Two friends of a singer-songwriter who was killed in the Hamas attack have paid tribute to a ‘pure heart’ who played a motherly role.

Mor Gabay, 30, died after the terrorists infiltrated the Zikim beach area where she and friends from a bar she worked at had gathered for a party.  

The group of around 20 young people had camped out overnight on the sands, around three kilometres north of the Gaza Strip on the Israeli coast.

Mor left around 10 minutes before the rest of the party heard explosions in the first moments of the Hamas-led mass incursion early on Saturday.  

Ariel Ein-Gal and another of her friends, Ahiad Ben-Yitzchak, wrote a tribute remembering her kindness and vowing to avenge her death.  

They said: ‘Mor was a kind person. She was everyone’s mother; from making food in our pub for every customer and worker to food for her students and neighbours after finishing nine-hour shifts.

‘She was an artist, she wrote songs and poems and dreamt of publishing a poetry book. She had about 10 dogs in her house, each one was loved by her equally and she still had so much love inside her for everyone else.

‘She was our dearest friend, you could tell her anything and she always listened and replied with kindness, not judgment.’ 

Mor had spent the night with fellow workers from the Mileva pub, which is located in her home city of Be’er Sheva, around a 76km drive south-east of Zikim beach. The cook is thought to have left the end-of-season and Jewish New Year party early to return to her parents’ home in the city.  

Her friends found her empty, bullet-riddled car in the middle of a nearby road and were later told that a policeman who was first on scene had removed her body. Her funeral was held on Tuesday.

Ariel, 26 and Ahiad, 29, who are also from Be’er Sheva, managed to escape in a group who broke out of the resort area in three cars while under heavy fire from Hamas gunmen. The militants, who are thought to have landed on the beach despite its sea defences designed to prevent such incursions, had apparently murdered policemen and used their patrol cars for the ambush.

The friends also vowed to avenge Mor’s death.

They said: ‘Our friend was a cancer survivor who was optimistic beyond belief. Mori, we’re missing you dearly.

‘We can’t believe we’re talking about you in past tense.

‘As the Lord is our witness, we promise we will avenge your untimely death.

‘Love you always.’ 

Ariel and Ahiad told this week how they were woken by explosions before taking shelter between two containers on the beach, where they saw gunmen in three rubber dinghies approaching the coast. 

They fled as bullets raked the sand and hid in the perimeter of a nearby military base before making a break in an advance party travelling in three vehicles as the sound of gun and rocket fire grew closer.

Ahiad suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg as the terrorists opened fire before the two cars and an SUV reached Israeli military and medical personnel further inland.  

Ahiad added: ‘Mor had a pure heart and I will never forget the first thing she told me when I met her on a shift: “Wow man you have such beautiful eyes, my name is Mor, how are you?”

‘She had the nicest smile and always had the nicest things to say to people.

‘She made you feel special and wanted.’ 

Israeli singer Ziv Na’aman has paid tribute to Mor, whose Instagram page shows pictures of her singing, by covering a song she wrote.

The song includes the words: ‘I didn’t choose the way, I didn’t know the roads, yet, I always knew, if we fall we will stand again.’

The Israeli military said yesterday that more than 1,300 people have been killed in the country, with more than 3,000 people wounded. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Jerusalem’s retaliatory strikes, with more than 6,600 others wounded.

Israel has imposed a blockade of food, fuel and electricity into the Palestinian territory ahead of an expected ground offensive. 

MORE : Bar workers tell of dramatic escape after Hamas gunmen attack party on Israeli beach

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A Norwegian man known as the ‘Eunuch Maker’ has admitted removing a man’s penis and clamping the testicles of another victim. 

Marius Gustavson, 45, who is said to have made up to £200,000 live streaming ‘body modifications’, admitted two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at the Old Bailey. 

Gustavson, who lives in Tottenham, north London, has had his own penis and nipple removed. 

The operations were uploaded to Gustavson’s ‘Eunuch Maker’ website which subscribers would pay to watch. 

The practice is linked to a subculture where men become ‘nullos’ – short for genital nullification – by having their penis and testicles removed. 

The conspiracy is said to have involved up to 29 extreme body modifications, the removal of body parts and the trade in body parts with eight other men. 

On Friday, Gustavson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of possessing criminal property, namely money. 

He pleaded not guilty to three further counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. 

The GBH charges relate to five alleged victims, including the removal of a man’s penis and the clamping of another’s testicles. 

He admitted making and distributing two indecent videos of a child between January 2017 and January 2020. 

His alleged ‘right-hand man’ surgeon Peter Wates, 66, has admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. 

He was said to have a major role as surgeon in a large number of procedures. 

Romanian Ion Ciucur, 28, who works in a hotel in Gretna Green, Scotland, denies conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. 

Ashley Williams, 31, has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 37-year-old Janus Atkin at his home in Newport, south Wales, on November 7, 2017. 

David Carruthers, 60, and Atkin, 37, deny conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. 

Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 22, of Epsom, Surrey, previously admitted causing GBH with intent by freezing Gustavson’s leg causing it to require amputation. 

Former nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, of South Kensington, and Damien Byrnes, 35, of Tottenham, has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Gustavson. 

Brynes removed Gustavson’s penis on or around February 18, 2017, while Arnold was involved in the partial removal of his nipple. 

Arnold also admitted stealing Lidocaine while working as nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital between January 2016 and January 2022, and possession of extreme pornographic images. 

The charges relate to 13 alleged victims who are being safeguarded by specialist detectives. 

Gustavson, Ciucur and Byrnes are remanded in custody with the others are on conditional bail, including curfew and residence. 

The defendants who deny offences will next appear at a case management hearing on September 8. 

A provisional trial date is set for March 4, 2024. 

All defendants will appear in person at the Old Bailey for the next hearing on November 3. 

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A fisherman’s dog found a rare lump of ‘whale vomit’ on a beach in Scotland that could be worth thousands.

Patrick Williamson was walking his pet on Irvine Beach in Ayrshire when it sprinted towards a mysterious rock on the shore.

The rock, it turned out, was a 5oz clump of ambergris – which is secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales.

The substance is highly valuable as it can be used to make perfume and is very hard to come by.

Patrick said: ‘I work on a fishing boat, so I knew what ambergris was. I’ve never seen it before, but I’ve heard stories about it.’

Sperm whales can usually regurgitate food they’re unable to digest but when they can’t, they produce ambergris – a waxy secretion – to protect their intestinal tract from being damaged.

The secretion is then expelled. For many years it was thought it left via the whale’s mouth, hence it’s known as vomit, but scientists now believe it probably goes out the other end.

It will then float in the sea – sometimes for years – before eventually washing up on shore.

Patrick said he was walking along the beach when he ‘clocked something on the seaweed, and the dog ran over to it and dropped her ball’.

He added: ‘She doesn’t usually drop her ball, so I knew there was something there.’

When he got closer, Patrick saw it was a pale grey rock with brown and amber streaks and suspected it could be ambergris.

Ambergris – also known as ‘floating gold’ is sold by weight, with one chunk found in the Canary Islands this year weighing 21 pounds – and valued at £394,000.

To help determine whether a substance really is ambergris, you can heat a needle and lay it on the surface of the lump. If it melts into a waxy, black or brown liquid very quickly it could well be the real deal.

Patrick said: ‘We’ve tested it with a hot needle, and it was doing the exact same thing that ambergris would.

‘People have been saying that I can take it to Glasgow University, and they’ll test it – so I’ll be doing that on my next day off.’

He also weighed the lump: ‘It was about five and a half ounces. That’s not really that big compared to some other bits that have been found,’ he said.

Sperm whales are protected by law in the UK, however it is legal to sell ambergris discovered on the shoreline.

Patrick said people he knows are very excited about the rare find.

‘Everybody’s been messaging me – one of my pals even contacted someone at the local paper.

‘I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it!

‘I’m on the beaches all the time. I take my dog with me wherever I go, so we’ll be looking every time we land now.’

In 2015 a dog walker in Wales came across a 2.6lb piece of ambergris which was valued at £7,000 and sold at auction.

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The gunman who killed council worker Ashley Dale in her home deposited £1,000 cash into his bank account two days later, a court was told.

Ms Dale, a 28-year-old environmental health worker, was shot with a Skorpion machine gun at her home in Old Swan, Liverpool in the early hours of August 21 last year.

The person who pulled the trigger was James Witham, 41. He admits manslaughter but denies her murder.

Four other defendants, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 – also deny her murder.

It’s alleged Ms Dale died following a feud with her partner Lee Harrison.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today that Peers booked a two-night stay in a twin room at the Mercure Hotel in St Helens, Merseyside just after 7pm on the day she was killed.

CCTV caught Peers and Witham checking into a hotel at around 8.30pm and paying for the room with cash.

They then checked out around 11am on August 23, jurors were told.

Witham was then spotted on CCTV at Liverpool One shopping centre, where, the court heard, he spent £245 in cash at Footasylum on trainers and socks, and £129 on his card in the Everton store.

At 2.55pm he deposited £1,000 into his bank account.

