Two thirds of people believe pedestrian routes to school need to be made safer.

Nearly three quarters of people also believe more children would walk or cycle to school if the routes were less dangerous.

And nearly 40 per cent say traffic levels have left them scared to walk or cycle around their own neighbourhood.

The opinions were revealed in a survey for road safety charity Brake carried out to mark its annual Giant Walk event.

The Giant Walk sees thousands of children across the UK holding walking events to support road safety and highlight the benefits that walking and cycling can bring. It also aims to remind people that fast and dangerous driving can put young lives at risk, and encourage drivers to slow down and look out for people on foot and bike.

According to Brake, half of all children in the UK are driven to school and it is calling for better provision for pedestrians and cyclists to keep them safe and encourage more people out of their cars. Its view is backed by the majority of people, with 65 per cent of respondents to the survey agreeing more needed to be done to improve safety on routes to schools.

Brake argues that lower speed limits, wider pavements, dedicated cycle lanes and more safe crossing places are all instrumental in achieving this.

In 2014, 53 children were killed and 2,029 seriously injured on British roads. In 80 per cent of cases the child was on foot or bicycle at the time.

Sixty-seven per cent of people surveyed felt more dedicated walking and cycle paths should be introduced to offer better protection from motor vehicles. And 72 per cent said they thought this would have the added benefit of encouraging more children to walk or cycle.

The charity is also calling for lower speed limits, pointing to research that showed a 42 per cent reduction in accidents when 20mph speed limits were introduced at 75 sites in Scotland. Despite this, only 28 per cent of those survey believed lower speed limits would improve children’s safety, with far more pointing to designated pedestrian and cycle areas as key.

Gary Rae, director of communications and campaigns at Brake, said: “Brake’s Giant Walk is a terrific opportunity to educate children about the importance of road safety and what advantages there are in walking to school for their own health and the environment. It is also a call on local drivers to make a big difference by slowing down to protect children on foot and bike. We’re urging schools to sign up now to take full advantage of the resources and support Brake offers to help schools get involved.”

It’s no secret that our pets - dogs in particular - like to eat things they shouldn’t but a new study has revealed the weird and wonderful selection of things they like to get their teeth into - everything from rocks to kebab skewers.

Veterinary charity PDSA has compiled a top ten of foreign objects swallowed by pets to reflect the cases its surgeries treated last year.

Bones, perhaps unsurprisingly, topped the table, with 59 cases treated in the last year. But close behind were stones, on 29 cases, and there were 28 instances of an animal swallowing a corn on the cob.

Babies’ dummies (nine cases), rubber balls (19) and socks (11) also proved hard to resist for our four-legged friends. And there were seven incidents of an animal swallowing kebab skewers.

Last year PDSA treated almost 400 pets who had swallowed foreign objects, with its Bradford surgery treating 33 cases - the most in Britain.

While the list throws up some curious cases, the report has a serious point to make about animal safety. The charity emphasises that swallowing something inedible can cause animals serious harm or even prove fatal.

One animal lucky to be alive is American Bulldog Hooch. His owners rushed him to the PDSA surgery in Bradford after he stole and ate a corn on the cob from the bin.

PDSA head nurse Miriam Wilson, said: “We could feel an obstruction in Hooch’s intestines and the X-ray was consistent with a foreign body.

“As Hooch was getting increasingly unwell we knew we had to perform emergency surgery to remove the corn-on-the-cob husk.

“Unfortunately Bradford seems to be a bit of a hotspot for pets swallowing strange items and corn-on-the-cob cases are ones we see quite a lot. It’s important pet owners recognise how dangerous they can be. In most case it is fatal if it’s not treated, as the husk can completely block the digestive system.”

PDSA vet Rebecca Ashman said staff have also removed more bizarre objects in the past, from tent pegs and knives to radio aerials.

Rebecca said: “Pets, especially puppies and younger dogs, like to use their mouth to investigate objects as well as to eat. Sometimes a pet will swallow an item by mistake, even though they had only meant to investigate it.

“We might think it’s comical but in some cases it is incredibly dangerous and can even prove fatal. If an object moves along the digestive system, it can cause a tear or life-threatening blockage.

