ILLEGAL sweets laced with banned ingredients are finding their way into the hands of Brits, experts have warned.

The items contain prohibited additives which have been linked to behavioural issues and forms of cancer.

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Colorful candies, jelly and marmalade in bowl[/caption]

Local councils say the sweets are “flooding UK high streets”, while the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) have pointed the finger at influencers on TikTok for encouraging teens and children to consume them.

The item’s banned ingredients include brominated vegetable oil (BVO), mineral oil, bleached flour, and additives including Sunset yellow FCF, Allura red, and Tartrazine.

Popular goods such as Swedish Fish, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy and Fanta Pineapple are reported to include the additives.

Sunny D, Prime Hydration and Cheetos Crunchy also include the banned ingredients.

The regulator warned that “millions” of sweets are being imported into the country.

Some convenience stores on the high street are taking advantage of the sinister treat’s popularity by selling them behind the counter.

A number of local councils, including Staffordshire County Council and Manchester City Council, have already swooped in and seized around 4,000 products respectively.

“We’re working hard to protect consumers by removing these products from local shops and educating shopkeepers about the dangers,” a spokesperson from the latter said.

“If you see a product with one of the banned ingredients, please report it.”

Manchester City council workers are also urging consumers to exercise caution when picking up convenience store items.

The Manchester warning reads: “The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has issued a warning that imported sweets and fizzy drinks with known links to hyperactivity and cancer have flooded the UK. 

“Here in Manchester we’re taking this very seriously, and the Council’s Environmental Health team are seizing illegal products from local shops. We’re also urging you not to buy these products for children. 

“We’re working hard to protect consumers by removing these products from local shops and educating shopkeepers about the dangers. If you see a product with one of the banned ingredients, please report it to [email protected].”

CTSI CEO John Herriman added: “The UK prides itself on high food standards but this very much relies on trading standards ensuring that what is on sale complies with the law.

“Trading standards work extremely hard to protect the public by removing dangerous products from sale, but the popularity of these items is being increased by videos on social media platforms, such as TikTok.”

He added: “The increase in demand means importers are sending these through our ports and borders in the millions, and these are then being widely distributed and ending up in retail stores and in the hands of children.”

Herriman went on to call on parents to do their part to ensure their kids are not falling prey to the illicit items.

“We also urge parents to be aware,” he said.

“If shop owners are unsure of what items are safe to sell, they should contact their local trading standards service for support and advice.”

The Sun Online has approached TikTok for comment.

How to spot illegal snacks in the UK

Additives are only allowed in the UK if they have been tested and proved to be safe for the intended use in a particular type of food or drink or if there is a technological need for use.

A US product that hasn’t been approved would list nutritional information as ‘Nutrition Facts’ and carry an American company name and address.

If it was legal in the UK, it would list a UK subsidiary of that company and often would include further UK-compliant labelling placed over the original information in the form of a sticker.

Another way for people to check whether goods are American imports is to look at how weight is recorded. 

In the UK, grams and millilitres are used while in America, it is fluid ounce and ounce.

Julie Richardson, lead food officer for Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, said in a statement: “Increasingly we are seeing products banned in the UK on sale.

“If you see confectionery which you are unfamiliar with it may be imported so we advise you to read the label first to see if it contains one of the additives listed.

“We ask retailers to urgently remove items from sale that contain unauthorised ingredients.”

GARY NEVILLE urged Ruben Amorim to bring Danny Welbeck back to Manchester United.

Welbeck came through United’s academy but left after six seasons in 2014 – scoring just 29 goals in 142.

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Gary Neville urged Ruben Amorim to bring Danny Welbeck back to Manchester United[/caption]

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Welbeck has had a resurgence at Brighton[/caption]

He moved to Arsenal – scoring 32 in 126 matches – but joined Watford and later Brighton – where he had had a career resurgence.

And at 34, former United captain Neville believes Welbeck is just what Amorim needs after his starring role in Brighton’s 3-0 win over Chelsea.

He said on Sky Sports: “He was let go too quickly at United.

“If you think about Louis van Gaal, his style of play is very precise, now Danny Welbeck wasn’t precise in his game back then, so he (Van Gaal) just let him go. He didn’t fancy him at all.

