Kaitlin pictured aged nine - Heart pounding, Kaitlin Womack stared in shock at a Facebook post on her phone. In that moment, a horrifying memory from her childhood came flooding back. It was 2016, and her former neighbour, Kert Birtwistle, 29, had been convicted of child sexual offences. Seeing his face on her screen knocked Kaitlin, 25, for six. Because what nobody knew was that she’d been harbouring an awful secret since the age of nine. Birtwistle had subjected Kaitlin to three sickening sexual assaults while she played at his house as a child, including touching her privates under her swimming costume. Three years later, in 2019, Kaitlin, from Preston, reported Birtwistle to the police. When she did, six other victims also bravely came forward. In October 2024, Birtwistle, from Blackpool, was convicted of 14 charges, including rape and sexual assault. He was jailed for 12 years at Preston Crown Court. His brother, Jordan Wright, 28, also pleaded guilty to 18 sexual offences and was jailed for over 16 years. Now, Kaitlin is courageously waiving her right to anonymity to help encourage other survivors to report their abusers to the police.
IN THE not so MISTY MOUNTAINS of Wiltshire, there lies an abandoned hobbit house .
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
THIS is the awesome moment an Osprey catches its prey travelling at 50mph, giving new meaning to FAST FOOD .
A dog was SOW close to death after she dangerously swallowed a two-inch NEEDLE-Cute Shih Tzu Daisy could have pierced her intestines after eating the long needle and thread after finding it on the carpet .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
ARM extended and head flung back, this little chipmunk performs a loose-limbed yoga move .
A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light .
WELCOME to the Temple of Zoom where you can “experience” sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters .
Soldiers standing guard outside the Woolwich barracks in London - Two terror suspects are under armed guard in separate hospitals in London after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street .
An American black bear mimics John Travolta’s famous Saturday Night Fever dance move by hurling its arm in the air .