“If you have pets at home, try to keep anything dangerous or easy to swallow out of paws’ reach. Only let them play with suitable pet toys and try to supervise them to avoid any accidents. If you do suspect your pet has swallowed something you should contact your vet for advice immediately.”

The ten most-swallowed items in 2015

Bones – 59 cases

Stones – 29 cases

Corn on the cob – 28 cases

Plastic e.g. parts of kids toys, food wrapping – 25 cases

Rubber balls – 19 cases

Rubber e.g. parts of dog toys – 19 cases

Socks – 11 cases

Thread – 9 cases

Babies’ dummy teats – 9 cases

Kebab sticks/Peach stones – 7 cases of each

Hitting the gym precisely four hours after studying can increase your chances of retaining more of what you have just learned, according to research.

A new study suggests physical exercise after learning improves memory and memory traces, but only if the exercise is done in a specific time window and not immediately after learning.

Scientists tested the effects of a single session of physical exercise after learning on memory consolidation and long-term memory.

Seventy-two people learned 90 picture-location associations over a period of approximately 40 minutes before being randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group performed exercise immediately, the second performed exercise four hours later, and the third did not perform any exercise.

The exercise consisted of 35 minutes of interval training on an exercise bike at an intensity of up to 80 percent of participants’ maximum heart rates.

Forty-eight hours later, participants returned for a test to show how much they remembered while their brains were scanned.

The researchers found those who exercised four hours after their learning session retained the information better two days later than those who exercised either immediately or not at all.

The brain images also showed that exercise after a time delay was associated with more precise representations in the hippocampus, an area important to learning and memory, when an individual answered a question correctly.

“It shows we can improve memory consolidation by doing sports after learning,” said Dutch researcher Guillén Fernández.

“Our results suggest that appropriately timed physical exercise can improve long-term memory and highlight the potential of exercise as an intervention in educational and clinical settings.”

The findings are published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology.

For many people the archetypal image of a motorcyclist is a young Marlon Brando hanging over the handlebars of his Harley or a baby-faced Valentino Rossi tearing up the track.

But in reality more and more of the older generation are saddling up and taking to the open road.

New research by comparethemarket.com found a third of UK motorcyclists are over 46 years old, with 46 to 55-year-olds accounting for nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of all motorcycle insurance inquiries.

In March this year almost one in ten inquiries to the insurance comparison website (9 per cent) were from people aged between 56 and 65, the highest percentage in at least three years.

Motorcycling is becoming increasingly popular among older riders who have more time to spend on the open road. On average, 46 to 55-year-olds ride over 3,400 miles a year on their motorcycle. Over a fifth (21 per cent) of this age group spent £3,000 to £5,000 buying their bike, and a small proportion (7 per cent) spent up to £10,000.

Contrary to the cliché, motorcycles do not seem to be a “midlife crisis” purchase, as 68 per cent of over 45-year-olds have held their license for more than 15 years. Only 4 per cent of those covered by the study qualified under a year ago.

What’s more, these bikes aren’t just for weekend fun, the average rider searching for cover wants a bike for daily and commuting use rather than just a sunny-day hobby.

And, dispelling another assumption, these older riders are more likely to go for a sports bike than a soft tourer such as a Goldwing or butch Harley-Davidson.

According to the research, the racy Honda Fireblade is the most popular model among older bikers followed by the Honda Super Blackbird. The top five motorcycle makes for the over-46s are Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki and BMW.

Daniel Bass, head of motorcycle insurance, at comparethemarket.com said: “As their salaries increase and their children leave home, bikers in their 40s and 50s are finding that they have more time, and perhaps more disposable income, to invest in their passions or new experiences, such as riding a motorcycle. Motorbikes are an interesting alternative to a second car and can be significantly cheaper to run as they require less fuel.

“Another benefit of owning a motorcycle at a later stage in life is that your insurance is likely to be a lot cheaper, as older drivers tend to be more experienced on the road and are therefore lower risk.”

The average UK biker is male, lives in Leeds and works in operations, construction or engineering. He rides a Honda motorbike costing between £1,000 and £2,000 which he uses for all means of transportation, including commuting to work.

