse-drawn carriage, was held on July 10.
Racegoer who suffered red wine spill on white outfit transforms wardrobe disaster into pink tie-dye sensation - by pouring on MORE wine
Image by: Mia Williamson
A racegoer who suffered a red wine spill on her white outfit managed to transform her wardrobe disaster into pink tie-dye sensation - by covering it in MORE wine.
Quick-thinking Eleanor Walton, 19, had been at Ripon Races when a rowdy punter bumped into her and spilt red wine over her white jumpsuit.
Mortified her outfit was ruined and fearing she'd have to head home, the teenager rushed over to her friend Mia to hatch a plan.
The quick thinking teens nabbed five glasses of wine from the free bar and headed to the loos to dip dye the garment.
Eleanor stripped off in the toilet cubicle and soaked her Pretty Little Thing jumpsuit in the sink for 10 minutes.
Eleanor, a bar tender from Leeds, then spent the next 20 minutes under the hand-dryer before returning to the races in her transformed outfit.
Image by: Mia Williamson
Image by: Mia Williamson
Image by: Mia Williamson
Friend Mia Williamson, 18, also a bartender, said: "Our intuition just kicked in.
"It was a free bar so I said to Eleanor 'let's go and get as much red wine as we can and we'll sort it out in the toilet'.
"We got in there and she stripped off in the cubicle while I found a plug for the sink.
"I just poured all the wine in one go and hoped for the best.
"We pulled it out the sink and it just happened to turn into this magical, glorious pattern.
"She ended up missing the race she put a bet on though.
"Quite a few people were complementing her on the outfit afterwards.
"It looks like a unique piece."
Jimmy Carr has been slammed by Warwick Davis-affiliated charity for cracking "offensive" abortion joke about dwarfs
Image by: Jon Mills
Warwick Davis' charity has slammed Jimmy Carr for a 'joke' in his latest show asking: “Is a dwarf an abortion that made it?"
The controversial comic is currently on tour with his 'Terribly Funny' show which critics claim contained the gag.
Charity Little People UK - co founded by actor Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha - has slammed the comic and contacted Carr and his agents to complain.
The charity, which support people with dwarfism, said it took action after staff received messages from people with the condition who were offended by the jibe.
In a statement, it said: "We are saddened that in 2019 we have to deal with such prejudice to the dwarfism community - and other minority groups - in a time where we all strive to live equal lives and celebrate diversity without fear of humiliation or preconception.
"Comments such as this are offensive to people with dwarfism and are incredibly detrimental to their wellbeing.
"People with dwarfism simply want to live their lives just like everyone else; going to school, shopping, walking down the street and going to work, sometimes in highly respected professions.
"To potentially hear a member of the public repeat such a comment, after seeing a stand up show, can affect them for their entire life.
"This causes unnecessary distress and anxiety through no fault of the person with dwarfism, simply because they have a genetic difference.
"Additionally, we consider the parents of people with dwarfism - with 80% of people with dwarfism born to average height parents as the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation.
"Anyone can have a child with dwarfism.
"For parents, particularly new parents, to hear such jokes about their child can have long lasting effects.
"We strongly urge reconsideration of using people with dwarfism as the subject of jokes.
"We appreciate comedy is a matter of person opinion, however in 2019, people with dwarfism should not have to live with the consequences of being the subject of someone else's humour."
Image by: Jon Mills
The joke has divided social media, with some Twitter users taking offence at the joke - while others thought it was funny.
One said: "I’ve only ever seen @jimmycarr on TV and hadn’t realised his humour was so smutty and demeaning. Note to self: Don’t ever go to one of his shows. (What he said about dwarfs is disgusting. I’m sorry you had to hear that!)".
@samcarlisle tweeted: “Is a dwarf an abortion that made it?” I challenge Jimmy Carr to come to my home and say that to my daughter’s face.''
Little People UK was co-founded in 2012 by Warwick Davis, his wife Samantha and others.
The actor is the president and patron and his wife is the chair of the charity's committee, which also includes their daughter Annabelle.
Jimmy Carr could face sanctions for making a joke about dwarves during an appearance on BBC1’s The One Show.
