bbcuk--2020-02-23--Harry Dunn crash: Family urge government to block Julian Assange extradition

The family of Harry Dunn has urged the government to refuse the extradition of Julian Assange until the US returns the suspect in his death back to the UK .
Dunn family spokesman Radd Seiger accused the US of `` hypocrisy '' in seeking Assange 's extradition , despite rejecting the return of Anne Sacoolas .
She is suspected of causing the teenager 's death by dangerous driving .
The family said the foreign secretary told them he is `` reviewing all options '' .
The 19-year-old 's parents have called on Dominic Raab and the government to refuse any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including that of the Wikileaks co-founder - after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected extraditing Sacoolas , last month .
Ms Sacoolas , a US national and the wife of an intelligence officer , claimed diplomatic immunity after the fatal crash in August , and returned to the US .
Mr Seiger said the Foreign Affairs Committee had accepted their request for a public inquiry into the extradition , and the diplomatic immunity given to Ms Sacoolas , who reportedly worked for the CIA .
• What is extradition and how does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of road near Harry Dunn base • 'No haggle ' over Dunn suspect and Prince Andrew It comes after the Foreign Office said it had `` no plans '' to launch a public inquiry into the teenager 's death , saying it was `` confident '' the case had been `` handled properly and lawfully throughout '' .
Mr Dunn died after his motorbike was in collision with a car owned by Mrs Sacoolas .
The crash happened outside RAF Croughton where Mrs Sacoolas ' husband Jonathan worked as an intelligence officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charles and father , Tim Dunn , said Mr Raab told them in a January 27 meeting that the government is `` reviewing all options '' after the US refused to return Ms Sacoolas to the UK .
Referring to Mr Assange 's potential extradition to the US , Mr Seiger said Mr Dunn 's family `` understand and respect '' the `` huge public interest '' attached to extradition , adding that `` no one must be allowed to evade justice '' by fleeing a country .
In refusing the UK 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seiger accused the US of launching `` the single greatest attack '' on its `` so-called special relationship '' with the UK .
Mr Seiger added : `` The US is not behaving like an ally and has effectively thumbed its nose up at the UK and ignored the clearly laid out provisions in the treaty , effectively tearing it up . ''
He said the principle of `` reciprocity '' is at the heart of any extradition treaty , which the US is `` failing to abide by '' in its `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` In doing so , they are demonstrating an extraordinary amount of hypocrisy , and the double standards on display are unprecedented , '' he added .
Mr Seiger continued : `` On behalf of Harry Dunn 's family and the millions of concerned citizens in the UK , I now demand that the UK authorities block any further extraditions to the US , including the one of Julian Assange , until such time as Anne Sacoolas is extradited and back on UK soil facing the justice system here . ''
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal to be done '' over Mr Dunn 's case and the US investigation of Prince Andrew 's Jeffery Epstein connections .
But Mr Raab said there would be no `` haggling '' over the two cases , saying the extradition treaty with the US is `` rules-based '' .
Mr Seiger said Mr Dunn 's family had been `` badly let down '' since his death and urged the government to `` show us what they are made of , if they are to instil any confidence that they really do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed Saturday 's protest in which hundreds of Assange 's supporters marched through London ahead of the start of his extradition trial at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday .
Mr Assange is facing extradition to the US on 18 charges and faces up to 175 years in prison if found guilty .

Mr Seiger continued: "On behalf of Harry Dunn's family and the millions of concerned citizens in the UK, I now demand that the UK authorities block any further extraditions to the US, including the one of Julian Assange, until such time as Anne Sacoolas is extradited and back on UK soil facing the justice system here."


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Tyson Fury beats Deontay Wilder in world title fight in Las Vegas

Tyson Fury produced the most destructive performance of his boxing life to end Deontay Wilder 's five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion in seven thrilling rounds of their Las Vegas rematch .
The Briton , 31 , pummelled his rival in a way few could have imagined following their 2018 draw , flooring him in the third and fifth rounds while constantly backing up the most-feared puncher in the division in a way no-one has done before .
A jab and right hand - the combination with which Wilder has wiped men out repeatedly - sent the American down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grand Arena .
Wilder , making his 11th defence , fell again before the round was out - this time a slip - and looked ragged under the pressure , before a right and left hand to the body sent the 34-year-old down in the fifth .
Fury delivered everything he had promised , transitioning from his hit-and-move style to overpower , outwork and bully his previously undefeated rival until the towel came in during the seventh round .
This was more than a world title win , it was a statement - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his corner after victory was sealed , the days of depression , weight gain and despair that cost him the belts he claimed in 2015 seemed a lifetime away .
• Relive Fury v Wilder II - from the ring walks to the winning moment • 'There 's a fella across the pond who might want a tickle ' - Fury says Joshua bout will 'complete ' career • 'Living legend ' Fury shines bright in Vegas - but did he lick Wilder 's blood ?
• Podcast : Costello & Bunce on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thousands of British fans who had descended on Vegas saw their hero take an age to arrive at the ring on a throne , sporting a golden crown .
It was the only time Fury moved slowly all night .
He hit pads in the ring as Wilder made his ring walk - just as he did 15 months earlier in Los Angeles - and his start was rapid , a flurry of hooks prompting chants of `` there 's only one Tyson Fury '' from the crowd .
Actors Michael J Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes , watched as Fury raised his hand at the end of the opening three-minute round and things began to feel markedly different to their first meeting .
He simply did not take a backward step , forcing Wilder to the ropes and ensuring the champion had no say in the pace of proceedings .
And in the third round , those who had paid the kind of ticket prices that made this the highest gate ever in Nevada , rose to their feet at the sight of Wilder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his career .
A right hand behind Wilder 's ear - the same shot with which the American had floored Fury nine rounds into their first fight - did the damage .
Wilder then fell again as Fury bulldozed him .
At the bell , the pair glared at one another and Wilder knew he was in a place no fighter wants to be .
The Britons sitting ringside did not want to be anywhere else .
Was the weight Fury had gained making the difference ?
Was it the new training set-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was putting on a boxing clinic and a right-left combination to the body dropped the stunned Wilder once more in the fifth .
Fury was docked a point for punching on the break but he did not seem to care or blink at the punishment , instead continuing to feint and twitch to set shots up before unloading on a man who had started a slight favourite .
He led 59-52 59-52 and 58-53 on the cards when the towel came in .
Fight week had seen repeated debate over where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the greatest nights of heavyweight action , but little consensus .
What we can say with certainty is that this was a masterclass .
Wilder flounders as Fury reaches the summit ( again ) Wilder , under-appreciated through half a decade as a champion , knew this was the night he could fully silence doubters .
Some 43 fights into an undefeated career his ability was still questioned by many , and scorned by some .
Wilder 's fabled right hand never showed up .
It was telegraphed time and again and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to his left ear - quickly left the arena to go to hospital for stitches on the damage .
Coming in at the highest weight of his career may be offered up as an explanation for his shortcomings , but the gulf between the fighters was huge .
In the years since Wilder first won the title , Fury has claimed three world belts , lost them without fighting amid problems with drugs , alcohol and depression , and gained the kind of weight that meant many assumed his boxing career was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top , with a back-story that has helped shape cult-hero status in the UK and now a burgeoning profile in the US .
He may flippantly say this title means little to him .
He may continue to threaten to walk away from boxing .
We can be certain he will lead us all a merry dance until the day it is all over .
But when it is , this win will be remembered .
There will be talk of a third Wilder fight and talk of a historic all-British meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves can wait for now as here , on a Vegas Strip where dreams are so often dashed , Fury completed his journey from personal despair to sporting glory .
What a ride it has been .
Hopefully he is now better placed than the first time around to live with one of sport 's sweetest of introductions - heavyweight champion of the world .
'Not bad for someone with pillow fists ' - what they said Tyson Fury speaking to BT Sport Box Office : `` I told everybody with a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to the throne .
My last fight everybody wrote me off .
I was underweight and over-trained .
I 'm a destroyer .
Not bad for someone with pillow fists .
`` I 'm a man of my word .
I told Wilder , his team , the world .
We trained for a knockout ; we was n't tapping around in that gym .
`` I talk like this because I can back it up .
People write me off , they look at my fat belly and bald head and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought the best Tyson Fury , we 're both in our primes .
`` I expect him to ask for the third fight .
I know he 's a warrior and I 'll be waiting . ''
Promoter Frank Warren , speaking to the 5 Live Boxing podcast : `` I have been doing this a long time and that was the best performance I have seen from a British boxer in the ring .
`` I always believed Tyson would stop him and it is the best moment for me , selfishly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his family .
`` It is the best comeback in sport , not boxing .
He was in the depths of despair and to pull himself back from that is the most amazing thing .
It is special . ''
Deontay Wilder : `` The best man won on the night .
My coach threw in the towel but I 'm ready to go out on my shield .
`` I had a lot of things going on coming into this fight but it is what it is .
`` I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out on my shield , I 'm a warrior .
But [ Fury ] did what he did and there 's no excuses . ''
Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis : `` Congratulations to Tyson Fury on a huge win and bossing his way to the WBC and Ring heavyweight straps .
Once again you showed up big .
`` The best fighters solve puzzles .
Tonight Fury solved the puzzle that was Wilder by making him fight going backwards where he 's not as explosive .
Big-manned him . ''

