Gaynor Lord: Mother 'last seen doing yoga' in park where clothes found - latest - The Independent

Gaynor Lord: CCTV shows missing mother's last known moments

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A witness who saw missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord just before she went missing said she seemed calm and was doing yoga in Wensum Park.

Ms Lord was reported missing after she failed to return home after she left work in Norwich city centre on Friday.

The 55-year-old’s belongings, including clothing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered in Wensum Park – around 1.5 miles from her workplace.

Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting the Ms Lord’s description last Friday as it was beginning to get dark.

“She was sort of putting her coat down on the floor and sort of performing a yoga pose. It just seemed a bit off at this time because obviously it was starting to get dark,” Ms Richards added.

Her coat was discovered in the River Wensum, which runs through the park.

Norfolk Police say “it is likely” she may have entered the water and underwater search teams have been searching the river.

CCTV showing her last known movements in the city centre has also been released by detectives, who say her disappearance was “out of character”.

1702547573

Underwater search to continue this morning

The search for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord is set to continue today after her coat was found in the River Wensum.

A Norfolk police spokesperson told The Independent that the 55-year-old has not been found yet and specialist underwater search teams are continuing their search of the water this morning.

Ms Lord’s belongings, including clothing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered in Wensum Park – which the river runs through.

She was reported missing after she failed to return home from work on Friday.

Athena Stavrou14 December 2023 09:52

1702543153

Gaynor Lord ‘doing yoga’ in park the missing mum’s clothes were found in

A witness who saw Gaynor Lord in Wensum Park before she went missing said she seemed calm and was doing yoga.

Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting the 55-year-old’s description last Friday as it was beginning to get dark.

Ms Lord’s clothes have been found in the park since her disappearance and specialist underwater search teams are currently searching a nearby river.

“She was sort of putting her coat down on the floor and sort of performing a yoga pose. It just seemed a bit off at this time because obviously it was starting to get dark,” Ms Richards added.

Gaynor Lord eyewitness who saw missing mother before she went missing speaks out

Athena Stavrou14 December 2023 08:39

1702541737

Timeline of Gaynor Lord’s movements before going missing

2:44pm: Gaynor Lord is working at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrold department store in Norwich.

2:45pm: She leaves the store via the loading bay on Bedford Street.

2.48pm: Ms Lord makes her way onto Queens Street and walks toward the Cathedral.

3:22pm: She is seen on The Close at the cathedral entrance, she puts her coat on before exiting through the archway.

4:01pm – Ms Lord walks up St Augustines Street – her final movements captured in CCTV before going missing.

(Norfolk Police/PA Wire)

Athena Stavrou14 December 2023 08:15

1702538962

The latest news this morning

We are resuming our coverage this morning on the search for mum-of-three Gaynor Lord, here’s the latest news:

Police released the last known CCTV of Ms Lord before she went missing. The footage shows the 55-year-old walking to and from Norwich Cathedral on Friday afternoon.

The last sighting of her on CCTV was at 4:01pm on St Augustine’s Street.

The clothes she had been wearing when she went missing, including a white shirt, yellow tank top, two rings, mobile phone and glasses were found in Wensum Park just after 8pm.

Her coat was discovered in the water and specialist underwater search teams are currently searching the River Wensum.

(Norfolk Police/PA Wire)

Athena Stavrou14 December 2023 07:29

1702512000

Everything we know so far

Gaynor Lord was last seen as she left work in Norwich city centre on Friday and detectives say her disappearance is “out of character”.

Clothing the 56-year-old was wearing when she disappeared were later found in a park, as well as her mobile phone and jewellery.

Matt Mathers has the full story

Lydia Patrick14 December 2023 00:00

1702511097

We’re pausing updates overnight - but will be back in the morning

Alex Ross13 December 2023 23:44

1702508414

Where were Gaynor Lord’s belongings found?

Ms Lord, 55, was last seen on Friday afternoon after she left work early from Norwich city centre.

Her belongings, including clothing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered in Wensum Park – around 1.5 miles from her workplace.

Her coat was discovered in the River Wensum, which runs through the park.

Norfolk Constabulary believes “it is likely” Ms Lord may have entered the water and underwater search teams have scoured the river.

Lydia Patrick13 December 2023 23:00

1702504814

What are Gaynor Lord’s last known movements?

CCTV leading up to the mother-of-three’s disappearance shows her jogging up the cobbled Bedford Street after leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in Jarrolds department store at 2.45pm, more than an hour before her shift was due to end at 4pm.

She was wearing a white shirt and a yellow tank top, and was carrying her large olive-coloured coat beneath her arm.

