The recent floods in Texas killed 135 people, including many young children.

At least 27 campers and staff from Camp Mystic died.

BBC Verify's Jake Horton has visited Kerr County in Texas to find out what happened there and why it was so badly hit.

Produced by Angélica Casas

Graphics by Sally Nicholls

Does Edinburgh's Royal Mile need 72 tourist gift shops?

3 hours ago Share Save Andrew Picken Data Journalist, BBC Scotland News Share Save

BBC Edinburgh's Royal Mile has scores of gift shops selling Scotland-themed souvenirs to a growing number of visitors

The Royal Mile is the ancient spine of Edinburgh, visited by five million tourists each year. The collective name for four streets that thread through the city's Old Town, it is home to a 900-year-old castle, a palace and a parliament. But the people who live there claim they are now seeing the overtourism problems being experienced across Europe. With tourists comes tourist shops, and BBC Scotland News walked the length of the Royal Mile to count up a total of 72 stores, selling everything from kilts to Highland cow fridge magnets. They are part of an industry that supports more than 40,000 jobs in Edinburgh. But locals say having so many similar shops in one place is symptomatic of the challenges that mass tourism brings.

The gift shops - most of which are run by three main operators - sell every imaginable Scotland or Edinburgh-themed item, from postcards and soft toys to clothing. Included are two shops which only sell Christmas-related gifts. The Royal Mile is also home to 42 cafes or restaurants, 13 bars, eight jewellers and three kilt retailers. That's in addition to the museums, cathedral, court, primary school and homes located along the steep and narrow pavements.

'I'm not against tourism, I just think it has gone too far'

Jimmy Robertson has lived on the Royal Mile all of his life

One man who is almost uniquely qualified to understand the impact of tourism on the Royal Mile is 77-year-old Jimmy Robertson. He has lived on the Canongate, at the bottom of the Royal Mile, since birth and proudly refers to himself as a Canongotian. Jimmy, who has lived in five different homes, can list the "useful shops" that used to be a stone's throw away. They include hairdressers, butchers, grocers and a doctors' surgery - which is now a whisky shop. He said it used to be "a normal area" where people would live and work. "It was probably in the 1980s you saw a lot of people moving out and the street beginning to change," he explained. Jimmy used to work at the brewery which is now the site of the Scottish Parliament. He has long enjoyed sitting outside the 17th Century Canongate Kirk, where one of the benches has an inscription to his late mother. Jimmy added: "I would sit on that bench and you'd watch the world go by, saying hello to folk you knew coming by. "Now I sit there and it feels like it is just tourists that pass me by. "I'm not against tourism, I just think it has gone far in how it affects people who live here." Jimmy said he now had to go out of the area to get his food shopping, or rely on relatives to bring it to him. He said the council was to blame for allowing too many tourist shops to open in one area. It is a point that some critics argue is borne out by data published by the City of Edinburgh Council last year which shows it owns and rents out 35 shops along the Royal Mile, many of which are leased to tourism businesses.

Mother-of-two Hanna Wesemann has lived just off the Royal Mile for more than a decade

Hanna Wesemann lives just off the Royal Mile and both her children attended Royal Mile Primary School. In 2004, this Victorian-era built school had 165 pupils but now the roll is down to 118 pupils – well below its 210 capacity. The 29% fall in pupils does not surprise Hanna, who says the Old Town increasingly "does not feel like a good area to bring up a family". Hanna puts this down to the pressures of tourism and the blight of anti-social behaviour by problem drug and alcohol users outside her flat, which requires regular calls to the police. She said: "It feels like all that's left here is shops for tourists, tourists, and people who have multiple and complex needs. "It [the Royal Mile] is on our doorstep but we never go there because there's nothing for us. "There used to be some useful shops, even charity shops, but now they are all gone and all I can see is gift shops which all seem to sell the same stuff."

Increase in international visitors to Edinburgh

Only London beats Edinburgh in terms of the most popular places to visit in the UK. Domestic visitors account for the bulk of the city's tourists staying for at least one night - a total of 2.6m in 2023, up from 2.47m in 2015. But it is overseas visitors who are driving Edinburgh's increasing popularity. After a dramatic fall in the Covid years, Edinburgh now attracts one million more international visitors every year than it did a decade ago. Combined with domestic visitors, that is 4.98m total overnight trips by all visitors in 2023. Where to accommodate these tourists, especially in peak periods like the Edinburgh festivals, has been a topic of hot discussion in the city for years.

