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A month ago, things were looking bleak for Luton Town, with the threat of a double relegation looming.

Now, after a "tremendous turnaround" and three consecutive wins, the Hatters are hoping to stay in the Championship.

A last-minute goal against Coventry last Saturday lifted Luton out of the relegation zone with one game remaining.

After coming down from the Premier League last season, fans said they were "clinging to hope" ahead of their away match at West Bromwich Albion.

'Incredibly nervous'

"This must be the longest week of my life," said Paul Stephens, 66.

"I am incredibly nervous. I am nervous about the impact a bad result will have on us.

"I'm not nervous about how the team will perform, because over the last six or seven games, they've been brilliant.

"The turnaround has been tremendous. The atmosphere at the last three matches has been amazing – the positivity from every fan."

"We were clinging on to hope, and there's always hope," he said.

'Riding high'

Fan Helen Gatward, 44, says she is confident Luton can "get over the line".

"I have to admit I am nervous, but deep down I have got confidence in the guys that they will get the job done.

"The last few weeks are a bit of a blur. I have been physically and mentally drained after the recent games."

She said fans were "riding high on the wave" of April's successes.

"These last three wins have taken us up a notch and given us the confidence we need to get the three points to stay in the Championship.

"The fans are going to be there in good spirit, and we're going to help carry them over the line."

'Miraculous turnaround'

Kevin Harper hosts the Luton Town Supporters' Trust Podcast, so he is no stranger to the ups and downs of the Hatters' fortunes.

"I am excited, I am enjoying the football we are playing," the 42-year-old said.

"We are in control of our own destiny. We just have to win a game of football."

He said Luton's manager Matt Bloomfield, who took over in January when Luton were 20th in the Championship, "has been brilliant".

"Matt said he needed time to instil his philosophy, and from the start of March onwards, the turnaround has been miraculous.

"I just hope Saturday goes to plan," said Mr Harper.

A road bridge over a railway will be partially closed while maintenance work takes place.

Peterborough City Council said the project to stabilise the Westfield Road railway bridge, near Bourges Boulevard, would start on Monday and would be completed during the summer.

Without the works, the authority said there was a risk the bridge would need to be closed to vehicles.

The westbound lane between the Bourges Boulevard roundabout and Lime Kiln Close will be closed during the works.

The eastbound section will remain open to traffic.

Engineers will build a retaining wall to support and stabilise the embankment and there will be resurfacing to the carriageway at the end of the project, the council says.

Farm land being used to store a large amount of vehicles near a village in Derbyshire is being investigated by a council.

South Derbyshire District Council says work at the property in Derby Road, just outside Hatton, began without planning permission, and any further work had ceased.

Residents living near the site have expressed concerns its use could worsen flooding in the area.

The owner of the land declined to comment when approached by the BBC and would not share details of the tenant.

Nicholas Carter-Roe, 36, who lives on a nearby estate, said: "It doesn't make any sense to me. I've always known it as farm land, I've lived in this village all of my life.

"It's the fact that it's come out of nowhere. It's been done opposite the estate with no prior consent.

"We've already got concerns about people parking on the road around here and it's just going to add to that.

"It's bad enough that some of the roads are narrow around here anyway. I just think it's going to cause problems."

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous said: "They were working at 1am to 3am with plant machinery.

"When we bought the house, it was a field and farm land.

"The field that they have renovated is a designated flood plain. We don't know what the outcome or the consequence of the land transformation they have done will have.

"It just looks terrible – even the fence line that they've built is not straight.

"The whole thing has not been done with care or procedure for the land that it was supposed to be, and also because they've not had planning permission.

"You've also got the issue of whether that devalues the property."

However Andy Slinn, who also lives nearby, said: "If it's gone through a proper flood risk assessment, then what they do with it, as long as they're not making noise or creating mess, I don't mind."

A statement from South Derbyshire District Council said: "This is an ongoing investigation.

"The council has visited the site on Derby Road and contact has been made with the occupant and landowner.

"A retrospective application is due to be submitted in the next two to three weeks."

A globetrotting grandfather with about 100,000 social media followers said he is unable to face his audience after a debilitating condition left him unable to walk.

Terry Hill, 59, from Doncaster, was a roofer for more than 30 years, but found TikTok fame after a video of him surprising his family in Crete went viral.

As a result, he was inspired to travel the world, visiting countries such as Poland, Egypt and Thailand while creating content for his followers.

