Awful Auntie the big book by David Walliams is brought to life on stage at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

This tells the story of Stella Saxby (played by Georgina Leonidas) who when waking up from a coma greeted by Aunt Alberta has no idea how her life has drastically changed.

Stella becomes friends with Soot played by Ashley Cousins who helps her solve the mystery of her parents death whilst avoiding her own. The story between the two characters shows them having an strong bond and has a great plot twist.

Aunt Alberta played by Timothy Speyer was fantastic and played the role so well. The hilarious jokes, fantastic opera singing and costume portrayed the character perfectly. Rarely off stage Aunt Alberta was great throughout and really loved by the audience.

The role of Gibbons the butler played by Richard James made the show. He had the audience laughing throughout with his humour, odd, ditsy and strange antics.

The Great Bavarian Owl Wagner played by Roberta Bellekom was done so well with the music and lighting really setting the scene and the scene with the birdcage the special effects really were brilliant. The set is very clever switching between scenes with the towers and stairs.

The bathroom scene is really funny and had the audience in fits of laughter. The costumes were well done and portrayed the characters from the book just how you would imagine them.

Awful Auntie is a brilliant show to see whether you have read the David Walliams book or not. This was thoroughly enjoyed and had us laughing and gripped throughout. Well worth watching.

The show can be seen until Sunday November 12. For tickets visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes or call 0844 871 7652

A Cedars Upper School student is raising money to travel to Peru and help the families living in poverty.

Ross Langham, 15, of Bideford Green, is part of a group who are hoping to travel to Peru in July to help families become more self-efficient and educated.

He said: “I am doing World Challenge as I feel that it would be an amazing life opportunity and while I’m out in Peru I’ll be helping less fortunate people and families become more independent so that the children can have an education and become more independent themselves.

“Whilst I’m out there I’ll be experiencing how to work in a team so that when I go to university or apply for a job then I’ll be able to work in teams and cooperate better.

“Doing this will also look good on my CV so that jobs and university will see what I’ve done as an extra skill.

“Being out there for a month, I’ll learn camping and hiking skills - as well as social skills - so that in the future I could do this kind of thing again as well as use the skills I pick up in life to build myself further as a person.”

Ross has been encouraged by project organisers, World Challenge, to raise the money for the trip himself.

His latest fundraiser is a virtual run, which starts on Sunday, November 11, and runs until Saturday, December 9. Entries will close on Monday, November 20. It is £12 for adults and £7 for under 13s to enter.

He said: “I need to raise a further £2,500 by May, so I am looking for donations, sponsorship and people to come along or enter the events I am organising, such as the virtual run. I have set up a Facebook page, Ross’s World Challenge, if people would like to keep updated on my progress and hear about the events.”

Ross’s mum, Kama Langham, said: “The virtual run is something everyone can get involved with because it can be done anywhere, it is one mile of activity and can be anything. Once you have completed it you should send a picture to prove you have completed it, for example, a screenshot of the treadmill or a fitness watch or activity tracker, and then a medal will be sent to you.

“It’s great what he is doing, he really wants to help make a difference, hopefully a lot of people can get involved with the virtual run and receive a medal, designed by Ross.”

We can today reveal a list of the best and worst GP surgeries in Leighton Buzzard and surrounding areas based on ratings provided by patients on how likely they are to recommend their practice.

The information is available on the NHS Choices website, and is based on responses provided in the GP Patient Survey. The survey is sent out twice a year to around 1.36 million adults who are registered with a GP in England.

Here is the list of the best and worst surgeries in Leighton Buzzard area, based on the percentage of people who said they would recommend their GP surgery to others. The average across the Beds Clinical Commissioning Group is 77%, which is also the national average.

