In this Friday’s Mirror Daily Digest, we’ve pulled together the biggest stories of the day – from a car fireball putting the brakes on one of the country’s busiest motorways through to Kate showing her true colours at the VE Day concert.
Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we’ll be pulling together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Friday evening we’re featuring everything from a car fireball causing untold disruption on one of the country’s major motorways through to Kirstie Allsopp making a cryptic comment about Phil Spencer amid ‘feud’ rumours.
Elsewhere our Royal team brings you the story about Kate showing her true colours at a crucial moment during the VE Day concert. There’s also the upsetting story of how two teens left a great-gran on the floor crying for her mum – and days later she was dead. And to round things up there’s the latest on the daft Sycamore Gap pair – and how tree detectives faced a daunting task in bringing them to justice.
Car erupts into fireball on major motorway as lanes close and traffic halts
A huge car fire has brought traffic to a halt on a major motorway with drivers stuck in six miles of tailbacks.
Drivers have been told to expect 45 minute delays after the incident near Junction 15 for Northampton and Milton Keynes where three lanes of the southbound carriageway of the M1 were closed. Lanes one and two are still blocked off while emergency services tackle the fire, which began just after 9.30am.
Kate shows true colours with subtle gesture at crucial moment at VE Day concert
The Princess of Wales made a subtle gesture in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment at a special VE Day concert on Thursday – and it spoke volumes, according to an expert. Kate joined husband Prince William as well as the King and Queen for the historic event on Horse Guards Parade, which brought a close to the commemorations marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
She wore her hair half up, half down, pinned back with a large, black velvet bow and was dressed in a white boucle jacket and Self Portrait dress. Kate, who accessorised with a five-strand pearl necklace, and the rest of the crowd were treated to performances by Freya Ridings, Fleur East, Strictly dancers Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu and Kai Widdrington and actor Brian Cox.
Two teens left great-gran on floor crying for her mum – days later she was dead
Two boys left a great grandmother lying on the floor of her home, with broken ribs and crying out for her mum after a robbery, with the elderly woman dying days later in hospital in ‘one of the nastiest cases’ a judge has ever seen.
Joy Middleditch was found by concerned family members 12 hours after she was burgled at her bungalow in Lowestoft. The court heard the 82-year-old mother of three was terrified and was “calling for her mother” after yelling for the boys, 14 and 15, to leave her home. She was taken to hospital on March 25, 2023, where she died two days later. Their trial heard the pair were wearing “intimidating masks” to “instil fear” into their victim.
Kirstie Allsopp makes cryptic comment about Phil Spencer amid ‘feud’ rumours
Kirstie Allsopp has admitted that she never socialises with her Location Location Location co-presenter Phil Spencer after he was notably missing from her wedding earlier this year.
The pair are celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary this year and have addressed the rumours of a feud between them. In a joint interview with The Telegraph they confirmed that they were “great friends”. Kirstie said: “We don’t socialise, because we work so much together.” Phil, however, affirmed: “But we’re very, very fond of each other. There’s no one else who’s been through this experience. I put Kirstie among the most important people in my life.”
Sycamore Gap tree detectives had daunting task – then vandal ‘grassed’ on ex-pal
Finally, detectives faced a tough task to catch the Sycamore Gap vandals – but everything changed after one of the men “grassed” on his former friend and work colleague. Former work pals Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, now both face up to 10 years behind bars after they were today found guilty of felling the historic 150-year-old Sycamore Gap tree.
A jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard how the pair recorded their “moronic mission” and boasted about it in text messages, but detectives revealed how they were able to track down the pair. Northumbria Police had arrested and released several people before they landed on the two men.
READ MORE: Next’s £26 ‘trendy’ barrel leg linen trousers are ‘the perfect shape’ and ideal for summer
