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North Yorkshire 'boil order' lifted after water bacteria alert

North Yorkshire 'boil order' lifted after water bacteria alert

BBC News14-05-2025

A "boil order" issued for parts of North Yorkshire after tap water was found to contain higher than usual levels of a type of bacteria has been lifted.Yorkshire Water put the order in place earlier this week after coliform, a family of bacteria containing E. coli, was found in tap water in Bentham, High Bentham, Low Bentham and Burton in Lonsdale.People living in the affected areas had been warned to boil their tap water "until further notice", but that order was lifted by Yorkshire Water on Wednesday afternoon.A spokesperson said: "We can confirm we are now able to lift the boil water instruction at all affected properties in the area as the water is now back to our usual high standards."
"Customers can now use their tap water as normal," they added.
The lifting of the order came after staff at a home care service in Bentham and the people they looked after spoke of their concerns over the boil order.Danielle Ward, care manager at Care Legacy, told the BBC that it had caused some difficulties, especially for people with dementia."It's a real problem as it's about getting them not to drink it, so we prepared signs that say, 'do not drink the water', but it's hard as they don't understand," she explained."The main issue is that when we tried to get water for patients, it was all taken, whether it was taken by vulnerable or non-vulnerable people, there was not a lot in the shops."Meanwhile, Christine, who has multiple sclerosis and is cared for by Ms Ward, said she had been "quite worried" about the situation."I wasn't able to get any bottled water. It was all sold out and despite being told I would get some as I'm vulnerable, none arrived," she explained.Earlier this week, residents in the affected areas shared their concerns over a lack of bottled water after shopkeepers in Bentham told the BBC they had sold out of them since the boil order had been issued.
Before the boil order was lifted, other businesses had also spoken of their concerns over the impact it could have if it went on for any length of time.Richard Rucastle, who runs Rucastle Holiday Lets in Ingleton with his wife, told the BBC earlier this week they had not been accepting mid-week bookings in a bid to try and "slow things down".Mr Rucastle said they had considered cancelling their next visitors, due to arrive on Friday, if there had not been further clarity on the issue from Yorkshire Water.Meanwhile, Bryan Jeffs, the owner of The Black Pig Cafe, said on Monday that he had stopped serving tap water altogether in favour of bottled water while the boil order remained in place.But speaking before the order was lifted, Gail Lister, from G & Mo's Cafe in Bentham, said she had taken a pragmatic approach to the issue."Ninety nine per cent of the time, you turn the tap on and the water's fine," she said."There are so many countries where you cannot drink the water - or countries that do not have clean water."Confirming the end of the boil order, a Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We'd like to apologise to everybody impacted."We thank them for their understanding and patience throughout."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

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Doctors told me I'd never be a mum after childhood abuse damaged my body – but I got pregnant with an ‘Ozempic baby'
Doctors told me I'd never be a mum after childhood abuse damaged my body – but I got pregnant with an ‘Ozempic baby'

The Sun

time19 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Doctors told me I'd never be a mum after childhood abuse damaged my body – but I got pregnant with an ‘Ozempic baby'

