A recall has been issued for ready-to-eat imported meat products that may be contaminated with a life-threatening bacteria.
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Paracetamol is used to relieve mild to moderate pain. (Image: Getty)
Regular paracetamol use has been linked to higher blood pressure, a study has warned. Paracetamol is a painkiller that helps with pain and high temperature. It is a commonly used painkiller that can help relieve headaches, joint pain and stiffness, toothache, sore throats, and fever caused by colds or flu. Paracetamol has traditionally been viewed as a safer option for people with high blood pressure than some other painkillers, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
However, research published in 2022 suggested that regular use could have a measurable effect on blood pressure. 110 patients with a history of high blood pressure were prescribed one gram of paracetamol four times a day – a routinely prescribed dose in patients with chronic pain – or a matched placebo for two weeks. Those prescribed paracetamol saw a significant increase in their blood pressure compared with those taking the placebo. All patients received both treatments, with the order randomised and blinded. This rise was similar to that seen with NSAIDs, and might be expected to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by around 20%, the experts said.
The team said the findings should lead to a review of long-term paracetamol prescriptions to patients, especially those with high blood pressure. The University of Edinburgh study, published in the scientific journal Circulation, marked the first large randomised clinical trial to address the issue and complemented earlier work in observational studies.
Professor James Dear, personal chairman of clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This study clearly shows that paracetamol, the world’s most used drug, increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.
“In summary, we’ve shown that two weeks of treatment with paracetamol increases blood pressure in patients who have hypertension (high blood pressure).”
Lead investigator Dr Iain MacIntyre, consultant in clinical pharmacology and nephrology at NHS Lothian, said: “This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine – but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain.”
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said the findings “emphasise why doctors and patients should regularly review whether there is an ongoing need to take any medication” and “always weigh up the benefits and risks.”
“However, if you take paracetamol occasionally to manage an isolated headache or very short bouts of pain, these research findings should not cause unnecessary concern.”
Phil Pyatt, CEO of Blood Pressure UK also said: “Paracetamol is the most commonly taken medicine in the world. People taking soluble versions don’t realise they’re taking on extra sodium, in some cases enough to take you over your maximum for the day, and this research shows that these medicines could lead to life-changing illness. It’s concerning to see that even the regular tablets could raise blood pressure which could have consequences in the long term.
“There is no need to worry about short term use, but patients, doctors and pharmacists should be aware that these medicines that seem harmless could have serious implications in the long term. They should weigh up the risks and benefits and lower the dose if possible and consider whether they are necessary.”
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects around 1.4 billion people worldwide and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. According to the latest figures, around 16 million people in the UK are estimated to have high blood pressure but almost five million of them don’t know they have it.
Rarely, it can cause symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision or chest pain. However, the NHS has stressed that the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked.
Work at Ysgol Llyn Derw, the second site to special needs school Ysgol y Deri, has been no easy feat after a series of setbacks but staff have informed pupils, parents and guardians online that this summer marked the beginning of their move into the new site.
Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet members approved plans to expand Ysgol y Deri with a new site in April 2021.
This £20m new school build will provide space for an additional 150 pupils with additional learning needs.
The plans include indoor spaces for the school that have been arranged over two storeys and allow for the most efficient building shape, all while maintaining a compact footprint and as much external space as possible.
Outside, the landscape surrounding the school buildings will function as an extension, offering teaching spaces and areas for sport, play, socialising, relaxation and reflection.
The school’s design will benefit from maximum daylight and ventilation, as well as connecting views between indoor and outdoor learning and play spaces.
Green roofs will also add to biodiversity, ensuring a consistent connection to the natural environment.
This school, located on land in Cosmeston, may not be finished yet but its addition to the landscape is one that many feel is much needed.
In March 2023, Ysgol y Deri headteacher Chris Britten spoke at a Vale of Glamorgan Council planning meeting to let councillors know just how desperately needed this expansion was.
Work on Ysgol Llyn Derw began in April 2024 and has faced a number of setbacks since.
It was originally expected to be complete by the summer term in June 2025, but construction is still ongoing, though it seems as though the finishing touches are being put in place.
