More than half of A&E attendees at the worst-performing hospitals have had to wait more than four hours for care in the last year, official figures show.

NHS data revealed 54 per cent of sick Brits showing up to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the year to March 2023 waited at least this long.

Under decade-old guidelines, 95 per cent of casualty patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of being seen.

But overall, only 71 per cent of patients in England were seen within this timeframe, according to latest NHS data for 2022/23, plummeting from 77 per cent in the previous year.

Health leaders warned that difficulties getting GP appointments, strikes by NHS medics and the record 7.68million backlog is piling pressure on emergency units. 

This map shows the 10 NHS trusts with largest proportion of A&E patients forced to endure a four-hour plus wait to be admitted, transferred or discharged

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust recorded the worst four-hour A&E performance in the country last year.

More than half of patients (54 per cent) had to wait too long to been at the Trust’s A&E facilities — 66,159 patients in total.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust was the second worst in the country with only 48 per cent of patients being seen within the four-hour target, meaning 181,451 had to wait too long.

This was followed by East Cheshire NHS Trust, where 46 per cent patients weren’t seen within guidelines. 

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust each recorded that 45 per cent of patients weren’t seen within four hours.

Wye Valley NHS Trust and The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Essex reported that around 44 per cent of patients waiting in excess of four hours. 

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust rounded off the list of 10 worst NHS trusts for four-hour A&E waits, with around 43 per cent of patients forced to wait this long.   

Responding to the figures, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘A&Es have been under enormous pressure for years, with people naturally gravitating towards ‘where the lights are on’ and where they know they will be seen in a relatively short time frame.

‘But it’s not just A&Es that are under pressure and that is the problem. 

‘With general practice and primary care also facing huge demand, we know that patients may turn towards urgent and emergency care should they struggle to get a GP appointment at a time suitable to them.’

He added: ‘The data for last year shows the scale of the effects ever growing demand is having on A&E and on patients, with over 410,000 people waiting over half a day for admission, up from 98,000 the previous year, and this isn’t even from time of arrival, so a patient could’ve been waiting much longer. 

‘But with too few staff, beds, or capacity and availability in alternative services, health leaders can only do so much.

‘This level of demand is unsustainable, so we need to see a greater focus on prevention and resourcing for community care to help relieve some pressure, keep patients healthy and out of hospital, and enable them to get care closer to home.  

Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) president, Dr Adrian Boyle, said the figures showed how ‘dire’ both last winter, and last year in general had been for patients, some of whom had paid the ultimate price for care delays.  

‘Record attendances met with the significant shortfall of staff and beds meant huge numbers of patients faced severe delays for care that we know are associated with increased harm and even deaths,’ he said. 

‘We know that it is the elderly, the sickest and most vulnerable, and those experiencing a mental health crisis that face the longest waits for a bed.’

He added that the RCEM added that despite ministers pledging to improve A&E waits, data for this year showed no significant improvement.

This graphic shows the 10 NHS trusts with the highest proportion of A&E patients who waited over 12 hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged

Separate data for A&E also showed that patient care plummeted in August as emergency departments faced their busiest summer yet. Just under three-quarters of emergency department attendees (73 per cent) were seen within four hours in August, down from 74 per cent in July. NHS standards set out 95 per cent should be admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour window

‘Since the Government published their urgent and emergency care delivery plan in January 2023 we have not seen sufficient progress on reducing long stays for patients who need to be admitted to hospital,’ he said.

Dr Boyle said this winter was likely to be another difficult one for A&E services and urged the Government to take further action.  

‘The emergency care system is under severe pressure. Resuscitating it is a necessity,’ he said. 

Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, the patient watchdog, said: ‘People continue to wait many hours for care, often in crowded waiting rooms, with little or no information on when they will be seen.’

She added: ‘Undoubtedly, urgent and emergency services have been under unprecedented pressure for the last few years amid the pandemic, industrial action, record waiting times for hospital treatment and struggles to access GP care.

‘People will go to A&E if there is nowhere else to go, leading to increased treatment and care because they couldn’t get help sooner.’

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: ‘These latest figures demonstrate the incredible pressure NHS staff are facing, and on top of this record year we know that we have also just experienced the busiest summer ever in A&E, with more than 6.5million attendances between June and August.’

However, he insisted efforts to slash A&E waits are now paying off.

‘Despite this pressure, the measures in our urgent and emergency recovery plan are beginning to deliver real improvements with 73 per cent of patients seen within four hours in August, up from 69 per cent in December,’ Professor Redhead added.

A Department of Health spokesperson insisted that Government efforts to boost A&E performance were working.   

‘No one should be waiting longer than necessary for urgent and emergency care and we are taking immediate action to improve access – with improvements made in both A&E waits and ambulance response times compared to last year,’ they said. 

‘Our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan aims to deliver one of the fastest and longest sustained improvements in waiting times in the NHS’s history, including creating 5,000 permanent staffed hospital beds – with the NHS on track to deliver this by winter.

‘The NHS has already rolled out over 9,800 virtual ward beds to care for patients in their own homes and ease pressure on hospitals, and is on track to reach 10,000 ahead of winter.’

The new analysis of NHS data comes as latest monthly A&E waiting time figures, released last week, showed 2.1million sick Brits showed up to A&E departments in August.

Of those, only 73 per cent were treated within four hours, compared to around 83 per cent pre-pandemic.

All of the Trusts named as low performers for four-hour waits to be seen in A&E were contacted for comment. 

A spokesperson for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘Like other hospitals around the country, our emergency department at Hull Royal Infirmary is under intense pressure. 

Around 7.68million patients in England — or one in seven people — were in the queue in July for procedures such hip and knee replacements, official figures show. This includes almost 390,000 patients who have waited at least one year for treatment, often in pain. The monthly performance data showed the waiting list grew by more than 100,000 between June and July

‘We apologise to patients waiting too long to be seen and those facing delays in admission to our wards because of this pressure.’

The spokesperson said while staff are working hard to address pressures the Trust was trying to combat issues with bed-blockers.

‘Each day, we have up to 200 people who have completed their treatment but have to remain in our beds until a suitable place in the community can be found,’ they said. 

‘That causes longer waiting times in our emergency department while we wait for beds to become available.’

They added the Trust had a number of projects underway to boost A&E performance including a new facility to discharge medically fit patients to free up beds and a new urgent treatment centre to reduce pressure on the emergency department. 

A Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: ‘Like hospital trusts across the country we are seeing an increasing demand for services, with a growing number of patients with an acute need for treatment, which has led to patients waiting longer than we would like within our Emergency Department.’

The spokesperson added the Trust had recently expanded its A&E staffing and physically expand the emergency department itself in an effort to reduce waits. 

‘We have seen improvements in our four-hour performance in recent months and anticipate seeing further improvements going forward,’ they said. 

A Wye Valley NHS Trust spokesperson told MailOnline that their poor A&E performance figures were partly due to a lack of walk in centres for patients. 

However, they added the Trust understood the ‘frustration of patients waiting for treatment’ and is working hard to reduce waits.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust’s chief operating officer Stephanie Lawton said: ‘We continue to experience an extremely high demand for our emergency department services, and across our hospital. 

‘We recognise this has an impact on the time that patients are waiting to be seen and our dedicated teams continue to work hard to assess, treat and admit patients and ensure that those who are well enough can leave hospital and return home as soon as possible. 

‘We have ongoing work with our local health and social care partners to support patients with the right care, in the right place, at the right time.’

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust chief operating officer Michelle Cady said: ‘We recognise the challenges we face in achieving the four-hour A&E access performance standard mainly for our Peterborough site. 

‘A board approved improvement program is in place and whilst it is still early days, we have seen significant improvements in ambulance handover times, improved journey times through the department and improvement of our time-to-initial-assessment performance.’

‘As a result, the Trust’s overall performance against the 4-hour standard in accident and emergency continue to maintain over 60% this year.’

MailOnline recently revealed that no NHS Trust in England with a major A&E department has hit goal of seeing 95 per cent of patients within four hours between January and July 2023.

Record breaking NHS staff strikes, which have delayed or cancelled almost 1million appointments or procedures, adding to the 7.6billion waiting list for elective treatment, have been partly blamed for the crisis.

Some experts have also pointed to Britain’s GPs as part of the problem, warning A&Es are overwhelmed by people left with nowhere else to turn as they can’t get an appointment with their family doctor.

For their part, GPs themselves report being overwhelmed with some family doctors now responsible for up 2,600 patients each in some areas, up from an average 1,900 in 2016.

Bed-blockers — patients trapped in hospital unable to safely be discharged due to a lack of support in the community — is another factor.

About 11,895 NHS beds were taken up by patients ‘no longer meeting the criteria to reside’ in any given day in August this year, the latest data available. 

NHS staff shortages are also contributing, with the latest data for June suggesting there are just over 125,500 full-time-equivalent vacancies in the health service, meaning roughly one in 10 NHS roles is unfilled. 

The A&E crisis is so bad the NHS effectively abandoned the 95 per cent of patients seen within four hours at the end of 2022.

Instead, trusts have been told to focus on an ‘interim goal’ of getting 76 per cent of patients seen within four hours by March next year.

But for some patients a wait of even four hours to be seen by a medic is a luxury. 

NHS data shows that in some hospitals almost one in five A&E patients had to wait over 12 hours to be seen in August. 

Nationally this figure was almost 9 per cent.  

• More than 100,000 operations and appointments may be cancelled from strike
• Walkouts will be repeated next month to coincide with Tory party conference 

By Kate Pickles Health Editor

Published: 19:57 EDT, 19 September 2023 | Updated: 02:47 EDT, 20 September 2023

Doctors have been accused of ‘going against the ethics of medicine’ to stage the most disruptive strike in NHS history today.

