A RETIRED doctor who faced a police investigation into a historic allegation about him took his own life, not knowing that the case had been dropped, an inquest heard. Peter Betts (pictured above), whose mental state ‘deteriorated rapidly’ during the month-long inquiry, was found in his garden after stabbing himself. Hampshire Constabulary had dropped its inquiry into the paediatrician, 76, the day before, Winchester coroner’s court was told. But procedure required officers to wait to tell him until the complainant had been informed. Coroner Christopher Wilkinson recorded a verdict of suicide over the doctor’s death on October 14 last year in Compton, Hampshire.

Maternity review at NHS trust after 7 baby deaths

AN INDEPENDENT review into maternity services at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust will be held after reports of at least seven preventable baby deaths occurred there since 2016. Health minister Nadine Dorries has pledged immediate action.

Wait for treatment at A&E hits record high

THE number of A&E patients waiting for hours to be treated hit a record high last month. In total, 100,578 patients were delayed beyond four hours — up from 83,554 in January 2019. Of those, 2,846 waited more than 12 hours, compared with 627 last year, to be admitted to hospital, NHS England data shows. The figures reveal the strain on the NHS is ‘relentless, deepening and showing no sign of recovery’, the British Medical Association said. The NHS also reported that ambulances attended 750,238 incidents last month, making it the busiest January on record.

Unis ‘are still failing disadvantaged teens’

THE proportion of disadvantaged youngsters going to university has failed to increase, figures reveal. Among the worst are Oxford and Cambridge, where just 3.7 per cent and 4.2 per cent of students are from areas where traditionally fewer teenagers enter higher education.

Rebekah: Coleen spat landed me in hospital

REBEKAH VARDY has had spells in hospital due to online trolling. The wife of Leicester City striker Jamie was embroiled in a row with Coleen Rooney, wife of ex-England star Wayne, who accused her of leaking stories about the couple to the media — claims she denies. Mrs Vardy, 37, who was seven months pregnant at the time, told ITV’s Loose Women the allegations affected her health. ‘The trolling was the worst part. I had anxiety attacks and ended up in hospital three times,’ she said.

Sex can be a letdown after porn, say young

ONE in three young adults believes watching porn has affected what they find sexually attractive in a partner, a study reveals. The same number admit to having been ‘surprised’ by what sex was like in real life — with one in four 18- to 24-year-olds saying it wasn’t as good as they expected. Despite Valentine’s Day being special for many, four in ten young adults admitted to feeling extra pressure to have sex on February 14. A spokesperson for Durex, which commissioned the survey, said ‘sex should be open, honest, messy and fun’.

Dozy drunk sparks Spoons terror fear

SO MANY police arrived to deal with a dozing drinker at a Wetherspoon’s that bystanders thought a terror attack was in progress. The man reacted aggressively when he was woken up and asked to leave the Sir John Moore in Glasgow. Staff pressed a panic alarm — triggering the arrival of more than 30 officers in at least 16 squad cars. Labourer Paul Carroll, 62, said: ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes as they all ran into the pub — I thought it was a terrorist incident.’ Carol Qua, 57, said the number of cars sent was ‘unbelievable’. A 39-year-old man has been arrested. A 39-year-old man has been arrested.

Home alone… where to buy flat if you are single

A GUIDE for single house hunters reveals the top places to buy alone. Zoopla factored in the cost of a one-bedroom place, the proportion of singletons living in the area, typical local earnings and the number of nearby pubs and clubs. Bristol came top in England despite a relatively high typical price tag of £190,000. Aberdeen (£73,000) was best in Scotland and Cardiff (£100,000) was No.1 in Wales. Other top spots included Sheffield (£75,000), Liverpool (£94,000), Coventry (£105,000), Portsmouth (£130,000) and Newcastle (£108,000).

Stunning strike… football headers ‘damage eyesight’

HEADING a football triggers instant brain changes that affect players’ vision, new research shows. The impact causes short-term damage to the circuit linking cognitive functions with the eyes, according to the study of dozens of football players. Author Dr Keisuke Kawata, of Indiana University in the US, said eye motion function ‘may be temporarily vulnerable to acute sub-concussive head impacts’. It adds to increasing evidence that, even without causing concussion, heading the ball can be harmful and may lead to a higher risk of developing dementia.

Scrub that… speedy nurse gets her world title award

AN NHS nurse told that her world record-breaking marathon time would not be counted as the scrubs she ran in were more like a doctor’s outfit has had her achievement recognised. Jessica Anderson was denied the fastest nurse in uniform title but got her Guinness World Record at the Barts Health Heroes awards this week. Guinness said guidelines were ‘out of date’.

1,600 kids a year ‘have needless appendix ops’

THOUSANDS of children undergo unnecessary appendix surgery every year — costing the NHS £4.4million — a report claims. Of the 28,700 youngsters admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis annually, 1,600 have their appendix wrongly removed, according to the University of Birmingham-led study. Senior lecturer Aneel Bhangu said: ‘Our study found that overall the diagnosis is wrong for one in six children who undergo appendicectomy. This places an unacceptable burden on children and their carers.’

