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A PROBE is underway after a man was shot in the south inner city area of Dublin last night.

The man was shot twice in the Rutland Avenue area and is being treated in hospital for non life-threatening injuries.

Alamy

Gardai are trying to establish a motive for the shooting.

One theory is that he may have been targeted over a drug debt.

A source said: “The man is known to gardaí for his addiction problems but isn’t a major gangland player.

“He is currently being treated in hospital for his injuries.”

Meanwhile, a probe is also underway after a man armed with a knife lunged at two unarmed members of the Gardai.

The incident happened in the Rathmines area of the capital on Thursday night.

None of the officers were injured during the incident but the attacker suffered a self-inflicted wound.

One source said: “This type of incident shows the danger Gardai face on a daily basis.

“The man armed with the knife was very threatening but thankfully no-one suffered any serious injuries.”

Gardai confirmed an investigation was underway.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardai attended an incident at a property in Rathmines on the night of Thursday 20th February.

“Gardaí attended the scene and a male, aged in his 20s was removed from the scene to St James’ Hospital with self-inflicted wounds.

“Investigations are ongoing.”

stephen.breen@the-sun.ie

MET Eireann has issued a yellow alert for 15 counties as heavy rain and strong gusts are expected tomorrow.

Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Munster, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo will be covered under the warning from 2am to 3pm.

The alert reads: “Very strong and gusty southerly winds together with spells of heavy rain.

Possible impacts include difficult travel conditions, localised flooding, fallen trees & loose debris and poor visibility.

After 3pm tomorrow, another wind warning will kick in for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo due to “very strong and gusty southwesterly winds.”

The alert will be valid from 3pm tomorrow until 12am on Monday.

The UK Met Office has also issued a wind warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.

The alert will begin at 3am on Sunday and continue until 3pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, good sunshine is expected across the country today.

Met Eireann said: “A bright and largely dry day with good sunshine and some passing showers, mainly across the southwest, west and north.

“Highest temperatures of 10 to 13C in light to moderate southwest winds.

“Mainly dry and clear to start tonight. Rain will spread from the west overnight, reaching eastern areas by morning.

“Rain will be heavy in the west and southwest with spot flooding possible.

“Becoming very windy with southerly winds increasing strong to near gale force, reaching gale force on coasts.

“Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8C.

“Sunday morning will be wet and windy with very strong and gusty southerly winds and widespread rain, heavy in many areas with some spot flooding.

“Rain will gradually clear eastwards through the afternoon with scattered blustery showers following, some heavy with isolated thunderstorms possible.

“Winds will decrease fresh as the rain clears. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14C.

“Sunday night will bring clear spells and scattered showers, the showers heaviest and most frequent in the west with hail and isolated thunderstorms possible.

“Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7C with fresh southwest winds, easing a little overnight.”

THIS is the moment an idiotic thief gets stuck while lowering himself into a Sainsbury’s shop via the ceiling.

The bungled Mission Impossible-style burglary took place at early this morning (21 February) in central Nottingham.

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The raider’s feet can be seen poking out from the ceiling[/caption]

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He gets stuck as he tries to enter the store from above[/caption]

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The thief drops the ground as the ceiling falls through[/caption]

In CCTV footage released by Nottinghamshire Police, the thief’s feet gradually appear through the ceiling of the Sainsbury’s Local in Radford – as bits of dust and plaster fall beneath him.

He then lowers himself down to the waist height, and begins kicking his legs in a panicked attempt to steady himself.

In the process, he sends groceries flying off a nearby shelf – including multipacks of drinks.

He is then left comedically dangling, as his arms remain arms and shoulders remain stuck

Eventually, a panel of the ceiling falls away and he falls in a heap on the ground.

Moments later, the thief, who is wearing black trackies and a blue t shirt under a black hooded coat, is seen prowling the supermarket aisles with a carrier bag.

He then appears behind the counter, pulling dozens of National Lottery scratch cards from a dispenser.

Cops later revealed the value of the stolen scratch cards to be around £200.

Seconds later, a separate camera from outside the store shows the burglar sneaking out of a fire exit.