'Not bad for an old fat guy who can't punch' - best of Fury's post-fight news conference
Tyson Fury produced the most destructive performance of his boxing life to end Deontay Wilder's five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion in seven thrilling rounds of their Las Vegas rematch.
The Briton, 31, pummelled his rival in a way few could have imagined following their 2018 draw, flooring him in the third and fifth rounds while constantly backing up the most-feared puncher in the division in a way no-one has done before.
A jab and right hand - the combination with which Wilder has wiped men out repeatedly - sent the American down in the third, stunning the MGM Grand Arena.
Wilder, making his 11th defence, fell again before the round was out - this time a slip - and looked ragged under the pressure, before a left hand to the body sent the 34-year-old down in the fifth.
Fury delivered everything he had promised, transitioning from his hit-and-move style to overpower, outwork and bully his previously undefeated rival until the towel came in during the seventh round.
This was more than a world title win, it was a statement - and as Fury was held aloft by his corner after victory was sealed, the days of depression, weight gain and despair that cost him the belts he claimed in 2015 seemed a lifetime away.
Britons treated to a masterclass
Tyson Fury was carried to the ring on a throne
Thousands of British fans who had descended on Vegas saw their hero take an age to arrive at the ring on a throne, sporting a golden crown. It was the only time Fury moved slowly all night.
He hit pads in the ring as Wilder made his ring walk - just as he did 15 months earlier in Los Angeles - and his start was rapid, a flurry of hooks prompting chants of "there's only one Tyson Fury" from the crowd.
Actors Michael J Fox and Jason Statham, as well as Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes, watched as Fury raised his hand at the end of the opening three-minute round and things began to feel markedly different to their first meeting.
He simply did not take a backward step, forcing Wilder to the ropes and ensuring the champion had no say in the pace of proceedings. And in the third round, those who had paid the kind of ticket prices that made this the highest gate ever for a heavyweight bout in Nevada, rose to their feet at the sight of Wilder floored for only the second time in his career.
A right hand behind Wilder's ear - the same shot with which the American had floored Fury nine rounds into their first fight - did the damage. Wilder then fell again as Fury bulldozed him. At the bell, the pair glared at one another and Wilder knew he was in a place no fighter wants to be. The Britons sitting ringside did not want to be anywhere else.
Wilder was taken to hospital after the fight and didn't appear at the news conference
Was the weight Fury had gained making the difference? Was it the new training set-up? Whatever it was worked to perfection. He was putting on a boxing clinic and a body shot dropped the stunned Wilder once more in the fifth.
Fury was docked a point for punching on the break but he did not seem to care or blink at the punishment, instead continuing to feint and twitch to set shots up before unloading on a man who had started a slight favourite. He led 59-52 59-52 and 58-53 on the cards when the towel came in.
Fight week had seen repeated debate over where this meeting ranked in the pecking order of the greatest nights of heavyweight action, but little consensus. What we can say with certainty is that this was a masterclass.
'This was written in the stars' - Fury on beating Wilder
Wilder flounders as Fury reaches the summit (again)
Fury owned the centre of the ring and dictated the fight from the opening bell
Wilder, under-appreciated through half a decade as a champion, knew this was the night he could fully silence doubters. Some 43 fights into an undefeated career his ability was still questioned by many, and scorned by some.
Wilder's fabled right hand never showed up. It was telegraphed time and again and the Alabama fighter - who was cut close to his left ear - quickly left the arena to go to hospital for stitches on the damage.
Coming in at the highest weight of his career may be offered up as an explanation for his shortcomings, but the gulf between the fighters was huge.
In the years since Wilder first won the title, Fury has claimed three world belts, lost them without fighting amid problems with drugs, alcohol and depression, and gained the kind of weight that meant many assumed his boxing career was over.
Now he is back at the top, with a back-story that has helped shape cult-hero status in the UK and now a burgeoning profile in the US.
Tyson Fury sang to his wife after the fight
He may flippantly say this title means little to him. He may continue to threaten to walk away from boxing. We can be certain he will lead us all a merry dance until the day it is all over. But when it is, this win will be remembered.
There will be talk of a third Wilder fight and talk of a historic all-British meeting with Anthony Joshua.
But the next moves can wait for now as here, on a Vegas Strip where dreams are so often dashed, Fury completed his journey from personal despair to sporting glory.
What a ride it has been. Hopefully he is now better placed than the first time around to live with one of sport's sweetest of introductions - heavyweight champion of the world.
'Not bad for someone with pillow fists' - what they said
Tyson Fury speaking to BT Sport Box Office: "I told everybody with a pair of ears that the Gypsy King would return to the throne. My last fight everybody wrote me off. I was underweight and over-trained. I'm a destroyer. Not bad for someone with pillow fists.
"I'm a man of my word. I told Wilder, his team, the world. We trained for a knockout; we wasn't tapping around in that gym.
"I talk like this because I can back it up. People write me off, they look at my fat belly and bald head and think I can't fight. He fought the best Tyson Fury, we're both in our primes.
"I expect him to ask for the third fight. I know he's a warrior and I'll be waiting."
Tyson Fury wore a trademark patterned suit to the post-fight news conference
Promoter Frank Warren, speaking to the 5 Live Boxing podcast: "I have been doing this a long time and that was the best performance I have seen from a British boxer in the ring.
"I always believed Tyson would stop him and it is the best moment for me, selfishly, but it is also for him and his family.
"It is the best comeback in sport, not boxing. He was in the depths of despair and to pull himself back from that is the most amazing thing. It is special."
Deontay Wilder: "The best man won on the night. My coach threw in the towel but I'm ready to go out on my shield.
"I had a lot of things going on coming into this fight but it is what it is.
"I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield, I'm a warrior. But [Fury] did what he did and there's no excuses."
Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis: "Congratulations to Tyson Fury on a huge win and bossing his way to the WBC and Ring heavyweight straps. Once again you showed up big.
"The best fighters solve puzzles. Tonight Fury solved the puzzle that was Wilder by making him fight going backwards where he's not as explosive. Big-manned him."


