Households’ living standards are improving at the slowest rate in more than 50 years, as soaring immigration fuels population growth and the economy stalls.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that real GDP per head, which is often described as a measure of average living standards, is growing at the slowest rate in decades.

It has increased by only 0.3pc a year on average so far in the 2020s. This is much lower than in any previous decade since at least the 1970s.

GDP per head has slowed as the population has grown faster than the economy. Net migration added 1.5m to the population across 2022 and 2023. The economy grew by 4.3pc in 2022 as the UK bounced back from the pandemic but growth slowed to just 0.3pc last year.

The economy has not kept pace as a result of a worklessness crisis and persistent problems with productivity. The number of people out of work from sickness has surged to a near-record high of 2.8m, fuelling fears of a spiralling benefit bill.

The ONS said: “Long-term sickness, ageing of the resident population and net migration for reasons other than work each may have been factors that contributed to a higher population outside of the labour force.”

Even as living standards have, on average, increased in the 2020s, GDP per head remained below pre-pandemic levels at the end of June following an in-year slump.

GDP per head suffered a dramatic drop during Covid before recovering only weakly, leaving it vulnerable to falling below pre-pandemic levels.

The ONS’s findings suggest economic growth is being fuelled by more people arriving, not because of improvements in productivity. It means there is little more to go around on a per-household basis than before the pandemic.

The findings come as immigration once again becomes a top concern for voters, with 45pc of Britons saying it is among the most important issues facing the country.

Sentiment is now on a par with just after the EU referendum in 2016 and means immigration is the second-most cited concern after the economy.

Worries about immigration had been in decline since Brexit and only started rising consistently again from autumn 2022.

The war in Ukraine and Hong Kongers fleeing tightening security laws resulted in around 210,000 people arriving on humanitarian visas in the past two years.

The surge in immigration has come as women in Britain have fewer children than at any point since the 1970s. Migration has become the main source of population growth as a result.

Migrants appear to have higher employment rates than the population as a whole, the ONS said.

It added: “Continued improvement in employment prospects for non-EU born residents in the UK may further contribute to increasing real GDP per head.”

Rachel Reeves intends to increase inheritance tax as part of a scramble to raise as much as £35 billion in this month’s Budget.

The Chancellor is reportedly considering a string of changes to the tax, which is typically charged at 40 per cent on assets above a £325,000 threshold when a person dies.

As well as increasing the headline rate or cutting the level at which the tax becomes payable, Ms Reeves could also alter reliefs and exemptions.

For example, the Treasury could amend a rule which allows money to be passed on tax-free if it is given away at least seven years before someone dies. It could also alter rules that exempt businesses and farmland from the tax.

The plans were first reported by the BBC. A Treasury spokesman told the corporation: “We do not comment on speculation around tax changes outside of fiscal events.”

Any changes are likely to be highly controversial. Only four per cent of estates currently pay inheritance tax, but polling has consistently suggested the public regard it as unfair.

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow chancellor, has described it as “profoundly anti-Conservative”.

Ms Reeves is understood to be planning the biggest tax raid in history in her Budget on Oct 30.

She has concluded that there is a £40 billion black hole in the public finances and intends to fill as much as 90 per cent of this gap with tax increases instead of cutting spending after ruling out a return to Tory austerity.

A £35 billion-plus tax raid would be the biggest ever recorded in any Budget in cash terms. As well as a rise in inheritance tax, there is growing speculation that this could include the first rise in fuel duty for 13 years.

Treasury officials want the Chancellor to raise the tax on petrol and diesel, saying that if she does not do so it would force her to find another £5 billion elsewhere.

Ms Reeves is also widely expected to raise capital gains tax and employers’ National Insurance contributions.

While the majority of the £40 billion is expected to be generated through tax rises, the Chancellor will also ask individual departments to find savings. This has driven some ministers to raise concerns, with several reportedly writing to Sir Keir Starmer to complain.

On Thursday, Downing Street acknowledged that engagement between departments and Number 10 was a “standard part of the process” ahead of the Budget, but warned disgruntled ministers that they would not be able to do “everything they want to” with the cash they are given.

As some departments, such as the NHS and defence, have “protected” budgets with faster spending increases, it is believed there will be tough decisions in other areas such as local government, transport and the environment.

A baby has died after an overloaded boat with more than 60 migrants on board sank off the coast of France on Thursday.

Sixty-five people were rescued after the dinghy got into difficulty off Pas-de-Calais, but the baby was found unconscious in the water after a search and subsequently declared dead.

A French navy vessel was among four ships and a helicopter that joined the rescue operation after being alerted to the sinking dinghy, which was found to be heavily loaded with people. 

Others were in the water when the rescuers arrived, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea said. The team put rigid inflatable boats in the water and began recovering the people from the sea, the maritime prefect added.

The Abeille Normandie, an assistance and rescue intervention tug chartered by the French navy, took 65 people on board. However, the prefecture said: “After a search, an infant was found unconscious in the water and unfortunately declared dead.”

It brings the total number of migrants who have died while attempting to cross the Channel this year to 53, compared to 12 last year. Six children and six adults died on Sep 3. A month later, a two-year-old boy and three adults died when their overloaded boats got into trouble.

An increasing number of children are dying in the small boats because they are vulnerable to being trampled or crushed in the overcrowded dinghies and being in the sea. On Oct 5, a two-year-old boy was crushed to death when a boat carrying nearly 90 people got into difficulties after its outboard engine failed.

‘Depressingly preventable tragedy’

The French authorities said an investigation into the latest sinking had been opened by the public prosecutor’s office in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The 65 rescued people and the dead baby recovered by the Abeille Normandie were then taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Once docked, all rescued people were taken into the care of the land rescue services and the border police.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said: “We are heartbroken that a baby has died in yet another devastating and depressingly preventable tragedy in the Channel. People who make the crossing are fleeing war, conflict and persecution and simply want to be safe.

“As our analysis this week showed, these crossings are getting ever deadlier, with the total number of deaths this year being greater than the previous three years combined. 

“This procession of death and tragedy shows we need to rethink our approach. Lives will continue to be lost if we carry on as it is.”

‘Graveyard for children’

Alison Griffin, the head of conflict and humanitarian campaigns at Save the Children UK, urged the Government to establish more safe and legal routes into the UK for asylum seekers to avoid the Channel becoming a “graveyard for children”.

A total of 27,509 migrants in 519 boats have been intercepted by Border Force making the crossing so far this year, five per cent higher than the 26,116 at the same point last year but below the 37,000 in 2022, the record year for crossings.

People smugglers are cramming more migrants into the dinghies as supplies of boats and equipment have been limited by crackdowns by border agencies and law enforcement. 

The average number of migrants per boat is now around 60, triple the rate when the first dinghies started crossing in 2018.

Families will continue to feel poorer even as the inflation crisis that sent global prices surging comes to an end, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, said the “global inflation wave is in retreat” after central banks raised interest rates to combat surging prices.

However, in a speech previewing the IMF and World Bank’s annual meeting in Washington DC, Ms Georgieva said there would not “be any victory parties” over declining inflation, which fell to 1.7pc in both the UK and the eurozone in September.

She said: “For one thing, inflation rates may be falling, but the higher price level that we feel in our wallets is here to stay.

“Families are hurting, people are angry. Advanced economies saw inflation rates at once-in-a generation highs. So too did many emerging market economies.”

Inflation in Britain peaked at 11.1pc in October 2022 as prices across the globe were pushed higher following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which raised energy costs and disrupted supply chains already in turmoil after the pandemic.

Ms Georgieva also warned that the IMF’s latest economic forecasts highlighted that the global economy faced a “difficult future” dogged by “an unforgiving combination of low growth and high debt”.

The IMF warned Rachel Reeves this week that the UK was among a handful of advanced nations where debt was on course to keep rising until the end of the decade, with global debt now on course to top $100 trillion (£77 trillion) this year.

UK debt already stands at 100pc of GDP and is likely to rise further as the Chancellor prepares to borrow billions more to invest in infrastructure.

Ms Georgieva urged countries to work harder to keep a lid on inflation. The Bulgarian economist added: “But look how bad the situation was for the low-income countries.

“At the country level and at the level of individuals, inflation always hits the poor the hardest.”

It came as the European Central Bank (ECB) cut interest rates for the third consecutive time this year to 3.25pc, as it signalled that lacklustre growth in the eurozone was becoming a bigger concern than inflation.

Christine Lagarde, president of the ECB, said easing inflation was “well on track” and that there had been “surprises” in weaker-than-expected data on economic activity, although she did not expect a recession.

Ms Lagarde also said that the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House posed a threat to Europe’s prosperity.

She told reporters at a press conference in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana: “Any restriction, any uncertainty, any obstacles to trade matter for an economy like the European economy, which is very open.”

Ms Lagarde added that “any hardening” of trade barriers was “obviously a downside” after being pressed on the implications of a Trump victory on Nov 5.

The EU is understood to have drawn up retaliatory measures including a list of US goods to target if Mr Trump is elected and makes good on trade threats. The former President earlier this year accused the EU of treating America “violently”.

A pregnant woman and her unborn baby have died following a collision involving a police car in south-east London, Scotland Yard has confirmed.

The 38-year-old, who was heavily pregnant, was in a car on the A20 in Eltham on Thursday evening when it was hit by an unmarked police car.