Sainsbury’s staff called 999 at 6.10am after spotting the intruder.

Officers arrived within six minutes, and found a man matching his description in a nearby street.

The 50-year-old was arrested on suspicion of burglary and taken into custody.

In a statement, Inspector Liz Gaskin said: “This was fantastic work by the Response officers who ensured a suspect was swiftly in handcuffs.

“The store was closed at the time of the incident and so did not impact on members of the public.

“However it was an alarming incident for the staff and I’d like to thank them for alerting us to the burglary.

“No one should arrive for a shift to discover a burglar inside their place of work and I hope they are reassured by the arrest.

“As shown today, we will always offer a robust response when community stores are targeted like this and their shelves ransacked.”

It comes after more bizarre footage was revealed of a man escaping court via an upper-storey window in South Africa.

The daring getaway was pulled off by Onoshana Thando Sadiki – who was supposed to be facing charges of breaking and entry and theft at Jeppe Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg.

Sadiki’s freedom was only temporary, however, as he was nabbed again the next day while on the run.

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The intruder was later seen walking around the aisles[/caption]

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He also pulled scratch cards from a National Lottery dispenser[/caption]

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He eventually exited the store via a fire exit[/caption]

A SAVVY woman has revealed how she made £290 by reselling car boot sale bargains online.

Sophie Field, from the UK, took to social media to show off her latest haul of goods and how much she could sell them for.

TikTok/@sophfield

Sophie revealed she makes a living reselling car boot sale bargains[/caption]

TikTok/@sophfield

She made £290 from just one car boot sale but not everyone was a fan of her business strategy[/caption]

“What I bought from the boot sale (with profits),” she said.

The first thing Sophie found was a giant Jellycat bunny plushie which usually retails for £225.

The bargain hunter managed to buy it for just £12 and said she sold it for £85 online.

Next, she bought an array of shoes at the car boot including a pair of Uggs, Adidas Gazelles, Converse, Crocs and Sketchers.

She spent just £11 on the six pairs of shoes and was able to make a profit of £68.

The savvy woman also found two gift boxes of Levi’s socks which she paid £8 for and sold each one for £16.

Sophie also picked up an adorable green mini skirt from Zara she snagged for £2 and sold for £10 as well as a Pull & Bear sweatshirt she decided to keep for herself.

Also on her list of goodies she sold for a profit were a box of DVDs she bought for £2 and sold for £25, and a Starbucks travel cup she paid 50p for and sold online for £4.50.

Sophie also sold a clock for £10 which she bought for £1 as well as a tonne of plushies.

She found a large number of Disney plushies and managed to sell them for £102 despite only paying £20 for them.

Sophie shared her haul on her TikTok account, @sophfield, and revealed she made a total profit of £291.50.

The savvy shopper also revealed she usually resells her items online using either eBay or Vinted.

The clip went viral with over 156k views and 5,200 likes, and people were quick to take to the comments to share their thoughts.

Over 124 viewers shared their opinions, some furious that Sophie had taken the items to sell them for a profit.

Public Reaction

One person wrote: “Why do you not just leave them for people that would really enjoy/need them?”

“it’s a business – it’s how I earn a living if someone wants them they can find them online also,” Soph replied.

Another commented: “Reselling clothes fine but cuddly toys just feels immoral.”

“Okay that’s literally just not fair.. imagine how happy someone who really wanted all of those things would’ve been when they found them, but you ruined that,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “Wait I don’t get the issue with this? You want that item that cheap get up at 6am & go get it. I’d rather pay a little more for the fact someone has done it for me.”

“I love the people whining in the comments. Same reason I buy cheap from charity shops and sell for a profit. I try find the time for car boots (mainly Sedgefield) but don’t get the time to often,” claimed a fifth.

Someone else added: “Very impressive and well done.”

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THE Vatican issued an update on Pope Francis’ health after previously warning he was “not out of danger”.

The 88-year-old was admitted to hospital on February 14 and has been forced to pull out of official engagements.

AFP

The Vatican has issued an update on Pope Francis[/caption]

The pontiff has been suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and is undergoing treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

The Vatican shared a short update on his condition, as Catholics across the world hold out hope the 88-year-old gets better.

