Ryan Reynolds said he cried “tears of joy” after Wrexham secured a second successive promotion, while Rob McElhenney said he has “no words”.
The Hollywood actors, who took over the Welsh football club in 2021, saw their team seal their place in League One next season with a thumping 6-0 win over Forest Green.
Fans poured onto the pitch to celebrate at the end of the game at the Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham were promoted to the Football League at the end of last season following a 15-year absence, with an open top bus parade which saw tens of thousands turn up to mark the achievement.
Deadpool star Reynolds, 47, wrote on X: “A few years ago, if you told me I would be crying tears of joy over a football match taking place in North Wales, you would be Rob McElhenney.
“Congrats to Wrexham and to my co-chairman in crime. Double up the town! This is the ride of our lives.”
McElhenney, 46, who co-created It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, said he was watching the game from Los Angeles and wrote on X: “No words.” He also posted a heart emoji.
Image: Fans poured onto the pitch to celebrate.
While watching the match he had praised striker Paul Mullin, 29, who struck twice in the first half to help Wrexham to a 4-0 half-time lead.
“This may be my favourite goal of his. Not a game winner or anything fancy. Just perseverance, hustle and grit,” he wrote.
“@PMullin7 knows the people in that stadium didn’t pay their hard-earned wage to watch guys give 95%. They deserve 100% and he gives it to them All. The. Time.”
McElhenney previously let Mullin recover at his home after he suffered an injury during a US friendly against Manchester United.
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Since taking over the club in February 2021, McElhenney and Reynolds, along with their popular Welcome To Wrexham docuseries, have propelled the club into the global spotlight.
In 2022, the pair were honoured by the Welsh Government, the Football Association of Wales and S4C for promoting the country and its language with the Dragon Award.
Reynolds had a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, while the club has seen recent royal visits from the Prince of Wales and the King and Queen.
Footage shows parents letting their toddlers play on live railway lines, young people doing one-armed press-ups, and dog walkers sitting their pets on the tracks for photos.
Network Rail has released a compilation of CCTV footage showing people “risking their lives” at footpath level crossings in Worcestershire.
Covert cameras captured six instances of “incredibly dangerous behaviour” at crossings.
The company said they were just a handful of examples out of nearly 50 cases of misuse either reported by train drivers or caught on hidden cameras.
In one clip, loud music plays while a teenager does one-armed press-ups in the middle of a crossing – and in another a horn sounds as two dog walkers rush across eight seconds before a high-speed train passes.
One video shows a dog walker encouraging two dogs to sit on the tracks while another takes photos of them.
Footage also shows a primary school aged boy on a scooter rushing over the crossing in front of an oncoming train that arrives seven seconds later.
A man with two little girls playing on the rails can be seen pointing out the “pretty hills” in the distance to them – they were caught on camera on the tracks for over 90 seconds.
In another incident, two boys can be seen placing ballast stones on the track so they are run over by trains.
Alexandra France, Network Rail level crossing safety manager, said: “In so many of the incidents filmed, the difference of just a few seconds could have led to tragedy for those involved.
“I can’t downplay the danger they were in – with serious injury or worse a huge possibility.
“No matter how well you think you know a crossing, all users must obey the rules around using level crossings every time they use it. It just really isn’t worth the risk.”
Network Rail level crossing safety teams are now visiting the problem crossings to directly warn people of the dangers on the railway.
They will be handing out leaflets and explaining to passers-by people using footpath level crossings should: concentrate; stop, look and listen; check both ways before crossing; understand the warnings; and cross quickly, keeping children close and dogs on a lead.
Bereaved parents of children who took their own lives want authorities to take online histories into account when determining their cause of death.
The mother of Archie Battersbee, who died in August 2022 after a “prank or experiment” that went wrong, joined other families to demand more access to content their children were exposed to online.
“I think it should be available and be part of the whole investigation,” Hollie Dance told Sky News.
“When it comes to a child’s death, everything should be looked into.
“Obviously they look into the parents, the home life, school life. Why not look into social media?”
Ms Dance’s 12-year-old son Archie died after being found unconscious at home four months earlier.
She believes he may have been taking part in an online challenge, but a coroner ruled his death an accident.
“We’ve got his phone now, so let’s go back and see what this child was into,” she said.
“What did he watch? Did he look at a lot of social media? Didn’t he?”
