Latest news with #NatalieHitchins
Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
UK's 'worst' broadband officially confirmed - full list of winners and losers
The latest Ofcom stats are out and here are the best and worst broadband, TV and phone providers when it comes to complaints. The latest stats have arrived, and we now know who is winning and losing when it comes to broadband. Ofcom has just released its very latest figures for complaints and it's bad news for those signed up to TalkTalk. The UK internet Service Provider (ISP) has come bottom of the charts, with it receiving the most gripes compared to its rivals. Ofcom's report shows that TalkTalk gets 13 complaints per 100,000. It might not sound too bad but that figure is more than double the moans made to BT-owned Plusnet. Confirming the news, Ofcom said: "TalkTalk was the most complained-about broadband provider, with complaints figures remaining at similar levels to the previous quarter. "Plusnet was the broadband provider that generated the fewest complaints." Virgin Media wasn't far behind TalkTalk with the ISP getting result of 12. This was followed by EE, Vodafone and and BT who all scored 11. PLUSNET • 5 complaints per 100,000 SKY • 7 complaints per 100,000 NOW • 9 complaints per 100,000 BT • 11 complaints per 100,000 VODAFONE • 11 complaints per 100,000 EE • 11 complaints per 100,000 VIRGIN MEDIA • 12 complaints per 100,000 TALKTALK • 13 complaints per 100,000 In response to Ofcom's stats, a TalkTalk spokesperson said: "We're very disappointed with this latest report and are working hard to improve how we handle customer complaints as well as reducing the need for them in the first place. "We continue to invest heavily in a range of projects focused on our customers, giving our frontline colleagues better tools to understand problems, and improving the way we communicate with our customers. We believe these efforts will be reflected in future reports.' This latest update isn't just about broadband. Ofcom's team also looks into Landline, Mobile and Pay-TV complaints as well. If you want the best Landline, Utility Warehouse wins with just 1 complaint per 100,000. Sadly EE and TalkTalk both came bottom of the league with a score of 8 complaints per 100,000. Those paying for TV might want to switch to Sky with the provider winning in the Pay-TV category with just 2 complaints per 100,000. Virgin Media came with the worst score of all TV content providers. Vodafone and Tesco both came out on top for Mobile with these platforms both getting the fewest complaints. According to Ofcom, complaints about fixed broadband and pay-TV increased, and complaints about landline and mobile stayed the same, which clearly shows that service providers need to improve. Speaking about the new stats, Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: "These findings highlight just how many broadband and mobile firms are continuing to fall short of their customers' expectations. "Year after year, our research shows that smaller providers are outshining the biggest broadband and mobile firms and out-of-contract customers who switch could make significant savings. On average, out-of-contract TV and broadband customers could save £160 by switching and mobile customers could save £67. 'Any telecoms customers who are nearing the end of their contract and are unhappy with their current provider, or could stand to make savings, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider.'