In 2015 Ofcom launched an investigation into Carr's comments about dwarfs made on the One Show.
“I tried to write the shortest joke possible,” he said. “So, I wrote a two-word joke which was: ‘Dwarf shortage’. It’s just so I could pack more jokes into the show.”
Britain's youngest transgender woman has accused a pornographer of transphobia after he refused to work with her - because she has a penis
Image by: Simon Galloway
A transgender woman says she is a victim of 'transphobic' discrimination after being snubbed for job as a female porn star - because she still has a PENIS
Ria Cooper, 25, who became Britain's youngest trans person when she transitioned 10 years ago, encountered the saucy snapper after deciding to embark on a career in the sex industry.
She says the anonymous individual messaged her saying he wanted to have sex on camera then sell the resulting porno to make some quick cash.
But little did he know Ria was transgender and when he found out she still has male reproductive organs he immediately retracted the offer.
In messages exchanged over WhatsApp, the photographer bluntly proclaimed he couldn't work with her because "she has a c**k".
Ria has hit out at the "transphobic behaviour" and says she's being unfairly discriminated against in her pursuit of a modelling career.
The woman from Hull, East Yorks, has reported the comments to Humberside Police, which is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Ria says the man got in touch with her over WhatsApp after she released her new glamour modelling portfolio online.
He apparently told her the industry was like a "family" and vowed to help her make her way to the top of it.
Then the photographer told Ria he had just been informed by a friend that she is transgender, before saying "Playboy won't accept that".
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
After making the discovery the man cut all contact with Ria, who says her social media profiles clearly state she is a 'ladyboy'.
She thought the photographer knew what he was doing.
Ria has described the comments as "discriminatory" and "appalling", comparing the abuse to that of a racist.
She is speaking out about the abuse because she want to help other transgender people suffering abuse.
The fully qualified beauty therapist said: "When I first changed I found it really scary and very confusing.
"I had no one to lean on for support it was such a massive change.
"But, now I’m comfortable and confident in my own skin I wanted to help others."
Humberside Police has confirmed officers are currently investigating the allegation.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "We received a report of a hate incident yesterday, on Wednesday, October 16. The report has been logged and will be investigated."
Image by: David Campbell
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Ria has said she wants to get into porn to "show off" what she's got.
The 25-year-old said: "I want to go into porn and that's my decision.
"I've done some videos before and really enjoyed it so that's what I'm looking to pursue.
"People say it's degrading but I disagree, I think it's amazing.
"I'm proud of my body and what I have got and want to show it off, porn is a perfect way to do that."
Ria also provided screenshots from her conversation with the photographer and gave a full account of what happened.
She said: "I saw this guy who posts pictures of girls on Instagram so I sent him a message to try and get some exposure.
"He replied to me saying that he wanted to have sex with me and film it then sell the video for us to split the earnings.
"I didn't think it was a very professional way for a photographer to act but I am looking to pursue a career in porn so I was open to it.
"Then all of a sudden he started backtracking but I don't understand why because it's clearly written on my page that I'm a 'ladyboy'.
"I think he did know that and did want to have sex with me but just got embarrassed so backed out.
"The way he spoke to me after that was absolutely disgusting, no one should be discriminated against for their lifestyle choice."
ROCK-HARD CLIMBER - British army hero becomes the first unaided double above the knee amputee to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro
Image by: James Rose
A British Army hero has become the first unaided double above the knee amputee to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Private James Rose, 32, lost both legs to an undetected riverside IED during a foot patrol in Afghanistan in 2009.
Suffering with PTSD, the injured vet threw himself into competitive sports like volleyball and wheelchair basketball, even winning Invictus Games medals.
James swapped his wheelchair for 'stubbies' - very short prosthetics for above-the-knee amputees - and trained for six months this year.
Former 2 YORKS soldier James climbed for up to 15 hours-a-day on his hands and 'stubbies' for five days to reach the summit of the 19,341ft mountain, earlier this month.
Married James, from Middlesbrough, north Yorks., said: "The entire time, I was basically on my hands and knees crawling.
"I would be crawling up different parts of Kilimanjaro for around 12 hours a day, eating things like pasta and rice throughout the day.
