
Breathing Space
Imagine you're stuck in a leaking boat. Water is pouring in, you're exhausted, panicking, and feel like you're about to sink.Now imagine someone throws you a lifeline — they patch the holes, give you a moment to breathe, and let you rest while a support team comes to help fix the boat properly.That's what the Breathing Space scheme is. It doesn't magically erase your debt — but it stops the pressure. No calls from creditors, no new interest piling on, no court action. Breathing Space protects you while you seek debt advice and work towards a debt solution with a regulated debt adviser. It lasts for up to 60 days, and you can apply for it once every 12 months.For more information on how the government scheme works, click here, external.To find out more information, including eligibility criteria, how to apply, and details for the Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space scheme click here , externalto visit the StepChange website and here, external for the MoneyHelper website.To find a free regulated debt adviser, click here, external.To watch Laura's previous item on Individual Voluntary Arrangements and Debt Relief Orders, click on the below link to watch back on BBC iPlayer.
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Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'If you were in a changing room in Harrods, there was a good chance Mohamed Al Fayed was watching': Explosive new book claims store was awash with spy cameras - even in women's staff toilets and locker rooms
Sexual predator Mohamed Al Fayed spied on customers using the changing rooms at Harrods for decades, according to claims made by his former bodyguard. Speaking in an explosive new book, the security man said there was a 'good chance' that shoppers using the facilities at the Knightsbridge store during his reign were being 'watched' by the serial rapist. In the Monster of Harrods due to be released on Thursday, the bodyguard known only as Biggie said the store was awash with cameras which also recorded inside the female staff toilets and locker rooms. 'People don't talk about this - there were cameras right up to the entrance and slightly inside the changing rooms used by Harrods customers, which meant if you were in a Harrods changing room during the Fayed era, there was a good chance that he was watching you,' Biggie revealed. The installation of cameras, as well as bugging telephones, was said to have been ordered by the head of security ex-detective John Macnamara so Al Fayed could keep tabs on and seek out potential victims. 'The guys looked at the screens as if their lives depended on it. But they also realised that many of the questions Macnamara asked were about females who had caught Fayed's eye, so there was also a lot of sniggering as they watched women in changing rooms and toilets,' said Biggie. Biggie, who was described as 6ft 4in and 20st, was employed as one of the very first 'generals' in Al Fayed's security detail after he purchased the iconic store in 1985. Harrods, which was owned by Al Fayed for 25 years before he sold it in 2010, said last night: 'Nothing in our records suggest cameras existed in any staff or customer areas where personal privacy would have been compromised.' Alison Kervin, author of the book who interviewed 60 witnesses, survivors and former employees, claimed that around forty screens transmitted information from every inch of the store 24/7. She said the cameras were 'everywhere' and meant that 'working at Harrods was like living in the Truman Show'. Another member of staff, known as 'the Engineer' because of his role in phone bugging, said there were 'recording devices everywhere' and everything that was transmitted was filed away. 'I'd have to make sure they were working and we were picking up everything was important that we did the recordings and kept everything properly filed,' he is quoted as saying. He said Al Fayed would sometimes demand to see a particular recording or listen in to what was said in a meeting room. The man said that no one was 'off limits' and that he bugged everyone from financial directors and board members to chauffeurs and body guards. Al Fayed, who died without facing justice aged 94 in 2023, was exposed as a prolific sex offender last year and more than 500 victims and witnesses have since come forward. Emma Jones, a human rights lawyer for Leigh Day which represents a number of the victims, said the latest revelations highlighted the need for a public inquiry into how his offending was allowed to continue undeterred for decades. 'The fact that there could be covert surveillance, CCTV or any kind of recording in areas such as toilets and changing rooms beggars' belief and is truly shocking. 'If true this would have serious and far-reaching ramifications in terms of breaching people's right to privacy,' she added. Last week survivors handed a letter to Downing Street calling for an inquiry to examine claims of a cover up and allegations that the serial rapist was enabled by the iconic store and the police. Scotland Yard previously revealed that it is investigating the role of at least five potential enablers who are alleged to have aided Al Fayed. Harrods, which was sold to wealth fund Qatar Holdings, has previously said it is 'appalled' by allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed and have been investigating whether any current members of staff were involved. The Monster of Harrods: Al-Fayed and the secret, shameful history of a British institution published by HarperCollins goes sale on Thursday here.

