bbcuk--2020-08-05--Holiday shock: 'We were stopped from boarding our Greece flight'

`` After months in lockdown we 've been so looking forward to a holiday , '' says Michelle Last .
But when Michelle and her two young children turned up at the Gatwick Airport boarding gate last weekend for a flight to Greece she was not allowed on the flight .
Michelle was caught out by the new online Passenger Locator Forms that the Greek government mandates must be filled in for every traveller to the country .
It 's a coronavirus safety measure so people can be tracked in case of emergencies .
Travellers must fill in a form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and receive a QR code to print out or download on a phone .
The family is not alone in being refused a flight to Greece at the last minute .
On Wednesday , the BBC was told of families not being allowed aboard an early morning EasyJet flight to Kefalonia .
Britain 's biggest travel company , Tui , says there have been a `` small number '' of passengers not being allowed to travel to Greece after turning up at airports .
And Greece 's embassy in London acknowledged that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's such a shock .
EasyJet did n't tell us why at first .
We were just asked to step aside , '' Michelle said .
`` There was another couple who also could n't get on . ''
`` I 'm a lawyer , so I 'm used to form-filling and small print .
But with these , it 's so difficult to understand . ''
While Michelle had filled in a form she had then tried to add a third person , her son .
The QR code did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michelle said : `` The website is unclear .
The other couple who were refused boarding had n't even heard about the forms . ''
• 'We 've paid for Spain trip so we may as well go' However , determined to take her children on holiday - they had planned to go to Majorca , but that was scrapped because of renewed restrictions on travel to Spain - Michelle re-booked flights to Greece on her phone as soon she left the terminal .
It cost hundreds of pounds more , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they all went home to begin the online form-filling again .
Michelle and children Elena , 12 , and Edward , 9 , have now managed to get to Halkidiki , northern Greece - but much later than planned and after spending a further £700 .
Michelle condemns what she says was EasyJet 's indifference to their plight : `` I 'm not sure they really cared . ''
Easyjet said it was a requirement from the Greek government that airlines should check forms and refuse travel to those whose details were incorrect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused entry to Greece at the country 's border control , airlines were obliged to ensure the customers ' safe return .
`` Of course we understand the impact of a passenger not being allowed to travel .
We try to make people aware of the requirements as much as we can , '' the company said .
`` We know that these new entry requirements are different to how many of our customers are used to travelling , which is why we are ensuring that customers have clear guidance on what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are notifying them of any requirement to complete a health declaration form before they travel . ''
Travel company Tui , which has recently increased flights to Greece as more people shun Spain because of the recent restrictions , said it also did all it could to make people aware of the forms .
`` We can confirm that only a small number of our customers have been impacted by this .
`` We notify our customers via text message and email to remind them to complete their form prior to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in addition to complaints that the forms are confusing , passengers have also complained that they are not being sent QR codes in time .
Although the forms are available on the UK Foreign Office website , the requirements and processing are set out by the Greek government .
The embassy in London acknowledged that there had been some limited problems for UK travellers to Greece .
But a spokesperson said it was also aware of airlines incorrectly interpreting the rules .
`` Sometimes the airlines are asking for different codes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family is needed , '' the spokesperson said .
The UK Foreign Office told the BBC : `` The authorities in the country or territory you 're travelling to are responsible for setting and enforcing the rules for entry .
`` If you 're unclear about any aspect of the entry requirements , or you need further reassurance , you 'll need to contact the embassy , high commission or consulate of the country or territory you 're travelling to . ''

"We know that these new entry requirements are different to how many of our customers are used to travelling, which is why we are ensuring that customers have clear guidance on what they must do to prepare for their flight and are notifying them of any requirement to complete a health declaration form before they travel."


bbcuk--2020-08-04--Medical dream 'in tatters' after results downgraded

A straight A pupil 's dreams of medical school have been destroyed with the arrival of a single text message .
Olivia Biggart achieved five As in her Higher prelims and was predicted by her teachers to be awarded the same when her results arrived on Tuesday morning .
But despite having spent the summer studying for the University Clinical Aptitude Test ( Ucat ) , she was awarded two As and three Bs .
Olivia , 16 , believes she was downgraded because of where she lives .
Scotland 's exam results day has been marred by disappointment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than they had been expecting .
It emerged that exam body the Scottish Qualifications Authority ( SQA ) had lowered 125,000 estimated grades - a quarter of the total .
• How grades were worked out for Scottish pupils Candidates were already apprehensive after official exams were cancelled for the first time in history due to the coronavirus .
Results were worked out using estimates made by teachers , based on the pupil 's performance over the school year .
But a national moderation system meant that many pupils received lower grades than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are from less affluent areas .
Olivia 's father , David Biggart believes his daughter was one of them .
The family lives in Motherwell in North Lanarkshire .
Mr Biggart said : `` It is a small school and in a poorer catchment area .
Olivia got seven As in her Nat 5 exams .
She was in fifth year doing maths , English , chemistry , physics and PE .
The school predicted five As and that is what they submitted to the SQA .
`` We had increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researching medical schools .
`` Olivia has been studying all summer for the Ucat medical test to study medicine at university , but all her dreams are now in tatters as a result of the SQA and their treatment of poorer schools and high achieving pupils at those schools .
`` I am absolutely livid at the SQA . ''
Mr Biggart said he strongly believed it would not be the case if his daughter achieved the same predicted results but went to a school in a more affluent area .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated for her and the rest of the pupils they felt had been unfairly treated .
I worry for those who maybe expected three C grades and were given nothing . ''
He said : `` She got 85 % in her maths prelim and her teacher suggested a maths-related career .
She has never scored a B in maths .
It goes against everything .
I feel distraught for her after how hard she worked over the summer . ''
Olivia told the BBC she was not expecting the results she got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not too stressed when I woke up .
I thought I knew what to expect .
I saw the A for chemistry and thought it was okay but then came the Bs .
I was really shocked . ''
The SQA said its moderation process had ensured `` fairness to all learners '' and maintained `` standards and credibility '' in the qualification system .
Asked about the process at her daily briefing , Nicola Sturgeon said : `` What we want to make sure is that this year 's results have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not so out of sync with previous years that people are going to look at them and say 'they do n't make any sense ' .
`` As much as I would love to be in the position of standing here credibly saying that 85 % of the 20 % in the most deprived areas had passed Higher , given that it was 65 % last year , that would raise a real credibility issue . ''
Education Secretary John Swinney stressed that approximately 90 % of moderation `` involved a change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : `` We 've maintained the overwhelming majority of estimates that have been put forward by teachers and the changes that have been made are essentially those fine-grained judgments that are required to be made on an annual basis . ''
He said the SQA would ensure `` sufficient resources were in place '' for the free appeals process , allowing teachers and pupils to challenge specific results .
SQA chief examining officer Fiona Robertson said it was not possible to determine why the overall estimated grades were higher than previous years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several reasons why estimates were above historic attainment , which has been relatively stable over time .
`` Some teachers and lecturers may have been optimistic , given the circumstances of this year , or may have believed , correctly or incorrectly , that this cohort of candidates may have achieved better grades due to a range of factors . ''

Asked about the process at her daily briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said: "What we want to make sure is that this year's results have the degree of credibility that means that they are not so out of sync with previous years that people are going to look at them and say 'they don't make any sense'.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Bad Boy Chiller Crew - today Bradford, tomorrow we take over the world

As a journalist , you 're expected to ask the big questions .
So , as the words `` how did you feel after eating the ashtray ? ''
leave my mouth , I know I 'm doing my profession proud .
`` I felt fulfilled !
It was my first meal of the day ! ''
the answer comes back - and the three members of Bad Boy Chiller Crew , alongside their manager Darren , fall about laughing .
We 're in an alleyway in their hometown , Bradford , talking about the most disgusting things they 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turns out , it 's a pretty long list .
But what started out as mates uploading prank and comedy videos has now , bizarrely , morphed into a music career - and it 's going so well that there is , I 'm told , a realistic chance of our interview being crashed by fans .
Bradford , though , is apparently just the start - because Bad Boy Chiller Crew 's aim is `` to take over the world '' .
From the moment I 'm picked up in a branded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the guys ' music coming out the speakers , it 's clear they mean business .
`` No-one really sounds like us , '' Gareth says , `` We 're in our own genre .
It 's very fast and there 's never a dull moment . ''
He 's got a point .
While musically they throw back to 00s bassline artists like T2 , lyrically it 's tongue-in-cheek funny and unashamedly Yorkshire .
However you classify it , it seems to be working .
Their breakout single , 450 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on YouTube - and been supported by the likes of Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 .
And that 's on top of the millions more hits they 've had for pranks , skits and drinking challenges across TikTok , Snapchat and Instagram .
`` Sometimes we 've done stuff so sick we 've not even rung each other for three days , '' Gareth admits .
`` The amount of times we 've gone home after doing something stupid and tossed and turned with anxiety , thinking : 'What have we actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a lot to take in for three lads who , 18 months ago , were self-proclaimed `` dossers '' with jobs in ice cream vans or at a box-packing warehouse .
Our original plan to meet in the alley out the back of Kane 's house , the scene of some of their wilder videos , had to be changed - because fans have found out where it is and started to show up unannounced .
`` It used to be bailiffs and police , now it 's fans , '' Kane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 in the past 24 hours - I 'm going to have to move out soon ! ''
`` The main thing is putting a smile on people 's faces , '' Gareth adds .
`` And to give people hope .
So many MCs from up north have been trying to get recognised for ages and it 's like we 're finally putting that genre of MC on the map . ''
As for Darren , he 's hoping Bad Boy Chiller Crew can be as a big a success globally as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career , though short , has already seen them show they 'll do whatever it takes to make it - including putting out tracks to promote local pizzerias and car washes .
`` There are so many artists out there that are that are just so serious and fake , but these guys are just real , '' Darren says .
`` Everything you see is real , nothing is fake and I think that 's why so many people can relate to it . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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bbcuk--2020-08-05--Gymnastics: 'I've put all my medals and trophies away'

