Peter Ormerod investigates the bizarre, troubling and extremely funny world of Found Footage

Goujon John stands in his Goujultation Zone. Like many characters who appear on Mr Biffo's Found Footage, he's a slick, troubling and troubled American salesman. He's all about the goujons, of course; we know not quite of what they are made, other than that they come from the "silvery bird". He stands in his 16-bit computer graphic domain in flickering and distorted form, dispensing goujon-related advice to assorted lost souls, who often turn out to be fairly successful comedians or musicians (most recently, it was him out of indie favourites Public Service Broadcasting). And that's probably the most conventional bit of Mr Biffo's Found Footage, which distressingly comes to its conclusion this weekend.

Found Footage is a series on YouTube which is notable for countless reasons. First, there's the ingenious conceit: it purportedly represents the contents of VHS tapes discovered at a car boot sale. It thus takes the form of a melange of apparently random snippets, all rendered in that fuggy style of old videos, with static and subliminal images often intruding. There are bits of TV programmes: Do You Remember When?, for example, prods at the lazy nostalgia of our times, while the guests on BurdTalk disagree furiously about whether the programme exists to praise or chastise our avian brethren. There are sort-of public information films: Simon Bates, a raucous American, explains the film certification system ("PG stands for Private Garden"; "18 is short for 1898") in abrasive tones. Then there are the adverts for such delights as Wasp Bells, an adult chat line called Mime Talk and a "sturdy boy" called Wet Pepe who makes everything soggy. There are songs: one is about Sir Clive Sinclair, another about Elon Musk. There are appearances from the disturbing duo of Kenny and Yuri Masters (starring Iain Lee, formerly of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show, now one of Britain's most engaging and original broadcasters). There are recordings of a Geordie man mumbling while playing old-school video games, which tend to degenerate into worrying adventures in scatology. And there is a curious air of threat throughout, more of which in a bit.

None of this will surprise anyone familiar with the work of its creator. Found Footage has come from the mind - and possibly other organs - of Paul Rose, who, in the guise of Mr Biffo, was responsible for Teletext's long-lamented video games section, Digitiser. Seemingly inhabiting an entirely different dimension from anything else served up on teletext, Digitiser revelled in subversive surrealism and barely disguised profanity, its own array of characters including The Rapping Shoe, Mr T (don't mess with his bins) and The Man With A Long Chin. Rose's career since teletext died at the hands of digital TV has been similarly replete with baffling non sequiturs, covering everything from possibly the oddest TV pilot ever made (Biffovision, set in the world of 1980s Saturday morning children's television) to possibly the worst film ever made (Pudsey the Dog: The Movie, for which he wrote at least some of the script), via Bafta nominations as the co-creator of CBBC shows 4 O'Clock Club and Dani's House. Throughout all this, he's gained the support of Charlie Brooker, who donated towards the making of Found Footage and is credited as executive producer. Alex Garland, writer of The Beach and Ex Machina, is another admirer.

But maybe it all makes more sense than first appears. It's become clear over the past few weeks that the 20-odd-minute episodes of Found Footage have actually been building to a conclusion; these seemingly disparate parts actually have some meaning. The final episode, which goes online at 9pm on Sunday, is described as "tense, atmospheric, sci-action movie". It's as if John Carpenter at his most ambitious has been directing Reeves & Mortimer at their darkest.

“I got sick of the development process in film and TV," says Rose. "I’ve worked on so many projects – including a BBC One sitcom pilot with Dylan Moran and Maxine Peake – which nearly got made, that my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.

“I was worn down from making compromises to create stuff that was more palatable and commercial, and it wasn’t having an impact on its chance of success, so I decided to do something for me.”

Handily for the rest of us, Rose was able to find enough backers who wanted to see what he could come up with to raise funds for a nine-part comedy series.

“Even then, my ambitions went through the roof," he says. "It was my first time directing, and I really wanted to reward the backers and prove what I was capable of, so I kept thinking bigger and bigger.”

For one thing, Found Footage proves that all the money in the world is no substitute for an imagination like Rose's. And with sequences including a fast-paced speedboat chase, and two days filming in an abandoned nuclear bunker, complete with action sequences, special effects and prosthetics, it demonstrates what can be achieved with good will, hard work and an undiluted conviction.

“It isn’t for everyone ," says Rose, who really needs to put those words in vast bold type. "It’s weird in a late night, Adult Swim, kind of way. But nobody in the UK is brave enough to make shows like this anymore. Found Footage has shown that there is an audience hungry enough for this kind of absurdist humour that you can make it happen without having to worry too much about ratings.

