Islamic bikini

The great British burkini boom … and thanks to Nigella, it’s not just Muslim women buying them

When Nigella Lawson emerged out of the sea on Sydney’s Bondi beach dressed in one two years ago, it was greeted with astonishment.

But now burkinis – swimwear originally designed for Islamic women to protect their modesty – are soaring in popularity among British non-Muslims.

Demand is particularly strong among women keen to cover up their curves or protect their skin against the sun.

Burkinis are soaring in popularity among British non-Muslims

Burkinis are lightweight outfits made of Lycra and nylon that leave only the hands, feet and face showing. They were originally imported from Turkey and Morocco, but now London-based companies Modestly Active and Modestkini, which have been selling the swimsuits since 2007, are cashing in on the boom.

Ismail Sacranie, sales and marketing director at Modestly Active, said: ‘The first few years were a hard struggle but, over the past two years sales have grown between 300 and 400 per cent.’

Modestly Active and Modestkini say between 15 and 20 per cent of their clients are non-Muslim.

Before the suits became available, women had to find other ways of covering up. Kausar Sacranie, chief executive of Modestly Active who designed Nigella’s burkini, says  that years of family holidays spent wearing clingy leggings and T-shirts in the water prompted her to design an alternative.

She said: ‘I wanted something different but I didn’t want to look like a Teletubby on the beach.

TV chef Nigella Lawson playing in the surf on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia in a full body burkini style swimming outfit

‘I wanted something I was comfortable in and that made me look good. Later, I went on holiday to Dubai and I was swamped with  people asking me where I got it.’

She says Nigella’s endorsement of the burkini on Bondi in April 2011 was a turning point for her firm.

‘After Nigella wore my swimsuit, people became more comfortable with the idea. And a lot of people who are not Muslims wanted something without a hood.’

Umran Ashman, director of Modestkini, said: ‘People come to  us for a variety of reasons.

‘Some are allergic to the sun or are worried about cancer, others are overweight or have lost a lot of weight so their skin is sagging.’

Modestly Active has recently begun marketing triple XL suits, the equivalent of a size 24-26. British women are also buying burkinis from overseas. Californian firm Splashgear says that after the US, the UK and Canada are its two largest markets for burkinis.

Pamela Anderson

Celebrating her Dancing On Ice freedom (a bit too much): Pamela Anderson is bleary eyed after partying… as it’s revealed she got paid £1,000 a SECOND for skating stint

While most celebrities would be distraught that they’d been the first star to be voted off a reality show, it doesn’t seem to be the case for Pamela Anderson.

The former Baywatch star has in fact been making the most of her free time now that she’s had an early exit from Dancing On Ice.

The 45-year-old may even be letting her hair down a bit too much as she was seen looking bleary eyed as she partied until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Good night was it? Pamela Anderson appears worse for wear after night out following her Dancing On Ice early exit on Sunday

Pamela headed out on the town in Mayfair, originally starting the night off with a cultural evening watching musical Wicked at the theatre.

But clearly intent on having a good time, Anderson then headed out in Mayfair with EastEnders star Matt Lapinskas and her Dancing On Ice professional partner Matt Evers.

And she had evidently enjoyed herself as she then reappeared at three in the morning looking worse for wear.

 

Bleary eyed: The former Baywatch star left a Mayfair club looking bedraggled in the early hours of Tuesday morning after letting her hair down

 

Helping hand: She appeared to be struggling to stand as a male pal helped her walk up some stairs as she flashed her derriere

 

Not so sleek: After partying the night away Pamela re-emerged from the club with ripped tights and messy hair

The actress and glamour model had even let her style slip thanks to her inebriated state, ripping her lace tights to bare her right knee.

And while she had made an effort for the evening, Pamela soon ruined her style as she let her beige mac gape over her chest area while her hair became bedraggled and falling over her face.

Pamela even needed a helping hand as she struggled to stand in her high heels as she finally called it a night.

