A 12-year-old boy in pyjamas was forced to the ground and handcuffed by three police officers who confiscated his electric scooter, footage appears to show.

South Wales Police has faced criticism over its use of force against Zain Evans, who officers found exploring an abandoned chapel in Pontardawe, in Swansea Valley, on Wednesday.

Zain was later treated in hospital for muscular injuries and cuts caused by broken glass on the ground, according to his mother, Emily Evans.

Mobile phone footage shows Zain, dressed in Hello Kitty pyjama trousers, a hoodie and a cycling helmet, helping a female officer carry his scooter through an overgrown alley beside the old chapel.

From behind the camera, another boy can be heard asking: ‘Are you taking his scooter? He’s only been walking it. He hasn’t driven it once.’

The officer responds: ‘Oh, please. I wasn’t born yesterday. Stop lying.’

Zain then stands in the scooter’s path and says: ‘What are you doing with it? You’re not taking it. I’m not letting you – I’ve got school.’

A male officer walks towards him and tells him to ‘move out of the way’. He then grabs Zain from behind and says the boy is under arrest.

The two officers push Zain against metal railings before wrestling him to the ground. As he cries out in pain, the boy can be heard pleading: ‘No, please!’

Ms Evans told the Daily Mail that officers pulled Zain’s arms behind his back with such force that he heard a ‘pop’.

Police reportedly seized Zain’s scooter and phone, along with his friend’s phone. The following day, they also visited the friend’s farm and took away his electric scooter, according to the report.

Zain and his mother went to hospital in Port Talbot on Thursday, where doctors placed his arm in a sling.

Ms Evans said Zain had been taking the scooter to a friend’s house to have it inspected after its electrics stopped working. He entered the abandoned church with two friends while they were exploring the site.

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She insisted that Zain could not have been riding the scooter because it was broken.

Officers found the boys inside and escorted them back to the street before deciding to detain Zain, although he was not formally arrested.

Ms Evans told the Mail that she drove past while Zain was being detained.

She said: ‘It absolutely broke me to the core. That child is a darling, he’s got a heart of gold. If someone is getting bullied, he takes them under this wing.

‘There was broken glass on the floor, which they forced him onto, cutting the back of his leg. They also flung his arms around his back so hard that Zain heard a pop.

‘He hasn’t been himself since this all happened on Wednesday. He’s been very nervous and had to sleep in with me.

‘My kids have been brought up fairly. If they do wrong, they are punished. But what the police did her was completely out of order.’ 

Ms Evans said South Wales Police gave her a phone number to call to enquire about the return of the two e-scooters, but when she did so the compound had no knowledge of the seized vehicles.

She also claimed the force had been unaware that three officers were present at the incident, believing there were only two.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: ‘Officers observed a suspected incident of criminal damage to a disused church on Swansea Road, Pontardawe at around 2:15pm on Wednesday October 28.

‘While attending this incident, officers conducted searches of individuals believed to have committed offences and seized an e-scooter which was believed to have been used illegally.

‘We are aware of footage of this incident which has been circulated on social media and understand concern from the community in regards to use of force. 

‘The mother of the young person has been contacted by officers and the incident has been referred for review by our Professional Standards Department.’

Scott Cam was in high spirits as he joined co-host Shelley Craft for The Block’s much-anticipated auction day in Melbourne on Saturday.

The 63-year-old television veteran beamed for the cameras alongside 50-year-old Shelley and the 2026 contestants outside the Mount Eliza homes.

Cam looked polished in an emerald-green blazer, crisp white shirt and jeans. Shelley brought plenty of glamour in a bold ocean-blue dress as the pair spoke with this year’s cast before the high-pressure auction.

However, the upbeat mood masked the tension of the day, with Cam admitting the auctions had left him drained after what he called an emotional “rollercoaster ride”.

All five Mount Eliza properties were auctioned on Saturday, while audiences will have to wait until Sunday night’s eagerly awaited finale to learn how the contestants performed.

Speaking with Weekend Today before the finale, Cam acknowledged just how demanding the auction schedule had been.

“The vibes this morning are pretty full on, as always after Block auctions. I can’t say too much, of course — I don’t even know why I’m here,” he joked.

“Yesterday was a rollercoaster ride and, as usual, I’m exhausted.

