Megan Howe

Hi - I'm Megan, an English graduate from the University of Exeter and an award-winning journalist. Based in London, I currently serve as a News Reporter for Mail Online.

Recently named Trainee of the Year at the NCTJ's Awards for Excellence 2023.

Winner of the Best Academic Achievement Award for the NCTJ Community News Project and ESSO Practical Skills Award 2023.

I was commended for my 'outstanding work' as a former Community News Reporter at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2022.

Formally a Senior News Reporter for the Shropshire Star and Features Writer for HotSpot Media. Words at The Sun, OK! Magazine, The Mirror UK, Take a Break, Shropshire Star, Express & Star, Empoword Journalism, and Social Songbird.

Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my written work below.

The Standard • 24th March 2025

Surge in catapult attacks on waterfowl at London beauty spots

Wildlife campaigners have reported a recent surge in the number of catapult attacks against waterfowl in south-east London, as they fear a “growing culture” of bird killings in the capital.

Mail Online • 28th December 2024

Toxic mushrooms drove film producer out of his house

Wayne Henry said 'catastrophic damage' has been caused to his ground floor flat in Earl's Court because of a leaky soil pipe running from the above apartment, which took five months for contractors of Residential Management Group (RMG) to fix.

Mail Online • 26th December 2024

PI hired to tail 'cheating husband' uncovers prostitution ring

Catching cheating partners in the act is the bread-and-butter of detective work. But private investigator Daniel Smith got more than he bargained for when a young woman approached him with concerns her husband was having an affair.

Mail Online • 4th December 2024

Our son was diagnosed with 'constipation' - and died four days later

The parents of a two-year-old boy who died of a 'brain injury caused by sepsis' just four days after doctors allegedly diagnosed him with constipation, have today demanded answers from the hospital who treated him. Hudson Cole Perrins died on June 27 this year — four days after his worried father, Greg, first took him to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton with stomach pain.

Mail Online • 13th August 2024

Beloved street cleaner 'over the moon' after 'winning' dream holiday

EXCLUSIVE: A beloved street cleaner has said he is 'over the moon' to have 'won' his dream holiday to Portugal, after bosses initially refused to let him accept a £3,000 gift from his local community.

Mail Online • 30th July 2024

Majority of Brits no longer have a landline - MailOnline asks why

EXCLUSIVE: The landline was once the centrepiece of the home. Before the internet and social media, people relied on their home phone to stay in touch with friends.

Mail Online • 28th July 2024

Man whose dog sniffed out cancer urges 'don't ignore symptoms'

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Allen, from Warwick, was given just weeks to live in November 2017 and underwent a 10-hour operation to remove the cancer from his nose.

Mail Online • 14th June 2024

A bike thief stole my phone but I was shocked by what happened next

EXCLUSIVE: A woman whose mobile phone was stolen by a 'gang of youths on bikes' managed to track it down to two locations in North London before it popped up in China.

Daily Mail • 10th June 2024

Gynaecologist saves daughter's life after she was fobbed off by GP

EXCLUSIVE: A retired gynaecologist was forced to step in to save his daughter's life after she was allegedly 'fobbed off' by doctors three times who 'dismissed' her life-threatening symptoms as IBS.

Daily Mail • 26th May 2024

Inside the illegal 'village' built on a London allotment

EXCLUSIVE: An illegal mini 'village' of wooden huts has sparked fury on a North London allotment after they were built with sofas, kitchens and even double glazing on plots meant for growing vegetables.

Daily Mail • 8th May 2024

'I was fighting for my life five days after my anorexia diagnosis'

EXCLUSIVE: A teenager who was sent home from an eating disorder clinic after being diagnosed with anorexia, was fighting for her life in hospital just five days later.

Daily Mail • 30th April 2024

'We turned our kitchen into a karaoke room after our bills tripled'

EXCLUSIVE: As British pubs face a perfect storm of sky-high energy bills, competition from supermarkets, a decline in footfall and staff shortages, it's no surprise that they're looking at unique ways to keep costs down.

Daily Mail • 29th April 2024

Disabled Brits slam disability payments crackdown

EXCLUSIVE: The 'sick note culture' clampdown that's dividing Britain: Disabled people and their carers slam plans to replace monthly benefits payments with vouchers - but others say it will stop abuse of system.

Daily Mail • 8th March 2024

Woman, 45, cannot get breast implants linked to deadly cancer removed

EXCLUSIVE: A 45-year-old woman with breast implants potentially linked to a rare and deadly form of cancer has been told she can only get them removed if she develops signs of the disease.

Daily Mail • 12th February 2024

Builder lost everything after disgraced NHS surgeon botched knee op

EXCLUSIVE: A builder who lost his business, his wife and his home after a botched operation left him unable to work, has revealed how his life was turned upside down — as he racked up £40,000 of debt and was thrust into poverty.

Rodney Winchester, from Thetford, was left disabled at just 55-years-old after disgraced NHS surgeon Jeremy Parker took out his entire knee joint during an operation.

