PLANS for one of Croatia’s biggest theme parks have been revealed – despite it’s huge ambitions.

Called Legendland, the Croatian amusement park will have six different zones and a water park.

Legendland

Legendland

It hopes to open by 2027 outside of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

They have big plans from creating six different worlds within the resort with some of the biggest rides being an Intamin LSM rollercoaster, a hyper coaster and an Aquatrax.

But, creators are still waiting for funding and the go-ahead.

Their website states Legendland will be the first “Slavic theme park in Southern Europe” and one of “Europe’s leading theme parks, where visitors can enjoy the sun, beach and the exquisite Mediterranean cuisine.”

While they haven’t secured land to build the amusement park, Legendland founders have made AI images and have even created a map of attractions which include 40 rides.

The six zones around the park will be based on Croatian history and mythology through time.

Neanderthalica is inspired by Neanderthals and have rides set in caves, mines and water rapids.

There’s also Antiquitica, The First Kingdom and Luka Renaissance.

In the Gothica zone, which is inspired by the 17th and 18th centuries, there are gargoyles, witches and vampires.

Gothica attractions include a house of horrors exhibit, and a ride with two swings that reach 62ft.

Legendland

There’s also the ‘Tesla Institute for Time Travel and Monsters’ which features a huge drop tower and a rollercoaster with a top speed of 86mph.

They also want to open a huge water park with a lazy river with a variety of slides from tornado to racing and a Skybox slide where you fall into the water tunnel from a see-through tube.

As for food and drink, there’s a plan to have six themed restaurants on site from classic pub food to romantic dining, and one place where you can cook your own steak.

The organisers are currently asking for people to subscribe as a sign of support in the hope that public interest will secure land and they can get building.

Until then, the park is no closer to getting the sign off to be built.

Legendland

LedgendLand

They want to open a huge water park too with a lazy river and a tornado slide[/caption]

Their original site was in Zaprešić, a town 18 miles from Zagreb, but Legendland creators have been unable to secure it so far.

There are lots of theme parks in Croatia, but most of them sit on the coastline where tourism is higher, rather than inland.

We’ve found one of the biggest Aqua Parks in Croatia with 14 slides and six pools.

This Croatian campsite has a swimming complex and a water park too.

AN EARTHQUAKE warning has been issued for Santorini with schools closed on the holiday island.

The Greek paradise has been rocked by a series of small quakes leading authorities to take precautionary measures.

AFP

The Three Bells of Fira church on the island of Santorini[/caption]

Getty

Santorini island has had warnings issued after a series of earthquakes[/caption]

They have shut schools on Monday and advised people on the island to avoid two small ports and refrain from gathering in indoor spaces.

A series of submarine tremors up to a 4.3 magnitude were registered on Friday and Saturday in the area between the volcanic island of Santorini and Amorgos.

On Sunday morning, earthquakes measuring between 2.8 and 4.5 hit the area but did not cause any damage.

The last eruption in the area occurred in 1950.

One of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, in around 1600BC, formed the island in its current shape.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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I HADN’T heard much about cervical cancer until Jade Goody’s public diagnosis in 2008.

But when I was 23 years old, I began experiencing three out of the four main symptoms.

Vikki Ellis

Vikki Ellis was diagnosed with cervical cancer after her symptoms were dismissed for two years[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

The mum-of-one was displaying three out of four of the most common signs[/caption]

Sex was painful, I had irregular discharge, and I was having a lot of lower back pain.

I was rightly concerned, so I requested a smear test from my GP.

But my worries were dismissed as I was deemed too young for a cervical screening, which are only offered to women over 25.

Doctors also said that because I wasn’t bleeding, one of the primary symptoms of cervical cancer, my problems were likely caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), despite all tests coming back negative.

This was hugely embarrassing and led to doubts about my relationship with my partner of 10 years, Scott.

It was almost like they were accusing one of us of having an affair.

But I accepted what was said, as I assumed the doctor knew better than me.

I didn’t challenge the decision, I just left with no answer as to what was wrong with me.

I had symptoms for around two years, and it wasn’t until I turned 25 in November 2014 and received an invitation for a routine smear test that action was taken.

