Coronavirus: Empty streets as Aberdeen lockdown takes effect - BBC News

The streets of Aberdeen were "eerily quiet" during the first night of Scotland's first local lockdown.

Nicola Sturgeon announced the tightening of restrictions on Wednesday after cases from a coronavirus cluster rose sharply.

Bars, cafes and restaurants will remain shut for at least seven days.

Extra police have been sent to the city to help increase patrols but the first minister said she hoped compliance would be voluntary.

• Aberdeen lockdown begins as Covid cluster grows

More than 228,000 people living in the city were told they should not enter each other's homes or travel more than five miles as restrictions were re-imposed.

Officials later announced that visits to hospital and care homes from a named family member or friend would also be stopped, with only essential visits allowed.

The number of cases linked to bars in the city centre rose to 54 by Wednesday and the first minister said community transmission could not be ruled out.

By 21:30, BBC reporter Ben Philip described the streets as "eerily quiet".

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The restrictions will be reviewed next Wednesday and may be extended further if required.

• Aberdeen matches unaffected by lockdown
• What are the new local lockdown rules?

Police Scotland posted video of extra police officers from its Flexible Response Unit making their way to the city to support local police.

Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "We are putting somewhere between 10-15 extra patrols in the city from 17:00 on Thursday and over the next few days and the weekend, to reassure the vast majority of the public who will continue to comply with instructions and guidance because they know how important it is.

"But it is also to deal with a small minority who decide that they don't want to do something and put others' health at risk.

"We will clearly and undeniably enforce the law when it comes to those people."

Other organisations were also beginning to react to the re-imposed lockdown.

NHS Grampian suspended visiting at all Aberdeen hospitals with immediate effect, including Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Woodend Hospital, Cornhill Hospital, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Roxburghe House and the maternity hospital.

At her daily briefing, Ms Sturgeon said the situation in Aberdeen should be "the biggest wake-up call" since the early days of the pandemic.

Details of the cluster, which was initially linked to people who had visited the Hawthorn Bar on 26 July, first emerged on Sunday.

Ms Sturgeon said 54 cases had now been associated with the cluster and 191 close contacts had been traced through the Test and Protect system.

NHS Grampian has published a list of venues which have been visited by people linked to the cluster, including 28 bars and cafes.

They are:

• Bieldside Inn, Bobbin, Brewdog (Castlegate), Buckie Farm Carvery, Café Andaluz, Café Dag, Café Drummond, The Cock & Bull, College Bar, The Dutch Mill, Dyce Carvery, East End Social Club, Ferryhill House Hotel, Hawthorn/Adam Lounge, The Howff, The Justice Mill, The Marine Hotel, McGinty's, McNasty's, Malmaison, Moonfish Café, No.10 Bar, O'Donoghues, Old Bank Bar, Prohibition, Soul, Spider's Web, The Draft Project.

• The list also includes Aboyne, Deeside and Hazelhead golf clubs, and the Banks O'Dee Football Club.

People who have visited any of these premises recently are being urged to be "extra vigilant" about symptoms.

But some of these venues told BBC Scotland they had not been contacted by Test and Protect. Brewdog bar tweeted that it had not heard from the NHS service.

Stuart McPhee from Siberia bar in Belmont Street told the BBC: "We closed after a customer got in touch to say they had tested positive. We saw a list released by NHS Grampian and some venues don't even know they have been named.

"We need clear, concise protocols and messages that allow confidence to be built in the long term."

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2020-08-05 23:50:31Z
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Planning law overhaul for England takes next step - BBC News

Sweeping changes to England's planning system will "cut red tape, but not standards," Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

Under draft new laws, first revealed on Sunday, developers will be granted "automatic" permission to build homes and schools on sites for "growth".

It follows Boris Johnson's pledge to "build back better" after coronavirus.

But critics warn it could lead to "bad-quality housing" and loss of local control over development.

Mr Johnson promised to speed up investment into homes and infrastructure in June to help the UK recover from the economic impact of coronavirus.