Enjoying her freedom: Pamela was directed by her Dancing On Ice partner Matt Evers after calling it a night at 3am

 

Careful: She seemed to struggle in her heels after letting her hair down perhaps a bit too much

 

Raking it in: Her outing comes as it was revealed she got paid £1,000 a second for her skating skint thanks to her early exit

After spending the evening at Les Ambassadeurs club and Philip Treacy’s, the American star then made her way up some stairs, failing to navigate the steps on her own.

She draped her arms around another male pal who had to almost carry her as she accidentally revealed too much derriere as well as her underwear.

It’s no wonder Pamela is letting her hair down after becoming the first celebrity to be voted off this year’s Dancing On Ice at the weekend.

Merry: She hasn’t got any more skating rehearsals to carry out so is spending her free time partying instead

Looking better: She started the night off in better shape without her tights being ripped

 

Step by step: She linked arms with Matt as she concentrated on not falling over

Oops: As she tried to make her way up some stairs she had to lean on a friend for some support

 

Time for bed: The actress and glamour model flashed her underwear as she struggled to make her own way home

The former Baywatch babe was voted off the ITV1 show on Sunday after finding herself in the dreaded skate-off alongside Keith Chegwin, meaning she had only skated for a total of three minutes.

Show chiefs were said to be “gobsmacked” when she left as they had given her a £150,000 deal and hoped she would be the big star of the series.

But it has now been revealed it meant that she got paid £1,000 for every second that she skated on the show after judges voted her off after performing just one 90-second routine and a 60-second skate-off.

Giggles: She burst into laughter as she showed off her ripped tights at the end of the night

 

Struggling? She appeared to need help with her shoes, much to her and her pals’ entertainment

Home time: She started the evening watching musical Wicked before hitting two Mayfair night clubs

 

Dressed up: She had made an effort in lace tights, heels and a beige mackintosh for the evening

 

Steady: She received the help of several pals to ensure she didn’t slip over

 

Before and after: The difference in a few hours partying for Pamela

A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ‘Pammy is the biggest star we have had in years and we hoped she would pull in millions of viewers for weeks and weeks. Her skating partner Matt Evers flew to America for weeks of training.

‘We had to book first class flights for her and source plush accommodation for months too in case she got to the final stages.

Alright for some: Pamela made £150,000 from her skating skint despite only lasting one episode and is clearly spending her money on celebrating

Good time: Pamela couldn’t keep the grin off her face as she merrily called it a night

 

‘All in all we’ve spent about £150,000 on Pammy and she has lasted one week. It’s a disaster.’

The blonde beauty – who suffered a wardrobe malfunction during her skate-off routine, causing her to mess up – admits she was “devastated” she was voted off as she had so much more to give.

She said: ‘I really felt we would do really well and I have always wanted to learn how to skate, so it is devastating.

‘I know I had the potential and the flexibility and the passion to do great things if I was around a little longer. I will do it somewhere else – Vegas, why not?’

 

Small stint: Pamela was the first celebrity to be voted off Dancing On Ice on Sunday, seen here performing her one dance with partner Matt Evers

 

All over: Pamela has since spoken out blaming a wardrobe malfunction on making her stumble in the crucial dance-off

dream wedding

Bride who stole £170,000 from her boss to pay for dream wedding is forced to repay just one tenth of the money

A blushing bride who left her employers’ business with ‘life-threatening injuries’ has been ordered to pay back less than a tenth of the money she stole to pay for her wedding.

Kirsty Lane, 30, put 25 jobs at risk when she used her position to siphon off almost £200,000 from the business to pay for the sumptuous ceremony at The Great Hall at Mains.

Now, Peter Sutton, company director of Pure AV in Walton Summit, near Preston, said the order to repay just £17, 831 was ‘extremely disappointing’, adding: ‘I hope she has learnt her lesson.’

