That’s one way to keep cool

Paddling pools are a staple of British summer time, but one Wythenshawe dad has taken it to the extreme with a massive pool right in his back garden – complete with a waterslide.

40-year-old Liam Tandy has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok for the clips, which show his son flying down the slide and splash land in the pool – right on his back patio in Benchill.

Liam said he has had the pool since 2024 – and only half-jokingly puts the decision down to having ADHD. “That’s just how I am, once I get an idea in my head, I just have to have it,” he told the M.E.N.

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Returning from a summer holiday, Liam found that he didn’t want to leave the poolside fun behind. “I had just moved into a new house and it was my first time having a garden,” he said.

“I thought, I want my own pool at home. I started looking online before the holiday even ended.”

He ‘levelled’ most of his back garden to install the 12ft by 24ft pool, which cost about £1,000, and added a former playground slide which he sourced on eBay.

A mechanic by trade, he also erected a platform over the garage roof, which he attached the slide to. “I don’t see it as unsafe, I’ve made it easy to get up there and put netting around the sides,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to my neighbours and they don’t have an issue with it. As long as my kids are happy, I’m happy.”

The pool has its own filter and Liam uses chlorine to treat the water. “Let’s not talk about costs…” he says of his water bill.

Things ‘went a bit mad’ when another TikTok user posted a video of the pool. “She was staying in an AirBnB round the corner and took a video from her window,” he said. “It had been a bit of a secret until then.

“Now it’s gone viral I am expecting a visit from the council. But it’s a temporary structure and I can have it down in an hour.”

With the arrival of the year’s first proper heatwave and the beginning of May half time, Liam’s kids and their friends are flocking round to swim in the pool. “I kind of live through my children, I have three and I know how fast it goes,” he said.

“They’re only young once and once they’re grown up you don’t get that time back. And the love and support and positivity I have had has been absolutely amazing.

“It is nice to get credit as a dad cause I don’t think we get credit or appreciated very often. I go above and beyond for my kids.”

Jarrod Bowen has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, and he was speaking following West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League

Manchester United-linked Jarrod Bowen has suggested he has no plans to leave West Ham United following the club’s relegation to the Sky Bet Championship. The Hammers needed a victory against Leeds United and for Tottenham Hotspur to lose at home to Everton to stay up and send Spurs down instead.

And although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side kept their side of the bargain with second-half goals from Taty Castellanos, Bowen and Callum Wilson, Spurs, who had not won at home in the league this year, beat Everton 1-0 to ensure it would be they who are playing in the Premier League next season.

United are one of a number of Premier League clubs who have been linked with a move for Bowen. The Guardian recently reported that the Reds were considering the England international as an option on the left wing.

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Chelsea and Liverpool have also been linked, but Bowen insisted following the game at the London Stadium that he has no plans to leave the Hammers this summer.

“Ultimately, this season we haven’t been good enough and we’ve paid the price,” he told Sky Sports.

“I’m under contract here. I’ve been here six and a half years. I’ve had some really high moments and this is a low moment that will outweigh everything.

“There’s going to be rumours, there’s going to be talk. Ultimately, what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League because that is where it deserves to be.

“This is a really, really low moment, but we have to bounce back because there’s no other way. This is a really difficult moment.

“You never know what the future holds. For me, I want to get this club back in the Premier League. Right now our vision is to do that.”

Before he continued: “We have to go away now, not enjoy our time off because you’re never going to enjoy your time off with the season we’ve had, but stay with your family and loved ones, recover well and prepare well for when we come back in and get promoted.”

He then concluded: “Not really [a consolation that West Ham did what they needed to] because we never wanted to be in this situation.

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“Coming into the game, we had to take care of ourselves and hold onto that bit of hope that we had. That’s all we could do. We were relying on another result. Ultimately, it’s not enough.

“[I just feel] hurt. I’ve been here six and a half years now. Had a lot of good moments and this outweighs all of it. Getting this club relegated… it hurts.

