Operatives of the Ec
A LOTTO winner has revealed that he plans to move into a campervan and live off-grid after his £333,000 win.
The overjoyed family man is planning a trip around Britain after hitting a double jackpot.
Petrolhead Adrian Platt from Rugby, Warwickshire, scooped a whopping £333,332 on the People’s Postcode Lottery.
The dad won a share of a £1 million pot along with four other neighbours after his area was picked out of the hat.
Each of the golden tickets was worth £166,666 but Adrian managed to double his money since he bought two.
Delighted Adrian said: “The dream does come true.
“I love classic cars. Maybe I could go around and say ‘that would be a nice project’ and do something with a classic car.
“The dream would be having a 1963 Split Screen Volkswagen camper van.
“I could spend a bit of time doing that up and driving round the UK with my wife and the grandchildren.
“We’d take in all the sites and villages in the UK.
“We can take our time and look round this beautiful country.”
He added that his wife Jacqueline “broke down” when he told her the good news and joked that they both needed a cuppa to calm down afterwards.
But it’s not just his dream trip he plans to spend on, with the generous soul also looking to share a bit of his joy around.
He went on: “I’ll sort my twin brother out and other family and friends that I haven’t seen for a while.
“Just to help people out.
“I like to share.”
It comes after another big winner revealed why his neighbours urged him to call 999 after he raked in a £100,000 jackpot.
ACCORDING to the official website, players sign up with their postcode and pay £12 per month.
They are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of the month.
Tickets play for prizes every day of the week – from Monday to Sunday, a ticket could win £1,000 each day in the Daily Prize.
Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 in Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.
People’s Postcode Lottery also offer a £3 Million Postcode Millions draw each month – and your ticket plays for a share of a £3 Million cash prize fund.
Winners are notified by email, SMS message, mail or phonecall depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.
Korean Drama or K-Drama has been growing in popularity over the last few years. As usual, regional television shows generally hit their peak within the country that it’s produced in. For instance, back in the 1960s and 1970s, K-Drama was consumed almost exclusively in Korea. Eventually, Korean-based projects made their way across the world following […]
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ONE of the Busted stars has announced a special gig 24 years after the band soared to fame.
The guitarist will be taking to the stage in Camden, London next month.
James Bourne, 41, was listed as a special guest at the Iglu & Hartly UK 2024 Shakedown.
Jarvis Anderson, from the American rock band, shared a poster for the event which pictured James performing.
“So stoked to announce my good friend James Bourne of the legendary Busted will be joining us on the stage at the legendary Camden Club London on October 12th!
“James and I have written some cool tines together and now we get to play together on stage!”
Fans rushed to the comment section to share their excitement.
“Huge!!!!!!!!” one wrote, while a second said: “Can’t wait, this’ll be epic”
James is responsible for massive noughties hits like Year 3000 and What I Go To School For alongside Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis.
He moved to New York after the band split in January 2005, five years after forming.
The boyband decided to go separate ways after Charlie decided to pursue other projects.
Fans were delighted in 2015 when they announced that they had re-formed.
They released their third studio album, Night Driver, on November 25, 2016.
The boys also headed back out on the road in Spring 2019.
But in 2023 Busted revealed they were reuniting AGAIN with another new album and tour, thrilling fans.
James has enjoyed a solo career of his own and formed a pop rock band called Son Of Dork.
They released their first single, Ticket Outta Loserville, in November 2005, which reached No3.
They followed this with their debut album, Welcome To Loserville, two weeks later.
Their second single Eddie’s Song hit a high of No10.
Although a split was never officially announced, Dave Williams, Chris Leonard and Steve Rushton all left to pursue other projects leaving James and Danny Hall the only members.
A reunion of sorts happened when James turned their debut album into Loserville: The Musical.
James also reunited with Matt and the band McFly to form supergroup, McBusted.
The boys enjoyed two successful sell-out tours and released their debut album in December 2014.
The self-titled album landed in the UK Top 10 and sold over 100,000 copies.
McBusted has been on hiatus since the original Busted trio reformed.
BUILDERS renovating a terraced house for BBC TV show Homes Under The Hammer made the next door neighbours’ lives a “misery” for six months.
Ian Gilbert and his housebound partner Rita Owen were woken up almost every day at 7.30am to the noise of a jackhammer, and he claims they were given no prior warning before the work got underway.
Rita, 84 – a cancer survivor who has other severe health problems – has now moved into a care home as full-time carer Ian, 70, can no longer cope, saying his own health problems were exacerbated by the ordeal.
He is currently awaiting open heart surgery. The next door house, in Crewe, Cheshire, was given a full renovation into a six-bedroom HMO after being sold at auction as part of the show.
