Canal boat holidays in the UK and Europe are under threat after the driest July in England and Wales since records began and intense heatwaves on the continent.
Some businesses are losing thousands of pounds in income due to cancellations, with fears growing that more trips could be called off at the last minute.
More than a dozen navigation closure notices, which shut waterways to boat traffic, have been issued by the Canal and River Trust across the UK between late July and early August due to low water levels – several with no expiry date.
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Greggs, Boots and M&S team up with Met Police to tackle shoplifting
Major retailers on London’s high streets are making use of new technology from the Metropolitan Police to catch shoplifters.
Caption: Woman is stealing bottle of wine and hiding it in handbag in supermarket.
Photographer: vchal
Provider: Getty Images/iStockphoto
What is the technology?
The new technology allows retailers to submit CCTV footage and other evidence to officers in minutes.
This enables the Met Police to track, arrest and build cases more quickly.
Tesco, Boots, M&S and Greggs are among those already using it across Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Greenwich.
The rollout is expanding across Southwark, Lambeth, Sutton, Croydon and Ealing.
OPINION
3 min read
Is crime really falling?
I keep hearing crime is falling, especially in London – something none of us believe and very few people working in retail would see… It is becoming more brazen, more organised and more aggressive.
thinus keeve, m&s retail director
Caption: A branch of the British chain of department stores Marks & Spencer (M&S) in the High Street in Bromley, Kent (South East London).
Photographer: whitemay
Provider: Getty Images
What do the figures show?
New technology should result in more charges
80%
The number of shoplifting offences that resulted in no charge last year.
29.4%
The number of cases which resulted in a caution, charge or criminal disposal when the new technology was used, compared to 7.3 per cent previously.
Shoplifting has become a major problem
Caption: Caught On Camera: Elderly Man Hides Groceries In Coat At Supermarket.
Photographer: AndreyPopov
Provider: Getty Images
Earlier this year, a 17-year-old boy was spared jail after stealing over £100,000 worth of goods from Boots.
Greggs has had to remove display counters from some of its stores due to a rise in shoplifting.
OPINION
3 min read
Asian women drinking protein after training – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
health
High-protein snacks can be much less healthy than you think
High protein snacks and drinks including yogurt, porridge pots, cereal bars and milkshakes are more popular than ever.
But their “health halo” may obscure how some of these foods are not really good for us, analysis has found.
What is the issue?
Some of the snacks can be seen as “protein washing” – when foods are marketed as healthy due to high protein when they should be eaten in moderation.
Caption: healthy snack on the go, man’s hand holding cereal bar and bottle of water on train during trip
Photographer: Ekaterina Vasileva-Bagler
Provider: Getty Images
‘Health and wellness influencers who may have the best of intentions, but sadly lack the expertise to recommend purchasing of health products’ (Photo: MTStock Studio/Getty Images)
Often, the two main shortcomings of such snacks are failing to be very high in protein and having more sugar than protein, said Robert Bradshaw, superintendent pharmacist at Oxford Online Pharmacy, which carried out the research.
The expert view
High protein can give something a bit of a health halo. But it is important to look at the overall nutritional content, and it’s probably better to get your protein from whole food sources rather than snack bars and shakes.
bridget benelam, scientist at the british nutrition foundation
Caption: Man opening protein bar during workout
Photographer: Cultura Creative
Provider: Getty Images/Tetra images RF
How much protein you need
UK guidelines estimate a typical woman needs around 45g and a typical man needs around 55g of protein per day.
But these figures were based on the amount needed to avoid getting sick, rather than the optimum, said Dr Chris Macdonald, a behavioural scientist at the University of Cambridge.
Recent US guidelines doubled this target, meaning more people are not getting enough protein.
Analysis
2 min read
What to avoid
People are also advised to get between 10 and 35 per cent of their daily calories from protein.
Of 88 high-protein snacks analysed, over a quarter failed to meet the 30 per cent threshold.
The worst offenders were porridge pots, which typically only reached about 22 per cent of their calories from protein.
People should eat more protein outside of pre-prepared snacks, in chicken, tofu, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt and boiled eggs.
Caption: Oscar the dog. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
news
Dog’s ashes launched 119,000 ft into space – what we know
In an effort to give his late French bulldog a “last adventure”, one owner sent his pet’s ashes 119,000ft into the sky in a weather balloon, where they were then released into space.