London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and London Air Ambulance all attended the scene, but the woman and her unborn baby died as a result of their injuries.

Police said the woman’s next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specially trained officers.

Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, in charge of policing in Greenwich, said: “My heart goes out to the woman’s family and friends, who have lost their loved ones in these tragic circumstances.

“An investigation into the circumstances of this collision by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is under way, and we will assist with their enquiries in any way we can.

“A road closure will remain at the scene today and I am grateful for the patience of the local motorists, who will need to use alternative routes.”

Two officers who were in the unmarked car were also taken to hospital following the collision. They have since been discharged.

Locals near the scene of the tragedy described seeing the collision unfold during the rush hour on Thursday evening.

One witness described how emergency crews fought to save the woman and her unborn baby.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said the unmarked police car, thought to be a black Volvo, had its blue lights and siren on at the time.

She said: “I heard it before I saw anything, and I looked out of the window and I saw the unmarked police car. I didn’t see it go into the other car, but it looked like it was doing some speed.

“The other car, a blue car, collided, flipped about three times across the pavement, and then turned upright and landed there. From then, it was just dreadful because they pulled out a lady from the car that was obviously pregnant.”

The witnesses said emergency crews arrived and desperately tried to save the woman and baby, adding: “That poor woman was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The accident happened close to the entrance to the Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre.

A local resident said: “I saw the flash of a speeding car go by and then the police car, with its lights and siren going. Then I heard the crash – it sounded like an explosion, it was so loud.

“I saw the police officer who was a passenger up against an airbag. The officer who was driving the car was able to get out by himself, but the front of their car was completely squashed.”

His partner, who was at home close by at the time of the crash, added: “I heard the sound of speed but then I heard a massive bang.

“The building literally shook, and I ran straight to the window. The blue car was sort of up on the pavement, and the black car with the blue lights was on the road with the front completely flat.

“I couldn’t see the woman. I now know she was a pregnant woman, but they put up screens very quickly for privacy.”

It is not yet clear whether the unmarked police car was responding to an emergency at the time and was travelling with blue lights and sirens when a crash occurred.A spokesman for Scotland Yard said that would form part of the investigation.

A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We can confirm that we have started an independent investigation into the circumstances of a fatal collision involving Met Police in south-east London on Oct 17.

“We sent investigators to the scene and post-incident process to begin gathering evidence. Our investigation is in the very early stages. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who has died, and all of those affected by this tragic incident.”

Cat owners have been urged to avoid buying the feline version of XL bully dogs which have spread from the US to the UK.

Breeders in the US have created the “bully cats” which resemble their XL canine equivalent by mixing the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats.

However, in a new research paper, animal experts have warned the bully cat munchkin-sphynx mutant breed is likely to suffer serious health problems leading to death at least six years earlier than the average cat.

They are urging pet owners to avoid the temptation to buy the new cross-breed for fear of fuelling the trade and causing unnecessary suffering to the cats in the process.

“Prospective pet owners need to be aware of the risks associated with owning mutant and experimental breeds,” said Dr Grace Carroll, who specialises in animal behaviour and welfare at Queen’s University Belfast’s school of psychology.

“Consumers hold purchasing power. We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits.

“A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. We should let cats be cats.”

XL bully cats are being promoted on social media with one breeder already specialising in offering them for sale. Bella Jones, who runs breeding firm BullyCats UK, claims her cats are “health-tested and completely functional”.

However, animal specialists say XL bully cats are at high risk of a number of health issues linked to their lack of fur.

Dr Carroll said: “Kittens already have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature and this is made even more difficult by hairlessness and makes them more susceptible to respiratory infections. A lack of fur can also lead to sunburn and skin cancer in hairless cats.”

Like the sphynx, XL bully cats lack whiskers. This can lead to issues with communication, navigation and gauging spatial dimensions.

Meanwhile, their short legs are also linked to a range of health problems. “Their short legs are a genetic defect which can lead to painful arthritis and cause problems with their general mobility,” said the Cats Protection charity.

“The average sphynx lives for just 6.7 years, only a little over half the average cat’s lifespan of 12 years. XL bully cats’ lives could be even shorter,” said Dr Carroll.

“Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds,” she added.

The NatureWatch Foundation, which campaigns on animal welfare and investigates the illegal trade in animals, said it was concerned at the “disturbing” following bully cats had gained on social media platforms in recent months, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“It’s shocking to see that these poor cats are starting to appear in the UK. We’ve seen increasingly extreme breeding practices in the dog world in recent years, and it appears unscrupulous people are now turning their attention to exploiting cats in the same way, all in the pursuit of greed and social media likes. Bully cats are an animal welfare disaster unfolding before our eyes and this kind of breeding is just cruel,” said a spokesman.

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “It is heartbreaking to now see the same suffering now being visited on cats by the invention of the bully cat.

“Bully cats are likely to suffer similarly shortened lives. Deliberately selecting for disease mutations, such as hairlessness that leads to sunburn, dwarfism that leads to mobility issues and joint pain, and folded skin that leads to lifetimes of skin infections means that many bully cats will endure lives blighted by suffering.

“The advice to anyone thinking of acquiring a cat or a dog is to always put the welfare of the animal first and to stop and think before acquiring an animal with an extreme and unnatural body shape that does not exist commonly in nature.”

A passport belonging to an UNRWA teacher was reportedly found on the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after he was killed.

Photos published by Israel’s Channel 12 showed a document belonging to a teacher with the UN aid agency named Hani Zourob, along with other items it said were recovered by IDF troops.

The 40-year-old teacher was, however, not in Gaza at the time of Sinwar’s death on Thursday, following a shoot-out with the Israeli forces on the outskirts of Rafah.

The passport expired in 2017 and The Telegraph has been unable to independently verify where it was discovered.

Mr Zourob moved to Egypt in April, raising questions about how his old passport apparently fell into the hands of Sinwar or his entourage. The IDF said two other terrorists were killed in the gun battle.
 
After Mr Zourub’s passport was found, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, issued a statement calling it “unchecked information used to discredit” the agency and its staff.

“I confirm that the staff member in question is alive. He currently lives in Egypt where he travelled with his family in April through the Rafah border. Time to put an end to disinformation campaigns,” Mr Lazzari said.

It is unclear why Sinwar or his entourage would have the passport in their possession and Israeli officials have yet to comment.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has long accused UNRWA – an aid agency for Palestinian refugees – of being connected to Hamas.

Last month, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli air strike.

El-Amin was later revealed to have been working as an UNRWA teacher and principal in Lebanon until being suspended in March.

It was the latest in a series of scandals relating to the agency.

In August, it fired nine of its staff members after finding that they “may have been” involved in the October 7 massacre.

Farhan Haq, the UN spokesman, said UNRWA had “sufficient information in order to take the actions that we’re taking – which is to say, the termination of these nine individuals.”

That announcement followed a near six-month internal investigation into claims made by Israel that 19 of its staff members took part in the Oct 7 attack.

At least one UNRWA staff member was caught on video kidnapping an Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct 7.

The accusations led to a number of Western countries freezing funds for the agency, including the UK, which then reversed its decision after Sir Keir Starmer won July’s election.

Israel claimed earlier this year that around 10 per cent of UNRWA’s staff were associated with either Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Since then, the Israeli government has spearheaded legislation to outlaw UNRWA by declaring it a terror organisation.

That move prompted international criticism. notably from Josep Borell, the EU’s foreign policy chief.

The Spanish politician said: “Outlawing UNRWA – and labelling it as terrorist, which it is not – amounts to targeting regional stability and human dignity of all those benefiting from the UN agency work.

“We join many partners in urging the Israeli government to halt this nonsense.”

Whenever news breaks of the heart-rendingly premature, sudden death of a young star caught in the tempest of fame, as stunned fans rake over the coals of their lives and pundits attempt to trace their final steps, the same question tends to push through the mire: “Why was no one there to help?” 

In the case of Liam Payne, the former One Direction member and solo artist, who died, aged 31, on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, the question extends far beyond those tragic – and by all accounts desperate – last moments. 

Payne had been in Argentina to see Niall Horan, his old One Direction bandmate, in concert on Oct 4, then stayed in the country with his girlfriend, the American social media influencer Kate Cassidy. She returned home to Florida earlier this week; it seems as if she was the only member of his entourage.

So it was that, like so many young celebrities before him, Payne was entirely alone in a vast hotel room on the evening he died. Local reports, leaked photographs and a released 911 call all suggest he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, having openly struggled with addiction for years, before tumbling to his death in an apparent accident. 

In those final hours, Payne very clearly needed help. The greater tragedy, though, is another one all too familiar in stories like these: that to anybody who had shown even a cursory interest in his exploits over the last few years, it was clear that Liam Payne had needed help for a very long time.

“How Liam Payne’s toe-curling gaffes have shattered his charming One Direction image,” read one headline, only last week. “Fans concerned for Liam Payne after erratic behaviour in girlfriend’s TikTok video,” another reported. “Liam Payne is the UK’s biggest ick and these embarrassing moments prove it,” an online publication reckoned, in 2022.

There were gaffes, and there were embarrassing moments. Many of them. A rambling, frenetic and puzzlingly-accented interview on the Oscars red carpet when, for some reason, Payne was given the task of insta-reacting to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, for instance. A solo career and social media personality that erred on the wrong side of cool. A possible buccal fat removal procedure, which for a while altered his face to look like a cartoon character.

