Energy price cap: Average annual bill to rise by £94 from January, Ofgem announces - Sky News

The energy price cap is to rise to an average annual £1,928 from January, the sector's regulator has announced.

Ofgem said a typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity faces forking out 5% more when compared to the annual cap figure covering September to December, which equates to £94 more over the course of a year.

The new average figure largely reflects higher wholesale costs heading in to the cold winter months and also includes a shift in Ofgem's cap calculation based on average domestic energy use.

Instability and global events, particularly the war in Ukraine, are behind the rise, Ofgem said.

The increase, while widely expected, leaves households facing the prospect of further pressure on their finances in the new year.

While the rate of inflation has fallen back from the energy-led peak above 11% in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the pace of price growth in the economy remains high.

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Things could be getting worse for bill payers, the chief executive of research firm Cornwall Insight, Dr Craig Lowrey said.

"As we move through 2024, it's not just the persistently high unit costs that will be a worry; the looming rise in electricity standing charges from April adds another layer to the equation".

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Without energy support measures in the autumn statement, consumers are likely to look at reducing energy usage to counteract high bills, Dr Lowrey said.

This omission was described as a "missed the opportunity" by Citizens Advice who said they're already helping record numbers with energy debt and seeing more people than ever who can't afford to top up their prepayment meter.

Even low electricity households cannot be inoculated from the rises, as Dr Lowrey added standing charges for gas and electricity, which have increased and are due to increase again in April, make up about 16% of overall household bills.

The key problem is the reliance on gas and energy imports in Britain, he said.

"We need a long-term strategy that reduces our dependence on imports of energy - particularly gas.

"By investing in domestic renewable energy sources, we can start to break free from the international market fluctuations and stabilise our energy prices for homes and businesses alike."

But customers may benefit from moving supplier or electricity plans, said the Ofgem chief executive, Jonathan Brearley.

"We are also seeing the return of choice to the market, which is a positive sign and customers could benefit from shopping around with a range of tariffs now available offering the security of a fixed rate or a more flexible deal that tracks below the price cap.

Consumers were advised by Mr Brearley to seek independent advice from trusted sources and consider whether the lowest price or the security of a fixed deal is most important.

A lack of universal support for energy bills this winter reflects the fact that wholesale prices have recovered composure after last year's rush for natural gas across Europe.

However, they remain elevated and the price cap is still more than £1,000 above the pre-pandemic average.

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2023-11-23 07:30:06Z
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Winners and losers from Jeremy Hunt's autumn Budget 2023 - The Independent

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Millions of workers will benefit from a 2p cut in national insurance as Jeremy Hunt announced moves to ease the tax burden ahead of next year’s general election.

The Tory chancellor said the 2 per cent reduction in the national insurance rate will save someone earning £35,000 more than £450, and that the change would benefit 27 million people.

He also confirmed a tax break for big businesses who invest will be made permanent, something that he claimed was the “biggest business tax cut in modern history”.

Mr Hunt claimed it amounted to “the biggest package of tax cuts since the 1980s”. But the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) said the plans mean the tax burden would hit a post-war high by 2028-29.

The Independent takes a look at the big winners and losers from the chancellor’s autumn statement:

The chancellor’s big “rabbit in the hat” trick was a 2 per cent cut to national insurance, which will benefit 27 million people, possibly as soon as January.

Workers earning up to £50,000 currently pay 12 per cent in national insurance contributions (NIC), so will now pay 10 per cent. It means somebody on the average salary of £35,000 will save more than £450 a year.

However, there was no income tax cut. And the OBR pointed out that the fiscal drag process – frozen tax thresholds that mean more low earners who have had pay rises have been pulled into paying the 20 per cent basic-rate income tax – will mean nearly 4 million additional workers paying income tax, and around 3 million more moving into the higher rate bracket.

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt were under pressure to cut taxes

(UK Parliament /AFP via Getty Images)

Pensioners

People drawing a state pension who feared that Mr Hunt might wiggle out of the triple-lock promise with some clever accountancy trick can breathe a sigh of relief.

Mr Hunt announced that the state pension will rise by 8.5 per cent from April, in line with the triple-lock commitment, whichever is highest from earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent. The move will be worth up to £900 a year.

Self-employed

The chancellor has abolished class 2 national insurance contributions – paid by self-employed people earning more than £12,570 – from April. It will save the average self-employed worker £192 a year.