However, Mr Hill, who is nicknamed "Donny Knight", then began to notice he was losing feeling in his feet, a condition possibly linked to smoking and caused by blocked arteries in his groin.

He quit smoking and had seven stents put into his arteries to open them, bringing feeling back to his legs.

After the operation, he continued travelling, and by January, his videos had been seen more than 70 million times on TikTok.

"I had the time of my life," he told PA Real Life. "It was like I was famous. I will always remember it and I'll be telling my kids and grandkids about it for the rest of my days."

However in January he was playing with his 12-year-old son in the snow when he realised he could not feel his feet, even when he touched a hot radiator.

Three weeks later, he underwent aorto-bifemoral bypass surgery at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, which replaced his blocked arteries with artificial tubes.

"If I hadn't had it, I would have died," he said.

Although the operation cleared his arteries, the side-effects left him unable to walk and he has barely left the house since.

"I've gone from having the time of my life to not being able to pay my bills," he said.

Unable to work as a roofer, and with little income from TikTok, he has been left with an unpaid mortgage and bills.

He said: "I can't face my followers because I can't give them what they want. It's devastating and there's nothing I can do.

"For someone who loves travelling, it's heartbreaking. I hate it, I feel so down," he added.

South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

A prolific shoplifter who was subject to North Yorkshire's first criminal behaviour order for retail theft has been jailed after being caught stealing again.

Christopher Bullivant, 41, was sentenced to eight months in prison for breaching the order by entering convenience stores in York earlier this month and taking items.

He has a string of previous offences for shoplifting, which led to North Yorkshire Police applying for the order.

Shoplifting offences reported by police in England and Wales rose by 23% to more than 492,000 in the year to September 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is the highest figure since current recording practices began in 2003.

Bullivant, of no fixed address, admitted breaching a criminal behaviour order at York Magistrates' Court.

'Highly prolific shoplifter'

PC Jonathan Lewis of North Yorkshire Police said: "Bullivant is a highly prolific shoplifter.

"The fact he was the first in North Yorkshire to receive a criminal behaviour order for retail theft speaks volumes about how persistent his offending has been.

"A large part of our work around retail crime is about protecting retail staff and shoppers from the verbal and physical abuse which often accompanies theft.

"Criminal behaviour orders are helping us do that by ensuring offenders are dealt with decisively and we can prevent situations that put shop staff and the public at risk.

"We plan to use more of them as part of our ongoing strategy to tackle retail crime.

"As this result shows, the police and the courts do not tolerate orders being breached and they give us a quick and decisive way to deal with any criminals who don't follow them."

People in Hull are being asked to record wild animals, plants, birds, insects and fungi.

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) runs from Saturday until Monday, with people asked to share their observations using the iNaturalist mobile app.

Bug hunts will be held on Saturday between 11:00 and 15:00 BST at the Alderman Kneeshaw Park and on Friday and Monday from 13:00 at the East Park Animal Education Centre.

A spokesperson for The Deep, which is backing the challenge, said: "Any observations made will support local conservation efforts to look after, and connect with, native wildlife in green spaces, back gardens, nature reserves, parks and more."

CNC is a worldwide nature challenge to record urban wildlife.

Locally, the challenge is being run by the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre, with support from a number of organisations and volunteers.

The spokesperson added: "The challenge encourages people to discover the biodiversity on their doorstep, make useful biological records, and engage in friendly competition with cities around the world.

"Don't worry, you don't need to be an expert to get involved. Anyone can take part."

In 2023, 7,047 observations were made across Hull, putting it in seventh place on the UK leader board.

Further information about the challenge can be found here.

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

Only those of a certain vintage can remember travelling between Stranraer and Dumfries by train.

The 73-mile (120km) line shut on 14 June 1965 – one of numerous victims of Beeching cuts to routes deemed no longer economically viable.

Despite the passage of time, there are still sporadic calls to consider reopening it as part of efforts to improve connectivity in south west Scotland.

Its story is being celebrated with a talk in Dumfries on Saturday to mark six decades since the last passengers used the line, which was also called the Port Road.

The reopening of the Borders Railway between Tweedbank and Edinburgh has fuelled a lot of hopes of similar projects in other parts of the country.

Constant calls for improvement to road links between Dumfries and Stranraer have also added to nostalgia for train journeys between the towns.

Rail enthusiast Alan McLellan, from Dalbeattie, who is giving the talk on its story, said it was a shame the line had been shut.

"It's sad because looking at it now, you've got the heavy traffic on the A75, and there's nothing going east to west," he said.