The results from my first test were inconclusive, so I had a second one the following month, which showed abnormal cells.

At that point I just knew in my gut that it was going to be cancer.

Having had no definitive answer for two years, I felt this was the only option left.

I remember receiving a call while sitting in my car, asking me to come to the hospital for an appointment. They told me to bring someone with me.

I drove to my dad’s house, knocked on the door, and just burst into tears.

He went completely silent. I was totally washed out and didn’t feel like I could fully comprehend what was happening.

I was so incredibly scared. I thought, ‘This is it’. I was 25 years young and I was about to be told I had cancer.

All I remembered about the conversation was that they were referring me to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

As I had anticipated, I was diagnosed with stage 1A2 cervical cancer, meaning it had grown up to 5mm into cervical tissues.

It was caught early enough and I was very lucky, but it was probably there for 18 months or so before my actual diagnosis.

My biggest regret is not backing myself when I knew something was wrong

Vikki Ellis

When you’re told you have cancer, it’s easier to talk to other people who are going through the same experiences.

You feel like everyone else is falling apart around you at the news and you need to stay strong for them.

I had the odd cry here and there, but then I just got on with it.

It was almost like an instinct in my body; I knew I had to fight this, I didn’t have a choice.

In June 2015, I had an operation at the Royal Marsden to remove the disease.

When I was told I needed to have surgery, I was in utter shock.

At 25, I was told that doctors were removing most of my cervix and I might have difficulty carrying a child.

I was so worried. Though thankfully, a few years later in 2017, I had my daughter, who is now seven.

EARLY MENOPAUSE

During the operation, they also had to remove some lymph nodes from my stomach, which triggered the large nerve running down my leg.

From that, I’ve had nerve damage in my thigh, which has caused a lot of pain ever since.

Although my cancer was successfully removed, in 2020, a suspicious mass was found during my five-year check up, leading to multiple tests and the removal of non-cancerous growths.

Due to this, I opted to have a preventative hysterectomy (a surgical procedure to remove my womb) in October 2021, which, at the age of 35, led to me going into early menopause.

Since my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I now have so much more anxiety around life and death, especially after having my daughter.

I knew I needed to do anything I could to try to prevent it from coming back so I could be there for her.

Vikki Ellis

Vikki with her partner Scott[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

The now-35-year-old was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

Vikki gave birth to her daughter in 2017[/caption]

I count my lucky stars that I’m here every day, and under the care of the Royal Marsden.

I go back to have regular check-ups, scans and monitoring.

But not everyone is as lucky as I am.

There are 3,256 new cervical cancer cases every year in the UK, and 853 people lose their lives to the disease.

Only half of all patients survive for 10 or more years after their diagnosis.

Catching it early and starting treatment quickly provides the best chances of survival.

That’s why it’s absolutely vital to recognise the early symptoms, which include unusual vaginal bleeding, pain or discomfort during sex, vaginal discharge, and pain in the pelvis, and raise money for research.

There is still so much work to do.

I strongly advise people not to rely on Google or AI when health concerns arise, but to book an appointment with their GP immediately and advocate for themselves.

My biggest regret is not backing myself when I knew something was wrong.

It’s so important to have your routine smear tests – particularly after childbirth, when you might forget – and we need to encourage open conversation to normalise discussions about cervical health.

I lacked guidance on gynaecological health during my own upbringing and I want to make sure my daughter has a better foundation.

We have begun to have age-appropriate conversations to provide her with a basic understanding.

I would never want my daughter to miss a smear test.

If you are concerned about your symptoms and you are continuing to be dismissed, don’t be afraid to speak up.

You know your body better than anyone.

By Vikki Ellis, 35, a project manager, mum and wife from Eastbourne, East Sussex – as told to Alice Fuller, Health Features Editor

Vikki Ellis

Vikki never wants her daughter to miss a single smear test[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

The family, from Eastbourne, East Sussex[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

Vikki is urging women to advocate for themselves[/caption]

Vikki Ellis

‘You know your body better than anyone,’ she says[/caption]

DANCING On Ice first made its debut on TV nearly 20 years ago.

