bbcuk--2020-09-05--The people who die alone with no one to mourn them

I am alone at a funeral for a woman I have never met .
My only company is a plain pine coffin and two bouquets of flowers .
One is from a friend recalling `` many happy memories over the years '' ; the other is from a niece who never met her auntie .
There is muzak but no minister , so no final words for 67-year-old Carol ( not her real name ) .
The service is over in less than seven minutes .
Carol died alone , with no obvious next of kin - and no will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are investigated by a small team in the national prosecution service .
The Ultimus Haeres Unit ( last heir in Latin ) tries to find blood relatives , along with any assets that may be left .
I followed the team as they worked to piece together the lives of people like Carol , and make sure they are laid to rest - even if there 's no-one there to mourn them .
'You feel the person is there watching you' At Carol 's one-bedroom flat in a traditional Glasgow tenement the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forensics-style white plastic overalls as UHU investigators Katy and Yvonne go about their work .
The two-hour search is diligent and painstaking , with everything in the flat returned to its original place when they are done .
`` In a sense you feel the person is there watching you , '' says Katy .
The main aim is to find a will , but the team are also looking for anything that helps find a bloodline relative or a friend who might be able to give them `` a piece of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from frames to check for any writing on the back .
Biscuit tins are checked and empty suitcases are opened .
These are all places where investigators have found clues in the past .
Signs that she had lived a full life are peppered around Carol 's cluttered flat .
Photos with smiling people her age and younger ; an old passport with stamps from around the globe ; snorkelling equipment found at the back of a wardrobe .
`` She looks as if she 's had a good life .
I 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Yvonne .
A full ashtray and an open TV guide in the living room are clues to how suddenly Carol fell ill. '' That coffee cup is full , like she 'd just made it before she went to hospital , '' says Yvonne .
One curious discovery is a passport for a man from The Gambia , which is found on the living room couch .
Cash and valuables are collected and logged for the long process of settling Carol 's estate .
When the search moves to her bedroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo , hidden in an underwear drawer , of Carol on what looks like her wedding day .
Katy and Yvonne are dwelling on this find when there 's a knock at the door - it 's the owner of the Gambian passport .
The man explains he 's a friend of Carol 's and is `` the guy who came to look after her every day '' .
He wants his passport back and says his TV is in the flat too .
He only leaves with the passport .
`` He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Yvonne points out .
The search for a will is fruitless , but clear plastic bags full of files , photos and letters are gathered up and taken back to the office .
The next part of the job takes months - death administration is notoriously slow - and involves a flurry of letters and phone calls to a range of public and private agencies .
Contact is made with social workers and the housing association , and a friend is traced .
But , as is often the case , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established that Carol was not a native of Glasgow .
Items in the flat had suggested that she had a son - but this is never confirmed .
The investigators eventually trace a niece in another part of the country , who never met Carol .
She is the only living bloodline relative , but wants nothing to do with the funeral .
None of the people smiling alongside Carol in her photos come forward either .
'He was a man about town , he was a playboy' Robert Chalmers died alone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before his 75th birthday .
For the hospital staff and then UHU investigators trying to piece his life together , there was initially little to go on .
But a public notice asking for relatives to come forward attracted the attention of genealogy firms , who traced Janet Bishop .
Robert was her mother 's cousin - and , by coincidence , Janet is one of the country 's top professional genealogists .
`` My mother had spoken about him , '' she said .
`` I knew he was the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest , but I did n't know anything else about him , '' said Janet .
`` When I realised he had died and nobody knew anything about him I was intrigued .
It came out he had not left a will - it was a bit strange . ''
Robert 's well-appointed flat in the plush New Town area of Edinburgh was full of clues to his life .
It contained art , antiques and expensive watches .
But for Janet , who was appointed executor for Robert 's estate , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clippings which really caught her attention .
`` I pieced together what I think was his life and he was obviously part of 'the set ' , '' she explained .
`` He would go to the places to be seen in Edinburgh , him and his pals around the New Town . ''
Janet was particularly interested in a leather wallet with polaroid and passport-style photographs of what were assumed to be a string of Robert 's ex-girlfriends .
`` He was a man-about-town , he was a playboy , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loads of girlfriends by the looks of it .
He enjoyed the good things in life . ''
Friends and neighbours helped fill in some of the blanks .
Robert was educated at a prestigious local private school and made his money through his own flooring company .
Janet was also told Robert was friendly with former England manager Terry Venables , and looked after George Best when he was living in Edinburgh and playing for Hibs in 1979 .
His father had died when he was in his 20s and Robert was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died it seemed , according to Janet , that it may have been easier for him to tell people he did n't have any family .
`` He knew they were there , so to say to his friends ' I do n't have any family ' - that 's not true , '' she says .
`` What he meant was he did n't have any contact with them any more , but everyone has family , whether you like it or not . ''
Robert 's flat has now been sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estate is settled will be split among his distant blood relatives .
But Janet does n't think that is right .
`` Whatever money he had is going to the wrong place now because he did n't say what he wanted to do with it , '' she says .
`` The people who benefit , if we benefit at all , we are only entitled because the law says so .
`` We did not know him , we gave him no help so why should we be entitled to anything ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life shows that people who die alone do not always do so in sad or difficult circumstances .
`` Each to their own , '' she says .
`` I just wish he 'd made a will . ''
'Before he was a name , now he 's becoming a person' Gerry 's case was passed to the UHU after social services and the hospital could not find any family members .
The 85-year-old had fallen ill after moving from his housing association flat in Glasgow to a care home .
Gerry ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organised man , which made the investigators ' job easier .
A series of notebooks in his home detailed his financial affairs , as well as his meals .
Corned beef was popular on Wednesdays .
Safe boxes in his wardrobe were found to contain £16,000 in cash .
`` Before he was a name , now he 's becoming a person , '' says Yvonne as she sifts through a box of old letters and Christmas cards .
Gerry 's organisation extended to a funeral plan and instructions for him to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents .
Retired locum minister Graham Morrison was asked to say a few words at the graveside for Gerry but he does not have much information to go on as he prepares for the short service .
`` You do what you feel is right at the time , '' he said .
`` It has to be done with the same respect as anyone else .
It does n't matter how many people turn up .
This is about a person 's life and the respect that has to be given .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these circumstances , but for the grace of god . ''
Graham has decades of experience of these types of funerals .
`` I 've done a full service for a homeless person , for people who were alone with no-one in the world , '' he said .
`` Actually , I put a lot more effort into it if I 'm honest . ''
As we approach the graveside , we have unexpected company .
A cousin , who never met Gerry , was traced that morning by the UHU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The windswept service at the graveside is short but meaningful .
The lilt of Graham 's Outer Hebrides accent feels tailormade for the occasion .
After the funeral , Gerry 's estranged daughter is eventually traced and his estate is settled .
But the full story of his life , like why Gerry was estranged from his daughter , is never told .
'You 're doing the right thing when nobody else is there' Duty and dignity are the watchwords of Ella Harkin , who manages the Hamilton-based UHU .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end , '' she says .
`` You could have loads of family around you and then one day you 're just yourself .
`` These people have died and they have got no-one .
The way I look at it is that they set up this unit to be that one .
`` It 's not even about money .
It is about making sure they are put to rest respectfully . ''
Katy echoes the sentiment .
`` You 're sad for that person , but in a sense you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody else is there . ''
The team 's daily work is littered with difficult conversations .
This can include breaking the news of someone 's death , or explaining to a friend or a step-child that only bloodline relatives can benefit from an estate .
Yvonne says piecing together a life and tracing next of kin is what makes the more harrowing searches worthwhile .
The workload is growing .
The unit dealt with 540 cases last year , a 66 % increase on 2016-17 , with cold winters and hot summers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the investigations themselves are gradually getting more difficult .
The shift towards conducting our lives online is actually making it harder to trace the lives of the dead .
The biscuit tins crammed full of important paperwork or battered personal phone directories are becoming rarer .
`` For us to get that sort of information , we need more tools at our disposal , '' explains UHU manager Ella .
`` Ten years from now , if we do n't keep up , it will be harder for us to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the changes in society . ''
But what is likely to remain the same is how so much of the UHU 's work can be traced back to the devastating impact of a breakdown in relationships .
`` It is a shame , but it gets to that stage where sons and daughters do n't speak to parents and vice versa .
I think people always think there 's time to make up , and now there 's not , '' says Yvonne .
`` People do n't realise life is far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A 30-minute documentary about Next of Kin on will be aired on BBC Radio Scotland at 09:30 on 6 September .