What you need to know
Jacob Battersby, a TikToker from Stockport, decided on the send-off when his six-year-old dog died suddenly from a brain tumour.
He launched the balloon from Rugby, equipped with a GPS tracker, cameras and Oscar’s favourite toy.
After reaching the edge of Earth’s atmosphere, the balloon burst, scattering Oscar’s ashes.
The package then descended by parachute to a landing spot 55 miles away near Nottinghamshire.
SAVING AND BANKING
3 min read
A special send-off
It’s really special. They say after about six months, his ashes will eventually return to Earth as rain. I really like the idea that a little part of him is still up there.
jacob battersby
Caption: The balloon taking off and rising into space. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
Testing their work
The memorial allowed Battersby and his friend Callum King to test a pet tracker they developed through their company, Zoomi.
The pair had expected it to stay in the air for around two hours, so when that time passed, they initially thought it was gone forever.
Caption: The balloon taking off and rising into space. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
Caption: The Zoomi team, filling the balloon. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
King said: “Finding it proved not only that Oscar had completed his final journey, but that our tracker had done exactly what it was designed to do.”
More adventures to come
Battersby has another French bulldog called Toby, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Caption: The balloon taking off and rising into space. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
Caption: Toby the dog. // A dog’s ashes were launched 119,000ft and scattered in space. Oscar, a six-year-old French bulldog who died suddenly from a brain tumour earlier this year, has been given one final adventure after his ashes were sent to the edge of the atmosphere in a weather balloon. His favourite Toy Story alien plush and a pet GPS tracker travelled to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere in a weather balloon tribute on May 7, 2026. His owner, Jacob Battersby, 26, from Stockport, and friend Callum King, 26, from Rugby, launched the balloon from Rugby, Warwickshire.
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: Callum King / SWNS
Source: Callum King / SWNS
Battersby said he intended to make the most of the time they have left together by organising various adventures, including a paragliding trip.
“It’s probably the closest she’ll ever get to space, and to Oscar,” he said.
Caption: A man has been arrested over the death of a British woman, whose body was found in a suitcase dumped in an abandoned building in Athens.
The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on 18 July.
Ms Ross, from the Edinburgh area of Scotland, is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found, police said.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%20Lisa%20Jane
Copyright: Lisa Jane/ Facebook
Crime
Boxer held over death of woman in Athens
Greek authorities are investigating what may have motivated a 26-year-old Afghan man to kill a Scottish charity worker found dead in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens last month.
Here is everything we know about the case so far.
What you need to know
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, is accused of murdering Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, leaving her body in a suitcase in a derelict building and using her bank cards to withdraw thousands of euros. Initial medical reports suggest the victim died from asphyxiation.
Ahmadzai also allegedly used Ross’s phone to send messages to her friends and family after her death. He reportedly met Ross through work as a Christian volunteer.
Caption:
Pic shows: Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan champion boxer, who is suspected of killing British woman Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, in Athens before stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping it in an abandoned building on July 16.
Ahmadzai is pictured here on an “open” Instagram page.
Ahmadzai arrived in Lesvos in 2016, and later married US-born Alaina Hall in 2023.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3j00A-gvGY/
Copyright: Instagram
Caption: An abandoned building where the body of a British 38-year-old woman, Elisabeth Ross, was found in a suitcase on July 18th, in Athens, Greece, July 31, 2026. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi
Photographer: Louiza Vradi
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Tributes paid to Lisa
Lisa was a lovely and very kind volunteer.
Elisabeth-Jane, known as Lisa, had been volunteering with a refugee support group based in Athens.
Caption: A man has been arrested over the death of a British woman, whose body was found in a suitcase dumped in an abandoned building in Athens.
The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on 18 July.
Ms Ross, from the Edinburgh area of Scotland, is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found, police said.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%20Lisa%20Jane
Copyright: Lisa Jane/ Facebook
In 2019, she volunteered with the One Heart organisation in Athens, which provides medical support to refugees. Sahar Kamrani Lankhaar, the group’s president, said Elisabeth “set out to help people”.
Who is the suspect?
Sharif Ahmadzai’s father, mother, and siblings were all killed by the Taliban.
Leaving Afghanistan, he travelled through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey before arriving on the island of Lesbos on a small boat.
He wrote a book about his experiences.
Ahmadzai was a competitive boxer and ran boxing classes to raise money for the organisation he worked for.
