Black guitarist who has played with Dave Matthews and John Mayer slams American Airlines after flight attendant suspected he had kidnapped his biracial children and called police who were waiting for him when he arrived in LA

• Guitarist David Ryan Harris says cops and an American Airlines flight attendant suggested that one of his kids didn’t belong to him following a recent flight

By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com

Published: 09:15 EDT, 27 September 2023 | Updated: 10:13 EDT, 27 September 2023

Holding hands, the beaming couple were unable to hold back their smiles on what should have been the happiest day of their lives. 

But unbeknownst to newlyweds Haneen and Revan, this was to be their final picture together before a raging inferno swept through their Christian wedding in Iraq today.

The young couple are feared to have been killed along with at least 110 of their wedding guests after the blaze, believed to have been started by fireworks, tore through the large hall in the northern town of Qaraqosh near Mosul.

Those who survived the inferno have described it as ‘hell’ with children as young as eight months old and entire families – including a couple and their three-year-old child – among the dead.

‘This was not a wedding. This was hell,’ said Mariam Khedr, crying and hitting herself as she waited for officials to return the bodies of her daughter Rana Yakoub, 27, and three young grandchildren – the youngest being eight months old. 

Video purportedly shows the newlyweds slow-dancing in the hall moments before the blaze tore through the large hall in the Christian town, which had survived ISIS occupation. 

Hanneen, wearing a large white wedding dress, turns around in horror to see flames rapidly climbing the walls before burning material falls from the roof. 

Chaos ensues, with the up to 900 panicked guests rushing towards the exits as the hall is engulfed in flames and filled with toxic smoke in seconds. Survivors said many were left trapped in the burning building as they couldn’t see through the black smoke. 

The bride and groom were among the more than 100 people killed in the deadly blaze according to health officials, while 150 more are injured – 50 critically. But there are conflicting reports about their wellbeing, with some others saying the couple were injured rather than killed in the blaze. 

Nineveh province Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaf said 113 people had been confirmed dead whilst the head of the province’s Red Crescent branch said the death toll was not final but that it ‘exceeds hundreds injured and dozens killed’. 

‘I lost my daughter, her husband and their 3 year-old. They were all burned. My heart is burning,’ a woman said outside the morgue, where bodies lay outside in bags as vehicles came to collect those that had been identified. 

A man called Youssef stood nearby with burns covering his hands and face. He said he had not been able to see anything when the fire began and the power cut out. He had grabbed his 3 year-old grandson and managed to get out.

But his wife, Bashra Mansour, in her 50s, did not make it. She fell in the chaos and died.

Hundreds of wedding guests, many of them children, were rushed to hospital with severe burns across their bodies, with many fighting for their lives. 

Wedding guest Rania Waad, who sustained a burn to her hand, said that as Haneen and Revan ‘were slow dancing, the fireworks started to climb to the ceiling and the whole hall went up in flames’. 

‘We couldn’t see anything,’ the 17-year-old said, choking back sobs. ‘We were suffocating, we didn’t know how to get out.’ 

Other wedding guests also said that the blaze was caused by fireworks, which had been set off during the first dance.

A man injured in the fire, speaking from his hospital bed, said: ‘They lit up fireworks. It hit the ceiling, which caught fire. The entire hall was on fire in seconds.’ 

Witnesses said the wedding hall caught fire at around 10.45pm local time (8.45pm UK time) during the couple’s first dance. 

Video shows wedding guests dancing together before the newlyweds walked onto the dance floor. 

Harrowing footage shows Haneen resting her head against Revan while he holds her waist as they share their first dance. But within minutes, the wedding turned into a nightmare as the blaze broke out, sending shards of burning material to the ground around them. 

Panicked guests began running out of the burning building, but over 100 were trapped inside and died of burns and smoke inhalation. 

‘We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn’t got stuck,’ said Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old who escaped the inferno.

Chaotic scenes were seen outside the building, with screaming guests crying for help from medics who had quickly arrived on the scene. 

Injured wedding guests were later seen lying in hospital beds with bandages covering the burns they sustained in the horrific blaze. 

