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.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
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.”
British sanctuary is home to this massive DONKEY which is set to become the biggest - in the WORLD
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
A British sanctuary is home to this massive DONKEY which is set become the biggest - in the WORLD.
The enormous young animal called Derrick is a staggering 16.3 Hands (5ft 7ins) tall -
and is still growing.
Whopping Derrick is an American Mammoth Jackstock - the largest breed in the world.
The current record is held by Romulus in the Texas, USA, who measures 17 Hands - (5ft 8ins).
Derrick is now just an inch short but his owners say he will easily become a world record holder for biggest donkey.
The donkey lives at Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary, Lincolnshire.
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Sanctuary owner Tracy Garton said: "He was always big, he was big when he was born.
"He hasn't finished growing yet, they stop growing when they reach seven years old.
"So he still has a lot of time."
The 52-year-old said that despite his size, Derrick is a gentle giant: "Derrick is very very friendly.
"He's just like a big dog, follows you around all the time and wants to be by your side."
When Derrick stops growing, the sanctuary will call Guinness World Records.
Romulus has held the title since 2013, but is set to lose the crown once Derrick finishes growing.
Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary opened in 1992, it has 59 animals including donkeys, mules, horses, zeedonks and a zonky.
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Moment quick-thinking police call handler saves mute man's life by interpreting his frantic tapping down the phone
Video by: Ellis Wylam
This is the incredible moment a mute man who called 999 was able to communicate with the emergency operator - using a series of TAPPING noises.
The 63-year-old became poorly at home and his call for help went through to police when he didn't speak.
Thankfully call handler Kathryn Longstaff realised something was wrong and quickly realised the man was communicating with her via tapping.
The pair communicated by her asking him questions - and he tapped for yes, adding a number of taps in quick succession to indicate a more urgent answer.
The man - who usually communicates using a whiteboard - was rushed to hospital and later used the board to thank Kathryn for saving her life.
In an audio recording of the call, the Cleveland Police call handler can he heard asking him if he needs an ambulance, if he has problem breathing and if his door is open.
The only way the man from Cleveland, was able to answer was by hitting something to make a noise, during the call on February 16.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Kathryn said: “As soon as I picked up the call, I knew something wasn’t right and I had to think quickly of a way to communicate with him as I didn’t know at that point what sort of danger he was in.
“Thankfully he had contacted police before and his number and address were already on our system.
"This allowed me to ask him to confirm his personal details by tapping.
"I then asked if he was in danger and if he needed an ambulance.
“I even asked him if he could manage to open the door to allow medical services to access his house, which he was able to do.
“As soon as I knew that he was in danger, my colleague dispatched officers to his address who also alerted the Medicar to attend as quickly as possible.
"Once it arrived, the man was rushed to James Cook University Hospital.
“The man could only use a whiteboard to communicate with staff and he wrote on it to thank all the staff for saving his life, which was extremely moving."
Head of force control room Superintendent Emily Harrison said Kathryn was "an absolute credit to the force".
She added: "Without her quick-thinking the man might not be alive today."
Sisters with deadly cancer diagnosed just weeks of each other -- but only one of them will survive
Two sisters have told of their heartbreak after both were diagnosed with the same rare aggressive cancer just weeks apart - with only one set to beat the killer disease.
Julia Gailes, 48, found a lump in her left breast and while she was waiting for test results, sister Wendy Moffett, 57, discovered an identical lump in her right boob.
Not wanting to worry her little sister, Wendy secretly had tests, and was diagnosed with the same cancer as Julia, five weeks after her sibling.
The pair both had single mastectomies two months apart, and Julia had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
They supported each other throughout 18 months of treatment, calling regularly and sending text messages to boost each other's spirits.
But while Julia was told she was in remission, Wendy was told she couldn't have chemotherapy due to a weak heart.
Just 10 months after her sister was given the all clear, Wendy was told her cancer was terminal, and she had one year to live.