Mr McLellan said the line had, at least initially, been a success after it opened in the 1860s.

"I understand at the time it was profitable – it started in Dumfries and there were about 26 stations, and it went all the way to Stranraer," he added.

"Stranraer at the time was a port and there must have been around 10 trips per day.

"It was used heavily during the war because you had the big munitions factory in Dalbeattie, so you had two stops there."

However, usage dwindled down the years and it was targeted by Dr Richard Beeching in a review of the rail network.

That ultimately led to hundreds of stations and 650 miles of railway line being closed in Scotland.

Many years later, Mr McLellan believes there is the potential to open up some stretches as walking or cycling routes.

"In a place like Newton Stewart, you can see where people have started clearing it and making a track so it can be done," he said.

"It could be a nice walk, if you had enough volunteers you could open the majority of it up for walking."

He said reinstating the railway would be a harder job because many stretches had "completely gone" and there was no chance of building.

However, he said walking and cycling would be an option – including from New Galloway across to Gatehouse of Fleet.

Now he is holding a talk at the River of Life Centre, near Dumfries station, to highlight the route's history and potential.

"I walked the line to raise money for Prostate Scotland and I filmed as I went," he said.

"I've got the original footage of the last train going from Dumfries to Stranraer, so people can see the train going, then me walking."

He will also dress as a station guard to welcome people.

Perhaps, in the process, he will turn the clock back more than half a century to when people could catch a train right across Dumfries and Galloway.

A map highlighting Surrey backdrops to popular films and TV programmes has been updated to include recently released blockbusters.

The map, produced by Waverley Borough Council, highlights locations including Bourne Wood, Hankley Common, and Dunsfold Aerodrome that have welcomed stars and production crews.

Recent releases such as 2025 Netflix film Back in Action, which stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, and 2023 Ridley Scott historical epic Napoleon feature on the updated leaflet.

It is already online and will soon be available from Guildford Tourist Information Centre and Waverley libraries.

Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, filmed at Bourne Wood, as well as Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield's romantic drama We Live in Time, filmed in and around Godalming, are also newly added to the map.

They join Bond films Casino Royale and Skyfall, superhero epics including Avengers: Age of Ultron and Wonder Woman, and series five of The Crown on the map.

Gladiator and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are also included.

The Farnham campus of the University for the Creative Arts features on the map as it was used as a backdrop to scenes in Netflix series Heartstopper.

Waverley Abbey, Frensham Ponds, and Winterfold Forest also feature.

Borough councillor Steve Williams said: "I hope residents and visitors alike will enjoy exploring these locations and make the most of getting out in our wonderful green spaces, which have so much to offer aside from being great film sets."

A family has been left homeless after a fire started by a candle in a bedroom.

The blaze took hold of the terraced house in Longmead Avenue in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, at about 13:20 BST on Saturday.

Firefighters said the candle was unattended and set fire to material surrounding it.

An Essex fire service spokesperson said the family was alerted by a smoke alarm and escaped unharmed.

Station manager Scott Fretton said crews worked quickly to stop the fire spreading next door.

"This incident highlights the dangers of leaving candles unattended; it only takes a moment for a naked flame to start a fire that can spread very quickly."

A popular sculpture of a dog has been removed for repairs, to allow a replica to be cast.

Stalking Dog, by Greta Berlin, was installed outside Palmers Brewery as part of Bridport's sculpture trail but corrosion has made it unsafe.

Campaigners successfully raised more than £6,000 to get it recast in resin so it can remain in the Dorset town.

Bridport Town Council said the artwork was removed on Thursday morning and was being returned to the artist for "recuperation".

The dog was based on Greta Berlin's family pet, Queenie, and is one of several of her works displayed in Bridport.

Cleo Evans – curator of the art trail – and author Ros Huxley set up the crowdfunder, with the support of the sculptor and local businesses.

Town clerk Will Austin said: "Having established herself as one of the most loved sights in Bridport, Queenie's materials have aged to a point where she is no longer able to be displayed in a public outdoor location.

"We have agreed with the artist, Greta Berlin, that she should be returned to her for her future care and recuperation.

"In return Greta has kindly agreed that a resin-cast replica can be made and displayed so that Queenie isn't lost to the community."

Once the artist's repairs are complete, a specialist mould maker will cast a fresh version of the artwork, with the process expected to take several months.

Mr Austin said: "We are grateful to Cleo and Ros for their work in raising the funds to take this forward, and delighted at the community support shown in reaching the funding target."

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