South Wales Argus
25 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Committee calls on Government to ban NDAs to tackle misogyny in music industry
A report by the WEC found 'misogyny remains deeply rooted in the music industry' and 'meaningful change requires both cultural and structural reform', as the committee also called for changes to the Equality Act and the Employment Rights Bill to ensure freelancers are fully protected. Speaking about her experience in the report, which was published on Wednesday, singer Celeste told the committee: 'What is most prevalent in the daily experience of being female in the music industry is this idea of an ingrained bias, or even an unconscious, sexist bias.' Singer Celeste said an 'unconscious, sexist bias' was prevalent in the music industry (Ian West/PA) The WEC called for improved protections and reporting mechanisms, after finding that sexual harassment remains pervasive in the industry, with reporting rates low due to fear of retaliation, and added that women in music still faced unequal pay and ageism. It urged the Government to bring forward proposals to prohibit the use of NDAs and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic. The WEC said doing so would 'demonstrate decisive leadership and ensure that the silencing of victims of abuse will no longer be tolerated'. It also underlined the 'inadequacy' of legal protections for freelance musicians, saying the Equality Act did not 'clearly extend' to freelancers and those working under temporary conditions such as 'depping', which means substituting for another musician. The report also highlighted challenges faced by parents and carers in the music industry, saying freelancers in particular struggled with 'inadequate maternity support and the high cost of childcare'. The WEC called on the Government to amend the Employment Rights Bill to align maternity allowance with statutory maternity pay to allow self-employed women 'greater flexibility during maternity leave and remove unfairness within the system'. Chairwoman of the WEC and Labour MP Sarah Owen said: 'One year on from the Women and Equalities Committee's report on misogyny in music, significant issues within the industry remain unaddressed and appear to be on repeat. 'WEC's 2024 report warned women pursuing careers in music face endemic misogyny and discrimination in a sector dominated by self-employment. 'It laid bare a boys' club where sexual harassment and abuse is common, and the non-reporting of such incidents is high. 'The misuse of NDAs is a major concern. 'NDAs are frequently used to silence victims of harassment and abuse, often under coercive circumstances. 'The report presents evidence of the psychological toll these agreements take and the power imbalances that make them particularly harmful in the music industry. 'Women working in music feel rightly frustrated at the lack of support from the Government in tackling the challenges they face. 'Female artists should not encounter limitations in opportunity or have to work far harder to get the recognition their ability and talent merits. 'We urge ministers to accept the recommendations in our new report and help set the music industry on a path of lasting change free from discrimination and harassment.' The report also called on the Government to support the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, a new independent body designed to address misconduct across the creative sectors, by 'providing it with the legal assurances it needs to undertake its crucial work'. The UK Government has been contacted for comment.


Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EuroMillions jackpot rolls over AGAIN: One ticketholder could now land an eye-watering £208MILLION in Friday's draw
One lucky ticket-holder could bag the biggest lottery win the UK has ever seen if they scoop the top prize in Friday's record EuroMillions draw. The jackpot has rolled over again after Tuesday's £199million draw, which would also have been a record-breaking amount, had no winners. There is now an eye-watering £208million up for grabs - which would see the winner pip the likes of Harry Styles and Rory McIlroy on the wealth scale. Andy Carter, Senior Winners' Adviser at Allwyn, said: 'We are now on the verge of potentially creating the biggest National Lottery winner this country has ever seen. '[It would make] a single UK winner instantly richer than the likes of Adele and Dua Lipa while also landing them at the number one spot on The National Lottery's biggest wins list.' An anonymous UK ticket holder won the existing record jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022, while just two months earlier, Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, won £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket for the draw on May 10 2022. The UK's third biggest win came after an anonymous ticket-holder scooped the £177 million jackpot in the draw on November 26 last year, while the biggest this year was £83 million in January. MailOnline reported last month that a grieving son found his mother's winning lottery ticket three days after she had died. Liam Carter, 34, found the EuroMillions ticket folded inside an envelope, which his mother Anne and avid lottery player had heartbreakingly scrawled on the front 'Sat draw - don't forget!'. She died on April 16, aged 67, just two days before her winning numbers came up having played every week and 'never winning anything big in her life'. Mr Carter, originally from Hampshire but now living in Aberdeen, discovered the folded envelope inside her kitchen drawer, where his loving mother usually kept her tickets. It meant Anne had won a payout of £18,403. Mr Carter had almost ignored the ticket but said 'something told me to check'. 'I scanned it using the National Lottery app, and it said it was a winning ticket — but I'd have to call the lottery line,' he added He phoned the line last Saturday and 'just froze' when he was told of how much the winning ticket was worth. Mr Carter said: 'I must've gone quiet on the phone. It didn't feel real. She never won anything big in her life — and now this.' He added: 'She always said if she ever won, the money would be for me,' he said. 'And even though she never knew about this win, it really felt like something she left behind for me. Like one final gift.' He plans to use the money towards a deposit on a flat, something he says his mother always wanted him to achieve. 'She always said if she ever won, the money would be for me,' he said. 'And even though she never knew about this win, it really felt like something she left behind for me. Like one final gift.' The ticket had matched five main numbers — 20, 27, 35, 39 and 48 — just missing the two Lucky Stars, 03 and 08.