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A Labour MP has slammed bus services in her constituency as "unreliable" and "inaccessible".

Cramlington and Killingworth's Emma Foody surveyed hundreds of constituents which found broad dissatisfaction with services in the area.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Foody said the government's upcoming Bus Services Bill needed to put passengers "back in the driving seat".

Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, said the bill would devolve more powers locally to improve transport options.

"The villages and towns across my Cramlington and Killingworth constituency rely heavily on our bus services," Foody said.

"Despite this, my Big Bus Survey that I've been running recently shows that local people too often have found buses to be unreliable, inaccessible and they don't take them to the places they need to go."

'Affordable and reliable'

Powell replied the Bus Service Bill will give local areas the power to have "affordable and reliable bus services".

The bill will give local authorities control over routes, timetables, connections and fares, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It will also lift the ban on councils establishing their own bus companies and ensure that lifeline bus services cannot be removed or changed without councils reviewing their ability to serve communities.

"I have seen what happens with local areas like mine in Manchester having those powers," Powell said.

"It has massively increased the number of people using bus services and has brought in extra funding from doing so."

The Conservative Party has previously called on the government to explain how local authorities would fund the proposals.

Pope Francis was a "real game-changer" when it came to the Catholic Church's treatment of gay people, a London LGBT+ faith group has said.

Martin Pendergast, the secretary of the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council, said the pontiff had turned away from "really quite offensive" statements made by his predecessors on issues of sexuality and gender identity.

While Pope Francis maintained the Vatican's position that homosexual acts were sinful, he said gay people should not be marginalised from the Church, adding: "Who am I to judge?"

The LGBT+ Catholics Westminster group met the Pope at the Vatican in 2019, which Mr Pendergast said caused controversy.

"More conservative Catholics were up in arms because they saw this as the Pope affirming an LGBT group such as we were and are," he said.

He described the meeting as a "very significant step" in improving the Church's relations with the LGBT+ community.

"It was a personal affirmation, but it was also an affirmation of the kind of ministry that we offer here in the Diocese of Westminster, which is a welcoming ministry for LGBT Catholics, parents and families," Mr Pendergast said.

He said another change to tradition took place in 2023 when Pope Francis permitted the blessing of same-sex couples. The pontiff said at the time that any request for a blessing should be treated with "pastoral charity".

During Francis's papacy, some priests who were openly gay were removed from their posts but the Vatican changed this policy in 2023, allowing gay men to enter the priesthood as long as they remained celibate.

The Pope also issued an apology in May last year following reports that he had used extremely derogatory language towards gay men in a private meeting.

Francis, the first Pope from South America, is also being remembered by other Catholic communities across London.

Fr Carlos Abajos, chaplain to the Latin American community at St Anne's Church in Vauxhall, said it was an "amazing surprise" to them when the Argentine was elected Pope in 2013.

"We thought that was the opportunity for our Latin American community because we were very well-represented," he said.

Fr Abajos said Pope Francis adopted a "Latin American style" in his approach to the papacy.

"He was so near to the people, so spontaneous."

A driver has been rescued from a canal by firefighters using an inflatable raft after a heavy goods vehicle plunged into the water.

Emergency services were called to the Trent and Mersey Canal on Booth Lane in Middlewich at 07:00 BST, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

They used the raft to rescue the trapped driver, who was not thought to be seriously hurt, from the cab of the half-submerged lorry, the service said.

Efforts are now underway to remove the vehicle from the canal.

Booth Lane has been closed and drivers have been asked to avoid the area, a fire service spokesman said.

A tourist body has welcomed the seasonal return of an open-top bus, describing it as one of the cheapest attractions in a Norfolk seaside town.

First Eastern Counties now has six Coastal Clipper Cabriolets running from Hemsby to the Pleasure Beach.

While several towns offer sightseeing tourist buses, the Coastal Clipper Cabriolet service has a £1.50 fare and can even be accessed for free with certain bus passes.

Asa Morrison, chief executive of Visit Great Yarmouth, said: "The Coastal Clipper Cabriolet post was one of the most-liked Facebook posts we had this year and had a number of comments from people looking forward to going on it in 2025."

Michael Wilson, visiting from Sheffield, said: "It's value for me. You see everything from one side to the other. It's very good for them to be regular."

