Littler's popularity and stardom extends far wider than a darts audience. He was invited into Tottenham midfielder James Maddison's box, external during his first World Championship campaign and did a Hot Lap around Silverstone with Lando Norris before the British Grand Prix in 2024.

He is an avid Manchester United fan and has visited their training ground to play darts against the players, while he has attended matches as a guest, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson and Bruno Fernandes, external, and he paraded his World Championship trophy earlier this year.

"Another good one. Lando Norris helping me put my helmet on before the Hot Lap at Silverstone, where he drove me around in a very fast McLaren!

"I never thought I would be in a car with one of the best F1 drivers there is at the minute but he took me round in the car, I played some darts with him as well - just a really good experience.

"Then at the Spurs game last season, on my way to the car I saw Bruno, external [Fernandes] and I had to get a selfie with him.

"He's one of my favourite players. He's not missed a game through injury yet, provides goals and assists and he's definitely helped us the past few seasons. This year he's helped us avoid relegation!

"Meeting the United squad last year and Carrington, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson, external - they're crazy experiences and I thank Man Utd for the opportunity.

"Harry Maguire was the best darts player, Christian Eriksen was a good thrower, but just playing darts with them was crazy."

Police admit WhatsApp arrest error with £20k payout

1 hour ago Share Save Callum May and Mariam Issimdar Share Save

Family handout Maxie Allen (left) and his partner Rosalind Levine were paid £20,000 by Hertfordshire Police over their wrongful arrest over Whatsapp messages

Police have paid out £20,000 in damages for unlawfully arresting a couple after they made complaints about their daughter's primary school, including on a WhatsApp group chat. Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen said it was an "emotional moment" when Hertfordshire Police accepted liability after they were wrongly held for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications. "We were just really pleased that Hertfordshire Constabulary have recognised that this shouldn't have happened," Mr Allen told the BBC. Hertfordshire Police said the "legal test around necessity of arrest was not met in this instance" but there were no issues of misconduct involving any officer.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Allen said the couple felt relieved when they received the acknowledgement saying they had been wrongfully arrested. "It was quite an emotional moment when we got the news from the police a couple of days ago," said Mr Allen. He added, the fact the police paid damages and costs was significant. "But for us, the main thing really was the liability that the arrest was unlawful. That's what mattered most to us," added Mr Allen.

The couple said six police officers turned up at the home in January

Ms Levine said six officers turned up to the family's home on 29 January and arrested her in front of one of the couple's children, who was aged three. "When they read out the list of things that I was being arrested for, malicious communications, harassment, causing a nuisance on the school premises, I knew that I hadn't done any of those things," she said. "I was pretty shocked and knew absolutely that they wouldn't have any evidence against us," she added. According to The Times, the couple said they were banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood after questioning the recruitment process for a head teacher and criticising the leadership in a WhatsApp group for parents. The parents said they emailed the school "regularly" following the ban to address issues relating to the needs of their disabled daughter, who has epilepsy and is neurodivergent.

Supplied The couple were arrested in January but, two months later, the force said no further action would be taken

The school said it sought advice from the police after receiving a "high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts", which it said had been upsetting for staff, parents and governors. A police officer issued a warning to the family in December, telling them to take their daughter out of school, which they did the next month. But a week after that, on 29 January, Mr Allen said six police officers turned up at his home. Mr Allen, who is a Times Radio producer and Liberal Democrat councillor on Hertsmere Borough Council, denied using abusive or threatening language, "even in private". He said a letter was sent by the chair of governors to all parents "warning them about what he described as inflammatory comments on social media". Mr Allen said: "When that was used in context with us, they never actually told us what it was we said that was so terrible, because they've never disclosed the WhatsApps that they got hold of. "But when we look back through, the spiciest thing that we could find was Roslyn calling one senior person at the school a control freak, and that was the strongest remark we could find."

Google Cowley Hill Primary School contacted police after claiming the parents' private and public communications had caused upset

Ms Levine said the experience had affected her attitude towards the police and left her feeling very upset. "I don't trust them [the police]," she said. "I'm angry mostly for my children," one of whom witnessed her arrest. Mr Allen, who was previously a governor at his child's school, believed some people may have taken against his stance on the hiring of a new head teacher. "We asked some awkward questions about the head teacher recruitment process because I had been a governor of the school," he said. "So I knew how the school was meant to work and I wanted things to be done properly," he added. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: "There has clearly been a fundamental breakdown in relationships between a school and parents that shouldn't have become a police matter."

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More on this story Police review couple's arrest in school WhatsApp row