“I think I’ve created something that is completely original, extremely high quality, and – most importantly – done it without the backing of a TV channel or movie studio. Those who love it really seem to love it.”

* Mr Biffo's Found Footage - which we repeat is certainly not for everyone and contains strong language and scenes some viewers may find disturbing, as well as extremely funny - can be watched here.

Leighton Buzzard Market and Farmers’ Market has been called off for tomorrow (Saturday, October 21) due to warnings of high winds.

The town council has just confirmed the cancellation, with the Met Office predicting winds of up to 46mph in Leighton Buzzard by early tomorrow afternoon.

A spokesman said: “Due to the yellow weather warning issued for this area by the Met Office for 4am – 12pm for Saturday 21 October, Leighton Buzzard Market and Farmers’ Market will be cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to your continued support.”

Storm Brian is expected to batter Britain’s coast, just days after Storm Ophelia caused disruption.

Heavy rain and gusts of 50mph are expected across southern England and the west of Wales on Saturday, and winds could reach 70mph in exposed areas.

The Creagh/Carr review gives you two for the price of one – the opinions of seasoned hackette Bev Creagh and flamboyant newshound Stewart Carr. Here they review English National Ballet’s Song of the Earth/La Sylphide at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday (October 21).

CREAGH SAYS... The best thing about this almost three-hour long production is the English National Ballet Philharmonic. Canned music is used so often in theatres these days that to hear a full live orchestra, conducted by Gavin Sutherland, is a real treat.

Song of the Earth combines ballet with opera and I’m not sure it’s a marriage that works. Tenor Simon Gfeller’s voice didn’t sound strong enough initially to soar over the music, although it improved as the evening progressed.

But mezzo soprano Fiona McIntosh was a delight.

Ancient Chinese poems are sung in German to accompany Mahler’s powerful score .

ENB artistic director Tamara Rojo dances The Woman in Song of the Earth, created by legendary choreographer Kenneth Macmillan who died 25 years ago.

She, Joseph Caley as The Man and Aaron Robison as The Messenger of Death are all highly accomplished professionals but to me the performance was curiously lacking in warmth, not helped by the fact that several of the corps de ballet were so emaciated they appeared to have been on starvation diets. Many of the movements were angular, robotic and repetitive.

The set was spare, as were the costumes.

So it was a joy to watch the animation in La Sylphide, both in the Scottish castle where a wedding is to take place, and in the forest glade where the erstwhile groom abandons his prospective bride to follow the Sylph with whom he’s fallen in love.

These dancers appeared far more robust than their Song of the Earth counterparts and there were delightful cameos from two aspiring youngsters who surely have a glittering career ahead of them.

CARR SAYS... Chalk and cheese might be the best way to decribe the English National Ballet’s dual offering of Song of the Earth / La Sylphide.

Beyond a vague feeling of fantasy, I can’t find any clear thread that connects these two completely disparate ballets.

Let’s start with Song of the Earth, one of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s lesser known creations. It features six dances tracking the moods of the seasons, each one accompanied by an operatic score.

Harsh, abstract and minimalistic - it certainly pays to read the English translation of the German opera score beforehand.

The volley of male and female performers come and go, all dressed in murky green-grey uniforms that meld into the equally vapid landscape.

The young men dominate the stage with their bold, outstretched movements, while the women - with the exception of artistic director Tamara Rojo - are frustratingly confined to a passive, nimble presence on stage.

Far more engaging – and with all the pomp, colour and sumptuousness that English National Ballet is known for – is La Sylphide.

Veteran soloist Erina Takahashi takes the role of the Sylph, an enchanting Victorian fairy who bewitches a Scottish bridegroom shortly before his wedding.

The sheer vastness of the sets and beautiful costuming make this a delight to watch.

A myriad of supporting cast members, including kilted barn dancers, dainty white fairies, and an eerily authentic witch, make this classic a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Song Of The Earth/La Sylphide plays ay MK Theatre until Saturday. See here for tickets.

A Leighton Buzzard opticians has raised a three-figure sum for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) 
following a week-long event.

Specsavers, in Waterborne Walk, donated £1 for every eye test conducted in store during National Eye Health Week to the charity, which supports people affected by sight loss.

The eyecare experts also hosted a bake sale and dress- down day to further boost the total, raising £343.

The initiative followed the publication of a report by RNIB and Specsavers which showed that one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime, despite at least half of all cases being avoidable.

Ekta Kotecha, store director at Specsavers in Leighton Buzzard, said: “Our survey showed that sight was the sense that people feared losing most. However, 25 per cent of people are not having an eye test every two years as recommended by the College of Optometrists.

“An eye test not only monitors changes in your vision, but is an important health check too.

