Meet the adventurous moggie which loves going HILLWALKING with her owner - who says cats should have the same freedom as dogs
Video by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS 
Image by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS
Meet the adventurous moggie which loves going HILLWALKING with her owner - who says cats should have the same freedom as dogs.
Charlie the cat has just started to be let off the leash by owner Fiona Milne, 50, when they go for hikes together with a pal.
Fiona introduced Charlie to hillwalking slowly, first of all using a lead, but now lets her run free, picking her up if they see dogs.
These pictures show Charlie, a two-year-old moggie, happily trotting after her owner, on Greenock Cut, Inverclyde.
Fiona said: “We have not quite got her to the munros, but she goes out with us when we go for walks.
“She just follows along behind us.
“She just loves it.
“I started taking her out on a little harness, and we only take her to safe areas.
“When we go for a walk, we take Charlie.
“We sort of got her used to being out on a lead.
“It is just amazing, especially the reaction from people.
Image by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS
Image by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS
Image by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS
“We tend to take her to places which are quite open, so we can see if there’s a dog coming and pick her up.
“People stop us and say ‘we’ve never seen anything like it’.
“Being off the lead, she sticks by us.
“We want to show people what a cat can do.
“Everything Charlie does is what a dog would do."
Charlie spent most of her life as an indoor cat in Fiona’s home in Glasgow.
But when she was let out, she was bitten by either another cat or a dog, so now the only times she goes outdoors are on trips to the countryside.
Employment adviser Fiona said: “People ask a lot of questions, like ‘are you nervous about her going up a tree?’.
“The only time I think she might run up a tree is if a dog was around.
“I think it’s more exciting for her going for walks.
“She’s got a wee adventurous spirit.
“Hopefully it will inspire a few more people to broaden their cat’s horizons.”
Image by: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS
FLIGHT THEN FIGHT - Seven Brits were bundled off a budget flight after it made an emergency landing following a row between passengers - with one allegedly SPITTING at a woman, witnesses say
Image by: Nathan Belford
Seven Brits were bundled off a budget flight after it made an emergency landing following a row between passengers - with one SPITTING at a woman, witnesses say.
Onlookers claim two groups of lads forced the easyjet flight from Manchester to Tenerife on Thursday (3) to divert to Portugal after a bust up.
The ruckus is said to have broken out around two hours after the 5.35pm take-off, when a group of four sat at the back started punching each other.
An air stewardess broke up the fight, and seated one of the rowdy guys at the front of the airliner in an effort to calm tensions.
Minutes later, though, the man vaulted back to his pals - where things kicked off again.
Passengers then tried to break up the fight, leading to the moment one of the lads apparently spat in a woman's eye.
As a girl shrieks, a woman shouts: "There's children on the airplane!"
One man can be heard saying: "He f**king spat on a woman - dirty bastard!"
At this moment, the captain announced plans to divert the plane and make an emergency landing in Faro, Portugal.
Key eyewitness Nathan Belford, 30, said a 10-man stag party then "howled with rage" and picked a fight with both cabin crew and the group of four.
He said the stag party "complained bitterly to the stewardess" - and even "started pinching drinks from the front of the plane".
Landing in Portugal at around 8pm, security then bundled seven men - all from the four-man group, three from the stag party - off the plane.
Image by: Nathan Belford
Image by: Nathan Belford
Image by: Nathan Belford
Image by: Nathan Belford
Two hours later, the plane completed its journey to Tenerife.
Fed-up Nathan, of Stoke-on-Trent, said: "We couldn't believe what was happening. We just wanted to go on holiday.
"Things first kicked off when the group at the back got into a fight. Punches were thrown, and the stewardess broke them up.
"But then they kicked off again, and passengers actually intervened to calm them down.
"One woman got in the way, but a guy spat in her eye. It was disgusting.
"After that, cabin decided to divert to Portugal. Then things escalated after the bigger stag party howled with rage about it.
"They picked a fight with cabin crew and with the group of four, complaining that they should be going to Tenerife for their weekend.
"One of the guys got into trouble when he started pinching drinks from the front of the plane. It was Bedlam.
"Once we landed, though, security got them off. It was impressive - one of the guys they had to carry off was at least six-foot-six."
easyJet has confirmed the incident took place on one of its flights.
It is still unclear why Jet2 also confirmed it but it was an easyJet flight.
