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A DEVASTATED mum’s “world has ended” after her six-year-old daughter was discovered dead in a house with her dad.

The bodies of Hope and Mark Gordon, 36, were found inside a family home in West Calder, West Lothian, after a concern was raised when she failed to attend school.

PA

Six-year-old schoolgirl Hope Gordon tragically died[/caption]

Michael Schofield, News Group Newspapers Ltd

Cops at the house on Harburn Drive in West Lothian[/caption]

Michael Schofield, News Group Newspapers Ltd

23/01/2025 Fresh scene at Harburn Drive, West Calder.[/caption]

Cops initially said both deaths were “unexplained” but, following a post mortem, officers said they were treating the schoolgirl’s death as murder.

Her father’s death is still unexplained but police said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the crime.

A close friend of the family, Melanie Wheeldon, has said the youngster’s mother now faces “the worst time of her life” as she grieves the deaths.

She told MailOnline: “It is the worst time of her life. She’s just really sad. Her world has ended because of this… She (Hope) was so loved and didn’t deserve any of this.

“She was really well liked by everybody. She was out playing and building snowmen just two weeks ago, just a normal little kid, who didn’t deserve this.”

Hope, who attended Toronto Primary School, which paid tribute to her this week, had gone to stay with her 36-year-old father for the weekend.

Mark and Hope’s mother had shared custody of the youngster, it is understood.

There had been no suggestion that anything was amiss, making the discovery all the more shocking for her friends, family, and neighbours.

Melanie told the outlet: “There was no indication that anything was wrong. It came completely out of the blue. We are all just really shocked.”

Friends say Hope loved animals and had a pet cat called Roblox and a dog Milo at the house she shared with her mum.

The grieving parent is said to have had a “beautiful relationship” with her daughter.

In an effort to help the grieving family Melanie has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.

“Every contribution, no matter how small, will be deeply appreciated. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser link with your friends and family to help spread the word,” said Melanie.

The local community has been left in shock, with neighbours saying they cannot believe the young girl’s life has been so abruptly taken. 

Detectives investigating the death revealed that officers had previous “contact” with the family.

Detective Superintendent Grant Hendry, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with Hope’s family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

“The families are understandably devastated and we are providing them with support through specialist officers at this extremely difficult time.

“Our team of officers continue to carry out enquiries to get answers for the families and at this time, we have no information to suggest anyone else is involved. I would ask that anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, gets in touch with the police.”

Speaking earlier in the week, Hope’s headteacher Fiona Linfoot described her as ‘bright, bubbly and affectionate’.

She said: “Hope was a much-loved member of the Toronto Primary family, and will be hugely missed by all her friends and school staff.

“She was a bright, bubbly and affectionate girl who brought joy to everyone she met. We will really miss her infectious smile and kind heart.

“We would ask everyone to respect the privacy of her family and the school community at this difficult time. Help and support is available to any of our pupils, or staff, affected by this tragic news.”

Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Gregg Banks said earlier: “The shock and sadness felt across West Lothian is understandable. Words won’t take that anxiety and concern away.

“But I want to reassure people this is an isolated incident and there is no wider risk to members of the public at this time.

“We are working tirelessly to understand what happened within the property and answer questions from devastated family members.”

Michael Schofield, News Group Newspapers Ltd

Hope’s death is being treated as murder[/caption]

Facebook

Mark Gordon was also found dead in a house in West Calder[/caption]

MRS Hinch has shared a must-have buy to store clothes away and make sure they stay protected.

The mum-of-two, soon to be three spent her Saturday reorganising her home and took her fans through the process.

Instagram / @mrshinchhome

Mrs Hinch revealed she is pregnant with a third child in an adorable post[/caption]

Instagram/mrshinchhome

The mum shared her top space saving hack as she makes way for maternity clothes[/caption]

The cleaning whizz, whose real name is Sophie Hinchliffe, boasts 4.8 million Instagram followers and took time out of her busy schedule to show her favourite buy to store clothes.

With Mrs Hinch being pregnant with her third boy, she was making way for the new tot in her £1.1 million farmhouse.

The 34-year-old said: “The random little sort outs bring me a lot of joy.”