Since then we have seen a whole host of dramas, meltdowns, spats and stunts on the long-running celebrity competition.

ITV

Dancing On Ice used to be watched by over 11 million viewers during its peak in the noughties[/caption]

Rex Features

Rex

These days, even the casting seems more low rent (Ferne McCann pictured)[/caption]

But the ITV show is struggling to maintain the audience it once had as millions switched off.

In an age where Netflix and Prime rule supreme, can Dancing on Ice survive the test of time?

The Sun’s TV experts Joshua Rom and Jake Penkethman battle it out over the very future of the show.

TIME TO SKATE AWAY

By Joshua Rom

When it first launched in 2006, Dancing On Ice was nothing short of a complete television sensation.

Almost 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the series debut and by the finale in March that year, nearly 2 million more had tuned in.

The peak of the series arguably came two years later, when over 12 million viewers watched former Hear’Say star Suzanne Shaw skate to victory.

When the first run of the series ended in 2014 with the highly-anticipated All Star edition, nearly seven million viewers tuned in for the finale.

A respectable number watched as Pop Idol supremo Ray Quinn and Corrie’s Hayley Tamaddon fought for the winner of all winners title.

But we are living in very different times, where linear channels like ITV are fighting to stay relevant in the digital and streaming age.

Broadcasters need to be bold with their formats to capture the attention of viewers, but the good news is that it can still be done.

The Traitors is an excellent example of how a clever new format can capture the imagination, attention of viewers and firmly insert itself into the Zeitgeist of British television.

Claudia Winkleman has become utterly iconic for her signature style of presentation of the show, that is blunt and almost delightfully sinister.

The format allows the contestants to do all the work by turning on each other, whilst the high drama and camp setting heightens any small moment into something that is utterly glorious to watch.

The result? An average of seven million live viewers for the BBC, with undoubtedly more when the on-demand and streaming figures are consolidated.

The bad news is, Dancing On Ice is now a show that could only dream of hitting those sorts of figures because as a format, it’s clear the show is old, tired and stale.

And we can see that in the casting as this year we had not one but TWO stars connected with Towie to sign up to the show which included scandal-ridden Ferne McCann.

Simply put, it’s giving low rent

We could usually expect a little bit of soap representation amongst the roster of talent, this year we had representation from Corrie, EastEnders AND Hollyoaks.

Combined, a whopping seven out of eleven contestants are either soap actors or former reality TV stars. Simply put, it’s giving low rent.

Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern try their best with her jaw-dropping looks and his slapstick jokes to keep the show afloat.

But like This Morning, the presenting team is almost haunted by the ghost of the career of Phillip Schofield.

Holly is still a wonderful presenter for shows, but the public view her completely differently.

She’s now seen as a savvy and sometimes cutthroat lady of business where the show seems more like a job which she has simply outgrown rather than a passion project.

With hardly a third of the audience still tuning in, a low rent cast, and presenters whose hearts are not fully invested, it’s time for Dancing on Ice to gracefully skate away.

GREATEST SHOW ON ICE

By Jake Penkethman

Whilst there is no denying that the ratings for Dancing on Ice have decreased in recent times, there is also no denying it is still a thoroughly enjoyable TV show.

And haven’t all the TV juggernauts’ lost ratings over the years anyway?

Love Island‘s current series is its least watched ever since the first series in 2015, BGT has haemorrhaged over five million viewers in the last five years and even Strictly has seen at least two million people turn off amid it’s never-ending list of scandals tarnishing its once squeaky-clean image.

But Dancing on Ice, for the most-part, is often scandal-free and has the focus on the best parts of the show.

Simply put, it is about the skating and the performances each week and nothing else.

With a much lesser focus on the pro partners, fans actually get to tune in and watch how the celebrities are progressing and achieving rather than keeping an eye out for the dirty look between the two pro’s who have had a backstage rift or look for tension between the warring ex’s who just so happen to be on the same cast.

Whilst we know very little about the DOI pros in comparison to its BBC rival, I actually think this has helped the show to stay on the straight and narrow.

