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It's easy to do, right? Just a little white lie here and there about where that new handbag came from or how much that designer dress cost... We're all guilty of it from time to time, but I recently heard about a case that takes the concept of lying to your partner about money to the absolute extreme.

Last week, my boyfriend was telling me about a post on Reddit's personal finance forum that he'd seen about a woman who had been lying to her partner about money for five years. The couple were struggling financially; both were working full-time jobs and struggling to cover their rent and bills each month.

But one day, completely innocently, the guy looked over his girlfriend's shoulder while she was logged into online banking and - boom - he found out she had a hidden trust fund. One to the tune of £100,000; money that she'd not mentioned to him once.

He was shocked by this revelation to say the least. Why keep this money a secret from your long-term partner? This is an especially pertinent question at a time when that extra cash would make such a difference to their lives. She justified it by saying she had a 'right' to 'financial privacy', but I disagree - if you're in a serious relationship and money is a problem, it's completely unjustifiable to hide a lifeline like this from your beloved partner.

Intrigued by this jaw-dropping story, I started looking for data about financial ingenuity in relationships, wanting to know how widespread this kind of peculiar behaviour is.

Image: Simon Cunningham via Flickr

Well, as it turns out, it's happening all the time in the UK. According to recent research conducted by OnePoll, 1.4 million people in Britain hold a 'secret' credit card - one kept purely to conceal spending from their loved ones. Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that 1 in 3 people "go to great lengths" to hide purchases from their other half. Surprising, right?

According to the survey, residents of the West Midlands are the worst culprits with 35% of people from this part of the country admitting they hide purchases from their partner. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland are the most honest of the lot with 63% of those asked claiming they have never concealed a purchase.

And Brits seem to be so worried about keeping their secret spending just that - secret - that another survey conducted last year showed that one in five respondents admitted they'd rather reveal the number of people they've slept with before confessing the full extent of their spending habits to a partner.

As much as I can appreciate that finances should be private to some extent, and that individuals have a right to be considered separately from their partners, I just can't imagine keeping a secret credit card or putting lots of effort into hiding big purchases from my partner on a regular basis. I certainly wouldn't dream of hiding £100,000 from him!

There might be the occasional half-truth about exactly how much that pair of shoes set me back, just as I'm sure there are a few reconfigurations about how much that brand new, special edition Xbox game cost my boyfriend. But when it comes to the big, serious things like housing and utilities, I think I'll keep away from this West Midlands trend and stick to a policy of honesty in my relationship.

Do you lie to your partner about money? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Read more of my work at www.takeontheroad.com.

It's been another perfect day, topping up my tan and taking in the sights of this historic town on the Côte d'Azur.

I'm in St Tropez at the start of the summer season, the playground of the rich and famous, and I'm staying at the Grand Dame, the Hotel Byblos. Anyone who's anyone has stayed here from the sixties siren Brigitte Bardot to modern-day A-listers.

Built up and on over the years, it looks like a Provencal village with 41 rooms and 50 suites painted in burnt ochre, terracotta and gold. The rooms are large and traditional with white-washed walls,and antique furnishings.

It's well placed and right in the heart of the town with the historic Port a five minute stroll away.

If you don't own your own yacht, don't worry because you can take a one-hour cruise around the harbour on the Brigantin II. A little like an audio version of the French magazine Paris Match, the captain will point out where the celebrities live, how much the yachts cost and all the gossip.

The Hotel runs a cookery class with Vincent Maillard, the Head Chef, and the morning is spent getting stuck in, as if you were cooking at home. I learn how to make a starter and main course with seasonal vegetables - courgettes and artichokes - from an Alain Ducasse protege.

If cooking isn't your thing, there's plenty to keep you occupied here, even if you're not loaded. The Annonciade Museum is a former 16th Century Chapel and considered one of the top museums for modern art in France. Works include masterpieces from Paul Signac and his mate Matisse. Just for the view, visit the Citadel at the top of the town, there's an amphitheatre and walled garden and a display of naval artefacts and one of the best panoramic views.

A coastal path runs for more than six miles from the old harbour to the northern end of Pampelonne Bay, where you'll find one of the most famous beaches in the world.

It's also home to Le Club 55, a great place to eat lunch and hangout for the day and if the walk is a little ambitious, the Hotel can organise a shuttle which takes about ten minutes.

Bardot shot the 1958 film And God Created Woman on this stretch of beach and back then Club 55 was tiny. In the middle of nowhere, the film crew asked if they'd cater for the shoot. The family kept the production team fed and watered for the time they shot the film and, as they say, the rest is history. Thirty thousand beach-lovers visit this three mile stretch every day during the summer. Booking is essential.

If you've got cash to splash, head to the designer stores on Rue Gambetta and Rue Sibilli but for exploring the old world charm in the old town look out for Rue Clémenceau. To see a little more of the town without wearing out the shoe leather, there are Segways available for hire, in 25 Avenue du Huit Mai.

Each day there's a fish market at the Place aux Herbes and a twice-weekly market held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings on the Place des Lices, also the playground for the locals and their petanque matches.

When the sun goes down, the restaurants come alive, and when the candles burn out, the queue forms outside the Hotel's legendary nightclub Le Caves du Roy. This is one place where age is no barrier to a good party and you can expect to find sugar daddies rubbing shoulders with models, actors, in fact, anyone who can afford to get in and stay all night. Jay-Z and Beyonce have partied here, so too have the Beckhams and the Clooneys. Thankfully, for my wallet, it was closed when I visit. A glass of wine or water is almost €30 but the big hitters go for a Methuselah (equivalent to eight bottles) of Dom Pérignon (Rosé of course), a snip at €150,000.

I end my trip in the hotel's Sisley Spa in the vain hope my facial will take ten years off. It doesn't, but an hour of being 'plumped' with expensive creams does feel amazing. I also get to nose around the Turkish Bath and Hamam (enjoyed to the full by one Mick Jagger and his new wife Bianca after their wedding here in 1971).

For more information about St Tropez, visit the tourism website.

Hotel Byblos, 20 Avenue Paul Signac 83990, Saint Tropez, France

A longer version appears on my website.

All images taken by Rebecca Williams

I lay down in my usual spot on the bow of the Espanola - the 47ft yacht I was calling home this week. The breeze gently rustled my hair as the midday Croatian sun beat down. Tiny villages of red-roofed houses came and went, as we sailed the turquoise waters of the Adriatic.

This may sound like the ultimate luxury holiday, but it turns out you don't need Simon Cowell's millions to afford it. With just over £500 in your holiday fund, you too could be living the high life.

In July, I spent a week sailing around Croatia with MedSailors. We travelled the Discovery Route
- a loop, starting just outside Split and taking us around the picturesque islands of Solta, Vis, Korcula, Hvar and Brac. Each day we had breakfast and lunch on board our yacht, enjoyed a few swimming and paddle boarding stops, and wind permitting, did some sailing! Our afternoons and evenings were free to explore pretty Croatian towns, sample the local cuisine, and let our hair down.