She can be seen on the footage walking on to London Street at 2.47pm and then crossing the road on Queen Street without waiting for a red light, narrowly missing moving traffic, heading towards the cathedral.

Around 30 minutes later, at 3.22pm, video shows Ms Lord putting her jacket on as she walks away from Norwich Cathedral.

At 3.49pm, CCTV captured her walking along St George’s Street near to the Playhouse theatre.

She then walked along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street at 3.53pm.

She was last sighted by CCTV on St Augustines Street at 4.01pm, police said.

Ms Lord is described as white, 5ft 6in, and has a blonde shoulder-length bob.

Screen grab from CCTV issued by Norfolk Police of missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrold department store in Norwich, Norfolk

(Norfolk Police/PA Wire)

Lydia Patrick13 December 2023 22:00

1702501214

Everything we know so far

Gaynor Lord was last seen as she left work in Norwich city centre on Friday and detectives say her disappearance is “out of character”.

Clothing the 56-year-old was wearing when she disappeared were later found in a park, as well as her mobile phone and jewellery.

Matt Mathers has the full story

Lydia Patrick13 December 2023 21:00

1702499414

Lincolnshire dive team support dive mission

Norfolk police shared on X that Lincolnshire Police’s specialist dive team are helping scour the River Wensum as the search for the missing mother-of-three continues.

They shared on social media: “Lincolnshire Police’s specialist dive team has arrived and joined our marine unit in searching the River Wensum as we continue to look for Gaynor Lord. “

Lydia Patrick13 December 2023 20:30

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Treforest Industrial Estate: Explosion leaves one unaccounted for - BBC

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By Miriam Barker & Alun Thomas in Treforest

BBC News

Firefighters are still tackling a huge blaze at an industrial estate in south Wales and one person remains unaccounted for.

Police said there were no reports of serious injuries but the MP for the area said there were "walking wounded".

Stephen Davies, who was at a nearby gym at the time of the blast in Pontypridd, said "it was carnage".

Images on social media in the aftermath showed a building in flames and smoke at Treforest Industrial Estate.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was still tackling the fire in various parts.

At least one building has been destroyed and a "major incident" was declared for several hours following the "massive explosion" at 19:00 GMT.

The fire service said a two-storey building was "at risk of collapse" and it had seven pumps at the scene, along with an incident command unit.

Roads in the area remain closed and an investigation is taking place into the cause.

Mr Davies said: "We were going about our usual gym class and then about quarter past seven we sat down and we had a coffee in the cafe area, the next thing we knew a massive explosion."

He said he and his friend saw the stairwell by the entrance to the cafe explode.

"All the walls caved in, it was carnage... it was very scary".

"The staff were excellent in terms of getting everybody out, shouting and making sure everybody escaped out the back entrance.

"It's a bit surreal, because you are sort of in something, you don't actually realise how life and death that was.

"You don't think it's ever going to happen to you."

Joseph Barker

The Welsh Ambulance Service said it "treated three patients at the scene before discharging them" on Wednesday evening.

South Wales Police said there were no reports of serious injuries but "one person remains unaccounted for".

The force said on Wednesday: "Residents living nearby are advised to close all doors and windows while this incident is continuing.

"Businesses in the area are requested to implement their own business continuity plans to deal with the on-going road closures."

The fire is in a 60,000 sq ft (5,574 sq m) warehouse called Rizla House which houses 13 commercial units including a gym, a towel manufacturer, a food laboratory and a telecoms service company.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board had put all its emergency departments on high alert for several hours, standing down late on Wednesday.

It also asked people to "continue to make appropriate use of urgent care services to ensure those that most need our care can receive it in a timely way".

At the scene - BBC reporter Alun Thomas

The emergency services are still here at the Treforest Industrial Estate this morning.

Blue lights are flashing against the dawn sky as efforts continue to locate one person unaccounted for while the fire service is still dealing with the blaze.

A cordon is still in place with traffic prevented from using the busy A473 which connects the Tonteg area with the A470 between Pontypridd and Cardiff.

Barber Andrew Cox posted on Facebook that he was trying to work out what the next steps were regarding appointments.

His shop, Andrew Cox Barbering, was in the building underneath the gym where the explosion happened.

"Nobody is allowed near the vicinity so I am completely clueless as to what is still standing, if anything.

"I am frantically trying to work out what the next steps are regarding all appointments."

Alex Davies-Jones, MP for Pontypridd, spoke to Radio Wales Breakfast on Thursday morning and said it was a "very significant fire" with a subsequent explosion in one of the businesses.