But Labour's shadow housing and planning minister, Mike Amesbury, said the new plan was a "developer's charter that will see communities side-lined in decisions and denied vital funding for building schools, clinics and community infrastructure".

The government's planning white paper, which goes out to consultation on Thursday, contains wide-ranging measures aimed at speeding up house building.

The changes are expected to only impact England, as planning policy is devolved to the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mr Jenrick said: "Our complex planning system has been a barrier to building the homes people need.

"These once in a generation reforms will lay the foundations for a brighter future, providing more homes for young people and creating better quality neighbourhoods and homes across the country.

"Planning decisions will be simple and transparent, with local democracy at the heart of the process."

But the chairman of the Local Government Association, James Jamieson, said the idea that planning was a barrier to house building was "a myth".

From planning to building

Mr Jamieson claimed that nine in 10 planning applications were approved by councils, and more than a million homes given permission in the last decade had yet to be built.

Homeless charity Shelter said 280,000 homes received permission in England between 2011 and 2016 but were never built.

BBC Reality Check said there had been criticism in recent years of the amount of time it takes to get planning permission - but it also noted many developers secure planning permission and then do not immediately build.

Planning rows raise high passions.

For Jacky Nabb, a proposal to build 3,000 houses near her home in the Oxfordshire countryside felt to her like "somebody just twisted my stomach".

She added: "It sounds really dramatic, but it broke my heart".

The has been a four-year battle over the prospective new town at Chalgrove - and a broader plan for local homes - with bitter political skirmishing and the personal intervention of the housing secretary.

But still, not a single brick has been laid here.

It is exactly this sort of delay ministers want to sweep away.

Under their policy, once a local plan is agreed, developers in some places could press on with confidence.

But local Conservatives have opposed the Chalgrove plan too, just as they have many other developments.

Will the government hold firm should campaigning Tories - under fire from home-owning voters - turn on this policy?

Making yet another announcement about homes is easy. Turning it into real change will require political courage.

A number of new planning measures were announced by the government in June.

From September, home owners will be allowed to build above their properties without going through the normal planning process and developers will be able build above - or demolish and rebuild - vacant premises, or change the use of a town centre shops, without planning permission.

Builders will also be allowed to convert a wider range of commercial properties into homes - despite criticism in a government-commissioned report that the existing policy has led to poor quality, cramped flats with low quality of life for their residents.

New proposals, revealed by Mr Jenrick on Sunday, are now being put forward by the government in a white paper, including:

• Designating land into three categories - "growth", "renewal" or "protected" - affecting the level of planning permission needed
• A fast-track planning system for "beautiful buildings"
• New online planning proposals so that local communities "will be consulted from the very beginning of the planning process"
• All new streets will have to be tree-lined
• Making all councils have a local plan for housing

The plans also include the "first homes scheme", to provide newly-built homes at a 30% per cent discount for local people, key workers and first-time buyers.

And the government will introduce a new national charge for developers - replacing the existing Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy - to fund projects such as schools, roads and GP surgeries.

But the chief executive of the National Housing Federation, Kate Henderson, said Section 106 agreements are "the single biggest contribution to building new affordable homes in the country", as they require private developers to build a certain amount of social homes in every new development.

She said: "Any alternative to Section 106 must ensure we can deliver more high quality affordable homes to meet the huge demand across the country."

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the new levy would "aim to at least maintain revenue levels nationally when compared to the current system, and to ensure that delivery of affordable housing on-site is maintained, to create mixed and balanced communities".

'Make a bad situation much worse'

The government will also pledge in the white paper to make all new homes carbon neutral by 2050, stopping all new buildings from needing retrofitting.

The Wildlife Trusts said, while there were "fundamental flaws" in current planning rules, the new laws around "growth", "renewal" and "protected" areas would "make a bad situation much worse".

The charity group's director of campaigning and policy, Nikki Williams, said: "The government may find it inconvenient that wildlife won't stick to its three categories and survives outside protected areas, as well as thriving on some brownfield sites that it would like to see developed.