Getty Images A rooftop view of Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's top paid attraction

Edinburgh saw a well documented surge in residential properties being turned over to holiday lets in the previous decade. The number of listings by Airbnb in the city jumped from 1,900 in 2014 to 9,000 three years later. New laws requiring operators of short-term lets to have a licence has reduced this tally but data from Inside Airbnb - an independent website which gathers data on Airbnb's operations - suggests there are still just under 6,000 listings for Edinburgh properties today. BBC Scotland News counted 96 key boxes of the type typically used for holiday lets on, or just off, the Royal Mile earlier this month.

Inside Airbnb The red dots are, according to Inside Airbnb, the listed properties on the Airbnb website in the centre of Edinburgh on 18 July

The impact of holiday lets on people living in the most popular tourist areas is very familiar to Hanna and her family. She explained: "They're not bad people but they don't consider this as an area where people live as normal residents. "You can't build a relationship with someone for three days and I'm really tired of going upstairs every few days and saying 'Can you please be quiet, we have to go to work in the morning'." While much of the focus on where tourists stay has been on the controversy around holiday lets, there are now 181 hotels in Edinburgh - more than twice as many as there were in 2005.

What tourism does for Edinburgh's economy

There is little doubt that tourism plays a key role in the city's economy. Hosting the world's largest arts festival every August is a big part of that but tourism is now an all-year round industry. It is estimated the average overnight visitor spent £435 in 2023. That filters down to a range of businesses, from coffee shops to taxi firms, supporting thousands of jobs. A spokesman for the Gold Brothers Group - which owns 16 shops on the Royal Mile and employs 340 people in peak season - said claims about too many tourists were nothing new. But he added that there was still capacity for more visitors outwith the festivals in August. The spokesman said: "Our view is that a number of priority issues are being overlooked due to a fixation on tourist numbers. "The urgent priorities for residents, business owners and visitors to the Old Town are cleanliness as the place is filthy; anti-social behaviour; and criminality including violence and a serious 'theftdemic'. "Maybe Edinburgh's local population could come and visit and reflect on what the Royal Mile looked like years ago with its poorly maintained shops with little or no investment and then, without prejudice, consider the quality of outlets now." The spokesman called on the City of Edinburgh Council to "stride to its A game" by cleaning the Old Town more often and ensuring it is "safe and a joy to behold".

Edinburgh 'a great place to live and visit'

Council leader Jane Meagher said the local authority was determined ensure the Royal Mile was "clean and well-maintained". She also told BBC Scotland News the Old Town High Street was thriving. Meagher added: "Shopfronts are open, supporting local jobs and our economy, with a great mix of businesses in the area from independent kiltmakers to homemade crafts. "As one of the biggest landlords in the area we encourage this mix and work to make sure properties are occupied." The council leader acknowledged anti-social behaviour remained a concern but said the local authority was working with Police Scotland to address problems. Additional CCTV has also been installed around the Tron and Hunter Square. Meagher said: "We're also making the Royal Mile a safer place for pedestrians and cyclists, while making sure it is clean and well-maintained. "Our refurbishment of North Bridge is a visible commitment of our plans to ensure the area remains at the beating heart of the city, as is the extra £1m we're investing this year to tackle litter and graffiti in our communities." The funding includes additional resources for washing pavements and closes in the Old Town. Meagher said: "Once Edinburgh's visitor levy has launched, we hope to invest even more money to manage the impact tourism has, to ensure our city remains a great place to live and to visit."

The future of tourism in Edinburgh

Getty Images Performers on unicycles entertain a crowd on Edinburgh's Royal Mile in front of St Giles' Cathedral

Iran's detainees in 'unbearable' conditions after Israeli strikes on prison

2 hours ago Share Save Ghoncheh Habibiazad BBC Persian, World Service reporter Share Save

EPA Parts of Evin prison were badly damaged in the Israeli strikes

One month on from deadly Israeli air strikes on a notorious Iranian prison during the war between the two countries, inmates say they are being kept under unbearable and inhumane conditions after being moved to other prisons. Despite promises by the authorities, some of those transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran say they continue to face difficulties such as overcrowded cells, lack of beds and air conditioning, limited number of toilets and showers, and insect infestations. The BBC has received accounts from the family members of prisoners moved from Evin, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity out of concern for the safety of themselves and the prisoners. Israel targeted Evin on 23 June. According to the Iranian authorities, the attack killed 80 people, including five prisoners, 41 prison staff and 13 military conscripts.

