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A DAD who builds luxury cabins in his garden has entered into a two year battle with the local council who want to tear them down.
John Phillips built the four chalets in his garden in the Gower, South Wales, in 2022, to rent out on Airbnb for up to £185 a night.
The 39-year-old has since been ordered to demolish the four cabins with hot tubs after losing a two year planning battle.
Swansea Council turned down his retrospective planning application in July last year and sent him an enforcement notice four months later.
It said he had to stop renting them and demolish them and tidy up the land within six months.
John did not have the correct planning permission for the pods in Landimore which overlook the Wales Coast Path and Loughor Estuary.
John then appealed the refusal decision and the enforcement notice but now a government-appointed planning inspector has dismissed both appeals.
So now he finally has to take them down.
But he was granted 12 months, rather than the original six, to comply with the order to demolish and restore the site.
The inspector, Richard Duggan, accepted more time was needed to cancel bookings at the high demand chalets.
John, who says he intends to fight the case in court, called the order “madness”.
He said: “It’s really unfair – it’s one rule for us and another for everyone else.
“They [the council] have just awarded a house in our village permission to build a ten room Airbnb.
John, who rents out the chalets with his wife Kerrie Garrett, 34, and lives on the site with daughter Darcy, four, says he doesn’t know what they will do if they have to bulldoze the holiday homes.
“We won’t be able to afford to pay our bills if this happens,” he said.
“It pays our living – it’s our full-time job.
“We haven’t looked at price for demolishing it. We are going to fight this every step of the way.
“We have hired a planning consultant and are currently working on an appeal.”
John move into the property three years ago, but believes his family are being treated differently because they are not locals.
“We’re from Swansea and they don’t like someone from outside the Gower coming in,” he said.
“It seems like there is a hidden vendetta against us.
“It’s all who you know down here.”
Planning inspector Richard Duggan said the chalets decking and hot tubs were visible from the coast path.
He said: “The view from the public footpath, albeit only for approximately 100m, is valuable as part of the experience of walking within the AONB and the development seriously harms that view.”
Swansea Council previously said: “We welcome the decision of the planning inspector in supporting the previous enforcement actions taken by the council in relation to this unauthorised development.
“Hopefully the outcome of this case will send out a clear message that anyone considering development in the city should make sure they do so with the proper planning permissions in place.
“This is particularly important in terms of development on Gower because of its protected status where additional planning policies are in place to ensure development is appropriate for Gower and in the right location.”
The Sun has approached Swansea Council for comment.
PENSIONERS will all have to start paying tax on their state pensions cash due to triple lock.
This is due to a combination of hefty state pension rises and frozen tax thresholds.
Last week in her inaugural Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in a surprise move that tax thresholds will increase once again in 2028.
Ms Reeves had been widely expected to extend the freeze, which has been in place since 2021, in today’s Budget.
But for hundreds of thousands of pensioners who get the full new state pension, this will be a little too late because they’ll be dragged into paying taxes in 2027.
Former pensions minister and current partner at LCP Sir Steve Webb has crunched the numbers and found that if the triple lock system stays in place, those whose sole income comes from the benefit will be forced to pay tax for the first time.
That’s because the triple lock system sees the state pension rise in line with whatever is highest out of: wages for May to July, 2.5% or September’s inflation figures.
This does mean that the rate will rise to at least £236 in April 2026 and £241.90 in April 2027.
The allowance is the amount of money you can earn before you have to pay tax on your income.
Under the current rules, this is up to £12,570 each tax year.
The April 2027 state pension rate will be £12,578 per year even if it just goes up by the minimum 2.5%, just £8 above the tax-free allowance.
This could mean hundreds of thousands of pensioners are taxed on just £8 per year, with a tax bill of £1.60.
If tax-free personal allowance then rises by CPI but the state pension rises by more, then this situation will continue indefinitely, Sir Steve explained.
He said: “A combination of an increasing state pension and frozen tax thresholds means we will soon be in the nonsensical situation where the new state pension will be just a few pounds above the income tax threshold.
“This means that people whose only income is the standard new state pension will be dragged into income tax.
