Global Trade

Golfer gets two holes in one in the same round

by Hazel
written by Hazel

A 77-year-old golfer has achieved an extraordinary feat by hitting two holes in one during the same round.

Kevin Popplewell beat odds of 67 million to one during a Stableford competition at Rotherham Golf Club on Sunday.

He was stunned to land a 172-yard shot early in the round before repeating his achievement on the 14th hole.

Mr Popplewell, the club's former captain, described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" success and said: "It felt unbelievable."

He added: "It took me quite a little while to settle down and stop shaking."

Mr Popplewell joined Rotherham from Pontefract Golf Club in 1995 with a handicap of one.

His feat has never been recorded before at the course in an individual competition.

The keen golfer has hit a hole in one on eight previous occasions, but never on the same day.

"There has to be a degree of luck, they were both decent shots but I'm sure luck plays its part," he said.

"Apparently you've got more chance of winning the lottery."

Mr Popplewell finished the game on 76 strokes.

As is tradition, he celebrated his win by buying a round of drinks for everyone at the club bar.

Asked about his technique, he quipped: "In my case the method was playing a wonderful, fantastic shot."

South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

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Tech

Change urged after pregnant porpoise dies in nets

by Madison
written by Madison

A pregnant porpoise found stranded in Cornwall died after being caught up in commercial fishing nets, a post-mortem examination has found.

James Barnett, veterinary investigator for Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, described the examination as the "most distressing he has ever seen".

"In nearly 20 years of undertaking this work, I have rarely seen a female so close to term. It was quite emotional for all of us," said Mr Barnett.

Campaigners called on the government to provide access to acoustic deterrent devices, known as "pingers", which emit sounds to alert porpoises to fishing nets. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said vessels over 12m (39ft) were required to use acoustic devices.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust
The post-mortem found evidence of bycatch damage

The porpoise was found by trust volunteers on Good Friday after they were called to Pentewan Beach near St Austell.

A post-mortem found the animal had been heavily pregnant with a near-term calf.

Mr Barnett said the porpoise displayed "clear signs of entanglement" in monofilament fishing net, also known as gillnets – "a strong indicator of bycatch".

Bycatch describes marine creatures trapped by commercial fishing nets during fishing for a different species.

The post-mortem was carried out as part of the government-funded Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme.

Volunteer Chris Trew was among those to attend the stranded porpoise

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said increased sightings of small cetaceans, which are marine mammals including dolphins and porpoises, over the last nine years had coincided with more interactions with fishing activities.

Bycatch was estimated to kill more than 1,000 harbour porpoises every year in UK waters alone, it said.

Rebecca Allen, marine conservation officer at the trust, said: "It's an agonising death for the individuals, and this level of loss is not sustainable for these populations."

"Urgent" government action was needed to work with fishers, many of whom were "ready" to use the devices, she said.

However, the trust said fishers had reported difficulties obtaining licences to use the deterrent devices.

A spokesman from the MMO said vessels over 12m (39ft) were required to use acoustic devices, and those outside that requirement must obtain a marine wildlife licence.

With regard to fishers' difficulties obtaining licences, it said many applications came to the department anonymously without the required details, so they were unable to process them.

It said bycatch of porpoise was a concern and new management measures were being explored.

'Campaigned endlessly'

Nick West, chairman of the Mevagissey Fisherman's Association, said a trial of the pingers had proven "undeniably effective", with no bycatch recorded on cameras installed on vessels using them daily.

Mr West added said they had "campaigned endlessly" for the devices, which they had offered to fund.

The MMO said options to manage bycatch could include expanding the use of the acoustic deterrent devices, spatial closures or voluntary options, but no decisions had been made.

It said it was discussing the options with experts and planned to involve industry leaders later this year to develop a formal proposal for consultation.

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Economy

DNA marking kits handed out to tackle tool theft

by Anna
written by Anna

Hundreds of tool marking kits which use DNA tracking technology will be handed out to tradespeople in Sussex to help tackle tool thefts.

About 500 kits, which use an invisible DNA solution to mark tools and machinery, will be given out to people in Brighton in a bid to reduce the prolific rural crime.

The scheme had previously been used to protect farm machinery but will now be rolled out after tradespeople across the South East called for tougher penalties after a spate of reported crimes.

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said the kits were an "extra layer of protection acting as a powerful deterrent against theft".

Ms Bourne added: "The kits make stolen tools traceable and harder for criminals to profit in re-seller markets.

"For traders, their tools can be their livelihoods, they often cost thousands of pounds to replace and theft of equipment can leave people out of work."

Kits used in the scheme work by providing an invisible DNA gel which can be used to mark property such as tools and machinery.

The gel dries clear and then can only be identified through ultraviolet light and specialist microscopes, a PCC spokesperson added.

When analysed, the gel marking can then be used to help return the tools to their rightful owners if they are stolen.

In total, 500 of the kits have been funded by the PCC's office in partnership with tradespeople website Checkatrade.

