Latest news with #Maidenhead
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Grieving mother from Maidenhead wins book award for memoir
A woman who has grieved the death of a child, lived with cancer and a struggled with IVF has won an award for her Mayling from Maidenhead, Berkshire, titled her book "The Future is Rosie" in honour of her late said she was "super proud of it" after she won the People's Book Prize Beryl Bainbridge Award earlier this 2004, Ms Mayling set up Rosie's Rainbow Fund, a charity supporting very sick and disabled children and their families. Her 11-year-old daughter Rosie died from vasculitis, a rare condition that destroys blood vessels by causing inflammation, on 14 May Mayling said she remembers Rosie "was a completely well child", adding that the family still does not understand how she became her daughter's death, she said the family "were sent back to our normal life but the bottom had fallen out of our world"."There's an awful lot in the book, it's not only about grief, there's an awful lot more," said Ms author explained it covers how she founded the charity, her "five-year journey with IVF", how she has raised her children and lived through breast cancer. 'Joy to be found' Speaking to Radio Berkshire, she said: "I hadn't originally intended for it to be a book, it was just my life, the rollercoaster of my life."It didn't really ever cross my mind that anyone would want to publish my story."She said friends and family encouraged her to write the book and diaries she has kept throughout her life helped her revisit her memories. "It was quite difficult and I just had to face my demons and get on with it," she said, describing finishing the book as "a bit of an epiphany"."I believe that despite anything that you go through, whether you go through the worst possible grief or the worst possible journeys and ups and downs, that actually there is joy to be found at the end of it," she said. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Boy, 17, arrested on suspicon of attempted murder in Holmanleaze
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man suffered serious Valley Police is investigating after an incident in Holmanleaze, Maidenhead, at 13:40 BST.A force statement said the victim, a man in his 30s, was in a stable condition in hospital after being added the two males involved were believed to be known to each other and "there is no threat to the wider public". Det Insp Sarah Noah said: "I am appealing to anybody who witnessed what happened to please contact us."Please do not share footage of the incident on social media and please do not speculate on the circumstances."Police said the 17-year-old remains in custody. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Man, 19, abuses two schoolgirls after becoming warped by corrosive and destructive porn when he was a schoolboy... but AVOIDS jail
A 13-year-old boy influenced by 'corrosive' extreme pornography horrifically abused two schoolgirls, a court has heard. Prosecutors told how the boy had forced the girls, also aged just 13 and 14, into bondage and strangled them during sex which they did not consent to. The boy, who had been introduced to BDSM pornography at the age of 12, had been looking online for 'extreme bondage, domination and anal sex with young schoolgirls.' Despite admitting 22 sexual offences, the defendant, now a man aged 19 - who cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of his victims - has been spared jail by a judge, who warned of the 'destructive' influence of such material. It comes after the UK was thrown into a panic about the misogynist and highly sexualised attitudes of young children following the release of Stephen Graham's four-part Netflix drama Adolescence. In the show, a 13-year-old schoolboy describes how he receives nude pictures of a girl in his year who he later murders, after being exposed to extreme online content. Reading Crown Court heard how, in March 2021, the first victim to come forward disclosed to a member of staff at her school in Maidenhead, Berks., that she had been 'physically and sexually abused' by the boy for the last five months, the court heard. Shaun Esprit, prosecuting, said the girl, aged 14 at the time, told police the boy would hold her down by her stomach or her arms to abuse her. She described how he would grab her breasts and pull her around aggressively. The girl said the boy, also aged 14 at the time, would pick up condoms and say to her 'come on, let's have sex'. 'She felt she was too young, but the defendant would get angry', Mr Esprit told a judge. 'Most of the time she would say 'no', but she learned this would have no effect. 'The prosecution's allegation was that [the first victim] was asleep on more than one occasion when the defendant had penetrative vaginal sexual intercourse with her', Mr Esprit said. The girl described how the boy would tie her up with ropes, which she said 'were like shoe laces', which he already had in his bedroom. 'Over the course of the relationship, the defendant encouraged [the first victim] to send him photos of her in an increasingly undressed state', Mr Esprit said. The girl also disclosed how the boy had tried to continue the abuse while they were at school together, often in full view of other pupils. 'In the canteen, she would be sat with friends and he would put his hand up her skirt or her top, he would touch her between her legs', Mr Esprit explained. 'She said he did it a lot even though there were people around, she would push him off, she always did.' Mr Esprit told about the manipulative and abusive methods the boy would use to keep the girl in a relationship with him, stating 'he regularly threatened to cut himself, kill himself or hurt her'. He also put hot plates on her to burn her stomach, put his fingers down her throat to force her to be sick and gave her a razor blade so she could cut herself, the court heard. 