AFTER suffering years of sexual abuse, Stephanie Craig was given the heartbreaking news by doctors that she would never be a mum. The internal damage that she'd suffered due to the abuse which began when she was just a child, meant that it would be impossible for her to fall pregnant. 7 7 But after taking the weight loss jab Ozempic - Stephanie, 25, found herself staring at a miracle. Her pregnancy test stick was positive and she was expecting the baby she had always longed for, despite the doctors' predictions. She gave birth to her 'Ozempic baby' Callie in September last year, and is now enjoying being a mum. 'Even when I was in labour I didn't actually believe I was pregnant,' says Stephanie, who lives in Glasgow. 'It was only when Callie was placed onto my chest and I saw her for the first time that I actually believed she was mine.' Stephanie was in and out of children's homes as a child and suffered abuse from a young age. As she got older, she was put on the contraception pill by staff to prevent unwanted pregnancies in her teens and it caused her weight to balloon from a size 12 to a size 18 within months. She says: 'I actually developed an eating disorder at 18, when I was already around 20 stone in weight. 'I started to binge eat. I was so unhappy that it was a way of getting some control in my life. 'I was told at the age of 18 and at 22 by doctors on both occasions that I wouldn't be able to have children because of the internal damage I'd suffered. 'So I never thought I'd be a mum.' It was watching TV and seeing that James Argent from Towie had undergone gastric sleeve surgery that spurred Stephanie into action to lose weight. She said: 'I rang my friend straight away and told her that I wanted to have gastric surgery like Arg had done. 'As soon as I saw it, I knew that it was going to be the right answer for me. 'I'd tried joining slimming groups from the age of 18, but nothing had ever worked for me. So I got on and booked it straight away.' Stephanie had the gastric sleeve operation, which she financed with her savings, at The Spire Hospital in Manchester in July 2021, when she weighed just over 22 stone. In just over 12 months she had lost a massive ten stone - and had dropped to just over 12 stone. Then because she had been left with so much loose skin from her weight loss, she underwent a tummy tuck and breast uplift in Turkey in July 2022, a thigh and bra line lift in January 2023 and finally a reverse tummy tuck and thigh lift in August 2023. 7 7 7 She says: 'I felt amazing after I'd lost all the weight, but I had so much loose skin, that I had a number of cosmetic surgeries to remove it. 'My body looks so much better now. I had some savings, and it was worth every penny to finally get the body that I'm happy with. It's given me so much more confidence.' And there were more surprises to come. Stephanie took the weight loss drug Ozempic in November 2023, after the surgery had been completed, to try and lose a few extra pounds, and a few weeks later, she made the most amazing discovery. She had fallen pregnant. She says: 'I didn't believe it. I did lots of tests and they all came up positive, but I still didn't believe that I was actually pregnant. CAN OZEMPIC BOOST FERTILITY? Experts believe the 'Ozempic baby' phenomenon could be down to the major weight loss associated with the drug. This is because any weight loss, especially in those with PCOS, is known to boost fertility. The drug may also increase the chance of pregnancy because side effects such as nausea and vomiting may stop contraceptive pills from being absorbed properly. Dr Nerys Astbury, nutrition scientist and senior researcher in diet and obesity at the University of Oxford, said it was 'plausible' semaglutide injections, by reducing people's weight, could help improve fertility. 'It's nothing special about the drug,' she told the newspaper. 'The effect the drug has is on promoting weight loss. 'It is important to note that whilst some doctors are prescribing semaglutide off-label to women with PCOS, it is not clear whether it's safe to use in women during pregnancy.' She added: "It should not be used as a method to treat infertility until research demonstrating safety and effectiveness is available and until regulatory approval for use in those before and during pregnancy.' Prof Barbara McGowan, from King's College London, added: "Women on GLP-1 agonists should take contraception whilst they take the medication and stop at least two months before trying for fertility." "Healthcare professionals should include this advice when the medication is started.' 'I'd had lots of investigations over the years because of the sexual abuse I'd suffered, and had several laparoscopies, where a camera Is inserted down the fallopian tubes, and it had shown that I'd suffered a lot of internal damage. 'Because of that, the doctors always said that I wouldn't be able to fall pregnant. So to find myself looking at a positive pregnancy test stick was unreal.' It is believed that the weight loss medication, which is also used for diabetes management, can improve ovulation and menstrual cycle regularity, leading to increased fertility and potentially unintended pregnancies. She says: 'I only took it for a couple of weeks, but it certainly must have changed something in my body for me to be able to fall pregnant like this. 'Even as my bump grew, I still didn't believe there was an actual baby, even when I went for scans and saw her moving, and then even in labour. 'The only time I actually believed it was when she was handed to me for the first time, and I gave her a cuddle.' Baby Callie, who was born in September last year, is now nine months old and has just started nursery. Stephanie adds: 'It's a lovely feeling being a mum, and I know that I've got Ozempic to thank for that. I took it to lose a few pounds, but ended up with a surprise baby. 'She's a little miracle.'