The chancellor also cut the class 4 national insurance contributions – paid on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 – from 9 per cent to 8 per cent. Taken together, the moves will save self-employed people an average of £350 a year.

Pubs and other small businesses

Mr Hunt has announced a freeze on alcohol duty until next August under pressure from the hospitality industry. He also recommitted to the so-called Brexit pubs guarantee – so pints in pubs are taxed less than booze bought from shops.

He also extended a 75 per cent discount on business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses which have struggled to bounce back after Covid.

Hunt heckled as he announces benefits will be stopped

Benefit recipients

The chancellor was heckled as he announced a new crackdown on welfare payments, saying those who fail to find work after 18 months will be pushed into mandatory work placements. Those who do not comply will have their benefits, including access to free prescriptions and legal aid, cut off.

The process for assessing sickness or disability will also be toughened-up in a bid to get more Britons into the ailing workforce.

There was some good news, however. Those receiving universal credit and other benefits will see payments rise with September’s inflation figure of 6.7 per cent (rather than the more recent 4.6 per cent figure).

Councils, and users of council services

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned of big cuts on the way, with local authorities set to bear the brunt.

Paul Johnson, the director of the respected think tank said the 1 per cent per year increase in resource spending is “incredibly tight” and will mean “a lot of public services will see cuts”.

Wealthy homeowners

Well-off families hoping for inheritance tax to be cut or scrapped altogether were left disappointed.

Mr Hunt is thought to have considered slashing the wealth tax from 40 per cent to 20 per cent to help wealthy homeowners. But he has decided against such a move – pushing back the possible move until next spring, at the earliest.

Red wall Conservative MPs in the north of England had warned it would have been unwise to offer a “handout to the rich” during the cost of living crisis, although other Tory MPs insist it is the middle-class who suffer most from tax.

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2023-11-23 05:51:55Z
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Four men jailed for murder of Ashley Dale in Liverpool - The Guardian

Four men have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ashley Dale, who was shot dead in her Liverpool home last August.

James Witham, 41, Joseph Peers, 29, Niall Barry, 26, and Sean Zeisz, 28, were found guilty on Monday at Liverpool crown court of the murder of the 28-year-old council worker.

Witham was jailed for a minimum of 43 years at Liverpool crown court on Wednesday.

Barry, who was described by the prosecution as the “malign presence” behind Dale’s killing, was sentenced to a minimum term of 47 years.

Peers, said to be a “foot soldier” who drove Witham to the scene, was sentenced to at least 41 years, while Zeisz, 28, who was accused of organising and encouraging the attack with Barry, was told he would serve a minimum of 42 years.

In victim impact statements read out in court, Dale’s father, Steven Dunne, described her as “a beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, career-driven, and family-oriented young woman”.

“She knew what she wanted in life and worked hard to achieve it; she always did.”

In an emotional tribute to her daughter on Wednesday morning, Dale’s mother, Julie, said: “I hate that I won’t see her get married, have children and deliver her babies, become ‘Nanny Julie’ or grow old together like we always joked about.”

She told the court how police officers woke her up in the early hours of Sunday 21 August last year to tell her her daughter had been killed. “Two police officers stood at my door, an image that will haunt me for ever … ‘She’s passed away,’ they said. My life might as well have ended there too. Those three little words had just turned my lights out for ever; time has since stood still.”

“‘How? Why? What’s happened? Are you sure it’s Ashley?’ All those questions running round my mind. Our lives had just been turned upside down in the blink of an eye. She can’t be, we only spoke a few hours ago and she was fine.

“‘There’s been an incident at Ashley’s home. She has been shot,’ they said. Shaking, I fell to the floor.”

Speaking directly to her daughter’s killers, she added: “People speak about Justice for Ashley. But in my eyes there will never be justice, the only justice is that this would never have happened. Although I can now rest knowing that you monsters are going to pay for what you have done to me and my family. And that you too have ruined your own lives and your family’s lives. I hope my words haunt you all for ever and you James Witham; I hope when you go to sleep at night you too see my baby girl’s face as I do every single night.”

Witham, the man who pulled the trigger, was seen leaving the dock during Dale’s mother’s statement.

He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, having admitted being the man who fired the fatal shot.

Dale was watching TV at her home in the Old Swan area of Liverpool when Witham kicked down the door and fired shots with a Skorpion submachine gun, one of which struck Dale in the abdomen, causing “catastrophic damage”.