“But he’s actually perfect for how Manchester United should play. Threatening space in behind, playing off front players.

“This idea that he’s not good enough for Manchester United is absolutely rubbish.”

Former United boss Erik ten Hag was said to have been interested in re-signing ex-England international Welbeck.

But Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee instead joined – but Neville believes Welbeck makes an ideal back-up like Divock Origi was at Liverpool.

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Neville said: “He’s good enough to be in a pool of three or four strikers at United.

“For instance, Liverpool have three, four, five forward players across their forward line. They’re all of differing abilities and different types.

“Salah’s the stand-out one but you might move back to Gakpo and others who aren’t quite as good as Salah – they all contribute at a certain point in the season. Divock Origi did it at Liverpool.

“I’ve seen Nicolas Jackson talked about at Chelsea last season as not being good enough [but] he is good enough to play at Chelsea, maybe if they had another striker up front to take the weight off his shoulders. He would be one of two very good strikers at the club.

“We always tag these players with, ‘Oh, he’s not good enough’, but he (Welbeck) is, to be part of a 20-man squad at a top club. He can still play at the top level, he’s destroying defences.

“He’s torn Colwill and Chalobah to shreds tonight. That front four, he was part of it – a big part of it.”

News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Amorim has been urged to sign Welbeck[/caption]

WANTING to spruce up your home can be tricky if you’re on a budget, that’s exactly what this woman discovered when she was quoted of £15K to get her kitchen re-done.

Not wanting to fork out so much money, she decided to do it herself, saving a whopping £13.5K in the process.

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The kitchen looked dull and outdated before the DIY project[/caption]

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The homeowner decided to get to work to transform the kitchen for a fraction of the cost[/caption]

Jade shared her DIY journey on YouTube, and people were amazed by how good the finished kitchen looked.

Before she got to work the space was outdated with white cupboards, tiles and old fixtures and fittings.

So, the first thing on her to-do list was to take off all the cupboard doors and give them a new lease of life.

Instead of simply painting them though, she completely transformed them by sanding each one down and adding wooden moulding.

The drawers then got painted a stunning sage green colour, and some new handles made all the difference.

Although Jade didn’t reveal exactly where she bagged the kitchen handles from, they’re extremely similar to the Decoranddecor Dimora D-Shape Cupboard Handles on Amazon.

And the best part is they’re priced at just £3.49, so won’t break the bank.

Next, the old white tile backsplash was removed, and everything got a much needed lick of paint.

Things were already starting to look better, but Jade wasn’t done yet and wanted to go the extra mile to create the kitchen of her dreams.

Using wooden slats, she drilled them into the outside of her worktop for a chic Scandi look.

Then it was time for some new tiles.

She stuck to the white theme, but this time got some in a much more modern oblong shape to bring the kitchen up-to-date a bit.

Finally, it was time for the finishing touches, including a large fruit bowl, some wooden chopping boards and some posh wooden stools.

All in all, Jade revealed that the DIY project cost her $2,000 (£1,587.93).

And after showing off the epic transformation others were inspired to take on the challenge themselves.

One commented on the viral video: “YOU ARE INCREDIBLY!!! THIS IS SO INSPIRING!! Thank you for taking the time to film it!”

A second agreed: “I’m in love with this!!! Green in a kitchen feels so fresh and underrated.”

“I wish it were as quick as this clip. I know it was a lot of work,” a third chimed in.

And another said: “This is incredible! This shows that anyone can do things like this, if we are just going to try and learn.”

Meanwhile, someone else wrote: “Wonderful!!! The redo costs are ridiculous.

“I find myself doing these things around the house too it so cost effective Awesome job!!!”

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The freshly decorated kitchen was barely recognisable[/caption]

MAN UTD have warned their staff that leaking information about Ineos’ cuts is “damaging to colleagues and the wider club.”

On Friday, senior officials at the Red Devils sent an email about a “team briefing” on February 24 that will discuss how the club is planning to reduce costs.

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Alamy

Last summer, Ineos cut 250 jobs – with a further 100 mooted[/caption]

In the past three years, Man Utd have lost a staggering £300million in revenue.

That has led to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new regime cutting 100s of jobs.

Last summer, 250 jobs were cut as the club moved to stop hemorrhaging money.

A further 100 plus workers were set to be made redundant this month.