An easyJet spokesman said: “We can confirm that flight EZY1903 from Manchester to Tenerife on 3 October diverted to Faro as a result of some passengers on board behaving disruptively and was met by police on arrival.
''The passengers were removed by police and the aircraft continued onto Tenerife.
"easyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.
"Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously, and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on board.
''The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is our highest priority.
Video by: Nathan Belford
Villagers driven round the bend by 26-mile diversion after 50m road closed cheer themselves up with street party on shut highway
Image by: Ruth Hickmott
Villagers driven round the bend by a 26-mile diversion after a 50m stretch of road was closed cheered themselves up - by throwing a street party on the shut highway.
A short stretch of the A465 at Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, is closed for eight weeks while work is carried out to strengthen a nearby bridge.
While the road - equivalent to around 11 car lengths - is closed, motorists face a 26-mile detour around country lanes, many of which are single tracks, to travel from one side of the village to the other.
Despite the inconvenience caused to the 450 villagers and hundreds more drivers who use the road each day, residents are using the closure to their advantage.
On Bank Holiday Monday, villagers got trestle tables, sunshades and a paddling pool out for an impromptu street party.
There are also plans to use the road for fetes and flower shows in the next month.
Image by: Ruth Hickmott
Image by: Ruth Hickmott
Image by: Ruth Hickmott
Resident John Walters said: "Closing the road for such a long time is a bit of a pain and it means some of us now have a 26-mile detour home.
"But we're a reslient bunch and when the sun was beaming out over the weekend some bright spark suggested we use the road closure to our advantage so we did.
"It was a lovely day and a good old fashioned English knees-up. We're a very traditional village and it was good to hark back to a more simpler time for a few hours.
"A lot of people are now seeing the benefit of having the road pedestrianised and will use it to hold village events over the next few weeks."
Ruth Hickmott, 58, who lives in Stoke Lacy and is part of the village's heritage project, said: "Basically we held the street party because we could.
"Usually you have to apply to the council for road closures but this just fell into our laps.
"There was no fundraising reason, simply let's have a party on the road because we won't be able to in eight weeks' time.
”The road closure is awkward because it is the main route between Bromyard and Hereford and diversions and despite the village being small, you now have to travel up to 26 miles to go from one side to the other."
The village plans to make use of the road closure again next month with a flower and produce show on the 50m stretch of closed off highway.
TOMB RAIDER - Reckless teen risks his life 'tombstoning' off notorious Dead Man's Cove - next to coastguards staging health and safety demo
Image by: TM Plymouth Herald 
Image by: TM Plymouth Herald
This is the moment a reckless teen risked his life 'tombstoning' off a notoriously dangerous cliff - next to coastguards staging a health and safety demonstration.
The youngster was pictured running towards the edge before leaping clear of the jagged wall and plummeting into the water - at a spot known as Dead Man's Cove.
But just metres away from the spot in Plymouth, Devon, coastguards were simulating a rescue to demonstrate the dangers of jumping from the cliff.
Plymouth Coastguard Rescue Team said its demonstration was overshadowed by the actions of the adrenaline-junkie youngster - and issued a fresh warning about the dangers.
Coastguard Rescue Officer Adam Hawson said: "Unfortunately there's not much we can do.
"It's a bit cheeky isn't it, if they know we're here it's a bit disrespectful.
"We tell them the risks and the hazards and if needs be we explain some of the things that have gone wrong. They do listen but they carry on and do it anyway."
The site has been a popular location for adrenaline junkies for many years with youngsters often queuing to jump from the 65ft cliff.
Several have been injured at the site and in 2016 a man died after misjudging his leap.
Image by: TM Plymouth Herald
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Once the rescue technician and dummy were safely back over the edge, a member of the Plymouth Coastguard Team immediately went over to talk to the tombstoners.
Coastguard station manager John Peattie said: "It is infuriating because we know the consequences but they just say 'you're spoiling our fun'.
"Go to a proper diving thing if you want to dive off something into the water but going off here is absolutely ridiculous.
"As long as people queue up and watch them or clap them - I've seen people clapping them - they'll continue to do it, just showing off to the girls, you know.
"We tell them if you saw the people that were in wheelchairs or crippled for life doing this from here, but they just say 'you're spoiling our fun.'"
Over the boader coastguard officers in Cornwall also re-issued a warning after a casualty with a suspected back injury was rescued from a quay after tombstoning.
Emergency services were called to Fowey on Saturday, June 22, and coastguard volunteers assisted paramedics in reaching the casualty.