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As with many companies offering sailing tours, MedSailors cater for the youth market (20-35). However, they offer a sophisticated approach with an emphasis on good food and company (they match people with similar interests on the boats). This isn't to say, there is no drinking or partying - it's still a holiday for young people... and we certainly had a few boozy nights, enjoying all that the islands had to offer!

Davide was our skipper for the week - a friendly Italian, who over the course of 7 days taught us the basics of sailing, looked after us, and cooked up some incredible meals. And what about our new home? Well, the Espanola was comfortable, clean, and came complete with a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a top-notch sound system.

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I travelled with a friend, but many booked solo, as the trip is a great way to meet people. Our 4 shipmates were in their late 20s/early 30s and like us, enjoyed chilled daytimes, a bit of exploration in each town, and a good meal and conversation in the evening. Some groups from the flotilla ventured to rent scooters and bikes, some went straight to find a beach, while others found the bar! It was a lovely unpressured way of travelling.

One of my highlights was a special dinner and wine tasting at Hora vineyard in Stari Grad. What a place! We arrived in the most magical light, just as the sun was starting to set. 2 whites, 2 reds and a rose later, we were served the traditional Croatian dish "Peka". It was similar to a stew, with lamb, veal, pork, potatoes and peppers - oh and it was absolutely delicious!

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Also while moored in Stari Grad, we enjoyed a walk up to the cross on Glavica Hill. The view looking down onto the old town was absolutely magical.

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Korcula Town was another highlight. Dating back to the 14th Century, it could be described as Venice without the canals (it was once a part of the Venetian Republic). The streets were narrow, beautiful, and had intricate balconies and walkways. I didn't think it could get more picturesque until we visited Massimos - a fort-turned-cocktail bar where we watched the sunset. As I sipped on a mojito with my new friends, life seemed pretty perfect!

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Another highlight came mid-trip in Hvar Town. We booked a table for dinner at seafood restaurant Marineros where we sat outside in a buzzy square. We tucked into enormous seafood platters, mussels and sea bass, all washed down with an excellent bottle of dry Croatian white wine.

The island of Hvar is famous for its nightlife, and by this point in the trip we were ready to let off some steam. We moved to Kiva Bar just a street away. Over the next hour, the bar filled up and the party emptied out into the street. The music cranked up, cocktails flowed, and I almost missed the last water taxi back to our yacht! Some opted to venture to Carpe Diem - also known as Party Island where you can dance the night away until the sun starts to rise.

I've travelled a lot, particularly over the last year, but Croatia is definitely one of the prettiest countries I've visited. There was something enchanting about drifting past beautiful villages nestled on rocky shores, stacked with traditional red-roofed houses and a pretty marina full of boats.

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1200 photos later, it was time to say goodbye to my amazing group of new friends, and get used to life back on dry land. It took a few days for my body to adjust to the change, but I've found Croatia has stayed with me in other ways. Let's just say I'll definitely be back to see another sunset in the not too distant future...

Find out more about MedSailors here and follow Chloe's travels and adventures at wanderlustchloe.com

A worried mum has appealed to the realms of the internet for advice after his two-year-old has admitted she is scared of Santa, five months before Christmas is even here.

The mum explained her concerns of why she would be worried about it now, as she is unlikely to suddenly remember Christmas 2014.

Writing as 'SuperTiredMom' she explained: "About a month ago at my mum's house, my (almost) 2 year old started saying she was scared of Santa. We figured she had a bad dream and decided to let it go after reassuring her that she was safe.

"A week later at our house, she started saying "scared santa!" over and over while clinging to us and/or hiding her face. It was typically at night in her room. We asked where "Santa" was, she pointed adamantly at her closet. We reassured her that she was safe, and that there was nothing to be afraid of..."

santa kids scared

The mum explained her daughter seemed to randomly get scared of Santa over the next two weeks.

Having shown her Christmas story books and reassured her toddler that he's not in the house - nothing seems to calm her down.

She adds: "We've said over and over "there's no Santa in this house", and taught her to say "go away Santa", but none of this seems to help much. She still talks about "Santa" and is scared frequently."

Parents on Reddit came to the rescue and among the many comments, some agreed it was a natural thing to happen.

Comment from discussion 2-year-old scared of invisible "Santa"....in July..

While among the many comments, parents seem to have three main solutions/conclusions to the probelem.

1) She might not mean Santa - I mean, it could definitely just be a random bearded man

Comment from discussion 2-year-old scared of invisible "Santa"....in July..

SEE ALSO:

5 Ways To Make Christmas Morning Even More Magical For Children

Adorable Kid Finds Santa's Footprints On Christmas Morning

2) While others came with practical advice - get Santa spray or a Santa doll

Comment from discussion 2-year-old scared of invisible "Santa"....in July..

3) However others had a very odd connection - could the toddler mean Satan? Creepy.

Comment from discussion 2-year-old scared of invisible "Santa"....in July..

Taylor Swift’s soon-to-be released clothing line and merchandise is offending a whole lot of people in China.

The pop star's new range is called TS 1989, referring to her initials, year of birth and 1989 album released last year.

But the date, and the initials TS, are particularly sensitive in China as they signify the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, when hundreds of students were killed in pro-democracy protests.

1989

Any talk of the 1989 incident has been suppressed by China’s communist government. The dates are so sensitive that China has blacklisted searches with any combinations of the numbers 6, 4 and 89 on Chinese social media sites.

Swift recently released a promotional video for the line on China’s microblogging site Weibo, introducing herself in Mandarin: “Ni hao, it’s Taylor Swift. Be sure to check out my new authentic mercy [merchandise], now available in China,” she says.

The clothing line will be available for purchase in China via e-commerce site JD.com next month (assuming it gets past the censors, that is).

Taylor Swift greets fans in the promotional video on Weibo

The internet has been quick to comment on the situation, with many taking to Twitter to joke about Swift's faux pas.

Forget Apple & Spotify, now Tay-Tay is taking on the Chinese Communist Party. http://t.co/Wm9E9fqvv4 #TS1989 pic.twitter.com/xI17hdJkyf
— Fergus Ryan (@fryan) July 22, 2015

"I gotta a blank space, baby, and it's an accounting of Tiananmen Square in Chinese history books." http://t.co/syla9Gg8So
— ยีราฟ (@metapostasy) July 22, 2015

So...Taylor Swift is launching a clothing line in Shanghai. Taking bets on when it will be banned.
#TS1989 #Tiananmen pic.twitter.com/bWZvjk9gwd
— Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) July 22, 2015

My Taylor Swift concert band has caused issues as people think it's supporting the Tiananmen Square massacre oh god pic.twitter.com/hxjPzcK6YY
— rachel (@Its_Rachelxox) July 4, 2015

Hopefully the guy who stood in front of that tank in Tiananmen Square would have been a Taylor Swift fan.
— DJ Young Yacubian (@SebastianNebula) April 15, 2013

SEE ALSO:

Taylor Swift's Hottest Ever Looks

Taylor Swift Reveals Her Favourite Shade Of Red Lipstick

How To Get Taylor Swift's Wavy 'Lob' Hairstyle

An eating disorders charity has reverse-photoshopped video game characters with "average" body proportions - and they look more kick-ass than ever.

