A retired health and safety officer died after contracting Legionnaires' disease from a hotel, just months after another guest was struck down with the deadly bug.

Elaine Brown, 69, suffered a fatal stroke triggered by the disease which is caught by breathing in droplets of contaminated water.

The grandmother-of-four had been on a coach tour with her husband Graham, 58, when they spent a night The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow, Shropshire, on July 31.

She returned home but days later she developed flu-like symptoms and was rushed to Royal Liverpool University Hospital where she died of a stroke on August 26.

It later transpired that another guest, in her 70s, also contracted the disease after staying at the £120-a-night hotel in April but has since made a full recovery. 

Mrs Brown's family have now instructed legal firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, and to found out if more could have been done to protect her. 

It is possible to book a night at the hotel online after November 13. Her husband Graham, 58, said they would never have stayed at the hotel had they been aware of the previous Legionnaire's outbreak.

The passport office worker said: 'We went to the Feathers Hotel for a one night stay without any knowledge whatsoever that there was a deadly bacteria waiting for us.

'If we had been told about the case of Legionnaires' disease in April, there is absolutely no chance that we would have stayed there, and Elaine would have still been with us today. 'Nothing can possibly replace Elaine, but the hotel's management have to ensure they are doing everything they possibly can to make sure their guests are protected from avoidable illnesses like this.'

The couple's son Neil Edwards, 44, a writer from Leeds, said: 'We all miss mum so much and it is an incredibly emotional time for the entire family.

'While we lived away from each other, barely a week would go by when I would not call her to catch up on things, and even now I still get the urge to pick up the phone and give her a ring. It is hard to believe she has gone. Our grief at this point, however, is mixed with anger, as we feel we deserve to know why the hotel was not closed following the reports of the first case of Legionnaires' disease in April.

'It is difficult not to believe that mum would still be with us if action was taken earlier, and we just feel we are deserving of answers as to whether more should have been done to keep her safe.

'While nothing will ever change what has happened, we hope that by taking this action we can get the justice her incredible life deserves, whilst also ensuring that no other family has to endure the heartbreak that we are currently facing.'

Law-firm Irwin Mitchell are investigating whether the hotel should have done more to prevent a second outbreak following the first case in April. Solicitor Jatinder Paul, who is representing Mrs Brown's family, said: 'It is only weeks since Elaine passed away and her family remain understandably devastated and angry at their avoidable loss.

'Our clients have many questions relating to her death and, following our instruction, we are determined to help them get the answers they deserve.

'It is regrettable, despite almost two months passing by, that the owners of the Feathers Hotel have still not sent a personal apology to Elaine's husband or her children, and I would ask that they immediately take the steps to do so.

'Legionnaires' disease is an incredibly serious illness which, as this case demonstrates, can have a huge impact on those who contract it.

'I would encourage anyone who has been affected by illness after staying at the Feathers Hotel to see their GP at the earliest available opportunity.

'I would also like to speak with them as they may be able to help with our investigations.

'Following our involvement in the aftermath of the outbreak in Stoke-on-Trent five years ago, it was our sincere hope that lessons would be learnt from that outbreak and these recent problems suggest there remains much to learn in terms of keeping the public safe from illnesses of this kind.

Air pollution has been linked to kidney and bladder cancer' showing toxic particles may cause harm beyond the lungs.

A ground-breaking study has found microscopic ‘PM2.5’ particles from car exhausts can raise someone’s risk of dying from kidney or bladder cancer by almost 15 per cent.

People living near busy roads, exposed to nitrogen dioxide from diesel cars especially, see their danger of death from bowel cancer rise by six per cent.

Pollution in British towns and cities are linked to 40,000 premature deaths a year, with heart disease and stroke the biggest causes. Dr Michelle Turner, first author of the study, said: ‘This research suggests that air pollution was not associated with death from most non-lung cancers, but the associations with kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer deserve further investigation.'

A report this week showed toxic air is killing people in almost every part of the UK, with pollution levels in 43 of our largest towns and cities, from Eastbourne to London and Birmingham, reported to be breaching global safety limits. 

