The man who was caught on camera snatching a hat off a young boy at the US Open has said he made a "huge mistake" after footage of the incident went viral.

Piotr Szczerek, a Polish chief executive of a paving firm, said he was "convinced" tennis star Kamil Majchrzak had been "passing his hat in my direction".

"I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child," he wrote in a statement. "This wasn't my intention, but it doesn't change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans."

The video, taken during Majchrzak's match on Thursday, showed the tennis player offering his cap to a child, before Mr Szczerek appears to take it.

Versions of the clip were shared widely on social media and prompted criticism of Mr Szczerek's actions.

The 50-year-old wrote on social media on Monday: "I would like to unequivocally apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself."

He added that he had given the hat back to the boy, and hoped that it had "at least partially repaired the damage that was done".

Majchrzak, 29, who had just won his match against Russian ninth seed Karen Khachanov when the incident unfolded, told the New York Post on Saturday that "obviously it was some kind of confusion".

"I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match, after being super tired and super excited for the win," he said.

"I just missed it. I had like a dead look, if you know what I mean. I'm sure the guy was also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions."

The tennis star reunited with the boy over the weekend, sharing clips of him giving the young fan a cap and other merchandise on Instagram.

"Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting," the tennis star wrote, adding: "Do you recognise [the cap]?"

Majchrzak, ranked 76th in the world in men's singles, came back from two sets down to beat Khachanov in a second-round match at Flushing Meadows, but was forced to retire injured during the first set of his third-round tie against Switzerland's Leandro Riedi on Saturday.

He later confirmed he had torn an intercostal muscle.

Mr Szczerek and his wife Anna founded his paving company Drogbruk in 1999, polish outlet Tenis Magazyn reported. The company sponsors sporting events and Polish athletes.

The couple and their two sons are amateur tennis players who compete in local leagues, and have hosted Polish tennis pro Urszula Radwańska on their home court, according to Tenis Magazyn.

Will we see Storm Amy this week?

September heatwaves

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck Afghanistan's mountainous eastern region, with authorities saying hundreds of people have been killed.

The quake hit at 23:47 local time on Sunday (19:17 GMT) with its epicentre 27km (17 miles) away from Jalalabad, the country's fifth-largest city, in eastern Nangarhar province.

It was shallow - only 8km deep - and was felt 140km away in the capital, Kabul, as well as in neighbouring Pakistan. Hundreds of people are thought to have died.

The initial quake was followed by a number of large aftershocks, which are thought to have caused further deaths.

Details are still emerging and it could be some time before the extent of the damage and number of deaths is known.

What we know so far

Initial reports indicate significant casualties and widespread damage across parts of the far western Nangarhar and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan.

These mountainous areas are extremely challenging to reach even at the best of times, which is hampering rescue and relief operations.

• Follow updates on this story

More than 800 people are feared dead, the Taliban's interior ministry has said, but warns that there is still no clear death toll. There are reports that hundreds more have been injured.

The BBC has been told that the road leading to the epicentre has been blocked because of a landslide, so the Taliban government is using helicopters to get people out.

Multiple sources from the government have said that dozens of houses are buried under the rubble. Aid from international organisations has been requested.

Access by road to the worst-hit areas remains blocked, but hundreds of homes are likely to have been destroyed, according to Salam Al Janabi from the UN children's charity Unicef.

The aid organisation World Vision says that entire villages in Chawki and Nurgal regions - both in Kunar province - have been completely or partially destroyed, with homes made of mud and timber collapsing and trapping residents under rubble.

An official in Nurgal told the news agency AFP that many of those living in the quake-hit villages had returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan in recent years. Both nations have stepped up efforts to deport more than a million Afghans - many of whom had initially fled the country to escape violence.

The earthquake came in the wake of flash flooding over the weekend which left at least five dead, according to local media. The flood, which caused landslides and damaged infrastructure, also temporarily disrupted traffic between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Why news is taking time to emerge

As we have reported, the nature of the terrain means it is difficult to access and there are limited communications - meaning it will take longer to get updates on the situation. There is also likely to be damage to infrastructure, making it even harder to reach affected areas.

During previous major earthquakes, the death toll jumped up steeply once access to the affected areas was established.

However, there are other factors that hamper both our ability to get accurate information about the situation and in getting aid into the affected areas.

Since August 2021 the country has been under the control of the Taliban, whose government most of the world does not recognise.

The return of the hardline Islamist group to power sparked an exodus of international journalists, with organisations like the BBC pulling many of their staff from the country.

