Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann ‘contacted missing girl’s mother 60 times in a day’

A woman who falsely claimed to be missing toddler Madeleine McCann bombarded her mother with 60 calls and messages in one day, a court heard.

Jurors were told that there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” that Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, has no familial link to the McCanns.

However, she repeatedly contacted the missing girl’s parents in a string of messages and phone calls and turned up at their address, the court heard, on one occasion begging “please don’t give up on your daughter”.

Ms Wandelt and Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road in Caerau, Cardiff, both deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann causing serious alarm or distress between June 2022 and February this year.

Opening their trial at Leicester Crown Court on Monday, prosecutor Michael Duck KC told a jury of five men and seven women that from June 2022, Wandelt began attempting to persuade “anybody prepared to listen” that she was Madeleine.

“Her contention over the two and a half years that followed was therefore that she must have been abducted and taken to Poland where she lived with people who she was erroneously told were her parents,” Mr Duck told the court.

“She pursued claims that she was Madeleine McCann and she pursued Madeleine McCann’s parents over a period of time and pursued that myth.”

Ms Wandelt broke down in tears and went to the back of the dock when the prosecutor told the jury: “Can we at this very early stage in the trial make this position clear – that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

She returned to the dock beside Ms Spragg after a 10-minute break to listen to the rest of hearing.

The jury were told Madeleine’s unsolved disappeared from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal’s Algarve in May 2007 has generated worldwide attention.

One of many tragic consequences for her parents was the “constant inability to escape the glare of publicity that came with that tragedy”, Mr Duck said.

“The attention they have received has not always been compassionate, sometimes far from it,” he added.

“There remains a group of individuals who continue to fail to acknowledge their plight and perpetuate conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, these two defendants belong to that latter group.”

The trial heard Ms Wandelt had also claimed to be two other missing girls during the same period.

In January or Feburary 2023, she contacted a charity called Missing Years Ago, which helps with historic missing person cases.

“The initial contact with the charity was not to contend that she was Madeleine McCann but rather to suggest that she was another missing girl, Inga Gehricke,” Mr Duck said.

“Inga was a young girl who had disappeared in Germany, but as with Madeleine McCann, Julia Wandelt was precluded from being a realistic candidate by virtue of her age and obvious differences.”

On a separate occasion, the jury heard, Ms Wandelt claimed to be another missing girl called Acacia Bishop.

On one day in April last year, Ms Wandelt called and messaged Madeleine’s mother Kate’s phone on more than 60 occasions, the court.

In a voicemail left on Mrs McCann’s phone, which was played to the jury, Ms Wandelt continued: “I know my accent is Polish because I live here, I know I look fat and I know I’m not pretty like Madeleine was in the past, but I know what I know, I know what I remember.

“Please just give me a chance, I’m not a liar, I’m not crazy – I just want to know the truth. Call me or message me or whatever please.”

Mr Duck told the jury: “The refusal to respond by Ms McCann did not deter Julia Wandelt.”

Ms Wandelt also claimed to have “flashbacks” from hypnosis sessions, including one memory of spoon-feeding Madeleine’s younger brother.

The court heard Wandelt emailed Mr McCann in June 2023 and messaged Madeleine’s younger sister on other occasions saying there were “many things” she could remember, and that she would “never lie”.

The trial continues.

Phone snatching network behind one in four thefts in London targeted

An “industrial scale” phone snatching network thought to be behind one in four thefts in London has been targeted in the largest ever operation to tackle the crime wave.

The gang is suspected to have smuggled up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China in the past year – almost 40 per cent of all phones stolen in the capital.

The year-long investigation by detectives who usually tackle drugs and firearms smuggling comes as the Metropolitan Police tries to row back on London’s reputation as the phone snatching capital of Europe.

Two men in their 30s, who were suspected ringleaders known as “subject heron” and “subject seagull”, were last month arrested and remanded in custody on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Their capture comes after officers uncovered a shipment of a thousand iPhones, which were wrongly marked as batteries on the shipping manifest documents, being sent to Hong Kong at Heathrow airport last December.