The new study looked at pollution alongside deaths from cancer in 29 parts of the body, and found links with kidney, bladder and bowel cancer.

The threat for kidney and bladder cancer came from PM2.5 particles, which are so microscopic they are inhaled deep into the lungs. Measured in milligrammes per metre cubed (ug/m3), around one in 10 come from road transport.

When the researchers examined people’s exposure to these particles, they found each 4.4 ug/m3 increase in exposure raised the risk of dying from kidney cancer by 14 per cent, and bladder cancer by 13 per cent.

Bowel cancer was linked with nitrogen dioxide, which is now known to be produced in larger quantities by diesel cars than petrol.

The health risks have fuelled criticism of the Labour government which 16 years ago cut road tax to incentivise diesel cars on the basis that they emit less carbon dioxide.

Nitrogen dioxide is measured in parts per billion, based on its mass within the other gases in the air we breathe.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found each rise in exposure of 6.5 parts per billion raised someone’s chances of dying from bowel cancer by six per cent.

Mel Evans, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace, said: ‘Air pollution in the UK is at illegal levels in many parts of the country, and yet despite all the evidence that links this pollution to very serious and life-threatening illness, action to reduce air pollution remains wholly inadequate.

‘In order to make our air clean and safe to breathe, we need both the government and car industry to take urgent action on diesel pollution. People need real alternatives to diesel, and fast. 

A new drug that 'melts away' the fat that builds up inside arteries has been hailed as a 'big breakthrough' in the fight against heart disease.

The medication has already been successful in trials for the treatment of breast cancer and diabetes and now scientists at Aberdeen University have discovered it could also boost cardiovascular health.

Just a single dose of trodusquemine tested on mice 'completely reversed' atherosclerosis, a disease that causes most heart attacks and strokes. The disease causes arteries to become clogged with fatty substances called plaques, which over time, hardens and narrows your arteries.

The drug 'mimics' the effects of exercise and activates a protective enzyme. It also inhibits another enzyme that causes prolonged inflammation and hardens arteries. 

Experts said their findings have the potential to ‘significantly reduce deaths’. Heart disease is the number one cause of death globally, killing 17.7 million people a year. Professor Mirela Delibegovic from the University of Aberdeen’s Institute of Medical Sciences who led the study told Mail Online: ‘We know this drug has been shown to have beneficial effects on reducing prolonged inflammation in type 2 diabetes and because this is also a factor in atherosclerosis we wanted to know if it had cardiovascular benefits too.

‘And our initial tests on mice show that it does, so this is potentially a big breakthrough.

‘Essentially, trodusquemine’s effects on key enzymes in play here are that it is stopping the bad guy and helping the good guy.

‘We will now need to carry out further research to see if the same effect is replicated in humans and it is safe. Previous research has shown that having a deficiency in this enzyme has a protective effect against atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Therefore, knowing this, the team wanted to test it to on mice with set-in atherosclerosis.

They found that they had less fatty plaques in their arteries whether they had regular doses over time or just a single dose of trodusquemine.

They also believe it stimulates the action of another protein called AMPK, which reduces chronic inflammation.

Inflammation plays a major role in all phases of atherosclerosis by thinning connective tissue in plaques and causing them to rupture. 

Sociopath women are present among us, in some of our families and social groups, in some of our workplaces and in the public eye, throughout history and in literature.

They may be fewer in number than male sociopaths and viewed with less fear but do we have cause to be concerned about them?

How do sociopath women differ from sociopath men?

Sociopathy is a disorder of personality. At it's core is a pathological level of narcissism. The self-esteem of the sociopath is poorly regulated because the sociopath acts to protect and sustain an inflated, but ultimately fragile and unstable sense of self. Emotion regulation is compromised by difficulties in experiencing, processing and moderating certain feelings, most especially anger, shame and envy. 

Relationships with other people are generally dysfunctional because the sociopath tends to protect and enhance their own self-esteem at the cost of cooperative relationships and intimacy. The sociopath’s actions are often determined by the dominance of aggression over shame. They often show marked paranoia, experience shallow emotions and lack sincerity. It is thought that sociopaths (some use the term psychopath) constitute one to four percent of the population.