The prison held thousands of men and women, including prominent political dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists and dual and foreign nationals, as well as members of religious and ethnic minorities. All inmates were subsequently moved out and sent to other prisons following the attack. Verified videos and satellite imagery confirm damage to several buildings within the complex, including the medical clinic, the visitor centre, the prosecutor's office and an administrative building. After the attack, the Israeli military described the prison as "a symbol of oppression for the Iranian people". It said it carried out the strikes in a "precise manner to mitigate harm to civilians" imprisoned there. Iran has labelled the attack a "war crime".

Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images Evin prison held thousands of Iranian detainees before it was targeted in an Israeli strikes on 23 June

Israel's military also said that Evin was used for "intelligence operations against Israel, including counter-espionage". It did not comment further when asked to provide evidence for the claim. Amnesty International said on Tuesday that, following an in-depth investigation, the attack constituted "a serious violation of international humanitarian law and must be criminally investigated as war crimes". "Under international humanitarian law, a prison or place of detention is presumed a civilian object and there is no credible evidence in this case that Evin prison constituted a lawful military objective," it added.

Through his family members, one political prisoner who was sent to the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, also known as Fashafouyeh Prison, said that fellow inmates told him conditions there were inhumane even before Evin detainees were transferred. He said that the prison was in such a remote and dangerous area outside the capital that his wife had not been able to visit him since he moved there. Compared to Evin, which is in an accessible, residential area in north Tehran, Fashafouyeh is located 20 miles (32km) south of Tehran, in a desert with nothing around it but a road, according to the family members. The prisoner told his family that many inmates were still sleeping on the floor at Fashafouyeh in overcrowded cells without air conditioning, although the authorities have said repeatedly that they will improve the situation. A video from inside the prison, which has been verified by the BBC, shows a cell crowded with prisoners lying on beds and on the floor.

At one point, a group affiliated with the authorities came to the prison to film a video intended to show that prisoners were doing well, but other inmates began chanting "death to the dictator" - a popular protest slogan among Iranian opposition groups directed at the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - and stopped them from filming, the family of the prisoner said. Families of inmates in Fashafouyeh said that political prisoners were now staying in the same cell as those accused or convicted of violent crimes. This is a tactic that rights groups say Iran uses to intimidate political prisoners and is against the United Nations' rules on the treatment of inmates. Another political detainee transferred to Fashafouyeh described his cell to his family as being unbearable due to lack of hygiene, with bedbugs and cockroaches all around, adding that the prison lacks basic amenities even compared to Evin.

Human Rights Watch has previously accused the Iranian authorities of using threats of torture and indefinite imprisonment, along with lengthy interrogations and the denial of medical care for detainees. Iran has rejected these reports. Although Evin has long drawn condemnation from human rights groups over alleged torture and threats, conditions at Fashafouyeh had been "underreported", prisoners told the BBC. Prominent Iranian journalist Mehdi Mahmoodian, who was also transferred from Evin to Fashafouyeh, said in a letter published on his Instagram page that due to the non-political nature of prisoners who were held there, they had been "long forgotten" and subjected to "years of humiliation, neglect, and oppression" because "they have no voice".

Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Several areas of the prison were damaged in the strikes

Fariba Kamalabadi, a 62-year-old Baha'i detainee who was transferred from Evin to Qarchak Prison, south of the capital, has said that she "would rather have died in the attack than be transferred to such a prison". Iran's minority Baha'i community has long faced systematic discrimination and persecution, denied constitutional recognition and basic rights like education, public employment and religious freedom, because the Islamic Republic does not recognise it as a religion. "Fariba has to live in Qarchak in an overcrowded cell, where it is so cramped that people have to take turns to eat food around the table, and then return to their beds afterwards because of the lack of space", said her daughter, Alhan Taefi, who lives in the UK.

"Some of the roughly 60 prisoners who have been transferred from Evin with her are elderly women, and they do not receive proper medical care. There are flies everywhere in the cell. Her son-in-law and grandchildren, who are six and nine, were allowed to visit her in Evin but have not been granted permission to visit her yet, as they are not considered immediate family." The BBC has contacted the Iranian embassy in London for comment on the conditions of prisoners who have been transferred from Evin.