Indulgent: Kirsty Lane, pictured with husband Graham, planned her dream wedding at a Tudor-built hall and laid on a free bar for guests along with two bands and a fireworks display

With magicians, a harpist and a spectacular firework display, no expense was spared for the lavish wedding of Kirsty and Graham Lane.

Smiling for the photographer, Lane, looked every bit the happy bride as she tied the knot at the lavish ceremony.

But Lane’s smiles hid a secret which was soon to be uncovered – this spectacular celebration was to cost two of her colleagues their jobs and put her employers’ business under threat.

She has now been ordered to pay back less than a tenth of the money she stole from the business, which boss Mr Sutton said was left in a difficult position following the fraud.

He said: ‘At the time it had a huge bearing on the operation of the company.

‘A few people lost their jobs but we are flourishing now, despite having life-threatening injuries a few years ago.

‘It is very disappointing considering she has gained so much and had to pay back so little.

‘Her guilt has put at risk 25 people that were involved in this business.

‘Thankfully the team that was involved has pulled together and pulled the organisation out of it.

‘It hasn’t been easy and that theft in reality cost us around £300,000 but fortunately we are now flourishing.’

Lane, of Adlington, was jailed for 20 months after her scam was uncovered within days of her wedding in January 2011.

Using her role as a financial administrator, Lane siphoned almost £200,000 from her employers, splashing out on a free bar for her guests, home improvements and even jewel-encrusted iPhone covers for her bridesmaids.

But suspicions were aroused when a customer queried an invoice and Lane was suspended pending an investigation.

Lane made 122 payments to herself between December 2008 and January 2011, with around £122,000 went into her own account.

A further £70,000 went into her husband’s account and a further £6,000 was paid into a third account.

Mr Lane was acquitted of any wrongdoing after a retrial in May and Lane herself had ‘exonerated’ her husband of any wrongdoing.

The couple met in 2007 and Mr Lane had travelled up from his home in Luton to move in with the single parent and her daughter in August 2010.

At her trial last year Lane pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud by abuse of position and asked for a further 112 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Sofia Vergara

What a cover up! Demure Sofia Vergara returns to work after accidentally exposing her breast in New Year’s Eve ‘scuffle’

She suffered the indignity of accidentally flashing her cleavage when her top slipped during a New Year’s Eve scuffle in a nightclub.

But Sofia Vergara was looking distinctly more demure today as she returned to work on hit TV comedy series Modern Family.

The 40-year-old star covered up her ample assets in a grey and black top, padded maroon coat and skinny black jeans in a break from filming in Los Angeles.

Covered up: Sofia Vergara sported a padded maroon jacket, grey and black low cut top and sky high heels as she returned to work on Modern Family in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Vertiginous heels, turquoise earrings and a slick of bright pink lipstick completed the look as Sofia chatted to a crew member on set, at one point making a face as she left a building.

Earlier, Sofia tweeted a photograph of herself and co-star Rico Rodriguez  who plays her son Manny on the show.

‘Back to work!’ she wrote, adding: ‘Rico is ready for his first scene of 2013!’

Not impressed: Sofia makes a face as she chats to one of the show’s crew members

 

Modern woman: Sofia was back in her critically acclaimed role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the hit show

The star was fresh from her rather eventful New Year’s Eve party in Miami where she and her fiancé Nick Loeb became embroiled in a scuffle at a nightclub.

A photograph from the evening showed the star being helped up from the ground, while her breast slipped out of her plunging leather top.

The star is well known for squeezing her famous curves into an array of tiny ensembles.

Sofia was partying with her fiancé Loeb and friends, when he was allegedly thrown out of  Miami Beach club Story after they had a ‘heated argument.’

 

Back to work: Sofia tweeted a photograph of herself and Modern Family co-star Rico Roderiguez on their first day back on set

According to the New York Post, things were already awkward because Loeb was jealous that the pair’s evening was being hosted by the club’s owner Chris Paciello, who Sofia dated in the 1990s.

