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A woman whose father died when she was 10 said it inspired her to help children who found themselves in foster care.

Sheena, from Lancashire, lost her husband in a crash when her children were aged 10 and 12.

Foster carer Sheena said enduring personal tragedies means she has been able to help others though trauma. Lancashire County Council said despite being a foster care for only a year she has transformed the life of a young girl.

The 57-year-old said: "We have come through some tough times as a family and this is why l wanted to foster to give hope, love and happiness to another child."

Sheena added: "It was hard for my children, but l was able to help them through it by talking about it and not keeping feelings inside.

"We have photos up all over the house of both my dad and my husband.

"We have come through some tough times as a family and this is why l wanted to foster to give hope, love and happiness to another child.

"l have had enough trauma to help children through theirs."

'Showered' with affection

The county council she has made a "huge difference" to an eight-year-old in her care.

Emily – not the girl's real name – had lived in several different homes before living with Sheena.

She has now settled in school and has gone from being unable to read or write to enjoying reading books and practising her spellings.

Sheena said: "What Emily really needed was stability and a family to be there for her.

"She has needed one-on-one time and support to help her at school and it's made a world of difference.

"Her behaviour has also improved, and I think having rules, boundaries and a structure has been the making of her."

Sheena added: "What she's really craved is love and affection, which we've showered her with.

"Emily tells us she loves being part of a family of her own, and as a tomboy she enjoys playing football with my son.

"This older-brother relationship is a great benefit."

She said her daughter and her daughter's partner would look after Emily to give Sheena a break so she could see her friends.

Her daughter also does extra tutoring with Emily.

Last year, Lancashire became one of nine regions across the UK to open the Foster With Us Hub, with the aim of local authorities working together to help recruit, share resources and provide more support for foster carers.

In turn, it is hoped more people will be willing and able to foster.

According to the latest government data, there was a 4% drop in foster carers in north-west England in the last year.

A woman says she has been left unable to walk after she was accidentally trampled by players participating in an annual Easter Monday tradition.

Alexie Winship said she was among spectators watching the Hallaton bottle kicking event in Leicestershire, where players attempt to wrestle wood kegs through a field to win.

The 23-year-old was caught up in a scrum and seriously injured. At hospital, she was found to have suffered a neurological injury and a bleed on her spine, which has left her without most feeling below her waist.

Ms Winship, who remains in hospital, said she could not remember much of what happened.

I was on the outskirts [of the players], just watching when a beer keg came flying out in my direction," Ms Winship said.

"I couldn't get out of the way. I was with friends who said I got kicked in the head, knocked out, and then trampled on.

"It was like a stampede. One of my friends pulled me out and I was blue-lighted to hospital."

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Bottle kicking takes place in a field between neighbouring villages Hallaton and Medbourne. It has few rules, but is won when players are able to carry two of three barrels across a stream back to their village.

Two of the "bottles" contain beer, while one is completely wooden – painted red and white – and is referred to as the dummy.

Organisers have said local legend suggested the event, preceded by a procession through Hallaton in which hare pies are scattered, can trace its roots back 2,000 years.

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Ms Winship told the BBC she had planned to run a half-marathon on Sunday, but her injuries had "thrown a spanner in the works".

She added while she was a spectator, she "never intended" to get involved in the action.

"I can't feel anything below my waist. I can't walk," she said.

"I don't know what's going to happen and that's the scary thing. I'm an active, fit and healthy person."

Ms Winship, who works in retail, has been told she will recover, but that it would be "a long-term thing" and that she was facing "months" using a wheelchair.

She added she wanted people to be aware of the risks of attending the event.

"I wasn't standing particularly close," she said. "We were a few metres away but it surged so quickly towards us.

"They [the players] were looking at the keg, not where they were going. I know it was an accident.

"Maybe they could have marshals to make it safer."

A World War Two veteran who served aboard HMS Fratton during the Normandy campaign and suffered serious injuries has celebrated his 100th birthday.

Stan Ford, a long-time resident of Bath and survivor of the D-Day landings, was honoured on Saturday at a community gathering in Keynsham Masonic Hall.