It said: “Pope Francis rested well.”

This positive update came after a series of worrying updates from The Church.

The Vatican warned on Monday that a longer hospital stay was needed in the face of a “complex clinical picture” which involved a “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract”.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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IT’S all change as Britain’s Got Talent returns to our screens for an 18th series – no, don’t worry, Simon Cowell hasn’t axed national treasures Ant and Dec as hosts (he wouldn’t dare!).

But there is a new guest judge in the shape of social-media, boxing and music star KSI, more golden buzzers than ever before, and for the first time ever, the live semi-finals will be airing weekly on Saturday nights later in the year rather than consecutive evenings across a week.

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Britain’s Got Talent is back tonight[/caption]

Splash News

Amanda Holden received over 600 Ofcom complaints about this dress in 2017[/caption]

Rex Features

But the star has promised more racy outfits for this series[/caption]

Rex

But perhaps the biggest difference this time around is that all of the auditions were filmed in the British home of showbiz – Blackpool.

Ahead of the launch of this new series, TV Mag exclusively spoke to the stalwarts of the long-term judging panel, Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli…

AMANDA HOLDEN

If there’s one thing we know we can expect along with a host of weird and wonderful act, it’s a jaw-dropping outfit or two from Amanda that likely prompts some viewers to contact Ofcom to complain…

“I haven’t even thought about my semi-finals outfits yet, but I constantly scroll through Instagram when I’m on car journeys and bombard my stylist with loads of ideas – it’s thigh splits and cleavage!” cackles Amanda, who sparked a record 663 complaints with one low-cut number back in 2017 .

“I have a whole ‘t*t committee’ [in the production team] that watches everything [ to prevent ‘accidents’]. Hopefully they’ll keep an eye on Bruno’s t*ts as well, because I think he shows far more than I do at the moment!”

Amanda’s bound to be feeling confident about spotting potential during the show’s new run, given that she was the judge who pressed her golden buzzer for Sydnie Christmas, the singer who went on to win the 2024 series.

“That was just incredible for me, and I’ve become friends with her,” reveals Amanda, 53. “I met up with her while I was on holiday with Alan Carr in Greece and we saw each other in Los Angeles for dinner.

“So I feel like, more than any other act – apart from Stavros Flatley – I’m quite invested in her, socially and everything else. Because she’s just such a wonderful person, as are her gorgeous family. So it feels like a win on more levels than just her winning a golden buzzer. I’ve made a new friend, she’s great.”

Having been on the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell since the start, Amanda’s well placed to look at how the Saturday-night entertainment show has changed the lives of contestants and the panel judging them.

“Susan Boyle changed the face of television,” she says of the Scottish singer whose audition in 2009 became an internet sensation.

“It took us into the homes of people who maybe had never seen the show. Wherever I go now, I get recognised. It used to just be Europe, now it’s Dubai and America, the Philippines. It’s everywhere, because of YouTube and social media. That’s what Susan Boyle did for the show – she put us on a global stage.”

SIMON COWELL

There’s one reason we’re about to witness the most golden buzzers we’ve ever seen on one series of BGT, reckons Simon – the ‘persuasiveness’ of a pumped-up audience under those bright lights in Blackpool.

“They were completely wild!” laughs Simon, 65. “What I loved about them was they were just completely enjoying the process. People might not know, but it does take a while sometimes between acts because the stage needs to be set or the golden buzzer [ticker tape] needs to be cleaned up. But they really had a good time and they really took what they did seriously.

“When we say the audience are the fifth judge, those crowds proved it – that’s why we have so many golden buzzers this series. It’s all down to them and how loud they were. Honestly, it got to the stage where I thought on a couple of acts that if we didn’t press the golden buzzer, then the audience wouldn’t let us out the building!”

Simon also says the crowd were great for a bit of banter, even if it was at times at his expense.

KSI is a different kind of entertainer, how he’s built his career – I have a lot of respect for what he’s done

Simon CowellTV Mag

“At one point this lady called me an ‘old fart’,” he laughs. “I thought it was one of the funniest things, because a lot of people would’ve ignored it, but I repeated it because it made me laugh so much. And then afterwards she was asking for a picture with me!”