Gill Pawson, from Norwich, said: "We don't have to pay at all because we've got our bus passes. It's fabulous and such nice weather today. We've picked the right day for a beach walk."

Shelley Wilson, on holiday from Essex, said: "It's a really cheap day out, especially when you have got a lot of kids. Can't really get better than an open-top bus. Loving life!"

First Bus spokesperson Claire Quinton-Tulloch said: "It's such a lovely traditional British holiday experience riding an open top bus. It's just a lovely thing for this place and these tourists.

"I think it's so incredibly popular and well loved here, with the large [holiday] parks to the north of the town and the length of the seafront, just lends itself well to having a service like this.

"Because there's so many visitors, it's an incredibly busy tourist place in the summer months, but there's a lot of people needing to move around the town."

'A little gem'

Asa Morrison, the chief executive of Visit Great Yarmouth, said when he highlighted on social media that the service was starting for the season, it was the most engaged post so far this year.

"It's a little gem, it's part of the holiday experience, and I think because we are in Norfolk, we don't have anything blocking the view, and it's a pretty good view from the top of that bus.

"The fact that the route follows the holiday parks creates a brilliant service for local people – but it wouldn't be there if it weren't for the huge number of visitors we get."

While Norwich, Cambridge and Southend have tourist sightseeing buses that run on special fares and allow passengers to hop on and hop off at attractions, only Great Yarmouth and Clacton have regular services in the East, accessible via capped fares and bus passes.

Ipswich Buses withdrew its open-top bus, which used to operate from Woodbridge to Felixstowe via Ipswich, in 2019.

Keith Wakefield, head of staffing at the Great Yarmouth Bus Depot, said: "They [Tourists] are on holiday, they want to enjoy the ride rather than just sit and read the paper and talking on their phones.

"It does help because of the £3 capped fare from the government, because then the people are getting the cheap [fare] and thrill of the ride."

Some of the largest animals to ever take to the air actually spent much of their time on the ground, a new study claims.

Researchers at the University of Leicester have been examining the tracks left by a type of pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus, which had a wingspan of up to 10m (32ft).

They believe the quantity and widespread location of their footprints show the creatures began to spend more time on the ground about 160 million years ago and continued to do so until they died out with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

The team said the tracks offered an insight into the behaviour of these animals which cannot be gleaned from studying the fossilised bones alone.

Pterosaurs were a group of flying reptiles which existed at the same time as the dinosaurs, but were evolutionarily distinct from them.

By using 3D modelling, detailed analysis and comparisons with pterosaur skeletons, the team said they have matched some tracks with Quetzalcoatlus and others with two separate groups of pterosaurs.

Robert Smyth, a doctoral researcher in the Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution, said: "Footprints offer a unique opportunity to study pterosaurs in their natural environment.

"They reveal not only where these creatures lived and how they moved, but also offer clues about their behaviour and daily activities in ecosystems that have long since vanished."

He said footprints of Quetzalcoatlus have been found in both coastal and inland areas around the world, supporting the idea these long-legged creatures not only dominated the skies but were also frequent ground dwellers.

Another group of pterosaurs, ctenochasmatoids, which are known for their long jaws and needle-like teeth, mostly left tracks in coastal deposits, indicating they waded along muddy shores or in shallow lagoons, using their specialised feeding strategies to catch small fish or floating prey.

Fossilised tracks were also matched to a third group, dsungaripterids, which had powerful limbs and jaws, with toothless, curved beak tips.

These were designed for prising out prey, while large, rounded teeth at the back of their jaws were perfect for crushing shellfish and other tough food items.

Mr Smyth added: "Tracks are often overlooked when studying pterosaurs, but they provide a wealth of information about how these creatures moved, behaved, and interacted with their environments.

"By closely examining footprints, we can now discover things about their biology and ecology that we can't learn anywhere else."

Almost a quarter of police vehicles are more than 10 years old, with an increasing number stuck in repair shops, a report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) has found.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has a fleet of 2,700 vehicles which clock up 27 million miles a year.

It told the NIAO there are significant pressures in providing vehicles for frontline services, whilst it also "recognises the potential safety risks associated with an older fleet".

Between 2021 and 2024, the cost of repairs and maintenance completed at inhouse workshops was almost £11m.

The proportion of the fleet in workshops on any given day has risen from 6% to 16%.