In a bid to encourage game designers to "get real" about women's bodies, Lara Croft and Jade from Mortal Kombat have been digitally altered in a blog post for Bulimia.com.

It highlights how video games are becoming increasingly realistic in every aspect, except for the way they portray the female body.

"Plus-sized women are a rarity in video games," reads the blog, "and when one does show up, she’s typically unusual looking.

lara croft

"More often it seems video games are home to ultra-slim waistlines only," the blog post continues.

"With realism in mind, we altered some of the most beloved female video game characters with Adobe Photoshop, shaping their bodies into images that represent the average American woman’s measurements."

The charity poignantly ask video game creators to "get real" about women's bodies. And rightly so.

Here are the results...

Bulimia.com adds that the differences between the before and after shots are "hardly subtle" which is probably because most of the time these female characters are scantily clad.

The charity explains how portraying such unrealistic body imagery can have "negative repercussions", particularly on young women.

"The social pressures to obtain perfection are reinforced even through the depiction of video game characters," it says. "Girl gamers – especially young ones – could develop a skewed image of how the female body should look."

SEE ALSO:

Third Of Brits Unhappy With Their Body Image - And Many Say Celeb Culture Is To Blame

Australian Model And Founder Of Project WomanKIND, Jessica Vander Leahy, On How Body Positivity Saves Lives

You Can't Search For #Curvy On Instagram Anymore, But The Terms Such As #Thin And #Skinny Are OK

According to the blog post, this could "mark the beginning of obsessive thoughts about their own bodies and self-questioning as to why they don’t align with their perceived ideal".

The charity concludes that when dangerous, compulsive eating behaviours develop alongside negative obsessions, young women can quickly find themselves struggling with an eating disorder.

"Whether it’s the drastic restrictions in food intake seen in anorexia, or the relentless purge behaviours of bulimia, all types of eating disorder are tragic end-points potentially exacerbated by body image issues."

Useful Websites And Helplines:

Beat, call 0845 634 7650 or email fyp@b-eat.co.uk

Samaritans, open 24 hours a day, on 08457 90 90 90

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393

While sporting a pair of full-sleeve tattoos today wouldn't cause many people to bat an eyelid, this hasn't always been the case for women with a penchant for body art.

But as these fascinating vintage photos show, tattoos aren't just a current fashion trend and have been bravely worn even as far back as the 1920s, when a women with an inking was practically unheard of.

The pictures are part of a new book titled 100 Years of Tattoos, which features over 400 photographs, many published for the first time, showing the body art movement throughout history.

And, as expected, the ladies featured look incredible...

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Woman getting tattooed in late 1920s

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Janet ‘Rusty’ Skuse was honoured by Guinness World Records as Britain’s most tattooed woman. By 1964 her collection had swelled to over 62 designs

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Australian pin-up girl Cindy Ray in 1969

100 Years of Tattoos by David McComb will be published by Laurence King in September

SEE ALSO:

When Tattoo Cover-Ups Actually Go Right, For Once

How To Get A Rihanna Tattoo Without The Pain

Misery Tattoos Are The Next Big Thing (And We Totally Want To Get One)

While you may not recognise Rupi Kaur, you'll certainly remember her work. Earlier this year an image from her photo series, Period, went viral after it was removed from Instagram - not once, but twice - for "violating the site's community standards".

The photograph, which has since been viewed millions of times and provoked heated debate about Instagram censorship, showed a woman laying on a bed facing the wall, her period had leaked onto her pyjamas and bed sheets.

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Rupi, 22, uploaded the photograph to Instagram on a Monday back in March as part of a university project to see how people interpret the same piece of art in different settings - within a few hours it had been removed, ironically.

Shocked and appalled she put the photograph up a second time and within eight to ten hours it had been removed again.

"When the photo was removed a second time it became more than a school project, it became a fight," she tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

For Rupi this incident was about far more than one photo, it was about the way that women's bodies are portrayed - and censored - on Instagram.

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Using the Instagram account of popular pornography site Porn Hub as an example, which is seldom censored (if at all), Rupi asks: "How in the world could Instagram remove an image that doesn’t actually violate anything, but at same time host images that are so sexually violent?"

The period photograph, by comparison to the pornographic and degrading images that litter the site, depicts a typical female experience.

As Rupi rightly points out, half of the world's population get periods and, chances are, all of these women at some point have woken up to find their period has leaked to their underwear or pyjamas.

As her anger grew, she decided to upload the censored image to Facebook, along with a photo of the notification message that users receive when an image is taken down. By the time she woke up the next morning, her story had gone viral and she was being contacted by media from around the world.

That evening Instagram allowed the image back on the site and emailed Rupi with an apology. They claimed the image had been removed "by mistake".

But, Rupi remains adamant that "you don't make the same mistake twice" and, besides, the story was already bigger than she ever imagined.

rupi kaur

The reaction to her censored image was - and still is - mixed. She says the majority of comments about her work were negative, but that the positive changes she has observed around the world made the risk "worth it".

Rupi, who lives in Toronto, Canada, is from a Punjabi community, where, she says, menstruation is a taboo subject that is seldom discussed - particularly among men.

But her photo has had a profound effect, with people from her community sharing the image at the time and openly discussing the issues around its censorship.

Rupi recalls a call from female friend who wanted to tell her how much of an impact the photo had had on her brother and his male friends.

When the men first saw the image they had recoiled. But after much discussion they began to see the disparity between the way in which men talk and joke so openly about masturbating, while society rejects something as natural as menstruation.

"It's interesting to see how the men came up with that argument by themselves and then discuss it with their with mum and sisters," she says.

But not everyone has been so open-minded.

rupi kaur

"Some men from my community have been very hateful. They've created fake social media accounts, and taken my face and photoshopped it onto pornographic photos. They also started talking about my breasts or about what I was doing sexually," she says.

"I know that 50-60% of all comments on every site that covered the story were negative, but that didn’t affect me much. What upset me was that people I knew first hand were reacting badly. These were guys from my own community, who I'd been to high school with, and they were trying to tarnish me rather than the art."

She adds: "Their reaction just goes to prove how much my kind of work is necessary."

Luckily, she had a dedicated group of women around her who were working tirelessly to make sure the accounts were taken down.

"I had a very strong group to fall back on and after the whole experience my skin is just so thick," she says. "You can do just about anything you want and it doesn’t affect me at all."

SEE ALSO:

Woman Launches Feminist, Intersectional Magazine About Periods (And No, It's Not A Monthly)

Artist Describes What It's Really Like To Have A Period With Fantastically Honest Illustrations

Rupi says her father supports her work entirely, but he anticipated the backlash over the period photo. "When I showed him the photo he said he was proud, but he also told me to be careful. He became very protective and suggested my sister accompany me to community events."

While she may disagree with its censorship policy, Rupi is still an avid user of Instagram (now with 213,000 followers). But why does she still use a platform that has censored her work, albeit temporarily?

Unlike her spoken word events and gallery exhibitions, "which attract progressive liberal types", Instagram allows her to connect with hundreds of thousands of harder-to-reach people.