The EU referendum campaign has been wracked by overblown assumptions, scaremongering statements and unsubstantiated claims.

The manipulation of the facts by both the Vote Leave and Remain camps has led to confusion among voters.

For example, here’s 5 myths - or are they facts? - exploded.

The EU imposes laws on the straightness of bananas

The bloc sets no binding regulation on the sale of bananas. There has never been a ban on bananas with “abnormal curvature”.

The EU is a sprawling bureaucracy

The European Commission and European Parliament employ roughly the same number of people as a mid-size UK council between them. Six per cent of the EU’s budget is spent on staff, administration and maintenance.

There’s a £20bn hole in the EU’s finances

The EU owes £19.4bn in payments agreed in the past to support poorer regions. The UK will contribute £2.4bn towards the money owed.

Net EU migration is at the highest level on record

In 2015, 270,000 citizens from other EU countries immigrated to the UK, and 85,000 emigrated abroad. ‘Net migration’ was around 185,000 – roughly the highest recorded level.

Thanks to the EU, workers in the UK are entitled to 28 days paid holiday

The EU minimum is 20 days. The British Government increased the legal minimum to 28 days in the UK to include bank holidays.

10% of workers working in the UK are from the EU

Doctors from the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) have long made up a significant proportion of the UK’s medical workforce.

The EU costs the UK £350m per week

The figure used by Vote Leave does not include a rebate or discount on what the UK has to pay. It also does not take into account how much money the UK receives from the EU.

European countries that are not in the EU can’t trade with the EU

Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, is one of the EU’s most important trading partners.

EU law overrides UK law

EU laws in areas for which the EU is responsible override any conflicting laws in member countries.

Turkey will join the EU very soon

In order for a country to be eligible to join the EU, negotiations must be completed in 35 “chapters”. So far, Turkey has only completed one chapter since 2006.

Police have warned vandals they may end up caught on camera following vandalism at a community park.

Bins were tagged with graffiti, fencing was damaged and newly planted trees were snapped in a spate of anti social behaviour at Hawthorne Park in Hawthorne Road, Thornton.

The increase in incidents has been blamed on a spell of warm weather.

Police have been informed about the issues by the trust responsible for the park.

And they are hoping the message will get through that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

PC Emma McClaren, community beat manager for Thornton and Cleveleys said: “There seems to have been an increase in anti social behaviour on Hawthorne Park.

“We have no way of knowing who was responsible for the damage but have put out an appeal through social media was an attempt to raise awareness to the public and ask them to help us in deterring any such behaviour in the future.

“The last thing any of us want is Hawthorne Park becoming a problem area within our community. I visited this week and found young families and teenagers alike and there was no trouble which is exactly as it should be.

“The neighbourhood policing team will be patrolling the area over the next few weeks and we have arranged for the CCTV van to be left nearby as a deterrent.

“Hopefully this will be enough to prevent further issues.” Coun Lynn Walmsley, who represents Marsh Mill Ward on Wyre Council understands the issues young people faced but called on them to respect their community,

She said: “I’m aware this is an issue not only in Thornton.

“But I want people in the ward to come to me with any problems of this kind so we can get a picture of what is happening and sort it out.
“I understand the problems of young people, struggling for places to gather.

“But causing damage does not help them or other residents who want to enjoy these facilities.”

Hundreds of seven-centimeter-long spiders have been reintroduced into the British countryside as part of a project aimed at saving endangered spider species.

The ‘fen raft’ spider is the largest spider native to the UK, but their numbers have dwindled in recent years due to ‘human encroachment’.

The distinctive eight-legged creepy crawlies have dark bodies with light-coloured stripes on them and are so large that they are known to eat prey as large as fish.

Zookeepers at Chessington World of Adventures Resort decided to take action to conserve the vulnerable species and released 400 spiderlings reared in their breeding programme back into the wild.

In news sure to set arachnophobes’ teeth on edge, the programme was deemed a huge success and wild numbers have almost doubled since the reintroduction.

The team at the zoo received an award commending them on their efforts from the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).

