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The Northern Lights have returned to the UK in spectacular style, visible across huge parts of the country.

This year, the famed aurora has made a couple of appearances as far south as the UK, producing stunning pictures as a result.

The phenomena is chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms, of which the Met Office said there was a “severe” one due to reach Earth overnight on 10 October.

Great Chart Church, Ashford, Kent. Pic: PA
Image:
Great Chart Church, Ashford, Kent. Pic: PA

Brill, Buckinghamshire. Pic: Chris Noyce
Image:
Brill, Buckinghamshire. Pic: Chris Noyce

Loddon, Norfolk. Pic: Michael Hewstone
Image:
Loddon, Norfolk. Pic: Michael Hewstone

Reading, Berkshire
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Reading, Berkshire

This brought sightings of the aurora all over the UK on Thursday night, with reports that it was visible across Britain, as far south as Sussex.

The Met Office had said that viewings were likely in Scotland and Northern Ireland and possible in the north of England and the Midlands.

However, thanks in part to relatively clear skies, they were visible for huge numbers of Britons well beyond this.

Tallington Lakes, Lincolnshire
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Tallington Lakes, Lincolnshire

Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
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Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Pic: Nathan Chislet, Ebbw Vale, South Wales
Image:
Pic: Nathan Chislet, Ebbw Vale, South Wales

Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said that further residual viewings could be possible over the weekend – but this is likely to be confined to the likes of Scotland.

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Rain and cloud could also obscure further viewings over the weekend.

The aurora in northeast Lincolnshire
Image:
The aurora in northeast Lincolnshire

Blackrock, Dublin
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Blackrock, Dublin

Llandudno, North Wales
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Llandudno, North Wales

Deal, Kent
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Deal, Kent

Near peak solar cycle

The auroras are most common over high polar latitudes but can sometimes spread south over parts of the UK.

The geomagnetic storms that chiefly influence them often originate from the sun, which works on a cycle of around 11 years with peak sunspot activity referred to as solar maximum.

Sunspots give the potential for Earth-directed releases of large bursts of energy, called coronal mass ejections (CME), which can lead to aurora visibility.

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St Neots, Cambridgeshire
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St Neots, Cambridgeshire

Kilmacolm, Inverclyde. Pic: Louise Monaghan
Image:
Kilmacolm, Inverclyde. Pic: Louise Monaghan

Rugby, Warwickshire
Image:
Rugby, Warwickshire

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Mr Dixon said: “We’re near the peak of that solar cycle so there have been more space weather events in recent months.

“International prediction centres, including the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre, are expecting solar maximum to be later this year or early next year.”

It will still be possible to see the Northern Lights once we pass solar maximum but there will be a decline in such activity.

The US NOAA's aurora forecast for around 8.30pm on Thursday. Pic: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
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Forecast for around 8.30pm on Thursday. Green means a 10%-40% chance of seeing the lights. Red is a near 90+% chance. Pic: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

The aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic polls.

As they smash into one another, they emit light at various wavelengths, creating the stunning sights.

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Man jailed for more than three years for loading illegal streaming services on to Amazon Fire Sticks

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Man jailed for more than three years for loading illegal streaming services on to Amazon Fire Sticks

A 29-year-old man has been jailed for more than three years for loading illicit TV streaming services onto Amazon Fire Sticks.

Jonathan Edge, from Liverpool, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act.

He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, which included a separate concurrent sentence of two years and three months for accessing and viewing the content he was supplying.

Edge ran a service uploading illegal services to Fire Stick devices in return for cash-in-hand payments at his home, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He used Facebook advertising and word-of-mouth recommendations to run his operation.

He ignored multiple warnings about the illegal activity, which were referenced by the judge and treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing.

The prosecution was undertaken by the Premier League and supported by several other organisations, including FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and Merseyside Police.

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Kevin Plumb, Premier League general counsel, said: “The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions.

“We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual.”

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Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police said: “Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today’s sentence handed to Edge.

“Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken.”

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Magic Circle on the hunt for first female member who tricked her way into society – to apologise to her

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Magic Circle on the hunt for first female member who tricked her way into society - to apologise to her

The Magic Circle is on the hunt for its first female member – who deceived the group by disguising herself as a man to enter its ranks – so it can apologise to her.

Sophie Lloyd hid her true identity from the famous society of magicians for 18 months.

Dressing up as a young man, Ms Lloyd fooled both the examiners and the Circle’s council and even went out for a drink with them.

However, she was expelled when the deception was revealed and the group hasn’t heard from her since.

At the time Ms Lloyd joined, women weren’t allowed to join the Circle. But when the rules changed in October 1991, Ms Lloyd revealed her true identity and was promptly kicked out for deceiving the society.

But now the group is trying to track her down, so it can apologise.

President of the Magic Circle Marvin Berglas told Sky News: “Times have changed.

“Back in the day she caused the ultimate deception of fooling the magicians and the council which is quite something.

“We’re trying to welcome Sophie back because it’s such a great story.”

He added: “Being that she was such a pioneer we would love to find her, get her side of the story and honour her.”

President of the Magic Circle Marvin Berglas
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President of the Magic Circle Marvin Berglas

Mr Berglas said magic wasn’t “an old boy’s club” anymore and that around 5% of its members were women.

It’s thought Ms Lloyd had been an actress, and her name might have been Sue Lloyd, he added.

It’s possible Ms Lloyd received training from magician Jenny Winstanley, who had wanted to be the first woman in the Magic Circle, but was, Mr Berglas said, likely too well known to enter in disguise.

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Pic: David Sillitoe/The Guardian..Credit: David Sillitoe / Guardian / eyevine
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Ms Lloyd in disguise (left) and her true self (right). Pic: David Sillitoe/The Guardian/eyevine

Mr Berglas continued: “We know she was in the Coventry, Warwickshire, Leamington Spa area.

“We would like to apologise for our faux pas.”

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Actor Timothy West has died, aged 90

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Actor Timothy West has died, aged 90

Actor Timothy West has died peacefully in his sleep aged 90, “with his friends and family at the end”.

He was known for many roles in television and the theatre, including popular soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Husband to 92-year-old Prunella Scales – who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers – the pair travelled together on UK and overseas canals in the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys.

His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, said in a statement issued by his agent: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.

“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.

“We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”

Timothy West and Prunella Scales.
Pic: Geoff Pugh/Shutterstock
Image:
West with his wife, Prunella Scales. Pic: Geoff Pugh/Shutterstock

He was the winner of an RTS television award for his lead role in Churchill And The Generals, released in 1979, according to imdb.com.

In his career, he played Winston Churchill three times, including in The Last Bastion (1984) and in Hiroshima (1995).

West was also nominated for best actor in the 1976 BAFTAs for his part as Edward VII in the historical drama.

Four years later, he was nominated in the same category for a number of roles, including as best actor in Crime And Punishment.

Timothy West (right), in BBC One's  drama, Last Tango In Halifax.
Pic: PA
Image:
West (right) in BBC drama, Last Tango In Halifax. Pic: PA

After a small part as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street in 2013, West appeared in 2014 for the first time as Stan Carter in EastEnders.

He also held other popular TV roles, such as in BBC comedy-drama Last Tango In Halifax.

Timothy West as King Lear during a photocall for the 2003 English Touring Theatre production of William Shakespeare's King Lear.
Pic: PA
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West as King Lear during a 2003 English Touring Theatre production of William Shakespeare’s tragedy. Pic: PA

In the long-running BBC comedy, Not Going Out, he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams, played by Sally Bretton.

In comedy-drama Brass, he was the ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre, playing the role from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990.

In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy Dad’s Army.

He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.

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