Oops! Woman forgets to put handbrake on
By Jake Meeus-Jones
A video doorbell captured the hilarious moment a woman was forced to chase after her runaway car after forgetting to put the handbrake on.
Mia Roberts, 24, returned home from work and a trip to the supermarket, and was about to open her front door when she noticed her car slowly rolling away.
Mia's blue Volkswagen Golf smashed into four metal barriers and was on course to hit her neighbour's Mini Cooper before she was able to catch up with it.
Her car avoided any serious damage, but Mia's groceries weren't so lucky - with her eggs bearing the brunt of it when she dropped the bag to catch up with the car.
Watching the video back, Mia whose automatic handbrake failed to engage, has vowed to never park on the road again - opting to use her driveway instead.
Mia, a primary school teacher from Bourne, Lincolnshire, said: "The driveway can fit three cars on but it's a single driveway and I knew my partner needed to get out so I parked on the road.
"My handbrake normally goes on automatically but because it's on a slight slope I should really press it in myself.
"I hadn't put it on and I don't know what made me look to my left but I suddenly see the car rolling away and I don't know why I didn't run across the lawn!
"It was heading for a brand new Mini and I'd accepted my fate that the car was going to hit it.
"But thankfully I managed to unlock it, jump in and put the handbrake on in time.
"When I ran past the parked car, I dropped the shopping bag to run faster to catch up with the car and my eggs split all over the road!
"The few scratches on the car are from the four gates that the car knocked over - luckily I've not got many neighbours so I've gotten away with it quite discreetly!
"I don't know what made me look over my shoulder, it was just gut instinct.
"My first thought was that I'd have to knock on someone's door as it was going to hit a house or a car."
She says her boyfriend wasn't surprised by her handbrake blunder.
She added: "My partner's not got the ring doorbell connected to his phone so when I showed him the video he wasn't surprised at all - he loved showing all his friends in all his group chats.
"If I didn't have a ring doorbell no one would believe it!
"When I'm first walking up the driveway not knowing that it's slowly moving away is so funny."
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Plucky fox forced to swim 300m to dry land after getting cut off by tide
By Laura Elvin
A plucky fox was forced to swim 300m to dry land after it got cut off by the tide on a beach.
The Mull Wildlife Group was on a sightseeing trip when members spotted the "orange head" out on the rocks.
The handsome fox was stranded out at sea after seemingly getting trapped while lying in wait for birds off the beach in Longniddry in East Lothian, Scotland.
Nancy Somerville, 70, and her friends watched as the fox dipped its paws in the water - and recoiled at the freezing temperatures.
But with the waves lapping at the fast-disappearing outcrop, the wild animal was left with no choice but to leap into the water.
They watched as the little creature swam the distance to the shore - stopping on a rock on the way - before scarpering away to dry off, on Thursday (8).
Retired community worker Nancy, from the Isle of Mull, said: "He looked really quite healthy apart from his tail being pretty wet.
"It looked like it wanted to get into the water. It dipped its paw in and decided it was too cold but eventually it took the plunge.
"By this time the tide was coming in more and more. It was getting cut off.
"It was quite something to see."
Nancy said the wildlife group speculated the fox was hunting for birds when it got cut off from the shore and they watched it for around 30 minutes.
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Dad installs 10ft dinosaur on top of garage to "make people smile"
By Lauren Beavis
A dad has installed a giant dinosaur sculpture in his front garden - to 'give people something to smile about'.
Ben Maddocks, 50, has put the 10ft T-Rex on top of a shipping container which he uses as a garage.
The dad, of Bristol, originally bought the metalwork from a garden centre for his son Noah, 6, who is 'into dinos big time'.
Ben said: “When we saw it up for sale, we thought we would buy that for Noah.
“Because of Noah being autistic and into dinosaurs, he’s got boxes, boxes and boxes of dinos.”
The nine-foot-six dinosaur has been living in Ben’s back garden for about three years, but Ben recently decided he wanted to put it on the roof of his house.
The father-of-eight explained: “Ultimately, we wanted to put it on the roof of the house - but it weighs so much, about a quarter of a tonne - so we were worried it might come through the ceiling!
“So I bought myself a shipping container, which is my garage, and thought I’d put it there for my son Noah, given his passion for dinos, but also to give children something to smile about.
"I didn't expect it to do what it's done - but don't get me wrong it does stand out of course!
"Noah didn't know I had put it up as he was at school - so when he came home around the corner, he was like 'Oh my god, my dino is on the roof!'.
"He believes it climbed up there himself..
"It's amazing - the amount of children who stop to look and smile, cars that stop to take pictures.
"It's lovely that it is bringing a sense of smile and positivity to the community.