Despite their starkly different prognosis', the pair are closer than ever, and threw a joint party to celebrate life.
Married mum-of-three Julia, from Consett, County Durham, said: "It's felt like the luck of the draw -- obviously I'd rather we'd not had it, but if I was going to go through this with anyone, it's Wendy.
"I can feel well for myself - but knowing that I’m going to be okay when Wendy will not be has been too much to bear."
Grandmother-of-four Wendy, a former end of life carer, from Bishop Auckland, said: "I didn't think when I was diagnosed that it would be what got me in the end. But at least I've had Julia.
"I know it's been hard on Julia, because she's surviving when I'm not. But it's okay. I’m not fed up, I’m not angry, I’m not overly upset -- it’s just happened."
Shop worker Julia found a lump in her left breast in May, 2017, when she happened to brush her hand across her breast and felt it, and was diagnosed later that month.
Unknown to her, Wendy was secretly waiting for her biopsy results after finding similar lumps on her right breast, following a regular checkup.
Though Wendy knew about Julia’s diagnosis, she didn’t tell her sister she might also have cancer because she didn’t want to stress her out during her ordeal.
“I didn’t want to alarm her - but we’re such close sisters that afterwards I felt silly for not having told her straight away,” Wendy said.
Five weeks after Julia’s diagnosis, Wendy was told that she had also been diagnosed with triple negative -- the exact same strain of the disease, in July 2017.
Julia and Wendy, a mum-of-three, are two of 8,000 women in the UK this year alone who will contract triple negative breast cancer, according to Breast Cancer Care.
This vein of cancer is not fuelled by oestrogen and progesterone, which means it doesn't respond to hormonal therapy medicines.
Triple negative breast cancer cells produce too much of the HER2 protein, meaning that cells divide too quickly and the cancer is more likely to spread and to recur.
It can only be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Though Wendy and Julia had genetic tests to see if the disease is hereditary, there's no risk for their children.
Wendy was treated at Darlington Hospital at the same time that Julia was being treated in Hexham -- and both sisters lost one breast each.
Julia's breast was removed in December 2017, after she had a failed lumpectomy.
Wendy had her mastectomy in August 2017 because she couldn't have intensive treatment.
Julia had an aggressive first round of chemotherapy between May and October in 2017, 15 days radiotherapy in February, and another six months' chemotherapy from March.
Wendy had already fought off breast cancer five years earlier, so could only have five days of radiotherapy, due to intense treatment first time round.
She also has dilated cardiomyopathy, which reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood -- and which stopped her from having chemotherapy.
“Because I’d had that cancer, though, and I’d had the radiotherapy back then, the doctor said I could only really have five days’ extra treatment," she said.
“My weak heart means I’ve never had chemo.”
Julia went into remission and was declared free of triple negative in March 2018.
But Wendy’s health took an unfortunate turn for the worst.
Just days after her mastectomy in August 2017, she had a massive heart attack.
She was rushed to a coronary clinic before being immediately transferred to The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough for one month.
Wendy was then fitted with a pacemaker and defibrillator -- which she said has set her back enormously and slowed her down.
“Heart failures put everything on hold,” she said. “I can’t move or stand as much as I used to now. I’ll never get back to how I was before.”
She Wendy found more cancerous growths on her surgical scars and down her back in September 2018.
She was diagnosed with secondary cancer - which was "treatable but incurable" - in October, after it spread to her lungs.
Doctors said in January this year she was terminal, and she was given 12 months to live.
But Wendy has remained positive - and in sisterly style is more worried about her sibling than herself.
“Julia was able to have a round of chemo, followed by a round of radiotherapy, and another round of chemo, and it looks, on that basis, like the treatment obviously worked," said Wendy.
“But because of what’s happened to me, it’s something that she will always have hanging over her.
"She'll be thinking -- ‘Will it come back?’ I know she’s wondering.