Several aid agencies and NGOs also suspended their work in Afghanistan as a result - meaning there are fewer ways to verify what is happening there.

However, there are no restrictions on allowing in international aid.

Can Afghanistan cope?

Afghanistan was pushed into economic collapse when the Taliban took over and more than 23 million Afghans are now in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Most foreign donations to Afghanistan have been suspended and international sanctions, which date back to when the Taliban were first in power in the 1990s, are still in place - although exemptions have been made for humanitarian relief.

Prior to the Taliban takeover, about 80% of Afghanistan's budget came from foreign donors. This funded nearly all public healthcare, which has since collapsed.

Jalalabad's main hospital - the biggest medical facility close to the epicentre - is already overwhelmed, being right at the centre of the crossing point for the tens of thousands of Afghans being deported from neighbouring Pakistan.

Afghanistan's financial assets abroad (mainly held in the US) have also been frozen, while the abrupt freeze on US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year has significantly affected aid delivery.

Why are women and girls particularly at risk?

There are concerns that the health and safety of women and girls could be at greater risk due to the restrictions placed on them by the Taliban government.

These "continue to limit their access to life-saving services, leaving them [women and girls] among the most vulnerable in the aftermath of the quake", said Graham Davison, head of the Afghanistan branch of the international aid group Care.

Kunar is a very conservative area, so for cultural reasons, women might end up being treated later. It is feared some women may have chosen to stay, or wait for daylight to be taken to hospital by their families.

The powerful earthquake in the Paktika province of 2022 saw the number of injured women in hospitals rise two days after the earthquake.

It is also important to note that there are no female rescuers on the ground.

Why are earthquakes particularly damaging in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet.

Earthquakes happen when there is sudden movement along the tectonic plates which make up the Earth's surface. Fractures called fault lines occur where the plates collide.

In 2023, a series of quakes in Herat province killed more than 1,000 people. In 2022, Paktika province was struck by a quake which also killed more than 1,000.

Shallow earthquakes are common in the country and are more destructive, as seismic waves have less of a distance to travel to the Earth's surface and therefore retain much of their power.

Buildings in Afghanistan also tend to be made of timber, mud brick or weak concrete, which are not quake-resistant.

A lot of damage also comes from landslides caused by earthquakes, which can flatten houses in mountain villages and block rivers, causing flooding.

For five years, Sammi Hill took hardly any pictures of herself, avoided socialising and "couldn't stand to look" in a mirror.

The 33-year-old said she gained 8st (51.8kg) following the births of her two daughters - now aged four and five - and struggled to lose the pounds.

She said she was later diagnosed with depression, which left her demotivated and lacking in confidence.

Last year, she began using the weight loss drug Mounjaro and said it helped "get her life back".

But a hike in the price of the drug means she is now reconsidering whether to continue using it.

She told the BBC she believed the price hike could negatively affect the mental health of people who are trying to improve their lives.

Last month, the US manufacturer of Mounjaro announced it was putting up the list price of the drug by as much as 170%, which could have meant the cost of the highest dose going up from £122 to £330 per month.

But the BBC understands the highest dose will now be sold to suppliers for £247.50.

'Locked myself away'

The mother of three said she was unwell throughout her last pregnancy and suffered from hip and joint pain that left her needing crutches, which she said affected her weight.

"It was really hard because I couldn't even stand to look at myself," she said.

"I locked myself away for five years. I was 10st (63.5kg) when I met my partner, and then I went up to 18st (114.3kg)."

At her lowest point, Sammi - from Mapperley in Nottingham - said she struggled to find motivation to get out of bed and brush her teeth.

Sammi said she had tried numerous antidepressants over the years, but found her mental health improved the most after using the weight loss drug, which she bought from an online pharmacy.

She started using Mounjaro in July last year and within the space of a year, said she had lost 4st (25.4kg).

The drug works as an appetite suppressant by mimicking a hormone that makes people feel fuller.

It also affects metabolism and helps regulate energy balance.

Patients can be prescribed Mounjaro but the drug is also available to buy privately.

For many, the side effects - which can include feeling sick, vomiting, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea - are manageable and tend to go away in time.

However, experts have warned the complications can be worse if the drugs are abused.

Meanwhile, there have been hundreds of reports of patients having problems with their pancreas, which is not being studied by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Sammi started on a low dose of the drug but did not gradually increase the dose as patients generally do when using Mounjaro.

She said she believed she did not need to, having seen positive effects on a low dose.