The people who die alone with no one to mourn them Published 6 September 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, When people die alone, with no obvious next of kin and no will, a small team of public servants steps in to help
I am alone at a funeral for a woman I have never met.
My only company is a plain pine coffin and two bouquets of flowers. One is from a friend recalling "many happy memories over the years"; the other is from a niece who never met her auntie.
There is muzak but no minister, so no final words for 67-year-old Carol (not her real name). The service is over in less than seven minutes.
Carol died alone, with no obvious next of kin - and no will.
When that happens in Scotland, cases are investigated by a small team in the national prosecution service. The Ultimus Haeres Unit (last heir in Latin) tries to find blood relatives, along with any assets that may be left.
I followed the team as they worked to piece together the lives of people like Carol, and make sure they are laid to rest - even if there's no-one there to mourn them.
'You feel the person is there watching you'
Image caption, The UHU investigators wear forensic suits in order to minimise their impact on the property
At Carol's one-bedroom flat in a traditional Glasgow tenement the only sound is the swishing of the forensics-style white plastic overalls as UHU investigators Katy and Yvonne go about their work.
The two-hour search is diligent and painstaking, with everything in the flat returned to its original place when they are finished.
"In a sense you feel the person is there watching you," says Katy.
The main aim is to find a will, but the team are also looking for anything that helps find a bloodline relative or a friend who might be able to give them "a piece of the jigsaw".
Photos are carefully removed from frames to check for any writing on the back. Biscuit tins are checked and empty suitcases are opened. These are all places where investigators have found clues in the past.
Signs that she had lived a full life are peppered around Carol's cluttered flat.
Photos with smiling people her age and younger; an old passport with stamps from around the globe; snorkelling equipment found at the back of a wardrobe.
"She looks as if she's had a good life. I'd love to have spoken to her," says Yvonne.
A full ashtray and an open TV guide in the living room are clues to how suddenly Carol fell ill.
"That coffee cup is full, like she'd just made it before she went to hospital," says Yvonne.
One curious discovery is a passport for a man from The Gambia, which is found on the living room couch.
Image caption, Checking the post can help establish whether a person had bank accounts and any other financial assets or debts
Cash and valuables are collected and logged for the long process of settling Carol's estate.
When the search moves to her bedroom there is another intriguing discovery - a photo, hidden in an underwear drawer, of Carol on what looks like her wedding day.
Katy and Yvonne are dwelling on this find when there's a knock at the door - it's the owner of the Gambian passport.
The man explains he's a friend of Carol's and is "the guy who came to look after her every day".
He wants his passport back and says his TV is in the flat too. He only leaves with the passport.
"He didn't ask about the funeral," Yvonne points out.
The search for a will is fruitless, but clear plastic bags full of files, photos and letters are gathered up and taken back to the office.
The next part of the job takes months - death administration is notoriously slow - and involves a flurry of letters and phone calls to a range of public and private agencies.
Contact is made with social workers and the housing association, and a friend is traced. But, as is often the case, the full picture evades investigators.
It is established that Carol was not a native of Glasgow. Items in the flat had suggested that she had a son - but this is never confirmed.
The investigators eventually trace a niece in another part of the country, who never met Carol. She is the only living bloodline relative, but wants nothing to do with the funeral.
None of the people smiling alongside Carol in her photos come forward either.
'He was a man about town, he was a playboy'
Image source, Janet Bishop Image caption, Robert on holiday in Spain with an unidentified woman. This was one of a number of pictures of Robert, some of which looked professionally taken, with glamorous-looking women
Robert Chalmers died alone in an Edinburgh hospital last April, just days before his 75th birthday.
For the hospital staff and then UHU investigators trying to piece his life together, there was initially little to go on.
But a public notice asking for relatives to come forward attracted the attention of genealogy firms, who traced Janet Bishop.
Robert was her mother's cousin - and, by coincidence, Janet is one of the country's top professional genealogists.
"My mother had spoken about him," she said.
"I knew he was the only one who had done better than the rest, but I didn't know anything else about him," said Janet.
"When I realised he had died and nobody knew anything about him I was intrigued. It came out he had not left a will - it was a bit strange."
Robert's well-appointed flat in the plush New Town area of Edinburgh was full of clues to his life. It contained art, antiques and expensive watches.
But for Janet, who was appointed executor for Robert's estate, it was a cache of photographs and newspaper clippings which really caught her attention.
"I pieced together what I think was his life and he was obviously part of 'the set'," she explained.
"He would go to the places to be seen in Edinburgh, him and his pals around the New Town."
Image source, Janet Bishop Image caption, Robert had his own flooring company and lived alone in Edinburgh's New Town
Janet was particularly interested in a leather wallet with polaroid and passport-style photographs of what were assumed to be a string of Robert's ex-girlfriends.
"He was a man-about-town, he was a playboy," she says.
"Never married and had loads of girlfriends by the looks of it. He enjoyed the good things in life."
Friends and neighbours helped fill in some of the blanks. Robert was educated at a prestigious local private school and made his money through his own flooring company.
Janet was also told Robert was friendly with former England manager Terry Venables, and looked after George Best when he was living in Edinburgh and playing for Hibs in 1979.
His father had died when he was in his 20s and Robert was close to his mother. After she died it seemed, according to Janet, that it may have been easier for him to tell people he didn't have any family.
"He knew they were there, so to say to his friends 'I don't have any family' - that's not true," she says.
"What he meant was he didn't have any contact with them any more, but everyone has family, whether you like it or not."
Image source, Janet Bishop Image caption, A picture of what is thought to be Robert's father and a newspaper clipping Robert kept of a time he got into trouble with the police
Robert's flat has now been sold. Any money left over when the estate is settled will be split among his distant blood relatives.
But Janet doesn't think that is right.
"Whatever money he had is going to the wrong place now because he didn't say what he wanted to do with it," she says.
"The people who benefit, if we benefit at all, we are only entitled because the law says so.
"We did not know him, we gave him no help so why should we be entitled to anything?"
Janet says learning about Robert's life shows that people who die alone do not always do so in sad or difficult circumstances.
"Each to their own," she says. "I just wish he'd made a will."
'Before he was a name, now he's becoming a person'
Image source, Getty Images
Gerry's case was passed to the UHU after social services and the hospital could not find any family members.
The 85-year-old had fallen ill after moving from his housing association flat in Glasgow to a care home. Gerry (not his real name) was an organised man, which made the investigators' job easier.
A series of notebooks in his home detailed his financial affairs, as well as his meals. Corned beef was popular on Wednesdays.
Safe boxes in his wardrobe were found to contain £16,000 in cash.
"Before he was a name, now he's becoming a person," says Yvonne as she sifts through a box of old letters and Christmas cards.
Image caption, Gerry had stored £16,000 in safe boxes in the back of his wardrobe
Gerry's organisation extended to a funeral plan and instructions for him to be buried at the family lair with his parents.
Retired locum minister Graham Morrison was asked to say a few words at the graveside for Gerry but he does not have much information to go on as he prepares for the short service.
"You do what you feel is right at the time," he said.
"It has to be done with the same respect as anyone else. It doesn't matter how many people turn up. This is about a person's life and the respect that has to be given.
"It could be any of us in these circumstances, but for the grace of God."
Graham has decades of experience of these types of funerals.
"I've done a full service for a homeless person, for people who were alone with no-one in the world," he said.
"Actually, I put a lot more effort into it if I'm honest."
Image caption, UHU investigators work in pairs when conducting searches
As we approach the graveside, we have unexpected company.
A cousin, who never met Gerry, was traced that morning by the UHU and has come to pay their respects.
The windswept service at the graveside is short but meaningful. The lilt of Graham's Outer Hebrides accent feels tailormade for the occasion.
After the funeral, Gerry's estranged daughter is eventually traced and his estate is settled.
But the full story of his life, like why Gerry was estranged from his daughter, is never told.
'You're doing the right thing when nobody else is there'
Image source, PA Media
Duty and dignity are the watchwords of Ella Harkin, who manages the Hamilton-based UHU.
"You never know how things are going to end," she says.
"You could have loads of family around you and then one day you're just yourself.
"These people have died and they have got no-one. The way I look at it is that they set up this unit to be that one.
"It's not even about money. It is about making sure they are put to rest respectfully."
Katy echoes the sentiment. "You're sad for that person, but in a sense you are doing the right thing for them when nobody else is there."
The team's daily work is littered with difficult conversations.
This can include breaking the news of someone's death, or explaining to a friend or a step-child that only bloodline relatives can benefit from an estate.
Yvonne says piecing together a life and tracing next of kin is what makes the more harrowing searches worthwhile.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, The increasingly digital nature of the way we live our lives is creating new challenges for the UHU
The workload is growing. The unit dealt with 540 cases last year, a 66% increase on 2016-17, with cold winters and hot summers thought to be factors in that rise.
And the investigations themselves are gradually getting more difficult.
The shift towards conducting our lives online is actually making it harder to trace the lives of the dead.
The biscuit tins crammed full of important paperwork or battered personal phone directories are becoming rarer.
"For us to get that sort of information, we need more tools at our disposal," explains UHU manager Ella.
"Ten years from now, if we don't keep up, it will be harder for us to do our job. We need to adapt to the changes in society."
But what is likely to remain the same is how so much of the UHU's work can be traced back to the devastating impact of a breakdown in relationships.
"It is a shame, but it gets to that stage where sons and daughters don't speak to parents and vice versa. I think people always think there's time to make up, and now there's not," says Yvonne.
"People don't realise life is far too short for petty arguments."
(Some names have been changed to protect the deceased's anonymity)
A 30-minute documentary about Next of Kin can be heard on BBC Sounds


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Cold case mystery: Only clue to man's identity is a ring inscription

