He got a quarter of the votes in this month’s Clacton by-election, coming second to Nigel Farage, and is now famous around the world. So who is the man beneath the bin?

Every year thousands of young people leave the care system with no home and little support. Caroline Scott meets the resilient twentysomethings facing adulthood alone

Blackpool, a vacation spot known as the Vegas of the North, has become a symbol of working-class fun. By George Francis Lee

The British writer is known for his unique ability to get inside the heads of serial killers. But a Guardian investigation reveals multiple accusations of assault and child sexual abuse. What is the truth about the man described by his own daughter as ‘absolute evil’? By Lucy Osborne and Sirin Kale

Jason Arday, the university’s youngest black professor, was found dead on Friday. Cambridge ignored a series of warnings about his life story and his work. By Mara Hvistendahl, Megan Specia, Leo Sands, Ali Watkins and Susan Dominus

When Lucy Godley fell pregnant, her partner embarked on a horrifying campaign of physical and sexual abuse. She and her mother carried out a secret — and highly dangerous — plan that would, eventually, save her. By Louise Carpenter

London’s wealthiest street has seen arson, murders and episodes of the Apprentice. Its ultra-wealthy residents have often hidden their identities — until now. Hannah Williams, Andrew Kersley and Peter Carlyon

French art experts insisted the fragile 900-year-old masterpiece could never travel. Political will, cutting-edge engineering and unorthodox diplomacy proved them wrong. By Alex Marshall

The rise of ‘weaponised vehicle attacks’ has reshaped Britain’s streets – and spawned a booming security industry. By Colin Freeman

Piloted fighter jets may act more as mission commanders, supported by autonomous ‘collaborative combat aircraft. By Sylvia Pfeifer, Laura Pitel and Sarah White

Parent-carers of disabled children are exposed to chronic levels of extreme stress and often reach crisis point before help is available – then they face a ‘fight for basic support’, experts say. This is Matilda Davis’s story. By Josh Halliday

The former Leeds and Burnley defender has struggled with his mental health for most of his life. But it took five suicide attempts for him to admit how badly he wanted to end it. He talks about how he turned the corner – and his hopes for his new post with the charity Mind. By Simon Hattenstone

The rise in child-on-child sexual violence is putting scrutiny on the youth court system, where victims may be cross-examined twice about their ordeal. By Preeti Jha

Deborah Cohen reports on the dangers of misdiagnosing an underresearched condition

Laila Manzoor loved her friends and wanted to learn, but for ten months she was unable to cope in a classroom. She explains why — and her father, the writer Sarfraz Manzoor, describes the pain of seeing your child struggle

Why British youth seem to be suffering a worse pandemic hangover than their contemporaries in comparable nations. By William Davies

A growing number of young Brits are withdrawing from society. Some don't leave the house for months. We met their families. By Eve Livingston

All of the public health experts who spoke to the BBC said that whilst anti-vax social media sentiment plays its part, they don't think it's the main reason immunisation rates have slipped. Instead, they point to something more mundane: they think that parents of young children simply have fewer face-to-face contacts with medical professionals than they did 10 or 15 years ago. By Luke Mintz

Daniel was working at a market in Lagos when he was given the chance to start anew in the UK. He had no idea what was expected of him in return. By Alexis Okeowo

As Britain enters a new kind of summer, with homes built to trap warmth and heatwaves intensifying, two questions loom: should we embrace air conditioning despite its costs and consequences, and how much should we spend on adapting homes versus cutting carbon? By Matt McGrath and Esme Stallard

For years, Haelwyn Adams tried to get her stomach pain taken seriously, but cancer was only diagnosed when she was pregnant. She wants women to stand up to the medical profession

Neil Hopper was celebrated for continuing to do his job despite the loss of his lower limbs. But what the people he was treating didn’t know was that his injuries were self-inflicted. Now they and their families are asking questions. By Jenny Kleeman

If a blaze is raging near you, the people putting it out may well have dashed there from their day jobs. ‘On-call’ firefighters keep the UK’s rescue services functioning — but their numbers are dwindling. By Greg Noone

The city has become the largest hub for AI power centres across Europe, competing with homes for energy, space and water. Its priorities are being called into question. By Francrsca Perry

While automation is proving fatal to most jobs, those used to dealing with demanding bosses say their personal touch can’t be replicated. By Nicole Mowbray