“It’s an incredibly long day. I felt sick in the stomach for much of it, so I can tell you it was full on.”

Cam said the contestants were especially uneasy because of uncertainty over Victoria’s newly introduced auction regulations, which force sellers to make their reserve prices public.

The rules took effect only two weeks before The Block auctions, at a time when Victoria’s property market was already recording weak clearance rates.

“With the Victorian market sitting at around 50 per cent clearance rates in recent weeks, and these new laws requiring the reserve to be revealed, nobody really knows how that will influence an auction,” he said.

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“But if you have a reasonable reserve, which we did, buyers come along with a clear idea of what they need to spend.”

All five homes carried a reserve of $3.45 million, with expected selling prices listed between $3.6 million and $3.9 million.

However, there was one exception, with Rick and Tayla’s House 5 receiving a $50,000 reduction to its reserve after winning Week 12 of the competition.

Despite the pressure, Cam insisted he was always rooting for the contestants to walk away with a healthy profit after months of hard work.

‘I spend three months with these guys, they work really hard. We never set anybody up to fail on The Block, we always want them to make money and do well,’ he said.

‘We’re proud of what they’ve done, we always hope they make money and sometimes, as we’ve seen before, sometimes they don’t.’

The results of The Block’s 2026 auctions will finally be revealed when the season finale airs on Channel Nine and 9Now on Sunday at 7pm.

Arla Foods, the multi-billion-pound dairy cooperative and the biggest milk supplier to UK supermarkets, has built its public image around ‘holistic’ farming and a strong commitment to animal welfare.

Its website features polished photographs of apparently happy cows grazing in green fields, alongside promises of ‘clean and comfortable resting areas’, outdoor access, waterbeds and automated brushes – amenities described as providing cows with a satisfying scratch.

However, footage obtained by The Mail on Sunday appears to present a starkly different picture at some of the 2,400 British farms supplying Arla. Workers are allegedly seen kicking cows lying on the ground, pulling them over concrete using farm vehicles and leaving them to rest on straw contaminated with urine and faeces.

The distressing material also appears to show farm workers separating a newborn calf from its mother only 25 minutes after birth, well short of the 24-hour period recommended by the Government.

Other clips reportedly show workers urinating inside cow pens and using metal shackles while moving cattle towards milking parlours.

In another troubling sequence, two workers are seen taking turns with a large pair of bolt cutters as they struggle to remove a metal screw protruding from a cow’s eyelid. The animal appears to flinch throughout the attempt.

One employee is heard shouting, ‘I hate cows, f*** it, I hate you,’ before kicking an animal and painfully twisting her tail, according to the undercover footage.

The year-long investigation also captured a series of other alleged animal welfare failures across the farms:

Independent specialists who examined evidence gathered during the investigation into 15 Arla farms identified 360 possible breaches of animal welfare law. Several of the farms supply businesses including Tesco, Morrisons and Starbucks. The experts warned that the repeated nature of the incidents suggested the problems could be systemic rather than isolated.

Arla began an urgent investigation after being presented with the footage.

An Arla spokesman said: ‘Animal welfare is of the utmost importance to us, and we take all reports and concerns seriously. We have therefore launched an urgent investigation.’

A Morrisons spokesman said: ‘We take animal welfare extremely seriously and expect all of our suppliers to operate to the high standards that we and our customers demand.

‘This footage is deeply concerning. Arla is undertaking an urgent investigation and we will take all necessary action once we have the findings.’

A Starbucks spokesman said: ‘The footage shows treatment of animals which is deeply concerning and falls far short of the high standards of animal welfare we expect to be upheld across our supply chain.

‘We support Arla’s decision to open an immediate investigation and will remain in close contact as it takes appropriate action.’

Based in Denmark, Arla Foods is a multinational dairy cooperative owned by approximately 11,200 farmers across seven countries.

Its British subsidiary produces three billion litres of milk annually from around 2,400 farms and turns over more than £2billion a year – making it the UK’s largest dairy company. Campaign group the Animal Justice Project installed hidden cameras in barns as part of a probe into Arla, which began after whistleblowers and members of the public approached it with concerns about the cows’ welfare.