“Long gone are the days when retirement meant no longer having to deal with the tax office.”
State pension goes up from the first Monday after the new tax year starts, which means payments will rise from April 12, 2027.
This means that everyone who gets the full new state pension, for which you need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions, will be paying tax on it in April 2027.
Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that if the triple lock remains in place but inflation or wages spike above 2.5% next year then people will be paying tax in 2026.
Not only that but it is expected that more than 300,000 pensioners will be told that they need to pay tax when the state pension rises by £473 in 2025.
This is because the Chancellor confirmed that the state pension is now expected to rise from £11,502.40 to £11,975 per year.
High inflation rates mean more people in work are getting pay rises to try and keep pace with rising prices.
However, with income tax bands frozen, it means many are being pushed into the next tax bracket.
Laura Suter, director of personal finance at AJ Bell, previously told The Sun: “Pensioners looking to reduce their tax bill need to think about how they can maximise their tax-free income.
“For example, any withdrawals made from their ISAs will be free of any tax. so they can use that pot of money to boost their income without impacting their tax bill.”
An ISA is a type of savings account in which you can save up to £20,00 a year tax-free.
Laura also suggested that couples can organise their finances so they ensure they are each making use of their tax-free allowances, which might involve moving money or assets between themselves.
Helen also added that pensioners might want to use some of their pension to top up their income.
She said: “Most people can access 25% of their pension as a tax-free lump sum so they may decide to use this to top up their income without pushing up their tax bill.”
However, she also warned that pensioners below the personal allowance are going to find it increasingly difficult to avoid paying income tax in the coming years.
AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 - but it's due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.
The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age.
But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record.
For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.
The new state pension is based on people’s National Insurance records.
Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.
You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.
If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.
You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
APPLE is offering a free repair for some iPhones after users reported a problem with their camera.
The tech giant says the issue only affects a “very small percentage” of handsets made from April 2023 and April 2024.
And for some it might be a refund for previous repair costs too.
Impacted devices fail to show a preview when you try to take a photo with the main rear cameras.
Unlike most bugs that can usually be fixed with a software update, this particular problem requires a physical repair to be carried out.
As such, owners will have to take their iPhone to an Apple Store or an Authorised Service Provider.
Alternatively, you can arrange for a free collection from your house.
The issue is restricted to some iPhone 14 Plus devices manufactured between April 10, 2023 and April 28, 2024.
Apple launched the iPhone 14 Plus back in September 2022, alongside the main iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The company has set up a special website page to check whether your model is affected.
You’ll need to insert your iPhone’s serial number to find out.
To find the serial number, go to Settings > General > About.
You should see the serial number listed near the top.
Enter it on this Apple page to check.
The firm ha told iPhone 14 Plus users that they should get in contact if they have previously paid for a camera repair that they believe was affected by this issue, as you could be entitled to a refund.
“If your iPhone 14 Plus has any damage which impairs the ability to complete the repair, such as a cracked back glass, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the service,” Apple warned.
“In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the additional repair.”
By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
It’s not very often that a physical repair is required for a smartphone issue beyond those everyday knocks and drops.
The good thing is Apple is offering a free repair for those affected.
It’s an annoying problem that results in you not being able to see what you’re about to take a photo of on screen, so well worth claiming that repair if eligible.
Remember, it’s only a small percentage of iPhone 14 Plus models impacted – Apple won’t be doing any other repairs for free.
A DIY-SAVVY homeowner has wowed with her simple trick for keeping draughts out throughout winter.
Melissa revealed that she used an affordable buy sold at B&M for the must-try hack.
Melissa (@loveabitofsparkle_home) is steadily growing her following on TikTok, where she shares tips for homeowners.
She went viral on the social media app when she revealed an affordable method for keeping homes warm.
In her video, she applied strips of draught excluder tape bought for £4 from B&M artistically to the walls in her hallway.
A strategic choice of paint colour made the tape look like expensive wooden panels.
“Nobody’s gonna know… that it’s foam draught excluder and not wood from @B&MStores and paint from @DuluxUK,” she captioned the post.