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Nicola Sturgeon: I have support to remain first minister

Nicola Sturgeon has said she `` emphatically '' wants to remain as first minister for at least a few years .
Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show , the SNP leader said she believed she had the support of `` party and of country '' to hold her post .
It comes after party figures told BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley Ms Sturgeon may be in trouble .
She also defended a proposal for a `` Scottish visa '' system after the UK government unveiled immigration plans .
MSPs would decide the criteria for this new visa , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before sending them to the UK government for security checks .
The UK 's post-Brexit system , which was announced earlier this week , means that low-skilled workers would not get visas .
However Ms Sturgeon 's position is that this would cause `` devastation '' for Scotland 's economy as it would reduce the number of people entering the country with `` restrictive '' border controls .
There are concerns about Scotland 's ageing population and shrinking workforce , with the National Records of Scotland projecting that deaths could outweigh births over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say this means greater inward migration is needed to boost Scotland 's working-age population in particular , and that an end to freedom of movement could threaten this .
In a letter to Number 10 published on Sunday , Ms Sturgeon has called for a meeting with Boris Johnson to discuss immigration policy .
She told Andrew Marr she hopes to take a delegation of sectoral and business leaders to Downing Street to set out arguments for a different Scottish system .
She said : `` You have a UK government that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people who come into the UK from other countries .
`` My point is that that objective - in and of itself - is deeply damaging to Scotland 's economy and our future prosperity .
`` It will make us poorer and that is why I really want to see this change and for Scotland 's interests to be recognised . ''
• Sturgeon calls for powers to set up 'Scottish visa ' system • No visas for low-skilled workers , government says The UK government , however , has urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relying on `` cheap labour '' from Europe and invest in retaining staff and developing automation technology .
And the Migration Advisory Committee has said Scotland 's needs are `` not sufficiently different '' from the rest of the UK to justify a `` very different '' system , with the north of England facing similar issues .
Ms Sturgeon said there was `` not a shred of evidence '' to support the idea that Scottish jobs had been undercut and called for more powers over employment law to ensure fair working conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much evidence to the contrary including the views of the migration advisory committee - that immigration and EU immigration in particular does not drive down wages , either in the Scottish economy or in the UK economy .
`` Migrants make a net contribution to our economy .
If we have a problem of low wages or working conditions not being what they should be , that 's about poor regulation in the UK economy . ''
A UK government spokesman said : `` Our new points-based immigration system will work in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom .
`` We will continue to work with stakeholders and industry in Scotland to ensure the new proposals work for all sectors . ''
Earlier this week Nick Eardley wrote that a number of SNP figures said Ms Sturgeon may have to `` fall on her sword '' amid increasing discussions over her future .
When asked if she would remain in her position as leader of Scotland , Ms Sturgeon said there were two conditions to consider .
She said : `` Firstly you have to have the support , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I would say humbly that I 've just led my party to another landslide election victory .
`` Secondly I have to be sure that I want to do this job , think I 'm the best person to to this job , have the drive and energy - and that is emphatically the case . ''
Marr also pushed Ms Sturgeon on whether she would look to hold another referendum on Scottish independence this year , despite the prime minister 's flat refusal .
She reiterated her call for independence supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was important to continue arguing for another vote as the UK government negotiates its `` future relationship with Europe '' .
`` I think it 's important that Scotland decides whether or not it wants to go down that road and if it does n't we start to plot a better route forward , '' she said .
Ms Sturgeon added that she does not rule out `` testing the limit of the power of the Scottish Parliament '' in court - but it was not an option she was `` actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled out the possibility of holding an unofficial referendum similar to the one in Catalonia in 2017 .

She said: "There is much evidence to the contrary including the views of the migration advisory committee - that immigration and EU immigration in particular does not drive down wages, either in the Scottish economy or in the UK economy.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--M6 closed in both directions at Walsall after lorry crash

The M6 has been shut in both directions after a crash between two lorries left their contents strewn across the @ @ @ @ @ the motorway at junction six for Walsall is expected to last for several hours , @ @ @ @ @ said it was to allow for the `` complex '' recovery of the two vehicles @ @ @ @ @ contents .
Motorists travelling to the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Norwich City FC match have been @ @ @ @ @ in planning their route .
No-one was injured in the crash .
The closure is @ @ @ @ @ on approach to the M6 closures , back to junction 10A of the M54 on @ @ @ @ @ eight of the M5 northbound .
Highways England says after the HGVs are recovered it @ @ @ @ @ diesel spillage before completing barrier repairs .
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , on @ @ @ @ @ for local news updates direct to your phone .

The closure of the motorway at junction 10 was to allow for the "complex" recovery of the two vehicles and the clearance of their contents, Highways England said.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Bradford collection of film posters worth £50,000 go up for auction

A collection of original film and circus posters worth an estimated £50,000 are to be auctioned off .
Bradford-based W E Berry Ltd produced and printed the colourful artwork for more than 75 years before its closure in 2004 .
Professor Vanessa Toulmin , from the University of Sheffield said the firm 's work included `` some of the most iconic British posters of the 20th Century '' .
The posters owned by the Berry family will be sold in Surrey on 28 February .
The firm was founded in 1888 but it was during the 1920s that W E @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paramount studios and the pair started a business relationship .
Prof Toulmin , director of the National Fairground and Circus Archive at the university , said the collection contained `` some quite stunning pieces '' .
`` I 've spoken to collectors around the world who will be watching the auction and the Betram Mills circus posters will be most keenly looked at , '' she said .
`` It would be sad if some of the pieces leave the country '' , she added .
The company produced designs for Ealing comedies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Universal Studios , as well as for railway companies and Bertram Mills Circus .
Notable films for which W E Berry produced posters include The Ten Commandments ( 1923 ) , Oliver Twist ( 1948 ) , Carry on Up the Khyber ( 1968 ) , Star Wars ( 1977 ) and Flash Gordon ( 1980 ) .
By the late 1990s , the firm employed about 140 people .
However , financial losses in the early 2000s put the company under strain and it went into administration and closed in 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ewbank 's Auctions , said : `` This is a particularly interesting collection because it includes hand-painted artwork of W E Berry , one of only three printers in Britain that specialised in printing large posters for cinemas .
`` To be able to offer the original hand-painted artwork is incredibly rare . ''
Many different agency artists produced the poster artwork and some could be produced by more than one artist , if , for example , one was particularly good at depicting animals .
`` The posters were meant to grab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images , '' said Mr McCrea .
Producing poster artwork in this way grew more expensive and was effectively finished by the advent of computers .
There is predicted to be strong interest from the US where there are numerous collectors of early cinema and circus history .
Museums and also collectors of specific themes are expected to bid in the auction , which features about 400 lots .
There are expected to be more than 150 online bidders , far outnumbering buyers in the saleroom .
Such a large collection of poster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five hours to auction .
`` I think they are great and complete one-off pieces , you 'll never see another one '' , added Mr McCrea .
The auction is to be held at Ewbank 's Auctions in Woking , Surrey on 28 February at 12:00 GMT .
Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Many different agency artists produced the poster artwork and some could be produced by more than one artist, if, for example, one was particularly good at depicting animals.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Coronavirus: Italy v Scotland Women among games postponed