"Our concern is for that one unaccounted person at the moment, but the police and the fire service have confirmed that there were no significant injuries at the site," she said.

"We had a few people who were walking wounded due to some debris from the site, from the explosion and the fire, but thankfully at the moment it looks like we've had no severe casualties and we're just hoping and praying for that one accounted person that they do become accounted for and that's what we're all hoping for today."

Krishnaraj Nadarajah

One nearby business owner said her tattoo shop "just exploded".

Lucy Artiss, tattooist at Sixteen Circles, said she had "lost everything" but all of her colleagues made it out of the building unhurt.

"I feel numb, to be honest. Looks like I'll need to find a new shop."

Nearby Integer Telecom, a telecommunication provider, said in a Facebook post its building was destroyed in the explosion, adding: "All our staff are safe and unharmed and business will resume as normal."

The manager of a nearby Esso garage, Krishnaraj Nadarajah, said he contacted the fire service and shut off pumps at the station.

The 40-year-old described hearing a "massive explosion".

He said: "It felt like it was an earthquake or something. We went outside and there was a fire starting to build up, it was a huge fire and smoke."

"The noise was very loud, it was a big explosion. Some of the things fell down in the store, off the shelves."

Mr Nadarajah called it "very scary".

Phill Jones from Llantrisant said he was driving along the A473 with his eight-year-old son at about 19:15 when he saw "a really loud bang and a flash of light".

"My first reaction was 'Who is letting off fireworks on a Wednesday night?'

"There was a big fireball up in the sky. I swerved the car a little bit and my son got quite animated.

"The way it went up, it was almost as if something had exploded."

Valley Times

In an update at 01:30 on Thursday, police said the following roads remain closed:

• Tonteg Road between the Upper Boat and Power Station Hill roundabouts
• Severn Road
• Taffs Mead Road
• Taffs Fall Road
• Bridge Road
• Ford Road

Are you in the area? If it is safe to do so, email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Related Topics

• Wales
• South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
• Treforest
• South Wales Police
• Pontypridd

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2023-12-14 09:41:19Z
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Mark Drakeford to step down as Wales first minister - The Guardian

Mark Drakeford has announced he is stepping down as the Welsh first minister and a contest for the leadership of Welsh Labour will begin shortly.

Drakeford said: “I have today formally notified the chair of the Welsh executive committee of my intention to stand down as leader of Welsh Labour in March 2024.

“When I stood for the leadership, I said that, if elected, I would serve for five years. Exactly five years have passed since I was confirmed as first minister in 2018.

“Nominations for my successor as Welsh Labour leader will open shortly. The process will be concluded by the end of the spring term, to enable the name of the winner to be put to the Senedd before the Easter recess. In the meantime, I remain your first minister.”

He added: “In a five-year period, which has seen Wales deal with austerity, Brexit, the Covid pandemic, the climate crisis, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and four different prime ministers – so far – there will be lots to reflect on.

“The next Welsh Labour leader and first minister will, I hope, have the opportunity, which has not come my way, to work with a newly elected Labour government in London. I will work as hard as I can to see that Labour government elected.”

Drakeford had long said he would leave the post before the end of the current Senedd term in 2026 and in the summer made it clear he would leave the Welsh parliament completely at the next election.

He was first elected as the Senedd member for Cardiff West in 2011 and became first minister after Carwyn Jones left the job eight years later.

Drakeford’s role leading Wales’s response to the Covid crisis made him the most prominent Welsh leader since Rhodri Morgan and one of the UK’s most recognisable politicians.

When he became leader almost exactly five years ago, he promised to follow “radical socialist traditions” in the style of Aneurin Bevan and Michael Foot and was vocal in his support for Jeremy Corbyn.

He will be remembered for his cautious, avuncular style during the pandemic and also for a more recent and controversial policy: the introduction of 20mph speed limits in most built-up areas throughout Wales.

The announcement comes at a sensitive time for the Labour administration, which is having to make wide-ranging budget cuts across almost all departments to help prop up the country’s struggling health service and rail system.

Among the favourites to replace him will be Vaughan Gething, the economy minister, and Jeremy Miles, the education minister.

Miles was one of the first to pay tribute, saying: “Mark Drakeford is an extraordinary man who has led Wales through extraordinary times. He has been a beacon for compassion in our politics, and an example of public service to our nation.

“As we consider what comes next, I hope we will resolve to build on Mark’s legacy, to meet new challenges head on, and to set our sights on an ambitious future for Wales.”

The UK Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “He’s a true titan of Welsh and Labour politics. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him and we all wish him the very best for his retirement.”

The Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth paid tribute to Drakeford’s dedication to public life but accused him of squandering his chances to improve Wales and said during his term there had been longer NHS waiting lists, falling educational standards and a stagnant economy.

He said: “Whoever is in charge of Labour in Wales, there’s no taking away from the fact that they take their orders from Keir Starmer, who has a blind spot to Wales and offers nothing to address our needs and aspirations.”

The shadow secretary of state for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: “Mark Drakeford has epitomised public service and public duty throughout his time as first minister of Wales. His remarkable stewardship of Wales through the horror of the pandemic being the most obvious example.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said: “While we may have different visions for Wales, I know I’m joined by colleagues in holding a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the job of first minister.

“It’s important, however, with this announcement that there is no distraction from the really important job of delivering for the people of Wales. Labour politicians jockeying for the role of first minister must not detract from this.”

Before entering politics, Drakeford worked as a probation officer, youth justice worker and Barnardo’s project leader in Cardiff. He has taught at Cardiff and Swansea universities.

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Rishi Sunak sees off Tory rebellion in Rwanda bill vote - BBC

Getty Images

By Becky Morton

Political reporter

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has seen off a Tory rebellion over his flagship Rwanda bill but still faces a battle to get it through Parliament.

The legislation comfortably passed its first Commons hurdle with a majority of 44, but there will be further votes in the new year.

No Tory MPs voted against but some critics on the right of the party rebelled by abstaining.

Rebels said they had been told the PM would consider "tightening" the bill.

But this could risk losing the support of more centrist Tory MPs, who have warned they would oppose any future changes which would breach international law.

The emergency legislation was drawn up to revive the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The government say the scheme is designed to deter migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats - something Mr Sunak has made one of his key priorities.

• Chris Mason: Sunak takes the win but the battle is not over
• Why does the UK want to send asylum seekers to Rwanda?
• Can the new Rwanda bill work and what could stop it?

In a sign of nerves in Downing Street over the potential for a tight result, Climate Minister Graham Stuart flew back from the COP28 climate conference in Dubai to vote.

But despite some Tories on the right threatening to vote against the bill, in the end only opposition MPs did, and the bill passed by 313 votes to 269.

Around 29 Conservative MPs - including former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, who resigned over the legislation last week, and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman - chose to abstain and not support the bill.

Altogether 37 Tory MPs did not record a vote, however some of those may have simply been unable to attend the vote rather than deliberately abstaining.

Shortly before the vote, five factions of backbench MPs - the European Research Group (ERG), the New Conservatives, the Common Sense Group, the Conservative Growth Group and Northern Research Group - announced they could not support the bill in its current form.

They plan to propose amendments and said they could vote the bill down when it returns to the Commons in the new year if the changes they wanted were not accepted.

Chairman of the ERG - a faction to the right of the party - Mark Francois, who was among those who abstained, told BBC News: "Our objection was that we don't believe, as it's currently drafted, the bill is firm enough to ensure that flights will take off to Rwanda."

"The prime minister had said that he would entertain tightening up the bill. We're taking him at his word," he said.

"A number of MPs voted with the government... because they were told in private that there would be amendments later on."

However, agreeing to their demands would create new problems for the government.

The centrist One Nation group, which includes more than 100 Tory MPs, had recommended that its members vote for the bill, but warned it would oppose any future amendments "that would mean the UK government breaching the rule of law and its international obligations".

Group member Matt Warman told the BBC's World Tonight programme: "We don't want to see the bill change in a way that goes over the red lines of international law… anything that goes over those red lines is out of the question".

He added that "there is a possibility for sensible compromise as we go into the next stages of this bill".

Tougher legislation may be more difficult to get through the House of Lords.

One Nation Chairman Damian Green told BBC News the vote had seen far fewer abstentions than expected and that "if the government sticks to its guns then it can probably get this legislation through intact".

Home Office Minister Chris Philp said the government would listen to ideas from MPs on how to improve the bill.

"Like with any bill, government ministers will be talking to members of Parliament to see if there are ways of tightening this even further, to improve the drafting to make sure there are absolutely no loopholes at all," he added.

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Ben Bradley MP of the Common Sense Group told BBC's Newsnight that "pragmatism has got to meet ideology at some point. What is the strongest we can deliver versus what is perfect'."

The bill seeks to declare in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country to send asylum seekers to, after the Supreme Court ruled the policy was unlawful last month.

However, critics on the right of the party have argued it is not currently strong enough to prevent legal challenges to deportations.

A No 10 spokesperson said the bill was "the toughest legislation ever introduced to Parliament" and "makes clear that this Parliament, not any foreign court is sovereign".

