Latest news with #LouisWood
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Southend Airport reopens to the public after deadly crash – with flights to restart
LONDON Southend Airport will partially reopen today following a plane crash that occurred on Sunday, killing four people. A Beech B200 Super King Air aircraft was flying to Lelystad in the Netherlands when it crashed shortly after taking off from the airport on Sunday afternoon. 2 London Southend Airport has reopened to the public Credit: Getty 2 The airport has remained closed since Sunday Credit: Louis Wood Witnesses of the incident described seeing a "huge fireball" just before 4pm. All four passengers onboard the flight were killed. Other witnesses also shared hot the pilots had been waving a children shortly before the crash occurred. The airport closed on Sunday following the incident and has remained fully closed until today. Read more on Southend Airport A spokesperson for the airport said: " London Southend Airport is today partially reopening for a small number of flights, following Sunday's tragic air accident and subsequent closure. "Four easyJet flights will land at London Southend Airport this evening. "Eastern Airways will also operate an empty positioning flight. "Normal airline operations resume from the morning of Thursday 17 July 2025. Most read in News Travel "Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives on Sunday. "Throughout the course of this week, we have continued to support the air accident investigation team as they carry out their work. "Our airport staff and wider team are doing all they can to help during this incredibly difficult time, and will of course be on-hand to assist passengers as we return to service. "The understanding and kindness shown by our local community has been incredible, and we are grateful for their support." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Southend Airport reopens to the public after deadly crash – with flights to restart
AIRPORT HORROR Southend Airport reopens to the public after deadly crash – with flights to restart Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LONDON Southend Airport will partially reopen today following a plane crash that occurred on Sunday, killing four people. A Beech B200 Super King Air aircraft was flying to Lelystad in the Netherlands when it crashed shortly after taking off from the airport on Sunday afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 London Southend Airport has reopened to the public Credit: Getty 2 The airport has remained closed since Sunday Credit: Louis Wood Witnesses of the incident described seeing a "huge fireball" just before 4pm. All four passengers onboard the flight were killed. Other witnesses also shared hot the pilots had been waving a children shortly before the crash occurred. The airport closed on Sunday following the incident and has remained fully closed until today. A spokesperson for the airport said: "London Southend Airport is today partially reopening for a small number of flights, following Sunday's tragic air accident and subsequent closure. "Four easyJet flights will land at London Southend Airport this evening. "Eastern Airways will also operate an empty positioning flight. "Normal airline operations resume from the morning of Thursday 17 July 2025. "Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives on Sunday. "Throughout the course of this week, we have continued to support the air accident investigation team as they carry out their work. "Our airport staff and wider team are doing all they can to help during this incredibly difficult time, and will of course be on-hand to assist passengers as we return to service. "The understanding and kindness shown by our local community has been incredible, and we are grateful for their support." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
I was there when Jay Slater's body was found a year ago today – why case still haunts me & what I really think happened
"YOU covered Jay Slater, didn't you?" It's a question I've been asked time and again for the best part of a year now. 11 Jay Slater's body was found on July 15, 2024 - 29 days after he went missing Credit: Ian Whittaker 11 The spot where the teenager tragically fell to his death 11 Jay Slater's mum Debbie Duncan with The Sun's Katie Davis Credit: Louis Wood 11 Grief-stricken Debbie wept as she opened up about her beloved son's disappearance and death Credit: Louis Wood And every time it makes my stomach churn as their eyes light up, hoping I will lift the lid on the ridiculous conspiracy theories they've lapped up. I was never convinced by the Outrageous claims include that Jay skipped the island on a yacht , fell foul of a drug cartel, and had been tied up hostage with chains. Jay's I was the only reporter in the mountains of Masca when police confirmed But my overriding feeling was one of hope - praying it would bring the closure Jay's courageous family so badly needed. As reporters, we get a lot of stick - and trust me, I have had my fair share. But what is often forgotten is that the overriding purpose of our jobs is to fight for the truth - and filter out misinformation that is all too easily spread in this social media age. It feels like every single person I encounter has their theory on what happened to Jay - largely and sadly, informed by keyboard warriors. JAY SLATER KATIE DAVIS PTC I shut them down before they unleashed a rant at me, spewing idle comments they've picked up from going down a rabbit hole on Facebook or TikTok . Naturally, I am asked for my opinion . I'm cautious to give my judgement on stories I cover - not least to give naive minds anything to latch onto. But deep down, my gut is - and has always been - that this is a very tragic story of a British tourist falling to their death on holiday. This was a 19-year-old lad away from home for the first time with pals who, yes, drank, took drugs and probably had a bit too much fun. I feel logic is the main component missing from most trolls' arguments. Jay had been Add on top of having alcohol and drugs in your system, being dehydrated, and in an unfamiliar, remote area, it's not the prettiest picture. To make matters worse, the mountainous setting of the Airbnb is hugely unforgiving. 