Mr Ford suffered a fractured spine and injuries to both legs when the ship was hit by a torpedo and sunk off the coast of Normandy on 18 August 1944.

The attack saw 31 people lose their lives, while 38 crew members survived.

'Remarkable'

Mr Ford continued to be active in efforts to commemorate those who served in the war.

He was named an Ambassador for the British Normandy Memorial in 2022, and his image featured in a life-sized banner as part of the Standing With Giants project.

The banner is being displayed at The Guildhall in Bath to coincide with national events marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

The centenary celebration was attended by family, friends, and local officials, including Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, and Councillor Karen Walker, Chair of the Council.

They presented Mr Ford with a Bath Aqua Glass paperweight as a gesture of recognition for his military service and continued community involvement.

Councillor Walker described the milestone as "a truly remarkable achievement" and acknowledged Ford's contributions over the years.

Councillor Guy called the event "a special and unforgettable celebration."

Mr Ford's 100th birthday was marked not only as a personal milestone but also as an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of veterans and the importance of preserving their stories for future generations.

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ITV has announced that its ITVBe channel will close in June 2025, and be replaced by a new channel focusing on quiz and game shows.

Launched in 2014, ITVBe has primarily been the home for reality and unscripted programmes, such as The Only Way Is Essex (Towie).

The reality shows currently airing on the channel, including Towie and the Real Housewives franchise, will now move to ITV2, the broadcaster said.

It has not been announced which programmes will populate the schedule for ITV Quiz.

However, the network said it planned to use the channel slot to "draw on ITV's popular, market-leading UK quiz and game shows".

Popular quiz and game shows broadcast on ITV include The Chase, Tipping Point, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, The 1% Club, Deal or No Deal, Catchphrase and Jeopardy!.

ITV said Towie's move to ITV2 would mark a homecoming for the programme, as the show originally launched on that network in 2010.

Viewing figures for the show have dropped in recent years, but its move to ITV2 could give ratings a boost.

The broadcaster said Towie remained one of the most popular titles on its streaming service ITVX.

It added that programmes such as Towie and Real Housewives would be at home alongside the network's other reality formats, including Love Island and Big Brother.

Manx police have urged visitors and local people to "respect our roads" and drive within their limits during this year's Isle of Man TT festival.

An influx of 50,000 visitors to the island are expected for the famous road-racing fortnight which begins on 26 May.

Isle of Man Chief Constable Russ Foster said he wanted to continue "the track record of no fatalities" on open roads during motorcycle festivals seen on the island in the last three years.

He said he also wanted all visitors to enjoy the event, but added "the message is simple – know your limits".

The races begin with qualifying sessions on 26 May and continue until 7 June.

Riders and drivers have been warned to stick to speed limits and not to enter closed roads as part of the force's annual safety campaign.

The A18 Mountain Road, between the Ramsey Hairpin and Creg Ny Baa, will operate as a one-way system during the TT, while cycling is not permitted on this section of the road throughout the event.

Mr Foster said 85% of those seriously injured in crashes during 2022 to 2024 festivals were men over the age of 50.

Stickers in a number of languages have also been produced to remind motorists to keep to the left on Manx roads.

It comes after the force reported an increase in international visitors riding on the wrong side of the road, which led to two incidents in 2024.

Insp John Mitchell, who heads up the Roads Policing Unit during the festival fortnight, said there was "no excuse to break speed limits and no excuse to drink alcohol or to take drugs whilst driving or riding".

He said: "Those actions put others innocent road users at great risk."

Officers would be out in marked and unmarked vehicles to "robustly target anyone who is breaking the law", he added.

A charity that provides mentoring to young people who have previously been involved in anti-social behaviour has benefitted from a grant funded by money reclaimed from criminals.

Didcot-based charity Train Youth was successful twice in 2024 in acquiring a grant from the Thames Valley community fund, which is organised by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The fund relocates proceeds raised through the sale of items seized from criminals to community groups and charities across the region.

Ben Drabble, the charity's chief executive, said he "can't think of a better use" for the proceeds than "reinvesting them in community in organisations like Train and helping young people".

Georgina Dawson, who is a mentor with the charity, said it was "really helpful" to show the "wider community and our young people" where the funding has come from.