"Rather than having lots of negativity, it is something that is making people happy.
“There’s not a lot to smile about lately, so it’s making kids' days."
The sculpture is made out of metal, and Ben says he was able to get it on the container with 'great difficulty'.
He said: "I lifted it on with ropes and stuff but got it up there.
"He’s well bolted down as you don’t want that falling on your head!"
Avid biker Ben also voluntarily runs Bikers in Bristol as well as being a full-time carer for his dad.
He said the dinosaur will remain at their home for a long time.
He added: “If I come across something a bit weird, different or unusual, I normally buy it because, as my wife says, that’s the way I am.
“We just get on with things and enjoy it, and if the kids are happy, I’m happy.
"Because its brought such a sense of happiness to lots and lots of people, the dino is not going to be coming down anytime soon."
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"I ditched my PhD to drive from London to Lagos"
By Hannah Van De Peer
A woman quit her PhD for the “road trip of a lifetime” - driving from London to Lagos with 20 stops along the way.
Pelumi Nubi, 29, said people have called her “crazy” - but it gave her all the more motivation to go through with it.
She’s currently on stop five in Morocco after travelling through France and Spain, and plans to be on the road for another two months before she reaches Nigeria.
In order to save money, she’s been sleeping in her £3k Peugeot 107, using hot water bottles for clean drinking water and heat.
Pelumi, from Croydon, London, who was studying for a PhD in biomedical science before she quit, said: “A lot of people called me crazy - I know I’m trying to do the impossible, but it’s the right thing for me.
“Life is short - so why not step out of your comfort zone? It might encourage you to try lots of other impossible things, too.
“I’m a traveller at heart, and I was craving this big adventure.”
Originally from Lagos, Pelumi’s family moved to Croydon when she was 10.
She went back every Christmas, and says she always seemed curious about the other countries she’d fly over on the six-hour flight there.
While studying for her PhD at Coventry University, Pelumi started seeing stories of people travelling to Lagos through unconventional modes of transport, like bikes.
She wondered whether it would be possible to go the distance by car - particularly one which wasn’t designed to drive on all-terrain, like a 4x4.
So in December 2023, she began planning her journey - and set off on January 24 in her five-year-old car.
She said: “I was seeing a lot of men doing these extreme trips - but no women, and no-one who looked like me.
“I wondered if I could change that. The journey is clearly possible and doable - especially if someone could go by bike!
“I wanted to slow-pace it, which is why I’ve dedicated two months to it. I want to take everything in, meet the locals, try all-new experiences.”
Pelumi began her journey driving from London to Paris, via a ferry at Dover.
She spent three days sightseeing, meeting French creatives and camping out of her car.
She went from Paris to Millau, a commune which once had the largest bridge in the world - and she parasailed over it.
From Millau, she drove all the way down to Barcelona, to visit the Sagrada Familia, before moving on to Malaga, to spend two days up the mountains.
Her journey then took her to North Africa, and she visited the markets in Marrakech - before arriving at her current stop in Chefchaouen, where she’ll spend three days before moving on to her next 15 stops.
She said: “One of the highlights for me was seeing one of the largest bridges in the world - I got a last minute booking to parasail over it and they squeezed me in.
“It was amazing being up in the clouds, seeing all the beautiful sights. I camped in my car that night, which was rough, as I couldn't find any hot running water, but I survived it!
“I drove all the way up into the mountains in Malaga - the locals looked at me like I was losing my marbles, in my little car.
“But I don’t think you need the big cars or gadgets - my car’s been good to me, I’ve had it for five years.”
Pelumi started to feel apprehensive after getting to Morocco and noticing the language barrier - as well as the busyness of the markets overwhelming her.
“The language barrier started becoming a thing,” she said. “I got to Morocco and burst into tears, I had so much anxiety and apprehension. It was really hard to find all the info I needed.
“But the good thing about driving is, I could stay as long as I wanted and get my bearings a bit.”
Pelumi plans to get to Lagos on March 24 - and the rest of her stops include Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Ghana and Nigeria.
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Worried cats huddle around owner after she falls into deep sleep
By Leo Black
This is the moment worried pet cats huddled around their owner for hours after noticing her breathing become shallow in her sleep.
Romina Tomaino, 45, suffers from insomnia and gets little to no sleep, sometimes for days.
When Romina went to sleep on December 21, after several days without sleep, her six moggies noticed her breathing and laid on her chest for hours.
Romina, of Melbourne, Queensland, Australia, said: "I go days without sleeping and then crash into really deep sleep which is what happened here.
"It's so bad that if I wake up and do things then go back to sleep I won't remember doing it."
Milo was the first to notice and came over to make sure everything was alright.