"Otherwise, I'm just preaching to the choir," she says. "At end of day I want my work to create progressive change."

She adds: "It’s kind of hypocritical [to stay on Instagram after what happened], but I might as well help create a balance of positive more intelligent imagery, rather than completely disappear."

"People always say my work is so great for women, that it is feminist art. But for me, it’s men that need to see it the most. Because it’s the misogyny that we need to address, rather than the feminism."

Rupi's work is provocative by its very nature. She deals with female trauma, such as domestic violence and sexual violence, and her debut book 'Milk & Honey', which is a mixture of poetry and illustration, charts the cyclical nature of such traumatic experiences: from trauma itself, to how to heal from trauma, to learning to embrace positive relationships again and eventually looking at how to cope if those positive relationships break down.

rupi kaur

"Milk & Honey is about the growth of a woman. It’s very universal but I write from female and a minority perspective within the Western world."

Rupi started writing in an attempt to find words for her own personal trauma.

"I was in a very very dark place for a long time, I was doing performance poetry but when I started to write it was all about expressing myself and finding words for my trauma."

She decided to post some of her poems online and the "outpour" of young women who connected with her work completely blew her away.

One woman told Rupi: "Your work makes me feel like a woman."

Not all of the experiences in her book are real, Rupi writes about her own experiences as well as those of the mothers and daughters around her.

rupi kaur

But still, she is cautious of writing about experiences that are far removed from her own. "Some women ask me to write about somethings, but I can’t as I don’t have any experiences that are even close to the request. I can’t stand in the shoes of someone else, I don’t think it’s my right to intervene in that space."

"Collectively, I believe the emotions that women experience are very similar, so often I am able to get them spot on," she says.

So what does she want her work to achieve?

"Poetry gave words to my pain and that’s all I want to do for people," she says. "Book sales and fancy events are great, but when someone comes up to me and says 'you put words to my pain' that’s a beautiful thing."

As a nation, we continue to struggle with our obesity. We know it's bad for us - it's hard not to, with people like me banging on about it all the time (sorry, but as a doctor, that's my job!). We know we should be eating healthily... but we clearly aren't managing quite as well as we could.

Why?

1. Junk food temptations
Part of the problem is that we are constantly bombarded with tempting high fat and sugar, heavily processed foods - which can, let's face it, taste delicious. With such temptations, it's difficult to resist. If we try, though, we can find equally delicious foods that are much healthier. However, that's the crux. If it takes more effort to find those foods, then we revert to the default less-healthy options especially if we are in a rush, hungry or in need of a quick energy fix.

2. Confusing health food messages
The second problem is that we are confused by conflicting health messages. Not a day goes by without a new announcement on what we should, or shouldn't be eating. Despite efforts by many medics and scientists to cut through this confusion, it seems that the message just isn't getting through.

The Grocery Eye survey, from Future Thinking, which provides an annual update on the attitudes of supermarket shoppers, has just reported that the UK population is still struggling to understand whether they should be cutting out sugar, fat or both. These findings come despite some pretty big marketing campaigns by groups such as Action on Sugar, and recent World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on the amount of sugar we should be consuming.

So how much sugar should we be consuming?
The WHO recommends that we have no more than 12 teaspoons (preferably six) of added sugar per day. Added sugar is any sugar other than that found in whole fruit or milk so don't go thinking that 'natural honey', 'sweetened with pure apple juice' or all those other nice sounding labels are ok! We've been subjected to all of that publicity on the harmful levels of sugar in certain food and drink - and yet more than half of over 2000 consumers surveyed have not changed their eating habits as a result. It's just not getting through ... or perhaps the lure of those sweet treats is just too great to avoid?

Diets vs. Healthier Eating
I found it really interesting that half of respondents had been on a diet in the past year and just under half reported that they had tried to be healthier... but there was a difference between these two groups. 'Dieting' tended to be associated with avoiding 'bad' food, whereas being healthy was related more with eating greater amounts of fruit and vegetables, lower salt and sugar... a far better goal to aim for and much easier to sustain.

Fats - a worthy villain?
Only a third of people surveyed felt that they have a healthy diet... and many still focus on fat content as the most important indicator of a healthy product. That's despite a lot of recent media focus on fats not being the total villains that they were once portrayed to be. What many people don't realise is that 'low-fat' products may be bulked up with other ingredients, including sugar, to make them more palatable. They may be low-fat, for sure... but that doesn't necessarily mean they are any better for us at all.

The 'cost' of our health
Other than confusion about what to eat, respondents felt that cost issues put them off buying healthy products with 65% of people stating that healthy eating is more expensive than eating unhealthily. Of course, that isn't necessarily true, but when we are looking for quick, convenient meals and aren't able or prepared to cook from scratch, healthier foods can work out more expensive as they are more likely to have better quality ingredients and less likely to be mass produced. However, it's fair to say that less scrupulous manufacturers are adding a premium to their prices, cashing in on the knowledge that people are trying to buy food that is marketed as healthier (when it isn't necessarily the case).

Setting a good example
Worryingly though, only half of adults think they have the overall responsibility for encouraging healthy eating whilst around 60% think parents are responsible for their children's healthy eating - a drop from the survey results of the previous year. So, are the remaining 40 odd percent happy to leave the health and eating habits of their children to someone else?! I'm not sure I would be!

Surely the responsibility for eating healthily has got to lie with us - we are the ones who buy, prepare and eat the food so what goes into our mouths is up to us. However, personal responsibility alone is failing us - our willpower isn't enough to fight the constant temptation that surrounds us and I think it is about time that the food outlets, manufacturers and general retailers are forced to take responsibility too - we need their help as we can't do it all on our own.

The report's final comment sums it all up very well....
"There continues to be confusion as to what being healthy really means and what foods you should and shouldn't eat. Consumers are bombarded with extensive and often contradictory messages, which are leaving them feeling unengaged and helpless. There is still the need and, more importantly, the desire for more education around what is truly good for us."

So what is the answer?
Making that healthy choice easy, quick and blindingly obvious to find is the key! But for the moment, I guess I will continue to bang on over at Vavista.com about how to eat healthily in the hope that it helps to cut though some of the conflicting messages.

A great style role model isn't just about the togs you wear - it also has a huge amount to do with your 'tude. And if there is one woman who has a fantastic attitude and general don't-give-a-toss outlook, along with great fashion sense, it is Helen Mirren.

As Helen turns 70 this weekend, we want to salute her fashion savvy, which acts as a beacon of inspiration in the world of older women's fashion.

In fact, on the subject of ageing, she said: "Sex appeal becomes less relevant with age, which is a good thing. Everything changes as we get older, and we have to applaud that fact, don't we?"

But also: "Being me right now is sort of amazing."

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One thing's for sure Dame Mirren, we definitely want to be in your gang. Here's a selection of our favourite looks...

