TRAGIC DEATH - A two-year-old girl has died after contracting E.Coli following a holiday at a "disgusting" hotel in Turkey
Image by: Steve Chatterley
A two-year-old British girl has died after contracting a tummy bug following a holiday at a "disgusting" hotel in Turkey, it emerged today.
Little Allie Birchall was struck down by E.Coli poisoning and developed complications after staying at the five Crystal Sunset Luxury Resort and Spa, east of the city of Antayla.
Her family had to make the heartbreaking decision to switch off her life support after she was flown back to the UK and had been rushed to hospital.
The little girl died on August 3 - just three weeks before her third birthday - and less than two weeks after returning home from their holiday at the resort.
Her mum, Katie Dawson, told how all members of the family suffered from gastric symptoms including stomach cramps and diarrhoea during their 10 day stay.
The family had travelled to Turkey with tour operator Jet2 Holidays on 12 July.
Katie said they had concerns over the hygiene at the resort, including faeces in a swimming pool and food which had not been properly heated.
She said: “Food was sometimes left uncovered and occasionally served lukewarm, and there were birds occasionally flying around the food.
“We saw faeces in the swimming pool and I spoke to other holidaymakers who saw the faeces in the pool on more than one occasion, and staff just scooped it out without closing the pool or giving it a thorough clean.
“The walls in the children’s toilets were also smeared with faeces. It was disgusting.
But Allie did not start getting ill until five days after getting back to their home in Atherton, Greater Manchester, when she began suffering with stomach cramps, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and lethargy.
Peppa Pig fan Allie was seen by an out-of-hours GP, but as she got worse she was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital on July 30 where various tests were carried out.
It was confirmed that Allie had contracted Shiga-Toxin producing E.Coli (STEC), which later led to her developing deadly Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) - a life-threatening complication related to the poisoning.
HUS is a serious and potentially fatal condition that affects the blood and blood vessels, resulting in the destruction of blood platelets. It can also cause kidney failure and brain damage.
Allie was moved to the Manchester Royal Infirmary and put in an induced coma on August 1.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
An MRI scan was carried out, which revealed that she had sustained severe brain trauma and damage. Katie had to make the difficult decision to terminate Allie’s life support following the advice from doctors.
Allie died on August 3.
Katie said: “In sharing Allie’s story, we want to make people more aware of the signs and symptoms of STEC HUS.
"I keep thinking that if I had known about the condition, then I would have probably taken Allie to hospital sooner and it wouldn’t have ended the way it did.
"Allie was such a beautiful, happy girl and we are all utterly heartbroken. We still can’t believe she is gone.
“Allie was an intelligent, beautiful and independent little lady.
"She was always giving kisses and cuddles at home, and always wanted to be sat on someone’s knee or to be picked up and carried around.
“Allie loved baking, playing with her dolls, playing nurse and she was always sticking plasters on us and our dogs.
"I bought her a nurse’s outfit and doctor’s bag full of equipment for her birthday but she never got to see them.
"Allie also loved watching Peppa Pig and singing nursery rhymes.
“There is now a massive hole in our home and our hearts. We all miss her dearly. She should not have died. She had so much to give.
“While nothing will bring her back, we need to know what caused her illness and if anything could have been done to prevent it.
“We all suffered gastric illness and there were a number of people complaining of being unwell during our stay at the hotel, but we didn’t anticipate how serious it could be.”
The family have now instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers, Irwin Mitchell, to investigate what happened.
Public Health England is also currently investigating the matter, and an inquest has been opened to examine the circumstances surrounding Allie’s death.
Jatinder Paul, a Senior Associate Solicitor and specialist international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: “Allie’s family are understandably heartbroken at the loss of their lovely little girl and are struggling to come to terms with what happened.
“Through our work we are sadly only too aware of the potentially devastating consequences of serious illnesses such as STEC and E.coli, particularly for children, which are only highlighted by Allie’s sad death.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare and we are supporting Katie and her family through this difficult time and are now investigating how Allie contracted her illness.
“As part of our investigations, we are looking into the family’s stay at the Crystal Sunset Luxury Resort and Spa and if any issues are identified, we hope that measures will be taken to ensure this does not happen again.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Katie Dawson went to the all-inclusive resort with partner, Wayne Birchall, 35, and children, Bobbi Birchall, nine, and Casey Calland, 15.
The couple, who both run their own window cleaning business, spent around £4,000 for the 10-day break.
Katie, 35, told how meals were served in a buffet style, with the family eating mostly English food.
Allie was eating chicken nuggets, mash and peas and chips, along with cereal and ice cream.
Katie said: "We all suffered, apart from Allie, from gastric problems while we were away.
"I was bedridden for a couple of days but the others weren't as bad as me.