The rest of the cats then followed - Bella, Prince, Baby Tiger and Chloe.
They all and stayed around Romina from 4:00am to 6:00am when she woke up.
Romina only noticed what had happened when she woke up to find her cat all around her.
A video shows the cats gathered around her and Milo lying on her chest as she sleeps, checking her breathing, Romina says.
Romina said: "I only noticed when I woke up and checked the video. I thought 'Wow, I'm so blessed to have these amazing cats.
"When I woke up they were still there all sleeping around me. I was confused.
"It's very rare to find them all there when I wake up so I got up, fed them and watched the video with breakfast.
"I thought they had heard a noise but when I realised what it was I cried happy tears."
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Incredible new image shows evidence of flowing rivers on Mars
By Dean Murray
An incredible new image shows evidence of flowing rivers on Mars.
The picture were taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it searches for signs of water and ice.
NASA says the image of ridges in Aeolis Planum tells "a story of ancient rivers and a Red Planet very different to that of today".
The MRO typically flies at an altitude of about 250 to 316 kilometres (155 to 196 miles) above the planet's surface, allowing it to capture intricate detail.
The space agency explain: "These ridges show the location of the old river beds in Mars' distant past.
"River beds often get filled with gravel and the surrounding terrain is often built up of fine-grained mud from river overflows. The gravely river bottom and the fine-grained surroundings can lead to a strange phenomenon that geologists call inverted channels.
"After the river disappears, the fine-grained surroundings can be easily eroded away leaving the gravely river bed as a high-standing ridge.
"The angle at which the ridges join together indicate that these rivers flowed from top-right to bottom-left."
The image was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on MRO, and was catalogued by NASA on 31 January 2024. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE.
The MRO is a spacecraft designed to search for the existence of water on Mars and provide support for missions to Mars, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
It was launched from Cape Canaveral in August 2005 and reached Mars in March 2006.
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Rare new-born baby chimpanzee clings to his adoring mum
By Adam Dutton
A rare baby chimpanzee clings to his adoring mother after being born in front of astonished visitors at Chester Zoo.
The new male infant was born to mum Alice following an eight-month pregnancy.
Zookeepers said the birth of the male was "vitally important for the future of the species".
Pictures and video show the tiny newborn being carefully cradled by mum and other female relatives in the 22-strong group.
Mike Jordan, animal and plant director, said: “A new birth always sparks some real excitement within the chimpanzee group here at Chester.
“While Alice and her new baby are certainly centre of attention among the other chimpanzees they’re still finding some quiet time to get to know one another and can often be seen cuddled up together.
“What’s also great to see is that some of the others in the group, especially the younger females, are really intrigued by the new baby and are learning all about motherhood from Alice.
“This is an important learning curve for them and this experience can be really useful for when they hopefully go on to have babies of their own.
“A thriving conservation breeding programme is key to the long-term protection of these animals.”
Chimpanzees are nearing extinction in many countries, due to deforestation and commercial hunting for bushmeat.
The chimpanzees at Chester Zoo are part of an international conservation breeding programme in a bid to boost their numbers.
Mr Jordan added: “For nearly 30 years our teams have worked on the ground in Uganda, Nigeria and Gabon in Africa, working hand in hand with wildlife authorities, in-country partners and local communities in an effort protect some of the world’s rarest wild chimpanzee populations and their forest homes.
“These collective efforts, paired with the conservation breeding programme in zoos, gives us hope that we can create a future where chimpanzees thrive long into the future.”
Human-related activities such as the illegal wildlife trade and poaching have severely impacted chimpanzee populations in Africa.
Deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and logging, has significantly reduced their natural habitats.
D-Day veteran with note revealing end of WWII vows to keep it in family
By Douglas Whitbread
A D-Day hero who found out the Second World War in Europe was going to end 48 hours before the rest of the world has vowed to keep the historic letter in his family.
Bernard Morgan was working as an RAF codebreaker in 1945 when he deciphered a secret telex that read: “The German war is now over… The surrender is effective some time tomorrow”.
And the ex-serviceman, who celebrates his 100th birthday tomorrow (Wednesday), has vowed that the important telex will pass to his family when he dies.
Ahead of his birthday, the great-grandad read out the note - dressed in the uniform he wore on D-day - to remind others of the liberties they had won in the victory.
But the Royal British Legion Ambassador (RBL) refuses to give museums the original, instead insisting it will stay in his family when he dies.
Bernard, who was the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy in June 1944, said: “I am always keen for the younger generation to know exactly what went on during the War and to appreciate the sacrifice that our lads made so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
“The Imperial War Museum in London and in Manchester both wanted the original copy - they weren’t interested in a photocopy - but I’m keeping it for my family."