Almost all of the devices had been stolen and were wrapped in tinfoil as a makeshift faraday bag.

In a major probe known as Operation Echosteep, detectives intercepted further shipments and were able to forensically link the packages to the two men.

Following their arrest, more phones were found in their car and 2,000 more devices were discovered at properties linked to the suspects.

The investigation also uncovered a network of street-level offenders involved in thefts and robberies and police have made 15 arrests on suspicion of theft, handling stolen goods and conspiracy to steal.

In total, the force has made 46 arrests during two weeks of action across the capital to target phone thieves, including executing 49 search warrants.

Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met’s lead for tackling phone theft, said stolen handsets are being shipped overseas at scale, adding: “This operation was targeting those people so the organised criminals that earn huge amounts of money and make it their profession to be involved in the stealing of mobile phones.”

Most devices being targeted are iPhone 12 to 16 models, for which thieves can pocket up to £300 per stolen device. Once shipped to China and Hong Kong, they can change hands for up $5,000, police believe.

“This is the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK in the most extraordinary set of operations of this kind that the Met has ever undertaken,” he added.

“We’ve dismantled criminal networks at every level, from street-level thieves to international organised crime groups exporting tens of thousands of stolen devices each year.”

However he called for more help from phone manufacturers to help “disincentivise” thefts by introducing features which mean a stolen device can be remotely disabled and never reused.

Commander Featherstone added: “We know the technology is there. Because, as an example, if Apple Store phones are stolen directly from the Apple Store, Apple has no problem in blocking those phones and never see them used to get again.

“So the software must exist so it becomes a choice of why they don’t want to utilise it. So why they don’t want to do that is a question for them.”

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, the senior investigating officer for Operation Echosteep, said his team is normally focussed on firearms and drug importation.

“But it quickly became apparent that this was not low level street crime, this was on an industrial scale,” he added, noting behind evert stolen phone is a victim, including many who were violently assaulted when their phone was snatched.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the operation was the largest of its kind in UK history, but warned police cannot tackle phone theft alone.

“Criminals are making millions by repurposing stolen phones and selling them abroad, with many still able to access cloud services,” he added.

“It’s simply too easy and too profitable. I will continue to call on the mobile phone industry to go harder and faster in designing out this crime by making stolen devices unusable.

“We need coordinated global action to shut down this trade and build a safer London for everyone.”

Crime and policing minister, Sarah Jones, added: “I want to see more of these large-scale interventions, which is why we’re putting more police on the streets and arming them with stronger powers to track down the criminals responsible and make our streets safer.”

Thunberg greeted by crowd after Israel expels flotilla activists

Greta Thunberg arrived in Greece to a cheering pro-Palestinian crowd on Monday after she and hundreds of other activists captured by Israel on the high seas were deported following an attempt to bring aid to Gaza.

Israel said it expelled 171 activists, including the climate activist, bringing the total deported so far to 341, out of 479 people it detained when it captured the flotilla attempting to break its naval blockade of Gaza.

Greece said 161 of the activists arrived on a flight to Athens on Monday, including Ms Thunberg. They included 27 Greeks, as well as citizens of nearly 20 other countries.

“Let me be very clear. There is a genocide going on,” Ms Thunberg told the crowd at Athens airport.

“Our international systems are betraying Palestinians. They are not even able to prevent the worst war crimes from happening,” she said.

“What we aimed to do with the Global Sumud Flotilla was to step up when our governments failed to do their legal obligation.”

The activists attempted to reach Gaza in scores of vessels to bring aid supplies and draw attention to the plight of Gaza, where most of the 2.2 million residents have been driven from their homes and the United Nations says hunger is rampant.

Israel, which rejects accusations it is carrying out genocide in Gaza and says reports of hunger there are exaggerated, has dismissed the flotilla as a publicity stunt benefitting Hamas. It had previously detained Ms Thunberg at sea in a similar attempt to breach the blockade in June.