As cold cases come , this is freezing - a 41-year-old unsolved mystery .
A middle-aged man washed onto an Isles of Scilly beach had been dead in the water for months .
The only real clue to his identity was a ring bearing the inscription : `` Georgio And Katrina 1956 '' .
Now a team of experts , including a Welsh university criminologist , hope to focus their efforts on discovering who the individual was , where he was from and why he died .
It is one of the very first 'Unidentified Found Remains ' cases being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Locate Centre for Missing People Investigations .
The partnership brings together police , academics and students with the aim of helping families find their loved ones .
Experts from the University of South Wales ( USW ) and the University of Central Lancashire have joined forces with Devon and Cornwall Police , and are already working on several live missing people cases .
But this unsolved case is one of the toughest it faces .
`` The mystery of the man found on the beach on the Scilly Isles has stumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Dr Cheryl Allsop , who is a senior lecturer in criminology and and criminal justice at USW .
`` But we 're hoping that modern ways of communication , including through social media , might bring renewed hope that the conundrum could now be solved . ''
What do they know ?
The body of the man was discovered on 21 February 1979 .
It was towards the end of the 'Winter of Discontent ' and a few months before Margaret Thatcher would be elected the UK 's first woman prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minick beach , and had been in the sea for an estimated four months .
Aged between 40 and 60 , he was white , with dark brown , greying hair , and was 5ft 4in tall ( 1.63m ) , and wearing a two-tone blue and white short-sleeved shirt with a woollen Eltex vest underneath .
The only other information is the ring he wore with the inscription on the ring finger of his right hand - thought to be a wedding band .
But where did he come from , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the relevance of 1956 ?
• How related family DNA cracked murder case for the first time • What happens when someone goes missing ?
• The week in a life of a real murder detective The Scilly Isles lie about 25 miles ( 40km ) off the Cornish coast , and on the fringes of large bodies of water - the Irish Sea , the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel .
The Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary with its massive tidal ranges is only about 100 miles away .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man ended on that particular beach at that particular time , '' said Dr Allsop .
`` But to find out these reasons and to put them together so we can solve the mystery , we need people to come forward with even the smallest bits of information that could help us complete the jigsaw by opening up whole new lines of enquiry . ''

"But to find out these reasons and to put them together so we can solve the mystery, we need people to come forward with even the smallest bits of information that could help us complete the jigsaw by opening up whole new lines of enquiry."


bbcuk--2020-09-05--David Bailey creates his own street art with new exhibition of paintings

He was the face of swinging London and created some of the most iconic images of the sixties .
Now @ @ @ @ @ work is returning to London on a massive scale .
David Bailey Unseen is a @ @ @ @ @ , which will share space amongst the clothes of an Oxford Street shop , as @ @ @ @ @ the building .
The BBC 's Alex Stanger went to meet him .

He was the face of swinging London and created some of the most iconic images of the sixties.
Now 82, David Bailey's work is returning to London on a massive scale.
David Bailey Unseen is a new exhibition of his paintings, which will share space amongst the clothes of Flannels, an Oxford Street shop, as well as being superimposed across the building.
The BBC's Alex Stanger went to meet him.


bbcuk--2020-09-05--‘I hope my blood can help others with coronavirus’

In March 2020 , Johnny McLarnon was rushed to Belfast City Hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus .
He was @ @ @ @ @ developed delirium and almost had liver failure .
Six months on he says he has @ @ @ @ @ as “ horrendous ” .
He is one of 240 people from Northern Ireland who @ @ @ @ @ their blood as part of a nationwide trial .
The plasma component of blood from @ @ @ @ @ contains antibodies that can fight against the virus .
The NI Blood Transfusion Service hopes @ @ @ @ @ be useful in treating people with severe symptoms of the virus .
It is asking @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 to contact them to find out more about becoming a convalescent plasma donor .

In March 2020, Johnny McLarnon was rushed to Belfast City Hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
He was put on a ventilator, developed delirium and almost had liver failure.
Six months on he says he has recovered but describes the experience as “horrendous”.
He is one of 240 people from Northern Ireland who had coronavirus and have donated their blood as part of a nationwide trial.
The plasma component of blood from donors who have had Covid-19 contains antibodies that can fight against the virus.
The NI Blood Transfusion Service hopes transfusion of this blood will be useful in treating people with severe symptoms of the virus.
It is asking anyone who has recovered from Covid-19 to contact them to find out more about becoming a convalescent plasma donor.
Video journalist: Niall McCracken


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Multiple sclerosis patient's home renovated by friends

A woman has been surprised by her friends and neighbours with a home renovation while she was in Mexico receiving @ @ @ @ @ MS ) .
Kath Lee , from Fleet in Hampshire , spent a month undergoing @ @ @ @ @ friends helped raise money for her medical costs .
They then realised her home also @ @ @ @ @ she could convalesce in a safe and sterile environment so worked with local businesses , @ @ @ @ @ , to complete the work while she was away .

A woman has been surprised by her friends and neighbours with a home renovation while she was in Mexico receiving treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Kath Lee, from Fleet in Hampshire, spent a month undergoing stem cell treatment after her friends helped raise money for her medical costs.
They then realised her home also needed a major renovation so she could convalesce in a safe and sterile environment so worked with local businesses, who donated time and materials, to complete the work while she was away.
Video journalist: Nikki Mitchell


bbcuk--2020-09-05--'Heartbroken' coach company manager cries tears of joy

A manager at a coach company has cried `` tears of joy '' at the prospect of services running again @ @ @ @ @ March .
Simon Read , transport manager at Nottinghamshire 's Marshalls , said : `` @ @ @ @ @ that we 've managed to survive the last five months .
The drivers and staff @ @ @ @ @ to all of us . ''
The company was due to resume its full quota @ @ @ @ @ week , following the coronavirus lockdown , and also embarked on its first organised excursion @ @ @ @ @ day trip to Whitby .
Mr Read said he was `` heartbroken '' when the @ @ @ @ @ , had to close for the lockdown .
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

A manager at a coach company has cried "tears of joy" at the prospect of services running again for the first time since March.
Simon Read, transport manager at Nottinghamshire's Marshalls, said: "I'm over the moon that we've managed to survive the last five months. The drivers and staff - they mean the world to all of us."
The company was due to resume its full quota of school bus services this week, following the coronavirus lockdown, and also embarked on its first organised excursion, taking travellers on a day trip to Whitby.
Mr Read said he was "heartbroken" when the firm, based in Sutton-on-Trent, had to close for the lockdown.
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.


bbcuk--2020-09-05--The Papers: A 'no-blink' Brexit and MPs defend free speech

© 2020 BBC .
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites .
Read about our approach @ @ @ @

In the latest salvo from No 10, Boris Johnson is set to "starve the bloc" of access to cheap money on the financial markets in the event of no deal, the paper says. Its political editor, David Maddox, says the "arrogant" EU needs to alter its negotiating strategy if it wants an agreement because ministers now seem "rightly relaxed about no deal", with UK trade agreements "beckoning around the world".


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Extinction Rebellion protesters block newspaper printing presses

Extinction Rebellion ( XR ) activists have delayed the distribution of several national newspapers after blocking access to three printing presses owned by Rupert Murdoch .
Protesters targeted Newsprinters presses at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire , Knowsley in Merseyside , and near Motherwell , North Lanarkshire .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the action by demonstrators across the country was `` unacceptable '' .
The Sun tweeted to report copies of the paper would be delayed arriving at newsagents , adding the blockade was an `` attack on all the free press '' .
The presses print the Rupert Murdoch-owned News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , the Sun on Sunday , the Sunday Times , and the Scottish Sun .
They also print the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph , the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday , and the London Evening Standard .
Demonstrators have accused the papers of failing to report on climate change .
XR used vehicles to block roads to the printing plants , while individual protesters chained themselves to structures .
Vans were covered with banners with messages including `` Free the truth '' and `` Refugees are welcome here '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country , including the fight against climate change .
`` It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public 's access to news in this way . ''
Shadow Secretary of State for Digital Culture , Media and Sport , Jo Stephens , said : `` People have the right to read the newspapers they want .
`` Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Priti Patel tweeted the overnight action by XR was an `` attack on democracy '' .
Newsprinters also condemned the protests as an `` attack on all of the free press '' , which it said had affected workers going about their jobs and others such as newsagents who faced `` financial penalty '' .
`` Thanks to other industry partners , printing was transferred to other sites , '' it said .
Telegraph editor Chris Evans earlier emailed staff to say that although the paper was not XR 's primary target , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He told them : `` I 'm also very concerned - and I hope you are too - by the attack on free speech .
`` Whatever your politics you should be worried by this .
There are also questions for the police who perhaps placed the right of these few people to protest above the right of the rest of the people to read a free press . ''
Hertfordshire Police said officers were called to Great Eastern Road near the Broxbourne plant at about 22:00 BST , where they found about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to structures and one another '' .
By 06:00 delivery lorries had still been unable to leave the site to distribute papers .
Officers said 50 people had been arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance .
Chief Constable Charlie Hall said the group 's action had been `` an intentionally disruptive and unacceptable protest that had been pre-planned and carefully co-ordinated to create prolonged disruption to local businesses '' .
Hertfordshire officers arrived `` within five minutes of the initial report '' , he said , however , `` the nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cutting equipment in order to safely remove the protesters from their locations '' .
Each one had to be individually released from a bamboo structure they had erected , Mr Hall added .
Although business had resumed at the site , he said officers would remain there to monitor the area .
Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning that officers were at the Knowsley plant .
The site had been cleared of protesters by about 10:30 and 30 people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass .
Police Scotland said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant near Motherwell `` was peaceful and there were no issues '' .
XR has accused the newspapers and their owners of `` failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency '' and `` polluting national debate '' on dozens of social issues .
The Federation of Independent Retailers condemned the demonstrations , saying members left without supplies of papers were having `` to deal with angry customers who are unable to get their daily newspaper '' .
National president Stuart Reddish said it also meant retailers were unable to get papers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsagents have played a critical role during Covid-19 in getting newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts , '' he added .
Extinction Rebellion has planned 10 days of action and is calling on the government to do more to act on climate change .
In an updated statement following the latest protest , a spokesman said : `` We are in an emergency of unprecedented scale and the papers we have targeted are not reflecting the scale and urgency of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To any small businesses disrupted by the action this morning we say , 'we 're sorry .
We hope that our actions seem commensurate with the severity of the crisis we face and that this day of disruption successfully raises the alarm about the greater disruption that is coming ' . ''
On Thursday , more than 300 people were arrested during protests in central London .
Meanwhile , climate change protesters have been warned they risk large fines if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set off walking from Brighton a week ago was due to march the final stretch to Parliament later .
The Met Police said risk assessments of the march in Westminster `` did not meet the required standard '' and have banned XR from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster .
At about 14:45 on Saturday a group accompanying the boat posted a video on social media saying members had been `` stopped on the A3 just after Kennington Park , by a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
XR protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square in London had been largely dispersed , police said , and a spokeswoman for the Met Police said officers were also in Euston where a protester had locked themselves to a crane .

