A Wigan man has trekked a whopping 232 miles all the way to Downing Street to hand-deliver a petition that’s appealing to “regulate” online animal sales.
And he did it all in the name of his beloved puppy who passed away – Reggie.
Richard Ackers – who lives in the Wigan village of Abram – decided that he wanted to contribute towards urging the UK government to change the law on the unregulated sales of domestic animals following the devastating death of his Fox Red Labrador puppy.
Richard said that while he had bought the puppy “in good faith”, he was unaware that it had actually been bred in an illegal puppy farm, and Reggie sadly died just days after Richard took him home and welcomed him into the family.
The cause of Reggie’s death was later confirmed as Canine Parvovirus – a disease with a high mortality rate in unvaccinated pups.
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Reggie’s death triggered the launch of the campaign – Justice For Reggie.
This is Reggie. He found his family through a reputable website. The family met Reggie – everything seemed fine. Hours later, Reggie was ill. Days later, Reggie was dead 💔 Puppy farmed. Online sales should be regulated. Agree? #reggieslaw#RETWEEEThttps://t.co/sFM6d2LW2gpic.twitter.com/3SobBIYnyf
— JusticeforReggie (@JusticeforRegg1) June 8, 2021
The campaign has not only gained a significant following and outpouring of support from members of the public on social media, who were touched by Richards’s story and may likely have experienced something similar, but it has also since won backing from MPs, the Home Office, various celebrities, and rescue organisations such as the RSPCA, along with help from volunteers across England and Wales.
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The petition for the proposed law – which is known as ‘Reggie’s Law’ – has also gained close to 110,000 signatures in just over twelve weeks, and will soon be up for debate in Parliament.
But not content with the petition being sent off online, and in a bid to really get his message heard, Richard decided to take matters into his own hands and walk all the way to the doorstep at Number 10 to hand-deliver the petition.
Richard set off on his journey last Wednesday 1 December, and reached Downing Street on Tuesday at around 1:30pm.
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Speaking on his incredible achievement, Richard said: “I am totally blown away with the amount of support I’ve received so far in such a short space of time, if I can get the laws around animal sales looked at and strengthened then I will have achieved my one true goal of getting justice for Reggie.”
The issue is set to be debated in parliament on Monday 13 December, and you can find out more information and donate to Richard’s chosen charities on his JustGiving page here.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
9th December 2021 
