Family of girl who vanished 55 years ago give ultimatum to ‘person of interest’

Cheryl vanished from a changing area in Australia (Picture: PA)

‘Enough is enough. We want the truth to come out.’

The family of British girl Cheryl Grimmer, who went missing in Australia when she was three, have said they will name a person of interest unless he answers questions.

Cheryl was kidnapped from a changing area after going to the beach with her mum and three brothers in 1970, near the city of Wollongong in New South Wales (NSW).

A body has never been discovered.

A suspect in the case was charged with abduction and murder, but his 2019 trial collapsed – and he denies any wrongdoing.

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The man, known as ‘Mercury’, is protected because he was a minor at the time – but his true identity could soon be revealed.

‘Mercury has until Wednesday night,’ Ricki Nash, Cheryl’s brother, said today.

Cheryl’s brothers gathered today, demanding answers (Picture: AAP)

Parliamentarian Jeremy Buckingham from New South Wales has said he will use his parliamentary privilege to name the suspect next week.

Cheryl’s brother has had enough and said he wants Mercury to explain how he knew certain information in his confession.

In a document, the family laid out what they call mistakes from authorities during the search for their sister.

‘We feel that we have been fobbed off numerous times by the police, saying that they’re conducting reviews of the case or exploring leads that make no sense to us,’ they wrote.

‘Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago. It’s time for answers, it’s time for accountability.’

‘The incompetence and negligence in the NSW police investigation of this case over much of the past 55 years is unfathomable.

NSW Police said: ‘Police continue to examine every line of inquiry and search for answers into Cheryl’s death.’

Cheryl (centre) was just three when she vanished (Picture: PA)

In 2020, on the 50th anniversary of the toddler’s disappearance, a reward of one million Australian dollars was offered for information about Cheryl.

A coroner in 2011 found Cheryl had died – but her cause and manner of death remained undetermined, NSW Police said.

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Lego Tropical Aquarium is the fish tank you never need to clean out

Lego Tropical Aquarium – you don’t have to worry about this flooding the living room (Lego)

Lego have another tempting set for adults this Christmas, but rather than another licensed product this one features some very low maintenance pet fish.

Although Lego sets aimed at adults often involve famous movie creations, from Star Wars’ Death Star space station to Cap’n Jack Sparrow’s ship from Pirates of the Caribbean, there are lots of sets that look just as cool but are based on more calming subject matter.

The recent Italian Rivera set is one such example and now there’s the Tropical Aquarium, which is another gigantic set for adults, but one that doesn’t feature any movie vehicles or action features.

A total of 4,154 Lego pieces are needed to make the aquarium, which measures 36cm tall by 52cm wide, and 28cm deep. That allows for four realistically designed fish, as well as a host of aquatic plants, a sea crab, and an opening treasure chest.

Although there’s no actual water (obviously) or glass to the tank, there’s a clever pattern at the back to give the impression of water and rising oxygen bubbles.

There’re also sea worms, an oyster shell with a pearl, and multiple sea snails and sea worms. So not only is no water required but neither is any maintenance or cleaning, except maybe a light dusting now and again.

All the fish and many of the other objects move (Lego)

As Lego becomes more accepted as an adult plaything – with many enjoying the calming process of putting models together, especially if it’s with friends or loved ones – these sorts of decorative sets have become more commonplace, especially if they can sit easily on a living room shelf, without looking out of place.

Of course, a Lego set this big isn’t cheap and it will cost £399.99 in the UK, from either Lego stores or the official Lego website.

That’s clearly not an impulse purchase, but like most of the big Lego sets it’s positioned as a birthday or Christmas present that you’ve got plenty of time to save up for. Plus, if this is a bit out of your reach there’s usually a lower price alternative that’s at least somewhat similar in theme, such as the £24.99 Sea Animals set.

The Tropical Aquarium be released on November 16 but if you’re a Lego Insider (which requires only a free sign-up) you can get it in early access from November 13.

Plus, if you order it from between November 13 and 19 you’ll get a free gift with purchase that isn’t available any other way. This includes a fish tank filter and some Lego fish food, in what is a fairly obvious homage to Finding Nemo.