The NIAO said "at its most extreme", almost 500 vehicles were off the road at a given time.

Four years ago, the PSNI launched a strategy setting out plans for the modernisation of its fleet, with the ambition for the average age of vehicles to be five years.

But this has not been achievable, with most vehicles exceeding the target.

Almost £26m has been spent on purchasing new vehicles since 2021.

PSNI fleet management 'critical'

Commenting on the report, Northern Ireland's Comptroller and Auditor General Dorinnia Carville said effective fleet management is "critical" for the PSNI.

She added: "Achieving the planned fleet replenishment rates within the current financial environment will be challenging, however, managing an ageing fleet is also costly, with potentially significant operational impacts.

"This report finds that progress has been made in a number of areas but that there is much more to be achieved, particularly in relation to the introduction of electric vehicles."

The PSNI had planned to have about 700 electric vehicles by next year.

As of last October it had 179.

Electric vehicles are said to be unsuitable for many roles within the PSNI, including an inability to carry the weight of armouring.

Assistant Chief Officer Mark McNaughten of the PSNI said the nature of its "current budgetary situation remains profoundly challenging".

He said the PSNI is committed to improving its fleet, "however, years of underfunding have impacted our ability to deliver on the outcomes set in the fleet strategy".

"The Police Service warned back in January 2023 that lack of funding for the organisation would lead to a reduced operational fleet, with damaged or broken vehicles waiting longer for repair," he added.

"This prediction is borne out in the report.

"We will work closely with our partners in the Department of Justice and NI Policing Board in responding to the report recommendations."

Hundreds of people gathered to watch a celebrity football match that raised money for dementia prevention, treatment and care.

Reality TV star Calum Best and This City Is Ours actor James Nelson-Joyce were among those who played at Southampton's St Mary's stadium on Thursday.

The team captained by actor and presenter Joe Swash won the match 9 – 5 in front of about 700 fans.

All proceeds from the event have gone towards the charity Alzheimer's Research UK.

Charlie Quirke took part in the charity game and said: "It's an absolute privilege to be involved in such an important cause."

The actor, best known for playing Travis Stubbs in the ITV sitcom Birds of a Feather, and son of actress Pauline Quirke, added: "Alzheimer's affects so many families across the country, and when you have the opportunity to use your platform to make a real difference, you simply have to take it.

"The fact we can do this at the iconic St Mary's Stadium makes it even more special."

Drivers have been warned to beware of a network of rising bollards in Leicester city centre after six vehicles were hit in the space of a fortnight.

Leicester City Council has replaced existing bollards and installed new ones in 18 locations surrounding the pedestrian zone in the city centre over the last few months.

Since they were reactivated two weeks ago, six vehicles have collided with the bollards, five of which were damaged.

A council spokesman says CCTV has shown all the vehicles hit had tailgated others and issued a reminder for motorists to follow the rules when passing through the rising barriers.

In the latest incidents, two vehicles collided with the rising bollards in High Street in quick succession on Thursday morning.

The first, a silver Mitsubishi SUV was left with a blown out tyre, while the second, an Audi A6, appeared to be more seriously damaged, with debris and electrical wires left on the road after the impact.

One eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, said: "The bollards are really sturdy, like they're an anti-terrorist measure.

"They've not been working for a long time and a lot of people don't know what to do when they drive up to them.

"If people drive up to them when a car is already going through, they don't realise they need to stop."

A Leicester City Council spokesperson pointed out there were red signs at the bollards warning drivers not to tailgate others.

He said: "There have been six incidents of vehicles colliding with the new automatic bollards since they came into operation two weeks ago, resulting in damage to five of the vehicles.

"In each case, CCTV evidence shows that the driver was tailgating, and that the warning light was on red.

"We are content that the new system is working as intended. Signage is in place warning drivers to be careful and avoid tailgating at each of the sites, along with stop and go lights and audio warnings.

"Around 800 to 900 vehicles will enter the city centre pedestrian zone through the new automatic bollards on a typical weekday."

However, extra yellow temporary signs warning motorists not to tailgate were put in place at the bollards in High Street on Friday afternoon.