Ian said the first he knew about the work was when he saw presenter and ex-footballer Dion Dublin outside doing a piece to camera segment for the programme in October last year.
Construction work began almost immediately and wasn’t completed until April.
Ian told the Sun: “They had no respect for us whatsoever and made our lives a misery for six months.
“They never came and told us anything that was going to happen, there was no communication.
“You’d think they’d have given us a fair bit of warning, but we had nothing at all. It’s shocking. They’ve gone now and that’s it, they’ve done their job. Move onto another one, I suppose.
“They’ve got a nice little programme to put together but don’t think of the consequences for other people.”
Referring to Rita, he continued: “My partner, who is now in a home, was very ill at the time, she was housebound… The noise was terrible.
“I used to go out for a couple of hours on a Monday afternoon for a pint with a mate for a couple of hours of respite.
“I’ve gone back home on the first Monday and she was in a hell of a state. They’ve used a jackhammer right the way along the living room wall. Frightened her to death.
“They didn’t know she was in. This jackhammer carried on for the full length of the term of the renovation, until the last day.”
Ian explained that the next door stairway is “right up against” his living room wall and as there was no carpet it sounded “like a herd of elephants” when the builders arrived each morning.
He said he checked on his local council’s website and such noisy work is only allowed from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, and from 8am-2pm on Saturday, with nothing on a Sunday.
Ian said: “They did make a lot of noise until I went out and said they shouldn’t be making any noise on a Sunday, so [the lead builder] said we’ll work but we won’t make any noise. I’ve heard that one before.”
Ian joked: “They had rubber hammers in the end.”
The episode was broadcast earlier this month.
Ian said: “It all looked very hunky dory, but no one’s concerned about how we went on.
“What about the poor people who had to put up with it all?”
Referring to Rita, he said: “She was very ill, lucky to still be with us.
“She had very bad heart problems. Before they started I had mild aortic stenosis.
“After all this I’ve gone to severe aortic stenosis because I’ve got worked up about it all. And I’ve got to have open heart surgery now.I’ve got to go see the cardiologist in a week.”
BY ALEX WEST
A MAN whose family home was “wrecked” by DIY SOS says the BBC’s offer of financial help won’t cover the damage.
Peter Chapman, 64, a full-time carer for his wife and daughter, says Nick Knowles and his crew caused £30,000 of destruction at his Gloucestershire home.
He says cock-ups included wall bars on the loo for wheelchair-using wife Sarah, 59, and daughter Suzanne, 39, coming off on the first day.
And part of the hallway collapsed at their Cheltenham home after the works, he adds.
Both incidents could have been “fatal”, Peter believes.
Following a three-and-a-half year row, Peter has now refused £15,000 in compensation from the BBC, claiming repairs would cost double.
He said: “I wish I’d never heard of DIY SOS. They’ve literally had me in tears. They just don’t want to know.
“I have been trying to get them to understand the impact their botched attempt at helping me and my family has had on me.
“We’ve been used and well and truly exploited. It was all done for effect.
“There were too many people doing too much, too quickly in appallingly wet conditions.”
Other issues include a leaking roof, which now has buckets catching water, cracks in the patio decking, making it unsafe for Sarah to use her wheelchair and a ramp that is too steep for her wheelchair.
The 64-year-old also blames the programme for laying a driveway that sank and had to be re-laid, cracks in some of the bungalow’s walls, a lack of insulation in two ceilings and installing a slippery hard floor in the lounge when he wanted to keep carpet.
A BBC spokesperson said: “DIY SOS is a heart-warming programme that brings communities together and helps improve the lives of those in need thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who give up their time to participate.
“As with all of our previous projects, the Charlton Kings build was planned and completed in accordance with the necessary required regulatory approvals and signed off onsite by building control.”
The corporation said that it sought impartial third party advice to assess the property when Mr Chapman declined its offers of help.
It claimed it offered him various solutions, though Mr Chapman denied this had been the case.
The BBC added that it was aware that Mr Chapman had made his own home improvements since it finished filming, which it had no involvement with.
It said it took its duty of care to its contributors very seriously, offered Mr Chapman support and returned personal items to him.
Read the full story here.
Rita had cancer 10 years ago and Ian became her full time carer after being made redundant from his job as a welder.
She has been housebound for 18 months.
Asked if he blamed the work or TV show for putting his partner in a home, Ian said: “I wouldn’t say it was down to it completely but I don’t think it’s done her any good.
“She’s sat here all day while this renovation has gone on.
“The heart problems caused her to have water retention in her legs and her legs would swell up terribly. She can’t use her legs again now.
“I couldn’t cope with it anymore, that’s why she’s gone into a home.”
Ian and Rita, who have been together 50 years, have lived at their house for 40 years.