"Local authorities will have to be far better resourced with access to high-quality ecological data."

It's hard to be sure about these proposals from the environmental perspective because key details are missing.

One policy unifies green critics - the plan to make all homes carbon neutral by 2050.

Labour promised to achieve that by 2016, and environmentalists condemned the later date as "pitiful".

They also fear the zoning system will do little to help the wildlife that lives outside protected areas.

The current system governed by councillors is very flexible. The zoning system would be more rigid.

Apart from that, confusion abounds.

What happens, for instance, if citizens devising their local plan decide their whole area should fall into the "protection" category? Can they reject all new homes on their patch?

If so, what's the role of the government's housing targets?

Perhaps answers will emerge.

But I'm told some officials in the department think these plans have been rushed and are rather a "dog's dinner".

The UK's planning system was effectively established in 1947, two years after the end of the war, with the Town and Country Planning Act.

The Conservative Party has repeatedly pledged to "build and fund" 40 new or rebuilt NHS hospitals before 2029, while the PM has promised the "most radical reforms" of the planning system since World War Two.

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2020-08-05 21:30:09Z
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Keeley Bunker: Man guilty of murdering childhood friend - BBC News

A man has been convicted of raping and murdering his childhood friend on the way home from celebrating her birthday.

Wesley Streete, 20, had claimed he had "accidentally killed" Keeley Bunker during sex.

Her body was found hidden under branches in a brook in Tamworth, Staffordshire, on 19 September 2019.

Streete was also convicted of two further charges of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to three other female victims.

In a statement following the verdict, Ms Bunker's friends and family described her as the "the kindest, most beautiful young lady that you could ever wish to meet".

"The world was hers and Keeley was just beginning to live a happy life," they said.

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It took a jury at Stafford Crown Court just over eight hours to convict the former warehouse packer, who will be sentenced on Friday.

The previous evening Ms Bunker had been to a concert with a friend in Birmingham to celebrate her recent 20th birthday.

After the show, the group met up with Streete in a city nightclub as arranged, and on their return to Tamworth she had "trusted" the killer to walk her home safely, but Ms Bunker was not seen alive again.

By the following evening, searches were under way involving her family, close friends and police and Streete claimed to have left Ms Bunker to walk home alone.

He was taken by police in a marked patrol car to retrace their movements, consistently claiming that when he and Ms Bunker parted she was still alive.

At that time he told officers "I feel like you're blaming me" after they took his phone as part of the investigation.

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The court heard her body was discovered that evening by her uncle Jason Brown, who was in a search party combing a park near a telephone box where Streete told police Ms Bunker and he parted ways.

Mr Brown found his niece with her underwear pulled down over her trainers. The court heard how he let out a "horrendous scream" at the sight.

A post-mortem examination found she had been strangled and Streete's DNA was on her body.

Streete was arrested shortly after and, asked if he had any questions as he was being driven to the custody block at Cannock, he replied: "Not really."

Jurors were told how later in the journey Streete complained of being hungry, and "asked if there was food to eat when he got there".

The court heard he changed his account of the events at least four times, which he told prosecutors was because he was "scared" and "embarrassed" by her death - a killing, he said, that happened during sex that began with mutual flirting in the park.

"I put my arms around her neck and accidentally killed her," Streete told the prosecution. "We were having sex."

He added he "started to panic" when Ms Bunker "went floppy". He said he checked for a pulse, but did not think to call police.

However, Ms Bunker had scratch marks on her neck, most likely inflicted as she tried to prise herself from Streete's grip.

Added branches

He also admitted in court putting the body "in the pond" and covering it up, before going home to sleep.

The court heard he would later return to the scene several times to add more branches.

Prosecutor Jacob Hallam QC said the separate allegations of sexual offences were brought independently by a number of young women who were, like Ms Bunker, friends or acquaintances of the defendant.

"Taken together they show that the defendant has a long history of committing non-consensual sexual acts on young women," he said.

In a victim impact statement, one of the women said hearing about what happened to Ms Bunker had given her the "courage" to come forward about her own assault.

