A grandmother whose body was discovered in a remote cattle dip had appealed to strangers for help in the months before her disappearance, saying she was being forced out of her home and that her beloved pets had been taken from her.

Yvonne Whear, 73, vanished from her property at Dungay, near Murwillumbah in northern NSW, in February.

Eight months later, her decomposing remains were found inside a disused cattle dip trough on an isolated farm roughly 30km away.

Detectives are investigating her death as murder and believe someone in the local community knows how she came to be there.

The Daily Mail can now reveal that Ms Whear had been embroiled in a bitter dispute over her right to remain at the rural property she considered home. A tribunal hearing was scheduled for the week after she disappeared.

In a series of social media posts, the grandmother repeatedly reached out to strangers for assistance.

‘I have been illegally evicted by a nasty man, please help find suitable accommodation for me and my pets,’ she wrote on January 1, 2025.

She posted about her situation around 11 times in an online group focused on spirituality and guidance, saying the looming eviction and uncertainty had left her unwell.

Ms Whear had lived at the property for several years under an arrangement with its owner, her close friend Bill Campbell.

Concerns emerged in September 2024, when she said she was worried about Mr Campbell’s welfare.

‘I wish to some [sic] assistance with what to do about Bill and my thoughts and concerns around his welfare,’ she wrote.

‘He was supposed to be home but he is not in his home and his nephew refuses to allow me to see him where ever he is.

‘I just do not know how to deal with this.’

Mr Campbell died later that year. His great-nephew Allan Campbell inherited the property, after which Ms Whear was issued with a termination notice.

She maintained that she had a long-term agreement with the Campbell family that allowed her to remain there.

The dispute continued for more than a year and was scheduled to be heard by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the week after her disappearance.

Allan Campbell told the Daily Mail that he had followed the proper legal process.

Asked about her posts calling him a ‘nasty man’, he said: ‘Whatever she has done, she has done.

‘My lawyers have advised me not to get involved in any of that with all of this is going on.’

He said he had remained civil towards Ms Whear throughout and had no idea what had happened to her.

Allan Campbell has not been accused of any wrongdoing or involvement in Ms Whear’s disappearance or death, and the Daily Mail is not suggesting otherwise.

Around the time her tenancy troubles began, Ms Whear also turned to a local Facebook group, claiming her pets had been stolen and begging for help to find them. 

Ms Whear was last seen at a petrol station not far from her home.

In September, her gold Ford Escape wagon was found submerged in the Rous River at Dulguigan.

It was only a short drive from where a wanted fugitive had been fatally injured months earlier.

Vaughn Scott Cummings, 34, was the subject of a months-long police manhunt when he was spotted at a property in Upper Main Arm, south-east of Murwillumbah, in February.

The sighting came within days of Ms Whear vanishing about an hour away.

Police have not linked Cummings to Ms Whear’s death, but by April, he was wanted on 12 warrants, and police had warned the public not to approach him. 

On April 8, Cummings was allegedly confronted by two residents at Bray Park, near Murwillumbah.

Police allege the men tried to carry out a citizen’s arrest, during which Cummings suffered critical injuries.

He died in Gold Coast University Hospital two days later.

Michael Harding and Luke Manning have been charged with manslaughter over his death. A third person, Sandi Williams, has been charged with hindering the discovery of evidence.

Ms Whear’s family are desperate for answers.

‘Our hearts and our spirits are broken,’ one of her children wrote on a Facebook group dedicated to her case.

‘They have found our mum Yvonne, and for that, we are deeply grateful. But there is no such thing as closure until we find who did this.’

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

BBC Breakfast presenters have faced criticism from viewers after appearing without poppies on the opening day of the Royal British Legion’s annual remembrance appeal.

Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty hosted Wednesday morning’s programme, but neither presenter wore the red remembrance flower traditionally associated with the charity campaign.

On ITV’s Good Morning Britain, meanwhile, Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh appeared wearing poppies. Anna Jones also wore one while presenting Sky’s breakfast news programme.

The BBC’s decision prompted frustration on social media. Adrian Dodd wrote: “Why are the BBC breakfast presenters not wearing poppies? All the other UK news are.”

Ian Ward, a councillor in Sandown on the Isle of Wight, said he had noticed presenters and guests wearing poppies on ITV and Sky News, but added: “Unfortunately, nobody on the BBC News is wearing a Poppy.”

News viewer Elaine Hoggard raised the same issue in a Facebook post the previous evening, writing: “Anyone else noticed that BBC News channels are not wearing poppies. All other channels are. Shame on you BBC.”

A BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the corporation’s policy allows presenters to wear poppies on screen from 6am on Saturday, October 24, until 11.59pm on Tuesday, November 11, 2026.

