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A woman who walked from Glasgow to Rome is over the moon after meeting the Pope and described the encounter as “unbelievable”.

Geraldine McFaul, 54, set off from her home in Scotland at the start of May and arrived in the Italian capital last Saturday.

Ms McFaul’s six-month trek saw her averaging around 12 miles a day, travelling through the UK, France, Switzerland and ever over the Alps.

Throughout her journey she has been raising funds for Mary’s Meals and Dementia UK.

At the end of her walking adventure, she was greeted by a welcome party of loved ones who had flown to Italy to celebrate with her.

Pic: Mary’s Meals/Geraldine McFaul
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Ms McFaul in Rome with her godfather and a member of the Swiss Guard. Pic: Mary’s Meals/Geraldine McFaul

Ms McFaul attended a general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday alongside her 94-year-old godfather Desmond McGowan and a friend, and was then invited to meet Pope Francis.

The meeting came as a big surprise as she only found out the day before.

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Ms McFaul told Sky News: “It was unreal. It was such a surprise, but unbelievable because it was just so unexpected.

“I didn’t chat to him, but he was just lovely with a big beaming smile and a big strong handshake.

“It was just so nice. It was amazing just to be so close to him and get to meet him.”

The Pope was gifted with a parcel that included books from Mary’s Meals and a letter from founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, highlighting Ms McFaul’s fundraising.

Ms McFaul chose Mary’s Meals in memory of her father, Pat, and Dementia UK to acknowledge the support her mother, Agnes, received before she died in April 2022.

She has created JustGiving pages and has raised more than £10,000 for the two charities.

Read more from Sky News:
Granny Mave completes 1,000-mile bike ride for charity

Years before she set off, Ms McFaul dreamed of walking from Glasgow to Rome. Following the death of her mum, she decided to head out into the great outdoors.

Ms McFaul met new friends along the way and was joined by loved ones on a few occasions.

She said meeting the Pope was the highlight of her trip, but added: “The highs – physically and emotionally – was getting to the top of the Alps. I didn’t think I would make it.”

Ms McFaul struggled at some points due to the warm weather.

She said: “I did have three blocks of heatwave and that just about killed me. But I always told myself ‘don’t worry about tomorrow, just get through today’.”

Ms McFaul praised all those who helped her along the way.

She added: “Even if something was starting to go a bit wonky, somebody would appear just at the right point.

“It never occurred to me to me to come home and it never occurred to me to get a bus or a train and skip bits.”

The freelance risk management consultant arrived back in Balornock on Friday and said it will be difficult to ever “top” that trip.

She now intends to spend some time at home and plans to enjoy a few more local – and shorter – walks.

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.

“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”

Police said a man in his 60s had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.

Sky News has contacted Mr Norris for comment.

Mr Norris, 65, defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.

He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons and has stepped down from his role as chair of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.

“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.

“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.

“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.

“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.

“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”

Mr Norris first entered Parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 and served as the Wansdyke MP until 2010.

He was an assistant whip under Mr Blair and served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown.

Mr Norris has also been West of England mayor since 2021 but is due to step down ahead of May’s local elections.

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting, confirmed he had stepped down from his role.

“The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a statement said.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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