A MAJOR car dealership has announced a sudden closure with staff left “shocked and angered”.

BCA revealed it is shuttering it’s branch in Banbury, Oxfordshire, with hundreds now set to lose their jobs.

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Employees were told of the unexpected move late last month[/caption]

The company , which dubs itself “Britain’s biggest” used vehicle business, is closing their Chipping Warden site.

It will relocate business to existing Bedforshire and Northamptonshire operations.

Employees were told of the unexpected move late last month, and given 45 days to prepare.

The final working day will be March 14 before shutters are pulled down permanently.

Staff claimed the news hit “out of the blue” leaving them “shocked and angered”, as reported by Banbury Guardian.

One said: “There are now a lot of people at BCA very upset about the decision.

“We had no notice, the announcement about 200 redundancies and the centre relocating to Bedford just came completely out of the blue.

“Just before Christmas we were getting told to up production and we were smashing a lot more cars out than normal and this is the thanks we get for it!”

The staff member, who is in their 60s, shared fears they will be “too old” to find another job while being too young to retire.

They added how they’ve been “thrown into limbo” over the move.

The Chipping Warden site has been running for nine years.

A spokesperson for BCA said: “BCA confirmed that the Chipping Warden Remarketing Centre is set to relocate to other sites it operates in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and has opened consultation with staff.

“Like all businesses, BCA needs to evolve its operational base in line with its growth journey and the changing external environment and needs of our customers to ensure we continue to provide market leading service and support.”

This comes as another car dealership closed down five showrooms when business folded after 22 years.

Marsh Holdings Limited, based in Exeter, Devon, was forced to shut up shop – just months after it sold its Kia franchise.

Elsewhere, another longstanding car dealer axed six locations across UK in its biggest round of closures ever after cutting 250 jobs.

Meanwhile, a third landmark company revealed their sudden closure under plans to chop a whopping 50 sites.

MANCHESTER UNITED will reportedly hold an emergency staff meeting amid fears of 200 more redundancies.

SunSport revealed on Tuesday that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning to cut another wave of jobs at Old Trafford.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is preparing to make up to 200 more redundancies at Manchester United[/caption]

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A ‘team briefing’ has been reportedly scheduled for February 24[/caption]

The British billionaire’s money-saving measures have seen many employees lose their jobs – including 250 last summer – while the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson have had their salaries axed, too.

SunSport understands a further 100 to 200 staff members are at risk in the next slashing.

A source exclusively told SunSport: “Ultimately, football is a business but there are hundreds of people who work tirelessly behind the scenes who contribute to any club’s success. 

“Morale is already on the floor after last year’s job losses. This will come as another big blow.”

One of those who has reportedly been dismissed is popular head of team operations and “mum of everyone” Jackie Kay, who joined United in 1995.

Now, though, The Guardian state the club have notified staff of an unexpected “team briefing” on February 24.

It is claimed all employees received an email on Friday evening to confirm the scheduled meeting next Monday afternoon.

And while the note did not confirm jobs would be lost, it heavily implied that would be the case as the “club must explore every option”.

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The email reportedly said: “We are aware of media reports this week speculating on a number of issues relating to the club.

“We recognise this is unsettling for you all. In terms of what has been reported there is no further information that we can share with you at this point.

“However, we will hold a team briefing on Monday 24 February at 2.30pm during which we’ll be able to talk to you further.

“It will come as no surprise that the club must explore every option, including reducing costs and raising revenues.

“There are no final decisions currently.”

Ratcliffe is determined to restore the glory days back at Manchester United – with no Premier League title since 2013.

The Red Devils have lost £300million over the past three years and need to turn things around financially.

Ratcliffe even fears if he does not radically cut costs, he fears the historic football giants could go BUST.

Ratcliffe’s unpopular measures in his first year in the director’s box include cancelling the staff Christmas party, replacing bonuses with £40 M&S vouchers, cutting donations to charities, increasing ticket prices and scrapping lunchboxes for matchday staff.

It is not just the staff feeling the disconnect with the club’s ownership – as fans plan a protest on March 9 when they host Arsenal at Old Trafford.

And on the pitch, January transfer recruitment was limited to less than £30million, signing left-back Patrick Dorgu and teenager Ayden Heaven, while it is thought virtually the entire squad of players could be available for sale at the end of the season.

A BELOVED outdoor retailer is set to shut one of its stores in weeks as it launches a “huge” closing down sale.

Craigdon Mountain Sports will shutter its branch in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, at the end of March.

