To British firearms officers, it could be a tempting recruitment offer from police in Australia: ‘We’ve got your backs, mate.’

The authorities Down Under yesterday stepped up their pitch to hire UK officers – pledging they wouldn’t drag them through years of hell if they shot someone.

The message will not be lost amid the current furore over a Met policeman charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, who was shot in south London last year.

Western Australia is pursuing an audacious bid to ‘steal’ hundreds of police officers by luring them from Britain to work in the sunshine.

It can be revealed that more than 1,400 applied to make the move after the huge recruitment drive was launched in February promoting the area’s wine regions, coral reefs and culinary scene.

Are you a UK police officer who has moved to Australia? Please email your story, with photos, to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk 

Police officers Anna Miller and Ben Woods (pictured) both left the UK and moved to Australia to start a new life 

Western Australia is pursuing an audacious bid to ‘steal’ hundreds of police officers like Mr Woods and Ms Miller (seen while working in Britain) by luring them to work in the sunshine

Ms Miller moved to Perth with her family seven weeks ago. She’s seen with her husband Andrew and their three children, Isabelle, seven, Tom, six and Emma, three

And as the first cohort of 23 Brits was sworn in this week – in a ceremony under ‘magnificent clear blue skies’ – the message from Aussie police chiefs was clear: ‘We protect our officers.’

Western Australia’s minister for police Paul Papalia told the Mail: ‘It’s very topical because yesterday we had a fatal shooting by police in Kalgoorlie. 

‘Without speaking in advance of the full investigation, I can tell you that our police officers behaved incredibly well. I’ve seen the body-worn camera footage. 

‘They acted entirely in accordance with their protocols, responsibly and properly. Sadly, they’ve had to shoot someone for their own protection. They did it absolutely correctly.’

Mr Papalia said that within an hour of the fatal shooting – of a 58-year-old man who had charged at officers with a gun – the commissioner of police and a local senator had publicly backed the officers.

Anna Miller, a 38-year-old recruited from West Yorkshire Police, said moving to Australia had made her feel ‘supported and appreciated’.

Speaking from Perth, Western Australia, where she moved with her family seven weeks ago, she told the Mail: ‘The biggest thing we like here is the appreciation for the police. I did not feel at all appreciated in the UK. In Australia, the community support their cops and they trust them.

‘The feeling among myself and colleagues [in the UK] was that officers weren’t backed… it feels a little bit, as police officers, they will happily throw you under a bus to present a [more positive] picture to the public. 

‘Don’t get me wrong, I had some fantastic supervisors, but I think policing as a whole, I don’t think they feel supported.’

Ms Miller worked at West Yorkshire Police for 15 years. She moved to Australia with her husband Andrew and their children Isabelle, seven, Tom, six, and Emma, three, for ‘an adventure’, saying: ‘It gives us the outdoor active lifestyle we wanted. 

‘It’s fantastic. There is so much to do on your doorstep – we went kayaking and saw seals, there is snorkelling, fantastic cycle paths and the Australian people are so chilled, friendly and have an enthusiasm for life.’

Ben Woods, a 33-year-old sergeant from Sussex Police, added: ‘My colleagues were naturally sad to see me go, but are now sick of my social media – “can you stop posting beautiful beaches, and posting views with koalas”.’

He said: ‘[Perth] is one of the cleanest, tidiest cities I’ve ever been to. The sunrises and sunsets are just phenomenal. The crime rates are clearly lower, there’s no graffiti, no gangs of kids – it feels like a nice safe place to be.’

The pair were sworn in as constables of the Western Australia Police Force on Monday, giving their allegiance to King Charles III, in a ceremony with an aboriginal theme. 

Mr Woods said: ‘An aboriginal lady came in and read scripture welcoming us, giving us strength and good spirits.’ 

Mr Woods, a 33-year-old sergeant from Sussex Police, added: ‘My colleagues were naturally sad to see me go, but are now sick of my social media’

He said: ‘[Perth] is one of the cleanest, tidiest cities I’ve ever been to. The sunrises and sunsets are just phenomenal’

Peppermint leaves were lit to create aromatic smoke, and Ms Miller said: ‘The smoke and the ceremony was around wishing us well, good luck and keeping us safe. It was lovely.’

All police officers in Western Australia are armed, meaning most UK recruits will need firearms training. 

Ms Miller said: ‘I don’t have a strong feeling. It’s just a piece of kit that officers have. I’ll learn how to use it.’

The police minster told the Mail: ‘We protect our officers. They’ve all got tasers, Glocks [pistols] and body armour.’

Mr Papalia said: ‘I’m intent on stealing your best people. Unashamedly. You guys have been taking our best for decades, it’s a rite of passage for Australians to go to the UK.

‘We’re aiming for 150 police officers this month, and 150 every year thereafter for five years. They come from a variety of forces. I’ve met all of them. They’re a good crowd. 

‘They all love policing and had their expectations met when doing swearing in – the skies in Perth were magnificent clear blue skies. Everything they had hoped for.

‘Western Australia is a great place to live and work. Compared to the UK, we have higher wages, a lower cost of living and the perfect climate for year-round adventure.

‘The response has been extremely positive, meaning WA Police can handpick the best of the best.’

In a nod to the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ scheme introduced after the Second World War, Western Australia’s shameless ambition is to grab 31,000 British workers, with police joining doctors, nurses and construction workers. 

Mr Woods posing for the camera during a visit to an animal park 

They can ‘have it all’, with energy bills almost half in Australia, allowing the savings to be spent on 183 pints of beer, 110 roast dinners or 500 jars of Marmite, boasted Mr Papalia.

The British Medical Association revealed before Christmas that a third of junior doctors are planning to leave the UK – with the majority choosing Australia or New Zealand.

The NHS is battling shortfalls of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives.

An Australian delegation arrived in the UK on February 25 and held jobs fairs in London, Edinburgh and Bristol. 

The scheme also targeted those in other professions hit by labour shortages including miners, plumbers, mechanics and builders.

Almost 25,000 applications to get documents needed to secure a job overseas were made to UK healthcare regulators in 2022. The vast majority represent NHS workers. 