`` I 've put all my medals and trophies away because I ca n't actually look at them , because gymnastics reminds me of a bad time . ''
This summer , Olympic dreams should have been realised .
Instead , multiple claims - including from Olympians such as Becky and Ellie Downie , and Amy Tinkler - of a culture of fear across gymnastics in this country have been made by those who feel they can no longer stay silent .
They are nervous .
Caig admits she nearly backed out , but all of them are united in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'd suppressed the emotions and buried them away , '' Caig adds .
`` I feel like speaking out now is going to allow me to get everything I want off my chest and I can finally move on . ''
The five women , now aged from 18 to 23 , trained at the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club for differing periods between 2008 and 2019 .
The club coached four of the five women who donned the Team GB leotard at the London 2012 Olympics - but behind the scenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training at the club were a lot different to that memorable event .
`` It was not a happy place , and it should have been a happy place , and a fun place , '' says Caig .
`` It was a sport that we all loved but for me , it turned into a sport that I absolutely hated . ''
Their stories are , by now , all too familiar .
But in the quest for medal glory , these gymnasts blame British Gymnastics , the sport 's governing body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of individuals .
`` Maybe they turned a blind eye because of the talent , '' says Jameson .
`` Maybe they thought that the treatment we were given was working .
It produced many champions , many Olympians , maybe British Gymnastics thought that 's the treatment they deserve . ''
In a statement to BBC Sport , British Gymnastics said : `` Any mistreatment of gymnasts is inexcusable .
It is vital that concerns are made public , whether that is through the media or our processes . ''
Since last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have co-commissioned an independent review aimed at `` bringing about positive change '' in the sport .
A confidential helpline , run jointly by the British Athletes Commission ( BAC ) and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ( NSPCC ) , has also been set up for British gymnasts who say they have suffered bullying or abuse .
British Gymnastics added : `` We have continued to receive complaints in recent weeks which our integrity unit is assessing as quickly as possible . ''
The City of Liverpool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to BBC Sport but it is understood it strongly denies any allegations of bullying or mistreatment of athletes , and the gym maintains no such complaint or allegation has been made to it , and that the welfare and safety of athletes was at all times its first priority .
Liverpool City Council , which runs the gym , confirmed to the BBC that it has received eight complaints about the gym in the past five years but none related to the five women interviewed for this piece .
A spokesperson added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council have been dealt with in accordance with our procedures and any actions will have been taken as appropriate .
Allegations of bullying or harassment are clearly a cause for concern and any submitted to the council will be investigated . ''
' I 'd go home at night and just cry' All but one of the five gymnasts BBC Sport spoke to have retired from the sport , with Williams moving to college gymnastics last year in the United States .
Two are now coaches themselves .
But the impact of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect on all five of the women , who say they now suffer from anxiety .
`` It started before you even got into the gym , as soon as you got up it was 'right , I 'm scared of going in ' , '' says Leyland .
Caig agrees : `` I 'd wake up and feel physically sick , knowing that I had to go to school , and get through that part of my day , and then go and train .
To be honest , I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have detention than go to the gym and train .
`` It just was n't an environment you wanted to be in at all . ''
To this day , Clements and Jameson both admit they still `` struggle to make friends '' because of their anxiety .
`` I 'd go home at night , close my bedroom door , and I 'd just cry , '' said Jameson .
`` When I look back , it makes me really sad , because that 's made me the way I am today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clements adds : `` I blocked it out of my head for years .
`` It 's gone on for years , and until we 've got older , we 've not realised how bad it actually was , and actually looked back and thought 'that should n't have happened ' . ''
Many of the gymnasts who have spoken publicly since the allegations of abuse within gymnastics started to emerge in July have referred to issues with their weight .
Former British gymnast Nicole Pavier , who did not train at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sport how gymnasts were sometimes weighed twice a day and weight-shamed .
Jameson says that frequent weighing throughout her gymnastics career led to the development of an eating disorder .
Gymnasts are well versed in pushing through the pain barrier in a sport which is physically tough , but all five gymnasts remember times when they felt it went too far , when they were in so much pain from injuries that they could not continue training .
On one occasion , Caig claims she was left alone on the bars while her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a coach .
Caig says she struggled to complete her routine because she was `` exhausted mentally , emotionally , physically '' and was left with `` raw and bleeding '' fingertips .
She alleges she only stopped when another gymnast alerted a different coach because the bars were too slippery from Caig 's blood for her to complete her routine .
Leyland 's parents say they withdrew their daughter from the gym after she was hurt at the age of 11 while training on the beam .
`` I landed awkward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot .
I heard it , one of the other gymnasts next to me heard it , but I was told to carry on , '' she says .
`` It was up to me to ring my dad to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital , where they told me I 'd broken my foot in four places . ''
'My mum feels that she failed as a parent' All five say they struggled to tell their parents of their experiences at the time .
BBC Sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea what their children were doing during training , that they were not usually allowed to view sessions and that glass in the doors at the Liverpool gym was often covered , or the view obscured with screens .
Most of the gymnasts only told their parents of their experiences once they had retired , while the parents of others have only heard about what their children experienced in recent weeks , since the first allegations were made public .
`` My mum has been heartbroken .
She has actually cried to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed as a parent , '' says Jameson .
`` Our parents were probably just as manipulated as we were as gymnasts .
It 's not their fault , they did n't know what was going on , and they could n't watch anyway , even if they wanted to know . ''
Jameson , Williams , Caig , Clements and Leyland join an ever-extending list of current and former gymnasts to speak about their experiences in the sport , including Olympic bronze medallist Tinkler and her Rio 2016 team-mates the Downie sisters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an entirely different environment in the US that allowed her to find her voice .
`` I moved to college gymnastics a year ago and it has taken me the whole year to get used to being coached normally and respectfully , and being able to have a voice , to learn I can express how I actually feel without being shut down or shouted at , '' she says .
Caig adds : `` I do n't think we realised how bad it really was .
Us coming together speaking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot off my chest . ''