The trial of six men – two of whom were found not guilty of having a role in the crime – found that the murder was part of a long-running dispute between Dale’s boyfriend, Lee Harrison, and Barry, which had intensified during a fight at Glastonbury festival weeks before Dale was killed.

In what turned out to be crucial voice notes and messages played in court, Dale spoke to her friends about her “terrible anxiety” over the feud, and how she was constantly looking over her shoulder.

Barry, she said, was “on some pure rampage”, adding: “I have a bad, bad feeling about everything.”

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2023-11-22 12:40:00Z
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Jeremy Hunt delivers Budget with tax cuts and pension reforms - The Independent

Jeremy Hunt announces national insurance cut for small business owners

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Jeremy Hunt is delivering the autumn statement to MPs in the House of Commons following a crunch session of PMQs, as he insisted Rishi Sunak’s “plan for the British economy is working, but the work is not done”.

The chancellor promised 110 measures to unleash growth in the private sector, as he revealed that the Office for Budget Responsibility had significantly downgraded its growth forecasts, with the economy now expected to grow just 0.6 per cent this year and 0.7 per cent in 2024.

Mr Hunt raised the National Living Wage to £11.44 an hour, and will cut national insurance by 2 per cent from January – saving those earning £35,000 more than £450 a year.

Mr Hunt also kept the pensions triple lock in place, vowed to increase in-work benefits by 6.7 per cent, and introduced a freeze on alcohol duty. He will also permanently allow firms to offset any investments, in a tax break costing £11bn a year.

But the chancellor also announced a crackdown on benefits for people with mobility or mental health struggles unless they work from home.

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Reeves: Growth has hit a dead end under the Conservatives

Speaking in the Commons following the autumn statement, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Today the chancellor has lifted the lid on 13 years of economic failure.

“The chancellor claims that the economy has turned a corner, yet the truth is under the Conservatives growth has hit a dead end.

“What has been laid bare today is the full scale of the damage that this government has done to our economy over 13 years.”

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:40

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Chancellor’s budget ‘not good for growth’

The director of influential think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said Jeremy Hunt’s spending plans are “not good for growth”.

Just minutes after the chancellor took to his feet in the commons to set out plans to revive Britain’s flatlining economy, Paul Johnson slammed Mr Hunt’s cash freeze in public sector investment.

Mr Johnson said: “The chancellor just announced a long term cash freeze in investment spending. That's a significant real cut of course.

“We already have public sector investment well below that in most comparable countries. That is not good for growth.”

Archie Mitchell22 November 2023 13:39

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Homelessness charity Crisis say ‘no room for complacency’ after housing benefit uplift

Crisis have welcomed the chancellor’s decision to uprate housing benefit for the first time in three years, saying it is "in the short term, the single biggest step the chancellor could take to prevent and end homelessness for tens of thousands of households”, Holly Bancroft reports.

“The three-year freeze on housing benefit has had devastating and far-reaching consequences, with people on the lowest incomes being completely priced out of renting," chief executive Matt Downie said.

However he warned: “While the chancellor’s decision to tackle homelessness in the short-term is a positive step, there is no room for complacency. The next UK government must sustain this investment, otherwise we will see homelessness rise again.”

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:39

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Disability charity: Autumn statement ‘gives with one hand and takes with another’

Disability charity Sense has criticised Jeremy Hunt for "heaping pressure onto disabled people to find work", Holly Bancroft reports.

They said the autumn statement had "given with one hand and taken away with the other".

Although they praised the uprating of benefits with inflation, chief executive Richard Kramer said it "doesn’t address the fact that payments are currently too low for many disabled people to live healthy, dignified lives".

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:37

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Rachel Reeves: Nothing that has been announced today will compensate for years of Tory ‘failure'

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is responding to the autumn statement.

She says nothing that has been announced today will compensate for years of Tory “failure”.

Rachel Reeves has lashed out at Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, saying “nothing that has been announced today will compensate” for years of Tory failure.

“The centrepiece of today’s autumn statement is a cut in the headline rate of national insurance,” the shadow chancellor said.

She added: “I’m old enough to remember when the Prime Minister wanted to put up national insurance as recently as January last year.”

“It was a tax on working people, and we opposed it for that very reason,” Ms Reeves said.

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:34

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Homelessness sector pleased with Local Housing Allowance uplift

Rich Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link, the membership body for homeless services in England said, he was "pleased" that Jeremy Hunt had uplifted the Local Housing Allowance, Holly Bancroft reports.