11 Debbie with childhood photos of Jay Credit: Louis Wood 11 Jay pictured beaming in his school uniform Credit: Louis Wood 11 The remote Airbnb that Jay went to after partying Credit: Steve Reigate 11 It's violently hot and windy - enough to make even the most intrepid hiker feel uneasy. Sober and rested, you will probably be fine if you're careful. But for Jay, that wasn't the case - and it ultimately cost him his life. Yet the judgement coming from pathetic wannabe detectives is almost laughable. I can guarantee almost every single crank who mindlessly taps out their thoughts has found themselves in questionable situations after drinking or taking drugs in their youth. And still, a year on, obsessive trolls continue to attempt to make out that something that happened in those final hours was linked to his death. But I am certain Jay fell accidentally. 'Cruel trolls didn't know my Jay' JAY Slater's brave mum Debbie last year hit back at critics and trolls. Just days after Jay's funeral last August, heartbroken Debbie paid tribute to him as a 'loving and popular' 19-year-old who 'had the world at his feet'. She told how Jay was devoted to his family and friends, would always dance at events and had taken her to see Bob Marley film One Love before his tragic disappearance. Debbie told The Sun: "Jay was just a lovely boy with a massive personality. 'Everybody just loved Jay being in his company - family, friends and work. 'He was loving and popular, always full of fun and smiling – and the main guy in the group. "The people saying stuff about him didn't know Jay and they don't know us. 'He hasn't been here to defend himself against all these horrible stories that were going on around the world about him. 'He worked hard, and then at weekends, he loved spending time with his friends. 'But he loved being at home as well. 'He liked cooking and was always in the kitchen with me every night." His decisions beforehand may have led him to that, but it doesn't change the fact that he fell. So I wish these idiotic flame-baiters would just leave his family alone and stop causing them further heartache by blindly attempting to connect what he did on his final night out to his death. Yes, Jay's family still desperately deserve answers to those questions hanging over about what actually happened in his last hours. But frankly, armchair detectives have never and will never help - and to be honest, I never bought into the ones claiming that's all they were trying to do. My heart bleeds for his mum Debbie, brother Zak and dad Warren, who are still battling for answers after spineless witnesses failed to show up for his inquest earlier this year. It has now been a year since Jay's body was found in a ravine in Rural de Teno National Park - and if the case still haunts me, I can't imagine how his poor family must be suffering every single day. So please, let them find answers on their own terms and without fear of seeing yet more painful lies plastered across social media. 11 Search crews scoured for Jay for days before he was found Credit: Ian Whittaker 11 Jay was an avid footballer as a child Credit: Louis Wood 11 Jay, right, with older brother Zak and mum Debbie Credit: Solarpix What happened to Jay Slater? JAY Slater flew to the Spanish island last June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with two friends, Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves. The teen travelled to an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men - including convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim - in the early hours of June 17. Jay posted a final Snapchat picture of himself smoking on the doorstep of the apartment at 7.30am on June 17 before leaving at around 8am. Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, made a heartbreaking final call to friend Lucy saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone after he left the Airbnb. He was attempting the treacherous 10-hour walk back to his apartment in Los Cristianos when he called Lucy to say he was lost. DCI Rachel Higson, head of digital media investigations at Lancashire Police, told an inquest in May that Jay's phone recorded "a lot of steps and inclines" between 7.59am and 8.49am. His mobile last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park after Jay walked the wrong way from the Airbnb, and DCI Higson said there was "no data recorded" after 8.49:51am. After a month-long search, Jay's body was found in a ravine on July 15 last year - near to where his phone last pinged. A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height. Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd told the inquest Jay suffered a "heavy fall from height" and the "devastating" effects would have been "immediate".