"We can actually break down any sort of stigma there is between the police and young people," she said.

"It's turning something that came from crime into something really positive and that has further impact."

More than £200,000 of grants have been awarded to 38 organisations as part of the latest round of funding announced earlier this year.

Matthew Barber, Thames Valley PCC, said communities would benefit from the most recent round of funding through "projects which align with a number of key policing priorities".

Among others selected to receive between £250 and £10,000 are The Slough Job Creation Hub, Windsor Christian Action Homeless Project and Youth Challenge Oxfordshire.

Train, which received two grants in 2024, also runs youth clubs across south Oxfordshire and has about 600 young people engaging with its services each year.

Mr Drabble said there were "fewer and fewer spaces available" to young people, meaning that having a place like Train where they "can't get into trouble" and can "interact with positive role models" was "vitally important".

Teenager Ellie, who uses Train, said it had made her "more confident and happier".

"It made me feel like I could talk to somebody and be myself, and I quite liked that," she said.

Fellow teen Louie added that it was "just good vibes", as there were "people here you can talk to about literally anything".

The owner of one of Grimsby's oldest surviving businesses has announced it is to close.

G Hewitt & Son jewellers, in Victoria Street, was founded by George Hewitt in 1871.

His great-grandson, Jonathan Hewitt, who has worked at the store since the age of 16, said he was hanging up his jeweller's loupe after 50 years.

"We've had an astonishing run, 154 years is not a bad innings," he said.

Commenting on the closure, Mr Hewitt described it as the end of an era.

"It's been an absolute privilege to be part of, and also such an integral piece of Grimsby's high street history, but it is the right time for us to close the doors," he said.

"We've been fortunate to have an amazing team that's played a crucial role in our success over the years."

Mr Hewitt said his great-grandfather, who was a local farmer and renowned horseman, started the venture due to his keen interest in clocks and pocket watches.

He was very well-respected in the trade, Mr Hewitt said.

"We were one of the first Rolex retailers in the UK, with our records showing Rolex sales as early as 1919."

It was also rumoured that his great-grandfather met Hans Wilsdorf – the founder of Rolex and Tudor.

The family's collection includes two Rolex watches, dating from 1919 and 1933, that both bear Rolex and G. Hewitt & Son on the dial.

G. Hewitt & Son

The shop, which was originally located at 80 Victoria Street, moved to larger premises at 10 Victoria Street in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War Two.

At the time, Mr Hewitt said two of his uncles went to war, one joining the RAF and the other the Royal Marines. His father, Arthur, the youngest of the boys, helped run the business with his mother, who was left in charge due to her husband's ill health.

More recently, Mr Hewitt's daughter, Christina, worked as head of operations at the family-run firm.

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

Thousands of students across Yorkshire are in the middle of their exam periods, sitting their GSCEs and A Levels. The BBC spoke to teachers and pupils who share their tips for keeping a cool head during a challenging time.

"We are open and honest about how tough it will be, it's tough for the staff and it's tough for the students," said Liz Fairhurst, principal of Trinity Academy Grammar.

The secondary school, in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, has more than 1,000 pupils and about 200 of them are taking exams at present.

"We want the very best for them, so we put everything we can in place to support them," Ms Fairhurst said.

"Primarily we support them not only with a positive outlook for their wellbeing and mental health but also in the academic side of the things."

Hafsa, a 15-year-old pupil at Trinity Academy, said there was a lot of support including counselling and one-to-one guidance.

"I think it's really good," she said.

She said she had developed a routine to prepare for revision and tried to ensure she got a good night's sleep before an exam.

"First thing I do when I go home is make sure I am in a good mood, no stress, make sure I've eaten properly."

She said she then watched a show or read a book and – once in a focused mood – began her revision.

Fellow pupil Daniel, 16, said he had been anxious ahead of his first exam.

"I was kind of stressed at first, but then after the first one I found it was a bit less."

He said he had also found the preparation the school provided from Year 7 beneficial.

"We do period sixes, which is like revision sessions, exam workshops and then we get taught to do flashcards.

"From Year 7 to Year 9 we got taught to do flashcards and mind maps for homework."

