County Sound (2025)

21/08/2025

NEWS: An experienced skydiver deliberately fell to her death from 15,500ft the day after her relationship ended, an inquest heard.

Jade Damarell, 32, did not deploy her main parachute or the reserve and switched off an automatic activation device (AAD) before she crashed on to farmland near the airfield at Shotton Colliery, County Durham, on April 27, the hearing was told.

The marketing manager left instructions on the lock screen of her phone on how to access the handset and left notes and details of her finances in its Notes folder, the inquest at Crook Civic Centre, County Durham, was told.

Coroner Leslie Hamilton gave a conclusion of su***de after finding that she intended to take her own life that morning.

Ms Damarell, who was born in Hong Kong and lived in Caerphilly, Wales, loved skydiving and had completed more than 500 jumps.

The day before she died, she had completed six jumps safely and without issues.

Dr Hamilton summarised a statement from her former partner which stated that “they had ended their relationship the night before”.

The coroner did not go into further detail, except to say that they had met through a shared love of skydiving.

Bryn Chaffe, co-owner of Sky-High Skydiving from where she jumped, gave a statement in which he said he saw Ms Damarrel eating toast in the base’s cafe before she jumped and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

A post-mortem found she died from blunt trauma injuries and toxicological tests were negative for drink or drugs.

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21/08/2025

NEWS: The Government has taken control of the UK’s third largest steelworks in a bid to save 1,450 jobs at the site.

The high court confirmed on Thursday that Speciality Steel – previously part of Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Steel business – would face a compulsory liquidation.

The operation, which has plants in Rotherham and Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, will be placed into the hands of the Official Receiver and special managers from advisory firm Teneo.

Ongoing wages and costs to keep the plant running will be covered by the Government until a buyer is found.

However, bosses at Speciality Steel said the move to wind up the business is “irrational”.

Jeffrey Kabel, chief transformation officer said: “The decision to push Speciality Steel UK into compulsory liquidation, especially when we have support from the world’s largest asset manager to resume operations and facilitate creditor recovery is irrational.

“The plan that GFG (Sanjeev Gupta’s parent business) presented to the court would have secured new investment in the UK steel industry, protecting jobs and establishing a sustainable operational platform under a new governance structure with independent oversight.

“Instead, liquidation will now impose prolonged uncertainty and significant costs on UK taxpayers for settlements and related expenses, despite the availability of a commercial solution.”

GFG said it will put forward a bid to retake control of the business alongside debt and equity partners and present this to the Official Receiver.

A Government spokesperson said: “We know this will be a deeply worrying time for staff and their families, but we remain committed to a bright and sustainable future for steelmaking and steel making jobs in the UK.

“It is now for the independent Official Receiver to carry out their duties as liquidator, including ensuring employees are paid, while we also make sure staff and local communities are supported.”

UK Steel director general Gareth Stace said: “UK Steel welcomes the Government’s recognition of the importance of the Liberty Speciality Steel assets and hopes that a new owner is found quickly and can inject the investment and working capital required to return production volumes to previous levels".

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21/08/2025

NEWS: Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers online on the day of the Southport murders, has been released from prison.

Connolly, 42, the wife of Conservative councillor Raymond Connolly, was driven from HMP Peterborough in a taxi on Thursday morning, a prison source said.

It is understood that Connolly was a passenger in a white taxi which left HMP Peterborough via the vehicle airlock, a set of two gates exiting the prison, shortly after 10am.

Once the external gate of the airlock had opened, the taxi drove off down the road past reporters.

She was handed a 31-month sentence in October after she posted on X: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care … if that makes me racist so be it.”

She pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” written material on X and was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court in October last year.

The former childminder, from Northampton, was ordered to serve 40% of her sentence in prison before being released on licence.

Connolly’s case has sparked debate, with some criticising her sentence as excessive.

Reacting to her release, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Connolly’s sentence was “harsher than the sentences handed down for bricks thrown at police or actual rioting”.

In a post on X, Ms Badenoch compared Connolly’s case with that of Ricky Jones, a suspended Labour councillor who was found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder at an anti-racism rally in the wake of the Southport murders.

Writing on X, Mrs Badenoch said: “Juries are a cornerstone of justice, but we shouldn’t have to rely on them to protect basic freedoms.