'I've hidden all my gymnastics trophies away'
"I've put all my medals and trophies away because I can't actually look at them, because gymnastics reminds me of a bad time."
BBC Sport is sitting down with five former gymnasts - Sophie Jameson, Olivia Williams, Abbie Caig, Georgina Clements and Amber Leyland have agreed to tell their stories, in light of the widespread allegations of abuse that have rocked the sport in recent weeks.
This summer, Olympic dreams should have been realised. Instead, multiple claims - including from Olympians such as Becky and Ellie Downie, and Amy Tinkler - of a culture of fear across gymnastics in this country have been made by those who feel they can no longer stay silent.
They are nervous. Caig admits she nearly backed out, but all of them are united in the importance of speaking out.
"I'd suppressed the emotions and buried them away," Caig adds. "I feel like speaking out now is going to allow me to get everything I want off my chest and I can finally move on."
The five women, now aged from 18 to 23, trained at the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club for differing periods between 2008 and 2019.
The club coached four of the five women who donned the Team GB leotard at the London 2012 Olympics - but behind the scenes, some gymnasts say their experiences of training at the club were a lot different to that memorable event.
"It was not a happy place, and it should have been a happy place, and a fun place," says Caig. "It was a sport that we all loved but for me, it turned into a sport that I absolutely hated."
Their stories are, by now, all too familiar. But in the quest for medal glory, these gymnasts blame British Gymnastics, the sport's governing body, for prioritising success over the wellbeing of individuals.
"Maybe they turned a blind eye because of the talent," says Jameson.
"Maybe they thought that the treatment we were given was working. It produced many champions, many Olympians, maybe British Gymnastics thought that's the treatment they deserve."
In a statement to BBC Sport, British Gymnastics said: "Any mistreatment of gymnasts is inexcusable. It is vital that concerns are made public, whether that is through the media or our processes."
Since last month, UK Sport and Sport England have co-commissioned an independent review aimed at "bringing about positive change" in the sport.
A confidential helpline, run jointly by the British Athletes Commission (BAC) and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), has also been set up for British gymnasts who say they have suffered bullying or abuse.
British Gymnastics added: "We have continued to receive complaints in recent weeks which our integrity unit is assessing as quickly as possible."
The City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club declined to provide a statement to BBC Sport but it is understood it strongly denies any allegations of bullying or mistreatment of athletes, and the gym maintains no such complaint or allegation has been made to it, and that the welfare and safety of athletes was at all times its first priority.
Liverpool City Council, which runs the gym, confirmed to the BBC that it has received eight complaints about the gym in the past five years but none related to the five women interviewed for this piece.
A spokesperson added: "Any complaints received to the city council have been dealt with in accordance with our procedures and any actions will have been taken as appropriate. Allegations of bullying or harassment are clearly a cause for concern and any submitted to the council will be investigated."
'I'd go home at night and just cry'
All but one of the five gymnasts BBC Sport spoke to have retired from the sport, with Williams moving to college gymnastics last year in the United States. Two are now coaches themselves.
But the impact of their experiences as gymnasts has had a long-lasting effect on all five of the women, who say they now suffer from anxiety.
"It started before you even got into the gym, as soon as you got up it was 'right, I'm scared of going in'," says Leyland.
Caig agrees: "I'd wake up and feel physically sick, knowing that I had to go to school, and get through that part of my day, and then go and train. To be honest, I wanted to stay in school, I'd rather have detention than go to the gym and train.
"It just wasn't an environment you wanted to be in at all."
To this day, Clements and Jameson both admit they still "struggle to make friends" because of their anxiety.
"I'd go home at night, close my bedroom door, and I'd just cry," said Jameson.
"When I look back, it makes me really sad, because that's made me the way I am today - I am so anxious."
Clements adds: "I blocked it out of my head for years.
"It's gone on for years, and until we've got older, we've not realised how bad it actually was, and actually looked back and thought 'that shouldn't have happened'."
Many of the gymnasts who have spoken publicly since the allegations of abuse within gymnastics started to emerge in July have referred to issues with their weight.
Former British gymnast Nicole Pavier, who did not train at the City of Liverpool, previously told BBC Sport how gymnasts were sometimes weighed twice a day and weight-shamed.
Jameson says that frequent weighing throughout her gymnastics career led to the development of an eating disorder.
Gymnasts are well versed in pushing through the pain barrier in a sport which is physically tough, but all five gymnasts remember times when they felt it went too far, when they were in so much pain from injuries that they could not continue training.
On one occasion, Caig claims she was left alone on the bars while her training group was taken to another apparatus by a coach.
Caig says she struggled to complete her routine because she was "exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically" and was left with "raw and bleeding" fingertips.
She alleges she only stopped when another gymnast alerted a different coach because the bars were too slippery from Caig's blood for her to complete her routine.
Leyland's parents say they withdrew their daughter from the gym after she was hurt at the age of 11 while training on the beam.
"I landed awkward and I heard a click in my foot. I heard it, one of the other gymnasts next to me heard it, but I was told to carry on," she says.
"It was up to me to ring my dad to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital, where they told me I'd broken my foot in four places."
'My mum feels that she failed as a parent'
All five say they struggled to tell their parents of their experiences at the time.
BBC Sport was told that parents often had no idea what their children were doing during training, that they were not usually allowed to view sessions and that glass in the doors at the Liverpool gym was often covered, or the view obscured with screens.
Most of the gymnasts only told their parents of their experiences once they had retired, while the parents of others have only heard about what their children experienced in recent weeks, since the first allegations were made public.
"My mum has been heartbroken. She has actually cried to me and says that she feels that she failed as a parent," says Jameson.
"Our parents were probably just as manipulated as we were as gymnasts. It's not their fault, they didn't know what was going on, and they couldn't watch anyway, even if they wanted to know."
Jameson, Williams, Caig, Clements and Leyland join an ever-extending list of current and former gymnasts to speak about their experiences in the sport, including Olympic bronze medallist Tinkler and her Rio 2016 team-mates the Downie sisters.
For Williams, it was moving to an entirely different environment in the US that allowed her to find her voice.
"I moved to college gymnastics a year ago and it has taken me the whole year to get used to being coached normally and respectfully, and being able to have a voice, to learn I can express how I actually feel without being shut down or shouted at," she says.
Caig adds: "I don't think we realised how bad it really was. Us coming together speaking, I feel like I've got a lot off my chest."


bbcuk--2020-08-05--First time buyers: The end of the bank of mum and dad?

`` I ca n't increase my offer any more without help from Mum and Dad . ''
Cordelia Clark 's first home felt within reach .
The 27-year-old was about to scramble on to the housing ladder , but then a twist appeared .
One of the UK 's biggest mortgage lenders , Nationwide , altered the rules .
There 's now a tighter limit on how much your family can help you when you 're getting your deposit together .
The bank of mum and dad - as it 's often known .
Cordelia has been looking around Scarborough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decent income for the area .
She 'd got the biggest loan she could , and was looking for houses up to £130,000 .
`` It 's a two-bed terrace , outdoor space , no driveway or anything but would get me on the property ladder . ''
Cordelia has a decent credit history but reached the maximum amount she could borrow for a mortgage .
Any more money she needed would have to come from her deposit .
The offer was in but the estate agent called and asked for a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would help her out , increase her deposit and get her over the line .
But now Nationwide wo n't allow the bank of mum and dad to add so much to it .
The UK 's second-largest lender has tightened its rules because of uncertainty in the economy .
Now , to get a mortgage with a 10 % deposit , the buyer must prove that they saved 75 % of that deposit themselves .
Other banks have not followed on with cutting out parental help but it 's still early days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indexes show that the amount of first-time buyers as a proportion of the market has been falling .
Some mortgage brokers say first-time buyers with a 10 % deposit or less will have seen the number of mortgage deals available to them fall by more than half .
Nationwide told Radio 1 Newsbeat that the decision to stop the bank of mum and dad helping people get their first home is hopefully just a temporary one .
Last month Nationwide lowered the minimum deposit it needed from first-time buyers to 10 % from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a blow .
`` If you see that the majority of the mortgage is coming from you , I do n't really see it as a problem , '' she says .
`` Your parents are there to support you - that 's just the way life goes . ''
A Nationwide spokesman said : `` This as a temporary measure which will remain under frequent review and fully gifted deposits are accepted on lending up to 85 % .
`` However , as one of the first lenders to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains an uncertain market , we have needed to be cautious to protect borrowers and ourselves . ''
LTV stands for loan-to-value .
So if your LTV is 90 % - you 're borrowing 90 % of the value of your house and putting up the remaining 10 % yourself as a deposit .
Topsy Taiwo is a property expert and gives video social media advice on getting on the housing ladder .
He says the change will have an immediate impact on young people getting their first home due to the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it might be a good chance for them to revaluate their requirements as a buyer .
`` I know a lot of people are dead set on staying in the areas they 've grown up in and lived in .
`` With people working from home this might be an option to re-evaluate your search criteria . ''
• Do n't put all your eggs in one basket with one lender .
• Keep in regular contact with a mortgage broker .
• There are still a lot of positives reasons to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stamp duty holiday .
• Look at new areas as travel times may be reduced in the future .
• Look at what is going to happen in new areas e.g .
new transport links .
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

He says the change will have an immediate impact on young people getting their first home due to the amount who only have small deposits, but it might be a good chance for them to revaluate their requirements as a buyer.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Scotland's exam results: Why we think our grades were unfair

When Luke Robertson , 16 , from Motherwell opened his exams results on Tuesday , the scramble of letters on the page was n't what he had hoped for .
`` It just does n't make sense to me , '' Luke said .
`` I got a B in my physics prelim but the SQA gave me a C. I feel annoyed with them '' .
He had been predicted to achieve mostly As by his teachers and had been assured by them that his final grades would not be lower than his prelim performance .
But like many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` disappointed and shocked '' by the surprise grades and now felt uncertain about the future .
His father , Alex Robertson , said Luke 's school had promised his son 's grades would not suffer because his exams were cancelled due to the pandemic .
However , Mr Robertson feels they have - and he 's worried about going forward with the appeal process too .
Luke had planned to go to university to study pharmacy or pharmacology but is now unsure about his next move .
`` I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
The school said they 're going to try and appeal , '' he said .
`` It 's not just me .
It 's a lot of my friends too .
I feel for everyone '' .
• How grades were worked out for Scottish pupils Many students believe they were penalised during the moderation process because their schools have historically not performed as well as others .
One pupil from East Kilbride , Lauren Steele , 16 , has written an open letter to education secretary John Swinney criticising how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted to get a B in French by her teachers but was awarded a C by the SQA and said for some pupils `` their hard work was being ignored '' .
Lauren said she sent the letter on behalf of the thousands of pupils who received exams results that were lower than they had anticipated .
She argued it should have been teachers who had the final say when it came to grades rather than them being modified by the SQA .
`` These teachers have known me since I walked into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have monitored my work and progress all year long so in my opinion are the most qualified to predict results - not strangers in an office who know my name and postcode , '' Lauren said .
`` Many students , including myself , have woke up this morning to sheer disappointment and grades far lower than their potential .
`` We did n't receive the results we both need and deserve to take our education onto the next level at colleges and university '' .
Kelly Wan , 17 , from Eyemouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the year .
She hoped to study medicine at university and said she needed all A grades to get there .
She achieved those results in her prelim exams and was told by teachers she would not go lower than her prelim grades .
However , Tuesday brought just two As out of five and although she said those results were `` still amazing '' , they were n't what she needed to study medicine at university .
Kelly called it `` classism '' and said she would appeal her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she has enough coursework evidence to do so but she said it was still disappointing .
`` It 's just disheartening and it means pupils lose trust in the system they 're in , '' Kelly said .
`` Everyone I 've spoken to at my school is appealing their grades .
That 's how bad it is .
`` It 's classism and it 's a feeling shared by a lot of us .
Why should the hard work of kids living in deprived areas be undermined because of the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much ? ''
What does the SQA and the Scottish government say ?
Speaking to the BBC 's Good Morning Scotland programme , John Swinney said it was always accepted that there would be `` questions '' about the grading system that was introduced when exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Mr Swinney said the attainment gap had narrowed between the wealthiest and poorest pupils , and that the pass rate was up for pupils from the most deprived areas .
The education secretary said : `` What I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results which will cause disappointment .
`` That is why the final stage of the process that was put in place by the Scottish Qualifications Authority is a free appeals process which enables young people , in consultation with their schools , to come forward with evidence which would challenge some of the judgements that have been made .
`` I would encourage any young person who feels disappointed by their results , and that they should have had a better result , to use that service '' .
The SQA said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year than in 2019 , with the number of passes also above the average for the past four years .
A spokesman added : `` At Grades A to C , the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged young people is also narrower this year for National 5 , Higher and Advanced Higher than for last year or the average gap for the last four years . ''