Above all, one fateful interview, given in 2022 to the YouTuber Logan Paul and his fellow self-proclaimed “bunch of idiots”, sent up the clearest flare that all was not well with Payne. In it, he made a series of outlandish claims about his time in One Direction that suggested not only a paranoia about his legacy, but a profound lack of clarity about his future.

Among other things, he claimed he had been the “honorary” first member of One Direction (in fact, Horan was the first person chosen for the group by judge Nicole Scherzinger on The X Factor in 2010); he criticised former bandmate Zayn Malik’s family life; he told a story about threatening to remove the hands of an unnamed bandmate who once “threw me up a wall”; and he insisted his solo debut single, Strip That Down, had outsold the first solo songs by all his other former bandmates. This was also untrue: both Harry Styles and Malik had far more successful debuts.

The internet, such is its wont, reacted with great mirth. Payne was a bitter washout, a cringe-worthy loser and music’s David Brent, it was decided. The fact he was a self-professed addict, who was admirably candid about spells in rehab and had discussed, only months before, his past experiences of suicidal ideation, was deemed immaterial. 

So too was he ignored when he went on to apologise and disavow his comments on Paul’s podcast: social media had enjoyed its meal and was busy, off looking for another victim. It has never liked the taste of humility, anyway.

“A lot of what I just said came from the wrong place. I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards, I decided to look outwards at everybody else,” Payne said of that interview. It had, he added, been a “scramble to stay relevant” that backfired.

“It came across really big-headed, huh? It was hard for me to watch back. I think in those moments when you make these videos, you don’t realise the impact that your words might have on other people.” 

Afterwards, he spent 100 days in a Louisiana rehab, returning to tell fans he “needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I became somebody I didn’t really recognise any more. I’m sure you guys didn’t either.” 

Payne was never anything other than brutally honest. Many modern pop stars, especially those who’ve been media trained since they were teenagers, bare only as much of their soul as is useful to hawk whatever it is they’re promoting. Part of the PR trick is to create an illusion of intimacy and candour.

Payne had no truck with that. To his occasional detriment, he loved to think out loud. When I interviewed him for the Telegraph Magazine in 2017, I found a man who was not only extraordinarily affable and generous to all he came across, but one who was also practically floating with a newfound lightness of being. He was no longer in One Direction, he was a new father, he’d settled down, and he felt fantastic. 

“When I left the band, I felt a bit stranded,” he said. “It took time, but I know as an artist I am starting fresh now.” Then he slapped a boardroom table in his management’s offices with ecstatic melodrama. “This is Moment One. It’s the start line.”

He was 24, and it had been a year since One Direction had commenced an indefinite hiatus. Since that breakup, in 2016, the varying fortunes of the dispersed members – Horan, Payne, Styles, Tomlinson, plus Malik, who had left a year earlier – have become a study in how to safely evacuate boy band superstardom. Payne struggled the most.

He was born and raised in Wolverhampton, and spoke with a Midlands lilt that was always gloriously thick, and tended to return, despite occasional forays into something more Transatlantic (in that Oscars reaction clip, his accent travels around the world several times in two minutes) as he grew up.

His mother, Karen, was a nursery nurse and his father, Geoff, was a fitter. With his two older sisters in a small semi, they were a close-knit family who did a lot of watching television. Payne’s place was on the floor, with the dog. “Have you seen the Royle Family? Anthony, that was me. That was my nickname,” he said. “We didn’t have much. Dad was in debt, but they did the best they could. It makes you dream a bit, you know?”

His father, a great fan of swing music, always believed his son could be a star, so encouraged any and all ambition. He first applied to The X Factor in 2008 with Fly Me To The Moon, getting as far as the “judge’s houses” before Simon Cowell told him to come back in two years and try again. 

On the day of that first audition, when a 14-year-old Payne performed in a waistcoat and from behind a curtain of brown fringe, he winked at Cheryl Tweedy, then Cole, who was a judge. She was a decade his senior, but they’d later fall in love and have a son. Bear is now seven. “It’s a ridiculous place to be in,” he said of being in a relationship with his teenage pin-up, when we met. “She’s even more amazing than I thought.”

Payne followed Cowell’s advice and returned in 2010, that time performing another of his dad’s favourite standards, Cry Me A River. Soon he found himself sewn into One Direction with four other fresh-faced boys, all of whom offered something slightly different. 

Malik was brooding and aloof; Styles was cool and flamboyant; Horan was charming and relaxed; Tomlinson was energetic. Payne, always “a bit of an older soul” and ribbed for being fogeyish, was The Responsible One. Fans called him “Daddy Directioner”. 

The band finished third on The X Factor, yet instantly signed to Cowell’s Syco Records, and became comfortably the most successful act in the show’s history, selling more than 20 million records, becoming the first band ever to have their first four albums go to number one in the US, repeatedly touring the world and earning a staggering amount of money.

He and Tomlinson, arguably the members of the band with the least devoted followings as individuals, did a lot of behind-the-scenes work, writing and producing the majority of the songs, dealing with the label, making sure people turned up on time. “I was thinking business end, he was thinking creative end. That’s how we found our feet.” 

He was always caring to fans, too. In 2013, on tour in Australia, Payne tweeted a message to warn girls waiting outside the band’s hotel of snakes living in the surrounding fields. “It’s just not worth it someone’s gunna get hurt [sic],” he pleaded. 

Those days and hours stuck inside hotels, under siege from fans who would have torn the band’s clothes off if they got even a sniff of them out in public, were as claustrophobic as they sound. “It sent me a bit AWOL at one point, if I’m honest. I can remember when there were 10,000 people outside our hotel. We couldn’t go anywhere. It was just gig to hotel, gig to hotel. And you couldn’t sleep, because they’d still be outside,” he said. 

“People were speaking to me about mental health in music the other day, and that’s a big issue. Sometimes you just need some sun, or a walk.” Out of boredom, more than anything else, the minibar became a source of solace. 

As a child, Payne was diagnosed with a scarred kidney, meaning he didn’t taste alcohol until he was given the all-clear in 2012, aged 19. Tell a teenage millionaire they can now safely drink, and they’ll go for it. The “floodgates opened” that year, he confessed.

“I wasn’t happy. I went through a real drinking stage, and sometimes you take things too far. Everyone’s been that guy at the party where you’re the only one having fun, and there were points when that was me. I got to 13 stone, just eating crap. I got fat jibes, and it affects your head. I have nothing to hide about it…”

In that interview, in 2017, when he was living in a mansion in Surrey with Cheryl and Bear, he claimed he had it “out of my system” – but struggles with addiction, to both alcohol and drugs, and mental health problems persisted. 

“There was a point in the band when you play the character. I was tired of my character. It was too much. I was just very loud and bubbly, there were a lot of personalities to catch up with. It was trying to be ‘eyyy’ the rowdy lad. I spent a lot of time drinking,” he said.

Despite attempts to tackle it, he was typically honest in appraising his efforts. “I don’t know if I’ve even hit rock bottom yet. It feels like I can either pick my last moment as my rock bottom, or make a whole new low. That’s my choice,” he told Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO in 2021. 

When One Direction scattered, it was obvious what genres of music all the other members would gravitate towards as solo artists. Styles would make rock-pop and become a fashion plate, superstar and monster success; Horan would do sing-a-longs with his acoustic guitar; Tomlinson would go down an indie route; Malik would make smooth R&B. 

Payne was the odd one out. He liked both swing and rap. He had a pipe-and-slippers vibe and yet also added a new tattoo or supercar every other week. In the end, his debut single, Strip That Down, was an R&B-inflected club hit co-written with Ed Sheeran chock-full of hoary by-the-way-I’m-an-adult-now signposts, as well as references to the band. (‘You know I used to be in 1D, now I’m out, free / people want me for one thing, that’s not me’.) 

And it was indeed huge. But that, really, is where it stopped. The eventual album, LP1, followed in 2019 and contained a varied collection of singles and filler that gained weak reviews. It would be Payne’s only solo studio album. With a net worth of £47 million and homes all over the world, motivation was possibly hard to come by.

In our conversation in 2017, he was desperate to emphasise how happy he was outside of the band and yet, tellingly, also couldn’t wait for them all to get back together. “I can’t wait for us to do a comeback gig at some point… four solo artists and then a band at the end,” he said, wistfully. “We were just on the edge of becoming a really great band.” 

More than any of the others, he couldn’t help but look back, and often. After 2016, he certainly gave the impression of a man released, but also one who was unsure quite where to go next. That all his bandmates seemed so certain of their futures must have made it even harder to believe in himself.

Payne’s final years were troubled and unproductive. He and Tweedy split long ago, but remained amiable. After an on-again, off-again relationship, he became engaged to model Maya Henry, but they finally split in 2022. 

Henry later wrote a novel about a young woman in a relationship with a tattooed pop star who drifts from his clean cut image into something darker and more controlling. Just a week ago she issued Payne with a cease-and-desist order after accusing him of bombarding her with messages. 

Through it all, he always remained unfailingly generous with his fans, even when he was acting erratically and clearly struggling with addiction. All his many eccentric updates and appearances – not to mention his distinct lack of new music – made him a figure of fun to the internet, but now look like a cry for help that largely went unanswered.