A report by trade publication On The Tools found four in five tradespeople in the UK that were surveyed in the report had experienced tool theft.

Tools often worth thousands of pounds can be stolen from the back of tradespeople's vans, wreaking havoc on traders who are then out of pocket and unable to work.

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Global Trade

Man who murdered partner jailed for 20 years

by Kristen
written by Kristen

A man has been jailed for life after he was found guilty of "brutally" murdering his partner.

Alcwyn Thomas, 44, claimed that Victoria Thomas, 45, died during "make up sex" in a spare bedroom where she had asked to be choked.

Thomas admitted manslaughter but denied murder at their home in Caerphilly Road, Cardiff.

He will serve a minimum of 19 years and 121 days.

It took a jury at Cardiff Crown Court four and a half hours to convict him after a trial lasting almost two weeks.

After drinking heavily and taking cocaine, Thomas strangled his partner in a spare bedroom at the home they shared.

The pair had been in a relationship for four years but were not married.

Family photo
Victoria Thomas was found dead at her home in the Heath area of Cardiff

Victoria Thomas' son Cole told the court her ex-partner had, "reduced an incredible woman to a box of ashes".

Wearing a suit and a pink flower, Cole stared at the defendant and told the court he was 15 when he moved in.

He said Thomas made "no effort to share his life".

He said he "felt that we lost mum very quickly to Alcwyn – and felt helpless".

He said he would have "no mum to guide me through success or failure, marriage" and added he would never be able to call her or send her videos that she would enjoy.

"My mum was my best friend and our connection was beyond words," he said.

Cole said the "disgusting" way in which Thomas "chose to take my mother's life has left images in my head that will never leave me".

Cole said he slept at night with his mother's ashes next to him.

Victoria Thomas' other son Shane, 18, said he was reading the statement less than a month after his 18th birthday.

He said he felt an "overwhelming feeling of absence".

He had passed his driving test the day before his mother's funeral and said his mother would never see him get married, have a kid or buy his first home.

Her father Robert said in a statement his life and that of Victoria's mother "fell apart" following the murder.

He said it was, "so painful and beyond words".

Robert Thomas said he had suffered a heart attack in January because of the distress of what had happened.

Her mother, Gillian Thomas said Victoria was her "precious baby girl".

She said: "What gave you the right to stop her heart from beating?"

She said she had an "ache in my heart from missing her that will never go away".

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said on Thursday: "You have caused immeasurable and overwhelming grief to Ms Thomas' family".

She said it was clear that something had happened to cause Victoria Thomas to be "frightened" of him.

She said he followed Ms Thomas upstairs, "and on her son's bed you strangled her to death".

"At no time did you express any sorrow or remorse for your actions", she said.

Mandy Wintle of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Everyone should feel safe in their own home, and any allegation of domestic abuse is taken very seriously."

'I've done something bad'

During the trial, the jury heard that the defendant had been out with Ms Thomas during the day of 20 August 2024.

They had visited pubs before going to a bingo hall. He had drunk around 16 pints of lager and taken cocaine.

One witness told the court he was "not really himself and looked through me" whilst at the bingo, said he was "angry and hot headed".

The defendant had admitted that he and Ms Thomas were "bickering" whilst out, but said that was "nothing unusual. We never had a screaming match".

The court heard that on the night, Ms Thomas had sent expletive ridden messages to other family members complaining about how he was behaving.

The couple went home by taxi. Ms Thomas sat in the front whilst Thomas sat in the back.

The taxi driver told the court he was complaining he had lost money and was "rude, drunk and unsteady".

Around an hour and a half after arriving home, Thomas sent a message to his sister saying: "I'm sorry I've done something really bad."

Following 45-year-old Ms Thomas' death, her family described her as "much-loved", adding that they were "broken" by her loss and "will miss her forever".

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Economy

Road markers aim to encourage exercise

by Nathan
written by Nathan

Markers have been installed along pavements and cycle paths on a stretch of the east coast of Guernsey to encourage islanders to exercise more.

The Health Improvement Commission and CMC Wellbeing have added blue concentric circles every 1,640ft (500m) on the pavements and cycle paths between North Beach and Bulwer Avenue, a distance of 1.5 miles (2.5km).

Coined the East Coast Runway, the organisations said they hoped the markings would motivate commuters to run, cycle or walk to work and residents to exercise more in their lunch breaks.

Director at CMC Wellbeing Guthrie Steer said there was "real potential" to expand the idea to other parts of the island.

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Business

Care home residents at risk of malnutrition – CQC

by Mason
written by Mason

Residents at a care home for people with dementia were at risk of malnutrition, inspectors said.

Newlands Hall in Heckmondwike has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection last September.

The hall, run by Regency Healthcare Limited, provides nursing and personal care to up to 30 people, some of whom have dementia.

Its manager Sean Chaudhry said he took the CQC report "very seriously", adding: "We have taken significant and meaningful steps to address the issues identified in the inspection report."

