Belfast nursery school shuts due to E. coli outbreak
A Belfast nursery school has closed for a "deep clean" following an E. coli outbreak. The Public Health Agency (PHA) confirmed it was investigating and managing an outbreak of "Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)" linked to the nursery. The PHA did not name the school but said it had shut voluntarily for cleaning and to allow all staff and pupils to be tested for the infection. STEC symptoms can include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever but most people recover within five to seven days.
However, a small proportion of patients, mainly children, can develop a serious life-threatening condition which can lead to kidney failure. The PHA said it was "working closely with the nursery to ensure all infection control measures are in place" and was continuing to monitor the situation. It explained "diarrhoeal illnesses can be easily spread from person to person in nursery settings due to the close contact between children and staff".The outbreak was first reported by Belfast Live on Tuesday morning.
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Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sports Direct-owned gym blames former model's heatstroke sauna death on 'alcohol use and medication' as it fights £100k lawsuit by her actress daughter
A gym owned by Sports Direct has blamed an ex-model's sauna death on alcohol and medication as it battles a £100,000 lawsuit brought by her actress daughter. Mileva Brooks, 75-year-old mother of TV comedy actress Milanka Brooks, died after suffering heatstroke at an Everlast gym in Cheltenham in August 2022. Her daughter, who starred in TV sitcoms Benidorm, The Windsors and My Family as well as satire Black Mirror, is suing the Sports Direct-owned gym chain at London's High Court. A coroner's inquest in September 2023 found the pensioner died three days after being rushed to hospital when other gym users alerted staff that she had collapsed in the sauna and was experiencing breathing difficulties. But in their defence to the action lodged at London 's High Court, Fitness Ltd deny any blame. And they claim Mileva Brooks 'had a documented history of substance abuse, including but potentially not limited to alcoholism, along with medical conditions consistent with the use of prescribed medication'. Milanka, 41, found fame starring in a number of TV sitcoms after being cast in multi award-winning BBC1 sitcom My Family in 2000 after graduating from drama school. She had a regular role in ITV's Benidorm, playing Johnny Vegas' fiancée Ionela, as well as portraying Princess Svetlana in Channel 4's Royal family parody The Windsors and Nigel Planer's wife Elena in 2014 BBC2 comedy Boomers. She then found success in a high-profile role as a blue-faced alien crew member, Elena Tulaska, in the multi-Emmy Award winning Black Mirror episode called USS Callister in 2017. She has described her mother Mileva as her 'best friend in the world'. Mileva collapsed and died after using the sauna at the Everlast gym, in Henrietta Street in Cheltenham, on August 26 2022, having joined the gym six months earlier. Roland Wooderson, assistant coroner for Gloucestershire, recorded a narrative verdict after an inquest in 2023. She said the former model had 'died from the effects of heatstroke' after being 'found unresponsive in the sauna of the gym'. He had earlier heard medical evidence that Mileva's body temperature was 39.2C when measured by paramedics attending the scene. According to legal documents filed at London's High Court, Ms Brooks is now suing the gym's owners, claiming 'damages in excess of £50,000, but limited to £100,000'. The action comes in her role as administrator of her mother's estate for 'personal injury and consequential losses' and under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. But in a defence now lodged with the court by Natalie Green for Sports Direct, the company claims the staff at the gym did nothing wrong. Ms Green said: 'The deceased had a documented history of substance abuse, including but potentially not limited to alcoholism, along with medical conditions consistent with the use of prescribed medication.' She added that a post-mortem had found traces of the antidepressant lorazepam and epilepsy drugs clobazam and lamotrigine in Mileva's system. The barrister said there had been a sign outside the sauna stating conditions of safe use, including: 'Do not use the sauna if you suffer from epilepsy.' She added: 'The defendant replies upon the totality of the said signages' content, in particular the full list of conditions mandating non-use of the sauna, which include those relating to prior alcohol use and or medication impacting on the advisability of sauna use. 'By the publication of such guidance to its members, the defendant acted reasonably in the discharge of its duty of care. 'In the alternative, should breach of duty be proved against the defendant, the court may be invited to reduce any award of damages on account of the deceased's contributory negligence. 