"These teachers have known me since I walked into that school at 11 years old and have monitored my work and progress all year long so in my opinion are the most qualified to predict results - not strangers in an office who know my name and postcode," Lauren said.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--John Hume: 'His legacy will endure for generations'

In times more ordinary , this would have been a final farewell to draw thousands to Londonderry 's St Eugene 's Cathedral .
An occasion to honour a statesman , to remember and to celebrate a peacemaker .
But it was not to be that way .
In other years , in other times , you may have expected politicians , prime ministers and presidents , a crowd of thousands and not the 100 mourners inside the cathedral .
Several hundred more came together in the rain outside to say their good bye to John Hume .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere .
Such is the respect bestowed on him in these parts , many who would have wanted to remember a man revered in Derry , stayed at home .
It was what his wife , Pat , so widely regarded as the great woman behind the great man , had asked people .
It is clear many have honoured that wish .
Those who did come stood outside the cathedral grounds , first in solemn silence as the wicker coffin carrying John Hume was carried from the cathedral , then there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you John '' .
Flanked by the cathedral choir , singing Abide with Me , the Nobel Laureate was carried away on a final journey to the city cemetery .
More people lined the streets and further applause met the cortège .
Those who had come , came to remember a man who led the way to peace , and still remained one of their own ; a fierce , dogged advocate for Derry .
This is the place John Hume loved so well , a place where now he will rest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a nephew of the Nobel laureate , said it is their 19-year-old son 's generation to whom he leaves the greatest legacy .
`` He has seen the tributes and thought it was amazing , and that John must have been such a big character , '' she said .
`` But I do n't think that generation can realise how much impact that he had in peace here .
`` Or that it was John who was one of the main characters in creating that peace . ''
Daniel McGrath from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 .
`` Obviously , I have no recollection of it but its legacy still stands to this day , '' he said .
`` There is peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and that is down to how John influenced politics across the board . ''
Standing outside the cathedral , he added : `` His legacy will go on for generations . ''

Those who did come stood outside the cathedral grounds, first in solemn silence as the wicker coffin carrying John Hume was carried from the cathedral, then there was spontaneous applause, cries of "thank you John".


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Natasha Lambert prepares for transatlantic sailing challenge

Natasha Lambert is preparing for her biggest sailing challenge to date - crossing the Atlantic Ocean .
The 23-year-old from @ @ @ @ @ quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy , which affects her limbs and speech .
She sails using @ @ @ @ @ to control a boat using her breath and tongue .
After sailing the south coast @ @ @ @ @ channel , and from Scotland to Ireland , in November she aims to cross the @ @ @ @ @ ( 14m ) catamaran .
This story was filmed before coronavirus pandemic restrictions were introduced @

Natasha Lambert is preparing for her biggest sailing challenge to date - crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
The 23-year-old from the Isle of Wight has quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy, which affects her limbs and speech.
She sails using a system that allows her to control a boat using her breath and tongue.
After sailing the south coast of England, across the channel, and from Scotland to Ireland, in November she aims to cross the Atlantic in an adapted 46ft (14m) catamaran.
Reporter: Sarah Farmer
This story was filmed before coronavirus pandemic restrictions were introduced.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Fireworks set off at Essex containers site blaze

Fireworks exploded into the air as storage containers at an industrial site caught fire overnight .
Essex Fire Service said @ @ @ @ @ the storage yard in Aveley , near Grays , were destroyed , with some thought @ @ @ @ @ while the content of others was unknown .
Crews were first called to the incident @ @ @ @ @ BST on Tuesday and neighbouring homes were evacuated .
The cause was not yet known @ @ @ @ @ remain at the scene through most of Wednesday .

Fireworks exploded into the air as storage containers at an industrial site caught fire overnight.
Essex Fire Service said at least 10 containers at the storage yard in Aveley, near Grays, were destroyed, with some thought to have contained fireworks, while the content of others was unknown.
Crews were first called to the incident on Romford Road at 21:36 BST on Tuesday and neighbouring homes were evacuated.
The cause was not yet known and firefighters were expected to remain at the scene through most of Wednesday.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--The Papers: 'Andrew's law' call and the 'lost city' of Beirut

One of the bridesmaids at the wedding of Diana , Princess of Wales , tells the Daily Mail that she @ @ @ @ @ private island and jet of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein .
She tells the paper she @ @ @ @ @ `` very lucky '' to escape , but that she did not experience or witness @ @ @

It reports the view of Dr Martin Stephen - the former head of St Paul's Boys school in London - who worries that the life chances of students could be permanently affected by restrictions on appeals. The only grounds for appeal will be technical ones, such as an irregularity in process, rather than because they feel they've been given an unfair mark.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Quadruple amputee's shock at three-month disability payment wait

A woman who had a quadruple amputation has said `` it makes no sense '' she will have to wait three months before being paid disability allowance .
Caroline Coster , 58 , caught coronavirus in March but had her hands and feet amputated after getting sepsis .
She questioned whether the wait to get her Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) was `` just in case they grow back '' .
A government spokesman said PIP claims could be made as soon as someone 's `` needs arise or change '' .
After recovering from Covid-19 , Mrs Coster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extreme reaction to infection that causes vital organs to shut down .
She almost died twice while in a medically induced coma at Bedford Hospital .
The mother-of-two recovered but her hands and feet had been deprived of blood and had to be amputated .
Mrs Coster has since been undergoing rehabilitation while applying for PIP , a benefit to help people with long-term disabilities meet extra costs .
She became concerned when she read on the Department of Works & Pensions ( DWP ) website that to `` get PIP '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or disability where you have had difficulties with daily living or getting around ( or both ) for three months '' .
`` It makes no sense to me at all , '' she said .
`` It is pretty obvious I 'm going to need some help . ''
Mrs Coster said she was worried the delay would mean she could not process applications for adjustments to her home .
She said she feared being `` tied to a manual wheelchair '' while waiting for essential modifications such as a stairlift and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and out of the house .
`` Until we have a ramp , I ca n't even take the dog out for a walk , '' she said .
Work on the bathroom will also be needed for Mrs Coster to carry out basic tasks such as showering , using the toilet and having a wash. '' My husband would have to be my carer , '' she said .
`` I do n't want that .
I want to be independent . ''
Mrs Coster said she also had `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit to work '' .
The DWP said : `` Anyone can make a claim to PIP as soon as their needs arise or change , with successful claims being back paid . ''
It said while people could claim immediately , claimants would need to meet the three-month minimum period before being eligible to be paid .
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She became concerned when she read on the Department of Works & Pensions (DWP) website that to "get PIP" people must have "a health condition or disability where you have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for three months".


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Coronavirus: Empty streets as Aberdeen lockdown takes effect

The streets of Aberdeen were `` eerily quiet '' during the first night of Scotland 's first local lockdown .
Nicola Sturgeon announced the tightening of restrictions on Wednesday after cases from a coronavirus cluster rose sharply .
Bars , cafes and restaurants will remain shut for at least seven days .
Extra police have been sent to the city to help increase patrols but the first minister said she hoped compliance would be voluntary .
More than 228,000 people living in the city were told they should not enter each other 's homes or travel more than five miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that visits to hospital and care homes from a named family member or friend would also be stopped , with only essential visits allowed .
The number of cases linked to bars in the city centre rose to 54 by Wednesday and the first minister said community transmission could not be ruled out .
By 21:30 , BBC reporter Ben Philip described the streets as `` eerily quiet '' .
The restrictions will be reviewed next Wednesday and may be extended further if required .
• What are the new local lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra police officers from its Flexible Response Unit making their way to the city to support local police .
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said : `` We are putting somewhere between 10-15 extra patrols in the city from 17:00 on Thursday and over the next few days and the weekend , to reassure the vast majority of the public who will continue to comply with instructions and guidance because they know how important it is .
`` But it is also to deal with a small minority who decide that they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others ' health at risk .
`` We will clearly and undeniably enforce the law when it comes to those people . ''
Other organisations were also beginning to react to the re-imposed lockdown .
NHS Grampian suspended visiting at all Aberdeen hospitals with immediate effect , including Aberdeen Royal Infirmary , Woodend Hospital , Cornhill Hospital , Royal Aberdeen Children 's Hospital , Roxburghe House and the maternity hospital .
At her daily briefing , Ms Sturgeon said the situation in Aberdeen should be `` the biggest wake-up call '' since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cluster , which was initially linked to people who had visited the Hawthorn Bar on 26 July , first emerged on Sunday .
Ms Sturgeon said 54 cases had now been associated with the cluster and 191 close contacts had been traced through the Test and Protect system .
NHS Grampian has published a list of venues which have been visited by people linked to the cluster , including 28 bars and cafes .
• Bieldside Inn , Bobbin , Brewdog ( Castlegate ) , Buckie Farm Carvery , Café Andaluz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Cock & Bull , College Bar , The Dutch Mill , Dyce Carvery , East End Social Club , Ferryhill House Hotel , Hawthorn/Adam Lounge , The Howff , The Justice Mill , The Marine Hotel , McGinty 's , McNasty 's , Malmaison , Moonfish Café , No.10 Bar , O'Donoghues , Old Bank Bar , Prohibition , Soul , Spider 's Web , The Draft Project .
• The list also includes Aboyne , Deeside and Hazelhead golf clubs , and the Banks O'Dee Football Club .
People who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being urged to be `` extra vigilant '' about symptoms .
But some of these venues told BBC Scotland they had not been contacted by Test and Protect .
Brewdog bar tweeted that it had not heard from the NHS service .
Stuart McPhee from Siberia bar in Belmont Street told the BBC : `` We closed after a customer got in touch to say they had tested positive .
We saw a list released by NHS Grampian and some venues do n't even know they have been named .
`` We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow confidence to be built in the long term . ''
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The first minister said that some people who had visited these premises would not have been contacted by test and protect staff because they may not have been there at the same time as the person who tested positive.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Muckamore Abbey: Robin Swann apologises for 'failure of care'