"It's helped me with my confidence and I've learned a lot about myself along the way," Sammi said.

"A lot of people might think it's a cheat, but it's not, it's a boost.

"I didn't have the motivation to get up in the morning to brush my teeth, never mind getting up and doing a work out.

"It's taken me out of that really dark hole that I was in."

'Not just about weight'

Since using Mounjaro, Sammi said she had learned how to eat more healthily and understood portion sizes that worked for her.

She decided to take a break from using the drug ahead of her wedding in August and said she managed to maintain the weight.

Sammi hoped to start using Mounjaro again in September with the aim of losing another 4st (25.4kg), but due to the price hike, she said she was considering waiting.

While the drug will be sold to suppliers in the UK at a discounted rate, pharmacies and other private weight loss services will add their own mark-up to consumers.

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said the UK price of Mounjaro had to increase to be more in line with higher prices in Europe and the US.

It means the price rise for patients is unlikely to be as large as initially feared, but Sammi believes it will still have a negative impact on people's lives.

Sammi added for many, it was "not just about the weight".

"It is worrying because it's taking away that lease of life from people who can't afford it. It is expensive as it is," she said.

Additional reporting by Maria Rubio

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The navigation system of a plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted due to suspected Russian interference, the European Commission said.

A spokesperson said the "GPS jamming" happened while the Commission president was about to arrive in Bulgaria on Sunday, but she still landed safely.

They added: "We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia."

The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that von der Leyen had to land at Plovdiv Airport using paper maps.

The Bulgarian government confirmed that during the flight, "the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane's GPS navigation system was neutralised".

The statement continued: "To ensure the flight's safety, air control services immediately offered an alternative landing method using terrestrial navigation tools."

Bulgaria's Air Traffic Services Authority told the paper that there had been a "notable increase" in navigation jamming since January 2022.

The Kremlin told the FT that its information was "incorrect".

Many of the names involved in Sir Keir Starmer's Downing Street shake-up are not even household names in Westminster.

But the latest moves, announced on Monday as MPs return to Parliament, are a big deal for several reasons.

First, in terms of organisational innovation.

If you're struggling to recall who was Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister before Darren Jones, the answer is that there wasn't one.

The role is a new creation, designed to give Sir Keir Starmer firmer command of the government machine he has complained is sluggish and unwieldy.

Bringing an MP into the heart of Downing Street's operations is unusual, if not completely unprecedented - the Conservative MP Steve Barclay was Boris Johnson's chief of staff in his final months as prime minister.

Clearer structures

For all that innovation, these latest moves are also partly about establishing more conventional - and clearer - structures.

This morning there were two directors of communications, and four people who could claim in some sense to be head of policy. Now there is one of each.

Reaching for the sort of football analogy the prime minister might enjoy, one government insider said to me: "No 10 has been like Sven [Goran-Eriksson's] England team. Lots of midfield talent who couldn't play together."

The second significant thing about these changes is the ruthlessness.

This is a well-worn theme of Starmer's leadership, but he is willing to demote, sideline or dispense with people who have served him very closely.

On the other hand, some of those being sidelined today were appointed not long ago at all by Starmer himself – so, to some of his Labour critics, ruthlessness is just a nice way of saying he is correcting his own errors.

Economic focus

Third, there is a pronounced focus throughout the changes on beefing up the economic know-how in 10 Downing Street. Jones has spent the past fourteen months as Rachel Reeves's second in command.

The civil servant now running Starmer's private office has spent his career at the Treasury. Baroness Shafik, the prime minister's new chief economic adviser, is a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, among other illustrious qualifications.

This is a recognition that this autumn's Budget will not just be a defining moment of the next few months but of this entire government, however long it lasts.

Some senior government figures are interpreting this as the prime minister wanting to take a bigger personal role in the discussions in the run-up to the Budget.

Those around Reeves say that she had been pushing for some time for Starmer to boost his economic team, and that she was heavily involved in discussions with the prime minister about the broader rejig of his staff.

Perhaps most importantly, this shake-up is significant for what it says about how Starmer himself sees his premiership having gone so far.

It is, implicitly, an admission that the first year and a bit of his tenure has not exactly gone to plan. And this is his attempt to ensure the next year and a bit goes a lot better.

The prescription is "delivery". And it may well be that Jones and the rest of the re-tooled team are able to deliver on the prime minister's priorities much more effectively than before.

Yet to many Labour MPs and advisers I speak to, the issue is more fundamental: they are not clear what the vision the prime minister wants his team to deliver is.