"Allie was totally fine for the whole of the holiday, she had an absolutely brilliant holiday. She loved it.
"When Allie first got poorly we had no idea it would be linked to the holiday.
"We are hoping to get to the bottom of what caused this."
Today (TUES) it emerged that holidaymakers as far back as two years ago had claimed they found poo in the pool at the resort.
One woman said on TripAdvisor: "They also close [sic] the main pool because their [sic] was poo in the water we also seen [sic] someone change a baby's nappy then washed [sic] the baby's bottom in the pool."
The review was posted on September 8, 2017 and rated the resort as three out of five.
A spokesperson from Jet2.com said: “We are very sorry to hear about these tragic circumstances, and we would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Ms. Dawson and her family at this very difficult time. As lawyers have been instructed, it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment.”
Diablo the baby porcupine and Fig the sausage dog are the best of friends
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS 
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
A pair of best friends could end up in a sticky situation if their rough-and-tumble goes too far - because a sausage dog is pals with a baby porcupine.
Porcupette Diablo made friends with little puppy Fig under the watchful eye of surrogate mum Estelle Morgan, who is hand-rearing the spiny little critter because he got rejected by his mum.
Zookeeper Estelle took the tiny porcupette home to give him the best chance of survival when his mum Hannah rejected him at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire.
When Diablo was just a few days old, Estelle introduced him to her puppy Fig for some company and essential social interactions to help his development, and the pair soon became best friends.
The prickly pair now spend all day playing together, but will only have a few more days before Diablo has to leave - and go back to the zoo.
Estelle said: "It’s safe to say they have become best friends.
"When Diablo gets excited he will do a buckaroo-style run, where he thrashes his head around and jumps up in the air.
"Under close supervision, they will run around the garden together and Fig has been very gentle and patient with Diablo."
Diablo was born to parents Hannah and Prickle at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford.
But the decision was made to hand-rear the baby porcupine when his mother rejected him.
She said: "Hannah previously had twins in February that she is still caring for, so it is likely she wasn’t really ready for another baby so soon.
"His unexpected arrival was a big surprise for all of us."
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Little Diablo was very feisty from birth but is now showing his softer side and building his social skills with best buddy Fig.
He is currently being bottle-fed by Estelle in her kitchen at her home which is located within the wildlife park.
Estelle said: "When Diablo was first born he was very feisty and wasn’t scared to give me a nip.
"However now he has settled into a good routine and will comfortably follow me around the kitchen and will even come to me for reassurance."
When Estelle began hand-rearing Diablo, he weighed just 300g and has grown to a whopping 1.8kg.
For the first month, he was fed one bottle every two hours to get him into a good routine.
But at six weeks old, he is now tasting solid foods and has developed a liking for apples and sweet potatoes.
Estelle said: "My most stand out moment hand-rearing Diablo was when he latched on and suckled on his own from the bottle for the first time.
"This happened when he was three days old and was just a huge relief for me - the first few days are always worrying.
"Now, at six weeks old, he is tasting solid foods - sweet potatoes and apples are his favourites - so he can go longer in-between feeds which also means I’ve been able to get more sleep."
Image by: Tom Wren SWNSVideo by: Tom Wren SWNS
From Russia with love: Four-year-old girl's message in a bottle travelled 5,000 miles from Spain to MOSCOW
Image by: Jake McPherson
A four-year-old British girl who threw a message in a bottle into the sea in Spain was stunned to receive a reply - from a couple in MOSCOW.
Taylor Powell tossed the bottle into the water on the third day of her holiday in Santa Susanna near Barcelona.
She included a picture of herself and a note which read: “If you find this picture, please respond with a name of your country and a picture."
And she was amazed when her dad Ritchie, 31, received a text from a couple named Sasha and Alex who said they found it in Moscow's Moskva River.
They sent a photograph of Taylor's note along with a Google Maps image showing their location and a note signed ‘From Russia with love’.
Experts reckon the only way it could have made the journey by sea was to travel at least 5,000 miles across the Bay of Biscay, around the Shetland Islands and across the North Sea.
Image by: Jake McPherson
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Ritchie said: "When I told Taylor someone had replied to the message, her face completely lit up. She was so happy.
"I asked them to send proof and received a pin of their location to my phone. We were absolutely ecstatic.
“We told Taylor her the bottle will pass by mermaids and sharks - for it to turn up in Moscow is magical for her. She’s so excited."
Ritchie and Taylor, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, were on a four-day holiday to Santa Susanna, 37 miles from Barcelona on Spain’s north east coast.
They were joined by Ritchie’s girlfriend Milly Templeton-Browne, 22, who helped Taylor pen the letter, which included her dad's mobile number and read:
“Hello my name is Taylor Powell, I am four years old and on holiday in Spain with my daddy.