1. Little Rothschild Surgery, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, 91.5%

=2. Pitstone Surgery, Yardley Avenue, Pitstone 90.4%

=2. Edlesborough Surgery,Cow Lane, Edlesborough 90.4%

4. Dr Logan & Partners, Eleanor Close, Woburn, 89.7%

5. Stewkley Road Surgery, Stewkley Road, Wing 88.6%

6. Dr Jl Henderson & Partners, Bassett Road, Leighton Buzzard 77.6%

7. Ashcroft Surgery, Stewkley Road, Wing, 75.4%

8. Salisbury House Surgery,Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard 71.7%

9. Leighton Road Surgery, Leighton Road, Leighton Buzzard 61.3%

With bottom-of-the-list Leighton Road Surgery, statistics show that 18% of respondents usually get to see or speak to their preferred GP (Local CCG average 53%; national average 56%).

56% of respondents describe their experience of making an appointment as good (Local CCG average 73%; national average 73%).

On the plus side, 97% of respondents say the last nurse they saw or spoke to was good at giving them enough time (Local CCG average 94%; national average: 92%).

98% of respondents had confidence and trust in the last GP they saw or spoke to (Local CCG average 95%; national average 95%).

Also 81% of respondents say the last GP they saw or spoke to was good at involving them in decisions about their care (Local CCG average 79%; national average 82%).

Do the survey statistics reflect your experience? Email news@lbobserver.co.uk

Proving that the sky really is the limit for anyone, Wing resident Lucy Lester will jump from a plane high above the Namibian desert the day before her 80th birthday in December.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and if I don’t do it now I might never do it,” Lucy, of Chesterfield Crescent, says.

“I’m doing a tandem skydive which means I’m strapped to a young man and jumping out of a plane which will be at about ten thousand feet in the desert in Namibia which is where we lived for 30 years.”

As well as being a personal challenge, Lucy is using the occasion to raise money for Florence Nightingale Hospice, a cause close to her heart. “I used to be a volunteer at Florence Nightingale Hospice and I did five Midnight Walks, which I’m not able to do now, but I am able to do a tandem skydive! So all the funds raised will go to the Hospice,” she explains.

“In my dreams I’d like to raise £1,500, but to be realistic, well, we’re up to eight hundred at the moment, so all contributions, small or big, are very welcome.”

The day after her adrenalin-filled feat on December 28, Lucy will celebrate her 80th birthday at a party with all her family around her, as she has two married children and four grandchildren still living in Namibia.

“The skydiving business is run by our son-in-law but he’s not taking me down because he didn’t think it would be a good idea! All the family will be out there, hopefully to greet me with big smiles when I hit the ground,” she says.

If you would like to support Lucy’s fundraising, she has a justgiving page at:

https://www.justgiving.com/lucynowornever

A judge has described the actions of a 70-year-old man who sexually abused four young girls over a period of almost 40 years as ‘beyond normal human comprehension’ as he jailed him for 23 years.

Michael Grimes, of Croft Green, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of child sexual abuse in September and was sentenced at Luton Crown Court today (Friday 10 November) after appearing via live video link.

He was jailed for 23 years, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

The judge described Grimes’ actions as ‘vile, despicable, and perverted’ and said that they went ‘beyond normal human comprehension’.

In July 2016 Bedfordshire Police received intelligence that an IP address linked to Grimes’ home address was being used to download indecent images of children. A warrant was carried out at the property and a number of devices were seized, including a miniature covert recording device.

The devices were found to contain more than 4,600 indecent images of children and babies, including almost 1,000 of the most severe category.

While investigations were on-going into the indecent image offences, someone contacted the police to say that a young girl had been abused by Grimes in the 1970s. Three further victims of abuse were also identified during the investigation, with the abuse spanning from the 1970s to the 2000s.

Grimes was arrested and charged with 17 offences relating to child sexual abuse.

Investigation Officer Paul Baddeley from the Bedfordshire Police Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team (ICAIT) said: “This is one of the worst cases of child sexual abuse that I have ever dealt with. Grimes sexually abused four young girls on multiple occasions. His abusing then evolved with the digital age with the viewing and creating of horrific indecent images of children and babies.