Ahmed Dubardani, a health official in the province, said: ‘The majority of them were completely burned and some others had 50 to 60 per cent of their bodies burned. 

‘This is not good at all. The majority of them were not in good condition.’

In the blaze’s aftermath, only charred metal and debris could be seen as emergency crews sifted through the scene of utter devastation. 

While there is no official word on the cause of the blaze, footage showed fireworks shooting up from the floor of the event and setting a chandelier aflame, which echoes the testimony of injured wedding guests. 

This was made worse by the wedding hall’s exterior being decorated with ‘highly flammable’ cladding that is illegal in Iraq, civil defence officials quoted by the Iraqi News Agency said.

The danger was compounded by the ‘release of toxic gases linked to the combustion of the panels’, which contained plastic, they said. 

‘The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials,’ the civil defence authorities said, with ‘preliminary information’ suggesting fireworks were to blame for the blaze. 

The Interior Ministry said it had issued four arrest warrants for the owners of the wedding hall, state media reported, and President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an investigation. 

Three people who attended the wedding said the hall appeared poorly equipped for the disaster with no visible fire extinguishers, few exits, and draped in flammable material that one said lit ‘like petrol’. Fire fighters arrived 30 minutes after the blaze began, they said.

Most residents of Qaraqosh, which is mostly Christian but also home to some members of Iraq’s Yazidi minority, fled the town when Islamic State seized it in 2014. But they returned after the group was ousted in 2017.

At Mar Youhanna church, where the wedding service took place before the evening party, deacon Hani al-Kasmousa said prayers for the dead would take place at the cemetery because there was not enough room in the church for so many mourners.

‘Yesterday there was a wedding and happiness. Now we are preparing their burial,’ he said, new coffins stacked along an alleyway near his church.

Father Rudi Saffar Khoury, a priest at the wedding, said it was unclear who was to blame for the fire.

‘It could be a mistake by the event organisers or venue hosts, or maybe a technical error,’ Khoury said. ‘It was a disaster in every sense of the word.’

Najim al-Jubouri, the provincial governor of Nineveh, said some of the injured had been transferred to regional hospitals. He cautioned there were no final casualty figures yet from the blaze, which suggests the death toll still may rise. 

Anger is simmering in the area after it emerged that the exterior of the wedding hall had been covered in the illegal cladding. 

It wasn’t immediately clear why authorities in Iraq allowed the cladding to be used on the hall, though corruption and mismanagement remains endemic two decades after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

While some types of cladding can be made with fire-resistant material, experts say those that have caught fire at the wedding hall and elsewhere weren’t designed to meet stricter safety standards and often were put onto buildings without any breaks to slow or halt a possible blaze. 

That includes the 2017 Grenfell Fire in London that killed 72 people in the greatest loss of life in a fire on British soil since World War II, as well as multiple high-rise fires in the United Arab Emirates.

Safety standards in Iraq’s construction sector are often disregarded, and the country, whose infrastructure is in disrepair after decades of conflict, is often the scene of fatal fires and accidents.

In July 2021, a fire in the Covid unit of a hospital in southern Iraq killed more than 60 people.

And in April of the same year, exploding oxygen tanks triggered a fire at a hospital in Baghdad – also dedicated to Covid patients – that killed more than 80 people.

Like many Christian towns in the Nineveh Plains, northeast of Mosul, Qaraqosh was ransacked by jihadists of the Islamic State group in 2014.

Qaraqosh and its churches were slowly rebuilt after the group was ousted in 2017, and Pope Francis visited the town in March 2021.

By Harry Slavin and Tamara Prenn For Mailonline

Published: 06:32 EDT, 27 September 2023 | Updated: 10:10 EDT, 27 September 2023

Advertisement

Biden tears into ‘extreme’ House Republicans over looming shutdown

By Geoff Earle In Philadelphia For Dailymail.Com and Morgan Phillips, Politics Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 16:41 EDT, 26 September 2023 | Updated: 16:41 EDT, 26 September 2023

Advertisement

Hiscox to sell motor and travel insurer DirectAsia

• Ignite Thailand Holdings has agreed to purchase DirectAsia from Hiscox
• Hiscox said the decision to sell DirectAsia follows a recent strategic review 

By Harry Wise

Updated: 09:15 EDT, 27 September 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Louise Redknapp has made her first public appearance since being accused of trying to ‘cancel’ her Eternal bandmates Easther and Vernie Bennett in a bitter trans rights row. 