“We’ve chatted loads about it and at the back of her mind, she knows that she’s beaten the cancer - at least, for now.
“She’s thinking a lot about if it grows back, like it did for me.
"I know I would be the same if I had beaten it and Julia was diagnosed with secondary cancer.
“It’s something that you can never put out of your mind.”
Julia, who cares for her autistic son, Lewis, nine, and her father James, 79, who has vascular dementia, said she checks every day that her tumours haven't returned.
"I’m not confident it won’t come back," said Julia, who has husband Andrew, 50.
"Although they told me that I’m cancer free, I still check along my scars every day for little lumps.
“This particular cancer is so aggressive, and because it returned along Wendy’s scar lines I’m checking all the time.
“Every time I cough, I think there might be a speck in my lungs. I’m petrified.
“I can’t go through chemo again. It was horrific.
“Thinking about the cancer returning moves me to tears.”
She’s found it hard to accept that Wendy will not survive the same cancer that she has now been declared free of.
“I can feel well for myself - but knowing that I’m going to be okay when Wendy will not be has been too much to bear," she said.
Julia and Wendy threw a gala in March and raised £5,000 for Breast Cancer Care.
Through her Facebook blog, Julia’s Jugs’ Journey, she raised £2,500.
Despite the immense trials she has faced, Wendy is taking each day as it comes.
"I know it's been hard on Julia, because she's surviving when I'm not. But it's okay. I’m not fed up, I’m not angry, I’m not overly upset -- it’s just happened," she said.
“There’s no rage, I don’t feel unlucky -- I’ve accepted it.
“My focus is on every month -- I like to think that I’m a glass half full person.
“I won’t go down without a fight.”
Image by: Julia GailesVideo by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Family of a baby boy given three months to live are desperately waiting to see if the NHS will pay for the drug that could save his life
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The family of a baby boy given three months to live are desperately waiting to see if the NHS will pay for the drug that could save his life.
Six-month-old Haris Khan was born with a rare and debilitating genetic disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), also known as floppy baby syndrome.
When his family were given the devastating diagnosis this month they were also delivered the mortifying blow that the drug that could give him a better, longer life had been pulled in November last year.
Now, Haris' dad, salesman Shakeel, is joining a protest next month - along with other SMA families - to fight for the £450,000-a-year drug, Spinraza.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
They will be gathering outside the NICE offices in Manchester next Tuesday ahead of a crucial meeting to come to an agreement over funding.
In the meantime, adorable Haris, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, is in intensive care at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital attached to an apparatus that helps him breathe.
His family of 31-year-old dad, mum, shop assistant Renata, 26, and nine-year-old brother Marijus, are staying at a local hotel so they can be at Haris' bedside 24/7.
They fear each moment could be his last.
On February 14, specialist doctors told the family Haris has the severest form of the illness, type 1, which affects the nerve cells needed to control the muscles we use for moving, swallowing and breathing.
The irony is, that if Haris had been diagnosed sooner - he was born in August last year - he would have already been given the drug, as it available on a pre-approval basis.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The first British girl to receive it, Annabelle Rose Thomas, has come off breathing support, can swallow food and has even ridden a horse.
But last summer, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said it was not recommending Spinraza be available on the NHS in England because the cost was deemed 'too high for it to be considered a cost-effective use of NHS resources'.
It remains available in Scotland and several other European countries.
Biogen, the company which makes the drug, charges almost £600,000 for it in the US market.
It is offering Spinraza at a lower price of £450,000 for the first year in the UK, and offered an undisclosed discount to the NHS, but it was still not enough.
Shakeel said: "Only a hundred babies a year maximum need that treatment. We, as a country, are losing a hundred babies because we don't think it's justified to save them.
"These organisations are using my son as a bartering tool. The best I can do is to save my son, or keep him with us for as long as possible.
"I'm just beginning my journey in parenthood - I want him here as long as he can be.