She can totally do prints

Here, Helen pulls off a Dolce & Gabbana number perfectly. Some might be scared by the bold print, but it's saved by structured shoulders and a flattering, sculpted skirt. She's also nailed the accessories with a duck egg coloured D&G bag and muted shoes.

helen mirren

Another great look from the The Hundred Foot Journey opening...

helen mirren

She's not afraid to show her legs

Who says you have to cover up while on holiday? Certainly not Queen Helen, who looks classic in white with some killer turquoise pumps.

helen mirren

White outfits can totally go with white hair

So it helps that Helen is the picture perfect image of poise, but this white Badgley Mischka dress is spot on.

The flattering sleeves that melt into a cape at the back is a clever addition and best of all - the classic Mirren take: going sans necklace because there's plenty of embellishment on the dress.

helen mirren

She knows how to rock a red lip

helen mirren

Dressing conservatively doesn't have to mean boring

Lace panels and sleeves can be a godsend for those wanting to carry off a conservative look with a bit of edge. Here Helen pulls it off at the Broadway opening night after party of The Audience.

helen mirren

Also at the Glamour Awards last year wearing Brunello Cucinelli...

helen mirren

You can embrace colour at any age...

We adore this D&G dress that Helen wore to the International Film Festival Berlinale in Berlin...

helen mirren

And these shocking pink trews at The Wrap power breakfast where she said it was "fucking outrageous" that 37-year-old Maggie Gyllenhaal was recently told she was too old to play the lover of a 55-year-old man.

helen mirren

And on that outspoken note, remember: in Helen-land, fashion and politics always mix

helen mirren

A vaccine which could help protect against malaria, has been given the green light after 30 years of trials.

The Mosquirix (RTS,S) vaccination, which has been developed especially for children by GlaxoSmithKline, has cleared its final major hurdle after being approved by the European Medicines Agency.

However it could be another year before it is made available in Africa.

"This is a hugely significant moment. I've been working on this vaccine for 30 years and this is a dream come true," said Dr Ripley Ballou, head of research at GlaxoSmithKline vaccines.

According to the World Health Organisation, roughly 3.2 billion people – which is almost half of the world's population – are at risk of malaria.

In 2013, there were approximately 198 million malaria cases and an estimated 584,000 deaths from the tropical disease, which is spread by mosquitoes.

"Malaria has been incredibly difficult to crack," the vice president for East Africa at GlaxoSmithKline, Allan Pamba, told The Telegraph. "It's been tremendously frustrating. But we are all immensely proud to have reached this milestone."

While the vaccine shows promise, it's by no means the perfect answer to combatting the disease.

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It works by prompting the immune system to defend against the first stages of infection by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, after it first enters the bloodstream following a mosquito bite.

Trials of Mosquirix showed that the vaccine prevented around half of malaria cases in children aged five to 17 months, who were given their first shot.

For babies aged between six and 12 weeks old, the vaccine worked for just a quarter of cases.

Additionally, the vaccine loses its effectiveness over time. In toddlers, the level of protection decreases to 36% after four years.

The vaccine is also not strong enough to protect against severe malaria, which can result in death.

The WHO will decide in October whether the vaccine should be deployed to children in Africa.

african baby vaccine

Moncef Slaoui, GlaxoSmithKline’s chairman of global vaccines, revealed that the vaccine could be more effective in real-world conditions.

In the trial sites, treated mosquito nets were also used to help prevent spread of the disease. And these were frequently checked for damage.

Slaoui added: "The reality is that the bed net is only effective if you have used it.

"With vaccines, once immunised, your protection is with you day and night. My expectation is the effectiveness of this vaccine in real life conditions is going to be substantially higher."

The pharmaceutical company has spent more than $356 million (£230 million) on finding a vaccine.

It plans to use profits from Mosquirix to fund further research into vaccines for malaria and other tropical diseases.

Vending machines in hospitals and council-run leisure centres should contain healthier food and drink options, according to new guidelines on preventing obesity in children and young people.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has issued a new quality standard to define best practice in tackling the issue amid a huge increase in the number of youngsters suffering from type 2 diabetes - a condition that was until recently found almost entirely in adults.

vending machine hospital

A healthy vending machine containing seed bars and low fat crisps in a Welsh hospital.

More than one in five children aged four to five years at the start of primary school were overweight or obese in 2013/14, rising to more than one in three among children aged 10 to 11 years, it warned.

It added that being overweight may also result in a child experiencing self-esteem and quality of life problems, which can lead to depression.

Its seven guidelines include that vending machines in local authority and NHS venues such as hospitals, clinics and leisure centres should offer healthier alternatives to the crisps and fizzy drinks that are usually available in them, while the same places must also display the nutritional content of meals they offer, as well as generally make healthier options easily available to people who are using them.

They also include enrolling youngsters on lifestyle weight management programmes and encouraging their parents or carers to be involved with this.

Family members are also encouraged to eat healthily and to be physically active themselves, regardless of their own weight.

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Professor Gill Leng, deputy chief executive of Nice, said: "Families and carers have an important role in supporting children and young people who are overweight or obese, which this standard recognises.

"Lifestyle and weight management programmes can support parents and carers to identify changes that can be made at home to tackle obesity and be maintained over the long term. These changes include healthy eating and getting the whole family to be more active.

"Tackling obesity in children and young people also benefits their future health.

"Up to 79% of children who are obese in their teens are likely to be obese adults, which can lead to health problems in adulthood such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

"The quality statements set out the effective actions that should be taken to prevent and manage obesity in children and young people."

Eustace De Sousa, national lead for children, young people and families at Public Health England (PHE), said: "PHE has signed up to this Nice quality standard and we urge others to do the same to help tackle child obesity.

"We know almost one in 10 children in reception is obese and this doubles to almost one in five by the end of primary school.

"By changing our children's environment we can help them make healthier food and drink choices and get into good habits which will set them up for life."

Every year the X Factor returns to our screens and brings with it a parade of hot (and sometimes not) fashion looks.

We can't wait to see what Cheryl Fernandez-Versini brings back to the table, along with brand new judges Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw - the first time we've actually been excited to see what menswear will be on show (sorry Simon Cowell).

In the meantime, here are all the outfits from the auditions which finally finished today ...

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When Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck announced they were getting a divorce in June 2015, it was a shock.

But the couple, who announced they would "go forward with love and friendship", have revealed their co-parenting plans of their three children: Violet, nine, Serphina, six and Samuel, three.

Garner and Affleck will continue to live together in their Los Angeles home, however extensive renovations are currently taking place so they can "live together, but separately" reported Today Parents.

While the renovations are going on in their house, the couple will still be living together and renting American Actress' Brooke Shield's five-bedroom house according to People magazine.

jennifer garner ben affleck

A 'source' (we all now how reliable these sources can be) told PEOPLE: "They are going through extreme renovations and it's almost unliveable there now.

"Affleck is with the family for the summer in Atlanta and he will move together with the family – when they are back – into the new place temporarily."

When the couple announced they were divorcing, they made it clear they were going to co-parent and do everything in the best interest of their children.

This included living together, filing for joint custody and going on family holidays.

In the spirit of the modern 'conscious uncoupling', Garner and Affleck recently took their children on a family holiday to the Bahamas.

But our question is - is it really necessary for a couple who are divorcing to carry on living together for their sake of their children?