“Paint colour is Brilliant White and Egyptian Cotton from Dulux.
“Dido Rail Amazon – Garneck Wall Borders Peel and Stick Self Adhesive Flexible Molding Trim Stick Wall Border.
“Panel Boarder draught excluder from B&M.”
Over 19,000 people liked the video and took to the comment section praising Melissa for sharing the tip.
“This is the HACK of 2024!!! Omg, love you for this!!!” one person wrote.
“OMG, this is a game changer!! I was going to order a panelling kit from Wickes but not now!” another said.
“Oh wow, brilliant idea, looks great, a third chimed in.
“Genius idea, gonna be my next job,” another added.
“Finally one I can do [laughing],” a fifth commented added.
“It’s so much easier than having to go and get the wood and cut it all!!! You do however need a bit of patience lol,” Melissa replied.
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
Other responses to the post confessed they were impressed by the hack but worried kids and pets may rip the tape off.
“Love it, but my feral mini people would pick it off [crying],” one person said.
“Aww no… I’d probably have done the same when I was little to be fair thx hun,” Melissa replied.
In a follow-up video, she showed herself using a tape measure and spirit level to mark out where the tape should be applied before sticking it to the wall.
She reassured viewers that the tape was “quite firmly” stuck to prevent draughts.
However, it can be removed easier than wood and nails when it’s time to redecorate.
“Bloody brilliant and a fraction of the cost,” a commenter said.
A 19-YEAR-OLD man revealed how he went from a virgin to a sex addict after leaving for university.
The student explained that he became “obsessed” with finding people to sleep with, regardless of gender.
In a Reddit post, the unnamed user explained how his upbringing had contributed to his feelings of shame over sex.
“I was raised in a really strict catholic household and before I left for college I hadn’t done anything sexual with anyone,” he said.
“When I started college, I decided I wanted to change and immediately started dating and using apps.”
The poster described how he lost his virginity “pretty quickly,” adding that the woman he slept with was only interested in a one night stand.
Eager to have sex again, he downloaded dating apps and experienced a mix success and “strikeouts.”
“One night, I was obsessed with finding someone and was striking out left and right,” he explained.
“In desperation, I downloaded a gay dating app and immediately got an bunch of messages.”
The Reddit user said he was “not interested in guys” but “just needed to get off.
He ended up meeting up with another man and having sex with him.
“A few days later I was back on liking for girls. And when I couldn’t find one, guys,” he explained.
Despite trying to quit “cold turkey,” he found himself relapsing multiple times and when his openly gay cousin visited him, he revealed his urges to him.
“Just talking about it made me super horny and I knew it was f**ked up but I started flirting a little,” he said.
“I won’t go into details but he and I had sex that night.”
The Reddit user revealed that he and his cousin have slept together “a few times since” but said that he “feels disgusted” over his actions.
As well as his cousin, the young man racked up several more partners on dating apps.
IF you, or someone you know, is dealing with a sex addiction, here's everything you need to know...
Seek Professional Help: Consulting a therapist who specialises in sexual addiction can be very beneficial. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic approaches can help address underlying issues and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Join Support Groups: Connecting with others who are experiencing similar challenges can provide support and understanding. Groups such as Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) offer a safe space to share experiences and gain insights.
Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries to avoid triggers and situations that may lead to addictive behaviours. This might include limiting internet usage, avoiding certain places, or ending unhealthy relationships.
Develop Healthy Habits: Engage in activities that promote well-being and fulfilment, such as exercise, hobbies, or volunteering. These can help redirect energy towards positive outlets.
Mindfulness and Stress Management: Practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and yoga can help manage stress and reduce the urge to engage in addictive behaviours.
Education: Learning about sex addiction can help you understand your condition better and recognise patterns and triggers. Knowledge is a powerful tool in managing addiction.
Accountability: Having a trusted friend or sponsor to check in with can provide accountability and support. This person can help you stay on track with your recovery goals.
Avoid Isolation: Isolation can exacerbate addictive behaviours. Try to maintain social connections and seek out healthy relationships that offer support and companionship.