The singer, 48, joined fellow star Kelle Bryan, also 48, on Wednesday’s Loose Women as they addressed the controversy – with Kelle insisting the joint appearance was not planned and she had been booked to appear on the show as a panellist a month ago. 

It was revealed this week that the pair had pulled out of an Eternal reunion tour because Vernie and her sister Easther had refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs they had scheduled over claims the community is being ‘hijacked’ by the trans movement.

Shortly afterwards Louise was accused of trying to get her former bandmates cancelled by ‘misrepresenting’ their views.

Yet in a telling statement, Louise said on Loose Women: ‘I would have always loved to have done a reunion with the girls. I have a lot of love for what we have done together and me and Kelle are still the best of friends.’

Standing by her friend, Kelle added of her time in the band: ‘It’s been life changing for me. Obviously the music and the fans are so important.’

Earlier on Wednesday, Vernie broke her silence on the row, seemingly refuting the claims made by Louise’s team as she released a statement about how she has been ‘blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career.’

Vernie released a statement which read: ‘I am “Eternally” grateful for the family, friends, and amazing fans who have and continue to support our incredible journey and artistry.

‘I’ve been blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career. You all have a piece of my heart.

‘Though it is impossible and counterproductive to respond to the overwhelming number of statements and allegations made online recently, I place this moment in God’s hands.

‘I truly appreciate all who continue to express love and support for my family and Eternal.’

Eternal’s original manager Denis Ingoldsby had furiously defended Easther and Vernie, who remain his clients, previously insisting they are ‘devastated’ and accusing Louise’s team of misrepresenting details of a private email.

He told Sky News: ‘Louise and her team have thrown them under the bus and everyone is totally appalled at their bullying behaviour by totally misrepresenting the situation to suit their own agenda.

‘The girls sent an email to Louise’s camp saying they loved playing Pride, and they loved the ethos of the event.

‘For her camp to go on the record suggesting they are homophobic is utterly outrageous. This is nothing about gay rights.’

Speaking to The Mirror, Denis also claimed there were no confirmed, or contracted dates, in place for the reunion. Louise’s team have denied this to the publication.

He claimed that the sisters sent an email to Louise’s camp saying they ‘loved’ playing Pride and the ‘ethos of the event.’ 

Denis added that the dispute is ‘nothing about gay rights,’ and that the sisters have played ‘numerous LGBTQ+ gigs.’

He added: ‘Vernie said she had some concerns about the Pride movement being hijacked – and she is not alone – but this has now been weaponized against her, with Louise’s team trying to get her cancelled.’

Louise’s publicist Simon Jones has stated that they stand by their previous comments, telling the publication: ‘Denis Ingoldsby was not involved in the discussions about the Eternal reunion including all four members over the last two years. Easther and Vernie can try and dress this up however they wish. 

‘The fact remains that the duo said they would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included.

‘Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from their touring plans. We as a team absolutely do not agree with dividing the LGBTQ+ community or excluding trans people.’

He added: ‘Absolutely nothing has been misrepresented.

‘We have simply explained the reason why the Eternal reunion is not going ahead with Louise and Kelle.

‘It is a fact that an email was sent saying that Vernie and Easther would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included in the plan.

‘Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from the band’s touring plans, and as such notified the duo that she would not be taking part.’

On Monday, Louise addressed her decision to step down from the tour by sharing the Progress Pride Flag on her Instagram Stories, writing: ‘Always and forever’.

The flag was created in 2018 by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, and is largely based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. 

The stripes of black and brown represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of colour and the triad of blue, pink, and white are from the trans flag.

Eternal, who shot to stardom in the nineties, were planning a huge reunion tour next year, with the highlights including performances at Pride and Mighty Hoopla.