Junior doctors are joining forces with consultants in the first of a series of co-ordinated walkouts designed to ‘maximise disruption’.

This week’s industrial action, which began yesterday with consultants and continues until Friday with a three-day junior doctors walkout, may see more than 100,000 operations and appointments cancelled, NHS bosses warned. 

They said the ‘awful scenario’ will put patients at ‘the highest level of risk in living memory’, and affect ‘many more groups of patients who haven’t been disrupted by previous strikes’.

Many patients are experiencing second or third delays to treatment. Cancer patients could be at particular risk, with ‘some of the very sickest patients maybe suffering the most’.

This week’s industrial action may see more than 100,000 operations and appointments cancelled (Pictured, junior doctors striking in April)

And in what has been branded by the Health Secretary as a ‘politically’ motivated move, the mass walkouts will be repeated next month to coincide with Rishi Sunak‘s first Tory party conference as Prime Minister.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, 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.’ 

He added: ‘Consultants and junior doctors walking out together is the awful scenario health leaders have long feared, and now face a tough few days in their efforts to maintain patient safety, ahead of a longer, more difficult clear-up of the fallout.

‘We suspect that, despite our members preparing thoroughly in advance, we may see more than 100,000 operations and appointments cancelled this time around, taking the total to well over a million.’ 

The mass walkouts will be repeated next month to coincide with Rishi Sunak’s first Tory party conference as Prime Minister

Health leaders warned patients to expect five ‘Christmas Days’ in the next three weeks, meaning most non-emergency care has been cancelled. 

Health Secretary Steve Barclay accused the British Medical Association of ‘increasing militancy’.

Professor Karol Sikora, a leading consultant oncologist, said the coordinated strikes were ‘storing up big problems for patients in the future’. 

He added: ‘For doctors to strike is against the ethics of medicine.

‘If you miss cancer and someone goes for another two years without a diagnosis, it’s as good as leaving someone in the gutter bleeding… people will die.’

Dr Vishal Sharma, chairman of the BMA’s consultants’ committee, said staff felt forced into taking strike action, adding that while pay had been eroded, workloads had increased.

• Two-footed challenge by player in Honduran Liga Nacional injures two players
• Andre Orellana was shown a straight red card against parent club Olimpia
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!

By Dan Evans For Mailonline

Published: 08:43 EDT, 18 September 2023 | Updated: 09:35 EDT, 18 September 2023

A horror challenge in the Honduran top flight has gone viral after it left two opponents injured. 

The two-footed lunge by Marathon’s Andre Orellana came in the closing stages of his side’s 1-0 defeat to Liga Nacional leaders Olimpia.

The visitors had taken the lead just moments beforehand, and Orellana clearly allowed his frustration to get the better of him. 

The defender went flying into a tackle with opponents Carlos Pineda and German Mejia, leaving the ground before clattering into the pair with his studs showing. 

But perhaps the most shocking aspect of the incident was that Orellana is currently on loan at Marathon from Olimpia, and shared a dressing room with Pineda and Mejia last season. 

Andre Orellana can be seen flying into a two-footed lunge in the closing stages of Marathon’s 1-0 defeat to Olimpia

The referee was left with little option but to show the 21-year-old a red card, with the ferocity of the tackle undeniably dangerous.

Pineda and Mejia were left strewn on the turf as Orellana received his marching orders. 

The commentators on Deportes TVC’s broadcast of the game were initially speechless before admonishing Orellana upon seeing a replay of the incident. 

The defender clattered into both Carlos Pineda and German Mejia – who he played with for Olimpia last season – and completely missed the ball

The defender may now have some apologising to do when he return to his parent club at the end of the year.

Orellana told DIEZ: ‘The truth is I was wrong and I apologise to everyone, you are human and you learn from mistakes.

‘I think it was a play where the momentum and courage for the game overcame me, it is not correct at all. Germán Mejía told me that nothing was happening, that he loves me and that I was part of the game, that I should not lose my DNA and that I should continue working, that I have a lot to continue growing.

‘This is part of football, all that remains for me is to correct and know how to control each impulse. I have to know how to have a balance. I tell you that this will not happen again.’

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

NHS waiting lists have soared to another record high, grim data revealed today.

Around 7.68million patients in England — or one in seven people — were in the queue in July for procedures such hip and knee replacements, official figures show. 

This includes almost 390,000 patients who have waited at least one year for treatment, often in pain.

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

Health leaders warned that the service is ‘heading for even more extremely troubled times’ as winter approaches. 

England’s backlog, for procedures like hip and knee replacements, now stands at 7.68million, official figures show. It means roughly one in seven people across the country are currently stuck in the system awaiting care. This includes almost 390,000 patients who have gone a year without being treated

Separate A&E performance data for August shows emergency departments faced their busiest summer yet. There were more than 6.5million attendances in A&Es — 6,522,000 — across June, July and August . This is more than 20,000 higher than the previous record in 2019, which stood at 6,498,472

NHS England monthly performance data released today that the waiting list grew by more than 100,000 between June and July. 

The 7.68million toll marks the highest figures logged since NHS records began in August 2007 and a rise of nearly three quarters of a million (742,000) on July 2022. 

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

Rishi Sunak made cutting waiting lists one of his 2023 priorities, pledging in January that ‘lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly’.

However, he claimed that strikes across the health service were making the task ‘more challenging’.

And the NHS said today that industrial action had piled pressure on the health service, with around 900,000 appointments cancelled since strikes began in December. 

It said the true impact of walkouts is much higher, as many hospitals avoid scheduling operations for strike dates.

Junior doctors have already staged 19 days of action since March and will undertake four days of joint strike action this autumn with coordinated walkouts in England over separate days next week and into October. 

Radiographers will walk out for 24 hours from 8am on October 3, joining medics on the picket lines. The strike days also coincide with Rishi Sunak’s first Tory party conference as leader and prime minister.

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. 

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: ‘Today’s figures show that despite ongoing pressures across the NHS, including record demand for emergency care this summer, and an increase in Covid cases during July and August, NHS staff are continuing to deliver for patients.’

He added: ‘But even as we talk about a summer of record demand we have already been preparing for winter, and the improvements seen in today’s data show the hard work of staff is already paying off.

‘Alongside expanding the use of out-of-hospital care – such as more virtual ward beds – and the rollout of our winter vaccination programme, we are doing all we can to prepare ahead of what has the potential to be another challenging winter with Covid and flu.

‘As ever, the public can also play their part by getting your winter vaccines when invited and use services in the usual way – 999 in an emergency and NHS111 online for other health conditions.’

Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said: ‘Challenges including severe staff shortages, capacity constraints – including of beds and equipment – and ongoing strikes are hindering vital progress on performance targets.’

She added: ‘With more strikes on the horizon, including coordinated action between junior doctors and consultants for the first time, even greater disruption looms.’

Summer months usually offer hospitals a break ahead of the usual busy spell, when seasonal pressures like flu and norovirus typically kick in. But NHS England said this summer is ‘on trajectory to be the busiest in NHS history’. 

Separate data for A&E shows that patient care plummeted in August as emergency departments faced their busiest summer yet. 

Just under three-quarters of emergency department attendees (73 per cent) were seen within four hours in August, down from 74 per cent in July. 

NHS standards set out 95 per cent should be admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour window.

Meanwhile, 28,859 patients who sought help in emergency departments were forced to wait more than 12 hours, up from 23,934 in July.

There were more than 6.5million attendances in A&Es across June, July and August — 20,000 more than the previous record in 2019. 

Separate NHS data on ambulance figures for August however show response times improved for the third month in a row despite A&Es facing their busiest summer ever. Heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 31 minutes and 30 seconds for paramedics to arrive, shaving 20 seconds off the previous month

NHS figures on cancer waiting times showed that just six in ten (62.6 per cent) cancer patients were seen within the two-month target. NHS guidelines state 85 per cent of cancer patients should be seen within this time-frame. This target has not been met nationally since December 2015

Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the figures show that there is ”a trajectory towards a winter equally as bad as last year’s ‘worst ever’.’

He said: ‘A small wave only is needed to deepen the crisis in urgent and emergency care; well-illustrated by the hot weather last week which caused many hospitals great challenges.’

Dr Cooksley pointed to the case of a 90-year-old Harold Pedley in Blackpool, who died waiting to be seen by a doctor in a chair in an overcrowded emergency unit.

He said: ‘His case not isolated and many more will sadly have similar experiences over the next few months.

‘There is a tacit acceptance and almost normalisation of poor urgent and emergency care heading in to this winter.

‘Corridor care, overcrowded and understaffed emergency departments and acute medical units, ongoing industrial action and a target that only one in four people wait more four hours. 

‘This is an environment perfectly designed to ensure there are more patients like Mr Pedley this winter.’

He warned the NHS was ‘inevitably’ heading for ‘more extremely troubled times’, but said ‘mitigation is possible’.

He added: ‘Resolving industrial action, a stronger commitment to funding the workforce plan and a significant emergency package to support social care are essential – but the window of opportunity to do so is getting increasingly narrow.’

Separate NHS data on ambulance figures for August however show response times improved — but patients were still left waiting too long.

Heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 31 minutes and 30 seconds for paramedics to arrive, shaving 20 seconds off the previous month. 

However, this is still nearly double the NHS 18-minute target.

Ambulances took an average of eight minutes and 17 seconds to attend the most life-threatening category one calls, such as cardiac arrests. The NHS target stands at seven minutes.

Separate data shows 2.2million tests and checks were delivered in August, contributing to the busiest summer ever for diagnostics — a total 6.6million across June, July and August.