“I need to store away my ‘going out’ dresses that I’ve never actually worn because I never go out,” the relatable mum continued.

“And now I’m heavily pregnant so there’s absolutely no chance of me even fitting in them… Maybe one day, in 2030.”

The mum revealed she picked up vacuum storage bags by Home Solutions from Home Bargains which cost £2.49 for two.

She revealed she had used them for years and they were ‘great’.

You fill the bag with clothes and seal them, then you can use a vacuum to suck the air out to make sure they take up as little space as possible.

Not only do they save space, the bags also ensure your items are protected from moisture, insects, odours and dust.

 Mrs Hinch is expected to give birth soon and her year has been a rollercoaster of emotions which she has opened up about on social media.

Instagram/@mrshinch

The £2.49 buy stores clothes and keeps them protected[/caption]

On 25th April, Sophie lost her dad Alan after he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. 

Previously, the star shared that her late father, who suffered with life-long “chest, lung and heart” problems, was “never blessed with… fantastic health” and had been hospitalised for several weeks in 2023.

The mother, who took an eight-week break from social media after her dad’s death, previously shared an update with fans regarding her grief journey.

She shared that some days she feels ‘numb’ and finds the smallest of tasks like ‘mountains too tall’ to climb.

@mrshinchhome/Instagram

Mrs Hinch pays tribute to her dad who sadly passed away last year[/caption]

Instagram / @mrshinchhome

Six months later she revealed she was expecting baby number three[/caption]

Mrs Hinch announced the news of her pregnancy in late October, just six months after her dad’s tragic passing.

In the short video announcement, Jamie was seen painting the words “Baby boy #3” on a wall inside their house, while their sons Ronnie, five, and Lennie, three, added their hand prints around the message.

As the clip went on, a black-and-white filter faded away, revealing blue paint on the wall to signify that another boy is on the way.

It then cut to Sophie cradling her bump in a black catsuit.

The cleaning guru paid tribute to her late dad Alan in her caption, writing: “Heaven was too far to visit, so you sent us a special gift from up above. 

“I have no doubt you sent him to us Dad, to fill our hearts with so much love.

“Ronnie and Lennie’s baby brother. Our baby boy no. 3. Joining us in 2025. The three musketeers.”

THE size of 136 Wembley Stadiums, it was to be the UK’s answer to Disneyland and three times larger than any other theme park in the country.

Artist’s impressions promised at least six roller coasters, themed fantasy lands and even a giant fairytale-style castle, all squeezed onto a peninsular jutting into the Thames Estuary near Dartford, Kent.

The London Resort

The London Resort was set to be the UK’s answer to Disneyland Paris[/caption]

Gary Stone

Not a single bit of concrete has been poured after more than a decade of planning hell[/caption]

Gary Stone

Joe Smith, 37, works on the site that was set to be turned into the theme park[/caption]

It was to be surrounded by 3,500 rooms in plush hotels, swanky restaurants, and even two brand new ferry terminals, bringing hope that the project could sustain 33,000 local jobs.

To say that the £2.5billion plans were ambitious would be an understatement.

But after being announced in 2012, the theme park became bogged down in a planning and legal quagmire that dragged on for thirteen years.

And despite the magical promises from CGI mockups and developers, for people in the area the saga has been anything but a fairytale. 

With no desire to invest in much-needed improvements only for them to get bulldozed, businesses under its shadow feel they have been “left to rot” in favour of a proposal that could barely get its feet off the ground.

Even the Kuwaiti businessman behind the scheme, Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, said the park had “destroyed” his life.

This week, “Dartford Disneyland” – as it was dubbed by some locals – was finally pronounced dead after the company behind it was ordered into insolvency by the High Court.

And much of the blame for the project’s demise lies with the discovery of a tiny rare spider just 1cm long. 

A spokesman for LRCH, the company behind the project, said: “The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts. 

“Natural England fatally wounded the scheme, a single creditor has killed it and, with it, any chance of the UK competing on the envisaged scale of London Resort.”

Broken dreams

But while many are breathing a sigh of relief, others described the axing as a “kick in the nuts” – a sorry end to a bold plan that never saw a single spade hit the ground. 