"Whatever your politics you should be worried by this. There are also questions for the police who perhaps placed the right of these few people to protest above the right of the rest of the people to read a free press."


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: Glasgow KFC branch closes after virus outbreak

A branch of KFC in Glasgow has been closed after six members of staff tested positive for coronavirus .
The fast food restaurant on Pollokshaws Road has been shut for two weeks as a precaution , the company confirmed .
All of the affected staff are currently self-isolating at home and KFC said it has been liaising with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde .
A notice posted on the window of the branch said it was currently closed due to a `` technical issue '' .
The outbreak comes after restrictions on movements were reintroduced in Glasgow on Wednesday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokesman for KFC said : `` Six team members at our Pollokshaws restaurant have tested positive for coronavirus .
`` They 're currently self-isolating at home in line with government guidance and it goes without saying we 're wishing them a full and speedy recovery .
`` We 've been in close contact with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and we 've taken the decision to close the restaurant for two weeks as a precaution . ''
• IMPACT : How is the pandemic affecting life in Scotland ?
• CASES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotland ?
• QUIZ : How well do you know the Covid restrictions ?
• BACK TO SCHOOL : Can a school insist on a Covid test ?
• LOCKDOWN EASING : What changes next - and when ?

All of the affected staff are currently self-isolating at home and KFC said it has been liaising with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: Covid-19 cases rise on both sides of Irish border

Daily Covid-19 testing figures have shown a significant number of newly diagnosed cases on both sides of the Irish border on Saturday .
In Northern Ireland , the Department of Health said 118 new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours .
Its weekend figures are not full statistics and it does not provide details of coronavirus-related deaths on Saturdays or Sundays .
In the Republic of Ireland , 231 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed .
• Four Covid-linked deaths registered in NI last week More than half ( 58 % ) of the new infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 133 positive tests in the county .
Ireland 's Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn described that as a `` significant number '' and said it was now `` important that people in Dublin keep their social contacts as low as possible '' .
On Saturday evening , Taoiseach ( Irish prime minister ) Micheál Martin urged people to `` heed the words '' of Mr Glynn .
Irish health authorities have opened two `` pop-up Covid-19 swabbing centres '' at Croke Park and at Castleknock Health Centre in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the capital .
County Kildare , which recently emerged from a local lockdown , had the second highest number of new cases on Saturday with 18 positive tests .
This was followed by County Limerick which has 13 new cases .
Overall , more than two thirds ( 69 % ) of the new cases recorded by the Irish Health Protection Surveillance Centre are people under 45 years of age .
No new coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Saturday so the Republic 's death toll remains at 1,777 .
In Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll stands at 564 .
However , the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency ( Nisra ) , which produces more comprehensive figures , said on Friday that Covid-19 had been mentioned on 873 death certificates by 28 August .
Since the pandemic began , 250,425 individuals have been tested for Covid-19 across Northern Ireland .
Of those , 7,621 people have tested positive for the virus , meaning that about 3 % of the individuals tested have returned a positive result .

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bbcuk--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: 'We need to talk about misleading anti-vax claims'

A vaccine is seen as a key way to defeat the coronavirus and get our lives back to normal .
@ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theories about a potential coronavirus vaccine are rife on social media .
Ogmore MP @ @ @ @ @ the UK Parliament 's all-party group on social media , has called them a `` @ @ @ @ @ is calling on the UK government to do more to tackle anti-vax misinformation .
The @ @ @ @ @ misleading claims could be seen by people who are just nervous or curious about a @ @ @ @ @ brought together virology expert Dr Richard Stanton and Laura , who was nervous about the @ @ @ @ @ after claims she had heard , to separate vaccine fact from fiction .
And Richard @ @ @ @ @ how to spot a misleading vaccine claim online .

A vaccine is seen as a key way to defeat the coronavirus and get our lives back to normal.
But misleading claims and false conspiracy theories about a potential coronavirus vaccine are rife on social media.
Ogmore MP Chris Elmore, chair of the UK Parliament's all-party group on social media, has called them a "ticking time bomb" and is calling on the UK government to do more to tackle anti-vax misinformation.
The big worry is that these misleading claims could be seen by people who are just nervous or curious about a potential vaccine.
BBC Wales brought together virology expert Dr Richard Stanton and Laura, who was nervous about the idea of a coronavirus vaccine after claims she had heard, to separate vaccine fact from fiction.
And Richard offers his top tips about how to spot a misleading vaccine claim online.
Reporting, BBC Wales Westminster Correspondent Ione Wells
Filmed and edited by Michael Burgess


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Jewellery worth £12,000 stolen from Sunderland family's home

Jewellery worth £12,000 has been stolen from a family home by thieves who ransacked the property while the occupants were @ @ @ @ @ Hawthorn Street , Millfield , Sunderland , between 10:00 BST on 24 August and the @ @ @ @ @ has released images of some of the stolen items , which include bracelets and necklaces @ @ @ @ @ family .
PC Shaun Smith , of Northumbria Police , said it had left the @ @ @ @ @ broke into their home while they were away and ransacked the place , before stealing @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` The family are particularly upset about the jewellery that was taken .
@ @ @ @ @ value to them and we are eager to locate them as soon as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ contact police .

"The family are particularly upset about the jewellery that was taken. They are of huge sentimental value to them and we are eager to locate them as soon as possible."


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Birmingham stabbings: Manhunt as one killed and seven hurt

A man who killed one man and wounded seven others during a two-hour stabbing rampage across Birmingham city centre remains at large , police said .
The first stabbing was in Constitution Hill at 00:30 BST and the killer moved south , apparently attacking at random , officers said .
The stabbings do not appear terrorism-related , gang-related or connected to disorder , West Midlands Police said .
The force urged anyone with CCTV or mobile footage to contact them .
Police said they were hunting a single suspect .
One man died , another man and a woman suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening .
Ch Supt Steve Graham said the attacker went on to stab people in Livery Street , Irving Street and finally in Hurst Street at about 02:20 BST .
He said officers - some armed - remained across the city centre to reassure people .
Mr Graham said : `` The events during the early hours of this morning are tragic , shocking and understandably frightening .
`` It does appear to be a random attack because we have n't found any links between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in where they were socialising .
`` Please be assured that we are doing absolutely everything we can to find whoever was responsible and try to understand what exactly happened .
`` Anyone with information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 . ''
The BBC 's Nick Clitheroe , at the scene , said the incidents had unfolded in a part of Birmingham where the area known as the Gay Village meets the Chinese Quarter , which is typically busy at night with clubs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to have started out as a major fight between large groups of people but obviously at some point knives have been pulled and stabbings have taken place . ''
Witness Cara Curran , a club promoter working in the Arcadian Centre , said it had been busier during the evening than it had been at any time since the start of lockdown .
She said she had finished her shift at about 00:30 BST and was drinking with colleagues when she heard a `` loud bang and quite a lot of commotion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found multiple people having fist fights ... people from inside pubs and clubs came out and started to see what was going on .
`` There were females , males , old people , young people , such a mix of people , it did n't seem real at the time .
`` Working on the club scene for over two years , I 've always seen quite a lot of fights but it was nothing like tonight .
The body language and demeanour was quite different .
`` For me to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's been quite an emotional night to the point where I 'm actually still a bit shell-shocked . ''
The streets in the area have already been closed to traffic due to coronavirus restrictions .
Speaking on BBC1 's Andrew Marr Show , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said : `` We know it 's a very serious incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families .
`` We do n't know too much more than that but we advise people to stay very vigilant . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` Detectives are following a number of lines of inquiry and we 've increased our uniformed and armed response in the city .
`` We 're urging anyone who witnessed anything or anyone who has any CCTV or mobile phone footage to get in contact as soon as possible , as the information you have may be crucial to our investigation . ''
The force , which earlier launched a major incident , said there had not been any reports of gunshots , adding : `` We 're aware of some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been reported to us at this stage . ''
A major incident describes any situation involving serious harm or a security risk to the public .
It also means special arrangements are in place for all of the emergency services to work together .
Outside the cordoned-off area , much of the city centre , such as Birmingham 's Bullring shopping centre and the Sealife Centre in Brindleyplace , is open as usual .
Were you in the area ?
Did you witness what happened ?
Share your experiences by emailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
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"He was like very cold and he wasn't panicking and he wasn't reacting or anything. After he stabbed her between five and seven times... he walked off as if nothing has happened," he said.