Civilian deaths

In the month since the strikes, the BBC has verified the deaths of seven civilians related to the attack on Evin, including a five-year-old boy, a doctor, and a painter. Family members of Mehrangiz Imenpour, 61, a painter and mother of two who lived near the prison complex, told the BBC that she was "caught in the tragedy" of the attack.

Family Handout Mehrangiz Imenpour left home to use a cash machine and was killed in Israel's strikes on Evin prison

She left home to use a cash machine and happened to be walking on a street adjacent to the prison's visitor centre as Israel struck the complex, a family member said. She was killed by the impact of the explosion. Her children are devastated, a relative recounted to the BBC. "When two states engage in a conflict, people are the ones who pay the price. Both states are guilty, both are responsible, and both must be held to account", the relative said.

The latest front line in the battle for Sudan

2 hours ago Share Save Anne Soy BBC Senior Africa Correspondent Share Save

Avaaz via Getty Images

Sudan's oil-rich Kordofan region has turned into a major front line in the war between the army and rival paramilitary forces, as both sides try to gain the upper-hand in a conflict that has devastated the vast African state for more than two years. Attacks that killed hundreds of civilians earlier this month have shifted attention to the battle for this part of the country. "Whoever controls Kordofan effectively controls the country's oil supply, as well as a huge chunk of Sudan," Amir Amin, an analyst with risk consultancy Oasis Policy Advisory, told the BBC. The region is also vital for landlocked South Sudan, as its oil flows through pipelines in Kordofan, before being exported. So, it has a vested interest in Kordofan's stability. However, the battle for the region - which is made up three states, with a population of close to eight million - has intensified since June, when the army focused on regaining the territory from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after it made significant gains in the preceding three months, recapturing the capital, Khartoum, and neighbouring Gezira state, the agricultural hub of Sudan.

Avaaz via Getty Images Much of the capital, Khartoum - now in the hands of the army - lies in ruins after months of fighting

Sudan's military leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan flew into Khartoum's main airport on 20 June, his second visit to the city since his troops drove out RSF fighters in March. Gen Burhan remains stationed Port Sudan, suggesting that he is still not confident to return permanently to Khartoum, now a burnt-out wreck.

The conflict has claimed the lives of about 150,000 people and forced about 12 million others from their homes - roughly the equivalent of the population of Tunisia or Belgium. The RSF had seized Khartoum soon after the war started in April 2023, following a massive fall-out between Gen Burhan and his then-ally, the paramilitary group's commander, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as "Hemedti". The RSF helped Burhan stage a coup in 2021 and crush dissent until they turned on each other after Gen Dagalo resisted his plan to integrate the paramilitary force into the army.

International Crisis Group think-tank analyst Alan Boswell told the BBC that the army now wanted to defeat the RSF in Kordofan so that it could push westwards into Darfur - the paramilitary group's birthplace. On the other hand, the RSF wanted to seize Kordofan as it would give it "new momentum" and put it "within striking distance of central Sudan, including the capital, again", Mr Boswell said. Dr Suliman Baldo, the director of Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker think-tank, told the BBC that he doubted the army could break through RSF defence lines in Kordofan. He said the majority of RSF fighters were from the large Misseriya ethnic group living in West Kordofan state, which borders Darfur, "and therefore they will be fighting to protect their own communities". Airstrikes earlier this month by the army in West Kordofan - including its capital, el-Fula, and the town of Abu Zabad - have also antagonised locals, he said, adding that it was a "counterproductive policy of collective punishment of the so-called social incubators" of the RSF. The army still controls oil fields in the region, but the RSF had threatened to expand the war to oil-producing Heglig in South Kordofan, near the border with South Sudan, if the air bombardment did not stop.

"If the army's aviation returns again and bombs citizens in West Kordofan state, we will strike and shut down Heglig's oil and kill the engineers," Youssef Awadallah Aliyan, the head of the RSF's civilian administration in the state, was quoted as saying by the Sudan Tribune news site after visiting the market hit by airstrikes in el-Fula. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said the strikes on el-Fula and Abu Zabad, including on a school sheltering families, reportedly killed more than 20 people. Ocha condemned the attacks, saying that civilians and civilian buildings - including schools, homes, and shelters - should "never be targeted", and warring groups should uphold international humanitarian law. The RSF has also been accused of targeting civilians. The UN children's agency (Unicef) said more than 450 civilians - including 24 boys, 11 girls and two pregnant women - were reportedly killed in recent attacks in North Kordofan's Bara area and the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid. "These attacks are an outrage," the agency said, adding that "they represent a terrifying escalation of violence" and a "complete disregard for human life".