Daily Record
21-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Popular sun cream fails safety tests as families warned 'don't buy'
A popular sun cream aimed at families and costing £28 a bottle has failed safety standards as consumer group Which? warns shoppers "don't buy" it. A sun cream on the market for £28 and aimed at families has been deemed unsafe. Consumer group Which? Is urging people to avoid the Ultrasun Family SPF30 due to the fact it failed safety tests. Which? revealed the product failed to meet minimum UVA (ultraviolet A) protection levels. The Ultrasun lotion, which comes in a 150ml bottle, had a UVA score of 9.1 which was then 9.5 in a retest. Ultrasun markets the cream as 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin'. Products need to get a 10 or more in the safety tests to pass. The product did pass the UVB protection test. SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is a measurement of how well a sunscreen product protects skin against UVB rays—the type of UV rays that can cause sunburns. Another brand that failed the safety tests and was labelled a 'don't buy' by Which? was Morrisons' Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30m which costs £3.75 for a 200ml bottle. The sun block passed for UVA protection but failed for SPF against UVB. Which? Was carrying out an annual study into sun creams available to buy and conducted lab tests on 15 popular brands using what it says were industry-recognised methods, as reports the Mirror. They state that if a product fails first time round, the test is repeated. If it passes a second time, a third test is then carried out. Goods that fail the SPF or UVA test twice become a 'don't buy' product. Those that passed include budget giant Aldi's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs just £2.99 for 200ml. The researchers revealed that it protected skin from both UVA and UVB rays, as claimed. Aldi's offering also earned the supermarket chain a Which? Great Value badge. Lidl also had a one of its own brand sun sprays achieve success, garnering the same rating as Aldi with their Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High, £3.79 for 200ml. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. There's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokesperson from Ultrasun told Which? it was fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continued to not only meet, but fully surpass industry standards. They also stated their testing protocol is one of the "strictest" available. Morrisons told Which? that it will be looking closely at the results of the testing programme and is working with its supplier to independently verify the findings with additional independent testing. Full list 'Don't Buys' Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, £3.75/200ml Ultrasun Family SPF30, £28/150ml Passes SPF30 sunscreens Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion, £5.50/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml Lidl Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High, £3.79/200ml Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml Superdrug Solait Sun Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml PF50/50+ sunscreens Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray SPF 50+, £11/150ml Sainsbury's Sun ProtectMoisturising Spray Lotion SPF50+, £5.75/200ml Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, £2.99/200ml Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray SPF50+, £7.90/200ml SPF50/50+ kids sunscreens Childs Farm Sun Cream Fragrance-Free SPF50+, £12/200ml Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
South Wales Guardian
21-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Morrisons & Ultrasun sun cream warning as safety test failed
Ultrasun Family SPF30, which costs £28 for 150ml and is marketed as being 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin', failed to meet minimum sun cream UVA protection levels in two separate tests by Which?. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 also failed to meet minimum SPF protection levels in two tests. (Image: Which? PA Wire) Ultrasun passed the UVB SPF part of the test but failed on UVA testing, scoring 9.1 and then 9.5 in a retest. Which? required a score of 10 or more for a pass. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray product passed UVA tests but failed the UVB/SPF tests with scores of 25.7 and then 20.7 – short of the 30 or more needed to pass. Which? tested 15 popular sun creams this year, including Boots, Garnier and Nivea as well as supermarket own-brand products. Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High (£3.79/200ml), from fellow discounter Lidl, also passed all SPF and UVA testing, with Which? describing it as a 'solid option for affordable and reliable sun protection'. Some 11 other products, including Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml), Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30 (£7.90 for 200ml) and Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml) passed SPF and UVA safety tests. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. 'While shoppers should avoid buying our 'don't buys', our results prove that there's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokeswoman for Ultrasun said: 'Ultrasun is fully confident in our testing protocols. As an independent brand delivering very high UVB and UVA protection options for over 30 years, our detailed testing processes, independent and peer reviewed, continue to not only meet but surpass industry standards. 'Our chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available. Further detail and clarification from Which? on their testing protocols would also be helpful, particularly on how these resulted in two different results from the same sample.' Morrisons told Which? that it was looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing. Recommended reading: UVA and UVB rays both cause different types of damage, and not all sun creams protect against them in the same way. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB to cause long-term damage, including all types of skin cancer, and play a role in the ageing process, such as causing wrinkles, sun spots and leathery skin. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburn and skin reddening. They do not penetrate as deeply as UVA rays but they are just as damaging, and can play a large part in the development of skin cancers including melanoma. SPF stands for 'sun protection factor', and indicates the level of protection a sun cream provides against burning rays. SPFs range from 2 to 50+, with 50+ offering the most protection against UVB.