The gift with purchase set is a neat extra (Lego)

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Migrant hotel worker was ‘barged into’ by asylum seeker ‘hours before stabbing her to death’

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An asylum seeker accused of stabbing a hotel worker to death with a screwdriver was allegedly seen on CCTV shoulder barging into her hours before the attack, a court has heard.

Rhiannon Whyte, 27, who worked at Walsall’s Park Inn hotel, was stabbed to death 23 times on a deserted train platform after finishing her shift in October last year, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Deng Chol Majek, a Sudanese asylum seeker who was staying at the hotel, has been accused of murdering the mum after allegedly ‘tracking’ to the nearby Bescot Stadium station following the end of her shift at 11pm.

Eleven of the stab wounds went through into Ms Whyte’s skull, while there were other wounds to her chest and left arm.

One injury to her skull damaged the brain stem, which caused her death.

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Footage played in court allegedly shows Majek barging into Ms Whyte as he walked past her and two other colleagues out of the hotel.

Duty manager Claire Taylor-Bevans added that ‘the resident we are talking about’ had ‘brushed past my arm and knocked Rhiannon’s arm’ as they returned inside the hotel.

The witness continued: ‘I looked at her (Rhiannon) and said “what happened?” and she said “He’s just knocked me’. I can remember her saying ‘What the f***?”‘

He was captured on CCTV earlier in the evening (Picture: PA)

Mrs Taylor-Bevans said she saw Majek staring at staff in an ‘intimidating manner’ in the hours before the attack, with hotel chef Louise Brittle saying it was like he was ‘planning something’.

She told the court she saw a tall, dark-skinned man sitting at a high table, and wearing a silver top with the hood up, during her shift from 2pm to 10pm on October 20.

She said: ‘He was sitting relaxed in a high chair with one arm on the table and his foot on a bench… just staring.

Chol was spotted staring at workers (Picture: PA)

‘He was just staring through us … like eyes wide open and he just couldn’t take his eyes off any of us.’

After learning Ms Whyte had been killed, Mrs Brittle was shown an image of the man who had been arrested.

‘I actually asked for the image,’ she told the court. ‘I was shown the exact image that I still have in my mind. It was of the person sitting opposite the bar area that night, staring at us all.’

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Ms Whyte’s friend said she was on the phone with her as she was attacked, ‘hearing her scream’ before the line went dead.

Opening the case on Tuesday, prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said: ‘Ms Whyte had been talking to her friend, it went silent.

‘Her friend heard a scream, then another scream and the phone went dead at 11.19pm.’

The defendant is from Sudan, Africa, and insists he is 19 – but the prosecution say there are ‘doubts’ over his age.

She called a friend at 11.04pm and was seen on CCTV walking to the station at 11.08pm.

Jurors were told that two minutes later, Majek was allegedly captured on CCTV walking behind Ms Whyte.

Ms Whyte entered the station’s car park and walked towards the platform, with the defendant allegedly just 90 seconds behind her.

Majek is said to have then ‘closed the gap’ between the pair to 30 seconds as the mum reached the empty platform at 11.13pm.

It was then that Majek attacked her with the screwdriver while she was on the phone to her friend, Ms Heeley alleged.

After the ‘vicious’ attack, the defendant is said to have gone to a local shop and returned to the Park Inn hotel at 12.13am.

Majek denies murder and possession of an offensive weapon. The trial continues.

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Lexi takes revenge on Johnny in EastEnders as she kicks back over Callum romance

Lexi has drawn battle lines (Picture: BBC/Metro)

EastEnders’ Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) isn’t a happy bunny – and Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) is in the firing line.

Lexi was definitely the biggest #Ballum shipper.

Last week, her step-dad Callum Highway (Tony Clay) chose Johnny over her imprisoned dad Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), who had made a surprise Walford return to attend a funeral.

Now behind bars in Manchester, Ben was desperate to rekindle their marriage on home turf.