Northern Ireland 's health minister has said there was a `` sustained failure of care '' at Muckamore Abbey Hospital .
Robin Swann was speaking after a review of leadership and governance at the hospital was published by the Department of Health on Wednesday .
Allegations of physical and mental abuse against patients at the hospital began to emerge in 2017 .
Seven people have been arrested and there have been 59 precautionary suspensions of staff .
No one has been charged .
Mr Swann said he is to establish an inquiry into what happened at Muckamore , adding : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , affecting some of the most vulnerable members of our society .
`` Patients and families have been let down and I want to apologise to them on behalf of the health and social care system . ''
The review said a prior investigation into allegations of abuse represented a `` missed opportunity '' .
Systems to protect against risks to safe and effective care were not implemented properly and senior staff did not use their discretion to escalate matters , it said .
The hospital provides facilities for adults with severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is run by the Belfast Trust .
The review found that the Belfast Trust Board and Executive Team rarely discussed Muckamore Abbey Hospital and that the focus of trust leadership was on resettlement targets .
The Belfast Trust chief executive , Dr Cathy Jack , said she welcomed the review 's publication and apologised unreservedly to patients and their families who had been failed by the trust .
`` It is clear there were serious failings in leadership and ineffective escalation of serious matters at Muckamore , despite appropriate governance structures , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an environment which enabled the serious maltreatment of vulnerable people to go unnoticed for so long .
This is a matter of profound regret and for that I am deeply sorry . ''
The review was commissioned to build upon the serious adverse incident review ( SAI ) into the hospital .
It confirmed the SAI conclusions that the hospital was viewed as a `` place apart '' which operated `` outside the sightlines and under the radar of the trust '' .
Dr Jack said there were now `` rigorous processes '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients , and that a culture of openness between staff and families was encouraged .
The report also detailed challenges and tensions within the management team at the County Antrim hospital , a lack of continuity and stability at director level , and `` a lack of interest and curiosity '' about Muckamore Abbey Hospital from the Trust 's Board .
The review team found that CCTV cameras were operational in the hospital from 2015 , but it took `` an inexplicably long time '' to produce a policy to implement CCTV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the patients and their families deserved `` much more '' than apologies - that they needed answers , and confidence that what happened at Muckamore would never happen again .
Dr Jack said there had been many `` significant '' improvements and the trust was confident Muckamore Abbey Hospital was `` a much safer place today '' .
Anne Blake , whose son was a patient in Muckamore , said she was `` pleasantly surprised by the report '' which was `` very comprehensive '' .
`` They did have a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board right down , which is something we , as parents , were very concerned about , '' she said .
`` Unfortunately , minister Swann has said he will look at this and there will be an inquiry , he does n't say a public inquiry which is something we are looking for . ''
She added : `` This report is showing everything that did n't come out before and I 'm pleased about that . ''
Another parent , Glynn Brown , said the report was `` extremely damning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he [ Robin Swann ] fulfils his written commitment to all the parents .
`` It 's only a full public inquiry will compel people to attend and give the proper evidence , '' he said .

"Unfortunately, Minister Swann has said he will look at this and there will be an inquiry, he doesn't say a public inquiry which is something we are looking for."


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Coronavirus: Type 1 diabetes fears in children amid drop in diagnoses

Parents have been urged to be alert to type 1 diabetes after the number of children presenting with symptoms fell by almost a third during the pandemic .
Between the end of March and middle of June , official figures show 33 children were diagnosed in Wales , compared to 48 during the same period last year .
One mother said she felt `` so lucky '' her eight-year-old son was diagnosed after she suspected a urine infection .
Trudi , from Chepstow , Monmouthshire , said she initially put changes in Harrison 's behaviour down to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an auto-immune condition which causes the level of glucose in the blood to become too high .
It happens when a person is unable to produce enough of the insulin hormone , which controls blood glucose .
Unlike type 2 diabetes , it is not linked to age or weight .
It can be treated by giving insulin injections .
`` Type 1 diabetes can affect anyone , '' said Dai Williams , director of Diabetes UK Cymru .
`` It 's an auto-immune condition and it 's just down to bad luck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are not diagnosed may develop diabetic ketoacidosis ( DKA ) , a condition where harmful substances called ketones build up in the blood .
The condition is life-threatening if undiagnosed or untreated , although deaths among children are extremely rare .
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include increased thirst , use of the toilet , tiredness and weight loss .
'We were so lucky' Harrison , who was diagnosed in May , would get upset easily but Trudi thought it was because he missed his father and school friends during lockdown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at night , something he had not done since he was a toddler .
`` He was drinking more , going to the toilet more , but it was hot weather and so I did n't think any more about that , '' said Trudi .
`` But then the accidents happened more frequently .
I thought it was a urine infection so I rang the GP . ''
Trudi was asked to take a urine sample at the surgery .
Within minutes , the GP called her back and told her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood test confirmed he had type 1 diabetes and he was taken to hospital the same day .
Trudi added : `` We were so lucky .
Harrison was diagnosed about a week before most children , when the symptoms get a lot worse . ''
Figures from the Children and Young People 's Wales Diabetes Network show a 31.25 % drop in diagnoses compared to the same period last year .
• ' A simple test could have saved my son' • 'People stare at me or tut when I inject' Doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not know the symptoms or were afraid to access medical services during the pandemic .
It might be too early to tell whether this is the case , according to Davida Hawkes , who chairs the network and is a consultant paediatrician at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport .
`` It seemed that there was a lull in the number of children presenting , but when we look at the figures overall , perhaps they will be equitable when we analyse them at the end of the year , '' Dr Hawkes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been nervous about making contact with the medical profession , either via the GP or coming to a hospital , for fear of the widespread nature of the coronavirus , particularly at the beginning of the lockdown period .
`` We were concerned that families were not presenting their children who might have symptoms of diabetes . ''

"It seemed that there was a lull in the number of children presenting, but when we look at the figures overall, perhaps they will be equitable when we analyse them at the end of the year," Dr Hawkes said.