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Craigdon Mountain Sports is closing its Inverurie branch in weeks[/caption]

A Facebook post by the business, which operates one other store in Aberdeen, confirmed the closure.

It added: “We’re so grateful for the incredible support from the local community over the years, and we want to thank our amazing team and all the outdoor enthusiasts who made this store so special.”

Craigdon Mountain Sports said “many” of the Inverurie store staff will be transferred to its Aberdeen site and its website remains operational.

Stock has also been reduced in a huge closing down sale.

But shoppers have still be left distraught after finding out the branch, which sells footwear, snow gear, bags and more, will close its doors for good in a matter of weeks.

Posting on Facebook, one said: “Wow! what a shock! The best shop in the world, the best staff in the world!

“Such a shame to hear, the world is coming to an end, been in my life since I can remember, sad, sad, sad.”

Another commented: “Absolutely gutted to hear this – a real loss for Inverurie as well as the Craigdon brand.”

A third saddened customer added: “So sad to hear this news. Best outdoor shop with the best staff ever.

“We’ve been going for years and all our family adventures have been kitted out here.”

And a fourth commented: “So sorry to hear this, a great loss for Inverurie and the surrounding area.”

The Craigdon Mountain Sports closure comes after a host of other retailers shut up shop in Aberdeenshire.

Superdry is closing its store at the Union Square Shopping Centre in Aberdeen, today, after launching a 30% off sale.

Popular fashion chain Fat Face shuttered its store inside the same shopping centre on January 25.

Meanwhile, American retailer Hollister is set to shut its only store in Aberdeen at the end of the month.

Stores close sites for a variety of reasons including that a particular site is not performing or that a lease is coming to an end.

Closures are not always an indication that a brand is struggling.

HIGH STREET STRUGGLES

The high street has struggled in recent years as shoppers increasingly head online.

The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows online retail sales increased from 5% of all retail sales in 2008 to 27% in 2022.

Shoppers have also been feeling the pinch in recent years following surging inflation which has dented their budgets.

The Centre for Retail Research said in 2024 alone more than 13,000 shops closed across the UK.

Some outdoor retailers are closing branches across the UK, including Trespass and Mountain Warehouse, which has shut a string of shops across the UK in recent years.

But it’s not been bad news by all means.

In August, Mountain Warehouse said it wanted to open 50 new stores following a surge in demand for outdoor clothing.

This came after the brand opened 20 new stores at the start of 2024 following pre-tax profits of £26.2million over the financial year.

RORY MCILROY reckons he wouldn’t be able to use his favourite ever club these days, claiming it’s “probably illegal now”.

McIlroy, 35, has worked his way into contention at the Genesis Invitational this week after going five under on Friday to put him just three shots off the lead this weekend.

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Rory McIlroy has revealed his favourite ever club[/caption]

But the world number three might think he could leading the pack himself had he been able to bring his favourite old club with him from his garage.

Speaking to the media at Torrey Pines, McIlroy was quizzed on what his favourite club of all times was – harking back to a TaylorMade M2 driver he used to use back in 2017.

He said: “Favourite club of all time? Wow. Probably the M2 driver.

“I still stare at it in my garage sometimes, like, ‘I wish I could still use you sometimes’.

“But it’s probably illegal at this point”.

McIlroy, who currently uses TaylorMade’s new Qi10 driver, kept the M2 big stick in his bag for a while in 2017 after he ended his time using Nike clubs.

The club is likely “illegal” now due to wear on the club face causing the driver to send the ball flying so far that it wouldn’t pass PGA Tour testing.

Of course, there’s also the caveat that McIlroy is tied down to a £120MILLION sponsorship deal with TaylorMade, meaning it’s unlikely they would let him promote a six-year-old driver when they have new tech they want to push to the market.

Getty Images - Getty

AP

The Ryder Cup hero now uses the TaylorMade Qi10[/caption]

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McIlroy has earned himself some of golf‘s most lucrative sponsorship deals over the years.

On top of his mega TaylorMade contract, the four-time major winner reportedly agreed a 10-year deal worth around £159MILLION with Nike in 2017.

Other sponsorships with the likes of Omega, Workday and Optum help keep McIlroy’s pockets lined.

Not to mention that his sensational skills on the course earned him almost £17million in prize money alone in 2024.

He’ll be hoping to add some more cash to his career earning this weekend as he competes for the £3.2m on offer for the winner of Genesis Invitational.

McIlroy sits three shots off leader Davis Thompson and has to compete with the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg this weekend with plenty of talented players still in the mix.

A WOMAN has revealed that she won her husband in a TikTok competition and now, they live happily together in an ambulance.

