Recent data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals a significant rise in vaping among individuals who have never smoked cigarettes. In 2025, over one million people reported vaping either daily or occasionally, an increase from approximately 940,000 in 2024. Notably, the highest proportion of vapers is now within the 25 to 35… Continue reading One million UK people who have never smoked are now vapers
Category: UK News
Lego fraudster among last year's most high-profile insurance scammers
A man who was imprisoned for fabricating home insurance claims related to supposedly stolen Lego has been named among the most prominent insurance fraud offenders of last year. He received a 28-month jail sentence after investigations revealed the claims were entirely fictitious, according to the insurance industry body ABI. The ABI also highlighted other significant… Continue reading Lego fraudster among last year's most high-profile insurance scammers
UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times
Documents obtained exclusively by the BBC reveal that one of the United Kingdom’s largest oil refineries leaked pollutants into local rivers and the Mersey Estuary on numerous occasions throughout 2023 and 2024. EET Fuels, which operates the Stanlow refinery and was formerly known as Essar, admitted guilt earlier this year for 12 violations of environmental… Continue reading UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times
Teen found dead on flooded A4110 failed by police, family say
A father grieving the loss of his son has expressed frustration, feeling that the police neglected his case after the young man went missing during severe flooding. Nineteen-year-old Alan Hirst was cycling home in Adforton, Herefordshire, in February when he apparently fell from his bicycle into floodwater on the A4110 road. It is believed that… Continue reading Teen found dead on flooded A4110 failed by police, family say
Thrombectomy: 'My treatment was a miracle' says stroke patient
When Gemma O’Hara experienced severe neck pain, nausea, and dizziness in the middle of the night, she immediately sensed that something was seriously wrong. The 40-year-old from Ballymena, County Antrim, had suffered a brain stem stroke shortly after returning from holiday. Fortunately, Gemma was able to undergo a thrombectomy—a procedure that removes blood clots and… Continue reading Thrombectomy: 'My treatment was a miracle' says stroke patient
Bath wheelchair user 'had to crawl' off GWR train from London
Phoebe Tesoriere, a 24-year-old wheelchair user, endured a distressing experience when she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees through a train after being denied the use of a ramp to disembark. The incident took place on a Great Western Railway (GWR) service traveling from London Paddington to Bath Spa, accompanied by her… Continue reading Bath wheelchair user 'had to crawl' off GWR train from London
Rise in babies in care proceedings raises fears of unnecessary adoptions, experts tell BBC
New research released by experts from Lancaster and Oxford universities reveals that a significant number of children in England enter care proceedings before reaching their first birthday. Over the past twenty years, cases involving infants in care have surged by 64%, now affecting roughly one in every 118 babies. Although these figures peaked during the… Continue reading Rise in babies in care proceedings raises fears of unnecessary adoptions, experts tell BBC
Jeffrey Archer: Best-selling author and former politician dies aged 86
Jeffrey Archer, born on 15 April 1940 in north London, spent much of his early life in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where his family purchased a home from John Cleese’s mother. His political journey commenced in 1969 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Louth constituency in Lincolnshire. Archer held this position for… Continue reading Jeffrey Archer: Best-selling author and former politician dies aged 86
We're saving £100 a month into pensions for our toddler and baby – here's why
Richard and Caitlin Brain from Swansea, South Wales, have taken an unusual step for parents of very young children by setting up individual pension accounts for their toddlers, aged just 20 months and five months. Each month, the couple contributes £50 into their children’s pension funds, which, according to current UK private pension rules, cannot… Continue reading We're saving £100 a month into pensions for our toddler and baby – here's why
UK weather: Temperatures drop as rain and cloud sweep in
Following several weeks of unusually warm conditions, the UK is about to experience a marked shift as autumnal weather begins to take hold. Starting on Tuesday, a cooler air mass is expected to move in from the north-west, leading to a noticeable temperature drop. Daytime highs will fall from the low twenties down to the… Continue reading UK weather: Temperatures drop as rain and cloud sweep in