St Austell Coastguard said: “The casualty needed extrication from the Quay to a waiting ambulance by stretcher.
“The team used their casualty care skills along with paramedic to successfully move the casualty from the pontoon into the waiting Fowey Harbour launch and take them to the slipway and the waiting ambulance."
They added: “We wish the casualty a speedy recovery.”
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."
Giant lizard which was banned from a park is now allowed to enter on condition his owner keeps him on a lead
Video by: Ashley Moran
A dad-of-one has been ordered to keep his huge pet lizard on a LEAD while walking it in a park – after it scared other dogs.
Gary Smith, 54, was originally banned from taking his black-throated monitor called Thor out for a stroll after a string of complaints.
Dozens of dog owners and park users said they were worried the three-stone 5ft-long critter would attack their pets or even injure children.
But town hall chiefs agreed to lift the ban if Gary agreed to keep Thor on a lead while in Markeaton Park, Derby.
Gary bought Thor ten months ago to go with his collection of 31 snakes, six lizards and seven spiders which he keeps at his home in Sinfin, Derby.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
The lorry driver said: "I had reached an agreement with the council to say it's ok to walk as long as he is on a lead, just like a dog.
"I mainly walk him for exercise and fresh air.
"Also I just like to let people see him and maybe experience touching him.
"He can run really quickly and he wouldn't just run in a straight line.
"He'd be all over the place, it would be like trying to catch a chicken.
"He could do a lot of damage, his claws could slice your arm or head open.
"But that would be very out of character.
"Thor has a really cool temperament, he's not aggressive.
"When he's had enough, he'll whip his tail around.
Image by: Steve Chatterley
"Some people get scared and thing all reptiles will do is bite and scratch you.
"But I want to show that is not the case.
"I tend to walk Thor in the summer time and basically when the weather is good.
"He loves the trees and water in the park, he likes to get his claws into the trees.
"He eats braising steak about four times a week, he'll eat rats and fruit.
"He weighs about three stone and is about five foot nine inches tall.
"He's a strong lad.
"He gets more active when his temperature gets warmer, so when it's colder he's not
that active.
"He's friendly and is used to being touched and handled.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Mum who had still born twins and fell into a coma because of a rare liver condition was given a new organ - and now has a new baby
Image by: Louise Prashad
A mum who had stillborn twins and fell into a coma because of a rare liver condition was given a new organ - and now has a new baby.
Louise Prashad, 25, suffered the tragic double blow after being struck down with an often fatal condition during her first pregnancy.
Her 'acute fatty liver of pregnancy' saw her wake from a coma to be told her twins had been stillborn.
Mia and Leo were stillborn at 37 weeks - something Louise did not know about until she woke up three weeks later.
Louise thought she would never have another child - and only survived thanks to a liver transplant donated by a woman in her 50s.
It was found by medics in eight hours after Louise was escalated to number one on the European organ register.
Louise was wracked with grief following the death of the twins and practically gave up all hope of ever being a mother again.
Her reluctance was down to the one in four chance of the 'acute fatty liver' condition reoccurring during another pregnancy.
But after making the brave decision to try for another baby with her now husband Max, 30, who works in a restaurant, she fell pregnant with Ava following a year wait.
Louise wasn’t convinced little Ava, who is now one, would be born alive until being welcomed into the world on March 20, 2018.
She said: “I never thought I would have another child. When I decided I wanted to try again, I had to wait over a year because the medication I was on was really harmful.
“We started trying and it took a year and a half. I finally fell pregnant with Ava but it was the most nerve-wracking pregnancy. I really struggled to enjoy it.
“When you are pregnant, the slightest little thing can set your nerves going but I was on tenterhooks constantly.
“I didn’t believe she was going to be here alive until I gave birth. I wasn’t allowed a natural birth, I had to have a planned cesarean to make sure she was here safely.
“The minute I saw her and heard her cry I thought ‘she is actually here and I can stop doubting myself’.
“She is the spitting image of Mia and Leo, the similarities are so strange - the dark hair, same colour eyes, olive skin, cute button nose.”
After the birth of Ava, Louise’s first thoughts were of her son and daughter and of the woman who had donated the organ.
She wrote a letter to the donor’s family to let them know where their mum’s organ had gone and what Louise had achieved thanks to the woman in her 50s.
Louise fell pregnant with twins Mia and Leo in August 2015 aged 21 while taking a degree in law and having only been with her then-boyfriend, Max for six months.