Fears over the spread of coronavirus have led to the postponement of Scotland Women 's Six Nations match with Italy along with other sporting events .
Three Serie A football matches were called off by the Italian government because of an increased number of cases in the Veneto and Lombardy regions .
Scotland were due to play Italy at 17:10 GMT in Legnano on Sunday .
Scottish Rugby has put plans in place for all staff and players to travel back to Scotland immediately .
The suspension of `` all sporting events '' in the area was announced by Italian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference on Saturday .
Scottish Rugby pointed out that the government had made the move to contain the virus in the south east of the region .
`` The match was scheduled to go ahead in the north west of the area , so while the risk is minimal , precautionary measures have been taken , '' it stated .
`` Scottish Rugby is fully supportive of any decision that has been made in the interest of the health and safety of players , staff and supporters . ''
Six Nations and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about rescheduling the fixture .

Last updated on .From the section Scottish Rugby
All sporting events in the Veneto and Lombardy regions have been called off
Fears over the spread of coronavirus have led to the postponement of Scotland Women's Six Nations match with Italy along with other sporting events.
Three Serie A football matches were called off by the Italian government because of an increased number of cases in the Veneto and Lombardy regions.
Scotland were due to play Italy at 17:10 GMT in Legnano on Sunday.
Scottish Rugby has put plans in place for all staff and players to travel back to Scotland immediately.
The suspension of "all sporting events" in the area was announced by Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte at a news conference on Saturday.
Scottish Rugby pointed out that the government had made the move to contain the virus in the south east of the region.
"The match was scheduled to go ahead in the north west of the area, so while the risk is minimal, precautionary measures have been taken," it stated.
"Scottish Rugby is fully supportive of any decision that has been made in the interest of the health and safety of players, staff and supporters."
Six Nations and the two national rugby associations are in discussions about rescheduling the fixture.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--West Suffolk Hospital: Doctors criticise 'breakdown of trust'

Four doctors have criticised the `` breakdown of trust '' at a hospital that asked staff for fingerprints to try to find the identity of a whistleblower .
Jon Warby received an anonymous letter about failings in his wife 's care at West Suffolk Hospital after she died there in August 2018 .
A government review is being held into whistleblowing at the hospital .
The hospital said it had apologised to staff involved and it had begun a review of its `` culture and openness '' .
Mrs Warby died five weeks after bowel surgery in which there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard at an inquest , which has been adjourned .
The 57-year-old mother of two was given glucose instead of saline through an arterial line in one operation , suffered a punctured lung during another and a week later contracted a fungal infection .
A letter was received by her husband two months later saying questions about a particular doctor should be raised .
The hospital was accused of conducting a `` witch-hunt '' after it asked staff for fingerprints and handwriting samples in an attempt to find the letter 's author .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told me' Ms Coley fell out of her hospital bed , which eventually led to her death .
It had not been picked up that she had been on medication that increased the risk of falls .
Before the inquest into her mother 's death , Ms Wheatley said she felt she had to try to track down a member of staff who no longer worked at the hospital .
`` She was the key to unlocking what had happened that night , '' she said .
`` She made it clear on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mum had been medicated , they were so understaffed that night , that she had asked for help but the entire hospital was at a staffing deficit . ''
Ms Wheatley added : `` You know I wish somebody had come forward and told me what had happened to my mum before the inquest .
`` It took over a year before me and my dad got any of the answers we needed . ''
West Suffolk Hospital apologised and said it had since brought in measures to reduce falls .
Following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's request for a review , Dr Rinesh Parmar from the Doctors ' Association has shared views from four doctors with the BBC .
They said the atmosphere at the hospital was `` still tense '' and `` not a lot of learning has happened '' .
• Whistleblower said doctor injected himself at work There was a general feeling among staff that the `` external investigation is going to take too long and may not lead to a change in the senior management team responsible '' , they said .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff `` nothing different would be done in the future if the same situation was to occur '' .
`` There seems to be a disconnect between us and senior management , '' the Doctors ' Association was told .
`` This has all just led to a breakdown of trust . ''
West Suffolk Hospital said a serious incident investigation had already begun and the family had been informed before the letter was sent .
As a result , it said confidential patient information was `` accessed and shared inappropriately , causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an investigation into that data breach was held .
However , it said it was `` determined to make sure we learn , and create an environment where everyone has an opportunity to contribute freely and play a full part in our improvement '' .
You can watch the full story on BBC Inside Out East at 19:30 GMT on BBC One , and afterwards on BBC iPlayer .

"She made it clear on oath that she was completely unaware that my mum had been medicated, they were so understaffed that night, that she had asked for help but the entire hospital was at a staffing deficit."


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Sheringham Viking Festival 'warrior' finds faith in Norse gods

A man said he eventually found his own faith by `` becoming a Viking warrior '' .
Richard Mehmed , @ @ @ @ @ Suffolk , is one of many Viking re-enactors across England who spend their weekends in @ @ @ @ @ Wuffa Viking and Saxon Re-enactment Society , he did not expect that his hobby of @ @ @ @ @ help him find his own belief through Norse mythology .
`` What it is about @ @ @ @ @ teach you to respect nature and the world and that 's how the world should @ @ @ @ @ in the modern day , '' said Mr Mehmed , who is also known as @ @ @ @ @ took part in the Sheringham Scira Viking Festival in Norfolk , which culminated on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ the beach .