Both festivals celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, however the tour dates apparently did not go down well with band members Easther and Vernie Bennett.

It was revealed that Louise and her team received a message from Vernie and Easther, stating they would not be involved in any Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

Louise’s publicist said: ‘A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

‘This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this. 

‘Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kelle told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead. 

‘The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.’

Louise, who recently confirmed she is dating new boyfriend Drew Michael, has performed as a solo artist at many Pride events over the years.

Earlier this summer she took to the stage alone at Brighton Pride in August.

The Eternal tour was set to be the first time the original line-up had performed together since Louise quit in 1995 to pursue a solo career.

They soared to stardom in the early nineties with hits such as Stay and I Wanna Be The Only One.

The band stayed together for another five years after Louise quit, before splitting and reuniting in 2014 on ITV’s The Big Reunion without her.

Earlier this week, Louise paid tribute to her time with the band, taking to Instagram to honour their 30th anniversary.

She wrote: ‘Where it all began… 30 years ago today Stay was released. I remember it like yesterday… Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls.

‘I remember it like if was yesterday the first radio play sat round my mums kitchen table missing the que to hit record when it played, to going to America to shoot the video and so many more incredible memories.

‘Stay is such a timeless song Easther absolutely KILLING that opening note as she does and I’m so proud this was where it all started for us! I’m so lucky I got to record this song myself for my Greatest Hits this year and girls I hope I did you proud.

‘Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls Kelle, Easther and Vernie and most importantly THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has been there with us from day 1 buying every record, coming to every show and being so supportive over the last 30 years.’

Brits taking statins should be warned about a rare but serious side effect, health chiefs have said.

Seven types of the cholesterol-busting pills, including all five dished out in the UK, have been linked to myasthenia gravis — a long-term muscle-weakening condition that can be life-threatening in severe cases. 

Patients taking the once-a-day pill should watch out for symptoms including droopy eyelids, double vision and difficulty swallowing, the medicines watchdog warned.

Atorvastatin, sold under the brand name Lipitor, pravastatin (Lipostat) and lovastatin (Mevacor) — taken by millions and proven to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes— are among the varieties affected. 

Cases of myasthenia gravis were also detected among patients taking fluvastatin (Lescol), simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and pitavastatin (Livalo).

The fresh advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) states that a ‘very small number’ of myasthenia gravis cases have been linked to statin use.

Around 9.5million Brits take statins, which usually must be taken for life to keep cholesterol low. 

It is thought the complication is ‘very infrequent’, the MHRA said.

Just 10 cases have been reported to the MHRA in the last three decades. Sufferers were in their 60s, on average. 

Symptoms began between a few day and three months of taking statins. No cases were fatal.

Most patients who suffered the side effect recovered after they stopped taking the medication but a minority continued to suffer from symptoms.

Some of those who restarted their medication or tried a different type of statin reported that their symptoms came back.

The MHRA told medics to refer patients suffering new-onset myasthenia gravis after starting statins to a neurology specialist. 

And patients who already have the condition should monitor whether their symptoms worsen while taking the drugs, it said.

Patients may need to stop taking statins depending on their individual benefits and risks, the watchdog said.

The warning comes after the European Medicines Agency in January ordered drug makers behind the seven types of statins to amend their in-pack leaflet to include a warning about myasthenia gravis.

The MHRA said this review was considered by one of its sub-committees, which agreed with the recommendations.

It said statin drug makers will have to explain that there is a risk of myasthenia gravis but that it is ‘not known’ how common it is.

Statins work by lowering the levels of ‘bad’ low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol produced by the liver. 

Too much LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis — when the arteries harden and narrow — heart attacks, strokes and heart disease.

Brits diagnosed with a form of cardiovascular disease or those who have a family history of the condition may be recommended the medication.

Headaches, nausea and diarrhoea are well-known mild side effects from taking statins. But the MHRA warning adds myasthenia gravis to the list.

The condition weakens muscles, most commonly those that control the eyes, eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking. 

Difficulties making facial expressions, slurred speech weak shortness of breath are among the common symptoms.