With Bruno away for some of the auditions, Simon drafted in new face KSI to cover. And, he says, it was a bit of a baptism of fire for the man famed for creating the viral drink Prime.

“KSI is a different kind of entertainer, how he’s built his career – I have a lot of respect for what he’s done,” says Simon. “We were talking on the first day and he asked what advice I have for him. I said that none of us are experts on everything because you don’t know what’s going to come on.

“So all you can do is just say how the act makes you feel. Within about 20 minutes he said: ‘Wow, I had no idea it was this intense!’ But he completely embraced it. He genuinely seemed to love it and the audience embraced him.”

ALESHA DIXON

Holding all the auditions for this year’s BGT in Blackpool brought a new energy to the show, says Alesha.

“There’s something about audiences in Blackpool,” she explains. “I think they really understand the bones of our show. We had such a blast, it was almost like the circus had come to town.”

But while the atmosphere put everyone in a lively mood, that doesn’t mean it was party time when the day’s work was done.

“We didn’t get much time to socialise because we would start early in the morning and finish late at night,” admits Alesha, who is mum to daughters Azura, 11, and five-year-old Anaya.

FAMILY TIME

“Some people would go down to the bar, but I actually spent a bit of time playing Ludo with my lovely sister, who works with me, and my hair-and-make-up team. We sat and played Ludo, had a glass of wine, listened to some music. My little brother came to see me on one of the days and he was trying to convince me to go out in Blackpool, but it was freezing. I said: ‘There’s no way you’ll get me out of the hotel!’”

That family involvement is one of the reasons Alesha, 46, is as excited as ever about the show and has no plans to walk away, despite it being her 13th series.

“It’s amazing how time flies. I mean, what a rollercoaster it’s been,” she grins. “I feel like one of the luckiest people on television, because I think I’m on the best show on TV. If you’re loving it and you’re having a great time, why would you not want to be there? On the last day of auditions we always feel a bit sad, because we genuinely treasure it. And, you know, we’ve become like a family over the years.

“Whenever Azura comes and watches, she feels like she’s having a play date because she has a great time with [Amanda’s daughter] Hollie and [Simon’s son] Eric. They all get on so well, and they’ve all known each other for so many years, so it’s a fun day out for them. It’s a family affair, and that’s what makes it so special for everyone.”

While Alesha won’t spoil who she pushed her golden buzzer for, there’s no doubt who Azura would have gone for if she had one to press…

“Azura is obsessed with Wicked at the moment and she’d say: ‘Mummy, I really hope you get somebody that comes on and performs one of the songs from Wicked.’ Amanda and I kept speaking about it every day. On the day, we had this group come on stage and they did a tribute to Wicked. It was such a beautiful moment.”

Amanda doesn’t want to kill the magic, which I respect.”

AleshaTV Mag

This is the 13th year that Alesha has sat alongside Amanda on the panel, and while her fellow judge admits that she loves to flash the flesh and get people talking about her outfits (see below), there’s no rivalry in the style stakes between them, as Alesha’s more than happy keeping it casual.

“Amanda always looks incredible and is a great sport. I think people realise that she’s just an incredibly beautiful woman who can wear what she wants if it makes her feel good,” smiles Alesha.

“We’re so different in our style naturally and we complement one another. I’m very fortunate to wear a pair of trainers at these auditions – go for the comfort, right? Amanda doesn’t want to kill the magic, which I respect.”

Alesha reveals that it didn’t take the whole gang long to get into the spirit of Blackpool, with Simon even driving the judges to the theatre in a gold metallic wrapped car with a funny cartoon print on the driver’s door that made it look like Simon was sitting on the toilet!

A NEW SIMON

“We had such a laugh in there,” grins Alesha. “Amanda had a microphone in the front and was shouting things out at people, and it wasn’t until we actually pulled up at the theatre that we got out and saw the toilet, which was very funny.

“Honestly, I was saying to Amanda that Simon over the years has become such a good sport. He’s just so up for things now – he does things on stage that I never thought I would see, things he certainly wouldn’t have been doing 10 years ago.