Keith Russell, a Supervisor within the Zoo team at Chessington, was instrumental in leading this important work and accepted the award on behalf of the Zoo. He said:“The successful work on reintroducing the Fen Raft species is a great example of the good Zoos can do in helping conserve endangered species in the wild.

“Here at Chessington we are very pleased to have received such high praise and recognition from BIAZA for the part we played in this project.”

Fen raft spiders thrive in the wetlands of England and Wales and can use their hairy legs to ‘swim’ across the surface of water.

The largest steam fair in the North West attracted thousands of visitors once again.

Crowds gathered to see more than 600 vintage vehicles including steam engines large and small, and the ever-popular lawn mower racing.

There was also a craft marquee, food halland beer tent, and plenty of action in the arena, including hair-raising aerial stunts from Broke FMX.

This year, fair organisers supported the district branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

A teenager who had been drinking nipped his girlfriend’s arms after a night out.

James Scott, an 18-year-old glass factory worker, of Hatfield Road, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to assault and damaging a sofa.

Prosecutor, Malcolm Isherwood, said Scott had been drinking and started a row on May 28. After nipping his girlfriend’s arms he grabbed her arm, threw her onto a sofa and threatened to smash a bottle over her head.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said Scott, had lacked the maturity and coping skills needed in the relationship.
 Scott was sentenced to a 12-month community order with up to 20 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the Probation Service, put on three months’ drug rehabilitation and ordered to pay £125 compensation with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

A Wigan mum has spoken of the terrifying moment a railing fell on her young son, injuring him so badly he required major surgery.

Karoline Keegan described how a large cast-iron structure, which had been propped against a wall, fell on her four-year-old son Dominic on Golborne High Street.

He spent two hours in the operating theatre at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital having a severe forehead laceration to his face treated and his family now worries he may have suffered lasting nerve damage.

The horrendous incident happened as Dominic, of Holcroft Drive, Abram, was walking to the bus stop with his mum after school and went off to a nearby shop to buy a drink.

Karoline, 26, said: “I gave Dominic some money and I just turned round to answer my phone when I heard this almighty bang and scream. I turned and my child was under the railing.

“I ran to him but couldn’t lift it on my own. I shouted to a man nearby and he helped me get the gate off Dominic.

“He actually got up and went into the chemist’s shop but he was covered in blood. They laid him down on the floor of the back room with a compresses to try to stem the flow and he was screaming and screaming.

“When the ambulance arrived they put him on a spinal board because they were worried he was showing signs of trauma to his back.

“The surgeons had to stitch together some of his nerves. They said they did the best they could but weren’t sure if they got the ones that make him frown or wink.

“He’s got a lot of stitches but we won’t really know how he’s doing until we go back to hospital on Thursday.”

Dominic is now recovering at home but has bumps and bruises as well as black eyes. He is also currently unable to move one of his eyebrows.

Karoline says she and her partner Alan are angry that the railing is still there a week after the Golborne Community School pupil was injured.

She is now demanding it be moved, especially as she believes it was left propped up for some time before last Monday’s incident, and has been contacting the authorities.

She said: “The chemist’s staff told me they saw an elderly man having to step over it. They also told me it had been propped there months ago by workmen who were sorting out a bus shelter some kids had damaged.

“I just want it moving.”

Transport for Greater Manchester, which maintains the region’s bus stops, said it is aware of the incident and has offered to contact Dominic’s family.

A spokesman said: “After being contacted by Wigan Council about this incident, we asked our contractor to visit the bus stop.

“There is no apparent damage to the stop or shelter and we are investigating reports that a loose railing nearby may have caused the injury.

“We wish the boy involved a speedy recovery and will be happy to speak with his parents.”

Hay fever sufferers across the North West are facing 72 hours of misery as pollen counts are set to be ‘very high’.

The Met Office has predicted the pollen count will be at ‘very high’ levels today, tomorrow and Thursday in the region, before dropping to ‘high’ on Friday and then ‘medium’ for Saturday.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “We manage the only pollen count monitoring network in the UK using information from our network, our weather data and expertise from other organisations to produce forecasts that help support allergy and hay fever sufferers through the most difficult time of the year.”