Set Realistic Goals: Recovery is a journey and setting small, achievable goals can help you stay motivated and track your progress.
Medication: In some cases, medication may be prescribed to help manage symptoms of sex addiction, particularly if there are co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
He explained how he isn’t even attracted to most of the people he sleeps with, describing them as “just willing partners.”
And when he wasn’t meeting up with people for sex, he said he was watching porn online.
“I’ve researched sex addiction and I’m pretty sure I am one,” he wrote.
He explained that his family’s strict religious views made him reluctant to confide in them.
“I can’t tell anyone and I’m sure my parents would think I’m disgusting,” he said.
THE HOLLYWOOD star dad of a nepo baby wished her happy birthday in an emotional post yesterday – but can you guess who her famous parents are?
One of the 80s biggest actors marked his daughter’s special day with a heartfelt Instagram tribute as she turned 23.
With both parents accomplished in their field, her mother’s past includes a relationship with Kevin Bacon, before she settled down with her father.
Their offspring, the youngest of four children, is currently attending Duke University, where she is pursuing a degree in journalism.
Esmé Fox is the daughter of Back to the Future star Michael J Fox, 63, and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, 64.
He wrote on the platform: “Esme, Happy birthday to our renaissance gal.
“You do it all. Your Dood loves you very much. Who doesn’t? Keep living your best life.”
The actor shared heartfelt photos of Esmé, who seems to have taken a different path from her parents’ Hollywood careers.
One image showed her smiling while standing in front of a brick building.
In another, she wore a cropped purple vest and a denim midi skirt while holding a leather jacket.
A third photo captured a joyful Esmé dining out, and fourth showed her cuddling a fluffy dog on the floor.
Tracy also shared a touching tribute on Instagram, posting photos of shared moments with Esmé.
She wrote: “I love you @esmeannabelle Happy Birthday!!!
“I love absolutely everything about you and I am blessed to be able to explore the world with you! You are my heart.”
The pictures included mother-daughter memories, with the two embracing on a wooden bridge over a river, posing against a red rock backdrop, and Esmé hiking in a Duke sweatshirt alongside her mum and sister.
One photo featured them smiling in a canyon, and another showed them in front of a striking blue wall against rocky terrain.
Michael and Tracy, who married in 1988 after meeting on the set of Family Ties, also share son Sam, 35, and twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 29.
Though they first met when Tracy played Michael’s love interest on Family Ties in 1985, they were both dating other people at the time.
Tracy was with Kevin, and Michael was seeing Nancy McKeon.
Esmé’s résumé includes reporting internships at the Tampa Bay Times, Bloomberg News, and a local North Carolina paper.
Despite her journalistic pursuits, she keeps a relatively low profile compared to her siblings.
Michael — now in a wheelchair after 33 years with Parkinson’s disease — became something of a hero to health campaigners after his shock diagnosis with the debilitating disease when he was just 29.
Amazingly, ten years after his 1991 diagnosis, when asked how he would react if offered his old life back, he said: “I would, without a moment’s hesitation, tell you to take a hike.”
Now 63, Michael claims he has only found happiness after he was struck down by the degenerative condition.
Before it, he said, life in Hollywood’s rat race had been “a narrow, sheltered existence fuelled by fear”.
But after coming to terms with his illness he ditched his obsession with status and threw himself into raising money for research into Parkinson’s and ending the stigma around it.
The Michael J Fox Foundation has so far funded more than £1.2billion of projects which have developed new treatments and ways to diagnose the disease far earlier.
“It just became my whole purpose,” he said in February. “Parkinson’s has been by far the most exciting thing, much more than my career.”
Yet in four best-selling memoirs and on screen, he also detailed the disease’s terrible toll, as his antics as Back To The Future skateboarder Marty McFly were replaced by uncontrollable shaking and falls.
With the trademark wit that first made him famous in Eighties sitcom Family Ties, he said of the disease: “It’s a gift that keeps on taking — but it is a gift.”
Born in Edmonton, Canada in 1961, he was christened Michael Andrew Fox and adopted the “J” after moving to Los Angeles and discovering another actor with the same name. He has often joked that the initial simply stands for “Jenius”.