Image by: Louise Prashad
Image by: Louise Prashad
She had a difficult pregnancy and then began to suffer from extreme fatigue, sickness and abdominal pain in the months before her due date.
Louise was rushed to hospital after vomiting two pints of blood before slipping into unconsciousness following complications with her pregnancy.
Medics later discovered Louise had been struck down with potentially fatal 'acute fatty liver of pregnancy' which affects one woman in 10,000 and meant Mia and Leo were 'born sleeping'.
She bears a scar across her stomach from the emergency transplant and caesarean. Louise sees these scars as a stark reminder of her survival and gift of life but also the devastation that she experienced.
Louise underwent a liver transplant while she was unconscious and had a very slim chance of survival
After waking up she could not remember the months leading up to her illness due to delirium.
Whilst recovering in the hospital, Lousie had to be told the devastating news that her twins had passed away.
Louise, who works for City of York Council, said: “Mum came in and broke the news that Mia and Leo weren’t here anymore. I screamed the place down.
“That’s when it all felt real and my brain came round to the idea they weren’t there anymore.
“It was the most traumatic experience of my life. I somehow found this inner strength that I needed to get better to ensure they had the best send off possible. They deserved so much more than the hand they were dealt.
“It was all about them and trying to celebrate what little life they had. I was numb.”
Louise had to learn to walk and write again, but once she left intensive care, managed to visit the chapel of rest and spend some time with Mia and Leo before the funeral.
Louise and her husband Max, of Holgate, York, have since raised £800 for a remembrance bench in Rowntree Park in honour of Mia and Leo and other families who have experienced child loss.
She said: “April 25 will be Mia and Leo’s birthday, so we’re hoping to get the bench in place by then. I was trying to think of something positive I could do.
“The last few years have been a whirlwind of emotion and grief, that never really stops.
“I wanted something in our home city we could visit with Ava on special occasions when we need some time out to think about them, or having a hard day.
“Somewhere we could go that’s a memorial and not a grave.
"I cannot even begin to explain how perfect my children were, I still think about them everyday. The pain never fades."
Louise is still undergoing counselling and physiotherapy to improve her mobility but is determined to make her children proud by raise awareness of organ donation and liver conditions in pregnancy.
She said: “Awareness of liver conditions in pregnancy is very low key. More needs to be done to educate the general public.
“Itchy skin, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin, excessive thirst, tiredness, bleeding gums are all symptoms.
“I think if you are willing to receive an organ, then you should be willing to donate.
“I was on the organ donor register before but I didn’t give it a moment’s thought, it was just something I ticked on my driving application but it is so much more than that. You are saving someone's child, someone's mother, the love of someone's life."
“It was through no fault of my own that I found myself in that situation and if there had not have been a donor available I wouldn’t be here and my husband would have lost three people that day.”
In the last three years, Louise has continued to exude strength and is now trying to use her experiences to benefit other families.
Friends and family are running York 10K in memory of Mia, Leo and organ donors and all funds raised will be donated to local organ donation charities.
To donate towards the memorial fund, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/miaandleoyork10k.
Image by: Louise Prashad
Catholic school pupils were hospitalised after "more than 100" suffered burned foreheads while taking part in an Ash Wednesday assembly
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Parents at a catholic school say "more than 100" kids suffered burns while having ash crosses smudged onto their foreheads during an Ash Wednesday assembly.
At least two children from St Augustine’s Catholic High School were taken to hospital following the religious event.
Parents said the ritual was performed by a priest and two older children and was stopped half way through when kids complained of "tingling".
One concerned grandparent said more than 100 kids were burned - and parents are considering legal action against the school in Redditch, Worcestershire.
A parent who took her son to hospital for treatment said medics told her it was a chemical burn that would likely leave a scar.
Traditionally the ash for the ceremony comes from leaves burned in last year's Palm Sunday services.
But a grandparent said "toxic" ones had been used this time.
Mum Cassena Brown, 39, said her son Chairo Rowe, 14, was badly burned in the ceremony, had to be taken to hospital and has been off school for two days.
She said: "I am absolutely furious.
"They started with the year nine and it was the priest and two sixth form children - a boy and a girl.
"That's the first thing that confused me when I heard about it. Why are children doing it to other children?
"After a while some of the children said that it had started to burn. Some of the teachers said it did as well.
"Some of them rubbed it off straight away, but some left it on.
"The children who left it on complained it was burning and some were given a wet wipe to wipe it off.