Earlier, Swiss and Spanish activists from the flotilla said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli forces.

Israel’s foreign ministry issued a statement, accompanied by photos of Ms Thunberg at the airport, saying all participants’ legal rights had been upheld and the only violence involved an activist who bit a female medic at Israel’s Ketziot prison.

Among nine members of the flotilla who arrived home in Switzerland, some alleged sleep deprivation, lack of water and food, as well as being beaten, kicked, and locked in a cage, the group representing them said in a statement.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the allegations.

Spanish activists also alleged mistreatment on their arrival in Spain late on Sunday after being deported.

“They beat us, dragged us along the ground, blindfolded us, tied our hands and feet, put us in cages and insulted us,” lawyer Rafael Borrego told reporters at Madrid’s airport.

Israel’s foreign ministry has described widespread reports of detainees being mistreated after the flotilla was intercepted as “complete lies”.

Karen Carney says football punditry criticism ‘crushed’ her

Former England Women footballer Karen Carney has revealed the reason why she joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing this year.

The Lionesses star, 38, has been paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu in the 23rd series of the hit BBC dancing programme.

Since retiring from football in 2019, the former Chelsea and Arsenal player has become a regular football pundit, appearing on TNT Sports, Sky Sports and ITV Sport.

But after facing backlash over her role, she said she has joined the show to “rebuild” her confidence.

Carney spoke about the criticism she faced as a woman talking about men’s football and told Women’s Health’s podcast Just As Well: “I think I had it quite bad about four years ago, that was very, very challenging.

“But since then, whether you like it or not, you have to build resilience. And I think, for me, my attitude – put my athlete hat on – is to be the best version of myself, work as hard as I can, be a great team player, and actually what we learned in football was never to impress your manager, impress your teammates.

“So for me, if I’m next to someone like a Roy Keane or an Ian Wright, or whoever it might be, if they’re happy with me and they know I worked hard, they know I’ve done my research, they know I’ve done my prep, then that’s all that matters to me.

“The rest, I can’t control what people think about me. I genuinely can’t. I’ve had to just go with that mindset.

“But Jesus Christ, it has knocked my confidence… it’s why I wanted to do Strictly as well, to rebuild my confidence again, because the negativity has crushed me.”

Since the new series of Strictly started a few weeks ago, Carney said she was “absolutely loving it” and is most looking forward to the Couple’s Choice week.

She said: “Honestly, I’ve just got a massive smile on my face. It’s such an honour and privilege to be on the show.

“I’ve watched it for so long and follow it every week. You fall in love with it and, yeah, I can’t believe I’m actually on it, it’s bizarre.

“Hopefully my fitness comes through. I’m not gonna put myself under too much pressure. Like, genuinely, I love the show and I’m just so happy to be part of it. And no matter how short or long it is, I just wanna really enjoy it.

“I went to a live show last year, followed it for years and years, and it’s just an honour.”

Carney recently became the first footballer to top the Strictly leaderboard in 18 years after the pair’s jive to Blondie’s One Way Or Another received a score of 31 during the first live show.

She also emphasised the importance of having appropriate facilities for women footballers.

Carney said: “I was speaking to some of the dance pros the other day – imagine if they didn’t have the right dance floor, the right dance shoes, the right nutrition, the right training environment, the right S&C (strength and conditioning) – would they be the best dance pros? No they wouldn’t.

“So for us (footballers) that’s really, really important… and then kick on from there. And look what’s happened now with the women’s football… double European champions and the league’s going from strength to strength. So it really isn’t rocket science.”

The full Women’s Health Just As Well episode is available on major podcast platforms.

‘Kardashian of Cheshire’ jailed after £200,000 luxury handbag fraud

A fraudster who dubbed himself “the Kardashian of Cheshire” has been jailed for six years after conning victims, including his own father and friends, out of thousands of pounds in a luxury handbag scam.

Jack Watkin, 26, used an “outward persona of someone wealthy and well connected” to persuade his victims to loan him large sums of money to invest in the purchase of Hermes handbags which were then to be sold on for a profit.