He grew up on a series of military bases because his father was in the army, and his short stature made him hyper-competitive from the start.
Aged five he was being mistaken for his two-year-old sister’s twin, but he proved himself in games and sports, declaring: “If you pick me last I will do everything I can to make you look like a fool.”
His modest height — he is 5ft 4in — led to his first big break aged 16, when his school drama teacher urged him to audition for the role of a 12-year-old boy in new Canadian sitcom Leo And Me, and he got the job.
At 18 he moved to Los Angeles and initially did well, landing small roles in shows such as newspaper drama Lou Grant, before work dried up.
By early 1982 he was so broke he was reduced to selling his sectional sofa bit by bit, and recalled: “It got really desperate.”
Then he auditioned for new sitcom Family Ties after Matthew Broderick, the producers’ first choice as the family’s Wall Street Journal-reading teenage son, had turned them down.
Michael got the part, and from the first episode the sheer zest that the 21-year-old brought to the role of Alex P Keaton made him the show’s stand-out star.
His light touch and quickness made him an instant favourite with actor Michael Gross, who played Alex’s father Steven, who recalled of young Michael’s screen charisma: “You just said, ‘Oh, this is a phenomenon’.”
Soon a third of all US households were watching the series, and it was a huge hit here on Channel 4.
Parkinson’s has made me a better person. A better husband, father and overall human being
Michael J Fox
Michael’s success led to Steven Spielberg offering him the Marty McFly role in Back To The Future.
It was an instant classic, still loved today, and Marty in his red gilet became one of the most recognisable movie characters ever.
As Michael noted at the time: “I really have been lucky.”
He was also getting cocky. Returning to the Family Ties set for the first series after his movies had made him a superstar, he later told how he could get away with “the most outrageous behaviour”.
He was finally called out after making a sneering remark about the breath of guest star Tracy Pollan, who was playing Alex’s girlfriend.
She told him: “That was mean and rude, and you are a complete and total f***ing a**hole.”
He later wrote in his 2002 memoir Lucky Man: “I was smitten.”
They married in 1988 and have since become one of Hollywood’s most celebrated, long-lasting couples.
But Michael was so focused on cashing in on his soaring success that he took Tracy for granted, even after the birth of their son Sam in 1989.
He admitted in 2023: “I was off doing movies and she was home with a baby, and I made jokes about it on talk shows.”
He bought sports cars, obsessed about box office statistics and signed a $5million (£4million) deal to make Diet Pepsi adverts.
But he was also drinking heavily to deal with the pressure he felt to keep his career soaring.
Life delivered me a catastrophe, but I found a richness of soul
Michael J Fox
It only worsened after the end of Family Ties in 1989 and the final instalment of Back To The Future the following year.
Michael threw himself into second-rate movies such as The Hard Way, later writing: “I just didn’t feel comfortable finishing any job without a contract for another in hand.”
In November 1990 the 29-year-old actor was making the film Doc Hollywood when he noticed a tremor in his left little finger.
But it was the following September before doctors diagnosed the incurable, degenerative “old person’s” condition Parkinson’s.
Michael recalled in 2020: “I thought they were crazy. I was indignant.
“I was like, ‘No, you made a mistake’ — not only because I was young, but because my life had been so charmed to that point.
“I thought, ‘This has to be some kind of error’.”
He reacted by telling only his closest family and friends, and threw himself into ever-dodgier films to make money while he still could.
His drinking worsened until one day his toddler son Sam found him passed out on the floor, which began his turnaround.
He recalled: “The only unavailable choice was whether or not to have Parkinson’s. Everything else was up to me.”
And so he made the choice of acceptance, and focused on his family.
He and Tracy had twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler in 1995, followed by Esmé in 2001.
It makes me think, ‘Can I just keep going in this adventure? Because if the worst I’ve had is as bad as it gets, it’s been amazing
Michael J Fox
In 1996, to spend more time with his young family, he stopped chasing big-screen money and went back to TV, with hit sitcom Spin City.