“We are happy to have shone a light on this important subject during National Eye Health Week and to have raised such a fine sum in support of RNIB’s vital work.”

Four Bedfordshire-based charities were the lucky recipients of £50,000, which was part of a national “£3m Give Away” by English Freemasons.

Tony Henderson, the leader of Bedfordshire Freemasons, said: “Freemasonry is celebrating its tercentenary this year and in addition to the £33 million we annually give to charities and good causes, we have allocated another £3 million this year, which will be shared among 300 charities to mark our 300th birthday.”

The public was given the chance to vote on which charities should be the beneficiaries and more than 177,000 votes were cast. In Bedfordshire over 3,000 votes were cast for the four nominated charities.

The Bedfordshire charity that received the most votes was the Bedfordshire and Northants Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, which received £25,000.

Dr Kay Taylor, the chair of the trustees, said: “On behalf of all who use the centre, I would like to thank Bedfordshire Freemasons for their generous support.

“We will use this incredible donation to upgrade our hydrotherapy pool.”

The Elisabeth Curtis Riding Centre for the Disabled came second and was given £15,000. A spokesperson said: “We will use the £15,000 to buy another two ponies, additional tack, renew/repair the fencing around our paddocks and some safety equipment.”

In third place was The Midshires Search and Rescue Organisation, which received £6,000. Stephen Murphy, the search manager at the charity, said: “We will use the money to purchase water safety clothing and equipment, which will assist us when searching for missing people in rivers/river banks and/or flood conditions.”

Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity received £4,000 to help fund its Bridge Project for people in Luton who have had support or treatment for alcohol and/or drug use.

Pupils at a Leighton school held an event to mark Bedfordshire Police’s Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Vandyke Upper School hosted an exhibition from the Anne Frank Trust with student ambassadors trained as “experts” to show visitors around the exhibition.

This was a big success and was followed up by a visit from Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke.

The evening event was planned to mark Bedfordshire Police’s Hate Crime Awareness Week and was sponsored by Police Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway.

Eva Clarke told her remarkable story as a baby born at the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1945.

Student ambassadors spoke about their experiences from the exhibition and James Hart from Luton Police also gave a talk.

Val Ross of the Anne Frank Trust said: “The evening was a very proud moment. Vandyke student ambassadors are to be commended for their passion for the cause of standing up to prejudice, their articulacy and gift for communicating the real time importance of Anne Frank’s legacy.”

Eva Clarke said: “It was a pleasure to tell my mother’s story to such a responsive, interested and sympathetic audience.

“The students were particularly impressive and it was moving to hear what they had to say.”

Headteacher Tim Carroll added: “This was a powerful and memorable occasion that has provided great learning for our students and I hope has also made a contribution to raising awareness of hate crime in our wider community.

“Thanks go to Bedfordshire police for their support and to the Anne Frank Trust.

“Our special thanks are for Eva Clarke whose story and the way that she narrates it are quite inspirational.

“It has been a privilege to work with these organisations and we look forward to this work only strengthening in the future.”

Ronnie, Raine and Rafiki may sound like the latest triple-act vying for pop stardom, but are in fact the latest babies born to Woburn’s endangered species breeding programme.

Busy keepers at Woburn Safari Park are celebrating the birth of a Barbary macaque, an addax calf and a Rothschild’s giraffe.

Woburn’s youngest male baby giraffe, Ronnie, marks an important achievement for the park’s conservation efforts. With less than 670 Rothschild’s giraffes thought to be left in the wild, captive breeding programmes offer a vital lifeline.

Born to Kimmy, Ronnie displays the distinctive features of this species of giraffe with bold regular patches and cream-coloured “socks” with no markings below the knees.

Lindsay Banks, senior keeper, said: “Ronnie is proving to be a sweet-natured if slightly shy addition.”

With a name inspired by her mother, Forest, addax Raine has instantly gained a reputation as one of the park’s most vocal young residents, calling out to keepers whenever they approach.

Also known as the white antelope, addax are critically endangered. Recent surveys have found only three individuals in the wild.

Chris Smart, head of section, said: “Raine is fascinated by people and calls out to nearby keepers to get their attention.”

Rafiki is the first baby born to Woburn’s six-year-old Barbary macaque, Msasa. Wild populations of Barbary macaques have decreased rapidly over the last few years because of illegal pet trade and habitat loss and the species is now officially endangered.

Small is beautiful at Leighton Buzzard Railway at the end of the month.

On October 28-29, the railway will be celebrating all that is beautiful in the smaller steam locomotive.

On Saturday the evening ‘Steam Glow’ event at Stonehenge provides an opportunity to photograph up to five 0-4-0T locomotives in steam in this historic and unique sand-industry setting.