"But when some of the kids wiped it off, it ripped the skin off as well.
"It was red raw. They should have been sent to a medical professional, not given a perfumed wet wipe."
Delivery driver Cassena said all parents were sent a text message saying some children had been left with an "irritation" after the Ash Wednesday assembly.
She said the message said the parents of the most severely affected children would get a call - which Cassena did - and she came to pick up her son early.
"I saw other children walking out with their parents, with red marks - like a heat rash almost - on their foreheads," she said.
"But when I saw my son I was gobsmacked.
"My son was the worst of everyone. Because he is of Afro-Caribbean heritage you can see the burn very clearly, as the skin is burned and it's white underneath."
She said doctors at Alexandra Hospital said it was a chemical burn and recommended keeping the wound clean with cold water.
"It continued to burn throughout the night," she said.
"It was red hot. He won't go to school.
"He's embarrassed. Last week he had girls at school saying he was cute, now he has a burn on his face."
A grandfather of another burned child, who did not want to be named, said "over 100 children were damaged".
He added: "They are anointed with a cross on the forehead.
"The medium used was a mixture of palm oil and ash from burned leaves.
"They must have picked a toxic leaf as the results in most cases were burns on the forehead resulting in hospital admissions for many children.
"The parents are contemplating legal action."
The Christian Ash Wednesday ritual involves receiving a mark of ashes on the forehead as a token of penitence and mortality.
Parents at the school gates today (Fri) said some burned children were sent home.
One dad, who has a daughter at the school, said: “I think it was basically the first year students in school who were affected.
“It’s terrible really."
A mum said: "A load of the kids had to go home after they got burned."
Another mum added: "My daughter said something had happened and some kids got burned on the forehead.
“We are not Catholic so my daughter would not have taken part."
St Augustine’s Catholic High School said the ash was provided by a priest from the Diocese of Birmingham, which sourced it from a company in Aldridge.
Head of school Gerald O'Connor said he didn't know how many children were affected - but it was less than the estimate of "more than 100" given by parents.
He said he didn't know how many children were taken to hospital, but said some teachers were burned too.
A spokesperson for the school said: "During the Ash Wednesday service, it came to our attention that some discomfort was experienced by students that had received the ashes on the forehead.
"As a result all students were requested to wash the ashes off immediately to ensure no further discomfort was felt.
"We are aware that some students had a reaction to the ashes from the parish, for which medical advice has been sought.
"Parents are being kept informed and the school will carry out a full investigation as to why the ashes may have caused this reaction on this occasion."
Mr O'Connor added: "There were a number [of students] that we advised to seek medical attention. We've asked parents to keep us informed as to whether they did or not.
"We dealt with the issue immediately. Obviously health and safety is our primary concern.
"Some teachers were affected. We advised them to seek medical attention as well.
"We source our ashes from an external provider. We know there are processes to follow, and that is under investigation. We have asked for that investigation to happen. We want to get to the bottom of it."
Watch jaw-dropping moment huge meteor lights up night sky as it crashes towards Earth
Video by: Jessica Waters 
Image by: Simon Galloway
This is the jaw-dropping moment a huge METEOR lit up the night sky as it crashes towards Earth.
The incredible footage was filmed by a police car’s dash cam during a routine patrol in Maryland, USA.
Cops in Ocean City were driving along 130th street at around 11am on Tuesday (April 16) when the meteor burst through the earth’s atmosphere.
The clips shows the firey meteor career down from space to put on a breathtaking display.
It was filmed in Ocean City, on 130th Street, by Ocean City police patrol officer, Nathan Kutz.
PFC Kutz had been asked by a resident of the community to carry out extra patrols in that area after raising safety concerns to the force.
Ocean City Police Department have dash cams installed on their patrol vehicles in their constant fight against crime.
But on this rare occasion, PFC Kutz was able to use his to film this “incredible display”.
A spokesperson for Ocean City Police Department said: “Just before midnight, the meteor flew through the sky and was captured on PFC Kutz dash cam.
“We are used to our dash cams catching the bad guys but the fact that it caught this beautiful display of science is incredible.”
Meteors - also known as shooting stars - typically hit speeds of up to 45,000mph when they enter the earth’s atmosphere.
As they head towards the surface of the earth they create a streak of light caused by aerodynamic heating.
Meteors become visible between about 75 to 120 km above Earth and vary in size and composition.
Image by: Simon Galloway