According to detective sergeant Graeme Sutton, phone evidence showed Witham and Peers travelled to Scotland later that day.

At 10.22am on August 23, Fitzgibbon flew from Birmingham Airport to Dubai with his sister Claudia, the court was told.

CCTV showed Barry and his girlfriend Lucy Worley arriving at the Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa on August 24.

A later clip showed eight armed officers from Merseyside Police entering the hotel, where they located Barry.

The court heard Barry had been messaging a man called Gus, who the prosecution describe as ‘a fixer’ who enabled people to flee the country.

Witham, of Huyton; Fitzgibbon, of St Helens; Zeisz of Huyton; Barry, of Tuebrook; and Peers, of Roby – all Merseyside – deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition, as well as the murder of Miss Dale.

Kallum Radford, 26, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.

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A wealthy couple who accused their ‘devious little sod’ nephew of stealing their £4 million house have left him staring at a £150,000 court bill. 

Self-made millionaire Michael Lee, 79, and wife King-Su Huang, 73, sued Cheng-Jen Ku, 40, after he claimed to own the swanky property in Kensington’s Queen’s Gate Place Mews. 

The couple purchased it in Mr Ku’s name back in 2004 for ‘privacy reasons’ as they did not want the extent of their wealth to become public knowledge, Central London County Court heard. 

Mr Ku had initially lived there and later claimed he was the true owner of the house and that it had been ‘gifted’ to him in line with Taiwanese tradition by his rich auntie. 

But he told Judge Alan Johns that he had later moved out of the multimillion-pound house ‘because his auntie and uncle were too strict’. 

The judge, Alan Johns, said Mr Ku’s behaviour ‘didn’t look like the actions of an owner’ before ruling the true beneficial owner of the house is his aunt. 

He added that Mr Ku is liable to pay his auntie and uncle’s lawyers’ bill of around £115,000. He will also have to pay his own legal fees, which were estimated before the trial at £35,000. 

The exclusive cobbled mews was once the epicentre of the world’s classic car trade and the site from which motor racing legend Alain De Cadenet ran his Le Mans team. 

Businessman Mr Lee, who made his fortune through a £13m Essex electronics company, met his wife while working in Taiwan and later channeled his cash into a property portfolio. 

And when he and his wife found the property in Queen’s Gate Place Mews, just a short walk from the Royal Albert Hall and Natural History Museum, they decided to snap it up. 

The Victorian mews was built between 1866 and 1869 to provide stables for the grand houses on nearby Queen’s Gate and is accessed through a Grade-II Listed archway. 

Mr Ku, a ‘close’ nephew whom Mr Lee had been fond of as a ‘cute little kid’, had lived with the couple in their £1 million-plus Essex former home after moving to the UK from Taiwan. 

Mr Lee told the judge that his wife handed their nephew £1.57 million to buy the house in his name, explaining that for ‘privacy’ reasons and to prevent the property being called on as collateral for business loans they wanted to put it in Mr Ku’s name. 

It is now worth more than twice the price that was paid, with lawyers valuing it at up to £4 million. 

Mr Ku became its registered owner, initially living there, though his aunt and uncle also had keys and a room in the house. 

But he later went on to claim the house was his because it was ‘gifted’ to him by his aunt, a claim blasted as ‘piffle’ by Mr Lee in evidence during the trial. 

Mrs Huang sued her nephew – backed by her husband Mr Lee as a key witness – for a ruling that, despite being in his name, she was always the rightful owner. 

Mr Lee told the judge that his nephew had gone from being ‘a cute little kid’ nicknamed ‘Trouble’ to become ‘mean and nasty’ in adulthood. 

‘He is trying to steal our house because he has turned out to be a devious little sod and that’s why we’re in court,’ he said from the witness box. 

Mrs Huang’s barrister Rupert Cohen told the judge there had been a clear understanding that, despite being in their nephew’s name, she was the true owner, with her nephew holding it on trust for her. 

She and her husband paid all the bills owing for the house and claimed her nephew only ever used the property ‘with her consent’. 

However, Mr Ku’s barrister, Scott Redpath, claimed the clear intention was to ‘give this property to him’. 

In his ruling, the judge said: ‘I’ve reached a clear conclusion that the intention in this case was for the mews house to be owned by Mrs Huang. Indeed, there was an express agreement to that effect. 

‘There was an express discussion over the telephone before the house was purchased in which she said she wanted to buy a property but use Mr Ku’s name. He agreed. 

‘As understood by the parties, it was an arrangement not that the mews house was to be Mr Ku’s but was to be Mrs Huang’s and just to be held in Mr Ku’s name.’ 

He added: ‘I make a declaration that the mews house is held in trust by Mr Ku for Mrs Huang.’

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An SNP councillor has resigned from the party and will be investigated after calling a Labour colleague from Sri Lanka a ‘New Scot’.

The remarks were made by Aberdeen City councillor Kairin van Sweeden to Deena Tissera during a debate on austerity on Wednesday afternoon.

She has now referred herself to the Standards Commission and said on Wednesday: ‘I realise, as a new Scot, Councillor Tissera maybe doesn’t know about the mitigation that the SNP government has had to put in over the years they have been in power.’

Ms Tissera hit back and said: ‘I do not appreciate those comments. I have taken the Life in the UK test to become a citizen. I probably know more than you do.’

Ms van Sweeden later apologised and said: ‘I unreservedly apologise for the clumsy language I used in the chamber and the offence it caused.

‘It could not be further from the values I hold.’

A spokesperson for the SNP said: ‘Councillor van Sweeden has taken the decision to refer herself to the Standards Commission and requested the SNP national secretary investigate comments she made during yesterday’s council meeting, which she immediately and unreservedly apologised for.

‘Whilst those processes are under way, she has stepped back from her SNP party membership.’

Ms Tissera wrote to Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf and said: ‘The innuendo of her comments were that I had just come off the boat as a new Scot – her words not mine – I am not as Scottish as others and I did not understand Scotland like her and the SNP group, this being despite the SNP council leader being of French descent and myself holding a United Kingdom passport.

‘All leaders must stand up against racism and words are easy but it is actions that are required.’

She added: ‘First Minister, it is incumbent on us to stand together against racism and, as such, I call on you to act in this matter and act by suspending councillor van Sweeden.’

Mr Yousaf said: ‘It was unacceptable. I saw the comment this morning. It’s unacceptable and the councillor is right to apologise.

‘In fact, I also want to apologise to Councillor Tissera who was on the receiving end of that comment.

‘There will now be a process around a potential disciplinary. I’ll not interfere in that process.’

Referencing Ms van Sweeden’s apology, he said: ‘It wasn’t just clumsy. It speaks to the unconscious bias and discrimination that people hold and we all have to challenge ourselves – we all have it – but we have to challenge ourselves about it.

‘But there’s just no kind of place for that language. I saw the comments and I was thoroughly disappointed.’

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The trial of former soldier Daniel Khalife, who is accused of spying for Iran, has been pushed back to next summer following his escape from prison. 

The 22-year-old sparked a 75-hour manhunt after slipping out of HMP Wandsworth strapped to the bottom of a food delivery van on September 6. 

He was due to go on trial on November 13 but at a hearing on Friday Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said that was ‘wholly unrealistic’ and put the case back. 

Khalife is charged under the Official Secrets Act of gathering information that might be useful to an enemy of the UK between May 1, 2019, and January 6, 2022. 

He is said to have passed sensitive material to Iranian intelligence and had more material in his possession for that purpose, which he denies. 

The charge against him says that for a ‘purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state’ he ‘obtained, circulated, recorded, published or communicated to any other person notes, documents or information’ which might be or were intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. 

A second charge alleges Khalife elicited information about armed forces personnel on August 2, 2021. 

This allegedly relates to him ‘obtaining personal information from the MoD (Ministry of Defence) Joint Personnel Administration system of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism’. 

He is also charged with perpetrating a bomb hoax on or before January 2. 

The charge says he placed ‘three canisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation’ to spark fears it was ‘likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property’. 

While on remand on those charges at Wandsworth prison in south London, it is alleged Khalife escaped on September 6 by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry. 

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London on September 9 after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer. 

Khalife has denied all the charges against him. 

On Friday, he appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from Belmarsh prison wearing a blue and yellow jumpsuit. 

During the hearing, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said the planned trial date at Woolwich Crown Court in November was ‘wholly unrealistic’. 

He set a further hearing for December 21, when a new trial date at either Woolwich Crown Court or the Old Bailey will be discussed. 

Khalife, who spoke only to confirm his identity, was further remanded into custody. 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Two women have been filmed tearing down posters in London highlighting the victims of Hamas kidnappings.

The posters, which children, elderly women and other civilians believed to have been dragged from their homes in Israel amid this weekend’s surprise attack by the militants, have appeared in several locations around the capital.

Israeli authorities have confirmed the identities of 97 kidnap victims, but many more are unaccounted for.

They include a baby Ariel, her brother Kfir and their mother Shiri Silberman-Bibas, who were filmed being manhandled by Hamas fighters after the Nir Oz kibbutz was ransacked and set ablaze.