However, NHS figures on cancer waiting times showed that just six in ten cancer patients (62.6 per cent) were seen within the two-month target in July. 

NHS guidelines state 85 per cent of cancer patients should be seen within this time-frame. However, this target has not been met nationally since December 2015. 

Meanwhile, almost a quarter (74.1 per cent) of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, up from 73.5 per cent the previous month. The target is 75 per cent.

Health chiefs also blamed strike action by doctors, radiographers, nurses and other NHS workers for heaping extra pressure onto already struggling hospitals. Some 885,154 appointments and procedures have been cancelled since walkouts began in December last year, with almost 400,0000 rescheduled during June, July and August alone. Pictured, consultant members of the BMA on the picket lines outside University College London hospital in August

The decision to scrap the seven cancer targets has sparked huge backlash. The commitments being ditched include the two-week urgent referral from a GP for suspected cancer and a maximum two-week wait for breast-cancer patients to see a specialist. The NHS will now be expected to ensure 75 per cent of patients have a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days. There will also be a maximum 31-day wait for patients to start their first treatment and a 62-day target for treatment to begin after a GP referral

The proportion of cancer patients who saw a specialist within two weeks of being referred urgently by their GP fell from 80.5 per cent in June to 77.5 per cent in July, missing the 93 per cent target.

The figure is one of several cancer targets that are being discontinued from October, after the NHS vowed last month to diagnose and treat cancer patients quicker, with  ministers accepting its request to streamline performance targets.

The controversial reforms will see the number of cancer waiting time indicators that hospitals are measured against slashed from ten to three.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: ‘Today’s data is yet another snapshot of the challenges facing England’s cancer services and a message to the UK Government that things need to change. 

‘These figures are amongst the worst on record and represent anxious delays faced by patients and the immense pressure on NHS staff.

‘People affected by cancer deserve more. With strong leadership and proper funding, the UK Government has the power to put an end to these unacceptable delays for tests and treatment in England.’

It comes as data published on Tuesday also showed the number of Brits paying for private medical treatment has now hit a record high. 

Around 227,000 people in the UK sought private treatment in the first three months of 2023. 

It marks a four per cent jump on the previous record of 219,000 set in the final quarter of 2022. 

The rise in demand for paid-for care is being driven by continuing growth in insured treatments — 156,000, up from 149,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022 — as more businesses and households turn to private healthcare plans to safeguard the health of employees due to the growing difficulties in getting treatment on the NHS. 

The NHS is ‘not sufficiently resilient’ to look after patients this winter, a top doctor has warned.

Dr Adrian Boyle, Royal College of Emergency Medicine president, fears the health service could face a similar situation to last winter, described as one of the worst on record.

His comments come as Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay met with health leaders and charities in Downing Street to discuss how to keep the NHS running smoothly.

Doctors expect an influx of Covid cases, flu and other respiratory illnesses over the coming months.

Dr Boyle, who attended the meeting at No 10, said: ‘We remain concerned about how we’re going to be able to look after our patients this winter.

The NHS is ‘not sufficiently resilient’ to look after patients this winter, a top doctor has warned 

‘We still have far too many patients spending too long, waiting to be admitted into hospital. This will inevitably cause problems with ambulance handovers and also the problems with people being looked after in corridors last winter.

‘(Last winter) was extremely difficult and in terms of objective measures, it was the worst we ever saw.’

Asked if the NHS could see a repeat this winter, he said: ‘It is certainly a possibility. We still think our system is fragile and not sufficiently resilient to avoid a similar situation next winter.’

Dr Boyle said he would call for urgent action to tackle the numbers waiting for more than 12 hours in A&E. The figure in England was 23,934 in July, down 10 per cent from 26,531 in June. It hit a record 54,573 in December 2022.

The RCEM is calling for more to be done to vaccinate frontline health workers against flu and Covid.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister said: ‘This year we started planning for winter earlier than before. We invested in more beds, ambulances and discharge lounges through our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan, and we’re freeing up 15 million GP appointments through our Primary Care Recovery Plan.

‘To drive forward that progress, today we’re bringing together the best minds in healthcare who all have one shared aim – protecting patients and making sure they get the care they need this winter.’

Mr Barclay added: ‘Winter is always an extremely busy period and we’re working across the NHS to make services more resilient, ensuring those who most need help and support will get the care they need.

A group of people gather on Warren Street in London, ahead of a Support the Strikes march in solidarity with nurses, junior doctors and other NHS staff 

‘I’m working closely with NHS and social care leaders to provide additional hospital capacity, protect emergency care and harness the full potential of technology to deliver the best possible service and intensify our efforts to tackle waiting lists.’

Earlier this year, NHS England announced plans for cash incentives for hospitals who ‘over-achieve’ on performance measures such as waiting times.

It also announced plans to introduce social care ‘traffic control centres’ to help speed up hospital discharges so patients could be shipped out of hospitals when they no longer needed to be there.

Other plans include having more ambulances on the road, extra beds in hospitals and ramping up the use of ‘acute respiratory hubs’.

Sarah-Jane Marsh, NHS England’s national director of urgent and emergency care, said: ‘The forthcoming winter will be another challenging one for health and social care, which is why teams across the NHS have been planning for this busy period since the start of summer, including getting more ambulances on the road and putting more hospital and virtual ward beds in place.’

Around three-quarters of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es in July. The figure hit a record low of 65 per cent in December.

The NHS recovery plan has set a target of March 2024 for 76 per cent of patients attending A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Meanwhile, a record 7.6 million people are waiting for treatment in England.

From over-the-top frocks, clashing patterns and X-rated looks, the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were filled with a slew of fashion fails.

Some of music’s biggest names attended the event, which took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Tuesday, but many failed to deliver as far as fashion was concerned.  

Rapper Nicki Minaj, 40, model Emily Ratajkowski, 32, and singer Saweetie, 30, were among those who sported strange looks for the night. 

Minaj opted for a bizarre bubblegum pink bridal gown with a bustier bodice and a see-through bottom, as well as a matching lace veil over her face. 

Nicki’s blushing bride look was created by Dolce & Gabbana, and the star later wore it onstage while performing her hosting duties. Minaj also matched her pastel pink eyeshadow to her dress.

Meanwhile Ratajkowski chose a beachy looking halter wrap-around gown that showed off her toned midriff and featured a clashing bottom pattern. 

Emily gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of strapped heels and kept her essentials in a small sparkling black handbag.

She styled her glossy chestnut tresses in bouncy waves and wore picture-perfect glam.

Saweetie channeled the classic cartoon, The Flintstones, donning a glittering, pastel pink sequin gown with a large white bone embellishments on the neck and waist. 

The gown came from Area’s Fall/Winter 2023 couture runway. Small cutouts could be seen on each side of the sleeveless gown that contained a hem that fell down to brush the ground.

She slipped into a pair of open-toed, strappy heels and opted to slick back her dark locks into a ponytail, while loose strands were styled into waves that gently fell onto her forehead.

She accessorized her look for the special evening by wearing a pair of flashy, silver-hooped earrings as well as a chunky ring on her left hand.

The performer – whose real name is Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper – opted for glammed up makeup for the event.

The My Type singer showed off voluminous lashes as well as a pink, smoky shadow around her eyes to coincide with the color scheme of her outfit.

A pink blush and glowy highlighter was added to better accentuate her cheekbones, while a nude-colored, glossy tint was worn on her lips and bordered by a darker lipliner.

Pink bride: Minaj opted for a bizarre bubblegum pink bridal gown with a bustier bodice and a see-through bottom

Interesting choice: The Dolce & Gabbana look also featured a matching lace veil over her face

Barbie pink: Minaj also matched her pastel pink eyeshadow to her dress

Heading to the beach? Ratajkowski chose a beachy looking halter wrap-around gown that showed off her toned midriff and featured a clashing bottom pattern

Backless: She styled her glossy chestnut tresses in bouncy waves and wore picture-perfect glam

Sheer madness: The bright green top of the dress was sheer 

Flintstones: Saweetie channeled the classic cartoon, The Flintstones, donning a glittering, pastel pink sequin gown with a large white bone embellishments on the neck

Bone to pick: At one point she was pictured pretending to lick the bone 

Rapper and singer Doechii, 25, left heads scratching in a very revealing and mismatched outfit.

She wore a barely-there black and white dress, which was held together on the sides with a thin strap of material showing off plenty of sideboob.

The musician paired the ensemble with a red and white baseball cap, to which she also added grey and white arm warmers.

Though Brazilian singer Anitta, 30, usually doesn’t miss, her outfit at the event left much to be desired.

The star wore a two-toned Schiaparelli dress with a large key-hole cut-out in the middle, showing off her toned abs.

She paired the ensemble with bright dangling neon earrings that were yellow and red, as well as a black headband.

Colombian singer Karol G, 32, left almost nothing to the imagination and went totally sheer in a cream lace gown. She topped off the look with a shaggy cream coat that dragged behind her, and wore pastel pink hair.

Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes, 35, also failed to wow, wearing an oddly-fitting white tuxedo/dress over a cream turtleneck sweater. 

The actor paired the outfit with chunky black boots.

Red carpet or sporting event? Rapper and singer Doechii, 25, left heads scratching in a very revealing and mismatched outfit. She wore a revealing dress, held together on the sides with a thin strap of material and showing off plenty of sideboob 

Confusing combination: The musician paired the ensemble with a red and white baseball cap, to which she also added grey and white arm warmers

A lot going on: Brazilian singer Anitta, 30, wore a two-toned Schiaparelli dress with a large key-hole cut-out in the middle

Neon: She paired the ensemble with bright dangling neon earrings that were yellow and red, as well as a black headband

Baring it all: Colombian singer Karol G, 32, left almost nothing to the imagination and went totally sheer in a cream lace gown

Shaggy look: She topped off the look with a shaggy cream coat that dragged behind her, and wore pastel pink hair

Another fashion fail of the night was Doja Cat, who left almost nothing to the imagination in a flesh-flashing spiderweb dress.