NEWS
3 min read
A closer look at the investigation
Ahmadzai’s wife, Alaina Hall, from Georgia in the US, reportedly gave key evidence to the police against her husband when she became suspicious.
The couple share a son and together set up a ministry helping refugees in Athens called Love Every Nation.
Exclusive
2 min read
Newsletter (£)
4 min read
Health
Breast cancer checks miss most women who will develop the disease
Caption: Nurse preparing female patient for mammogram in doctor’s office
Photographer: MoMo Productions
Provider: Getty Images
NHS criteria for screening women under 50 for breast cancer are missing up to 95 per cent of those at a higher risk of developing the disease, researchers have said.
What you need to know
Current guidelines, set by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), focus only on inherited genes and not other factors like lifestyle, researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research found.
Caption: A flag with a pink breast cancer ribbon hangs from above, symbolizing support, awareness, and unity. A mature woman with a backpack stands in the hall, viewed from behind.
Photographer: Tatsiana Volkava
Provider: Getty Images
Caption: Young female radiology technician explaining and performing a breast exam on a middle-aged female patient using a state-of-the-art mammography machine in a medical clinic – Buenos Aires – Argentina
Photographer: ruizluquepaz
Provider: Getty Images
Under a new risk assessment tool, called Boadicea, that combines factors such as family history, lifestyle, reproductive history and genetic information, experts found eight times as many women in this age group who developed breast cancer.
What are the risks?
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death of women under 50 in the UK.
Around one in seven women gets breast cancer in their lifetime, but just 5 to 10 per cent of cases are connected to inherited genes.
In England, Nice guidance recommends GPs ask about family history if a woman is worried that she may have a higher risk, or sometimes if they are over 35 and using an oral contraceptive pill or considering taking hormone replacement therapy.
NEWS
3 min read
The dilemma
Lead researcher Dr Julia Usher-Smith said the NHS should review the criteria, but recognised referring more people would add to workloads and could result in some women undergoing unnecessary checks and anxiety.
Caption: Mature female gynecologist in consultation with a young female patient preparing for a gynecological check-up on the examination table in the doctor’s office – Buenos Aires – Argentina
Photographer: ruizluquepaz
Provider: Getty Images
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
environment
How to stop UK water running out entirely
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 3: A woman walks next to the scorched grass of St James Park on August 3, 2026 in London. Drought has been declared across seven areas of England; East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; Thames Valley; Hampshire & the Isle of Wight; Devon & Cornwall; the West Midlands; Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire). (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)
Photographer: Peter Nicholls
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Britain’s searingly hot summer has seen millions of people hit by restrictions on water usage.
But emergency planning documents warn more drastic curbs could be imposed in the future if heatwaves and droughts continue.
A record-breaking summer
Caption: A woman sunbaths on the dried out and yellow grass in Greenwich Park on a hot day in south-east London on July 29, 2026. Just over half of England has been declared in drought after “record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures”, the UK government said on July 29. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Lack of rainfall
England and Wales have experienced their driest July on record.
Drought declared
The Environment Agency has said that around half the country is officially in drought.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 3: People walk on the scorched grass of Primrose Hill on August 3, 2026 in London. Drought has been declared across seven areas of England; East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; Thames Valley; Hampshire & the Isle of Wight; Devon & Cornwall; the West Midlands; Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire). (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)
Photographer: Peter Nicholls
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
A man on the drought-damaged grass of Hackney Marshes in London (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Action is needed
It warned that England’s public water supply could be in a shortfall of five billion litres a day by 2055 without action.
How can you save water?
1Use a bowl in the sink to wash fruit, vegetables and dishes.
2Reduce washing machine usage to twice a week.
3Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running a tap for colder water.
4Take shorter showers.
5Collect rainwater for garden use.
The worst-case scenario
Continued droughts could lead to water rationing, according to the Government’s emergency planning documents.
The UK’s National Risk Register states that under a reasonable worst-case scenario of three consecutive years of extreme dry weather, large areas of southern and eastern England would be hit by severe drought.
Big Read
4 min read
Exclusive
4 min read
Warnings from farmers
Farmers and growers are seeing first-hand the impact of dry weather and drought.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned of shortages of some food in the UK due to extreme heat across Europe.
(Photo: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty)
NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said the more extreme conditions are “making it harder, riskier and more costly to produce the nation’s food.”