Two women have since been filmed ripping the posters from walls outside Mornington Crescent Tube station in north-west London.

An onlooker is heard challenging them, asking: ‘Why don’t you do something for Palestine?’

One of the women turns around and replies: ‘This is for Palestine!’.

A British-Israeli woman who filmed the incident said she was verbally abused and intimidated by passers-by while she and her mother put the posters up.

Neta Fibeesh caught a last-minute flight from Tel Aviv to London on Saturday and has since witnessed renewed hatred towards Jewish people in the UK.

She told MailOnline: ‘I feel safer in the UK because it’s not a warzone, but it is still really unpleasant here. It’s just really upsetting. 

‘I know a lot of people who are scared about being Jewish now in the UK. 

‘One of my friends is more religious than me, he wears a kippah and has been walking around for several days with a hat, and my dad saw someone wearing a kippah get sworn at.’

Rishi Sunak has called on police chiefs to clamp down on incidents of antisemitism.

Two Jewish schools closed this week and will only tentatively reopen on Monday amid tensions.

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The price of energy bills is once again set to be an issue for millions this winter as the cost of living crisis continues to have an impact.

Although the energy price cap now stands at £1,923, a fall from its level of £2,074 in July, bills are set to remain high given that this year there is no discount being given by the Government – as there was for six months in 2022 and early 2023.

Many of us will of course continue to seek help from the Government in the form of benefits, and the second cost of living payment – due to be arriving in eligible people’s accounts in the coming weeks.

But many energy companies are also offering help to customers in need this winter – in the shape of a payment known as the Warm Home Discount.

What is the discount and is your energy supplier among those taking part?

What is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a government-run plan to cut costs on energy bills by £150 over the Winter of 2022 to 2023.

The scheme does not pay money directly to an individual. It is instead operated as a one-off discount on electricity bills between October 2023 and early 2024.

The scheme is due to open again on Monday October 16.

Who is eligible for the Warm Home Discount?

If you live in England or Wales, Gov.UK lists two criteria to meet in order to qualify for the warm home discount:

• you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
• you are on a low income and have high energy costs

If you live in Scotland, the above criteria also apply, but you can also qualify by meeting your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.

The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier gives you both and you are eligible.

You should also receive the discount if you are on a pre-pay or top-up meter – for example in the form of a voucher.

You should speak to your supplier directly in both cases.

Which suppliers participate in the Warm Home Discount?

If you are with one of the following you should receive the discount if you ae eligible:

• 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK)
• Affect Energy
• Atlantic
• Boost
• British Gas
• Bulb Energy
• Co-op Energy
• E
• Ecotricity
• E.ON Next
• EDF
• Good Energy
• London Power

• Octopus Energy
• Outfox the Market
• OVO
• Rebel Energy
• Sainsbury’s Energy
• Scottish Gas
• Scottish Hydro
• ScottishPower
• Shell Energy Retail
• So Energy
• Southern Electric
• SSE Energy Services
• Swalec
• Tomato Energy
• TruEnergy
• Utilita
• Utility Warehouse

MORE : Labour says its got key to £200,000,000,000 to make UK a clean energy superpower

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A woman says she’s saving £450 on her annual household bills after making a simple change suggested by Martin Lewis.

Gloria wrote to the Money Saving Expert founder to say she took his advice about installing a water meter after her annual water bill came to an eye-watering £799.

After using the meter for six months, she received a bill and was shocked to find itwas significantly lower than before.

Writing in the letter, which was published in the latest Money Saving Expert newsletter, Gloria, said: ‘I’ve just had my half-yearly bill and, based on that estimate, our annual bill should be around the £350 mark [saving £449/year].

‘I’ve done absolutely nothing different as regards water consumption. Many thanks once again.’

With a water bill you only pay for what you use – without, the water company estimates your usage based on the size of your home.

Martin has previously said that a number of households could save money by having a water meter installed, but not everyone.

His ‘rule of thumb’ is that if you have the same or more bedrooms than people in your home it could be worth having one.

So, for example, you have a four-bedroom home but there are only two or three people living there.

But before making a decision, he recommends using the Consumer for Water’s water meter calculator, which asks you about your average usage, then tells you how much this might cost when using a meter.

Questions include how many people live in your home, how many baths and showers do you take, do you use a dishwasher and how often and what do you currently pay.

Water bills rose by more than 10% in some areas of the UK in April, with the average annual cost currently £448.

Yesterday we shared another handy Martin Lewis tip that could see shoppers bag themselves some bonus cash ahead of Christmas.

Tesco customers have the chance to earn the extra money as part of the Clubard Christmas Saver program.

However, time is running out to claim your cash – if you don’t claim it by the middle of this month you could miss out.

This scheme offers a 6% bonus on the amount you save – which will be given to you in the form of a voucher.

MORE : Martin Lewis says letters saying HMRC owes people £10,000s isn’t a scam

MORE : Martin Lewis explains his silence over Israel-Hamas conflict as a Jewish man

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A British-Israeli man has described how he and his wife hid for 19 hours as Hamas gunmen carried out a massacre at their kibbutz close to the border with the Gaza Strip.  

Mark and Ruth Joffe took shelter in their home’s safe room as the terrorists roamed Kfar Aza in the first hours of the unprecedented mass incursion which began early on Saturday.  

The London-born resident, 71, spoke to Metro.co.uk as the full horrifying details of the attack on the community a few kilometres east of the Israel-Gaza border continue to emerge.  

The assault was eventually put down after the elite Unit 71, an experienced team of paratroopers, arrived 12 hours after the militants began the killing.

Still shaken by the ordeal, the retired teacher told how he and his wife ran to their safe room after hearing rocket fire and the kibbutz’s alarm system. 

They initially left the secure area believing the sound had been one of the sporadic missile attacks launched from Gaza before hearing long bursts of automatic weapon fire. 

Mr Joffe, who was born in north London, said: ‘We went back in the safe room and closed the door, it must have been about seven in the morning and we were there continuously until two o’clock the following morning.

‘Fortunately, we had electricity for most of that time and WhatsApp communications, including with the local neighbourhood and a second hand goods group for the kibbutz which my son runs from Tel Aviv.

‘For six hours, the only people out in the streets were Hamas terrorists.  

‘They entered six houses in our road, it was horrendous, they blew their way in or forced their way in, and shot up the houses.

‘They managed to force their way into two safe rooms belonging to old people in our road and murdered them.

‘Those two families sent last WhatsApp messages saying the gunmen were outside the safe room trying to get in, then they stopped sending messages. For some unknown reason they didn’t try to get into our house.’ 

Guards at the kibbutz were killed as they fought the heavily armed gunmen, according to a BBC report this week. As the atrocity unfolded, the intruders forced some of the residents from their reinforced safe rooms, which are primarily designed to protect against rocket fire.

The father-of-three, who previously worked as a biology teacher and community youth worker in the UK, was able to follow news of the mass incursion on a laptop before it became too much.

‘We simply had to close it down because it just became too psychologically difficult to watch,’ he said. ‘We preferred simply just to listen to the news.

‘At about twelve noon the army did manage to enter the kibbutz.

‘The elite units who are trained for this type of situation were the first in but they were dealing with the same situation in many kibbutzim and were outnumbered by the Hamas terrorists. 

‘They didn’t start getting a handle on the situation until the early evening. We got messages saying if you hear people outside, even if they speak Hebrew to you, don’t open the safe room door, because it might be terrorists trying to trick you. It turned out to be true.’ 

The ordeal continued for residents even as the forward Israeli Defence Force units reached homes in areas where the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters had been killed or driven out.  

Mr Joffe, who has dual British-Israeli nationality, said: ‘At about two o’clock in the morning we got messages that the army was going house to house and we had five minutes to get organised and leave.

‘At first my wife didn’t want me to open the door, but I did, and we got what few possessions we could together and joined around 20 families on our road who were escorted by soldiers in battle formation.  

‘We stayed in another house at they gathered our neighbours from another road and then we were all escorted, surrounded by the soldiers, for about a kilometre in the dark until we got to a petrol station. There was firing going on in the kibbutz all the time.’ 

The couple and their neighbours were then driven in open army trucks to the nearby town of Netivot, where they were given mattresses on the floor and a generous amount of food, before being taken by bus to their current place of shelter at the Shefayim kibbutz near Tel Aviv.

Mr Joffe, who moved to Israel’s border area 37 years ago, is among those left trying to contemplate the horror inflicted on their community.

‘Everyone here is surrounded by donations of food, clothes and we have psychologists trying to help us understand what’s happened,’ he said.  

‘The community has been slaughtered.

‘As I understand it, we have between 45 and 50 known dead and an unknown number of people who are missing.  

‘They are only issuing the names of people whose bodies are in our hands and have been identified. It’s quite clear we are not going to be allowed anywhere near our house for weeks. Everyone has been left just trying to cope with an unimaginable situation.’  

The Israeli authorities said men, women, children and babies had been killed in the attack on the kibbutz. The Jerusalem Post said yesterday that it could confirm that reports of babies being burnt and decapitated in the assault on the kibbutz were correct and added: ‘May their memory be a blessing.’