bbcuk--2020-08-05--Coronavirus: How Leicester coped with local lockdown

Leicester became the first city in the UK to be put in local lockdown , meaning a delay to the easing of some restrictions that had been in place throughout the coronavirus pandemic and the reintroduction of others .
But other places have followed - so what can their residents learn from Leicester ?
Restaurants , pubs and hairdressers in Leicester were able to reopen for the first time since March on Monday - weeks later than in other areas of England - and people have once again been allowed to make non-essential journeys and travel in and out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gyms and pools must remain closed and , like in some other areas of England , there is a ban on visiting people 's homes , either indoors or in private gardens .
Recently , parts of northern England and Aberdeen have followed Leicester in being subject to tighter restrictions .
With the East Midlands city returning to some level of normality , we asked people what it had been like watching the rest of the country move on without them - and what could be learned from Leicester 's experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's residents and businesses .
`` It was like we were pariahs , '' said Rosie Palmer , 29 .
`` I 've got family all over the country and I was seeing them going to the beach , meeting up with friends ... and we were inside this danger bubble . ''
Miss Palmer works as a counsellor at the city 's LGBT centre , which has been helping an increasing number of young people , many of whom have been feeling isolated .
`` My advice is to keep talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stay connected and do n't try and bottle it all up .
`` If you 're feeling anxious , that 's OK , this is really scary .
`` Get sleep , keep a good eating routine , keep looking forward - it is going to be over .
In the meantime , look after yourself . ''
The local lockdown also meant children who had just returned to school had to be sent home again .
Mother-of-three Claire Stevenson , from Knighton , works at a school and said there were `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Year Six pupils left for a second time .
The 45-year-old said lockdown had been particularly difficult for her young children , who knew friends and family around the country were able to go camping , to zoos and the beach while they had to stay inside .
To distract them , she and her husband let them repaint their rooms , cut each others ' hair and even hosted a coronavirus `` Christmas Day '' .
She said : `` I can sympathise with anyone stuck in local lockdown , as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been really hard seeing everywhere else opening back up .
`` Try and do some different things just to ease the monotony .
`` And make sure you stock up on wine - lots of wine . ''
Megan Turner , 27 , works at the Flappers and Gentlemen hair salon and had been gearing up to return to work , only to be told to stay on furlough for another month .
`` When lockdown eased elsewhere my friends were going back to work and I was still just sitting at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was like they were getting on with life while mine was on pause .
`` It can be very stressful but if it 's something completely out of your control , do n't beat yourself up about it .
`` I felt trapped in the circumstances but running helped me - try and stay as active as you can .
And I 'm back in the salon now - I 'm proof that local lockdown does end . ''
Indy Burmi , owner of a hair salon , said the problem for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could just go to the reopened areas for their haircuts .
He said : `` They 'd waited four months already .
Because they opened up certain places you ran the risk of clients going across the road - we had to fight against that . ''
He said to `` keep up a relationship '' with customers they could not see , staff sent out products , offered consultations over Instagram and discussed what could be done with clients ' hair when they reopened .
`` I 've not had a break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it worked , we 're booked up for the next four weeks now . ''
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Arti Chudasama , owner of The Pantry , made the `` heartbreaking '' decision to close her cafe after the second local lockdown was imposed .
She did this because she said she had no idea how long it would last , and whether customers would return to the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other business owners facing tough decisions about the future , she said : `` Just sit down and give yourself the time to think .
`` I was going with my heart , trying to keep it going , but I had to give myself a reality check .
`` It 's hard , you can go into a bubble and think 'Oh my God , what has happened ? '
`` But if there 's any way to continue your business differently , put your effort into that . ''
We asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a message for people now finding themselves facing tougher restrictions than elsewhere .
Rachael Bradley , 48 , from Knighton , said : `` To the people in the north , I would just send some solidarity .
`` We know how it feels , stay strong , it will change at some point . ''
Surinder Flora , 63 , from Oadby , said : `` There is an end to it .
Be safe , keep everyone else safe . ''
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Leicester became the first city in the UK to be put in local lockdown, meaning a delay to the easing of some restrictions that had been in place throughout the coronavirus pandemic and the reintroduction of others. But other places have followed - so what can their residents learn from Leicester?


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Coronavirus: Safety concerns halt use of 50 million NHS masks

Fifty million face masks bought by the government in April will not be used in the NHS because of safety concerns .
The government says the masks , which use ear-loop fastenings rather than head loops , may not fit tightly enough .
They were bought for healthcare workers from supplier Ayanda Capital as part of a £252m contract .
Ayanda says the masks met the specifications the government had set out .
The government says its safety standards process is `` robust '' .
It has emerged that the person who originally approached the government about the deal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board of Ayanda .
But he told the BBC his position played no part in the awarding of the contract .
• Are NHS staff getting enough protective gear ?
Calling for a National Audit Office investigation into the government 's `` mishandling of PPE procurement '' , Labour MP Rachel Reeves said : `` The latest PPE scandal can not be swept under the carpet . ''
In the early weeks of the pandemic the NHS experienced severe shortages of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
The government says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet demand and to compete with rising global competition .
On 29 April the Department of Health and Social Care signed the £252m contract with Ayanda Capital Limited to supply two types of face masks .
The most expensive part of the order consisted of 50 million FFP2 respirator masks , which are designed to protect healthcare workers from inhaling harmful particles .
According to legal papers seen by the BBC , the government says these masks will now not be used in the NHS because of a safety issue .
The document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would fit adequately .
To be effective these types of face mask need to fit tightly to create a seal between the mask and the wearer 's face .
Anyone who wears them for work is required to undergo a face fit test .
`` The face fit is either a pass or a fail and there are more fails on products with ear loops than there are on products with head harnesses , '' says Alan Murray , chief executive of the British Safety Industry Federation .
`` That means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was required from it . ''
It is not clear what will happen now to the 50 million masks .
Ayanda Capital also supplied 150 million Type IIR masks , which the government says are unaffected .
Most have now been delivered but they have not yet been released for use in the NHS and are awaiting further testing .
The information was disclosed in a legal response to the Good Law Project , which is seeking to challenge the government in the courts over three PPE contracts it awarded , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues the government 's awarding of contracts directly to companies during the pandemic , rather than opening them to competition , may have been unlawful .
`` It 's taken this extraordinary sum of public funds and wasted it on PPE that it itself says can not be released for use in the NHS because it 's not safe , '' said Jolyon Maugham , the Good Law Project 's director .
`` We do think that it 's important that the court take a look at these contracts , that it declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be full transparency of how these staggering amounts of public money have been spent . ''
The government has also disclosed that the original approach to sell the masks came not from Ayanda Capital but from a businessman called Andrew Mills .
His company , Prospermill , had secured the rights to the full production capacity of a large factory in China to produce masks and was able to offer a large quantity almost immediately .
But the legal document seen by the BBC notes that Mr Mills requested the government instead sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capital , whose board he advises , because it could arrange overseas payment more quickly .
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Mr Mills is also an adviser to the UK Board of Trade .
He told the BBC his position played no part in the award of the contract , which was subject to the same evaluation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government 's request for help .
Ayanda Capital Limited said : `` The masks supplied went through a rigorous technical assurance programme and meet all the requirements of the technical specifications which were made available online through the government 's portal .
`` There are provisions in our contract for product to be rejected if it did not meet the required specification as per the contract .
These provisions have not been activated . ''
A government statement said : `` Throughout this global pandemic , we have been working tirelessly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontline .
`` Over 2.4 billion items have been delivered , and more than 30 billion have been ordered from UK-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply , which meets the needs of health and social care staff both now and in the future .
`` There is a robust process in place to ensure orders are of high quality and meet strict safety standards , with the necessary due diligence undertaken on all government contracts . ''
The government previously revealed that some test kits , produced by Randox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not have met its required safety standards and suspended their use in July .
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According to legal papers seen by the BBC, the government says these masks will now not be used in the NHS because of a safety concern about whether they would fit adequately.


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Bank of England: Coronavirus downturn less severe than feared

The UK economic slump caused by Covid-19 will be less severe than expected , but the recovery will also take longer , the Bank of England has said .
The faster easing of lockdown measures and a `` more rapid '' pick-up in consumer spending meant the economy bounced-back earlier than it assumed in May .
Spending on clothing and household goods were back to pre-Covid levels .
However , the Bank warned of a `` material '' rise in unemployment this year as it held interest rates at 0.1 % .
Governor Andrew Bailey said recent data suggested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while spending on food and energy bills remained above pre-Covid levels .
He said : `` We have had a strong recovery in the last few months .
The pace puts the economy ahead of where we thought it would be in May . ''
However , Mr Bailey cautioned against reading too much into recent data : `` We do n't think the recent past is necessarily a good guide to the immediate future , '' he said .
The Bank said spending on leisure and entertainment , which accounts for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained subdued .
Business investment was also weak , which would weigh on the recovery .
The Bank expects the UK economy to shrink by 9.5 % this year .
While this would be the biggest annual decline in 100 years , it is not as steep as its initial estimate of a 14 % contraction .
The Bank said the UK still faced its sharpest recession on record , with the outlook for growth now `` unusually uncertain '' .
It expects the UK economy to grow by 9 % in 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the economy forecast to get back to its pre-Covid size at the end of 2021 .
This compares with growth estimates of 15 % and 3 % respectively , in a scenario the Bank set out in May .
Unemployment is expected to almost double from the current rate of 3.9 % to 7.5 % at the end of the year as government-funded support schemes come to an end .
Average earnings are also expected to shrink for the first time since the financial crisis .
The Bank said more workers faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding : `` In many cases , bonuses have been scaled back or withdrawn altogether for this year '' .
• Is the UK in a recession ?
• Coronavirus : How much will it cost the UK ?
• Where do governments go when they need money ?
Its latest forecasts are based on the assumption that there is no second wave of the virus and that there is a smooth transition to a new EU free trade agreement at the start of 2021 .
A fall in energy prices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theme parks and other hospitality businesses means the cost of living is expected to barely rise this year .
The Bank expects inflation , as measured by the consumer prices index ( CPI ) , to fall close to zero by the end of 2020 , before gradually rising back to its target of 2 % .
The Monetary Policy Committee ( MPC ) said it would not even think about raising interest rates until there was `` clear evidence '' the recovery had taken hold .
It said the use of unconventional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative interest rates remained under review .
While negative rates could boost the economy , the Bank said such a move may have unintended consequences .
It could stop the UK 's already fragile banks from lending , or lead to customers withdrawing their money and holding it in cash .
Policymakers also noted that High Street banks would find it difficult to cut savings rates below zero .
`` They are part of our toolbox , '' said Mr Bailey .
`` But at the moment we do not have a plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an economist at Capital Economics , said the Bank was likely to increase its money printing programme by a further £100bn later this year .
She also expects the Bank to keep interest rates at 0.1 % `` or below '' for `` at least five years '' .
The economic damage may have been been less catastrophic than feared in recent months , but the Bank thinks the scars will remain for longer , both to activity and jobs .
The Bank believes it will take the economy until the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity .
Crucially it admits the risks are to the downside - not least as it assumes that the health risks from the virus and restrictions gradually recede , with no significant resumption of a widespread lockdown .
That could prove a serious setback .
What then ?
The key to our recovery is consumer spending - and the interest rates that might shape that are at record lows already .
Could we be heading into the uncharted territory of negative rates , where savers are effectively charged to deposit cash ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking a closer look at that tool and concludes it could be `` less effective ... to stimulate the economy '' .
It does have other tools - the Bank has supported cashflow across the economy by pumping funds into financial markets via quantitative easing and participating in some loan schemes .
But it may have to rely increasingly on the chancellor to give the economy emergency aid in the event of further trouble .