Triggers, such as stress, tiredness and excess exercise, can worsen symptoms, as well as medicines, including antibiotics and beta-blockers. 

Medicine to boost muscle strength and surgery to remove a small gland in the chest that has been linked to myasthenia gravis may be offered to ease symptoms. 

While the condition doesn’t affect life expectancy for most people, it can be life-threatening if weakens the muscles needed for breathing.

Fans of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon ‘The Jetsons’ will know it is set in a comical future where flying cars are a common sight. 

Meanwhile, cult 90s film ‘The Fifth Element’ depicts Brue Willis as a flying taxi driver, shuttling passengers around the skies of New York in the 23rd century. 

But according to experts, the days of flying taxis being consigned to fiction will be over in just a few years. 

Under a year from now, the first commercial air taxi will ferry visitors on trips around Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics, finally heralding the arrival of the technology. 

Sir Stephen Hillier, chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, thinks we are on the brink of a ‘flying taxi’ boom and the brink of a ‘new revolution’. 

Mr Hillier has called for a global common standard for flying taxis ahead of the ‘widespread’ adoption of the vehicles, which will utilise space in the air and reduce congestion on roads. 

And just like the electric car revolution that is taking place on the ground, most flying taxi will be electric, meaning they won’t emit toxic pollutants. 

‘If we go outside at the moment and look up into the air, it’s mostly empty,’ Mr Hillier told the Financial Times.

‘And we will now have the technologies to make much more use of that environment than we have in the past.’

Investors around the world are pumping millions of dollars into flying taxi projects, which are going through various stages of testing.  

Vertical Aerospace, based in Bristol, is one UK firm working towards building the fleet of electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, as part of a £2.8 billion ($4 billion) project. 

VTOL aircraft can take off straight up into the air rather than having to build speed along the ground first, reducing the need for runway space. 

In a few years, VTOL could potentially take off and land at airfields in the outskirts of a city, or even on landing pads at the top of skyscrapers.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic will purchase up to 150 Vertical Aerospace’s aircraft, called VA-X4, to deliver a Virgin Atlantic branded short haul network around some of the UK’s busiest cities. 

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Vertical Aerospace CEO and founder, told the Times that flying vehicles are safe and have a failure rate of one in a billion. 

‘The technology we need to make these air taxis, we have today,’ he said. 

‘And we are in the process of demonstrating that they meet the very, very rigorous safety standards that you need to manufacture commercial aircraft. 

‘So we’re in the certification phase, and probably two to three years away from the first commercial air taxis hitting the market.’ 

Fitzpatrick thinks electric taxis will be cheaper and quicker than taxis on the ground.

For example, an air taxi from Heathrow to Canary Wharf would cost £50 with a journey time of eight to ten minutes.

In comparison, a traditional taxi normally takes up to two hours to do the same route during rush hour and costs £150.

Another company, Electron Aviation which is based in the Netherlands, plans to launch a ‘sky-hailing service’ akin to Uber that users could book through an app. 

Electron Aviation’s fleet of 186mph (300kph) battery-electric air taxis are expected to become a reality in Netherlands and the UK in 2027.

Although the firm’s fleet won’t be VTOL – they’ll launch like commercial planes – this shouldn’t be an issue as they’ll make use of existing airport runways. 

Meanwhile, German company Volocopter will be the one to transport passengers around Paris at the Summer Olympics next year. 

It’s already performed a successful test flight of its VoloCity VTOL, which looks like more like a helicopter or a giant drone than a car. 

Earlier this month, UK firm Bristow Group announced it had order two VoloCity machines with the aim of establishing a commercial passenger and cargo service in the US and UK. 

When VoloCity does get put to work at the Olympics, it will be ‘a great milestone’ that would help to drive the industry forwards, Fitzpatrick admitted to the Times. 

However, it will be a while before any big city transforms into something worthy of the Jetsons, complete with elaborate robots and holograms. 

‘We’re going to need more infrastructure, we’re going to need more pilots, but the technology is there today,’ he said. 