The locomotives will be positioned to take full advantage of the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s extensive collection of wagons and sand industry equipment.

A special train hauled by the newly-restored Andrew Barclay 0-6-0T ‘Doll’ will leave Pages Park station at 6.30pm so, with sunset at 5.40pm, all should be fully dark by the time the train arrives at 6.55pm. The train will return to Pages Park at 9pm. ‘Chaloner’, ‘Rishra’ and ‘PC Allen’ will also be returning to Pages Park, providing further night-time photographic opportunities along the line.

The special train is the only public service operating on Saturday. Booking to guarantee your seat is recommended. There is no public parking at Stonehenge.

Discounted fares are available for accompanied younger photographers aged 10-17 and accompanied under 10s ride free.

Part two of the ‘small is beautiful’ weekend is Small Engines Day on Sunday, when there will be a special timetable of services along the line.

Visit www.buzzrail.co.uk.

A 29-year-old Leighton Buzzard woman died in road traffic collision near Shillington on Thursday.

The woman killed as a result of the incident has been named as Laura Jones, of Vandyke Road.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, when the victim’s Ford Mondeo veered onto the opposite carriageway on the B655 Barton Road at Pegsdon.

The collision occurred at around 12.50pm and involved an Isuzu vehicle recovery truck.

Sergeant James Wood from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Roads Policing Unit said: “This was a tragic incident with terrible consequences, resulting in a young woman sadly losing her life. It is vital that we fully investigate the collision in order to establish the circumstances around it.

“I would appeal for anyone who saw the collision, or either vehicle in the area prior to it, to get in contact with any piece of information, big or small.”

Call police on 101 quoting the reference Operation Triops with any information.

The BBC is looking for Britain’s best cooks, to roast, boil and and bake it off in a new prime-time TV show.

Britain’s Best Cook - the clue’s in the name - will be crowned following a search for 10 great cooks to compete for the title.

And the winner will, as well as winning over the British public, have to convince Britain’s most revered judge, Mary Berry.

Producers KEO Films say they are looking for cooks with a passion for creating dishes for themselves and their family - whether their best-loved creations are “succulent pork belly with perfect crackling, an ingenious twist on chicken curry, or an irresistible chocolate pudding.”

Budding cooks, who must be aged 18 or over, can apply online, at www.britainsbestcook.co.uk, or contact the producers directly at bestcook@keofilms.com, or by writing to Britain’s Best Cook at Keo films, 9 - 10 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0BX.

Closing date is Tuesday 31st October.

A worrying list of bizarre 999 calls from timewasters includes reports of a ‘confused’ horse and a complaint about too much sweetcorn on a pizza.

One caller dialled the emergency line after forgetting where their car was parked, while another asked police to kick a stray cat out of their house.

Thames Valley Police revealed the list to raise national awareness across all police forces after suggesting artificial intelligence could soon be used to handle some emergency calls - because operators are having their vital time wasted by daft calls.

They also hope sharing the details will warn the public against bogus calls and timewasting.

There was a report about a ‘confused’ looking horse in a field by the side of the road and while there was nothing to indicate horse was ill or in pain, it had a confused expression on its face.

One caller rang 999 to complain there was too much sweetcorn on his pizza, while another male caller lost his keys in a car park and wanted police to help in the search.

Late bus

A lady phoned to complain her National Express coach was 20 minutes late - and wanted police to tell her why.

In a separate call a coach driver rang because roads crew were laying tarmac and had set a diversion. He told the handler he paid his road tax and felt that the diversions should not apply to him.

Others include a diner dialling 999 over concerns about the quality of food which was being served to him, a complaint about a cat which kept coming into a Sainsbury’s store and appeared lost.

Another caller saw a ‘rather forlorn’ looking lady in the street and decided to give her £10 - but had a change of heart and wanted the money back.

There was a call from an man who lives in London who said he fell asleep on the last train and ended up in Slough - and wanted police to take him home.

One complaint was about a cat meandering in the vicinity of the Winnersh Triangle. It was a friendly cat who approaches people but it might be lost, the caller said.

‘Wife left him’

Other bizarre calls which made the list included a sad man who said his wife left him the day before, he needed to leave college early to pick up his kids and wanted police to write a letter explaining why he needed to leave early.

A lady called in to complain that her housing association sent her two letters asking her if she would consider relocation to a smaller property. She said she had a three-bedroom house and lives alone, but did not want to move and did not appreciate being asked.

One caller purchased a curry from a local restaurant for home delivery, but he opened it and it spilt onto him causing a burn to his arm.

