Student nurse films hairdresser cutting his hair wearing 'Coronavirus suit', mask and gloves at a salon
Image by: Stephen Larkin
A student filmed the "strange" moment his hair was cut by a hairdresser -- wearing full protective clothing including a hazmat suit and face mask.
Stephen Larkin, 26, said he was greeted by two hairdressers wearing white protective overalls who said they were "concerned about the spread of Coronavirus".
Student nurse Stephen said he wasn't put off by the makeshift hazmat suit but said it made him feel like he was getting ready to "have surgery".
The salon worker who cut his hair was dressed head-to-toe in protective overalls, a face mask and gloves at Boxx Hair, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, on Thursday (12).
Single Stephen said: "I walked in at about 5pm and they were both stood there, head-to-toe in white suits and masks.
"There was hand sanitiser on the side and I was told to take a seat and someone will be with me shortly.
"Whilst I was waiting everything was being cleaned down and I did feel like I was about to go in for surgery.
"I thought it was funny to start with but it is really strange.
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
"When I arrived there was one other person cutting hair and and elderly lady in the chair.
"She looked quite bemused by it all on the way out.
"Getting my hair cut was a very strange and unusual experience. Everyone is just going mad."
Linlithgow is a small town close to Edinburgh with a population of just 19,000 - and it has no confirmed cases.
Stephen added: "It literally is a really small town and it's been pretty normal here up to yet.
"There are no confirmed cases here.
"The hairdresser said she was concerned about the spread of the virus.
"She said that if she keeps the place clean then there's no chance she or anyone else will get it.
"I just found the whole thing very, very strange."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Incredible video shows two friends pulling off Romantic surprise by dressing up as street performers and flying out to Columbia
Image by: Two Good
This is the moment two men pulled off the perfect romantic surprise by disguising themselves as street performers to stun their partners on holiday in Colombia.
Jonny Rhodes, 28, and Tom Mitchell, 27, booked secret flights so they reunite with their girlfriends who are currently touring through South America.
But the duo took their surprise act one step further by learning a synchronised dance routine and dressing up in inflatable morph suits.
They flew out to Columbia earlier this month and travelled for 14 hours on a coach to track down their loved ones to a cafe terrace in the coastal city of Cartagena
Video footage then shows them performing a choreographed dance flawlessly to roars of laughter before they revealed their true identities to their open-mouthed partners.
They then whisked them off to a nearby five-star hotel.
Jonny's partner Ellie Websdale, 26, said: "It was very emotional - it was the most shocked I've ever been in my entire life.
"I couldn't believe it."
Emily Potter, 27, Tom's partner, added: "It was the shock of my life, my legs were quaking like a little quivering leaf.
"It was the best surprise ever, well done chaps.
"We thought it was a couple of Colombians doing an elaborate bag heist - trying to distract us before nicking all our cash and passports."
The two men - both DJs from Bristol who perform as TWOGOOD - had spent months planning their secret trip that included finding a suitable costume and figuring out exactly where their partners would be when they arrived.
Tom and Jonny had initially told them they couldn't join them on their travelling adventures due to work commitments.
Image by: Two Good
Image by: Two Good
Image by: Two Good
Image by: Two Good
Jonny said: "We realised we had to find a disguise, so the first idea we came up with was to hire a mule and dress up as Colombian singers and serenade them with songs.
"Then we came up with the plan to do a synchronised dance and be street performers, and wear masks and morph suits - but we realised that if we wore morph suits they would see our body shapes and that would maybe give it away.
"We did some digging on the internet and found some inflatable morph suits and we thought they were perfect, they'd never be able to guess it was us."
Jonny said it took all their detective skills to confirm where the partners would be on the day.
He added: "So we had the outfits set and the only thing now was to locate exactly where they were going to be.
"We had some friends out there and they could tell us where they would be on what day, and luckily my brother Chris was out there travelling already so he arranged to meet them on the day so we would know exactly where they were."
They flew into Medellin on the February 13 before taking a 14 hour coach journey to Cartagena.
With the plan set, the duo inflated their brightly coloured morph suits and hailed a taxi, before heading to perform their dance routine for their unaware girlfriends.
Tom said: "We could barely see through the masks to locate the girls table, so we had to act as if we were actual performers.
"We spent about five minutes with the general public first going down the street and entertaining them before we made it over to their table.