“Grimes is clearly a very dangerous individual and I’m pleased that he has been locked away for such a significant amount of time. This punishment can never make up for the years of abuse that Grimes inflicted, not to mention the lasting mental anguish caused to his victims, but I hope that those involved can feel comforted by the fact he is now no longer a risk to others in society.

“I’d like to praise the victims for their bravery in speaking out about their abuse and I hope it encourages other victims of sexual abuse to come forward in the confidence that they will be believed and justice can be done - no matter how long ago the abuse took place. I’d also like to pay tribute to the families of the victims who have been amazing in their strength and support.”

In a statement, one of the victims said: “For a long time I practised putting the memories to the back of my mind, pretending like they never happened and like everything was fine, that could not have been further from the truth. I feel embarrassed and humiliated, I am scared that people know and look at me differently.

“Even though I’m scared of writing this and admitting how I truly feel I would like the court and judge to know about me, what I have suffered and what my life is like as a result of the abuse and lies. What happened to me has not eased with time it never will.

“I am a real victim and it affects me every day in one way or another. I have come to live with the fact that I will never be free of this ordeal.”

An NSPCC spokesperson for the East of England said: “Grimes’ horrific campaign of abuse will have left untold suffering on his victims who have showed tremendous courage in speaking out and helping to put him behind bars.

“Sexual abuse is never the fault of the victim. This case shows that people who abuse children have nowhere to hide and survivors will be listened to and supported, no matter how long ago the offences took place.”

To report child sexual abuse, both current and non-recent, call police on 101.

The idea has been brewing for a while, but now, following strong public demand, a beer was been produced to commemorate the Great Train Robbery.

The infamous crime saw £2.6 million taken from a Royal Mail train in the early hours of August 8, 1963, at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn.

And Jon d’Este-Hoare, of Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company, based on the Harmill Industrial Estate, Grovebury Road, has now concocted an ale called Train Robber.

He said: “This is not about glorifying a terrible event, rather just an acknowledgement that it happened locally.

“This new beer is a proper Indian Pale Ale (IPA), that is pale in colour, heavily hopped and a high ABV; the alcohol and hops helped the beer keep on its journey to India back in the day.

“Once I have new beer I then need to think of a name and to be honest after having beers called ‘Narrow Gauge’ and ‘Borrowers’ which obviously have a local theme I have been inundated by customers telling me I need a beer with a Great Train Robbery theme; it is after all probably the thing the town is most famous for.”

Bedfordshire Police has been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in its latest inspection.

The rating is a step up from its last inspection in March when it was the only police force in the country to be rated ‘Inadequate’ - the lowest rating.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) gave the force an overall grading of ‘requires improvement’ for efficiency, which was in line with the previous inspection – but the HMICFRS commented on the progress the force has made in this area over the past 12 months, including rating it ‘good’ in the way it used its resources.

It also commended the force for its ‘pioneering’ approach to recruiting officers from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

These are the third annual efficiency reports to examine how well police forces in England and Wales understand demand, use their resources and plan for the future. Two forces were graded as ‘outstanding’, 32 as ‘good’, ten forces as ‘requiring improvement’ and no force as ‘inadequate’.

The HMICFRS described policing across England and Wales as being ‘under significant stress’ with an increase in complex challenges against a backdrop of limited finances.

The report was based on a week-long inspection in June.

Deputy Chief Constable Garry Forsyth said: “We are obviously disappointed with the overall grading but it is pleasing that the report recognises the continued hard work and determination of the force to keep people safe and there are a lot of positives to take from the findings. The HMICFRS fully recognises the ‘significant financial challenges’ we face in Bedfordshire and makes reference to the difficult decisions we have to make around moving staff to our priority areas – which is to protect vulnerable people. However it is frustrating the report fails to take into consideration the wider context of challenges the force faces in its overall determination.

“It is also important to note that we have made further progress since this inspection that already addresses some of the areas identified for improvement – including populating the community policing model which was described as a weakness in the report. Since June we have seen a 40 per cent increase in staffing in community policing and we are hopeful the model will now be fully staffed by early 2018 which will make a big difference to our ability to deal with local issues.