A man said he eventually found his own faith by "becoming a Viking warrior".
Richard Mehmed, 31, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, is one of many Viking re-enactors across England who spend their weekends in battle.
Fighting with the Wuffa Viking and Saxon Re-enactment Society, he did not expect that his hobby of more than three years would help him find his own belief through Norse mythology.
"What it is about the Norse gods is they teach you to respect nature and the world and that's how the world should be run, not like in the modern day," said Mr Mehmed, who is also known as Magnus Shield-Breaker.
Government figures show 55,000 people in England follow pagan and pantheism faiths.
Mr Mehmed took part in the Sheringham Scira Viking Festival in Norfolk, which culminated on Saturday with a boat-burning ceremony on the beach.
Filmed and edited by Martin Barber.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--The Papers: Lords expenses 'out of control' and No 10 mocks EU

Newspaper headlines : House of Lords expenses 'out of control ' and No 10 mocks EU The Sunday Times has investigated expenses at the House of Lords , concluding they 've `` spiralled out of control '' .
The paper says peers paid themselves £23m in expenses and daily allowances over the year to last March - a rise of nearly a third .
More than 110 peers apparently made no spoken or written contribution over the period - but still claimed more than £1m between them .
Electoral reform campaigners are scathing , saying unelected Lords are taking advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street sources have told the Sunday Express that the European Union is `` divided and distracted '' in the run up to post-Brexit trade talks .
They point to a delay in publishing the EU 's negotiating mandate and `` chaos '' over the bloc 's budget .
By contrast , the source says , progress on the UK side has been `` remarkably smooth '' .
The Mail on Sunday says a highly respected former royal protection officer has raised questions about the Duke of York 's alibi , on the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Virginia Roberts , then aged 17 .
The officer says Prince Andrew may have returned to Buckingham Palace on the night of the alleged encounter , in March 2001 .
The prince has previously said he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking for his daughter 's birthday .
The Mail notes the prince 's repeated denials that he had any sexual contact with Ms Roberts .
The Sunday Telegraph reports Boris Johnson wants to replace several high-ranking civil servants to dramatically change the approach of influential Whitehall departments .
Conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of permanent secretaries are significantly at odds with ministers and their advisers .
Also in politics news , the Observer carries a warning from the Labour leadership contender Sir Keir Starmer that the party will lock itself out of power for a generation if it fails to end years of internal disputes .
He tells the paper the party should instead target Boris Johnson - who he says has been wrongly caricatured as a clown .
In what the Observer describes as Sir Keir 's most personal attack to date , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man '' .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning The Sunday Mirror reports NHS England has agreed a £7m contract with a US firm , praised by US President Donald Trump , to help the health service identify its most expensive patients .
The company , Optum , is running a nine-month programme to train managers to rank people according to their risk of illness , the paper says .
The contract raises fears that people could be turned down for operations because of their age or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper 's leader column says it makes it hard to believe Mr Johnson 's promise that the NHS is `` not for sale '' - a pledge repeated by the health service in its response to the story .
Meanwhile the government 's funding formula for flood defences in England is to be rewritten , according to the Sunday Times , because of concerns it favours wealthy southern areas over parts of the north .
The Environment Agency 's formula is based on property values , explains the Times , meaning that nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas around London .
The new model will reportedly take into account the impact on health - potentially diverting hundreds of millions of pounds to protect the country 's poorest flood-prone regions .
And a pub that claims to be the inspiration for The Bull in The Archers is reported to have called last orders for the final time , because of financial difficulties .
According to the Sunday Times , locals in the town of Rippingdale in Lincolnshire say the Bull Inn inspired not only the Ambridge pub but the idea for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times notes the claim is contested ; villagers in Inkberrow make the same assertion about their watering hole , The Old Bull .

More than 110 peers apparently made no spoken or written contribution over the period - but still claimed more than £1m between them. Electoral reform campaigners are scathing, saying unelected Lords are taking advantage of a lack of scrutiny.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Scottish mesh implant women to be offered case reviews

Women in Scotland who have experienced complications following vaginal mesh surgery are to be offered an independent review of their case notes .
Mesh implants have been used to treat conditions some women suffer after childbirth , such as incontinence and prolapse .
The practice was suspended in Scotland , in all but exceptional circumstances in 2014 .
Some of the women who have suffered complications met First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last November .
She was told a number of them had understood the mesh would be completely removed but that had not happened , leaving some of the synthetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implants carried out since halt called • 'Immediate ' halt on use of mesh implants After hearing about their experiences , Ms Sturgeon has now written to the women she saw , confirming that in the spring they will be given the chance to sit down with an independent clinician for a review of their case notes .
That will be followed up by a report and possible referral to specialist care .
The case note review will initially only be offered to those who attended the first minister 's meetings however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a later date .
A fund of £1m is also expected to be made available to support those affected by mesh complications .
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said : `` The first minister and I are absolutely determined to do everything possible to ensure that all women affected by transvaginal mesh problems get the treatment and the care that they need .
`` When we met with women affected last year they were able to share with us their painful and continuing experience .
We are very grateful to them for that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ give these women the answers they require about their situation . ''
She added that Scottish government and the chief medical officer were taking the necessary action to enable mesh surgeon Dr Dionysios Veronikis to visit Scotland from the US .
The obstetrician-gynaecologist , from St Louis , has developed techniques for the full removal of vaginal mesh implants .
He had offered to operate on women and train surgeons in Scotland `` in good faith '' .
However , in October he withdrew his offer of help , saying that after months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not believe officials were serious about him visiting Scotland .
He said : `` I do not have the time to play games '' .
• The mesh , usually made from synthetic polypropylene , is intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue • Over 20 years , more than 100,000 women across the UK had transvaginal mesh implants , which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse ( POP ) and stress urinary incontinence ( SUI ) , often after childbirth • While the vast majority suffer no side-effects , the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in `` exceptional circumstances '' in 2014 after it emerged some women suffered painful side effects • However , the procedure been used hundreds of times since • Once the mesh is implanted , it is very difficult to remove

"It's like a conveyer belt, they stop using it for one thing then they increase it because it's quick, it's cheap. As a nurse I can understand the reasons why surgeons have been reluctant to let it go, but as a person who has been injured by it, I can't see it."


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Stormont: Bidding war is under way for budget funding

The lights have been back on at Stormont for more than a month , but across government departments right now , things do n't appear so bright .
In the last few weeks , there have been the warnings from civil servants going public about how their budgets are in dire straits .
Translink and the Housing Executive are the latest examples of our public services in crisis .
A new Stormont budget is waiting to be delivered .
With billions of pounds for the taking , civil servants - and their ministers - know that .
The problem is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to balance their books in this budget .
They are also competing for extra funding to meet some of the commitments the political parties signed up to in New Decade , New Approach - the deal that restored power sharing in Northern Ireland , after a three-year impasse .
The bidding war we are witnessing - £800m for infrastructure , £661m for health , £427 for education - is not new : the name of the game is negotiation .
• Health Minister Robin Swann says he needs £661m • Translink : Future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding In previous executives , ministers were not shy about detailing their wish lists for fear of facing the public 's wrath , if their department lost out come budget day .
Stephen Grimason headed up communications for the NI Executive for more than 15 years and revealed what is really going on .
`` While there 's a tremendous amount of effort on health and education ... these other departments are saying 'we 're here too ' and trying to get the finance minister 's attention , '' he told Radio Ulster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as akin to displaying `` bleeding stumps '' - where departments have been talking about scaling back their services drastically , unless extra money is handed over .
Dr Esmond Birnie , an economist from Ulster University , said the parties can no longer have it both ways though , adding that if the executive does not find new ways to raise its own revenue , then there would still need to be cuts made somewhere .
`` It 's a sense of hard decisions being constantly postponed , pressures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The hope was money would arrive from London to ease that - ultimately money did n't arrive in the amounts people hoped so we 're now at the decisive crunch point - something has to give . ''
When I interviewed him on Thursday , he would not be drawn on where any cuts could come once the final budget was drafted - that 's no surprise .
He suggested Westminster could - or at least , should - still lend a helping hand .
That seems unlikely to happen given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledges in the New Decade , New Approach deal - but Mr Murphy will head to Whitehall again next week to try his luck .
He 'll do that after sitting down with his executive colleagues to decide when the Stormont budget should be delivered - bear in mind Westminster 's budget is set for 11 March .
Officials are chomping at the bit to get their funding and start addressing a backlog of issues - but none of that can happen until the budget is in place .
Ministers have made their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now they wait .