“Everyone was up for it at first. Then the rug got pulled from underneath and no one wanted to spend any money,” said Gavin Raycraft, a car dealer based on the land that was set to be built on.

“But we’ve had ten years of decline – no one wanted to spend any money and then get turfed out.”

Snack van owner Joe Smith, 37, also witnessed the devastating impact of the now-binned project.

“It’s just a forgotten wasteland out there,” he said.

“It used to be lovely – now it’s just a place people come to dump cars. Sadly it’s just a godforsaken hellhole that’s been left to rot.”

Originally named Paramount Entertainment Resort, the park was set to feature Mission:Impossible and Star-Trek attractions as part of a licensing deal with the studio.

Gary Stone

Many locals in the area for initially hopeful the area would have benefited from jobs and infrastructure created[/caption]

Getty

First announced in 2012, the park is now axed for good after the company behind it was ordered into insolvency[/caption]

Partnerships were even announced with Aardman Animation – the team behind Wallace and Gromit – and the BBC, with hopes for Doctor Who and Top Gear-themed rides.

Many local firms welcomed the idea with open arms. 

Some even changed their name to include “Paramount” in their titles.

Others were hopeful the area would have benefited from new infrastructure and jobs created – not to mention a brand new place to take the kids.

But it wasn’t long before things went pear-shaped.

In 2014, the district council was slammed by locals after sending nine senior staff on a £15,000 tax-payer funded “fact-finding” trip to a string of Florida theme parks.

The council leader at the time, Cllr John Burdern, defended the trip saying it would be “extremely busy” and “packed with serious business discussions”. 

To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned

P Y Gerbeau

Three years on, there still wasn’t a hard hat in sight.

Then, in 2017, Paramount pulled out of the deal, plunging the plans into chaos – but the developers pushed on, now with an expected opening date of 2023.

All the while, companies in the area were counting up the costs with their future on the site in as much uncertainty as ever.

Spider sabotage

Parachuted in to save the project was theme park guru and Millenium Dome-saviour P Y Gerbeau – long nicknamed “The Gerbil” by the press – and Paramount were brought back on board.

Despite delay after delay prompting many to question if it would ever go ahead, bosses behind the scheme finally submitted plans to the Government at the start of 2021.

“To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned,” Gerbeau proudly declared in October that year.

Only a year later, he had resigned.

London Resort

Plans for the park have finally been axed after the company behind it was ordered into insolvency[/caption]

Corbis - Getty

PY Gerbeau failed to save the project[/caption]

KMG

Nature protesters were opposed to the plan[/caption]

The plans had long faced backlash from nature lovers keen to preserve the local habitat.

And it was the discovery of the distinguished jumping spider that drove the nail into the masterplan’s coffin.

Measuring only 1cm across, the endangered critter is found in only one part of the UK.

But its discovery meant Natural England could designate the area as an SSSI – making planning approval nigh-on impossible, and prompting BBC and ITV bosses to cut their ties with the theme park.

Uncertain futures

Four months later, the planning application was withdrawn but locals continued to suffer.

Businesses on the land were long under threat from being issued a compulsory purchase order should the park go ahead, which could have seen them turfed out with as little as three months notice.

Firms were unable to secure long leases, unsure where they would be at the end of the year.

All of a sudden they pulled the plug – it was a bit of a kick in the nuts really

Mark West

Others put off repairs and expansion thinking their spending would be wasted.

Mark West, director of local accident repair shop Barney Sands, is one of those.

“We didn’t actually want to repair any of the units. The office got in such a mess because we were holding out.

“Then all of a sudden they pulled the plug – it was a bit of a kick in the nuts really.

“It’s not even a relief it’s over, because the estate is in such a state because in some way there’s no going back. 

“We were all under the impression they were gonna bulldoze it, so what was the point of spending any money?” he added.

Mickey Helaith, 55, who runs All Auto on the opposite side of the road, was also angry that the developers dragged the project – and the uncertainty – on for so long after it became apparent that the project’s funding and planning approval was in jeopardy.