Det Insp Cheryl Hannan, senior investigating officer on the case, said Streete was a "devious and manipulating character".

"He was obviously trusted by Keeley, he was trusted to walk her home that night," she said.

"He has manipulated a situation where he has preyed upon her and ultimately raped and murdered her.

"He has then gone on to put himself at the centre of the investigation, to lie to the police, to her family, to her friends that she was safe and well.

"Then he has changed his lies as the evidence has been put to him."

Ms Hannan also praised the people of Tamworth for the "love" they had shown to Ms Bunker, with pink ribbons tied in tribute to her around the town.

In their statement the budding classroom assistant's relatives said: "As Keeley's family, the outcome of this trial will never be enough, in terms of justice."

• Latest news from the West Midlands

Her mother, Debbie Watkins, said: "Keeley was the kindest, most caring, innocent young lady you could ever meet and was only just starting out in her life."

"Such is the hell we feel we are incapable of showing any forgiveness."

Marc Ensor, partner of Debbie Watkins, said the family had been "destroyed" by her death and thoughts of "trying to visualise and understand just how such a dreadful thing could have happened to such a beautiful person".

Mr Ensor said Ms Bunker would "do anything for anybody" and "she didn't have a bad bone in her body".

Christopher Bunker, Ms Bunker's father, said her sister and brother were now "a shadow of how they used to be".

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

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2020-08-05 17:21:58Z
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Barmaid, 20, dances with killer after telling pals that he would ‘walk her home’ before he raped and murdered - The Sun

THIS is the chilling footage of a barmaid dancing with her "trusted" friend on a birthday night out hours before he raped and murdered her.

Keeley Bunker, 20, trusted Wesley Streete, 20, to walk her home after they left a club in Birmingham and told pals: “Wes will walk me back, it'll be fine.”

Keeley Bunker, 20, was found dead in a stream in Tamworth, Staffs

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Streete, who towered over his slightly-built victim, dumped Ms Bunker's body face-down in a stream in Wigginton Park in TamworthCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Keeley pictured inside the nightclub in September - hours before she was murderedCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Streete pictured inside the Birmingham nightclubCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Wesley raped barmaid Keeley before strangling her to death and dumping her half-naked body in a stream in Tamworth, Staffs.

Petite Keeley, who was just 4ft 11ins and weighed six and a half stone, had trusted her friend to walk her home after they watched rapper Aitch at the O2 Academy in Birmingham.

In mobile phone clips the pair dance together in the club with Keeley wearing a red dress as she poses for the camera.

Streete smiles and laughs as he watches the barmaid - hours before he brutally killed her.

After leaving the club, a female friend had offered to let Keeley sleep over but she declined, saying: "I've got Wes, Wes will walk me back, it'll be fine."

But predator Streete, who towered over his victim, betrayed that trust in the ultimate way on September 19 last year.

After a huge search, aspiring teacher Keeley's body was found by her horrified uncle lying face-down in a brook covered in branches with her trousers and underwear pulled down.

Ocado supermarket worker Streete had returned to the scene to cover her with vegetation - and then repeatedly lied in a failed bid to cover her tracks.

The promising footballer changing his account four times before trial.

He initially said he'd left Keeley to walk home alone - before claiming he had accidentally strangled her during sex and dumped her body as he was "scared" and "embarrassed".

But a jury rejected his claims and found him unanimously guilty of rape and murder following a three-week trial at Stafford Crown Court today

The jury took just over eight hours to convict the former warehouse packer.

Streete was also found guilty of two other counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and a charge of sexual activity with a child, against three other victims, said to have happened in previous years.

Streete had denied any wrong-doing telling how Keeley was "flirting" and "teasing" him, as they walked home and claiming she had wanted sex.

He claimed to have "accidentally killed" her after wrapping his forearm around her neck.

But the victim had scratch marks on her neck, most likely inflicted as she tried to prise herself from Streete's grip.