Now, I would also go on to argue that Dancing on Ice actually manages to scrape out a much stronger cast than its BBC rival year-on-year.

Not only do ITV have hundreds of thousands more to play with but the endless list of possible entertainment programmes that the stars can align themselves with afterwards is much stronger.

ITV

The old studio layout was far better for audience participation[/caption]

ITV

12 million viewers watched Suzanne Shaw skate to victory[/caption]

Take 2020 for example.

Strictly secured political Jacqui Smith, American Football player Jason Bell, Invictus Games medalist JJ Chalmers, little-known YouTube singer HRVY and BBC Radio One host Clara Amfo among it’s line-up.

I think it’s all a bit meh if you ask me when their biggest draw that year was comedian Bill Bailey and Tiffany Butcher from EastEnders aka Maisie Smith.

However, just weeks after that series of Strictly wrapped, a furore of household names and unavoidable celebs were skating around the DOI rink like there was no tomorrow!

TV icons like Denise Van Outen and Jason Donovan headed up the cast alongside Hear’Say legend and all-round household name, Myleene Klass.

Olympic heroes Colin Jackson and Graham Bell competed alongside one of the most discussed women in the media of the last decade, Rebekah Vardy.

It made for a much more impressive line-up reveal than the dribs and drabs of little-known BBC employed talent that were wheeled out for a Waltz.

Plus, let’s remember – Dancing on Ice is far more nail-biting viewing.

Whilst we might not quite want to admit it, the thought of a bit of danger and the chance of something going rather awry on live TV is much more exciting – and will be much-more talked about – than a minor BBC TV star making a dog’s dinner of a Cha-Cha-Cha to a badly performed cover of a 2000s pop hit.

There’s a thrill in the danger and the chance for more viral moments than ever before – something key for ITV in the current TikTok demographic.

Gemma Collins‘ perfectly-timed face-plant during her routine to Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now is one for the TV history books (as is her whole stint on the show, let’s be honest!)

And who can forget when Todd Carty lost control that much that he actually spun off the ice and straight back down the entrance tunnel leaving his poor skating partner to fend for herself on live TV.

Just last year, Ryan Thomas hit the deck TWICE in one live routine.

You just don’t get scenes like that anywhere else!

Whilst it is always going to be the inferior of the two biggest dancing shows on the box – they always say, it is the quietest ones that surprise you the most!

Skate On!

ITV

Dancing on Ice has been on the box since 2006[/caption]

Rex

Holly has continued to host the show[/caption]

PRINCE Andrew was seen as a “valuable communication channel” by China, new documents claim.

The papers also suggest MI5 questioned the Duke of York’s most senior aide about his “clandestine” relationship to an alleged Chinese spy.

AFP

Prince Andrew was allegedly deemed a ‘valuable communication channel’ by China[/caption]

Jon Bond

Andrew drives his Range Rover from his Royal Lodge home on Friday[/caption]

The royal, 64, first met Yang Tengbo, 50, in 2013 and he became a close confidant, helping to launch his Pitch@Palace business initiative in China.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) released hundreds of pages of disclosures on Friday after Yang failed to overturn a ruling banning him from the UK as a national security risk.

Among the documents retrieved from Yang’s phone and laptop was a crib sheet for a planned call between the accused spy and “TD” – the duke, reports The Sunday Times.

It added that China’s ambassador to London Zheng Zeguang, regarded Andrew as a “valuable communication channel”.

Meanwhile, further documents retrieved from Yang’s devices show the duke hoped to leverage the Firm’s reputation to raise $3billion (£2.4bn) of international financing for a pot to “break unproductive technological and talent blockades against China”.

EPSTEIN SCANDAL

Andrew is also facing further questions about his relationship with late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Emails from a separate legal case appear to show the royal was in contact with Epstein for weeks longer than he has previously admitted during his disastrous Newsnight interview.

Andrew was forced to step back from royal duties following the chat in November 2019 in which he refused to condemn his relationship with billionaire.

He also claimed he had severed ties with Epstein in December 2010 but emails came to light this week showing they were still talking two months later.

He said he didn’t see or speak to Epstein after they were pictured strolling through Central Park in New York City shortly after the paedo was released from jail for child sex offences.