“It was also very encouraging to be graded as ‘good’ for the way we use our limited resources – and is a clear indication that we would be more effective at tackling crime and keeping people safe should we be adequately funded for the complex crime challenges we face here in Bedfordshire.”

There was a bumper number of visitors to the Leighton Buzzard Art Exhibition this year.

The exhibition was held at Leighton Middle School on October 27-28 and the visitors included the mayor, Cllr Syed Rahman, and deputy mayor, Cllr Clive Palmer.

Twice as many people visited compared to last year and twice as many pictures were sold.

The favourite picture was once again by professional artist John Wilkinson with his “Victoria plums”. People said they felt they could almost pick them out of the painting and eat them.

Linda Holbrook was the most successful at selling work, with three of her pictures sold.

The exhibition was only possible with the help of a gang of willing helpers including Dennis Broyd, Charles Taylor, Chris Pearce, Jim Hetterley, Mike Kimpton, John Wilkinson, Linda Holbrook, Neil Freeman, Debbie Lucas Weare and Pam Newton.

The town council and Astral Park kindly loaned sets of screens to display the work.

Leighton Buzzard Art Society meets on the third Thursday of each month for a demonstration by a professional artist at the community centre in Duncombe Drive.

For more information see www.lbas.org.uk

A new counselling centre has been set up in Leighton Buzzard.

Mental health and well being is always in the news. More and more people with struggle problems such as anxiety, depression, relationship breakdowns, and even suicidal thoughts. However, it is not always easy to know where to go to get skilled, professional help. Waiting lists are often at least six months for NHS counselling, and problems such as depression and anxiety left untreated can have a devastating effect on work, relationships and health.

Now 11 local counsellors and psychotherapists have got together to set up a new counselling centre in Leighton Buzzard, offering skilled help on the High Street. All the therapists at the Old Surgery Counselling Centre are professionally qualified and registered members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy working to high professional standards, and can offer specialist expertise in working with couples in crisis, drug and alcohol problems, children aged nine and over, anxiety and depression, bereavement and more. They offer a safe and confidential service and are all trained professionals who believe in the power of talking therapies to change things for the better.

They offer a low cost scheme to make help more affordable. Sessions can be weekly or fortnightly and are available daytimes, evenings and at week ends.

Visit www.oldsurgerycounselling.co.uk. Call 07557 675696 or email oldsurgerytherapy@btinternet.com to arrange an initial appointment.

Volunteers who have given the equivalent of 1,000 years of service were celebrated at an awards ceremony.

Girlguiding Bedfordshire held its annual Valuing our Volunteers Awards ceremony at the Millhouse Hotel & Restaurant, in Sharnbrook, earlier this month.

This year the awards were in a number of categories, from five years’ service to an outstanding 60 years’ service.

The ladies honoured have between them given more than 1,000 years of volunteering, working with girls and young women from all across Bedfordshire.

Sandra Cove, a leader in Kempston, received her award for 50 years’ service and Valerie Cousins, from the Dunstable Division, received a 60 years’ service award, an exceptional achievement.

Georgina Barrett received her Queen’s Guide Award and Sue Champkins, from the Luton Division, her Laurel Award in recognition of her outstanding service to Guiding.

Valerie said: “Girlguiding has become part of my life, being a member of the Guiding movement has given me so much over the past 60 years; fun, friendship and adventure

“I am now very much looking forward to the next 60!”

This year, for the first time in over a decade, Girlguiding Bedfordshire can boast a membership of more than 5,000 across the region.

County commissioner Ann Crome said: “We are delighted that so many girls and young women are joining Girlguiding Bedfordshire.

“It is a testament to our leaders and volunteers that Guiding is seen as a fantastic organisation to be a part of.”