"It’s no secret that homelessness and rough sleeping are spiralling while local authority and charity services are buckling under the pressure. Raising LHA will at least mean people on low incomes have more breathing space, allowing them to access more affordable housing options while helping prevent homelessness caused by rent arrears," he said.

He criticised increased benefit sanctions, saying they are "not effective in helping people into work".

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:31

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Boost for millions as national insurance is cut by 2 percentage points

Jeremy Hunt has announced a cut to national insurance in a boost to around 28 million people, Archie Mitchell reports.

Despite saying only two months ago that slashing tax rates was “virtually impossible”, Mr Hunt has reduced the rate of the levy by two percentage points.

For those who earn less than £12,570 a year, it will make no difference because the lowest-paid don’t pay into National Insurance.

Workers earning up to £50,200 currently pay 12 per cent in national insurance, while the self-employed pay 9 per cent.

But it means somebody on the average salary of £35,000 will save more than £450 a year

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:28

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Wine and spirits industry welcomes alcohol duty freeze

The wine and spirits industry has welcomed the freeze to alcohol duty, saying it comes as “a huge relief” to a sector that has “taken a battering”.

Wine and Spirit Trade Association chief executive Miles Beale said: “The alcohol duty freeze comes as a huge relief to wine and spirit businesses and the hospitality sector who have taken a battering over the last few years.

“Following the introduction of an entirely new alcohol tax regime and huge hike in August, the latest data shows a worrying decline in sales, which concerns businesses of all sizes and which would result in less revenue for the Exchequer.

“A second duty rise would have been disastrous.

“We are pleased that the frustrations of consumers, who are fed up with never ending price rises, and of businesses struggling with the cost and complexities of the new system have been heeded.

“These are ongoing concerns about the impact of the new regime, which need to be kept under review. We implore the chancellor and his team to lock in the freeze until at least the end of this parliament. This will keep people in jobs and mean consumers will still be able to enjoy a drink at a price they can afford.”

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:24

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Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride confirm new benefits crackdown

Jeremy Hunt and work and pensions secretary Mel Stride have launched a new crackdown on benefit claimants who do not find work within 18 months, Archie Mitchell reports.

The chancellor and Mr Stride will cut payments by thousands of pounds to those who do not comply with new rules.

But ministers have been criticised for trying to “punish” disabled people and those with mental health issues back into work by encouraging them to work from home.

The government has also been slammed for threatening to cut off free prescriptions and dental treatment, help from energy suppliers and cheaper mobile phone packages for those on universal credit.

Mr Hunt said the measures will halve the number of people who are signed off work with no requirement to look for work.

Those who do not find a job after 18 months will then be given six months before their payments are cut off.

The Work and Pensions Secretary was speaking at the Conservative Party conference (Danny Lawson/PA)

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:23

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NI boost for self-employed

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced changes designed to help self-employed workers, hailing them as the people who “kept our country running during the pandemic”.

Mr Hunt said: “Class 2 national insurance is a flat rate compulsory charge, currently £3.45 a week, paid by self-employed people earning more than £12,570 which gives state pension entitlement.

“Today, after careful consideration and in recognition of the contribution made by self-employed people to our country, I can announce we are abolishing class 2 national insurance altogether, saving the average self-employed person £192 a year.

“Access to entitlements and credits will be maintained in full and those who choose to pay voluntarily will still be able to do so.”

Mr Hunt also turned to class 4 national insurance paid at 9% on all earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.

Mr Hunt said: “I have decided to cut that tax by one percentage point to 8% from April. Taken together with the abolition of the compulsory class 2 charge, these reforms will save around two million self-employed people an average of £350 a year from April.”

Matt Mathers22 November 2023 13:21

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2023-11-22 13:34:08Z
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NI and business tax cuts expected in Autumn Statement - BBC

HM Treasury

By Chris Mason & Sam Francis

Political editor and political reporter, BBC News

The chancellor is expected to announce a cut in National Insurance for millions of workers in his Autumn Statement later on Wednesday.

Jeremy Hunt's mini-budget will also feature a cut to business taxes and tough new benefit sanctions.

He will also unveil measures to boost business investment by £20bn a year in moves to "get Britain growing".

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says UK tax levels are at their highest since records began 70 years ago.