But emails disclosed in a filing by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveal he spoke to Epstein in February 2011.

In an email, he told Epstein: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”

The emails have been exposed as the FCA defends an appeal by former Barclays Bank boss James Edward “Jes” Staley.

Andrew paid millions to Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in an out-of-court settlement three years ago, while denying sexual assault accusations.

The royal could face an FBI probe after the man set to be the bureau’s new boss vowed to “do everything” to expose those who worked with Epstein.

Donald Trump’s pick for FBI head, Kash Patel, has Andrew in his sights after telling a Senate hearing he is ready to investigate anyone connected to convicted paedophile Epstein, who died in 2019.

The duke was also hit by a string of fresh humiliations yesterday as his portrait was stripped from a historic pub.

Andrew faces last orders at The Duke of York pub in Fitzrovia, central London, where signs with his portrait were pulled down.

And a new book claims deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner referred to him as “that nonce” in an astonishing rant.

Referring to discussions on whether to dump Andrew from the monarchy, she reportedly said: “I’m not going to vote to keep that nonce on… I can’t go back to my constituency and say, yeah, I support that.”

LAURYN Goodman is preparing to tell her kids ‘the truth’ about Kyle Walker – as she blasts him for ‘not being a present dad’.

The TV star has two children with England footballer Kyle, 34, and has spoken out this weekend following his move to AC Milan.

Getty

Lauryn Goodman is preparing to tell her kids ‘the truth’ about Kyle Walker – as she blasts him for ‘not being a present dad’[/caption]

Getty

Kyle, 34, has just moved to Italy to join AC Milan[/caption]

social.saviour/Instagram

Lauryn has two children with Kyle, Kairo and Kinara[/caption]

Lauryn became pregnant with son Kairo while Kyle was on a break from childhood sweetheart Annie Kilner in 2019.

Kyle later got back together with Annie before they married in 2021, and the couple share four sons.

But he and Lauryn stayed in touch and briefly rekindled their relationship.

Their daughter Kinara was conceived in October 2022 while the footballer was in London for treatment for a groin injury.

As Kyle’s marriage to Annie hangs by the thinnest of threads after his move to Italy, Lauryn has taken aim at her ex and how he doesn’t have a relationship with their two children.

The 34-year-old told The Mirror: “I don’t want them to feel like they’re missing out because they haven’t got a present dad to be doing these things with them.

“I’ve been through hell and back fighting for my children and then absolutely being crucified for it in the process.”

And in a thinly veiled swipe, she added: “Everything I do is for my kids.

“They are innocent and I am here, day in, day out, caring for them, making sure that they are looked after, making sure they’re loved, making sure that they’re not affected.”

Lauryn currently lives in a £2.4million house in Sussex which is owned by the 34-year-old defender.

But she’s insisted in her recent interview: “I’m not a money grabber.”

Lauryn added: “It’s about all the children having the same, which they will never have, but I can try to get similarities for them. If his other children are living like that, why can’t Kairo and Kinara?”

Meanwhile, Kyle was pictured reuniting with Annie and their children after they jetted into Italy to watch him make his debut for Italian giants AC Milan this weekend.

Annie, 31, jetted in with Roman, 12, Riaan, nine, seven-year-old Reign and baby Rezon – on Friday afternoon after a turbulent week.

Paul Edwards - Commissioned by The Sun

Kyle also has four sons with wife Annie Kilner[/caption]

Instagram

Annie has jetted to Italy with their children ahead of Kyle’s debut for his new team[/caption]

A GRIEVING mum believes her son was murdered in Spain and the country’s cops are trying to cover it up.

Sandra Adams, 56, says her son Brett Dryden died from foul play and is now investigating herself after being left in anguish.

Facebook

Brett Dryden died in Spain on July 22[/caption]

Alamy

Brett lived in Mojacar, Spain[/caption]

Brett, 35, had lived in the small town of Mojacar, in Andalusia, for five years while running a legal cannabis club called The Dawg House.

But the father-of-one was found dead in his resort home on the Costa Almeria on July 22, the Mirror reports.