Jasmine, 15, said she revised most evenings but still made time for dancing to help "de-stress".

"I have a timetable around dance and school has helped me fit around it."

Ms Fairhurst said building students' resilience ahead of the exam season began in Year 7 and continued through to their exams.

"How to cope with stress, what to do and what not to do during the exam period.

"Get enough sleep, eat well, drink a lot of water etc."

She said the school also gave out goodie bags, through partnerships with local businesses, which include educational materials alongside snacks and treats.

Ms Fairhurst said helping students navigate through exam season was a "huge responsibility".

"We all absolutely buy into the fact that positive wellbeing, positive mental health means young people have more chance to thrive and flourish and achieve at school," she said.

At Wales High School, at Kiveton near Rotherham, pupils do not take traditional study leave at home and remain in school during the exam period.

Head of Year 11 Matthew Day said that keeping pupils in school gave them the "best possible chance to work with our specialist subject teachers".

"Also where we've got students that need perhaps some emotional or mental health support, we've got counselling and other systems in place that they can access while they are in school."

He said he was not convinced pupils would get the same level of support that could be offered in school if they were at home.

Mr Day said staff used mock exams to help identify students who might need additional support and they then put together a specific team support them.

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Nikki Bloomer, a pastoral support assistant for Year 11 pupils at Wales High School, said a lot of her work involved helping pupils relax.

"This is a time in your life that's really important but we are all here – mum, dad, carers, teachers – we want you to succeed as well. It's not just on you."

She added that parents also needed to avoid putting too much pressure on their children.

"They might not need to revise at that moment, they might just need that bit of down time, it's not all about 'push, push, push'.

"It's important to have that off time, to go out and have some fresh air and feel relaxed, so they are prepared for that exam the next day."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

A man who was involved in the fatal stabbing of a teenage boy has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal.

Harleigh Hepworth, 17, died in March 2024 after being stabbed in the heart in a Wolverhampton park.

Jovarn Esterine, 18, was sentenced to seven years for Harleigh's manslaughter in January and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a life sentence for murder.

Following an appeal by the Solicitor General, Esterine's sentence was quashed on Friday and replaced by a nine-year term.

Family

Harleigh, who was from Rugeley, Staffordshire, was killed on 7 March 2024 after travelling to Wolverhampton with a friend.

They went to West Park, where police said Esterine, who was 17 at the time, and the other teenager asked to borrow the pair's phones.

When Harleigh asked for his device back, he was stabbed in the chest.

Police said that during the attack, Esterine held Harleigh's friend back to stop him from getting involved, before holding a knife to his chest and threatening to kill him unless he handed over the passcode to his phone.

They then made off with the phone and fled the scene.

Passers-by gave Harleigh first aid, but he died at the scene.

Esterine was convicted of manslaughter in November, while the 17-year-old was convicted of murder.

They were both also found guilty of carrying a knife and robbery, and were sentenced in January.

UK Parliament

Following his killers' sentencing, Harleigh's family said he had "a great sense of humour, he was funny, and he was polite" with an "infectious smile".

A victim impact statement read to the Court of Appeal said they would never have the chance to see Harleigh grow up.

The appeal to increase Esterine's sentence was brought by the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, who said she was shocked by the "brutal violence" in the case.

"Jovarn Esterine played an important role in Harleigh's killing before callously leaving him to die on the ground," she said. "Harleigh had his whole life ahead of him and I would like to offer my sympathies to Harleigh's family and friends.

"The court has quite rightly increased Jovarn Esterine's sentence.

"This government will not tolerate mindless violence and I will intervene to ensure justice is served."

"A victory for common sense" or "devastating" –  the contrasting reactions to the statement by five Supreme Court judges that legally the term "woman" means a biological woman.

Behind the different responses lie many of the often bitter and vitriolic arguments that set the country on a long, tricky road towards Wednesday's unambiguous judgement.

When the highest court in the land ruled that sex is binary – meaning legally it should be interpreted as referring to either a biological man or a biological woman – it was providing clarity that had been missing from such conversations for years.

Words like "woman" and "sex" had become loaded with different meanings depending on your viewpoint. Language that for centuries had been uncomplicated and accepted, became a battleground.