Many parents and carers have already taken to social media to express their joy and excitement of the move into this new site – now, one of the final steps is to get the pupils inside and into their classrooms.
Ysgol y Deri, which featured in the BBC documentary ‘A Special School’, has been called Britain’s biggest special needs school.
A heartbroken mother has urged parents not to blame childrens’ lingering coughs on a change of season – after the symptom turned out to be a sign of deadly heart disease that killed her three-year-old.
Colin Campbell was otherwise fit and healthy when he suddenly developed agonising abdominal pain. It was appendicitis and he had to be rushed to hospital.
The Department for Transport has issued a new statement to explain the process
Justin Madders, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)(Image: Parliament TV)
The DVLA has explained a ‘five-year’ rule affecting many licence plates – and it could mean you are required to obtain an MOT. The agency has this month issued clarification over the issue of retaining licence plates, a matter that has been raised in Parliament and prompted the Department for Transport to release a statement setting out the regulations.
The five-year rule relates to vehicles subject to what is known as a SORN – a Statutory Off Road Notification: something millions of vehicles in the UK now have. A SORN is required when you take a vehicle ‘off the road’ and want to stop taxing and insuring it. Your vehicle is considered off the road if it is not kept or used on a public road – for instance, if it is stored in a garage, parked on a driveway, or situated on private land.
According to the DVLA, a SORN must be made if your vehicle is untaxed, uninsured, if you intend to break it down for parts prior to scrapping it, or if you acquire a vehicle and wish to keep it off the road – noting that a SORN cannot be transferred from the previous keeper.
Freedom of Information data obtained by Churchill Insurance this year shows the UK now has more than 6.6 million vehicles with a SORN. That is more than double the 2.85 million figure of 2014-15, and has risen 34% in the last two years.
Every vehicle in the UK has to be taxed, insured and roadworthy, or officially declared off the road. SORN offers a legal, low-cost way for owners to keep a vehicle without using it – for instance, while awaiting repair or a change in ownership.
The number plates issue has come to light after Anna Gelderd, Labour MP for South East Cornwall, put a question to the Department for Transport (DfT), asking “the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s guidance on transferring a registration plate from a vehicle subject to a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) to ensure that registered keepers are made aware of all available routes to retain vehicle registration plates.”
Justin Madders, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), issued a reply on Thursday, September 3. He said: “The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) publishes clear guidance on retaining or transferring vehicle registration numbers at www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off. The requirements are also set out in the relevant forms and information leaflets.
“Strict requirements must be met before a registration number can be retained or transferred, including checks to help identify and prevent fraudulent applications. The vehicle must still exist and be capable of mechanical propulsion.
“Where a vehicle is subject to a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), an application will only be considered in specific circumstances, including where the SORN has been in place for less than five years. If the SORN has been in place for five years or more, an MOT test is required. Where an MOT test is not feasible, the DVLA may, in exceptional circumstances, arrange an inspection to confirm that the vehicle can move under its own power.”
Illegal vehicle sales update from DfT
The minister also responded on the same day to a separate DVLA matter, following a question from Scott Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, who asked what assessment had been “made of the potential impact of point-of-sale registration on tackling illegal vehicle sales.”
The minister replied: “No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of point-of-sale registr ation on tackling illegal vehicle sales. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) already requires notification when a vehicle is bought or sold and maintains vehicle and registered keeper records to support efforts to tackle vehicle-related crime.
“The DVLA encourages keeper details to be updated at the point of sale wherever possible, using online, paper and dealer notification services. Prompt notification helps keep the vehicle register accurate and up to date.
“Safeguards are in place to help prevent criminal or fraudulent activity. Where an application is made for a vehicle registration certificate (V5C) and the DVLA has not been told that the registered keeper has disposed of the vehicle, the DVLA contacts the keeper to confirm this before issuing a V5C. Access to the latest V5C is also required to use the DVLA’s online services.”
To find out more on making a SORN, visit the gov.uk web page.
More than 500 cases and two deaths related to UK-wide clusters of salmonella have so far been reported, with experts warning this is likely the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
Big increases in wildfires and heatwaves supercharged by the climate crisis are hindering improvements to air quality around the world, UN experts have said.