"The first four days were regular hours - from around eight until eight.
"But the last day was the hardest because the terrain on the final ascent was mostly gravel - so the earth was slipping away from under me.
"A couple of time, I really didn't think that I'd make it. But I got my head down, had a good team around me, and got on with it.
"Something clicks inside you when you feel nearly defeated, and I'm relieved that I had the strength to keep going."
James stepped on an undetected explosive in Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in November 2009.
His right leg was torn off instantly, and - though doctors tried to save his left leg - he had two double above-the-knee amputations.
James was medically discharged from the Army in April 2014, and married wife Naiomi [corr] and became a first-time father.
Last year he competed at the Invictus Games in Australia, winning silver and bronze medals in sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
James then set his sights on the 19,341 ft high Kilimanjaro last November, after watching TV show Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton.
Posting to Facebook about being inspired by the programme, best pal Darren Young replied to say - "Hey, why don't we climb Kilimanjaro?"
James said: "At first, I wasn't really sure if he was serious or not. But after he'd planned the route for a couple of months, I thought about it more.
"I decided that climbing Kilimanjaro would be a great way of encouraging others suffering with mental health problems to come out of their shell.
"Last year, I competed at the Invictus Games in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball - and won medals for them.
"After my experience overseas, I'd spent several years rehabilitating, and one way of doing that was throwing myself into sports.
"So the jump from all that to mountain climbing wasn't actually too drastic."
He did two hours of cardio and weight for around five days-a-week between January and July - and used an altitude generator for five hours-a-day at home.
James climbed in the Lake District with Darren for practice, crawling up Helvellyn (3,117 ft).
They set off for Tanzania on September 8, and began their five-day trek across - and up - Africa's highest mountain range on two days later.
Enduring highs of 30°C during the day and lows of -10°C at night, blistering winds and monkeys en route.
Image by: James Rose
Image by: James Rose
Image by: James Rose
Image by: James Rose
Image by: James Rose
Image by: James Rose
James trekked along the ancient Marangu route, which crosses The Saddle, a three-mile wide, high-altitude, semi-desert that separates craggy Mawenzi from the main summit Kibo.
From the summit, glaciers, screes, cliffs, afro-alpine moorland, and forests lead down to the cultivated foothills.
Accompanied by five mountain guides, he fed off a strictly high-protein, high-carb diet - mostly pasta, rice, and chicken, he said.
On the final ascent to Gilman's Point on Saturday September 14 James climbed for 15 hours an astonishing 3,000ft.
From the top, James described the panoramic view as "one of the most awe-inspiring sights that I've ever seen in my life".
He said: "It looks a little like when you're in an airplane and you're coming in to land - you can see towns and roads ahead.
"Well, it was a bit like that, but more beautiful, and so tranquil.
"The weather conditions on that last day were perfect for getting good pictures. It was clear blue sky, so we could see for miles around.
"The hardest day, by far, was the last day. We set off at around two in the morning, and climbed for about 15 hours almost non-stop.
"I stopped twice on that last part, and didn't think I'd get through it.
"I openly talked of giving up, and climbing back down - or letting the guys from my team aiding me, basically carry me.
"But I didn't want that to happen. I'd set myself the goal of becoming the first double above-the-knee amputee to climb Kilimanjaro unaided.
"And I'm so glad I persevered - because otherwise I'd have sunk into a dark hole."
James' ambitions are high - and plans to scale Mt Everest in the near future.
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Mum who took her kids on term-time holiday to celebrate her cancer recovery has been fined because her reasons were not considered 'exceptional circumstances'
Image by: Alex Cousins SWNS
A mum who took her kids on a term-time holiday to celebrate her cancer recovery has been fined £788 because her reasons were not considered 'exceptional circumstances'.
Katie McDermott, 36, went through 18 weeks of chemotherapy and had a double mastectomy after finding a lump in her breast in November 2017.
Doctors declared the mum-of-four clear of cancer last year and, in October, she applied to Central Lancaster High School - which two of her children attend - for six days' leave in December.
The NHS worker and her husband Darren, 40, only got a response from the school seven weeks later - just two days before they were due to go away.