“I just love watching him have fun with it. That car was silly, and we love silliness on our show. The sillier, the better. With so much going on in the world, it’s just lovely to be able to go and work on a television show that makes people feel good, makes people smile and makes people laugh.

Britain’s Got Talent is one of the few gems that’s on television where everybody’s included, everybody feels a part of it. That’s rare and that needs to be treasured.”

BRUNO TONIOLI

Bruno Tonioli finally understands what BGT is all about now, since it’s his third year as a judge, but he loves the fact that the acts still take him by surprise.

“It goes from the amazing to the grotesque and everything in between,” laughs the former Strictly Come Dancing judge. “We are just like: ‘What is this?’ You’re in tears and then there’s a moment when you’re crying with laughter. That’s the beauty of the show. It’s a celebration of variety. There are some acts that, if it wasn’t for Britain’s Got Talent, they wouldn’t be seen – but they deserve to be seen. Singers, dancers, acrobats, aerialists, comedians… You name it, we have it.”

Simon, Alesha and Amanda all agree that livewire Bruno brings a special energy to the room, so it’s hard to believe that he’s a pensioner and will be turning 70 in late November.

“In my mind it’s just a number,” he insists. “I don’t define myself and I don’t think anyone should define themselves by a number. You should define yourself by your passion, what you want to do, by your interests.”

Even so, Alesha and Amanda have been urging him to organise some major celebrations to mark his landmark birthday.

“The girls have made a few suggestions, they’re much better than me at this kind of thing – I’m not a planner. Amanda is very efficient, she’s on it!” laughs Bruno, who suggests that he might want to keep his celebration “small and private”. “I always like surprises. I’m still like when I was 18 – I can’t wait to see what happens next. I always like to have this sense of adventure. I never plan anything unless I have a job to do.”

Of course, Bruno’s had a lot on his mind lately, with wild fires causing devastation in Los Angeles – which is where he lives when filming Dancing With The Stars, the US version of Strictly.

“I called all my friends in LA as soon as I finished the auditions in Blackpool. Fortunately, they are okay,” he says. “A few had to go to Palm Springs because they couldn’t move back in because of all the smoke. And my house is okay.

I don’t have that power, unfortunately. I can’t hire myself, my darling!”

Bruno TonioliTV Mag

“But it’s devastating, it just makes you cry. It is apocalyptic. I know they will rebuild. I have faith that they are very energetic, positive people, and I know that they will come back stronger than ever.”

As for the future, Bruno says he’d love to stay with BGT. However, after five decades in show business, he’s a realist and knows that decision lies with ITV and Simon Cowell.

“As long as they want me, I’m having a fantastic time,” he grins. “But it’s not for me to say, it’s up to them, isn’t it? I don’t have that power, unfortunately. I can’t hire myself, my darling!”

Rex

Rex

Splash

KSI joins the panel as a guest judge this series[/caption]

Britain’s Got Talent starts on Saturday, February 22 at 7pm on ITV.

TV Mag is available for free every Saturday, only in The Sun.

A COUPLE who found fame on Chateau DIY have put their incredible French home up for sale for an eyewatering £2.5 MILLION.

The Channel 4 show celebrates the trials and incredible transformations of British families restoring ancient properties from all areas of France.

Chateau DIY

This stunning property from Channel 4’s Chateau DIY is up for sale[/caption]

Chateau DIY

Owners George and Sarah have put the property up for sale after renovating it themselves[/caption]

Instagram/@chateaudebrives

This impressive pile has been restored to its original beauty[/caption]

Chateau DIY

The French home looks like a hotel inside[/caption]

Chateau DIY

This chateau certainly has the wow factor[/caption]

Chateau DIY made stars of Sarah and George when they opened their magnificent home up to the show in season 4.

The couple have renovated the property themselves, and spared no expense when it came to attention to detail.

Sarah and George bought the chateau almost 15 years ago, and have split their time between the UK and their French home ever since.

When they first purchased the property, major renovations were needed in the first few months just to make the place habitable. 

At the same time as renovating the chateau they were also raising their two children.

