Avonmouth explosion: Teenage boy among four killed at water treatment works - Sky News

Tributes have been paid to a 16-year-old boy who was among four victims of an explosion at a water treatment works near Bristol.

Police named them as Michael James, 64, Brian Vickery, 63, Raymond White, 57, and Luke Wheaton, 16.

It is understood the teenager was an apprentice at Wessex Water.

The explosion at the firm's Avonmouth centre happened at around 11.20am on Thursday.

Image: The damaged tank can be seen on the bottom left

The blast involved one of the chemical tanks and the workers were on top when it exploded, police said.

North Bristol Rugby Football Club tweeted: "Such terribly sad news that one of our Colts, Luke Wheaton was tragically lost in the accident in Avonmouth yesterday morning.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking. All of our love & thoughts to Luke's family, team mates, coaches and everyone else that knew him."

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Bradley Stoke Community School wrote on Facebook: "We were shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic passing of our former student Luke Wheaton yesterday in the Avonmouth tragedy.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

Image: Search and rescue teams were called to the site in Avonmouth

It is understood that Mr James was a contractor at the site, while Mr Vickery and Mr White were staff of Wessex Water.

Police said a fifth person was injured and is recovering at home.

Officers are working with the Health and Safety Executive and chemical and mechanical experts to determine the cause.

Supt Simon Brickwood said the investigation "is likely to be ongoing for some time".

He added: "We appreciate the impact this incident has had on the local community and we thank those affected for their patience while our investigative work is carried out.

"The local neighbourhood policing team is available to address any concerns members of the public may have.

"I'd like to pay tribute to those involved in the emergency response, who have been at the scene throughout the night under very difficult and challenging circumstances."

Image: A helicopter was sent to the scene. Pic: Jawad Burhan

Wessex Water's chief executive Colin Skellett said: "We are all absolutely devastated by what has happened.

"Our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives during the tragic event on Thursday.

"I know from the thoughts and comments I have received from so many, that this has affected the whole Wessex Water family.

"I know Avonmouth, I worked there for many years, and I know the people, some of whom have lost their lives during this terrible incident."

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2020-12-04 21:00:00Z
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Covid-19: Care home vaccinations to start 'within two weeks' - BBC News

Reuters

The coronavirus vaccine will "definitely" be ready to go into care homes in the next two weeks, the medicines regulator has said.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it has approved the way doses will be distributed to homes.

But it means care home residents and staff may not be the first to receive jabs, despite being the top priority.

Vaccinations are expected to begin at 50 hospital hubs in England on Tuesday.

NHS England also says GP-run vaccination centres will be up and running from 14 December and are expected to start inviting in patients aged over 80.

Because of how the vaccine doses are packed, the regulator needs to approve the way in which they are broken down into smaller consignments for distribution to care homes, while ensuring that the vaccine stays at very cold temperatures.

Asked when the vaccine would get to care homes, Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, told BBC Radio Cumbria that it might be "variable" but "I would say definitely within the next two weeks".

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The MHRA, which regulates medicines across the UK, requires that the vaccine doses are repacked for shipping to care homes in refrigerated cold rooms at between 2 and 8C and transferred into carriers that maintain the same temperature.

As soon as they thaw the vials of vaccine, assemblers have 12 hours to pack them, label them and transport them to care homes, an operation that has never been done before at this scale.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the UK is "absolutely confident" it will have 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the first to be approved by the regulator, next week.

He said more doses are expected by the end of the year, but he was unable to specify how many.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also said they are ready to begin vaccinations on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, official data showed infection levels were falling in all English regions, except the North East.

The government said the R number - the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect - has fallen to between 0.8 and 1 in the UK, from between 0.9 and 1 last week.

It also reported that a further 504 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, bringing the total number of deaths in the UK to 60,617.

The first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine arrived in the UK on Thursday, and the government has ordered 40 million doses in total - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.

Elderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list - as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - followed by the over-80s and front-line health and social care staff.

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Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the JCVI, told The World at One on BBC Radio 4 he understood the elderly in care homes "might not end up being the first priority group for operational reasons" and the committee would "closely monitor this".

He stressed the JCVI still expected care home residents "to be prioritised".

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the vaccines will now have reached 50 hospital hubs to enable vaccinations to begin on Tuesday.

Hospitals were working out how many care home residents, care home staff and over-80s they can get it to, he said.