The judgement is intended to draw a line under that.

It argues that for the Equality Act to be consistent, the term woman has to mean a biological woman. That does not include biological males, even if they have certificates to say they have changed gender.

This means that where there are, for instance, women-only spaces, then a biological man who identifies as a woman cannot use them. That includes changing rooms, toilets, women's refuges, single-sex hospital wards and anywhere designated as for one sex only.

How much change that will mean in practice will be set out in detailed guidance. Until then, there remain lots of questions and some confusion – and that is challenging in an area where views are so polarised.

From jubilance to devastation

It was Baroness Falkner, the woman who heads the watchdog that regulates equality laws, who described the judgement as a victory for common sense.

She added it was only such a victory if you recognised trans people, "that they exist, they have rights, and their rights must be respected".

She also told the BBC about the abuse she had faced since taking over as chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2020.

She had previously told the Times that women had the right to question gender identity, and that had led to some very personal abuse from those who disagreed with her.

"I had not realised how difficult the job would be," she said. "It has taken a toll, but if you are in public life you have to take that."

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The second response to the judgement was from the trans rights campaign group TransActual, which described the Supreme Court judgement as devastating.

One of its activists, Jane Fae, told the BBC the judgement felt like a physical body blow, and that it was as if trans people were being excluded from society.

"Today we're feeling very alone" she said. "What does this mean – can I use this loo, can I do that, can I do the other?"

In contrast, the women's groups who fought the case feel vindicated and jubilant.

Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at the campaign group Sex Matters, says the ruling is "incredibly important for the half of humanity who need single-sex spaces".

Women's groups argue that the ruling is important for reasons of privacy, safety, dignity and discrimination.

The Supreme Court case was brought by a group called For Women Scotland. It wanted to overturn Scottish legislation which said 50% of members on public boards should be women – and trans women were included in their definition.

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The group lost its case in Scotland's highest court but appealed to the UK Supreme Court. The case was heard towards the end of last year.

"What we wanted was clarity in the law – when something is described as a single-sex service, a single-sex space, that this relates to biology," Susan Smith from For Women Scotland told the BBC.

Beginnings of the culture wars

Over time the arguments over how a woman is defined had become increasingly angry, bitter and divided, because the stakes were high for all involved.

For transgender people, who say they often face victimisation and harassment, the battles were rooted in attempts to win better legal protection.

"Legal gender recognition is essential for trans people to enjoy the full spectrum of rights each of us is entitled to, including safety, health and family life," according to Sacha Deshmukh, the chief executive of Amnesty International UK.  The charity opposed For Women Scotland's case in the Supreme Court.

The question of how to achieve legal recognition rose to prominence in 2002 when two judgements at the European Court of Human Rights found the UK was breaching human rights by failing to legally recognise transgender people in their acquired gender.

This eventually led to the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, which allowed a trans person to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). This recognised their preferred gender rather than their biological sex, allowing official documents like birth certificates to be changed to reflect that.

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But it was a long-winded process requiring two doctors to sign it off and for the person to "live in their acquired gender" for at least two years. Only about 8,000 people have applied for a GRC since they came into being, according to government figures.

Campaigners began calling for the process to be simplified. In a response to a 2020 government consultation on amending the GRA, Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ rights organisation, called for a "move to a de-medicalised and straightforward legal gender recognition process".

Gradually these calls gained momentum.

In 2022, the Scottish government introduced a law that would allow people to "self-identify" in their desired gender. This was later blocked by the UK government and eventually dropped as a Scottish policy.

As the rights of trans people were being debated, women's groups started pushing back about what that meant for biological women.

The meaning of words like "woman" and "sex" took on new significance, if someone who was biologically male had a certificate that identified them as a woman for legal purposes.

Under the 2010 Equality Act, sex was a protected characteristic, and so was gender reassignment. With the very meaning of those categories in dispute, legal experts said it set the protections of one group against the protections of another.

The complexities mean courts and tribunals have frequently been called on to arbitrate.

And social media has often provided a starting point for angry disputes, connecting and amplifying voices, and in many cases, leading to more entrenched viewpoints. It had become a culture war.