'His mum was around when she was screaming, telling him to stop, but his mum could not do anything', Mr Esprit told the court. 'When they broke up, he told [the first victim] he would kidnap and kill her, her family and friends', the prosecutor added. 'He spoke about killing her and keeping her body.' Mr Esprit told the court: '[The first victim] recalled an occasion when the defendant covered a flannel with a chemical of some kind and placed it over her mouth. She felt dizzy and sick and thinks she may have passed out.' Police investigating the first set of allegations discovered the defendant had previously been in a relationship with another girl, when both of them were aged 13. When they interviewed that second victim, she described how, around a month into the relationship, whenever she went to the boy's home something sexual had happened. 'She refused initially', Mr Esprit explained. 'The defendant would gent very angry, punching the bedroom walls and saying she did not love him. Because she wanted to please the defendant, she usually gave in and allowed it to happen. The second victim told police they had sex 'more times than she could remember' and that she had been 'strangled and choked' by the boy. Mr Esprit said the boy had also encouraged the 13-year-old girl to send him pictures in an underwear and a bikini, which he had screenshotted on his own phone. When the boy was arrested in the summer of 2022, he gave a prepared statement where he denied raping the first victim and said: 'I admit some of the messages I had sent her do come across as controlling. It is a symptom of my autism and way I communicate.' Police seized the defendant's phone and conducted an examination which found he had made internet searches for hardcore pornography. The boy had also searched the internet for 'how long can you get for rape?', Mr Esprit told the court. James Partridge, defending, said the boy had been diagnosed with ADHD, high-functioning autism, depression and anxiety. 'His behaviour may not have been considered acceptable to others, the defendant may not have understood he did anything wrong', Mr Partridge said. Appearing in court in person, the first victim to come forward told Judge Alan Blake: 'He took everything from me, took my first kiss, took my virginity, took my teenage years, took away my innocence. 'He destroyed everything good about me', the girl added, explaining she now does not feel safe around men. The second victim to come forward also appeared in court and told the boy: 'You broke me. I was 13, a child, you took a piece of me away from me. You never loved me, you just wanted someone who could live in your fantasy, someone you could control. I still do not know where that part of me went.' Both victims told how they had never consented to the sexual acts which took place and spoke of their disappointment that the boy had admitted to 20 offences of sexual activity with a child and two offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The boy had initially admitted the offences on the basis that the victims had consented to all the behaviour, which the prosecution did not accept. Prosecutors had planned to bring the boy to trial and to pursue an allegation of rape against him, but on the day of his trial in February this year, the boy withdrew his basis of plea and accepted the victims did not consent. Sexual activity between under 16-year-olds is often charged as sexual activity with a child under 16, rather than rape. Though the age of consent is 16 in England and Wales, the boy could have defended a rape charge on the basis that, though the victims did not in-fact consent, he reasonably believed they had consented, a defence which is not available to a charge of sexual activity with a child under 16. Judge Alan Blake, sentencing on Friday, told the defendant: 'The victims did not have the maturity or understanding at the age they were to know how to deal with your sexual desires. They went along with what you wanted. 'Whatever you may have thought at the time, neither victim was able to make and express an informed choice about what they did and did not want to do. It is important for them and for you to hear that they bear no blame for your offending.' The judge said he was concerned to hear the boy had a 'continued interest' in BDSM pornography, which he warned was dangerous for young people. 'Your attitudes towards sex was distorted and wrong', the judge told the defendant, 'no doubt influenced by the extreme BDSM pornography you were searching for and watching, apparently having been introduced to it at the age of 12. 'That plainly influenced your attitudes and desires', the judge added, pointing to the behaviour involving butt plugs, bondage and pressure on the necks of the victims. 'That behaviour shows how corrosive and destructive it is for someone as young as you were to be exposed to that material. It affects you but then that distorted view affects your sexual partners.' But Judge Blake explained that primarily due to the age the defendant had been at the time he committed the offences but also because of his psychological issues, he would not send the boy to prison. The boy was sentenced to a two-year community order, with a requirement to complete a 26-day accredited course to address his distorted sexual attitudes, as well as 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours unpaid work. He was also slapped with a five-year restraining order. Judge Blake concluded by telling the victims: 'No sentence can turn the clock back and undo what you have experienced.' Referring to the worries they expressed in their victim impact statements, he added: 'While no doubt damaged, the good in both of you is inherent and will survive and cannot be destroyed.'