The pair already had plenty of experience in restoring period properties before they bought the chateau.

Fans watched in awe as Sarah and George took viewers on a tour of their home on Chateau DIY, and now it’s up for sale.

For a cool £2.5M this French dream home could be yours.

Built in 1823, this chateau includes seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

If that wasn’t enough there is a wine cellar, basement, office and laundry room.

The property also includes a guest house, which includes a kitchen, dining room, living room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There is also a swimming pool and pool house, plus plush gardens, woods and meadows.

SUCCESSFUL SHOW

Chateau DIY is so popular with viewers that it was recently revealed how Channel 4 have commissioned more episodes of the hit programme.

Historically the show has been commissioned as 30 hour-long episodes, but the new order has been expanded to 45 episodes each series, for the next two years.

Instagram/@chateaudebrives

The chateau has a showstopping staircase which was handcrafted[/caption]

Instagram/@chateaudebrives

The attention to detail is spectacular[/caption]

Streaming figures for Chateau DIY have increased every season.

When the show airs on Channel 4, it is always given the prime 5pm slot, securing a peak audience share.

The last series averaged a 622,000 audience, comfortably above the 480,000 channel benchmark.

Joff Hatfield-Powell, who has helmed Chateau DIY since its launch said: “Chateau DIY is a well-loved franchise which continues to deliver on linear and streaming so I am delighted with Channel 4’s increased commitment for more”

The Chateau DIY brand also includes the More 4 spin-off series Chateau DIY: Living the Dream which takes a look back at the British families buying and renovating beautiful chateaux in France.

Chateau DIY is available to stream on Channel 4.

Chateau DIY

George and Sarah have lived at the property for 15 years[/caption]

RONAN O’Gara reflected on how real tragedies like Michael O’Sullivan’s death put typical sporting difficulties into perspective.

The Munster great opened his Irish Examiner column with ‘I’ve lost four games in a row, but who really gives a f**k?’

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His La Rochelle side are languishing in seventh in the French Top 14 – with eights wins and losses apiece[/caption]

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The 24-year-old was buried at a massive funeral on Wednesday[/caption]

That about sums up his whole line of thinking throughout the piece as he notes how his mind keeps going back to the Cork jockey’s life being so cruelly cut short.

O’Gara continues: “That’s crude, but it’s probably where most of us went to this week.

“A lot of us might have set out on Sunday bugged by smaller questions. About fixing a lineout or whatever it is.

“Then news dropped about Mikey O’Sullivan and instead we ask ourselves why do we do this?

“Why does it mean so much? Why is sport so powerful when it can end this brutally?

“A fella gets up on a horse and never comes home. No warning. No fairness.

“It’s under the same definition as what we do. Sport. I keep thinking about Mikey.

“I know he enjoyed his rugby. Loved Munster. And poor John Cooney, chasing his dreams in the ring.

“I keep thinking about Jack de Bromhead in that beach race.”

He later touches on horse racing being what made O’Sullivan’s life what it was – despite it ultimately being what caused his premature death.

From there he weaves between the sporting challenges he faces over the rest of the season as well as the greater significance sport can play in the lives of so many people.

O’Gara eventually touches on his match prediction for Ireland’s visit to Cardiff in the Six Nations.

But it’s apt that that is left til the very last few sentences since it pales into insignificance compared to what he opens with.

The horse racing world is still coming to terms with the shock of losing one of its brightest young jockeys.

FURTHER TRIBUTES

That was evident in O’Sullivan’s longtime trainer Barry Connell’s interview after securing a winner at Punchestown on Thursday – the day after the funeral.

Additionally, Irish legend Davy Russell stated that a shadow will now hang over the weigh room ‘for months if not years’ while speaking to Off the Ball.

Furthering that point, Patrick Mullins reflected on the widespread devastation felt across everyone connected with the racing industry nationwide.

Aside from his obvious racing credentials, Mullins is a brilliant writer and dedicated his weekly Racing Post column to honouring the memory of one of Ireland’s rising stars.

He noted: “We weren’t best friends or family.

“But we were friends and I’m proud to say that, and he made an impression on me that made me feel I had to write this, to pay some kind of tribute, for whatever it’s worth.