• Chris Mason: Tax cuts look likely - the question is where?
• Benefit claimants to face mandatory work placements
• Minimum wage to rise to £11.44 per hour

Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said nothing Mr Hunt says could change the Conservative's "appalling record" on the economy.

Many Conservative MPs are desperate to see the tax burden eased.

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel told the BBC: "This is a really pivotal moment.

"Successive Conservative governments are known for targeted tax cuts that basically put more money into people's pockets."

And yet Dame Priti and hundreds of her colleagues know people's taxes have shot up and plenty think public services haven't improved to match.

The cost of Covid and the amount paid in interest on the national debt - the highest for decades - is seen by many economists as a key reason for this.

And so the Autumn Statement is Rishi Sunak's latest attempt to seize the political agenda and improve the Conservatives' standing in the opinion polls.

HM Treasury

Some details of the Autumn Statement have already been revealed, including a 9.8% increase to the minimum wage to £11.44 per hour. The new rate, which comes into force in April, will also be expanded to 21 and 22-year-olds from the first time.

Mr Hunt will also set out details of a £2.5bn overhaul of benefits for people with long-term health conditions or disabilities, or those facing long-term unemployment.

The government has announced plans to make benefit claimants who fail to find work for more than 18 months undertake work experience placement or face losing access to government support.

Stricter penalties will also apply to long-term unemployed people who the government decide are not adequately looking for jobs.

For businesses, it is understood the chancellor is set to extend the tax break knows as "full expensing" for businesses through to 2028-29.

The "full capital expensing" policy allows companies to deduct spending on investment from profits, meaning they have to pay lower amounts of corporation tax.

The tax break was due to expire in 2026.

It is not currently clear whether Mr Hunt intends to cut the level or the thresholds of National Insurance (NI).

NI is a fixed percentage of the money you earn which is deducted from your wages. NI payments, which were introduced in 1911, contribute to the cost of benefits, the NHS and the state pension.

• What are income tax and National Insurance and how much will I pay?

The move will make no difference for employees under pension age who earn less than £12,570 a year, as they pay no NI. People over the state pension age, even if they are still working, do not pay NI.

For employees on between £12,570 and £50,268, the current NI rate is 12% on earnings and 2% on profits above that.

In April 2022, the NI rate went up to 13.25% to help fund the NHS and social care, but the increase was reversed in November 2022.

'Reject high tax'

Mr Hunt will say: "Conservatives know that a dynamic economy depends less on the decisions and diktats of ministers than on the energy and enterprise of the British people.

"The Conservatives will reject big government, high spending and high tax because we know that leads to less growth, not more."

He will claim the government "will back British business with 110 growth measures" including "removing planning red tape", boosting foreign investment and cutting business taxes.

Speaking ahead of the statement, Labour's Rachel Reeves said: "The Conservatives have become the party of high tax because they are the party of low growth.

"After 13 years of economic failure under the Conservatives, working people are worse off.

"Prices are still rising in the shops, energy bills are up and mortgage payments are higher after the Conservatives crashed the economy."

Turning point

With a general election expected next year, the dance in advance of the speech has included the usual nods and winks, briefings and interviews - with no shortage of speculation about a huge range of potential tax cuts, which the Treasury has done little to dampen down.

Until last week, Mr Hunt has downplayed the chances of tax cuts, claiming they were "virtually impossible" until inflation was under control.

Ministers now say tax cuts will happen but claim they will be done in a "responsible" way.

In a speech on Monday, the prime minister made repeated references to tax cuts and claimed last Wednesday's drop in inflation appears to have signalled a turning point for the UK's flatlining economy

Mr Sunak said the government was now able to cut taxes, after the pace of price rises eased.

He said his target of halving inflation this year had been met.

But the new focus - given next-to-no economic growth - is to try to get the economy growing.

Related Topics

• Autumn Statement
• Conservative Party
• Rishi Sunak
• UK economy
• Jeremy Hunt

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2023-11-22 07:19:44Z
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Snowdonia latest: Bodies of four missing teenagers found in crashed car - The Telegraph

Four teenagers who disappeared on a weekend camping trip to Snowdonia have been found dead after their car was discovered submerged in a river.

The bodies of Harvey Owen, 18, Wilf Henderson, 17, Jevon Hirst, 16 and Hugo Morris, 17 were found near the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog, on Tuesday afternoon after a major search operation.

