A former mayor was blasted for saying travellers should go “back to Ireland” with their "thieving and filthy ways". Chris Walker, 72, made the remarks in a heated email row in which he debated the number of travellers coming to the area with fellow councillors. One of his colleagues then posted the comments on his blog to highlight the “shameful" attitude against travellers in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Julian Ware-Lane. During the email chain, Julian Ware-Lane urged the council to find a...

By Michael McNulty Jeff Nichols firmly established himself as a talented director with his 2011 psychological thriller, Take Shelter, and his 2012 coming of age story, Mud. But, his first film, the often overlooked slow burn feud thriller, Shotgun Stories, released in 2007, is where it all began. The imaginatively named Son (Michael Shannon), Kid (Barlow Jacobs) and Boy (Douglas Ligon) are the first set of offspring of Cleaman Hayes, a former drunk who after kicking the booze and finding...

We are delighted that DEFRA have announced that CCTV will be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in England under new plans announced today by Michael Gove. The demand for CCTV in slaughterhouses has been steadily building for years. The need for it has sadly been evidenced by many undercover investigations showing appalling acts of cruelty and the extreme suffering that can go on behind closed doors. Emma Slawinski our Director of Campaigns said: “We are absolutely thrilled that DEFRA has recognised...

Even in your wildest dreams, could you honestly imagine ever opening a restaurant called ‘Plum Plum’? Merging the Chinese (‘Mei’) and Japanese (‘Ume’) words for the firm, juicy stone fruit, Mei Ume is the latest restaurant to open within the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, joining La Dame de Pic. The hotel space is glorious, yet the location is frankly bewildering - somewhat disconnected from nearby landmarks the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Instead of fruit, though, the...

Ticket provider Skiddle have released a statement regarding refunds for Liverpool's Hope & Glory Festival, which fell apart in spectacular fashion last weekend. Ticket holders complained of lax security, overcrowding and heavily delayed bands, as well as lacklustre stages and facilities. The festival was organised in the aftermath of the Manchester terror attack at the Manchester Arena, where 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber while exiting a performance from Ariana Grande on 22nd May. The Skiddle statement mentions...

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunities invests in mobile phone distributor - VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunities becomes a major shareholder in FPT Retail, the second largest mobile phone distributor in Vietnam. As part of its divestment strategy, FPT Group (HSX: FPT) is spinning-off its retail distribution unit, and is selling 35% of the shares in FPTR to a few institutional investors of which VOF is one of the largest. VOF has invested USD11 million in this offering. As part of the conditions of the sale, FPT...

Snakes lose their stripes the nearer they live to man - because of pollution, suggests a new study. Researchers monitoring turtle-headed seasnakes living on coral reefs in the Pacific noticed something unusual about the snakes' colour patterns. Seasnakes living in more pristine parts of the reef were decorated with black-and-white bands or blotches. But those in places with more human activity - near the city or military activity - were black. This is a photograph of a turtle-headed seasnake.  The...

A look at where most footballers live in North London.

Labour have warned today of a major rise in the amount of NHS land being put up for sale as the Tories’ mismanagement of NHS finances leaves hospitals struggling to cope. Labour have today published new research showing: · The amount of NHS land under consideration for sale has more than doubled in the past year, to over 1300 hectares. · The Government have refused to make public details for more than half of the available area in their annual...