AP McCoy’s quad bike on back of lorry
Chester appeal raises £1.3m in a day
WINNER Tony “AP” McCoy
LEGENDARY jockey Sir AP McCoy’s quad bike was stolen by crooks who tried taking it to Romania on the back of a lorry.
But the thieves were pulled by police when they reached Dover in Kent.
AP, 46, thanked officers and shared a snap of himself back on the quad.
He also posted CCTV footage, which appears to show thieves at his stables in Lambourn, West Berks, 145 miles from Dover, in the early hours of May 23.
AP, who rode 4,358 winners before retiring in 2015, tweeted: “Thanks to @portdoverpolice for rescuing my quad bike that was in a container on its way to Romania.
“I will be making a donation to the @IJF_official [Injured Jockeys Fund] as you ask. Thank you.”
Rachel on her phone &, right, with dancer Pasha
AN appeal to save one of England’s best-loved zoos has raised almost £1.3million in just over 24 hours.
Chester Zoo, home to 35,000 animals, has been closed by the pandemic.
Keepers have hosted popular virtual tours during lockdown but it gets 97% of its income from visitors and faces a multimillion pound debt by the end of the year.
On Wednesday bosses launched a
“Save Our Zoo” appeal and by yesterday evening it had raised almost £1.3m.
Chief Operating Officer Jamie Christon said:
“The last 24 hours have been incredible.
“The backing we’ve received from tens of thousands of people has given us a massive boost.
“We’ve tried to stay positive during the crisis. Our conservationists have continued to prevent extinction, our virtual days have cheered up the nation and our learning resources have helped thousands of homeschooling families. “But the Government has ordered us to stay closed indefinitely and we are very much fighting for our future.” Managers say the zoo is “Covid secure” and able to limit numbers and enforce social distancing in a way parks, beaches and beauty spots cannot. It needs £1.6m a month to keep going, including £465,000 a month to care for the animals. Directors and staff have taken voluntary pay cuts, half of the workers are on furlough and development projects have been put on hold.
The government has given £14m to support zoos. A spokesman said: “We understand the challenges but it’s vital we do not move too quickly to ensure public health is protected.”
Chester lion