He went "berserk", before going on a shooting spree. A gunman killed five people including a young girl during a rampage in Plymouth last night.

       There were reports the victims included the attacker's parents. Police said the gunman was found dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.

       The suspect was named locally as Jake Davison, a scaffolder in his 20s pictured below.

       Home Secretary Priti Patel described the incident - the first mass shooting in the UK for 11 years - as "shocking".

       Witnesses claimed the gunman had "gone berserk" in the Keyham area of the city before opening fire. One said: "The guy shot members of his family then went onto the street."

       Read everything we know so far.

       Paratroopers sent on rescue mission to Afghanistan

       Hundreds of paratroopers are being sent back to Afghanistan to pull out Britons with the country seemingly on the brink of falling to the Taliban, the Defence Secretary has announced. Ben Wallace said that around 600 soldiers drawn from 16 Air Assault Brigade, which is deemed to be the British Army unit that can be deployed most quickly, will be sent to Afghanistan in the coming days. As well as assisting with the removal of British nationals from the country, the troops will help to bring interpreters and other Afghan staff to the UK, in an acceleration of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy. Defence Correspondent Danielle Sheridan reports that the Ministry of Defence admitted the additional deployment was "in light of the increasing violence and rapidly deteriorating security environment in the country".

       Early today, the Taliban captured Afghanistan's second biggest city of Kandahar. The insurgents are accelerating their advance in the face of a stunning collapse by the Afghan government forces. Our correspondent Ben Farmer reports on how Afghan forces are crumbling.

       Scientists discover real reason for middle-age spread

       The battle of the bulge is one familiar to many in middle age. But the common excuse of a slowing metabolism for piling on the pounds holds no water, according to new research. A team, led by Duke University in the US, analysed the speed of a person's metabolism throughout life - and found the spread is likely to be down to lifestyle factors. Read our guide to stopping midlife spread - in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. And access all our brilliant midlife fitness pieces with our summer subscription sale: Pay just ￡1 in total for three whole months of access.

       Today's political cartoon View Davey's latest cartoon on Gavin Williamson's grade inflation. (Matt is away). Also in the news: Today's other headlines

       Covid origins | A Chinese scientist may have started the pandemic after being infected with coronavirus while collecting bat samples, the head of the World Health Organisation's investigation has said. In a documentary, Dr Peter Ben Embarek said it was a "likely hypothesis" that a Wuhan lab employee could have picked up the virus while working in the field. It came as a major study showed up to 11,800 people caught Covid in British hospitals in the first virus wave last year.

       Revealed | Briton accused of spying for Moscow is ex-RAF airman Royals | Prince Andrew 'will not attend Platinum Jubilee parade' Britney Spears | Father agrees to step down as her conservator LGBT inclusivity | Let four-year-olds be trans, Scot schools told Weekly news quiz | What will be Messi's weekly wages at PSG? Around the world: A short shark shock in Benidorm

       An 8ft shark seen yards from the shore in Benidorm gave beachgoers a scare before it began thrashing in the shallows. Local police called marine biologists who identified it as a blue shark - which is generally harmless - and put it into a special sling to transport it away to deeper waters. View more striking pictures of the day in our world gallery.

       Comment and analysis Jeremy Warner | Prepare for avalanche of tax to meet net zero Paul Dolan & Sunetra Gupta | Lockdown on faith, not evidence Henry Hill | Why Scots are still struggling to travel abroad Reader letters | How GCSEs went for teachers keen to be at school Judith Woods | I know the secret to a happy marriage is disinterest Editor's choice Bryony Gordon | What it is really like to be on holiday in a wildfire no-go zone Size matters | How a Bath duo turned ￡9,000 into the world's biggest sex toy seller Changing Rooms | Welcome back to the house of interior design horrors Sport briefing: Drugs breach could cost GB medal

       Great Britain's 4x100m relay team face being stripped of their Olympic silver medals after CJ Ujah, who ran the first leg in a race that was dramatically won by Italy, was suspended for an alleged anti-doping breach. The 27-year-old is alleged by the Athletics Integrity Unit to have tested positive during the Games for S-23, which aids muscle building.

       Business briefing: Tobacco takeover of drugs firm

       One of Britain's biggest respiratory drug makers has agreed to a takeover by the world's largest tobacco company, in a ￡1.1bn deal that will be seen as a crucial test of City shareholders' commitment to ethical investing. Directors at Vectura gave their backing to a 165p-per-share offer from Philip Morris International, the US titan that makes Marlboro cigarettes.

       Tonight's dinner

       Slowly simmered tomatoes with soft herbs and toast | You could take this dish by Eleanor Steafel in any direction. View the recipe and try our Cookbook newsletter.

       Your daily travel inspiration

       Edinburgh Fringe | The festival may be pared back, but the pleasure is not. The live programme is a fraction of more recent years, but the atmosphere in the city is electric, because appreciation levels are so high. Anna Hart says performers are relishing the chance to have a live audience once more as she explains how to make a holiday of it.

       And finally... for this morning's downtime

       Welcome to the woo-woo circle | From watching your own funeral to induced convulsing, Helen Kirwan-Taylor explains what unregulated wellness retreats are offering the one per cent.

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