“We shouldn’t be in the position we’re in but we’ve found ourselves in it and we’ve not done enough to stay up. Hurt is the only thing.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The leaders of Reform UK and Restore Britain have clashed ahead of the pivotal by-election that could return Labour’s Andy Burnham to Parliament

Nigel Farage has criticised tech billionaire Elon Musk over his support for Restore Britain, warning he could “split the right” in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.

The SpaceX and Tesla boss posted a series of messages backing Restore Britain on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Labour’s Andy Burnham hopes to use the Makerfield contest to return to Westminster, which could potentially see the Mayor of Greater Manchester potentially launch a bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

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Reform’s UK Robert Kenyon came second in the seat in 2024 and an opinion poll suggested Mr Burnham has a lead of just three percentage points over him.

But with Restore Britain’s candidate picking up support, Mr Farage said Mr Burnham would be “delighted” by Mr Musk’s intervention.

Speaking to the Telegraph, the Reform UK leader said: “Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can.

“This is supporting a party that’s one man with a social media account. Quite what he’s trying to achieve, I have no idea.”

The Survation study in Makerfield had a sample size of just 504 respondents of whom 369 said they were likely to vote but is the first survey of the constituency since the by-election was called and the pollster said it should be treated as an “indicative early look”.

It put Mr Burnham on 43%, Mr Kenyon on 40% with Restore Britain’s Rebecca Shepherd on 7%.

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Responding, Restore Britain UK leader Rupert Lowe, a former Reform UK MP, said: “Farage has just gone to the media to attack Restore Britain, again.

“He says that Elon Musk is supporting a party ‘that’s one man with a social media account’.

“This is where Farage is so very wrong.”

He said there were “millions of Brits who are with us” and “Farage can arrogantly insult me over and over, but he has never been more wrong”.

Mr Lowe, who has a long-running feud with Mr Farage said: “This party isn’t about me, it never has been.

“It is about our members, our people, our home. Not me. Them.

“That is something he will never understand, and ultimately it’s why he will lose.”

On Sunday, Mr Musk reposted a message from Mr Lowe with the comment “Restore Britain”.

He also posted “Restore Britain” in response to an interview by Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick.

Police were called to Swanholme Lake on Sunday after reports a boy had entered the water

The body of a 15-year-old boy has been found after he got into trouble in a lake in Lincoln on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to Swanholme Lakes at 2.30pm after reports that Declan Sawyer had entered the water and was missing.

Lincolnshire Police said in a statement on Sunday evening: “We can update that our dive team have sadly found a body in the water at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln.

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“With agreement from the family we can share that the boy who died is 15-year-old Declan Sawyer.

“Our thoughts are with his family and we send our condolences at this incredibly difficult time.

“This is such a sad incident that will no doubt also affect many of Declan’s friends and the local community as well.”

Officers had scoured the lakes for the boy with the help of their underwater search team.

“As we are starting half-term week, we ask our community to make sure that anyone affected is looked after and that people are encouraged to seek help and support where they need it,” a force spokesperson said.

Lincolnshire Police asked people not to speculate or share information that had not come from an official source.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman in her 30s was found dead at a property in St Helens

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a woman in St Helens.

North West Ambulance Service alerted police at approximately 2.55am on Sunday, May 24 after a woman in her 30s was found dead at a property on Brook Cottage Close.

A 63-year-old man was detained at the scene on suspicion of murder and has since been taken to a police station for questioning. Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and to formally identify the deceased woman.

The case is currently being treated as unexpected while these enquiries are under way.

Residents of Brook Cottage Close revealed they had heard arguing in the early hours and awoke to find police present on the street, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Merseyside Police has urged anyone with information to get in touch via @MerPolCC or by calling 101, quoting reference 26000410495.

Reports can also be submitted through their website. Alternatively, members of the public can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website.

The three-day festival is taking place across 300 acres at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire, and has been billed as a celebration of the skills and produce of British farmers

Some traders have opted to pack up and leave Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm-Fest ahead of schedule, claiming they were failing to make any money.