Its findings appear at odds with the standards Arla sets its farmers in its Arlagarden programme, which include more than 100 rules to protect animal welfare and milk quality.

The guidance, which it insists goes beyond what the law requires, says animals must be fed, watered and looked after so that their needs are ‘fully met’, and that any which are sick or failing to thrive ‘must be treated accordingly’.

In addition, the farms must also follow national legislation and Red Tractor rules.

Some of the worst breaches were documented on two Dorset farms owned by Arla director George Holmes. Mr Holmes, who in 2024 told Parliament that his businesses aim to operate with ‘the highest welfare standards’, has sat on the company’s board since 2024.

At Mr Holmes’ Littlewood Farm in Frampton, near Dorchester, workers were filmed landing blows on cows’ udders, striking their hind legs with a hose and punching another. A sadistic worker at another of his farms, a short drive away in Frampton, was filmed repeatedly slamming an overhead milking parlour lever against cows’ backs and necks.

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Claire Palmer, executive director at the Animal Justice Project, said: ‘It shows an industry where injury is routine and where the milk keeps flowing even when the cow is broken.’ She added: ‘This investigation is not about one farm or one worker losing their temper.

‘Across 13 counties and 15 Arla farms, we documented the same problems again and again: cows struggling to walk, calves dragged and forced to feed, mothers calling for their newborns, and animals subjected to rough handling and violence.

‘Arla tells shoppers its cows are healthy, comfortable and treated as individuals.

‘What our cameras documented was very different. These are not abstract statistics: they are individual animals living in pain.

‘Consumers deserve to know what lies behind the milk they are buying. When the same problems appear across farm after farm, we have to question the system itself. That is the Big Milk Con.’ Workers at Oak Lodge Farm in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, which supplies Tesco, were filmed kneeing cows in the spine, pinching their flanks and pulling their tails.

At Kingston Hill Farm in Oxfordshire, run by David Christensen, a member of Arla’s board of representatives since 2012, cows were beaten with metal pipes and forced to walk despite lameness.

The Christensen family rent the farm from Oxford University’s St John’s College, which also takes its milk.

Farmer Doug Roper was seen roughly slamming a metal gate into a cow at Lower House Farm in Worcestershire to force it to move, then wrenching a cow’s tail just hours after it gave birth.

Gruesome footage from Marsh Farm in Dorset revealed the body of a calf had been left in a plastic wheelbarrow for three days, despite government guidance requiring dead animals to be collected and disposed of without ‘undue delay’ for safety reasons.

The highest number of potential breaches was recorded at a family-run farm also called Longlands, in Derbyshire, including a malnourished cow who went 31 hours without water.

Sickening footage shows how one cow that was too weak to stand was hoisted by its hips and dragged across concrete behind a farm vehicle, repeatedly kicked, kneed and pulled by its nostrils until its front legs were left injured and bloody.

The cow was also pulled by the face, punched and suspended in mid-air by the hoist, while two young children could be clearly seen in the pens kicking and slapping fallen animals.

Guidance from the British Cattle Veterinary Association says hip hoists ‘can be a useful tool to help lift downer cows to prevent them from pressure related injury’, but are ‘intended to lift the cow, rather than move it’.

‘We love our girls, it’s a hard day when they go,’ a worker at the farm told undercover investigators at an open day.

The farmer was recorded at the same event telling investigators that he used ‘electric shocks’ to move cows away from the robotic milkers, despite industry standards banning electric prods.

Andrew Knight, a veterinary professor of animal welfare, said: ‘Having reviewed the footage I am deeply concerned by what it shows. This is not one bad farm. Similar failures appear on farm after farm, all within Arla’s assurance schemes. This footage suggests the system is failing the animals it claims to protect.’

He added: ‘It’s worth recognising that some of what the footage shows, such as separating calves from their mothers within hours of birth, is permitted under current rules. That is why legal compliance and assurance labels should not be treated as guarantees of good welfare.’

Paul Burr, president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association, said: ‘Cruelty has no place on any farm. These allegations must be investigated promptly, and any animals suffering must receive immediate care.

‘Farm vets work every day to protect cattle welfare, and we will continue to support farmers in upholding high animal welfare standards and challenge poor practice wherever we find it.’

Jenny Mace, an independent animal welfare expert and academic at St Andrews University, said: ‘This body of evidence points to much of the illegality being systemic.