The ceremony was attended by a number of distinguished guests including the Mayor of Luton, Cllr Mohammad Ayub; speaker of Bedford Borough Council, Cllr Jade Uko; Cllr Carol Hegley and Cllr Caroline Maudlin of Central Bedfordshire Council; Carol Roberts, the Girlguiding Anglia Region president, and Helen Pope, the Girlguiding Cambridgeshire West County commissioner.

Girlguiding is a charity and is looking for volunteers. Anyone who thinks they would like to get involved is asked to call 0800 169 5901 or visit www.bedsguiding.org.uk/get-involved

People can also ‘Like’ Girlguiding on Facebook at facebook.com/GirlguidingBeds and on Twitter @BedsGuides

People could save thousands of tons of recyclable materials from going to landfill by avoiding the country’s biggest recycling mistakes, according to an expert.

Takeaway pizza boxes, crisp packets and metallic wrapping paper are among the items you should not put in your recycling bins, says Harsha Rathnayake of rubbish removers www.junkhunters.co.uk.

He has now compiled a list of the things Brits are most likely to mistake for being recyclable.

Putting the wrong things in the recycling bin can cause cross contamination, causing the entire lot to be rejected and sent to landfill.

Glass and paper are particularly troublesome, as they are often assumed to be recyclable in all their forms.

In fact, there are several types of glass and paper products that either cannot be recycled, or must not be put into a household wheelie bin.

Many people are not aware that pizza boxes cannot be recycled if they are stained with grease.

Crisp packets are also a bugbear for would-be recyclers, as they are often mistaken for foil but are in fact a metallised plastic that is not recyclable.

Metallic or glittery wrapping paper should not be recycled either, as it contains non-paper additives.

Advice from Junk Hunters on how to recognise recyclable materials includes the “scrunch test” for metallised plastic or unsuitable paper.

To see whether a substance really is foil or paper, scrunch it in your hand – if it stays squashed then it is recyclable and if it springs back it is not.

Mr Rathnayake, who founded Junk Hunters, said: “It’s absolutely devastating to think of all these loads of rubbish that could have been recycled but have to be wasted in landfill because they’ve been unknowingly contaminated.

“Paper especially is a hotbed for mistakes, as it is usually very recyclable but there are some exceptions such as pizza boxes, shiny or glittery gift wrapping and wallpaper.

“Most people do want to recycle as much of their rubbish as possible, and the truth is it’s very easy to do it properly if you just familiarise yourself with a few of the most common mistakes.”

The top 10 biggest recycling mistakes

1. Pizza boxes

They may be made of cardboard and you may even have brushed off the food crumbs. But paper that is stained with grease or food can’t be recycled, including baking paper. Home-made pizza tastes better anyway.

2. Crisp packets

They’re shiny and look like foil, but they’re metallised plastic and are not recyclable. The scrunch test will confirm whether something is recyclable foil or not.

3. Glittery or metallic wrapping paper

Again, the scrunch test is your friend when disposing of gift wrapping, and don’t put the ribbons in there either.

4. Tissue and kitchen roll

The cardboard tube is recyclable, but not the soiled tissue or sheets. Recycled paper needs to be clean.

5. Wallpaper/paintings

Paper strikes again. Recyclable paper cannot be paint-stained, and the colouring used on wallpaper means it can’t go into the recycling bin.

6. Wet wipes

Wet wipes, baby wipes, cosmetic wipes – they’re not recyclable and they’re not flushable either, whatever the packaging claims. Put them in the rubbish bin.

7. Polystyrene

This should not go in your recycling bin, although your council might accept it at a recycling centre.

8. Light bulbs

They’re a different glass to your jars and bottles, plus they contain metal. You can take energy efficient bulbs to most recycling centres, and the old style incandescent ones can go in the rubbish bin.

9. Batteries

These frequently find themselves in the recycling, when they shouldn’t even be in the general waste collection. They contain harmful metals that can seep into soil and water when put into landfill. Always take your batteries to a battery collection point – and consider switching to rechargeables.

10. Broken glass

It’s recyclable, but dangerous, so don’t put it in your wheelie bin. If you can handle it safely, you can take it to a recycling centre but you may need to wrap it in newspaper and put it in the rubbish bin.