He called the restaurant and all they were doing was offering him a replacement which he did not think was good enough.

Another wanted police to fix the lifts in her block of flats because she did not want to wait until the next day for the lift engineers to attend.

Lost car

A dozy member of the public forgot where in the car-park they parked their car, another was being kept awake by the noise from a thunderstorm and wished to complain about it and a third had a headache and wasn’t happy with a decorator because it had been caused by the paint fumes.

One caller complained next door’s cat came into their house and didn’t want to leave - before asking if police officers come and put the cat out.

Another wished to complain about the content provided by the BBC, specifically continual re-runs of ‘Homes under the Hammer’.

There was a caller unhappy her pizza hadn’t been delivered on time and was 10 minutes late, while another got on the wrong train and now has a 90 minute wait for the right train so asked police for a lift to Aldershot.

One man rang 999 on a Sunday afternoon because he did not like the sounds of the bagpipes being played by a busker.

Faulty shower

And after one caller’s shower was playing up, making a beeping noise, they asked police for advice because they were unsure whether to call a plumber or electrician.

Thames Valley Police took 286,938 calls to the emergency number July 2016 and June 2017, an increase by 8.9 per cent on the previous year.

The force has recently suggested a robocop-style call-handling system as the government looks at how artificial intelligence will change society.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the ‘Implications of Artificial Intelligence’, Thames Valley Police said the tech ‘could perform many of the process-driven tasks that take place in the police’.

It said a 999 caller might even be able to describe an incident and be understood by artificial intelligence.

The submission added: “Speech analysis categorises the type of incident and detects indicators of stress from the caller.

“The date, time, location and offence details are recorded automatically.

“Solvability factors are calculated on the quality of the available data. The risk assessment provides a recommendation for officers on the next steps for the offender and also an appropriate support package for the victim.”

There force said there would be need to be a ‘high level of human oversight and clear justification’.

No fadeaway for the best sports game of 2017 by far.

US sport has been in turmoil this year with politics interfering like never before but in the world of video games one sport in particular has risen above the drama to top spot.

Every September/October comes the latest raft of sporting franchise video game releases.

And each year reviewers pick the bones out of the simulations from the latest FIFA and Pro Evo to NFL, golf, NHL and NBA games to chart their progress.

In truth many of them - aside from aesthetic improvements and enhancements - are essentially the same games at heart.

Which is why NBA 2K18 deserves to stand head and shoulders above all the rest as the best sports game of the year.

This is a game that will have you coming back for more all year long and sets a new benchmark for gameplay and graphics.

Players behave more like their real-life counterparts than ever before and the latest iteration of this long-running franchise is another Jordan-esque leap forward on and off the court.

The only negative I could level at NBA 2K18 is that for me the story elements within MyGM don’t add anything meaningful to the experience. But the merger of Career into The Neighbourhood mode works well.

NBA 2K18’s superb production values contribute to its unrivalled realism while the pro stick controls make playing truly satisfying like no other sports sim out there.

Microtransactions can be a grind and are unavoidable at times but that is really nitpicking in what is the undisputed gold standard sports game in modern video gaming. And perhaps the biggest plus for UK gamers, you don’t have to be a basketball nut to enjoy it.

Forget Waitrose - high earners are more likely to shop at food discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl than the poorest families, according to new research.

More than three out of four people who earn more than £50,000 a year shop at food discounters (77 per cent), compared to 73 per cent of those with a household income of £15,500 or less.

And premium products are pulling better off shoppers into discount food stores, suggests the research by consumer analysts Mintel.

Two out of three shoppers (66 per cent) say that food discounters’ premium ranges are just as good as elsewhere, with only seven per cent disagreeing with the statement.

And, even when entertaining, well-off shoppers are not afraid to stock up with the discounters, according to the report.

Almost half of food discount shoppers with a household income above £50,000 (47 per cent) have bought party items from the stores in the past three months - up from an average of 36 per cent of shoppers.

Bargain hunters

Overall, 89 per cent of Brits shop at discount retailers, with 84 per cent visiting non-food discounters and 74 per cent visiting food discounters.

And young adults are leading the trend with 93 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds having visited either a food or non-food discounter in the last three months.

Nick Carroll, senior research analyst at Mintel, said: “High income households are just as likely to shop at food discounters as lower income ones.

“The post-recession success of leading discount food retailers has been built on a softening of their hard discount roots and bringing in ranges which appeal to a wider variety of consumers.

“A part of this success has been the introduction of more premium ranges, something that is clearly going over well with shoppers.”

Discount sales are forecast to reach £26.7 billion this year , with food discounters accounting for the bulk of sales (£17.2 billion) and non-food making up the remaining £9.5 billion.

