'Burning planes or rockets' spotted flying near Heathrow and over Surrey - it was a publicity stunt

It looked like space junk burning up in the atmosphere, a wave of missiles heading towards London, or a 'f***ing plane or something on fire' - but the bizarre sight near Heathrow Airport was none of those. Some Londoners were left in confusion on Friday night (May 24) as a fiery air display over Thorpe Park, seen for miles around, was mistaken for a dusk assault on the capital. Rest assured, the planes weren't actually on fire.

It was just an airshow for the opening of Thorpe Park's new ride Hyperia, which the theme park says is the tallest and fastest in the UK. The ride, which opened on Friday, includes 995m of track, is 72m tall and has the tallest loop in Europe, and does a top speed of 80mph, according to the owners.

But as thousands of theme park fanatics descended on Chertsey, Surrey, to have a go on the new ride, not everyone was aware of the air-display put on to mark the opening night. UB1UB2, a neighbourhood news account for West London, shared a woman's video, and said: "Many Londoners spotted a rocket-like thing flying across the skies yesterday morning, any idea what it could be."

READ MORE: Paedophile London teacher calls sickening child sex abuse 'fun for all' and refuses to apologise

While the post said it was in the morning, it appeared to be at dusk. The clueless woman, driving down a nearby motorway, spotted the 'burning planes' and said: "Oh my f**king God, there's a f**king plane or something on fire... What the f**k. What in f**k's name is that? Holy sh*t f**k. What the f**k is that? What, in f**k's name, is that? Nah. Holy sh*t."

The comments, were, unsurprisingly, full of suggestions about drone defence, burnt up satellites, Russian missiles, and autobots. Fortunately, it was just Thorpe Park putting on a show for the new ride, which was apparent from a number of other videos of the show taken from inside the theme park and posted to social media at the same time.

Sadly for Thorpe Park, the buzz around Hyperia ended abruptly on Saturday as it announced the ride would be closed 'due to unforeseen circumstances' from Sunday until at least Wednesday (May 29).

"We apologise for the disappointment this will cause and we are working hard to reopen Hyperia as soon as possible, and will keep people updated via our website and social media," the theme park's statement added.

Got a story or a court case we should cover? Please email callum.cuddeford@reachplc.com or WhatsApp 07580255582

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Bank Holiday supermarkets, Westfield and major London attractions opening and closing hours

With the Bank Holiday coming up there are a number of changes to opening times for loads of supermarkets, shopping stores and public attractions.

The second Bank Holiday in May is a lovely day off for many of us despite the weather not looking too nice at the moment. Many stores have changed their times but it is not a blanket rule for many places, with individual stores having differing times.

Below, MyLondon has made note of many of the opening and closing times over the Bank Holiday for many popular supermarkets and London attractions so that you aren't caught short.

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Lidl recommend checking your local store hours but generally they will close early at 8pm on Monday (Image: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Supermarket opening times

Lidl

On Saturday and Sunday, Lidl stores will operate their normal hours. And then on Bank Holiday Monday, generally, Lidl stores will be open between 7am or 8am to 10pm.

Aldi

Aldi have said that their opening times are on Saturday 25 from 8am to 10pm, Sunday 26 from 10am to 4pm and then from 8am to 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday. They do say you should check your local stores' times yourself just because they may differ.

Sainsbury's

Stores tend to be open between 8am and 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday, however, those opening and closing times can differ from store to store though and can depend on size and location. The weekend hours are like normal

Tesco shoppers will have their stores open either at 6am or 7am and closing by 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday (Image: PA)

Tesco

Many of the large stores will operate with reduced hours on Monday, opening either at 6am or 7am and closing by 8pm. Again, the weekend hours are as normal.

Asda

Asda will run normal hours on May 25 and 26. On Bank holiday Monday, stores will be operating at reduced hours and close at 10pm.

Westfield

Both the Stratford and Shepherd's Bush Westfield will be open at normal times over the Bank Holiday weekend. On Saturday they are open 10am to 9pm, on Sunday from 12pm to 6pm and on Bank Holiday Monday from 10am to 9pm.

They do say that individual opening times for shops inside the store may differ.

The London Eye will be running normal hours over the Bank Holiday Weekend (Image: Getty)

London Eye

The London Eye is open from 10am to 8.30pm on both Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May. On Bank Holiday Monday the Eye is also open from 10am to 8.30pm.

London Dungeons

On Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday, the London Dungeons are open from 10am to 6pm as usual.

Tate Modern

The Tate Modern will not have any changes from normal opening times over the Bank Holiday. It is open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday.

Natural History Museum

If you want your chance to see all the wonders that the Natural History Museum has then you attend from 10am to 5.50pm over the whole weekend and Bank Holiday Monday. You should not that last entry to the museum is at 5.30pm.

The hugely popular Natural History Museum is open from 10am to 5.50pm. (Image: MyLondon / Darren Pepe)

Science Museum

Just round the corner from the Natural History Museum is the Science Museum which will be open from 10am to 6pm over the whole Bank Holiday. Last entry for this museum is 5.15pm

British Museum

The British Museum opens it doors daily at 10am and closes them at 5pm (apart from on Fridays when it closes at 5.30pm). This is the same for the whole Bank Holiday with last entry being at 4.45.