To their shock, the letter rejected the application but, with only 48 hours' notice, the family had no time to rearrange the holiday and travelled to Tenerife despite the school's ruling.
On their return they received a letter from the local authority, which passed the case on to Lancaster Magistrates' Court, and a fine was issued.
After appealing the decision, last month Katie and Darren, from Lancaster, Lancs., were fined a total of £788 for taking their children out of school without permission.
The couple say their secondary school aged children, Joseph, 14, and Oliver, 12, have never applied for leave from their school before.
They added their five-year-old daughter Ava was given permission for holiday leave from her primary school without a problem and their youngest Ella, four, is still at nursery.
Katie said: "The kids have been so good throughout everything, it was really difficult but they kept going.
"They have always gone into school and done their work without any problems at all.
"The school have said they were model students and that we should be proud of them.
"I really feel like they deserved this trip after everything they have been through.
"The way we have been treated is really upsetting."
Darren, who works as a plumber, said the holiday was a surprise treat for the children to give them a chance to spend time with their mum after so much upheaval.
He said: "We have never taken the kids out of school before, it was just to take them away with Katie after all she had been through.
"We put a holiday request form in the day before the October half-term break.
"We expected a decision the week back at school which would have given us plenty of time to change the holiday, which we would have done.
"But we didn’t get a reply from the school and it got to the week before the holiday and I said to Katie that we should ring the school, and when she rang it was as though they didn’t know what she was talking about.
"A letter was then sent home that Thursday, when we flew on the Saturday.
"It said we had not been given permission to take the boys out of school, but at that point it was too late, we didn’t have the chance to change it.
"We are in a financial struggle after Katie's treatment but it's not the fine I am bothered about, it's about how we have been portrayed as not really caring, which is totally untrue.
"There just seems to be no consistency, we know of lots of people who have been authorised for holidays."
Image by: Alex Cousins SWNS
Image by: Alex Cousins SWNS
Image by: Alex Cousins SWNS
The holiday was paid for by friends and family who hosted a fundraising event and donated the money towards a trip abroad.
The term-time dates were chosen by the family due to price constraints.
Darren said he spoke to the local authority, which confirmed it should have taken a few days for the school to respond to a holiday request.
Darren said: "Had the rejection letter come within a few weeks of the application, the family would have been happy to rearrange the holiday."
The letter, written by the school's attendance officer and sent home with Joseph, actually arrived seven weeks later on November 29.
It said: "Parents may request a leave of absence in term time but this can only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.
"I have discussed your request with the headteacher who does not feel this request is exceptional.
"While sympathetic to your circumstances we are unable to set a precedent by authorising leave during term- time."
Nicola Hall, head teacher at Central Lancaster High School, said: "As a school we empathise with the wide range of sensitive issues which require compassion and consideration in all of our families.
"In accordance with regulations imposed by the government, the school has adopted a policy not to authorise term-time family holidays.
"We recognise the importance of children being consistently in school to access their whole curriculum offer.
“We hope all parents understand the limitations placed on schools in granting leave."
Katie and Darren have been invited into school to speak to Mrs Hall.
They are crowdfunding to raise money to pay for the fine. Donate here: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/go-fund-page-for-darren-and-katie-mcdermott
Image by: Alex Cousins SWNS
CAMPAIGN FOR TEEN - Outrage as popular and bright teen dumped by human traffickers as a child near where Sajid Javid grew up faces deportation
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A popular and bright teen dumped by human traffickers as a child near where Home Secretary Sajid Javid grew up now faces deportation by his office.
Stiven Bregu, 18, was left by people-smugglers alone in the middle of the night near Bristol five years ago - and could barely speak English.
He was sent to the UK against his will to escape the violence of Albania and was left in a street in Keynsham, Somerset.
Stiven was left with no money or possessions when he was dropped in the UK - but managed to find a police station and was taken into care by a foster family in Bristol.
He then enrolled at the city’s St Mary Redcliffe School and within six months had learned enough English to make friends.
He went on to become an excellent student who passed his GCSEs with flying colours at the school - three miles from Stapleton Road where Sajid Javid grew up.
But now he has turned 18 has been told he will be deported by the Home Office.
Staff and students at his school have launched an online petition which has so far been signed more than 4,000 times to force a U-turn on the decision.