And Mintel forecasts that total sales are set to experience further growth of 57 per cent through 2022 to reach £41,827 million, accounting for 11.4 per cent of all retail sales.

Consumer vutbacks

Mr Carroll said: “Over the past 10 years the discount sector, both food and non-food, has shown that it is highly adaptable, succeeding to thrive in both market conditions which favoured a low-cost alternative and in conditions where traditionally there would have been less demand.

“With an uncertain economic outlook in the short term, the sector is well placed to make further gains and capitalise on likely consumer desire to cut back on expenditure.”

Overall, 71 per cent of all discount shoppers think that the quality of products available in such stores is as good as elsewhere, rising to 75 per cent of those who shop most often at food discounters.

But almost half of discount shoppers (45 per cent) say that the food discounters should offer a wider range of healthy options in-store.

Mr Carroll added: “There is widespread agreement that new product ranges keep the shopping experience interesting and there is also a sense that they create a sense of a treasure hunt within stores, with the majority of shoppers agreeing that this prospect of finding a bargain keeps them coming back.

“While many of the food discounters are actively promoting healthy eating, our research indicates this could go further.

“Given how important higher socio-economic consumers are to food discounters, and their attitudes towards healthy eating, it is clear this should be an area of focus for the discounters.

“With a price premium placed on products under the ‘healthy eating’ heading, a lower-cost but still high-quality alternative from the discounters is likely to prove popular.”

A range of fridges have sparked safety fears due to a risk of overheating and fire due to a component fault.

The CAPLE brand refrigerators, manufactured between 2007 and 2008, have been identified by industry body Electrical Safety First as potentially dangerou.

They strongly recommend that anyone with one of these appliances should stop using it until it has been checked by the manufacturer.

Anyone suspecting they have a fridge which is part of the recalled items can find model and serial numbers inside the fridge compartment, on the left hand side, behind the bottom tray.

Affected models:

Ri551

Ri731

Ri732Fa

Serial numbers affected are those in which the 14th and 15th digit are one of the following two digits:

71 / 72 / 73 / 74 / 75 / 76 / 77 / 78 / 79

7A / 7B / 7C

81 / 82 / 83 / 84 / 85 / 86 / 87 / 88 / 89

8A / 8B / 8C

Anyone who has an affected appliance should contact CAPLE immediately. They will arrange for a free visit from an engineer to fix the problem.

They also ask anyone who used to have an affected CAPLE refrigerator to let CAPLE know so their details can be removed from their database.

CAPLE can be contacted by telephone on 0800 458 6318 or by email at caple.modifications@0800repair.com

Electrical Safety First strongly recommends that anyone who discovers they have an electrical item that has been recalled should stop using it until it has been checked by the manufacturer.

Leading anti-slavery charity, Unseen, and The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology are asking people to know the signs of modern slavery in nail bars in a bid to stop human trafficking within the beauty industry.

The Government estimates that there are 13,000 victims of slavery in the UK, however, Justine Currell, Executive Director of Unseen, has commented this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Although victims come from across the world, trafficking routes from Vietnam have been highlighted as a serious problem throughout the UK with nail bars being one of the biggest culprits.

In September the Anti-Slavery Commissioner report ‘Combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals en route to, and within, the UK’, authored by Dr Daniel Silverstone and Dr Claire Brickell, reported that many nail salons run as cash only bars. The report found that one victim was forced to work seven days a week – from morning until 6pm or 7pm.

They were paid just £30 a week.

Human trafficking remains a worldwide issue and there are currently almost 21 million victims of forced labour according to Unseen – with 11.4 million being women and girls and 9.5 million being men and boys.

Do prices seem ‘too good to be true’?

Unseen are now sharing the tell tale signs of trafficking victims in nail bars to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2017.

Campaign manager Hannah Young says, “The success of Let’s Nail It! will lie with people who are going about their day as normal, and suddenly get a feeling that something they’ve seen isn’t quite right.”

The Let’s Nail It campaign is running from 16th to 23rd October.

Young adds, “Do prices seem ‘too good to be true’? Is the vibe you’re getting making you feel uncomfortable?

“If you can’t quite put your finger on it but you feel that some something isn’t right, you can report suspicions online at: www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/report or call the 24/7 confidential helpline on 08000 121700.

Parents have slammed retailers for selling a sickening ‘Burnt Zombie Child’ Hallowe’en costume for young children in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

At least 18 children died in the horrifying inferno with experts warning tens of thousands of youngsters across the UK have been left traumatised by the disaster.

The £34.99 costume, sold by online retailer Escapade, is aimed at children aged just eight to ten years old.