As well as being responsible for over half of all serious crime they cause considerable devastation in the form of physical, psychological and financial damage for people who have been exposed to them. With few exceptions, prevalent studies show that there are more male sociopaths than female ones. Because of this much of what we know and is written about sociopathy has been gleaned from research into its presentation in men. Sociopaths frequently perceive threats from others as acts of disrespect, disloyalty, criticism, or disobedience and seek retribution. The more severe the personality disorder, the more severe, persistent and pervasive the harm done.  Where sociopathic men may use physical dominance and control over their intended target, sociopath women often rely on another approach: manipulation of the minutiae of their close relationships. What motivates sociopaths of both genders is the achievement of power and control over others and the expectation of some sort of gain, which is used to provoke the admiration and envy of others, and in turn glorify the self. Sociopaths tend to single out individuals or groups for abuse. Sociopathic women tend to do this most in the sphere of their control - in their intimate relationships with partners, children, family members, friends and colleagues. Her abuses most often manifest as verbal attacks and covert aggression.

The sociopathic woman may opt to manipulate social networks, for instance, in an attempt to exclude their chosen target from a community. Alternatively, her ploy may take the form of threats of self-injury, with consequences for family and friends. Unlike male sociopaths, sociopath women are not particularly characterised by superficial charm and a grandiose self-image. This could be related to cultural conditions. However like her male counterpart, the sociopathic woman’s response to other people is characterised by a persistent lack of empathy, care, and commitment.

Sociopath women are less likely to physically leave or move on from relationships (e.g. with a child or parent), and their damaging nature is less likely to be detected (emotional abuse as opposed to physical abuse) and therefore may be enduring. Sociopathic tendencies are thus often more subtle and covert in women. They use their powers of emotional manipulation to gain an understanding of the particular vulnerabilities of their chosen target and show a profound absence of empathy at their exploitation. 

How sociopath women commonly abuse other people:

By way of illustration, here’s an episode in the life of a young woman called Sally, whose sociopathic and manipulative mother often tries to damage Sally’s relationships with other people. Sally’s mother, Adrianna, became convinced that her daughter had spoken about the emotional neglect and abuses she’d experienced as a child to her mother-in-law, a kindly woman to whom she had increasingly become close since she married some months ago. Adrianna felt injured and angry with her daughter because of her belief Sally had been speaking ill of her, so she sought revenge. She devised an elaborate hoax, sending bogus emails from an anonymous ‘concerned’ friend saying that her mother-in-law was of questionable character. In one anonymous email she claimed that Sally’s mother-in-law and confidante had, at 17 years of age, given up her first born child for adoption because she didn’t want to put an end to her hedonistic lifestyle!

None of the claims were true of course, and Sally had enough experience of her mother to suspect her of the ruse, but the emails and injurious accounts of her mother-in-law caused both Sally and her mother-in-law needless distress. Adrianna exhibits traits commonly seen in sociopaths. First, her harmful conduct is motivated by a desire for revenge by way of humiliating her daughter’s mother-in-law. However, her plans are grossly disproportionate to the perceived harm of Sally talking to her mother-in-law; indeed Adrianna had no tangible evidence that Sally had spoken to her mother-in-law about her childhood. Nonetheless Adrianna perceived she had been slighted and viewed this as an act of rejection. Therefore her thoughts turn to exacting revenge by way of humiliating the mother-in-law and hurting Sally.

Adrianna is manipulative and deceitful. It is her usual way to plot and scheme for months before she enacts her plans, during which time she has many opportunities to reflect upon the harm she is causing Sally, but she never stops to reflect on her thoughts and actions in this way. She does not stop for empathy and instead makes use of the time to firm up her plans so nothing will go wrong. In this situation she feigns compassion and concern for Sally’s mother-in-law when Sally tells her she received the emails from an anonymous ‘concerned’ friend, but in fact she seeks further opportunity to harm and exploit both women. She feels no remorse for doing so. Instead she criticises Sally and Sally’s mother-in-law at every opportunity. Unfortunately because sociopathic women do not always hurt and maim the people they target in ways that result in visible harms, their acts of cruelty and misdemeanours often remain undetected.