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Live: 2 people hit by trains between East Croydon and Purley and London King's Cross and Cambridge as major disruption expected ...

A person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley this evening as major disruption is expected for the rest of the night. The news was shared by Southern Rail on X (formerly Twitter).

They said: "We are very sorry to advise that a person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley. All lines are blocked between these stations, and trains are unable to travel on this part of our network. This incident will cause major disruption for the rest of the night."

National Rail shared in an update: "A person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley. Whilst the emergency services carry out their work, all lines between these stations are closed. Trains may be cancelled, delayed or revised."

They also said there was another incident of a person being hit by a train: "A person beng hit by a train between London Kings Cross / Moorgate and Peterborough / Cambridge. Whilst emergency services attend the incident, all lines are blocked. Trains running between these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised."

This is a breaking news story, follow our live updates below.

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Budget-friendly European holiday spot less than 3 hours from London where you can swim with dolphins

European city breaks can be quite costly when you factor in flights, hotels, food, and tourist attractions. However, there is one destination which has been named the most budget-friendly and it's less than three hours from London.

According to the annual Post Office City Costs Barometer, Lisbon is the most cost-effective city break in Europe. The Portuguese city works out cheapest based on a two-night weekend stay in a three-star hotel, including a visit to a museum, gallery, sightseeing bus tour, and public transport for the day.

What's more, just an hour's journey away are the biggest waves in the world - perfect for a day of surfing - and, you can even swim with dolphins, making it the perfect mixture of culture and beachy relaxation few city breaks have. Lisbon is also home to delicious cuisine and independent boutiques.

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Head to Portugal to find the most budget-friendly city break in the continent (Image: Getty Images)

The Post Office’s research found Lisbon was the cheapest of 35 of the most popular European city breaks. Food and drink costs factored in the price of a cup of coffee and a three-course meal.

In Lisbon, you'll spend, on average, just £39.01 and a gallery ticket price is £4.52. Alcohol is much cheaper in Portugal than in London, costing just £2.26 for a 330ml bottle of beer in a bar.

The city is well-known for traditional pastel de nata. Why not also head to Time Out Market where you can choose from 26 restaurants, eight bars, and fresh meat, fish, fruit and flowers?

Top rated attractions for Lisbon on TripAdvisor include the Alfama neighbourhood and Oceanário de Lisboa aquarium. Just an hour's drive from the city, you'll find the biggest surfing waves in the world in Nazaré.

The Nazare Tow Challenge sees surfers ride huge waves at Praia do Norte, or North Beach, in Nazare, Portugal (Image: AP)

The Tow Surfing Challenge, held on Praia do Norte or North Beach, has seen waves that are eight storeys tall entering Guinness World Records. Garrett McNamara, a 52-year-old Hawaiian, rode a wave measuring 23.77m (78ft) in 2011 that entered the record book.

Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa later broke the record after surfing a 24.38m (80ft) wave on the same beach in 2017. There are thousands of miles of stunning coastline to explore, and you can even swim with dolphins.

Operating from Lisbon, Albufeira, Cascais, or Portimão, you can go on a boat tour to see the animals up close. Choose between a half-day or a full-day tour with an on-board lunch and time to snorkel in the clear blue waters.

Whales and dolphins are often visible in Spain and Portugal (Image: Laszlo Szirtesi/Getty Images)

The top 10 European cities if you're on a budget in 2023

1. Lisbon, Portugal
2. Vilnius, Lithuania
3. Krakow, Poland
4. Athens, Greece
5. Riga, Latvia
6. Porto, Portugal
7. Zagreb, Croatia
8. Budapest, Hungary
9. Warsaw, Poland
10. Lille, France

Lisbon's old town is a fascinating place to explore (Image: Viola Lopes/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

How to get there

Hop on a flight with Ryanair or Wizz Air to Lisbon - it should take just under three hours. You can drive to Portugal but it'll take almost a whole day at 22 hours You can also book flights through Lastminute.com. See accommodation options on Booking.com and Hotels.com. You can book UK and European trains - including cheap Eurostar tickets - on Trainline.

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Pensioner, 79, dies in hospital days after attack at his Newham home

A pensioner has died in hospital days after he was attacked in his home in Newham. Franklin Agbotui, 79, was attacked on May 15 and left critically injured at his address in East London.

The police were called just after 3pm on Wednesday, May 15 by people concerned with Mr Agbotui's wellbeing. When they found him at the scene he was rushed the London Ambulance Service said that they dispatched an air ambulance to treat Mr Agbotui before he was taken to a major trauma centre.

Sadly, Mr Agbotui died in hospital. Philip Fracezek, 20, was arrested soon after and on Friday, May 17, was charged with attempted murder at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court. He will appear at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey) on Friday, June 14 and the Crown Prosecution Service will work with police to amend the charge to murder, given he was charged before the victim died.