"Then we pressed play on the bluetooth speaker and then did the dance and did the grand reveal which you could see on the video."
In the video, Jonny and Tom can be seen dancing arm in arm and spinning round each other, before encouraging Ellie, and Emily to join in.
Then, after the girls sat back down, the duo bowed and stood side by side before ripping off their masks and revealing their true identities - and the girls instantly start to scream.
Tom added: "When the girls screamed everyone in the square went silent and the police came out, no one knew what was going on.
"Then everyone applauded and cheered when they realised that obviously this must be a reuniting of two couples."
Video by: Two Good
Second home owners who have fled to seaside properties claim they have become victims of vigilante 'hate crimes' from furious locals
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Wealthy second home owners who fled to their seaside houses to isolate
say the abuse and attacks they receive from locals should be classed as a 'HATE CRIME'.
Some families have ignored warnings to stay in primary residences and travelled to small towns and villagers in tourism hotspots like Cornwall.
Businessman Tony Willis was among those who left London with his family with his family from London to their holiday home in Devon before the coronavirus travel ban begun.
But he said he has been targeted by vigilantes who wrote 'go home' in the dirt on the rear window of his car.
A 'threatening' leaflet was also put on his doorstep which reiterated the message.
And Tony said the way second home owners have been targeted should be treated by police as a "hate crime."
He bought the house in Bigbury-on-Sea in Devon around 10-years-ago and claimed he had as much right to be there as anyone else.
Tony told the BBC: ""Over the past week we have had Go Home daubed in the dirt on the back windscreen of our car, leaflets telling us to do the same and someone haranguing me to 'Go Home' from the street outside our house,.
"This is pure harassment and in another context would be considered a hate crime.
"Since the lockdown we decided to stay here because it would be non-essential travel to go back.
"I spend a lot of time in Devon, I carry on a business down here and my wife's from Devon.
"We are following all the rules, we are self-isolating and we only go out when we have to for provisions.
"We love it down here and we're not going to be run out of town by a few idiots."
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the behaviour was "unacceptable".
He said: "This is a family who are probably just as frightened and concerned as everyone else.
"If they are already here we should welcome them and make them feel part of our community.
"This is not a time to turn person against person and for us in the South West to turn against the people of London or vice versa."
Local councillor Beth Huntley said that the majority of properties in the village were holiday lets or second homes, and that most of the population there is elderly.
The member of Bigbury Parish Council said: "We hope the community is free of the virus, but every newcomer brings a threat to the older community.
"It would be lovely if people who own holiday homes stayed close to their homes.
"But I think a conciliatory approach is always a good idea."
Several tourism bosses have urged people to stay away from the South West to stop the spread of coronavirus and protect the services from being overrun.
Malcolm Bell, head of Visit Cornwall, said: "Our advice is do not come. Moving around can easily accelerate the spread of the virus.
"That applies to people with second homes here - and to visitors who had planned a holiday."
This tiny Pomeranian dog has been left without a nose - following a cancer battle
Image by: Simon Galloway
This tiny Pomeranian dog has been left without a nose - after surviving a gruelling cancer battle.
Poa - is now known as 'Poa No Nose' by her owners and has her own instagram account @poanonose - after veterinary surgeons removed the upper part of her snout to fight off a fast-growing cancer.
13-year-old Poa, who is three quarters Pomeranian and one quarter American Eskimo, was taken to five different vets before they took the drastic measure to save her life.
Owner Anna Prosser, a producer and host from Seattle, Washington, USA, said: "The vet reminded me that Poa didn’t look in mirrors.
"They said as long as she could get snuggles and treats, she would heal and be perfectly happy.
"Even when she was at her sickest, Poa made it clear that she had no intention of giving up so, given that option, I knew it was the right choice."
Poa had surgery in August, three months after the cancer was diagnosed, and wore a head cone while she recouperated.
Anna said: "On some of the most terrible days, Poa sneezed blood, refused to eat, and was agitated all through the night.
"On good days, she slurped wet dog food and didn’t hide any of her medicine in her doggy bed.
"It was some of the hardest work I have ever done in my life, but little by little, day by day, she became stronger, until today she seems even happier and healthier than she was before."
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Anna Prosser
Image by: Anna Prosser
Image by: Anna Prosser
Poa even managed to grow a full coat of hair despite struggling with Alopecia X most of her life.