Watch more on this topic
Wildfires have been raging through Europe causing more than 300,000 people to be evacuated from their homes in France and Spain. Firefighters have been battling the blazes as the weather is expected to get hotter this week. French President Emmanuel Macron is holding an emergency meeting, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to visit areas impacted. #europe #news #climate
♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
The summer of extreme temperatures has seen two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, and more exceptional dry and hot weather in July.
While rain is on the way for parts of the UK, some of southern England may still not see a drop, forecasters said.
Parts of the Grand Union Canal in the West Midlands are affected by low water levels. Navigation closures have also been issued for waterways in London and the South East, including for parts of the River Stort in Essex and Hertfordshire.
Rod Auton, secretary of the Chesterfield Canal Trust, which operates trips along the Derbyshire waterway, said they had to cancel bookings after the Environment Agency issued an official order prohibiting abstraction when the river is below a defined flow. Though it was issued in error and later withdrawn, the team had already cancelled trips and issued refunds.
“[The notice] means that they’re not allowed to take water out of the River Rother, which means you can’t operate the canal, because if no water’s coming into the canal and you start operating the locks, then the water just drains away and there’s nothing there. That meant that we had to cancel all our trips,” he said.
“We have two trip boats in Chesterfield, and at this time of year we do trips virtually every day, so that will be costing us about £2,000 a week.”
The Chesterfield Canal Trust team anticipate further notices as dry conditions are set to continue.
In July, Swansea Community Boat Trust announced it was cancelling trips on its Copper Jack vessel because water levels in the River Tawe in Wales were too low.
Auton said: “People will hear that [the boat trip is] cancelled and that the canal’s closed but then they don’t hear that it’s reopened again, so sometimes you’ll get people who will come months later in the middle of winter when we’re doing our Santa specials, they’ll say, ‘Oh, we thought the canal was closed, so we never thought of booking this and that’, and that’s really frustrating.
“Bad news travels really fast, but good news doesn’t.”
A part closure of the Chesterfield Canal was also announced by the Canal and River Trust between 30 and 31 July due to low water levels.
Canal closures can cost the boat trip operators thousands of pounds in losses (Photo: Supplied)
Investment needed in canals
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA), which maps the risks to waterways across the entire country, has long warned of the effect of drought on Britain’s canals and rivers.
“Unfortunately what we’ve predicted is coming true,” campaigns officer Amy Tilson said.
She said businesses who rely on the waterways for their income face the biggest impact, along with wildlife such as fish and birds.
“We’re talking high boat companies, any boatyards that need boats to get to them, so it’s going to have a huge impact on them,” Tilson said. “They won’t be able to send people out on the routes that they normally would, and so they people potentially would have their holidays either completely cancelled or curtailed if this continues.”
The IWA is calling for better maintenance and more funding to secure the future of Britain’s canals and rivers.
The Canal and River Trust said it is redirecting as much resource as possible towards projects that help conserve water and keep boats moving, focusing on the routes that are most important for boaters and that support boating businesses.
The measures include repairing lock gates, fixing leaks and actively managing the water in reservoirs to help support the canals for as long as possible.
A spokesperson said: “Hire boat holidays are still running, with companies finding alternative routes for holidaymakers where necessary, and towpaths are still open for people to visit and walk, cycle, and enjoy the many amazing waterside businesses.
“We know restrictions and closures are hugely frustrating for both boaters and canal businesses. We’re sorry for the disruption they cause and thank boaters for their understanding during these challenging times.”
European riverboat holidays hit
Waterways in the Netherlands are popular with tourists (Photo: Abdullah Asiran/Getty)
Countries across Europe have also been experiencing lengthy periods of extreme heat, with France recording its hottest-ever month since records began in 1900, the Meteo France weather office said.
In Germany and the Netherlands, the River Rhine has fallen to record low levels, prompting the re-routing of river boat trips.
Holidaymakers have also experienced disruption to their trips after water levels dropped to record lows in the Danube River.
Usually submerged areas of the Danube River lay exposed amid exceptionally low water levels, in Rasova, Romania (Photo: Vadim Ghirda/AP)
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is one of the operators which has had to temporarily adapt its routes as low water levels in the Danube made it impossible to travel through some parts of the river.
The firm said it “continuously monitors river conditions and, when necessary, makes operational adjustments to affected itineraries in response to evolving water levels”.
“While the majority of Uniworld’s cruises are currently operating as scheduled, Uniworld is proactively communicating with travel partners and guests whose itineraries may be affected.”