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Keeley dances in the club on the night of her murderCredit: PA:Press Association

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Keeley was killed hours after she was filmed dancing with StreeteCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Streete (pictured) told a 'web of lies to police', the court heardCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

WEB OF LIES

After being arrested, Streete told a web of lies which were undone by police who painstakingly pieced together CCTV and GPS data lifted from Streete's own mobile phone.

"I kept on lying to everyone," he said from the witness box while giving evidence, before claiming: "Now I'm telling the truth."

The 'audacious and arrogant' killer even complained to officers after they asked him about her movements that night.

Bodycam footage shows Streete lying to police about Keeley's whereabouts after she went missing and saying: "I just feel like I'm getting the blame".

During his custody interview Streete can also be heard complaining his "embarrassment" at being accused and says: "Its scary, but not scary in a way."

Wearing a black Nike t-shirt, he later tells a custody officer who asked him how he was feeling: "A bit sad... I wouldn't even say a bit sad, just say sad".

Detective Inspector Cheryl Hannan of Staffordshire Police said: "There's Wesley Streete and Wesley Streete alone who is responsible for Keeley's untimely death.

"Her friend, as Keeley did, trusted him to walk her home that night and there's only Wesley to blame that she didn't make it home.

"The lies that he told from the outset meant it was clear that he had something to do with her disappearance."

She added: "I think there's some audacity in his arrogance there in playing the martyr - saying 'why are people blaming me when I left her at that phone-box?' knowing full well where she was and what he'd done and the efforts he'd gone to to conceal her, to delay people finding her, if ever."

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Keeley's devastated family described her as 'perfect in every way'Credit: Refer to Caption

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Keeley's body was found by her horrified uncleCredit: Refer to Caption

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Keeley's family called her "loving and caring" in a heartfelt tributeCredit: Refer to Caption

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Keeley had known her killer Streete since they were young Credit: Refer to Caption

'CRUELLY TAKEN'

Christopher Bunker, Keeley's father, said a once-happy family home was now "filled with sadness and emptiness" since his daughter was "cruelly taken".

He said her sister and brother were now "a shadow of how they used to be".

Mr Bunker added: "Keeley loved children and on the day that she was discovered, she was due to attend an interview at the infant school she once attended.

I will never be a proud father who walks her down the aisle - all of this has been taken away from me

Christopher Bunker

"She often talked about how she'd like three or more children herself.

"Sadly she will not fulfil that wish.

"I will never be a proud father who walks her down the aisle - all of this has been taken away from me."

MOTHER'S 'HELL'

Debbie Watkins, Keeley's mother, said she had been "robbed" of her "precious and beautiful" daughter.

She added: "As a mother I could give you a thousand images and say a million words, but nothing could ever describe the beautiful daughter cruelly taken away from her parents, her family and her friends.

"Keeley was the kindest, most caring, innocent young lady you could ever meet and was only just starting out in her life."

Such is the hell we feel we are incapable of showing any forgiveness and throughout our lives we will never forget our Keeley.

Debbie Watkins

She added: "All of our lives have been massively broken and they will never be the same again.

"Such is the hell we feel we are incapable of showing any forgiveness and throughout our lives we will never forget our Keeley."

Keeley’s devastated family described her as “perfect in every way”.

We could never have wished for anymore from Keeley, she was perfect in every way.

Family statement

In a statement they said: "Keeley loved everyone unconditionally and nothing was ever too much trouble.

“She had many friends, she didn't realise just how many she had. We know that she was loved by all.

"We could never have wished for anymore from Keeley, she was perfect in every way. Her life was taken away so cruelly and far too soon.”

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They added: "As Keeley's family the outcome of this trial will never be enough in terms of justice.

"It will never bring our Keeley back to us. We miss her so much and words can never express the heartache we feel.