Taking things up a notch, the Grammy Award-winner, 27, decided to go braless beneath the tattered see-through garment.

The only thing protecting the LA native’s modesty was a tiny nude thong that was just barely visible through the webs.

She battled it out with Tinashe, who also threw all caution to the wind as she stepped onto the red carpet in a sparkling black netted dress.

Instead of opting for pasties or a thong, the 30-year-old used shiny black body tape to x-out her nipples and ran a strip of the tape over her private area.

She oozed confidence in the barely-there dress, which she styled with sky-high back patent leather heels.

The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) is being held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

The show is hosted by rap royalty Nicki, marking her second consecutive year in the role. It is the first time the ceremony has been held on a Tuesday.

Airing live in more than 150 countries, the global fan-filled spectacle honors the best music videos of the past year with unforgettable performances, epic tributes and show-stopping appearances from music’s biggest stars.

A new award category has been introduced this year titled ‘Show of the Summer’ that will be decided upon entirely by fans.

Latin superstar Shakira is set to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, with hip-hop icon Diddy receiving the Global Icon Award.

Spooky: Another fashion fail of the night was Doja Cat, who left almost nothing to the imagination in a flesh-flashing spiderweb dress

Baring it all: Taking things up a notch, the Grammy Award-winner, 27, decided to go braless beneath the tattered see-through garment

See-through: She battled it out with Tinashe, who also threw all caution to the wind as she stepped onto the red carpet in a sparkling black netted dress

Daring: Instead of opting for pasties or a thong, the 30-year-old used shiny black body tape to x-out her nipples and ran a strip of the tape over her private area

Ill-fitting: Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes, 35, also failed to wow, wearing an oddly-fitting white tuxedo/dress over a cream turtleneck sweater

Suit or dress: Colton twirled in his unique outfit as he posed on the pink carpet 

This year, the entire list of Artist of the Year contenders is comprised solely of female artists for the first time ever with megastar Taylor Swift leading the pack with the most nominations.

Taylor already holds the record for most wins ever with three for Bad Blood (2015), You Need To Calm Down (2019), and All Too Well: The Short Film (2022) so she would extend the record to four. 

A staggering 35 artists are nominated for the first time this year, with Kim Petras making the shortlist for five prizes.

The nods all come from her Sam Smith collaboration Unholy, in the Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Direction, Best Visual Effects and Best Choreography categories.

In addition, newcomers Metro Boomin and Rema are up for three awards each, while Ayra Starr, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Renee Rapp and Yung Miami are all in the running for two accolades.

As well as Kim, established stars Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith are all up for five prizes, while BLACKPINK, Shakira and Diddy have the chance to take up to four trophies home with them.

MTV Video Music Awards 2023: WINNERS

 Video of the Year

Doja Cat – ‘Attention’ 

Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’ 

Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ 

Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’

SZA – ‘Kill Bill’ 

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)

Taylor Swift won Video Of The Year for her song Anti-Hero, which she directed

 

Artist of the Year:

Beyoncé

Doja Cat

KAROL G 

Nicki Minaj

Shakira

Taylor Swift (WINNER)

 

Song of the Year:

Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ 

Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’ 

Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’

Steve Lacy – ‘Bad Habit’

SZA – ‘Kill Bill’

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)

 

Best New Artist:

GloRilla

Ice Spice (WINNER)

Kaliii

Peso Pluma

PinkPantheress 

Reneé Rapp

 

Push Performance of the Year:

August 2022: Saucy Santana – ‘Booty’

September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – ‘Until I Found You’ 

October 2022: JVKE – ‘golden hour’

November 2022: Flo Milli – ‘Conceited’

December 2022: Reneé Rapp – ‘Colorado’

January 2023: Sam Ryder – ‘All The Way Over’

February 2023: Armani White – ‘GOATED’

March 2023: FLETCHER – ‘Becky’s So Hot’

April 2023: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ (WINNER)

May 2023: Ice Spice – ‘Princess Diana’

June 2023: FLO – ‘Losing You’ 

July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith – ‘That Part’

 

Best Collaboration:

David Guetta + Bebe Rexha – ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ 

Post Malone, Doja Cat – ‘I Like You (A Happier Song)’ 

Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – ‘Gotta Move On’ 

KAROL G, Shakira – ‘TQG’ (WINNER)

Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’

Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’ 

Shakira and Karol G took home ‘Best Collaboration’ for their hit ‘TQG’

 

Best Pop:

Demi Lovato – ‘Swine’

Dua Lipa – ‘Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)’ 

Ed Sheeran – ‘Eyes Closed’

Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’ 

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ 

P!NK – ‘TRUSTFALL’ 

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)

 

Best Hip-Hop:

Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – ‘Gotta Move On’

DJ Khaled ft. Drake + Lil Baby – ‘STAYING ALIVE’ 

GloRilla + Cardi B – ‘Tomorrow 2’

Lil Uzi Vert – ‘Just Wanna Rock’ 

Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz + DMX – ‘Kant Nobody’

Metro Boomin ft Future – ‘Superhero (Heroes and Villains)’ 

Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’ (WINNER)

Nicki Minaj won the ‘Best Hip-Hip’ gong for her ‘Super Freaky Girl’ music video

 

Best R+B:

Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – ‘Stay’ 

Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – ‘How Does It Feel’

Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’

SZA – ‘Shirt’

Toosii – ‘Favorite Song’

Yung Bleu + Nicki Minaj – ‘Love In The Way’

 

Best Alternative:

blink-182 – ‘EDGING’ 

boygenius – ‘the film’ 

Fall Out Boy – ‘Hold Me Like A Grudge’

Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – ‘Candy Necklace’ (WINNER)

Paramore – ‘This Is Why’

Thirty Seconds To Mars – ‘Stuck’ 

 

Best Rock:

Foo Fighters – ‘The Teacher’

Linkin Park – ‘Lost (Original Version)’

Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Tippa My Tongue’

Måneskin – ‘THE LONELIEST’ (WINNER)

Metallica – ‘Lux Æterna’

Muse – ‘You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween’

 

Best Latin:

Anitta – ‘Funk Rave’ (WINNER)

Bad Bunny – ‘WHERE SHE GOES’

Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – ‘Ella Baila Sola’ 

KAROL G, Shakira – ‘TQG’ 

ROSALÍA – ‘DESPECHÁ’ 

Shakira – ‘Acróstico’

Anitta took home the Best Latin award for ‘Funk Rave’

 

Group of the Year:

Blackpink – (WINNER)

Fifty Fifty

FLO

Jonas Brothers

Måneskin

NewJeans

Seventeen

Tomorrow x Together

 

Album of the Year:

Beyoncé – Renaissance

Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss

Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains

Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation

SZA – SOS

Taylor Swift – Midnights (WINNER)

 

Video Vanguard Award: Shakira (WINNER)

Shakira was this year’s Video Vanguard Award recipient

Best K-Pop:

aespa – ‘Girls’ 

BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’ 

FIFTY FIFTY – ‘Cupid’

SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’ 

Stray Kids – ‘S-Class’ (WINNER)

TOMORROW X TOGETHER – ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ 

 

Best Afrobeats:

Ayra Starr – ‘Rush’

Burna Boy – ‘It’s Plenty’ 

Davido ft. Musa Keys – ‘UNAVAILABLE’

Fireboy DML + Asake – ‘Bandana’ 

Libianca – ‘People’

Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’ (WINNER) 

Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– ‘2 Sugar’ 

Rema and Selena Gomez won Best Afrobeats video for their collaborative track ‘Calm Down’

 

Video for Good:

Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)

Bad Bunny – ‘El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente’

Demi Lovato – ‘Swine’ 

Dove Cameron – ‘Breakfast’ (WINNER)

Imagine Dragons – ‘Crushed’

Maluma – ‘La Reina’ 

 

Best Direction:

Doja Cat – ‘Attention’ – – Directed by Tanu Muiño

Drake – ‘Falling Back’ – Director X (Julien Christian Lutz)

Kendrick Lamar – ‘Count Me Out’ – Directed by Dave Free + Kendrick Lamar 

Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’ – Directed by Colin Tilley

Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Directed by Floria Sigismondi

SZA – ‘Kill Bill’  – Directed by Christian Breslauer

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Directed by Taylor Swift (WINNER)

Taylor Swift won Best Direction for her song ‘Anti-Hero’

 

Best Cinematography:

Adele – ‘I Drink Wine’  – Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra

Ed Sheeran – ‘Eyes Closed’ – Cinematography by Natasha Baier

Janelle Monae – ‘Lipstick Lover’  – Cinematography by Allison Anderson

Kendrick Lamar – ‘Count Me Out’ – Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra

Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’ – Cinematography by Marcell Rev

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ – Cinematography by Russ Fraser

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’  – Cinematography by Rina Yang (WINNER)

 

Best Visual Effects:

Fall Out Boy – ‘Love From The Other Side’ – Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner

Harry Styles – ‘Music For A Sushi Restaurant’  – Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios

Melanie Martinez – ‘VOID’  – Visual Effects by Carbon

Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’ – Visual Effects by Max Colt and Sergio Mashevskyi

Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Visual Effects by Parliament (WINNER)

 

Best Choreography:

BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’  – Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX) (WINNER)

Dua Lipa – ‘Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)’ – Choreography by Charm LaDonna