The toll, uncovered by a MailOnline investigation, dwarfs the 10,000 figure seen before Covid struck. 

Senior leaders in the health service warned ‘the exodus is only just beginning’ and said the stats should ‘stun ministers into action’. 

This chart shows the number of UK registered doctors who have requested documents for a job application overseas over the past five years. Interest peaked in 2022, but 2023 is also on track to be a bumper year

Interest in making a move overseas for nurses and midwives exploded last financial year,  with over 16,000 applications

Disgruntled NHS medics say the pandemic has shone a light on how poorly they are valued in the UK, a factor that helped launched a wave of strike action across the UK to boost their pay. 

Australia has also launched a wave of ‘cheeky’ tactics touting the merits of a move Down Under, such as deploying mobile billboards to NHS strike picket lines to recruit disenfranchised medics. 

Yet some medics who’ve made the move Down Under have complained that it’s not exactly the dream some are selling.  

British health staff wanting to apply for a job overseas need to get documents from their UK regulator as part of the application.

These prove to their potential employers they don’t have any marks on their record, their training is up to date, and they can be trusted with patients. 

Figures obtained by MailOnline reveal nearly 7,000 doctors applied for documents to support an application to work abroad from the British medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), in 2022.

This was up from 6,100 in 2019. 

Separate figures for 2023, which only go up until May, suggest this year will see an even bigger exodus, with almost 3,500 applying for their documents so far. 

For nurses and midwives, the figures are even starker. 

While Australia topped the list for both destinations other countries like the US and the United Arab Emirates are also of interest for UK medics looking for greener pastures 

Interest in life Down Under has peaked for nurses and midwives in the most recent financial year, with some 4,000 applications made 

Nearly 16,000 similar applications were made in 2022/23 — compared to just under 5,500 in 2018, according to the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). 

Pristine beaches and sunny weather appear to have convinced many to seek a job in Australia.

Australia topped the charts for total applications in both professional groups. 

Nearly 9,000 doctors have applied to work Down Under in the last five years. A third of these were made in 2022/23.

And Australian efforts to lure medics Down Under appear to be paying off. 

Data from the Australian Medical Council, the Aussie equivalent of the GMC, show almost 1,000 British medics signed up in 2021/22, the latest data available, up 16 per cent on the year before, and the biggest number of any nation. 

This is equivalent to roughly half the UK medics who applied to work Down Under getting a job there. 

For nurses and midwives, 11,000 applications were made to Australia since 2017/18.

But the number has accelerated in recent years, with 4,000 making an application in the last financial year alone. 

Are you a UK police officer who has moved to Australia? Please email your story, with photos, to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk 

By Maria Okanrende For Mailonline

Published: 02:41 EDT, 22 September 2023 | Updated: 03:14 EDT, 22 September 2023

For many pet parents, their cats and dogs have grown to become like family – to the point they couldn’t imagine going a day without them.

From birthdays, weddings and even family holidays, the special memories would be incomplete without them. 

And now animal news blog Wacko Jacko has compiled hilarious images from around the world of pets photobombing some pretty magical family moments.

It seems many of the animals wanted in on the action, and were prepared to go through any lengths to get it.

In one photo, a cheeky hound photobombs a romantic proposal, and even appears to mimic its owner’s pose as it goes down on bended knee.

Cat’s got your camera! A sweet little kitten lovingly gazes into the camera, stealing all focus away from the human posers behind it

Stolen the show! It appears two dogs, in the US, have chosen Christmas family photo time to get a little frisky

The great escape! What are the odds a photo would capture the magnificent moment a cat leapt into the air – mid conversation?

In another hilarious image, it appears two dogs have chosen Christmas family photo time to get a little frisky.

Perhaps the most adorable photo of all captures a sweet little kitten as it lovingly gazes into the camera, stealing all focus away from the human posers behind it.

Here, FEMAIL reveals some of the most hilarious – and downright cutest – images that show pets photobombing their owners’ photos.

P-awww! Posted to US forum Reddit, this dog’s owner revealed the hound actually begged his girlfriend to say ‘yes’

Cheeky in more ways than one! A US-based social media user has branded this the ‘best photobomb of all time!’

Photofail! This is the exact moment a dog stole the show when it decided to sneak up behind a baby during a photograph

Sourpuss! It’s quite clear what this feline thinks about its owner’s romantic photography session

Vogue! Somewhere in the world a modelesque X user seems to have inspired a passing kitten to try out a little modelling of its own

Congratulations! One pet couldn’t have made his thoughts on his owners’ nuptials more clear in this hilarious snap, taken in an unknown location 

It seems this cutester wanted in on the action, and was prepared to go through any lengths to get it

Consultants have taken to picket lines today in their ongoing row with the Government over pay.

The senior medics walked out of hospitals across England at 7am this morning as part of a 48-hour strike and are providing a stripped-back ‘Christmas Day’ level of service — meaning routine appointments and operations are set to be significantly disrupted. 

Junior doctors will then stage a joint strike with consultants tomorrow — for the first time in the health service’s 75 year history — marking an escalation in the dispute.

Striking medics claim their salary has been slashed over the last 15 years but officials say their have already made their final pay offer and patients are at risk. 

Here, MailOnline details all you need to know about the action and how it could affect you.  

The senior medics walked out of hospitals at 7am this morning as part of a 48-hour strike and are providing a stripped-back ‘ Christmas Day’ level of service — meaning routine appointments and operations are set to be significantly disrupted. Pictured: Consultants pictured on September 19 outside University Hospital Bristol and Weston

Junior doctors will then stage a joint strike with the senior medics tomorrow — for the first time in the health service’s 75 year history — marking an escalation in the dispute. Pictured: Consultants pictured on September 19 outside University Hospital Bristol and Weston

Who is striking this week and when?

Consultants and junior doctors in England are taking industrial action this week, coordinated by the British Medical Association (BMA).

Senior doctors will walk out from 7am today to 7am on Thursday.

This includes 24 hours of joint action with junior doctors from 7am on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday.

The junior medics will take to picket lines from 7am on Wednesday to 7am on Saturday.