At 31, he had enough time, talent and potential to start again. As is always the case, fingers will now be pointed this way and that. Katie Waissel, a friend and a former X Factor contestant, has warned Simon Cowell that if he issues “a statement on the heart-wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’ll be sure it all comes out.” 

Social media will have other ideas. Fans, in their grief, will just want answers. Tragically, though, all that help and sincerity has come far too late for the responsible one who grew sick of playing a character. We will now never know what Payne planned to do next.

“I feel great about what’s going on in life,” he told me, reflecting on finally feeling settled, seven long years ago. He was looking forward to caring for “generations of family”, starting with Bear. 

“I’m extremely lucky. I feel like I’m in a comatose dream. I’m like, ‘when did I last bump my head?’ because I can’t believe this…”

Trans teachers must be allowed to use the same showers and lavatories as female colleagues, schools have been told.

Training from the National Governance Association (NGA) tells governors that staff should be given access to the bathroom “available to other members of their newly acquired gender”.

The advice, seen by The Telegraph, goes on to suggest that requiring transgender people to use a disabled toilet instead of making reasonable adjustments “is not lawful or good practice”.

It reads: “Employees who have undergone gender reassignment or who are transgender must be supported to use all toilets and shower facilities which are available to other members of their newly acquired gender.

“Requiring transgendered people to use disabled toilet facilities instead of making reasonable adjustments is not lawful or good practice.”

The NGA is the national membership association for governors, trustees, and governance professionals in England’s state schools and trusts.

More than 80,000 members across 70 per cent of schools and trusts in England access its services, which include advice, training and events.

‘Shocked at this content’

A chair of governors at a secondary academy told The Telegraph: “I decided to take the NGA equality and diversity training today to keep myself up to date.

“I’m shocked at this content that’s part of the slide deck.”

Maya Forstater, the CEO of Sex Matters, a human-rights charity, said the training was “grossly irresponsible” and “deeply disturbing”.

She said: “Nowhere in the Equality Act does it say that men who identify as women have the right to access female toilets, so this is a shocking misrepresentation by the NGA.

“Employers are required by law to provide single-sex toilets unless they are fully enclosed unisex rooms. It is grossly irresponsible for the NGA to tell school governors and trustees otherwise.

“The Equality Act protects transgender people so that they can’t be harassed or discriminated against, such as being denied employment or housing. It doesn’t give them an all-access pass to opposite-sex facilities.

“It is deeply disturbing that school governors are being misinformed by the NGA in a way that breaches the rights of teachers and other staff to basic privacy and dignity.”

In June, the now Education Secretary said trans women with penises could use women’s lavatories under Labour’s plans to make gender change easier.

Bridget Phillipson said that a trans woman who had a gender recognition certificate (GRC) “would be using female toilets” if they had not had reassignment surgery.

To obtain a GRC trans people have to receive sign-off by a panel of doctors and lawyers and provide two years of evidence that they have been living in their new gender.

Labour has said it is planning to “simplify” the process, which it has branded “degrading and torturous” for trans people, by downgrading both requirements.

The party has said it would keep the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria but that this could now be provided by a single clinician.

It would also downgrade the requirement for evidence of a two-year “reflection” period, which could mean a medical diagnosis is all that is needed for a certificate

During the general election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer said transgender women did not have a right to access female-only spaces.

A spokesman for the NGA said: “Our Equality and Diversity: The Equality Act and the Employer module is specifically focused on workplace practices and adult employees’ rights under the Equality Act 2010.

“The guidance provided, including the section on transgender staff using facilities, refers exclusively to adult employees in their workplace. 

“This training material is designed to help those who govern understand their legal obligations in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 supporting all employees, including those who are transgender, in the workplace setting.”

The wife of a Conservative Party councillor has been jailed for two and half years after posting a tweet stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers on the day of the Southport attacks.

Lucy Connolly, the wife of Raymond Connolly, a West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor, was sentenced to 31 months imprisonment at Birmingham crown court on Thursday.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Connolly wrote: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f—ing hotels full of the b——s for all I care, while you’re at it take the treacherous government politicians with them.”

She had previously pleaded guilty to one count of inciting racial hatred and was remanded in custody.

Connolly, who was a childminder at the time of the social media post, resigned her registration with Ofsted, the regulator, following her arrest.

She made the comments on July 29, the day on which three children were stabbed to death during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town.

The court heard how Connolly, 41, told someone on WhatsApp that she would “play the mental health card” if she was arrested. She sent another WhatsApp message on Aug 5 joking that the incendiary post to her 10,000 followers had “bitten me on the arse, lol.”

Naeem Valli, who opened the case for the prosecution, described how Connolly also sent a message saying she intended to work her notice period as a childminder “on the sly” despite being de-registered.

Mr Valli added: “She then goes on to say that if she were to get arrested she would play the mental health card.”

Connolly, who has no previous convictions, also sent another tweet commenting on a sword attack, which read: “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.”

Another post sent by Connolly – commenting on a video posted by Tommy Robinson on X – read “Somalian I guess” and was accompanied by a vomiting emoji.

Connolly appeared before the court via a video link to HMP Peterborough while her husband watched proceedings from the public gallery.

‘Didn’t expect violence that followed’

Liam Muir, defending, said in mitigation that Connolly had lost a child in horrific circumstances and was distinguished from other offenders using social media in that she had sent the tweet at the heart of the case before any violence against asylum seekers had started.

Mr Muir said: “The horrendous way in which she lost her son, being turned away from the health service, can only have a drastic detrimental effect on someone.

“Whatever her intention was in posting the offending tweet, it was short-lived, and she didn’t expect the violence that followed and she quickly tried to quell it.”

Judge Melbourne Inman KC, the Recorder of Birmingham, said in sentencing: “Some people used that tragedy as an opportunity to sow division and hatred, often using social media, leading to a number of towns and cities being disfigured.”

‘Mindless violence’

After noting that Connolly’s post on X inciting attacks on hotels had been viewed 310,000 times, the judge added: “When you published those words, you were well aware how volatile the situation was. That volatility led to serious disorder where mindless violence was used.”

The judge added that Connolly – who remained calm on the prison video-link – had encouraged activity that threatened or endangered life.

Det Ch Supt Rich Tompkins, the head of crime and justice at Northamptonshire Police, said: “This week is Hate Crime Awareness Week and although it is the courts who are responsible for sentencing, I hope this case demonstrates that the police take reports of this nature seriously and that we will do everything we can to help our communities feel safe and protected from fear of violence.

“If you have been a victim of a hate crime, please contact us so we can investigate it. No-one should be targeted for who they are.”

Mr Connolly declined to comment on the sentencing as he left Birmingham Crown Court.

Latest police figures reveal that 1,511 people have been arrested in connection with the riots, 960 of whom were charged.

On Aug 14, Julie Sweeney, 53, from Cheshire, was jailed for 15 months after writing in a local Facebook group that a mosque should be blown up.

Describing her as a “keyboard warrior”, Judge Steven Everett said “even people like you need to go to prison”.

Her husband David Sweeney, 76, called the sentence “well over the top” and said her outburst was caused by “an emotional breakdown”.

On Oct 8, Keith Edwards, 81, became the oldest person convicted in connection with the far-Right riots.

Edwards, from Nottingham, claims that he was arrested after standing on a protester’s leg to prevent him from getting away from police. He later admitted assault by beating and was spared jail with a 28-day suspended sentence.

His solicitor said Mr Edwards had “no involvement” in the pre-planned protest in Nottingham and was actually “assisting” the police by putting his foot on the leg of a man they were trying to arrest.

A father hired a sex worker for his 13-year-old son then said “don’t be a p—y” when he said he did not want to have sex, a court has heard.

The man – who cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity – booked two rooms at a hotel in Bromley, south-east London, and arranged for a pair of sex workers to attend, Croydon Crown Court heard. The boy told his father he did not want to have sex with a 26-year-old.

The father also offered a line of cocaine to his son – who replied: “I’m f—ing 13, that’s ridiculous.”

The man pleaded guilty to arranging for a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as offering to supply cocaine.

Martin Ingle, prosecuting, said the man took his son to dinner then told him he had “bought a brass [prostitute]”.

When his son told him he didn’t want that, the father blamed it on the boy’s mother being “overprotective” and told him “don’t be a p—y”. 

The father added that the sex workers were already in a taxi so it was too late to cancel, the court heard.

When the two women arrived the boy was taken to a separate room where a 26-year-old sex worker performed a sex act on him, the court heard.

In a police statement the boy said he did not want to do it and he was left feeling disgusted.

The father then paid the women £150 each and they left.

When the boy’s mother found out what had happened she drove her son to the police station and the father was later arrested, Mr Ingle said.

The defendant appeared in court but chose not to be represented by a barrister. He said: “I can’t have this hanging over my head, I just need it over with.”

Tony Hyams-Parish, the judge, warned him the offence has a starting point of five years and that he faces “significant” prison time.

The case was adjourned for sentencing at a later date.

Landlords look set to be exempt from Rachel Reeves’s capital gains tax (CGT) raid after Telegraph Money campaigned for Labour to end its war on property investors. 

In a victory for this newspaper, second homeowners and buy-to-let investors will be spared any rises to the levy which instead will target shares and other assets. 