The publication reports that the situation became heated when Loeb found himself in a struggle with a nearby table, after Sofia apparently had her picture taken with a stranger.

Page Six reported: ‘Nick seemed tense around Chris, who was hosting them in the VIP section, even though he and Sofia are just friends. In the early hours, Nick and Sofia were arguing before he got into a dispute with somebody at a neighbouring table. Some pushing and shoving started.

What a dress: Sofia was a knock-out in a floor length silk and leather number to see in 2013 in Miami, Florida

‘Sofia stepped in to try to calm the situation, but somehow she ended up getting pushed and shoved also. Her strapless dress was torn or pulled down in the melee, exposing her cleavage in front of other people and her son Manolo who was so offended he left the club. It was crazy.’

However, the newspaper alleges that despite the argument, Sofia forgave Loeb and the pair returned home together following the altercation.

Earlier in the evening, the Modern Family actress grinned happily while clutching a flute of champagne and smooched her beau throughout the night.

Her outfit choice was dramatic and eye-catching. The empire waisted gown was a deep royal blue and had a plunging, daring leather corset top.

She’s mine! Nick is alleged to have become jealous after his partner posed for a photograph with a stranger

 

It fit the curvy Colombian like a glove and she wore her long brunette hair loose around her shoulders.

She accessorised with simple jewels and her nails were painted a muted nude colour.

Mother-of-one Vergara and her businessman fiancé became engaged in July but have yet to set a date yet for the big day.

The actress is expected to attend next weekend’s Golden Globe awards ceremony where her sitcom Modern Family has been nominated for a number of gongs.

Happy days: Vergara rang in the new year in a stunning leather and blue dress and a pair of comedy glasses at a party in South Beach

Amy Winehouse

Singer Amy Winehouse died watching YouTube videos of herself after vodka binge, inquest hears

Tragic: Singer Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse spent her final hours drinking vodka alone in her bedroom and watching YouTube videos of herself, a court was told yesterday.

A second inquest confirmed the 27-year-old died of alcohol poisoning at her north London home on July 23, 2011.

Miss Winehouse drank so much that she stopped breathing and fell into a coma.

The inquest was re-heard because the coroner at the first hearing did not have the correct qualifications.

St Pancras Coroners Court was told that the Grammy award-winning singer, who was battling alcoholism and bulimia, spent the night before her death watching clips of herself on her laptop.

She was found dead on her bed 12 hours later, with the laptop beside her and two empty vodka bottles on the floor.

Her live-in security guard Andrew Morris said Miss Winehouse was her ‘usual, bubbly self’ on the evening of July 22.

In a statement read out to the court, he said she was watching television and listening to music in her room.

Later, she came to show him YouTube clips of a man she had gone out with. He said she had been drinking but he could tell she ‘wasn’t completely drunk’.

She ‘stayed up in her room watching YouTube clips [of herself]’, which he had not seen her do for some time, he added.

Mr Morris left Miss Winehouse at around 2.30am, before checking on her at 10am. Seeing her face-down on her bed, fully clothed, he assumed she was sleeping but realised something was wrong when she was in the same position at 3pm.

He called emergency services but she was pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrived at her Camden home.

Miss Winehouse’s private GP, Christina Romete, said the singer had started drinking again three days before her death because she was ‘bored’.

Fresh inquest: Police officers leave the second inquest into the death of the singer, called after the previous coroner was found not to be qualified

Crush: Journalists wait to enter a new inquest, which also found that Ms Winehouse died from misadventure

Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe upheld the original verdict that Miss Winehouse died from misadventure.

Pathology tests showed she had 416mg of alcohol per decilitre in her blood – 350mg is considered enough to be fatal.

Dr Romete had been helping her battle drug and alcohol addiction for several years, and saw her the day before she died.

‘In the course of the last consultation, Amy did not appear to be depressed at any stage’, she said.

