Minggu, 31 Desember 2023

Eurostar services resume after major disruption - BBC

Passengers at the entrance to Eurostar in St Pancras International stationPA Media

Eurostar has said it will run all services to London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam on Sunday following a day of major disruption.

New Year plans for thousands were in ruins after flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services between London and Paris on Saturday.

Eurostar warned Sunday could still see delays but services have resumed.

There is also disruption on Thameslink services due to staff shortages.

Southeastern, which cancelled its high-speed services to Ebbsfleet on Saturday because it uses the same line as the Eurostar, initially ran a reduced service on Sunday but by 10:30 GMT said it had reinstated its full service.

And the Met Office has warned there could be disruption to domestic journeys this weekend, as wind and rain sweep across the UK. A yellow weather warning for wind is in place from 10:00 GMT to midnight for the south coast of England, south-west England and south Wales.

Gusts of 50-55mph (80.5-88.5km/h) are likely across wide areas, with potential for gusts of 65-75mph on the southern coast of England and in South Wales, the Met Office said.

In Scotland ScotRail has said it is expecting disruption, including speed restrictions, due to adverse weather.

The first Eurostar train left London a few minutes late at 08:10 GMT.

Services on the Eurotunnel - which shuttles vehicles under the Channel - are running smoothly.

On Sunday morning, Eurostar said: "Flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control by Network Rail High Speed.

"There will be some speed restrictions in place this morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy."

It said there would be no additional trains on Sunday and said customers should visit the Eurostar website for more information on compensation.

On Saturday passengers faced expensive hotel bills, significant difficulties getting to their destination or costly airfares. The Port of Dover said on Saturday that there was no remaining foot passenger availability for the day.

Richard Thorp, engineering director for HS1 which runs the track, apologised to customers saying he knew disruption to travel plans was "devastating", but said things were looking "far more positive" on Sunday.

He told the BBC water had been cleared from both tunnels and it was now about getting as many trains and people through as possible.

An unprecedented volume of water had overwhelmed the pumping systems causing the flooding, he said.

On Saturday some passengers were in tears on both sides of The Channel as they became stranded or saw their plans fall through.

There was a more optimistic mood at St Pancras on Sunday with one woman, who was travelling to Paris to celebrate New Year's Eve, telling the BBC she was feeling "so much better" and felt "lucky to be here today".

"[Yesterday] was a whirlwind but we all stayed calm considering," she said.

Another woman who was travelling back home to Amsterdam said Saturday had been "very, very stressful" but she was feeling "really happy that I am able to go back home".

Lionel Buchaillot

But Lionel Buchaillot said he was waiting to try to get a new reservation after his train was cancelled on Saturday evening.

"Hopefully we will be back to France tonight. I'm reasonably optimistic because they told us yesterday they were going to have two or three more trains," he said.

He added that his son had a party in the evening so would "kill us" if they did not make it back.

Passengers wait on the concourse at the entrance to Eurostar in St Pancras International station, central London, after high-speed services between London and Ebbsfleet were cancelled because of flooding in a tunnel under the Thames.
PA Media

It was a different story on Saturday, with a heavily pregnant woman describing how she "sobbed for about an hour" after becoming stranded in Paris.

Ella Gatier, her four-year-old son Xander, and his father, were due to travel back to England after a break in Disneyland Paris.

She told the BBC on Saturday morning the next available train was on 3 January - the day she is due back at work - with hotel and alternative travel being unaffordable.

Ms Gatier, who is 33 weeks pregnant, said: "There are no trains, no ferries, no hotels.

"I do not have £1,200 a night to stay in Paris. I cannot even get a train or any connections into Amsterdam and back across home to England.

"In addition, I am unsure if they will even allow me to fly at this stage in pregnancy."

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A video taken inside the flooded tunnel shows water gushing onto the tracks from a pipe attached to the tunnel's wall.

Thames Water had earlier said a "fire control system" was likely to have caused the flooding. But HS1 said the source of the flooding will be the subject of an investigation, but at this stage it had "no evidence to suggest that the fire control system was related to the issue in any way".

"We understand how frustrating this has been for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year," a spokesperson said.

It is the second time in 10 days there has been major disruption to Eurostar services, with a "last-minute strike" by French workers halting trains before Christmas.

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2023-12-31 09:13:06Z
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Dominic Cummings ‘held secret election talks with Rishi Sunak’ - The Guardian

Rishi Sunak offered Dominic Cummings a secret deal to help the Conservatives win the election, Boris Johnson’s former chief aide has said, a claim that Labour said showed the prime minister was “out of ideas”.