For a couple of years he disguised his symptoms on set by being in constant motion, twiddling pens or picking up mugs and by leaning against any surface he could find.
But by the end of 1998 he realised the anxiety about being “found out” had taken over his life, so he announced the truth, sparking shocked headlines around the world.
But one health campaigner later told Michael he had had a different reaction: “Thank God.”
At the time, Parkinson’s attracted little interest among health professionals and only got a sliver of the research funding of other conditions.
And the fact that ten per cent of sufferers are under 50 was almost entirely unknown.
Michael has changed that, most spectacularly by starting the health foundation in his name that has now funded game-changing research for decades.
When he left Spin City in 2000 he feared he could no longer work because of worsening symptoms — but he soon discovered otherwise.
In 2006 TV drama Boston Legal his physical weakness allowed him to movingly play a businessman dying of cancer.
Then, in The Good Wife, his increasingly “frozen” face gave his character Louis a haunting quality.
And most famously, in Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2011, he played himself weaponising his shakes and tics to drive Larry David crazy.
Michael’s health began to fail more rapidly in 2018, after an operation on his spine followed by a bad fall that reversed six months of painful rehab.
He said later: “That was the thing that destroyed me. I thought, ‘What further indignity do I have to suffer?’”
In 2019, he said: “Parkinson’s has made me a better person. A better husband, father and overall human being.
“Life delivered me a catastrophe but I found a richness of soul.”
He added: “It makes me think, ‘Can I just keep going in this adventure? Because if the worst I’ve had is as bad as it gets, it’s b
RENT can be expensive and many people are thinking outside the box when it comes to their homes in order to save some cash.
Adventurous Kierra, who posts under @lifewkierra, shared how she has lived in her Toyota Prius for nine months and loves the freedom it provides.
She shared how she cosies up at night in her sleeping bag and watches episodes of Gossip Girl, and showers at her 24/7 gym.
She has a mini fridge and camping stove for meals and picks free campsites or safe car parks at night time.
When she’s not working or studying, she has also done a 10,000 mile road trip to explore around the States.
But why does she do it?
She explained it provides her with “freedom, independence, and adventure” plus she is “saving up for a van.”
Kierra said: “I have a job, and I personally enjoy living in my car more than living in an apartment.”
With winter approaching, Kierra shared her top tips for staying warm in her vehicle.
She shared: “I’ve lived in my car for nine and a half months now, and winter is coming, so how do I keep myself warm during the winter?
“First thing is that I have a negative 20 degrees sleeping bag, which keeps me warm even on some of the coldest nights.
“The reason I was looking at a Tesla is because it has camping mode, which I don’t know too much about, but I’ve seen a lot of other car-life creators who live in Teslas, and so that was really intriguing to me.
“But I decided in the end that it just wasn’t an affordable option for me.
“I ended up settling on a Prius, and the Prius is great because it’s a hybrid.
“This makes it so I can run my heat a little bit longer without having to spend an enormous amount of money.”
Kierra said she doesn’t run her heat all night, and has only done it twice when she fell asleep.
I have a job, and I personally enjoy living in my car more than living in an apartment
Kierra
She added: “Usually, I just run my heat for like 20 minutes before I go to bed to warm up my car so I’m able to fall asleep.
“Then my sleeping bag does a pretty good job of keeping me warm through the night.
“Although when I wake up, it is really cold, and then I have to push through that to turn on my car.
“With my car, in order to turn it on, I have to be pressing the brake button, but then it warms up pretty quickly, and I am good to go.”
Kierra said one of the most common questions she gets asked is about whether she feels safe as a woman.
She replied: “The answer is, not all the time, but I do what I can to be as safe as possible.
“When you live in a car, it’s important to be intentional about where you park.
IF you are looking to live in a van to save money or travel, you'll be pleased to know that there are no UK laws stopping you.
However, you must ensure your vehicle has passed its MOT and is fully road legal.
There could also be restrictions on where you can park up to sleep in your van.
For example, local authorities place restrictions on certain streets or lay-bys, and you could be fined if you spend the night there.
It could also be unsafe to stop in certain locations, particularly at night-time.
