Nick Heather obituary

My father, Nick Heather, who has died aged 86, was a clinical psychologist with an international reputation in alcohol and addiction research, and published more than 500 articles and more than 20 books. He was tireless and uncompromising in his efforts to advance the understanding and treatment of alcohol problems, especially in challenging the disease model of addiction.Perhaps his most significant contribution was pioneering “brief interventions” (short counselling sessions), now a key component of efforts used by medical professionals to reduce alcohol problems worldwide. He conducted the first randomised controlled trial, in 1985, and continued to advance their theoretical understanding and practical application for many years.Born in north London, he was christened Brian, but was always called Nick by his parents, Edward Heather, the manager of a Wood Green off-licence, and Marie (nee McDermott)

‘His ability to switch from a loving partner to a monster kept me in a permanent state of stress’

‘Michelle’, a victim of coercive control, tells how she is still recovering after seven years of hell with an abusive partner. Why then was he jailed for just 30 months?Robert Rawson, 62, appeared at Liverpool crown court last month to plead guilty to charges of controlling and coercive behaviour and perverting the course of justice.In a harrowing impact statement, his victim, “Michelle” told the court that during their seven-year relationship, Rawson had put a tracking app on her car and phone, sending her dozens of texts and messages daily.Rawson, who formerly worked in police support, including as a senior crime scene investigator for West Yorkshire police, would regularly humiliate Michelle by “arresting” her outside supermarkets in uniform, twisting her arm behind her back. He would also pull down her underwear and undo her bra in public

The invisible man: Bryan died in an accident in 2015. Why did it take 10 years to identify him?

They knew where he lived, his occupation, even his name, but when a local man died on a London street in 2015, no one could formally identify himAt 10.20pm on 22 January 2015, a black Mercedes C-Class collided with a heavyset, middle-aged man at the intersection of two busy roads in Walthamstow, northeast London. An ambulance took the man to the Royal London hospital where he later died from his injuries. In the following days, a cluster of brief news stories appeared across the local press detailing a tragic, if straightforward, accident. The driver had quickly been arrested and charged with suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving

‘It can break you’: life for parents of autistic children can be exhausting. One podcast is offering hope. Is it real?

A podcast claims to show that autistic children with limited speech may be able to communicate via telepathy. What does the science say about the idea?There’s a moment, 26 minutes and nine seconds into Disney’s Coco, when the film’s departed souls are trying to clear a customs desk in the afterlife. It’s a moment that Mary* can see clearly without looking at the screen. She’s seen Coco more than a thousand times, easy.Mary’s sons, Ryder* and Murphy*, adore it

Big brands send out barrage of junk food ads before obesity rules bite

Big food brands dramatically increased their spending on advertising last year, months before new junk food regulations aiming to curb Britain’s obesity crisis are due to come into force, the Observer can reveal.Food companies spent an extra £420m in 2024, an increase of 26% year on year that coincided with a bumper 12 months for sales of snack foods. Shoppers bought an extra 45.4m packs of chocolate, cakes and crisps from the top-selling brands.The spending bonanza came as campaigners said food corporations were switching tactics to circumvent the impact of the upcoming regulations, which will bring in a 9pm watershed for TV commercials showing unhealthy food products, and ban them online from October, after five years of delays

Blood test could detect Parkinson’s disease before symptoms emerge

Researchers have developed a simple and “cost-effective” blood test capable of detecting Parkinson’s disease long before symptoms emerge, according to a study.About 153,000 people live with Parkinson’s in the UK, and scientists who undertook the research said the test could “revolutionise” an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, “paving the way for timely interventions and improved patient outcomes”.Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition in which nerve cells in the brain are lost over time. This leads to a reduction of the chemical dopamine which plays an important part in controlling movement.This new test, which the Times reports costs £80, analyses small pieces of genetic material known as transfer RNA fragments (tRFs) in the blood, focusing on a repetitive RNA sequence that accumulates in Parkinson’s patients