Dr Esmond Birnie, an economist from Ulster University, said the parties can no longer have it both ways though, adding that if the executive does not find new ways to raise its own revenue, then there would still need to be cuts made somewhere.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Railway passenger growth reaches 11-year high

The number of passengers using railway stations in Wales has grown by the largest amount in more than a decade .
More than 57.4m people used stations in Wales in 2018-19 , up 9.4 % from 52.5m the previous year , the largest rise since 2007-08 .
Much of the growth occurred in the area surrounding Cardiff , with valleys and suburban stations seeing large rises .
Swansea , Bangor and Rhyl stations were among the 20 busiest , but increases were modest compared to the south east .
• Left it on the train ?
Better call Gill • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK' The figures , released by the Welsh Government , measure the number of entries and exits to railway stations over a 12-month period between April 2018 and March 2019 .
Cardiff Central was the busiest station in the country , with 14,204,684 entries and exits , a rise of more than 1.2 million compared with the previous year .
But the greatest rise in passengers was on lines around the capital .
Of the 10 stations that saw the largest growth , seven were within Cardiff county , and the other three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Away from the capital region , changes have not been so marked .
Swansea station , the fourth busiest in the country , saw growth of 2.1 % , up to 2.2 million last year .
Elsewhere in the south west , Llanelli station saw numbers drop by 0.2 % and Carmarthen by 7.8 % .
In mid Wales , overall passengers on the Cambrian main line dropped by 4.6 % , with the number going through Aberystwyth station falling by 7.6 % to 309,816 .
In the north of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 busiest , ranking 15th and 19th respectively , but growth was just 0.8 % in Bangor and numbers fell by a handful of passengers in Rhyl .
Numbers increased modestly elsewhere , by 2.2 % on the North Wales Coast Line , 2.6 % on the Conwy Valley Line , and 3.8 % on the Borderlands Line .
Steve Fletcher , a commuter and the founder of the Arriva Trains Failed Wales Facebook page , said : `` It surprises me that so many people are using rail , knowing how bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse on all other forms of transport .
`` The rail is getting no better .
It went through an appalling service level in December and January time .
I have put in no end of claims .
It really surprises me that people continue to use it .
`` It 's very difficult to tell when you 're used to being face-to-face with people every day .
It 's just different levels of discomfort .
`` You notice more people left behind in the station now who are just unable to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's the lesser of all the evils .
It 's the least worst rather than the best . ''
Transport for Wales ( TfW ) said it was `` encouraged '' to see more people using the rail network and was embarking on an £800m investment programme .
`` More trains will be arriving later in the year , which will allow us to withdraw our oldest trains which will mean more seats on our trains , '' a spokesperson added .
`` We also have exciting plans to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more frequent trains .
`` In December , we introduced an additional 294 Sunday services and by December 2023 , we are going to run an extra 285 services every weekday . ''
However figures suggest some new trains on the Rhymney line 's Bargoed and Penarth routes will have less capacity .

Steve Fletcher, a commuter and the founder of the Arriva Trains Failed Wales Facebook page, said: "It surprises me that so many people are using rail, knowing how bad it is. It probably reflects even worse on all other forms of transport.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--The 'ironmums' (and 'irongrans') taking on endurance feats

Statistics suggest many women are not getting enough exercise , with reasons ranging from harassment at the gym to having to manage childcare .
However , some women are leapfrogging such obstacles to take up the iron-distance triathlon .
Three so-called `` ironmums '' explain the appeal of repeatedly completing one of sport 's most gruelling challenges - a 2.4-mile swim , followed by a 112-mile bike ride and rounded off with a 26.2-mile run .
'The older I get , the better I want to get' Claire Adam , 56 , brands herself as the `` hot flush athlete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she took up Ironman competitions , her menopause symptoms receded .
`` I feel that doing endurance sport has helped me through the menopause , '' she says .
`` When I read about what other women have gone through , I feel very lucky . ''
Despite being sporty at school , Claire , from East Leake in Nottinghamshire , fell out of a regular exercise routine in her 20s - `` when I discovered alcohol '' , she says - only returning to running as a single parent when her two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out running at eight in the morning and come back at 12:00 and they were still in bed .
They did n't even notice I 'd gone , '' she says .
`` I 'm in awe of women with young children who do Ironman competitions .
I was lucky that , when I got into it , mine were old enough to be left . ''
In 2016 she did Nottingham 's Outlaw Half triathlon event and says she has n't looked back since .
She completed her first Ironman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain in her age group at middle-distance European Triathlon Union ( ETU ) championships in Romania and Austria .
`` For me , it was a massive achievement , '' she says .
`` I had a GB triathlon suit with my name on it .
`` I was n't competitive at all when I started - I just wanted to finish .
But now I 've had a few podiums and it 's given me a buzz .
The older I get , the better I want to get . ''
Claire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her elderly parents .
Her routine , which consists of daily bike training , running and swimming that can last five to six hours at the weekends , has to fit around such commitments .
`` When I start training for an event , I give them plenty of notice so they can organise friends to look after them - and my daughter helps out too , '' she says .
`` Neither of my kids are that interested in sport at the moment but my elder daughter wrote on Facebook how proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant something . ''
`` You do suffer from guilt .
There 's a feeling - perhaps particularly for women - that you should n't be training .
You should be looking after the family . ''
So says Sarah Myford , a single mum from Cornwall with seven children aged between 12 and 31 .
Sarah says her passion for triathlons has worked wonders for her self-confidence - but alas not for her marriage , which foundered when she took up the sport .
She says women are often made to feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it 's hard for women in particular to find the time to do this sort of thing , '' she says .
Sarah found the time by squeezing her training around her family life .
`` I would get up in the summer at 4am to go cycling and try to get back before everybody got up , '' she says .
`` I trained for my first marathon with my youngest in a running buggy , up and down the Camel Trail .
I nearly had him with me for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babysitter fell through . ''
She says she was never good at sport at school and dropped out of university when she started having children .
`` I have suffered with low self-esteem because I did n't do particularly well at school .
I was unemployed for quite a long time , then ended up with children and earned money by cleaning holiday lets . ''
She says it was only as her children grew up that she started running .
`` A friend said , 'Why do n't you do a triathlon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't ride a bike ' .
That was 11 years ago . ''
Since then , Sarah has run six Ironman-distance races , and hopes to compete in the middle-distance ETU championships in Austria , where she has qualified to represent Britain in the 55-59 age group .
There have been hardships along the way , both for Sarah and her family .
`` One of my sons got teased at school because of what I did , '' she says .
`` Teenagers are not used to seeing women do stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but too slowly .
`` When I started doing triathlons , I suddenly found something I could do , '' she says .
`` It 's given me the confidence to go back to university and do a degree in sport and health .
`` It sounds like a cliché but I would never have felt able to go and study alongside a load of teenagers without the confidence triathlons have given me . ''
What is an Ironman event ?
• IRONMAN ( in capital letters ) is a branded format @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2.4-mile ( 3.9km ) swim , a 112-mile ( 180km ) bike ride and a 26.2-mile ( 42km ) run .
The popularity of the brand means many people use it to refer to `` Ironman-style '' events held around the world with a similar format .
• If those distances feel a little excessive , you may wish to look into the positively gentle pace of a `` half-Ironman '' instead - a 1.2-mile swim , a 56-mile bike ride , and a-13.1 mile run .
• Ironman-style events are regarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-day sporting challenges in the world .
'It 's never too late to start exercising' Until she turned 50 , Edwina Brocklesby would not have described herself as sporty at all .
`` I played a bit of netball at school and did some ballroom dancing as an adult , but that was about it , '' she says .
`` I was a full-time social worker and typical stressed-out mum with three children and , for many years , I did n't have time to do much exercise . ''
Eventually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - that his wife would be incapable of `` running even two or three miles '' - sparked Edwina into action .
She decided to run a half-marathon in Nottingham .
`` I joined a tiny running group in the city and that group of runners were so , so supportive .
They had one place in the London Marathon that year and they gave it to me . ''
When her husband Phil died , aged 54 , Edwina found running - and the support of those in the club - helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He died of cancer .
It was very sudden - he was gone in about six weeks , '' she says .
Edwina , from Northamptonshire , threw herself into the sport and found endurance events were her forte .
Now 76 , she believes she is the UK 's oldest Ironman triathlete and has completed 10 marathons and six Ironman competitions .
Part of the thrill for Edwina is the support she gets from other competitors .
`` You are all in it together , '' she says .
`` The run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not one of the serious athletes - I finish around midnight . ''
Edwina 's experiences led her to set up a charity called Silverfit , aimed at supporting older people to take up physical activity , and she has also written a book called Irongran - although she says her grandchildren Ben and Tilly say she should be called `` mad gran '' .
`` They say nobody they know has a grandmother like me .
`` But I do n't think it 's ever too late to start exercising .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I have proves that . ''
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Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