Gary Stone

Mickey Helaith 55, bemoaned the decade-plus long period of uncertainty caused by the scheme[/caption]

Gary Stone

Apprentice George Preston 20, faced losing his job were the plans to go ahead[/caption]

Gary Stone

Lee Ingram, 50, a local estate agent, had hopes the plans would benefit the area[/caption]

“We kept getting mixed messages. There’d be a rush, loads of consultants here, giving you leaflets, showing what the theme park was about, but nothing was actually confirmed,” he said.

“Then we hear it’s off. Then rumours are that it’s back on.”

He added: “We couldn’t expand, couldn’t move forward, couldn’t think about spending more money. 

“It has been an uncertain time, for a long period of time. Even 18 months ago, a local estate agent said 100 per cent this is going ahead.

Employees were also left struggling with the possibility of losing their jobs should their workplace be forced out of the area.

George Preston, 20, an engineering apprentice at JMS Cranes, faced either a commute to Essex or having to quit his apprenticeship half way through.

“It was a bit of a shock really, not knowing what was going on, not knowing what the future would hold,” he said.

“Being an apprentice, moving to Essex would’ve been nigh on impossible to get there every day. It would’ve put me out of work.”

Other locals were sad to see the project scrapped, including Lee Ingram, 50, who runs a nearby estate agency.

He said: “It would have definitely been good for the area and especially its infrastructure.”

“I think they should put a golf course there instead,” he added.

Finger of blame

With the doomed theme park now firmly laid to rest, the blame game has now heated up. 

The company behind the scheme, LRCH, had already racked up £100million in debts.

It was then sued by Paramount for breaching the terms of their agreement.

KMG

Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, the Kuwaiti businessman who bankrolled the scheme[/caption]

Gary Stone

Much of the estate is in a sorry state after a decade of under-investment[/caption]

Gary Stone

Businesses are now hoping for stability with the theme park off the table[/caption]

Many pointed the finger of fault at Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, the Kuwaiti businessman who had also previously been chairman of nearby Ebbsfleet United.

Doug Hilton, chairman of Peninsular Management Group, which brought together a number of the firms on the estate, decried the scheme as “utterly madcap”.

“It just goes to show that in fact the planning system has worked and how much chronic damage a naive young man with a lot of money can do,” he added.

In an interview with KentOnline, Dr Al-Humaidi revealed he has been unable to return to his homeland for fear of being imprisoned, after facing legal action from investors who have accused him of cooking up a “fictitious” project.

He resigned from the company’s board in 2022.

Dr Al-Humaidi added that the saga “destroyed [his] life”, ruining his reputation and leaving him bankrupt.

For the frustrated tycoon, blame lay squarely with this country’s “broken” planning system.

Peninsular Management group is now fighting to have the site returned to the control of local planning authorities.

 The Sun has approached Dr Al-Humaidi for comment.

Вийшов тизер біографічної драми «Киснева станція» режисера Івана Тимченка. У кінотеатрах стрічка з’явиться 10 квітня. Як передає Укрінформ, про це Державне агентство України з питань кіно повідомляє у Фейсбуці. Як нагадали в Держкіно, фільм «Киснева станція» заснований на біографічних подіях із життя лідера кримськотатарського народу Мустафи Джемілєва та розповідає про події літа 1980 року. За сюжетом, Джемілєв відбуває […]

FORMER Westlife star Brian McFadden has shared a “beautiful” photo of his rarely-seen daughters – and it left fans gushing.

The Irish singer and his fiance Danielle Parkinson have been together since 2016 and they welcomed their baby daughter, Ruby Jean, into the world back in 2021.

Instagram

Brian shared a ‘beautiful’ snap of him ad his two daughters[/caption]

Brian also shares Molly Marie, 23, and 21-year-old Lilly-Sue McFadden with his ex Kerry Katona.

Taking to his Instagram yesterday, Brian shared a heartwarming snap of him sitting alongside his two eldest daughters.

The trio were out enjoying some drinks as Brian embraced his two girls closely.

He captioned the sweet picture: “My girls x.”

Friends and fans were quick to flock to the singer’s comment section to gush over the cute family.

One fan joked: “Molly is Brian in 1999.”

Rosalyn commented: “This is a beautiful photo.”