What services will be hit? 

Many routine hospital appointments and treatments, including cancer care, have been postponed as a result of both junior doctor and consultant strikes.

Some hospitals have had to halve their normal levels of activity on strike days. 

However, patients have been urged to still attend their appointment if they have not been told it is cancelled — as some doctors are still working.

There will be ‘Christmas Day’ cover throughout hospitals on Tuesday and Wednesday, with emergency units staffed and a basic level of cover on wards. 

On Thursday and Friday — during the junior doctor strike — there will be a ‘full strike’ meaning consultants will be used to provide cover in hospitals.

GP services and pharmacies are expected to operate normally during the strikes, though some junior doctors work at GP surgeries, so some practices may be affected from Wednesday.  

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said: ‘The NHS has simply never seen this kind of industrial action in its history. It poses an enormous challenge.’ 

Professor Powis urged the public to use NHS ‘wisely’ to ensure care is delivered to those who need it most.

He said to only call 999 or attend A&E for life-threatening emergencies and otherwise contact NHS 111 for non-urgent needs.

Why are they striking?

The BMA argues that junior doctors and consultants have seen their pay be eroded over the last 15 years, meaning it hasn’t kept up with inflation.

As a result, the medics’ pay has fallen by around 35 per cent, the union claims.

Junior doctors have called for a full 35 per cent pay uplift, while consultants set their pay demand at 11 per cent. 

For comparison, the Government has offered junior doctors a pay rise between 8.1 and 10.3 per cent, depending on what level they are at.

The average junior doctor in their first year of training will see their salary rise from £29,300 to £32,300, while a medic with three years’ experience will get a boost from £40,200 to £43,900. 

Meanwhile, pay for consultants will increase by six per cent. It means starting basic pay has increased from £88,300 to £93,600. The average consultants’ earnings are expected to be £134,000 a year, after including overtime and on-call payouts. 

Why are health leaders more worried about these strikes? 

NHS bosses have long warned that strikes mean disruption for patients, with nearly 1million appointments and operations cancelled over nine months of walkouts.

For this round of action, health chiefs are warning that increasing numbers of patients who have already had their operation cancelled due to industrial action are having their rescheduled appointments cancelled again.

This includes a growing numbers of cancer patients. 

NHS Confederation warned that the BMA is now putting ‘more patients at risk than ever’ and describe the situation as ‘dangerous’.

What impact will the strikes have on patients?

Hospitals are reporting that some patients have now had their appointments cancelled up to three times because of strike action.

Health leaders say there is a ‘clear risk’ that the health of some patients will deteriorate the longer they are left to wait. 

While NHS bosses report that around 1million apportionments have been rescheduled because of strikes, the true toll is thought to be much higher. 

This is because hospitals are now routinely not booking in patients for strike days, meaning the true scale of the impact won’t be reflected in the official data.

Is there any end in sight for the NHS strikes? 

The Health Secretary Steve Barclay and the BMA, which is coordinating the consultant and junior doctor strikes, have not met in more than three months.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that they pay offer the Government has granted is fair and final.

But BMA leaders have said they will only call off action if presented with a higher pay uplift and ‘cannot cancel strikes to simply enter talks’.

This suggests that there is no end in sight, with the union warning that without an agreement, strikes will continue into winter. 

Senior NHS doctors have demanded an 11 per cent pay rise as they take to picket lines for the third time this year.

Junior doctors will then stage a joint walkout with the senior medics tomorrow and continue their own action until 7am on Saturday.

While sick Brits have been told to use emergency care as normal, health chiefs have warned patients face ‘the highest level of risk in living memory’.

But Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) consultants’ committee, which is coordinating the action, this morning claimed a ‘save level of service’ would be provided.

Consultants walked out of hospitals at 7am this morning as part of a 48-hour strike and are providing a ‘ Christmas Day’ level of service – meaning routine appointments and operations set to be significantly disrupted. Pictured, consultant members of the BMA on the picket line outside University College London hospital in August

The BMA also said it had written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay outlining the ‘key asks’ needed to end the pay dispute.

In the letter sent to Mr Sunak yesterday, Dr Sharma said the BMA has always been clear that ‘strikes could be avoided if the Government was to present us with a credible offer that we could put to our members.’

He added: ‘We are willing to negotiate with Government at any stage, but for strike action to be stood down we need to be able to present our members with an offer and cannot cancel strikes simply to enter talks.’ 

The BMA says consultants pay has been cut in real-terms since 2008 and is calling for pay restoration and reform of the pay review body that advises ministers on salary increases.

It claims their income has increased by 14 per cent over this period. 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, he also said: ‘This has happened because the NHS staff across across the whole sector are really demoralised, they’re really burnt out and they’ve been forced into taking strike action.’

He said consultants wanted an above-inflation pay award for this year, which in April was running about 11 per cent.

‘That’s a very similar amount to what was offered to doctors in Scotland and it shows it’s absolutely possible to actually do that, if there’s the right political will,’ he added.

Last month, BMA members in Scotland accepted the SNP Government’s offer of a 14.5 per cent pay increase for junior doctors and doctors in training over two years. 

Consultants in England have already  staged four days of strike action, while junior doctors have taken to the picket lines on 19 separate days. 

But last week NHS bosses blamed medic strikes for heaping extra pressure onto already struggling hospitals — with 400,000 appointments rescheduled this summer due to walkouts. 

Some 885,154 appointments have been postponed since NHS industrial action — which has involved staff including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics — kicked-off in December.

If all community and mental health figures are included, the total rises to more than 940,000 — though this will not reflect the overall number of actual cancellations, due to some duplication of data.

NHS leaders also said the real impact of strikes is masked by the data, as many hospitals have stopped booking in surgeries and other appointments on announced strike days. 

Fresh NHS data last week also showed around 7.68million patients in England — or one in seven people — were in the queue in July for procedures such hip and knee replacements. 

The toll marks the highest figures logged since NHS records began in August 2007.

For comparison, around 4.4million were stuck in the system when the pandemic reached the UK. 