Jonas Brothers – ‘Waffle House’ – Choreography by Jerry Reece

Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’ –- Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Panic! At The Disco – ‘Middle Of A Breakup’ – Choreography by Monika Felice Smith

Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel

 

Best Art Direction:

boygenius – ‘the film’ – Art Direction by Jen Dunlap

BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom – Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)

Doja Cat – ‘Attention’ – Art Direction by Spencer Graves (WINNER)

Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – ‘Candy Necklace’ – Art Direction by Brandon Mendez

Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’  – Art Direction by Niko Philipides

SZA – ‘Shirt’ – Art Direction by Kate Bunch

 

Best Editing:

BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’ – Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)

Kendrick Lamar – ‘Rich Spirit’ – Edited by Grason Caldwell

Miley Cyrus – ‘River’ – Edited by Brandan Walter

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ – Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel (WINNER)

SZA – ‘Kill Bill’ – Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert

Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Edited by Chancler Haynes

The music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s hit ‘Vampire’ took home the Best Editing award

 

Song of the Summer:

Beyoncé – ‘Cuff It’

Billie Eilish – ‘What Was I Made For?’ (From The Motion Picture Barbie)

Doja Cat – ‘Paint the Town Red’

Doechii featuring Kodak Black – ‘What It Is (Block Boy)’

Dua Lipa – ‘Dance the Night’ (From the Barbie Album)

Fifty Fifty – ‘Cupid’

Gunna – ‘Fukumean’

Jung Kook featuring Latto – ‘Seven’ (WINNER)

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – ‘Barbie World’ (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Vampire’

SZA – ‘Kill Bill’

Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice – ‘Karma’

Tomorrow X Together and Jonas Brothers – ‘Do It Like That’

Luke Combs – ‘Fast Car’

Troye Sivan – ‘Rush’

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – ‘La Bebe’ (Remix)

Show of the Summer:

Beyoncé

Blackpink

Drake

Ed Sheeran

Karol G

Taylor Swift (WINNER)

 

Global Icon Award: Diddy (WINNER) 

Diddy received the Global Icon Award

Drivers have rated the M5 the best motorway in England for 2023 – and the A303 the best road.

The accolades come from a new satisfaction survey of motorways and major roads by independent watchdog Transport Focus, with the M40 – which links London and Birmingham – ranked the No.2 motorway and the A30, which runs from London to Land’s End, the second-best road.

The M6 is declared England’s worst motorway and the A27 comes bottom of the entire list, with an overall satisfaction score of 59 per cent.

The study quizzed more than 9,000 users about their last journey on a motorway or major ‘A’ road managed by National Highways, with those polled asked to rate their journey times, the management of roadworks, surface quality, how safe they felt, the quality of the permanent signage and the electronic signs.

The top-rated M5, which connects the Midlands with the South West, has an overall satisfaction score of 82 per cent, thanks to road users being satisfied with their journey time, the traffic flow and the road not being too busy during their journey, Transport Focus said.

Drivers have rated the M5, above, the best motorway in England for 2023

One driver said of the M5: ‘Clear road, and signage was clear for roadworks that were taking place.’

Commenting on the silver-medal-winning M40, one driver said: ‘Traffic not too heavy, road in good condition.’

The A303, which runs from Basingstoke in Hampshire and takes drivers past Stonehenge and on to Honiton in Devon, receives an overall satisfaction score of 85 per cent, the highest in the table.

One driver said: ‘Great road. Not much traffic. Beautiful scenery. Stop off points. No delays.’

Despite running through some of the most picturesque scenery in the land in Cumbria, the M6 – the UK’s longest motorway – receives an overall satisfaction rating of 66 per cent, far below that of the M5.

The A303, which runs from Basingstoke in Hampshire and takes drivers past Stonehenge (above) and on to Devon, receives the highest satisfaction rating in the Transport Focus ranking for motorways and A roads

One driver using the M6 said: ‘Terrible tarmac conditions in places, matrix signs not up to date, unwarranted smart motorway speed limits.’

The bottom-ranked A27, meanwhile, which runs from Wiltshire to East Sussex, was slated by one driver for harbouring huge amounts of rubbish in the verges.

They said: ‘The trip was fine. What is such a shame is the amount of rubbish on the sides of the roads. I have travelled on this road for nearly 30 years and the amount of rubbish in the past few years has got much worse. They used to pick up rubbish – what has happened?’

The A12, which runs from London to Lowestoft in Suffolk, ranks second from last in the table with an overall satisfaction score of 61 per cent. One driver describes its surface as ‘terrible’.

Despite running through some of the most picturesque scenery in the land in Cumbria (above), the M6 has been declared England’s worst motorway

The bottom-ranked A27 (above), which runs from Wiltshire to East Sussex, was slated by one driver for harbouring huge amounts of rubbish in the verges

Transport Focus said that overall, 73 per cent of road users were satisfied with their last motorway or major ‘A’ road journey, an improvement on last year’s 69 per cent – and that journeys on smart motorways had lower levels of satisfaction with road users than those that did not include a smart section (smart 69 per cent, not smart 76 per cent).

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said: ‘England’s motorways and “A” roads are at the heart of how many of us move around the country. It’s good to see the M5 and M40 perform well.

‘As the so-called backbone of Britain, the M6 is a vital route which National Highways must continue to focus on, [to] deliver safe, smooth journeys. We’ll continue to keep pushing National Highways to improve these issues.’

Thousands of people on Tenerife have been evacuated as the worst wildfires in 40 years rage ‘out of control’ with ash turning the sea black.

The blaze broke out in a mountainous national park on the Spanish isrland on Wednesday and spread to 4,450 acres in 24 hours as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze amid difficult terrain conditions.

With the smoke visible from space, it has affected some 7,600 people who have either been evacuated or confined, with a top tourist area being closed off.

Regional president Fernando Clavijo said some 250 firefighters and members of the Spanish army are tackling the blaze, located in the north of the island, where the fire’s perimeter expanded to 19 miles of dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines near the Mount Teide volcano – Spain‘s highest peak.

A waterbombing seaplane arrived on Wednesday afternoon from the mainland and two others were expected on Thursday morning. 

‘The fire is out of control… the outlook is not positive,’ Clavijo told an evening news conference in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz.

‘Our goal for tonight is defensive, so that the fire does not continue its advance. We will carry out operations to protect residents’ property,’ he added.

Tenerife wildfires are burning ‘out of control’ forcing officials to close off a top tourist area and evacuate more villages and holiday homes. Pictured: Firefighters work to extinguish the forest fire burning across the hills of the Canary Island of Tenerife

The blaze broke out in a mountainous national park on the Spanish island on Wednesday and spread to 4,450 acres in 24 hours as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze amid difficult terrain conditions. Pictured: Smoke is seen rising from the hills on the Spanish island

The fire’s perimeter expanded to 14 miles of dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines near the Mount Teide volcano – Spain’s highest peak – hampering access to the area

Pictured: A Satellite image shows smoke rising from the island on Wednesday

Pictured: Maps show the progression of the fire, with the first image showing hotspots on the Spanish island early on Wednesday, while the final map shows hotspots on Thursday morning, demonstrating the rapid spread of the fire across the inland region of Tenerife

Apocalyptic video footage – which has become increasingly common across Europe in recent summers – showed huge flames tearing through woodland.

One clip showed that ash from the inferno had turned the sea black in parts of the island. Footage shot at the holiday resort of Las Caletillas on Tenerife’s north-east coast showed the water covered by a layer of ash. 

A local who filmed the distressing images said: ‘Here you can appreciate the hell we’re experiencing. ‘The water is literally black from ash in Caletillas.’

Another picture taken from the coastline at Candelaria which Las Caletillas is part of showed a line of ash from the devastating forest fire snaking through the ocean. 

Clavijo described the fires as ‘probably the most complex in the Canary Islands in the last 40 years’.

Vicky Palma, a wildfire adviser to the Tenerife council, told Canarias Radio the expected drop in temperatures at night to around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) would likely increase the strength of winds in the area.

She said: ‘We’re seeing a type of fire we’ve never seen before in the Canary Islands. ‘The fire has been generating convection in the 34 hours it has been burning. 

‘The column of flames has been three and six kilometres high, even at night-time. ‘What’s in the sky between the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz and the city of La Laguna is not cloud, it’s the smoke from the fire. 

‘This generates its own meteorological conditions and affects nearby places.’ 

She added: ‘With the meteorological conditions we have today we believe this convection could continue repeating itself throughout the day and cause problems.’ 

Firefighters are also facing the problem of hot ash from the main areas that are ablaze being transported by wind and causing smaller new fires which they fear could end up trapping emergency responders. 

Footage from the island of Tenerife shows that the water on the coast has turned black in some places as ash from the wildfire falls into the ocean

The island’s emergency services chief Pedro Martinez said: ‘We don’t rule out that tomorrow we’ll again see intense fire activity.’

Rosa Davila, head of the Tenerife council, said all access to the mountains on the island, including tourist-favourite Mount Teide, has been closed off. 

‘We are doing this to prevent any incidents,’ she said.

Canarias Radio said some 150 people have been evacuated so far from half a dozen villages in the sparsely populated area in the island’s northeast, made up mostly of farms and holiday homes.

The villages of Arrate, Chivisaya, Media Montana, Ajafona and Las Lagunetas were evacuated on Wednesday morning as a precaution because of thick smoke.

Local authorities have cut off roads leading to the mountains on the northeastern part of the island.

‘We ask that the population respect all these cuts,’ said the head of the archipelago’s civil protection service, Montserrat Roman. 

 A dog shelter said it had preventively evacuated some of its most vulnerable dogs and those with respiratory problems so that they would not be affected by the smoke.

Tenerife’s two airports were operating normally, the public broadcaster added, citing Spanish airport operator Aena.