But he could sense something was wrong – and Callum knew he couldn’t string him along any further. After hearing of his husband’s infidelity, Ben leapt out of his seat and lunged towards Johnny, who was swiftly defended by Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ).

After calming down, all that Ben wanted to know was whether Callum loved Johnny.

That would be confirmation to him that their relationship was dead in the water, and unfortunately, Callum said yes.

Ben and Callum ended things last week (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

He’d just made things official with Johnny (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

Ben wanted a divorce, and later told dad Phil (Steve McFadden) that he was ready to move on. Of course, he didn’t mean it, and still kept a photo of Callum and Lexi beside his bed.

Johnny slips up – and Lexi finds out

In yesterday’s instalment, Johnny headed to Callum’s flat and showered Lexi with gifts – something which confused the teen, given he was supposed to just be her step-dad’s mate.

Was he trying to buy her love? Of course he was, and didn’t she know it!

After being whisked out of the flat by Callum, Johnny headed to The Prince Albert to moan about his love life with grandma Elaine (Harriet Thorpe).

He was worried that Callum was simply stringing him along, and Elaine wanted him to seize the day and set the record straight.

Johnny bought Lexi some gifts – and she was suspicious (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

Johnny pondered whether he was being strung along (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

However, back at the flat, things turned disastrous.

Lexi questioned why Johnny was back so soon, and he fabricated a story about returning to find his phone charger. She clearly didn’t believe him, though.

Johnny, panicking about what to do next, blurted out that he was seeing Callum and that they had Ben’s blessing. A furious Lexi stormed into her room – it clearly didn’t go down well.

Lexi gets her own back

In tonight’s episode, Honey (Emma Barton) gave Johnny an earful about Lexi’s wellbeing and he was left with food for thought (quite literally).

Meanwhile, Callum was giving his sincerest apologies to the youngster, but she simply didn’t want to know. That was, until, she remembered that as a lawyer, he had a lot of dosh!

Callum is having a right nightmare (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)

Johnny brought round a takeaway, and Lexi proposed buying some desserts for them all. Wanting to impress her, he handed over his phone and she swanned off to make the order.

However, she actually enacted a very cruel plan.

With her hands on his device, she emailed the last 50 in his address book saying that he’s a ‘fat pig who steals other people’s husbands’.

Yikes.

It didn’t take Johnny long to clock on – as his boss had been in touch, and wants an urgent meeting.

Will Johnny and Lexi ever see eye to eye?

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Iconic film designer for Harry Potter and Star Wars Drew Struzan dies aged 78

Drew Struzan has died aged 78 (Picture: Alexandra Wyman/WireImage)

The man behind some of the most iconic film posters in Hollywood history has died aged 78.

Drew Struzan was behind the promotional visuals for films including Harry Potter, Back To The Future and Star Wars.

The designer’s official Instagram account released a statement confirming news of his death on Monday.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Drew Struzan has moved on from this world as of yesterday, October 13th,’ the statement from his brother Greg Struzan read.

‘I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art.’

His work included posters for films such as The Empire Strikes Back, The Goonies, The Shawshank Redemption and The Thing.

His work included posters for films such as Star Wars (Picture: 20th Century Fox)

Struzan had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (Picture: Drew Struzan via Facebook)

He crafted his posters by hand, starting with pencil drawings, before layering on with airbrush acrylics and colored pencils.

Spielberg once described Struzan as his ‘favourite movie artist’ and admitted to feeling pressure to ‘live up to the art’ Drew created.

But before he designed the iconic posters for such films, Struzan got his start out designing album covers for equally renowned musicians.

He designed the covers for albums by the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, Earth, Wind & Fire, Liberace and Black Sabbath. His cover for Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare was named one of the greatest ever by Rolling Stone.

Struzan moved into the realm of film posters in the 1970s and by the following decade was one of the most sought-after poster artists, racking up 10 a year.

‘I had to do something different, and I think that the trouble with a lot of early movie posters is that they looked too much like classic illustration, which feels like it’s telling the whole story,’ he said in a 2021 interview with Slash Film.

‘I didn’t want to do that. I felt that art was more than just telling the story. In fact, telling the story in a poster is wrong for a movie.’