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside secret Ibiza shanty town riddled with snakes where superclub workers live in squalor with no water or electricity
AS dawn breaks and the thump of Ibiza's wild nightlife begins to subside, the ramshackle shanty town is starting to awake. Folk emerge from mosquito- infested tarpaulin shacks as tipsy clubbers leave Pacha superclub — where VIP tickets can cost almost £1,700 — just a five-minute drive away. Advertisement 10 The super-rich and celebrities who have turned the White Isle into Europe's premier party destination are being catered for by shanty town dwellers Credit: Louis Wood 10 Chelsea fan and sous chef Mohamed said: 'We have no water, no electricity, no toilets and no hope' Credit: Louis Wood 10 In other impromptu camps, workers are all reduced to living in tents, cars, caravans and camper vans Credit: Louis Wood The makeshift encampment, plagued with snakes and without electricity, running water or toilets, resembles the fetid Yet, waiting for their shifts to begin at the Ibiza camp, I met a sous chef, a kitchen porter, a security guard at the port, a hotel cleaner and a dish washer. Advertisement For the super-rich and celebrities, who have turned the Spain suffers a housing crisis. Nestled beneath the high-end restaurants of Outside his shack of wooden pallets, restaurant worker Yaslem Hamdi, 34, originally from Western Sahara, told me: 'We live here with the snakes and insects because we can't afford to rent an apartment.' Yaslem tells me he makes around £1,100 a month while a tiny room nearby costs about £700 to rent. Pitched amid scrubland near the Can Misses Hospital, the hospitality workers here shower by pouring bottles of water over themselves in cubicles made from discarded wood. Advertisement Some use a patch of bushes as an outside loo. Sun-drenched party isle It is a miserable existence for staff propping up GDP . As temperatures soar towards 35C, yachts bob in azure waters as those aboard sip ice-cooled beer and champagne just a short drive from the camps. Brit tourists face holiday chaos with strikes confirmed for 180,000 hospitality staff throughout July on hotspot islands Pot washer Yaslem is among thousands of working homeless people on the sun-drenched party island. In other nearby impromptu camps I met a nurse, a hairdresser and chef, all reduced to living in tents, cars , caravans and camper vans. Advertisement Yet, its own left-wing government has helped fuel the shortfall by encouraging immigration while not building enough new homes for the incomers. New arrivals mean 250,000 households are added in Spain each year — but fewer than 90,000 new homes are built, according to the Economist magazine. The Bank of Spain has estimated that there is a shortage of 500,000 properties. The shanty town is a world away from the sun-kissed Balearic island's famous nightclubs, pristine sandy beaches and luxury villas. Long fashionable for its pretty villages and cuisine, one local newspaper says Ibiza's high-end prices now put it 'on a par with St Tropez'. Advertisement Home to 160,000 people, Ibiza received 3.6million tourists last year, with Brits the largest group from overseas. Each tourist spends an average of just over £160 a day. Some we spoke to believe a slice of the profits and taxes reaped from tourism should be spent on workers' accommodation. 10 It's a miserable existence for staff propping up an industry projected to be worth over £220billion to the Spanish economy this year Credit: Louis Wood 10 Activists have blamed over-tourism for driving up rent prices which many workers cannot afford Credit: Louis Wood 10 Restaurant worker Yaslem Hamdi, 34, originally from Western Sahara, said 'We live here with the snakes and insects' Credit: Louis Wood Advertisement 10 Sanchez's left-wingers have also been accused of siding with squatters over landlords Credit: Louis Wood Shanty town dweller Yehdih Salec Abdalila, 25, who works six days a week as a bartender, told me: 'We're working all day, so why can't we come home to a normal house like everyone else? The employers or government should give us a little bedroom with somewhere to wash.' On the golden sands of San Antonio close to party hotspots Linekers and Mum-of-two Kaylie Brooker, 34, said she and her friend Tara Madigan, 27, had each spent £1,000 for a three-day break on the island. 'The Spanish should appreciate that Brits want to come to their country and spend so much money ,' said Kaylie, from Brighton. Advertisement 'The government here should use some of that cash to build houses for the homeless workers. Tourists shouldn't get the blame.' Activists have blamed over-tourism for driving up rent prices which many workers cannot afford. Spain has been convulsed by protesters who say holidaymakers also clog roads and overload sewerage pipelines. Last month demonstrators in Barcelona Protesters in Palma, Mallorca, held up placards reading, 'Tourists go home' while others marched through Ibiza Town. Advertisement I've lived here for a year. I work — we're not down and outs — but we can't afford the rents. Caravan dweller Jose In another makeshift settlement in Ibiza, Portuguese