Latest news with #Knutsford
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cheshire farmhouse with indoor swimming pool and eight acres for sale at £2.5m
An indoor swimming pool, barns, and eight acres of land are among the features of a four-bedroom farmhouse now up for sale. The property in Mobberley, listed at £2,500,000, includes the main farmhouse, several outbuildings, and landscaped gardens, according to the listing. Approached via Smith Lane, a York stone-paved courtyard provides access to the main house, a detached double garage, a converted barn, and covered storage or parking area. (Image: Wright Marshall Estate Agents, Knutsford) The courtyard is described as offering parking for a 'large number of different style of vehicles'. Inside the main house, a small porch leads to an oak-floored reception hallway. Two reception rooms branch off from this space, one described as a 'traditional snug' and the other as the main family lounge, which features a fireplace with a log burner and French doors opening onto a patio. (Image: Wright Marshall Estate Agents, Knutsford) The kitchen is open plan, with a central island, skylights, and large windows. Bi-folding doors overlook the gardens. The listing states the kitchen is 'flooded with an abundance of natural light' and described as the 'true heart of this desirable family home'. Off the kitchen, there is a cloakroom, a utility room, and a second door to the courtyard. Upstairs, there are four double bedrooms. (Image: Wright Marshall Estate Agents, Knutsford) The main bedroom has a five-piece en-suite, including 'his & hers basins' and a freestanding roll top claw foot bath, plus a television. The remaining bedrooms are served by a four-piece bathroom with separate shower and bath. Outbuildings include a converted barn known as 'The Big Barn', which has been used as offices and a workshop. The barn has water, waste, and electrical supply, along with a two-piece cloakroom. The ground floor is divided into several areas, while the first floor features a mezzanine, a playroom, and another room. Both internal and external fire escapes are present. Another open-fronted barn is used for storing machinery and equipment. (Image: Wright Marshall Estate Agents, Knutsford) The pool house, built about 30 years ago, is described as being in a European style and contains changing rooms, a sauna, kitchen, and plant room. The pool is around four feet deep. Landscaped gardens include trees, shrubs, mature hedgerows, and seating areas. The listing mentions 'far reaching views over the Cheshire countryside'. Eight acres of land surround the property, currently left to grow and cut annually. The property is offered with no onward chain.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
TONY HETHERINGTON: When is a bank not a bank?
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. D.L. writes: I have an account with Suits Me, an internet bank authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. But my account has been hacked – someone called the bank and transferred £4,200 to themselves, leaving me very little to live on and pay my bills. Tony Hetherington replies: You spent more than six hours on the phone to Suits Me, and when you finally reached the 'disputes team' you were told because you did not transfer the £4,200 the transaction required an investigation, which might take months. Suits Me said your money went to an account at Revolut, as instructed by the mystery caller. This left you with barely any money to support yourself and your 11-year-old child. You called the police, but they referred you to Action Fraud – which means it is unlikely there will be any police enquiries. I contacted Suits Me, which is based in a modernised cattle shed at a farm in Knutsford, Cheshire, and I supplied your signed authority to discuss the loss of your money. The company's boss Matthew Sanders refused to honour this. He said: 'Unfortunately, we cannot comment on individual accounts or disputes as I am sure you would expect.' He said his firm has 'rigorous' security procedures, adding: 'At Suits Me, we pride ourselves on our customer service and security.' You may disagree, of course. You assured me: 'I have two-factor authentication on my phone app and emails, and my phone has not been out of my sight.' You have not shared the account details with anyone, and they are not even written down. I tried again with Mr Sanders, but got a brief response that 'it is our strict policy not to debate individual customers' circumstances in the media'. So while every big bank is happy to respond when the customer allows it, Suits Me regards an invitation to comment as a 'debate'! But it did send you a lengthy letter. Banks operate a voluntary scam-victim refund scheme called the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code, they said – but Suits Me has not signed up to it. There is a separate scheme operated by the UK Payment Systems Regulator – but guess what, Suits Me works in partnership with a Gibraltar business so falls outside this refund programme, too. The company rejected your complaint, but offered you £35 for the time wasted on hold when you rang. It said if you were not happy, you could complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This puzzled me because I was pretty sure that Suits Me was not covered by the FOS, so I questioned Mr Sanders and he admitted: 'The letter sent to Mr L contained an error in that it said he can raise a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman. This is not correct.' If you were unhappy, you should complain to a company called IDT Financial Services in Gibraltar. I did, and IDT explained it is a regulated issuer of Visa and Mastercard cards, and Suits Me is its distributor. You could file a complaint in Gibraltar, it said. Then two days ago, and without issuing any comment, Suits Me put the missing £4,200 back into your account. You were stunned, but delighted and relieved! The big question remains: how it is possible to operate a quasi-bank which sidesteps the ombudsman, is outside the compensation scheme and dismisses questions as a mere 'debate'. Why does the Government allow it? So what is Suits Me... and how does it work? 'Looking for a bank account? Suits Me offers personal accounts for everyone.' This is the bold statement on the company's website. But Suits Me is not a bank. Who says so? Its own boss says so. Matthew Sanders told me: 'Suits Me is not a bank. It is a distributor of e-money.' And if you search long enough on its website, it explains: 'An e-money account, like the personal account offered by Suits Me, is an account that stores money in electronic form which can be used to make payments.' Open an account and you can set up direct debits, pay bills and have a debit card. What you don't get is an overdraft or credit. And you also don't get plain speaking from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Suits Me appears in the FCA's public register of authorised firms, with the advice that 'you may be able to complain about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service', and 'you may be able to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme'. But the FCA says bluntly that the compensation scheme 'will not be able to consider a claim against this firm if it fails'. And whether the FOS will intervene 'depends on the activity'. The FCA answers leave customers to take the risks. Who would sign up with a bank that isn't a bank? Suits Me offers accounts in three minutes, with gamblers and debtors welcome. All asylum seekers need 'is a selfie for ID and a card issued by the Home Office'. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Horror crash sparks chaos on M6 as car ‘flipped onto its roof' with emergency crews scrambled & traffic brought to halt
A CAR was "flipped onto its roof" during a horror crash on the M6 that sparked traffic chaos. Two lanes of traffic remain closed on the busy motorway while emergency services work at the scene this morning. The crash involves two motors, with one car landing on its roof following the collision, said Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Traffic cameras show a heavy backlog of vehicles on the motorway. Vehicles were held on the northbound carriageway approaching the Manchester turn-off, at junction 19 near Knutsford. And queues were seen building on the northbound carriageway from junction 18 at Middlewich. There are delays of up to 30 minutes on the approach with six miles of congestion, said National Highways. Pictures show traffic crawling at a slow pace around the scene of the accident. A spokesperson for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "North West Fire Control received multiple reports of a collision involving two cars, one on its roof. "Firefighters have been mobilised to the scene. "No casualties are trapped and are being treated by crews while ambulances arrive... Two lanes have been reopened to allow traffic to keep moving." 1