"There is a one in four chance my next child will have this - we can't have any more children."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Amazingley, the Wythenshawe community had shown tremendous support for the Khan family.
Every neighbour on their street has a poster in the window about SMA.
Marijus' school and the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity are helping the family any way they can.
Whatever the outcome for Haris and the decision on March 6, Shakeel and Renata don't want other families to go through the same ordeal.
"We might only have my Haris for a few months, so I've got to create a legacy for him," said Shakeel.
"The NHS don't screen for SMA at birth.
"Had they screened him in August when he was born, the treatment was available until November on the Early Access Programme.
"Eighty infants are on that - Haris would have been 81.
"That's one thing we're calling for."
Haris is the youngest child with SMA to feature on a leaflet being handed out to all MPs this week by the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Shakeel wants as many people as possible to be aware of the fight and support the cause.
"Every SMA parent is waking up thinking 'is this our child's last day?' he said.
A spokesperson for NHS England said: "We understand how difficult and frustrating it is for families waiting for decisions to be taken on the funding of new treatments, which is why the company must price this drug responsibly and at a level which is both cost effective and affordable to the NHS.
"It is disappointing that Biogen chose to close the Early Access Programme for new patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 before the NICE assessment process had been completed."
A JustGiving page has been set up to raise money to support the Khan family's campaign to improve awareness of SMA. It is also where Shakeel is posting updates on Haris and his battle. You can visit and donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/littleharis?utm_id=69
Video by: Matthew Newby SWNS
RSPB hit out at local council for netting up a cliff stopping birds from nesting
Video by: Margaret Wilcox 
Image by: Margaret Wilcox
Bird lovers hit out at a council putting up netting on a cliff side preventing sand martins from nesting.
The RSPB say that the netting is risking the lives of the birds as they may get stuck in it.
The RSPB shared a video on Twitter and said the effect of the material, which resembles a football net, was "heart breaking" and said that the council "have not taken out (and their contractor's) original advice."
The netting was put up on the Bacton cliff side, Norfolk, to deter wildlife from nesting during a project to stop erosion.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) will move 1.8 million cubic metres of sand from the cliff side and on to the beach.
The council says this will protect Bacton village from flooding for "up to 20 years".
An online petition to stop the nets, has been created to: "Grant legal protection to Swallow, Swift and Martin nest sites not just nests."
The petition has gained over 25,000 signatures to protect locations similar to the Bacton coast.
A spokesperson for the RSPB said: "We are disappointed that North Norfolk District Council have placed netting on the cliffs at Bacton to prevent sand martins from nesting.
We can confirm the Council's actions do not follow RSPB advice, or indeed their own construction plans."
Based on the images we have seen published, our advice has not been followed and we will be reaching out to NNDC to offer further advice and support."
The decision has sparked outrage on social media, with some users sharing videos saying: "These innocent Sand Martins have travelled thousands of miles to revisit our amazing country & to find their nest sites netted up like this is crazy.
"Whoever's ordered this, needs their family home taken from them!"
A North Norfolk District Council spokesman said: “The Bacton/Walcott Coastal Management Scheme (the Bacton Sandscaping Scheme) is a highly complex project.
“It has been designed to protect hundreds of homes in Bacton and Walcott, and the critical infrastructure of Bacton Gas Terminal, for many years to come, and has been five years in the planning.
“It has been subject to full environmental impact assessment, planning permission and marine licence applications.
“We understand that the RSPB have concerns around the temporary netting element of the project and we are intending to meet with them and contractors on site to fully assess what those concerns are."
Image by: James Linsell Clark SWNS
Image by: Margaret Wilcox
North Norfolk District Council have given into pressure and have agreed to remove controversial netting on a cliff side that is preventing birds from accessing their nests.
Following a meeting with the Nature's Voice the Council have announced: "Following positive discussions with the RSPB and Natural England today, we have instructed contractors to remove the upper levels of netting on Bacton cliffs.