The Israeli military said that more than 1,300 people have been killed in the country, with more than 3,000 people wounded. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Jerusalem’s retaliatory strikes, with more than 6,600 others wounded.

Israel has imposed a blockade of food, fuel and electricity into the Palestinian territory ahead of an expected ground offensive. 

MORE : Bar workers tell of dramatic escape after Hamas gunmen attack party on Israeli beach

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A Lidl warehouse worker who has a fascination with infamous killers and mass shootings and planned a ‘hitman-style attack’ will be jailed.

Reed Wischhusen, 32, was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of having an explosive substance and possessing ammunition with intent to kill people.

Wischusen was also found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate.

He listed people he believed had wronged him in the past as targets for an attack in a document called ‘Revenge’.

In the document, he wrote: ‘Yes, revenge is on my mind it’s a powerful motivator, be nice to get back at the people who caused me stress and worry over the years it’s been eating away at my brain like cancer.’

Prosecutors argued the ‘revenge’ document had outlined his murderous intentions – and said he was ‘building’ the weaponry needed to turn it into a reality.

Wischhusen previously admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate.

The judge said: ‘In terms of where we go from here, I would not be prepared to sentence without a pre-sentence report and I will order one and it will have to look at the issue of dangerousness.

‘I think there should also be a psychiatric report because there are so many troubling features about the defendant’s conduct.’

During the one-week trial, the court heard how the Lidl worker had a fascination with mass shootings like the Oklahoma bombing in 1995, Dunblane massacre in 1996 and the Columbine shooting in 1999.

He was described as having developed a ‘macabre interest in infamous killers’ such as Thomas Hamilton, the Dunblane shooter, Raoul Moat, and American cop killer Ralph Mclean.

Wischhusen attempted to take his own life during a police search of his home in November 2022.

The jury was directed by Judge Martin Picton earlier to find Wischhusen guilty of an eighth charge of having an explosive substance.

He has been remanded in custody until his sentence on December 15 and the judge ordered pre-sentence reports.

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The UK has had a warm start to autumn this year, with temperatures well above the average even as we’ve headed into October – but that’s all come crashing to a halt.

Because as well as heavy rain sweeping the country – with a yellow warning in place across parts of the country until midnight on Friday – the temperature is set to drop dramatically over the weekend.

Expect things to feel a whole lot colder – maybe even to the point that you’ll want to whack the heating on for the first time this season.

There’s even talk of snow in some parts – but could London see a dusting of flakes?

Here’s what you need to know…

Is it going to snow in London?

While we may be in for a cold snap, there’s no snow forecast for London in the coming days.

However, we could still be in for the first snow of the season, with wintry showers predicted to fall in some higher areas of Scotland.

The Met Office’s forecast for Scotland reads: ‘Saturday will be a bright and breezy day, with sunny spells and showers. Showers falling as snow across the hills in Scotland. Feeling colder for all.’

From Sunday to Tuesday, the Met Office predicts for the south: ‘Turning brighter, fresher, and chillier through the period, with good spells of autumn sunshine.

‘Largely settled, with the odd shower. Overnight fog and frost possible, especially in rural spots.’

BBC Weather predicts that the temperature in London could plummet by as much as 10 degrees over the weekend – to around 11C in the capital.

However, slightly warmer conditions are expected into the early part of next week as the mercury rises into the mid-teens.

Of the coming days, Alex Burkill, Met Office meteorologist said: ‘Some places will be 10°C lower than they were last weekend.’

He continued: ‘Looking at the details for Saturday, it’s a bright sunny picture for many of us to start. But showers feeding in from cold northerly wind.’

But these will be, ‘scattered,’ he added, with ‘bright sunny spells.’

How cold does it need to be for snow?

For snow to fall and stick, ground temperatures need to be below 2 degrees.

In the UK, the heaviest snow falls tend to happen when the air temperature is between 0 and 2 degrees.

If the air temperature is above freezing then falling snow will begin to melt.

Snow will fall as sleet in temperatures above 2 degrees, and fall as rain in temperatures over 5 degrees.

So we’re still well above optimum snow temperatures in most of the UK – but with the colder months drawing in, all that could change in the coming weeks.

MORE : UK is washed away as winds reach 80mph with more weather warnings in place

MORE : After September’s record-breaking spell of weather here’s whether we can expect another 30C heatwave in 2023

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An artwork suspected to be that of the elusive graffiti artist Banksy has appeared outside an underground station in London.

It was spotted at Edgware Road Underground Station on Monday and like many of his other pieces has an important message.

The suspected Banksy piece shows three figures dragging a robot arm with the words ‘Another world is possible’.

While it is yet to be officially confirmed as a Banksy artwork, fans have already travelled to the area to see the piece.

It looks like the typical Banksy – with the classic black and white stencil work, the hand-sprayed lettering, no name tag, and commentary on pressing themes and anxieties.

The artist posts his artwork on his Instagram account and there has been no posts of his pieces since March.

Banksy confirmed that a mural art piece which appeared on a wall in Margate, Kent, was his in February 2023.

Located off Grosvenor Place in Margate, the piece is titled ‘Valentine’s Day mascara’.

The graffiti depicts a woman with a missing tooth and swollen eye shoving a man, presumably her partner, inside a freezer.

The artwork was eventually relocated to a theme park.

Margate’s amusement park Dreamland now houses the piece to remain ‘accessible to all those who want to come and enjoy it for the foreseeable future’.

A statement from owner Red Eight Gallery and Dreamland Margate said: ‘Banksy’s artwork Valentine’s Day Mascara has today been removed from its original location by a skilled team of professionals and taken to an art conservator in Faversham.

‘There it will be prepared for its eventual installation at Dreamland Margate where it will be on display for the public to see.

‘Julian Usher from Red Eight Gallery and Eddie Kemsley from Dreamland are delighted that they have been able to help the artwork’s current owner achieve their dreams for it and look forward to revealing it in its new home at Dreamland.’

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A 22-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of supporting proscribed organisation Hamas at a protest event.

Counter-Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said the woman was arrested on Thursday under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

It comes after an investigation was launched focusing on a speech made by a woman at the protest in Brighton on Sunday.

Superintendent Petra Lazar from Sussex Police said: ‘After reviewing footage from the protest event held in Brighton on Sunday October 8, the matter was investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing South East. We will continue to support them as they conduct their investigation.

‘We are aware that the ongoing conflict in Israel and the border with Gaza is generating public concern and is impacting communities globally and locally, and we extend our support to those affected in Sussex.

‘Sussex Police has increased visibility across parts of Sussex to provide an increased presence and reassurance to our local communities.

‘We recognise there is the potential for increased tensions and are engaging and working with communities and partners to ensure people feel safe and protected.’

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Travellers who parked their vehicles at Luton Airport say they’ve been ‘left in limbo’ after an enormous fire at a terminal car park.

The blaze broke out at a newly built multi-storey car park beside the airport’s Terminal 2 building when a car on the third level burst into flames on Tuesday evening.

There were 1,500 vehicles inside the car park, it’s been confirmed, with photos taken after the blaze showing many have been destroyed. Part of the building also collapsed.

Among those whose cars were in the car park at the time are Katie Forbes, 42, who had travelled to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands with her husband Adrian, her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend.

Having heard nothing about the state of their vehicle, the group have had to hire a car for when they return to the UK today.

Ms Forbes said: ‘I’ve had no joy with Luton. I’ve heard nothing back, I’ve been tweeting them, everything, and nothing.

‘I get it, they’re getting other people that are going to the airport, but to me there’s been no apology, not once has anybody said “we’re sorry about the situation”.

‘We’re kind of left in limbo.’

Ms Forbes, whose daughter had left her own car keys in the vehicle, said the whole thing had affected their holiday.

‘It’s hard to do anything, you can’t relax around the pool because you’re constantly looking at your phone to see “have they emailed, have we got an update?” There’s just been nothing.’

Thomas Willett, 29, a content manager for a real estate firm, from Essex, had left his car in the car park on Tuesday, before flying to Gran Canaria with his partner.

He said he received an email from the airport’s parking service on Wednesday telling him to email them for information about his car.

‘I have since emailed them three times and contacted them on Twitter over the course of Wednesday and (Thursday) but have heard nothing,’ he said.

‘We don’t know if our car has been damaged or not, or how we will be getting home from the airport.

‘Their duty of care should be to those whose vehicles have been impacted, but they seem to be replying to everyone else with other queries instead.’

Mr Willett flies back to the UK on Sunday but explained: ‘Currently, we have no means of getting back home.’

Lucy Lynam, a 42-year-old accountant from Hertfordshire, said she is ‘none the wiser’ about the state of her car and is ‘expecting the worst’.

However, Ms Lynam, who left her vehicle at the car park on Tuesday morning before flying to Majorca to attend a conference, praised Luton Airport’s communication.

‘I can only imagine they’re operating in crisis mode behind the scenes,’ she said.