‘It is not due to one bad apple, either a farm or a staff member, but widespread and recurring across UK dairy farms.

‘Multiple bodies including the Government’s own advisers have affirmed that a majority of criminality on UK farms goes unprosecuted, highlighting a deep enforcement problem.’

The removal of the screw from the cow’s eyelid was ‘a dangerous intervention’ that should have only been carried out using the correct equipment, with veterinary intervention and under sedation, she said.

She also cautioned against the dairy industry’s over-reliance on self-assessment, pointing out that Arla’s own standards scheme gives flagged farms 48 hours’ notice before a ‘spot check’.

After years of imagining a future in Japan, Australian couple Kate and Andrew Buchan have bought an abandoned house there for just $16,000—the country where their relationship began.

The 40-year-old property is located in Myoko Kogen, a well-known ski region in Niigata Prefecture around two and a half hours from Tokyo by bullet train. The couple hopes to renovate the akiya into a comfortable holiday base for their family.

Kate told the Daily Mail that owning a Japanese home had been a long-held ambition, and the chance to purchase this particular property appeared just as they were ready to begin searching seriously.

“For us, it was about creating a family base in a country we already loved,” she said. “Japan was already a big part of our lives before we bought. We’d spent a lot of time there, we love the snow, and we knew we wanted to keep returning.”

The couple, both 40, live with their two children, aged two and six, in Torquay, a picturesque surf town roughly 100km south-west of Melbourne.

As passionate snowboarders, Kate and Andrew wanted somewhere they could stay during their regular Japanese snow trips with their young son and daughter.

Their connection to the country dates back to 2013, when they met during a ski season in Hakuba. “Andrew and I actually met in Japan back in 2013 during a snow season in Hakuba, so it’s always been a special place in our hearts ever since,” Kate said.

After spending numerous winter seasons in Japan, the couple is now looking forward to introducing their children to the country’s culture, lifestyle and mountains.

The opportunity came through a friend who had already purchased a house directly across the road, meaning the Buchans happened to be looking at the right time.

“He let us know it was coming up for sale and that’s how we found ours,” Kate explained. “So it was a word-of-mouth opportunity.”

Japan’s vacant-home problem has created a growing supply of low-cost properties known as akiya. A 2024 survey estimated that as many as nine million homes were empty, with an ageing population, migration from rural areas to cities, expensive upkeep or demolition and property taxes all contributing to the trend.

These abandoned Japanese homes have increasingly attracted overseas buyers. For travellers planning frequent visits, an akiya can offer a more affordable long-term alternative to repeatedly booking hotels or holiday rentals.

The Buchans’ $16,000 purchase also highlights the sharp contrast with Australian housing prices. The average home costs about $1.06 million in Melbourne and approximately $1.7 million in Sydney.

Although the initial price was dramatically below what they would expect to pay in Australia, Kate stressed that owning the Japanese property still comes with ongoing expenses.

“We pay utilities, including gas and water, and need to allow for heating, upkeep, local assistance, rates and flights,” she said.

The couple is still working out the full cost of running the home over 12 months. Kate estimates the regular annual expenses will be about $2,000, excluding travel, maintenance and any renovation work.

Despite the property being overseas, Kate described the Japanese home-buying process as relatively simple.

Andrew managed the purchase and travelled to Japan in February this year to complete the paperwork. With help from a translator, they paid roughly $1,500 in additional fees on top of the $16,000 sale price.

‘We also have someone locally who helps coordinate trades when needed and manage bill payments using funds we provide. That local support has been really helpful while we’re in Australia.

‘The purchase price is only one part of the overall cost. Travel, fees, repairs and ongoing upkeep all need to be factored in.’

The home, which sits on an 800-square-metre block of land, features two bedrooms – one downstairs and a large, traditional tatami room upstairs – a bathroom, a lounge and kitchen area, and an additional outdoor-style room with a fireplace.

‘It’s in fairly good condition overall but it needed clearing out, a thorough clean-up and a few repairs,’ she said. 

‘My favourite feature is the setting. It’s surrounded by beautiful forest, and I’m so looking forward to watching the snow falling from the trees outside our window. 

‘The quiet location is a big part of what we love about it.’