The 'ironmums' (and 'irongrans') taking on endurance feats Published 23 February 2020
Image source, Sarah Myford Image caption, Sarah Myford, a single mum of seven, took up Ironman-style challenges in her 40s
Statistics suggest many women are not getting enough exercise, with reasons ranging from harassment at the gym to having to manage childcare. However, some women are leapfrogging such obstacles to take up the iron-distance triathlon.
Three so-called "ironmums" explain the appeal of repeatedly completing one of sport's most gruelling challenges - a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and rounded off with a 26.2-mile run.
'The older I get, the better I want to get'
Image source, Claire Adam Image caption, Claire Adam only returned to running as a single parent of teenage children
Claire Adam, 56, brands herself as the "hot flush athlete" because, she says, when she took up Ironman competitions, her menopause symptoms receded.
"I feel that doing endurance sport has helped me through the menopause," she says. "When I read about what other women have gone through, I feel very lucky."
Despite being sporty at school, Claire, from East Leake in Nottinghamshire, fell out of a regular exercise routine in her 20s - "when I discovered alcohol", she says - only returning to running as a single parent when her two children were teenagers.
"I could go out running at eight in the morning and come back at 12:00 and they were still in bed. They didn't even notice I'd gone," she says.
"I'm in awe of women with young children who do Ironman competitions. I was lucky that, when I got into it, mine were old enough to be left."
Image source, Captcha Photography of East Leake Image caption, Claire says she is delighted at the pride her daughters Lucy and Hannah take in her achievements
In 2016 she did Nottingham's Outlaw Half triathlon event and says she hasn't looked back since.
She completed her first Ironman in 2018 and has qualified to represent Great Britain in her age group at middle-distance European Triathlon Union (ETU) championships in Romania and Austria.
"For me, it was a massive achievement," she says. "I had a GB triathlon suit with my name on it.
"I wasn't competitive at all when I started - I just wanted to finish. But now I've had a few podiums and it's given me a buzz. The older I get, the better I want to get."
Image source, Ber. Pictures Image caption, Claire says the podium places she has had has "given her a buzz"
Claire works in sales and also cares for her elderly parents. Her routine, which consists of daily bike training, running and swimming that can last five to six hours at the weekends, has to fit around such commitments.
"When I start training for an event, I give them plenty of notice so they can organise friends to look after them - and my daughter helps out too," she says.
"Neither of my kids are that interested in sport at the moment but my elder daughter wrote on Facebook how proud she was of me and that really meant something."
'I have suffered with low self-esteem'
Image source, Sarah Myford Image caption, Triathlete Sarah Myford says women are often made to feel selfish for taking up sport
"You do suffer from guilt. There's a feeling - perhaps particularly for women - that you shouldn't be training. You should be looking after the family."
So says Sarah Myford, a single mum from Cornwall with seven children aged between 12 and 31.
Sarah says her passion for triathlons has worked wonders for her self-confidence - but alas not for her marriage, which foundered when she took up the sport.
She says women are often made to feel selfish for taking up exercise. "But it's hard for women in particular to find the time to do this sort of thing," she says. Sarah found the time by squeezing her training around her family life.
"I would get up in the summer at 4am to go cycling and try to get back before everybody got up," she says. "I trained for my first marathon with my youngest in a running buggy, up and down the Camel Trail. I nearly had him with me for the actual race in the buggy when the babysitter fell through."
Image source, Sarah Myford Image caption, Sarah (centre) says she was not very good at sport at school
She says she was never good at sport at school and dropped out of university when she started having children.
"I have suffered with low self-esteem because I didn't do particularly well at school. I was unemployed for quite a long time, then ended up with children and earned money by cleaning holiday lets."
She says it was only as her children grew up that she started running. "A friend said, 'Why don't you do a triathlon?' I said, 'I can't ride a bike'. That was 11 years ago."
Since then, Sarah has run six Ironman-distance races, and hopes to compete in the middle-distance ETU championships in Austria, where she has qualified to represent Britain in the 55-59 age group.
Image source, Sarah Myford Image caption, Sarah does regular long-distance training for her events in between her work, study and caring for her family
There have been hardships along the way, both for Sarah and her family.
"One of my sons got teased at school because of what I did," she says. "Teenagers are not used to seeing women do stuff like this. That is changing slowly, but too slowly.
"When I started doing triathlons, I suddenly found something I could do," she says. "It's given me the confidence to go back to university and do a degree in sport and health.
"It sounds like a cliché but I would never have felt able to go and study alongside a load of teenagers without the confidence triathlons have given me."
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Men still outnumber women in Ironman-style events
What is an Ironman event?
IRONMAN (in capital letters) is a branded format for a triathlon competition that consists of a 2.4-mile (3.9km) swim, a 112-mile (180km) bike ride and a 26.2-mile (42km) run. The popularity of the brand means many people use it to refer to "Ironman-style" events held around the world with a similar format.
If those distances feel a little excessive, you may wish to look into the positively gentle pace of a "half-Ironman" instead - a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a-13.1 mile run.
Ironman-style events are regarded by many as one of the toughest one-day sporting challenges in the world.
Source: International Triathlon Union
'It's never too late to start exercising'
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Edwina Brocklesby's grandchildren say she should be called the "mad gran"
Until she turned 50, Edwina Brocklesby would not have described herself as sporty at all.
"I played a bit of netball at school and did some ballroom dancing as an adult, but that was about it," she says.
"I was a full-time social worker and typical stressed-out mum with three children and, for many years, I didn't have time to do much exercise."
Eventually, a pointed comment by her husband Phil - that his wife would be incapable of "running even two or three miles" - sparked Edwina into action.
She decided to run a half-marathon in Nottingham. "I joined a tiny running group in the city and that group of runners were so, so supportive. They had one place in the London Marathon that year and they gave it to me."
When her husband Phil died, aged 54, Edwina found running - and the support of those in the club - helped her cope with the grief. "He died of cancer. It was very sudden - he was gone in about six weeks," she says.
Edwina, from Northamptonshire, threw herself into the sport and found endurance events were her forte. Now 76, she believes she is the UK's oldest Ironman triathlete and has completed 10 marathons and six Ironman competitions.
Part of the thrill for Edwina is the support she gets from other competitors. "You are all in it together," she says. "The run is almost always fun. I'm not one of the serious athletes - I finish around midnight."
Edwina's experiences led her to set up a charity called Silverfit, aimed at supporting older people to take up physical activity, and she has also written a book called Irongran - although she says her grandchildren Ben and Tilly say she should be called "mad gran".
"They say nobody they know has a grandmother like me.
"But I don't think it's ever too late to start exercising. The fact I've been able to achieve what I have proves that."
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Help us make venues safer, urges bomb victim's mum