‘They’ve emailed me a couple of times with updates and whilst there’s little specific info around my individual vehicle, they’ve kept me up to date.’

Izabela, a 34-year-old beauty therapist in Willenhall, said she felt a ‘massive shock’.

Her and her husband Dawid had boarded their plane to return home from Lanzarote when the pilot announced the flight had been cancelled due to an incident at Luton Airport.

Izabela, who did not wish to share her surname, said ‘we don’t know nothing about our car’, which contained a laptop, house keys and other items.

She described the situation as a ‘nightmare’, adding: ‘Without the car, what are we supposed to do now?’

A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: ‘We understand the distress this incident has caused for our car parking customers, and we recognise many are anxious for answers.

‘We are working hard to provide those answers as quickly as possible, though this will take some time.

‘We would like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding.’

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue sent more than 15 crews and 100 firefighters to the blaze, which happened just before 9pm.

Five people – four fire service personnel and an airport official – were taken to Luton and Dunstable hospitals for smoke inhalation.

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MORE : Are London Stanstead, City, and Luton airports in ULEZ?

MORE : Test passengers are needed for Luton Airport’s new Dart shuttle train

Shocking footage shows the moment a drink-driver crashed his van after swerving across a busy motorway – before he was found fast asleep behind the wheel.

Jamie Barrett, 30, was spotted driving dangerously as he headed north along the M1 in Nottinghamshire on September 14 this year.

A concerned witness contacted police to describe his erratic driving as if he was ‘shaking his steering wheel quickly from left to right.’

Dash-cam footage captured Barrett veering all the way from lanes one to four as he recklessly drove in his black Ford fan between junctions 25 and 26.

Barrett narrowly missed other vehicles and can be seen at one point colliding with the barriers before he came to a stop when he ran out of fuel.

Police body-cam shows how officers then discovered Barrett slumped behind the wheel fast asleep.

He was awoken by officers who said he began to speak incoherently and his speech was slurred.

Further damage found to the van suggested he had also crashed into the motorway barriers earlier on in the journey.

Barrett, of Faldingworth, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, was two and a half times over the limit.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday where he was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work.

Nottinghamshire Police said they had released the footage as a reminder of the potentially fatal consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Sergeant Louis Jamieson said: ‘Barrett was driving on a busy motorway whilst under the influence of alcohol.

‘It was more luck than anything else that no-one was injured, the consequences don’t bare thinking about.

‘This case serves as a stark reminder that those who drink and drive are never in control of their vehicle and are selfishly putting the lives of other road users at risk.

‘Nottinghamshire Police takes offences like this very seriously and we will continue to do everything in our power to take people like Barrett off our roads.

‘I also hope this case serves as a warning to others that if you’ve taken drugs or alcohol and you get behind the wheel, there’s a high chance that we will catch you.

‘Our work is ongoing all year round to stop drink and drug-drivers before they have the chance to cause serious harm.

‘We will keep the pressure up and continue our work to educate and enforce wherever we can.

‘If we have reason to believe you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs we will follow you, we will pull you over, and we will ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’

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A woman has been bailed over the death of a man in his 60s during a baptism ceremony that was being live-streamed on Facebook.

The man, who was in his 60s, is said to have suffered from a medical emergency at the Life Changing Ministries ceremony in Erdington, Birmingham.

He was treated at the scene on Sunday shortly after 1.30pm.

The ministry is led by apostle Cheryl Reid Bartley who is believed to have left an hour-long message on Facebook on Monday referring to a man called Robert Yap who had travelled more than 300 miles to be baptised.

She said that he was ‘in heaven’. She said that he joined the church four years ago and had suffered from Parkinson’s disease.

His baptism was the first scheduled to take place on Sunday but others were carried out afterwards.

Police confirmed they had arrested a 46-year-old woman on suspicion of manslaughter.

A spokesman said: ‘A post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course to establish the cause of the man’s death, while detectives carry out enquiries into the circumstances surrounding his death.

‘A 46-year-old woman who was arrested in Birmingham yesterday has been released on police bail while enquiries continue.’

A mum has told how she and her three-month-old daughter were trapped in their Pontins room amid a ‘holiday nightmare’.

Sacha Robinson said she found ‘filthy’ conditions and a sofa bed with metal sticking out after arriving for a three-night break at the holiday chain’s resort in Camber Sands.

Sacha, from Derby, complained to Pontins about her experience in August and was at first told that she was not eligible for a refund.  

She said: ‘When we arrived there was no electricity or the extra bedding we had paid extra for.

‘At first they told us we had to pay extra for the electricity via a payment meter, before they decided it was included in the price of my booking.

‘When we got to the room it was filthy, it wasn’t suitable for children.  

‘There was no shower curtain and the taps in the bathroom weren’t working.

‘They gave us the additional bedding we paid extra for but when we complained they said there was nothing else they could do.’ 

The university lecturer, 36, paid a discounted £179.50 for the apartment and the extra bedding through the Sun Savers scheme.

But she was dismayed at what she found after arriving at the park in East Sussex with baby Eliza, and her aunt and her two children, aged 11 and 12.  

‘The bed for the children had a big piece of metal sticking out of it which had been stuck down with tape so it wasn’t suitable for them to sleep in,’ Ms Robinson said.

‘On top of that, when the door shut we got locked in the room.

‘At first we thought one of the children could climb out to release us from the outside.

‘In the end we banged on the windows and threw the key out to another guest who was able to open the door after a bit of a struggle.

‘We were trapped in the room for about 40 minutes.  

‘It was about midnight at that point and when we finally found the duty manager to complain she said we could change rooms, but with three children we said it was totally impractical.  

‘In the end we had to prop the door open while we stayed the night and we left in the morning because we were tired, the baby was upset and we had had enough. I said it was totally unacceptable and they said I would get my money back within seven to 10 working days.  

‘But after I sent an email they said I wasn’t entitled to any compensation or a refund and they’d pass my complaints on to housekeeping, and that was it.

‘We’d had a nine-hour drive from Derby because of traffic just for a holiday nightmare and a room which was totally unacceptable.’ 

In the end, the group found a last-minute booking at a Haven holiday park a 30-minute drive along the Sussex coast in Hastings. 

Ms Robinson said: ‘The girls are fostered and we didn’t want to ruin their holiday, so I searched that night and found a couple of nights at the Haven resort, which was so much better.

‘It was lovely and I would recommend it to anyone. We managed to give the kids a great holiday despite Pontins’ best efforts.’ 

In an email sent to Ms Robinson on September 27, Pontins said ‘we apologise that the standard of your stay was not up to the level that you expect’, but did not offer a refund.

The message read: ‘Please be reassured that we have passed your complaints onto the relevant housekeeping and maintenance departments and will continue to pursue remedial action on your behalf so these issues do not reoccur in the future. We have reported the issues about the door locking and are correcting this issue.’ 

However after Ms Robinson spoke to Metro.co.uk about her stay this week Pontins offered her a full refund.

The Guest Solutions team told her: ‘After reviewing your complaint we can see that as you were an early departure we are happy to refund the full value of your booking on this occasion, totalling £179.50.’

Metro.co.uk has approached Pontins for further comment. 

MORE : Woman says she ‘wouldn’t let her dog stay’ at Pontins resort after disastrous visit

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When Isola Blair’s male colleagues found out she had cancer, she was left shocked at their reaction.

In January 2010, she experienced a sharp pain in her left breast that refused to go away. A trip to her GP led to a referral to a breast clinic, who set up an appointment for an ultrasound and mammogram.

Just two weeks later, Isola was told the devastating news that she had breast cancer. The social worker then ‘cried like she had never cried before.’

Speaking on this week’s episode of podcast Mammograms and Me – hosted by Labour MP Dawn Butler – Isola recalls how her colleagues responded when they found out about her diagnosis.

‘It was a bit of a male-dominated environment at my work,’ she explains. ‘‘My boss had told them that I had breast cancer and might not be coming back to the job. I went in to see my colleagues and some of the men were crying.

‘And I said, “what are you crying for? Don’t cry, I’ll be alright. It’s not like I’ve lost a leg, I’ve got too many shoes to wear!”

‘I’m not a comedian by any means but that seemed to lighten the mood a bit. But still, some of them just had to walk away as they were so upset.

‘It shows how sometimes you don’t know how much people really do think and care about you. You don’t realise until something life-threatening happens to you.’

In the podcast, Isola, also discusses sharing her cancer diagnosis with her two children. Her 10-year-old son was left incredulous that his mum would be ‘walking around with only one booby’ after her treatment.

While her cancer diagnosis may have put an end to Isola’s social work career due to her treatment, it did inspire a new chapter.

Today, she is a co-founder of Beyond Cancer, a charity that provides support and a listening ear to people during their stages of a cancer diagnosis, appointments and treatment.

In her interview with Dawn, Isola also explores how Beyond Cancer works to reach all corners of society, including ethnic minority groups.

With Black and Asian women often being diagnosed with cancer at a later stage than their white counterparts, research shows that the mortality rate can be far higher within certain races.

Isola continues: ‘In the Black community, cancer isn’t something that’s talked about. It never came up between my friends or family.