“If you find this picture, please respond with a name of your country and a picture.
“Love Taylor xxx”
Their hotel was situated beside the seafront - and she dispatched the bottle on May 19.
Car salesman Ritche said: “Taylor made a wish when she threw the bottle into the sea.
“She kissed it and said ‘I wish I could be a mermaid’."
Ritchie and Milly, an administrator at Weston College, were driving to Parklife festival in Manchester on June 7 when they received the text from a Russian mobile number.
It was accompanied by a picture of Taylor’s note held in a woman’s hand and a Google Maps pin showing their location.
The text read: "We hope your holiday in Spain was great - from Russia with Love, Sasha and Alex.”
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Jake McPherson
The dad-of-one posted the story on his Facebook page - and received more than 300 likes with dozens of heartfelt messages.
Dr Adrian New, a scientist at the National Oceanography Centre, said it is possible for the bottle to have reached Russia by water.
This would involve it travelling around Portugal to the Bay of Biscay and up to Rockall Trough, west of Ireland.
The bottle would then float around the northerly tip of Scotland to the Shetland Islands before entering the North Sea.
Next, it would transition into the Baltic Sea before arriving at western Russia and continue north-eastwards along the north-western coast of Norway - arriving in Northern Russia.
However, Dr New said he would expect the journey to take “longer than just one month”.
He said: “From Spain there is a generally northwards current called the Shelf Edge Current (SEC) which runs along the upper regions of the continental shelf break.
“This is where the shallow shelf sea waters get suddenly deeper and plunge down typically from 100-200m depth to 4000m depths or so.
“The SEC is usually in water depths around 500m or so.
“This could take the bottle northwards along Portugal, around the shelf break in the Bay of Biscay, then up through the Rockall Trough west of Ireland, then up to the north of Scotland and Shetland.
“Here it could then either turn southwards into the North Sea and possibly transit into the Baltic and then arrive in western/southern Russia, or it could continue north-eastwards along the north-western coast of Norway and from there arrive in Northern Russia.”
Spurs fans MISS Tottenham’s incredible Champions League comeback after getting too drunk and leaving the stadium at half time - thinking it was full time
Image by: Steve Chatterley
A family of Spurs fans MISSED Tottenham’s incredible Champions League comeback after they got too drunk and left the stadium at half time - thinking it was FULL TIME.
Lifelong Spurs fans James, Michael and Will Perkins stormed out of Ajax’s Johan Cruijff Arena when the score was 2-0 and “all hope seemed lost”.
The father and son trio thought their beloved Spurs were seconds away from Champions League semi-final heartbreak so headed for the exit - just before the 45th minute.
However, there was still a full half of football left to play in Amsterdam on Wednesday night - which turned out to be 45 minute spell that will go down in club history.
Tottenham went on to win the match 3-2, after Lucas Moura scored the second half hattrick with less than 60 seconds left to play.
But Spurs season ticket holders, James, Michael and Will, from south London, missed the whole thing - after sinking 12 pints each before the match and mistaking half time for full time.
Social media producer James, 23, said: “We just thought there was no way we were going to score three goals in less than five minutes.
“We were pretty poor and were having no chances at all. We all left just before half time - thinking it was full time.
“We didn’t look like we were ever going to score. All three of us were pretty drunk and just didn’t think we were going to score.
“No one was talking and everyone thought the game was over at that point. We thought we were leaving at the perfect time and wanted to beat the rush out of the ground.”
Boozed up and miserable, the three heartbroken fans began to make their way back to their hotel in central Amsterdam.
But as they stood on metro train station platform, James received a phone call from a friend .. just as the second half was getting underway.
It was then that the penny dropped and James realised he had walked out of the stadium at half time rather than full time.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Whilst he was on the phone to his friend, Spurs scored the first of their three goals, which sparked the start of a memorable comeback.
James, Michael and Will rushed back to their hotel and managed to catch the last half an hour of the match in the hotel bar.
He took off his shirt and ran around the bar and celebrated as if he was still stood in the stands when the final goal went in and Spurs sealed a sensational victory.
James added: “We were stood waiting for the train and my friend called me. He couldn’t believe we had left. He said the game was still going on.
“He told me when Spurs scored the first goal. I was so confused. But then I realised no one was stood around us waiting for a train.
“We were able to watch in the bar and to be honest, I’m fine with it now. I was still excited to be watching because of what was happening.
“I was just happy we were coming back. It’s still amazing to see us reach the final.
“It was an unbelievable feeling when we had won. I took my shirt off and started running around.
“Obviously, it would have been better to be there but it was still an incredible experience for sure. We celebrated as if we were still at the ground.”