Emotional abuse in relationships can be very damaging and those who have experienced it may struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety and/or depression and may find building trusting relationships difficult in the future.If the issues in this post have affected you and/or you have dealt with these situations in your life, you may find seeing a councillor  can be helpful, you can explore our directory to find out more.

This is the harrowing moment a Polish slave who was forced to work 20-hours-a-day making greeting cards was rescued by police from a squalid loft.

Footage released by officers shows the man cowering under a workman's jacket in the corner of an attic after he was forced into a life of servitude by Edward Zielinski.

The slave was one of two men, alcoholics who could not speak English, who were paid as little as £10-a-week to work from 8am in the morning until 4am the following night.

Zielinski, 42, has now been jailed for 40 months after he admitted two charges of human trafficking at Nottingham Crown Court. In May and June this year, Zielinski, of Nottingham, exploited two vulnerable Polish men, locking his victims in the loft during the night forcing them to urinate in plastic bottles.

The first victim came to the UK of his own accord in 2008 and initially lived in London but got into debt with Zielinski's cousin, owing around £800 for the cost of a new passport and other bills. He was sent to Nottingham to work for Zielinski to pay off the debt.

When he arrived at a house in the Radford area of the city, he was put to work making greetings cards, working up to 20-hours-a-day from 8am to 4am with only limited breaks.

He was often threatened with violence and even beaten if Zielinski didn't think he was working hard enough. 

Kevin Spacey was brought up by a Nazi father who raped his brother and brutalized his family so badly that they called him The Creature, his older brother exclusively told the DailyMail.com. 

Now, as the Oscar-winning actor faces allegations of trying to seduce Star Trek's Antony Rapp when he was just 14 years old and of sexually assaulting a relative of former US news anchor Heather Unruh, the truth of his own troubled upbringing has been revealed. Spacey's older brother Randall Fowler, 62, described the current allegations leveled at his brother as 'disturbing' to DailyMail.com, as he acknowledged he had been made aware of them in the early hours of Monday morning.

Spacey, 58, claims not to recall the incident with Rapp, and has issued an apology of sorts for 'what would have been inappropriate drunken behavior.'

In a tweeted statement he went on to say that the story has encouraged him to 'address other things' about his life, speaking openly for the first time about his homosexuality and choice to now live 'as a gay man.'

Fowler has given some insight into what those 'other things' might be, as he admitted he was sexually abused by their father for years and that his mother knew of the abuse. Fowler is a Rod Stewart impersonator and limo driver in Boise, Idaho. His life is a world away from that of his famous brother from whom he is estranged.

But, according to Fowler, along with older sister Julie, he and the notoriously secretive star shared a brutal upbringing in a 'house of horrors' dominated by their ultra right wing, perverted sadist of a father.

Thomas Geoffrey Fowler was such an abusive figure that, his oldest son admitted, he avoided having children of his own for fear that they would 'inherit the sexual predator gene.'

Fowler recounted that damage and the toll it took on him and his siblings in an interview with The Mail on Sunday shortly after Spacey - who was not then openly gay - was arrested in a park in London in the early hours of the morning in March 2004.

Now, the House of Cards star has admitted that he has loved and had romantic relationships with both men and women and 'chooses to live life as a gay man.' 

And much like Spacey, the character Frank Underwood on Netflix's hit political show also kept his sexuality hidden away, having trysts with both men and women throughout the series in secret. 

At the time of the interview, Fowler described his brother as an 'empty vessel' who had never had a real relationship with anyone other than his mother.

He said: 'Neither of us had a chance growing up with two such damaged parents. I went through three marriages and 40 affairs.'

Their father, Thomas Geoffrey Fowler, joined the American Nazi Party when Spacey and his brother were just boys. He trimmed his mustache to resemble Adolf Hitler and he regularly whipped and raped his eldest son, Randall Fowler. 