chef Tiago Martins, 29, told me: 'How can you blame the tourists? They pay our wages.' The hospitality worker lives in a van alongside dozens of others — including families with children — in tents, motorhomes , cars and caravans on a fly-blown and sweltering patch of land near Ikea in Ibiza Town. None can afford the rents on the island. Residents here have been served with a notice by local government saying they must move or face fines of up to £25,500. Speaking through a fly net draped in the doorway of his cramped van, Tiago added: 'Then where would we sleep ? And who would do the tourism jobs ?' Advertisement It's not only workers in the tourism sector who are homeless. In a dustbowl carpark near Can Misses Hospital I met trainee nurse Maria, 34, returning to her caravan after her shift. With the silhouette of the cobbled Old Town behind her, Maria — from Cordoba on the mainland — told me: 'In the summer it's impossible to afford a room in Ibiza. Medical workers should be provided with accommodation.' In the midday heat, night workers slump in vans with the doors open hoping for a breeze in the stultifying temperatures while pet dogs yap at strangers. Caravan dweller Jose, 30, originally from Argentina , said: 'I've lived here for a year. I work — we're not down and outs — but we can't afford the rents.' Advertisement Strolling along the beachfront at San Antonio, tourist dad-of-two Nick Skelton, 60, a part-time surveyor from Hull , said of the shanty towns: 'It's wrong. They should look after their workers. You can't have them do a day's work then go home to a bloody shack.' 10 Vikki Malek, pictured left with pal Tamara Bentley said: 'The rents here are overpriced. I don't think businesses care about the people in the shanty town' Credit: Louis Wood 10 Home to 160,000 people, Ibiza received 3.6million tourists last year, with Brits the largest group from overseas Credit: Louis Wood Enjoying a paddle in the waves, Vikki Malek, 27, from Dundee, who runs a beauty business , added: 'The rents here are overpriced. I don't think businesses care about the people in the shanty towns.' Her friend, businesswoman Tamara Bentley , 31, from Aberdeen, told me: 'If you want tourists to come you need workers. Advertisement 'They help bring in the profits so they should be looked after.' While much of the ire for Spain's property shortfall has fallen on tourists, socialist PM Pedro Sanchez's policies have only fanned the flames of the housing crisis. Bucking the trend across Europe , Sanchez's tottering administration — attempting to weather a corruption scandal — has encouraged immigration since taking office in 2018. Vulnerable families In 2022 alone, close to three quarters of a million people arrived to start a new life in the nation. With house building failing to match the rising population, it's hardly surprising that rents have risen by nearly 80 per cent in the past decade. Advertisement Sanchez's left-wingers have also been accused of siding with squatters over landlords, which has left homeowners wary of renting out their properties. Laws mean vulnerable families cannot be evicted unless they have alternative housing to go to. Last year there were 16,000 reports of squatting in Spain, with heavies often employed in forced evictions. Activists insist that tourism has made the housing emergency worse. Ibiza campaigners point out that flights to the island have risen from just over 25,000 in 2000 to a record 66,000 scheduled for this year. Almost a fifth of the planes are arriving from the UK. Advertisement Expat Xaquelina Ana Perry, spokeswoman for Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza), which campaigns against over-tourism, describes conditions in the shanty towns as 'awful'. 'It's unbelievable that on Ibiza, the Magic Island, people have to live like that,' said Xaquelina, who has lived here for 40 years. 10 Oliver Harvey in an Ibiza shanty town Credit: Louis Wood Originally from Wolverhampton, Xaquelina, in her 60s, says landlords are renting out their apartments illegally to tourists because they can charge a higher price. 'We want that stopped because the resources of the island can't cope,' she said. 'You need essential services and frontline workers.' Advertisement The mum stresses her group's campaign isn't against tourism but promotes a 'change in the type of tourism'. She added: 'Back in the 1980s you had family tourism, you had couples. Now people come for clubs and drugs and it's attracting the wrong type of people. 'People who break into houses and steal. And there's fights on the streets between drug dealers. It's awful — we never had that before.' Ibiza's council has taken steps to address the housing crisis and overcrowding on the island. It launched 'an unprecedented fight' against illegal tourist lettings, and now allows just two cruise ships to dock at once. Meanwhile, back in the shanty town, weary workers prepare for another day helping keep Spain's tourist industry afloat. Advertisement Sous chef Mohamed, 17, told me: 'We have no water, no electricity, no toilets and no hope.' A damning indictment from a grafter in an industry that provides rivers of gold for Spain.