The most popular emojis among US English speakers has been revealed by tech giant Apple.

The list, which was revealed in a privacy document from Apple, shows the top 10 emojis for US English speakers.

The ‘crying with laughter emoji’ has been named as the most used.

Yet despite hundreds of new emojis being brought to iPhones and iPads earlier this year after the iOS 11.1 update, Apple has revealed some very classic emojis remain the most popular - with everything from love hearts to skulls making the cut.

In second place was the red love heart emoji and in third place, the crying emoji.

The emoji with love heart eyes and the emoji that blows a red love heart kiss were also in the most used list, followed by the rolling eyes and skull emojis.

You’re going to have yourself a time.

There have been plenty of games in the past which have merely piggybacked on the name of a TV show or movie.

Some of them have been epic - think Die Hard - others epic fails - think E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (one for the 80s gamers out there).

I can happily report that South Park: The Fractured But Whole sits comfortably in the former.

Having not read much on the new South Park game in the build up to its release and not being a die hard fan of South Park - although I loved it as a teenager - I wasn’t sure what to expect from the game.

But from the off the toilet humour jokes and sketches hit the spot and the graphics were as good as the cartoon series.

You take the role of the new kid thrust into a neighbourhood battle of monumental proportions.

With an entire town of people to meet for selfies to increase your status and a costume wardrobe bigger than a Lady Gaga concert, South Park has lots to offer.

The role play element allows lots of depth with you levelling up powers and gaining team mates along the way to help you take on enemies like the Sixth Graders.

There are plenty of places to search for collectibles to help you craft items which aid in your battles and boost your power.

There are also secret locations to find for items and of course the obligatory quest items to collect.

If all of this isn’t enough then you can always visit various locations to use their toilets to do a number two using a combination of stick movements and button taps (yes seriously).

Overall South Park The Fractured But Whole is a South Park fans’ dream. There are plenty of jokes along the way and the actual gameplay mechanics and combat system holds up against some of the top games in the class with some amazing super powers to behold.

A popular brand of protein supplement has been recalled by its manufacturer due to its containing possible allergens not mentioned on its label.

Isolab Distribution Ltd is recalling its Pro Pharma 100% Whey High Protein Powder Food Supplement because it contains soya, which is not mentioned in the list of ingredients.

It also contains contains milk which is not correctly declared on the label.

This means the product is a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to soya and anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents.

Product details

Product: Pro Pharma 100% Whey High Protein Powder Food Supplement

Varieties: Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry

Pack size: 2.27kg

Best-before date: 28/06/2019

The common blood thinning drug warfarin lowers the risk of cancers in the over 50s.

The oral medicine taken by millions of Britons to stop blood clotting when diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, atrial fibrillation or if they have had a mechanical heart valve fitted.

Now a new study found it was linked with lower risk of any cancer and of three of the most common cancers, prostate, lung, and breast but not bowel cancer.

But in those patients prescribed warfarin for atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, it lowered the risk for all cancers and bowel cancer too.

Professor James Lorens of the University of Bergen said: “Warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant prescribed to as many as 10 per cent of adults in Western countries.

“Studies disagree on whether warfarin is associated with cancer.

“Any association between warfarin and cancer would be important to identify given the availability of newer non-warfarin anticoagulants.

“This study investigates the association between warfarin use and cancer incidence in a large, unselected population-based cohort.”

The study used the medical records of 1.25 million Norwegians born between 1924 and 1954 who were residing in Norway from January 2006 to December 2012.

Warfarin use was defined as taking at least six months of a prescription and at least two years from first prescription to any cancer diagnosis within the seven years.

Of the 1,56,725 persons in the cohort, 607,350 or 48.3 per cent were men and 649,375 or 51.7 per cent were female.

Of these 132,687 or 10.6 per cent had cancer, 92 942 or 7.4 per cent were prescribed warfarin and 1,163,783 or 92.6 per cent were nonusers.