Regions that had recorded a fall in pollution emitted by cars and industrial sites are facing new threats to air quality because of exposure to smoke from wildfires, according to a new report, while rising temperatures caused by intense heatwaves are causing a surge in ground-level ozone.
In turn, the pollution generated by these climate-linked events is itself contributing to climate breakdown, creating a feedback loop that risks dragging the world deeper into environmental catastrophe.
“Air quality and climate cannot be treated as separate subjects; they are deeply intertwined and have to be treated together,” said Lorenzo Labrador, a scientific officer of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which issued the report.
The WMO publishes its air quality and climate bulletin annually, to coincide with the UN’s international day for clean air. Among its key findings was that extreme wildfires are increasing, leading to serious health consequences because of the toxicity of the smoke they are emitting.
This trend, “driven by a feedback loop between climate change and fire-conducive weather conditions”, was leading to an “urgent and growing public health threat”. As well as carrying high concentrations of fine particulate matter, smoke from wildfires causes oxidative stress in people’s bodies.
“Systematic reviews and experimental studies consistently link wildfire smoke exposure to increased asthma attacks, hospitalisations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), spiked respiratory medication use, as well as impacts on mental health and birth outcomes,” the report said. According to one study cited, a tripling of wildfires since the 1990s had contributed to almost 100,000 deaths a year between 2010 and 2018.
The report also raises the alarm about ground-level ozone pollution, which is exacerbated by the kinds of intense and prolonged heatwaves that have affected Europe over this past summer.
“Ozone is a very powerful oxidant,” Labradorsaid. “So once it gets to the lung, it essentially oxidises lung tissue and causes inflammation and circulatory problems, and eventually heart problems.” In heavily polluted regions, roughly one in five deaths from COPD is now attributed to long-term exposure to ozone, the report said.
Every year the WMO includes in the report anomalies in the concentrations of fine particulate matter, referred to as PM2.5. These microscopic particles and droplets, smaller than 2.5µm suspended in the air, are a severe health hazard because they can penetrate deep into people’s lungs and bloodstream. But they also pose a significant risk to the climate.
PM2.5 is emitted by fossil fuel-driven industrial activities, farming, domestic heating and transport, as well as by wildfires and dust storms. The combination of particulates and air is called aerosol. Once airborne, atmospheric aerosol can affect the Earth’s climate by modifying the properties, lifetime and brightness of clouds, affecting how they impact the planet’s climate, the report explains.
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Eventually, those particles will settle back to earth, and there they also have an impact on the climate. One example is the deposition of black carbon – or soot – on snow and ice. When such particles deposit on ice they darken the surfaces and stop it reflecting light back into space, further accelerating global heating.
The report explains that this process leads to a negative feedback loop: “Increasing aridity and land-use change are expected to enhance aerosol emissions, creating a powerful climate feedback loop where a warming climate increases fires and dust emissions, which enhances deposition on snow and ice surfaces, which in turn accelerates melt, thereby ultimately reinforcing warming.”
The WMO’s message was that climate and air quality must be tackled together, Labrador emphasised. “Which is not terribly hard because if you abate emissions of greenhouse gases, you are at the same time reducing emissions of air quality degrading substances,” he said.
“And that leads me to the best solution that there is, which is a general abatement of global greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel burning.”
People who spot this trick online are being told to avoid it due to health risks (Image: Getty)
People who use wooden utensils in the kitchen are being warned about a possible health risk when cleaning them. The internet is full of time-saving ‘life hacks’ that claim to give people fast results for simple or mundane tasks. But experts are flagging one recent trend for keeping wooden utensils ‘clean’ as it could make people more likely to get sick.
Specialists say that one of the newer social media gimmicks that promises a satisfying deep clean could end up making every meal you prepare a health gamble. There is another method that is almost guaranteed to ensure it never happens – but it does take time.
In a post on Instagram, consumer group Which? highlighted a trend of cleaning wooden utensils in boiling water. Videos on social media have gone viral for seemingly showing that once these utensils or wooden chopping boards are exposed to boiling or very hot water, they leave behind a murky brown residue.