James paid 64 euros for his ticket and has travelled around Europe all season watching Spurs in the Champions League.
James, his dad and his brother arrived in Amsterdam for the Champions League semi-final second leg at 1pm on Wednesday, and spent the seven hours before kick off drinking.
They arrived at the ground in time for the 8pm kick off, but due to a drunken mix-up, missed the start of the match.
Blurry-eyed James even tried to get into the Amsterdam Arena using a ticket for an old Tottenham match.
He arrived at his seat ten minutes into the match - when Spurs were already losing - and meant he thought he had missed a full half of football.
James said: “We thought we had left at the perfect time to beat the rush at full time.
“I left and my dad and brother followed me.
“I’m still happy but that’s the last time I ever leave a football match early.”
James is hoping to attend the Champions League Final in Madrid with his dad and brother on June 1.
Spurs will take on Liverpool at the Estadio Metropolitano, where one team will be crowned the champions of Europe.
Shocking footage shows brainless driver stopping on motorway while young boy has a wee
Image by: Video Contributor 8
Police are hunting a brainless BMW driver who was caught on dashcam stopping on a busy motorway – to let his child out for a WEE.
The motorist parked with his hazard lights flashing on the southbound carriageway of the M1 just yards away from an exit for a services.
Dashcam shows a little boy in a white shirt and grey trousers crouching down to relief himself before getting back into the silver car.
The shocked driver captured the motorist’s insane actions last Friday (29/3) at 5pm during busy rush-hour traffic near Northampton.
The driver, who did not want to be named but posted the footage online, said: "I was heading home from work at around 5pm on the M1.
"I was in lane one which is the turn off for junction 16.
"There was a lorry in front of me but then it moved into the second lane.
"I could see that there was a car in front but the sun was low so I couldn't see his hazard lights which were on.
"I had to stop in a live lane of the motorway behind this mindless idiot.
"I saw a young a lad, about six or seven crouching down and having a wee on the carriageway.
"It was crazy, I've never seen anything like that before.
"I was pressing my horn to tell him to get out of the way.
"What I saw was beyond belief and it could have easily resulted in a serious injury or
even death.
"I was afraid the cars behind me wouldn't be able to stop in time.
"I was fearful of someone going into the back of my car, which would have sent me into his.
"Maybe the driver thought it was a hard shoulder but it's clear from the signs above it wasn't and there were loads of cars driving along it.
"After the kid was done he just got back into the car and they drove off.
"I pulled up next to him and told him off but all I got in return was two fingers, which was charming.
"He didn't even recognize that he had done wrong.
"I was there for less than a minute but that's all it takes for to have been an accident.
"I just want to put this out there so it shows people just how dangerous it.
"We were literally 30 seconds from the next exit, which is what makes this all more ridiculous.
"There was no excuse for him to stop there. can be to stop on the motorway without good reason."
Northamptonshire Police are investigating and have appealed for the BMW driver to come forward.
Video by: Video Contributor 8
Hilarious moment a three-year-old girl gave her baby brother a TOWIE-style makeover with cosmetics - to 'look just like you mummy'
Video by: Catherine Carr 
Image by: Catherine Carr
A three-year-old gave her baby brother this hilarious TOWIE-style makeover with cosmetics - to 'look just like you mummy'.
Mum Catherine Carr, 24, thought she'd grab a quiet moment to sort some washing and left daughter Tiffany downstairs watching TV with snoozing sibling Frankie.
But Tiffany then decided to use her mum's make-up to paint her bro's face - leaving him a deep brown colour.
The younger used a brush to cover him with bronzer, gave him red lips with lipstick and drew on eyebrows with eyebrow pencil.
Her mother came down to find Frankie fully made-up - and was even more gutted when Tiffany explained she wanted him 'to look like you mummy'.
Catherine, of Harrogate, Yorkshire, said: “I left him fast asleep and she was sat quietly watching her tablet.
“It was all so nicely peaceful until Tiff shouted 'mummy come downstairs – I made Frankie look like you'.
“She'd basically piled as much as bronzer onto his face as possible and covered him in highlighter cream.
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
“She'd also put my lipstick on him and done quite a good job drawing on his eyebrows with my eyebrow pencil.
“She seemed to think he looked exactly like me – I couldn't see it to be honest.”
But far from getting a telling-off, Tiffany's make-up job had her mum in stitches.
“I was mortified, but I couldn't tell her off – it was just too funny,” Catherine explained.
“Some would have told her off, but she's always doing hilarious things like this, she's a little legend.”
And she said Frankie seemed perfectly happy with his makeover as well.
She said: “He loved his new look. He was fast asleep when I left him but I came downstairs and he was sat on the floor smiling his head off.