Last week, a heatwave in the Canary Islands left many areas bone dry, heightening the risk of wildfires.

This summer, firefighters have extinguished a series of forest fires on the islands of Gran Canaria and La Palma, which form part of the Canary Islands archipelago.

Europe is battling the effects of scorching temperatures reaching worrying levels globally, made worse by climate change.

People watch as trees burn in a forest fire in La Esperanza on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, August 17

A car is seen driving down a road while in the background, smoke is seen rising from the hills of Tenerife on Wednesday

Authorities deployed 14 aircraft and a combined 250 firefighters and military personnel. A waterbombing seaplane arrived on Wednesday afternoon from the mainland and two others were expected on Thursday morning

Smoke and flames are seen in the trees behind houses on the island of Tenerife

A helicopter dumps water on a forest fire in Candelaria on the island of Tenerife, August 16

The Tenerife fire comes a day after another blaze ravaged homes and holiday campsites in a British tourist hotspot in France, forcing the evacuation of 3,000.

The blazing wildfires ripped through 50 hectares of land and saw thousands of terrified tourists flee for their lives from their holiday homes and campsites in the popular holiday region of Pyrenees-Orientales, southern France.

Britons have told how panicked families who had quickly packed their belongings and fled campsites in the commune of Saint-Andre in their cars became trapped in traffic jams after they realised they were in fact heading towards the quickly expanding flames of the wildfire. 

Zak Dhabalia, 55, a retired British hedge fund manager who lives in the nearby village of Sorede and saw the flames come perilously close to his home, said it was an ‘extraordinary and terrifying experience for us all’.

Dhabalia, who lives with his French wife Sylvie Dhabalia, told MailOnline it was ‘terrifying’ to see how quickly the wildfire spread across the vineyards towards the campsites which were gutted by the flames, adding that he could hear gas canisters exploding at the site.

Harrowing photographs showed the extent of the damage caused by the wildfires, with the gutted remains of homes seen in Saint-Andre. 

Cars were incinerated and a campsite was destroyed by the blaze. 

A firefighter works in the hills of Tenerife to extinguish the flames that are spreading

A man watches the flames from inside a vehicle in a forest fire in Candelaria on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, August 16

Pine trees burn in a forest fire in Candelaria on the island of Tenerife, August 16

Police officers watch the flames spread on a forest fire in Candelaria on the island of Tenerife

Bordering on Spain, the Pyrenees-Orientales region has been affected worse than any other French region by a devastating drought. 

Last week, firefighters battled another wildfire near the southwestern city of Bordeaux that forced around 8,000 people to flee their homes and holiday villas.

Authorities in Spain’s northern Basque Country region said France had stopped freight trucks from crossing the border at Irun due to the fire.

Elsewhere in Europe, Greece, Italy, Algeria and Tunisia combined lost more than 1,350 square kilometers (520 square miles) to blazes that affected 120,000 people in late July, according to European Union estimates.

Last week, a series of wildfires ripped through Portugal and neighbouring Spain as temperatures soared to over 44C, forcing the evacuation of thousands of holidaymakers from villages and campsites. 

The popular holiday island of Rhodes – known for its sparkling beeches and ancient Greek sites – was also ravaged by wildfires for 11 days last month. 

After thousands of people were evacuated during the height of travel season, Rhodes is weighing how the crisis will affect its vital tourism sector, which fuels most of its economy and some 20 per cent of Greece’s.

It’s the same for other Mediterranean destinations such as Italy and Spain, where the tourism sector is also being hit by heat waves and wildfires.

Climate scientists say heat waves are more intense, more frequent and longer because of climate change — and coupled with droughts have made wildfires harder to fight.

They say climate change will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

‘Climate change kills,’ Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said last month during a visit to the Extremadura region, the site of three major blazes. ‘It kills people, it kills our ecosystems and biodiversity.’ 

Southern European countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers, but hotter temperatures are pushing severe wildfire risk north, with Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic among those hit this season. 

In stark contrast to the wildfires seen in France, Spain, Greece, Croatia and southern Italy in recent weeks, northern Italy and Scandinavia have been hit by devastating floods and storms.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a devastating fire ripped through a historic town on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

In this picture taken from the village of Arafo on August 16 smoke columns rise from a wildfire in a forested area of the Guimar valley on the Canary island of Tenerife

Smoke is seen rising high into the sky from the village of Arafo, August 16

Firefighters watch as flames burn through an area of forest on the island of Tenerife

At least 110 people died when the inferno levelled Lahaina last week on the idyllic island, with some residents not aware their town was at risk until they saw flames for themselves.

Criticism there has swelled since the disaster, with survivors complaining there were no official warnings, with the mobile phone networks and electricity supply knocked out, limiting the channels by which alerts are usually delivered. 

Only a handful of bodies recovered from Lahaina have been identified so far, two of whom were named by Maui County officials as Robert Dyckman, 74, and 79-year-old Buddy Jantoc, both from Lahaina.

Experts in forensic pathology, some of whom worked in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, have flown to Maui, as efforts are stepped up to identify remains.

For three years in a row, Bamburgh has been named the UK’s best seaside town in an annual ranking by Which? – with the Northumberland village scoring an impressive 88 per cent in this year’s survey.

The Lincolnshire beach resort of Skegness, meanwhile, has floundered at the bottom of the table for the past four years running, this year tying for last place with Clacton-on-Sea with a dismal score of 48 per cent.

But what is the difference between the best and the worst? And is the worst really that bad? I’m holidaying in both Bamburgh and Skegness, along with a friend, to find out. 

In the former, there are ‘magical’ views and a ‘knockout’ beach, but some surprisingly high prices. While in the latter, there are shots of Jagermeister in the morning, littered cigarette butts – but an impressive bounty of amusements. Read on for more…

SKEGNESS

For three years in a row, Bamburgh has been named the UK’s best seaside town in an annual ranking by Which? – while Skegness (above) has ranked bottom for four years running

Ailbhe MacMahon holidays in both Skegness and Bamburgh to find out what the difference is between the best and the worst seaside resorts – and whether the worst is really that bad. She’s pictured above on Skegness’s Blue Flag beach

BEACHES AND SEAFRONT

Skegness’ Blue Flag beach is huge, sandy and a clear hit with families, who have heaps of room to spread out and throw down their picnics, buckets and spades. We see a pair of detectorists scouring the sand, a paraglider floating overhead and children bodyboarding in the sea. Some empty cups and crushed McDonald’s packaging are littered here and there on the sand on Saturday afternoon, but by Sunday morning it’s cleaned up and the beach is spotless.

The pier itself – which dates back to 1881 – is pretty, festooned with fairy lights and with old-timey writing spelling out ‘Skegness’. And it’s about to get an ambitious makeover. A noticeboard unveils plans to turn it into ‘an exciting and educational visitor attraction’ with ‘stylish glass dome shelters’ and pockets of greenery.

FOOD AND DRINK

Ailbhe has an ‘excellent’ Italian dinner at Tarantino Restaurant in Skegness. It’s pictured above at the end of the night 

A handful of stalls, such as Charlie’s Shellfish and Coffee Bar, sell fresh shellfish. Dressed crab and tubs of mussels are priced at just a few quid 

Around the seafront there’s stall upon stall selling doughnuts, ice creams and booze-infused slushies, while the smell of fish and chips wafts from the cafes. On first impressions, everything seems sugar-coated or deep-fried, but a handful of stalls sell fresh shellfish too – dressed crab and tubs of mussels for just a few quid.

And a star turn comes in the form of Tarantino Restaurant, the town’s Italian eatery. It’s packed on Saturday evening, but we manage to get a table and have an excellent dinner – truffle arancini (£5.90) and calamari (£8.90) to share, with tricolore salad (£7.90) for mains and a lovely bottle of Sicilian Miral Nero d’Avola (£22.50).

ACCOMMODATION

Ailbhe spends £99 on a ‘clean and comfortable’ room at the Savoy hotel near the seafront 

Our berths are at the Savoy hotel on North Parade, a handy spot a few minutes from the seafront. It costs £99 to book through Booking.com. 

The welcoming staff let us check in early and while the room itself has no frills, it’s clean and comfortable.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Ailbhe says that Skegness is ‘chock-a-block with attractions’. Image three shows the ‘Upside Down House’ amusement 

A map in the centre of town is supposed to outline the town’s highlights, but it’s been partially torn away – although a sign in its place assures that a ‘new map is coming soon’.

It doesn’t matter, as it’s easy to see that Skegness – or Skeg Vegas as it’s nicknamed – is chock-a-block with attractions, starting with the endless arcades and bingo halls. There’s an ‘Upside Down House’, several mini golf courses, pedalos for hire and the Altitude44 climbing course, which bills itself as ‘the UK’s tallest urban ropes course’. At the heart of the seafront is the Skegness Pleasure Beach theme park, home to candy-coloured dodgems, a Ferris wheel, a ghost train, and more. It’s a kind of paradise for kids.

Our visit coincides with the annual SO Festival, which sees open-air plays hosted in Tower Gardens and performers taking to the streets.

A handful of historic sites take you back to Skegness’s Victorian heyday, from the neo-Gothic clocktower to the fountain crowned by the town’s ‘Jolly Fisherman’ mascot, who had a starring role in a 1908 advert with the now-iconic slogan ‘Skegness is SO bracing’.

The standard of evening entertainment is more of a grey area. I ask a bartender if she has any tips for where to go on a Saturday night in the town, and she recommends a bar called ‘Busters’. When I ask her if it’s any good, she shrugs and replies that ‘it is what it is, it’s Skeggie’.