Downing Street has not denied Sunak met Cummings twice for discussions, first revealed in the Sunday Times, but rejected that this involved a job offer, saying the prime minister simply had “a broad discussion” with him.

The Liberal Democrats have said these meetings should have been formally declared by Sunak as they involved the discussion of official business, saying the prime minister could have breached the ministerial code in failing to do this.

Cummings, one of the architects of the successful Vote Leave campaign, was sacked by Johnson after less than a year and remains one of the most controversial figures in UK politics.

Part of this comes from his apparent breach of lockdown rules when he took his family from London to the north-east of England in spring 2020. He is also a notably abrasive figure, accused by others of being at the centre of a toxic, misogynistic and arrogant cabal of advisers in Johnson’s No 10.

According to the Sunday Times, Cummings and Sunak held talks in North Yorkshire, where the prime minister’s constituency is located, in July. The discussions were so secret that some members of Sunak’s inner circle knew nothing about them, the paper said.

Cummings had previously had a meeting in London in December 2022 with Sunak and Liam Booth-Smith, Sunak’s chief of staff, the report added.

Cummings told the Sunday Times Sunak offered him a private role preparing for the next election, but that the PM would not agree to his terms.

Cummings said: “He wanted a secret deal in which I delivered the election and he promised to take government seriously after the election. But I’d rather the Tories lose than continue in office without prioritising what’s important and the voters.

“I said I was only prepared to build a political machine to smash Labour and win the election if he would commit to No 10 truly prioritising the most critical things, like the scandal of nuclear weapons infrastructure, natural and engineered pandemics, the scandal of MoD procurement, AI and other technological capabilities, and the broken core government institutions which we started fixing in 2020 but Boris abandoned.”

A Downing Street source told the paper: “It was a broad discussion about politics and campaigning, no job was offered.”

Among advice given by Sunak in July was for Sunak to hold an emergency budget to slash taxes, including raising the threshold for the higher 40p rate of income tax from £50,271 to £100,000, settle the NHS strikes and leave the European convention on human rights.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, whose role is central to Labour’s election preparations, said: “Out of touch Rishi Sunak is asking the wrong question if he thinks the lockdown rule-breaking architect of Boris Johnson’s failed premiership is the answer.

“After promising to restore integrity to Downing Street, he’s secretly begging Mr Barnard Castle to run Downing Street again. From Cameron to Cummings, the prime minister is admitting he’s out of ideas and too weak to come up with his own.”

The Lib Dems called for an inquiry into whether Sunak had breached the ministerial code in failing to declare both meetings in the official register.

The party’s chief whip, Wendy Chamberlain, said: “These shady attempts to bring back Cummings through the back door need to be properly scrutinised. We urgently need to know why these meetings weren’t declared in the proper way, and if any officials were present or informed.”

Cummings became a figure of some national ridicule during the pandemic after claiming he drove his family to the County Durham beauty spot of Barnard Castle to test his eyesight.

More recently, at the public inquiry into Covid, Cummings was accused of “aggressive, foul-mouthed and misogynistic” abuse after messages showed he tried to sack the senior civil servant Helen MacNamara, saying No 10 was “dodging stilettos from that cunt”.

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2023-12-31 08:53:00Z
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‘We need Batman’, terrified locals living in UK’s most dangerous area cry – as they’re too scared to leave... - The Sun

TERRIFIED residents living in the UK's most dangerous area have begged for a "Batman" to save them from the area's spiralling crime rates.

Crime-ridden Cleveland tops the list for where in Britain people are most likely to fall victim to violent crimes.

Crime stats show Cleveland is the most dangerous place to live in Britain
Crime stats show Cleveland is the most dangerous place to live in BritainCredit: NNP

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the region, which has a population of around just 500,000, as having 147.2 crimes recorded per 1,000 people - up from 139.2 from earlier this year.

This includes violent crimes, shoplifting, sexual crimes, burglary and arson.

And locals in Middlesbrough, the capital of the region, have now spoken out over what it's like living in the dangerous neighbourhood.

Local James Kerry, 46, has called for drastic action to keep the neighbourhood safe.

MORE ON CRIME

He said: "The problem is bad around Cleveland. The issue is the criminals are let go too easily and given lenient punishments and they then go do it all gain.

"I wish there was someone like Batman who could come and police it.

