The first person in the UK to have a double hand transplant has written a letter of thanks to his surgeon, nine months after his pioneering operation. Chris King, 57, of Doncaster, lost both hands, except his thumbs, in an accident at work four years ago. He had the complex operation at Leeds General Infirmary in July. The Leeds Rhinos fan is also looking forward to being able to clap when he goes to watch the rugby league team.

Yellow car owners have rallied in support of a vehicle blamed for ruining tourists' photographs in a picturesque Cotswold village. A convoy of 100 cars has driven through Bibury in an act of solidarity towards Vauxhall Corsa owner Peter Maddox, 84. Mr Maddox has come under fire for parking his car outside his cottage in Arlington Row. Tourists have complained that it "ruins" the view and, earlier this year, the vehicle was vandalised.

The long read: She is venerated around the world. She has outlasted 12 US presidents. She stands for stability and order. But her kingdom is in turmoil, and her subjects are in denial that her reign will ever end. That’s why the palace has a plan.

For patients with a very rare, inherited disease that causes excessive bleeding, fragile bones and bloated livers, French drugmaker Sanofi has a pill available in countries from Germany and Greece to the U.S. Not in England. The Gaucher disease drug, which would cost as much as 250,000 pounds ($305,900) a year, is poised for rejection by the state-run health system even after Sanofi offered an undisclosed discount for the lifelong treatment.

A father who praised "the benefits of formula milk" saw his one-week-old son taken into council care, a court heard. Medical staff had told Kirklees Council of the man's "unorthodox views" about feeding including the need to sterilise bottles and social workers later removed the baby from the hospital. Care chiefs then "misled" a family court and falsely claimed the parents "agreed" to the child's removal.

A hospital porter who was fired for "stealing" a £4 egg and bacon sandwich has been reinstated following an outpouring of public support. Aldren Tomlinson, who worked at King George Hospital in Ilford for 15 years, was sacked on 10 February despite agreeing to pay for the meal later. His employers, Sodexo, restored the 45-year-old's job on Thursday morning. A spokesperson said they "received an appeal, reviewed the situation and offered the employee reinstatement".

A mentally-ill teenager muttered 'Allah, Allah, Allah' after he stabbed an American tourist to death and injured five others in a knife rampage in London's Russell Square, a court has heard. Zakaria Bulhan, 19, killed retired teacher Darlene Horton, 64, just hours before she was due to fly home to Tallahassee, Florida, after visiting the UK with her university professor husband Richard Wagner. Bulhan, a Norwegian national of Somali origin who was living in south-west London...

A man on trial with his father accused of forcing a Polish couple to work for £4 a day has been acquitted. Khuram Riaz, 27, denied forcing or compelling Margorsha Bienick and Michal Czesniawski into labour in Nelson, Lancashire. Her Honour Judge Beverley Lunt directed the jury at Burnley Crown Court to record not guilty verdicts for Mr Riaz Jr saying he had no case to answer. The case against his father, Mohammed Riaz, 62, continues.

A Plymouth Argyle fan who was told his son had died unexpectedly during Sunday's FA Cup match with Liverpool has thanked police and staff who eased his distress. Kevin May, 53, from Plymouth, was texted by daughter Stacey during the game that his son Daniel, 25, had died. Daniel was quadriplegic, blind and had cerebral palsy since an operation aged six months. Distraught dad Mr May was taken to a quiet room away from the crowd.

Seventeen people were hurt when a coach veered off a motorway slip road and overturned while driving in heavy fog. The Oxford Bus Company vehicle came off the M40 northbound slip road at junction seven near Thame at 02:45 GMT. South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said a variety of injuries had been suffered, including cuts, bruises and broken bones. Phil Southall, managing director of the bus company, said it was too early to speculate on the cause.

London’s housing crisis is the single biggest barrier to prosperity, growth and fairness facing Londoners today. And the scourge of rough sleeping and homelessness – something many of us see on the streets of London every single day – is the sharpest end of this housing crisis. Last year, more than 8,000 people slept rough in the capital at some point – a 6% rise on the previous year, and more than double compared with eight years ago.

The vast majority of parents of overweight children in England do not recognise the fact, the annual NHS health survey has found, raising fears that high levels of obesity have normalised unhealthy weights. Nine in 10 mothers and eight in 10 fathers of an overweight child described them as being about the right weight. Almost half of mothers (48%) and 43% of fathers said their obese child was about the right weight...

“We live in a cult of the upgrade right now. There’s always something around the corner that will make whatever you think is cool right now feel obsolete” – Colin Trevorrow

The tram that derailed in Croydon killing seven people was travelling at three and a half times the speed limit, investigators have said. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the tram, which was carrying about 60 people, was travelling at 43.5mph in a 12mph zone. In its interim report, it said there was no evidence of any track defects, or obstructions on the track. The investigation also found no malfunction of the braking system.

The law forces UK internet providers to store browsing histories -- including domains visited -- for one year, in case of police investigations.

I never thought I would see this opera again. ‘Rule Britannia!’ peals, the curtain parts, and there is a mad queen poling her island raft away into the Atlantic. Her shrieks grow slowly fainter, as the mainland falls behind… By Neal Ascherson.

Hundreds of people join a dog owner as he takes his beloved but poorly whippet Walnut on a final walk before the pet is put down.

Two prisoners have escaped from HMP Pentonville, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said. The escape was discovered when prison officers found two mannequins in the prisoners' beds on Monday. One of those who escaped is serving a "very long sentence", the BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.

Dr Samantha Shave and Charlotte Hodgman visit Weaver Hall Museum in Cheshire, a former workhouse and place of last resort for the destitute…