A BBC spokesperson told the Sun: “The Lion TV crew visited the property just twice: once at the beginning, before any renovation work started, and once at the end, after the project was completed.
“The construction work at the property was conducted independently, with no involvement from Homes Under The Hammer beyond these two visits.”
We have also approached Lion TV, which produces the show, and the owner of the home next to Ian’s.
OVER 150 more women have accused the “monster” Mohammed Al Fayed of sexual assault, a lawyer for victims has revealed.
More than 20 women have already laid bare the abuse they suffered at the hands of Al Fayed, who died last year.
The former Harrods owner is accused of multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse.
Now Dean Armstrong KC has said he expects many more women to come forward with allegations against Al Fayed.
Armstrong told LBC: “We’re already signed up with 37. We have overnight, certainly in excess of 150 more.
“They have contacted us – we’re anticipating that it will be more than that.”
Armstrong slammed the alleged cover-up by Harrods bosses – saying the rot went beyond Al Fayed.
He said: “It was the facilities and resources of the body corporate that were being used to effectively enable this alleged behaviour.
“That is something which must be addressed very urgently. There was a systematic failure of corporate responsibility.”
Armstrong added: “That systematic failure is on the shoulders of Harrods.”
The lawyer also represents women employed by Al Fayed at the Ritz hotel in Paris.
Armstrong’s team is probing “all entities that Al Fayed had involvement in”.
That includes Fulham Football Club, which Al Fayed owned from 1997 until 2013.
Fulham said: “We are deeply troubled and concerned to learn of the disturbing reports following yesterday’s documentary.
“We have sincere empathy for the women who have shared their experiences.
“We are in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected.”
MOHAMED AL FAYED was best known as the owner of luxury department store Harrods and father of Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed.
The billionaire died in August 2023 at the age of 94, almost 26 years to the day after the passing of his son.
Heini Wathen married Mohamed Al-Fayed in 1985 and the couple went on to have four children together; Jasmine, Karim, Camilla and Omar.
Heini and Mohamed’s romance began after they were introduced by Mohamed’s son Dodi.
The couple are portrayed by Hanna Alström and Salim Daw in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown.
Before marrying Heini, Mohamed had been wed once before.
In 1954 he tied the knot with Saudi Arabian author Samira Khashoggi.
The pair split after two years but welcomed son Dodi together in 1955.
Dodi is Samira and Mohamed’s only child, but Mohamed went on to have four more kids with his second wife.
Prior to his death, Mohamed lived in a house near Oxted with his wife Heini.
The family estate in Surrey, named Barrow Green Court, is where both Mohamed and his son Dodi are buried.
His eldest son – Dodi – was killed alongside Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
Harrods sources said the firm has accepted “vicarious liability” for Al Fayed’s conduct.
It is understood that settlements have been reached with a number of victims since Al Fayed’s death in 2023.
Harrods previously said it was “utterly appalled” by the allegations of abuse.
The firm said it has set up a page on its website inviting former employees to come forward if they have allegations.
Yesterday Armstrong said: “This case combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
“Savile because in this case as in that the institution we say knew about the behaviour.
“Epstein, because there was a procurement system in place to source the women and girls for abuse. There are some very young victims.
“Weinstein because it was a person at the very top of the organisation who was abusing his power.”
Armstrong added: “We will say it plainly, Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster.”
By Ashley Armstrong, Business Editor
HARRODS has survived world wars, two bomb attacks and a fire — but now its fortunes may be tarnished forever.
There are concerns wealthy shoppers may not want to be seen with its distinctive green and gold bags after the posh store admitted it failed to protect staff from predator Mohamed Fayed.
Retail consultant Mary Portas told The Sun: “The rumours were rife and he was a horror. I hope the store isn’t affected but those who surrounded and suppressed this are held to account.”
Harrods has a problem drawing a line under its former owner as echoes of Fayed remain literally all over the shop.
His garish Egyptian escalator, commissioned in 1997, still dominates the Knightsbridge department store from ground to fifth floor.
Ex-Fayed lieutenant Michael Ward has been managing director since 2005 — five years before his boss sold out for £1.5billion to the Qatari Royal Family.
Despite his sincere apology to staff, it might be understandable the Qataris would want a change of face.
Accounts this month revealed the Qataris handed themselves a £180million dividend last year, despite a 35 per cent fall in profits to £111.5million on the back of pensions changes.
In a sign of its attractiveness, sales rose by 8.2 per cent to £1billion in the past year, while other luxury stores such as Harvey Nichols struggled.
Sandra Bullock is a mom of two Black children, a son and a daughter, whom she adopted in 2010 and 2015. Bullock has received praise from all quarters for the way she raises her two children, acknowledging their racial identity. However, it also meant that Bullock had to educate her children on how the world […]
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