His body had a four-inch gash to the head – but a post-mortem in Spain pinned his passing on a blood clot in his lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism.

But Sandra does not buy this and believes cops are trying to cover up the death to protect the tourism industry.

Instead, she believes her 5ft 5 son was “quickly” killed by someone he knew.

Sandra told the Mirror: “I just want justice for my son. I will not rest until I get justice.”

“My husband got a call from his friend saying Brett had been found in his house dead and there was blood all up the walls.

“When Brett’s friends found him and went in the house the police officers initially said to them ‘there’s been a violent murder’ and that he had been hit with an axe.”

A number of bizarre things happened following Brett’s death that clearly point to the involvement of other people, Sandra believes.

Neighbours told Robert they had CCTV footage of three men running away from Brett’s home on the night he died.

The Durham woman said she received a call from Brett’s phone hours after medics say Brett died.

After tracking the handset, the heartbroken mother found it was being turned on and off and moving to different locations in Spain.

Sandra said she told Spanish cops about what she had found and shared her suspicion that Brett’s death was “murder”.

But, Sandra said cops told her and husband Rob to “‘take a step back and let us deal with it now’.”

Spanish cops took CCTV footage from the home just before Christmas – but there is no confirmation cops have an open homicide investigation.

The fighting mum brought Brett’s body home to Britain to conduct a full autopsy, which was inconclusive.

Sandra is now fuming that Spanish cops have not kept her informed of the investigation – despite ringing them every day.

Husband Rob, Brett’s step-dad, has also been to Spain to try and speak to the Guardia.

Spanish police declined to comment on the case to the Mirror.

A court spokesman said: “The investigation hasn’t been suspended or closed. It is still open and this incident remains under investigation. The court is waiting for the Civil Guard to complete their full report and present their conclusions. For the time being there’s nothing more we can say.”

FOUR people who died when their car careered up a pavement and ploughed into a building are said to have been students returning from a night out.

The victims ware believed to be three men and a woman aged in their 20s who were studying at the University of Essex in Colchester.

PA

The scene in Colchester where four people have died[/caption]

PA

Officers were called to reports a vehicle had hit the building in Magdalen Street[/caption]

PA

The road remained cordoned off for 22 hours[/caption]

All of them died at the scene of the suspected high speed crash.

The accident happened at 4.40am on Saturday when the driver went up the wrong side of the road and mounted the pavement, hitting a set of brick steps outside a house.

The car then became embedded in the corner of a building containing a second hand shop and a Thai massage parlour in Magdalen Street, Colchester.

The impact was so great that bricks and debris was spread up to 50 yards up the road, according to shocked witnesses.

The road remained closed for 22 hours while Essex Police began an investigation.

‘AN ALMIGHTY BANG’

Mike Davies, 66, a builder from Colchester, said: “Police told me the car was so badly damaged inside the building they couldn’t even tell what make or model it was.

“They had to construct a temporary wooden platform to be able to take it out. They even had to bring in a JCB to help get it freed. The building is completely wrecked.”

He added: “I’ve spoken to several people who said the car was going at high speed on the wrong side of the road.

“There was a huge smash and everyone came out to try and help but they couldn’t.

“There was a huge number of police cars, fire engines and ambulances here.”

Retired taxi driver Colin Beattie, 78, who lives nearby said: “I am deaf in one ear, but I still heard an almighty bang.

“I saw all the blue flashing lights of emergency vehicles. There were ambulances, fire engines and police by the dozen.

“The car landed up on its side in the building. It looked a real mess, so it must have been hurtling down the road.

“There were bits and pieces all down the road.”

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Do you know more? Email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk

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Another resident Jodie Graves, 42, who was woken by the crash, said: “It was so loud that I thought I was dreaming until I saw my husband on the phone to the police.

“When the police knocked for us at about 5am, we had put down the blinds. That was when they said, ‘I recommend you don’t look out there’. It was just surreal – we were told not to look.”

“I was impressed by just how professional they all were. They have got their designated roles, and they were working non-stop all day.”

Alan Bolster, 44, said a police unit had placed the wreckage of the car in a wooden box before it was taken away on a low loader.