Stiven is currently sitting A-levels in biology, maths and chemistry, and is expected to achieve high grades.
Rob Shaw, sixth form tutor, said: “Stiven did extraordinarily well in his GCSEs, better than anyone expected, and progressed to Sixth Form where he has again excelled.
“He has been identified as a student who will be a future leader demonstrated with his success at being selected on to the City Leadership Programme.
“He even spoke at the Global Parliament of Mayors Summit in October last year and received a standing ovation.
“Stiven has developed strong relationships with a wide group of friends and plays an important role in the school and wider community, including giving up his time to support younger students.
“He could easily go to university, but he’s very grounded and has decided he wants to get an apprenticeship. He’s amazing at maths, so has been offered a really good apprenticeship.
“He is a positive role model for other vulnerable young people in our city and beyond.
“After his A-levels, Stiven is hoping to accept an apprenticeship offer that he has received from Rowan Dartington, a wealth management firm in Bristol.”
In 2017, despite being in the country for only two years, Stiven excelled at his GCSEs.
He said at the time: “I am really pleased with my results.
“I am in two minds whether to study medicine or engineering at university.
“The last two years have been challenging but manageable meeting different people, different languages and different cultures.
“In the beginning it was hard but I got with it. School was so different to how things work in Albania.
“I did speak some English when I came to Britain but the way the teachers teach English in Albania is different to the way we speak and write English here so I started again fresh.”
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A week before his first A-level exam, the Home Office denied his application to remain in the UK.
He has an appeal hearing in July but the stress of preparing for it has hindered his A-level revision.
Mr Shaw added: “Unless his appeal is successful he faces deportation back to Albania, a country which he has no connections to and no family contacts.
“We need the Home Office to reconsider this in light of the difficult circumstances surrounding Stiven’s arrival in the UK, his current contribution to this society, and also the absolute uncertainty of what he would be going back to in Albania.
“As a young man with so much ambition and talent, Stiven is a tremendous asset, and would give back tenfold to a nation and city that have looked after him so well.”
Home secretary Sajid Javid grew up in a two-bedroom flat above his parents’ shop in Stapleton Road in the north-east of Bristol with his four brothers.
Mr Javid said in April the area had been dubbed "Britain's most dangerous street", provoking criticism from local residents who said his comment was not justifiable.
He told youth workers in London: "It's not so difficult to see how, instead of being in cabinet, I could have turned out to have a life of crime myself.
“There were drug addicts who stood near my school gates and told me if I joined in I could make some easy money.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Government has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution.
“When assessing asylum claims, all available evidence is carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.
“Stiven Bregu’s application to remain in the UK was refused as he did not qualify for asylum under immigration rules.”
ADVENTURE CAT - Meet the curious cat who hikes, bikes, paddleboards and even goes SKIING with his devoted owner.
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Meet Bodhi - the curious cat who hikes, bikes, paddleboards and even goes SKIING with his devoted owner.
Adorable Bodhi has completed a three-day biking tour through the Canadian Rockies, been cross-country skiing and wears his own life jacket when he goes paddleboarding.
Owner Michelle Gagnon, 50, calls Bodhi her "adventure cat" and has been teaching him a host of adrenaline-packed pursuits for the last ten months.
Michelle, a retired hiking guide, of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, said: "An adventure cat is a term I made up 18 years ago when I got my old cat Bugaboo.
"An adventure cat comes along with you on adventures whether that means he's sitting in a bike basket or walking alongside you or sitting on your shoulders."
Bodhi, 14-month-old Maine Coon cat, has a robust build, weighing a staggering 16 pounds (7.3kg) - about twice the size of the average tabby.
Maine Coons are classified as the largest domesticated cat breed and are one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. They are native to the state of Maine, where it is the official state cat.
Michelle says training a cat to cope with the great outdoors can be a difficult feat as felines like to feel in control of their environment.
She said: "Cats have this real desire to keep themselves safe and they have a very high instinctual survival mode.
"They have to be in control of everything and training a cat is about getting them used to everything outside, like wide open spaces and walking on sidewalks.
"I'm putting in lots of hours in training and getting Bodhi to walk as much as possible.