It comes after months of uncertainty over how the Chancellor would raise billions in taxes at the Budget, leading to fears landlords would be hit with higher CGT bills.

Reports previously suggested the tax could be increased in line with income levies which could have forced higher-earning property investors to hand over as much as 45pc of their profits on homes to the taxman. 

However, sources told The Times on Wednesday night that a rise in CGT would apply only to the sales of shares and other assets while second homes will be exempt.

It means the CGT rate paid by these homeowners will remain untouched at 24pc for higher-rate taxpayers.

Reeves is instead poised to raise the current 20pc rate levied on the sale of shares and could target other assets, while some reliefs in the current system are also expected to be axed. 

The move is expected to raise an amount in the “low billions”, a government source told the newspaper. 

When the last government cut the rate on second homes from 28pc to 24pc in its final budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility said that doing so would in fact raise almost £700m because the number of property transactions would increase. 

Revenues from capital gains tax can fluctuate widely because changes in the behaviour of a very small number of people can have a large impact. 

Just 12,000 people pay two thirds of the £15bn a year raised from capital gains tax.

HMRC has estimated that increasing capital gains tax by 10 points would reduce Treasury revenues. 

“Very large tax rate rises can reduce exchequer yield due to taxpayer behavioural impacts,” it said.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said that any increases in capital gains tax should be accompanied by reforms to the system, such as by charging the levy on assets after people die.

Just 12,000 people pay two-thirds of the £15bn a year raised from capital gains tax.

The Telegraph has heard from dozens of buy-to-let investors planning to quit the property market altogether amid the threat of a tax raid and reams of new regulations under the Labour government.

There are signs an exodus of landlords has already begun, increasing demand for housing and driving up rents for tenants. Rightmove figures show that 18pc of homes currently on the market are former rental properties, compared with just 8pc in 2010.

A Conservative spokesman told The Telegraph: “The truth is that during the election we repeatedly warned that Labour’s sums didn’t add up and that they were planning to raise taxes.

“The real scandal is that despite planning these tax rises all along, they didn’t have the courage to front up to it to the public during the election campaign.”

More than half of all capital gains relates to the sale of shares, while just 12pc is from the sale of property.

Last month Lord Wolfson, the chief executive of Next, sold £29m of his shares in the homewares giant, leading City analysts to speculate that the sell-offs were an attempt to sell them before any raid. 

Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has signalled that the Government will increase capital gains tax but rejected reports it could rise to as much as 39pc.

He said that the suggestions of such a big rise were “wide of the mark”.

It comes as Ms Reeves prepares to launch the biggest Budget tax raid in history in her maiden Budget later this month. 

It will involve as much as £35bn of tax rises – the most on record in cash terms – as she protects her commitment to ending “austerity” and attempts to ensure departments avoid real-terms cuts in spending.

There is also speculation that the budget will include the first increase in fuel duty for 13 years. 

Ministers have also refused to rule out raising employers national insurance in a move that is set to raise significant sums. 

Critics claim raising employer NICs would breach the spirit of Labour’s manifesto- which pledged not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT. 

This article contains images showing injured animals. 

A scandal-hit zoo where a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger is embroiled in further controversy after images revealed the scale of alleged animal abuse. 

South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, is accused of failing to prevent avoidable animal deaths, neglecting animal welfare and breeding a hostile working environment.

The zoo’s past has been marked by a litany of safety issues, including the death of Sarah McClay, 24, who was attacked by a tiger; the escape of a white rhino that was later shot; and the deaths of 30 lemurs in a fire.

Former staff handed the BBC graphic photographs taken between 2017 and 2019 showing dead and injured animals.

One picture shows a zebra with its hoof stuck in the bars of a pen, with former employees claiming management ignored concerns that the animal was stressed from being kept indoors. The zebra was later put down. 

Other images display a capybara covered in cuts from fighting and a giraffe with a bloodied head after it threw itself against the bar of its enclosure. 

The zoo’s management denied “each and every allegation” and cited a history of positive independent inspections.

However, one former employee said that “fighting” and “inbreeding” had become commonplace because “animals were housed in inappropriate social groups”. She added that she had witnessed severe injuries and deaths that “could have been avoided”.

Another employee claimed: “A peacock flew into the giant otter enclosure and the two giant otters ripped its head off in front of a school group.”

The Captive Animals’ Protection Society called on the local council to revoke the South Lakes’ licence in 2017 after reports of nearly 500 animal deaths between 2013 and 2016.

The RSPCA also launched an investigation before David Gill, the zoo’s owner, was refused a licence, prompting the Cumbria Zoo Company Limited to take charge and promise widespread improvements.

“Nothing changed under this new management and animals suffered greatly,” a former employee said, adding: “I saw staff in tears, I saw staff leaving regularly.”

Another former staff member said: “Staff were broken at times, completely broken.

“There was shouting at people and belittling people. The morning meeting turned into isolating and humiliating people.”

Cumbria Zoo Company told the BBC that it “wholly denied and disputed” claims that it had ever “engaged in any practices which has led to the death, injury or poor treatment of animals”.

The company said: “We do not accept that there is a ‘bullying culture’ or that staff are overworked.

“We take any allegations of bullying extremely seriously, and when they are made they need to be fully investigated and dealt with.”

Karen Brewer, the company’s new chief executive, told the BBC: “The zoo is subject to regular inspections by local authority inspectors and if there were issues of the sorts described, they would have been addressed by the inspectors.

“We keep comprehensive records of all animal injuries. As a licensed zoo, animal welfare is our prime concern and we dispute these allegations.

“We find these claims to be outrageous and have no substance in fact. Our veterinary team are internationally recognised and unrivalled in their field.”

Westmorland and Furness Council conducted an unannounced inspection of the zoo in March and raised welfare concerns after finding a work experience student left unsupervised with dangerous animals.

Inspectors also found rhinos being kept indoors for more than 17 hours straight as “senior staff may be spread too thin”. They also said underinvestment could result in failure to manage animals properly, posing a “potential danger to animals, staff and the public”.

The council conducted a follow-up visit in June and reported that 26 of 28 improvement directions were being complied with.

In May 2013, zookeeper McClay was killed after a tiger escaped through an open door into the corridor where she was working, dragging her by the neck back into its enclosure. 

South Lakes has been approached for comment.

The Duke of Sussex has been filmed showing off his impressive surfing prowess.

Footage of Prince Harry, 40, catching a wave at a California surf school was published on social media by professional surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer.

It shows the Duke, wearing a long sleeved top and purple shorts, expertly navigating a wave as Mr Van Bastolaer shouts out instructions.

“In Tahiti we still call you Prince Harry but at surf ranch, we call you brother,” he wrote in the caption. “It was an honour to have you surf with me.”

The clip was filmed at a “surf ranch” in Lemoore, California, owned by surfing star Kelly Slater.

It starts with the Duke riding alongside Mr Van Bastolaer’s jet ski before he pulls away as a wave emerges.

Mr Van Bastolaer shouts “get up, get up!” before he gets to his knees and then stands up on his board. After carefully finding his balance, he then surfs the wave for around a minute before it petered out.

Mr Van Bastolaer can be heard shouting: “Yeah! keep going! yeah brother! Move your shoulders!” As the Duke veers away from the jet ski, he yells: “Come back to me! Come back, come back!”

The ranch, featuring a barrelling six-foot artificial wave that lasts for up to 2,300-feet is said to be the first of its kind.

It is the only one to hold World Surf League accreditation, meaning it is fit to stage elite level competitions.

The ranch promises to offer an “immersive surf lifestyle experience in the middle of farm fields in central California”, 100 metres from the coast.

The footage comes four years after it was claimed that the Duchess of Sussex had bought her husband surfing lessons for his 36th birthday, shortly after they had moved to the US and bought their home in Montecito.

In 2012, both Prince Harry and his brother, the Prince of Wales, were pictured bodyboarding on a beach in Cornwall.

Elizabeth II’s customised Land Rover is for sale for £80,000.

The green open-top 1978 Series III model was part of the “Royal Review” convoy of cars that were used for the late Queen’s public engagements.

It was last sold at auction 12 years ago to the late Anglo-German businessman Dean Kronsbein, but the asking price has now more than doubled.

The 4×4 was fitted with a customised “traffic light system” in 1979.

With a red, amber and green control dashboard, the Queen was able to tell the chauffeur how to drive with “stop”, “slow down” and “start” buttons.

A plexiglass screen and chrome handrail were also installed for her to hold onto while standing up and waving to the public.

The military-style vehicle, which was commissioned by the late Queen, was originally built for the Central Army Vehicle Depot in Ashchurch, Gloucs, before being modified to royal specifications.

Its tailgate was replaced by a pair of tub-height opening doors for easy entry and exit access from the back of the car.

It remained in military ownership until 2012, Mr Kronsbein bought it at auction for £28,000.

At the time, the 2,286cc petrol engine, manual gearbox vehicle had done just under 2,000 miles.

Mr Kronsbein entered a bidding war after his wife saw the sale advertised in Country Life magazine and spent thousands of pounds in the years that followed restoring the car.

Following his death in a yacht accident in July 2022, Mr Kronsbein’s collection of classic cars, including the Royal Land Rover, will be sold at Sotheby’s of London on Nov 1.