"It's been a very successful scheme, but he's right to say we have to look forward now," he said. "I don't think we should be locking the economy down in a state that it pre-existed in."


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Grace Millane killer appeals against conviction and sentence

The man who killed British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has begun an appeal against his murder conviction and sentence .
The 28-year-old , who can not be named , was jailed for at least 17 years after a jury found him guilty of murdering Ms Millane in an Auckland hotel in 2018 .
After her death he hid her body in a suitcase and buried her in bushland .
His appeal is based around elements of the trial process as well as the length of the minimum non-parole period .
At his trial last year , the killer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen on the night before her 22nd birthday , had died accidentally , after the pair engaged in rough sex that went too far .
But a jury in November rejected that argument and found him guilty of murder .
New Zealand media outlet Stuff said the appeal was based around how much emphasis was placed on the element of consent , expert evidence , probability , and the negative evidence given by other women about his character .
• ' I went on a date with Grace 's killer' Ms Millane , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killer on dating app Tinder while travelling in Auckland in December 2018 .
The trial heard the pair spent the evening drinking before returning to the man 's room in the CityLife hotel in central Auckland where he killed her .
He then disposed of her body by burying it in a suitcase in the Waitākere Ranges , a mountainous area outside the city .
After he was sentenced in February , Ms Millane 's mother Gillian told the killer she was `` absolutely heartbroken that you have taken my daughter 's future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we were going to create '' .
Defence lawyer Rachael Reed QC reportedly told the appeal hearing : `` I do not in any way seek to condone or excuse his actions after Miss Millane 's death .
I can not and will not do so - they are inexcusable . ''
But according to the New Zealand Herald , she argued the jury should have had more direction around consent issues and `` more balanced '' direction on the expert evidence , and said the sentence was `` manifestly unjust '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around consent instructions were `` flimsy '' and the sentence was not manifestly excessive , the Herald reported .
The appeal court has reserved its decision .

After he was sentenced in February, Ms Millane's mother Gillian told the killer she was "absolutely heartbroken that you have taken my daughter's future and robbed us of so many memories that we were going to create".


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Coronavirus: Aberdeen cluster 'trigger case' yet to be identified

The health secretary has said the `` trigger case '' which caused Aberdeen 's Covid cluster has yet to be identified .
The city has returned to enforced lockdown after a sharp rise in the number of linked coronavirus cases .
A total of 54 people who have tested positive gave the details of 191 people they have been in contact with .
But Jeane Freeman said the nature of the outbreak - linked to pubs and restaurants - made it difficult to pinpoint the first case in the cluster .
She told the BBC 's Good Morning Scotland programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clusters in North Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway .
Ms Freeman said : `` In an outbreak like this , it is very difficult to identify the trigger case .
`` It is unlikely that one person has been to all 28 venues that have been named .
`` What is more likely is that more than one person has been to more than one venue , and that is part of the complexity of this . ''
She said the extra difficulty was due to the fact that the Aberdeen cluster was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` It is complicated to know exactly where everyone has been , '' she said .
Ms Freeman said 191 contacts in the Aberdeen cluster had been traced and spoken to .
But she said she expected the number of contacts to rise in the coming days as more people were contacted .
Nicola Sturgeon announced the tightening of restrictions in Aberdeen on Wednesday after cases in the city rose sharply .
Bars , cafes and restaurants will remain shut for at least seven days .
Extra police have been sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the first minister said she hoped compliance would be voluntary .
More than 228,000 people living in the city were told they should not enter each other 's homes or travel more than five miles as restrictions were re-imposed .
Officials later announced that indoor visits to hospital and care homes from a named family member or friend would also be stopped , with only essential visits allowed .
Outdoor visits to care homes by one designated person are still permitted .
The restrictions will be reviewed next Wednesday and may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the new local lockdown rules ?
Police Scotland posted video of extra police officers from its Flexible Response Unit making their way to the city to support local police .
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said : `` We are putting somewhere between 10-15 extra patrols in the city from 17:00 on Thursday and over the next few days and the weekend , to reassure the vast majority of the public who will continue to comply with instructions and guidance because they know how important it is .
`` But it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who decide that they do n't want to do something and put others ' health at risk .
`` We will clearly and undeniably enforce the law when it comes to those people . ''
NHS Grampian said it was suspending visiting at all its hospitals , except for patients nearing the end of their life .
Restricted visits are also allowed for one parent with a child at Royal Aberdeen Children 's Hospital or for one birthing partner at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and maternity units .
Details of the cluster , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited the Hawthorn Bar on 26 July , first emerged on Sunday .
NHS Grampian has published a list of venues that have been visited by people linked to the cluster , including 28 bars and cafes .
• Bieldside Inn , Bobbin , Brewdog ( Castlegate ) , Buckie Farm Carvery , Café Andaluz , Café Dag , Café Drummond , The Cock & Bull , College Bar , The Dutch Mill , Dyce Carvery , East End Social Club , Ferryhill House Hotel , Hawthorn/Adam Lounge , The Howff , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGinty 's , McNasty 's , Malmaison , Moonfish Café , No.10 Bar , O'Donoghues , Old Bank Bar , Prohibition , Soul , Spider 's Web , The Draft Project .
• The list also includes Aboyne , Deeside and Hazelhead golf clubs , and the Banks O'Dee Football Club .
People who have visited any of these premises recently are being urged to be `` extra vigilant '' about symptoms .
But some of these venues told BBC Scotland they had not been contacted by Test and Protect .
Brewdog bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NHS service .
Stuart McPhee from Siberia bar in Belmont Street told the BBC : `` We closed after a customer got in touch to say they had tested positive .
We saw a list released by NHS Grampian and some venues do n't even know they have been named .
`` We need clear , concise protocols and messages that allow confidence to be built in the long term . ''
• CASES : Where are the latest cases ?
• DEATHS : Who is dying and where ?
• RULES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what are the rules ?
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bbcuk--2020-08-06--High-cost lenders using 'exotic holidays' to encourage debt

High-cost lenders are using pictures of holidays and `` nudge '' tactics to encourage vulnerable people to take on more debt , the finance watchdog says .
The Financial Conduct Authority found borrowers were getting into financial trouble after taking on extra credit .
Lenders are accused of poor practice by using online accounts and apps to encourage consumers to borrow more .
`` Repeat borrowing could be a strong indicator of levels of debt that are harmful to the customer , '' the FCA said .
It reported firms using images of exotic locations to suggest consumers take on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some use `` nudge '' techniques such as appealing to social norms by suggesting that relending is common practice and normal behaviour .
Laura Suter , personal finance analyst at investment platform AJ Bell , said : `` As a large chunk of the population has been forced into debt by the current Covid-19 crisis , the regulator is clearly worried about debt companies using misleading marketing and pushy tactics to keep customers in high-cost debt . ''
Debt adviser Sara Williams , who writes the Debt Camel blog , said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm caused by repeat lending .
`` If you have had to take a high-cost loan , you are often left short of money and are then vulnerable to marketing offering you another loan as being 'easy ' and 'convenient ' , but this traps people in expensive debt for much longer , '' she said .
High-cost credit customers are more likely to be vulnerable , have low financial resilience and poor credit histories , the watchdog said in its review .
They often have several debts forcing them to juggle repayments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay when they do not have enough money for all .
But lenders target vulnerable borrowers with marketing messages which emphasise the ease , convenience and benefits of taking more credit .
• Coronavirus : How the financial shockwave is affecting jobs and money • ' I was £32,000 in debt , it consumed every moment' The FCA said it was concerned that lenders were not balancing their marketing messages with warnings about the risks of people taking on more debt than they could afford .
`` Before the pandemic we saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' relending practices , which showed that firms had failed to adequately assess affordability , and they were not relending in a way that was sustainable for customers , '' said Jonathan Davidson , executive director of supervision , retail and authorisations at the FCA .
The watchdog said lenders should assess whether further borrowing is in the customer 's best interests .
`` Rigorous affordability assessments are key to avoiding harm in this area , and firms should ensure they are making proportionate and responsible assessments of the sustainability of borrowing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FCA said it had been forced to act to help consumers who were under additional financial pressure due to the impact of coronavirus .
It has encouraged firms to offer payment deferrals to help struggling borrowers .
`` We are closely engaged with firms to understand the impacts of the pandemic on consumers , '' said Mr Davidson .
`` Where consumers are experiencing payment difficulties , we encourage them to contact their credit provider as soon as possible and explain their situation and get the help that lenders have agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic more people had been using payday loans or doorstep lending either to pay their normal bills or to pay off other debt .
`` That becomes a very slippery slope that 's tough to get out of , '' she said .
`` Any crackdown on these practices would be good news for consumers at a time when many find themselves in spiralling debt .
`` This is particularly the case as the Covid-19 measures introduced by the regulator to ease the burden of debt , such as payment holidays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be unwound and people face hefty bills for their borrowing . ''

"If you have had to take a high-cost loan, you are often left short of money and are then vulnerable to marketing offering you another loan as being 'easy' and 'convenient', but this traps people in expensive debt for much longer," she said.