He said: “We had to close the blinds again, so we didn’t see anything we didn’t want to see. The car was absolutely totalled.”

Colchester borough councillor Kirkby Taylor said: “The car was completely trashed and took out a big chunk of the building.

“Police had to bring in engineers to stabilise it and had to remove most of the frontage after the crash.

“It must have been on the wrong side of the road. It hit the set of steps before taking out a sign and a bollard, and hitting the building at speed.

“I want to pass on my deepest condolences to the families. My heart really goes out to them. It is absolutely heartbreaking.”

WRECKED SHOP

Brian Amey, 80, who runs Dusty’s second hand shop in the building, said: “The shop is wrecked and we have lost our livelihood – but that is insignificant when you think of four lives being lost.

“We are desperately hoping that the building can be saved, and we are waiting to find out if that is possible.”

Mr Amey opened his business around three-years-ago selling second hand bikes, lawnmowers and items such as crockery.

His partner Fai Hatcher, 51, who runs the SP Thai Massage and Therapy parlour in the same building, said: “It is just terrible.

“We rented the building and it is now destroyed. We want to carry on working, but we don’t know if we will be able to come back.”

An Essex Police statement said: “We were called shortly before 4.40am on Saturday to reports a vehicle had been in collision with a building in Magdalen Street.

“Emergency services attended but, sadly, four people died at the scene. Their families have been informed and will be supported by specialist officers.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “My thoughts, and those of everyone at Essex Police, is with the friends and families of the four people who died.

“I want to thank the businesses and residents in Magdalen Street area for their support and understanding today in what has been a really difficult and tragic situation.

“I always want to pay tribute to emergency services personnel who have worked diligently, professionally, and compassionately to ensure the dignity of those who have died.

“Our enquiries to establish what led up to the collision are ongoing and I need anyone with information to contact us.”

Essex Police are asking for help from with information, CCTV, dashcam or other footage in relation to the incident.

Submit reports on the online Live Chat service on the Essex Police website which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.

Please quote incident 179 of 1 February.

Alternatively, contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

A NINE-year-old girl and her parents are among the dead after Putin’s deadly wave of missile strikes on Ukraine over the weekend.

A second blitz on a shelter for the elderly killed four and wounded more than 80 people who were trapped under rubble, according to Ukraine‘s military.

East2West

East2West

Little Sofia Yavorska, nine, was one of two children who died when their apartment block in Poltava was blown to pieces on Saturday morning.

All five floors of the building were destroyed, sparking a fire which ripped through neighbouring buildings.

Sofia’s grieving grandfather, Igor, said his “entire family” were among the 14 killed – including his son and daughter-in-law, Sofia’s parents.

He said: “They were young people, [both] 37 years old, my granddaughter was nine.

“I wish for the entire Russia to die together with Putin.

“From now on it will be hated for 100 years.”

In a heartbreaking recent photo, Sofia holds up her drawing of a peace dove adorned with a heart-shaped Ukrainian flag.

Around the dove’s neck is a label that reads: “I love Ukraine.”

Also killed in the apartment block strike was Ukrainian actress Anastasia “Nastia” Kolovakh.

The stage star, 30, was paid tribute to by her old theatre group, who said: “Words fail us. Fly high, birdie.”

Another 17 residents of the block were injured, including four children, with 22 in total rescued from the building, according to Poltava’s governor, Volodymyr Kohut.

Another devastating strike on a former boarding school being used to shelter elderly people killed four and wounded more than 80, according to the Ukrainian military.

This building was in Sudzha, in the Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region of Russia – an area that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in recent months.

Vladimir Sinelnikov, a Kursk activist, said the former school “mainly housed old people and the sick, as well as people who lost their homes as a result of military action”.

East2West

Two children were killed in the strike on an apartment block in Poltava[/caption]

East2West

Ukrainian actress Anastasia ‘Nastia’ Kolovakh, 30, was also killed in the apartment block strike[/caption]

Ukraine’s military general staff said: “At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside the building preparing to evacuate.

“The Russians knew that the building housed mainly civilians – local residents, including women and children.”