‘She specifically said she did not want to die.’

Sadness: Winehouse’s home in London, where she died, became a shrine after her death in 2011

Thousands came to Camden to pay their respects, in some cases even leaving alcohol as a tribute

Professor Michael Sheaff said the amount of alcohol drunk was enough to stop her breathing.

‘When levels are extremely high, it can have an effect on the central nervous system’, he said.

‘At that level, it is likely Ms Winehouse had a respiratory arrest.’

The inquest heard Ms Winehouse had a well-documented battle with alcohol, being admitted to hospital several times but struggled to stop boozing.

‘It was apparent Amy was a highly intelligent individual’, said Dr Romete.

‘It was not possible to convince her to take a course of action unless she wanted it.’

Inspiration: Despite problems in her private life Amy Winehouse was considered one of the great singers of recent times

Tributes: Mourners gather outside Amy’s flat in Camden to pay their respects after her death in July 2011

Dr Romete said the singer was sober for ‘12 to 13 days’ prior to her death, but had been back drinking for three days prior to being found unconscious.

The original inquest verdict into the death had to be ditched after it emerged deputy coroner Suzanne Greenaway, who oversaw the hearing, was under-qualified. 

She was appointed in July 2009 by her husband, Andrew Reid, who was the coroner for Inner North London, after working as a solicitor and barrister in Australia.

But she resigned in November last year when it became clear she did not have the required five years’ experience in the Law Society.

Dr Reid also quit from his post last month as he faced disciplinary proceedings and the possibility of being removed.

‘There is evidence she consumed a very large amount of alcohol at some point before her death’, said Dr Radcliffe.

‘Amy died as a result of alcohol toxicity.’

Tragic: Amy’s father Mitch is consoled by friends at her funeral in 2011. He said today the family did not want to attend the second inquest

Amy Winehouse’s father said that coroners had made a ‘massive cock up’ which led to his daughter’s inquest having to be heard again.

But he said he was not surprised that the fresh ruling matched the original findings of the court.

Mitch Winehouse said he ‘expected’ the ruling but he attacked as ‘preposterous’ a series of blunders that meant the inquest into Amy’s death had to be rescheduled after it was revealed the original coroner Suzanne Greenaway was not properly qualified.

‘That is what we expected. It is the same evidence so it was bound to reach the same conclusion. What other conclusion could they reach?’ he said.

Asked whether he felt let down by the coroner’s office, which failed to undertake adequate checks to make sure Miss Greenaway was qualified to practice in the UK, he said: ‘It was a massive cock up.

‘They messed up twice – once when they sent the original coroner’s report to the wrong address and the second time when a coroner who wasn’t qualified oversaw the inquest.

‘It is preposterous.’

Mitch said he had chosen not to go to today’s inquest because he wanted to spare himself and his family the ordeal of hearing the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s tragic demise.

He said: ‘There was no need for us to go today. If we had been in London we wouldn’t have gone, I wasn’t going to put my family through that, it was horrible. That is the end of the story.’

Rosario Dawson

Things are heating up! Rosario Dawson sunbathes topless in Barbados on romantic getaway with boyfriend Danny Boyle

They met last year when she was cast in his new film, Trance.

And it seems Rosario Dawson is letting her hair down with new love Danny Boyle.

The Rent actress was sunbathing topless as she went boating in Barbados with the Slumdog Millionaire director on Friday.

Lounging: Rosario Dawson and Danny Boyle relaxed on the upper deck of a boat on Friday as they cruised around the shores of Barbados

In the sand: Rosario splashed in the waves after the boat ride

Rosario, 33, and Danny, 56, was joined by a group of friends aboard a colourful ferry called the Yessiree as they floated along the Caribbean waters.

The actress showed off her curves in a navy blue bandeau top and red bikini bottoms, and shielded her face from the sun in a dark brown straw fedora.