'The deceased suffered from temporal epilepsy and therefore should not have been using the sauna.' Ms Green added that the gym group would be calling for expert evidence 'as to the potential effects of any prescribed or controlled substances or alcohol in her system at the point of accessing the sauna'. She also claimed that a member of staff checked the sauna twice during the time the former model was in there and saw no cause for concern. She added: 'The deceased was recorded on CCTV as having entered the sauna at 14.15. The CCTV coverage of the wet areas did not include the interior of the sauna for reasons of privacy and practicality. '(But) the contemporaneous evidence indicated that the deceased was lying down on an upper bench throughout her time in the sauna on a towel with her eyes closed and her head supported by a foam pool weight. It is a position consistent with normal sauna use. 'It is clear from the contemporaneous evidence that a visual check into the sauna would have been unlikely to have elicited any cause for alarm. 'It is not admitted that the deceased was slumped in the sauna. The deceased was lying in a conventional position for sauna use and concern was only raised as to the manner of her breathing just prior to the alarm being raised at 15.15. 'At 15.00 the deceased continued to lie in a normal position for a sauna user. The index incident is unique in the history of the defendant's operation of gym and spa facilities. 'The sauna in question was less than a year old at the material time and there was no evidence that the sauna was defective. 'Members were provided with comprehensive guidance as to their safe use of the sauna and there was in place an alarm button,' the Sports Direct barrister said. In online posts, Milanka Brooks has spoken repeatedly of the close relationship she enjoyed with her mother - calling her 'the light and inspiration of my life,' her 'partner in crime' and 'best friend in the world'. In 2020, Frasers Group, the Sports Direct parent company, bought a number of DW Sports Fitness locations out of administration and started the Everlast Gyms chain. By late 2023, they had nearly 60 branches located across the UK.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Psychologist issues urgent warning about 'minor daily stresses' like being stuck in traffic which could wreak devastation on your long-term health
A leading psychologist has warned against the trauma of daily 'micro stresses' such as being stuck in traffic that have detrimental effects on your health. Dr. Becky Spelman, UK licensed psychologist, explained to Femail that human brains 'aren't wired for constant low-level friction' such as losing your keys and being in a rush. 'Repeated minor stressors can lead to the same physiological and emotional exhaustion as a single major stressor,' she explained. Indeed, Brits endure microstresses an average of eight times a day, increasing their blood pressure for as long as two hours daily, a new study from beverage company, Trip has found. Around 90 per cent of Brits experience these stressors - which include having an untidy house or not being able to find a parking space. 'When the small stresses pile up with no opportunity to decompress, they create an emotional static that affects concentration, patience, and even physical health,'Dr Spelman said. Dr Spelman suggested people 'incorporate small, daily rituals that restore calm', adding that overall management of stress should also focus on 'staying steady' during brief moments of strain. Microstresses are defined as small daily annoyances that, though seemingly small at the time, can weigh heavy on overall wellbeing when experienced in culmination. Among those counted as microstresses are seemingly minute aggravations such being being stuck in traffic, having an untidy house, or losing the remote control. Of the survey's 2,000 participants, a whopping 79 per cent admitted that while 'major problems' are less likely to get them down, the combined effect of microstresses resulted in poorer wellbeing. TRIP co-founder Olivia Ferdi, said: 'It's clear from the research that the smaller, more frequent stresses of daily life can really build up and grind us down, sometimes having more of an impact than the larger life events. 'Life is stressful enough so it can be really hard to find ways, and time, to chill out and relax. 'Taking some time to have a breather, sitting down and grabbing a drink can give you the break that you need to keep those microstresses at bay.' According to the survey, the single biggest trigger of stress for Brits was being stuck in traffic, with a whopping 53 per cent admitting to being impacted by road jams. Second on the list and causing aggravation to 42 per cent of people, was when a bin bag breaks during the process of taking it out. Losing keys and getting stuck behind a slow walker were equally stress inducing, with a third, 33 per cent, impacted. Additionally, 32 per cent stressed when their house is a tip, while 30 percent tense up when they spill something on their carpet. Other irritants included forgetting to charge a mobile device overnight, which 27 per cent said they were impacted by, losing the TV remote, cited by 26 per cent, and having a car parked outside your house, a strain for 23 per cent. Though minor in principle, the collective impact of several small stressors can be the equivalent to a single more significant event, Dr Spelman explained. 