“He looked like a doll, she'd put that much make-up on him.”
Catherine shared snaps of Frankie and his sister on a Facebook parenting group, with thousands of mums and dads liking it in just hours.
She wrote: “I don't know what's worse, the fact she she thinks I look like that or the fact that she's done his eyebrows quite good.”
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
A woman describes horrific story after her hand was bitten off by rescue dog
Video by: Tom Maddick SWNS 
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
A woman yesterday told how she had her hand bitten off by a huge rescue dog which savaged her in attack which 'seemed to last for hours.'
Sue Scarlett, 64, was savaged by the 90kg - 14 stone - cross-bred beast while cleaning its kennel and looked down to the ground see her 'right hand on the floor.'
The care home nurse was set up by the dog last October when the animal locked its teeth around her right arm.
Despite two people trying to get the dog off her hand, the male dog gripped on to her wrist with his teeth and wouldn't let go.
The grandmother, who described the dog having a grey and black brindle coat with paws the size of her hand, said: "I shouted to him to let go but he just held on tighter.
"After what seemed like hours my husband heard me and tried to pull the dog away but was unable to do so.
"I remember thinking that I would have a few broken bones when he finished.
"But at that time I looked down and saw my right hand lying on the concrete in a pool of blood."
The kennels which had a run outside where caged - the dogs slept in the kennels and were able to have water in the run before running outside into a surrounding field to play.
As Sue let the dog out of the kennels to go into the field to clean the room and change the water in the run.
But the dog put his head partially into the run of out of the kennel and grabbed her right arm.
Sue, who is a nurse at Ashlynn Grange care home, in Peterborough, Cambs., shouted at the dog to let go but he continued to "gnaw" at her arm.
She said she had to go on her knees to push the kennel gate against him because she "knew that if he got into the kennel he would kill" her.
Sue screamed for her husband, who was also helping to look after the other dogs, to call for an ambulance and police as her friend tried to get the dog off her arm.
After a couple of minutes, the dog eventually let go in which they were able to isolate him back into the kennel.
She added: "As I looked up I saw him looking at me and there was blood all round his mouth.
"As a nurse I knew that I was in big trouble so told my husband that he needed to put a tourniquet - compressing device - above the wound, which he did using his jacket.
"My friend and my husband held my arm in the air to try and prevent more blood loss and continued to do so until a paramedic took over."
The East Anglian Air Ambulance arrived at the scene a long with two doctors, a paramedic and police.
Sue said: "I don't remember much else about the journey or going into the hospital or the emergency surgery which was needed to save my life.
"But what I know is that without a shadow of a doubt is that without the swift action and interventions of the East Anglian Air Ambulance crew I would not be here today.
"I might have lost part of my arm but I am alive and will always be grateful to the crew".
The dog was put down after the attack.
Since the attack Sue as thanked East Anglian Air Ambulance service after their life saving efforts.
An East Anglian Air Ambulance spokesperson said: "The Anglia Two team of Doctor Pam Chrispin, Doctor Antonia Hazlerigg, CCP Mark Milsom and Pilots Rosh Jaypalan and Martin Polding were tasked at 12:24 and arrived on scene in Wisbech at 12:46.
"The clinical team provided IV Access and haemorrhage control, dressing and splintage to Sue’s arm.
"They administered pain relief and antibiotics at scene before packaging Sue and flying her to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, arriving at 13:39."
Sue is now volunteering to help raise funds "that are needed to keep these heroes and horoines in the air" for East Anglian Air Ambulance, which is not government funded.
She will be taking part in the Big Leeap, the tandem skydiving event in May.
Sue was forced to give up for the last six months while recovering from her injuries.
DON'T LOOK DOWN, BOY! - Meet Britain’s paragliding DOG that takes to the skies with his owners
Video by: Joe McCarthy 
Image by: Joe McCarthy
Meet Britain’s paragliding DOG - that regularly takes to the skies with its owners.
Henry the three-year-old cockapoo has flown more than 20 times over the hills of west Wales - and even in the Alps.
Owners Amy Jones, 38, partner Joe McCarthy, and Amy's dad Rob, 67, leap off mountains and hills with the dog strapped on their laps.
Weather conditions must perfect to paraglide - and Henry flew this weekend as it was dry with low winds.
Video footage shows Henry looking relaxed as he flies with Rob, 67, over hills near his home in Tywyn, west Wales.
The pooch also enjoyed a bird’s eye view of his favourite beach on Boxing Day as he swept along the Dyfi Estuary.
He started high on the hills above Aberdyfi before paragliding down to the seafront - enjoying panoramic views across the stunning landscape.
He hops up onto the pilot's knee and is “ready to go as soon as he gets his harness on”.