Now, even at 13, she still loves to play and walk, and especially snuggle and give kisses.
Anna said: "The first thing people ask are “can she eat?” and “does her tongue stay moist?” The answer to both of those questions is 'yes'!
"At very first, especially when she was fresh out of surgery and very was jarring to look at. Some people saw Poa and reacted with anger toward me.
"They felt like any dog who looked like her must be suffering, and that I, as her owner, should have made the call to put her to sleep instead of making her endure the aftermath of surgery.
"However, the more they see her happily going about her day to day as a basically normal dog with no nose but plenty of personality, they begin to see her for what she is.
"It is a reminder that even the smallest of us can be very strong. Even the most scarred of us can be beautiful, and that love really can survive anything."
She added: "I have been overwhelmed by how many people feel encouraged by her and express love for her.
"She was a very cute dog before, but now that she’s different, and her face tells a story of survival and hope, people seem to connect to her in a whole new way.
"Messages about her strength giving others hope mean the world. We try to return the favour by posting pictures that make people feel happy, and captions that remind people that they are beautiful and worthy of love, just the way they are."
Pictures are now shared on her instagram account @poanonose.
Ms Prosser added: "These have been some of the happiest times of our life together as companions.
"She’s been there for me though so many of life’s hardest times, and I feel so happy and proud to have been able to return the favour for my little bestie."
Video by: Anna Prosser
Adorable pair of cats suffer from rare condition Cerebellar Hypoplasia - which causes them to constantly WOBBLE
Image by: Emily Horner
Meet Pablo and Bones - two cats that suffer from a rare condition which causes them to constantly WOBBLE.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia is an incurable disease caused by an underdeveloped cerebellum - a part of the brain which controls movement.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe - causing them to stumble and stutter as they navigate through day-to-day activities such as walking, eating, and jumping.
Despite the odds, owner Emily Horner, 26, says the pair are still able to do everything else a 'normal' cat can - just with a bit more fumbling about.
She said: "My boys are classified as mild, they can do almost everything other cats can.
"They run around, play together and shred my sofa to pieces, just like any cat, there's just more falling over involved.
"Bones [grey] is the boss of the two, he's very vocal. Pablo [ginger] is the baby of the two, he's a bit more timid but loves being brushed and fussed over. Both are massive foodies."
According to research - Cerebellar Hypoplasia develops when a mother is severely malnourished during the pregnancy phase.
Although it is a mild form of the disease - Emily says she must still keep a watchful eye on the pair to avoid any accidents.
"I do have to be more careful of things that can present a danger to them"
"We have carpeted stairs and CH (Cerebellar Hypoplasia) cats are excellent climbers so they've managed to manoeuvre those with a bit of practice."
Emily, who works in Customers operations in Bristol, adopted the adorable duo a month ago.
Image by: Emily Horner
Image by: Emily Horner
Image by: Emily Horner
The charity, World Animal Friends, specialise in re-homing special needs animals.
Pablo and Bones were being fostered and believed to have been strays at the time.
"The first few nights at hers they slept on the cold floors at her house, they had to learn that sofas were comfy etc"
"They are also scared of people walking around in shoes and seem to eat like they don't know when their next meal is coming."
Emily describes being "instantly sold" after their foster owner sent a picture of them.
"I was actually in contact with the charity about adopting a different cat, but the lady I was speaking to asked if instead of one, if I would consider two, she sent me a picture of the two of them and I was immediately sold".
Emily later created an Instagram account to give her friends a break from the bombardment of pictures she would send of them.
She also discovered communities who had pets living with the same condition.
"People love seeing what my boys get up to and how they navigate the world."
"I found out about CH cats through a page called orangeandblackisthenewtan. They helped to educate me on CH and it leads to me adopting two disabled boys."
"I'm hoping to also show people that disabled animals are in just as much need for a loving home, and just because they are disabled, it doesn't mean they can't have a long happy life with you."
You can watch Emily document Pablo & Bones' wobbly adventures on their Instagram @pablo.and.bones.
Video by: Emily Horner
Thoughtful neighbour has created a parking spot for an NHS nurse who is working on the front-line of the battle against coronavirus
Image by: Steve Chatterley
A thoughtful neighbour has created a parking spot for an NHS nurse who is working on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus.