Such bags were only available to a select number of registered customers and, because of their exclusivity, the bags often attracted a resale value far more than the original price, Chester Crown Court heard.

The investors were left out of pocket as Watkin used their cash to fund a luxury lifestyle which included running up a £140,000 bill at London’s Dorchester Hotel.

Watkin, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, had no job and no income but spent £1.2 million between April 2019 and October 2021 before he was made bankrupt.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to various counts of fraud totalling more than £195,000.

In a separate case he was found guilty by a jury of possessing and making indecent images of children, which were found on his phone by investigators after his fraud arrests.

On Monday, he was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for the fraud offences and an additional 18 months for the indecent images.

Judge Simon Berkson told him: “You used an outward persona of someone who was wealthy and well connected in order to dupe victims with your fraudulent behaviour.

“You described yourself as a millionaire and talked about your knowledge of luxury products.

“You suggested you could be a person who could be trusted with other people’s money. Your true motivation was to defraud people of out their money and spend it all on yourself.”

Eats, Beats and Storied Streets: A journey through Louisiana

Few places in America are as spellbinding as Louisiana. Streets are alive with music, every table groans with food that tells a story, and every river bend reveals landscapes as mysterious as they are beautiful. Whether you’re dancing to zydeco in Lafayette, devouring beignets in the French Quarter, or gliding through the Atchafalaya swamps in search of alligators, this is a destination which offers travellers an unforgettable blend of rhythm, flavour and culture.

Music that Moves You

A seemingly never-ending party, a stroll through the bouncing streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter is one of America’s most thrilling sensory experiences. Guitars crunch, symbols crash and horns howl on every street corner, from Bourbon Street to Frenchmen Street. This Cajun corner of the US has a deep heritage too, and the Preservation Hall – dating back to 1961 – is an essential stop. With its intimate time-worn walls and wooden chairs facing the small stage, it’s a shrine to New Orleans jazz and every note should be savoured.

But Louisiana’s music tradition goes far beyond the Big Easy. Beginning in 1981, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival is one of the country’s oldest blues festivals and the state capital is a haven of Cajun music. It’s also the home of the swamp blues, so to hear the best of these laid-back rhythms, spend a foot-tapping night at Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill or Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room. And for a little backyard boogie from local Louisiana musicians, try and hit the wonderfully chilled out Bee Nice Concert Series.

One of the more niche regional sounds is zydeco, and these infectious beats driven by accordions and washboards are perfect for dancing the night away. Over in Lafayette, the lush outdoor Hideaway on Lee and the charming Blue Moon Saloon host high-energy zydeco and Cajun jams. For a deeper dive into this unique music of the swamp, drop by the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles for three glorious days of Cajun, Creole, and zydeco sounds.

Flavours to Savour

Louisiana has one of America’s most distinct food cultures, with Creole dishes like gumbo and jambalaya not found anywhere else. Needless to say, the fiery flavours found in these creations are sublime and it’s no surprise that 2025 is Louisiana’s Year of Food.

With its rich broth, often featuring a roux base and embellished by juicy shrimp and thick sausage, gumbo is arguably the quintessential Creole dish. If you’re in New Orleans, look no further than no–frills downtown spots like Coop’s Place or head out to neighbourhood joints like the upscale Gabrielle Restaurant who serve a smoky take on Cajun-style gumbo or the dense dishes plated up at Liuzza’s by the Track. And if you’re so enraptured by this unique stew, then learn how to make it at home at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

A Cajun rice dish that originated in southern Louisiana in the 18th Century, Jambalaya is also iconic down here and can include meats, vegetables, seafood and spices in its mouthwatering mix. The Jambalaya Shoppe is dotted all around southern Louisiana and is a good place to start, though make time to visit Gonzales – the ‘Jambalaya Capital of the World. It even has its own Jambalaya Festival every spring.