Image by: Joe McCarthy
Image by: Joe McCarthy
Amy, who runs a roofing firm with dad Rob, said: “Henry is hilarious - his expressions are very funny because he is always so happy.
“We go over to the Alps every year in a VW campervan and Henry comes with us and flies.
“As soon as he gets his harness on to paraglide you can tell he wants to go - as soon as it is on he’s ready.
“But Joe and I are very active and he does everything with us.
“We take him to Lake Annecy where he flies, swims and cycles in the trailer - it’s great.
“Passersby expect it to be a kid in the back but then they see his little head. People think we are bonkers but it’s so funny.”
The little dog also paddleboards with Amy, travels in a trailer with her on long bike rides and enjoys long walks up Cadair Idris mountain in the snow.
Henry’s love for the outdoors is a trait mirrored by Amy and Joe who met three years ago when he was a puppy.
He often flies with Amy’s dad, Rob, who has over 30 years of paragliding experience and was one of the sport's pioneers.
Amy says playful Henry is small and will often disappear into the snow during walks on Cadair Idris. She added that Henry has flown “20 to 30 times” in total.
Partner Joe, a commercial photographer and videographer, described Henry as “so calm” as he flies.
Henry spends his time at home in Bryncrug, Gwynned, Wales napping and eating so he is ready to go outdoors.
Joe, who met Amy in a paragliding class, added: “Cockapoos are really lovely natured, gentle and caring dogs.
“He doesn’t shed so is a brilliant house dog but loves to go out. When I’m working he will nap, then he eats and is ready to go out again.”
Image by: Joe McCarthy
MUM IN A MILLION - Meet the young woman who has become 'mum' to her five siblings at the age of 21 - after they lost their mother to a sudden illness
Image by: Shannon Ellis
Meet the 23-year-old who has become mum to her five siblings as well as her own two kids - after her mother's sudden death.
Shannon Ellis was just 22 when she stepped up to care for the brood of seven after her mum Shelley, 39, died in January this year.
This Mother's Day she received handmade cards, boxes of chocolates and bouquets of flowers from her brother and sister.
The brood will also paid tribute to Shelley by visiting the tree where they spread her ashes near the park she used to take them to.
Shannon - who was already a mum to her own children - Harrison, three, and Rowan, two - was devastated when she lost her mum.
But rather than see her siblings placed in care, Shannon volunteered to raise them as her own, under one roof.
She took them in with her partner, Kieran Ferguson, 23, at their home in Hartlepool, County Durham.
She is the legal guardian for her five siblings - Mia, 16, Neve, 15, Bracken, 13, Keevie, 10, and Blaine, eight.
Shannon, who is a full-time mum, said: "I always wanted to be a mum, but I never imagined I'd have to fill my own mum's shoes and go from a mum-of-two to a mum-of-seven overnight.
"But I promised mum I'd look after my brother and sisters.
"She'd have hated to see them split up or in care, I never would have let that happen.
"We have our moments, but we're still one big, happy family - just as mum wanted.
"Mum was just brilliant.
"She did everything to provide for us - despite being a single parent and raising us all on her own.
"She'd take us on family trips to the seaside and would muck in with us playing games. On a Saturday night she'd always rustle up a huge home-cooked feast.
"We had an amazing childhood and always felt very loved and protected by her.
"She made me want to have children of my own and she was over-the-moon when she became a grandmother to my two little boys."
Shannon was born seven years before her next sibling, so for the first years of her life, she and mum Shelley were inseparable.
“I was her mini-me,” Shannon said. “We would do everything together.
“She was both mum and dad to me as my father wasn't on the scene - but she was also my best friend in the world.
“I remember watching in admiration as she put her make-up on in the mornings and thinking, I want to be just like her when I grow up."
Image by: Shannon Ellis
For many children, the sudden arrival of new siblings after years of undivided attention would cause upset - but not for Shannon.
Sliding with ease into her role as their big sister, she doted on her younger siblings from the very first time she set eyes on them.
“I remember the first time I met Mia and mum said I could give her a kiss,” Shannon said.
“She was sleeping so peacefully and I carefully kissed her tiny face – I was so scared of breaking her, she was perfect.”
As the number of her siblings grew, the Ellis’ became one big happy family.
“We were all really close,” Shannon said.
“We’d have the odd fight as brothers and sisters do, but all-in-all we looked out for each other and mum made sure we were always happy.
“I would help her out where I could - getting my younger brother and sisters ready for school and out the door – mum couldn’t do it all by herself!”
By this time, Shelley was no longer with her partner and the father of the younger children, but the family got on perfectly fine with the help of Shannon.
They enjoyed trips to Headlands Beach or Summer Hill, near their home in Hartlepool, and caring Shelley would make sure the car was packed with everything they would need.