Check the The Highway Code guide for guidance.
“My personal favourite thing to do is park in places where I blend in with other cars.
“A great way to find places like these is to look for businesses that are open 24/7 and have a decently full parking lot.
“Another place that I love to park is free campsites.
“Also, tinted windows are a must.”
Kierra has racked up nearly 40,000 followers who love seeing her adventures, and learning about her tips for living in a car, from storage to meal ideas.
A WOMAN has revealed her rare condition which makes her “faint” whenever she laughs, cries or is hungover – and once almost drowned in a pool due to it.
Chelsea Coombes, 27, first realised something was wrong when she was 17 years old and felt her face drop after she laughed.
It continued to happen when she giggled and got worse – causing her head to jolt and her mouth to shut.
Chelsea went to the doctor at the time and was told she likely had sleep disorder narcolepsy and cataplexy – a sudden and brief loss of muscle tone – but failed to get an official diagnosis.
But Chelsea has gradually got worse and said her episodes are triggered by her emotions – such as when she laughs, cries and when she is hungover.
She is often able to laugh off the symptoms but has found it “scary” when she almost drowned after losing control of her muscles while laughing.
Chelsea, a social media creator, from Kibworth, Leicestershire, said: “It’s like a weak light headedness.
“My eyes will flicker. My leg jolts and my head will start to go.
“I’m still conscious – it’s like my brain is drunk.
“Sometime my head will jolt and my eye looks the other way.”
Chelsea first noticed something was wrong aged 17.
She said: “I was at my auntie’s house. I remember laughing and one side of my face dropped.
“I thought ‘what the hell? I think I’ve just had a stroke’.
“I laughed again and it happened.
“When it first started happening I was falling asleep everywhere.
“I still fall asleep very easily.”
Chelsea would continually find she would have a momentary loss of movement when she laughed and went to see her doctor.
She said: “At first they thought it could have been a non-epileptic disorder.”
Chelsea had several tests and saw a neurologist who believed it was narcolepsy and the linked condition cataplexy.
She “gave up” going to the doctor after tests didn’t show anything up and has yet to receive an official diagnosis.
Over the years Chelsea’s symptoms have worsened and different emotions have started to trigger it.
She said: “Laughter is the main one.
“Sometimes I’ll have it when I cry or when I’m hungover.
“Years ago it happened to me when I was carrying cups of tea and I laughed. Now carrying cups of tea is a trigger.“
Chelsea describes the lack of muscle tone as similar to fainting – but she is conscious.
Her condition has now worsened and she can lose muscle tone up to 100 times a day.
Chelsea said: “It’s got to the point where it’s just part of me now.
“If I have got a present to give to someone I get really excited and then it can happen.
“When it’s at it’s worse my legs go.
“Any strong emotion – it happens.
“But I can have a whole day when I laugh and it doesn’t happen.”
If Chelsea is in public she usually knows to get on the ground if she can feel it happening. She says she often has strangers checking if she is OK.
She said: “I went on holiday and it happened in the pool and people had to grab me – that’s crazy dangerous.
“That’s been quite scary.”
Chelsea also can’t drive and is worried about when she starts a family.
She said: “I don’t have kids yet but I really want them.
“What would happen if I’m holding my baby and I faint.”
Chelsea has now gone back to the doctor for testing to get an official diagnosis – and to see if they can help.
But she shares her condition and episodes on TikTok to raise awareness and show other with the condition it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Chelsea said: “You don’t have to hide.
“I’m not a very serious person.
“I don’t take life seriously.”
Not everyone suffering from the long-term condition will have the same symptoms, which can develop suddenly or over a number of years.
According to the NHS website, those worried about any relevant warning signs should book in a visit to their GP who can refer them to a sleep disorder specialist.
What are the symptoms?
FLIP-FLOPPING Kamala Harris is constantly haunted by the issue of immigration, says Andrew Neil.
The esteemed British journalist believes that Harris, 60, hasn’t convinced many undecided American voters yet with less than 24 hours to go before the presidential polls open.
Andrew Neil told The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole on Never Mind The Ballots that he thinks the safe vote is still in the hands of the Democrat’s leader.