"I live in Grangetown and you see people on motorbikes doing wheelies.

"They could easily kill someone or so serious harm.

Most read in The Sun

"I tend to sit in the house now and keep away from it all."

And mum Sabrina Hazell revealed she desperately tries to keep herself safe - taking her dog out with her.

The 35-year-old full-time student said: "There is a big issue with drugs in Cleveland and that contributes a lot to the crime.

"The figures do make you feel unsafe but they don't come as a huge surprise.”

Meanwhile, retired steel worker Mick Norris told how he witnessed a gang attack on his nextdoor neighbour.

The 70-year-old, who lives ten minutes away in Marton, said: "I've lived down here for a long time and I've seen the crime with my own eyes.

"One night in around 2000 I looked out my window and I saw a group of around 30 people ransacking my neighbour.

"That was a long time ago but crime was still bad then.

"I don't comfortable in the area anymore and a lot of people I know say that.

"I think it all stems from people who drink loads. If you watch the intercept progammes on TV a lot of the crimes are caused by alcohol and drugs and that's a problem in Cleveland."

CRIME CAPITAL

Cleveland is the current "crime capital of England" where the highest level of crimes per 1,000 population was reported.

The numbers are calculated to show the level of crime proportionate to the number of people who live there.

Cleveland saw 147.2 crimes occur per 1,000 people according to the latest ONS figures.

Of these, 33.1 were violent crimes.

The north-east county suffers a crime rate more than double that of neighbouring North Yorkshire.

Devon and Cornwall are the safest places to live in England and Wales, with the lowest rates of both crime and violent offences.

Per 1,000 they have just 57.7 crimes a year - 18.8 of which are violent.

Wiltshire, Surrey and Hertfordshire were also among the safest areas in the country.

Surprisingly, per capita, crime-ridden London does not even place in the top 10 most dangerous places.

Read more on The Sun

It ranks in 15th place - with the Metropolitan Police dealing with 101.6 victim-based crimes per 1,000 people.

However, unsurprisingly, it is the number one worst place for robbery and theft.

Locals have called for Batman to help
Locals have called for Batman to helpCredit: Alamy
Sabrina Hazell says things in Cleveland are only getting worse
Sabrina Hazell says things in Cleveland are only getting worseCredit: NNP
James Kerry stays home because of high crime rates
James Kerry stays home because of high crime ratesCredit: NNP

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2023-12-31 09:15:37Z
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Met Office issues weather warning for Wales with New Year's Eve disruption expected - Wales Online

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for strong winds across swathes of south Wales. The warning in in place from 10am on December 31 until midnight meaning it will cover lots of New Year's Eve celebrations.

It follows weeks of unsettled weather throughout the Christmas period. The area covered by the warning includes Cardiff, Newport, the Vale of Glamorgan, and Bridgend as well as large parts of Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and nearly the whole of Pembrokeshire.

Devon, Cornwall, the Bristol Channel, and England's south coast are also affected. This map shows where is covered by the warning:

The area covered by the weather warning
The area covered by the weather warning

READ MORE:When will the weather get nice in Wales again?

READ MORE: How to sign up to a brand new newsletter that help you understand Wales better

What to expect

On announcing the warning the Met Office said:

  • Gales or severe gales in association with heavy showers may lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure
  • Some delays to road, rail, air, and ferry transport are likely
  • It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts, and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves
  • Probably some bus and train services affected with some journeys taking longer
  • Some short-term loss of power and other services is possible
  • Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely

In an accompanying statement the Met Office said: "A blustery day for much of southern England and Wales but with strongest west-northwesterly winds reserved for parts of southwest Wales, southwest England, and English Channel coasts. Here wind gusts of 50-55mph are likely quite widely with potential for gusts of 65-75mph for the most exposed coasts and hills. These strong gusts will also drive squally showers across the area, these bringing hail and the risk of of thunder.

"Winds will ease from west to east during the evening... Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. if you are on the coast stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves.

"Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."

When will things improve?

On Saturday, December 30, WalesOnline spoke to Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell who said that there would be periods of bright weather on New Year's Day. Of the first day of 2024 Mr Snell said: "Showers should start easing off especially from late morning. But as it will be a slow start for some people there will be sunny periods for much of Wales as people start to venture out around lunchtime. That will be a good opportunity to get outside and walk off the Christmas excesses." You can read the full details here.