SCENERY

Skegness Beach is at its most scenic when you wander south, away from the ruckus of the fairground rides towards the quiet of the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve

The town is a peculiar mishmash of Victorian heritage and rainbow-coloured shops selling bucket hats and vapes. It isn’t the prettiest but there’s a kitschy charm to it.

Sitting on the beach, the main view is of the Lincs Offshore Wind Farm 8km (five miles) off the coast. Some may find the wind turbines an eyesore but they’re impressive – signage on the beach informs bathers that they can ‘meet the annual electricity needs of more than 300,000 households’.

The beach is at its most scenic when you wander south, away from the ruckus of the fairground rides towards the quiet of the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, where skylarks, waders and brent geese can be spotted, depending on the season.

SHOPPING

If you’re looking for a bargain, there’s a bundle of charity shops and stalls selling trinkets and seaside staples. In one shop, I’m tempted by a feather-trimmed cowboy hat, while another has some strange hyper-realistic dolls on display, which seem to stop passersby in their tracks.

PEACE AND QUIET

‘While it’s busy in the daytime, it’s quieter than expected on a Saturday night, and actually quite peaceful and empty on Sunday morning,’ says Ailbhe 

There’s a stag party doing shots of Jagermeister on our train at 9.30 in the morning. When a hen do boards they convince the bride-to-be to do a shot with them. They then announce that everyone should avoid the train toilet because one of their group ‘dropped his guts’ in there. It seems like a bad omen for the rest of the trip.

But when we get to the town, the hen and stag parties trickle off into the bars, and holidaying families and pensioners are the ones that fill the streets. While it’s busy in the daytime, it’s quieter than expected on a Saturday night, and actually quite peaceful and empty on Sunday morning.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Lunch deals on display at Ocean Cafe near the seafront. Kids’ meals, in some restaurants, are priced at as little as £2.30, Ailbhe finds 

Ailbhe writes: ‘Skegness is a good shout for a budget beach break’

Skegness is a good shout for a budget beach break. I see uber-cheap pints for £3.50. You could easily get lunch for under a fiver – there are places selling haddock and chips for £4.50 and egg baps for £2.20. For dessert, you could get a 99 ice cream with all the trimmings for around £2.

And the pricing takes into account the variety of holidaymakers who love Skegness. One place advertises a ‘senior citizen special’ – cod or haddock with chips, bread and butter, and a cup of tea for £6.99. Kids’ meals, in some restaurants, are priced at as little as £2.30.

TRANSPORT

It’s no hassle to get there by train. LNER takes us from London’s King’s Cross station to the town of Grantham, before we change on to one of the relatively frequent East Midlands Railway trains to Skegness. The view from the window seat is picturesque as you near the coast, cutting past a sprawl of green Lincolnshire fields and the chocolate-box Heckington Windmill.

OVERALL VERDICT

A local tells Ailbhe that ‘lots of people knock [Skegness]’ but that it can be ‘lovely’ 

The flashy attractions and sugar-loaded snacks at every turn make the place a sensory overload, but that’s part of its charm. It’s not for everyone but it’s a winning recipe for many, with Skegness welcoming 2.3million visitors a year. The holidaymakers I see there seem to be having a blast.

A waitress at a cafe in the town tells me that ‘lots of people knock [Skegness]’ but that it can be ‘lovely’ when it’s quiet. ‘Everyone is really friendly,’ she adds.

There seems to be a problem with littering and parts of the town look a little run down. I see lots of cigarette butts scattered along the streets, for instance. If a little TLC was injected into the town – and visitors took more care to pick up their rubbish – Skegness could be restored to its glory days. Perhaps the restoration of the pier will herald a turning point.

While waiting for a table at Tarantino Restaurant, I get speaking to another first-time visitor in Skegness. I ask her what she thinks of the town, and she describes it as a ‘strange little place’. In her words, it’s ‘bizarre and excellent at the same time’. I second that.

SCORES OUT OF FIVE: Beaches and seafront – 3. Food and drink – 3. Accommodation – 3. Tourist attractions and entertainment – 5. Scenery – 2. Shopping – 3. Peace and quiet – 2. Value for money – 4. Transport – 5. Overall score – 66 per cent.

BAMBURGH

Northumberland village Bamburgh scored an impressive 88 per cent in this year’s Which? survey

Pictured left is Ailbhe on Bamburgh’s beach. Bamburgh Castle – described by one local as the ‘best sandcastle in England’ – is in the background. The beach gets five stars in this year’s Which? survey

BEACHES AND SEAFRONT

I’m not surprised Bamburgh’s beach gets five stars in the Which? survey – it’s a knockout. There’s no litter. The sand is pale gold and soft underfoot – almost tropical. The water is clear and a shade of blue that you rarely see in the UK. A barista in the village tells me that she believes it’s the area’s water quality that makes Bamburgh (pronounced ‘bam buh ruh’) so popular.

I see clusters of families paddling in the sea and building sandcastles, but the beach is so vast and long that it could never feel crowded.

The cherry on top is the sight of Bamburgh Castle – built atop a mammoth heft of rock – looming over the beach. I chat with one local woman who describes it as the ‘best sandcastle in England’.

FOOD AND DRINK

Ailbhe goes for dinner in The Castle Inn (above two images) as its menu has the cheapest prices for dinner in the village

Above is R Carter and Sons butchers, where you can get ‘three bangers in a bap’ for a bargain £3. Their sausages have been voted the finest in Northumberland, it proudly notes

It’s surprisingly expensive to go for dinner in Bamburgh – most restaurants have main dishes around the £20 to £30 mark. The place to go is Michelin Guide-recommended fish restaurant The Potted Lobster, but it’s fully booked on Saturday night. I end up going for a pub dinner in The Castle Inn as its menu has the cheapest prices, but regret it when my underwhelming veggie burger (£14.95) arrives at the table. It has an inviting beer garden, however.

Lunch options are better. The sign for the ‘Butcher, Baker, Sausage Roll Maker’ marks the entrance to R Carter and Sons butchers, where you can get ‘three bangers in a bap’ for a bargain £3. Their sausages have been voted the finest in Northumberland, it proudly notes. Plus, the business is a piece of Bamburgh’s history – as the sign hanging outside says, ‘it’s been carnivore heaven since 1887’.

ACCOMMODATION

Ailbhe stays in the ‘sweet’ Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast right in the village (above three images), where friendly owner Malcolm and his son go the extra mile for guests

I pay £125 for a night in Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast right in the village. It’s a sweet little place if somewhat dated. 

Friendly owner Malcolm and his son seem to go the extra mile for guests – two cyclists seated near me at breakfast are presented with the kippers they’ve requested, even though they aren’t on the breakfast menu.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘Bamburgh is a honey pot for history enthusiasts,’ says Ailbhe. Above are actors in Anglo-Saxon dress at Bamburgh Castle 

The village’s fascinating St Aidan’s Church (above two images), which dates back to 635AD 

Bamburgh is a honey pot for history enthusiasts. The big attraction, naturally, is Bamburgh Castle, which recently doubled as a Nazi stronghold in the new Indiana Jones blockbuster. A day ticket is £15.50 for adults and a family ticket is £41. You get mesmerising views of the sea from the canon-lined ramparts. Kids seem transfixed by the haunting dungeons in the belly of the castle, which are filled with mannequin prisoners.

Free-to-enter, meanwhile, is the fascinating St Aidan’s Church, which dates back to 635AD. A must-see is the eerie church crypt, wherein lies a row of ossuary boxes containing the bones of 7th and 8th-century locals.

The graveyard holds an ornate monument to Grace Darling, a local lighthouse keeper’s daughter who rose to fame when she helped to rescue survivors from an 1838 shipwreck. There’s also a museum dedicated to her, though it’s closed during our visit.

A poster in the village advertises an upcoming sandcastle building contest (the theme is ‘sea creature’) and there’s a playground, a golf course and cricket matches at the pavilion – complete with signs warning to ‘beware of flying cricket balls’. It’s all very endearing, but you’d run out of things to do after a day or two if you didn’t have a car.

SCENERY

‘The sight of the castle soaring over the village is spectacular,’ writes Ailbhe 

Ailbhe says that ‘the beach is so vast and long that it could never feel crowded’ 

This hill beside Bamburgh Castle was once voted ‘one of the UK’s top 10 lunch spots’, a plaque reveals

Bamburgh Castle as the sun goes down. Ailbhe describes the view as ‘magical’ 

The sight of the castle soaring over the village is spectacular. As for the village itself, it looks like a filming location for Midsomer Murders, with flowers clinging to the walls and couples playing croquet on the pavilion.

When the sun starts to set, we stand atop a hill beside the castle – a perch once voted ‘one of the UK’s top 10 lunch spots’ – and admire the scenery. The view, with the Farne Islands archipelago fading into the horizon, is nothing short of magical. There’s no doubt Bamburgh deserves the full five stars it was awarded for scenery in the Which? ranking.

SHOPPING

There’s not much in the way of shopping, but that’s down to the village’s size. The main shop is a teeny deli called The Pantry that sells local produce such as Northumberland cheeses and preserves. For souvenirs, you can pick up prints and postcards in the Bamburgh Castle gift shop.

PEACE AND QUIET

‘It seems the majority of visitors in Bamburgh are daytrippers,’ Ailbhe writes 

Bamburgh’s popularity and its tiny size are at odds with one another – it can get jampacked in the daytime. We can’t get a seat at The Copper Kettle Tea Rooms at lunchtime as it’s full up. A whopper queue of families and dog walkers forms on the main street, stemming from the Wyndenwell café – the town’s purveyor of ice creams. But it seems the majority of visitors are daytrippers, as once dusk falls, it’s sleepy and silent.