Extradition case dad’s ‘mafia’ fears

A DAD-OF-TWO fears he will be killed by the ‘mafia’ if extradited to Portugal to serve a seven-year jail sentence for manslaughter, a court heard. John Hodgson, 29, struck Ricardo Teixeira outside a bar in Albufeira in 2011, causing him to fall down stairs and hit his head. The victim died days later from a brain injury. Hodgson, of Herne Bay, Kent, was convicted in his absence in 2016 and yesterday told Westminster magistrates’ court he had missed the trial after learning the Teixeira family were ‘part of a gang’. District judge Gareth Branston will deliver his ruling on February 24. District Judge Gareth Branston reserved his decision until February 24th.

Dad held in Egypt for ‘pat on back at airport’

THE family of a man jailed for sexual harassment in Egypt says he was only patting an airport worker’s back in thanks. Dad-of-four Tony Camoccio, 51, from Sutton, south-west London, was arrested at Hurghada Airport on Saturday after a ten-day holiday with friends and family. His daughter Elle Brooker, 17, said: ‘He was patted down and to show his appreciation he patted the guy on the back. ‘They shouted for the police. He was arrested right there.’ Mr Camoccio’s wife Joan and son Remo stayed in Egypt and the British Embassy is in contact.

Water company in court over ‘sewage spills’

SOUTHERN Water has appeared in court over 8,400 alleged sewage spills. The company, which treats waste water in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, faces 51 charges of breaching environmental regulations from 2010 to 2015. A spokesman said ‘we will be as open and transparent as possible to ensure a speedy resolution of the case’ brought by the Environment Agency. Maidstone magistrates sent the case to the town’s crown court for a hearing on March 11.

You’re knickered! £800 sex shop raid was for girlfriend

AN AMOROUS Frenchman broke into a sex shop and stole £800 of saucy lingerie — including a nurse’s outfit and teacher’s costume — to give to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. He smashed a window at Oh Darling! in Cesson-Sévigné, Brittany, before quickly filling his rucksack. But the alarm went off and police were alerted. He told officers it was to replace underwear she kept in a bin bag — and he had accidentally thrown out with the rubbish.

Bling ring! Gold 1930s phone saved from skip

ENGLISH Heritage’s Dr Olivia Fryman brushes up a rare art deco gold telephone before it goes on display at London’s Eltham Palace tomorrow. It was rescued from a skip outside the palace in the 1980s.

It’s no rewind-up! Lost mixtape pops up after 25 years

A POP fan has been reunited with a mixtape she lost on holiday after it washed up on a beach 25 years later — and it still plays the tracks she recorded. Stella Wedell was 12 when the cassette, featuring Pet Shop Boys, Snap and Shaggy, went missing in Majorca, Spain, in 1993. She was stunned to spot it at a Stockholm exhibition after artist Mandy Barker found it in Fuerteventura. Ms Wedell, who lives in Berlin, said: ‘It’s incredible, I recognised the track listing.’

NEWS BITES

■ A GIANT spider sculpture made to mark the opening of Tate Modern is to return as part of the venue’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Maman, by artist Louise Bourgeois, will go on display at the gallery in May.

■ A SKUNK found by a dog walker in woods outside Darlington, Co. Durham, covered its rescuers in foul-smelling spray. The RSPCA’s John Lawson said the abandoned pet’s scent ‘lingered’ in his van after three deep cleans.

■ ALMOST one in three people do not know when their mobile phone contract ends, a survey has found. And four in ten do not actively look for the best deals, according to Carphone Warehouse.

WORLD BRIEFS

Winter adds to suffering of refugees

REFUGEES who have fled daily attacks in Syria are now facing a battle to survive as snow falls on their camps. Since December, more than 800,000 people have been displaced in Idlib province when the government started bombing civilian targets, says the UN. Refugee camps are running short of fuel in sub-zero temperatures and many living there are burning clothes to keep warm. Zeyra Seyh, who is staying at the Tal Abyad camp near the Turkish border, said: ‘It’s too cold. We have one blanket to cover five people’. The UNHCR said the crisis was ‘dire’.

WORLD BITES

■ TORRENTIAL rain in Australia has put out all the wildfires in New South Wales. The Rural Fire Service said it was ‘great news’. However, a 75-year-old man in Queensland has died in floods and further storms are forecast for the next few days.

■ A TERMINALLY ill cancer patient was arrested at Istanbul airport and charged with insulting Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Facebook. Ayten Sarikaya Kesler, 53, fainted in the courthouse after hearing she was accused of ‘making terror propaganda’ with her post.

■ PUERTO Rico’s government has lost £2million in a phishing scam. Its Industrial Development Company was hoaxed by an email saying bank details had changed. The FBI is investigating and an internal inquiry is under way.

■ A WORLD record holder pushed the limits of human endurance by cycling 250 miles through Siberia in temperatures as low as -60C. Lithuanian-born extreme sports fan Valerjan Romanovski, 44, finished the route in four days.

■ VENEZUELAN opposition leader Juan Guaido’s uncle has been arrested and accused of trying to smuggle explosives. Mr Guaido called Juan Jose Marquez an ‘honest and brave man’ and said the arrest was to intimidate him.