How the debate began to change

In 2019, tax expert Maya Forstater lost her job because she tweeted that she did not believe people could change their sex. She said biological sex was immutable and not the same as gender identity.  

As a result, her work contract was not renewed. Her employer said it wanted to build an inclusive workplace.

She lost her case at an employment tribunal case, but an Appeal Court judge later ruled that gender critical beliefs were protected by the Equalities Act. In 2023, she was awarded £100,000 compensation for unfair dismissal.

It was a high-profile battle through tribunals and courts which put employers' policies on inclusion under the spotlight and raised questions about whether by protecting the rights of one group, another was being discriminated against.

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Ms Forstater went on to set up the campaign group Sex Matters, and was among those celebrating outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

There have been other similar cases brought against employers since then. Sex Matters lists 11 settled or ongoing cases on its website.

But other high-profile cases have also shaped the broader debate.

In March 2020, 23-year-old Keira Bell took legal action against the only children's NHS gender clinic, saying she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male whilst a teenager.

Although she eventually lost her case, it started a chain reaction, which led to a shake-up of gender services for children and young people.

And in 2021 the Sussex University professor, Kathleen Stock, quit her job after being accused of having transphobic views. She had published a book that questioned whether gender identity was more significant than biological sex.

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She denied being transphobic but was subjected to a student campaign to remove her from her post. The university was later fined for failing to uphold freedom of speech.

These and other cases put an uncomfortable spotlight on a debate that many preferred to ignore or dismiss as mainly happening on social media, because it was too tricky and using the wrong language could lead to abuse.

Yet fundamental questions were being raised about freedom of speech, how we treat each other and how you define a woman. The need for clarity had become overwhelming.

In terms of equality law, the Supreme Court ruling provided that.

For women's groups there is sheer relief that biological facts will now drive decisions.

But for many trans people there is distress. Even though they still have protections under the Equality Act, for many it does not feel like that. They worry that harassment will increase.

Activist Charlie Craggs, who is a trans woman, told the BBC it was really sad that this tiny community of less than 1% of the population was being "thrown under the bus".

Supreme Court ruling in practice

Crucially, the ruling provides a clear framework for what equality laws mean. The EHRC says it is "working at pace" to update its guidance, and expects that to be ready by the summer.

It has already made it clear that if a single-sex space, like a toilet or changing room, is women-only, that means biological males who identify as women should not use it.

It says instead that trans people should use their "powers of advocacy" to campaign for third spaces, such as unisex toilets.

And it has said it will pursue the NHS if it does not follow the latest ruling.

Health service guidance on single-sex wards currently says that "trans people should be accommodated according to their presentation, the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they currently use".

Currently this allows trans women to be offered beds on women-only wards.

The NHS says its policy is under review.

Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption says that while the ruling means organisations can exclude trans women from women only facilities, they are not necessarily obliged to do so.

He told Radio 4's PM programme that in sport, for example, it would be down to individual governing bodies to decide who is allowed to compete in women's sport.

"They could decide to allow trans women to compete on the same basis as biological women, some sporting authorities do, although I think that in light of the latest judgement, they would be wise to say so expressly in their rules," he said.

British Transport Police has been the first body to actually change its policies. It says strip searches of people in custody will be carried out by officers of the same biological sex

It means a trans woman would be searched by a male officer, and a police officer who is a trans woman would not be able to search a biological woman.

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The domestic violence charity Refuge says the ruling will not change the way it operates.

Its chief executive, Gemma Sherrington, says, "we remain firmly committed to supporting all survivors of domestic abuse, including trans women".

But for many businesses, sports clubs and other organisations it is too soon to know what this will mean in practice.

They will need to see the detailed guidance from the Equality Commission first. Until then it is difficult to know how much change, if any, they will need to make or what new issues might arise.

Some organisations will also have to decide whether they have the space and money to provide so-called third spaces or unisex facilities

For trans people there is also a lot of uncertainty. They will have been used to using spaces which correspond to their gender identity – changing that may be difficult and, for some, frightening.

The Equality Commission expects to publish its new statutory code of conduct by the summer. Only then will these questions begin to be answered.