bbcuk--2020-08-06--Robert Jenrick defends overhaul of England's 'outdated' planning system

Sweeping changes to the `` outdated '' planning system in England will make it easier to build much-needed new homes , the housing secretary has said .
Robert Jenrick said local people would not be able to block developments in designated `` growth '' zones .
The changes were needed to speed up the planning process , he told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
But critics say they could lead to `` bad-quality housing '' and loss of local control over development .
The government says it wants reduce the number of planning cases that get overturned at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules-based system '' .
Mr Jenrick told Today local people would get a `` meaningful say '' at the start of the planning process , when local plans are drawn up , but will not be able to block new schemes after that .
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• 'Slums of the future ' warnings ignored - adviser He claimed local people `` did not have a great deal of influence '' over the current planning system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He told BBC Breakfast : `` We have a major housing challenge but also a major economic challenge and a lot of people 's jobs depend on this industry .
`` We think our new system will still be democratic , it will still have local engagement , but it will be much faster and help us to meet the needs of the next generation . ''
Mr Jenrick also wants to change the way developers contribute to the cost of building affordable housing in every new project .
The government will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacing the existing Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy - to fund projects such as schools , roads and GP surgeries , and a fixed proportion affordable homes in a development .
Labour 's shadow housing minister Mike Amesbury said : `` This is a developer 's charter that will see communities sidelined in decisions and denied vital funding for building schools , clinics and community infrastructure . ''
Alan Jones , President of the Royal Institute of British Architects said : `` While there 's no doubt the planning system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost nothing to guarantee the delivery of affordable , well-designed and sustainable homes . ''
He said that taken together with moves to allow more commercial premises to be converted into homes without planning permission , `` there 's every chance they could also lead to the creation of the next generation of slum housing '' .
Mr Jenrick said such criticism was `` complete nonsense '' , insisting that `` design and quality '' were central to the government 's plans .
For Jacky Nabb , a proposal to build 3,000 houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt to her like `` somebody just twisted my stomach '' .
She added : `` It sounds really dramatic , but it broke my heart . ''
There has been a four-year battle over the prospective new town at Chalgrove - and a broader plan for local homes - with bitter political skirmishing and the personal intervention of the housing secretary .
But still , not a single brick has been laid here .
It is exactly this sort of delay ministers want to sweep away .
Under their policy , once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some places could press on with confidence .
But local Conservatives have opposed the Chalgrove plan too , just as they have many other developments .
Will the government hold firm should campaigning Tories - under fire from home-owning voters - turn on this policy ?
Making yet another announcement about homes is easy .
Turning it into real change will require political courage .
Under the government 's proposals , which have gone out to consultation , land will be divided into three categories - `` growth '' , `` renewal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land is designated for `` renewal '' councils have to look favourably on new developments .
In `` growth '' areas , new homes , hospitals and schools will be allowed automatically .
Areas of outstanding natural beauty and the green belt will come under the `` protected '' category and `` beautiful buildings '' will be fast-tracked through the system .
The White Paper proposes that all new streets should be tree-lined and `` all new homes to be carbon-neutral by 2050 , with no new homes delivered under the new system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans also include the `` first homes scheme '' , to provide newly built homes at a 30 % discount for local people , key workers and first-time buyers .
The chairman of the Local Government Association , James Jamieson , said the government 's claim that the planning system was a barrier to house building was `` a myth '' .
Mr Jamieson said nine out of 10 planning applications were approved by councils , but that more than a million homes given permission in the last decade had yet to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes received permission in England between 2011 and 2016 but were never built .
BBC Reality Check said there had been criticism in recent years of the amount of time it took to get planning permission , but also said many developers secured planning permission and then did not immediately build .
It 's hard to be sure about these proposals from the environmental perspective because key details are missing .
One policy unifies green critics - the plan to make all homes carbon-neutral by 2050 .
Labour promised to achieve that by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` pitiful '' .
They also fear the zoning system will do little to help the wildlife that lives outside protected areas .
The current system governed by councillors is very flexible .
The zoning system would be more rigid .
Apart from that , confusion abounds .
What happens , for instance , if citizens devising their local plan decide their whole area should fall into the `` protected '' category ?
Can they reject all new homes on their patch ?
If so , what 's the role of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will emerge .
But I 'm told some officials in the department think these plans have been rushed and are rather a `` dog 's dinner '' .
A number of new planning measures were announced by the government in June .
From September , home owners will be allowed to build above their properties without going through the normal planning process and developers will be able build above - or demolish and rebuild - vacant premises , or change the use of town centre shops , without planning permission .
Builders will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of commercial properties into homes - despite criticism in a government-commissioned report that the existing policy has led to poor quality , cramped flats with low quality of life for their residents .

He said that taken together with moves to allow more commercial premises to be converted into homes without planning permission, "there's every chance they could also lead to the creation of the next generation of slum housing".


bbcuk--2020-08-06--World Snooker Championship 2020: John Higgins makes 147 break at Crucible

Last updated on .From the section Snooker Former champion John Higgins made the first 147 maximum break at the World Championship since 2012 .
It was the 11th 147 at the World Championship and the first since fellow Scot Stephen Hendry made the last of his three Crucible maximums .
The break came in the 12th frame of Higgins ' second-round match .
The achievement - the first without a crowd - puts the four-time world champion in line for a £40,000 bonus for the maximum , as well as the £15,000 highest break prize .
`` That was incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perry .
`` There was nothing else to put on his CV apart from the Crucible 147 and now he 's done it .
`` Crowd or no crowd , making a 147 is special because you have to be perfect on every shot . ''
• None How much do you know about Crucible 147s ?
Only six players have made a 147 break on the biggest stage of all : • None Canada 's Cliff Thorburn was the first player to do it in 1983 • None Jimmy White made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have both made three 147s • None O'Sullivan 's first 147 in 1997 took just five minutes and eight seconds • None Mark Williams and Ali Carter are the other players to have achieved it Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news on the BBC app .

Last updated on .From the section Snooker
Betfred World Championship Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 31 July-16 August Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and Red Button, with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app. Full details and times.
Four-time champion John Higgins made a maximum 147 break but could not avoid a shock 13-11 defeat by Kurt Maflin in the World Championship second round.
Scot Higgins, 45, has been runner-up the last three years and led 11-10, having trailed 7-4 and 10-8.
But Norway's Maflin, 36, responded in stunning fashion, taking three in a row to progress to the quarter-finals.
Higgins' brilliant 147 came in the 12th frame and was the first maximum made at the Crucible Theatre since 2012.
In a tremendous tussle, Higgins had already made a century and added six further breaks of 50 or more, but Maflin held himself together in fine manner with runs of 80, 75 and 63 for the biggest win of his career.
Maflin will face the winner of the second-round tie between Anthony McGill and Jamie Clarke next, guaranteeing a qualifier in the semi-finals.
Higgins said: "He was amazing, he never shied away from any shots and every credit to him, he went for it and deserved it in the end. I had my chance at 11-10 in front but take nothing away from him.
"It was a great match, I nicked a few frames off him but you have to admire the way he went for his shots."
In a fascinating encounter, three-time champion Mark Selby responded from falling 5-3 behind to level at 8-8 against Thailand's Noppon Saengkham.
Selby took three in a row with breaks of 76, 55 and 120 to go in front, but Saengkham made runs of 74 and 105 to set up a tense finish. The pair conclude on Friday at 14:30 BST.
'Making a 147 is special'
Higgins bumped elbows with Maflin to celebrate what was his 10th career maximum but his first at the Crucible.
The Scot is the seventh player to make a World Championship 147 and the first since compatriot Stephen Hendry eight years ago.
With no crowd in the Crucible Theatre because of the coronavirus pandemic, there was no standing ovation or cheering to mark Higgins' achievement, although there was the applause of the 'fake crowd' noise.
Higgins himself hardly celebrated as he walked off for the mid-session interval trailing 7-5.
The clearance puts the four-time world champion in line for a £40,000 bonus for the maximum, as well as the £15,000 highest break prize.
"That was incredible," said BBC TV analyst Joe Perry. "There was nothing else to put on his CV apart from the Crucible 147 and now he's done it.
"Crowd or no crowd, making a 147 is special because you have to be perfect on every shot."
Higgins predicted there would be a 147 before the championship and stated that this year's tournament could be the best ever in terms of standard.
The fifth seed continued to fight back after the interval and levelled the match at 8-8 by winning the final two frames, yet ultimately exited the event.
'The biggest buzz as a snooker player'
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on BBC Two:
"Obviously it's a little bit surreal with no crowd there because when there are two or three reds left, they tend to clap every single shot, they know what is going on and the atmosphere just builds.
"It is the biggest buzz you can have as a snooker player. Winning the World Championship is amazing, it is the culmination of 17 days of hard work but a 147 is just special.
"It is such a rare thing to happen at the Crucible it is such a thrill to make one there."
Maximums at the World Championship
Higgins joins six others in making a 147 break on the biggest stage of all:
Canada's Cliff Thorburn was the first player to do it in 1983
Jimmy White made the second 147 in 1992
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have both made three 147s
O'Sullivan's first 147 in 1997 took just five minutes and eight seconds
Mark Williams and Ali Carter are the other players to have achieved it
O'Sullivan and Carter both made 147s in 2008 - the only time two have been made in the same championship
All 10 previous World Championship 147s
Full tournament schedule and results
BBC coverage times and channels
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