‘I went through my cancer journey knowing very little. So I thought, how many other women are out there who have no idea what to expect?

‘A lady called Pat Case is a fellow founder of Beyond Cancer. She got diagnosed through having a mammogram – a routine one. So we got together and had a conversation on what we could do.’

Isola is determined to do everything within her power at Beyond Cancer to make a difference.

They’ve hosted events and fundraisers which have seen hundreds of women attend and learn about the tell-tale signs of cancer.

At Isola’s local church in Leeds, she’s engaged in hushed conversations with women to dispel misconceptions about smear tests. She’s told church-goers how – even if you aren’t sexually active – they are still vital.

She also tries to raise awareness of prostate cancer and how support can be provided to Black and Asian men with the diagnosis.

‘I think even if we plant a tiny seed, it can grow,’ Isola tells Dawn. ‘But if there’s no seed planted – change won’t happen.’

Mammograms and Me

Thousands of women in the UK are thought to be completely unaware they have breast cancer right now.

In a bid to reduce the startling number, MP Dawn Butler has launched the ‘Mammograms and Me’ podcast with Metro to shed light on the reality of living with breast cancer.

Over the next six weeks, with a series of special guests, she will share her own experience of a breast cancer diagnosis,  bust myths and share inspiring stories with those who haven’t just survived, but are thriving after their battle with cancer.

Interviewees include former surgeon Liz O’Riordan and actress Victoria Ekanoye.

The podcast comes after the Labour MP for Brent created the #FindTheMillion campaign with Metro to encourage women to sign up for mammograms.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk 

Share your views in the comments below.

MORE : Dawn Butler launches new breast cancer myth-busting podcast with Metro

MORE : I told ten women a day they had breast cancer, then I got it

MORE : ‘No, they don’t make your boobs sag’ – why one doctor is on a mission to make every woman mammogram savvy

British-Palestinians have said they are ‘terrified’ for their family members still living in Gaza following Israel’s ongoing siege on the territory.

Mohammed Awad told reporters his ‘entire close and extended family’, including his parents, siblings and young relatives, live in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

His family told him the atmosphere in Gaza is ‘full of the terrors of war’ and they were trying to distract themselves, he said.

Follow the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict on our live blog

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a ‘complete siege’ following an attack by Hamas militants on Saturday, saying authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel.

On Thursday, an Israeli military representative said they were preparing for a possible ground invasion of Gaza.

Mr Awad, an English teacher at a language school in Cambridge, said his family only has one hour of electricity per day, were fasting due to a difficulty accessing food and using candles at night due to blackouts.

He said his parents, siblings, and in-laws all live on the ground floor of a single house, which they haven’t been leaving ‘because they are terrified’.

His family are primarily relying on the radio for information as they have ‘no access to any TV channels’ and very poor internet, Mr Awad said.

He said: ‘Kids are crying. No one can sleep. There is a lack of food, a lack of fuel.

‘They were fasting today because no one could just shop for basic needs.’

Mr Awad said he was ‘terrified’ for his family, adding: ‘I don’t eat or sleep for days now. I cannot control my emotions.’

British-Palestinian Fady Abusidu, a 47-year-old business development consultant based in Warwick, said his family are ‘extremely scared’ and some of his ‘cousins and sons of cousins’ have died in the last few days in Gaza.

He was quite ‘sad and quite concerned’ for the safety of his family and friends as he ‘knows that they’re all in danger,’ he added.

‘I’ve been receiving messages… of various members of friends’ families and relatives dying and being killed as a result of what’s going on – the bombardment and attacks on Gaza.’

Mr Abusidu, whose father is Palestinian and who lived in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for several years, said: ‘My cousin’s home was damaged again.

‘Every time we repair it and rebuild it and so on and it gets targeted again or hit again so it’s quite concerning and quite depressing.’

British-Palestinian Ahmed, an IT consultant from Cambridge who did not wish to share his age or full name, but whose family lives in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, told PA he was ‘extremely worried’.

‘My dad, my mum, my two brothers, my two sisters… my whole family (live in Gaza),’ he said.

‘(I have been) looking on my Facebook making sure that I don’t have any posts from my friends saying that one of my family members has been lost.’

Ahmed said he is ‘completely mentally stressed’ by the imagery being shared from the conflict on social media.

He also distanced the Palestinian people from the actions of Hamas militants.

‘There are lots of civilians who has nothing to do with what’s going on and simply want to live,’ he said.

‘It’s like taking one single brush and colouring two million people with one single colour because of the actions done by a few people.

‘We are all human beings and we all have the same rights.’

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At five feet and four inches, William Brown was perhaps on the slightly small side for a sailor.

He worked aboard the HMS Queen Charlotte, a towering warship used by the Royal British Navy across Europe.

William was said to possess a ‘smart well formed-figure’ and boasted ‘considerable strength and great activity.’

He was also known for deftly scaling the ship’s rigging and steering the vessel through shallow waters, newspaper reports had claimed.

But the 26-year-old’s life at sea was brought to an abrupt end when the young man’s true identity was revealed in 1815.

William Brown, it emerged, was a woman.

She had made use of an elaborate disguise to hide her sex from her superiors and fellow sailors.

It is thought a quarrel with her husband had led the young woman to the decision to enlist in the Navy.

‘William Brown was a woman seeking a different sort of life. The only way to do that was to pretend to be a man,’ Dr Jo Stanley, an expert in maritime history, tells Metro.

The academic specialises in uncovering unknown tales of female, LGBT and ethnic minority sailors of the past, and says she was inspired tby her great-aunt who worked on boats and explored West Africa as a stewardess.

While Dr Stanley is fascinated by the stories the waves hold, she ironically doesn’t have the strongest of sea legs – and has to wear a motion sickness band to keep her stomach steady.

‘The history of women at sea is fascinating and I thought someone should write about them. Then I realised it was going to be me,’ she laughs.

‘It was hugely exciting to start, I felt like I was hacking through a new jungle with a machete.

‘It would have been around 20 years ago that I found out about William Brown. I’d done a lot of research into piracy by this point and had come across several women who had cross-dressed.

‘It was a logical thing to do at the time, for women who were bold enough. We are so used to gap years and travelling now, but it wasn’t an option for women in the past.

‘They’d cut their hair, chew tobacco, spit, drink, do a rolling walk – do anything they could to be a convincing man.’

William Brown is the first Black woman on record to join the ranks of the Royal British Navy, yet much of her story is still shrouded in mystery.

The woman’s real name is unknown and there are debates over where she came from.

The September 2, 1815 edition of the Times states: ‘Amongst the crew of the Queen Charlotte, 110 guns, recently paid off, is now discovered, was a female African.

‘[She] served as a seaman in the Royal Navy for upwards of eleven years, several of which she has been rated able on the books of the above ship by the name of William Brown, and has served for some time as the captain of the fore-top, highly to the satisfaction of the officers.’

Brown’s fellow sailors were said to be none the wiser about her true gender, as she would routinely guzzle grog with the ‘greatest gaiety’ alongside the men.

Indeed, her years incognito while rising the ranks of the Royal Navy seems a tale fit for a movie, lead some historians to question if it is actually too good to be true.

The HMS Charlotte’s official muster list states that a William Brown joined the crew on May 23, 1815 and was discharged weeks – not years – later on June 19.

In this document, she is said to be from Grenada, and her age is given as 26. 

Her rank is labelled ‘landsman’ – a low level within the Royal Navy that would have unlikely included the exciting duties the Times claims she carried out.

The following year there is a second mention of a William Brown on the HMS Charlotte’s records.

This time, the sailor has an age of 32 and an origin of Edinburgh.

Historians, such as the late Suzanne Stark, say this shows that William Brown had enlisted a second time in the Navy.

But many others think this is simply a Scotsman with the same name as the secret female crew member.

Dr Jo muses: ‘There’s a mix-up with two William Browns. I don’t think the second one on the muster list is her at all.

‘I also don’t think she was the first Black woman aboard a ship. This period was the time of the Napoleonic Wars and an awful lot of seafarers were needed. Ships were in fact very multicultural, polyglot places.

‘There were a lot of Black men on the boats, in particular as cooks. I think there may have been a couple of their wives, potentially before William Brown, who came with them.

‘William Brown’s identity was discovered in England so her dismissal had to go through all the official channels.

‘However, there surely are other women who cross-dressed but were captured in other countries, such as out in the Caribbean, where less fuss was made.

‘That’s what is exciting about William Brown and the detail we do have on her. If she exists, so do 50, 60, 70 other Black women who may have made the same attempts.’

With the paper trail of William Brown running cold in 1816, historians have been left to wonder what became of the trailblazing sailor.

Perhaps she returned to life on land. Or, maybe, her voyage at sea continued across the world’s wild waters.

While some questions on her life may never be answered, William Brown earned her place in history as the first known Black woman to serve in the Royal Navy.

To read more about the trailblazing Black women at sea since, click here

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk 

Share your views in the comments below.