“Protecting people from words should not be given greater weight in law than public safety. If the law does this, then the law itself is broken – and it’s time Parliament looked again at the Public Order Act.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described Connolly as a “symbol of Keir Starmer’s authoritarian, broken, two-tier Britain”.

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21/08/2025

NEWS: London Underground workers are to stage a series of strikes next month in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said its members on the Tube will take industrial action at different times from September 5, for seven days.

The union claimed management had refused to engage seriously with its demands on pay, fatigue management, shift patterns and a reduction in the working week.

In a separate dispute over pay and conditions, RMT members on London’s Docklands Light Railway will also be striking in the week beginning September 7.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock.

“They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members’ health and wellbeing – all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.

“Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no-one is listening to them.

“RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.”

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points.

“We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4% pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.

“We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.

“Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us rather than threaten strike action, which will only disrupt Londoners.”

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: Teenagers who moved from primary to secondary school in the middle of the pandemic are waking up to their GCSE results, with more than one in five entries expected to score the top grades.

Pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving GCSE and level 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) grades to help them progress on to sixth form, college or training.

Teenagers could face more competition for sixth form places this summer, it has been suggested.

Last year, more than a fifth (21.8%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A grade, down from 22.0% in 2023.

But it remained higher than in 2019 – the year before the Covid-19 pandemic – when 20.8% of UK GCSE entries scored the top grades.

In England, Ofqual brought GCSE grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last year.

The move came after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has suggested that the proportion of GCSE entries scoring the top grades this summer could be similar to last year but remain higher than in 2019.

Last week, the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades surpassed pre-pandemic highs.

This summer, more than 95,000 pupils in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will receive their results using an app as part of a Government pilot.

The Education Record, which will bring pupils’ GCSE exam results and certificates into one app, aims to help young people when applying to further education, apprenticeships or employment.

Many of the pupils who are receiving their GCSE results this summer were in Year 6 when schools closed because of the pandemic.

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21/08/2025

NEWS: A majority of people back the idea of new housing or developments where they live, new data has indicated.

The poll of 2,005 people conducted by Public First in July found that 55% of respondents would “generally support new buildings or developments or buildings being built in my local area”.

The research found that Labour backers (72%) and young people aged 25-34 (67%) were most likely to be “Yimby” (yes in my backyard).

Reform backers (44%) and people in the East of England (44%) were the most likely groups to say that they generally oppose development in their locality, the poll found.

Overall, 33% of people said that they would generally oppose development.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put “builders not blockers first” and “overhaul the broken planning system”.

In December, the Prime Minister announced new mandatory targets for councils when it comes to housebuilding.

He said at the time: “Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.”

In its report, The Quiet Yes, released on Thursday, Public First argued that a “more representative planning system” is needed.

The policy research organisation recommended that councils bring in changes to surveys and research on public opinion on building plans and questions about how residents would want councils to spend certain money earmarked for development.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

Good Morning! It's Thursday 21 August 2025, birthdays for actress Kim Cattrall (69), actress Carrie-Anne Moss (58), singer Dina Carroll (57), The Prodigy's Liam Howlett (54), Olympian Usain Bolt (39) & Lioness Millie Bright (32).

Andy Lloyd's Morning Show is live every weekday from 09:00 with three hours of music, news & sport with The Retro Chart, Old Shaw's Almanac, The Bradshaws, a featured birthday artist & Nuts at Nine.

Teacher Bobby Seagull is joining us at 10:30 to discuss today's GCSE results and the electrifying problem of high fuel bills - and what we can do to help reduce them.

Support the programme: coff.ee/andylloyd, paypal.me/andrewlloyd or buy a cool morning show mug www.radiomugs.com

21/08/2025

NEWS: Paul Weller - the former frontman with The Jam & The Style Council is suing his former accountants after they stopped working with the singer after public statements alleging Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, according to a legal letter.

The former frontman of The Jam has filed a discrimination claim against Harris and Trotter after the firm ended their professional relationship after more than 30 years.

In a pre-action letter, lawyers for Weller say the singer-songwriter was told in March that the accountants and tax advisers would no longer work with the 67-year-old or his companies.

According to the letter, a WhatsApp message from a partner at the firm included: “It’s well known what your political views are in relation to Israel, the Palestinians and Gaza, but we as a firm are offended at the assertions that Israel is committing any type of genocide.

“Everyone is entitled to their own views, but you are alleging such anti-Israel views that we as a firm with Jewish roots and many Jewish partners are not prepared to work with someone who holds these views.”