A spokesman said: “This is an extremely unique opportunity to acquire a Land Rover with a true Royal connection.

“It has now been fully restored, meaning it presents immaculately and is now ready to join its next home.”

North Korean troops appear to be training in Russia ahead of their deployment to fight against Ukraine.

Video footage posted online shows dozens of soldiers dressed in military uniforms, carrying backpacks and walking in line at what appears to be a Russian military base.

The Telegraph could not verify where the video was shot but Dara Massicot, a Russian expert, believes that it was taken at a base in the Eastern Military District in the Far East region.

Those filmed could be heard speaking with North Korean accents, a language expert told The Telegraph.

“There’s a million of them here, new reinforcements,” the person filming says in Russian, adding: “That’s it, we’ve been conquered.”

Around 1,500 North Korean troops have already arrived in Russia, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), with 12,000 expected to be deployed in total.

Seoul’s NIS said the first contingent of troops were special forces and they had been transported to Russia on a Russian navy ship between Oct 8 and 13.

Detailed satellite images

It also released detailed satellite images of what it said was Pyongyang’s first deployment to Russia, with the forces allegedly stationed in military bases across the Far East region.

The move would mark the first official deployment of foreign troops on behalf of either side since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Although mercenaries and foreign nationals have fought on both sides, no forces have been sent from any state or international alliance, such as Nato.

South Korea’s NIS said the soldiers had been issued Russian military uniforms, weapons, and fake IDs, and are expected to be deployed to fight Ukraine after they complete acclimatisation training.

“This seems to be an effort to disguise the fact that they are North Korean troops by making them appear as Russian soldiers,” the spy agency said.

In response, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s president, plans to hold a security meeting on Friday, urging the international community to respond with “all available means”.

Earlier this week, Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed that 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the war based on intelligence information, labelling Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, a “coalition of criminals”.

‘Sticking plaster’

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, added to the speculation on Thursday, saying that 11,000 North Korean soldiers were being prepared to fight in Ukraine.

The first 2,600 troops will be sent to Russia’s Kursk region by Nov 1, Mr Budonav claimed.

Neither Russia or North Korea have confirmed the claims, but Pyongyang has long been sending weapons, such as ballistic missiles, to Russia. The relationship has strengthened since a defence pact was signed during Putin’s visit to North Korea in June.

Whether the number of troops deployed is 10,000 or 12,000, it is low compared to the 30,000 or so Russian troops thought to be lost fighting Ukraine each month.

“The Russians are getting really what amounts to sticking plaster,” said Ian Garner, a historian and analyst of Russian culture.

“It is not going to swing the war in Russia’s favour and not the start of some sort of new axis of evil.”

North Korea has nothing to lose from helping Russia, said Mr Garner, but could gain in prestige, as well as possibly receiving financial benefit, and technological or nuclear expertise.

“North Korea is isolated already and China is currently not that bothered by support for Russia. However, if China does say no, it won’t happen,” he said.

“Russia has very little to offer North Korea compared to what China offers, so if Beijing puts the dampeners on the plan then those troops may never materialise at the front.”

Two paramedics ignored incorrect police advice and saved a man’s life after recognising that he was suffering the possible symptoms of Novichok, an inquiry has heard.

Charlie Rowley was given atropine to counter the effect of nerve agent poisoning by paramedic Benjamin Channon and his colleague Lee Martin, after they were called to his home by a friend.

The two paramedics identified his symptoms as likely to have been caused by the same type of nerve agent poison that had struck down Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, four months earlier.

Mr Channon and Mr Martin put on special personal protection equipment, including masks and gloves, and ignored two police officers who insisted that Mr Rowley was suffering from a drugs overdose.

Mr Channon said he questioned why they had discounted the possibility of nerve agent poisoning and recalled that they became “heated” in insisting it was a drugs overdose.

But remembering what they had learnt about the earlier Salisbury attack, the paramedics treated Mr Rowley and injected him with atropine.

Mr Rowley, who had moments earlier been exhibiting extremely unusual behaviour, such as “mooing” like a cow and salivating profusely, soon began to display some signs of improvement.

Mr Channon and his colleague had been called to Mr Rowley’s home in Amesbury several hours after his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess had collapsed into a coma when she inadvertently sprayed herself with Novichok she thought was a bottle of perfume he had given her.

The 44-year-old mother of three died eight days later from the same nerve agent used in the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter in March 2018.

Mr Channon told the inquiry into her death: “His [Rowley] behaviour was very different to anything we had ever seen. Most likely this we thought was very similar to what we’d learnt following the Salisbury incident following the exposure of the Skripals.

“Everything at this point was pointing to someone who was incapacitated from what we believed to be the potential of a nerve agent poisoning and we felt it was prudent to administer this medicine [atropine]”

Mr Channon had earlier discounted the possibility that Mr Rowley had taken an overdose of opiate drugs, such as heroin, as he was not displaying the right symptoms.

Despite finding syringes during a search of Mr Rowley’s flat, Mr Channon and Mr Martin continued with their working diagnosis that this was organophosphate or nerve agent poisoning.

Following emergency treatment at the scene, Mr Rowley was transferred to Salisbury District Hospital, where he later made a full recovery from the effects of Novichok poisoning.

He later told police that he had given the bottle of Nina Ricci perfume to Ms Sturgess as a present and that she had collapsed and begun foaming at the mouth just 15 minutes after spraying herself with it.

Mr Rowley recalled some of the liquid had spilt onto his skin when he had opened the bottle packaging and fitted a spray applicator.

The inquiry heard on Thursday from a senior ambulance commander who said there had been a “breakdown” of the joint emergency service principles when the police tried to “override” the ambulance crew.

Wayne Darch, the deputy director of South West Ambulance Service, told the inquiry that there had since been discussion at management level to make sure it did not happen again.

High-strength cannabis changes drug users’ DNA, researchers have found.

Researchers at King’s College London and the University of Exeter discovered high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, which could provide insight into the biological impact of using the drug.

It raises the prospect of developing a test that could identify cannabis users at risk of suffering psychosis as a result of taking the drug.

High-potency cannabis is defined as having tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 10 per cent or more. THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis and causes users to feel high, but it can also cause anxiety and paranoia in higher doses.

The amount of THC has been steadily increasing since the 1990s in the UK and US. In Colorado, where the drug is legal, it is possible to buy cannabis with 90 per cent THC.

Scientists have previously warned that some people who smoke strong cannabis may be at greater risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, but the extent of the risk is contested.

Teenagers are thought to be at particular risk of psychosis as the brain is developing during adolescence.

The researchers found high-potency cannabis alters DNA methylation, a mechanism that switches genes on and off. The drug particularly affected genes related to energy and immune system functions.

They discovered the effect of cannabis use on DNA was different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared with users who have never experienced psychosis.

This was true for participants who had used high-potency cannabis. However, people who had experienced psychosis had a different signature of alteration in their DNA.

This suggests there could be potential for DNA blood tests to help characterise those cannabis users at risk of developing psychosis to inform preventative approaches, they said.

‘Increasing prevalence of cannabis use’

Marta Di Forti, professor of drugs, genes and psychosis at King’s College London and senior author of the report, said: “With the increasing prevalence of cannabis use and more availability of high-potency cannabis, there is a pressing need to better understand its biological impact, particularly on mental health.

“Our study is the first to show high-potency cannabis leaves a unique signature on DNA related to mechanisms around the immune system and energy production.

“Future research needs to explore if the DNA signature for current cannabis use, and in particular the one of high-potency types, can help identify those users most at risk to develop psychosis, both in recreational and medicinal use settings.”

Dr Emma Dempster, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and the study’s first author, said: “This is the first study to show that frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct molecular mark on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function.

“Our findings provide important insights into how cannabis use may alter biological processes. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences, such as substance use, to impact gene activity.

“These epigenetic changes, shaped by lifestyle and exposures, offer a valuable perspective on how cannabis use may influence mental health through biological pathways.”

The Tourist, series two – ★★★★☆ 

Series one was the BBC’s most-watched drama of the year – and series two is just as much fun (and, actually, often funnier). After a car crash in Australia in series one, which gave him amnesia, Irishman Elliot (Jamie Dornan) went in search of his real identity, which turned out to be darker than predicted. In series two, set in Ireland this time, Elliot and Australian girlfriend Helen (Danielle Macdonald) remain on the hunt for answers. Read our The Tourist, series two review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Mr Bates vs the Post Office – ★★★★☆ 

A history-making drama that put the Post Office Horizon scandal at the top of the political agenda. We follow the true story of Alan Bates, an ex-sub-postmaster who, for years, refused to let the Post Office get away with insisting that its Horizon accounting system works, and that account irregularities must mean the staff who manage the system are thieves. Though never subtle, it’s undeniably powerful and finally redemptive. Read our Mr Bates vs the Post Office review

Watch it on: ITVX or Amazon Prime Video 

Gladiators – ★★★★☆ 

The BBC reboot a former, 30-year-old ITV hit, which, each episode, has four players (two male, two female) take on a series of challenges against the “Gladiators”, a group of elite athletes. Presented by Bradley and Barney Walsh, and with all the challenges we knew and loved, this is fun for all the family. Read our Gladiators review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Big Boys, series two – ★★★★★