The previous owners had left the property untouched, so when Kate and Andrew opened the doors to their new home, they were greeted by a house full of personal belongings.

‘There were a lot of belongings left inside, including clothing, slippers and unemptied rubbish bins, bedding and loads of other weird and wonderful things,’ Kate said.

‘The most memorable discovery was a very large collection of owls. There were wooden owls, porcelain owls, soft toys, paintings and even owl hooks. So many owls.

‘We found a sign outside that said it was called the ‘Owl House’, which made sense. We’re going to continue with that name – we think it’s pretty cool.

‘We were told owls are associated with good fortune in Japan, and we’ve kept a few in the house and brought some home to Australia.’

As the home had been unoccupied for some time, the couple found some mould, a silverfish issue and a hole in the water pipe.

‘Those were the main issues we dealt with,’ she said. 

Her husband Andrew is a carpenter by trade and has been doing most of the renovations himself, saving the family a fortune.

‘He bought a new bathroom vanity, and installed new lighting, removed the bathtub and tidied up the bathroom. We repaired the hole in the water pipe, ripped up and replaced a heap of the flooring,’ she said. 

‘We also repaired the damaged roof and replaced the flue for the fireplace. We spent approximately $10,000 on repairs and improvements.

‘Having Andrew as a carpenter is such a bonus. It’s going to save us a lot in labour costs. He is very handy, which is fabulous.’

Just like in Australia, owners need a building permit in Japan to carry out major renovations that alter the structure or size of a property. 

‘From what we understand, smaller cosmetic renovations and repairs generally don’t require approval, but larger renovations can,’ Kate explained. 

‘At the moment we’re mainly focusing on cleaning, repairs and cosmetic improvements, but we’ll definitely be checking the local regulations before doing anything more substantial.’

The couple spent several days clearing the property, with rubbish removal costing an additional $1,500.

‘We focused on making it clean, comfortable and usable, with further renovations planned for next year. We’re planning further renovations during a future summer visit, but haven’t finalised the scope or budget yet,’ Kate said.

During their recent visit, the couple stayed in their new home.

‘We found it comfortable to use, although we’re not fussy,’ Kate explained. 

‘We had no gas and no water for the first few days, but with so many local onsens around, it wasn’t much of an issue for us.’

The family plan to spend a few months at their new holiday home each year during the Japanese winter, which typically runs from December to February. 

‘It will primarily be a family holiday home for the Japanese winter, and somewhere friends and family can stay too,’ she said. 

‘The plan is to spend a few months each year during the Japanese winter, and we’ll also return in spring and summer each year to work on the house. 

‘Our next trip back will be in January, which we are all very excited about. The kids haven’t seen the house yet, so it’ll be a lot of fun.’

Keen to enjoy the best of both worlds, the couple will split their time between Myoko and Torquay.

‘We don’t have plans to move permanently. At this stage, we’re looking forward to making it a regular part of our family life while keeping our home base in Torquay,’ Kate said. 

The couple run a successful e-commerce business called Retreat Yourself, which Kate started 11 years ago. 

‘We both work full-time in my business,’ she said. 

‘Andrew manages our warehouse and also has his own snowboarding clothing brand called Blak Headwear.

‘We will work while we’re over in Japan so it’ll just be a continuation of our life, but in a totally different place – and lots of snowboarding.

‘We’re lucky to have the freedom to balance work with fun and spend time as a family.’

Kate has offered some advice for Aussies dreaming of owning a property in Japan, saying: ‘Start with whether you love the place and whether you’ll use the house regularly.

‘You need to be pretty realistic about how often you’ll visit and how you’ll manage the upkeep while you’re away,’ she said. 

‘A low purchase price is appealing, but it’s important to understand the full commitment. There are buying fees, travel costs, repairs, utilities and ongoing maintenance. Clearing out and updating a house takes time and effort too. 

‘We were fortunate that Andrew could do so much of the work himself because of his building background. That’s something other buyers would need to factor into their own budgets.’

For Australians hoping to move to Japan permanently, Kate said it’s important to consider the types of visas available, as the process can be tricky.

‘For us, it’s a long-term lifestyle decision and a place to make memories with our children and show them a different way of life,’ she said. 

‘We’re really excited about that.’