The three-day festival is taking place over the bank holiday weekend across 300 acres at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire, where adult tickets cost £35 for a half-day or £60 for an all-day admission, reports the Mirror.

The event celebrates the skills and produce of Britain’s farmers, combining “the traditional joy of a large country fair with the excitement and energy of a modern music festival”, according to the venue.

Reports suggest that the music festival and country fair drew 20,000 visitors on Saturday alone, with 55,000 attendees expected across the entire weekend.

There are 12 arenas spread across the site, ranging from talks and displays featuring Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper to live music from Alex James from Blur, 10cc, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and a DJ set by Groove Armada.

It is estimated that more than 400 stalls were confirmed for the bank holiday event, yet a number of stallholders have voiced their dismay at being forced to depart early. Business owners have posted tearful videos on social media, with one trader titling hers ‘what a shambles’.

Korrine Pallas, who owns pet product firm Phoenix Equestrian and Pet Supplies, was amongst those who departed the festival prematurely. She described Friday as ‘the worst day’s trading we have ever had’. In a video uploaded to the company’s TikTok account, she said: ‘It has been darn right awful at Farm-Fest.’ “When I say it’s not worth getting out of bed for, it’s an understatement. It has been horrific, and I know everyone else is feeling the same and is in the same boat as us.”

Korrine updated her followers yesterday in a tearful message in which she announced she was departing a day early — something the company had never previously done at a trade show. Fighting back tears, she said: “It has been catastrophic for us, and when you are already a small family business in hard times it is heart-wrenching.”

She revealed they were a ‘few grand down’ and that it would cost her £400 to attend on Sunday ‘and I haven’t even come near that in the last couple of days’.

Emma, who co-founded pet brand Pops and Coco, described the event as a shambles in a TikTok video today. She said: “There have been a lot of traders who have gone home – lots of traders left last night, particularly dog traders.

“I would say 90 per cent of traders across the whole showground, whatever they are selling, have either made a loss and they haven’t made their costs back or they are only just making some money now.”

A spokesman for Jeremy Clarkson’s Great British Farm-Fest said: “We have been working closely with traders at The Great British Farm-Fest to provide support during our inaugural weekend. We are surprised that a handful of exhibitors, out of the 400 who attended, left the show within a few hours of the first day without experiencing an event that has attracted over 50,000 visitors.” The Mirror has reached out for comment.

One ‘outstanding’ service was praised as ‘exceptional’ and ‘truly person-centred’

More than a third of ‘urgent’ 111 calls were not picked up by teams at a mental health trust, this week’s round-up of healthcare inspections reveals.

Some 41 per cent of calls to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust’s crisis and home treatment teams were abandoned, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This means ‘some people requiring urgent help may not have been able to get through to a staff member, the watchdog said.

It is the second time in two weeks that teams within the trust have been rated ‘requires improvement’ by inspectors. Last week, its community-based mental health services were criticised after the CQC found there were a high number of people waiting to be allocated a key worker due to shortages, and some staff felt ‘overwhelmed’ by their caseloads.

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Here is a breakdown of Greater Manchester’s recently published CQC reports:

Tameside

The Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which is based in Tameside but operates in a number of the regions’ boroughs, has been rated ‘requires improvement’ for the second week in a row. This week, a report into the trust’s crisis and home treatment teams was published.

The teams provide short-term home-based support to people in mental health crises with the aim of preventing hospital admission. Inspectors found a high number of calls to 111 – 41pc between January 2024 and October 2025 – were abandoned, meaning ‘some people requiring urgent help may not have been able to get through to a staff member’.

Documents, including patient risk assessments, were not ‘consistently’ completed. Some teams had high rates of risk assessments being completed with predictive tools, the report added. National guidance says these tools ‘cannot reliably predict individual suicide risk and can lead to unsafe decisions’.

Problems with buildings used by the trust were also documented. The Oldham team’s office was described as ‘not fit for purpose and is significantly over occupied’, with poor ventilation, insufficient seating and computers, and excessive noise also noted. The office had been added to the risk register almost two years ago.