The sixth-form students, all from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, are believed to have been killed after the silver Ford Fiesta they were driving crashed on a “windy, narrow” country road and plunged into water.

It is not yet clear whether they crashed on their way home on Monday, or shortly after they were last seen on Sunday afternoon and their phones went dead.

Their disappearance sparked a huge search, with mountain rescue coastguard teams scouring the remote area for any sign of the teenagers.

On Tuesday evening, Supt Owain Llewellyn, of North Wales Police, said a vehicle had been discovered “upside down, partially submerged in water”.

“Tragically the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle.”

Mr Llewelyn said the families of the missing boys had been informed and an investigation was under way to formally identify the victims and “understand what led to this tragic accident”.

The boys are believed to have left Shrewsbury on Saturday night before travelling 75 miles to the coastal Welsh village of Harlech.

Their silver Ford Fiesta was seen around lunchtime on Sunday driving in the Porthmadog area and a short time later, their families say, they used their phones for the last time.

The teenagers, who all attended Shrewsbury College, were planning to return home on Monday morning but their parents contacted police that afternoon when they failed to arrive.

The area where the car was found in the early hours of Tuesday morning Credit: Rowan Griffiths/Mirrorpix

Over the next 24 hours mountain rescue teams, coastguard and emergency services searched Snowdonia and the remote surrounding countryside.

Helicopters were heard by residents of Garreg, close to where the car was found, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Emyr Owen, who lives near the crash site, said that the weather in the area had been “atrocious”.

At 10 o’clock on Monday morning, a member of the public contacted police after spotting a car that had left the A4085 on a narrow stretch of road between Beddgelert and Llanfrothen.

Supt Llewellyn said the search area where the car was found had “some complexities”, adding that it was a “difficult scene to manage”.

The mother of Harvey Owen, Crystal, who had driven down to Snowdonia to help with the search effort before the bodies were found, told the BBC she had been unaware he was going on a camping trip and believed he had been going to a friend’s grandparents’ house.

“If I’d have known [where he was going] I wouldn’t have let him due to the winter weather conditions”, she said.

Wilf’s girlfriend posted a tribute on social media as the news of his death broke, writing: “I’m going to miss you forever.”

Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, is Wales’s largest national park, covering a total of 823 sq miles (1,324 sq km). The village of Garreg, the nearest settlement to where they were found, contains only 18 homes.

A resident of 50 years, who asked not to be named, said that the sound of helicopters woke her at five o’clock on Tuesday morning.

She said that the road the boys had been travelling on, which leads to Beddgelert, was “very bendy”.

Councillor June Jones, of Gwynedd Council for Glaslyn ward, said the discovery was “incredibly sad”.

She added: “I think people will be shocked for a long time. People want answers. Why? What happened there? What happened?”

Cllr Jones said the mobile phone signal in the valley was non-existent so the majority of the locals had assumed “oh they’re out of signal, they’ve gone camping, they’re having fun.”

Liz Saville Roberts, the local MP, and Mabon ap Gwynfor, the local Senedd member, said in a joint statement: “No words can sufficiently reflect the sorrow that this news brings to our whole community.”

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2023-11-22 07:22:00Z
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North Wales Police find four bodies in search for missing teens - live - The Independent

Snowdonia search underway for four missing teenage boys

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The bodies of four teenage boys have been pulled from a car that was found overturned and partially submerged in water, police said.

Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris were feared missing after they were last heard from on Sunday morning following a camping trip to Snowdonia National Park, north Wales.

But North Wales Police has now confirmed the teenagers, who had travelled from Shrewsbury, were recovered from the wreck of a silver Ford Fiesta.

The vehicle appeared to have come off the road in the village of Garreg, five miles from the town of Porthmadog, officials said.

It comes after a major search operation was launched involving helicopters, the coastguard and mountain rescue teams early this morning.

North Wales Police Supt Owain Llewelyn said: “Police officers attended and located a Ford Fiesta on its roof partially submerged in water. Tragically the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle.

“At present, this appears to have been a tragic accident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the four young men at this very difficult time.”

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Shrewsbury mayor ‘deeply saddened'

The Mayor of Shrewsbury is “deeply saddened” over the passing of four teenage boys found in the wreck of a silver Ford Fiesta.

“The Mayor is deeply saddened by the tragic news about the four students from Shrewsbury,” Shrewsbury Town Council wrote on X.

“Her heart goes out to their family and friends who have suffered such immeasurable loss and she sends her deepest condolences. May the Shrewsbury community unite at this terrible time.”