They added: “Everything possible is being done to rescue the survivors.”

Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, Ukraine’s military spokesman, said that almost 100 people were trapped beneath rubble at the bombsite.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy said the attack was typical of Russia’s targeted attacks on civilians.

He wrote on X: “They destroyed the building even though dozens of civilians were there.

“This is how Russia waged war against Chechnya decades ago.

“They killed Syrians the same way. Russian bombs destroy Ukrainian homes the same way.”

Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, with the defence ministry claiming on Sunday morning that their enemy launched “a targeted missile strike on a boarding school in the city of Sudzha”.

Both strikes were part of deadly wave of 165 drone and missiles that Russia rained down on Ukraine on Saturday, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Ukraine said it shot down 56 drones and redirected 61 Russian drones and redirected a “significant number” of missiles.

East2West

The missiles hit in the early hours of Saturday morning[/caption]

East2West

Rescuers worked quickly to rescue 22 people from the wreckage – 17 of whom were injured[/caption]

Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian government spokesman, said: “This is the true face of Russia.

“Murderers who have absolutely no respect for any leader in the world or any other nation.”

Putin used nuclear-capable bomber aircraft including Tu-95s and Tu-22s to unleash the Kh-22 missiles at Ukraine.

Nato scrambled its fighter jets in Poland in response to the scale of the attack near the alliance’s eastern border.

It also prepared its anti-air defences in case missiles or drones passed into its airspace.

At the end of a bloody few days, Zelensky said: “This week, there have been hundreds of strikes on our cities and communities — nearly 50 missiles, nearly 660 strike drones, and more than 760 guided aerial bombs were launched by the enemy against our people.

“Russia will not stop on its own. The world must force it to end this brutal and unprovoked aggression.

“It is imperative that we strengthen our defences. We need better protection. Air defence, long-range weapons, sanctions pressure.

“All of this helps protect life here in Ukraine.

“Thank you to everyone in the world who understands the importance of this and continues to believe in and support our country.”

East2West

Sofia Yavorska, nine, killed with her parents, both 37[/caption]

THE pre-Grammys had the stars out in full force with Jennifer Lopez leading the pack as she walked the red carpet alone.

Jennifer Lopez, who divorced from husband Ben Affleck last month, showed off her curves with a plunging burgundy dress that had her cleavage front and centre.

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Jennifer Lopez let her figure do the talking with a daring plunge neckline dress to attend the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards – Pre-GRAMMY Gala[/caption]

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The 55-year-old star posed alone, after finalising her divorce from Ben Affleck last month[/caption]

The 55-year-old singer and actress accessorised her dramatic look with a chunky diamon necklace and kept her hair slicked back.

Posing alone at the event, she showed off her toned physique with the backless metallic dress.

Also at the pre-Grammy’s event was Paris Hilton, who chose to go for a daring sheer dress that left little to the imagination.

The black metallic full length dress might have covered Paris from her neck to her feet but with just a pair of dark pants underneath it left her slim figure on show.

The former reality star and mother of two kept her trademark long blonde hair swept up tight in a sleek ponytail and matched her dark look to smoky eye makeup.

Joining Paris on the red carpet was husband Carter Reum, with the pair beaming for the cameras.

The Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute event was in honour of industry icons and Jody Gerson, but saw both stars opting for eyecatching looks to celebrate the night.

The event saw Jennifer walking the event solo, after her divorce from ex husband Ben Affleck was finalised last month.

The couple split after just two years of marriage, with the pair noted as spending time apart in the summer of 2024, including pictures of Ben seen moving his belongings out of their shared home in August.

That same month Jennifer filed for divorce as a source told People: “She tried really hard to make things work, and is heartbroken.”

The couple initially dated from 2002 until 2004 before ending the relationship, which would later rekindle in 2021.

Speaking to People in 2022, Jennifer praised her rekindled romance with Ben as she explained: “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him.

“It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”

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The star kept her hair slicked back to keep the attention on her plunging neckline[/caption]

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Paris Hilton opted for a daring sheer full length dress that left little to the imagination[/caption]

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Paris posed alongside husband Carter Reum, who she shares two children with[/caption]