Remember to make time for sweet treats though, as Louisiana’s beignets are something special. Warm, deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar, these gentle delights are the perfect cafe snack. Open since 1862, the Cafe du Monde is an iconic French Quarter spot to watch the world go by with a beignet and café au lait.

And if you’re here for Mardi Gras, make sure to sample the sweet colourful King Cake as the jaunty floats pass by.

Culture and the Great Outdoors

Louisiana’s diverse cultural heritage is as unique as its landscape. French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and native influences all converge into Cajun and Creole identities and that’s most famously reflected in the state’s sublime cuisine. But don’t miss the great outdoors, as Louisiana’s biodiversity is enchanting too.

Acadiana’s humid moss-cloaked swamps and bayous are one of America’s last wildernesses, and boat tours of these serene and ethereal landscapes are unforgettable, especially if you spot wildlife like American Alligators, beavers, herons, eagles and white tail deer. The Atchafalaya Basin, just east of Lafayette, is a particular haven and several airboat tours depart from here, including McGee’s Swamp Tours and Last Wilderness Swamp Tours.

Road trails through these bayous can be just as inspiring, and the Bayou Teche National Byway tells stories. Running for 183 miles from Arnaudville down to Morgan City, this serpentine route passes by ornate antebellum homes like Shadows-on-the-Teche, tranquil fields of sugar cane, breezy swamps and historic towns packed with friendly cafes, zydeco dancehalls and local museums.

Look out for the region’s lively 400+ festivals too, which often celebrate Louisiana’s local culture. The Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette celebrates the links between Acadiana and the Francophone world, through music, art and food, while the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Opelousas aims to preserve Louisiana’s most gleeful music genre. And there’s no better way of learning about the state’s people and heritage than at the various tours, concerts, talks and cultural events held in Vermillionville in Lafayette.

Supermarket groceries could cost twice as much with delivery apps

Consumers who order groceries through delivery apps could be paying twice as much for some essential items, a consumer watchdog has warned.

An investigation by Which? found that shoppers who ordered everyday supermarket essentials from Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats could be paying at least 20 per cent more for everyday items, with some more than double the price.

The consumer group compared the prices of up to 50 popular grocery items from four supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – against the three food delivery apps. Which? also checked Tesco’s Whoosh same-day home delivery service to see prices compared with buying directly from the supermarket.

On average, it found Sainsbury’s Nectar members had the most to lose by using a delivery app to fast-track their food shopping, as the supermarket does not apply its loyalty card discounts to delivery apps.

Members of the Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme would see the biggest mark-up with Uber Eats where they would pay an average 45 per cent more. They would see a 41 per cent increase with Deliveroo and 40 per cent with Just Eat compared with shopping in-store with their loyalty card.

Some items were double the price when shopping through delivery apps, including Birds Eye Cod Fish Fingers, which were £3 with a Nectar card, but £6.25 through all delivery sites. Quorn Chicken Nuggets were £1.75 for Nectar card holders but £3.50 through the delivery sites.

The differences were less marked for those without a Nectar card, with customers paying 25 per cent more at Uber Eats, 23 per cent more at Deliveroo and 22 per cent more at Just Eat.

Which?’s analysis showed that people shopping at Waitrose could be paying a third more (33 per cent) by shopping through Uber Eats instead of directly with the supermarket. The mark-up was less, although still significant, at Just Eat (30 per cent) and Deliveroo (25 per cent).

Two products were consistently double the price of buying directly at Waitrose: Pampers New Baby Nappies Size 3 (40 pack) were £12 through Just Eat and Uber Eats but £6 at the supermarket; and Tilda Microwave Basmati Rice was £2 from Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, but £1 in-store.

Shoppers buying from Morrisons through Deliveroo and Uber Eats were likely to find a similar mark-up compared with buying directly at the supermarket (both 28%), while Just Eat was 26 per cent more.

On one of the days checked by Which?, it found Just Eat price-matched Asda, so the average price difference was lower than overall. However, the mark-up of Asda groceries at Just Eat was still an average of 19 per cent.