"We will now work to ensure that this bill gets on to the statute book so that we can get flights off to Rwanda and stop the boats," the spokesperson added.

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Labour voted against the bill, along with other opposition parties, and the party has said it would scrap the Rwanda plan if it wins the next election.

It says the millions of pounds given to Rwanda as part of the deal would be better spent tackling people-smuggling gangs.

Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The Conservatives' civil war is continuing, and the country is paying the price for this chaos.

"Today's debate shows how weak Rishi Sunak is with this Tory psychodrama now dragging on into the new year."

Related Topics

• UK immigration
• Immigration
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Rwanda

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Sunak faces crunch UK parliamentary showdown over Rwanda asylum plan - Reuters UK

• Summary

• Parliament to vote around 1900 GMT
• Sunak's party split over emergency legislation
• Rebels want to ban legal appeals over Rwanda plan

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces the biggest parliamentary test of his premiership on Tuesday when lawmakers vote on his divisive plan to send asylum seekers to live in Rwanda.

The UK Supreme Court ruled last month that Rwanda was an unsafe place to send those arriving in small boats on England's southern coast, and that the policy would breach British and international law.

In response, Sunak has agreed a new treaty with Rwanda and brought forward emergency legislation to override domestic and international human rights law.

The move has deeply divided his party, alienating both moderates, who are worried about Britain breaching its human rights obligations, and right-wing politicians, who contend it does not go far enough.

"We believe the best solution here is we should pause the legislation today, we should come back with a new bill," one Conservative lawmaker on the right of the party, Simon Clarke, told BBC Radio.

In power for 13 years and trailing the opposition Labour Party by around 20 points ahead of an election expected next year, Sunak's Conservatives have fractured along multiple lines and lost much of their discipline.

Lawmakers on the right, who have not said whether they will abstain or vote against the bill, want to ban asylum seekers from having any legal means to appeal against deportation.

Michael Tomlinson, the junior minister responsible for policy on illegal migration, said that would not fit with British values.

"Not even during the Second World War did we shut out claims going to court," he told BBC Radio.

Governments around the world are grappling with rising migration levels, and some are following the British plan to see if it will work. French lawmakers rejected their immigration bill last night, in a blow to President Emmanuel Macron.

CRUCIAL VOTE

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference in the Downing Street Briefing Room, in London, Britain December 7, 2023. James Manning/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

The British parliament will hold its first vote on the law on Tuesday evening. It would only take about 30 Conservative members of parliament to vote with opposition parties to defeat the bill.

Even if it passes, Sunak is likely to face attempts to toughen it up with amendments at later stages, as well as opposition in the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber.

Defeat would be a huge embarrassment for Sunak - no government has lost a vote at this early stage in the parliamentary process since 1986 - and it would severely weaken his authority over his party.

He hosted some lawmakers on the party's right wing for breakfast on Tuesday in a last ditch attempt to convince them to back the bill, after more centrist lawmakers said they would back it as long as the legislation is not toughened up further.

Sunak is Britain's fifth Conservative prime minister in seven years after the vote to leave the European Union polarised the country's politics, leading to repeated bouts of instability.

The battle has echoes of parliamentary showdowns over Brexit from 2017-19, when then Prime Minister Theresa May suffered repeated defeats following rebellions by large numbers of Conservative politicians, eventually leading to her exit.

Sunak has made stopping boat-arrivals one of his biggest priorities. About 29,000 asylum seekers have arrived this year - down around one-third compared with last year.

The vast majority of immigrants enter legally through other means. But the sight of small inflatable dinghies crossing the Channel remains a highly visible symbol of the government's failure to control Britain's borders - a key promise of Brexit campaigners.

The Conservatives have repeatedly failed to meet targets to reduce immigration, which has soared even after Brexit stripped EU citizens of the right of free movement, with net immigration reaching 745,000 last year.

Keir Starmer, the opposition Labour leader, has described the Rwanda policy as an "expensive gimmick" that has prevented the government from focusing on more practical measures. He said he would revoke the bill if he got into power.

Britain has already paid 240 million pounds ($300 million) to Rwanda even though no one has yet been sent there. Even if the programme gets off the ground, Rwanda would have the capacity to settle only hundreds of refugees from Britain at a time.

($1 = 0.7971 pounds)

Writing by Kate Holton and Andrew MacAskill, additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, Christina Fincher, Peter Graff

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Sarah Young

Thomson Reuters

Sarah reports on UK breaking news, with a focus on British companies. She has been a part of the UK bureau for 12 years covering everything from airlines to energy to the royals, politics and sport. She is a keen open water swimmer.

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2023-12-12 10:07:00Z
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