READ MORE: Teenager stabbed in Streatham Common playground rushed to hospital was left fighting for life as attacker on loose

Philip Fracezek first appeared at Barkingside Magistrates' Court (Image: Google)

A police spokesperson previously said: "Police were called at 3.08pm on Wednesday, May 15 to concerns for the safety of the occupant of a residential address on Plaistow Road, E15. Officers and London Ambulance Service [LAS] attended.

"At the scene a man, aged 79, was found injured. He was taken to an East London hospital where his condition is critical."

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Brent school to close for 5 more days of strikes over 'draconian' order for it to become an academy

A North London primary school is set to close for a further five days over the next two weeks after staff agreed to take strike action against government plans to turn it into an academy. The decision came after the school was rated ‘inadequate’ by the education watchdog, but staff, parents, and local politicians are fighting against what they feel is a ‘draconian’ measure.

A recent Ofsted report highlighted a ‘marked deterioration’ at Byron Court in Wembley after its rating plummeted from ‘outstanding’ in 2012 to ‘inadequate’ following inspections on November 28 and 29 last year. This triggered an automatic response from the Department for Education (DfE), with the school forced to come under the control of an academy, Harris Trust, to address the issues.

After a number of protests staged outside the school - attended by staff, parents, pupils, and politicians - those staff who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) have now opted to strike in an effort to halt the process, which could be implemented as early as September of this year.

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Byron Court Primary School was rated 'inadequate' following an Ofsted inspection last year (Image: Google Maps)

Having already picketed outside the school last week, (May 17), the union has announced a further five days of strikes - meaning the school will be forced to close on those days. The strikes will take place tomorrow (May 21) and Wednesday (May 22), as well as from June 4 to June 6.

A statement from the NEU called the Ofsted inspection ‘intimidating’ and claimed staff had been left ‘fearing for their mental health and their futures’. It added: “Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community throughout the pandemic and face uncertainty in their jobs, pay and conditions as they face a takeover by the hostile Harris multi-academy trust.”

Brent Secretary at the NEU, Jenny Cooper, said: “We will not be stopping this fight any time soon as there is too much at stake here and we know we have the support of the community. Gillian Keegan (MP and Secretary of State for Education) knows what she can do: commission a reinspection and pause the academy order; this could resolve our dispute.”

If the DfE order goes ahead, the school will come under control of Harris Multi-Academy Trust (Image: Guillermo Lloret Farina)

The strike action is likely to cause significant disruption to pupils and parents, especially as it coincides with SAT exams for those in Year 6. The NEU have noted that it is aimed specifically at the DfE and not Brent Council - which has publicly backed calls for the academisation process to stop and the school to be reinspected after it put ‘extensive support’ in place to ensure the issues had been addressed.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl, called the DfE decision ‘draconian’ and has written to the department and the Secretary of State to oppose the plan. This is a noteworthy intervention as the council is forced to comply with, and facilitate, the order. Addressing a recent Cabinet meeting (April 8), Cllr Grahl even said herself that the council ‘cannot oppose or even delay’ the process.

Cllr Grahl told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Allowing the school longer to effect improvements and giving Byron Court the opportunity for re-inspection prior to proceeding with academisation proposals is likely to resolve the current industrial dispute and provide reassurance to families and school staff during a tumultuous period for all.

Brent Council's Cabinet Member for Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl, called the measures 'draconian'

She added: “Byron Court is a much-loved community school and academisation remains deeply unpopular among families and staff. The local authority has quickly put extensive recourse to forced academisation. [...] It is clear that legislation surrounding forced academisation is disenfranchising communities and removing the valuable oversight of local authorities.”

All parties are continuing to lobby Ms Keegan to get the academy order revoked, whilst Cllr Grahl has requested a meeting with the Minister for the School System and Student Finance, Baroness Diana Barran, to discuss the situation further. According to the DfE, 7 out of 10 schools which became academies due to underperformance in inspections while they were local authority-maintained now have a 'good' or 'outstanding' Ofsted rating.

A spokesperson told the LDRS: "Strike action is damaging to pupils' learning and disruptive for parents. Children’s education has always been our priority and they should be in classrooms where they belong."

They added: "As with any school that receives an overall judgement of inadequate, Byron Court Primary School will become an academy and be transferred to a strong trust - with a strong track record of ensuring pupils receive the highest standard of education."

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London pubs up for sale that are cheaper than buying a house

Properties in London went for an overall average price of £771,04 last year according to Rightmove, all these pubs are cheaper

If you are saving up to buy a house, good for you. It's a solid investment and will stand you in good stead for your future. London, however, is getting more and more expensive making it less likely to get more for your money.

According to Rightmove, properties in London went for an overall average price of £771,041 over the last year with the capital still being the most expensive city to buy a property in in the country.

With all the money that you could put into a house, there are also other types of properties that you could buy which would also serve as a great investment into your future like a business.

READ MORE: The London boroughs people are avoiding in 2024 as they look for a new home including 'posh' and 'trendy' area

On the website BusinessesForSale.com, you can pursue a number of different businesses around the country that are up for sale. In London, there are a number of reputable businesses that can be found from pet shops to pubs.

Below, we have documented each pub for sale that is cheaper than what Rightmove said was the average price of properties in London to see how far your money can go with these.

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