But this morning Dr Sharma said the growing NHS waiting lists ‘have not been caused by the strikes’ and ‘were going up well before the pandemic’.

England’s backlog, for procedures like hip and knee replacements, now stands at 7.6million, official figures revealed last week. It means roughly one in seven people across the country are currently stuck in the system awaiting care. More than 380,000 patients have gone a year without being treated, often in agony

He said this had led to ‘huge pressure on the whole NHS workforce’, adding that ‘the consultant workforce is absolutely burnt out’ and struggling to recruit.

The NHS Confederation however, which represents all NHS organisations, said increasing numbers of patients, including cancer patients, are seeing their appointments rescheduled more than once due to strikes.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the organisation, said: ‘This is likely to be the biggest walkout the NHS has ever seen, will cause serious disruption, and put patients at the highest level of risk in living memory.

‘Leaders are concerned that this dangerous situation is being underestimated by the Government, telling us that this feels much different and more complex than previous strikes.’

Many are reporting ‘greater difficulties in rota planning and having to cancel huge numbers of elective operations and appointments in advance’, he added. 

‘This is much worse than before as we’re now seeing patients who have already had an operation cancelled due to industrial action be hit again with a cancellation to their rescheduled appointment,’ he said.

‘Leaders have also told us that this time round a higher number of operations and appointments for cancer patients are being cancelled, meaning that some of the very sickest patients may be suffering the most.’

In July consultants and junior doctors were given a six per cent pay rise under No. 10’s pay offer.

At the time, Rishi Sunak said the deal, announced in July for 2023/24, was the Government’s ‘final offer’. 

Nurses, paramedics and other NHS staff received a five per cent rise and ‘NHS backlog bonus’.

The BMA however immediately rejected the rise, vowing to crack on with strike action. 

The action today also comes as the Government this week outlined plans to extend strike laws to ensure more healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, in hospitals provide a minimum level of cover.

The regulations, which could come into force next year, would mean doctors and nurses would have to provide a certain level of cover after being issued with a ‘work notice’ by employers on what is needed to maintain ‘necessary and safe levels of service’.

In July, the new strike law was granted Royal Assent, allowing ministers to impose minimum levels of service during industrial action by ambulance staff, firefighters, railway workers and those in other sectors deemed essential. 

Currently life-and-limb cover has to be provided in hospitals during strike action, but the extent of that is negotiated locally. 

Steve Barclay told Sky News this morning: ‘What we’re announcing today is how we protect time-critical hospital services, so things like chemotherapy, things like dialysis, because we recognise the right to strike is important, but we’ve got to balance that with also the right of patients to key treatments.’

He claimed France and Italy already had such measures in place.

Consultants in England have already staged four days of strike action, while junior doctors have taken to the picket lines on 19 separate days. Last week NHS bosses blamed medic strikes for heaping extra pressure onto already struggling hospitals — with 400,000 appointments rescheduled this summer due to walkouts. But this morning Dr Sharma said the growing NHS waiting lists ‘have not been caused by the strikes’ and ‘were going up well before the pandemic’. Pictured BMA consultant members on the picket line outside Leeds General Infirmary in July 

The action today also comes as the Government this week outlined plans to extend strike laws to ensure more healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, in hospitals provide a minimum level of cover. Steve Barclay told Sky News this morning: ‘What we’re announcing today is how we protect time-critical hospital services, so things like chemotherapy, things like dialysis, because we recognise the right to strike is important, but we’ve got to balance that with also the right of patients to key treatments’

But Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the Government’s proposed minimum service levels risk ‘worsening industrial relations at a time when we need Government and unions to get around the table and enter into talks to avert further escalation and disruption to patient care.’

She said: ‘Strike action in the NHS over the past ten months has undoubtedly been disruptive for patients and staff.

‘This legislation – as well as the consultation announced today- doesn’t address any of the issues underlying current strike action, including dissatisfaction with pay and working conditions.

‘With unprecedented joint action by consultants and junior doctors just days away, we need government and unions to sit down and talk urgently.’

Last week however, Mr Barclay said there would be no more talks about pay with the BMA, claiming, ‘we made a fair and final settlement in terms of pay’. 

Yesterday, NHS national medical director professor Sir Stephen Powis said: ‘The NHS has simply never seen this kind of industrial action in its history. 

‘This week’s first ever joint action means almost all planned care will come to a stop, and hundreds of thousands of appointments will be postponed, which is incredibly difficult for patients and their families, and poses an enormous challenge for colleagues across the NHS.’  

Emergency care – through A&E departments and 999 – is still available but patients have been told to contact NHS 111 or their local pharmacy for minor health worries. 

Hospital patients who have an appointment and ‘who haven’t been contacted should attend as normal’, Sir Stephen added. 

EastEnders have confirmed that Brian Conley is leaving the soap after three years.

The actor, 62, has played Thomas ‘Rocky’ Cotton since May 2021 but is now moving on to new projects. 

The BBC told in a statement on Wednesday that they supported his decision and denied claims of a feud and that he had demanded to be written out of the show.

Brian also took to his Instagram grid to confirm the news and further refuted claims there had been disagreements.

The Sun had claimed on Tuesday night that BBC bosses were ‘furious’ he was leaving as they had planned important storylines around his character.

Moving on to new projects: EastEnders have confirmed that Brian Conley is leaving the soap after three years

Role: The actor, 62, has played Thomas ‘Rocky’ Cotton since May 2021 but is now moving on to new projects

EastEnders said in a statement: ‘We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders. 

‘There is absolutely no truth in any claims of a feud with bosses and the show fully support Brian in his decision to leave which was made some time ago. 

‘We wish him the best of luck for the future as we continue to work towards his exit storyline which has been in the works for some time.’ 

Meanwhile Brian said in a social media video: ‘Hi it’s me Brian, AKA Rocky from EastEnders. I am just sending out this message to all the fans. You may have heard reports that I am leaving.

‘It was a tough decision but it is true that I am going, I made it for many reasons that decision. It was tough as they are such a wonderful crowd in front and behind the cameras and I have loved my three years there.

