Former Tory MP appears in court over general election betting scandal

A former Tory MP has appeared in court over his involvement in the general election betting scandal.

Craig Williams, who gave no indication of plea, was among 15 people who appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with gambling offences over betting on the date of the 2024 election.

The scandal over the alleged placing of bets on the timing of the election prior to Rishi Sunak’s surprise decision to call the national ballot early engulfed the Conservative Party’s campaign last summer.

At the time, Mr Williams was serving as Mr Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary. Russell George, the Tory Senedd member for Montgomeryshire, was also charged, along with the Conservative Party’s chief data officer, Nick Mason, and the party’s chief marketing officer, Simon Chatfield.

Laura Saunders, who was the Tory candidate for Bristol North West at the election and her husband Tony Lee – the Conservative Party’s campaign chief – were also both charged.

The Gambling Commission said its investigation, which began during the election campaign in June 2024, focused on individuals “suspected of using confidential information – specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date – to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets”.

The other nine people charged with cheating include a former police officer, the Gambling Commission said.

The row over gambling dominated debates between Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Sunak, with Labour accusing the Conservatives of failing to react swiftly to the scandal.

Mr Sunak, who has provided a witness statement in this case, had noted that elections would take place in the second half of the year but had not given a date.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Gambling Commission, Sam Stein KC said: “Operation Scott was an investigation launched by the Gambling Commission into politicians and employees of the Conservative Party, and a former police officer … who had placed bets on the date of the 2024 general election with the benefit of confidential or insider information as to when that date might be.

“The prosecution says that placing bets with inside information is a criminal offence, namely cheating.”

Before the 4 July election was called, planning took place at Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters, the court heard.

The 15 defendants are alleged to have placed bets based on confidential information gained from those rooms, or enabling others to place bets by passing that information on.

If convicted they could face up to two years in prison for these offences.

Twelve of the defendants indicated not-guilty pleas.

On Friday, Simon Chatfield, 51, from Farnham, Surrey; Russell George, 50; Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex; Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex; Thomas James, 38; Charlotte Lang, 36; Anthony Lee, 47; Laura Saunders, 37; Iain Makepeace, 47, from Newcastle Upon Tyne; Nick Mason, 51; Paul Place, 53, from Hammersmith, west London; and James Ward, 40, of Leeds, all indicated they would deny the charges.

Mr Williams along with Jacob Willmer, 39, from Richmond, West London, and former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne in Surrey, gave no indication of plea.

The 15 accused will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on 11 July.

Greater Manchester Police chief refuses to apologise for past homophobia

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has refused to apologise to the LGBT+ community for historic homophobia in the force.

Campaigners said it was an “insult” after 21 other forces have issued formal apologies over their past conduct, adding that GMP was “involved in some of the most extreme unlawful victimisation of LGBTs by any UK force”.

Human rights charity the Peter Tatchell Foundation first issued calls to all forces to say sorry for “decades-long victimisation” of the LGBT+ community in June 2023.

However, in a recent letter, seen by The Independent, its Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, declined to “accede to your request for a general apology”, adding it could be seen as “superficial and merely performative” and could “unfairly impugn” the service of past officers.

The director of the foundation, Peter Tatchell, who was this week named in The Independent’s Pride List 2025 for his gay rights activism, said: “This refusal to apologise is an insult to the LGBT+ community, who suffered so much at the hands of the Manchester police in decades past.”

Mr Tatchell has this week written to CC Watson, appealing once again for him to apologise – noting the troubling history of the force under the late Chief Constable Sir James Anderton in the 1980s.

At the height of the Aids crisis, Mr Anderton said gay men were “swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making”, resulting in calls for his resignation.

“Greater Manchester Police has a particularly troubling homophobic history that deserves specific acknowledgement and apology,” Mr Tatchell said.

“Under Chief Constable James Anderton in the 1980s, the force became synonymous with open hostility towards the LGBT+ community.”

