The Shropshire tourist attraction and working farm was closed down after an E coli outbreak and campaigners fear it may never reopenOf the handful of historic working farms in the UK, Acton Scott Farm is perhaps the best known. The Shropshire farm was …
New studies reinforce belief that Omicron is less likely to damage lungs
Six research groups’ findings all suggest variant multiplies more in throats and causes less serious diseaseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA growing body of evidence indicates that the Omicron Covid variant is more likely t…
No meat please, we’re British: now a third of us approve of vegan diet
A boom in plant-based diets means next year’s Veganuary will attract more uptake than everWhen the term “vegan” was first coined, even vegetarians believed it was a fringe lifestyle. But the image of vegans as eccentric ascetics is now itself a margina…
Analysis: six squeezes on the UK economy from bills to shopping to petrol
Britain is short of 100,000 lorry drivers, energy firms are sinking, food items are running scarce and employers are scrambling for staff as multiple crises eruptMany of the problems facing the economy relate to Britain’s shortage of 100,000 lorry driv…
Doctors, receptionists and practice teams quit after wave of hostility over GP appointments
Fears of mass exodus as abuse by patients skyrockets over blood tests, jabs and face-to-face consultationsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSenior doctors have warned that practice staff and GPs are quitting after an unprecede…
Ministers told to bar EU from UK trial data in vaccines row
England’s deputy medical chief asked for data to be withheld unless British vaccine guinea pigs allowed to travel abroad• Coronavirus – latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageEngland’s deputy chief medical officer asked ministers to withhold a…
Statue celebrating the NHS’s Windrush nurses unveiled in London
Memorial commemorates health workers across Commonwealth who answered service’s decades-long call for recruitsA statue commemorating the 40,000 Windrush and Commonwealth midwives and nurses who have answered the call to work for the NHS has been unveil…
Science project reveals high lead levels in schools’ water
Concentrations at 14 sites were five times higher than recommended limitIt was meant to be a straightforward school project to spark children’s curiosity about water.But pupils at 14 schools taking part in the Great British Water Project have made a fa…
Ministers face showdowns on post-Brexit green bill weeks before Cop26
Peers’ challenge to government may see it arguing for lower environmental standards at home while hosting global summitMinisters are facing a fortnight of showdowns with peers over weak post-Brexit green protections just weeks before the Cop26 summit o…
Professional dog walkers in London sound alarm over curbs on numbers of pets
Four-dog limit on Hampstead Heath means up to 700 animals could miss daily exerciseWhen drizzle engulfs the northern edge of Hampstead Heath, the only people to be seen are dog walkers.Alex Marchant prefers it this way. On sunny weekends, he and most o…