Furious parents have slammed the firm for its insensitivity, with 99 per cent saying they would ban their child from wearing it.

And an outfit marketed as an ‘Anne Frank costume for girls’ has been withdrawn from sale following an online outcry.

The costume, sold on sites including Halloweencostumes.eu, consisted of a blue overcoat, green beret, brown satchel and brown paper name tag, and was also listed on Amazon as ‘World War II Evacuee Girl Costume”.

As retailers unveil their Halloween costumes this week, the annual study from parenting site ChannelMum.com showed two thirds of parents now claim some Halloween costumes are ‘too frightening’ for young children, up from just 48 per cent last year.

One in five fear Hallowe’en is becoming more sinister every year and two in five (41 per cent) claim costumes no longer have a traditional Halloween theme but are selected simply to terrify.

The study of 1,006 parents found 84 per cent of UK families celebrate Hallowe’en and of these, 94 per cent allow their kids to dress up.

But there is widespread worry about the direction the celebration is taking.

Other costumes highlighted by concerned parents include a Headless Horseman with a bloodied stump for a neck and no face, aimed at children aged just eight, alongside a ‘Killer Clown’ costume for eight to ten year olds which is marketed holding a bloodied meat cleaver - despite rising levels of knife crime.

Disturbingly, there has been an in increase in the number of sexualised costumes for young girls, with 55 per cent of parents agreeing many are ‘too sexual’ for children, up from 43 per cent who felt this way last year.

Among the inappropriate costumes on offer is the provocatively-named ‘Midnight Mischief’ sold by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parent’s Party Pieces store.

The costume, for four to six year olds, is a ‘sexy witch’ with a corset and short mini skirt.

Retailer halloweencostumes.co.uk was also slammed by shocked parents for selling a XXS version of the skin-tight Sexy Feline Catsuit Costume, with a chest measurement of just 24 inches - the same as a typical six year old.

And even the traditional ghost outfit has been given a horror makeover, with ‘Scream’ style masks added to costumes for three-year-old toddlers.

As a result, nine in ten (89%) of parents now back age-appropriate ratings on costumes, up from just 68 per cent last year.

A further 92 per cent want retailers to take more responsibility for the outfits they sell, with 67 per cent claiming stores only care about profit.

One in five parents even admitted their child had had a negative experience wearing a Hallowe’en costume - with 16 per cent of children being so terrified by another child’s costume that they have left Hallowe’en celebrations.

ChannelMum.com founder Siobhan Freegard said: “Have retailers fallen under an evil Halloween spell? Looking spooky and scary is great fun and what Hallowe’en is all about - but some of these costumes have gone far too far.

“Stores have to be sensitive to the world around them. It’s time to realise it’s unacceptable to sell some of these outfits. Sexualising toddlers or pushing costumes which could traumatise simply for profit is the nastiest thing about Hallowe’en.”

Here are the Nasty 9 most evil costumes on sale for children this year:

1) Burnt Dead Zombie Child

Age: 8 to 10

Retailer: escapade.co.uk

Cost: £34.99

99% of parents would not let their child wear it

2) Witch

Costume Name: Midnight Mischief

Age: Ages 4 to 6 (corset and mini skirt)

Retailer: Party Pieces

Cost: £20.99

98% of parents would not let their child wear it

3) Killer Clown (shown holding meat cleaver)

Costume Name: Killer Klown Child Costume

Age: 8 to 10

Retailer: escapade.co.uk

Cost: £22.99

95% of parents would not let their child wear it

4) Black Cat

Costume Name: Sexy Feline Catsuit Costume

Age: XXS to fit 24 inch chest - typically a 6 to 8 year old

Retailer: halloweencostumes.co.uk

Cost: £42.99

98% of parents would not let their child wear it

5) Little Devil:

Costume Name: Hot Stuff Devil Costume

Age: 10 to 12

Retailer: Party Priceless on eBay

Cost: £16.98

97% of parents would not let their child wear it

6) Bat

Costume Name: Kids Spooky Bat

Age: 10 to 12

Retailer: wonderlandparty.co.uk/

Cost: £14.99

97% of parents would not let their child wear it

7) Headless Horseman

Costume Name: Headless Horseman

Age: 8 to 10

Retailer: Party Pieces

Cost: £23.99

95% of parents would not let their child wear it

8) Bloody Face Off (Jason from Friday the 13th Horror Movie)

Costume Name: Bloody Face Off

Age: 8 to 10

Cost: £12.99

94% of parents would not let their child wear it

9) Ghost

Costume Name: Child Howling Ghost

Age: 3 to 4

Retailer: joke.co.uk

Cost: £8.99

79% of parents would not let their child wear it

The burning questions in Leighton Buzzard as Bonfire Night approaches are:

1. Where can I take my family to see a really good firework display?

2. Where can we see fireworks in safety?

3. What fireworks display is fully insured?

4. Where can we enjoy rides and get refreshments during the evening?

5. Where can I get a free bus to the fireworks?

Are here are the answers!