The space was marked out in white spray paint directly outside the health worker's house so she does not have to search for a gap when returning from long shifts.
The nurse, who does not want to be named, is working in a hospital to treat patients with coronavirus in Greater Manchester.
A sign put up by the neighbour next to the spot read: “SPACE RESERVED. Polite notice. Please respect the sign and give our NHS workers a change. Thanks.”
The nurse's husband, who also does not wish to be named, first saw the paint after his wife had gone to work on Saturday morning (28 March) and said she was “incredibly touched” by the small act of kindness.
He said she often has to park further away from her home when she gets back from her work at the hospital.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
He posted on Facebook: “What absolutely gorgeous caring neighbours who have done this for her. Such a caring touch.
“She was emotional when the street clapped for the NHS in the week, this will do her in! Let's keep supporting our nurses and NHS.”
Critical staff are starting to be tested today (Mon) to see whether they have coronavirus, with tests for A&E staff, paramedics and GPs set to follow.
Last week more than 20,000 former NHS staff applied to return to the health service to join the fight against Covid-19.
Yesterday (Sun) Prime Minister Boris Johnson also thanked 750,000 volunteers who had put their names down to support doctors and nurses however they can.
On Saturday NHS consultant Amged El-Hawrani, 55, was the first hospital frontline worker to die after testing positive for the virus.
Meet the orangutan who decided to take an outdoor vacation in -7°C
Image by: Jake Kubie
A canny orangutan was not going to let a little freezing weather stop him enjoying a ten day treetop holiday - and even took his own blanket to keep him toasty.
Wild orangutans, which hail from the steamy continent of Asia, never encounter cold weather.
Captive orangutans in breeding programmes around the world tuck up inside their zoo enclosures to wait out the winter months.
But 12-year-old Sumatran orangutan Jaya had different plans and braved the perishing cold in the freezing winter of Denver, Colorado, with his trusty blanket.
Jaya threw caring zookeepers of Denver Zoo into a panic when he left the comfort of his indoor retreat and took a 10-day holiday up a tree - in JANUARY.
Zookeeper Cindy Cossaboon said: “We don't know what spooked him, but he retreated into the yard, climbed up a tree and refused to come back inside.
Denver winters can be perishingly cold, so zoo staff rallied to try and coax Jaya back inside.
Cindy, 43, added: “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It’s normally much the same with apes.
“We tried a lot of novel foods with him. He loves dried fruit nuts and juices but nothing was working. He just wouldn’t come down.
“Jaya’s favorite thing is whipped cream. We give him that occasionally for an extra special treat, but even that didn’t persuade him.
“We had two big doors that were left open for him at all times, but he simply refused to come back inside.”
The zookeepers were concerned that Jaya would get frostbite, so they monitored him around the clock to keep him safe.
Image by: Jake Kubie
Image by: Jake Kubie
Image by: Jake Kubie
Cindy added: “We set up a giant heater out there and gave him bedding and hay and sleeping bags and comforters and tarps, everything we could think of to keep him warm.
“We sent up warm drinks and warm foods and the night keepers checked on him throughout the night, every night.
“It’s like having a kid. The animals feel like family and we care about them very much. When he was outside it was probably harder on us than it was on him.
“I wasn’t sleeping. We were all so worried about him. I kept checking with the night keepers every night, asking, ‘how’s Jaya doing?’
“We were lucky because it was quite mild this year, fortunately it was in the 40s in the day (4.5 Celsius) but there were a couple of nights when it got down to 20 (-7 Celsius)
“On those colder nights I didn’t sleep at all. We like to joke that we’re their mothers, their nurses, their restaurants and their house maids. Working with orangutans is about building relationships.
“Everything is about clear, honest and consistent communication. We treat them with respect and give them choices.
"You can’t force them to do anything. We work for them and it’s a real privilege for us.”
Jaya finally decided to end the outdoor experience after 10 days and vacated his treetop home and loped back into the warm.
Cindy added: “We were so relieved. It was a rough couple of weeks.”
Jaya is now happily settled at the zoo and has formed a firm friendship with a female orangutan called Eirina of the same age.
Cindy said: “Eirina absolutely loves him, she follows him everywhere. They play together all day. They like to hang by their feet upside down and wrestle.
“We’re hoping that in the future it’ll become a romantic relationship, but they are too young to breed effectively at the moment.