AFP via Getty Images Millions have fled their homes in Sudan during the course of the war and many have ended up in camps in neighbouring countries such as the Central African Republic

The US-based Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, which has been monitoring the conflict, said that an analysis of satellite images of Shag Alnom was "indicative of intentional arson attacks". The Emergency Lawyers rights group said that many of the more than 200 victims "were burned to death in their homes or shot". Fears are growing that the civilian death toll could worsen following reports that the RSF is mobilising for an offensive to capture el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state. The town of Umm Sumaima has changed hands several times in recent weeks. "It is the last defence post for the Sudan Armed Forces before el-Obeid," Dr Baldo said. Mr Amin said that taking control of Umm Sumaima would allow the RSF to besiege the military, which has a base in el-Obeid, while the army wanted to break through to create a new supply route to rearm its soldiers in other parts of Kordofan. With the stakes high, the battle for Kordofan - which covers some 390,000 sq km - is expected to be long and protracted. "Whether or not it will decide the victor of the war is up for debate, but it definitely will be a seismic shift," Mr Amin said.

You may also be interested in:

Getty Images/BBC

"Kelly and Agyemang are this year's Russo and Toone."

A text from a BBC Sport user after England's dramatic Euro 2025 semi-final win over Italy summed it up perfectly.

En route to winning Euro 2022 three years ago, the Lionesses relied heavily on their super subs - particularly Alessia Russo and Ella Toone.

The duo both featured in all six games at that tournament, but neither of them started a match.

Toone came off the bench to score two goals - including one in the final - while Russo scored four - the most a substitute has ever registered in an edition of the Women's European Championship.

Fast forward to 2025 and there is a new double act making a name for themselves and propelling Sarina Wiegman's side to another major tournament final.

Arsenal forward Chloe Kelly has come off the bench in all of England's matches so far in Switzerland, while her Gunners teammate Michelle Agyemang has made three substitute appearances.

The pair were instrumental in England's progression to the semi-final, and again for the final.

Both came on in the quarter-final when England were 2-0 down to Sweden. Kelly provided the assist for Lucy Bronze's goal and playing a part in setting up the equaliser, scored by Agyemang in the 81st minute to force extra time. Kelly was also one of the three England players to score in the shootout as England reached the last four.

Five days later against Italy, England once again found themselves behind and Wiegman had to turn to her bench - specifically Kelly and Agyemang - to save the day.

Teenager Agyemang kept England in the tournament and the 19-year-old equalised in the 96th minute of normal time to force extra time.

Then, with a minute left before a penalty shootout, Kelly found the bottom corner from the rebound after her penalty was saved to send the Lionesses into successive Euros finals.

Defender Jess Carter says the support of fans in England's Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy "meant everything" after being racially abused - or she wouldn't have had the confidence to play in the 2-1 win.

The Lionesses booked their spot in a Euros final for a second successive time after an extra-time success in Geneva.

It came just two days after Carter revealed she had been subjected to online racist abuse since the tournament began in Switzerland.

England's players then announced they would stop taking the knee before games and instead stood still before the kick-off against Italy on Tuesday. Substitutes, including Carter, stood on the touchline with their arms linked in a show of solidarity.

England supporters at the Stade de Geneve chanted Carter's name throughout the match and applauded in the 16th minute in reference to her squad number.

Trump announces 'massive' trade deal with Japan

Japan's chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said in a Facebook post that he had visited the White House, with the hashtag "Mission accomplished". The BBC has contacted the Japanese embassy in Washington for details of the deal.

He added that Japan would open its economy to US goods, including cars, trucks, rice and certain agricultural products.

The plan would result in Japan investing $550bn (£407bn) into the US and paying a 15% reciprocal tariff, Trump said in a post on social media.

US President Donald Trump says the US has agreed to a "massive" trade deal with Japan, one of the country's largest trading partners.

"I just signed the largest trade deal in history, I think maybe the largest deal in history with Japan," Trump touted at a White House event on Tuesday evening.

