The streets of shame that became infamous after giant scandals broke out there

Many areas around the world have become notorious due to massive scandals unfolding on their doorstep. They include Barnard Castle, where former prime minister Boris Johnson's then-chief adviser Dominic Cummings drove to in 2020 - apparently to check that he wasn't going blind.

That incident put the County Durham town on the map. But it's not the only little-known region wasn't the first to gain fame from a scandal. Here we look at other spots that have become part of an international map of shame.

Water palaver: The Watergate buildings, in Washington DC were the site of the biggest political scandal of the 20th Century.

They were home to the Democratic Party headquarters, which were burgled in 1972 by a group of men trying to get Republican president Richard Nixon re-elected. He was forced to resign from office in 1974 when secret tapes proved he knew about the break-in and tried to cover it up.

Affair play

Cliveden House, Bucks, is a country pile once home to generations of nobility. But it's best-known for its links to the Profumo Affair. The then war secretary, John Profumo, was attending a party at the mansion in 1961 when he first met 19-year-old model Christine Keeler, inset, in the pool. The married Tory was forced to resign two years later, when their steamy liaison was exposed.

A bridge too far

Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, US, was the name on the whole world's lips in 1969. It shot to fame as the place where Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge, and into a pond, killing Democratic campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne. He fled the scene without reporting the accident, later pleading guilty to a string of driving offences. The scandal would end his dream of running for president.

Pizza the action

From the outside, Woking's Pizza Express looks like any other branch of the restaurant chain. But it became notorious in 2019, thanks to Prince Andrew's bombshell interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC's Newsnight. The royal insisted he was there before heading home on the night he was accused of having sex with then-teenager Virginia Giuffre in London, allegations he strongly denies.

Sinning with dolphins

Dolphin Square in Pimlico, central London, is famed as one of Britain's most notorious addresses. The block of red brick flats has been home to hundreds of MPs and Lords - and with them, a string of outrageous scandals. Fascist leader Oswald Mosley was arrested there in 1940, while James Bond author Ian Fleming was recruited to the secret service from a few doors down.

Chateau-curling

The Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles is famed for its links to Hollywood intrigue and tragedy. Comedian John Belushi passed away at the hotel in 1982 after a fatal overdose of heroin and cocaine. Then in 2004, fashion photographer Helmut Newton died after losing control of his vehicle when leaving the car park. Lindsay Lohan was reportedly banned from the premises in 2012 for running up a $46,000 (then 29,000) bar tab.

Piece of cake

The Palace of Versailles in France is famed as the residence of 18th Century royal Marie Antoinette. The controversial queen went down in history for her partying and extravagant spending, while her subjects suffered hardship. However, it's a myth she ever said "let them eat cake". After the French Revolution, she was executed in Paris.

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