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Coronavirus: Labour demands airport testing review to cut quarantine

Airport coronavirus testing options should be explored as a way of cutting the number of travellers who must spend two weeks in quarantine , says Labour .
A review of `` chaotic '' quarantine rules should consider a `` robust testing regime '' , given the `` dire warnings '' from the travel industry , the party says .
PM Boris Johnson has said airport tests would identify only 7 % of cases and so could give a `` false sense of security '' .
A government spokesman said assessment of how testing might help was ongoing .
`` Any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would need to be robust in minimising the chance that positive cases are missed , '' he said .
The BBC has been told a cabinet decision on whether to introduce airport testing has been repeatedly postponed and now may never happen .
• Why is n't the UK testing travellers on arrival ?
• What are the quarantine rules for my holiday ?
In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel , Labour argues the UK 's quarantine arrangements are `` losing public confidence and undermining our ability to keep people safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show he is now calling for a `` two test system '' that would take away the need for a 14 day quarantine period .
`` It is n't just about a test in an airport , '' he said , adding that follow-up tests would improve the accuracy of the results .
`` If the government had it [ a two test system ] up and running it would take away need for 14 day quarantine policy , '' he said .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolation unless they are travelling from countries that are exempt - a status determined by the separate authorities in each of the four nations .
In recent weeks , Britons holidaying in France , Spain and the Netherlands have been caught out by the removal of exemptions at short notice .
Last week , Scotland and Wales told arrivals from Portugal and parts of Greece to quarantine , while England and Northern Ireland held off .
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted it had created a `` confusing '' situation for travellers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ great idea and would reduce the length of time quarantine could take .
But there are a number of problems .
The incubation period for coronavirus - the point at which someone becomes infected to the point at which they show symptoms - can be up to 14 days .
In the early part of the incubation period the test may not pick up the virus .
So you can not just test at the airport and think someone is clear .
They would still have to quarantine and then the idea discussed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe seven or 10 days .
That has a minimal effect on quarantine and would put the testing regime under even more strain .
A more immediate solution - and one that has been put to government - is to be a little more intelligent with the quarantine rules .
It is a rather blunt tool - some countries are on the quarantine list with infection rates only a little higher than the UK .
And national infection rates miss the differences between regions .
One suggestion is you only insist on quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high infection rate area .
But of course that becomes even harder to enforce .
In his letter to the home secretary , Mr Thomas-Symonds calls for a review to report back within a fortnight .
`` It should include outlining options for a robust testing regime in airports , and related follow-up tests , that could help to safely minimise the need for 14-day quarantine , '' he writes .
`` Given the huge challenges being faced by the travel sector and the scale of job losses , it makes sense to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wider package of improvements to the testing regime . ''
He also said there were `` serious concerns '' poor monitoring of incoming travellers , claiming `` less than a third of passenger-locator forms are checked '' .
• TEST AND TRACE : How does it work ?
• FACE MASKS : When do I need to wear one ?
• GLOBAL SPREAD : How many worldwide cases are there ?
• LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
Airlines have criticised the use of quarantine measures at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to a collapse in passenger demand .
On Friday , Virgin Atlantic announced plans to axe another 1,150 jobs after completing a £1.2bn rescue deal , months after making 3,150 redundancies as a result of the collapse in demand caused by the pandemic .
On-site testing facilities had already been set up at London 's Heathrow Airport , chief executive John Holland-Kaye said last week .
`` It is frustrating that the government just has not made a decision to get on with this , when governments in other countries in Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he added .
France and Germany are using testing at airports for passengers arriving from countries with a higher infection rate .
And , on Friday , former Brexit Secretary David Davis said testing at UK airports - with passengers given results within two hours - could cut quarantine to `` less than five days '' .
`` If anybody is positive , they should be quarantined right there , '' he said , arguing the government could pay to house them in under-used airport hotels .
However , the prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England modelling suggesting only 7 % of cases would be picked up .
While he understood `` the difficulties '' the airline industry was facing , Mr Johnson said `` 93 % of the time you could have a real false sense of security , a false sense of confidence when you arrive and take a test '' .
`` The quarantine system that we have has got to be an important part of our repertoire , of our toolbox , in fighting Covid , '' he added .
• THE NAKED SCIENTISTS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • `` WE 'RE ALL STRONGER THAN WE THINK '' : What are the positives of 2020 ?

So you cannot just test at the airport and think someone is clear. They would still have to quarantine and then the idea discussed is that they would be tested after maybe seven or 10 days.


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Brexit: Negotiator David Frost says UK not scared of walking away

The UK 's chief Brexit negotiator has said the government is not `` scared '' of walking away from talks without a trade deal ready to come into force in 2021 .
David Frost told the Mail on Sunday the UK would leave the transition arrangement - which sees it follow many EU rules - `` come what may '' in December .
In contrast , he said Theresa May 's team had `` blinked and had its bluff called '' .
EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said he is `` worried and disappointed '' about a lack of concessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after informal talks between the pair failed to find a breakthrough .
An eighth round of formal negotiations begins on Tuesday .
• What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks ?
• Why Brexit is still a big issue Both sides want a deal agreed next month in order to have it signed off by politicians on both sides of the Channel by the end of the transition period on 31 December .
Differences remain on issues such as fishing and the level of taxpayer support the UK will be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as state aid rules .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the week ahead was `` a wake up call for the EU '' adding `` the EU 's best moment to strike a deal is now . ''
Speaking to the BBC 's Andrew Marr programme , he said the questions of fishing and state aid were `` the only two points holding us back '' .
• Why is fishing important in Brexit trade talks ?
On fishing , he accused the EU of wanting to keep UK access to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also said providing state aid is `` an absolute critical element of policy making '' which UK political representatives should have control over .
The EU has said it wants full access for its boats to fish in UK waters in return for giving the UK fishing industry full access to EU markets .
On state aid , the EU has expressed concern that it could give business in the UK an unfair advantage over their European competitors and Mr Barnier has previously said the EU will require `` robust '' guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree a deal .
Lord Frost told the newspaper : `` A lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously . ''
The UK left the European Union in February but until the end of December it is in a transition period , where very little has actually changed .
The time left to negotiate a long-term arrangement between London and Brussels is tight , and the language from Lord Frost is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a client state , '' he says .
`` We are not going to accept provisions that lock us into the way the EU do things . ''
While this is his first interview since the UK left the EU , officials in Brussels are familiar with his arguments .
One described the remarks as `` unsurprising muscle-flexing '' .
Sources there say what they ca n't accept is the UK having the freedom to undercut businesses on the continent in their own single market .
The time for compromise is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wo n't happen , but there 's no guarantee it will .
In the interview , Lord Frost said wanting control over the country 's money and affairs `` should not be controversial '' .
`` That 's what being an independent country is about , that 's what the British people voted for and that 's what will happen at the end of the year , '' he said .
`` I do n't think that we are scared of this at all .
We want to get back the powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most important thing . ''
The government was `` fully ready '' to trade with the EU without a formal deal , he said .
In practice , this would mean taxes on exports and customs checks .
It 's a scenario which road hauliers say would cause `` severe '' disruption to supply chains , with border management systems not yet up and running to make sure consignments are cleared to proceed to the EU .
Last week , the Road Haulage Association said the UK was `` sleepwalking into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme , Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of being `` very reckless '' and said failing to reach a deal with the EU would be `` a disaster for people 's jobs , business and livelihoods up and down the country '' .
`` I am really struck by how businesses are becoming more alarmed by how the government is undertaking these negotiations . ''
Gavin Barwell , chief of staff under Theresa May , hit back at Lord Frost 's suggestion that the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during EU negotiations tweeting : `` Given the withdrawal agreement and political declaration David Frost negotiated last autumn were 95 % the work of his predecessors - and the 5 % that was new involved giving in to the EU 's key demand ( for some customs processes when goods move GB to NI ) - that quote 's some brass neck . ''

And Gavin Barwell, chief of staff under Theresa May, hit back at Lord Frost's suggestion that the former prime minister's team "blinked" during EU negotiations tweeting: "Given the withdrawal agreement and political declaration David Frost negotiated last autumn were 95% the work of his predecessors - and the 5% that was new involved giving in to the EU's key demand (for some customs processes when goods move GB to NI) - that quote's some brass neck."