“Never, ever will we forget the precious moments we had with our Keeley, together with all of the memories we will always hold dear. “

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Keeley arrives at Snobs nightclub, Birmingham, on September 18Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

Wesley Streete leaving North Staffordshire Magistrates Court

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Evil Streete in police custody Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Streete pictured in a police car Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Still from body-worn video footage issued by Staffordshire Police showing Streete after being arrestedCredit: PA:Press Association

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Keeley was discovered by her uncle, who was part of a search party looking for the missing 20-year-old, in Wigginton Park, TamworthCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Keeley's body was tragically discovered in Wigginton Park in TamworthCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Moment Wesley Streete arrested for the murder of 20 year old Keeley Bunker in Tamworth

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2020-08-05 15:20:15Z
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Prince William and Kate Middleton face bingo-calling critic, 87 - Daily Mail

Prince William and Kate Middleton left in stitches as care home resident, 87, tells them they did 'b****y s****y job' at Bingo calling when they read the numbers on a video call in May

• Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff today
• In May, the royal couple read bingo numbers to the residents over video link
• Today, Joan Drew-Smith, 87, told William and Kate they did a 'b****y s****y job'
• Couple found her candour hilarious, with William saying he 'loved Joan' and wished 'everyone was that honest' 

By Bridie Pearson-jones and Chloe Morgan and Rebecca English for MailOnline

Published: 17:23 BST, 5 August 2020 | Updated: 17:54 BST, 5 August 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were left in stitches after a care home resident told them they did a 'b****y s****y job at Bingo calling during a visit to Cardiff today.

William and Kate were visiting Shire Hall Care Home in the Welsh capital three months after speaking to staff and residents via video link and calling out the numbers for their weekly bingo session.  

Introduced to Joan Drew-Smith, 87, who made headlines in May when she said the royal bingo game 'wasn't as good as it should have been', the Duke said: 'Hello Joan, do you remember we did the bingo with you? You said we weren't very good!'

 'Yes,' she replied. 'You did a b*****y s****y job.'

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were left in stitches after a care home resident told them they did a 'b****y s****y job at Bingo calling during a visit to Cardiff today. The couple are pictured on Barry Island following their trip to Cardif

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the beach huts on the eastern end of the promenade which have been installed as part of the Vale of Glamorgan Council's £6m regeneration project in Barry. Following their stop off in Cardiff where they met with care home residents 

The royal couple, briefly taken aback by her blunt assessment, roared with laughter, but they got a kinder response from fellow resident Margaret Stocks, 95, winner of the virtual game.

'I did enjoy it,' she told them. 'I hadn't played it before.'

'Neither had we!' replied the Duchess. 'That's why we were so bad!'

'We enjoyed it just as much as you did,' William added. 'It was a new experience for us.'

Kate was seen beaming as she drew a number 19 during a game of Bingo with residents from the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff via video call as they played in the home's cinema

Introduced to Joan Drew-Smith, 87, (pictured) who made headlines in May when she said the royal bingo game 'wasn't as good as it should have been', the Duke said: 'Hello Joan, do you remember we did the bingo with you? You said we weren't very good!'

William and Kate both sported masks during the visit to the care home's garden, making it tricky to make themselves heard at times.

The Duke, who donned a blue fabric face covering, told Joan: 'We have to wear masks because of the virus, but it's difficult to hear sometimes when you can't see someone's mouth.'

'Is that your assistant?' Joan asked him, pointing at Kate.

William and Kate both sported masks during the visit to the care home's garden, making it tricky to make themselves heard at times. The Duke, who donned a blue fabric face covering, explained it made them difficult to be heard

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak with residents during their visit to Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff, including Joan (centre, in the red chair) who criticised their bingo calling

'Well I am your assistant,' laughed Kate, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. 'I have been for a long time!'

The meeting took place in a marquee set up for afternoon team just as the heavens opened.

'We timed it right!' said the Duke, who later told staff: 'I love Joan, she's brilliant. If only everyone was as honest as her.'

Shire Hall provides residential, nursing and dementia care and is part of Hallmark Care Homes, a family-run care provider with 20 care homes across England and Wales.

Shire Hall provides residential, nursing and dementia care and is part of Hallmark Care Homes, a family-run care provider with 19 care homes across England and Wales. They are pictured speaking via video link to the royal couple in May

Staff spoke about the measures that have been put in place in order to allow the residents to safely receive visits from family members and friends.