The council has issued the following directions and guidance for all motorists in relation to the rising bollards:

• Only residents, businesses and drivers making deliveries are allowed to pass through and need to use a PIN code to gain entry outside allowable hours.
• The allowable hours are 05:00 to 11:00, except on Saturdays when the hours are reduced to between 05:00 and 09:00.
• One-time use PIN codes can be issued to those with legitimate reasons for accessing the zone outside of the allowable hours.
• The automatic bollards rise immediately after a vehicle has entered the pedestrian zone to prevent tailgating and warning signs and red lights are in place to alert drivers of the risk.
• The bollards will only allow one vehicle through at a time.
• After entering the code to retract the bollard, every driver should wait for the green light and must not chance it by tailgating the previous vehicle.

A fire has spread across the back gardens of three homes on the Isle of Wight, destroying an aviary and several garden sheds.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service said the fire in Elm Grove, Cowes, began on Friday at about 21:30 BST.

Crews from three stations – Newport, Cowes and Ryde – were sent and the fire was put out shortly before 23:00.

The fire service said officers had found the cause of the blaze was believed to be an electrical fault.

The parents of nearly 4,000 Oxfordshire children have pledged to deny them a smartphone until at least the end of Year Nine.

It is part of the "parent pact" launched by campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood.

The group warns that mobiles "can cause a whole host of problems, from triggering anxiety and eating disorders, to opening the door to cyberbullying or sexual predators".

It comes alongside calls to ban mobiles in all Oxford schools, though studies are mixed on whether that would make a difference to grades and behaviour.

The idea behind the pledge is to have enough parents withholding phones that their children are not left out as only one in their classes without a device.

So far, students at 270 schools in the county have been signed up, with Europa School UK in Culham garnering 204 pledges.

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The group's spin-off campaign Smartphone Free Schools said that a ban on devices during learning hours would "boost learning, protect mental health, improve behaviour, create safer spaces [and] protect childhood."

Will Orr-Ewing, who runs the Oxfordshire branch of the campaign and works in education, said that having mobiles in lessons was extremely distracting.

"The average child in the UK receives 237 notifications per day. If you scale that to a class of 30 kids, that's a phone pinging every few seconds," he said.

"It's now known that smartphones are heavily implicated in the catastrophic decline in young people's mental health over the past decade.

"If young people can access inappropriate content and apps during the school day then, unintentionally though it may be, schools are neglecting the welfare of their students."

Meanwhile, schools across Oxfordshire are introducing policies to restrict phone access.

Students at Aureus School in Didcot have to stow their phones in a lockable pouch every day before they enter the school.

Reflecting on the change it has made, head teacher Kirsty Rogers said: "It's incredible. The lack of disruption to lessons now is huge."

The school's previous policy was to confiscate phones when they were spotted in lessons, but Mrs Rogers said teachers were wary of doing this "through fear of what was going to happen".

"Students are absolutely addicted to these phones, and so you don't know how they're going to react to you when you say you need to confiscate them," she said.

The lockable pouches were unpopular when they were first introduced, but many students have now said they have got used to them.

"People used to get sad and angry because of something on their phone," one student said. "But now their presence of mind is in school and they can study better."

"When I'm studying, I feel more comfortable leaving it out of my reach and focusing on my education more," another added.

Studies are divided on whether prohibiting phones in schools helps studying, however.

Research by the Policy Exchange found that children at schools with an effective ban achieved GCSE results one to two grades higher than those at other schools.

But a University of Birmingham study found such bans were not linked to better grades, mental wellbeing, sleep or classroom behaviour.

Importantly, though, they noted that spending longer on smartphones and social media in general was linked with worse results for all of those measures.

The conclusion of lead author Dr Victoria Goodyear was "those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts".

"We need to do more than just ban phones in schools," she said.

'Everyone is on side'

Currently, there is no legislation enforcing a phones in school policy. It is down to individual head teachers what they do.

But for Oxford City councillor Jo Sandelson, that is not enough.

She has put forward a motion to the council calling for it to support an outright ban on smartphones in all Oxford schools for under-16s.

Though the council has no powers to enforce such a ban, she said "key messages coming out from the city would really show everyone is on side".

"Everyone is saying the same thing. These children are better off without the distraction of smartphones at schools," she said.

"What Eric Smit, the ex-boss of Google, says is why would we run such a large, uncontrolled experiment on the most important people in the world? Which is the next generation."

In March, the government said it believed head teachers already had the power to ban phones in schools, with its official guidance saying "schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones" during lesson time.