Something to smile about: Rosario flashed a wide grin more than once on her outing

Bikini body: Rosario wore a navy blue bandeau top and red bikini bottom

Going strong: The couple met last year when she was cast in his new film, Trance

 

Danny meanwhile wore red trunks and a light straw fedora paired with sunglasses. The director looked ready for a swim with goggles strapped around his neck.

The couple laid together on the upper deck of the boat, laughing as they talked among friends.

Rosario seemed to want to make the most of the sunshine and removed her top in a bid to get the perfect tan.

Their Caribbean holiday comes amid reports the pair have completely fallen for each other.

Holding on tight: Danny made his way down to the crystal blue waters

 

All aboard! The group seemed to have a great time before disembarking to the beach

 

A source told  On Sunday Rosario is ‘deeply in love’ with the director and skipped out on plans to spend New Year’s Eve with friends in Los Angeles to enjoy the romantic getaway with the director.

‘Rosario cancelled her planned party with just a few days’ notice, saying she is deeply in love with Danny and that he hates Los Angeles and told her they’d have more fun in Barbados,’ the insider said, adding, ‘They’re really serious about each other.’

 

Joining the crew: Danny took his time making his way down the tricky ladder

 

I’m right behind you! Danny followed the actress to the lower deck

 

Having a laugh: The actress got along well with the group

 

After the couple landed back on shore on Friday, Rosario took a dip in the ocean and the couple appeared to head back to their hotel.

It was undoubtedly a needed escape from hectic city life. Rosario and Danny spend most of their time in London and have been seen on occasion visiting her native New York.

The couple met earlier in the year when Rosario was cast in Danny’s new film Trance, which has now finished filming.

Down you go: Danny hopped down the stairs

Snap happy: A friend took pictures of the stars

Skipping along: The group took its time sauntering off the ferry

The film tells the story of an art auctioneer who has become mixed up with a group of criminals and partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.

Scarlett Johansson, Melanie Thierry and Zoe Saldana were considered for Rosario’s role as movie heroine Elizabeth.

The film marks Danny’s first feature since 127 Hours in 2010.

Focused: Rosario was serious – but only for a moment

 

Hollywood grins: The pair flashed wide smiles as they made their way off the upper deck

Reaching out: Rosario made sure to hold on for support before hopping to the beach

 

Great to see you! The actress greeted friends with open arms

 

The director, celebrated for his work on the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, recently talked about getting back to his ‘day job’.

‘After a mad summer with London 2012, it’s great to get back to the day job; treachery and intrigue on the screen rather than behind-the-scenes!’ he told Deadline.com.

Trance also stars James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel

The thriller, based on Joe Ahearne’s BBC telefilm, is scheduled for worldwide release later this year.

 

Splashing around: Rosario jumped into the waves at first chance

Lounging: Rosario and Danny relaxed on the upper deck of the boat

Getting close: The actress shielded her top with a straw hat

No tan lines: Rosario made the most of the rays and sunbathed topless

 

Scooting along: The sun seemed to work its magic on the pair, who sported a healthy glow

 

Ready for a dip: Rosario got ready to stick her feet into the water

The lethal stun gun

The lethal MILLION volt stun guns being sold online to criminals for just £90 (and they come with a free can of pepper spray)

Status symbol? Stun guns up to 20 times more powerful are being illegally imported into Britain

Stun guns up to 20 times more powerful than police Tasers are being illegally imported into Britain.

The weapons, which can discharge up to one million volts, are highly prized by members of the criminal underworld.

An investigation found they can be easily imported into the country via overseas mail order websites.

For as little as £60 one German security specialist sold a potentially deadly stun gun without asking any questions about the age or status of the customer.

Several days later, the illegal weapon arrived by post. It came with a free can of pepper spray, which is also illegal. Another more powerful weapon, which packs a million-volt punch, cost just £90.

Police suspect the stun guns were among hundreds which slip through Customs checks undetected every year. Up to 10,000 such weapons are believed to be in the hands of criminals who use them as a ‘status symbol’, for protection and to enforce debt payments.