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2023-12-31 07:51:00Z
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Dominic Cummings: Sunak wanted me to secretly work on election strategy - BBC.com

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2023-12-31 08:38:55Z
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Eurostar services to resume after major disruption - BBC

Passengers at the entrance to Eurostar in St Pancras International stationPA Media

Eurostar has said it will run all services to London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam on Sunday following a day of major disruption.

New Year plans for thousands were in ruins after flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services between London and Paris on Saturday.

Eurostar warned Sunday could still see delays but services have resumed.

There is alsodisruption on Thameslink services due to staff shortages.

And the Met Office has warned there could be disruption to domestic journeys this weekend, as wind and rain sweep across the UK. A yellow weather warning for wind is in place from 10:00 GMT to midnight for the south coast of England, south west England and south west Wales.

In Scotland ScotRail has said it is expecting disruption, including speed restrictions, due to adverse weather.

The first Eurostar train left London a few minutes late at 08:10 GMT.

On Sunday morning, Eurostar said: "Flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control by Network Rail High Speed.

"There will be some speed restrictions in place this morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy."

They said customers should visit the Eurostar website for more information on compensation.

On Saturday passengers faced expensive hotel bills, significant difficulties getting to their destination or costly airfares. The Port of Dover said on Saturday that there was no remaining foot passenger availability for the day.

Richard Thorp, engineering director for HS1 which runs the track, apologised to customers saying he knew disruption to travel plans was "devastating", but said things were looking "far more positive" on Sunday.

He told the BBC water had been cleared from both tunnels and it was now about getting as many trains and people through as possible.

An unprecedented volume of water had overwhelmed the pumping systems causing the flooding, he said.

Stories have been emerging from passengers facing difficult situations on both sides of The Channel.

A heavily pregnant woman from Norwich said she "sobbed for about an hour" after becoming stranded in Paris.

Ella Gatier, her four-year-old son Xander, and his father, were due to travel back to England after a break in Disneyland Paris.

Passengers wait on the concourse at the entrance to Eurostar in St Pancras International station, central London, after high-speed services between London and Ebbsfleet were cancelled because of flooding in a tunnel under the Thames.
PA Media

She told the BBC on Saturday morning that the scene at Gare du Nord station was chaotic and no help was available for affected travellers.

Ms Gatier, who is 33-weeks pregnant, said the next available train was on 3 January - the day she is due back at work - with hotel and alternative travel being unaffordable.

"There are no trains, no ferries, no hotels", she said.

"I do not have £1,200 a night to stay in Paris. I cannot even get a train or any connections into Amsterdam and back across home to England.

"In addition, I am unsure if they will even allow me to fly at this stage in pregnancy."

Megan Downs and her young son on the train to the airport in Paris after their train was cancelled.
Curt Downs

Also stuck at Gare du Nord were Curt Downs, his wife Megan and their one-year-old son.

"Eurostar staff there were completely overwhelmed and couldn't really suggest anything for us," he told BBC News.

One staff member told them they had 4,000 passengers to assist, Mr Downs said.

He added that the family spent two hours trying to find a way back to the UK, looking for ferries, car hire and flights.

They managed to get some of the last seats on a £450 flight from Paris to Manchester, from where Mrs Downs' mother is doing a five-hour round trip drive to get them home to Bedfordshire.

Meanwhile, at a crowded London St Pancras station, emotional travellers sat on suitcases, frantically trying to find alternative routes.

Christina David, 25, and Georgina Benyamin, 26, from Sydney, saw their train cancelled after travelling around Europe on a budget for three weeks.

They planned to "go hard" for their final stop in Paris - where they hoped to celebrate the New Year at an expensive hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower - before flying home.

Ms Benyamin said she wanted to see Paris "light up" but was now feeling frustrated and angry.

"There were lots of people crying," said her friend, Ms David. "We don't know where to go, we have nowhere to stay."

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A video taken inside the flooded tunnel shows water gushing onto the tracks from a pipe attached to the tunnel's wall.

Thames Water had earlier said a "fire control system" was likely to have caused the flooding. But HS1 said the source of the flooding will be the subject of an investigation, but at this stage it had "no evidence to suggest that the fire control system was related to the issue in any way".

It said flooding was "being resolved" and the line would be operational, but with speed restrictions in place and delays and disruption expected.

"We understand how frustrating this has been for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year," a spokesperson said.

It is the second time in 10 days there has been major disruption to Eurostar services, with a "last-minute strike" by French workers halting trains before Christmas.