SEE ALSO:

Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner To Divorce: ‘We Go Forward With Love And Friendship For One Another'

Divorced Fathers and Their Children

Excessive drinking among people aged 50 or over in England has been branded a "middle class phenomenon" by researchers.

A study published in the online journal BMJ Open looked at alcohol drinking patterns of the over-50s, and found those who were classed as ageing "successfully" - in better health, with a higher income, higher educational attainment and socially more active - were more likely to drink at harmful levels.

"Harmful drinking may then be a hidden health and social problem in otherwise successful older people," the research paper added.

It said alcohol consumption is growing among older people in England, with high risk drinking peaking when men are in their mid-60s.

But higher risk drinking then falls with age, said Professor Jose Iparraguirre, who carried out the research for the charity Age UK.

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He found retirement and income were associated with a higher risk for women but not for men, while there were links with education and smoking in both sexes.

Loneliness and depression were not associated, while women who had caring responsibilities had a reduced risk.

The research, which analysed data relating to more than 9,000 men and women over 50 in England who took part in the large-scale English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), also found that single, separated or divorced men showed a greater risk of harmful drinking.

Not eating healthily, being younger and having a higher income also increased the probability in men.

The presence of children in the household, being lonely, being older and having a lower income were associated with ceasing to be a higher risk drinker over time.

Harmful drinking was defined by the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which classes "increased risk drinking" as the consumption of 22-50 units a week in men or 15-35 units in women, and "higher risk drinking" as 50 plus units a week in men and 35 units or more in women.

The study concluded: "We can sketch - at the risk of much simplification - the problem of harmful alcohol drinking among people aged 50 or over in England as a middle-class phenomenon: people in better health, higher income, with higher educational attainment and socially more active are more likely to drink at harmful levels.

"The results reported in this paper allow us to conclude that, generally speaking, people aged 50 or over ageing 'successfully' in England are more at risk of drinking at harmful levels or of developing harmful drinking consumption patterns than those who fit less well into the paradigm of ageing 'successfully'."

The paper added that there is evidence of the findings being a generational trait, as people who are currently of the age group looked at exhibited higher alcohol consumption levels during their earlier years, and would be carrying relatively higher levels into older age compared with older people in the past.

"Nevertheless, our findings suggest that harmful drinking in later life is more prevalent among people who exhibit a lifestyle associated with affluence and with a 'successful' ageing process," the study said.

Story continues below...

John Larsen, director of evidence and impact for alcohol education charity Drinkaware, said: "We know from our own research that older people could potentially be sleepwalking into long-term health problems as a result of their drinking patterns.

"In fact half of 45 to 64-year-olds who drink to harmful levels told us that they believe moderate drinking is good for your health and the same proportion think they are unlikely to have increased health problems in later life if they continue to drink at their current level.

"Regularly drinking above the lower risk limits can increase your tolerance to the short-term effects of alcohol – but not to the strain it's putting on your liver. As your tolerance increases, you're more likely to drink more.

"This habitual behaviour could also put you at an increased risk of becoming alcohol dependent. Just because you don't feel like you are drinking enough to get drunk, doesn't mean you aren't damaging your health.

"This is one of the main reasons it's important to give your liver a break by taking regular days off from drinking."

The mother of a student who died after taking toxic "diet pills" has called for a clampdown on websites selling potentially deadly drugs.

Speaking after hearing how her daughter sent a "heartbreaking" text saying she knew she was dying, Fiona Parry called for tighter controls of on-line sales of dinitrophenol (DNP).

The inquest heard that 21-year-old Eloise Parry, from Shrewsbury, died within hours of taking eight DNP tablets in April this year.

After the hearing at Shropshire's Shirehall, her mother said: "I would very much like to see much harsher and stiffer penalties for distributing and supplying this substance."

Eloise Parry

SEE ALSO: Eloise Aimee Parry, 21, Dies From Taking 'Diet Pills': What Is Dinitrophenol (DNP)?

Ms Parry, a chemistry teacher, added: "Looking good should never cost you your health or your life.

"It's been difficult to listen to the events that led to my daughter Eloise's death and there's a certain amount of relief the inquest is now over.

"And I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who tried to help her in the days, weeks and hours leading up to her death."

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Eloise apologised to her university lecturer for "being so stupid" in the heart-breaking message, sent around four hours before her death.

An inquest in Shrewsbury was told Miss Parry, who had a history of bulimia, died after taking eight unlicensed tablets containing dinitrophenol (DNP), which she bought on-line.

Shropshire Coroner John Ellery, who ruled that the death was accidental, said he would be writing to the Government urging a review of the classification of DNP, which is marketed on-line as a 'fat burning' pill.

Miss Parry's mother, Fiona Parry, her younger sister Rebecca, and four other family members attended the hearing at Shropshire's Shirehall.

In the text message, read to the court by Detective Sergeant Andy Chatting, Miss Parry said: "I screwed up big time. Binged/purged all night and took four pills at 4am.

"I took another four when I woke and I started vomiting soon after. I think I am going to die.

"No one is known to survive if they vomit after taking DNP. I am so scared."

The message, sent at 11.31am to a lecturer and tutors at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, where Miss Parry was on course for a first class degree in childhood and family studies, continued: "I am so sorry for being so stupid.

"Thank you for everything. I never deserved it. Please pass on my absolute appreciation for all that you have done for me.

"Thank you more than words. Ella."

The student, who lived at a flat in Shrewsbury, died at around 3.25pm after being admitted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital's accident and emergency department at 9.56am on April 12 this year.

Recording his conclusions, Mr Ellery said DNP was clearly a dangerous and toxic substance which should not be accessible to people seeking non-prescribed medication.

"I am entirely satisfied that there is no evidence that (Miss Parry took the tablets) with the intention to kill herself.

"What is clear is that when took the dinitrophenol, she did it in relation to her eating disorder and her death was an accidental consequence."

Two weeks ago, Nykhor Paul joined the chorus of black models exposing inequality in the fashion industry by sharing her struggles on Instagram.

The South Sudanese beauty posted an open letter addressing all the "white people in the fashion world", specifically makeup artists who don't know how to work with models with darker complexions.

The 25-year-old asked, "Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all the other white girls don't have to do anything but show up?"

Read the full letter below:

Dear white people in the fashion world! Please don't take this the wrong way but it's time you people get your shit right when it comes to our complexion! Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all the other white girls don't have to do anything but show up wtf! Don't try to make me feel bad because I am blue black its 2015 go to Mac, Bobbi Brown, Makeup forever, Iman cosmetic, black opal, even Lancôme and Clinique carried them plus so much more. there's so much options our there for dark skin tones today. A good makeup artist would come prepare and do there research before coming to work because often time you know what to expect especially at a show! Stop apologizing it's insulting and disrespectful to me and my race it doesn't help, seriously! Make an effort at least! That goes for NYC, London, Milan, Paris and Cape Town plus everywhere else that have issues with black skin tones. Just because you only book a few of us doesn't mean you have the right to make us look ratchet. I'm tired of complaining about not getting book as a black model and I'm definitely super tired of apologizing for my blackness!!!! Fashion is art, art is never racist it should be inclusive of all not only white people, shit we started fashion in Africa and you modernize and copy it! Why can't we be part of fashion fully and equally?