Electric stun guns are prohibited under the Firearms Act and the maximum penalty for possessing one is ten years’ imprisonment. One police source said: ‘Stun guns are often found during raids on drug dealers. The evidence is that criminals want to own them but they rarely use them.

‘The attraction is they fit in a pocket and can immobilise someone without leaving a permanent injury. Also, even though they are classified as a firearm, the courts sometimes treat people caught with them more leniently than if they had a gun or knife.’

The trade was highlighted in an investigation by the BBC’s Inside Out programme which purchased two devices by mail order.

Both weapons, made legally abroad, sailed through specialist Customs checks at Britain’s parcel hubs. At one million volts, one of the guns was 20 times more powerful than the 50,000-volt weapons carried by police.

Police issue Taser guns (pictured) fire 50,000 volts, 20 times less powerful than the ones available online and shipped to criminals in Britain for as little as £60

Metropolitan Police figures  reveal more than 200 crimes involving the weapons over the past three years in London alone. They include 139 robberies and more than 50 offences where people were assaulted or harassed with the weapons. During that period police in the capital seized 498 stun guns.

Eran Bauer, safety adviser with Civil Defence Supply, which trains police in the use of Tasers,, described the million-volt stun gun as ‘one heck of a brute’.

He said: ‘That’s lightning – horrendous tool. I don’t believe you managed to get one of these. That is seriously dangerous.

‘You are going to end up with skin burns for a start, and subcutaneous [under the skin] damage.

‘If it goes into the neck across the nerves you can just imagine the damage. Hit across the chest then anything could happen – [it could] end up killing someone.’

The investigation comes less than 18 months after the Serious Organised Crime Agency shut down the overseas operation of a US company selling stun guns and pepper sprays. It was found to be behind almost three-quarters of all stun guns sent by post to Britain.

Former Detective Chief Inspector Pete Kirkham said stun guns  have become the weapon of choice for many criminals.

Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: ‘How is it possible to go online and get a gun into this country through what we are told is one of the most sophisticated borders in the world?

‘I intend to raise the matter with the head of the Border Agency and the Home Secretary.’

 

Nicolas Cage birthday

Hollywood star Nicolas Cage enjoys a low-key birthday with lunch in Glastonbury town centre

He’s known as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars over the past two decades.

But for his 49th birthday, Nicolas Cage was having a low-key day in his adopted hometown of Glastonbury.

The actor and his wife Alice Kim were spotted enjoying a spot of shopping in the town centre, before stopping for lunch at the Abbey Tea Rooms – a regular haunt of Cage when he’s residing in Somerset.

Hollywood comes to Somerset: Actor Nicolas Cage enjoys his birthday day out in Glastonbury town centre with wife Alice Kim

He was also spotted using the cash machine at the Lloyds TSB like any other Glastonbury local.

The Leaving Las Vegas star has split his time between LA and England for several years.

He used to own several houses in the UK, but downsized his property portfolio following a hefty bill for unpaid taxes several years ago.

However, he now owns a family home just outside Glastonbury, where he lives with Alice and their seven-year-old son Kal-el when he’s not away filming.

 

One of the locals: The couple headed to the Abbey Tea Rooms for lunch

Speaking last year about his reasons for buying near Glastonbury, Cage said: ‘I came here largely because of my interest in British history and mythology.

‘Because even though I’m far from home in your beautiful country, I can’t help but feel some connection to the land – because of my appreciation for it.

‘And also because of the way England happened, with different elements coming into the area and forming the language, the Romans and the Saxons and all of it.’

Just a regular guy: Nicolas withdraws some money from the Lloyds TSB cash machine

Alice, who met Cage when she was working as a waitress in a Los Angeles restaurant, married the actor in 2004.

Previously he was married to Lisa Marie Presley for three months and actress Patricia Arquette, from 1995 until 2001.