A coming-of-age story about a shy boy who heads off to university after coming out as gay. Though grieving his father’s death, he’s supported by his lovely family and close university friends. Just as funny and charming as series one – though the level of sex talk means it’s not for the prudish. Read our Big Boys, series two review

Watch it on: channel4.com

True Detective: Night Country, series four – ★★★★★

The fourth season of this detective anthology series is spectacular, terrifying and unforgettable. Set in a town in Alaska, so far north it goes without any daylight for some of winter, we start with the disappearance of the eight men operating the Tsalal Research Station. Detectives Liz (an astonishing Jodie Foster) and Evangeline (Kali Reis) are on the case – but loathe each other. Read our True Detective: Night Country, series four review

Watch it on: Sky or Now 

Mr & Mrs Smith – ★★★★☆ 

An eight-part TV reboot of the classic Brangelina film which feels surprisingly fresh – it’s witty and thoughtful, instead of the dumb action thriller the original is. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play spies (initially, platonically; soon, romantically) disguised as a married couple, doing all the expected high-octane spy stuff – but also dealing with the mundane annoyances of married life. Read our Mr & Mrs Smith review

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video 

One Day – ★★★★☆ 

David Nicholls’s bestselling novel is once again adapted – this time, into a digestible, bingeable Netflix TV series. We revisit friends Emma and Dexter on the same date each year, starting from their time at Edinburgh University in 1988, and into their 20s and 30s. A sentimental, nostalgic romcom, with two stars (Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall) who get the central relationship spot on. Read our One Day review

Watch it on: Netflix 

Boarders – ★★★★☆ 

Five black south London teens are sent to an exclusive boarding school on scholarships (a PR stunt on the school’s behalf). With great performances, and razor-sharp comedic writing that constantly pokes fun at the hypocrisy of diversity and inclusion schemes, this six-parter is deliciously bingeable. Genuinely funny, while still making its point. Read our Boarders review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

The Jury: Murder Trial – ★★★★☆ 

In this TV experiment looking into how juries make their decisions, two juries are, separate from each other, presented with the same murder case (a real one, with only the names changed). We get fascinating insights into how juries actually reach their decision: not rigorously and purely factually, but by bringing their differing prejudices and life experiences to the courtroom. A terrifying indictment of the British justice system. Read our The Jury: Murder Trial review

Watch it on: channel4.com or Apple TV 

This Town – ★★★★☆ 

Set in 1981, we follow the separate stories of three working-class teen cousins: Dante, a would-be poet in Birmingham, who gets in with the wrong crowd; Bardon in Coventry, commandeered into helping his IRA dad raise funds for the cause; and Gregory in Belfast, doing his best to survive amidst the city’s violence. Smart writing and impressive lead performances. Read our This Town review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

Mammals – ★★★★★

Though Sir David Attenborough is about to turn 98, he’s only becoming more prolific – this documentary about nocturnal mammals is his third programme of 2024, and clearly he wishes to savour the world’s wonders while he can. The production, occurring in Zambia, Tanzania and Texas, was predictably breathtaking. Read our Mammals review

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video 

Fallout – ★★★★☆  

Christopher Nolan’s younger brother serves up this post-apocalyptic action-comedy set in the 50s in an alternative history US in which Eisenhower-era, postwar America is devastated by a nuclear conflagration. Wealthy human survivors live in underground bunkers. More than 200 years later, Lucy decides to leave her bunker to look for kidnapped father in the waste that was LA. With childish humour and OTT action, it’s pure fun – not what you’d expect for this adaptation of a video game about nuclear annihilation. Read our Fallout review

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video 

Blue Lights, series two – ★★★★★

The second series of this Belfast-set cop show is just as good as the first. The new boss at the Blackthorn Station rubs everyone up the wrong way, and a new kingpin on the Mount Eden Estate causes all sorts of new trouble. With astute writing and a standout cast, this is must-watch TV. Read our Blue Lights, series two review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

Feud: Capote vs the Swans – ★★★★★

Tom Hollander puts on a mesmerising, detailed performance as writer Truman Capote. He quarrels with the “Swans”, New York’s high society ladies, who invite him to liven up their ladies-who-lunch table, only to eject him when he spills their secrets in a gossipy short story.  Read our Feud: Capote vs the Swans review

Watch it on: Disney+

The Responder, series two – ★★★★★

Scouse cop Chris Carson lies to his estranged wife that he’s swapping the night shifts for a day job, when she tells him she’s moving to London with their daughter as he’s never around in the day to see her anyway. His efforts to secure this pretend new job draw him into a murky underworld. A career-best performance from Martin Freeman, and a superb writer and supporting cast make this series truly excellent. Read our The Responder, series two review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

The Gathering – ★★★★☆  

Set in Liverpool, this story of elite gymnast best friends Kelly and Jess starts with a teen beach rave which ends with one of them (we don’t yet know which) in critical condition after being pushed underwater. We then go back to a month beforehand to see how the girls’ friendship turned toxic, and lead to this potential murder. A gripping drama touching on class, drugs and sex, led by fantastic young newcomer Eva Morgan. Read our The Gathering review

Watch it on: channel4.com

99 – ★★★★★

Football manager Alex Ferguson and his 1999 treble-winning Manchester United squad – who racked up Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles in one season – give an extraordinary insight into how they did it, and how it all nearly fell apart. Informed, smart and featuring a huge number of critical interviewees, it’s a fascinating insight into the psychology of sport. Read our 99 review

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video 

Rebus – ★★★★☆ 

Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh detective Rebus gets yet another adaptation, with Rebus and his sidekick Siobhan off to solve another case. But this is a revival that’s more than welcome. The script is clever and always gripping; there’s a good dose of mordant comedy; and lead Richard Rankin has lashings of charisma. Read our Rebus review 

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

The Sympathizer – ★★★★★

Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, we follow a North Vietnamese double agent, known only as the Captain (an outstanding Hoa Xuande), deployed on an undercover mission in the USA after the fall of Saigon. Robert Downey Jr, playing several different roles, shines, there to show the Captain’s gradual indoctrination in American culture and politics. It’s complex and moving – and may change your perspective on the Vietnam War. Read our The Sympathizer review

Watch it on: Sky 

Eric – ★★★★☆

Set in grimy 1980s New York, this show sounds, on paper, bizarre. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Vincent, a puppeteer whose nine-year-old son goes missing on the way to school. Vincent responds by striking up a relationship with an imaginary monster, Eric. Cumberbatch gives a powerhouse performance as a father going off the rails, and the show is tonally assured, exploring grief in one moment, then having Vincent and Eric dance around in the street the next. Read our Eric review

Watch it on: Netflix 

D-Day: The Unheard Tapes – ★★★★★

This three-part documentary reanimates archival audio recordings from D-Day, by using young actors to lip sync the testimony the audio contains. With a skilful cast, and articulate historians filling in the background, it makes for a moving watch in the year of D-Day’s 80th anniversary. Read our D-Day: The Unheard Tapes review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

Hell Jumper – ★★★★★

This superb documentary tells the remarkable story of Chris Parry, a 28-year-old Cornish man with no military experience who went to help evacuate civilians living near the front line in Ukraine (with the film’s name taken from the nickname for those who risk everything to save civilians in this way). Tragically, Parry was killed a year after his arrival, found shot in a suspected murder by Wagner Group mercenaries. Read our Hell Jumper review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

The Decameron – ★★★★☆

Finally, a TV comedy that’s actually funny! Based on stories by 14th-century writer Boccaccio, it’s set in Florence in 1348, which is being ravaged by plague. A viscount offers his relatives, friends and prospective bride a ticket out: an extended stay at his country villa. Everything soon descends into madness, skulduggery and farce. Read our The Decameron review 

Watch it on: Netflix

Atomic People – ★★★★★

This unforgettable, vital documentary gathers the testimony of the ‘Hibakusha’ – the generation who survived the horror of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A harrowing watch from start to finish, it’s the most devastating documentary you will watch this year. Read our Atomic People review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer 

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour – ★★★★★

The cricketer’s horrific crash on the programme Top Gear in 2022 happened halfway through the filming of this second series of his TV show, in which he gets a bunch of youngsters from his hometown (Preston) into cricket. Flintoff discusses his physical and psychological trauma – and both his return to TV, and the TV he makes itself (this time, taking the boys on tour to India), are inspiring. Read our Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour review 

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Sherwood, series two – ★★★★★

The first instalment of this Nottinghamshire-set series was a hit – and the second doesn’t disappoint. While a businessman opens old wounds by trying to reopen a local coal mine, a wave of organised crime sweeps the area (inspired by that in the 90s which had Nottingham dubbed “Shottingham”). Its exceptional grasp of people and place sets it apart in a sea of other police procedurals. Read our Sherwood, series two review 

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime – ★★★★★

This superb French true crime drama eschews TV’s morbid obsession with female victims and instead gives them back their power. Telling the story of the dozens of women subjected to rape attacks near the river Sambre, the series plays out over six hours and looks at the case from several points of view, but centres on (and never forgets) local hairdresser Christine. Read our Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime review

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Colin from Accounts, series two – ★★★★★

The return of this Sydney-based sitcom is just as hilarious and affecting as its perfect first series. Scripted by and starring real-life couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall, medical student Ashley and bar owner Gordon have realised they can’t live without each other, and plot to get back the disabled pooch who brought them together in the first place (but who they gave away to a toxic, smug family when they thought their relationship was on the rocks). Read our Colin from Accounts, series two review 