"Minimum levels will be retained to assist in progressing with this critical project to protect people’s homes and national infrastructure.
"Following this, ongoing discussions will take place between NNDC and the RSPB about the material to be used on the lower section of cliff to allow this to happen.
"Please also be aware that these cliffs are not safe to climb on. Please don’t attempt to do this. A team of abseiling professionals will carry out the work in the next 24 hours."
The RSPB are unhappy with the result as it doesn't go far enough to protect sand martins and other birds.
A spokesperson said: "The issue and images of the Bacton cliff netting have been very upsetting for all.
"We are pleased to have had a conversation with North Norfolk District Council this afternoon about the situation. During the conversation, the Council committed to removing the netting covering the upper section of the cliffs tomorrow once their abseiling teams are available.
“We will be taking up an invitation from the Council to visit the site as soon as possible this week to discuss our outstanding concerns. This will cover our concerns regarding the 1.3km length of the netted cliff face that will remain.
"We will ask the Council to reduce this to 50m maximum and keep to a height of 7m. We will also be raising the issue of the material currently in use.
"We will be re-outlining our original recommendation of geotextile meshing to ensure that the burrows in the sandscaping zone are not smothered; in addition, by using geotextile it will also ensure no birds can be trapped.
“We will continue to keep everyone updated as the situation develops. Thank you for your concern regarding the sand martins.”
Two separate online petitions in connection have been signed by hundreds of thousands of people.
The petition 'Make 'netting' hedgerows to prevent birds from nesting a criminal offence' has over 260,000 signatures, and was supported by Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Education Angela Rayner.
The other, 'Grant legal protection to Swallow, Swift and Martin nest sites not just nests' has close to 40,000 signatures.
A protest has been organised at Bacton beach, Norfolk at 5pm this evening (8/9), by a private Facebook group in which members have threatened to remove the netting themselves.
The hashtag 'NetsDownForNature' has been trending on Twitter throughout the day.
Image by: James Linsell Clark SWNS
Image by: James Linsell Clark SWNS
Shocking footage shows brainless driver going the wrong way on the M1
Video by: Mark Thomas 
Image by: Mark Thomas
Shocking footage shows a brainless driver risking lives by going the wrong way on the M1 – before trying to correct his error by reversing up the fast lane.
The elderly motorist turned right and crossed three lanes of the busy motorway before driving towards oncoming traffic.
When the male driver realised his mistake he tried to reverse back along the fast lane before pulling forward again.
The driver eventually manages to reverse back up the road before driving the wrong way down the sliproad.
The video shows the hapless motorist join the southbound carriageway of the M1 at Milton Keynes, Bucks., at 1pm on Monday (1/4).
Lorry driver Mark Thomas, 54, captured the terrifying moment on his dashcam as he drove from Tilbury Docks in Essex.
The divorced dad-of-one, of Shrewsbury, Shrops., said: “I was really shaken up by it, he could have killed someone, I couldn’t believe it.
“I was driving in the middle lane and noticed in the distance was not quite right.
“I was doing around 60mph when I saw the car coming up on the fast lane, and slowed down to 40mph in an instant.
“I just slowed right down and put on the hazard warning lights.
“I could see a young bloke in the white van next to me brake hard and he was really straining on the seatbelt.
“The man in the silver car looked like he was 65 to 70 and was very confused.
“He might not have understood the signs. I wondered if he might be a foreigner.
“When he was reversing on the fast lane I was shouting out the window at him to turn around, in fact I went hoarse from shouting.
"He tried reversing back down the carriageway a couple of times until he weaved his way back down the fast lane and goes the wrong way down the slip road.
"It was lucky it was a clear day because if it had been foggy that would have been it. The road was busy with cars and lorries like mine and he could have caused carnange.
“I have been a trucker for 32 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.
“I sent the dashcam to the police and they say someone has already reported it, I don’t know what’s happened to the driver."
Image by: Mark Thomas
Image by: Steve Chatterley