READ MORE: The Sisterhood List: Saluting the women who have opened doors for other Black women in Britain

READ MORE: Amelia King: The woman barred from aiding Britain’s WW2 efforts because she was Black

READ MORE: Team GB’s only Black rower: ‘I feel like a guest in a white, privileged space’

Council worker Ashley Dale was likely running for her ‘only escape’ when she was gunned down in her home by a hitman looking for her partner, a firearms expert told jurors. 

Ashley, 28, was hit by a bullet sprayed from a Skorpion submachine gun by James Witham moments after he burst into her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year. 

Witham, 41, and four other defendants – Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 – deny her murder. 

Jurors have heard how Witham and Peers were sent by the other three to kill Ashley’s partner Lee Harrison as part of a feud reignited by Barry after a fight involving Zeisz at Glastonbury. 

On Thursday, firearms expert Andre de Villiers Horne showed the jury at Liverpool Crown Court a decommissioned Skorpion machine pistol of the type used in the shooting. 

The court heard the weapon was capable of firing 850 to 900 rounds a minute, or 14 to 15 rounds a second. 

Mr Horne said Ashley was likely to have been shot as she stood next to a bar stool in the kitchen, which was found to have a bullet inside. 

He told the jury he believed she was facing the back door, which she later went through before being found by officers lying injured in the back yard of the house on Leinster Road. 

Mr Horne said: ‘My explanation is that she was moving towards the rear door because that was her only route of escape. 

‘You have somebody standing in the hallway that had just broken down your front door, so you’re not going to move towards them. 

‘It is my view that Ashley’s movements were from wherever she was, most likely in the living room where the television was on, when the door was smashed down. 

‘She had then moved towards her only escape, the rear door, and the shooter followed the same route and fired shots in the direction that Ashley was attempting to escape.’ 

Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, said: ‘Your view is the gunman is following the route that she’s taking and discharging the machine pistol as he does so?’ 

Mr Horne replied: ‘In my view that is the most likely explanation, yes.’ 

The expert said 10 fired cartridge cases were found in the downstairs of the terraced property and five bullet holes were found in the wall of an upstairs bedroom. 

He said the shots that were fired downstairs were in the same direction, although he believed the gunman had moved between shots. 

He said: ‘I would favour the proposition that perhaps they were fired at a target, as opposed to just randomly.’ 

Being cross-examined by Richard Pratt KC, defending Witham, Mr Horne said he was not able to exclude the possibility the gunman may have been firing at the building rather than an individual. 

Forensic scientist Heather McKinlay told the court DNA found on a bullet casing under a bed upstairs had DNA that was one billion times more likely to have originated from Witham than from an unknown person. 

Witham, of Huyton; Fitzgibbon, of St Helens; Zeisz of Huyton; Barry, of Tuebrook; and Peers, of Roby – all Merseyside – deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition, as well as the murder of Miss Dale. 

Kallum Radford, 26, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender. 

The trial will continue on Friday. 

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A convicted Hamas supporter told a shop worker ‘I’m going to cut your head off’ because she ‘gave him a dirty look’.

Feras Al-Jayoosi, 36, also shouted ‘don’t ignore me’, and followed the woman around One Below, in Swindon, Wiltshire, on October 9.

The woman hid in a staff-only storage room but Al-Jayoosi then came up behind her, Swindon Magistrates Court heard.

She told him: ‘Please leave me alone, I’m not on shift yet.’

He then shouted: ‘I’m going to take your head off, I’m going to cut your head off’, prosecutor Keith Ballinger said.

Another staff member rushed to the woman’s aid before Al-Jayoosi was ushered out of the store.

Stephen Collins, defending, said his client ‘accepts a lot of upset was caused’ by his actions and confirmed no bail application is being made due to Al-Jayoosi being recalled to prison.

He has previously been convicted after wearing T-shirts supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Golders Green, London, which has a large Jewish population.

Al-Jayoosi was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for two years at Westminster Magistrates Court in December 2021.

During the latest trial he pleaded guilty to a Section 4 Public Order Act offence and it has been adjourned for a pre-sentence report.

Al-Jayoosi was remanded in custody and will appear at the same court for sentencing on November 9.

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Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter has said the controversial luxury pool and spa complex built on the grounds of the family’s home was intended to be ‘part of his legacy’. 

Hannah Ingram-Moore told TalkTV her family has received death threats amid the huge public backlash to reports it was built using money donated to the charity in his name. 

In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, said it was a mistake to lodge the planning application under the Captain Tom Foundation, saying the building was merely meant to bear his name. 

Ms Ingram-Moore denied seeking to give themselves ‘a little treat’, claiming the paperwork was filed after her father’s death ‘because we wanted it as part of that legacy, and because it was a nice thing to do’.

She also addressed criticism of the family’s trip to Barbados with Captain Tom two months before he died, which people later blamed as a ‘contributing factor’.

‘It was his dream,’ she said, describing how they finally found a period they could all go after the Covid lockdowns.

On whether she was worried he wasn’t physically strong enough to travel, she added: ‘Not at all, in fact we had doctors to check, and they said, “Go, Captain Tom! Enjoy it, be happy”.

‘No one knew how long he was going to live. We also didn’t know that he had silent pneumonia, nor did they, but nonetheless, we got on the plane, and we have photos of him on the plane.

‘He was treated like a king.’

Ms Ingram-Moore admitted her family kept the £800,000 profits from three books Captain Tom had written.

She also revealed she was paid £18,000 for attending the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards in 2021 — when already being paid as chief executive of the body.

The money was paid to her family firm, Maytrix Group, and she banked £16,000, donating £2,000 to the Captain Tom Foundation.

On the spa complex, Morgan suggested it ‘looks like you are giving yourselves, as a family, a nice little treat, but you are using the Captain Tom Foundation umbrella to justify it’. 

She replied: ‘Yes, and I think everyone can look in hindsight, and our original application, the name was never intended to be the Captain Tom Foundation, it was supposed to be the Captain Tom building.  

‘It got lost in translation and we take responsibility for that, completely.’ 

Turning to Ms Ingram-Moore’s husband Colin, Morgan went on: ‘I think you played into your critics’ hands, right Colin. 

‘I just think that when I came in, I thought I wonder how big that is, you know what, it’s pretty nice, it’s something most people can’t afford, it’s an expensive luxurious thing, it has really nothing to do with Captain Tom or his legacy or anything actually, it’s purely just a nice thing for you to have as a family. 

‘But you were applying as the Captain Tom Foundation to do it, that’s what angers, certainly a statement from the Foundation said they were not happy about that, they weren’t involved, but secondly, just public opinion.’ 

Mr Ingram-Moore replied: ‘We accept that. We were caught up with trying to get the building to do what we wanted it to do.  

‘We should have, we wanted to leave the name of Captain Tom here as a legacy, and we should have done it in a different way, without any doubt, and we’ve suffered as a result.’ 

Their son Benji added: ‘Yes, what I hope people understand as well, is we did not use charity money for this.  

‘Hindsight, we shouldn’t have called it the Captain Tom Foundation building, it slipped through the net and that is a responsibility that we take, but never once did we use money from the Foundation, and I hope people can understand that part of it.’ 

The couple applied in 2021 for permission to build a Captain Tom Foundation Building in the grounds of their home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. 

The L-shaped building was given the green light, and in a design and access and heritage statement it was described as to be used partly ‘in connection with The Captain Tom Foundation and its charitable objectives’. 

A subsequent retrospective application in 2022, for a larger C-shaped building containing a spa pool, was refused by the planning authority. 

Central Bedfordshire Council said in July that an enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the ‘now-unauthorised building’ was issued and was subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. 

Asked whether it might be ‘good optics’ to simply get rid of the spa building altogether, Ms Ingram-Moore insisted it had been paid for with ‘all personal money’ and ‘not one penny’ from anywhere else. 

Pressed again on whether they should ditch it, she said: ‘Because when we go to appeal, it’s keep it or tear it all down, there isn’t a middle… if we are allowed to keep it, we will talk about what we may be able to do…’ 

Morgan went on: ‘When I first walk in, the first thing I see is a luxurious spa pool, that’s got nothing to do with Captain Tom, at all, and yet you used the Captain Tom Foundation name to get it. 

‘That’s why I’m surprised that given I’ve asked this a few times now, you don’t just say, “Actually we get it, that’s going to go, regardless of whatever the council says”.  

‘So I’ll give you one last chance, then we’ll move on, but I think it’s important.’ 

Ms Ingram-Moore replied: ‘I think though that I can’t possibly answer that before we as a family would sit down and discuss it.’ 

Sir Tom raised £38.9 million for the NHS, including gift aid, by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday at the height of the first national Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020. 

He was knighted by the late Queen during a unique open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle in summer 2020. He died in February 2021. 

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A person dressed as a killer clown is stalking the streets of a sleepy Scottish village just in time for Halloween.

The mysterious figure has been spotted around the village of Skelmorlie in North Ayrshire and has left locals terrified.

The costume is based off Stephen King’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown from his book It.

A Facebook account supposedly set up by the clown – who has called himself Cole Deimoshas – has been set up.

