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A PORTRAIT that gathered dust in a family collection for almost 140 years could make £3.5million at auction after it was found to be painted by Rubens. Portrait Of A Lady was exhibited under Peter Paul Rubens’ name in 1902 then its origins ‘forgotten’. It sold in 2017 for £78,000 as a piece from the Flemish artist’s workshop. But expert checks showed it was by Rubens himself. Andrew Fletcher of Sotheby’s, which will auction it on July 29, said: ‘It was quite dirty, with hundred years of dust and old varnish, but when cleaned this rather wonderful Rubens was revealed.’
Female Amazon staff allege sex harassment
TWO women have complained of a culture of sexual harassment at Amazon’s Rugeley warehouse. The pair said male workers at the Staffordshire base would check they were alone, then touch them inappropriately and make lewd comments. Christina Harrison, 38, of Walsall, West Midlands, said: ‘It’s sleazy; it’s vile.’ The mum-of-three did not complain formally. A second woman said she quit after HR ignored complaints. Amazon said it does not tolerate harassment and is investigating.
Private parking tickets ‘soar to 8.4m in a year’
PRIVATE parking firms have issued 24 per cent more tickets in the past year than the one before, a study finds. Companies hit drivers with 8.4million notices during 2019/20, up from 6.8million in the previous financial year, according to official figures analysed by the RAC Foundation. Each ticket can cost drivers up to £100. The Parking (Code of Conduct) Bill, which became law in March last year, included setting up a code of conduct for private firms, but that has not yet happened.
Posties tell dog owners to stop reign of terrier
DOG owners are being urged to stop their pets attacking postal workers — as one postman spoke of a ‘frightening’ experience. The Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union launched Dog Awareness Week by calling for people to put their pets ‘in a secure room’ before they open the door, after nearly 2,500 workers were attacked last year. Postman Mark Wilding said he had to go to hospital after a dog bit his hand in Llandrindod Wells, Powys. ‘It was very frightening at the time,’ he added.
Independent Scotland ‘has sustained support’
SUPPORT for an independent Scotland has pulled ahead of backing for the Union for a record six months, opinion polls show. On average 51 per cent voted Yes, against 49 per cent for No in six months of Sunday Times Panelbase polls — the longest run of support, said expert Prof Sir John Curtice. This reflected an approval rating of 60 for first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic, compared with minus 39 for Boris Johnson. Sir John said: ‘Never have the foundations of public support for the Union looked so weak.’
NEWS BITES
■ A WOMAN got that shock of her life when she found an ‘alligator’ in her bath. Clare Kelly, 25, rang the RSPCA after her family said they had discovered the ‘reptile’ at her home in Rhyl, north Wales. Then she had a closer look and realised it was a rubber toy.
■ YOBS beat a seagull to death with a cricket bat. Witness Lisa Barow, 53, said two boys attacked the bird in Hove, East Sussex. ‘It was trying to get away and coughing up blood.’ Staff at New Priory Vets, Brighton, could not save the gull.
■ A MYSTERIOUS red glow at the centre of the Milky Way has been detected for the first time. The light in the area known as the ‘Tilted Disk’ is a sign of ionised hydrogen gas coming from newly forming stars, say US researchers.
■ FACEBOOK and Google must do more to stop scam adverts, says Which? The consumer group posted links to two fake companies and said one, which had 100,000 views, was not reviewed by Google. The other received 500 Facebook ‘likes’.