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1:27
August 2022: ‘I’m broken’
Molly Russell ruling ‘opened our eyes’
Ian Russell campaigned to get access to his daughter Molly‘s social media history after she was found dead in her bedroom in November 2017.
It emerged Molly, 14, had viewed masses of content related to suicide, depression, and anxiety online.
In a landmark ruling at an inquest in September, a coroner ruled she died not from suicide, but “an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.”
Ms Dance, who was joined by Mr Russell at a meeting of bereaved families this week, said: “Having Molly’s dad here has given us knowledge that we didn’t know.
“It opened our eyes to things that we can potentially do and use moving forward.”
Read more: ‘It was shocking to see material was that bad’
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4:09
‘Losing friend at that age was scarring’
‘What has happened to you?’
Liam Walsh’s daughter Maia died just weeks before her 14th birthday.
An inquest into her death opened in October, but a hearing date is yet to be set.
Mr Walsh the coroner will have access to Maia’s full social media history before determining what caused her death.
“The question I asked as I ran my fingers through her hair, and I held her belly, was what has happened,” he said.
“What has happened to you? I’m still asking that question today.”
Read more: Prince William calls for greater online safety
Image: Maia Walsh
‘We have this mission’
In her first interview since her son Isaac’s death, Lisa Kenevan told Sky News she is on a mission to bring change.
“He was a typical 13-year-old boy with a good group of friends,” she said.
“He was very loving. We’d hold him every day, and he’d hold us every day.”
She thinks social media might hold clues to what drove Isaac to his death.
“Our world has just been awful, but we have this mission, this need, this want to get out there for every other parent that’s been going through this, to either come forward or know they’ve got support,” she said.
“And to really push forward to get some awareness about the social platforms – that things need to be stepped up.”
Read more: Online Safety Bill is certainly too late
Image: The parents of Molly Russell, Archie Battersbee, Isaac Kevevan, Maia Walsh, and Christoforos Nicolaou are campaigning for greater access to their children’s social media history
‘Threats were made to hurt us’
The families met at the home of George and Areti Nicolaou, whose son Christoforos, 15, took his own life in 2022 after joining an online forum where he was encouraged to do dangerous challenges.
His parents described him as “the heart of the house”, who was “bringing joy and happiness in our home”, but the challenges he did escalated and made him miserable.
“There were challenges like he’s got to not go to sleep at all, then go to school in the morning,” his parents said.
“Then there were challenges like you’ve got to chat with us through the night. Then there were challenges where they made him get his phone and record the whole house.
“Then threats were made to hurt us, his parents, should he not complete the challenges he’s been asked to do.”
George and Areti have launched the Christoforos Charity Foundation in their son’s memory.
They hope their work with other families to raise awareness of online harms ensure his legacy reaches even further.
The families’ meeting came as the government’s Online Safety Bill makes its way through parliament.
The proposed law – which aims to regulate internet content to help keep users safe, and also to make companies responsible for the material – has been repeatedly held up over concerns about its impact on freedom of expression.
Surveys suggest it has the backing of a majority of UK adults and charities like the NSPCC and Barnardo’s.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Three men tried to take their own lives after being falsely accused of rape, a court has heard.
Eleanor Williams accused the trio and others of attacking her and in May 2020 she posted on Facebook she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang, along with photos of injuries the prosecution claims were self-inflicted with a hammer.
The woman’s allegations led to an “unprecedented outcry” and protests in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in public displays of mass anger not seen there for more than 30 years, said police.
There were 151 extra crimes following the social media post, including 83 hate crimes, Preston Crown Court heard.
Some businesses shut and members of the community left their homes because of the outcry, the police added.
Williams, 22, is waiting to learn her fate at a sentencing hearing after being convicted of perverting the course of justice in January this year.
In court on Monday, business owner Mohammed Ramzan said the allegations against him had made his life “hell on earth”.
Image: Eleanor Williams was found guilty of perverting the course of justice
‘I still bear the scars’
He said he tried to take his life two weeks after being arrested over Williams’ claims and added: “I still bear the scars to this day.”
Mr Ramzan said he had “countless death threats” on social media from people “all over the world”.
His property was damaged and his businesses were “ruined” after he and his family were targeted “in the most horrendous way”, Mr Ramzan told the court.