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I tried out one-hour supermarket delivery slots – one was so quick it came in 12 minutes but there's a hidden cost
I PUSHED the order button on my phone and then 10 minutes later my groceries were at my door. I often find I'm missing an ingredient for a recipe and with two kids at home it's easier to get the items delivered. 5 But how much extra am I paying? Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements puts 60-minute delivery services to the test. To my home in Maidenhead I can get Tesco Whoosh, Sainsbury's Chop Chop, Morrisons via Amazon, Waitrose via Uber Eats and Co-op via Deliveroo. I ordered the same basket from each shop. Selecting the cheapest, pint of semi-skimmed milk, six-pack of eggs, punnet of strawberries, three-pack of Solero ice creams, loaf of white bread and two-pack of burgers. TESCO WHOOSH 5 Tesco claims deliveries come in 20 minutes to 70 per cent of the UK from 1,500 stores. It was easy to order through the Clubcard app. I did find the choice of items were fairly limited and more premium products on offer than basic ones. For example, only Tesco's finest burgers and strawberries were available, plus the smallest carton of milk available was two pints as opposed to one. This pushed up the overall cost of the basket. Although, it does have a low delivery fee compared to other supermarkets. My order arrived in 12 minutes, which was pretty speedy. The strawberries did have a short best before date, which is annoying. RATING: 3/5 SAINSBURY'S CHOP CHOP 5 It claims to deliver within an hour less from 800 stores. You need to download the Chop Chop app. The choice of products was good and I was able to order everything I needed and keep costs relatively low. For example, I was offered three different packs of strawberries to choose from. This means the basket cost was lower than rival Tesco, however, the fees were more than £2 higher and included a carrier bag fee making it more expensive overall. The order came exactly 10 minutes after placing it making it the fastest in the test. And I can't complain about the food which was all in great condition. You can also order Sainsbury's through Uber Eats and Deliveroo but you can earn Nectar points when ordering through Chop Chop. This was the quickest delivery and there was a great choice of food but the fee was at the higher end of the scale. RATING: 4/5 MORRISONS VIA AMAZON MIN SPEND: £15 for Amazon Prime members, £40 for non-members BASKET COST: £15.48 ( plus the extra sausages) FEES: Orders over £60 are free for Prime members, £2 for between £40 and £60, and £4 under £40. For non-members, fees are £3 for orders over £60 and £5 between £40 and £60. TOTAL COST: £19.48 Same-day deliveries within two-hour timeslots. When I logged on at 9.30am in the morning, I had the choice of three slots available with the earliest being 2-4pm, the next 4-6pm and then 6-8pm. I picked the later slot to make sure I didn't miss the delivery while on the school run. The choice of products was fantastic and the cheapest prices. I needed to meet a minimum spend of £15, as I'm an Amazon Prime member. I added on a pack of sausages to bring the total order up to £15.48. By 8pm nothing had arrived. Then at 8.09pm I received a text message to say the order had been cancelled and that I would be refunded. There was no reason given for the cancellation. Luckily we didn't go hungry as the other orders were arriving - but I was not impressed. The fees and minimum spends are offputting too. RATING: 0/5 WAITROSE VIA UBER EATS 5 On Uber Eats I can get Sainsbury's and Co-op delivered as well as Waitrose. The selection from Waitrose was great and my order arrived within 26 minutes. I also got 50 per cent off selected fruit and veg as there was an offer running, which knocked off £2.69 off my total bill. The fees seem excessive as you're charged for service, delivery and bags separately. My order was also split into two bags, pushing up the cost. Good choice of food and it arrived in reasonable time and condition. RATING 3/5 CO-OP VIA DELIVEROO Through Deliveroo I can get Waitrose and Sainsbury's delivered but I tested Co-Op. Unfortunately, it was not long after the supermarket suffered from cyber attacks impacting its stock levels and product availability. However, I was still able to order burgers, milk, bread and ice lollies - and raspberries instead of strawberries. But there were no eggs at all. The original order total came to £15.50. However, the raspberries were out of stock when it came to packing and my one pint of milk was changed to a two-pint carton, while the lollies were changed to Co-Op own brand. The order arrived in a reasonable 17 minutes. Unlike all the other deliveries, my Co-Op shopping arrived in a green compostable bag. This didn't seem to offer the food as much protection as the brown paper bags from the other supermarkets. As a result, I wasn't too happy with my loaf of bread which arrived seriously squished. Fees are split in a similar way to Uber Eats and made up of three