An email, seen by The Telegraph, revealed how disappointed the club were to see club issues in the media.

. “Any leaks, whether accidental or intended, can be damaging to colleagues and the wider club,” the statement said.

According to the report, Manchester United have not commented about the email.

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However, it is believed that staff were told the reasons for change is to help the club get back to winning ways, “which requires transformation on and off the pitch,” the statement added.

The changes will become more evident a week on Monday, when the meeting takes place.

Ratcliffe has already started refurbing the club’s Carrington training ground.

He has invested £241 million to help the club since taking over a year go.

Despite that, there is still a feeling that they face a “challenging” time financially in the future.

Ratcliffe signed off on last summer’s axing of 250 staff members, but insiders say that costs remain too high on and off the pitch.

Club staff have been warned that Man Utd have to explore every option, from reducing costs to raising revenues.

The Telegraph’s report adds that no final decisions have been on the proposed 100-job cut this month.

THE Masked Singer final is nearly here and one of this year’s performers has revealed who they think one of the remaining characters could be.

EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy was revealed in the semi final, after she was unmasked as Bush on The Masked Singer last week.

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Pufferfish is one of ITV’s The Masked Singer finalists who will perform tonight[/caption]

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EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy believes it could be her co-star Shona McGarty, who plays Whitney Dean[/caption]

Now the actress, who is known for her iconic role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, has revealed she thinks one of her soap co-stars could be behind one of the remaining singers.

Pufferfish, alongside Dressed Crab and Wolf, remains in the final and Natalie has shared her theory on who it could be.

Speaking on her Life With Nat podcast, Natalie guessed that Pufferfish will be unveiled as EastEnders actress Shona McGarty.

Shona, who played Whitney Dean in the soap until her exit last year, is known to have a brilliant singing voice which Natalie thinks could be what ITV viewers have heard on a Saturday night.

Speaking to her daughter Eliza on her podcast, Natalie said: “It could be Shona, because Shona’s voice is amazing. Why have I not thought of that already?”

Discussing performances, Natalie revealed she was left in tears by Pufferfish’s “beautiful voice” during her rendition of Barbra Streisand‘s Don’t Rain on My Parade.

Aside from Shona, Natalie guessed that Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards could be behind Pufferfish with daughter Eliza doing the same.

Fans have also been sharing their theories for who Pufferfish could be, as she’s the last remaining female contestant.

Some of the previous clues have hinted at a Stateside star, after Pufferfish referred to the Statue of Liberty and American football.

There has also been a rubber spider resting on a hairbrush, a pair of dice rolling a five and six, and a moment where Pufferfish was seen crushing a rubber chicken with a blue boot.

Fans seem fairly convinced that West End superstar Samantha Barks is behind the mask.

One wrote on Reddit: “Firstly, the voice is very similar.

“Watch her BGT performance of ‘Let It Go’ and you’ll see what I mean – she has even got on her knees before whilst performing, which we saw in Good Luck, Babe last week.”

“Next, it has to be said from someone who has seen Pufferfish live in studio, that she has an incredibly tiny stomach despite wearing a corset.

“From what I’ve seen, Samantha has the same physique. I’ve also seen pictures of her wearing corsets and everything seems to be near enough an exact match!”

Another agreed: “I think Pufferfish is Samantha Barks!”

While a third penned: “Pufferfish is definitely Samantha Barks.”

The Masked Singer airs on ITV at 7pm and is available on ITVX.

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Shona is known for playing Whitney Dean in EastEnders, before leaving the soap last year[/caption]

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Pufferfish is the last female remaining in the ITV show[/caption]

A MUM was left horrified after a female stranger broke into her home and tried to kidnap her baby.

Mary McCann had stepped outside her home in Poole, Dorset, for a cigarette when an unknown woman entered the property.

This mystery woman then unclipped Mary’s baby from their pram and reportedly attempted to escape through the back door.

A family member then alerted Mary to the individual in the property and asked Mary if she knew who she was.

Upon realising she did not recognise her, the mum rushed into her home to rescue her young child.

Mary told the Bournemouth Echo: “When someone has your baby in her arms, and you don’t know what she’s going to do, it feels like something out of a horror movie.”