"They had their top people here, and we worked on it long and hard. And it's a great deal for everybody. I always say it has to be great for everybody. It's a great deal," he added.

Trump also said that a trade agreement with the European Union would be announced on Wednesday, with more deals due soon.

The BBC has reached out to the White House for details of the trade agreement.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said: "As for what to make of the outcome of the negotiations, I am not able to discuss it until after we carefully examine the details of the negotiations and the agreement."

In a letter sent to Japan this month, Trump threatened a 25% tariff on the country's exports to the US if there wasn't a new trade deal struck before 1 August.

That was one percentage point higher from the 24% rate announced during his so-called Liberation Day on 2 April.

Japanese vehicle imports into the US, like many other countries, are already subject to a 25% tariff.

The April tariffs plan, which included duties on many US trading partners across the globe, were paused for 90 days following worldwide market turmoil. It allowed Tokyo's trade representatives time to negotiate with their counterparts in Washington.

Japan's benchmark share index, the Nikkei 225, was around 2% higher on Wednesday morning in Tokyo.

Shares in motor industry giants - including Toyota, Nissan and Honda - jumped after broadcaster NHK said existing tariffs on Japanese carmakers would be cut.

The apparent deal comes as Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is under pressure to step down after his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost its majority in the country's upper house in elections over the weekend.

The LDP had already lost its majority in Japan's more powerful lower house last year.

'I felt ignored by police when I was cyberflashed'

16 minutes ago Share Save Nicola Goodwin BBC Midlands Investigations team Share Save

BBC Anna Downes said West Mercia Police made her feel she was a nuisance for reporting the crime

A musician said she was ignored by her local police force and made to feel "a nuisance" after she was sent pornographic images and videos by a man she had met once at work. Anna Downes, who waived her right to anonymity, said cyberflashing needed to be taken more seriously and she felt forced to investigate the crime herself. She reported it to West Mercia Police in September but it took nearly half a year for Ben Gunnery to be arrested, convicted and given a two-year community order. A spokesperson for the force said they have apologised to Ms Downes for the time it took to transfer her case to the Metropolitan Police.

The professional violinist and teacher, from Worcestershire, met Gunnery, a fellow musician, once in 2024 when they played at the same concert. "I [then] started to get a bunch of messages that had been deleted. Ten of them at once, sent late at night," she said. "Then the next morning he'd message saying 'oops, sorry, smashed'."

Ms Downes said she was determined to speak out to encourage others to come forward and get justice

Then she received explicit and indecent photos and videos showing him naked. "I was just stunned and felt horrified and violated," she said. "I had quite a long period of time where I would struggle to get to sleep at night and every time I shut my eyes, I would be faced with these images again. Gunnery, 45, from Vauxhall, south west London, performed music for films, toured the world and, at the time of his offence, was teaching children and adults. Ms Downes immediately blocked him and reported what had happened to West Mercia Police. She sent the force the images and links to his social media, website and work address and also reported it to the Musicians' Union. "I thought, from everything I'd read in the media, that it would be taken seriously and dealt with," she said.

Ben Gunnery Ben Gunnery was found guilty at a trial in May

Ms Downes' statement was taken and she was told the case would most likely be passed to the Metropolitan Police as the man lived in London. For several months there appeared to be no progress. From September to January, she got in touch with West Mercia Police more than 20 times. They told her the Met would not accept the case as they were not able to find the man's home address. That confused Ms Downes as West Mercia Police had told her they knew where he lived. "It just made me more and more resentful and less hopeful that anything would come of it really," she said.

In January, she contacted the BBC. We then got in touch with both forces and, within two weeks, West Mercia Police had transferred the case to the Met. Within a week, Gunnery was arrested, charged and appeared in court. In a trial in May, he was found guilty of intentionally sending the images to cause alarm, distress and humiliation. The 45-year-old told the court he had struggled with a cocaine addiction for four years, he could not remember messaging her and he had meant to send the images to his partner. The court heard he had been previously convicted of a similar offence in 2023 when he had twice sent indecent and offensive images to a woman he had met through work. On Tuesday, Gunnery was given a two-year community order including 150 hours of unpaid work and Judge Nermine Abdel Sayed told him he would be sent to prison if he reoffended. The judge said he should have known the impact his actions would have and that his victim now feels "like she has to constantly look over her shoulder".