“When orangutans have children too young they don’t become the best parents, so the recommendation is that they don’t have their first baby until they are 15-years-old.
“But we really hope that in a few years we’ll have some babies to celebrate.”
Video by: Ashley Moran
These amazing photographs show how an ingenious bird has built a cosy nest for its chicks - inside a set of city centre traffic lights
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
These amazing photographs show how an ingenious bird has built a cosy nest for its chicks - inside a set of city centre traffic lights.
An industrious mistle thrush piled up a cluster of leaves and twigs on a visor below the middle amber light at the top of a metal post.
It was built in Leeds, West Yorks, and is home to five young chicks.
It's thought the unusual spot was chosen by the bird because of the warmth given off from the light, as chicks need supplementary warmth until they are fully feathered.
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Dozens of passersby and motorists have been spotted inspecting the nest, which sits at the centre of a busy junction close to Leeds Beckett university.
The mistle thrush is a large songbird with pale grey-brown upper parts, a greyish-white chin and throat, and black spots on its pale yellow and off-white under parts.
Generally found if wood and parkland, the creature feeds on a variety of invertebrates, seeds and berries.
Their favoured food is mistletoe fruit, which is reflected in its name.
Mistle thrush's incubate their eggs for around two weeks, which is when chicks are usually mature enough to fledge.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
PIPING A HERO - Former Labour advisor Alastair Campbell serenades dedicated NHS nurse on bagpipes as she returns home from gruelling hospital shift.
Image by: Jon Mills
Former Labour advisor Alastair Campbell serenaded a hero nurse home on the bagpipes after she finished a gruelling shift on a busy hospital ward.
Matilda 'Sissy' Bridge battled leukaemia from the age of two-and-a-half and joined the NHS to work with those who helped her beat the cancer and care for others.
Sissy, 27, now works as a nurse on the asthma ward at Whittington Hospital, Upper Holloway, London.
She and Campbell's comedian daughter Grace, 25, have been neighbours and friends since birth.
Image by: Jon Mills
Accomplished piper Alastair said: "Sissy and grace are great friends. Sissy had childhood leukaemia and was hospitalised for quite a while. That is part of the reason she became a nurse.
"It was an honour to march a heroine home from the front line - well done Sissy.
"And we did a nice hymn for the whole street who came out to thank Sissy and all who work in our wonderful NHS.
"We were also serenading Sissy's loving family, mum Victoria and older sister Florence, who worry about her every minute of every day.
"#clapforNHS. And, of course, the wonderful @RoyalFreeNHS."
Alastair, inspired by Sissy's childhood cancer battle, ran the marathon for Bloodwise charity in her honour.
He said: "I ran the marathon for leukaemia research in 2003 and her family donated £50k. I raised over £1million in the end."
Video by: Ellis Wylam
An arcade owner has put toilet roll, soap and hand sanitiser as prizes - in GRABBER machines
Image by: Adam Harnett
An arcade owner has put toilet roll, soap and hand sanitiser as prizes - in GRABBER machines.
Rob Braddick, 48, owns Ho Barts Amusement Arcade and noticed that stocks of toilet roll were running low in his local supermarket.
He then decided to buy as many as he could, and used his stock to replace the toys and teddy bears in his grabbing machines.
Rob said that there were still products available to buy in his area, but hoped that people would flock to his amusement arcade in Westward Ho!, Devon, when they got desperate.
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Rob said: "We evicted the character from Frozen and the Peter Rabbit teddy bears and replaced them with hand sanitiser and toilet rolls.
"We also have a large machine that used to have a Spider Man doll, but now there is a large Curex soap in there - that's the Rolls-Royce of hand sanitisers.
"We test it, it's possible to win them but it is hard. We've lad people coming in to have a go but I don't think anyone has won yet.
"It's been a bit quiet so far but I think people will start coming in to have a look.
"There are still some toilet rolls on the shelves around here so I guess people aren't that desperate yet."
Rob also owns the nearby Braddick Holiday Centre, which employs around 100 people.
He said that they are taking the coronavirus scare very seriously, and have implemented a strict hand-washing policy for staff.
Rob continued: "We have a lot of staff at the holiday centre and the arcade, and we've put in measures where people have to wash their hands every half hour.
"So far the effect of the outbreak is unclear, we're still getting people ringing up and booking holidays - but it's early days and things could get worse."
