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Dairy-loving daredevils from around the world have descended on Gloucestershire and thrown themselves down Cooper’s Hill in the annual cheese-rolling race.

Competitors ran, slid and tumbled down the near-vertical incline in an effort to try and win an 8lb wheel of Double Gloucester – a semi-hard cheese renowned for its strong and savoury flavour.

They were cheered on by thousands of spectators during the notoriously dangerous race – made tougher this year with a harder racetrack due to the recent dry weather.

Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic:PA
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Pic: PA

Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic:PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic:PA
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Pic: PA

People have been staging their own unofficial event after health and safety fears caused the official competition to be cancelled in 2010.

Since then, it has been held unofficially with the police keeping a watchful eye on the event.

Tom Kopke from Munich, winner of the first men's downhill race, retains the title  at the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
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Tom Kopke from Munich, won the first men’s downhill race. Pic: PA

An injured man is escorted after competing in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake competition near Brockworth, Britain May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
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An injured competitor is seen by a paramedic. Pic: Reuters

Several races took place this year, with German YouTuber Tom Kopke winning the first men’s downhill race.

“It was crazy. This year was different,” said the 23-year-old from Munich after retaining the title he won last year.

“Last year the hill was muddy and this year it was dry and dangerous and people got injured.

“I shut off my brain and went for it.

“All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title but this is mine.

“I worked for this. I risked my life for this. It’s my cheese. Back to back.”

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Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic:PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. 
Pic PA
Image:
Pic: PA

The cheese is chased 200 yards down the 1:2 gradient hill in Brockworth.

Competitors travelled from across the world to take part in the series of madcap races.

The women’s race was won by Ava Sender Logan, 20, who was racing for the Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh.

The second men’s race was won by Luke Preece, from Gloucester, who flew down the hill race dressed in a Superman costume – and the final men’s downhill race was won by Byron Smith, 33, from New Zealand.

The unusual event is a centuries-old tradition and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring.

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Prince Harry denies having ‘physical fight’ with Prince Andrew

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Prince Harry denies having 'physical fight' with Prince Andrew

Prince Harry has denied having a fight with Prince Andrew after it was claimed “punches were thrown” between the pair in 2013.

The allegations appeared in excerpts from a new book on the Duke of York being serialised in the Daily Mail.

It claims a row started after Prince Andrew said something behind Harry’s back, with Andrew “left with a bloody nose” and the pair needing to be broken up.

It also claimed the Duke of York once warned his nephew about marrying Meghan and suggested it wouldn’t last long.

However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex strongly denied the claims.

“I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry,” a statement said.

They said a legal letter had been sent to the Daily Mail due to “gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks” in its reporting.

The book – Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York – is billed as the first joint biography of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

It’s said to be based on interviews with “over a hundred people who have never spoken before”.

Prince Harry – in his own 2023 book Spare – made his own claims of an altercation with Prince William.

He said his brother once knocked him to the floor amid a confrontation over Meghan’s “rude” and “abrasive” behaviour.

“It all happened so fast. So very fast,” Harry wrote in the book.

“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.”

“I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out,” the prince added.

Harry claimed his brother wanted him to hit him back “but I chose not to”, and that William later returned and apologised.

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The Duke Of Sussex has described his relationship with his family as extremely strained after he quit as a working royal and took legal action against the media, and over the removal of his UK police protection.

He claimed earlier this year the King wouldn’t speak to him and there had “been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family”.

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Search for British woman who disappeared from Greek beach

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Search for British woman who disappeared from Greek beach

A search is under way for a British woman who went missing from a beach in Kavala, northern Greece.

The Hellenic Coastguard said the port authority received reports that Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, was missing on the evening of 1 August.

The woman went missing from the Ofrynio beach area.

The coastguard is investigating reports that her belongings were left on the beach.

On Sunday, three recreational craft, five fishing boats and two patrol boats were involved in the search.

According to local media, she lived with her husband, who is reportedly of Greek origin, in the Macedonian city of Serres.

She had gone to the beach with him and reportedly vanished while he was sleeping on a sunbed.

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The charity LifeLine Hellas, which put out an appeal to try and find Ms Bourda, said she went missing at noon on 1 August.

She has been described as having straight blonde hair up to her shoulders and being 1.73m tall.

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Martin Lewis reveals who is due for car finance compensation – and how much they’ll get

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Martin Lewis reveals who is due for car finance compensation - and how much they'll get

Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.

The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts.

“Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers.

Pics: PA
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Pics: PA

Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of pounds unless you have more than one car finance deal.

“So up to about a maximum of £950 per car finance deal where you are due compensation.”

Lewis explained that consumers who believe they may have been affected should check whether they had a discretionary commission arrangement by writing to their car finance company.

However, the personal finance guru warned against using a claims firm.

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“They’re hardly going to do anything for you and you might get the money paid to you automatically anyway, in which case you’re giving them 30% for nothing,” he added.

Read more: How to tell if you’ve been mis-sold car finance

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Who’s eligible for payout after car finance scandal?

Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority said its review of the past use of motor finance “has shown that many firms were not complying with the law or our disclosure rules that were in force when they sold loans to consumers”.

The FCA’s statement added that those affected “should be appropriately compensated in an orderly, consistent and efficient way”.

Lewis told Sky News that the consultation will launch in October – and will take six weeks.

“We expect payouts to come in 2026, assuming this will happen and it’s very likely to happen,” he said.

“As for exactly how will work, it hasn’t decided yet. Firms will have to contact people, although there is an issue about them having destroyed some of the data for older claims.”

He believes claims will either be paid automatically – or affected consumers will need to opt in and apply to get compensation back.

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What motorists should do next

The FCA says you may be affected if you bought a car under a finance scheme, including hire purchase agreements, before 28 January 2021.

Anyone who has already complained does not need to do anything.

The authority added: “Consumers concerned that they were not told about commission, and who think they may have paid too much for the finance, should complain now”.

Its website advises drivers to complain to their finance provider first.

If you’re unhappy with the response, you can then contact the Financial Ombudsman.

Any compensation scheme will be easy to participate in, without drivers needing to use a claims management company or law firm.

The FCA has warned motorists that doing so could end up costing you 30% of any compensation in fees.

The FCA estimates the cost of any scheme – including compensation and administrative costs – to be no lower than £9bn.

But in a video on X, Lewis said that millions of people are likely to be due a share of up to £18bn.

The regulator’s announcement comes after the Supreme Court ruled on a separate, but similar, case on Friday.

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