VALUE FOR MONEY

I’m taken aback by the restaurant prices in the village – even coming from London. Lots of travellers would be priced out of a visit. The cost of accommodation, on the other hand, is standard. Generally, however, it doesn’t compete with Skegness’s cheap and cheerful prices.

TRANSPORT

LNER takes travellers to Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is a bus ride away from Bamburgh. Pictured above is an LNER Azuma train zipping along the Northumberland coast 

We catch an LNER Azuma train from London King’s Cross to Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England, speeding past the isle of Lindisfarne and its 16th-century castle as the train traces the Northumberland coast. From the town, the X81 bus to Alnwick – which runs a few times a day – takes us straight to Bamburgh.

OVERALL VERDICT

I can see why Bamburgh ranks in first place time and time again. It offers an enchanting cocktail of beautiful scenery and magnificent historic sites. A local woman tells me that travellers typically overlook Northumberland in favour of Devon or Cornwall, but ‘once they’ve come and seen what it’s like, they keep telling their friends and coming back’. The steep restaurant prices are off-putting, however. I’d recommend renting self-catering accommodation or dining in nearby village Seahouses, where prices are more reasonable.

All in all, Skegness and Bamburgh are worlds apart, but they each have a unique appeal – and seem to be luring holidaymakers in their droves.

SCORES OUT OF FIVE: Beaches and seafront – 5. Food and drink – 3. Accommodation – 4. Tourist attractions and entertainment – 5. Scenery – 5. Shopping – 2. Peace and quiet – 4. Value for money – 3. Transport – 5. Overall score – 80 per cent.

Vladimir Putin has suffered his worst daily air force losses of the war after Wagner fighters killed 39 pilots and crew by downing strike helicopters and a military plane during Prigozhin’s rebellion, it has been claimed. 

Putin is also believed to be facing the humbling expectation to replace his top two war commanders – close ally defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army staff general Valery Gerasmivov – or face new insurrection.

Coup leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a Putin loyalist, has agreed to be based across the border in Belarus – for now. Out of jail, and free to run his large mercenary army, he still poses an acute threat to the 70-year-old Russian president.

Putin is believed to have suffered grievous losses as he sought to halt the Wagner ‘march of justice’ against his corrupt regime towards Moscow as the Wagner Group reportedly killed pilots and crew members during their attempted ‘military coup’.  

The dictator (pictured) suffered his worst daily air force losses in the war as rebel Wagner fighters repeatedly hit his strike helicopters and a high-flying military plane suspected to be carrying a top general

Coup leader Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured), once a Putin loyalist, has agreed to be based across the border in Belarus – for now

 The Wagner group claims to have shot down three Russian helicopters since its coup began

The Wagner group claimed to have shot down multiple Russian helicopters during its assault. Shocking footage shows huge black plumes of smoke rising into the air on a field after what is claimed to be a helicopter was targeted and burst into flames. 

Russian forces appeared to confirm three of their attack helicopters had been shot down by Wagner. 

The Russians are reportedly seeking to cover-up the losses of up to 39 pilots and crew in a few hours. 

They allegedly included some of Russia’s leading air force crew members with one account saying 20-plus combat pilots were killed.

Putin is believed to have lost six helicopters – including three Mi-8 MTPRs specialising in electronic warfare – as well as a sophisticated Il-22 plane used to conduct battle plans at high altitude.

A desperate quick fix deal saw Prigozhin’s Wagner heavily armed force halt their march on Moscow in return for a deal that drops all treason charges against him and his men.

It avoided a potential Russian v Russian bloodbath at the gates of Moscow.

Yet Putin has never seemed so weak in almost a quarter of a century at the helm of Russia as president or premier.

Russia analysts said that the 70-year-old – who has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999 – was wounded in the battle. 

Garry Kasparov, the chess champion who has become one of the foremost leaders of the Russian democratic opposition, said Putin had been ‘humiliated’ by Prigozhin.

‘The game ended with Putin’s worst humiliation – a run for his life from Moscow when Prigozhin’s army was hundreds of miles away,’ he told CNN.

Kasparov added: ‘Many of Putin’s top officials ran for cover. A dictator relies on his aura of invincibility.’

Sergey Sanovich, Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, who specializes in disinformation and autocracies, said Putin had never looked so weak.

He said needing Belarus’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, to negotiate with Prigozhin on his behalf was a sign of how enfeebled he was.

Putin is also facing the humbling expectation to replace his top two war commanders – close ally defence minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and chief of the army staff general Valery Gerasmivov – or face new insurrection

A desperate quick fix deal saw Prigozhin’s Wagner heavily armed force halt their march on Moscow in return for a deal that drops all treason charges against him and his men (pictured: Wagner fighters in Rostov-on-Don yesterday)

‘Prigozhin makes a daring move and gets away with it, potentially with additional gains to come,’ said Sanovich.

‘Lukashenko saves the day. Putin reduced to a bystander, complaining on TV and letting his top generals be humiliated.

‘Never in a quarter century Putin looked so ineffectual and hapless.’

Sanovich’s view on the involvement of Lukashenko was shared by Michael McFaul, Barack Obama’s advisor on Russia from 2009-11, who then became the U.S. ambassador to Moscow.

McFaul tweeted: ‘Putin could not control a mercenary force that he created & run by his buddy. He had to rely on Lukashenko of all people to cut a deal with a guy he called just hours ago a traitor.

‘These are signs of real weakness, not strength. What has weakened Putin’s grip on power? His disastrous war in Ukraine.

‘The longer the war continues, the weaker Putin’s regime becomes. Those that want to avoid Russian state collapse (i.e. Xi) should be pushing Putin to end his war.’

The Russians are today reportedly seeking to cover-up the losses of up to 39 pilots and crew in a few hours. They allegedly included some of Russia’s leading air force crew members with one account saying 20-plus combat pilots were killed

Putin allegedly lost six helicopters – including three Mi-8 MTPRs specialising in electronic warfare – as well as a sophisticated Il-22 plane used to conduct battle plans at high altitude, it is believed

Out of jail, and free to run his large mercenary army, Prigozhin (left)still poses an acute threat to the 70-year-old Russian president (right)

Among Putin’s losses is apparently a Ilyushin-22, which appears to have been shot down by a Pantsir missile system secretly supplied to Wagner by Russia’s own forces.

At first the aircraft was identified as an Il-18 turboprop plane, and it likely used such markings – but was in fact an Il-22 used for secretive command and control missions in wartime.

Ten crew were on board, according to Russian Channel One correspondent Irina Kuksenkova.

It is likely a ‘high ranking general’ and other top brass were on board, revealed former Soviet military tactician and politician Viktor Alksnis, now an analyst known as the Black Colonel.

But he indicated the death toll was almost certainly higher, amid reports that the Russian state media has been ordered to obscure the true figure.

‘I assume that the total number of cabin crew and task force on board the Il-22 ranged from 15 to 20 people. They all died,’ he posted.

Putin also lost a regular Mi-8, a Ka-52 strike helicopter and an Mi-35.

‘As a result of the destruction of five helicopters and one aircraft by the Wagner rebels between 34 to 39 people were killed,’ estimated Alksnis.

Some 19 of these were in the five downed helicopters, he made clear.

More damage was done in a day than the Ukrainians have managed in the war.

‘It should be noted that our Aerospace Forces did not suffer such losses even in the most difficult days of the special military operation in Ukraine,’ said the Black Colonel.

All the losses were caused by Russia’s Wagner forces shooting down Russia’s regular forces – yet under the terms of the patched-up peace deal no-one will be prosecuted. The bloody fiasco can only benefit Ukraine.

Among Putin’s losses is apparently a Ilyushin-22, which appears to have been shot down by a Pantsir missile system secretly supplied to Wagner by Russia’s own forces. At first the aircraft was identified as an Il-18 turboprop plane, and it likely used such markings – but was in fact an Il-22 used for secretive command and control missions in wartime

All the losses were caused by Russia’s Wagner forces (some pictured in Rostov-on-Don yesterday) shooting down Russia’s regular forces – yet under the terms of the patched-up peace deal no-one will be prosecuted

It became clear today that he had suffered grievous losses as he sought to halt the Wagner ‘march of justice’ against his corrupt regime towards Moscow

As part of the hasty peace deal between Putin and Prigozhin – brokered by Belarus tyrant Alexander Lukashenko – the billionaire Wagner chief will pay compensation of almost half a million pounds to the families of the slain Russian airmen

By today, no details of the dead air crew were revealed and Moscow was apparently engaged in a campaign to keep their names secret (pictured: Red Square in Moscow, which was closed due to security reasons yesterday)

As part of the hasty peace deal between Putin and Prigozhin – brokered by Belarus tyrant Alexander Lukashenko – the billionaire Wagner chief will pay compensation of almost half a million pounds to the families of the slain Russian airmen.

As recriminations sounded today, Telegram channel Fighterbomber – with almost 400,000 followers – demanded: ‘Which idiot with big stars on his shoulder straps ordered a transfer of the Pantsir air defence system to an illegal armed group [Wagner], a gang…? Will this idiot go to a military tribunal?’

Putin and his top commanders ‘gave birth to this monster [Prigozhin] and now they are trying to fight it’.

By today, no details of the dead air crew were revealed and Moscow was apparently engaged in a campaign to keep their names secret.

Hours after saying the coup leaders including Prigozhin would suffer ‘inevitable punishment’ he revealed that no-one would suffer sanctions over the insurrection.

‘There was a higher goal: to avoid bloodshed, to avoid internal confrontation, to avoid clashes with unpredictable results,’ said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Highways used by tens of thousands of Wagner troops marching on Moscow yesterday remained closed today.