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

Slow Horses, series four – ★★★★★

The excellent adaptation of Mick Herron’s novels is as wildly entertaining as ever, with a terrific cast and sizzling dialogue. We’re back with the ex-MI5 officers at Jackson Lamb’s (Gary Oldman) department, all banished from the main office for various disgraces. A bombing at a London shopping centre at Christmas has them all quickly pursuing a new case. Read our Slow Horses, series four review 

Watch it on: Apple TV

All Creatures Great and Small – ★★★★★

Channel 5’s revival of the 80s hit promises drama, comedy, and plenty of animals. The dynamic at the Yorkshire-based veterinary clinic shifts when James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) leaves to serve in the RAF. With World War Two underway, the Darrowby residents, including Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) and Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton) are eager to pitch in. Despite the changes this season, the show successfully maintains its calming sense of familiarity, making it the perfect comfort show. Read our All Creatures Great and Small review

Watch it on: Channel5.com

Britain’s Atomic Bomb Scandal ★★★★☆

The British veterans of the Christmas Island nuclear tests have spent the last seven decades waiting for compensation and an apology. In 50 minutes, Channel 4 explores the harrowing aftermath and tragedies from the race to create the nuclear bomb. Children born with disabilities and cancer five times the average are just a few issues concerning the Christmas Island guinea pigs. Read our Britain’s Atomic Bomb Scandal review

Watch it on: Channel4.com

Sweet Bobby ★★★★☆

Originally a podcast, Sweet Bobby tells the story of romance scam victim Kirat Assi. The Netflix documentary lays out how even the smartest of us can be fooled by mastery deception. To make an already wild story extraordinary, “sweet” Bobby did not ever ask Kirat for her money, only her love and time. While at times the manipulation from Bobby and the gullibility of Kirat can be nauseating, a killer revelation revealed at the start of the film will be enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Read our Sweet Bobby review

Watch it on: Netflix

Michael Mosley: Just One Thing ★★★★☆

The final series from the late Michael Mosley, who died earlier this year while on holiday in Greece. The TV doctor was known for his intermittent fasting diet, and other diet fads but this time around, he attempts to glamorise the ordinary: listening to music, reading poetry and gardening. Acting as a heart-warming tribute, the sprinkles of humour and silliness offer bittersweet relief. Read our Michael Mosley: Just One Thing review

Watch it on: iPlayer

Mr Loverman ★★★★☆

British acting royalty, Lennie James plays Barrington Walker, aka Mr Loverman. Walker has been married for 50 years, and is the father of two daughters but is hiding a secret: he is gay. His best friend Morris (Ariyon Bakare) is his true lover and despite him frequently promising to tell his wife, his confession never seems to materialise. A moving drama that explores homophobia in the Caribbean community, Mr Loverman beautifully explores love and longing in old age. Read our Mr Loverman review

Watch it on: iPlayer

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist ★★★★☆

In Fight Night, there was a danger in stuffing so many big names into the mix that it could become parodic. Fortunately for Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard, Taraji P/ Henson and Samuel L Jackson, the mini-series succeeds in embodying the funk and soul in 70s America. Set on the day of Mohammed Ali’s comeback fight in Atlanta City, chaos transcends when Chicken Man (Hart) lands himself in the middle of a monumental heist carried out by ruthless criminals. Read our Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist review

Watch it on: ITVX

Rivals ★★★★★

Jilly Cooper’s novel has certainly not been Disney-fied in this wild adaptation. Set around a fictional television station, in this world everyone commits adultery, smokes like a chimney and is stark-naked at least once. The casting is a success: David Tennant works with Alex Hassell, Aiden Turner and Victoria Smurfit to create a raunchy show filled with adult humour and excessive filthiness. Read our Rivals review  

Watch it on: Disney+

Bombing Brighton: The Plot to Kill Thatcher ★★★★☆

BBC Two offers a stripped-back exploration of how and why the IRA nearly succeeded in decapitating the UK government. The documentary includes interviews from both sides: the Irish Republicans and their intended victims, but also follows Jo Berry’s heart-wrenching pursuit to reconcile with the man who killed her father, Patrick Magee, who received eight life sentences for his part in the plot. Read our Bombing Brighton: The Plot to Kill Thatcher review

Watch it on: iPlayer

The Hardacres ★★★★★

If you’re a fan of All Creatures Great and Small, you’re in luck. Sharing the same production company, it’s easy to see why The Hardacres is a perfect comfort watch for a brisk autumn night. Based on the novels by CL Skelton, the period drama follows a working class family in a North Yorkshire fishing village who experience a rags-to-riches makeover after a successful business investment. Littered with handsome men, feisty women and dastardly employees, the series promises Downton Abbey with a twist. Read our The Hardacres review

Watch it on: Channel5.com

Labour’s tax raid on private schools will cost the Foreign Office an extra £1 million this year, the Government has admitted.

Catherine West, the minister for the Indo-Pacific, said that the department’s bill would shoot up as a result of the decision to charge VAT on fees.

It is likely to stem from increased compensation paid to diplomatic families who send their children to boarding school in the UK when they are posted abroad.

The Foreign Office currently spends about £14 million per year on placements for the children of staff who may be forced to travel at short notice or move somewhere unsafe, to provide stability for their education.

The department has now admitted that it expects its costs to rise significantly as a result of Labour’s decision to scrap the VAT exemption for private school fees.

In answer to a written question from Dame Harriett Baldwin, the former Tory minister, the Government said that it estimated that the increased cost to the Foreign Office could be about £1 million for 2024-25.

It is predicted that this will rise to an extra £2.5 million in 2025-26, with the department continuing to assess the longer-term financial impact.

This is “based on an assumption of how schools might apply the increase to parents and the impact on fees”.

The department did not specify why the change would lead to a rise in costs.

However, it would follow that an increase in fees for diplomats would need to be compensated, as allowances have risen with costs in recent years.

The Telegraph has approached the Foreign Office for comment.

The revelations will fuel concerns that Labour’s tax raid on private schools will only serve to increase the burden on the taxpayer, with critics fearing an exodus to the state sector.

The support for diplomatic and military families is provided through a fund called the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA), which can cover up to 90 per cent of boarding school fees.

It is currently capped at £9,080 a term for senior school pupils and £7,489 for younger pupils, with families paying the remaining 10 per cent.

This cost of those placements will now be eligible to increase by 20 per cent VAT under current plans.

There has been speculation that the Government could offer mitigations, such as an exemption from the tax rise, or choose to recalculate the CEA to ensure that families in receipt of the benefit are shielded from the VAT raid.

However, nothing has been confirmed, with Rachel Reeves still working on her Budget for Oct 30.

Currently, 4,210 pupils receive support through the scheme funded by the Ministry of Defence, while a further 514 are assisted by the Foreign Office.

Dame Harriett told The Telegraph: “Labour has now admitted that its education tax is going to cost the Foreign Office millions of pounds every year.

“In the midst of global danger and insecurity, raiding the Foreign Office budget to pay for ideological politics is unjustifiable.

“Not only is it untenable for Labour to avoid publishing a full impact assessment of their education tax, they must do what is right by those who serve our country overseas by exempting those supported by the Continuity Education Allowance.”

Just Stop Oil targeted the National Gallery on Friday, hours after a liquid ban was imposed following a string of activist attacks.

The new rules were introduced on Friday morning after several protests in which works by John Constable and Vincent van Gogh were targeted by Just Stop Oil (JSO), who threw orange paint and soup on them.

Updated guidelines state that “no liquids can be brought into the National Gallery, with the exception of baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines”.

But JSO activists still managed to gain access to the gallery and unfurled a banner in front of the Van Gogh Sunflower paintings on Friday.

The protesters demanded the release of two activists recently imprisoned for throwing soup on one of the paintings in 2022.

Last month’s sentencing of Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland sparked an immediate response from JSO, who threw soup over the same paintings hours later.

Since July 2022, the gallery’s collection has been targeted on five occasions. JSO activists vandalised Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Constable’s The Hay Wain, and Diego Velazquez’s Rokeby Venus.

Pro-Palestinian activists from the group Youth Demand also pasted over Pablo Picasso’s Motherhood in October in protest at the sale of arms to Israel.

‘Worse than airport security’ 

But, after two years of attacks, the gallery brought in tougher guidelines for visitors on Friday morning, which caused long queues outside the gallery and confusion amongst tourists.

Visitors were urged to only bring essential items and not to take large bags.

Some tourists were forced to queue for over an hour, with those unaware of the new rules having to empty full bottles of water out on the floor outside the gallery.

Visitors were guided through security scanners before four members of staff checked the bags of hundreds of visitors. Any liquids in bags were pointed towards disposal in a black bin.

One visitor, Nina, described the queues as “worse than airport” security.

She said: “They need to sort this out. It’s wrong. I’m a member but I may not be after this.”

Another tourist reported being in “agony” from the pain of standing in the queue with a back injury. A third quipped: “Just ban tomato soup.”

A spokeswoman for the National Gallery said: “We are sorry it is taking longer than usual to access the Gallery and we apologise for this inconvenience.

“We also apologise that visitors are, for the time being, not receiving the welcome we would very much like to extend to them, but we hope that they understand why it has been necessary for us to do this.”