Waking up to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore on the Isle of Sheppey, I couldn’t be happier about my weekend away with Franky – a Peugeot Boxer converted into a home on wheels.

With the doors of the van wide open, I propped myself up in bed with the sea breeze in my hair and gazed out over the cliffs where a rosy sunrise painted the horizon.

Britain’s van life movement has taken off in recent years and I was here to see what the fuss was about before potentially spending money on my own conversion.

Quirky Campers allows you to do just that, without any of the hard work or investment, by renting out bespoke campervans across the UK for two nights or more.

From the collection, I chose Franky – a two-berth camper with a modern and chic interior that instantly evokes a feeling of home the moment you step inside.

Inspired by owner Rebecca’s passion for beaches and winter mountains, not only does it look good but it’s extremely functional too.

After collecting the van from south London, I embarked on a road trip through Kent where I planned to stop for lunch at Blue Bell Hill in Aylesford on my 50-mile journey to Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey.

I then drove the 35 miles to Dering Wood, near Pluckley village, before heading another 20 miles to Whitstable before making the 60-mile journey back to south London.

Franky felt like a rolling Airbnb, with its stylish kitchenette equipped with everything you need to cook up a feast, from a dining set to pots and pans, a chopping board, and cooking utensils.

At the rear is a cosy dining area with a swing-out dining table that rotates out of the van.

I enjoyed using it to prepare food outside during my September road trip where the wild cliffs of Eastchurch and the magical woodland of Pluckley felt like my own private garden.

At the end of each day, I folded away the table, which formed the base of a full-size double bed, along with three additional planks stored under the seating area.

I was surprised at how comfortable it was and I was even able to leave the door ajar and fall asleep to the soothing sounds of the sea.

Other creative design elements I loved were a magnetic wall rack for metal coffee cups, Velcro curtains, a pop-out privacy screen to separate the driver compartment, and a compact indoor shower-come-drying closet, perfect for rainy days in nature.

Everything was neatly held in place when I was on the road thanks to non-slip mats inside the cupboards and magnets that kept the doors and drawers closed.

Parking up on my first night at the Isle of Sheppey’s Clifftop Camping site, I opened all the van doors to welcome in the countryside views.

The stunning clifftop is part of a family-run hay farm where I was able to buy beef and freshly laid eggs.

At night, it provided the perfect setting for a crackling open fire where I used a cast-iron casserole dish that comes with Franky to cook chargrilled vegetables and crispy lamb with tarragon.

This was followed by an evening of stargazing, using picnic chairs and blankets from the van.

The next day, I opened the van doors to miles of unspoiled forest at Dering Wood, a private forest on the edge of Pluckley village.

Here, I enjoyed waking up to birdsong and taking a morning stroll among the trickling streams and towering trees home to birds, badgers, bats, and deer.

Staying off-grid for a long weekend was possible thanks to Franky’s self-sufficient appliances.

The indoor shower and kitchen sink are fed by a 55-litre water tank and there is a 21-litre chemical toilet stored in the shower room.

What was even more useful was how the built-in electrical appliances are powered by a 190amp battery, 115w solar, and split relay charge that keeps you topped up when driving.

When additional power is needed for plug-in electrical devices, the van has a shore-line hook-up point for mains power enabling four three-pin household plugs.

I later took advantage of this at Hampton Bay Park, three miles from Whitstable, where I connected to the mains power supply and transformed the van into a home cinema with my Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen portable projector.

Here, I saw first-hand the benefits of visiting a campsite with a mains power supply, a water tap, rubbish bins, a toilet waste disposal point, and an onsite restaurant.

While I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of van life, it did not come without its challenges.

My very first stop-off – a picnic site at Bluebell Hill in Aylesford – turned into disappointment when a height barrier prevented me from being able to enter the car park.

And another plan to park up along the seafront just outside of Whitstable was foiled when I was met by parking restrictions for overnight van parking.

In this way, renting somebody else’s van can become a game of trial an error, and I found staying organised is key.

Despite the hiccups, I thoroughly enjoyed my van life experience, which has spurred me on further to design my own camper.

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 

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.’ 

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. 

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’. 

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. 

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