The spokesperson said the guidance applies to every BBC presenter and programme, including news broadcasts.

Mr Stayt, 64, and Ms Munchetty, 51, faced comparable criticism in October 2020 after beginning a 6am BBC Breakfast broadcast wearing poppies before removing them at about 6.05am.

At the time, the BBC said it sets an annual date from which poppies can be worn on air, helping maintain consistency across its programmes and output.

In 2020, the approved date was October 31, meaning the BBC Breakfast presenters had worn their poppies before the permitted period began.

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A BBC spokesperson said: “Naga and Charlie were wearing [their poppies] earlier than the guidance outlined, which is why they were removed, and there was no intention to appear disrespectful.

“The following morning, Saturday 31st October, Naga and Charlie were wearing poppies in line with the guidance.”

The previous day, Andy Burnham welcomed armed forces veterans and poppy appeal collectors to No10 North in Manchester to mark the launch of this year’s campaign.

Prime ministers traditionally make a donation to the appeal outside Downing Street. However, Mr Burnham chose instead to meet campaigners at the Manchester hub.

Speaking alongside his wife, Marie-France van Heel, the Prime Minister said: “This time of year gives us the opportunity to honour the courage and sacrifice of those who served, remember those who never came home, and show our gratitude to the entire veterans and armed forces community.

“I also want to put on record my personal thanks to those who have served, and those who continue to serve today, to protect our national security and keep our country safe – thank you for your service and the sacrifice you and your loved ones make.

‘Every donation made to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal will help support those who have served and give back to those who have done so much for us.’

In 2001 the corporation was accused of ‘insane’ political correctness after it admitted presenters on its international news channel had been banned from wearing poppies.

BBC World presenters were not allowed to wear the remembrance symbol because it was not recognised abroad and was therefore inappropriate for an international channel.

Robert Fox, a London Evening Standard reporter, was told to remove his poppy before going on air that year and said he was ‘furious’ at the policy.

At the time Rachel Attwell, then-controller of BBC World, defended the ban saying: ‘Because we have a global audience, it has always been policy that news presenters do not wear poppies.

‘There is a lack of awareness of what the poppy means overseas. It is simply not recognised.’

Hugh Jackman appeared to be making the most of his lunch as he carried a box of leftovers after a relaxed date with girlfriend Sutton Foster in Pasadena, California, on Thursday.

The 58-year-old actor and 51-year-old actress confirmed their relationship publicly in January 2025, about a year after Jackman announced his separation from former wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 70.

Jackman kept things casual in a grey jumper and baseball cap. Foster opted for a blue striped top paired with classic denim jeans during the low-key outing.

The sighting comes after reports earlier this year that the couple had left New York City in search of a quieter lifestyle in North Carolina.

Jackman and Foster first crossed paths while starring opposite each other in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Music Man.

Jackman revealed in early 2024 that he and Furness were ending their 27-year marriage. His relationship with Foster became public several months later.

In June, reports claimed that Jackman and Foster were finding it difficult to balance their demanding careers with their relationship.

An insider told Woman’s Day that the pair were short on “quality time” and had encountered what was described as a “major roadblock.”

According to the source, Jackman’s packed professional schedule had also led Foster to better understand what his former wife may have experienced during their marriage.

“Hugh’s a workaholic and she’s starting to understand how lonely Deb must have felt at times,” the insider claimed.

Foster has significant demands of her own, juggling her acting career while raising her nine-year-old daughter, Emily Dale, whom she shares with former husband and screenwriter Ted Griffin.

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“Sutton’s finding it hard to be by Hugh’s side at so many events, and he invites her to every single one,” the source continued.

“It’s not that she’s shy, but she’s busy with her own career and still has a young daughter to raise.”

“Sadly, the biggest casualty of all is Hugh and Sutton finding quality time together—they’re like passing ships sometimes.”

Alongside his personal commitments, Jackman has several film projects in development.

Following recent starring roles in The Sheep Detectives and The Death of Robin Hood, the Australian actor is set to lead a remake of Treasure Island.

Jackman will portray the legendary pirate Long John Silver in the Ridley Scott film, which also features Bill Skarsgård and Jodie Comer.

The Wolverine star was recently slammed by his own fans for posting a loved-up photo with Sutton at the premiere of his latest film. 

Posting to Instagram, Hugh uploaded a smiling snap alongside his girlfriend at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York, adding the caption: ‘And we’re off to the premiere of The Death Of Robin Hood.’

In the image, a beaming Hugh was seen wrapping his arm around Foster’s waist, as she ecstatically threw one arm up in the air. 

‘I see your pics I think of how heartbroken Deb must be,’ one user wrote. Another added: ‘This is so cringy.’ 

‘Bro, stop posting pictures with her. Literally no one supports this relationship,’ someone else commented.