Facebook Gunnery was given a community order at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday

Cyberflashing, when offenders send unsolicited explicit images to people via an online platform, such as messaging applications and social media, became a crime in the UK in January 2023. A YouGov poll found four in 10 women, aged 18 to 34, had received an unsolicited sexual photo from someone who was not a romantic partner. Ms Downes said she chose to speak out to encourage others. "It would be much easier for me to just become a statistic," she said. "I've done nothing wrong. I was just doing my job. Ben Gunnery chose to send me pornographic images. I did nothing to encourage that behaviour. "Most men are not like this and this behaviour needs to be called out. It's not something that I want my sons to think is normal. "It's very easy to feel some element of shame and keep it to yourself. But right from the word go, I was determined I wasn't going to do that." Ms Downes said she was inspired to keep pushing the police to investigate her complaints by the experience of BBC correspondent Lucy Manning. Lucy received sexually explicit phone calls from a stranger but her case was dropped by the police and only reopened after a Victims' Right to Review was carried out. After hearing Lucy interviewed on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Ms Downes said she became more determined to get justice.

West Mercia Police apologised for the delay taken by them in the investigation

Ms Downes said her experience seemed at odds with the inquiry into Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, a police officer who abducted, raped and murdered her while off duty. The government accepted the inquiry's recommendations that there should be a fundamental review of how indecent exposure was treated. But Ms Downes said she felt her case was not a priority for West Mercia Police. "I feel that they're fobbing me off really. I've reported this crime. It is the police's job to investigate it," she said. "As the victim, I want to know that my crime is dealt with quickly and with results. "I felt gaslit by West Mercia Police. I felt ignored and they made me feel like I was a nuisance." A spokesperson for the force said they understood her frustrations over the delay in their investigation, had apologised and given her a "full explanation". An internal review concluded West Mercia's service was "acceptable" and officers complied with policy while the crime was being transferred to another force. The Met's spokesperson told us they regret "any distress caused by this delay" and admitted there were delays in confirming the man's address. A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said Gunnery was suspended from his teaching role and would not be employed by the college again.

UK to use AI to stop adult migrants posing as children

8 hours ago Share Save Jack Fenwick Political correspondent Oscar Bentley Political reporter Share Save

PA Media

The government plans to use AI technology to verify the age of migrants that arrive in the UK in an attempt to stop adults pretending to be children. A report carried out by the government's independent immigration inspector found cases where adult migrants had been classified as children - and cases where child migrants had been wrongly classified as adults. But the asylum system makes it easier for children to apply to stay and last year 56% of migrants who claimed to be children were either assessed to be adults or later admitted they were 18 or over. BBC News understands the government plans to use existing technology that was created for online retailers that sell age-restricted products.

Border Security and Asylum Minster Angela Eagle said that the AI is trained on millions of images of faces and was "able to produce an age estimate with a known degree of accuracy for an individual whose age is unknown or disputed". Facial Age Estimation offers a "potentially rapid and simple means" for testing judgements when assessing age, Eagle said. Currently immigration officials and social workers have to produce an assessment of the actual age of migrants claiming to be under 18, but both the Home Office and the independent immigration inspector have said accurately assessing an age is "challenging". David Bolt, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, said the absence of a "foolproof test" of age it was "inevitable that some age assessments will be wrong". In a sample of 100 case files, inspectors found that of 38 people who had been initially assessed as an adult by the Home Office, 22 were later assessed by a local authority to be under 18. Mr Bolt's report was prepared before the government announced its plans for AI facial recognition. The government said it would trial the technology ahead of an excepted roll out in 2026. A tender for providers of the technology will be launched in August. Similar technology is already used in the private sector by banks and online retailers to verify the ages of customers buying products such as knives. The government is now encouraging the companies who have pioneered that technology to take part in a Home Office procurement process. A senior Home Office source said they hoped to "leverage the power of the private sector" by working with companies who are "investing in this in the billions".

Happy Valley performance 'born of fear', says star

Lancashire was formally made a Commander of the British Empire, on Tuesday

Discussing the role at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, after being formally made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), Lancashire said: "That was just born out of fear, abject fear, of feeling quite off-piste.

Her decades-long "brilliant and intangible" working relationship with writer Sally Wainwright influenced her role, but she said fear was key to her performance.

Lancashire, 60, who rose to fame as barmaid Raquel Wolstenhulme in Coronation Street, won two leading actress Baftas for playing no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC series.