Lenna said: “Proud daddy…. Beautiful girls.”

Another fan added: “Such a beautiful picture of you and your lovely girls.”

Recently Brian took to his Instagram to share some photos from his trip with his family.

The family-of-three recently enjoyed a winter ski holiday in the French Alps.

Before returning home, they decided to make a “pit stop” at Disneyland Paris for a couple of days.

Danielle took to her Instagram today to share a heartwarming montage of pictures and videos she captured during their time at the theme park.

MAGICAL TRIP

The trio looked happier than ever as they enjoyed their quick trip to Disneyland.

The mum-of-one captioned her post: “Pit stop at @disneylandparis as we travelled back from skiing and it was jammers!

“But we managed to get everything in that Ruby was up for over a couple of days.”

The couple’s fans and friends all flocked to the comments to gush over the sweet post.

Julie said: “Looks amazing.”

Emma gushed: “What an amazing holiday you all had. Ruby you looked adorable dressed as Jessy and Woody.”

Jessica wrote: “That’s magical.”

Johanna commented: “Love Disneyland, looks like you had a good time. Wish you and your family the best! Take care of each other.”

Another added: “Wonderful video.”

Brian McEvoy

EASTENDERS’ Lorraine Stanley looks worlds away from Albert Square in the first-look at her new role.

Lorraine, 48, made her last appearance as Karen Taylor in EastEnders in February last year.

BBC

YouTube

YouTube

Now the trailer for her furst acting gig since leaving the soap has landed.

Lorraine stars alongside other soap legends in gritty British film Departures.

She’s joined by Hollyoaks hunk David Tag and Coronation Street’s Kimberly Hart-Simpson.

The movie is described as “Shirley Valentine meets LGBTQ Trainspotting” and details the “toxic love story” of Benji [played by writer and co-director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan] and Jake [David Tag].

Lorraine stars as Benji’s mum in the flick, which will have its debut screening at the Manchester Film Festival in March.

She previously spoke to The Sun about her new role and said: “Janet doesn’t mince her words and back in her day it would have been a bit of a shock if someone was openly gay, people didn’t really come out like they do today.

“She’s had to learn along the way and be taught the things you can say and the things you can’t say. She’s got a colourful vocabulary!

Discussing his character Luke, David, 39, said: “He’s a straight, married man who has got a child on the way but it’s almost like he’s trying to find that thrill from somebody so he’s living a double life.”

And Lorraine explained that her character Janet has experienced her own hardships in life.

As well as coming to terms with Benji’s sexuality, Janet has dealt with domestic violence in the past.

Lorraine said: “She was subject to domestic violence when Benji was growing up which was hard. She does blame herself a little bit for that.”

And, while the movie isn’t set to be released until next year, both Lorraine and David insist they would be up for shooting a sequel.

Lorraine joked: “Oh definitely, we all want a sequel – it’s another job!”

Channel 4

YouTube

0 Дівчатка, поділюсь неймовірно смачним десертом! Випікаю його без духовки, такий простий і швидкий рецепт треба ще пошукати! Інгредієнти: яйця – 1 шт. цукор – 2 ст. л. дріжджі сухі – 3 г (живі 7 г ) ванілін дрібка або ванільний цукор 1 п. молоко холодне – 150 мл борошно – 350 г олія – […]

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GM та Hyundai підписали Меморандум про взаєморозуміння у вересні минулого року. Повідомляється, що у рамках співпраці електричні комерційні автомобілі Hyundai можуть продаватися в Сполучених Штатах під новим брендом. Під час телефонної розмови з аналітиками головний фінансовий директор Hyundai Лі Син Чо повідомив, що GM може продавати комерційні електромобілі Hyundai в США під “окремим брендом”. “Ми […]

  Одна куряча грудка не врятує, кажуть дієтологи. Вони відкрили завісу найсучаснішого методу схуднення. За словами дієтологів, суттю цього методу є те, що він здатний знищувати відкладення жирів, при цьому немає необхідності голодувати або приймати якісь пігулки. Фахівці гарантують, що шкоди для здоров’я в цьому методі не існує. За їх словами, це не ті дієти, […]