That is a question that only one person in Downing Street can ever answer.

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The navigation system of a plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted due to suspected Russian interference, the European Commission said.

A spokesperson said the "GPS jamming" happened while the Commission president was about to arrive in Bulgaria on Sunday, but she still landed safely.

They added: "We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia."

The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that von der Leyen had to land at Plovdiv Airport using paper maps.

The Bulgarian government confirmed that during the flight, "the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane's GPS navigation system was neutralised".

The statement continued: "To ensure the flight's safety, air control services immediately offered an alternative landing method using terrestrial navigation tools."

Bulgaria's Air Traffic Services Authority told the paper that there had been a "notable increase" in navigation jamming since January 2022.

The Kremlin told the FT that its information was "incorrect".

UK house price growth slowed in August, bringing it back down to around its slowest pace in a year, according to a leading housing index.

The average price of a British home grew by 2.1% in the year to the end of last month, a slowdown from the 2.4% annual growth recorded in July, according data from lender Nationwide.

August's rate of growth is the same as Nationwide recorded in June this year. The last time house price growth was this slow was in July 2024.

It comes amid reports that the government is considering an overhaul of property taxes in a bid to raise money and boost the housing market in the autumn Budget.

Robert Gardner, chief economist at Nationwide Building Society, told the BBC the UK needs a tax system which "allows people to move more effectively".

"It's definitely worth looking at UK property taxes," he added.

The average UK home now costs £271,079, according to the lender's data, which is based on its own mortgage activity.

Despite the drop in the pace of growth, Mr Gardner said housing remains unaffordable for many buyers.

"House prices are still high compared to household incomes, making raising a deposit challenging for prospective buyers, especially given the intense cost of living pressures in recent years," he said.

The news comes as the government considers ways to shake up how housing is taxed in the UK, according to reports.

The introduction of National Insurance tax for landlords, removing the capital gains tax relief on selling pricier homes, abolishing stamp duty, and replacing council tax with a national property tax are some of the options reportedly being discussed.

Experts' views on the changes are mixed, with some arguing the abolition of stamp duty in particular could speed up the housing market but cost billions in lost tax revenue.

The final phase of the largest-ever expansion of publicly funded childcare support has begun in England, as thousands of working parents receive more help with their nursery costs.

Those eligible are now able to access 30 hours of childcare per week during term-time, paid for by the government, for their children aged nine months to four years.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was a "landmark moment" for working families, and that the scheme would "put money back in working parents' pockets".

But parents say they are facing long waiting lists for places, with nurseries warning that staff shortages are limiting their availability.

• How working parents can get 30 hours of free childcare

Parents Josh Harper and Chloe Hart say their 18-month-old son Oakley's name was the first one on the waiting list at his new nursery in Altrincham.

The £240-a-month saving on fees, which are falling from £1,130 to £889 because of the scheme extending from 15 hours to 30 hours of funded care, "just releases that little bit of stress", mum Chloe says.

"It is a significant saving and one that does really help us," dad Josh adds.

Both teachers, the couple were keen to secure a place, aware that demand has been rising.

The government had estimated that about 70,000 extra places would be needed by this September to accommodate that increase in demand.

The number of spaces is rising but availability varies across the country – and nurseries and childminders say inquiries for places have "gone through the roof" from families eligible for the extra funding.

"A few years ago, the percentage of families getting the funding was probably 20%, now I'd say it's nearly 95% of families," George Apel says as he shows me around the newly opened Altrincham Day Nursery, the Apel family's seventh nursery.

"Parents are having to be a lot more flexible with their acceptance of what days are available. Before, parents could try to match their childcare to their job, now they're actually matching their job to their childcare availability."

For Rachael Darbyshire, who lives in Bolton, the search for a childcare place for her return to work next summer has proved challenging.

Although she started her search before six-week-old Gabriel was born, all of her local nurseries have waiting lists up until September 2026.

"It is a massive help and will bring our bill down from £1200 to around £800, but the biggest issue is that it is only great if you can actually get a childcare place," Rachael says.

"It's all well and good saying that there are these hours available, but if the childcare places are not there, then it's not really supporting women in returning to work."

Some parents are going to extra lengths to make themselves eligible for the funded hours as early as possible.

Rachel Williams, from Warwick, says she was thinking about the scheme before the birth of her twins in 2022, when doctors told her she would need a Caesarean four weeks early.