NHS docs saved me after I nearly died from £6k mummy makeover in Poland… but here's why I'll never regret it
NHS docs saved me after I nearly died from £6k mummy makeover in Poland… but here's why I'll never regret it

The Sun

time19 minutes ago

  • The Sun

NHS docs saved me after I nearly died from £6k mummy makeover in Poland… but here's why I'll never regret it

LYING in an NHS hospital bed, hooked up to a drip, Lois Crossley was fighting for her life after contracting sepsis from a surgery complication. But the mum-of-four's initial operation had not been carried out in the UK - she had flown to one of Europe 's cut-price hotspots for a cosmetic mummy makeover. 11 11 Lois insists that despite taxpayers effectively having to save her after her decision to spend £6,000 on a tummy tuck, liposuction and a breast lift - the NHS is now better off. Lois, 29, from Salford, Greater Manchester had lost 7st before these procedures which she paid for using a surprising windfall - and says that the NHS doctors told her she could have died if they had not stepped in. She says: 'The doctors said I could have died if I hadn't got help when I did. It was frightening but I always knew that surgery could be a risk. I don't regret it, despite getting sick. 'I'm so much happier with my body now. I feel like a model and have more energy to keep up with my kids. 'I did feel bad turning up for help after having an elective operation abroad, but the nurses were kind and said that they had a duty of care. Scans showed the operation had been done properly and the infection was just one of those things. 'People might criticise me for using NHS resources to sort out a complication. But I'd argue that I paid privately for my initial gastric sleeve to lose the weight, as well as the tummy tuck, and now I'm healthier overall. 'That's better for the NHS in the long run.' Lois had always been a skinny size 8 until she fell pregnant for the first time in July 2016, going on to have four babies in six years – Theo, eight, Koen, seven, Rion, four, and Indi-Blu, two. 'I needed an emergency c-section with my first and second births, so the doctors recommended I have planned ones with the next two,' she says. 'I was glad my babies arrived safely but it left me with messy scarring on my tummy and an overhang. 'Looking after small children was so tiring and busy. I'd barely eat all day, just graze on snacks and their leftovers. It meant I was starving by the time they were in bed and ended up eating ready meals or takeaways. 'The weight crept up and up with each pregnancy. I tried Slimming World but it was difficult to stick to it.' I lost 100lbs doing the Keto diet and did a mummy makeover to get rid of the loose skin but it was worth it - people are stunned by my transformation By the time she had her youngest child in October 2022, Lois weighed 16st 5lbs and was a size 22, despite being 5ft 4ins tall. 'The idea of going shopping horrified me and I lived in leggings because jeans cut into my tummy,' she says. 'I lost all my confidence and never wanted to leave the house. All my friends were still slim - I felt like the odd one out. My fiancé Kieron loved me as I was but I knew I needed to take action for my own wellbeing, mentally and physically.' I lost all my confidence and never wanted to leave the house. All my friends were still slim - I felt like the odd one out In September 2023, full time mum Lois travelled to Turkey after saving up £2,150 for a gastric sleeve operation, with her dad Darren accompanying her while Kieron, 30, cared for their children at home. 11 11 11 'I'd been to see my GP for help but all they could offer was a long waiting list for a weight management programme,' she says. 'I needed something more drastic. I knew a couple of people who'd had a gastric sleeve and been very successful. I worried it was the 'easy' way out but I couldn't see how I'd manage to lose all this weight otherwise. 'Melting away' 'I'll admit that, at first, I found the recovery mentally challenging and wondered if I'd done the right thing. 'I hate soup but that was all I could eat to start, slowly moving onto purees and mashed up meals. The protein shakes were disgusting too. I'd watch Kieron and the kids eating a nice dinner and feel like I was missing out.' But while she hated being unable to eat proper food, Lois was thrilled with the impact on her size. 'I lost a stone in the month and it just kept melting away. It was quite dramatic,' she says. 'Within a year, I'd lost nearly 7st and was a size 8, just as I'd hoped.' But the extreme weight loss came with side effects – a 'saggy' tummy pouch and boobs. 'I wanted to wear nice fitted clothes but it was impossible to hide the loose skin around my middle,' Lois says. 