Lawyers for Weller claim that by ending their services, the firm unlawfully discriminated against the singer’s protected philosophical beliefs including that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that Palestine should be recognised as a nation state.

Weller said: “I’ve always spoken out against injustice, whether it’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. What’s happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe.

“I believe they have the right to self-determination, dignity, and protection under international law, and I believe Israel is committing genocide against them. That must be called out.

“Silencing those who speak this truth is not just censorship – it’s complicity.

“I’m taking legal action not just for myself, but to help ensure that others are not similarly punished for expressing their beliefs about the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Weller will donate any damages he receives to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, the legal letter also states.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: Belief among young adults that use of force against a child is unacceptable has grown stronger in recent years according to new polling which has prompted campaigners to make a fresh call for a change in the law.

Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020.

But it is not completely outlawed in England and Northern Ireland.

According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is “reasonable punishment”, and this is judged on a case-by-case basis.

New polling for the NSPCC, carried out by YouGov, suggests around eight in 10 people (82%) aged between 18 and 24 believe it is unacceptable for a parent to use force, however slight, against a child.

This is an increase from 64% of young adults who thought it was unacceptable when polled in 2023.

Among parents specifically, the figures have remained high in recent years, with the latest polling showing 81% felt this way, up slightly from 80% last year and from 76% in 2022.

YouGov surveyed 3,800 adults across England in July, of which 749 were parents with a child under 18 and 198 were aged 18 to 24 years old.

Of all adults surveyed, 71% said they believe physical punishment against a child is unacceptable, up from 67% in 2023.

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21/08/2025

NEWS: A member of rap trio Kneecap faces a month-long wait to find out whether his terrorism charge will be thrown out.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was once again greeted by hundreds of fans as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for a three-hour hearing.

Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old displayed a flag in support of proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year.

During Wednesday’s hearing, his defence team argued the case should be thrown out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.

Brenda Campbell KC told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21.

She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge falls outside of the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought.

Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant’s first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will rule on whether he has the jurisdiction to try the case.

Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners greeted O hAnnaidh as he arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh.

Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside the court building in London, as well as in Dublin.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: UK inflation rose by more than expected in July as demand for summer travel pushed up air fares and food prices continued to climb, according to official figures.

Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation increased to 3.8% in July, from 3.6% in June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It means the headline rate remained at the highest level since January 2024, when it hit 4%.

The ONS said transport was the biggest factor driving up overall inflation last month, particularly due to a spike in flight prices as families booked trips during the school summer holidays.

Air fares soared by 30.2% between June and July, the biggest jump since the collection of monthly data began in 2001.

The average price of petrol rose by 2p per litre between June and July, and the average diesel price by 2.9p per litre over the period, the data showed.

Prices across UK restaurants and hotels also increased last month, largely driven by a jump in overnight hotel stays booked the night before.

Most economists had been forecasting inflation to rise to 3.7%.

Food and drink inflation rose to 4.9% in July, from 4.5% in June.

This marked the fourth month in a row that the annual rate had increased and remained at the highest level since February 2024.

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

NES: Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners have greeted one of the rap trio’s members as he arrived at court for allegedly supporting a proscribed terror organisation.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.

Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London where he arrived on Wednesday, as well as in Dublin.

The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court can take place, saying they are needed to “prevent serious disruption”.

O hAnnaidh, who arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, was swamped by photographers outside, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building.

Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh sat at the back of the courtroom with three others as O hAnnaidh confirmed his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing.

Hundreds of supporters greeted the Kneecap rapper with cheers as he made his way from a silver people-carrier to the building.

Fans held signs which read “Free Mo Chara” while others waved Palestine and Irish flags before the rapper’s arrival at court.

Chants of “free, free, Mo Chara” could also be heard over a megaphone, which was repeated by the crowd.

In response to the Met imposing conditions on the protest, Kneecap described this move as a “calculated political decision” that was “designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome”, and “asked supporters to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful”.

O hAnnaidh received a rockstar welcome when he appeared at the same court in June, supported by Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh.

He was greeted by a festival-like atmosphere for his first court appearance, with dozens of fans waving flags, playing drums and one supporter setting off a smoke canister.

The court previously heard the 27-year-old defendant is “well within his rights” to voice his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, was a “wholly different thing”.

O hAnnaidh is yet to enter a plea to the charge.

Radio NewsHub

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