A council worker has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl following a trial at Preston Crown Court.

Highways inspector Gary Cookson, 36, of Grasmere Road, Knott End, 
who worked for Lancashire County Council, was
convicted of one count 
of sexually assaulting a 
girl under 13, as well as six further counts of making indecent photos of a child, three of possessing indecent images and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

The youngster he attacked cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The images he had 
were said to involve youngsters aged around five years old.

Jurors found him guilty of offences that took place at Knott End between May 11, 2011 and July 2015.

He will be sentenced on July 14.

The average person from the North West loses more than 3,300 items in their lifetime – including 185 items of clothing and 122 umbrellas, research reveals.

A national study into lost belongings of 2,000 adults found we’ll also misplace 383 pens across a lifetime and, on average, lose four items a month.

Keys are the most commonly lost item, followed by mobile phones, pens and glasses.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that two thirds of Brits describe themselves as ‘someone who misplaces things’.

And that might be why the average person from the region forks out £2,700 over their lifetime replacing items they have lost.

The research commissioned by My Nametags, a British manufacturer of name tags, found parents don’t have it any easier with children losing seven items a month – most commonly school jumpers, school books, stationery, socks and toys.

In fact, children will lose more than a thousand items throughout their school years, results showed.

Lars Andersen, Managing Director of My Nametags, said yesterday: “Schools are like the Bermuda Triangle for clothes and stationery. Parents often discuss how they can avoid losing school uniform as you don’t want to fork out for new items you’ve only bought the other week. Some losses are inevitable, but there are ways you can make sure your child doesn’t lose every item they own by labelling everything, even their socks!

“It is utterly frustrating when you lose a particular possession, whether it be a child’s cherished teddy bear, or a mobile phone. You are invariably unhappy about losing the item, but also about wasting time looking for it! But of course, when you’ve found the misplaced item, or it has been returned to you, the agony of losing something is then replaced by sheer joy.”

Headphones, lipsticks and memory sticks have a unique ability to go astray and also featured on the 20 most lost list.

Other items that have a mysterious habit of disappearing include remote controls, phone chargers and gloves.

The results also showed one in four careless people have even temporarily lost a car.

While a fifth has found themselves stranded after losing some crucial directions.

Outside the home, the most likely place for stuff to go walkabout is in the car or on the bus, results showed.

And the costs of losing items mount up – the most expensive item parents said their child had lost, never to be seen again, was valued at an average of £104.

Andersen added: “Sometimes the reunion with your lost item depends on another person’s honesty. It could be a kind soul spotting your wallet left on a bus, or your child’s lonely hat lost in a car park, who will decide to contact you, but if there is no form of identification on the item it could be lost forever. Most of us don’t lose many items of significant value, but no matter what the value, if it matters to you or your child there will be emotional ups and downs associated with the lost item.”

MOST COMMONLY LOST ITEMS- ADULTS

Keys

Phone

Pens (or other items of stationery)

Glasses or sunglasses

Remote controls

Money

Socks

Phone charger

Bank cards

Gloves

Umbrella

Headphones

Wallet

Lipstick (or other make-up/cosmetic items)

Memory sticks

Jewellery

Diary

Shoes/Trainers

Watch

Hat

MOST COMMONLY LOST ITEMS- KIDS

School jumper

School books

Stationery

Socks

Gloves

Toys

Shoes/Trainers

Gym kit

Hat

Phone

Jumper/cardigan

Other school uniform items

Cuddly toy

Beaker or water bottle

Tie

Lunch box

Glasses

T-shirt/Top

School bag

Pocket money

A survey conducted by a cat rescue charity has asked whether there are too many cats in Britain - and found 92 per cent of respondents want tougher rules to control of cat numbers.

Yorkshire cat rescue surveyed more than 500 people across the UK about cat population control.

It is estimated the number of unwanted cats in the UK is in excess of four million, putting strain on cat protection services. Yorkshire Cat Rescue cares for over 100 cats at a time and has a waiting list of 700 cats and kittens.

With an estimated 850,000 cats having unplanned litters, the problem of irresponsible owners abandoning kittens in the wild is a serious issue. While anyone found guilty of doing this would face punishment under the animal cruelty act, the overwhelming majority of people surveyed felt stronger punishment is needed.