Bafta-winning actress Sarah Lancashire has said her award-winning performance in gritty TV drama Happy Valley was "born out of fear".

"Literally it was a leap of faith, jumping off the cliff at midnight in the dark.

"But knowing that somebody has the confidence in you and the belief in you - Wainwright is deeply persuasive as an individual, which I absolutely, really admire, I'm very grateful, always."

Lancashire starred in Coronation Street from 1991 until 1996, appearing in more than 260 episodes.

She and Wainwright first met when they were "cutting their teeth" on the soap opera.

The pair later collaborated on the BBC comedy-drama Last Tango In Halifax, for which Lancashire won her first Bafta in 2014 for her supporting role.

They worked together again on Happy Valley, which ran from 2014 to 2023.

Asked what made playing Sgt Cawood so terrifying, Lancashire said: "The setting of it, being asked to play something which I had no knowledge of at all - absolutely no knowledge.

"And knowing that the level of research that was available to me was going to be quite limited in the time available.

"But in actual fact - as Wainwright always said - it wasn't a procedural drama, it was not a police drama, it was a family."

Major incident as more than 60 homes evacuated

3 hours ago Share Save Sarah Turnnidge BBC News, Bristol Alastair McKee & Dan Johnson BBC News, Bristol Reporting from Ashton Vale Share Save

BBC A large cordon is in place around a residential area of the city

More than 60 homes have been evacuated by emergency services over concerns there may be explosive items at a house. Police confirmed an arrest has been made following reports of a man acting suspiciously at a house in South Liberty Lane in south Bristol. A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said concerns had been raised with emergency services at about 17:55 BST that an individual may have had access to potentially explosive items. A large cordon is currently in place in the area and a major incident has been declared, with residents evacuated to a nearby community centre and told they will not be allowed home overnight.

One man has been arrested after reports of an individually acting suspiciously

There have been no casualties related to the incident, and a bomb disposal team is working at the scene. The team arrived at about 19:50, following the arrest of a man at 19:10, officers said. Police said work at the scene was ongoing, with a spokesperson adding: "Public safety is our main priority and therefore a precautionary 100m cordon has been put in place."

The force said 63 properties were within the cordon, with homes in South Liberty Lane, Risdale Road and Swiss Lane evacuated. Ashton Vale Community Centre, in Risdale Road, has been opened to help support evacuated residents, with some 50 people currently seeking refuge there - though they have now been told they will not be allowed back into their homes Tuesday evening and have been asked to find somewhere to stay or ask the council for assistance. More have been evacuated from the area, but left in cars or on foot to stay with friends and family. Police thanked members of the public for their "patience and understanding", and have asked people to avoid the area.

Resident Sophie Rose said the incident had been 'very frightening'

Resident Sophie Rose, who has lived in the area for 27 years, told the BBC she had seen "armed coppers", adding that it had been "very frightening" and that she was "scared, tired" and wanted to return home. When it came to updates from officials, she said, there had been "nothing". "We did have a police lady come down and use the toilet and not say anything, which I didn't think was helpful but it is what it is," she said.

Peter Poland said he had seen police armed with weapons at the scene

Risdale Road resident Peter Poland told BBC News he had been evacuated from his home to the community centre at around 19:15 and had since "just been waiting to hear news about what's happening". He added that he had seen emergency services at the scene, including "a couple of policemen with weapons". Describing the atmosphere at the community centre, he said: "These guys have been amazing, there's the community spirit and we've won the football so all good."

Fellow resident Claire Price added: "It's not a good situation but I guess we just have to do what the police think is safe. "It's really shocking, it's usually quite a quiet area so it's not nice to have that going on round the corner but I guess that's what happens nowadays."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

There is a saying that "cats have nine lives" - but the Lionesses seem to have an infinite number at Euro 2025.

They were written off following a poor opening-game defeat by France, they stepped up in a must-win match against the Netherlands, came from 2-0 down in their quarter-final victory over Sweden and made it through a penalty shootout where they had four spot-kicks saved.

And then, seemingly down and out with seconds left in their semi-final with Italy, they turned things around to seal a 2-1 win in extra time to book their place in a third straight major final.

Everything was chaotic, everything was dramatic and everything was, typically, late.

"We're going to make a movie some day! Well, this is a movie, my goodness, it's unbelievable," manager Sarina Wiegman told BBC Radio 5 Live.