He claimed Mr Anderton’s comments were not “isolated rhetoric” and the force targeted gay venues in raids in the 1980s, which in some cases led to gay and bisexual men being outed and subjected to homophobic insults, threats and violence.

Mr Tatchell added: “To now refuse to apologise adds insult to injury. Apologies are not symbolic—they are acts of justice and healing. They show leadership and humanity. They tell survivors of police witch-hunts: ‘We see you, we acknowledge the harm we caused, and we are sorry.’

“Twenty-one other forces have recognised that acknowledging past wrongs helps rebuild LGBT+ trust. It will encourage more LGBTs to report hate crime, sexual assaults and domestic violence, which is what we all want.

“Not saying sorry undermines LGBT+ confidence in the police and will damage the police’s reputation among LGBTs.

“We are not suggesting all past officers were bad or blaming today’s officers. An apology is about taking responsibility for homophobic police behaviour in previous decades and saying sorry.”

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was the first to apologise in 2023, in a move which was welcomed by Mr Tatchell for drawing “a line under past Met persecution”.

A string of others subsequently followed suit, including Merseyside Police’s former Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, who issued their “sincere apology and deepest regret” for “historical prejudice”. Others include Dorset and North Yorkshire Police.

In his refusal letter, dated April 2025, CC Watson, who was appointed in 2021, said GMP is proud to serve its many diverse communities and strives to understand their past experiences with the force.

He said the force has made “considerable” progress over the past 40 years and takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.

He wrote: “I am, of course, sorry that GMP, and those police bodies which preceded the presently formed GMP prior to 1974, didn’t always perform to the standards deserved by those whom we serve.

“It is also the case, however, that over these many decades, literally thousands of police officers have performed their duties with decency, professionalism and compassion.

“Whilst I acknowledge that you are not seeking an apology for officers having upheld the laws of the day, it would nevertheless be quite unjust for me as the current Chief Constable to cast some sort of sweeping assertion as to the general conduct of the force over a prolonged period of time, particularly when the period in question is now so dated that virtually no serving officer in the entire force can speak to the period with any personal knowledge.

“Such an apology could well be seen, even by the intended recipients, as both superficial and merely performative.

“It would unfairly impugn the faithful and valued services of past officers; and any such apology would likely make little or no difference to developing contemporary practice which is, as you acknowledge, currently very good and which carries the confidence both of our current LGBTQ+ community and our own staff association.

“With regret, therefore, I find that I cannot accede to your request for a general apology.”

Raducanu faces top seed Zheng for place in Queen’s Club semi-finals

Emma Raducanu is back in action at Queen’s Club today as the Brit eyes a place in the semi-finals of the singles draw. Raducanu carries the hopes of the nation in the final eight at Queen’s Club after Katie Boulter slumped to a three-set defeat against fifth seed Diana Shnaider.

The former US Open champion will return to British No 1 when the rankings are released on Monday after a superb display to dispatch Slovak world No 41 Rebecca Sramkova.

Raducanu is third up on Andy Murray Arena, after second seed Madison Keys defeated Shnaider in three sets and Tatjana Maria upset former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in two.

Emma Navarro faces Amanda Anisimova in an all-American clash to conclude the quarter-finals. Follow all the tennis scores and latest action from Queen’s Club below.

Two men jailed over theft of £4.75 million gold toilet

Two men have been jailed at Oxford Crown Court for the theft of a £4.75 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace.

James Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, received a four-year prison sentence and a 27-month prison sentence, respectively.

The 18-carat gold toilet, which was fully functioning, was a star attraction in an exhibition at the Oxfordshire country house where Winston Churchill was born.

The satirical piece by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was stolen in a raid in the early hours of September 14, 2019.

It is believed the stolen toilet was broken up or melted down and sold shortly after the theft, but none of the gold has been recovered.

Sledgehammer-wielding thieves smashed their way in to take the toilet, Oxford Crown Court heard.

They drove through locked wooden gates into the grounds of the palace in two stolen vehicles before breaking in through a window.