'My breasts had gone from a 47F to a 34DD but had lost their shape. I knew from doing my research that this was likely to happen but I still felt really conscious of it. 11 'I was also frustrated that I'd lost all that weight but was still hiding my body away in leggings and baggy tops. Shapewear could only do so much.' After doing her research, Lois started saving again for a tummy tuck, abroad, this time in Poland. After squirrelling away pennies, Lois had a surprising windfall. 'I'd had to quit my job in a nursery after the kids so I knew it was going to take a while to get the money,' she says. I worried it was the 'easy' way out but I couldn't see how I'd manage to lose all this weight otherwise 'I was putting every spare penny away, once the bills were paid and the kids catered for. I'd treat myself to a go on the online slots a couple of times a week. I couldn't believe it when I hit the jackpot and won £5,000. 'I was screaming and knew immediately that it was my chance to do something for myself and have the surgery.' Losing her dad to a sudden brain bleed in September 2024, at the age of only 56, made her more determined to take action. 'He'd promised he would come with me once I had saved enough for the tummy tuck,' she says. 'My dad was really proud of how I'd lost the weight and was taking control of my life.' In November 2024, Lois travelled to Wroclaw, Poland, with her mum, booking into an apartment near the hospital for a week. 'So scary' The trip and surgery cost £6,100 in total, with Lois topping up her winnings with savings. 'I didn't hesitate to use the money for my surgery – it was my dream,' she says. 'When I left my kids to go for the gastric sleeve, I couldn't stop crying. This time around I was so excited.' Lois had booked a tummy tuck, liposuction on her hips and upper abdomen, and breast implants. I just couldn't stop looking at my new body – I was delighted But after meeting her surgeon, he advised her to have a breast uplift instead. 'I was disappointed but it made me trust him more because he could have just taken my money and done what I'd asked for,' she says. During the five-hour operation, Lois had 1.2kg of loose tummy skin removed and her three c-section scars were aligned into one neat line. 'The recovery was fine, I was up walking after a couple of hours,' she says. Pain wise, I would say my c-sections were worse. I just couldn't stop looking at my new body – I was delighted.' With everything in order, she returned home and was healing well until she came down with flu-like symptoms two weeks after the operation. 'I was dripping with sweat but felt freezing, I felt dizzy and my heart was racing,' she recalls. 'I tried to push through it but when I met some mum friends at the playground, they told me I looked shocking and I should contact the doctor immediately.' After calling 111 and explaining about her recent op, Lois was sent to Salford Royal Hospital, where she needed emergency surgery to treat an infection in a wound. 'It was so scary,' she says. 'They had to put me back to sleep and unstitch my belly button to drain fluid off. The doctors said I was lucky I caught it when I did or I might have died.' The mum spent the next ten days recovering in hospital on IV antibiotics. 'The doctors were really understanding and it wasn't the surgeon's fault – it was one of those things,' she says. 'My immune system was very weak for a few months afterwards and I have a scar on my hip, but I feel fine now.' The doctors said I was lucky I caught it when I did or I might have died Today, Lois is 9st 2lbs and feels like she has her old self back. 'All surgery comes with risks and I knew there might be complications, so I'll never regret it,' she says. 'It gives you a better life for your kids, to be able to run about with them and stuff. I'm also more confident, I've always got my legs out and can wear belly tops. I'm finally able to think about planning my wedding too. 'Everyone says how good I look – I even got stopped by one of the shop assistants in my local Lidl the other day. Being able to look at normal sized clothing instead of plus size and 4XL makes everything worth it. I'm a trendy mum now.' 11

Transformation of Poor Priests' Hospital in Canterbury complete
Transformation of Poor Priests' Hospital in Canterbury complete

BBC News

time27 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Transformation of Poor Priests' Hospital in Canterbury complete

Cash Murphy BBC News, South East Canterbury City Council Poor Priests' Hospital in Canterbury dates back to the 12th Century Renovation works to a 12th Century hospital in Canterbury have been completed at a cost of £1.6m. Poor Priests' Hospital in Stour Street has been under scaffolding for the past 11 months to allow for extensive repairs to its façade. The council-owned building has been reroofed and has had its chimney stack rebuilt. Charlotte Cornell, cabinet member for heritage on Canterbury City Council, said renovating such a historic building had "not been without its challenges".

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