This has led to claims that people are flushing out potentially years of trapped grease, food, and grime when submerging their wooden utensils in boiling water. In reality, experts warn that it is not the case.
In the Instagram post, Which? said: “Not every kitchen ‘hack’ deserves a place in your routine. Boiling wooden spoons might promise a deep clean, but it can leave them cracked, warped or dried out.
“We don’t recommend [this hack] for your wooden kitchenware, whether that’s spoons, boards, or chopsticks. Boiling water or using the dishwasher destroys the wood fibres, causing warping, splitting, and cracks.
Extreme heat and prolonged soaking cause the wood to swell and dry unevenly, leading to warping, splitting, and cracking. Once, cracked, these crevices become the perfect space for bacteria and mould to thrive.
That ‘dirty’ water appears brown only because heat melts away natural tannins and pigments, as well as protective oils on wooden products. Hot water can also warp the wood and cause cracks, which trap bacteria.
This can potentially increase the risk of foodborne illness if they are used to handle raw or undercooked foods. While wood is naturally excellent at trapping and neutralising bacteria on its own, structural cracks are different. Deep fissures and cracks trap raw meat juices, moisture, and food particles where they cannot easily be scrubbed away, creating a prime breeding ground for harmful pathogens.
What should I do for the best results instead?
For the best results, people are urged to stick to standard handwashing methods. Do not let wooden items sit in food residue or soak in the sink, as moisture is wood’s biggest enemy.
Hand dry immediately after cleaning with a fresh towel. Stand chopping boards upright or hang utensils to ensure full air circulation while they finish off drying.
The Which? video claims: “Instead [of this hack], stick to a gentle hand wash with soap and water. Just don’t leave them to soak for too long.
“For those stubborn stains or smells, you can try sprinkling on some salt and scrubbing with half a lemon. And, for some extra TLC, seal it all in with some food-safe mineral oil to keep the wood hydrated and lasting longer.”
A neighbour’s noisy pet can quickly become a source of frustration, particularly when it’s happening repeatedly
A barking dog can be annoying at times(Image: Getty Images)
For many people, hearing a dog barking in the neighbourhood is simply part of everyday life, but things can become very different when the noise is persistent. If you are regularly being disturbed by a neighbour’s dog, you may be wondering where the law stands and what you can actually do about it.
Welsh Government guidance says it is usually better to try to resolve a neighbour noise dispute informally before making a formal complaint or taking legal action. It suggests speaking to your neighbour and, where appropriate, considering mediation if the problem continues.
But there are circumstances where barking can become a matter for the local authority. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils have a duty to deal with noise they consider to be a statutory nuisance, including noise that is expected to occur or recur.
There is no simple rule saying a dog is breaking the law because it barks for a particular number of minutes or after a particular time. The relevant question is whether the noise amounts to a statutory nuisance, with councils considering the circumstances of the complaint rather than applying one universal cut-off.
Welsh Government advice also says that councils are legally obliged to investigate complaints of noise coming from premises, which can include land and buildings. If a council is satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists, or is likely to occur or recur, it can take formal action under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The impact of the barking can therefore be important when a complaint is investigated, rather than simply the fact that the dog makes noise. Government guidance says a statutory nuisance must unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises, or injure health or be likely to injure health.
If you decide to make a formal complaint, keeping a detailed record of the barking can help demonstrate what is happening. Welsh Government’s noise guidance specifically recommends using a diary to support a case when explaining the seriousness of a persistent noise problem.
The council may then investigate the complaint and decide whether the legal threshold has been met. If it finds a statutory nuisance, an abatement notice can be issued requiring the nuisance to stop or be restricted, although the exact enforcement process will depend on the circumstances.
There are also other routes that may be relevant if the barking forms part of wider antisocial behaviour. The government says people can report noise nuisance, including dogs barking, to their council, while Welsh Government says powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 can also be used to control noise in appropriate circumstances.
Before taking that step, however, it may be worth speaking to the dog owner if you feel comfortable doing so. Welsh Government advises that informal attempts to resolve neighbour disputes are usually preferable because formal complaints or legal action can worsen relationships between neighbours.