Entitled America, the toilet weighed approximately 98 kilogrammes, was insured for six million US dollars (£4.75 million) and was made from gold, which was itself worth about £2.8 million.

Passing sentence, Judge Ian Pringle KC said: “This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete.

“America has never been seen again.”

Following a trial in March, jurors at Oxford Crown Court found Jones guilty of burglary.

Jones, from Oxford, had visited the palace twice before the theft, but he denied the visits were related to the theft of the toilet.

He told jurors he “took advantage of” the gold toilet’s “facilities” while at the country house the day before it was taken. Asked what it was like, Jones said: “Splendid.”

Sheen from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, had already pleaded guilty to burglary. In April 2024, he also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property.

Sheen was already serving over 19 years’ imprisonment for attacks on cash machines, a museum burglary and fraud and was not due for release until 2032.

“I say straight away I have no doubt at all that the sentence I pass must be consecutive to the sentence you are currently serving,” Judge Ian Pringle KC said in his sentencing remarks. “Not to do so would be to send out a message that you did this without any penalty at all.”

Jones worked as a builder and roofer for Sheen from 2018. The court heard he became Sheen’s “right-hand man” and was trusted to arrange payments for Sheen’s other employees.

When Jones was arrested on October 16, 2019, police analysed his phone and found he had been searching for newspaper reports about the stolen toilet on September 20.

Frederick Doe, 37, also known as Frederick Sines, of Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire, helped to sell some of the gold in the weeks following the heist, the court heard.

He was found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and walked free from court in May with a suspended sentence for his part in the raid.

Bora Guccuk, 41, from west London, was cleared of the same charge.

What do we really know about long-term use of Ozempic and Mounjaro?

The headlines this week were as sensational as they were unsettling. “Ozempic may stop the pill working properly,” this newspaper reported after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a warning: pill users should double up on contraception while using the jabs and avoid them altogether during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The British Menopause Society also added that women on HRT taking the drugs might fail to absorb progesterone pills, which could increase the risk of womb cancer.

Meanwhile, other reports warned that the injections many are using for weight loss, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, might also carry a hidden risk of kidney cancer.

And this month, the European Medicines Agency cautioned that semaglutide could double the risk of a rare sight-loss condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

These headlines would be alarming even if the drugs were rarely used. But these so-called weight-loss jabs have become so popular that even their manufacturers didn’t anticipate the demand.

As of March 2025, market intelligence company IQVIA estimated that around 1.5 million people in the UK were using weight loss treatments. With limited NHS availability, roughly 80 per cent of these are purchased privately online and have made the pharma companies that make them some of the most valuable firms in Europe.

But with no real long-term studies, do we really know how safe these drugs are? While they will have been thoroughly tested before hitting the market, have manufacturers really considered how people are using them? What do we really know about their long-term effects? Is this truly a medical breakthrough – or just another chapter in the troubled history of slimming pills?

There’s no denying that obesity is a public health emergency. Nearly three-quarters of people aged 45 to 75 in the UK are now overweight, up from just over half in 1993. Obesity is linked to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, infertility, and around 30 types of cancer.

It’s estimated to cost the NHS £6.5bn a year. Given this, the search for a safe, effective obesity drug has long been seen as medicine’s holy grail. But past attempts have often ended in disaster, either due to limited results or serious safety issues.

Weight loss drugs have historically come with significant risks. One of the earliest, 2,4-dinitrophenol, was initially used as an explosive in the First World War. It worked by increasing metabolism, causing the body to burn calories as heat. As hemlines rose in the 1920s, flappers flocked to it, but it turned out that the wrong dose could literally cook users from the inside. Horrific deaths meant the drug was banned in 1938.

Later came amphetamine-based drugs, widely used in the Fifties and Sixties until their links to addiction and cardiovascular issues led to bans. More recently, sibutramine (Reductil) and rimonabant (Acomplia) were withdrawn after being linked to heart attacks, strokes, and psychiatric effects. By the time Acomplia was suspended in 2008, four trial participants had died by suicide.