He posted images of himself in the darkened streets of the village – and creeping along on all fours over a bridge.

In one image, he stares at the screen with a weird smile on his face, while holding a red balloon.

He’s also shown snarling at the camera as he stands behind a locked gate, and posing outside a shop in the village.

He’s also been leaving red balloons around the village – just like in the books and films.

A local who did not wish to be named – said he isn’t letting his two boys who are aged 11 and 13 out at night.

He said: ‘Whoever this is they are scaring everybody – he needs to be stopped.

‘Someone needs to have a word with him before the police get involved or he really terrifies someone.

‘He could give someone a heart attack.’

He added: ‘One boy in the street along from us said he saw the clown from his bedroom window just before he went to bed – he didn’t sleep all night.’

The Facebook videos and posts have strangely been taken down by the clown, making another local called Pauline think something has happened.

She said: ‘Everyone in the village has seen the video and posts on Facebook of the Skelmorlie Killer Clown and we’re all talking about who it is, but nobody’s got a clue.

‘I imagine he took his photos and videos down because he was getting too much heat.’

Cole Deimos’ Facebook states he is ‘self-employed’ and studied ‘at Clown School’, and he lives in Skelmorlie.

Police are aware of the Facebook posts.

The fictional character of Pennywise is known to tempt children to their death by making red balloons bob along the road and down storm drains, where he lies in wait to grab them and pull them into the sewers.

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Four Jewish schools in north London are closing their doors ‘in the interests of the safety of our precious children’.

Ateres Beis Yaakov Primary School in Colindale, Torah Vodaas Primary School in Edgware and Menorah High School in Neasden informed parents the schools would not open now until Monday.

A fourth Jewish school in north London is also closing, Sky News understands.

Rabbi Feldman, of Torah Vodaas, told the broadcaster there was ‘no specific threat to our school’ and it was ‘not a decision that has been taken lightly’, in a letter to parents.

Follow our live blog on the Israel-Hamas war here

Rabbi Chaim Pinter, the principal of Yesodey Hatorah School, also told Sky News they had put ‘certain measures’ in place, including ‘extra patrols’ as well as providing therapists and counsellors to the students.

‘There is worry, people are concerned. People don’t want this to spill over,’ he said.

‘The majority of students live locally, but the students who live out of the local area, they are coming in via taxis rather than public transport.

‘Our priority is the children,’ he added. ‘And the best place, the safest place for a child, is in school.’

Jewish students have been warned by schools to disguise their uniform because of fears of attacks due to the Israel-Hamas war.

One father whose children’s school had given out such advice said: ‘In 2023 for my kids to go to school and it not be okay for them to wear uniform, a kippah, star of David on their blazers, to have to hide their identity in 2023, it’s very scary.

‘I am scared for myself and my family. It’s a scary situation.’

His wife said there had been at least three police officers outside the children’s school every day over the past few days.

Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have already been killed in the conflict that started on Saturday.

It comes after a leading Jewish charity said it had recorded a 400% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the past four days.

Elsewhere, the IDF Chief of Staff admitted Israel had failed to protect its citizens when Hamas attacked.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said: ‘The IDF is responsible for defending the country and its citizens, and Saturday morning, in the area around Gaza, we did not live up to it.

‘We will learn, investigate, but now is the time for war.’

Prime minister Rishi Sunak promised £3million to protect schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community buildings today.

This money will go towards additional guards in schools as well as extra security guards across synagogues on Friday nights and Saturday mornings.

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What’s scarier – ghosts and ghouls, or not getting a good night’s sleep?

Locals who live close to Thorpe Park in Surrey were faced with the latter when spooky sounds were left playing all night long.

The park is running Halloween-themed ‘fright nights’ throughout October – but neighbours had a fright of their own when the sounds of ghostly wailing, spooky music, and screaming were left blasting overnight.

The soundtrack played from Sunday evening into Monday morning, stopping him, his partner and his dog from getting a good night’s sleep.

Jonathan Tennant, 56, lives close to the theme park and even went to the park’s gates in the early hours of Monday morning to capture proof of the disruption.

Jonathan, a phone engineer, had to put ear defenders on his pet pooch to keep him calm.

He explained: ‘It was loud – and bloody annoying.

‘The noise started at 10:30am on Sunday and should have finished at 7pm – but it went on and on.

‘You could hear it all through the house and it kept waking me and my housemate.

‘She’s a teacher and she didn’t sleep.

‘I thought there’d at least be security, maintenance staff or cleaners, but it was all shut up and empty.’

Another local added: ‘It’s ridiculous. The bass started at about 6pm and rattled on until 7am. I’ve barely slept a wink.’

The local residents’ association has called for a meeting with Thorpe Park to address the issue.

Thorpe Park has been contacted for comment.

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A grammar school teacher in Scotland who told a year 8 pupil she’s ‘not here to wipe her a**e’ will not be sacked, a panel has concluded.

Claire Sweeney made the remark at Uddingston Grammar in Lanarkshire on February 21, 2018.

According to a written ruling by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland), Sweeney told an S1 (first year) pupil: ‘I am not here to wipe your a**e.’

Sweeney admitted to the Scottish teachers’ registration charity she had made the comment.

The English teacher faced more heat for a second comment she made that same day.

One of her students had asked to be given spelling sheets and help with an essay, the panel was told across the three-day hearing in September.

Sweeney in a ‘shouty’ voice told her department head before the school day started at 9am that the pupil is ‘an attention seeker with a transgender identity crisis’.

Her boss was ‘taken aback’ by the ‘inappropriate’ comment. Wary that the situation could ‘deteriorate unpredictably’, he ended the conversation.

In an outburst the following day, Sweeney told another S1 class: ‘I am not vaguely interested’, ‘I am not interested, when will you realise that?’ and, ‘For God’s sake, just shut up’.

GTC Scotland panellists heard how Sweeney had been accused of being ‘unfit to teach’ and breaching the charity’s code of professionalism and conduct.

Sweeney did not admit that her fitness to teach was ‘impaired’.

She stressed she had a ‘particularly good relationship’ with the pupil whose gender identity she had commented as well as their parents while ‘consistently’ denying saying the alleged comment.

The ruling said: ‘She explained that the pupil had communication issues caused in part by their decision to transition gender, resulting in them being unwilling to speak up directly in class.’

‘However, the panel could see no reason that witness one would have made up the phrase alleged,’ it added.

A witness giving evidence to the panel claimed Sweeney had ‘shouted’ that she was ‘not interested’, among other remarks, while marking pupils’ work on February 22, 2018.

Writing the comments down, the witness reported Sweeney to the headteacher, though another passer-by ‘did not recall’ her saying them.

The second witness, a pupil support assistant, described Sweeney’s first-year English class as being ‘difficult to manage at times’.

GTC Scotland said: ‘The teacher accepted that she would occasionally raise her voice in order to take control but would not use the words attributed to her in relation [to the accusation].’

Panellists concluded that Sweeney’s behaviour amounted to misconduct but were satisfied it was ‘remediable’ and allowed her to remain as a teacher.

Sweeney left the school due to ill health following the incidents and the weeks-long disciplinary proceedings against her in March 2018.

She has since taken up work at another school.

In its ruling, GTC Scotland said: ‘Although the panel was not provided with independent medical reports or up-to-date testimonials, the panel was entirely persuaded when the teacher said that she was “chastened” by the process and had fully accepted the findings of the panel against her.

‘In all the circumstances, the panel was satisfied that the teacher had in fact remediated her past misconduct. The panel was further satisfied that there was no real risk of any repetition of this or any other misconduct.’

It concluded: ‘There was no current impairment of the teacher’s fitness to teach. Accordingly, the teacher was found to be currently fit to teach.’

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Police were called to Stansted Airport after a plane was diverted there.

A Kenya Airways flight travelling from Nairobi to Heathrow was diverted just before 3.45pm, Essex Police said.

The plane was escorted to Stansted by RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft.

Pictures show bomb disposal units as well as fire crews are at the scene.

Marie Merritt, a passenger on the plane, described the scene: ’45 minutes before we were due to land we were told we’ve been diverted to Stansted.

‘When we arrived we were surrounded by the police.

‘They’ve all got guns, all dressed in black. Captain hasn’t even said anything.’

She shared pictures of armed police on the runway and on board the plane, with one officer leading a sniffer dog up the aisle.

A spokesperson for Stansted Airport has since confirmed that the incident has been stood down and the airport is operating as normal.

They said: ‘A Kenya Airways Boeing 787 (flight number KQ100) diverted into London Stansted at just before 3.45pm.

‘The aircraft, which was en route from Nairobi to London Heathrow, landed safely and was escorted to a remote stand with Essex Police in attendance.

‘The incident has been stood down and the airport is open and flights are operating as normal.’

An MOD spokesperson said: ‘RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched as a precaution this afternoon to investigate a civilian aircraft which was approaching the UK.

‘The civilian aircraft remained in contact with air traffic controllers throughout, and was escorted to Stansted Airport where it landed safely.

‘This incident is now under the control of the civilian authorities.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Essex Police for more information.

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