Glasgow Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Morrisons & Ultrasun sun cream warning as safety test failed
Ultrasun Family SPF30, which costs £28 for 150ml and is marketed as being 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin', failed to meet minimum sun cream UVA protection levels in two separate tests by Which?. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 also failed to meet minimum SPF protection levels in two tests. (Image: Which? PA Wire) Ultrasun passed the UVB SPF part of the test but failed on UVA testing, scoring 9.1 and then 9.5 in a retest. Which? required a score of 10 or more for a pass. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray product passed UVA tests but failed the UVB/SPF tests with scores of 25.7 and then 20.7 – short of the 30 or more needed to pass. Which? tested 15 popular sun creams this year, including Boots, Garnier and Nivea as well as supermarket own-brand products. Aldi's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs £2.99 for 200ml, was found to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High (£3.79/200ml), from fellow discounter Lidl, also passed all SPF and UVA testing, with Which? describing it as a 'solid option for affordable and reliable sun protection'. Some 11 other products, including Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml), Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30 (£7.90 for 200ml) and Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml) passed SPF and UVA safety tests. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. 'While shoppers should avoid buying our 'don't buys', our results prove that there's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokeswoman for Ultrasun said: 'Ultrasun is fully confident in our testing protocols. As an independent brand delivering very high UVB and UVA protection options for over 30 years, our detailed testing processes, independent and peer reviewed, continue to not only meet but surpass industry standards. 'Our chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available. Further detail and clarification from Which? on their testing protocols would also be helpful, particularly on how these resulted in two different results from the same sample.' Morrisons told Which? that it was looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing. Recommended reading: What are UVA and UVB rays, and what does SPF mean? UVA and UVB rays both cause different types of damage, and not all sun creams protect against them in the same way. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB to cause long-term damage, including all types of skin cancer, and play a role in the ageing process, such as causing wrinkles, sun spots and leathery skin. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburn and skin reddening. They do not penetrate as deeply as UVA rays but they are just as damaging, and can play a large part in the development of skin cancers including melanoma. SPF stands for 'sun protection factor', and indicates the level of protection a sun cream provides against burning rays. SPFs range from 2 to 50+, with 50+ offering the most protection against UVB.
South Wales Argus
20-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Morrisons & Ultrasun sun cream warning as safety test failed
Ultrasun Family SPF30, which costs £28 for 150ml and is marketed as being 'perfect for the whole family' and 'especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin', failed to meet minimum sun cream UVA protection levels in two separate tests by Which?. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 also failed to meet minimum SPF protection levels in two tests. (Image: Which? PA Wire) Ultrasun passed the UVB SPF part of the test but failed on UVA testing, scoring 9.1 and then 9.5 in a retest. Which? required a score of 10 or more for a pass. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray product passed UVA tests but failed the UVB/SPF tests with scores of 25.7 and then 20.7 – short of the 30 or more needed to pass. Which? tested 15 popular sun creams this year, including Boots, Garnier and Nivea as well as supermarket own-brand products. Aldi's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs £2.99 for 200ml, was found to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High (£3.79/200ml), from fellow discounter Lidl, also passed all SPF and UVA testing, with Which? describing it as a 'solid option for affordable and reliable sun protection'. Some 11 other products, including Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml), Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30 (£7.90 for 200ml) and Sainsbury's Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30 (£5.50 for 200ml) passed SPF and UVA safety tests. Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: 'It's really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging. 'While shoppers should avoid buying our 'don't buys', our results prove that there's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.' A spokeswoman for Ultrasun said: 'Ultrasun is fully confident in our testing protocols. As an independent brand delivering very high UVB and UVA protection options for over 30 years, our detailed testing processes, independent and peer reviewed, continue to not only meet but surpass industry standards. 'Our chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available. Further detail and clarification from Which? on their testing protocols would also be helpful, particularly on how these resulted in two different results from the same sample.' Morrisons told Which? that it was looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing. Recommended reading: What are UVA and UVB rays, and what does SPF mean? UVA and UVB rays both cause different types of damage, and not all sun creams protect against them in the same way. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB to cause long-term damage, including all types of skin cancer, and play a role in the ageing process, such as causing wrinkles, sun spots and leathery skin. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburn and skin reddening. They do not penetrate as deeply as UVA rays but they are just as damaging, and can play a large part in the development of skin cancers including melanoma. SPF stands for 'sun protection factor', and indicates the level of protection a sun cream provides against burning rays. SPFs range from 2 to 50+, with 50+ offering the most protection against UVB.