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Children and obesity: 'Spend time on sport rather than weighing kids'

Cyclist Elinor Barker has said time spent weighing children at school after lockdown would be better used helping them find a sport they love .
The Olympic gold medallist from Cardiff said she had seen athletes starve and dehydrate themselves the day before being weighed for competitions .
Her comments came after the National Obesity Forum 's Tam Fry suggested checking children 's weight this month .
He said weighing already happens and it would help pick up obesity early .
Ms Barker , 25 , first outlined her views on Twitter after Mr Fry and other health experts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again in the spring , to keep kids on track .
She posted : `` I 've seen a lot of educated , professional athletes basically starve themselves , completely dehydrate themselves the day before they 've got a body comp in which we all get weighed . ''
Body composition analysis is a way of examining what the body is formed of ; by differentiating between fat , protein , minerals , and water a snapshot of health can be seen .
`` I just do n't think that shame is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , speaking later to the BBC .
`` I really think that time could be used to find sports that kids enjoy .
`` Because you need to enjoy it and build it into a healthy lifestyle , you need to find something that you love .
`` And I think a lot of kids do n't enjoy PE because there 's a lot of hand-eye co-ordination involved , a lot of competition involved in football , netball , rugby - the kind of sports you see during school . ''
• Call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Welsh NHS She said young people who did not enjoy these sports could learn about ones they might , including less-accessible sports such as `` canoeing or badminton or rock climbing '' .
`` Or any of the hundreds of sports that there are that you can get involved in , '' said Ms Barker .
Sport , she added , needed to be `` a lifestyle '' as `` diets do n't work '' .
She said there had not been a set of scales in her childhood home .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing '' , reason can go `` out of the window '' , she added .
`` Not having a number to track and not knowing even what I should weigh or what I had previously weighed , or anything like that , I think was super helpful in trying to just keep a healthy mindset I think , '' she said .
• Lockdown and weight gain – should you worry ?
Mr Fry denied his suggestion of checking on school children 's weight after the pandemic in any way amounted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children should be measured `` routinely '' in school to identify excess weight gain before it became a problem .
`` Measuring height and weight should always be privately carried out in the school medical room and recorded or charted by the school nurse , doctor , etc , '' he said .
`` The data should then inform medical intervention and the family .
He said child measurement programmes had been conducted in schools since 2005 , adding they were a `` vital resource '' in knowing the health of UK children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no idea '' how the pandemic has affected children 's weight , he said .
`` My call to get children measured when they return to school would go towards rectifying that . ''
Mr Fry said he was `` absolutely sure '' obesity rates would rise because of lockdown .
`` One thousand under-fours were treated for obesity in hospital last year because their weight gain was not picked up , and 25 % of primary school entrants are overweight or obese , '' he said .

"Not having a number to track and not knowing even what I should weigh or what I had previously weighed, or anything like that, I think was super helpful in trying to just keep a healthy mindset I think," she said.


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Bexleyheath stabbing: Five injured, five arrested

Five men have been injured , one seriously , in a stabbing attack in south-east London .
The group were @ @ @ @ @ to The Broadway , Bexley , at 21:33 BST on Saturday .
One had suffered @ @ @ @ @ Metropolitan Police said .
Five suspects were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm @ @ @ @ @ Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them .

Five suspects were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, the force said. Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Coronavirus doctor's diary: The 'moonshine weddings' breaking Bradford's lockdown

People are gathering in Bradford in ways that violate the local lockdown , for example by holding weddings in gardens and restaurants .
Last month some even appear to have been held courtesy of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme .
And the task of enforcing the lockdown just got tougher , argues Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary .
The lifting of restrictions on social gatherings in some areas of Bradford but not others has led to relief for some residents and resentment from others .
The restrictions forbid people from different households from meeting in homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pubs or restaurants , but it does n't take much shoe-leather detective work on a sunny weekend to realise how little notice people are paying .
Gardens blossom with boisterous gatherings , pubs and restaurants ooze chatter and cheer .
Everywhere young people mingle with careless abandon .
The hospital has transformed from the busiest place in the city during the peak of the pandemic to become the quietest .
It was always going to be difficult to enforce these local restrictions , but the lifting of restrictions in nine of the 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job much harder .
How can you maintain adherence when on one side of the street you can have wild parties ( no more than 30 people , of course ) while on the opposite side of the street residents are told to live in isolated lockdown ?
We have created a disparity that will sow confusion and scepticism and undermine our efforts to build a united front against Covid-19 .
23 March The city goes into lockdown with the rest of the UK 1 June Non-essential shops reopen and some children return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hairdressers reopen , and groups of up to 30 people are legally allowed to meet , as in rest of England 31 July New restrictions introduced - people from different households may not visit each other 's homes or socialise in pubs or restaurants 2 September The new restrictions are lifted in nine of Bradford 's 30 wards Weddings are just one of many forms of gathering that have been taking place .
They 've been planned for months if not years , everything 's been paid for , and the young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that brings two or more households together - as weddings inevitably do - is a violation of the rules in the areas where the local lockdown remains in force .
When Nadeem 's son married on 7 August , the bride 's family arranged for a marquee to be erected in their garden .
The original plan had been for a huge wedding in a costly venue - the deposit alone had cost £1,000 - but the guest list had to be scaled down to 30 or 40 family members .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second lockdown came , and a further delay was a bitter pill to swallow .
`` It 's hard for the youngsters , they just want to get on with their lives , '' Nadeem says .
My colleague , consultant anaesthetist Fozia Hayat , has witnessed gatherings like this one first hand .
`` We had a huge wedding taking place in the houses behind us , with a marquee in the garden and fireworks , music and many , many guests , '' she says .
`` I 'm also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secret weddings , so I know it 's happening .
It 's a really difficult area , as weddings and funerals are a really important part of our culture .
I understand them wanting to go ahead .
These celebrations are a big part of life .
But it goes against the regulations , because you have people mixing , and it 's also putting older members of the community at risk . ''
Prof John Wright , a doctor and epidemiologist , is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa .
He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio .
• Listen to the next episode of The NHS Front Line on BBC Sounds or the BBC World Service • Or read the previous online diary entry : The fake news about schools that 's misleading parents Bradford West MP Naz Shah says she has spoken with the city council and the police about ways to prevent these illegal wedding gatherings .
`` It 's not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are being used for weddings .
So people are bypassing the regulations and going into the restaurant , but their family are all there - all of them dining in , '' she says .
`` If anyone came they 'd say , 'We were all here by coincidence , it 's not a planned reception . '
But everyone knows what 's going on .
I 've been to restaurants and seen the upstairs area being used for receptions . ''
She fears that there were cases last month when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We have the government Eat Out To Help Out promotion going on .
I 've heard that some of these wedding receptions are being held in restaurants covered by the scheme , which certainly will be helping out the families but it 's not meant to be happening at all . ''
Before the pandemic , hundreds of guests would often be invited to Asian weddings , and the fate of the venues that host these huge occasions also worries Naz Shah , who has written to the Chancellor seeking support to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lockdown .
Summer would normally have been peak season for weddings , explains Ameer Hamza of the HQ Banqueting Suite , which typically hosts weddings for 500 to 1,000 guests but has n't had one since 8 March .
He 's written to the city council explaining that it would be easy to hold a socially distanced wedding for a large group of people in his banqueting hall , if it was filled only to 30 % or 40 % of capacity .
The closure of such venues , he argues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` What they 've done here is - like in America in the 1920s during Prohibition , when no alcohol was allowed - they 've started a moonshine culture .
They 've started moonshine weddings , because what you 're getting is people who have no other option . ''
He points out that in Asian culture , and particularly Muslim culture , cohabitation before marriage is frowned upon ; couples can not start their lives together without weddings , so they will inevitably go ahead , one way or another .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called out to a number of weddings , as well as to other gatherings that breach the Covid regulations across the social spectrum , including illegal raves , student house parties and football-related gatherings .
`` People need to avoid unlicensed events and large gatherings to stop the spread of the virus , '' a spokesman said .
The number of people with positive tests in Bradford remains stubbornly high , though they are mostly young people with mild or asymptomatic infection .
The national NHS Test and Trace is slowly improving and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community insight and coverage .
The clear and consistent messages on social distancing , masks and hand washing seem to be working well for the most part , so we will have to keep our faith in the science of these core public health measures and their effectiveness in containing the virus - while striving to limit social gatherings such as weddings and parties , which have the potential to be super-spreading events .
One thing we can not help is the change of season .
Outdoor spaces seem reassuringly safe in preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the autumn weather creeps up on us and our social gatherings move indoors , the risk of spread will rise .