Enter: GLP-1 agonists. These new-generation drugs, which include semaglutide and tirzepatide, were the first to mimic our own natural appetite-regulating hormones. The first to hit the market was exenatide – a drug to treat type 2 diabetes – in 2005. Ozempic was then approved in 2017 and Mounjaro in 2023. Clinical trials showed unprecedented weight loss of up to 26 per cent of body weight in some cases, on par with bariatric surgery – and seemingly without the deadly side effects of their predecessors.

So, why are these drugs different? “Most previous drugs targeted the brain, which is where hunger lives,” explains Professor Giles Yeo, a molecular neuroendocrinologist at Cambridge University. “But that led to serious side effects. These newer drugs are modified, longer-lasting versions of natural hormones – they’re designed to go to the right brain regions naturally and for our body to respond to them in the same way they do to our own hormones.”

Despite their success, the rapid rise in use has triggered concern. Many users now access these jabs through private online clinics with minimal oversight. Some even acquire illegal “compounded” medications from beauticians. Social media is flooded with user reviews, micro-dosing tips, and “before-and-after” photos. But this week, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which markets Ozempic and Wegovy, told the Daily Mail that practices like microdosing weren’t recommended. “The approved doses are the only dose strengths that have been studied and are licensed to use,” they warned.

Similarly, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has warned that without proper supervision, users face risks including dehydration, gallstones, malnutrition, and muscle loss.

Yeo is optimistic: “Regulatory bodies like the FDA and the EMA are very rigorous. These drugs are approved globally, and they wouldn’t be if they were deemed unsafe.”

Professor Carel Le Roux, a metabolic medicine expert at Ulster University, adds that all approved drugs – not just weight loss drugs – must be studied for at least 52 weeks. This is because, he says, “If we haven’t seen major issues by a year, we’re unlikely to. And this is based on the regulators’ experience of tens of thousands of previous studies.”

However, less obvious side effects often appear only after widespread use. Le Roux insists that the new findings that have dominated the headlines in the last few weeks are typical of standard “post-market surveillance” by which pharma companies and regulators continue to collect data.

“Yes, things can emerge,” he says. “But we’ve used this class of drugs for 20 years, mostly in people who were sicker than current users. The data is incredibly reassuring.”

Le Roux also points out that in trials, participants on these medications had fewer serious adverse events than those on placebo. “That’s because obesity and diabetes are so harmful themselves. There comes a point when it’s unethical not to license a drug that can make people healthier.”

Some risks are still being studied. The kidney cancer alert came from a study of 43,000 people on GLP-1 drugs versus 43,000 controls. There were 83 cases in the treatment group compared to 58 in the control group – a slight absolute increase and not necessarily a clear causal link.

Conversely, other trials show strong kidney protection. The FLOW trial (2019–2023) followed over 3,500 patients and found a 24 per cent lower risk of kidney failure and a 50 per cent reduction in death from kidney disease among semaglutide users. The findings were so conclusive that the trial ended early in order to offer treatment to the placebo group.

Le Roux remains confident: “We’ve shown these drugs can reduce heart attacks by up to 25 per cent and cut the risk of developing diabetes in people at risk by 80-90 per cent. Yes, eye issues have emerged, but this particular condition is only seen in people with diabetes, and the risk is around 1 in 10,000.” Yeo also points out that in fact “type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults”.

So, what about the contraceptive and HRT concerns? Le Roux says vomiting, a known side effect of the drugs, is likely to be to blame rather than the drug blocking absorption per se. “Anything swallowed will eventually be absorbed – unless it’s thrown up.”

To reduce nausea while on these drugs, he advises sticking with lower doses, even if that slows weight loss. If vomiting continues to be a problem, switching to non-oral forms of HRT, such as patches, or using condoms or a coil should eliminate the issue.

Others have expressed concerns about the effect of weight loss injections on muscles and bones. US singer Avery, who took Ozempic for a year, despite having an eating disorder, recently tearfully revealed she had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. She admitted that she did not get the drug from a doctor. So how common is her experience?