The mother of Martyn Hett , who died in the terror attack at Manchester Arena , has called on venues to help shape a new law to ensure the safety of fans at concerts and other big events .
Figen Murray has been lobbying the government to bring in new security measures since her son 's death in 2017 .
The Home Office has said it will now consult on `` Martyn 's Law '' to require venues to prepare for any terror risks .
Ms Murray said the `` common-sense step ... will save lives in the future '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of making us all that bit safer , '' said Ms Murray , who urged businesses and the public to get involved .
Ms Murray spearheaded the campaign to introduce Martyn 's Law , which requests measures such as airport-style security checks - including bag searches and metal detectors - at large public venues .
She launched a petition in 2018 that gathered more than 23,000 signatures .
She said : `` Public venues already have all sorts of obligations from fire prevention to health and safety - but until now there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers .
`` Martyn 's Law will change that .
It 's a common-sense step that will save lives in the future . ''
Martyn Hett was one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack , when Salman Abedi blew himself up at the end of the Ariana Grande concert , leaving hundreds more injured .
A Coronation Street superfan , the 29-year-old 's funeral was attended by many members of the soap 's cast and saw tributes from singers Michelle McManus and Mariah Carey .
Since the 2017 attack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from large concert venues , but there is no legislation requiring security checks at all public venues .
Under the government 's proposals , Parliament would pass a new law that would impose a legal duty on whoever is responsible for the management of public spaces .
The new law would require owners and operators to consider the risk of an attack and the plans they have in place to either help prevent it happening - or to manage the aftermath .
The duty could include obligations to review and improve not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also how well staff members are trained to deal with an incident .
Final plans will follow a consultation in the spring and Ms Murray made her plea to venue owners and businesses that put on big events to play their part in that process .
Security Minister James Brokenshire said : `` We are in complete agreement with campaigners such as Figen Murray on the importance of venues and public spaces having effective and proportionate protective security and preparedness measures to keep people safe .
`` Of course , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This public consultation will ensure we put in place a law that will help protect the public , while not putting undue pressure on businesses . ''
How far-reaching will this new law be ?
This announcement follows the conviction last Friday of a woman who wanted to take a bomb into St Paul 's Cathedral and blow it up .
Safiyya Shaikh recorded the landmark 's security arrangements - a classic example of how would-be attackers prepare .
That case revealed a threat at the extreme end of the spectrum - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the behaviour that needs stopping can be very difficult to spot or predict ?
The proposed new legal duty aims to be a balancing act - working out what would be proportionate , relative to the risk of an attack .
The O2 Arena in London , for instance , has an enormous security operation , including measures to stop vehicle attacks .
But while a pub would n't need the same level of security , would the landlady benefit from having thought about how to protect customers amid an attack outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
So supporters of the law say the goal is to make it scaleable - ensuring that all businesses where the public congregate have considered the risks , rather like they do already for fire , so they know how to respond were the worst to happen .
The forthcoming inquiry into the Manchester attack is expected to examine how prepared the arena had been for such an event .
Manchester City 's council has already pledged to introduce its own version of Martyn 's Law as part of licensing rules for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coroner at the inquests for the eight victims of the 2017 London Bridge attack urged the government to consider a legal duty after hearing evidence of missed opportunities to better protect the area .
The shadow security minister Nick Thomas-Symonds paid tribute to campaigners behind Martyn 's Law , but said the government needed to reverse police cuts .
`` There can be no objection to proper consultation on a duty to protect and we pay tribute to those who have campaigned for this change .
`` However , a duty to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Combating the terrorists requires everything from community policing through to counter-terrorism . ''
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has previously called on security against terror attacks at venues to be `` mandatory not discretionary '' .

So supporters of the law say the goal is to make it scaleable - ensuring that all businesses where the public congregate have considered the risks, rather like they do already for fire, so they know how to respond were the worst to happen.


bbcuk--2020-02-23--Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus , bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13 .
They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral .
The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan , England 's chief medical officer said .
They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres .
Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield , one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infirmary in Newcastle , NHS England said .
Prof Keith Willett , NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said : `` These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus . ''
Prof Willett added there had been a `` calm response '' to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far , `` which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time , to protect ourselves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prof Keith Neal , emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham , said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public .
The Department of Health said a `` full infectious disease risk assessment '' was done before Saturday 's repatriation flight from Japan , adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus .
Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care , the department said .
It added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place at Arrowe Park , including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other .
It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday .
Last weekend , NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital .
• How a virus reveals the many ways China is feared • Coronavirus : What you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus .
They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive .
In the US , 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 , as did seven passengers flown back to Australia .
It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres .
Far more concerning is the situation in Italy , Iran and South Korea , where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community , which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic .
Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office 's first evacuation flight in January .
Janelle Holmes , chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` running as usual '' .
`` When guests arrived yesterday evening , we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control .
This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading . ''
The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship , but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus , raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought .
Separately , four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday 's repatriation flight .
They included David and Sally Abel , from Northamptonshire , who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia , according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital .
Relatives said the couple are both `` having a really tough time '' and feel `` very much in the dark '' in terms of treatment , adding that they are awaiting further tests .
The new strain of coronavirus , which originated last year in Hubei province in China , causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections and 2,442 deaths .
The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries .
Over the weekend , Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern `` hotspot '' regions close to Milan and Venice , as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe .
Venice Carnival has been cut short , schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus .
About 50,000 people can not enter or leave several towns in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks without special permission .
Three people have died .
Elsewhere , authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections .
South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the `` highest level '' .
The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo .
Turkey , Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran , where eight people are known to have died .
Officials have ordered the closure of schools , universities and cultural centres @ @ @ @

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".