The number of people with positive tests in Bradford remains stubbornly high, though they are mostly young people with mild or asymptomatic infection. The national NHS Test and Trace is slowly improving and new local systems are providing much needed community insight and coverage. The clear and consistent messages on social distancing, masks and hand washing seem to be working well for the most part, so we will have to keep our faith in the science of these core public health measures and their effectiveness in containing the virus - while striving to limit social gatherings such as weddings and parties, which have the potential to be super-spreading events.


bbcuk--2020-09-05--Romanian tourists swamp village loved by Prince Charles

It is arguably the most popular village in Transylvania .
Not only is it a Unesco World Heritage site but the Prince of Wales has owned a traditional farmhouse here since 2006 .
The prince fell for the area 's historic beauty more than two decades ago .
For years he has helped develop schemes to preserve heritage architecture and what his local foundation describes as a `` way of life unchanged for hundreds of years '' .
It is a scorching Saturday at the tail end of summer , and a steady stream of cars is filing into Viscri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dust as traffic begins to clog up the unsurfaced village roads .
Ursula Radu-Fernolend , 35 , is a Saxon ( descendant of settlers from present-day Germany ) whose ancestors have lived in Viscri for centuries .
She 's also a board member for the Mihai Eminescu Trust ( MET ) , which for 20 years has played a key role in preserving the village 's architecture .
Training and education is offered , in what the prince has referred to as `` an extraordinary part of the world '' .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by `` man 's management and relationship with nature '' .
`` We have 70 chickens and ducks , but there are too many cars on the road now to let them out to eat the grass , '' villager Cristian Somu complains .
'Every year it gets harder' '' It 's much more crowded than last time we were here two years ago , '' says Cosmin Cherees , a 37-year-old engineer from Targu Mures , who is cycling around the village with his family .
`` We need to find a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before heading out to put up election posters to help her husband 's mayoral campaign .
`` If the authenticity goes then we are just a museum , and we really do n't want to become that . ''

The prince fell for the area's historic beauty more than two decades ago. For years he has helped develop schemes to preserve heritage architecture and what his local foundation describes as a "way of life unchanged for hundreds of years".


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Cold case mystery: Only clue to man's identity is a ring inscription

As cold cases come , this is freezing - a 41-year-old unsolved mystery .
A middle-aged man washed onto an Isles of Scilly beach had been dead in the water for months .
The only real clue to his identity was a ring bearing the inscription : `` Georgio And Katrina 1956 '' .
Now a team of experts , including a Welsh university criminologist , hope to focus their efforts on discovering who the individual was , where he was from and why he died .
It is one of the very first 'Unidentified Found Remains ' cases being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Locate Centre for Missing People Investigations .
The partnership brings together police , academics and students with the aim of helping families find their loved ones .
Experts from the University of South Wales ( USW ) and the University of Central Lancashire have joined forces with Devon and Cornwall Police , and are already working on several live missing people cases .
But this unsolved case is one of the toughest it faces .
`` The mystery of the man found on the beach on the Scilly Isles has stumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Dr Cheryl Allsop , who is a senior lecturer in criminology and and criminal justice at USW .
`` But we 're hoping that modern ways of communication , including through social media , might bring renewed hope that the conundrum could now be solved . ''
What do they know ?
The body of the man was discovered on 21 February 1979 .
It was towards the end of the 'Winter of Discontent ' and a few months before Margaret Thatcher would be elected the UK 's first woman prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minick beach , and had been in the sea for an estimated four months .
Aged between 40 and 60 , he was white , with dark brown , greying hair , and was 5ft 4in tall ( 1.63m ) , and wearing a two-tone blue and white short-sleeved shirt with a woollen Eltex vest underneath .
The only other information is the ring he wore with the inscription on the ring finger of his right hand - thought to be a wedding band .
But where did he come from , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the relevance of 1956 ?
• How related family DNA cracked murder case for the first time • What happens when someone goes missing ?
• The week in a life of a real murder detective The Scilly Isles lie about 25 miles ( 40km ) off the Cornish coast , and on the fringes of large bodies of water - the Irish Sea , the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel .
The Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary with its massive tidal ranges is only about 100 miles away .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man ended on that particular beach at that particular time , '' said Dr Allsop .
`` But to find out these reasons and to put them together so we can solve the mystery , we need people to come forward with even the smallest bits of information that could help us complete the jigsaw by opening up whole new lines of enquiry . ''

"But to find out these reasons and to put them together so we can solve the mystery, we need people to come forward with even the smallest bits of information that could help us complete the jigsaw by opening up whole new lines of enquiry."


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Birmingham stabbings: One dead, several injured in city centre

Police are hunting a single suspect after a series of stabbings in Birmingham city centre early on Sunday .
One @ @ @ @ @ people were injured - two of them seriously .
Speaking to reporters , Chief Superintendent @ @ @ @ @ unfolded .

Police are hunting a single suspect after a series of stabbings in Birmingham city centre early on Sunday.
One man died, and several people were injured - two of them seriously.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Superintendent Steve Graham described how events unfolded.


bbcuk--2020-09-06--The Papers: A 'no-blink' Brexit and MPs defend free speech

`` PM wants EU to get real '' is the Sunday Express 's front-page headline , as the UK and European Union gear up for the latest round of Brexit trade talks in London on Tuesday .
In the latest salvo from No 10 , Boris Johnson is set to `` starve the bloc '' of access to cheap money on the financial markets in the event of no deal , the paper says .
Its political editor , David Maddox , says the `` arrogant '' EU needs to alter its negotiating strategy if it wants an agreement because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no deal '' , with UK trade agreements `` beckoning around the world '' .
The EU , meanwhile , wants to `` keep the status quo - to have their fishcake and eat it '' , is the message from the UK 's chief Brexit negotiator , Lord Frost , in the Mail on Sunday .
The paper says his remarks show that he will not be `` browbeaten '' and that the UK will not just be `` chivvied back into line '' in trade talks by his EU counterpart Michel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader column describes Downing Street 's approach to the negotiations as `` highly irresponsible '' .
The paper highlights the fact that on one key sticking point - state aid - all the UK has offered is a `` vague briefing '' about big subsidies for technology companies .
It admits that while no system is perfect , the UK 's privately owned papers competing against each other encourages `` diversity of opinion '' .
The Sunday Express says the demonstrations were `` nothing short of an affront to democracy '' .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that organisers of anti-lockdown demonstrations are fined £10,000 , but Extinction Rebellion protestors `` get away with their unlawful actions '' .
`` Planet-polluting morons '' is how they 're described by Tony Parsons in the Sun on Sunday .
He says their actions were `` moronically destructive '' , given the edition of the paper whose distribution they blocked carried an interview with the environmentalist Sir David Attenborough .
The Sunday Times reports that anyone involved in similar demonstrations in the future will be treated as a `` saboteur of democracy '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
The paper says new subversion powers will protect printing presses , parliament and the courts from being accessed by protestors as they are deemed `` key pillars of democracy '' .
In its leader column , the paper says it looks forward to seeing Home Secretary Priti Patel press police forces `` to take a more robust line '' on the group 's disruptive activities .
However , the same source says the plans could `` further antagonise '' the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and his brother , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to have spoken for three months .
The paper says `` marquee shows '' , such as Bodyguard , would be in an elite , more expensive package .
Programmes including Eastenders and Blue Peter would form part of a so-called `` basic BBC '' .
However , the paper 's leader column urges Mr Davie to `` proceed carefully '' , suggesting viewers would be outraged if they had to fork out even more to watch `` popular favourites '' like Match of the Day and Strictly Come Dancing .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' is a headline in the Sunday Telegraph after official notes taken at meetings between the UK and the US were leaked to the paper .
In 2017 , while he was foreign secretary , Boris Johnson is quoted as saying Mr Trump was doing `` fantastic stuff '' in dealing with China , and was `` making America great again '' .


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Scotland's papers: ER blockade and council leader 'flout of order'

The Sunday Times leads with the fallout from a blockade of newspaper printworks by climate change protestors .
The paper @ @ @ @ @ of the plants , which included Eurocentral in North Lanarkshire , saying ministers `` spoke @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of the action that prevented the delivery of 1.5 million papers .
@ @ @ @ @ saying : `` A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful @ @ @ @ @

Image caption,
The Sunday Times leads with the fallout from a blockade of newspaper printworks by climate change protestors. The paper follows up Saturday's blockade of the plants, which included Eurocentral in North Lanarkshire, saying ministers "spoke up for press freedom" in the wake of the action that prevented the delivery of 1.5 million papers. It quotes the prime minister saying: "A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account."


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Coronavirus: Belfast venue closed after regulation breach

A licensed premises in Belfast has closed after receiving a PSNI prohibition notice on Saturday night .
In a tweet , Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the venue was shut down for breaching Covid-19 regulations .
Mr Byrne and the Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride joined PSNI officers on routine patrol and licensing checks of bars and restaurants in Belfast city centre .
He said the vast majority were complying with the regulations .
A prohibition notice requires a place to stop what enforcement officers consider to be unsafe activity - in this case , breaches of the Health Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The notice means the venue must close and remain shut until police are satisfied it can reopen safely .
Police have previously issued prohibition notices to licensed premises in Banbridge , Irvinestown , Roslea , Tempo , Coleraine , Bangor and Moy .
Health Minister Robin Swann has said he wants to prioritise stronger legislation to deal with the issue .
Meanwhile , daily Covid-19 testing figures released on Saturday showed a significant number of new cases on both sides of the Irish border .
In Northern Ireland , the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported in the past 24 hours .
Its weekend figures are not full statistics and it do not provide details of coronavirus-related deaths .
In the Republic of Ireland , 231 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed .
• Four Covid-linked deaths registered in NI last week More than half ( 58 % ) of the new infections recorded in the Republic were in Dublin , with 133 positive tests in the county .
Ireland 's Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn described that as a `` significant number '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Dublin keep their social contacts as low as possible '' .
On Saturday evening , Taoiseach ( Irish prime minister ) Micheál Martin urged people to `` heed the words '' of Mr Glynn .
Irish health authorities have opened two `` pop-up Covid-19 swabbing centres '' at Croke Park and at Castleknock Health Centre in response to the increase in the infection rate in the capital .
County Kildare , which recently emerged from a local lockdown , had the second highest number of new cases on Saturday with 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Limerick which has 13 new cases .
Overall , more than two thirds ( 69 % ) of the new cases recorded by the Irish Health Protection Surveillance Centre are people under 45 years of age .
No new coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Saturday so the Republic 's death toll remains at 1,777 .
In Northern Ireland , the Department of Health 's death toll stands at 564 .
However , the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency ( Nisra ) , which produces more comprehensive figures , said on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death certificates by 28 August .
Since the pandemic began , 250,425 individuals have been tested for Covid-19 across Northern Ireland .
Of those , 7,621 people have tested positive for the virus , meaning that about 3 % of the individuals tested have returned a positive result .