Read more: How woman’s lies and self-inflicted injuries unleashed hatred and death threats
Image: Mohammed Ramzan
Another man, Jordan Trengove, said: “The lowest point was when I tried to end my life in August 2020.”
He said in a statement to the court that after Williams alleged he raped her, the word “rapist” was spray painted on his house and his window was smashed.
After he was charged, he said he spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender.
A third man, Oliver Gardner, said his chance encounter with Williams in Preston led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Mr Gardner, who was accused of rape after he met Williams in the city centre, said it was a “real shock” when he was contacted by police and told of her claims.
He said: “It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
In his statement, he said he tried to end his life before being sectioned. He added: “This whole period in my life has been totally overwhelming.”
Defending Williams, Louise Blackwell KC said: “Miss Williams continues in her allegations against the various people in pretty much the same circumstances.”
On Tuesday, the defendant is due to be sentenced for nine offences of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.
Grant Shapps has said he is concerned ambulance strikes tomorrow will put lives at risk.
The business secretary criticised ambulance unions for failing to provide details of where they will be striking to the government so they can ensure the Army can cover them.
As part of the biggest day of NHS industrial action ever, ambulance crews and call handlers will join nurses across England in a coordinated walkout for the first time on 6 February.
Read more: Who is taking industrial action in 2023 and when?
Mr Shapps praised the nurses’ union for telling the government where they are striking and for ensuring emergency cover is in place but said ambulance unions have not done the same.
Asked if lives will be put at risk, he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I am concerned that it does, if you have a situation which has been happening so far where you don’t have co-operation between the back-up services – typically the Army – and the people who are striking.
“We have seen the situation where the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) very responsibly, before the strikes, told the NHS ‘This is where we are going to be striking’ and they are able to put the emergency cover in place.
“Unfortunately we have been seeing a situation with the ambulance unions where they refuse to provide that information.
“That leaves the army, who are driving the back-ups here, in a very difficult position – a postcode lottery when it comes to having a heart attack or a stroke when there is a strike on.
“We cannot have that situation. That is why I am introducing laws for minimum safety levels.”
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0:30
‘Who caused the economic chaos?’ – Wrack
Minimum safety levels bill
Last month, Mr Shapps introduced the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill to parliament which, if passed, would make it a legal requirement for key services to have a set amount of cover when they strike.
Unions and workers who did not comply would face being sued or dismissed.
Currently, police officers, members of the armed forces and some prison officers are prohibited from striking.
This new law would cover those working in health, fire and rescue, education, transport, border security, decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel.
‘Rishi Sunak can make big decisions now’
Mr Shapps’ latest concern about ambulance strikes came as the head of the nurses union issued a direct appeal to Rishi Sunak to intervene in their pay dispute.
In a last-minute bid to avert tomorrow’s strikes for nurses, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said a “meaningful” pay offer from the government could do just that.
Image: Pat Cullen (centre) joins RCN members on the picket line
In a letter to the PM, she drew a comparison to the sacking of Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi, after he was found to have breached the ministerial code in relation to his tax affairs.
“Big decisions can be made by you at any point in the week in the interests of good government,” she said, urging Mr Sunak to show his government is on the side of the “hardworking, decent taxpayer”.
“There could be no simpler way to demonstrate this commitment than bringing the nurses’ strike to a swift close.”
When are the NHS strikes this week?
Nurses will strike on 6 and 7 February as they call for better conditions and a pay rise. They want 5% above RPI inflation – but have said they would accept around 10%.
Ambulance workers will join nurses for the first day and walk out again on 10 February in a call for an inflation-matching pay rise and better conditions.
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The RCN and other NHS unions called off strikes in Wales this week after receiving a new pay offer from the Welsh government, while negotiations in Scotland are ongoing.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay called the industrial action “regrettable” and despite contingency plans, said that the strikes will “undoubtedly have an impact on patients and cause delays to NHS services”.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex have paid tribute to the Queen, saying there’s an “unimaginable void in all our lives”.
They added a personal touch, referring to the Queen as their “beloved mama”.
In a statement, Edward, the Queen’s youngest son, and his wife Sophie said they have been “overwhelmed by the tide of emotion” after the monarch’s death and wish to thank everyone for their support.
They continued: “The Queen’s passing has left an unimaginable void in all our lives.
“Sophie and I have taken huge pleasure in seeing our James and Louise enjoying the places and activities that their grandparents loved so much.”