Alexander Butler21 November 2023 18:23

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Ongoing inquiry into cause of crash, police say

There is an ongoing inquiry to identify the four teenagers found in the vehicle and to understand what caused the accident, according to police.

“While the search has concluded there is an ongoing inquiry to formally identify those in the vehicle and to understand what has led to this tragic incident,” North Wales Police said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank members of the emergency services, volunteers from the search agencies and members of the public who have supported us with this search.”

A police corden in North Wales as emergency services recovered the bodies of four teenage boys

Alexander Butler21 November 2023 18:10

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Teenage boy ‘lied’ about where he was going, mother says

The mother of Harvey Owen said she wasn’t worried about where he was because he “lied” about where he was going.

Writing on Facebook, Ms Owen said: “I wasn’t worried yesterday as he lied about where they were going. I was worried the night before when I couldn’t get hold of him as he told me he was stopping at his friend’s grandad’s. I was assured by friends he just had no signal”

Harvey Owen

(North Wales Police/PA Wire)

Alexander Butler21 November 2023 18:03

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Church vigil

More community reaction coming in to the tragic news of the bodies being discovered in the police search for the missing teenagers.

Trinity Churches Shrewsbury said it was to hold a ‘time and space to pray’ tomorrow morning.

In a statement on Facebook, it said: “We’ve learned this afternoon of the tragic death of four teenagers in North Wales. They had recently attended Meole Brace school. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and the wider community at such a sad time.

“There will be some time and space to pray in The Trinity Centre on Wednesday 22nd November from 9am, and other times to be arranged.”

Alex Ross21 November 2023 17:31

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Shrewsbury Town Football Club issues statement

Following news of the discovery of four bodies in the search for four missing teenagers from Shrewsbury, the town’s football club has issued a statement on Facebook.

It read: “The thoughts and condolences of Shrewsbury Town Football Club are with everyone affected by the heartbreaking and devastating news coming out of North Wales.”

Alex Ross21 November 2023 17:21

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‘Well-thought of'

Harvey Owen was studying for his A-Levels at Shrewsbury College having left Meole Brace School in the Shropshire town earlier this year.

In an interview with the BBC earlier today, his mother Crystal Owen said she was unaware her son was on a camping trip, believing he had gone to say at a friend’s grandfather’s house.

The 17-year-old has three siblings.

Alan Doust, head teacher at Meole Brace School, said: “Jev, Harvey and Wilf left us last year at the end of Year 11, and Hugo the year before. All four boys were well-thought [of] and well-known by the school community.”

Harvey Owen

(North Wales Police/PA Wire)

Alex Ross21 November 2023 17:08

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‘Truly heart-breaking'

MP Liz Saville Roberts has responded to the news by thanking the search teams involved and putting her thoughts with the families and friends of the teenagers. She said: “This news is truly heart-breaking and foremost as parents, our thoughts go out to the families and friends of the four young men whose lives have been tragically lost in this dreadful incident.

“We would like to pay tribute to the emergency services and local mountain rescue teams involved in the search operation and to members of the public for their assistance in helping to locate the vehicle. No words can sufficiently reflect the sorrow that this news brings to our whole community.”

Alex Ross21 November 2023 16:55

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‘Desperate time'

Supt Owain Llewelyn, of North Wales Police, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the emergency services and members of the voluntary search agencies and members of the public who have supported us with this search.

“And finally I would ask that the family of these boys are afforded privacy at this desperate time.”

(Sky News)

Alex Ross21 November 2023 16:53

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Car discovered on its roof

Supt Owain Llewelyn, of North Wales Police, said: “Police officers attend and located a Ford Fiesta on its roof partially submerged in water. Tragically the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle

“The families of the missing boys have been informed.

“Our thoughts are with them in this desperate time. Whilst the search is concluded there is an ongoign investigation to formally identify those within the vehicle and to understand what has led to this tragic incident.”

(PA/North Wales Police)

Alex Ross21 November 2023 16:51

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Collision investigation

North Wales Police said enquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the car leaving the road.

The Welsh Ambulance Service was called to the incident near the A4085 between Nantmor and Tan-Lan at 10.08am.

Since then, police collision investigators had been seen driving past the road block in Garreg toward the scene of the crash.

Alex Ross21 November 2023 16:42

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2023-11-21 18:53:12Z
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