Earlier this year, the couple made a virtual visit to the care home, but this is the first time they've been able to visit in person, due to eased lockdown restrictions.

Speaking from their home Amner Hall in Norfolk, where they are spending lockdown with their children Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louise, two, they thanked them for their tireless efforts to continue to look after the most vulnerable in our society.  

The meeting took place in a marquee set up for afternoon team just as the heavens opened, with William saying they 'timed it right' 

Kate, who paired her floral ensemble with tan wedges, first wore the designer dress when she opened her Back to Nature garden at RHS Wisley in Surrey in September 2019. Pictured, with Prince William

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge threw balls in a bid to knock down figures on an arcade game at Island Leisure Amusement Arcade, where Gavin and Stacey is filmed, as they visited South Wales on Wednesday

During the chat, William admitted he was 'particularly' worried about young and 'implications of school being missed' during corona crisis.

Using a bingo spinner, the royals giggled while taking turns holding up balls to the screen, calling out the numbers in ‘bingo lingo’ as they joined residents for a game.

William told them: ‘Catherine is going to pick out the first ball,’ as Kate held it up to the screen for the residents to see, as she announced: ‘So, the first number is five and eight, 58.’

William then chose a ball and held it up to the screen, calling out: ‘One little duck, number two,’ followed by Kate calling out the next two balls: ‘Eight and seven, 87. Six and two, tickety-boo.’

Hearing Ms Drew-Smith call out ‘I won!’ the couple clapped, and William congratulated her.

‘Hi Joan,’ said Kate. ‘Well done!’ 

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2020-08-05 16:23:36Z
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Coronavirus: Aberdeen cluster forces pubs to close and more jobs at risk - BBC News

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Wednesday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

1. Cluster spread prompts Aberdeen lockdown

Pubs, bars and restaurants in Aberdeen are closing for at least a week following a cluster of cases linked to hospitality venues, as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus in the city. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says there have been 54 cases in a "significant outbreak" and that the cluster involves infections in the community. Meanwhile in England, people in Preston, Lancashire, are being warned lockdown measures may soon return to the city due to a rise in virus cases.

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2. Ethnic minorities 'over-exposed' to Covid-19

People from ethnic minority backgrounds in Britain "face greater barriers" when trying to protect themselves from coronavirus, according to a report. The Runnymede Trust, a race equality think-tank, says Bangladeshi and black African people are most vulnerable. Jobs, households and using public transport are all said to be risk factors, BBC health correspondent Anna Collinson reports.

3. WH Smith may cut 1,500 jobs after lockdown sales decline

The pandemic is continuing to impact the High Street. WH Smith says it is considering cutting 1,500 jobs - 11% of its workforce - after the coronavirus lockdown caused sales to plummet. Most of the jobs being lost will be at the company's travel sites, situated at airports and railway stations. Bookmaker William Hill also says 119 of its High Street betting shops will not reopen after the shutdown forced by the coronavirus outbreak, but it says most of the 300 staff affected are being redeployed.

4. Government performance a pantomime, says actors' union

The government's coronavirus performance has been a "pantomime", the union for actors and entertainment industry professionals tells the BBC. Paul Fleming, general secretary-elect of Equity, says more state funding is needed to keep the arts going through the pandemic. He called for greater "clarity" on when theatres, circuses, concert halls and other venues can reopen in England.

5. Mulan sweeps straight to small screen

Disney's live-action remake of classic film Mulan will be available to subscribers of its streaming service in several countries, including the UK, this autumn. The decision to skip most of the world's cinemas and go straight to streaming follows uncertainty about when big film theatre chains in the US will be able to reopen. It came as the entertainment giant reported huge losses caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

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You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page and get all the latest from our live page.

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• HOSPITAL SPECIAL: The human stories behind the headlines
• JESSE LINGARD'S HOME WORKOUT: Can you keep up?

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2020-08-05 16:22:37Z
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