Sara Atkinson, founder of Yorkshire Cat Rescue, commented: “It is already illegal for people to leave domesticated cats where they are not provided for, but people clearly want to see more prosecutions and harsher sentencing. In most cases, offenders receive a small fine or community service. Judging by the country’s stray and feral cat population, and bulging rehoming centres, current measures don’t seem to be having much effect.

“Although it may not seem exceptionally cruel to release a cat into the wild, these pets face an uncertain, stressful and often very short life. Certainly, those who are convicted of animal cruelty should at least be banned from keeping pets in future.”

The survey found 45 per cent of people felt local councils should be responsible for controlling the UK’s stray and feral cat population, with 30 per cent feeling the burden should fall on charities or the RSPCA.

If you believe there is a stray, or feral, cat in your neighbourhood, Sarah offers the following advice:“Make certain a cat which appears to be a stray has definitely been abandoned or lost his previous owner.

“We have a page on our website detailing the steps that should be taken if a stray cat shows up near your home. The first thing to do is to attach a paper note to the cat’s collar with your contact details on. It gives the cat’s real owner a chance to get in touch and confirm he isn’t a stray. Cats who aren’t spayed and neutered can travel long distances.

“Alternatively, take the cat to vet or a local rescue and ask them to scan for a microchip. Posting pictures and a description of the cat on local Facebook groups, at the local vets and shops is also a good idea.”

It’s crunch time for the UK’s status in the EU, with the referendum vote looming on Thursday.

Putting the arguments for Leave and Remain to one side for a moment, it’s time to test how well you know our continental neighbours.

How many countries can you identify simply by their outline on the map?

Click on the outline that corresponds to the numbered country - you can only move on to the next one once you have a correct answer ...

As figures on reports of child abuse soar, Lancashire has bucked the trend by reporting a 14 per cent decrease in calls to the NPSCC.

The NSPCC says the number of child cruelty and neglect cases recorded by police in England has increased by 75 per cent in the last 10 years, with 8,506 offences in 2014-15, compared to 4,855 in 2005-06.

But in Lancashire, a Freedom of Information request showed in 2014-15 there were 103 child cruelty and neglect cases – a drop of 14 per cent from 2012-13.

One local survivor of child abuse has met the news with scepticism, fearing it means a massive underreporting.

The 34-year-old suffered physical cruelty and sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather James Cooke, 53, of Greenwood, Bamber Bridge.

She bravely waived her right to anonymity to encourage other victims of child cruelty to come forward and seek help.

Cooke was found guilty of indecent assault, attempted rape, and three counts of raping her in a court case earlier this year and was jailed for 25 years. Cooke’s former partner, Angela Johnson, 51, of Great Meadow, Chorley was found guilty of ill treating her and jailed for 18 months.

Their victim says: “I don’t believe these figures are a true reflection of what’s going on in Lancashire.

“I was taken from my parents aged four and put in foster care, but then put back with my perpetrators. If that is happening it allows the perpetrators to become clever with how they explain away things.

“I think these figures show it is underreported.

“I would urge any victim please, don’t leave it as long as I did to tell anyone.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Child neglect is a concern whether it’s one case or 100 cases. Neglect simply does not belong in the 21st century.”

“It is the most common form of abuse in the UK and can wreak havoc on a child’s brain development, emotional well-being, ability to form relationships, and mental health.”

Lancashire County Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, cabinet member for children, young people and schools, said: “Tackling child cruelty and neglect is always a priority for the county council.

“We work closely with the police and other organisations to identify and deal with any cases quickly and encourage people to report cruelty and neglect.”

To report child abuse or neglect, visit gov.uk/reportchildabuse or contact Lancashire County Council on 0300 123 6720, or 0300 123 6722 outside office hours.

More British celebrities are revealing how they will vote in the European Referendum which takes place tomorrow.

Famous actors, authors and entrepreneurs have all been airing their views on whether we should stay in the EU or make a swift Brexit.