The Rotary Club of Leighton Linslade fireworks and bonfire evening takes place at Brooklands School on Saturday, November 4. Gates open 5pm, with the bonfire lit at 6.45pm.

Tickets are on sale now at Quarters Estate Agency in the High Street,

Inwards Motors on Grovebury Road, Adrienne’s Florist opposite Waitrose car park, a High Street stall on Saturday October 28, Tuesday 31 and the morning of Saturday, November 4.

Tickets also available on the web at www.eventbrite.co.uk searching under Rotary Leighton Linslade.

The FREE Marshalls bus (to fireworks ticket holders only) will run from: Sandhills Shop, The Hare Pub in Linslade, various stops along Derwent Drive.

Linslade’s Richard Fox is opening a recently refurbished flexible space for the local community to hire and use for a wide variety of recreational activities.

The old Methodist Church on Mentmore Road which dates back from the early 1940s, and has had many uses from a dance hall, a church and even a factory in the Second World War. The newly named The Recreation Rooms, has been renovated and refurbished with a small army of volunteers painting, knocking down walls and recyling parts of the old church pulpit, transforming it into the new reception desk.

Richard, who used to perform on the West End, and now the owner of Musical Theatre High! Academy saw the building was up for sale wanted to have his own space for classes and also was insistent that The Recreation Rooms would play an important part of the local community, with people hiring it for fitness classes, childrens parties and various other recreational activities. If you would like to see the regenerated building, The Recreation Rooms is hosting an open day on Saturday, October 28 (1.30pm-5pm).

To see photos of its development and find out more information on hiring the space, visit The Recreation Rooms on Facebook or call 07483 873838.

A children’s entertainer from Wingrave is aiming to add his name to the Guinness Book of World Records today (Monday) as part of a national children’s show in London.

Paul Megram, who is better known to many children and adults locally as Colonel Custard is aiming to break the pie-flinging world record as part of Kidtroplolis, a four day children’s extravaganza at London’s ExCel Centre.

Colonel Custard will be teaming up with his messy partner in crime Captain Calamity for the four record attempts, which take place today at 10.45am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm and 4.15pm.

Mr Megram said he had been in training for several weeks in the build-up to the record attempts.

He will be doing the flinging and aiming to break the record of 72 pies flung in 60 seconds.

A Biggleswade GP is leading a campaign to encourage the parents and carers of children under five to use A&E for emergencies only this winter.

In a new campaign called ‘Is A&E for my mini me?’, which showcases photographs of people from the area with their children, clinicians have provided information and advice to help people make the right choice when their child requires medical attention.

The campaign comes as hospitals in the area start to gear up for the winter period, which last year saw patients across the country waiting for more than four hours in hospital waiting rooms to be seen by a Doctor.

Dr Alvin Low, a GP from Biggleswade and Clinical Chair of Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “One of the most worrying times for a parent or carer is when their little one is ill and their GP practice is closed. It is understandable that they may want to take their child to their local hospital’s A&E department. However there are currently long waits to be seen and it is not always the best environment for a poorly child.

“I would always recommend trying NHS111 first; we have worked hard with providers of NHS111 and Out Of Hours care who have highly skilled call handlers and a range of clinicians who can provide help and advice”.

Dr Chirag Bakhai, Clinical Director for Planned Care at Luton Clinical Commissioning Group added: “Most children can be safely seen at their local GP practice or by the out of hours service, accessed through NHS111. As the winter and flu season approaches, we would advise our population to ensure that the whole family is registered with a local GP practice so they can easily access medical advice when they need it most.”

“The ‘Mini Me’ campaign is a fun way for us to engage with parents and carers in our area, so that we can signpost people to the best care for them, reduce pressure on our emergency departments and provide advice on how to manage seasonal childhood illnesses at home.”

The ‘Is A&E for my mini me’ campaign is running on social media and in schools and children’s centres across the area. Local people are asked to share their photographs of themselves with their ‘mini me’s’, so that we can help people make the best choices this winter.

To register for a GP near you visit NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk. If you require medical advice, or to access a GP out of hours, dial NHS111.

For more information on the ‘Is A&E for my mini me’ campaign visit:

Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group at www.bedfordshireccg.nhs.uk

Luton Clinical Commissioning Group at www.lutonccg.nhs.uk