But says she is still a risk for millions of unsure voters due to her inauthenticity and track record with major political issues – especially immigration.
As Vice President, Harris was tasked with coming up with solutions to America’s immigration issues for several years.
Many feel not enough was done during her time under Joe Biden with rival Donald Trump even labelling her as a “border czar” in the run-up to November 5.
Trump has constantly tried to blame Harris for the immigration issues over the past four years.
He also claims she has overstated her diplomatic tasks as Vice President and not managed to reduce the root problems with migration from South America.
Despite Trump’s accusations Harris has been committed to bringing in more Border Patrol agents to keep an eye on people entering the US illegally.
She says when she is elected the bill will be pushed through Congress to maintain order across the border.
Harris has also vowed to increase the number of asylum officers, immigration judges and immigration detention beds.
Many voters remain sceptical over Harris’ position in regards to immigration after the Biden administration appeared to lack much conviction to sending away illegal immigrants.
Trump on the other hand is very clear on his stance with immigrants as he has labelled all illegal immigrants as criminals in the past.
Speaking on The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballot’s YouTube show, Andrew Neil said: “I think the American people still see her (Harris) as a risk because they don’t quite know what she really stands for. They don’t quite know what they’re getting.
“She hasn’t cut through and I think a lot of the times that’s because she is not authentic enough.
“I mean Trump is authentic and I think Trump can be authentic in a bad way but he is authentic. She is not.
“Hanging over it all is immigration. I think immigration haunts her like no other issue.
“Sending them to cities like New York, Washington DC and Chicago has nationalised the issue so it is no longer just a boarder state issue.
“She was put in charge of that by Mr Biden and although as the election loomed by executive order a number of tougher things were done on immigration it only raises the question of why didn’t you (Harris) do that right away.”
It comes as The Sun revealed that almost half of Americans say Harris was an ineffective Vice President, according to an exclusive poll.
Harris has attempted to walk the line between pushing her record as Joe Biden’s VP for the past four years while still claiming that she represents a break with the past.
In her Fox News interview last month, Harris said her presidency wouldn’t be a “continuation” of Biden’s.
Yet The U.S. Sun’s poll shows voters’ negative views of her performance as VP still remain.
Of respondents, nine per cent said Harris has been “Somewhat ineffective” as the Vice President, while a third (33 per cent) said she had been “Very ineffective.”
Pollsters still believe the battle between Trump and Harris is extremely close.
Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are currently too close to call as the crucial swing states.
Their combined 93 electoral college votes will push either Trump or Harris over the finish line.
But polling shows both hopefuls are within just two points of each other in the undecided states.
Pennsylvania in particular is showing just a 0.8 per cent margin in Trump’s favour, according to polling from RealClearPolitics.
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
The Democratic and Republican parties nominate their candidates with a series of votes – called state primaries and caucuses – in the run up to the election in November, held every four years.
This gives members the opportunity to choose who they want to lead the party into an election – this year, Donald Trump and following Biden’s resignation, Kamala Harris.
There are also some independent candidates running for president – arguably the most well-known was Robert F Kennedy Jr who pulled out in August and endorsed Trump.
In US elections the winner is not the candidate who gets the most votes across the country.
Instead Trump and Harris will compete to win smaller contests held in each of the 50 states.
Many of the states often vote the same way – but seven of them – Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona – tend to go in either direction.
Each state has a number of electoral college votes – partly based on population sizes – with a total of 538 across the country up for grabs.
The winner is the candidate that gets 270 or more, marking a majority in the electoral college.
All but two of the US’ 50 states – Maine and Nebraska – have a winner-takes-all rule.
Meaning whichever candidate gets the highest number of votes wins all of the state’s electoral college votes.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton won more votes nationally than Donald Trump – but she still lost the election because of electoral college votes.
The candidate who will win this election is the one who secures 270 or more college ballots.
Usually the winner is declared on the night, but it can take days to finalise the result.
In 2020 Joe Biden wasn’t officially announced as the president-elect until November 7.
The new president will be sworn into office in January on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC.