He also has a 22-year-old son Weston with ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton.

UNDERAGE MARRIAGES

Saudi girl, 15, barricades herself in bedroom after being married to 90-year-old groom for huge dowry

A 90-year-old Saudi Arabian man is suing the family of his 15-year-old child-bride after she shut herself in her bedroom on their wedding night.

The terrified teen locked the door from the inside so that her new husband could not enter on their first night as a married couple, and two days later she fled back to her parents’ home.

Now her elderly husband wants his money back as he claims he paid the parents £10,767 ($17,500) for the teenager so they could wed.

Against her will: The 15-year-old Saudi girl locked herself in her bedroom on the night of her wedding to a 90-year-old man

The 90-year-old said he paid the dowry to the young girl’s Saudi mother and Yemeni father, making the marriage ‘legal and correct’, Al Arabiya reported.

The 15-year-old’s arranged marriage sparked outrage and widespread condemnation in Saudi Arabia where activists took to Twitter calling it child trafficking and prostitution.

A Mouhammad Khaled Alnuzha posted on his account: ‘Is this a case of human trafficking crimes punishable by law?’

Too young: Child marriage is common in sub-Saharan Africa and south-east Asia

Another Tweeted: ‘She is still considered as a product! A father sells his daughter without mercy, to be bought by money and status and power; all of it for the sake of fulfilling a desire.’

A member of the Saudi National Association for Human Rights (NSHR), Suhaila Zein el-Abedin urged authorities to ‘save this child from tragedy,’ adding that marriage in Islam must be based on mutual consent.

She also blamed the girls parents for accepting the dowry and marrying off their daughter to a man 75 years older than her, underlining the importance of establishing a minimum age of 18 for marriage in Saudi Arabia.

last day on the beach

Parting will be such sweet sorrow: Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing enjoys a last day on the beach with his holiday romance Tara

They’ve been spending lots of time together since meeting on holiday in Barbados last week.

And as Jamie Laing’s new love interest Tara Keeney prepares to head back to the UK on Friday, it remains to be seen if the couple will progress from holiday romance to actual relationship.

After meeting at their hotel last week, the pair have been spotted putting on public displays of affection on the beach and sunloungers.

 

Last day together: Jamie Laing and Tara Keeney enjoy a stroll on the beach in Barbados on Thursday

Lean on me: It looked like the pair could have done with some sunglasses as they squinted in the sun

With Tara preparing to head back to London, the new couple were spotted enjoying a day on the beach on Thursday.

The AS Level student, 18, was hoping for no tan marks as she walked along the beach with her straps hanging down, while Jamie, 23, showed off his toned figure in a pair of green trunks.

That day, they appeared to be flirting with each other on Twitter, with Jamie writing: ‘You’re a little penguin…! Thank you for the cuddles x.’

Fling… or lasting romance? It remains to be seen whether the pair will continue their relationship back in the UK

In reply, Tara bemoaned his cooking skills: ‘You are the slowest pasta maker.’

The MailOnline revealed this week how Jamie had hooked up with Tara quite soon after his arrival on the island on December 28.

The brunette, who spends every Christmas in Barbados, attends private school and comes from a wealthy family who live in Stanmore, north west London.

Sun-worshipper: Tara has a better tan than Jamie after spending the past three weeks in the Caribbean

A source told MailOnline the 18-year-old brunette had just split with her boyfriend of five years so she may be tempted by Jamie’s smooth talk.

They added that Tara, who on her Twitter account has been posting shots of the Caribbean white sands over Christmas, and may be a good match for posh Jamie as she attends private school and comes from a wealthy background.

Jamie’s holiday fling comes after he enjoyed a date with self-confessed ‘player’ Lucy Watson and a failed attempt to start dating close friend Alexandra ‘Binky’ Felstead in the last series of Made In Chelsea.

Three’s a crowd? The pair were joined by Tara’s sister