impossible

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says it is “impossible” to replace captain Bruno Fernandes, who is set for up to a month out with injury, but other players “must step up”.

READ MORE: ‘Impossible to replace’ – Fernandes could miss up to a month

New research has revealed the most sought-after postcodes in the UK, with homes in Wiltshire, South Glasgow and Wales typically selling in under a week, over 30 days faster than the average.

Scattered across the UK are numerous delightful locations, but there are 10 that have been named the nation’s most coveted postcodes. The areas are so desirable that properties are snapped up almost instantly.

To determine Britain’s most desirable postcodes, researchers examined housing competition, security and crime statistics, education standards, and job prospects to compile a comprehensive desirability ranking. The study, carried out by Origin, identified the top 10 postcodes that demonstrated well-rounded performance across all assessed criteria.

The findings revealed that SP9 in Tidworth, Wiltshire, emerged as the most desirable postcode throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The picturesque town, featuring an attractive high street, sits amid rolling countryside, with Salisbury Plain and the River Bourne close by, offering that classic English charm.

Homes in Tidworth are typically on the market for a fleeting 2.5 days before being snapped up, selling at a rate 15 times quicker than the national average of 38 days. It also prides itself on a low crime rate, with only 35.1 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants, and is home to first-rate local schools, with an impressive 89% achieving a “Good” or “Outstanding” rating.

The second most popular location was GU46 in Yateley, Hampshire, with properties in the town typically staying on the market for just 3.5 days before a “sold” sign is fixed on the lawn. The area boasts a low crime rate, 32.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, an array of top-notch schools, and convenient commuter links to London and other major cities.

Coming in third is G44 in South Glasgow, where properties are typically sold in under five days. The area boasts a strong job market, a low crime rate, excellent schools, and vast green spaces, including Queen’s Park and Pollok Country Park, making it an attractive destination for families, professionals, and students alike.

The CA27 North West village of St Bees is another postcode in high demand, with homes selling in an average of 2.8 days. With a crime rate more than 50% lower than the national average, it’s also one of the safest areas in the UK.

St Bees’ education standards are also above par, with 92% of schools achieving a “Good” or “Outstanding” rating. Its countryside setting has an allure that suits those seeking a quieter way of life, particularly for those who work remotely.

Elsewhere on the list, Origin found that properties in LL78, in the Isle of Anglesey, typically sell within a week, which is over 30 days faster than the UK average. This postcode shares the same low crime rate as St Bees, 30.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, and excels in education.

Moreover, its dramatic landscapes, idyllic beaches, and the historic UNESCO site of Caernarfon Castle, just a stone’s throw away, make this postcode the most sought-after in Wales.

Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin, commented: “At its heart, a home is an investment in quality of life, and there are so many factors that contribute to making a property desirable, from the local community to the quality of the schools.

“Having helped homeowners elevate their properties for over 20 years, we also know that a beautiful home with a high-quality finish is equally as important to buyers. All the areas in the list boast a host of incredible properties, from idyllic country residences to ultra-modern luxury apartments, making them the perfect locations for those seeking their dream home.”

Top 10 most desirable postcodes:

1. SP9 – Tidworth, Wiltshire
2. GU46 – Yateley, Hampshire
3. G44 – Southside, South Glasgow
4. CA27 – St Bees, West Cumbria
5. LL78 – Isle of Anglesey, Wales
6. CF44 – Aberdare, Wales
7. SE2 – Abbey Wood, South East London
8. SW6 – Fulham, Greater London
9. S10 – Broomhill and Crookes, South Yorkshire
10. NE6 – Walker and Byker, Tyne and Wear

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Gov. Pete Wilson challenged President Clinton on Thursday to make California a test market for a tamper-proof federal identification card designed to keep illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits or getting jobs in the United States.

Later, a Wilson aide said one option might be a national identification card that would be carried by every legal resident of the United States, including U.S. citizens.

Wilson’s news conference at U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service offices at Los Angeles International Airport was billed as the forum for a “major announcement regarding immigration.” In fact, Wilson’s statement expanded on his Aug. 9 program by only a small step–the proposed California test–while raising even more questions about his plan for the proposed identification card.

The governor acknowledged to a reporter that it probably is impossible to come up with a foolproof card because counterfeiters could fake birth certificates, passports or other documents that would be needed to get the card.

Wilson left unclear just who might have to possess the card: just foreign nationals living in the country legally or all U.S. citizens?

Asked who would have to carry the card, Wilson said: “Those who are applicants for employment and those who are applicants for benefits.”

Later, Wilson aide Dan Schnur said one possibility that arose during policy discussions in the governor’s office was a national identification card issued to all U.S. citizens and legal residents.

“A universal card is one option, but we’re not looking at it as an absolute condition,” Schnur said in telephone calls to reporters.

The form and scope of any card would be worked out in negotiations with the Clinton Administration, he said.

There have been periodic proposals for a national ID card, but they have always run up against strong opposition on civil liberties grounds.

Wilson was quoted by the Santa Monica Outlook while running for the U.S. Senate in 1982 that a proposed national identification card was “a lousy idea” because it would create a massive new bureaucracy. He also said he had some philosophical objections to the concept.

Schnur had no comment on that report, but he said conditions have changed greatly since the passage of immigration reform in the late 1980s and the heavy influx of illegal immigrants into California in recent years.

Thursday’s billing of a major new initiative drew a dozen television cameras and perhaps a score of reporters, a big turnout for any political event in Los Angeles. Although it turned out that Wilson’s statement was more of an expansion on a previous proposal than a major new initiative, the session did give the governor a platform for responding to critics of his Aug. 9 announcement.

Wilson said an identification card is the key to the enforcement of any of the sanctions written into federal law against employers who hire illegal immigrants for jobs in the United States. Without it, such sanctions are unenforceable, he said.

“Until we deal with the problem of document fraud, anyone proposing additional employer sanctions is simply blowing hot air,” Wilson said after examining stacks of phony passports, Social Security cards and other false documents confiscated by the INS.

Critics, including potential Democratic gubernatorial challenger Kathleen Brown, have said Wilson’s plan cracks down on illegal immigrants but not on the employers who also violate the law by hiring them.

Last week, Brown, the state treasurer, endorsed a national tamper-proof Social Security card that would have to be presented to a prospective employer before the cardholder could be hired.

In his lengthy Aug. 9 letter to Clinton, Wilson called on the federal government to compensate California for the cost of services to illegal immigrants, called for stricter enforcement of the California-Mexico border, and said children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants should not automatically become U.S. citizens or be eligible to attend public schools in California.

Wilson made no mention of stronger enforcement against employers. He proposed an identification card as something that foreign nationals in the country legally would present to qualify for state services.

Wilson said California’s modern holographic drivers licenses could be the model for a federal card, but a reporter wondered if even they could be forged, since a photographic blowup of one was among the fake IDs on display.

“You know, I don’t dispute the ingenuity of counterfeiters. . . . I think it is possible to stay technologically ahead of even expert counterfeiters,” Wilson said.

“The question really is not whether you’re going to have an entirely foolproof system, but whether you have one that works to achieve its major goal, which is to screen out the vast majority of counterfeit documents.”

Later in the day, Democratic state Chairman Bill Press chided Wilson for intervening with the INS in 1989 on behalf of a San Diego supporter, Anne Evans, whose hotels were under investigation for hiring illegal immigrants. At the time, Wilson was a U.S. senator.

Evans ultimately was accused of 362 violations of employer sanctions provisions and fined $70,000.

Schnur described Wilson’s letter, which sought a conciliation between the INS and Evans, as a routine constituent service.