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The Royal Mint said the new edition of the 10p coin will be highly sought after (Picture: Royal Mint/PA Wire) Millions of new 10p coins with the King’s portrait will be pumped out today after the latest issue by the Royal Mint. Eagle-eyed people still using coins might soon spot that something has changed with the 10p coin. Released into circulation today, the shiny new 10p coins will feature the King’s portrait for the first time. The coins are being released because of increased demand for the 10p denomination, the Royal Mint said. The reverse side of the new 10p coin features the capercaillie bird, a species found in northern Scotland (Picture: Royal Mint/PA Wire) Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Until now, the 10p coin has featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Those coins will remain legal tender and in active circulation along with the new King Charles coins, with the aim of ensuring a smooth transition that has minimal environmental impact. The Royal Mint said that 600,000 2023-dated and 6.5 million 2026-dated 10p coins featuring Charles are entering circulation across the UK. King Charles’s portrait will now decorate the 5p, 10p, 50p and £1 coins (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) The other side of the new coin, known as the ‘tails’, will feature the capercaillie bird. The design was inspired by the flora and fauna of the British Isles, in a nod to the King’s penchant for conservation. King Charles 10p coins will be available from post offices and bank branches. How rare is the new 10p coin? The Royal Mint, the official maker of the British coins, said the Charles coins represent just 1% of the 24.14 billion coins in circulation today, making them highly sought after. The monarch’s portrait has already been etched on the 5p, 50p and £1 coins since 2022 after Charles ascended to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth at the age of 96. If you are on the hunt for the UK’s rarest coin, look out for the 2023 Atlantic salmon 50p – there are only 200,000 of them in circulation. The second-rarest coin is the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, of which 210,000 were minted. Rebecca Morgan, director at the Royal Mint, said: ‘This is a landmark moment for the nation’s coinage, as people begin finding the very first 10p coins bearing the King’s portrait in their change.” Commenting on the bird design, she said: ‘We hope that by putting this extraordinary bird into millions of pockets and purses, we can spark a nationwide conversation about a species at real risk of vanishing from Britain forever.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page A memorial for one of the men killed in the A66 crash has divided opinion after masked bikers set off flares while police watched on. Hundreds of people turned up to remember Jakub Matusiak, 23, one of the five men who were killed inside the Volkswagen Passat near Middlesbrough on Saturday morning. It had driven down the wrong way on the A66 seconds after a police chase had been called off before it smashed head-on into another police vehicle, killing PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. People gathered on a field in the South Bank neighbourhood of Middlesbrough, where the fatal crash happened, to release balloons, many in Matusiak’s favourite colour orange. Some revved scooters and quad bikes at the gathering as flares were set off Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Jakub Matusiak, 23, was remembered at a gathering on a field near the South Bank A66 crash site (Picture: Facebook) Around 20 masked young men on scooters and quad bikes rode around the field and set off flares with colourful smoke filling the air. One woman in the crowd insisted that the 23-year-old was a ‘lovely, caring lad’ and ‘not some scumbag who should just be written off and forgotten,’ referring to coverage of the five men. Matusiak, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Worthy, 17, and Makai Saddington, 18, are said to have several convictions and charges, including motoring offences. The crowds released orange balloons to remember Jakub Matusiak Their friend, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, was also killed in the crash. The woman continued: ‘It was an accident that those police officers died, they weren’t trying to kill anyone and they lost their own lives but they’ve just been written off as if they don’t matter.  ‘The number of people who have come out for Jakub today should show you that they do matter, they were loved and they will be missed.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Hundreds of people gathered at the remembrance event in South Bank today Officers from Cleveland Police’s team that late PC Blades and PC Clough were part of observed the gathering nearby. One grandmother living near the field appeared dismayed over the celebration. The 58-year-old said: ‘What must they be thinking right now? This is nothing but a mockery of the lives of those two policemen. The families and colleagues of PC Matthew Blades (left) and PC Tom Clough are devastated by their deaths (Picture: Facebook/Cleveland Police) ‘I’ve watched them walking down there drinking and smoking weed and razzing about on their motorbikes. There’s nothing here to celebrate.’ Posters were shared online for a separate balloon release for Worthy today in Trimdon Park, Middlesbrough. A fundraiser for the killed officers has reached over £685,000 within a day of its launch. The deadly crash happened on the A66 in South Bank, Middlesbrough, after the Volkswagen Passat drove down the wrong way of the dual carriageway (Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) The A66 crash and another deadly incident on the M9 in County Kildare, Ireland, involving young joyriders have raised questions about dangerous driving videos and social media. Some of the men involved in both crashes are said to have previously posted clips showing them driving recklessly. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has labelled the glorification of dangerous driving as ‘unacceptable’ and said those sharing footage are ‘doing something that’s truly reprehensible.’ Cleveland Police said it has arrested 12 people following the A66 crash, including for firearm possession and participating in an organised crime group. The Volkswagen Passat, with the five men inside, had cloned number plates on, the force said. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

A woman accused of killing her police officer husband has been found dead in a ‘tragic murder-suicide’. Karen Solomon, 58, vanished just after her husband Kurt, 57, was found dead in their Massachusetts home last week. The author was wanted for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with serious bodily injury and was ‘considered armed and dangerous’. Kurt Solomon’s injury involved a sharp object, police said. The last known movements of Karen Solomon Police released doorbell camera footage of Karen Solomon walking down a street in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops early on Tuesday morning, just minutes after officers responded to a call from the home. Officials said they believe Karen Solomon killed herself with a self-inflicted gun shot with a gun found next to her body in woodland. A gun was found alongside her body, CNN said. There was no history of domestic abuse between the couple, according to Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier, who called the incident a ‘tragic murder-suicide’. Kurt was described as a ‘hell of a guy, an awesome police officer and an awesome person.’ Mayor Joe Petty said: ‘Officer Solomon dedicated more than three decades of his life to serving and protecting our city, earning the respect of his fellow officers and our community. ‘But Kurt was much more than the uniform he wore. He was a proud son of Worcester, a father, son, brother, friend, neighbor, and U.S. Army veteran. He grew up here, attended Gates Lane and South High, and ultimately devoted 31 years to the Worcester Police Department. ‘I will personally miss Officer Solomon’s caring personality and the warm smile with which he always greeted me at City Council meetings. Those small interactions spoke to the kind of person he was and will be greatly missed.’ Kurt Solomon was a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department (Picture: Facebook) Karen was the author of two books ‘Hearts Beneath the Badge’ and ‘The Price They Pay’. She leading advocate for first responders, founding the group First H.E.L.P. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

A pet owner found the dog’s body on the side of the country lane in Kinnerton near Chester (Picture: Google Maps) The remains of a dog discovered on a remote country lane have raised suspicions. A dog walker stumbled upon a dead black lurcher on the side of a countryside lane on the border of England and Wales last week. RSPCA was alerted after the discovery on Moor Lane, Kinnerton, near Chester, on Wednesday morning. The animal, aged around three, appeared to have been dumped, the charity said. The dog was still wearing a black collar, although the remains were badly decomposed, RSPCA said. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. The body belonged to a black lurcher (file image) (Picture: Getty Images) Thanks to a microchip, officers from the charity were able to trace the first owners, who, however, revealed they had rehomed the dog. The traces stopped after the second owners said they had also had to give the dog away. Bethany Newis, RSPCA’s animal rescue officer, described the dog walker’s discovery as ‘upsetting’ and said there are concerns about how the dog’s body ended up on the road. She said: ‘The dog was microchipped and traced to an owner in North Wales but they said they re-homed the dog as a pup. We traced the next owner, also living in North Wales, who said they had rehomed the dog because it did not get on with another pet in the home. ‘We are now trying to trace the person who took on the dog after this. ‘The lurcher would have been three in October and the fact that his body appears to have been dumped does raise suspicions, but sadly the body was too decomposed to establish an exact cause of death.’ The animal rescue expert urged anyone with information to get in touch as the RSPCA issued an appeal. The dog’s black collar featured metal bone-shaped studs, a blank nametag and bits of blue rope. She added: ‘This blue rope could have been used as a lead or as a tether and I am hoping the distinctive nature of the collar on this black lurcher may help jog people’s memories as to who may have recently owned him. ‘The area is a popular dog walking spot so we are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious who can help with our enquiries.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Kamil Pustkowski, 17, died with four other teenagers in the M9 crash, which also injured three sisters and a child (Picture: TikTok/PA) The mother of a teenager killed in the wrong-way crash on the M9 in County Kildare has defended her son, saying he was ‘lost.’ Ireland is grieving the deaths of five teenagers, who were killed after the car they were travelling in the wrong way on the motorway smashed into a family vehicle on Sunday, August 16. The five young occupants of the BMW were killed – Kamil Pustkowski, 17, Jack Kennedy, 17, Jeremy O’Brien, 18, Joe Carthy, 15, and 16–year–old Alex McCarthy. Three sisters and a child travelling in the other car, Ella Hendricken, Niamh Kinsella and Alma Kinsella, and Alma’s seven-year-old son, were injured and remain in hospital. Jeremy O’Brien (from top left to right), Joe Carthy, and Kamil Pustkowski died along with Alex McCarthy (bottom left) and Jack Kennedy The complex case unleashed hatred towards the killed teenagers and their families, with online rumours accusing Kamil of being a gang ‘leader.’ Now Kamil’s mum, Emilia Pustkowska, from Limerick, has spoken out after criticism against the parents. She said her son had taken responsibility for his previous actions that led to him being brought before a court, but his case was adjourned several times, reportedly due to a solicitors’ strike, and twice due to evidence not being ready. His behaviour had escalated so far she was begging for the justice system to save her son. The wreckage of one of the cars was thrown to the verge after the head-on impact (Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire) Ms Pustkowska told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Nobody listened to me. Do you believe I wanted my child in the prison? But if you see what’s going on, you have to find different solutions. ‘At least, if he was in the prison, maybe he will have time to mature. Probably then someone else would have been sitting in the car. ‘That’s not any better. But at least that wouldn’t be Kamil.’ She said gardai contacted her about possible car offences involving Kamil in January 2025, a turning point when things ‘snowballed.’ Sisters Ella Hendricken (from left to right), Niamh Kinsella and Alma Kinsella were seriously hurt in the M9 crash along with Alma’s son travelling in the car with them to the airport He was accused of house burglaries, but Kamil’s mum said he is unsure whether he was involved and no charges were brought in relation to them. A court date on July 22 at the Children’s Court in Smithfield, Dublin, and another case scheduled for Limerick on July 27 were reportedly adjourned, despite Kamil pleading guilty to some offences. Ms Pustkowska said: ‘I said to that judge, “I can’t keep him at home.” That’s the thing. For two years I’m living as a prisoner because I have locked everything.’ Kamil was diagnosed with autism and had struggled to keep friends, the mother said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page While she accepts his crimes, she insists Kamil was groomed and picked on, and that it is unfair to place all the blame on him. Gardai is said to have told her that Kamil was not behind the wheel of the BMW. She told the outlet: ‘I know he wasn’t [the leader]. He wasn’t able to lead himself. So how was he the leader? We know that. He was lost… not the leader.’ Ms Pustkowska, who is an accountant, said she is ‘so sorry’ for the families of the crash victims. But she argued that ‘you even can’t say sorry to the family, the others from the other car, because the people will eat you.’ The funerals of Kamil, Joe and Alex took place on Friday. Jeremy was laid to rest in Askea, Carlow, today, while Jack is due to be cremated tomorrow afternoon. Jeremy’s mum spoke to the Irish Sun ahead of her son’s funeral, saying shewished she could apologise to the injured family. She said: ‘I have said prayers for them and I hope to God that they can heal. I am not proud of what happened and I don’t condone what they did – I wish my son had never got into that car.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source