“He had a real genuine smile, a smile I won’t forget. He was one of us.

“He is one of us. And he always will be.”

THE latest Peppa Pig theme park is set to open next week with five new rides and nine play areas for kids.

It will be open every day from 9am to 5pm and parking is free.

Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments

The Dallas-Fort Worth theme park will open Saturday, March 1.

It is located  in North Richland Hills at 8851 26 Blvd, USA.

The site will mirror another Peppa Pig theme park in Winter Haven, Florida which opened in 2022.

The theme park will feature play areas, daily live shows, dining, shops, games and music.

Admission starts at $27.99 per person and tickets are available now.

Fans can also add wearable Peppa Pig ears for $4.99.

Superfans can even consider buying an annual pass at $99 per person.

It works at both the theme park and Peppa Pig’s World of Play in Grapevine which is just 20 minutes away.

The park is open to all ages and kids under two-years-old don’t need a ticket to enter.

Its five rides include Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure, Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Mr. Bull’s High Striker and Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride.

All riders must be accompanied by someone over 14-years-old and some rides have height requirements.

Two of the nine different play areas include Peppa Pig’s Treehouse and Rebecca Rabbit’s playground. 

Guests should bring swimming costumes if they want to enjoy the Muddy Puddles Splash Pad.

They can also bring bottled water and small snacks and meals that do not require heating.

Soft-sided insulated bags are allowed but should be no larger than 8.4 inches wide, 6 inches high and 6 inches deep.

Visitors in need of a break from the outdoor fun can attend The Cinema which shows “Peppa Pig” episodes.

Plus, Peppa Pig and her family perform live every day with songs and games at Mr Potato’s Showtime arena.

There’s also onsite dining at Miss Rabbit’s Diner and fans can grab a souvenir from Mr Fox’s Shop which sells toys, apparel and exclusive merchandise.

All staff have received autism sensitivity and awareness training and the park is a Certified Autism Center.

It also features an accessibility guide which shows reviews of every attraction based on how someone with sensory processing issues may be affected.

The theme park is also cashless and visitors are advised not to bring coolers and bags with wheels, alcohol and glass containers or hard-sided coolers.

Bags and personal items may be searched upon arrival.

Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments

INTERPOL has reportedly joined the hunt for a missing Scot who vanished from a luxury hotel in Kenya.

Campbell Scott, 58, went missing in East Africa after failing to turn up for a three-day workshop.

Police launched an extensive search for the businessman – a senior director with the data analytics company FICO.

Campbell, from Dunfermline, Fife, was on a business trip with a colleague for a conference at the JW Marriott hotel.

He arrived on Sunday and was last seen around 11.15am on Monday.

A colleague reported him missing Monday evening after being unable to reach him on his mobile phone at 6pm.

By 7pm, the hotel advised that the police were contacted sparking a search involving hotel security and management as well as officers from the Parklands police station.

Detectives are reported to have since taken over the case and have visited local bars and hotels in the Westlands district for information relating to Campbell.

A foreign office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Kenya and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Interpol has been contacted by investigators to help access the businessman’s phone records to find out who he was in contact with before he went missing.

Officers have so far been given the statements of at least five people from the hotel including security guards and staff to help with the investigation.

Campbell was scheduled to meet with officials from the UK, US, and several African countries for a three-day conference about markets for new products.

His FICO bio states that he is based in the London office and is “responsible for global regulatory and compliance product management within the FICO Scores team.”

He joined the company in 2014 from Experian UK and has over 25 years of experience in “data management and customer identity and verification solutions.”

FICO commented: “A FICO employee, Campbell Scott, went missing on Sunday, February 16, in Nairobi, Kenya while he was on a business trip.

“FICO is working with our local partners and local authorities to investigate the matter.

“We do not have any further information at this time.

“Our thoughts are with Campbell’s family and friends.

“Please respect his privacy and do not speculate about this situation.

“If anyone has information that may be helpful regarding his whereabouts, please contact local authorities.”

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Scots businessman Campbell Scott vanished from a luxury hotel in Kenya[/caption]