She opted to have the procedure at the end of that March, rather than the beginning of April, so she wouldn't miss the deadline for being eligible for funded hours at the start of the April term.

"My friends all laughed at me, but it was a really conscious decision and it's definitely saved us thousands and thousands of pounds," she says.

If the twins were born in April, they wouldn't have been eligible for funded hours until the September entry points.

"You shouldn't really have to be thinking about that," Rachel says.

Research from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) suggests that workforce issues could be a key barrier to delivering the promised offer to parents, with low pay and limited progression opportunities a constant challenge for staff.

It is estimated the sector needs 35,000 more staff to provide the funded hours expansion, and the NFER says even if that figure is reached, there are likely to be regional discrepancies.

The government says the number of staff delivering funded childcare in nurseries rose to 272,500 this year - up by 18,200 from 2024, which it said was the highest increase on record.

It has been offering a £1,000 incentive for new recruits, or for people rejoining the workforce in some areas.

But Mr Apel says "retention is arguably more important than recruitment".

The nursery has started its own recruitment company because of the struggle to bring in and keep early years workers.

The number of childminders has also been continuing its long-term decline, with Ofsted figures showing the numbers falling by 1,000 in the last year.

'Free' childcare

There has also been confusion around what is "free" as part of the scheme, and what has to be paid for.

The government-funded hours cover term-time only, and providers say the funding rates, particularly for children aged three and four, are lower than the costs.

It means many nurseries are putting up their prices. A University of Bath study tracking fees over the past 18 months found that they have risen fastest in areas with the lowest government funding, which it says could deepen regional inequalities.

"Parents are phoning up, they're looking for this thing that's been called 'free', and then they are met with additional charges, for meals or nappies," says Sarah Ronan, from the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, which represents childcare providers and charities.

"The sector has been tasked with rolling out the biggest expansion of childcare in history, and they're doing it in a really constrained financial environment."

She says without extra funding, providers may reduce the number of hours they can offer and pause their recruitment plans, further limiting the availability of places.

Joeli Brearley, founder of the Pregnant The Screwed campaign group and the parent support programme Growth Spurt, says there is "a tussle between parents and providers" who are both struggling.

"For parents, it's really complicated, it's not really working," Ms Brearley says.

"We are hearing from parents who are moving their C-section day in order to fit in with the funding criteria, we're hearing from women who say they've gone to their midwife for a sweep to try and bring labour on faster, and people that are asking for inductions earlier just so they can fit with the funding criteria - and that is madness."

A survey by Growth Spurt and Women in Data suggests that many parents are paying extra consumable fees of £15 a day.

The government has issued guidance saying any additional costs need to be laid out clearly and are optional, but nurseries say charging for extras is the only way to make up the shortfall.

There is also concern about those being left out.

Parents who are ineligible for the entitlements pay £205 per week more for a child under two, according to Coram Family and Childcare.

The charity says a child with working parents eligible for the entitlements will receive three times as much government-funded early education than a disadvantaged child by the time they start school.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the scheme was designed to give children "the best start in life", and provide a "huge boost" to the economy.

"And this is just the beginning," she added.

"My vision for early years goes beyond this milestone. I want access to high-quality early years for every single family that needs it, without strings and without unfair charges.

"Over the next few years, that is my commitment to parents."

Children are at increased risk of being harassed, cyber-bullied and having their identities stolen in later life by having their photos posted online by parents, according to new research.

So-called "sharenting" - documenting a child's special moments on social media - has become commonplace, but academics now warn this could come with unexpected risks.

University of Southampton researchers said their findings indicated it increased the risk of children becoming the victims of cyber-crime.

"These findings highlight the serious risks which children can face when photos and videos of them are shared widely on social media," the NSPCC child safety online policy manager Rani Govender told the BBC.

"Sharing photos or videos of children at scale across the online world can put their safety, privacy and wellbeing at risk," she said.

The researchers surveyed more than 1,000 parents in the UK, and then conducted follow-up interviews.

They found 45% of parents they spoke to actively put photos of their kids online - while one-in-six reported their child had experienced harms.

One concern is that the media being shared online could reveal details like birthdays, addresses, pet names, and so on - which later in life could increase the risk of identity fraud.

"Sharenting poses a real and present danger to our children," lead researcher Pamela Ugwudike said.

"By proudly sharing photos and information about children on social media, parents are unwittingly putting them at risk of harm, both online such as cyberbullying, and in the real world – not just now, but also years down the line."

She warned that, when pictures are shared, strangers could use that information to contact children not only online, but offline too.