Warfarin users were older, with a mean age of 70.2 years, and were predominantly men - 57,370 or 61.7 per cent - compared with nonusers, who had a mean age of 63.9 years and were mostly women - 613,803 or 52.7 per cent.

Protection

The cancer risk was measured by the incidence rate ratio (IRR) with an IRR less than 1.0 suggesting protection from cancer.

Among warfarin users and compared with nonusers, there was a significantly lower age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) in all cancer sites - IRR 0.84 and in prevalent organ-specific sites - lung 0.80, prostate, 0.69 and breast 0.90.

There was no observed significant effect in colon cancer - IRR 0.99.

In a subgroup analysis of patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, the IRR was lower in all cancer sites - IRR 0.62 and in prevalent sites - lung, 0.39, prostate 0.60 , breast, 0.72 and colon 0.71.

Prof Lorens noted the study did not collect information on other medications or risk factors such as diet, weight or smoking that could influence cancer development .

Prof Lorens said: “Our results document a lower incidence of cancer associated with warfarin in a population-level study.

“We observed a lower relative risk in a large cohort comprising many different cancer types, reinforced by a subgroup analysis of patients with AF who were receiving warfarin treatment to prevent thromboembolic events.

“Our data indicate that warfarin provides a possible cancer protection, a finding that

may have important implications for choosing medications for patients who need anticoagulation.

“Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate the mechanisms underpinning

these observations.”

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Discount supermarket chain Lidl is recalling four varieties of its drinking choclate sticks as they contain various allergens such as nut, wheat, gluten soya and dairy products.

The Deluxe Drinking Chocolate Sticks are being recalled.

These are not legible on the packaging as the ingredients are not written in English.

This means the chocolate sticks are a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to the components listed.

Fine Dark Chocolate (60g, Best Before: 28.08.2018) contains soya, making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to soya.

Fine Hazelnut (60g, Best Before: 28.08.2018) contains milk, nuts and soya, making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, and/or an allergy to nuts and/or an allergy to soya.

With Speculoos (60g, Best Before: 28.08.2018) contains milk, wheat and soya, making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten and/or an allergy to soya.

Fine White Chocolate(60g, Best Before: 28.08.2018) contains milk and soya, making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, and/or an allergy to soya.

No other Lidl products are known to be affected, and the company are advising anyone having bought any of the above products and have allergies or intolerances to listed ingredients should not eat them, instead returning them to the store from which they were bought for a full refund.

Action Fraud, the UK’s fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, has reported an increase in cold calls to the public from bogus bailiffs requesting payments for a “phantom” debt.

The fraud involves being cold-called by someone claiming to be a bailiff working on behalf of a court, attempting to recover funds for a non-existent debt.

The fraudsters request payment by bank transfer and if refused they threaten to visit homes or workplaces in person in order to recover the debt that owed.

Key facts about bailiffs

A bailiff is someone who has a legal power to collect certain debts. They may do this by asking you to pay what you owe, or by taking and selling your belongings to raise the money.

Bailiffs are only used to recover certain debts such as council tax, child support and compensation orders. Bailiffs are not used to recover debts relating to private advertisement; these would be collected by debt collectors.

Debt collectors do not have the same legal powers as bailiffs and will not have special court authorisation to act. If you’re not sure whether you’re dealing with a bailiff or a debt collector, check the Citizens Advice website.

How to protect yourself

Make vigorous checks if you ever get a cold call associated with a bailiff.

If you work for a business and receive a call or visit from bailiffs or debt collectors, be sure to speak with your manager or business owner first. Never pay the debts yourself on behalf of the business you work for; some fraudsters have suggested employees do this whilst talking with them, suggesting they can then be reimbursed by their employer, when in reality the debt is non-existent.

Request details of the debt in writing to confirm its legitimacy.

Do not feel rushed or intimidated to make a decision based on a phone call.

Report any suspicious calls on the Action Fraud website.