"He is now way better with wide open spaces and walking on a trail and understanding that wildlife moves around him."
Michelle got Bodhi in December last year and immediately began taking the puss cross-country skiing.
She added: "I didn't know how I was going to train him in the winter time but I just decided to take him cross-country skiing.
"He walked behind me on the snow and then on the way down, he curled up on my shoulders and I skied down with him on my shoulders.
"Sitting on my shoulders is always his safe spot. He has also been hiking in the mountains, his furthest hike is almost 6km.
"The biggest thing that slows him down is wild animal smells and that's a very real
thing living where we do in Canmore.
"If it's a predator like a cougar or a coyote, it can really slow him down and even stop him."
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Bodhi doesn't stop at just hiking and cross-country skiing, the adventure cat also enjoys biking and paddleboarding.
Michelle added: "He has done stand up paddleboarding. He wears a little life jacket when he's on his paddleboard.
"He has gone a couple of big bike tours and we have biked some of the most scenic roads of the Canadian Rockies.
"One was two-days long and the other was three-days long. I made him a special basket for the front of my bike. We did 100km a day."
Michelle, who named Bodhi after the Sanskrit term for enlightenment, said that she considers the beautiful cat her child.
"Bugaboo was definitely my baby and when he died last November, I felt like I had lost a child. Now Bodhi is like my next child.
"I want him to have positive experiences on all of our adventures and build his confidence. You have to make it interesting for them.
"I try not to use treats as then they just want more treats. I try to use a lot of positive encouragement."
You can follow along with Bodhi's adventures on his Instagram account @bodhi_theadventurecat.
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WHAT A MESS - Mum films her shock discovery of her triplet toddlers who got their hands on a tub of Sudocrem
Image by: Lyndsey Palmer
This is the moment a mum discovered her adorable triplet toddlers had decided to decorate themselves and their bedroom -- with a massive tub of nappy rash cream.
Lyndsey Birrell Palmer, 35, thought two-year-olds Indi, Ella and Lexi were having a nap until she heard them moving around in their room.
But teacher Lyndsey was shocked when she opened their bedroom door and found they had got their little hands on a tub of Sudocrem.
The cheeky trio had smeared it all over themselves - paying special attention to their hair - and also their bedroom furniture and walls.
Lyndsey couldn't help but laugh and called her wife Lesley, 34, in to witness the carnage and took a funny video of the carnage on the 22nd of September.
The mum from King's Park, Glasgow, said: "The girls were napping for about an hour, and then I heard them moving about the room, which wasn't unusual as they normally do this when they woke up.
"I said to my wife that I would go upstairs and bring them down to the living room now that they were awake.
"As I entered the room, the first thing that I thought was 'that's a funny smell' and as you can imagine, it's not always a nice smell with triplets at this age.
"I popped the light on to see Lexi with a huge grin on her face and white Sudocrem all over her.
"It was only then that I saw the full extent of the drama, and my first thought was 'oh my God, it's EVERYWHERE!'
"I quickly shouted to my wife to bring my phone and come see, and we both burst into laughter.
Image by: Lyndsey Palmer
Image by: Lyndsey Palmer
Image by: Lyndsey Palmer
Image by: Lyndsey Palmer
Looking after the triplets as well was their son Lewie, four, Lyndsey and Lesley are no strangers to mischievous children.
The two teachers met in 2005 on a night out in Glasgow and tied the knot in 2012 before welcoming son Lewie in 2015 and the triplets in 2017.
The married pair always find the funny side to their children's cheeky actions.
Lyndsey said: "The girls are always being cheeky - triplets are a handful, especially at the age they are now!
"They're always putting their pants on over their trousers, and taking their shoes and socks off in the car.
"I have to spend time at the end of every car journey putting them all back on because when one does it, then all of them have to do it!
"They've opened their drawers and pulled all of their clothes out onto the floor so many times that we have now had to duct tape them shut.
"With the Sudocrem incident, the girls are still a bit too young to realise what happened, and Lesley and I were just stood laughing at the mess.
"If they got their hands on another tub, I could guarantee the same thing would happen again!"
Image by: Lyndsey PalmerVideo Player