A photo posted by nykhor (@nykhor) on Jul 6, 2015 at 9:55am PDT

But while the post received a huge amount of support for speaking out about undercover racism, many users also labelled Paul racist herself.

The model took to Instagram again earlier this week to address the issue with another inspiring open letter, below:

Dear white people in the fashion world! All women are beautiful in their own skin whether you are black, white, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian. Beauty is diverse and it deserved to be appreciated and honored by true artist who are free of prejudice or racism. I am not a racist, I am a human being expressing herself about the lack of diversity in the fashion world. Black models have never been a priority in this industry and they never will be if we don't addressed the root causes. Clearly there is a serious issue facing our world and we as a people are choosing to hide from the truth. We are a society that is too sensitive to the truth but we are hurting and have been for generations. You can't speak your mind as a black person without someone labeling you as an angry black woman, I mean how would white women feels if every time they tried to speak what's happening to them someone calls them names? How would a white girl feel to walk in my shoes as a blue black African girl in this western world? Learn to handle the truth without using racism as an escape goat every time so we can have a healthy dialogue about us and the issues facing us today. I am a child of Africa with many shades of darkness and have no hate for another human being in this world because I was raise to love all things life under God light. I am blue black and proud of it, I am beautiful in my own skin no matter how dark and scary people might feel around me. Embrace your blackness!!! #RefugeeGirl #SouthSudan #WeAreNilotic #Modellife #NiloticQueen #NiloticGirl #BlueBlack #Akobogirl #BlackModelsRock #Africangirlsrock #BlackBird #BeautyandPeace #WalkingArt #Africanstakingover #onepeople #onetribe #OneAfrica #ILOVEAFRICA. @marieclairesa

A photo posted by nykhor (@nykhor) on Jul 20, 2015 at 8:20am PDT

Beauty blogger Segun Garuba from Lotions, Potions & Me told HuffPost UK Style that she agrees with Paul's statements about how darker skin tones are often an afterthought.

"As a blogger, I'm frequently invited to new product launches, only to arrive and find that they don't have any of the darker shades available! Which means I have to make a special request to the PR or the brand itself to see the shade at a later date." she said.

"Its frustrating and annoying and leaves me feeling excluded from the very industry I'm passionate about."

In her second post, Paul writes that "Beauty is diverse and it deserved (sic) to be appreciated and honored" - and we think the fashion industry needs to take note.

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Last week, positive body image campaigners were up in arms after it was revealed that Instagram had blocked the hashtag #Curvy.

The hashtag had been disabled along with others including #Thinspo, which glorifies emaciated frames in a bid to inspire others to lose weight, because it collated "inappropriate content" such as pornography.

Now, after a tidal wave of complaints, Instagram has backtracked and have reinstated the hashtag.

"We want people to be able to express themselves, and hashtags are a great way to do that," a spokesperson for Instagram said in a statement.

curvy woman

"At the same time, we have a responsibility to act when we see hashtags being used to spread inappropriate content to our community.

"In the case of #curvy, we don’t like putting restrictions around a term that many people use in very positive ways, so we have decided to unblock the hashtag while taking steps to ensure that it's not used as a vehicle for bad content."

Although, when you try to search for content on the hashtag (which appears to have in excess of 2 million tagged photos), no photos are available. We have reached out to Instagram for comment on this, and are awaiting a response.

instagram curvy

Model Stefania Ferrario, who started the #DropThePlus hashtag to stop women being labelled plus-size, told HuffPost UK Lifestyle that she was "disappointed" by the tag's removal.

"'Curvy' is a word that has culturally positive connotations with regard to the female body, unlike the term 'plus size', which suggests a woman is bigger than she should be. By banning 'curvy' they removed an empowering tag for women," she said.

Ferrario that restrictions around sex and nudity cause "more harm to society than good".

"I don't think there should be any censorship or hashtag bans on Instagram or Facebook at all. As a result of the hashtag bans, people use the wrong hashtags to share porn. On Twitter for example, which is totally liberal in this regard, you don't come across porn unless you want to, but with Instagram you constantly come across it, whether you want to or not. Instagram leaves up hashtags that encourage gun use, violence and eating disorders what's their hangup with sex and nudity?

"The rather speedy reinstatement of the tag perhaps shows that it was a bad move in the first place. I'm sure they received a barrage of complaints from the many fans of the term.

"Or perhaps Instagram simply loves the publicity they garner when they remove and reinstate tags."

A photo posted by stefania ferrario (@stefania_model) on Feb 17, 2015 at 7:51am PST

Stefania Ferrario

Artist and activist Sam Roddick who had her Instagram account permanently deleted for posting "unacceptable content" (read: a cornice shaped like a vagina, not an actual vagina) believes that there are inconsistencies when it comes to the site's censorship.

Speaking at a panel discussion on social media and the arts last week, Roddick queried why her images had been removed, while hashtags such as #vaginas, which hosts explicit pornographic images, remains permitted.

Instagram deactivated my account &told me it will never be activated again due to this image - they are misogram pic.twitter.com/T8aRtKSEnD
— sam roddick (@samroddick) April 14, 2015

"Clearly it is unrealistic for Instagram to fully control or really be fully responsible for what people post - however I am disturbed by what Instagram are actually choosing to disallow and images they are censoring - they are showing that as a company their philosophy is emotionally and intellectually unhealthy and psychologically damaging towards women," she told HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

"They have banned images of breast feeding, stretch marks, domestic images of menstruation and classical art works that respectfully portray nude women and now they ban the hashtag #curvy. While they allow bitch, fat slag, hookers, thin - this is not a safe platform for women and especially young girls (as we all know Instagram is populated with nude images of young women effectively selling themselves sexually)."

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Poorna Bell, executive editor for HuffPost UK, called the move to disable #curvy "baffling".

"In recent months, Instagram has been home to an incredible body confidence movement that was created by and for plus size and #curvy women," she said.

"These women were able to reclaim their bodies and spread messages to women who are used to being bombarded with the usual Amazonian, Photoshopped bodies.

"#EffYourBeautyStandards, Mumbod - these all tried to subvert beauty standards in the most collaborative, global way. Why on earth Instagram would want to stifle that is utterly baffling."

LIKE HUFFPOST UK LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER | WE'RE ALSO ON INSTAGRAM

Roddick added: "My issue is not with what Instagram is allowing, my issues is what the site is not allowing. It is so important that platforms like Instagram get behind positive self and sexual expression - body hair, gender representation, body shapes and all the realities of being human.

"Embracing who we are in our wide diversity is where media is heading so Instagram better change or people will feel misrepresented and it will become another Porn Hub."

A mum-of-two frustrated by a "lazy" driver who wrongly parked in a family bay decided to take matters into her own hands - by blocking him in.

Claire Ramscar, 40, decided to take action when a fellow motorist claimed the last parent and child despite being on his own.

The incident sparked a 20-minute row at a Sainsbury's store in Luton, Bedfordshire after Claire Ramscar to back down.