She said she phoned the police while the woman was still inside her home and reported that the intruder was beginning to act aggressively towards her.

Dorset Police said they received a report at 2.46pm on February 7 that an unknown woman had entered a home on Waxwing Drive in Poole and taken hold of a child.

A police spokesperson said: “The child was not taken from the address and did not sustain any injuries during the incident.

“Officers attended, and a woman aged in her 30s was arrested in connection with the incident.”

The woman has since been released on police bail and has also been taken to receive appropriate medical care at a mental health facility.

Mary explained she had never seen the woman before but the intruder knew her name and that she had told her older daughter that she was a babysitter.

She said her family had been left shaken by the ordeal and advised others to be vigilant about the security of their home.

Mary added: “It was a huge shock to the system.”

Now, she says her older daughter constantly checks that doors are locked and that the baby is secure, and that the family are no longer able to sleep well.

Police said enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

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An unknown woman posed as a babysitter before entering Mary’s home (stock image)[/caption]

ON the day Graham Potter hoped to show off his attacking riches, West Ham’s woeful defence let him down.

A first half of comically calamitous defending from the Hammers allowed Kevin Schade to inflict a fourth defeat in six games under Potter.

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Kevin Schade’s early goal set Brentford on their way to three points in this London derby[/caption]

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Schade made the most of calamitous defending[/caption]

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The result has left West Ham struggling down in 16th[/caption]

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Meanwhile, the Bees have moved ten points off of the top four[/caption]

There has been clear progress in some areas since he replaced Julen Lopetegui last month, but this was a significant step backwards.

There was a rare whiff of optimism around the London Stadium

Potter had a gap of two weeks since their last game and was able to start the trio of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus for the first time since he was appointed.

New signing Evan Ferguson was also named in the squad and given the second half to show what he can do.

While it is an attractive attacking line, the West Ham defence remains substandard and sapped the hope from the stands after just four minutes.

A soft challenge from Emerson allowed Bryan Mbeumo to nod Yoane Wissa’s ball onto Schade – before a calamity between Alphonse Areola and the hapless Konstantinos Mavropanos unfolded.

Areola got a foot to the forward’s first effort, sending it looping towards goal.

Mavropanos came careering in, hooked the ball off the line but straight back to Schade, whose strike just made it over the line before Areola got a glove to it.

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This is nothing new in Stratford, though. Schade’s was the 10^th goal West Ham have conceded in the opening 10 minutes this season.

After Areola saved a low Mbeumo shot, only the offside flag saved the Hammers from another cock-up.

Paqueta passed straight to Mbeumo, free to roam on the edge of the box, who picked out Wissa to finish – though the forward was just off.

West Ham looked nervous and were pinned back, unable to do anything meaningful with the ball.

There was no stemming the Brentford chances as the visitors continued to plunder the wide open gaps left by their generous hosts.

Wissa sent one high and wide before Schade rattled the foot of the post.

Again, the officials were covering for West Ham’s incompetence as the finest of offside calls against Kristoffer Ajer ruled out another Wissa goal upon review.

West Ham were so haphazard that Potter made a triple change at the break – though the club could not even get that right as new signing Ferguson was announced as midfielder Guido Rodriguez.

Ferguson clearly made little impact on the stadium announcer, but quickly made things happen, cutting back for Kudus, who fired over the bar from eight yards.

The Hammers suddenly had some energy and verve. Paqueta saw a shot deflected over the bar before both Ferguson and fellow sub Ollie Scarles also won corners with their attempts.

Brentford were holding firm against West Ham’s response but soon lost Sepp Van Den Berg to injury following a challenge by Edson Alvarez.

The changes had also nullified Brentford’s constant counter-attacks from the first half as the Hammers searched for a leveller.

Paqueta won a free-kick which was deflected wide, though a goal kick was given, before Bowen reacted furiously at not being awarded a penalty having been brought down by Keane Lewis-Potter.

West Ham were showing promise, but still lacking a clinical finish as Ferguson sent a low strike straight at Mark Flekken.

But the Irishman had given the Brentford defence something to do at last and looks a promising addition.

Scarles fizzed another effort just over the bar from the edge of the box as Brentford sat in and looked for openings to relieve the pressure – underlining the benefit of a competent defence.

Potter must have looked on green with envy.