He added: ‘I wasn’t looking to tell a story. I’m looking to give a person a feeling about something they could hope for.’

He crafted all his posters by hand (Picture: Warner Bros.)

Before working on film posters, Struzan designed album covers (Picture: Paramount)

In March, his wife shared that he had Alzheimer’s in a Facebook post.

‘Drew can no longer paint or sign things for you,’ she wrote. ‘He is not enjoying a well-deserved retirement but rather fighting for his life.’

‘He hears all the comments you have left here on these pages. It encourages him. At first he was able to express his thoughts but as time progressed it became infinitely more difficult.’

She continued: ‘I rely on our 60 years of marriage working as a team to remember for him.

‘Drew has left a strong legacy of love and joy in the form of his work. It has always been a love letter of sorts. His aim was to make the earth a better place in which to live by creating something beautiful. But like a flower, his season is ending.’

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At least 20 people feared dead after bus fire traps passengers

Dozens of people were burned alive when the private hire bus suddenly caught on fire in northwestern India

Dozens of people are feared to have died after a sleeper bus caught on fire on a motorway in India.

Passengers had to jump out of a moving bus after it was engulfed in flames on the Jaisalmer highway in northwestern Rajasthan region.

The private coach was carrying 57 passengers when the incident unfolded this afternoon between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.

At least 20 people are thought to have died after being trapped inside the burning vehicle.

Eyewitnesses rushed to help the passengers, but many were unable to escape the quickly spreading flames

Several other passengers suffered serious burns, with 15 people, including four women and two children, taken to hospitals.

Some suffered up to 70% burns, according to NDTV.

The driver pulled over on the side of the road, but the flames took over the vehicle within seconds.

The police have suggested the fire may have started due to a short circuit.

Jaisalmer district collector Pratap Singh said: ‘An air-conditioned sleeper bus from a private company was travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur when this incident happened… The district administration has opened a helpline, and I request family members of the passengers to come forward and help identify the dead persons.’

The country’s chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma said in an X post: ‘The incident of a bus catching fire in Jaisalmer is extremely heart-wrenching. I express deep condolences to the people affected by this tragic accident. Instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to provide all possible assistance to those affected.’

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Thai waitress hands back wallet with £4,700 back to owner who lost it

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A Thai waitress is being praised for handing back a bag filled with £4,700, passports and credit cards to its owner.

Chomnad Singaod, 42, found a fanny pack early in the morning in front of the Queen Club bar in Pattaya after leaving her night shift.

The barmaid initially thought it belonged to a co-worker, but was stunned to see large stacks of foreign currency, credit cards, and a passport inside.

Despite the amount being ten times her salary, the woman took the bag to the office, where she reviewed CCTV footage with colleagues on October 13.

Video showed how Aussie Shane Steven Mark Gabrielli, 48, had stopped for a rest on the way home from his nighttime exertions, before forgetting the pouch with his holiday slush fund.

Chomnad has been praised for her honesty (Picture: Viral Press)

Chomnad said: ‘When I opened another side of the bag, I found Australian currency, a passport and credit cards. I didn’t know how much, but it was large stacks.

‘Quite a lot, so I filmed a video as evidence to protect myself. I didn’t want anybody saying I had taken the money.’

Chomnad said she never considered keeping the 9,700 AUD in cash, adding: ‘The bag was left right in front of the shop. If it went missing, people would think I took it. That would not look good.

‘It was much more than I have ever had in my own bank account. I could stop work for the rest of the year, but that would be the wrong thing to do. It would be bad karma.

‘I don’t need a reward or anything from the owner. He can buy me a beer, that will be nice.’

She filmed the bag to ensure police knew she didn’t take it (Picture: Viral Press)

Chomnad kept the bag safe, reviewed the shop’s CCTV footage to identify the owner, and handed it, along with the security video, to the local police station.

Police watched the footage showing a foreign man, dressed in a black jacket and shorts, sitting on the pavement outside the venue. He was carrying shoes in one hand and a waist bag in the other.