'They interfere with our focus, elevate cortisol levels, and can even alter how we respond to bigger challenges. In a fast-paced society, giving yourself permission to slow down - even for a few moments - can be the most important form of self-care,' she said. Across the country, those most afflicted are in Birmingham, with Brummies enduring 10 stressful moments a day. In comparison, people living in Coventry reported having just six daily tense encounters. The study found that 86 per cent of Brits find life generally irritating at present, with nearly 80 per cent saying they couldn't help being impacted by daily hassles. Bearing the brunt of intense stress, 62 per cent said stress sometimes even triggers them to feel physically sick, with 59 per cent left with headaches. Sleepless nights, increased heart rate and panic attacks were also among reported side effects. Britain's most annoying microstresses 1. Being stuck in traffic – 53% 2. A bin bag breaking when you're trying to take it out – 42% 3. Losing your keys – 33% 4. Someone walking slowly in front of you – 33% 5. Your house being a tip – 32% 6. Spilling something on your carpet – 30% 7. Misplacing your mobile – 28% 8. The Wi-Fi buffering when you're binging a show – 27% 9. Forgetting to plug your phone in to charge overnight – 27% 10. Losing the TV remote control – 26% 11. Being in a rush and not being able to find an outfit – 24% 12. Forgetting to put the bins out – 23% 13. Someone parking their car outside your house for days – 23% 14. Dropping toothpaste all down yourself – 23% 15. Not being able to find a parking space – 22% 16. Spilling coffee down your top – 22% 17. Stepping in dog's mess – 22% 18. Running out of milk – 21% 19. Missing your train or bus – 21% 20. Listening to politicians – 19% 21. The batteries in your TV remote not working – 18% 22. Having a leak under the sink – 16% 23. Running out of clean socks – 15% 24. Having to re-wash plates after they've been in the dishwasher – 14% 25. A work colleague not finishing what they were supposed to do – 14% 26. Burning your morning toast – 12% 27. Opening your laptop to hundreds of unread emails – 11% 28. Watching the news – 11% 29. Having a row with a colleague at work – 11% 30. Enduring a disappointing lunch – 11% 31. Losing your headphones – 11% 32. Getting stuck in traffic on the school run – 10% 33. Not having change for a car park – 9% 34. Burning your mouth on a cheese toastie – 9% 35. The dog not coming when it's called – 8%
BBC News
42 minutes ago
- BBC News
Woman teacher at Grays school banned for sexual messages to pupil
A woman has been banned from teaching after a panel found she sent messages about her sexual encounters to a pupil and encouraged him to smoke cannabis with Doman, then 32, was teaching history at William Edwards secondary school in Grays, Essex, when her inappropriate contact began.A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel was told she sent messages to the pupil where she called him "little duck" and said to him she loved him, but she denied what she said was Cavey, TRA chief executive, decided she should be banned from teaching indefinitely, subject to a five-year review period. The TRA heard Ms Doman sent dozens of messages to the child, who the panel referred to as Pupil A, between April and May one she said: "You're not even legal or an adult or anything. Like, am I taking advantage of you? Some days it feels like you're taking advantage of me lol."In messages seen by the panel, she told him: "YOU have all the control in this relationship."She also told Pupil A details about her sexual relationships, the panel found, saying in an Instagram message: "One night I ended up with three different guys." 'Pull sickies' She was said to have made comments about the pupil's appearance and messaged him, saying: "I literally go get waxed every eight weeks for no-one to appreciate it."The panel also heard Ms Doman encouraged Pupil A and his friends to "pull sickies" on a day she was off school, and at least once invited Pupil A to spend time alone with now 34-year-old did not attend her misconduct hearing, but in written statements said the "little duck" nickname was "not romantic".She said she was letting the pupil "know that someone cared about his existence" in telling him she loved Doman admitted she also encouraged Pupil A to drink alcohol and smoke cannabis with her, and said: "I am unsure why any of this occurred."I certainly don't behave like this myself. I drink alcohol less than once a month and never to excess, and I've never taken drugs."The teacher also admitted she had sent Pupil A messages outside of school hours and acknowledged she told him to "remove all trace" of her from his Doman denied her conduct was sexually motivated and said she saw Pupil A as "like her child", but the panel ruled on the said Ms Doman's behaviour had a "seriously damaging" impact on Pupil A, his parents, the school and its wider community, and her conduct "had the potential to influence Pupil A in a harmful way".Ms Doman was facing "difficulties" in her personal life at the time, the hearing was told, but the panel ruled that she "did not show sufficient insight in respect of the impact her conduct had on others". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