‘That is the truth. There are reports that I clashed and that I was ranting, but I’m not ranting. I have gone with their blessings the Beeb and I am excited about the future and where it’s going to go and I am excited about Rocky’s exit because it’s good!

‘So I am sending you much love to all EastEnders fans and enough said!’ 

It comes after in June Brian revealed he could be facing the chop in this year’s Christmas cliff-hanger.

The actor told host Steph McGovern Steph’s Packed Lunch that the BBC1 soap is planning to film a number of different endings for this year’s Christmas Day episode to keep viewers guessing.

Having their say: The BBC told in a statement on Wednesday that they supported his decision and denied claims of a feud and that he had demanded to be written out of the show

Words: Brian also took to his Instagram grid to confirm the news and further refuted claims there had been disagreements

Unexpected: EastEnders said in a statement: ‘We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders’

He said: ‘In February we had a lovely episode where if flashed forward to Christmas, and someone’s dead in The Vic and Letitia is there in a wedding dress and she’s covered in blood.

‘So everyone’s going, ‘O my God, who’s dead?’, as well as all the actors in the show, and all you saw was it’s a male, or is it, I don’t know.

‘You just saw the cufflinks and I think everyone has been looking out for those cufflinks for a while now.’

Asked by Steph if the cast knew who the victim was Brain replied: ‘None of us have got a clue. 

‘I believe leading up to Christmas, there might be ten of us laying there so that it will be a big surprise to us as well.

Disruption: The Sun had claimed on Tuesday night that BBC bosses were ‘furious’ he was leaving as they had planned important storylines around his character

Happy: Brian was seen posing and smiling with the cast at the NTAs just last week ahead of his announced exit

Mystery: It comes after in June revealed he could be facing the chop in this year’s Christmas cliff-hanger 

‘We’re all going to maybe film a moment where we’re all laying on the floor and then right up until the last minute they can reveal on Christmas Day who it is.’

Asked if he was worried about potentially being killed off, Brian said: ‘You’re in an ongoing drama so you know people do pass away and you do live on tenterhooks, especially if you’re enjoying it, and we all are, they’re a lovely bunch, everyone there.

‘I’m very happy to be there and I just think what we’re doing now and the fact that it’s the number one soap is very exciting.’

Conley has been the host of The Brian Conley Show, as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. 

By Sam Tonkin

Published: 07:26 EDT, 11 September 2023 | Updated: 07:59 EDT, 11 September 2023

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, the scientist who led the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, has died aged 79.

Described as a ‘a titan of the scientific world’, the researcher’s death comes five years after he revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease — the condition Dolly offered hope of finding a cure for.

She was the first mammal ever to be cloned from an adult cell.

When Sir Ian unveiled the sheep in 1997 it paved the way for potential stem-cell treatments to tackle conditions such as Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease which affects more than 150,000 people in the UK. 

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Professor Sir Ian Wilmut. 

‘A titan of the scientific world’: Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, the scientist who led the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, has died aged 79. He is pictured with Dolly in 1997

DOLLY’S OWN CLONES 

Dolly the sheep died prematurely at the age of six 20 years ago. 

However, four more sheep were derived from the same batch of cells as Dolly and considered her clone ‘sisters’ when they were born in 2007.

Known as the ‘Nottingham Dollies’ they were Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy.  

They became part of an experiment to study the long-term health effects of cloning.

The sheep lived until the age of 10 – around 70 years old in human years – but researchers revealed in 2017 that they would be put down.

The reason, they said, was because there was no ‘scientific merit’ in keeping them alive and 10 years of age was very old for a sheep.

‘He was a titan of the scientific world, leading the Roslin Institute team who cloned Dolly the sheep – the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell – which transformed scientific thinking at the time. 

‘This breakthrough continues to fuel many of the advances that have been made in the field of regenerative medicine that we see today.

‘Our thoughts are with Ian’s family at this time.’

In 2018, in an interview with the BBC, Sir Ian said he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s just before Christmas of the previous year.

He added: ‘There was a sense of clarity, well at least now we know and we can start doing things about it. As well as obviously the disappointment that it will possibly shorten my life slightly, and more particularly it will alter the quality of life.’

Parkinson’s causes a range of symptoms, including muscle stiffness, slow movements, loss of smell and involuntary shaking.

There are treatments available that can help, but nothing can be done to slow down or stop the degenerative disease’s progression.   

Speaking on the eve of Dolly’s 20th anniversary in 2016, Sir Ian said widespread use of stem cell treatments for conditions like Parkinson’s was still likely to be ‘decades away’.

He admitted that in the early days, scientists including himself had been carried away by the prospect of revolutionary stem cell therapies.

Dolly, who was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, on July 5 1996, made history by being the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

Sir Ian said he had never hidden the fact that Dolly’s creation was largely a stroke of luck.

Parkinson’s causes a range of symptoms, including muscle stiffness, slow movements, loss of smell and involuntary shaking 

She was the only surviving lamb from 277 cloning attempts and was created from an udder cell taken from a six-year-old Finn Dorset sheep.

The pioneering technique the Roslin team used involved transferring the nucleus of an adult cell into an unfertilised egg cell whose own nucleus had been removed.

An electric shock stimulated the hybrid cell to begin dividing and generate an embryo which was then implanted into the womb of a surrogate mother. The result was a newborn animal that was a genetic copy of the original cell donor.

Dolly died on February 14 2003. She had suffered from arthritis and a virus-induced lung disease, and is thought to have aged prematurely due to being cloned from a sheep that was already six years old.

Despite sensational speculation about human cloning at the time of her birth, Dolly’s most important legacy was a massive boost to stem cell research.

The same cell reprogramming technique used to create Dolly was adopted by other scientists to generate ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPS cells) from adult human skin cells.

HOW WAS DOLLY THE SHEEP CREATED?

Dolly was the only surviving lamb from 277 cloning attempts and was created from a mammary cell taken from a six-year-old Finn Dorset sheep.

She was created in 1996 at a laboratory in Edinburgh using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). 

The pioneering technique involved transferring the nucleus of an adult cell into an unfertilised egg cell whose own nucleus had been removed.