“Aunt Lucy says to look for the goodness in everyone you meet…”

Michael Bond's furry, fun loving, marmalade endorsing, orphaned little bear is back. Since his first excellent big screen adventure, Paddington (once again voiced by Ben Whishaw) has happily settled in with the Brown family and become a popular and useful member of the local community.

Now his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday approaches and he must find a perfect gift for her, as luck would have it, a unique pop-up book of London has been found in Mr Gruber's antique shop. The only drawback is that it costs a grand and so Paddington enters the world of work in order to save up and buy it. But when the book is stolen, it's up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief and see justice done.

The good news is that this sequel is simply superb on all levels, packed with genuine wit and winning performances from the human contingent, and blessed with a fun lightweight plot which bounds along without ever being tiresome.

Baddie of the piece is the villainous Phoenix Buchanan (a wonderfully OTT performance from Hugh Grant sending himself up) - a bitter faded actor looking to launch is own one man show on the West End. The detective subplot leads to a hair-raising finale that sees a steam powered chase, hand-to-hand combat and an anxious life-or-death moment that had the children in the screening I caught this at squealing in delight.

Due to some miscarriage of justice, Paddington finds himself behind bars but being a cheerful young bear he has in no time befriended the dangerous criminals he’s locked up with who include Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson), T-Bone (Tom Davis) and Jimmy the Snitch (Robert Stevenson).

The CGI animation is exceptional, Paddington himself is a walking, talking, wonder and other nice touches abound such as a moving scene of 2D paper cut-outs which mimic the classic ‘70s TV show.

Everything works so well - director Paul King has served up a winning treat, refreshingly free of cynical cash grab merchandising (unless you count the numerous plugs for marmalade) – effectively capturing a joyful innocence. This is a must see for anyone who with children or those who are just young at heart.

A grandmother who completed a zip wire over the Eden Project in August has presented the cheque for the money she raised to Kye Vincent.

Rose Gibbs, 61, of Wing, took on the longest zip wire in England to raise money to help Kye’s family buy the special equipment he needs at home.

Ten-year-old Kye, of Leighton Buzzard, had both legs and one hand amputated when he became ill with meningococcal septicaemia.

Rose said: “The zip wire over the Eden Project was wonderful, absolutely fabulous, the closes thing to actually fluting, a really brilliant experience.

“Customers, family, friends and members of the public were so generous, I raised £1140.25, everyone has been so generous with donations.

“I am so pleased to raise such an amazing amount for such an inspiring young man, Kye.

“He came in to Nature’s Harvest to accept the cheque. He has come on leaps and bounds since his surgery last year following meningitis.

“He is nearly ten and as he grows his support and needs will continue.

“Kye is a such an inspiration to all of us, he has such courage, the family will use the money for the equipment he needs at home.

“I have known the family for a while and they are amazing and I am really happy to help and support them.”

A wide group of youngsters from across the Leighton Buzzard area will be just a crazy bunch of guys and dolls when they perform one of the most popular musicals of all time.

Leighton Buzzard Youth Theatre is staging the much loved Guys and Dolls at the town’s library theatre from Friday to Saturday, November 17 to 18.

It follows on from the success the group had with previous productions Joseph and Treasure Island.

The group will take the audience back to 1950s New York with a riotous premise and plenty of laughter.

The whole area has issues with illegal gamblers and the Salvation Army is trying to make the world a more respectable place and the cops are always one step behind.

A spokesman for the group has described Guys and Dolls as a fabulous show for all the family, with toe tapping tunes all the way.

Expect to hear tunes including Luck be a Lady, Sit Down You and Rockin’ the Boat which will be tackled with the flair, energy and talent that have been showcased in previous productions by the group.

Performances start at 7.30pm each night with a matinee production taking place at 2pm on Saturday, November 18.

Tickets for the show are £9 with concession tickets available for £6.50. To book call 0300 300 8125 or visit www.leightonbuzzardlibrarytheatre.co.uk.

For more about the group visit www.lbyt.org.