Danielle first came across her now-husband Gunnar after she stumbled upon his quest to marry a stranger from social media.

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A content creator has revealed that she won her husband in a TikTok competition[/caption]

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After just one week of knowing one another, Danielle and Gunnar got married[/caption]

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Instagram/@danielleandgunnar

Trolls believed that Danielle would steal Gunnar’s kidneys[/caption]

Excited by the bizarre idea, the brunette beauty submitted a video application and within a few weeks the pair exchanged vows.

Speaking to Truly, on an episode of Love Don’t Judge, Gunnar explained: “I really enjoyed connecting with people and having fun, unique experiences. So I kind of combined these two things of having fun and trying to get attention, and that led to me wanting to marry a stranger.

“I posted a video saying I wanted to marry a complete stranger.

“A bunch of people responded and Danielle just happened to be the one.”

To this, Danielle beamed: “I won my husband in a competition.

“This was made for me because I never wanted to get married in a traditional way.”

After knowing each other for just one week, the content creators said I Do in Las Vegas.

The pair planned to divorce a week after the ceremony, but there was a hitch to their plan.

Gunnar explained: “After more research we discovered we had to be in our home state together. And it cost more money than we expected. 

“We decided not to go through with the divorce because we were having so much fun together.”  

Following this, Danielle added: “We never thought that we would fall in love.” But, as time went on, the couple did just that. 

Now, the couple live in Danielle’s ambulance, which she bought from Facebook Marketplace for $6,400 [£5,140]. 

Despite now being an official couple, Danielle and Gunnar have endured a whole heap of judgement because of their relationship. 

Danielle chimed in: “I would say the most difficult reaction that I received was probably from my parents. 

“Funny enough, when Gunnar was coming to meet them for the first time, my dad came upstairs with a shotgun.”

When we do get hate, it doesn’t rub us the wrong way. We’re so secure in what we’re doing

Gunnar

Whilst Danielle’s dad had his reservations, her mother was also convinced that her daughter would be “murdered” by her stranger husband. 

Danielle’s mum Mary shared: “I kept quiet because you don’t wanna hear my input. 

“I was afraid he was gonna take your money and your ambulance.”

And not only have trolls accused the pair of tying the knot ‘for fame’, but others initially warned Gunnar and said: “Don’t do it! She’s gonna steal your kidneys”. 

But to this, Gunnar admitted: “When we do get hate, it doesn’t rub us the wrong way. We’re so secure in what we’re doing.”

Social media users react

YouTube users were left open-mouthed by Gunnar and Danielle’s relationship – and were thrilled to see that they are still together, which many eagerly flocked to the comments to express. 

One person said: “This is actually something that made my day. How cute.”

They both seem to be happy. Let’s hope it stays that way

YouTube user

Another added: “They are TRULY made for each other. I’m happy for them.” 

A third commented: “They both seem to have great personalities. They both seem to be happy. Let’s hope it stays that way.” 

Whilst someone else penned: “I’m glad they’re still together.” 

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YouTube/Truly

Danielle’s parents also had their reservations[/caption]

FOR soap stars and bosses, live episodes are the ultimate gamble.

With a brand new live episode of EastEnders just days away from hitting screens, soap fans will no doubt be reminiscing on some of the show’s most epic live moments from the past.

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The BBC has another live episode on the way[/caption]

In 2010, it aired an hour-long live special to mark the show’s 25th anniversary and saw Bradley Branning fall from the Queen Vic roof.

Just five years later, the infamous Who Killed Lucy Beale? plot concluded during a week of special live episodes.

Each episode featured live inserts as well as a fully live episode to mark the end of the long-running story and the programme’s 30th anniversary.

The hit BBC One soap opera has famously broadcast two live episodes in its history.

Coronation Street has also been live before in 2000, 2015 but most famously in 2010 for its Tram Crash episodes.

But it’s fair to say that not everything went quite to plan as the soaps went live.

Whilst EastEnders will be hoping to avoid any huge blunders this time around, here are just some of the greatest slip-ups from soaps live outings.

How’s Adam?

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Jo Joyner made an epic live error when she referred to Ian Beale’s actor’s name[/caption]

Arguably the biggest, and most famous, live error in soap of all time came from seasoned actress Jo Joyner.

Jo made a bombshell guest appearance as Tanya Branning during the live episode despite having quit the show two years earlier.

However, it seemed that with her time away from Albert Square, she’d forgotten that she was actually in character as Tanya when catching up with her former soap pals.

In the episode, Jo mistakenly referred to one of her co-stars by his real name as opposed to his on-screen moniker.