A review published last year showed that between 15 and 40 per cent of weight loss with semaglutide could be lean tissue. Yeo says that it’s something users should be aware of. “Anyone losing weight by any means will always lose lean tissue – which includes water, muscle and bone – alongside fat.” However, he says there is no evidence this far that weight loss injections contribute independently to osteoporosis.”

Yeo says the best way to mitigate bone loss is with exercise, which studies show can preserve muscle and bone density when taken with these drugs.

A protein-rich diet also helps maintain muscle. Reviews have also shown that after weight loss, even though they lost lean tissue, people tended to end up with a higher proportion of lean mass compared to fat and that this muscle could be “better quality” with stronger muscle fibres. However, in older people with fewer reserves, losing too much weight and muscle, which is harder to rebuild as we age, can be risky.

These drugs don’t cure obesity – they manage it. Stop the injections and your appetite returns. One study found that patients regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost within a year of stopping treatment. This raises challenging questions. “One of the most important questions we ask patients now is, ‘Are you willing to take this medication for life?’” says Le Roux.

And of course, this comes at a cost, whether it’s private consumption (roughly £250 a month) or the NHS, which will have to consider covering lifetime prescriptions. And with the huge sums involved, how do we protect against black-market misuse?

Current drugs target only one or two appetite-regulating gut hormones. However, as Yeo explains, around 20 gut hormones influence satiety. Next-generation treatments may combine more hormones, allowing lower doses and potentially fewer side effects, such as vomiting.

“These could reduce digestive side effects to zero,” says Yeo. Some new generation weight loss medications are even being designed to protect muscle and bone mass by activating pathways that mimic the effects of exercise.

Yeo says that future, cheap pill forms of the drugs may also prove the secret to lifelong maintenance. With the World Health Organisation announcing in May that it plans to endorse anti-obesity drugs for adult treatment, access may expand globally which could be a medical turning point

Few in medicine doubt that GLP-1 drugs mark a breakthrough. But they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Around 15 per cent of patients don’t respond. And there’s growing concern that access remains limited to those who can afford private prescriptions, while NHS patients face restrictions. Many people take them without exercising or improving their diet, which is essential to preserve strong muscles and bones in the future.

However, Yeo believes that change is on the way. “In seven years, Ozempic’s patent expires. I predict the cost will fall from £200 to maybe £10 a month. When that happens, the NHS will be able to provide it widely – with proper supervision. These powerful drugs are designed to be used for health reasons, not as a cosmetic tool. They are designed to help people with obesity. If they are taken by skinny people, that’s when side effects rocket and the risk vs benefit ratio changes. We need to keep them out of the wrong hands.”

Drugs like semaglutide offer a new weapon in the battle against obesity – a condition that has proven difficult to treat for decades and costs the NHS millions in comorbid conditions, which can range from type-2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and even depression. But they aren’t magic bullets. They come with risks, limitations, and hard decisions about long-term use.

Appropriately used, with medical oversight and realistic expectations, they can be life-changing. But the real test isn’t just in the weight lost this year – it’s what happens over the next decade.

We should welcome them, but with cautious optimism and our eyes wide open.

Win a Wilderness Festival luxury package for two

Music fans can win a luxury package for two to this year’s Wilderness Festival, all courtesy of Audi.

Wilderness returns this year to the picturesque nature reserve at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, and will be headlined by rock band Supergrass, Nineties rave duo Orbital, and Brit Award-winning, Grammy-nominated indie-rock duo Wet Leg.

Completing the headliner lineup are Basement Jaxx, who are making their return to live shows for the first time in over a decade, as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking album, Remedy.

The winner will receive a pair of complimentary festival tickets and boutique accommodation in a luxury cabin for two. They will also be treated to an Audi Kitchen experience and, for the ultimate luxury, your own private chauffeur to take you and your guest to the festival and return journey.

Enter the prize draw here.