DUA Lipa shared a sweet insight into her relationship with fiance Callum Turner on his 35th birthday.

The Sun revealed in December that Callum had proposed to girlfriend Dua during the 2024 festive period.

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Dua Lipa shared a insight into her relationship with fiance Callum Turner[/caption]

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The pop star often keeps her romance private[/caption]

Dua took to social media on Saturday to shared a loved-up photo with the Fantastic Beasts actor.

The pop star posted a touching birthday message to Callum on her Instagram story.

Dua was seen cosying up to her man and placed a gentle hand on his face.

In another photo, the pair showed off their playful sides with a funny face.

She sweetly wrote: “Happy Birthday to my favourite person in the world,” followed by five red love heart emojis.

Dua’s fans have been delighted to see the star’s romance blossom over the last 12 months.

The pair celebrated the new year last month after Callum popped the question during the festive season.

A source at the time said: “Dua and Callum are so in love and know this is forever.

“They are engaged and couldn’t be happier.

“Dua has had one of the best years of her career professionally and this is the cherry on the cake.

“Callum is such a solid support for Dua and they make a wonderful couple. Their family and friends are so happy. It’s been an amazing Christmas for them.”

Dua, whose hits include New Rules, Physical and Houdini, posted a snap on Instagram of her wearing a ring on her engagement finger.

She finished the first leg of her stadium tour and returned to the UK from Asia to spend Christmas with family and Callum.

They were first seen together in January at an after-party for the premiere of his Apple TV miniseries Masters of the Air.

They danced in Beverly Hills before they were photographed together for the first time days later — having dinner with friends in Los Angeles.

Callum joined Dua’s family this summer as she headlined at Glastonbury, and was also at several recent gigs, including one at the Royal Albert Hall.

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The famous duo got engaged in December[/caption]

ONE of the most iconic video games of the nineties is worth nearly £2,000 if you’ve got a pristine copy.

The hit title is featured on a list of classic PlayStation games that are now worth over a grand.

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The PlayStation 1 was a smash-hit console for game-loving Brits in the nineties[/caption]

Price Charting

The original Resident Evil is a nostalgic prize for PlayStation fans building retro game collections[/caption]

If you ever owned a PlayStation 1, you’ll want to check your cupboards and drawers right now.

The console landed in the UK in September 1995, with millions of units sold globally.

One of the most beloved games on the console was Resident Evil, which came out in 1996.

And video game collectibles tracker PriceCharting reports that a sealed copy of the game is worth a dizzying £1,976.43.

Shockingly, if you have the pristine copy professionally graded, that value rises to £6,189.98.

PriceCharting tracks the prices of old games and consoles based on sales across the web – giving estimations of how much they’re worth.

Prices often rise over time as copies of classic games become rarer.

The good news is that you can still get a decent bit of cash even if you don’t have a perfect copy of Resident Evil.

If you’ve got a complete-in-box copy of the game with all the parts, it could fetch £72.65 even unsealed.

And the loose disc itself is worth £24.02, according to the price-tracker.

If you’ve got the empty box on its own, that’s valued at £18.30.

And the manual, impressively, would potentially fetch £25.40 at auction.

The bad news is that these price estimates are just that: estimates.

They may well be based on actual game sales, but it doesn’t mean your own copy will fetch those sums.

Capcom

The graphics look terrible by today’s standards, but it was a visually impressive game at the time[/caption]

There’s a chance that you could end up with less cash if you try to flog your copy.

On the other hand, you might end up beating these estimates – especially if you hang onto your rare games for a bit longer.

Resident Evil is one of the best-loved games from the late nineties.

Released by Capcom in 1996, the survival horror game saw players controlling Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, members of an elite police force trying to escape a zombie-infested mansion.

The game quickly became an international best-seller, and was hailed by critics and players for its thrilling gameplay, eerie atmosphere, and terrifying visuals.

It’s often considered to be one of the best games ever made, and spawned a massive franchise that included multiple sequels and even feature films.

The game had sold around four million copies by December 1997.

And it was later released on other platforms including Windows PC, the Sega Saturn, and even the Nintendo DS.

If you didn’t have a PlayStation 1, you might have some of these valuable Nintendo 64 games instead.

Her best friend was seriously hurt in the crash.