"The robust processes put in place in response to the pandemic have ensured this has been contained, and the Prison Service will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone in our prisons during these challenging times," the statement said.


bbcuk--2020-09-06--Coronavirus: 'We need to talk about misleading anti-vax claims'


bbcuk--2020-09-06--'It’s inspirational to see people of my skin colour in magazines’

A woman from south London has launched a children 's magazine for boys to tackle under-representation of black children in @ @ @ @ @ launched Cocoa Boy to celebrate black culture , having began another magazine , Cocoa Girl @ @ @ @ @ She told the BBC she wanted to provide `` an opportunity for other children to @ @ @ @ @ what they want to achieve '' .

A woman from south London has launched a children's magazine for boys to tackle under-representation of black children in the media.
Serlina Boyd launched Cocoa Boy to celebrate black culture, having began another magazine, Cocoa Girl, earlier this year.
She told the BBC she wanted to provide "an opportunity for other children to see that they can achieve what they want to achieve".


bbcuk--2020-09-07--Manchester Arena Inquiry: Hearings begin into terror attack

The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terror attack `` will leave no stone unturned '' , the lead counsel says .
Proceedings are now under way at Manchester Magistrates ' Court , less than a mile from where the bombing happened on 22 May 2017 .
The hearing began with Paul Greaney QC , counsel to the inquiry , reading the names of the 22 people who died .
`` What happened that night was the most devastating terrorist attack in the UK for many years , '' he said .
`` The inquiry will leave no stone unturned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the inquiry Sir John Saunders , a retired High Court judge , stood with heads bowed for a minute 's silence before Mr Greaney 's opening .
Sir John then formally opened the inquiry , adding `` this is an exercise in establishing the truth '' .
`` If I conclude things went wrong then I shall say so , but we are not looking for scapegoats .
We are searching for the truth , '' he said .
`` The explosion killed 22 people , including children , the youngest was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blew himself up in the explosion but he intended as many people as possible would die with him . ''
Sir John added that some evidence must be heard in secret to prevent similar terrorist attacks .
• What is the Manchester Arena inquiry ?
The hearing comes more than three years after Salman Abedi set off a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert , killing himself and 22 others .
Following a trial , a jury found Hashem Abedi guilty of helping his older sibling to plan the atrocity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was jailed for at least 55 years on 20 August for the 22 murders .
In his opening statement , Mr Greaney told the inquiry `` experts consider that on 22 May there were missed opportunities to identify Salman Abedi as a threat and take mitigating action '' .
While there is evidence that suspicions were raised by members of the public in the minutes before the attack , `` no steward or British Transport Police ( BTP ) officer appear to have identified him as suspicious '' , the inquiry heard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drysdale , spotted Salman Abedi wearing a large backpack and thought he was praying , less than an hour before he detonated his bomb .
A second witness with Mr Drysdale then approached a BTP officer but the officer can not recall the conversation , the hearing was told .
Two more witnesses , known only as A and B , also saw a man matching Salman Abedi 's description acting suspiciously .
Mr A spoke to a Mohammed Agha , an employee of Showsec , the firm which provided security to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners , SMG .
Mr A spoke to Mr Agha at 22.14 , some 17 minutes before the detonation .
Mr Agha then spoke to a colleague , Kyle Lawler , about the matter , eight minutes before the bomb went off .
But neither security control , nor anyone else , was informed about the suspicious activity , the hearing was told .
Mr Greaney said whether there were `` missed opportunities '' to prevent the attack or reduce its deadly impact would be a key consideration for the public inquiry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard about risk assessments at the arena .
`` There was no effective risk assessments that considered the threats from terrorism at Manchester Arena in early 2017 , despite the severe threat level , '' he said .
The chairman will make a report and recommendations once all the evidence has been heard by the inquiry , which is expected to take up to six months .
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You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline @ bbc.co.uk

But neither security control nor anyone else was informed about the suspicious activity, the hearing was told, although Mr Lawler said in a statement he tried to contact control but could not get through.


bbcuk--2020-09-07--Brexit: Ministers plan laws overriding part of withdrawal deal

Ministers are planning new legislation that could override a key part of last year 's EU withdrawal agreement .
The move could change the nature of new Northern Ireland customs arrangements intended to prevent a return to checks at the border with the Irish Republic .
Downing Street said it was a standby plan in case EU-UK trade talks fail .
Meanwhile , Boris Johnson said that , if a trade deal is not reached by 15 October , both sides should `` move on '' , which would still be a `` good outcome '' .
• Why Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Fears for Brexit deal as talks near deadline • What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks ?
Although the UK formally left the EU in January , it has continued to follow rules set in Brussels during a transition period - which ends on 31 December - while discussions over a long-term trade agreement continue .
Another round of talks - the eighth - begins on Tuesday , aimed at securing a deal to allow companies to trade without taxes or customs checks .
But Mr Johnson is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time for the European Council meeting on 15 October if it is to be in force by 1 January .
`` If we ca n't agree by then , then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us , and we should both accept that and move on , '' he will say .
Michel Barnier , the EU 's lead negotiator , has often insisted that both sides respecting and implementing their divorce deal was a key trust issue , fundamental to the success of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation seriously undermines the withdrawal agreement , you can expect a strong reaction from European capitals .
Ireland 's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney already tweeted it would be a very unwise way for the UK to proceed .
An EU diplomat called it a `` self-defeating strategy '' , saying the planned legislation could lead to the unravelling of trade talks .
Much will depend on the detail of the bill , which has yet to be disclosed .
But this , in addition to the prime minister 's statement that failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a good option for the UK , will serve to further sour the atmosphere during the eighth round of negotiations .
The UK has said it wants a deal with the EU which resembles Canada 's , which gets rid of most , but not all , tariffs on goods traded .
But Mr Johnson will say no deal means having a `` trading arrangement with the EU like Australia 's '' , using terms set by the World Trade Organisation .
In practice , this would mean taxes on exports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good outcome for the UK , '' the prime minister will say .
During trade talks , the UK and EU have been at loggerheads over two issues in particular - the future of fisheries and state aid , the money given by governments to help companies .
The EU says the UK is trying to give itself an unfair advantage by applying different rules on state aid , but the UK insists it should have control over this as a sovereign country .
Michel Barnier , the EU 's chief negotiator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The British would like the best of both worlds - export their products to the European market on their terms . ''
Meanwhile , the government will publish its Internal Market Bill - designed to protect trade arrangements between the four parts of the UK - on Wednesday .
This could contradict the Northern Ireland Protocol , set up to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic , which many fear could be detrimental to peace .
The protocol says Northern Ireland will follow some EU customs rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Northern Ireland to Great Britain , as well as some new checks on goods going from Great Britain into Northern Ireland - after the transition period .
The Financial Times said the bill would `` eliminate '' the legal force of the Withdrawal Agreement , struck less than a year ago between the UK and EU , in areas including state aid and Northern Ireland customs .
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason described the proposed bill as an `` electrifying development in the Brexit process '' .
European Commission President Ursula von @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK government `` to implement the Withdrawal Agreement , an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership '' .
She added that the Northern Ireland Protocol was `` essential to protect peace and stability on the island and integrity of the single market '' .
What does Brexit mean for the Northern Ireland border ?
The Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal , known as the protocol , was agreed in October last year .
It is designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland - or even any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It does this by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU 's single market for goods .
This will mean products entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK will be subject to new checks and controls - the so-called Irish Sea border .
However the precise nature of these checks needs to be agreed by the EU and UK and this is being negotiated in parallel with the trade talks between the two .
The government says it 's still committed to the protocol but it could make its own decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not reach agreement with the EU .
Labour 's Jonathan Ashworth told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme : `` Boris Johnson told us he had an oven-ready deal .
And he fought a general election telling us he had an oven-ready deal .
[ This ] now suggests that he was misleading people in that general election .
`` And Parliament supported the Withdrawal Agreement earlier on this year .
He has made promises and signed a treaty around these arrangements for Northern Ireland , and he now seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill tweeted that any threat of backtracking on the protocol would be a `` treacherous betrayal which would inflict irreversible harm on the all-Ireland economy and the Good Friday Agreement '' .
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the move would `` significantly increase '' the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit , and the `` resulting damage to the economy will be entirely Tory-inflicted .
What charlatans '' .
Government sources told the BBC the legislation was `` not intended to derail the talks '' , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach talks with the EU in good faith .
`` As a responsible government , we are considering fallback options in the event this is not achieved , to ensure the communities of Northern Ireland are protected , '' she said .

"If we can't agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on," he will say.