In reference to Adam Woodyatt‘s character Ian Beale, Jo got the names mixed up during a conversation with Laurie Brett’s Jane Beale.

Meaning to ask how Ian was doing in the months following his daughter’s death, she accidentally said: “How’s Adam?”

Within a second, Jo quickly realised what she had done as a painful expression came over her face with co-star Laurie also being left in surprise at the slip-up.

Jo later admitted she had been left ‘haunted’ by the mishap and was inundated with social media messages regarding the moment in the following days.

She told RadioTimes: “There is absolutely no explanation as to how or why that happened. We couldn’t have known it better.

“We go over and over this…We needed to have huge rehearsals, so we were well rehearsed. I’d never got it wrong. Obviously, I thought I’d wait until there were nine million people watching.

 “It was like an out of body experience, like a car crash really.

“Literally, as I’m saying ‘Adam’ I can hear myself tailing off, because I came out of my head and went, ‘well there’s no getting out of that.'”

Branning Blunder

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Jake Wood was caught attempting to retch live on-air[/caption]

Blunders appear to keep rolling in the Branning family with Max, played by actor Jake Wood, also getting caught up in a rather embarrassing slip-up.

In 2010, Max was left horrified after watching his son plunge from the roof to the ground and die on the floor.

In the scenes, the script revealed that Max was supposed to be sick after witnessing his child’s death.

During the live recording, Jake and bosses quickly realised there would be no time for him to put the liquid resembling sick in his mouth.

In response, Jake opted to stick his fingers down his throat to cause a retching sound and simulate the action of being sick.

Unfortunately, the camera spun to Jake at this very moment and as a result, viewers witnessed him with his fingers in his mouth pretending to be sick mere seconds after his son’s death.

Explaining the scenario on This Morning after the episode, Jake said: “Well it was in the script that Max saw Bradley lying dead and was sick, so at some point we talked about putting the liquid in my mouth then realised we’d have no time to do that.

“But to me [what I did] felt very real, if you were going to be sick anyway that you might do that, to get it all out.”

Hard hat problem

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Sally Dynevor’s character was told she must wear a hard hat to enter a wreckage but failed to do so[/caption]

Coronation Street’s 2010 live tram crash episode was hailed as a triumph – but even a near-perfect production had its faults.

One glaring mistake involved Sally Dynevor’s character, Sally Webster, who was told she must wear a hard hat to enter the wreckage and say goodbye to dying Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns).

But in an awkward continuity fail, Sally completely ignored the instruction and never actually put a hard hat on.

Instead, she wandered into the dangerous scene, helmet-free, leaving fans baffled.

Speech Stumble

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Jack Branning got his words in a muddle on the show[/caption]

There was Tanya, then Max… and now Jack.

Scott Maslen’s character is the third Branning to have messed up live on air.

In the scenes, Scott could not get his words out as he mumbled and re-started his sentence about “having a motive” a number of times.

Whilst tensions were supposed to be high, it made for awkward viewing when Jack just could not get it right.

Accidentally calling the police, the public, Jack said: “Bradley didn’t tell the public.”

He then restarted to say: “Bradley didn’t tell the police.”

The Wrong Name

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Peggy thought Janine was called June during the 2010 episode[/caption]

Dame Barbara Windsor made a minor slip-up in 2010 when she accidentally called Charlie Brooks‘ character by the wrong name.

Janine Butcher is one of Walford’s biggest soap villains but her name caused a muddle for Babs’ Peggy during a tense scene during the first ever live show.

In error, Peggy accidentally called Janine, “June”.

In the midst of a row with her step-daughter, Peggy said: “Yeah, you keep on June with those silly stories of yours.”

Unintentional shoplifting

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Samantha Womack confessed that she forgot to pay for a product when her character Ronnie went into the mart[/caption]

Samantha Womack, who played Ronnie Mitchell, is one of the soap’s most loved actresses but even she fell victim to the live episode curse.

Her live mishap almost went unnoticed – until she admitted it herself.

During a supermarket scene, Ronnie was supposed to walk in, pick up a paint stripper, and leave after paying.

But in an awkward blunder, Samantha forgot to pay for the goods and walked out of the shop with the money still in her hand.

It hilariously made it look like she’d just brazenly shoplifted on live TV.

Though most viewers didn’t catch it at the time, Samantha later confessed: “I totally forgot that part of the script! I just walked straight out still holding the money.”

She's 10 years younger than I am.

The mobile network provider urged people to be careful.

The flight was diverted to mainland Spain.

The show is set to be filmed next year.