Daily Mail • 26th January 2024

Don't be a landlord, warns celebrity doctor Renee Hoenderkamp

EXCLUSIVE: Celebrity doctor Renée Hoenderkamp has warned against becoming a landlord after a nightmare tenant devastated her flat and left her fighting a 15-month battle to evict him.

Dr Hoenderkamp, 56, says she never intended to become a landlord to 'make a profit', it was a way for her to keep paying the mortgage on her one-bed flat in Hendon, northwest London, after her son moved out.

But after a nightmare tenant left her with a cracked bathtub, a corroded floor, a bathroom covered in filth and a gla

Daily Mail • 19th January 2024

'He's a remorseless monster': Victim of domestic abuse speaks out

EXCLUSIVE: A woman who suffered years of abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend — as he forced her to perform sex acts online and beat her when she was 38 weeks pregnant — has bravely spoken out about her horrific ordeal.

Daily Mail • 7th January 2024

I was born into a cult... priests controlled everything we did

EXCLUSIVE: A woman born into a religious cult has revealed how priests kept an iron grip on her life - telling her how to dress, think and even how to sit.

MNA Media • 2nd November 2023

Family steps up to keep dairy farm thriving after sudden death of beloved husband

MNA Media: After the sudden death of her husband early last year, mum-of-two Hannah Potter was determined to keep the family farm running in his honour.

MNA Media • 26th October 2023

Taxi driver told to remove Cross of St George from vehicle as it breaches Shropshire Council advertising policy

MNA Media: John Brockhurst, who runs Basil's Taxi, said he felt "annoyed" after receiving an email from the council asking him to remove the cross because it did not comply with the advertising policy that hackney carriages must not feature any "symbols, flags or emblems".

MNA Media • 14th October 2023

'Cheers! We saved The Falcon' – 200-year-old pub reopens thanks to remarkable Shropshire community effort

MNA Media: The Falcon closed its doors in December 2022 and in January 2023, suffered extensive damage to the interior caused by cold-weather induced flooding.

MNA Media • 4th October 2023

'Broken beyond repair': Nurse waits in A&E for more than 48 hours with suspected bleed on the brain

MNA Media: The registered nurse, from Newport, who asked not to be named, said he had been suffering from persistent migraines and headaches for two weeks before he went to see his GP and was "sent home" with co-codamol.

MNA Media • 27th September 2023

Mourners fill church for funeral of 'gorgeous young woman' killed in Telford crash

MNA Media: St Nicholas Church in Newport was filled with mourners this afternoon, who had come dressed in an array of colours, for the funeral of Neve Cotgrave Hewitt.

MNA Media • 9th September 2023

'Life will never be complete': Mum's tribute to her 'princess' killed in Telford crash

MNA Media: Neve Cotgrave Hewitt died in the single-car collision in the early hours of Tuesday on the A442 near Trench Lock.

Neve's mum Penny Cotgrave, from Newport, said: "She was a diva. She was the most kind, caring, beautiful baby with attitude.

MNA Media • 17th August 2023

Mum still looking for school in Shropshire for her autistic son after facing a year of rejections

MNA Media: A mum-of-four from Shropshire is still looking for a specialist school for her son, one year after she was told his current placement could no longer meet his needs.

MNA Media • 15th August 2023

Restitution: How might shifting cultural attitudes affect our region's tourist trade?

MNA Media: How might shifting cultural attitudes affect our region's tourist trade?

MNA Media • 15th August 2023

'Boiled alive': Midlands tourist compares Rome to being in a cooker as holidaymakers struggle in heatwave

MNA Media: Bridgnorth resident Jack speaks out about record temperatures in Italy and the fears of locals and tourists alike.

MNA Media • 15th August 2023

Travel Review: Finding 'friluftsliv' and fine food on a Norwegian fjord adventure

MNA Media: Travel review.
The Norwegian Fjords are an otherworldly beauty ¬– a once-in-a-lifetime experience if you’re lucky enough.

MNA Media • 18th July 2023

Treatment waiting times: All the key numbers for Shropshire and Telford in the month of May

MNA Media: Treatment waiting times for NHS patients in Shropshire and Telford during the month of May have been revealed.

MNA Media • 22nd May 2023

Cheating partners, catfishing and fraud: All in a day's work for a Shropshire-based private investigator

MNA Media: A day in the life of a Shropshire private investigator

MNA Media • 15th May 2023

How doctors saved seven-year-old Telford girl's life after she bumped heads in the playground

MNA Media: It's a parent's worst nightmare. When seven-year-old Darcey Grace Gourley bumped heads with another child in the playground, it didn't take long for it to become clear that something was seriously wrong. A few hours later, doctors were forced to operate to save her life.

MNA Media • 13th May 2023

Market Drayton woman fighting for return of beloved cat Fred after she receives request to transfer ownership

MNA Media: What at first was pure elation that the lost member of her family had been found, quickly turned into worry and frustration as Beryl was told she'd need to go through police to get the details of the finder.