Moments later, the man greeted a passerby, then stood up and walked away, leaving the personal item behind.

Police Lieutenant Akkaraphong Sanputawong said the tourist had a tall, slender build and a tattoo on his left leg.

Officers later checked the contents and found an Australian passport with Shane’s details along with the cash.

Police are still searching for the owner and have urged him or anyone with information to come forward, or for Shane to contact them.

Pattaya has long held a reputation as a magnet for foreign criminals, with several gang-related murders involving international figures over the years.

The city is also known for petty crime such as pickpocketing and scams, especially in tourist hotspots like Pattaya Beach, Jomtien, and on baht buses.

In recent years, officials have launched campaigns to rebrand Pattaya as a family-friendly destination.

Efforts include improved lighting, expanded CCTV coverage, and increased police patrols – though nightlife, alcohol, and sex tourism remain the city’s biggest draws.

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British winner claims £26,000,000 EuroMillions jackpot – but two millionaire’s missing

The win marks the fourth time someone from the UK has won the EuroMillions jackpot this year (Picture: Shutterstock/Ascannio)

A British EuroMillions winner has come forward to claim their prize – but there are still two missing millionaires from recent Lotto draws.

One lucky winner claimed £25,701,358 in Friday’s draw, which comes after another UK ticket-holder won £26 million in the draw on October 3.

But an ‘amazing’ week of luck for Brits could get even better with two more big winners yet to claim their prize.

On October 4, a single ticket-holder won the Lotto jackpot of £10,633,323. They matched all six main numbers in the draw, 06, 08, 12, 33, 49, 59, to walk away with the jackpot.

This ticket was purchased in retail.

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And on October 8, the Lotto jackpot was won again, when a single ticket matched the six main numbers 02, 21, 42, 48, 56, 57 and it is now worth £2 million.

Both prizes are waiting to be claimed.

Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: ‘It’s been an amazing couple of weeks with big multi-million pound prizes being won every few nights.

‘We will look after the two EuroMillions winners and help them start to enjoy their amazing win.

‘We hope to meet the Lotto winners soon, once we have a claim. So check those tickets and emails – remember it could be you!’

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Passengers evacuate Ryanair flight after ‘smoke fills cabin’

Ryanair passengers evacuated a brand new aircraft after cabin crew reported smoke onboard (Picture: Reddit)

Passengers had to use the evacuation slides to flee a Ryanair plane after cabin crew spotted smoke in the cabin.

Staff onboard the flight leaving Krakow in Poland for Bristol, sounded the alarm after noticing smoke coming from the rear galley.

Pictures of the plane showed passengers sliding down the inflatable escape route onto the landing strip.

The aircraft operating the flight was a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 200.

According to Airfleets, it had been delivered to the airline less than two weeks ago on September 30.

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A spokesperson for Krakow airport said that the cause of the evacuation was still under investigation.

‘The passengers were transported back to the terminal, and the aircraft is being checked by the services. Traffic at the airport is normal’, a statement said.

Emergency services attending to the two-week old aircraft at Krakow Airport in southern Poland (Picture: Reddit)

‘The plane stopped on the tarmac, it does not block traffic. The flight to Bristol is heavily delayed, the carrier will decide whether it will be necessary to substitute another plane.’

In a statement to Metro, Ryanair said passengers were later taken to Bristol on a replacement aircraft, following a delay of more than four hours.

‘Ryanair Flight FR5519 from Krakow to Bristol was delayed this morning due to the appearance of smoke from the rear galley’, a spokesperson said.

‘In the interest of safety, passengers were disembarked on the taxiway and returned to the terminal.

‘A replacement aircraft was routed to Krakow to take passengers onto Bristol with a delay of approximately 4 hours 10 mins, for which we apologise sincerely.’

The incident comes as the UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the Irish low-cost carrier after one of its flights reportedly came within minutes of running out of fuel this week.

The flight, which had been forced to divert from Prestwick in Scotland due to inclement weather caused by Storm Amy, landed at Manchester Airport with just six minutes worth of fuel left in the tank.

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