Asda groceries at Deliveroo and Uber Eats were significantly more, at 31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

Which? found that Tesco Clubcard holders would have paid a quarter more on average for its list of groceries by using Whoosh versus shopping directly with Tesco.

This was because some Clubcard offers were not available through Whoosh, including New York Bakery original bagels, on offer for £1 using a Clubcard at Tesco or £2.15 through Whoosh.

Non-Clubcard holders paid 18 per cent more shopping through Whoosh, but were not missing out on the substantial savings that loyalty card holders were.

Which? did not include delivery charges in the overall totals as these varied depending on several factors including location and time of delivery.

Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “Shoppers won’t be surprised that buying groceries through a delivery app will cost more than popping to the shops or ordering directly from the supermarket and for many, convenience is priceless when they are pressed for time.

“But our research shows that in some cases customers could be paying more than twice as much for specific items as buying directly from the supermarket, so it’s worth working out how desperately you need to fast-track those nuggets, nappies and wine before you place your order.”

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said: “Customers can choose to shop with us in store, online or via third party apps for rapid delivery. Each of our services have clear, competitive pricing and regular promotions, helping customers to make the choice that’s best for them.”

Tesco said: “Whoosh is our superfast delivery service, getting groceries to customers’ doors in as little as 20 minutes. The prices for groceries delivered by Whoosh reflect the extra costs of rapid delivery and provide market-leading value when compared with other major services providing rapid grocery delivery.”

A Morrisons spokeswoman said several of the products highlighted by Which? were on promotion with Morrisons.com during September, so the data was not a true reflection of the price differences.

She said: “These premium services do come with some additional costs in order to offer fast, convenient deliveries which many of our customers appreciate. That said, our partners regularly run promotions offering free delivery offers or directly matching their prices to those found in our stores.

“Customers also have the option to shop with Morrisons directly in-store or at Morrisons.com for access to our home delivery or click and collect services.”

A Waitrose spokesman said: “Delivery apps offer a quick and convenient service. Prices are clearly marked, and reflect the costs involved in running this service, including assembling and packing orders.

“While some offers are only available when shopping directly with Waitrose, we have other promotions available via our delivery partners.”

An Uber Eats spokesman said: “These findings fail to reflect the breadth of inventory and deals available for our customers on Uber Eats.

“Every Uber Eats partner sets their own prices and we have clearly flagged in-store price match ranges available on hundreds of products. We also invest heavily in value initiatives like our weekly Fresh Monday grocery offering and further discounts for Uber One members.”

A Deliveroo spokesman said: “Deliveroo provides groceries fast and on demand, giving people the convenience they value. We encourage all of our partners to set fair pricing and we are always looking at new ways to ensure great value for our customers, including the integration of supermarket loyalty schemes and a newly launched offer of 50 per cent off a range of groceries every Monday.”

Just Eat said: “Whilst prices are set by our grocery partners we ensure customers can access great value, as well as unbeatable convenience, with ongoing deals such as Half Price Wednesdays and encouraging our partners to price-match on the most popular products.”

Zelensky accuses West of ‘zero real reaction’ to massive Russian attack that killed five

Volodymyr Zelensky has said there has been no real reaction from the world after Moscow’s “deliberate and open” attack on Ukraine in Lviv.

“Russia is openly trying to destroy our civilian infrastructure right now, ahead of winter – our gas infrastructure, our power generation and transmission,” he said in his nightly address.

“Zero real reaction from the world. We will fight so that the world does not remain silent and so that Russia feels the response,” Zelensky said.

At least five civilians have died after Russia launched drones, missiles and guided aerial bombs at Ukraine overnight in a major attack that officials there said targeted civilian infrastructure.

Moscow sent more than 50 ballistic missiles and around 500 drones into nine regions across Ukraine, Zelensky said on Sunday morning.

Poland said it scrambled aircraft early on Sunday to ensure its air safety after Russia launched the airstrikes on Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting missiles and drones raining down on the Lviv region near the Polish border.