All Southeastern's high-speed services to Ebbsfleet, which use the same line, were also been cancelled. The operator says it will run a reduced service on the route on Sunday.

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Are your travel plans being impacted by the disruption? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2023-12-31 07:32:46Z
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Sabtu, 30 Desember 2023

Eurostar services to resume after major disruption - BBC

Passengers queue at the departure gates of the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord train station.Reuters

Eurostar has said it will run all services to London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam on Sunday following a day of major disruption.

New Year plans for thousands were in ruins after flooding in a tunnel under the River Thames led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services between London and Paris on Saturday.

Anxious passengers spent the day scrambling to find other travel routes.

Eurostar warned Sunday could still see delays and crowded stations.

Many passengers are still facing expensive hotel bills, significant difficulties getting to their destination or costly airfares. The Port of Dover said on Saturday that there was no remaining foot passenger availability for the day.

But in a statement on Saturday evening, which may give some people hope of reviving their New Year's Eve plans, Eurostar said: "Flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control by Network Rail High Speed meaning at least one tunnel can now be used and a full service can operate.

"There will be some speed restrictions in place in the morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy."

They said customers should visit the Eurostar website for more information on compensation.

Stories have been emerging from passengers facing difficult situations on both sides of The Channel.

A heavily pregnant woman from Norwich said she "sobbed for about an hour" after becoming stranded in Paris.

Ella Gatier, her four-year-old son Xander, and his father, were due to travel back to England after a break in Disneyland Paris.

Passengers wait on the concourse at the entrance to Eurostar in St Pancras International station, central London, after high-speed services between London and Ebbsfleet were cancelled because of flooding in a tunnel under the Thames.
PA Media

She told the BBC on Saturday morning that the scene at Gare du Nord station was chaotic and no help was available for affected travellers.

Ms Gatier, who is 33-weeks pregnant, said the next available train was on 3 January - the day she is due back at work - with hotel and alternative travel being unaffordable.

"There are no trains, no ferries, no hotels", she said.

"I do not have £1,200 a night to stay in Paris. I cannot even get a train or any connections into Amsterdam and back across home to England.

"In addition, I am unsure if they will even allow me to fly at this stage in pregnancy."

Megan Downs and her young son on the train to the airport in Paris after their train was cancelled.
Curt Downs

Also stuck at Gare du Nord were Curt Downs, his wife Megan and their one-year-old son.

"Eurostar staff there were completely overwhelmed and couldn't really suggest anything for us," he told BBC News.

One staff member told them they had 4,000 passengers to assist, Mr Downs said.

He added that the family spent two hours trying to find a way back to the UK, looking for ferries, car hire and flights.

They managed to get some of the last seats on a £450 flight from Paris to Manchester, from where Mrs Downs' mother is doing a five-hour round trip drive to get them home to Bedfordshire.

Meanwhile, at a crowded London St Pancras station, emotional travellers sat on suitcases, frantically trying to find alternative routes.

Christina David, 25, and Georgina Benyamin, 26, from Sydney, saw their train cancelled after travelling around Europe on a budget for three weeks.

They planned to "go hard" for their final stop in Paris - where they hoped to celebrate the New Year at an expensive hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower - before flying home.

Ms Benyamin said she wanted to see Paris "light up" but was now feeling frustrated and angry.

"There were lots of people crying," said her friend, Ms David. "We don't know where to go, we have nowhere to stay."

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A video taken inside the flooded tunnel shows water gushing onto the tracks from a pipe attached to the tunnel's wall.

Thames Water had earlier said a "fire control system" was likely to have caused the flooding. But HS1 said the source of the flooding will be the subject of an investigation, but at this stage it had "no evidence to suggest that the fire control system was related to the issue in any way".

It said flooding was "being resolved" and the line would be operational, but with speed restrictions in place and delays and disruption expected.

"We understand how frustrating this has been for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year," a spokesperson said.

It is the second time in 10 days there has been major disruption to Eurostar services, with a "last-minute strike" by French workers halting trains before Christmas.

All Southeastern's high-speed services to Ebbsfleet, which use the same line, were also been cancelled. The operator says it will run a reduced service on the route on Sunday.

Separately, there has been major disruption on Thameslink services - which run through London and across south-east England - and a reduced service on Northern Rail, which covers the north of England, due to staff shortages.

The Met Office has warned there could be disruption to domestic journeys this weekend, as wind and rain sweep across the UK.

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2023-12-30 23:33:12Z
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