Bernard, of Crewe, Cheshire, landed on Gold Beach at 6.30 pm on D-Day, 6 June 1944, aged 20, after he had joined the RAF on his birthday two years earlier.
He was stationed in Schneverdingen, Germany, when he got the message on around May 6, 1945, declaring that the war in Europe was ending via his Typex machine.
The note stated: "The German War is now over. At Rheims last night the instrument of surrender was signed which in effect is a surrender of all personnel of the German forces - all equipment and shipping and all machinery in Germany.
"Nothing will be destroyed anywhere. The surrender is effective some time tomorrow. This news will not be communicated to anyone outside the service nor to members of the press."
Following the news, Bernard had a big party with his close comrades - lighting a huge bonfire and celebrating into the night while being careful not to give the game away.
He kept both the note and his role in the war hidden for 50 years due to secrecy documents he had signed, which finally elapsed in 1994.
He said of receiving the note: “It was a surprise. We couldn’t tell anybody until we got the final message to say the war in Germany was now over.
“We had to decode it - it was in code. It was great when we got that. I was in a little place called Schneverdingen, Germany, near Hamburg.
“It was nice to see that no more soldiers, sailors or airmen were giving their lives… and also to thank the civilians who gave their lives for the same reason.
“My parents thought the war was like the First World War, ankle-deep in mud, and they never asked what I did in the Air Force.
"Being their only child, they were so glad to see me come home.”
Bernard said despite his glee at the end of the conflict, sharing the note with others also made him reflect on those who had died during the fighting.
He added: “On occasions like this, I always think about the three wireless operators that I lost in Normandy. They were the lads bringing me the messages.
“One of them was 19 and two of them were 20, and whenever I go to Normandy, I always go to their graves."
After the War, Bernard worked on the railways and at Crewe Alexandra where he was a turnstile operator for 57 years.
The widower, who was married for 51 years before his wife's death, is planning to return to Normandy with the RBL to mark the 80th anniversary of D-day in June.
His daughter Sheila said: “We are incredibly proud of Dad, and it is wonderful that so many people want to share his special day.
"He will always be a war hero but he is a brilliant dad, grandad and great-grandad, too.”
Nancy Kay, Branch Chair for the RBL in Crewe, added: “Our D-Day veterans are a dwindling band of brothers, so it is incredibly important that we take every opportunity we can to celebrate the achievements and the bravery of those people who helped to liberate Europe 80 years ago.”
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Shocked young busker gets “biggest ever” £100 tip from stranger
By Izzy Hawksworth
A busker captured the heartwarming moment she received her "biggest ever" tip of £100.
Singer Jodie Lauren, 21, was so shocked she even asked the kind stranger if he was sure he wanted to gift her the cash.
The wholesome footage shows Jodie saying 'no way' and asking the man 'if he's sure' he wants to tip £100, before thanking him in Gloucestershire.
Jodie, who has two songs called Find That Part of Me and That Isolated Feeling, says she "didn't expect" him to donate £100 but is "so grateful".
The performer from Gloucestershire said: "I had been busking for an hour and it was really cold.
"My card reader had been dodgy all day and I was losing out on tips because it kept powering itself off.
"He was listening to me sing quite a few songs, then we had a chat about how hard the industry is and then he gave me the tip.
"I didn't expect it - I was shocked but I'm so grateful.
"I couldn't believe it."
The card reader is set at £2 and the video shows the man ask Jodie if he can put in a new amount, before handing it back to her.
Jodie, who studies music at university, has been busking for around 18 months but has been singing "her whole life".
She mainly sings ballads but enjoys busking as she likes "sharing her talent" with members of the public.
Jodie said: "I like sharing my talent and being able to build up as an independent artist.
"It's good to have people hear my music and hear things that I write.
"It's extremely hard to break into the industry as an independent, female artist right now.
"My dad has taught me all he knows about music since I was two and my granny has always been a massive inspiration.
"My family are so supportive of my career.
"This was a great thing to happen."
You can listen to Jodie's music here: https://jodielauren.wixsite.com/jodielaurenmusic
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CCTV shows husband punching his wife in the stomach during a nightmare
By Samuel Wightwick
A home security camera captured the shocking moment a man punched his wife in the stomach whilst reacting to a nightmare.
The video shows Ning Haobo and his wife Da Fan sleeping soundly with their child in a cot next to the bed.
Unexpectedly, Ning Haobo, from Liaoning in China, raises his hand and accidentally lands a soft punch to his wife's stomach.
As Da Fan winces from the shock of the blow, her husband looks at her momentarily before they both drift back off to sleep.
The incident happened on January 20.
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