Mr Chaudhry said: "While we are proud of the progress made, we fully recognise that there is always room for growth and improvement in any service.

"We remain committed to continuous development, learning and raising standards to ensure the best possible outcomes for those in our care.''

'Poor leadership'

A report published on Thursday rated Newlands Hall as "inadequate", stating that leaders failed to operate systems to identify and investigate possible abuse and that patients' medicines were not managed safely.

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, added that "several people had lost a significant amount of weight and were at risk of malnutrition."

She said: "When we inspected Newlands Hall, it was concerning to see that poor leadership and ineffective risk management had led to people being placed at harm in a place they call home.

"People weren't always receiving nutritionally balanced meals, and portion sizes were small with no snacks offered between meals."

Ms Hirst said that leaders had "failed to act" to ensure residents were "protected from the risks of malnutrition and no referrals had been made to a GP or dietician".

Staff had raised concerns over residents' unexplained bruising and tears, while a healthcare professional raised concerns over someone's continence care – but neither were followed up.

Ms Hirst said: "We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid, and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time.

"We will return to check on their progress and won't hesitate to use our regulatory powers further if people aren't receiving the care they have a right to expect."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

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Industry

Woman, 23, could 'completely lose voice forever'

by Addison
written by Addison

A woman who could lose her voice forever is using social media in the hope of finding other people living with a paralysed vocal cord.

Poppy Beech, from Cosby, Leicestershire, said she was born with a paralysed vocal cord on the right side, which had caused her voice to sound quiet and husky.

Three weeks ago she posted her first TikTok video, hoping to find more people like her and "light at the end of the tunnel".

She said: "I have never been able to shout or raise my voice. I have recently learnt to project my voice… I am quite quiet."

She enjoys hiking, running and horse riding and said she did not let the condition hold her back.

"We think this is the way I was born and I have had surgery recently that hasn't improved the sound of my voice, and ongoing speech and language therapy to try and help me project my voice so I can be a little louder."

Ms Beech is awaiting surgery at Northampton General Hospital.

She said she had previously been on a waiting list at a closer hospital for about two years until she was asked if she was willing to travel to a hospital slightly further away.

"The surgeon was concerned if I don't try and have another surgery and I keep straining my left vocal fold that that will eventually strain… I could completely lose my voice," she said.

Helen McCarthy/BBC
Poppy Beech said she started posting on TikTok to find more people who have had a paralysed vocal cord like her

However, she has learned ways to adapt, including writing down food and drink orders in loud restaurants and bars and taking a whistle when she goes hiking, in case she gets into difficulty.

Her Paralysed Voice Diaries, posted under the name Poppy Speaks Out, document what life is like with a paralysed vocal cord.

"I was worried about hate comments but so far, out of 150,000 views across my page, I haven't had a single hate comment," she said.

"People have messaged me with advice and support and it's been lovely."

If she was one day to lose her voice entirely, she said she would learn sign language as a way of communicating.

While the idea of losing her voice was "very scary", she said she was focusing on the present.

"I have posted some TikToks about finding someone else in the same situation as me to try and find light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"Because it's so rare I don't really know if it's going to be successful or if I have to keep trialling surgeries."

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Industry

Summer strike threat at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports

by Leah
written by Leah

Strike action could hit Scotland's largest airports over the summer after hundreds of ground services crew rejected pay offers.

The union Unite said about 300 workers at Glasgow and a similar number at Edinburgh had turned down two separate offers from their employer Menzies Aviation.

The staff include dispatchers, allocators, flight manifest controllers and airside agents.

Unite warned it could ballot for strike action over the summer holiday period unless better offers were tabled. Menzies Aviation said it was committed to finding a resolution.

Glasgow and Edinburgh airports said they would not comment on the dispute.

Getty Images
About 300 staff at Edinburgh Airport are also involved in a dispute with Menzies Aviation

Unite said its Glasgow members had rejected a basic uplift worth about 4.25%, while Edinburgh staff had turned down a deal worth about 4%.

Industrial officer Carrie Binnie said: "Summer strike action looms over Edinburgh and Glasgow airports because the pay offers on the table from Menzies Aviation aren't good enough."

"Menzies Aviation has the ability to improve its offers and they can easily resolve this pay dispute without any disruption to the travelling public.

"If the company fail to table a better offer to our members, Unite will have no option but to ballot our members for strikes over the summer holidays."

Record passengers

Phil Lloyd, UK senior vice president at Menzies Aviation, said the company wanted to find a resolution.

He said: "We have invited Unite to return to the table to continue discussions this week and hope to reach an agreement which is workable for both the business and our employees at both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"We will continue to work to pursue an agreeable solution to protect services for our airline and airport partners and their customers."

Edinburgh had a record 15 million passengers last year, and announced a number of new routes for this year.

Glasgow's figures show it had about 800,000 passengers in each of the months of June, July and August last year.

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