Ramscar said: "I followed this car into the car park and watched him pull into the parent and child bay ahead of me.

"He clearly didn't have any kids so I just sat behind him. I had two young children with me and I wasn't blocking anyone else."

cars

The married marketing executive said she was tired of customers "abusing the system" at the store and vowed never to shop there again after claiming bosses backed the other driver.

Ramscar continued: "I asked him what he was doing and he just told me to shut up and walked off. I flipped, I'm not proud of it, but I just left the car where it was.

"I went straight to the customer service desk and gave them the registration number.

"They took my details and the next I heard from them was over the speakers asking me to move. I couldn't believe it.

"I spoke to staff and asked them why they didn't enforce their own rules, but they were making the whole thing out to be my fault."

Ramscar went into the store for lunch with her mum and her two daughters, aged three and 15 months, and kept an eye on her silver Citron DS5 from the cafe.

She eventually relented and left the store after her daughters became upset.

Ramscar said: "The guy had the cheek to claim that he'd (dropped) someone off with their kids, but I followed him the whole way in.

"It's incredibly annoying for people with young kids who need those spaces to have someone swan in and abuse the system like that.

"I'm not looking for special treatment. We used to have a disabled badge because one of my daughters was ill but we gave it back because we no longer needed it.

"It was the attitude of the guy and the store's refusal to ask him to move that annoyed me more.

"I can't remember his exact words but he said something that infuriated me and changed my mind about moving.

"But then the girls were getting agitated so I decided it would just be better to leave.

"Everyone was looking out the cafe window because they could see him getting frustrated and I wanted to check he wouldn't damage my car.

"I go out of my way to go to that store but I won't be back."

Sainsbury's Bramingham Park store has 378 parking spaces, with a further 18 for blue badge holders and 12 parent and child parking bays.

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Sainsbury's claim they asked Ramscar to move her car because it was blocking the car park.

Their policy is to ask someone parked incorrectly in a parent and toddler bay to move and issue a ticket if they do not however they cannot guarantee that all incidents will be spotted immediately.

A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We monitor our car parks closely for parking violations. Customers are invited to contact a colleague if they notice that someone has parked incorrectly."

When Ramscar posted the picture on her Facebook page, other social media users were divided over whether she was right to take matters into her own hands.

Adam Crofts said: "What if this person was there to pick up his wife and kids? No matter what the reason you can not take break the law to teach someone a lesson. What if this person were disabled and all the disabled parking was gone?"

While Lindsey Norman said: "Ok, so, he hasn't got children in the car, fine, could park somewhere else BUT he was parked in a designated parking space and you were not, the manager was well within his rights to tell you to move!

"I understand your frustration though and it is a squeeze to get little ones out without a bit of room! Verbal abuse was not needed, especially as I assume you had your children with you! Naughty man for being mean, naughty lady for parking in a non-designated space!"

Rosalind Tomlinson said: "I think Claire was trying to make the point that people park in the parent and child place when they don't have children, I know it isn't law but it would have been polite of the driver to move when he could see Claire had two small children."

And Beverley Allen praised the mother: "Good for you doing this! Also people without kids... don't you realise that you need extra space to get your children in and out of the car so these spaces help parents do this without hitting other cars with the doors whilst trying to squeeze your kids in the little gap you get in normal spaces. I would've blocked their car in too!"

A heartbreaking photo has pictured the moment a mother had to kiss her baby goodbye after he died from an extremely rare lung condition.

Sarah Marriott, 32, kissed one-week-old Sebastian Blenkinsop as his life support machine was turned off.

She later read the words of a children's story "Guess How Much I Love You" to her little boy as he slipped away.

Sarah and her partner Jonathon Blenkinsop, 31, had to make the decision to switch off their son's life support machine when he became ill after birth.

Seb had suffered from a genetic condition called Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia (ACD), which has been diagnosed in just four children in England.

The mother said: "We just kept telling him how much we loved him, kissing him, saying sorry for not being able to prevent it and that we wished it could have been different."

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Seb was born by emergency caesarian section weighing 4lb 13oz at 11.07am on 2 April, 2015, at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton.

Within hours, he was struggling to breathe and was transferred to the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, and placed on life support to rest his organs while tests were carried out.

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Marriott was only able to go and be with her son after needing to stay in recovery at North Tees for two days.

Five days after he was born, Marriott and Blenkinsop were told that Seb was suffering fits and had bleeding on his brain and severe brain damage.

They were advised that the best option was to turn off the machine.

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Seb's life support was switched off at 11.07am on 9 April 2015 - one week after he was born.

He passed away while Marriott sang him to sleep with the poignant words of a children's book by Sam McBratney.

The final line reads: "I love you right up to the moon - and back."

The couple have now launched an appeal to raise funds for further research into the condition which claimed their son.

Marriott, who works in recruitment, said: "I kissed him and read a book called Guess How Much I Love You to him as he died, about two hares.

"He had the little hare teddy with him the whole time.

"I knew it was the best thing for him, and it felt like a relief for him that he wasn't going through anymore pain or machines pumping medicines into him.

"After he passed and the machines were disconnected, we bathed him and finally used some of his own clothing and dressed him for the first time."

She added: "It's still so emotional. Within 30 seconds of waking up I cry. I think about him all day. I sleep with his little hare teddy every night - it makes me feel closer to him."

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Marriott, of Rift House, Hartlepool, says one complication of her pregnancy was that she was carrying excess fluid.

Carrying excess fluid can mean nothing or it can indicate that the mother has an infection or that something is wrong with the baby.

But rigorous checks by medics did not pick up little Seb's illness and the mother was reassured her baby was fine.

ACD affects the development of the lungs and their blood vessels which prevents the heart from developing properly, but forces it to pump harder.

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Without a lung transplantation, infants with ACD have not been known to survive past one year of age, and most affected infants live only a few weeks.

The parents are now due to have DNA testing by a medical research doctor in the US to help uncover answers about the condition, which has only been diagnosed in 200 infants worldwide.

They are also working with other affected families in an attempt to fund research.

Marriott, who is also mum to two children from a previous relationship - Seb's sister Sadie, 12 and brother Kori, 9, said: "Seb just looked like a perfect newborn when he was born.

"It sounds cheesy and corny but I never thought anything like this would happen to me or my baby, it's like something that you read in magazines. I felt just like a robot.

"It was so hard getting told what they were doing to him at the post mortem but we knew it was the right thing to do otherwise we would never know what was wrong and research can't be done otherwise.

"But it felt like he had already been through so much. I wanted to blame somebody but after looking into this condition, there is nobody to blame.

"The only thing we can do it try to help get it researched so that one day it can help. I'm up and down every day. It still doesn't feel like it's happened."

Sarah and Jonathan, a plumber, are now working with the David Ashwell Foundation, which is run by a family in Middlesbrough whose baby died from ACD.

The charity has raised £1400,000 since March 2011 and has already funded two studies, with a further three studies going ahead in 2015.

To donate and for further information visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/Sebblenkinsop or www.facebook.com/Seb.blenkinsop.

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