Wilderness Festival is known for its eclectic music lineup, which this year includes performances from pop singer Lapsley, singer-songwriter Bess Atwell, Scottish musician Jacob Alon and DJ Craig Charles.

At The Sanctuary and Spa, guests will discover an oasis of calm, whether that means taking part in disco yoga or a workshop to explore your sensuality. Highlights include boating, massage treatments, sauna rituals, hot tubs, a wild sauna, Wim Hof method ice baths and wild swimming.

Gourmet food offerings can be found at Ben Quinn’s long table banquet in the woods, a once-in-a-lifetime experience set in the woods and lit by chandeliers. There, Quinn and his team will serve up a feast of flavour cooked right in front of you five courses of carefully curated, responsibly sourced, local and seasonal ingredients.

Elsewhere, attendees can join a number of talks, comedy sets and conversations, from Food Stories with Jay Rayner to a live recording of Jamie Laing’s podcast, Great Company.

Comedian, writer and NHS doctor Matthew Hutchinson will share a sharp and moving look at life on the frontline of British healthcare, while cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith will uncover a bold and fascinating alternative history of female friendship.

The prize draw will open for entries at 3pm (BST) on 7 May 2025 and close at 3pm BST on 17 June 2025. Only one entry per person is permitted for the Prize Draw. Terms and conditions apply.

Inside Liverpool’s record Wirtz deal – and how they can afford it

German superstar Florian Wirtz is set to join Liverpool in a deal that could see him become the most expensive player ever signed by a Premier League club.

The 22-year-old, who has become one of the most coveted players in world football during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, was a target for Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, though Arne Slot’s side quickly moved to the front of the race for his signature.

Leverkusen had wanted €150m, or £126m, and previously rejected two bids from the Premier League champions. But Liverpool have agreed to sign Wirtz for an initial £100m, potentially rising to £116m, making him their club-record signing.

Wirtz, who was an integral part of Leverkusen’s undefeated run to a Bundesliga title in 2023/24, has scored 57 goals in 197 games for the club, as well as seven goals in 31 appearances for his national side.

But why has the German picked Liverpool as his next club, and when will the deal be finalised?

Manchester City were briefly seen as the favourites to sign Wirtz, but it quickly transpired that the German wanted to move to Anfield. He was persuaded by Liverpool’s vision for him and rejected more lucrative offers because of his desire to move to Anfield.

City were quick to rule out signing the German too, stating that the deal was too expensive to proceed with, and the club later signed French playmaker Rayan Cherki for around £30m.

As for Bayern, the club were long said to be Wirtz’s top choice for a move, though Liverpool quickly overtook them as favourites.

Several factors will have played a part in this change, with reports suggesting that Leverkusen were reluctant to sell to a domestic rival, though there were also doubts in Munich about the fee involved.

“If I’m honest, I don’t know if we could have paid what Liverpool are apparently paying now,” said Max Eberl, Bayern’s director of sport.

And while fees and inner workings will have been important, there is of course the simple draw of joining a historic club in Liverpool, with a side who have just won the Premier League at a canter and the club well-positioned to continue their recent success.

Liverpool have already announced a deal worth almost £30m to sign Wirtz’s Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong, so a deal for the German could take their spending to around £150m this summer.

They are also interested in left-back Milos Kerkez, with Bournemouth valuing the Hungary international at £45m.

How can they afford such spending? Well for a start, the Reds spent almost nothing (in relative terms) last summer, with the £12.5m signing of Federico Chiesa the only fee they paid all window.

In addition, the club have been helped by their revenues and player sale profits, including prize money for winning the league and taking part in the Champions League, as well as a new kit deal with Adidas.

This summer, sales could yet provide even more room for more signings. Wirtz’s arrival could lead to Harvey Elliott leaving with Liverpool, who have a self-sustaining model, conscious that sales can help them afford to buy.

One of Wirtz’s most coveted qualities is his versatility, which has seen him feature all across the forward line for his club and country.