Dolly the sheep made history 20 years ago after being cloned at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh. Pictured is Dolly in 2002

An electric shock stimulated the hybrid cell to begin dividing and generate an embryo, which was then implanted into the womb of a surrogate mother.

Dolly was the first successfully produced clone from a cell taken from an adult mammal.

Dolly’s creation showed that genes in the nucleus of a mature cell are still able to revert back to an embryonic totipotent state – meaning the cell can divide to produce all of the difference cells in an animal. 

A Belgian cyclist who went viral after he was filmed kneeing a little girl and knocking her to the ground as he rode past her has won his court case against her father for posting the footage online.

A court will determine in April next year how much compensation he is entitled to after he successfully argued he was defamed. He previously demanded €4,500 – roughly the price of his bike.

The footage was filmed by five-year-old Neia’s dad, Patrick Mpasa, during their family walk in a nature reserve in Baraque Michel, Liege Province on Christmas Day 2020.

The cyclist was originally taken to court in Verviers for kneeing the child, only to be given a suspended sentence on the grounds that he had been criticised enough on social media. He was ordered to pay the girl’s family a pitiful €1 in compensation.

The video shows him knocking into the youngster, causing her to topple over. 

But the 62-year-old cyclist – reportedly a father and grandfather of seven grandchildren, who has not been named publicly – sued Mpasa for defamation.

A Belgian cyclist (left) who went viral after he was filmed kneeing a little girl and knocking her to the ground as he rode past her and her family has won his court case against her father for posting the footage online

In the video, the five-year-old girl is seen walking by her mother’s side on the snow-covered path as the cyclist approaches them from behind.

Just as he rides alongside the girl, he extends his knee out, hitting the little girl and knocking her to the ground before continuing on his way unbothered.

The family believed it was not an accident, as the man did not stop to check if the girl was okay and carried on cycling down the path.

However, the court decided the cyclist was free to go because he had incurred enough criticism on social media over the incident.

But the story did not end there. Almost a year after the incident, the cyclist went back to court to sue the girl’s father for defamation.

He did so on the grounds that the backlash the video received resulted in him feeling so threatened by the public he was scared to leave his own house.

Jacques Englebert, Mpasa’s lawyer, said in response to the defamation suit at the time: ‘We have the right to express ourselves. We have the right to post or have posted a video on the internet. In this case, we must check whether we have exceeded the limits of this freedom of expression.’

The cyclist continues to ride his bike as the girl is knocked to the ground in Baraque Miche

However, Englebert’s arguments were not strong enough in court, and Mpasa has lost the case and could be ordered to pay compensation.

In the footage, which went viral online, the cyclist was seen emerging from a bend in the snowy road before knocking into the young girl and sending her toppling into the snow.  

Furious father Patrick Mpasa, who had been filming his wife and two children, later shared the video on social media asking if people agreed that he was right to complain to the police.   

Mpasa said he had chased after the man and managed to make him stop but the cyclist had been unrepentant.  

‘He explained what happened and asked us to withdraw the police complaint, but he showed no remorse and did not apologise,’ said Mpasa at the time.

‘A lot of people tell me that I should have hit him, but I don’t agree and, in any case, I was in front of my children, which would have made things even worse for them. I also don’t want a witch hunt, I just want him to apologise.’

The family soon filed a complaint with police and both the cyclist and any witnesses were asked to come forward. The cyclist was reported to have come forward by contacting the parents of the child.

During a court hearing on February 3, 2021, the cyclist claimed that the incident had happened because he had tried to keep his balance.

He said: ‘When I was riding close to the girl, I felt my rear wheel sliding. To avoid a fall, I balanced myself with a movement of my knee. I felt that I might have hit the girl, but did not immediately realise she had been knocked over.’

But the prosecution argued his statement seemed very unlikely.

The cyclist emerged from a bend in the snowy road before knocking into the young girl and sending her toppling into the snow

‘He was simply annoyed by the people on the path whom he had to swerve around all the time,’ they said. ‘He gave the child a ”knee punch” out of sheer annoyance because an obstacle was in his way for the umpteenth time.’ 

The local cyclist association described the man’s behaviour as ‘unacceptable’, but the judge opted for lenient treatment, arguing that the man had no intention of harming the girl, the incident was minor and he had already been criticised on social media.

The judge went on to say that the cyclist had already spent time in custody when he was arrested, and ruled that the unnamed man must pay the girl’s family a symbolic €1 (86p) in compensation for the incident.   

While the cyclist had faced up to a year in prison, the court decided to hand him a suspended sentence, meaning he will not face any penalties for his actions so long as he does not reoffend.

Kate Middleton was seen kneeling down to speak children as they handed her flowers during a seaweed farm visit on the anniversary of the Queen’s death. 

The Princess of Wales, 41, was joined by Prince William as they visited Câr-Y-Môr Seaweed Farm – the first ‘regenerative ocean farm’ in Wales – this afternoon.

Before they left Kate was presented with a posy by four-year-old Isla Evans-Kohler, the daughter of deputy coxswain Judd Kohler and crew member Ellen Evans.

While William was given a jar of St Davids wild honey by her younger brother Albie Evans-Kohler, aged two, who was wearing a Welsh rugby shirt.

Kate asked Isla if she had been on the lifeboat. The little girl shook her head and her mother explained she had been on the boat but not out on the water, while Albie interjected and said: ‘Me.’

Kate then asked him: ‘Have you been on the boat? It goes very fast, and your daddy has got a very cool job.’

Before they left Kate was presented with a posy by four-year-old Isla Evans-Kohler, the daughter of deputy coxswain Judd Kohler and crew member Ellen Evans

The royal opted for her £350 Troy London parker for the occasion, recycling a piece she was first seen in six years ago during the couple’s royal tour of Canada

Kate Middleton, 41, proved she was Queen of the quick change today as she swapped her formal outfit for a casual pair of jeans and a parka jacket during a day of engagements to mark the passing of the late monarch

Albie then started mimicking the boat’s siren and the princess said: ‘I didn’t hear the siren, but it was a lovely day on the water. Thank you very much for coming to see us.’

William told Albie he ‘loved’ his rugby shirt as the boy gave him the honey.