parts. The order arrived in good time but I wasn't happy with my squashed bread and the choice also let down the experience but this seemed like bad timing. OTHER SUPERMARKETS Asda and Ocado both offer speedy grocery deliveries. Asda offers between an hour and four hours from 330 stores. My closest branch is five miles away but I couldn't get it delivered. There's no minimum spend and fees are £8.50 to £8.99. Ocado's Zoom delivery is between 6am and 10pm. It currently only covers parts of West and East London. Minimum spend is £15 and fees start from £1.49. THE HIDDEN COST OF SPEEDY DELIVERY IT'S not just the delivery fees that make ordering same-day delivery a pricey option. There is a stealth cost that makes these services more expensive than standard online delivery - or if you just popped into the shop. The vast majority of food items had been given a markup compared to the price for standard online delivery. This markup varied between shops but made the basket almost £3 more expensive in some cases, than if you'd bought the items yourself at the shop or through online delivery. Sainsbury's: £15.20 versus £12.74 = £2.46 more expensive Tesco: £16.44 versus £14.50 = £1.94 more expensive Morrisons: £15.48 versus £14.73 = 75p more expensive Waitrose: £13.11 versus £12.40 = 71p more expensive
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour tax raid on farmers could damage environment, watchdog warns
Labour's inheritance tax raid on farmers could harm the environment, a watchdog chief has warned. Alan Lovell, chairman of the Environment Agency, said green farming could be damaged by initiatives including No10's increase in employers' national insurance and minimum wage, as well as issues with the sustainability farming incentive (SFI). Mr Lovell made the claims in a slideshow document obtained by The Times. The slides, which Mr Lovell presented to an audience of landowners at the Rivers' Forum 2025 in Maidenhead last week, outlined the issues in a slide titled: 'Challenges for farmers bad for environmental focus'. These included chancellor Rachel Reeves's introduction of a 20 per cent inheritance tax on agricultural properties and businesses, which has become a political flashpoint for a struggling industry, sparking major outrage and ongoing tractor protests. It also pointed to the Government 's increase in employers' national insurance and minimum wage, drought and floods in the last two years, issues with the sustainability farming incentive (SFI) and temporary labour restrictions. The Government abruptly closed the SFI – which sees farmers paid public money for implementing sustainable practices – to applications in March after the money was all spent, with a reformed scheme not set to reopen until early next year. Earlier this month, countryside campaigners warned the cuts to farm subsidies would threaten wildlife and damage attempts to protect the rural environment. They said they feared that cuts in the payments could see farmers being forced to work their land more intensively to make up the shortfall. Farmers and rural groups warned the result would be to further endanger wildlife, their habitat and the environment, such as hedges and woodland. Mr Lovell said the impact of all these challenges have lead to 'financial pressures' and 'Government nervousness' towards the sector. 'Serious pollutions from agriculture' The watchdog chief also revealed that farmers caused a record number of pollution incidents in English rivers last year. One graph showed there were 77 recorded incidents of 'serious pollutions from agriculture' in England last year – up 54 per cent from 50 the year before and the highest level since records began. The increase is likely partly because the Environment Agency has stepped up its annual number of farm inspections, carrying out 4,545 last year on water rules compared to around 1,000 annually in 2020. Ministers have responded to public anger over the polluted state of England's rivers, seas and lakes with wide-ranging reforms to the water sector, which has been dumping increasing amounts of untreated sewage into waterways during periods of wet and stormy weather. But agriculture pollution has also contributed to the crisis, with slurry, pesticides run-off and chicken manure washing into rivers, damaging habitats and species. 'A challenge we cannot face alone' Rachel Hallows, National Farmers' Union vice president, said: 'As a farming industry, we know there's much more we can do to improve water quality issues but it's a challenge we cannot face alone. 'With the right funding support and regulation that helps not hinders, farmers can invest in their businesses and continue the great work that's already being carried out to better soil health and carefully manage how much manure and fertiliser is applied to fields. 'This is all about futureproofing our use of water. With the right approach and investment, we can not only keep delivering sustainable and affordable food and economic growth for this country but can also be transformative for water quality.'