The service did not have ‘enough appropriately trained and supervised staff in all teams’, the report continued. Compliance with training was a little as 6.5pc in some areas. Service users were not always told of their rights when it came to consent.

Staveleigh Medical Centre, based in Stalybridge, received a ‘good’ rating from the CQC. Inspectors said the service had ‘enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development’.

Staff also ‘worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs’. The centre also ‘thoroughly assessed and managed’ infection risks, supported people to live healthier lives, and was ‘exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it’.

Patients told the inspectors staff were ‘kind’, ‘truly caring’ and ‘supportive’.

Wigan

Axis Care Group, based in Leigh, was also rated ‘requires improvement’ by inspectors. The CQC criticised the domiciliary care and supported living service for missing information in care plans and risk assessments.

This included a missing nutrition and hydration risk assessment for a service user who was identified as being at risk of choking and who had a medical condition impacting their appetite and digestion. A person who was at risk of pressure sores also had no mention of this, or their need to be repositioned, in their care plan.

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An individual was identified as needing at least 1500ml of fluids a day, but their monitoring records showed they were rarely offered more than 500ml, the report added. Recorded medicine dosages for service users did not match what had been prescribed by the GP, inspectors also found.

Further concerns were flagged over recruitment and training. Some staff files did not contain proof of identification, proof of address or contracts of employment, while interviews were sometimes conducted by a single staff member rather than two, and in some cases by staff who were not in senior positions, which contradicts best practice, the CQC said.

While training compliance was ‘high overall’, records ‘did not evidence’ advanced autism and learning disability training, despite the service supporting people with these needs. Most staff did not have in person training for moving and handling. It was also ‘not clear’ if staff had been ‘fully assessed as competent before working independently’.

Belong at Home Domiciliary Care Agency was the only Greater Manchester service to receive an ‘outstanding’ from the watchdog this week. The provider had a ‘strong proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and complete honesty’, inspectors reported.

The provider was praised as ‘exceptional’ and ‘truly person-centred’ when it came to treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respecting their privacy and dignity. Service users told inspectors that ‘staff went out of their way to make them feel “glamorous” by blow drying their hair and “pampering them”’.

Another person whose confidence had significantly declined following the COVID-19 pandemic, was ‘supported to gradually and sensitively expose themselves to anxiety provoking situations’, the report added. That person was ‘actively engaging in community-based activities and independently walking their dog’ by the time of the inspection.

People’s transitions into the service were described as ‘seamless’ and care as ‘safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them’. Compliance with training was ‘extremely high’, and staff were ‘extremely complimentary’ of the quality of that training, the report continued.

Bolton Wanderers have been promoted to the Championship after a 4-1 win over Stockport County.

Wanderers took the lead early through Ruben Rodrigues. Adama Sidibeh had an equaliser ruled out for a foul by VAR but equalised on 30 minutes.

After the break, Bolton were the better side and took the lead when Kyle Wootton turned the ball into his own net. Sam Dalby made it three with a wonderful overhead kick to seal the result.

Stockport had Josh Dacres-Cogley sent off late for a hair pull on Ibrahim Cissoko. Rodrigues scored the penalty to seal the win.

Reaction to come…

Reform UK would “clamp down” on any abuse of a proposed £5 billion tax break for workers doing extra hours, Robert Jenrick has said. The “hard work bonus” would create a tax-free allowance for overtime above a 40-hour week for workers earning less than £75,000.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said the plan would “restore the appeal of a strong work culture”, with overtime becoming tax-free for 90% of employees. The party said it could meet the expected £5 billion annual cost of the policy through a £40 billion package of cuts and savings.

Reform has aimed the plan at attracting more voters in Labour’s former industrial heartlands as it seeks to prevent Burnham from winning the Makerfield by-election.

It said a warehouse worker at the South Lancashire Industrial Estate in the seat working six hours of overtime a week would be £700 a year better off as a result of the tax break.

A Band 3 prison officer at HMP Hindley in the constituency working eight hours of overtime a week could be £1,300 better off, Reform added.