She helped with homework and tucked each one of her six children into bed each night, with more than enough love to spread between them all despite having barely any time for herself.
Keen to start a family of her own, Shannon fell pregnant aged 18 after she and Keiran had been dating for eight months and had two sons - who Shelley doted on.
"I remember taking the pregnancy test at home first thing in the morning before work,” Shannon said.
“I ran screaming and shouting into mum’s room, jumping on her bed and telling her she was going to be a grandma.
“Mum knew before Kieran did – that’s how close we were!
“She was over the moon and although I was nervous about being a young mum, I knew I could do it if I just followed the amazing example my mum had set.”
Harrison, three, was born in May 2015, followed by another grandson for Shelley, Rowan, two, in January 2017.
Shannon and Kieran moved just around the corner after the birth of their two boys to give the family some more space – but that didn’t mean they weren’t together all the time.
Shannon said: "Mum was an amazing grandmother - she absolutely adored the boys.
“Not a day went by where I wouldn’t see my mum.
“She helped look after the boys if we were busy and taught me the tricks of the trade.
“She was besotted with her grandchildren, the same look I’d seen when my siblings were born all those years earlier, and I was so happy to have her help throughout their early years.
"I always thought she'd be there for me to give me guidance and to watch her children and grandchildren grow up."
But the family's lives were turned upside down after Shelley was taken unexpectedly ill in January 2018 - and told she had just days to live.
Shelley was rushed to the University Hospital of North Tees, Hartlepool, where medics discovered she had a rare disease.
Shannon was told by medical staff that her mum Shelley would never be the same, and had a maximum of two years to live.
“I’ll never forget hearing those words,” Shannon said.
“I couldn’t contemplate losing her but the doctors assured that would be the case.”
When Shelley heard she didn’t have long left, she became unbelievably worried about what would happen to her children left behind.
“It was horrible seeing the worry in her face, she loved us all so much,” Shannon said.
“But I promised her that the kids would never be alone and that I would step up to look after them.”
Shelley’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and just two days later they were told the end was imminent.
Shelley was moved to Alice House Hospice, Hartlepool, to make her final days more comfortable, and the family gathered around to make their heart-breaking goodbyes.
“I can’t thank the staff there enough, they were brilliant to poor mum,” Shannon said.
“They were so lovely and understanding and made sure she had everything she could have needed until the time came.”
Image by: Shannon Ellis
On January 25, 2018, Shelley sadly passed away aged 39 - just nine days after she first started to feel unwell.
Shannon was there when she passed, and curled up on the bed next to her beloved mum until she knew the time had come to tell the rest of the family.
“There’s nothing to describe her death other than a feeling of emptiness,” Shannon said.
“My best friend, my biggest support and my incredible mum had been taken from our lives and I felt so empty.
“But I had to be there for the kids, and we sat together sobbing for what seemed like hours.”
Having gone from speaking to her mum every single day, Shannon was left lost without her.
But she found strength in her siblings and the unity of their family.
Shannon - who was the eldest of her siblings - knew she had to keep her final promise to her beloved mum and stepped up to become the legal guardian for her five siblings.
She said: "Losing mum was horrendous - it came so out of the blue. It hit us all so hard.
"One minute she was there and seemed fit and healthy and the next we were told she had days left to live.
"When she passed away, it didn't hit me straight away. I just felt numb.
"But the one thing that kept me going was my brother and sisters and my own boys. I knew I had to get up each day to be there for them and to look after them.
“I couldn’t have done it all without Kieran – he had no experience of looking after girls, let alone teenagers. But he took my siblings under his wing and was a pillar of strength for all of us.
“Mum was always a brilliant judge of character and she adored him, so I’m glad she will have known that he will always look after us.
“I can’t believe how strong my brother and sisters have been.
“To be so young and suffer such a devastating loss is heartbreaking, but to still act as maturely as they have is amazing.
“They are coping really well and I’m really proud.
“We talk about mum all the time and constantly get photos out and laugh about the joy she brought to our family.”
The family all moved in together after the death of their mum, and Shannon and Kieran have taken them on as their own – just as Shelley had wanted.
From being a mum-of-two to a mum-of-seven overnight, Shannon says she has learnt a lot over the past year and says it gets easier every day.
“It has been hard but it’s given me more of a reason to get up and get on with every day normal life. Their strength has given me the strength to carry on,” Shannon said.
“I think she’d be smiling down at us, proud of how we’re doing.
“She will always be the head of this family, and I am trying every day to follow the incredible example of motherhood she set.”
Great-gran who risked her life for a facelift is so pleased with the results she's saving to go under the knife again
Video by: Paul Davey
A great-gran who risked her life for a facelift is so pleased with the results she's saving to go under the knife again.
