All news by author: Richard Ault

Infections of serious diseases like measles and whooping cough have been spiking in England this year and now a hard-hitting campaign has been launched to get children vaccinated

The Body Shop will shut 75 stores permanently in the next four to six weeks - as a result of the closures, 489 staff will be made redundant

More than 2,500 suspected whooping cough infections have been diagnosed by GPs so far in 2024 after a spike in cases and people can see who many there are in your area with an interactive map

Twelve major bank branches closed in January alone and another 38 will have been shut down by the end of this month. They are among 245 banks set to close in 2024, with another six branches also due to shut but with no end date yet announced

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has started sending out the third and final cost of living payment, which is worth £299 - use our map to see how your area benefits

The whooping cough, also known as the '100 day cough' has been spreading across the UK this year, with data from the UK Health Security Agency showing cases are over 20 times than this time last year

The UK Health Security Agency says cases of measles are “rising every day in the West Midlands". You can use our interactive map to see how many cases have been confirmed

The current state pension age - the earliest age you can start claiming the state pension - is 66, but that will rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028 and to 68 by 2046

Tuberculosis or TB, which also afflicted Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, it is thought, was heavily featured in 18th and 19th century literature

By the end of this year, 630 high street bank branches will have closed - this is a 46% increase on the 431 banks that were lost on the high street in 2022

Office for National Statistics (ONS) regularly assesses the UK's happiness and wellbeing through surveys and the latest shows the nation’s mood has dipped from the average mean of 2022

Earlier this year the UK Health Security Agency issued a warning that cases are up by a fifth on the previous highest year and is reminding people with “multiple sexual partners” to wear a condom and get tested regularly

The banks began assessing the impact of every branch closure from February 2022 - and since then, almost 1,000 sites have closed, sparking concerns for the elderly and vulnerable

Households on means-tested benefits will automatically receive £300 between October 31 and November 19, or between November 10 and 19 if you receive HMRC benefits

UK skies were jammed full of UFOs over the course of the last two years according to a map made up of alleged sightings of unidentified objects which even NASA 'can't explain'

The identity of Strictly Come Dancing’s strictest judge will come as no surprise to fans of the BBC programme

So far this year there have been 22 confirmed sightings in the UK of the invasive Asian hornet species, which prey on honey bees and can wipe out entire colonies

The truth is out there... and now you can find out exactly where "there" is across the UK with our incredible interactive map detailing a whole host of UFO sightings made by stunned Brits – and you can add to it

Cases of syphilis, the ancient sexually transmitted disease, increased by 15% to nearly 8,700 diagnoses last year - the largest annual number since 1948

Greggs says its stores produce a daily average of 1,500 sausage rolls or about 545,000 in a year. In Newcastle alone, there are 33 Greggs outlets producing 17.9million sausage rolls each year

A total of 397 branches have closed or will close in England in 2023, along with 37 in Wales, 20 in Scotland, and five in Northern Ireland - use our map to see how your town will be affected

Our map below shows exactly how many will benefit for the £150 disability cost of living payment where you live - simply type in your postcode below to pull up your area

There are around 3,500 more police officers overall than in 2010 but 11 of the country’s 43 forces have seen officer numbers shrink since then and crime is rising. See how your local force is faring using our searchable widget

Of the top 10 most dangerous neighbourhoods in the country, six of them are in London, while at the other end of the spectrum, All the top 10 safest areas in the country are in Cheshire

The area where Brits' homes are most likely to be burgled has been revealed - and we've pulled together an interactive widget so you can check your area