MNA Media • 25th March 2023

Plans for Shrewsbury 'super GP hub' put on pause due to lack of capital funding

MNA Media: A national scheme that would have seen health and wellbeing hubs created in six areas across the country, including in Shrewsbury, has been paused by NHS England due to lack of capital funding.

MNA Media • 23rd March 2023

Foreign Office whistleblower from Shropshire suing Government after being sacked

MNA Media: The 42-year-old worked at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for seven years, two of which were at the British Embassy in Kabul.

MNA Media • 11th March 2023

Ex-footballer released by dream club at 17 opens up about 'loss of identity' after rejection

MNA Media: Richard ‘Rich’ Wilkinson, from Whitchurch, was released from his dream football club – Stoke City – at 17 years old, having played throughout his childhood and adolescence.

More than 20 years on and Rich is using his past experiences for good, working in private practice and in secondary schools, counselling young people aged 11 to 16.

MNA Media • 15th February 2023

Shropshire business keeping clockmaking craft ticking-along as trade in danger of being lost to time

MNA Media: They have received a number of positive reviews for their service, which is a unique and rare craft currently at risk of being lost to time.

According to the Heritage Crafts charity, clock making is on the Red List of Endangered Crafts, with only around 250 professionals left in the UK.

MNA Media • 31st January 2023

Shropshire woman performing in Titanic musical in memory of relative who died in sinking

MNA Media: Susan Steele, from Much Wenlock, is the great niece of the Rev Dr Robert James Bateman – known to his family as Great Uncle Bob – who died when the ship sank in April 1912.

While Susan has always been a lover of history and has produced detailed research on the British passenger liner, she admitted that performing in a musical was out of her comfort zone.

MNA Media • 21st November 2022

Health sector hitting 'tipping point' as more than 100 bed-blockers on average every day in Trust hospitals

MNA Media: It comes after the average number of delayed discharges in England reached a new high last month, with 13,613 occupied beds on average each day– up from 11,590 per day in June.

MNA Media • 12th November 2022

Ukrainian refugees in Shropshire face uncertainty as six-month stays come to an end

MNA Media: Fears have been raised over Ukrainian refugees finding alternative places to live in Shropshire, as some six-month stays come to an end and it emerges several Ukrainians have become homeless since arriving in the county.

MNA Media • 11th November 2022

Feed a family: Tough start to the new year predicted for many families

MNA Media: Tony Gaskin from Shrewsbury Food Hub, which collects surplus food from supermarkets and distributes it in the community, issued the warning today.

MNA Media • 7th October 2022

'The least I can do for young people' – Shropshire oil protestor speaks out after London blockade arrests

Kris Welch, a retired special educational needs co-ordinator from Broseley, was among more than 30 supporters of Just Stop Oil, who brought London traffic to a standstill on Wednesday.

The group sat down on the approach roads to Lambeth Bridge establishing roadblocks and halting traffic on two key roads, while some glued themselves to the tarmac and a number locked themselves together using steel tubes.

Commenting on her reasons for joining the roadblock, Kris said: "I am a retired special nee

MNA Media • 14th June 2022

Lights, camera, action in Shropshire as county's first ever film agency is launched

MNA Media: The spotlight is fixed firmly on Shropshire as a film agency launches to promote the county as a filming destination to production companies and movie-makers worldwide.

MNA Media • 16th May 2022

Shropshire-raised author shares her incredible experiences as a frontline midwife

MNA Media Anna is a humanitarian aid worker, an NHS nurse and midwife who has cared for some of the most vulnerable women in the most vulnerable places in the world.

Now, she has shared her story in her new book- Frontline Midwife: My Story of Survival and Keeping Others Safe - in order to memorialise the lives of women she has looked after.

MNA Media • 6th May 2022

Shrewsbury friends open their homes to 'desperate' sisters fleeing Ukraine

MNA Media: Coral Parker and Andy Holland, and Tracy and Sebastian Van Mook have set up a fundraising page for the siblings, Alona and Zarina, and their children who will be making the long journey from Poland to Shropshire.

MNA Media • 7th February 2022

Elizabethan ring with links to noble Shropshire family found in field

MNA Media: The silver ring, which has now been submitted as part of a treasure case, is a hawking ring or 'vervel' which is part of the equipment used in the sport of falconry.

MNA Media • 8th January 2022

Pandemic pets: How the Covid crisis has had a major impact on our four-legged friends

MNA Media: While it has been acknowledged that owning a pet can be good for a person's mental health and wellbeing, concerns have been raised about the impact on pets themselves.

MNA Media • 4th December 2021

Shropshire stalwarts still in same house after 140 years and seven generations

Helen Noblet (née Tootill), from Rushbury near Church Stretton, has a line of relatives dating back to 1882 when the original owners – Eliza and James Farr – moved into the property.

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