Toni Goldenberg became one of the oldest people in the country to have a lower face lift, ridding her of a dreaded 'turkey neck' and making her look years younger.
The 80-year-old said it was like a dream come true when she looked in the mirror for the first time after the her three-and-a-half hour procedure and saw "the old woman had gone."
She began saving her pension five years ago for the £10,000 procedure and has already began putting money away in her giant Coca Cola bottle for an upper face lift.
Toni, from Wallington in south London, said: "I feet absolutely fantastic. It's like a dream come true.
"The old woman has gone and I hope she doesn't come back.
"When I look in the mirror, I thought I looked like a completely different person.
"But now I just see me and I forget what I looked like before.
"My neck and jowls made me look cross and miserable but now I look fresh and happy.
"You could not ask for anything better, especially at my age."
Image by: Paul Davey
Doctors warned Toni could be left partially paralysed or even die from surgery and that the risks of general anaesthetic were much greater at her age.
But she was determined to fulfil her long-held dream and told doctors "at least I would look good in my coffin."
She said: "I was told that I could die or that half of my face could be paralysed but I was willing to take that chance at my age.
"There is no use worrying if you are going to die - you go out onto the street and get run over or die at any moment.
"I understood the risks but I told the doctor 'at least I would look good in my coffin.'"
Toni, who was widowed 46 years ago, underwent extensive tests to evaluate her suitability for surgery and assessed her medical history, general health and level fitness.
She also faced a risk of poor wound healing and even tissue necrosis - where skin cells break down and die.
Toni said: "I was not really that nervous before the operation.
"When they put me on the operating table, I started to think about it all but then the anaesthetist said he was going to give me some drugs.
"I didn't have time to think or worry it and the next thing I remember was waking up in bed after the op.
"Everybody at Harley Street was fantastic, I couldn't recommend them enough."
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Toni went under the knife at the world renowned Harley Street Skin Clinic on February 15.
While she insisted she is "too old for romance" Toni's new fresh look has done wonders for her confidence and she is set to start yoga and gym classes.
She said: "I am too old to get back in the dating game but I would consider going out for a nice meal with somebody and sharing a man's company.
"I feel much more confident and plan to go to the gym every day except for Tuesdays when I look after my great-granddaughter."
Toni, who has two great-grandchildren, saved for the £10,000 op by putting all her loose change in a giant Coca-Cola bottle.
She filled her "face lift fund" with spare pennies from her pension before starting again with pound coins and again with only £5 notes.
Toni is now saving for a £6,000 upper face lift which she expects to have before the age of 85.
She said: "I am already using my Coca Cola bottle - I was saving for some new clothes but I will have to go to the charity shop for them now.
"I look in the mirror now and I see the baggy eyes so I'm saving up again to have the area around my eyes and forehead lifted - that will be another few years.
"My friends said it's the best thing I've ever done and they have already chipped in towards my next face lift."
Six weeks on from surgery, the Harley Street team are impressed by Toni's "extraordinary" and speedy recovery.
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Paul Davey
Lesley Reynolds, co-founder of Harley Street Skin Clinic, said: "Toni surprised us all by her swift recovery from the surgery which is a testament to her tremendous energy and force of life.
"Her general health is such that she bounced back very quickly after the operation - her bruising and swelling were minimal.
"This is in part due to the skills of our surgeon Mr Hagen Schumacher and the anaesthetist, but also perhaps down to Toni's general health.
"Usually people of Toni's age have some sort of health issues that would increase the risk of a general anaesthetic to the point of it not being advisable to have cosmetic surgery."
Surgeon Mr Schumacher told Toni that the results will continue to improve over the next year.
Toni said: "After the surgery, I had a bit of swelling for a few days but no pain at all – it was brilliant.
"It will take a year for it to be completely healed so it will just keep getting better.
"The surgeon was really, really good and I would recommend him to anybody."
The great-grandmother began dreaming of having cosmetic surgery in her 20s when she noticed wrinkles appearing on her face.
She has always worked hard to maintain a size ten and had hoped she would take after her mother, who had "barely any wrinkles" before she died aged 84.
But as she grew older, Toni felt her face no longer matched her body.
She said: "I expected my skin would age in the same way as my mum but it didn't.
"I had wanted it done for decades and decades - I would read about it in the papers and I did a lot of research."
She added: "People won't tell you if they've had a face lift - they don't talk about it but I think people should.
"It has made an awful lot of difference to my confidence and I feel a lot better about myself - I don't even wear make up.
"I'm so pleased with it - it looks natural rather than having that drawn, wind-swept look.
"I can't wait to have the area around my eyes and brows lifted to match."