Take a look at the lists below and see if your favourite personality can sway your vote:

REMAIN

JK Rowling, author

Benedict Cumberbatch, actor

Eddie Izzard, comedian

Jeremy Clarkson, TV presenter

Steve Coogan, actor

Bill Nighy, actor

John Oliver, TV presenter

David Beckham, footballer

Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer

David Mitchell, actor

Emma Thompson, actress

Florence Welch, musician

Ian McEwan, author

Jarvis Cocker, musician

Keira Knightley, actress

LEAVE

Joan Collins, actress

Katie Hopkins, TV personality

Micheal Caine, actor

Keith Chegwin, actor

Ian Botham, cricket commentator

Roger Daltrey, musician

Elaine Paige, singer

Elizabeth Hurley, actress

John Cleese, actor

Julian Fellowes, actor

Edward Fox, actor

Duncan Bannatyne, entrepreneur

Vicky Pattison, TV personality

Sol Campbell, former England footballer

Political pundits, bookmakers and pollsters have been wracking their brains for weeks to try to predict the outcome of the EU referendum.

Many claim the historic vote is too close to call - but Otto the psychic octopus is in no doubt.

The clairvoyant cephalopod, who lives at Manchester Sea Life Centre, has been using lego to make predictions in her tank.

Two Lego blocks, one with Leave and one with Remain were placed in front of Otto to cast her vote. There was no wavering – she thinks Britain will remain in the EU after tomorrow’s vote.

Dan McLaughlan, Curator at Sea Life Manchester said: “Otto has thrived and developed into a fun loving and charismatic creature.

“She has continued to enjoy using her interactive skills for the various predictions so now we’ll just have to see if her next vote is correct.”

A pet food manufacturer has issued a further recall of cat food owing to a risk of illness in pets.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s cat food pouches have been found to contain high levels of iron. If fed as the sole source of nutrition, this may have a more serious health effect, including diarrhoea and vomiting.

Hills say that the high levels of iron present in the pet food were as a result of an error by an ingredient supplier, which resulted in 85g pouches being manufactured incorporating high levels of iron, some of which were packed into multipacks with unaffected products.

Following additional product testing, an additional product, Science Plan Feline 11+ Healthy Ageing Chicken & with Salmon Multi Pack, was found to have higher iron levels than declared on the packaging. The 12 item, 85g multipack has a SKU code of 2190V and expiry date September 2017

A company statement said: “The company say this is a precautionary measure as although iron is an essential nutrient in a cat’s diet but too much iron may cause digestive upset.”

It may just be me but I’m struggling to garner much enthusiasm for the three biggest talking points of summer - the EU Referendum, Euro 2016 and the upcoming Olympics.

Somehow all of these highly significant and should-be exciting events feel underwhelming, perhaps because the buzz surrounding these is all so unfailingly negative.

By the time you read this you will probably have cast your vote in the EU ref, a decision potentially made by throwing a dice, having a snail race, or asking your children to make tea and then seeing who sets fire to the kitchen first.

Information and misinformation surrounding the whole debate has been so utterly confusing, many voters may not leave the sofa - not a great decision as the future of the nation depends on it but understandable.

If you don’t have a functioning crystal ball it is pretty much impossible to know which future is best for our children, based on the ‘facts’ delivered in so gloom and doom a fashion from both Leave and Remain camps.

It pretty much says it all that the campaigns hope to sway us by proffering our favourite celebrities as influencers.

Because good ball kicking and acting qualify them as wise on the subject of Europe, obviously.

I am quite surprised they haven’t been offering free lollipops in exchange for votes.

That would probably work, if it was allowed.

Then Euro 16.

I am no football fan but I do traditionally make an exception for the Euros where I try at the very least to watch England, learn the name of the players and invest £1 in the work sweepstake.

But after picking out Germany (go, Germany..) I have found the whole event so far pretty flat.

The whole violence rhetoric is very off-putting and I went to watch a game in the pub it was half full.

Disappointing.

There are not even any half decent WAG antics.

And it is the Olympics this year, in case you didn’t realise.

So little glee has been expressed, it is completely realistic that many people don’t.

Unless you are worried about the horrifying Zika virus.

Maybe this summer I’ll just read a good book.