The 22-year-old is best on the left or in central areas, which will have contributed to Liverpool’s interest (with the presence of Mohamed Salah meaning the right-wing spot is locked down for the foreseeable future).

For Leverkusen, he has featured most frequently in a left attacking midfield role, often tasked with spotting gaps and unlocking opposition defences.

His 13 Bundesliga assists last season show he has the eye for a key pass, though he has also displayed dribbling ability of a level that is rare in attacking midfielders, with both assets contributing to another exciting dimension in the Liverpool attack – and one that may be needed as they continue to face low blocks next season.

And Wirtz’s work rate – something that set Liverpool’s players apart last season – is admirable too. He was in the top 10 for duels won and interceptions in the Bundesliga in 2023/24, with an average distance covered of 7.6 miles (12.3km) and 33 sprints per match putting him in the top five for those metrics too.

It is unclear how he will slot into a title-winning Liverpool side, as he is not a “left-winger” so to speak, and with Dominik Szoboszlai’s importance to the team in central roles, it may be that we are seeing a tactical evolution of sorts from Arne Slot.

In any case, it is a welcome puzzle for the Dutchman to solve come next season.

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Met Office issues ‘danger to life’ warning as thunderstorms to hit UK

The Met Office has issued an amber warning as thunderstorms and flooding are set to hit parts of southern and eastern England tonight.

The warning, which covers the east and south east of England, including London, says thunderstorms are likely from Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday. Essex, Norfolk, Southend-on-Sea, Suffolk, Thurrock, East Sussex, Kent and Medway are all in the area under the new warning.

The Met Office said some places within the warning area could see 30-50mm of rain and winds in excess of 40-50mph, along with frequent lightning.

The forecaster warns that power cuts and the flooding of homes and businesses are likely. Some communities may become cut off if roads flood and public transport may be disrupted where flooding or lightning strikes occur.

Spray and sudden flooding may lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, with fast flowing or deep floodwater potentially causing danger to life, the forecaster said.

The latest update comes as two yellow warnings for thunderstorms have already been put in place across the south west and south east of England, as well as Wales and the West Midlands across Friday. The warning will stretch into Scotland, the East Midlands and the north of England on Saturday.

The amber weather warning across the south east is set to subside around 5am, while much of the rest of the UK will see thunderstorms until 6pm on Saturday.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson said: “By Friday afternoon and evening, heavy and thundery showers are likely to spread across southeastern England and East Anglia, tracking north-eastwards overnight. There is currently some uncertainty around the exact location and intensity of the thunderstorms, but there is a risk that some areas could see 30 to 50mm of rain, with a risk of even larger accumulations possible.

“With much of the rain falling in a short space of time there is a risk of impacts such as surface water flooding. Frequent lightning, gusty winds and hail could pose additional hazards. Updates to this warning are expected as confidence increases on the exact location of the greatest risk of the heaviest downpours.”

Friday is expected to be the warmest day of the period, with temperatures reaching 28 or 29°C with the chance of 30°C in some isolated spots in eastern areas.

The thunderstorm warnings coincide with a number of yellow heat health alerts put in place by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) across the East Midlands, the east and south east of England and London. The alert has been put in place from 9pm on Thursday to 8am on Sunday.

Heat Health Alerts are issued when temperatures could affect people’s health and lead to an increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said that even moderate heat can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults, making it important for people to take precautions in the sun.

“The forecasted high temperatures are expected to be short-lived but could primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions,” he said.

“If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.’’

Today:

Sunny spells and showers across Scotland and Northern Ireland, some heavy and thundery. A hot, sunny and humid day across England and Wales, with increasing risk of heavy showers and thunderstorms later. Hail and gusty winds and localised flooding possible.

Torrential downpours and thunderstorms will continue to move northwards through the evening and into the early hours. Some places remaining dry. A warm and humid night for many.

Saturday:

Heavy showers and thunderstorms easing a little as the day progresses. Driest and brightest towards the southeast. Still very warm here, but a little cooler elsewhere.

More follows…