‘Do you like honey? It is very yummy. Do you like rugby too? First game on Sunday,’ William said.

The couple met with staff and volunteers at the farm, learning about the impact their work has on the ocean environment.

They then took a boat out onto the farm to see the seaweed lines. 

The Prince quipped that seaweed produced at a seaweed farm off the Welsh coast tasted salty when asked what it was like to eat.

William made the comment to veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards, saying: ‘What did the seaweed taste like?’

He replied: ‘Salty.’

After the tour of the seaweed farm, the couple met with crew members during a visit to the RNLI lifeboat station at St Davids, Haverfordwest

The couple met with staff and volunteers at the farm, learning about the impact their work has on the ocean environment

William showed off his fatherly side as he told Albie he ‘loved’ his rugby shirt as the boy gave him the honey 

The Princess of Wales was joined by Prince William as they visited Câr-Y-Môr Seaweed Farm – the first ‘regenerative ocean farm’ in Wales – this afternoon

The royal opted for her £350 Troy London parker for the occasion, recycling a piece she was first seen in six years ago during the couple’s royal tour of Canada  

The Prince quipped that seaweed produced at a seaweed farm off the Welsh coast tasted salty when asked what it was like to eat

The company also supports the local community through job creation, supply of fresh local seafood and environmental restoration. 

In June 2022, following two years of research, the company installed a three-hectare ocean farm where various species of seaweed, mussels, native oysters, and scallops are grown. 

Notpla, which produces plastic-free consumer packaging made from seaweed and plants, is a key investor in Câr-Y-Môr. 

Among its innovations, Notpla replaces plastic-lined takeaway boxes and other disposable plastic items such as cutlery. 

The London-based start-up won the 2022 Earthshot Prize in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category and received a visit by The Prince of Wales in May 2023. 

Kate opted for a £350 Troy London parker for the occasion, recycling a piece she was first seen in six years ago during the couple’s royal tour of Canada.

She paired the trendy jacket with a white t-shirt and her £96 G-star Cargo trousers, which have also been a favourite of hers in recent years.

Earlier in the day, the Princess had opted for a smart burgundy coat from London-based designer Eponine.

The Princess opted for natural makeup for the outing today to the sea farm, and swept her hair up into an intricate updo, revealing a pair of gold hoop earrings.

The royal finished off her outfit with a pair of casual white Veja trainers which she has worn on a number of occasions.

After the tour of the farm, the Royal couple transferred from the barge onto the St Davids Lifeboat where they returned to shore to meet members of the lifeboat station crew.

After the tour of the farm, the Royal couple transferred from the barge onto the St Davids Lifeboat where they returned to shore to meet members of the lifeboat station crew

Kate paid a sweet tribute to the late Queen today as she sported her earrings to a memorial service to mark the first anniversary of her death

William and Kate arrive at St Davids Cathedral to commemorate the life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was patron of the RNLI from 1952 until her death last year.

Earlier in the day, Kate made a sweet tribute to the late Queen as she sported her earrings to a memorial service to mark the first anniversary of her death.

Kate, 41, paired the diamond and pearl drop earrings with a burgundy coat from London-based designer Eponine for the church service at St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. 

She added to her eco-credentials with a recycled Mulberry bag she’s worn several times since 2017 and Gianvito Rossi heels, which are also a repeat wear. 

The royal wore the coat to her Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey in London in 2022, while she’s worn the earrings to pay tribute to Her Majesty before, including during a Remembrance Sunday service in 2020.  

Both Kate and the Queen have chosen the earrings before to wear on particularly special occasions, with the Duchess choosing the set to leave the Lindo Wing with Prince Louis in 2018.

Queen Elizabeth wore the earrings during her Diamond Jubilee visit to Nottingham

The Queen sported the earrings for a service of thanksgiving and carriage procession during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.

And Kate chose them for a day of engagements in The Netherlands in 2016, her first official solo overseas visit without Prince William.

Kate stepped out with her husband Prince William to mark the one year anniversary of Her Majesty’s death.

Elsewhere, Prince Harry made a shock and secret visit to the Windsor church where the Queen was laid to rest.

A number of members of the Royal Family are understood to have visited the chapel today. Harry remains close to his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie but it is not yet known if they and others paid their respects together.

The King and Queen today attended a special service at Crathie Kirk to commemorate the life of the late Queen Elizabeth – and appeared moved by warm-wishes from crowds who also gathered to mark the anniversary of her death.

Charles and Camilla made the short journey by car from the nearby Balmoral Estate to the Scottish church, where successive monarchs have worshiped since Queen Victoria.

Kate first wore the Eponine coat to her Christmas carol concert in December 2022

The couple spoke to crowds outside afterwards who shared their condolences and handed them bouquets and cards. The King told them that the flowers were ‘wonderful’ and joked with children about getting back to school.

Other royals were also at the service, including the Queen’s great nephews Samuel and Arthur Chatto, sons of Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, who also went. And staff from Balmoral, the beloved Scottish home of the Queen where she died, also attended, walking to and from the service in the September sunshine.

The Prince and Princess of Wales travelled to St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire – exactly a year since the nation’s longest-reigning monarch died at Balmoral aged 96.

Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of their arrival in the grounds of the cathedral from dawn, but they had to wait in the sunshine after fog nearby meant the couple’s helicopter had to be rerouted and their arrival delayed by more than an hour.

William and Kate had been due to arrive at 12.25pm, but eventually turned up around 1.30pm and greeted well-wishers before walking inside for the ten-minute service. One well-wisher could be heard shouting towards William: ‘You’re doing a great job!’

During the service, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, Dean of St Davids, said: ‘It is particularly poignant to welcome you here, Your Royal Highnesses, on Accession Day, the first anniversary of the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

‘She came here four times: the only monarch to sit in the Sovereign’s stall, the seat of a Chapter member which came into the possession of the Crown at the Reformation.

‘Today countless numbers will be remembering her with both sadness and with great affection, giving thanks again for her long life of dedicated service – as we do here.’