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘It's the UK's Sistine Chapel' Wetherspoons fans are raving about ‘most beautiful' pub but ask ‘are the carpets sticky?'
WHEN most people think of Wetherspoons, those famously sticky carpets that have seen numerous late-night shenanigans springs to mind. But one particular branch has stunned punters - with some fans saying it looks less like your usual boozer and more like the 7 People have been raving over the 'beautiful' Wetherspoons in Harrogate Credit: Wetherspoon 7 The Winter Gardens Harrogate branch is set in a large glass atrium with a double staircase Credit: Dean Atkins Photography dating back to 1897. Inside is a huge glass atrium with a grand double stairway, with many of the original features remaining. Instead of tired slot machines being the decoration of choice, the watering hole feels like a botanical garden, with big palm plants nestled in every corner. Spoons lovers have been left baffled at the luxe feel, with many hailing it as the 'greatest' branch in the country. More on Wetherspoons One fan wrote: 'Can't believe they're serving WKD in the actual Sistine Chapel of Harrogate.' A second shared: 'Wait, is this the Louvre?' Another added: 'It's a stunning building,' and one commented: 'I think we need a trip up north.' Meanwhile, people have also raved about the pub on TripAdvisor with some calling it a "posh Wetherspoons". Most read in Fabulous One person said: "Me and my Wife really love Wetherspoons pubs , this is one of the best ones we have been in." Another added: "Absolutely beautiful building with a grand staircase at the entrance." Wetherspoons taste test Former guests of the historic building would have watched the MunicipalOrchestra, which played every morning throughout the year which had free entry to patients of the baths. It was eventually bought by Wetherspoons in 2007, and turned into the much-loved pub. Wetherspoons fans who seemed keen to check out the jaw-dropping branch did have one big query - how far the loos were. 7 The interior features a beautiful stylised design - but the bold Wetherspoons carpet is still there Credit: Wetherspoon 7 There is a spacious outdoor terrace decorated with plants Credit: Wetherspoon 7 The Winter Gardens in Harrogate is located in a historic building which used to be Royal Baths, dating back to 1897 Credit: Alamy It has become a running joke with many Wetherspoons fans how the bathrooms are often found on a separate floor, a long way from the bar, and many speculated it could be far in this grand building. One person joked: 'Toilet must be on the International Space Station.' However, the Harrogate pub has a very unique feature - with Others were quick to point out that the branch still has the trademark patterned carpet, with some querying if it would still be sticky. While many people were unanimous that this is the most beautiful Wetherspoons, others were quick to defend their own locals. One said: 'This has nothing on the one in Tunbridge Wells.' 7 The Opera House in Royal Tunbridge Wells has kept many of its original features Credit: Louis Wood 7 The Palladium in Llandudno, in North Wales, used to be a cinema Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Another shared: 'Nice one in Llandudno too.' A Sun Online Travel also went to the How can I save money at Wetherspoons? FREE refills - Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day. Check a map - Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other. So if you're planning a pint at a Spoons, it's worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you're settling in at the cheapest. Choose your day - Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights. For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual. Pick-up vouchers - Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled. Get appy - The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table - but you don't need to be in the pub to use it. Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play. Check the date - Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry. It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14. As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