'Years down the line'

Sharenting has proven to be a controversial topic in the past, with some arguing it is an invasion of privacy.

It became a hot topic in 2019 when Gwyneth Paltrow posted a picture with her daughter Apple on Instagram - who then said she didn't give her mother permission for the image to be shared.

At the time, one of the concerns was parents not being aware of privacy settings - which the researchers reported remains an issue now.

They found parents, carers and relatives - as well as schools - were largely unaware of the way privacy features on social media can be overridden by certain actions.

"This research shows parents overestimate the protection offered by privacy settings," Ms Govender said.

"Features like tagging and resharing can bypass these protections, allowing content to spread beyond the intended audience even from 'private' accounts."

Meanwhile, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) warned there were other risks linked to sharenting.

"We have seen criminals in the darkest parts of the internet boasting that they can use AI image generators to create life-like nude and sexual imagery of any child they like with only a handful of normal, non-sexual images," said IWF head Kerry Smith.

She warned AI now poses a whole new range of harms including "the risk of sexual extortion" if the pictures were used to threaten or blackmail a child.

"AI imagery of children can now be so realistic, it is indistinguishable from real imagery," she said.

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For five years, Sammi Hill took hardly any pictures of herself, avoided socialising and "couldn't stand to look" in a mirror.

The 33-year-old said she gained 8st (51.8kg) following the births of her two daughters - now aged four and five - and struggled to lose the pounds.

She said she was later diagnosed with depression, which left her demotivated and lacking in confidence.

Last year, she began using the weight loss drug Mounjaro and said it helped "get her life back".

But a hike in the price of the drug means she is now reconsidering whether to continue using it.

She told the BBC she believed the price hike could negatively affect the mental health of people who are trying to improve their lives.

Last month, the US manufacturer of Mounjaro announced it was putting up the list price of the drug by as much as 170%, which could have meant the cost of the highest dose going up from £122 to £330 per month.

But the BBC understands the highest dose will now be sold to suppliers for £247.50.

'Locked myself away'

The mother of three said she was unwell throughout her last pregnancy and suffered from hip and joint pain that left her needing crutches, which she said affected her weight.

"It was really hard because I couldn't even stand to look at myself," she said.

"I locked myself away for five years. I was 10st (63.5kg) when I met my partner, and then I went up to 18st (114.3kg)."

At her lowest point, Sammi - from Mapperley in Nottingham - said she struggled to find motivation to get out of bed and brush her teeth.

Sammi said she had tried numerous antidepressants over the years, but found her mental health improved the most after using the weight loss drug, which she bought from an online pharmacy.

She started using Mounjaro in July last year and within the space of a year, said she had lost 4st (25.4kg).

The drug works as an appetite suppressant by mimicking a hormone that makes people feel fuller.

It also affects metabolism and helps regulate energy balance.

Patients can be prescribed Mounjaro but the drug is also available to buy privately.

For many, the side effects - which can include feeling sick, vomiting, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea - are manageable and tend to go away in time.

However, experts have warned the complications can be worse if the drugs are abused.

Meanwhile, there have been hundreds of reports of patients having problems with their pancreas, which is not being studied by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Sammi started on a low dose of the drug but did not gradually increase the dose as patients generally do when using Mounjaro.

She said she believed she did not need to, having seen positive effects on a low dose.

"It's helped me with my confidence and I've learned a lot about myself along the way," Sammi said.

"A lot of people might think it's a cheat, but it's not, it's a boost.

"I didn't have the motivation to get up in the morning to brush my teeth, never mind getting up and doing a work out.

"It's taken me out of that really dark hole that I was in."

'Not just about weight'

Since using Mounjaro, Sammi said she had learned how to eat more healthily and understood portion sizes that worked for her.

She decided to take a break from using the drug ahead of her wedding in August and said she managed to maintain the weight.

Sammi hoped to start using Mounjaro again in September with the aim of losing another 4st (25.4kg), but due to the price hike, she said she was considering waiting.

While the drug will be sold to suppliers in the UK at a discounted rate, pharmacies and other private weight loss services will add their own mark-up to consumers.

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said the UK price of Mounjaro had to increase to be more in line with higher prices in Europe and the US.

It means the price rise for patients is unlikely to be as large as initially feared, but Sammi believes it will still have a negative impact on people's lives.

Sammi added for many, it was "not just about the weight".

"It is worrying because it's taking away that lease of life from people who can't afford it. It is expensive as it is," she said.

Additional reporting by Maria Rubio

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