John Lewis and Waitrose to hire more than 10,000 Christmas staff

• JLP wants to recruit for more than 2,800 seasonal posts at its Waitrose outlets
• It is also looking to recruit for over 2,900 temporary roles at John Lewis stores
• The employee-owned retailer has recorded three consecutive annual losses

By Harry Wise

Updated: 05:34 EDT, 25 August 2023

The John Lewis Partnership has launched a recruitment drive aimed at hiring over 10,000 people ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Britain’s largest employee-owned retailer wants to recruit for more than 2,800 seasonal positions at its 329 Waitrose stores, including supermarket assistants, night shift staff, and customer delivery drivers.

It also hopes to fill another 2,700 short-term posts in its supply chain through employment agencies, such as delivery drivers and warehouse workers.

Black Friday and Christmas represent the peak trading seasons for JLP, which has traditionally engaged in a significant autumn hiring spree to help cope with the elevated demand

On top of that, the group is looking to recruit for over 2,900 temporary sales and merchandising posts across its 34 John Lewis outlets and 1,700 full-time jobs at both Waitrose and John Lewis in a ‘variety of roles.’

Black Friday and Christmas represent the peak trading seasons for John Lewis, which has traditionally engaged in a significant autumn hiring spree to help cope with the elevated demand.

In 2022, the business sought to recruit more than 10,000 temporary workers for the festive period, promising the added perk of free food between October and early January amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

But according to The Telegraph, the free meals won’t be offered this year.  

Lisa Cherry, JLP’s executive director of people, remarked: ‘We’re hugely proud of the way our two brands have become part of the excitement that surrounds Christmas, and this is a great opportunity to be at the heart of that at such a special time.

‘Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do; we want to deliver a great festive season for them with inspirational products and the very best customer service courtesy of our brilliant partners.’

John Lewis’ recruitment campaign comes at a challenging time for the retailer, which has posted three consecutive annual losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, online competition and inflationary pressures.

For the 12 months ending 28 January, the group reported a worse-than-expected £234million loss after costs surged by almost £180million and Waitrose stores incurred a massive write-down on their value.

It meant the company was unable to reward employees with a yearly bonus for only the second time since 1953.

Dame Sharon White, the partnership’s chairman, has faced severe doubts over her future, with the retailer’s partnership council voting against her performance last year at a meeting in May, although they supported her mandate.

The following month, she pledged to return the business to profit by 2026 and said staff bonuses will only return ‘when affordable.’

She is spearheading a turnaround plan that includes relaunching the Partnership credit card, investing in build-to-rent properties and reducing £900million of costs through job cuts and store closures.

JLP intends to build 10,000 homes for rent as part of a goal to earn 40 per cent of profits from outside retail by the end of this decade.

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Shame of the West’s fast fashion addiction: Mountain of discarded clothes in Chile can now be seen from SPACE

By Matthew Phelan For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 13:41 EDT, 20 June 2023

A mountain of discarded clothes in Chile has become so large it can be seen from space.

The red-rocked desert of Chile’s Atacama plateau has become a dumping ground for the West‘s used and faulty fashion items in recent years, with everything from ski boots to Christmas sweaters ending up in landfill in the area.

The growing and increasingly toxic pile of discarded clothes reflects the leftovers of the roughly 59,000 tons of used and unsold clothing that arrives at Chile’s Iquique port each year from Europe, Asia and the United States.

Whatever can’t be sold across South America stays here, as it slowly decays.

These images were obtained by SkyFi , a consumer app that sees its mission as ‘democratizing space’ by making access to satellite imagery and technology more readily available to anyone

The growing and increasingly toxic pile of discarded clothes atop Chile’s Atacama desert plateau constitutes the leftovers from the roughly 59,000 tons of used and unsold clothing that arrives at Chile’s Iquique port each year from Europe, Asia and the United States

These images were obtained by SkyFi, a consumer app that sees its mission as ‘democratizing space’ by making access to satellite imagery and technology more readily available to anyone. 

‘The satellite image that we ordered of the clothes pile in Chile’s Atacama Desert really puts things into perspective,’ a spokesperson for SkyFi said.

‘The size of the pile and the pollution it’s causing is visible from space, making it clear that there is a need for change in the fashion industry.’

Many of the clothing items made with synthetic fabrics, or treated with chemicals, will take as long as 200 years to biodegrade — leaving toxins in their wake like carcinogenic Azo dyes and Phthalates ued in faux leather, linked to ADHD, asthma, and diabetes.

SkyFi said that they were able to locate the dumpsite’s geocoordinates with the help of activists on the communication platform, Discord. 

America and the rest of the developed world’s addiction to fast-fashion has escalated into a growing hundred-billion-dollar industry. According to one report, the market size for shoddily made, briefly on-trend clothing increased from $106.42 billion to $122.98 billion in 2023

While merchants from Chile’s capital city of Santiago buy some of the tens of thousands of tons of discarded clothes as it pours into Chile’s Iquique port from the developed world, at least 39,000 tons of truly unwanted items end up in the Atacama each year

America and the rest of the developed world’s addiction to fast-fashion has escalated into a growing hundred-billion-dollar industry, according to a report by The Business Research Company. 

The market size for shoddily made, briefly on-trend clothing has continued to increase from $106.42 billion to $122.98 billion in 2023, based on the market research firm’s analysis.

While news media accounts of the clothing industry’s rampant and fickle obsessions are often reflecting in exposes on child labor or slave wages in countries like China or Bangladesh, the end-of-cycle damage to the natural world has only recently garnered more attention. 

Through northern Chile’s Iquique port, the South American nation has become a hub for second-hand and unsold clothing resold across Latin America.  

While merchants from Chile’s capital city of Santiago buy some of the tens of thousands of tons of discarded clothes as it pours in from the developed world, at least 39,000 tons of truly unwanted items end up in the Atacama each year.

‘This clothing arrives from all over the world,’ Alex Carreno, an ex-employee Iquique’s import area, told news agency AFP in 2021.

‘What is not sold to Santiago nor sent to other countries stays in the free zone,’ Carreno said, because no one wants to shoulder the sitff tariff costs required just to haul the clothes someplace else.