Plant a seed to make a change, The subject around the world is that we all need to aim to help the world smile with the support from others that wish to see a change, even if its two hours of your day to take time to earn support would means a world of change to a person that don't have the values you have in life, find a product or a way to talk and see a vision of difference that explains or justifies a purpose to who has that aim to make a change no matter how small or big, it's all a benefit to the required source who needs the help. Please think and open your mind before you speak.https://think-global.org.uk/our-work/projects/start-the-change/

A murder investigation has been launched after a teenager was stabbed to death outside a popular shopping centre.

Police were called following reports of a seriously injured male in Croydon, south London at around 7pm last night.

They found the victim, who is believed to be 17, with serious stab injuries. Officers administered first aid before the London Ambulance Service arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident took place on Croydon's pedestrianised North End road, which runs alongside the Whitgift shopping centre.

Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones tweeted: 'Very, very sad that a boy has been murdered in Croydon tonight. All my thoughts are with his family and friends. She later told the London evening standard 'Tonight, in Croydon, I am praying for a life lost, a family devastated, and a community in shock.'

Police believe they know the identity of the victim, who has not been named as enquiries are under way to locate his next of kin. Scotland Yard said detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating, that a cordon remains in place at the scene and no arrests have been made.

Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will also be arranged.  Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

Africans living in northern India are locking themselves into their homes after a spate of mob attacks left several people hospitalised. 

Five Nigerian students were attacked by crowds and another was beaten unconscious by a mob inside a shopping mall in the district of Noida, near Delhi.

Film of the attack prompted a social media outcry and the victim told local media no one had helped or called the police as he was beaten unconscious with knives and bricks. Two more African students were assaulted in a separate incident by masked men. The attacks began after the parents of a local teenager blamed Nigerian students for supplying him with the drugs that caused him to die of an overdose. Police detained five local Nigerian men on suspicion of drug dealing, abduction murder, but they were later released after a post mortem failed to confirm an overdose was the cause of death.  

After their arrest, a group of African students gathered to peacefully demonstrate, which was met with a counter protest by locals. 

Violence broke out and police said 100 people then attacked students in a nearby shopping mall. It has prompted the Association of African Students in India issued a statement to all Africans in the area and urged them to stay indoors. They also claimed they would continue to publicise the continuing "racism" Africans face in India.

"All African Students Studying in Greater Noida are hereby instructed to stay at home as the situation remains volatile. We are advising all the student representatives from Africa to request their students to remain at home," their advisory said. 

Enduranca Amalawa, 21, an economics student at a local university, was caught up in the mob attack.

Calling the attacks "deplorable" Gopal Baglay, a Ministry of External Affairs spokesman said authorities were working "to keep the situation under control."

Irish Americans were slaves once too — or so a historically inaccurate and dangerously misleading internet meme would have you believe.

The meme comes in many varieties but the basic formula is this: old photos, paintings and engravings from all over the world are combined with text suggesting they are historic images of forgotten “Irish slaves.”

The myth underlying the meme holds that the Irish — not Africans — were the first American slaves. It rests on the idea that 17th century American indentured servitude was essentially an extension of the transatlantic slave trade. Popular among racists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists and neo-confederate groups, the “Irish slave” trope is often accompanied by statements to the effect of, “Our ancestors suffered and we got over it, why can’t you?” According to Liam Hogan — a librarian and scholar who has tracked the myth — references to these “Irish slaves” are used to derail conversations about racism and inequity. 

“The principle aim of this propaganda, which aligns with that of the international far-right, is to empty the history of the transatlantic slave trade of its racial element,” says Hogan.

The meme has become increasingly visible since 2013. Its trajectory has paralleled the rise of Black Lives Matter and has even used that movement’s language with graphics, t-shirts and Facebook groups that proclaim, “Irish Lives Matter. In a six- series on medium, Hogan deconstructs the images and claims that have fueled the meme. That picture of “Irish slave” children? That’s actually a photo of young coal mine workers in Pennsylvania in 1911. The one of the “Irish” man being beaten to death in front of a crowd in the 1800s? That’s really a black man tied to a whipping post and being tortured in the 1920s.