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2020-12-04 20:24:00Z
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Brexit: Trade talks put on hold as UK and EU say 'conditions not met' for deal - Sky News

Brexit trade talks between the UK and the EU have been put on hold after the two sides said "conditions for an agreement are not met".

The bloc's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he and Downing Street's David Frost had agreed to "pause" their discussions on a deal while they brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations.

In a joint statement, Lord Frost and Mr Barnier said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson would "discuss the state of play" on Saturday afternoon.

Image: Britain's chief Brexit negotiator David Frost released a joint statement with his EU counterpart

It comes after a week of intense negotiations in London, with late night sessions fuelled by deliveries of sandwiches and pizza.

Lord Frost and Mr Barnier blamed the break-down in the talks on "significant divergences on level playing field, governance, and fisheries".

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The level playing field refers to state subsidies and standards: the EU fears that Britain could become a low-regulation economic rival, cutting standards and heavily subsidising its industries.

Britain, meanwhile, wants to "take back control" from Brussels and set its own economic policies.

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The fishing industry is another obstacle - a small part of the European economy at large, but very important to nations such as France.

The EU wants to continue to fish in British waters, but Britain wants to control access and quotas.

Image: Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen will speak on Saturday

Sky's deputy political editor Sam Coates said that the pause in talks was "no doubt a very significant moment" - but "not unexpected".

"Things didn't go terribly well on Thursday in the negotiating room and (on Friday) they didn't get markedly worse, but on the issues we've talked about for the last 12 months, there isn't the gap being closed," he said.

Coates said it was possible that the call between Mr Johnson and Ms Von Der Leyen could produce "a bit of a breakthrough", but "while it is possible both sides could agree there are no more talks necessary, I'm told that is the least likely outcome".

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Brexit border delays: Why do they matter?

Britain formally left the 27-nation bloc at the end of January and has spent most of the year in a transition period, with rules on trade, travel and business unchanged.

But a trade deal needs to be approved by politicians in Britain and the EU before the end of the year to take effect on 1 January.

Without it, both sides would have to grapple with tariffs and trade barriers that would bring huge disruption.

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Will Brexit cause a rift with Joe Biden's US team?

European Council President Charles Michel said: "We will see what will happen in the next days.

"But the end of December is the end of December and we know that after 31 December we have 1 January, and we know that we need to have clarity as soon as possible."

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2020-12-04 19:50:13Z
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Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson arrested in bribery probe - BBC News

Liverpool's mayor Joe Anderson has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.

He and four others were held as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.

It is understood the Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case.

The year-long police probe, Operation Aloft, has focussed on a number of property developers.

Liverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police.

A police statement said those arrested include two men, 33 and 62, both from Liverpool, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.

A 46-year-old man from Ainsdale has also been arrested on suspicion of the same offence.

The other two arrested men are a 72-year-old man from Liverpool and a 25-year old from Ormskirk, who have been arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.

Developer Elliot Lawless was arrested in January and denied any wrongdoing. He remains on conditional bail and was not one of the five arrested earlier on Friday.

First elected mayor

Councillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Lib Dem group on Liverpool City Council, said Mr Anderson "should follow the precedence set by leaders of the council and other senior figures in such cases."

"He should step away from the council and step away from his mayoralty while this goes through due legal process," he said.

Mr Anderson, who joined the Merchant Navy after leaving school aged 16, was Liverpool's first elected mayor in 2012 having served on the city council since 1998.

He later studied for a degree in social work at Liverpool John Moores University and went on to become a social worker for Sefton Council in 1992.

His national profile been raised by his role in driving forward mass coronavirus testing in the city.

Mr Anderson, whose brother Bill died recently of Covid-19, was praised for his response to the virus by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

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2020-12-04 19:18:00Z
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Brexit: Trade talks put on hold as UK and EU say 'conditions not met' for deal - Sky News

Brexit trade talks between the UK and the EU have been put on hold after the two sides said "conditions for an agreement are not met".

The bloc's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he and Downing Street's David Frost had agreed to "pause" talks on a deal while they brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations.

In a joint statement, Lord Frost and Mr Barnier said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson would "discuss the state of play" on Saturday afternoon.

They blamed the pause on "significant divergences on level playing field, governance, and fisheries".

The level playing field refers to the issue of state subsidies and standards.

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The EU fears that Britain will cut social and environmental standards and heavily subsidise its industries, making it a low-regulation economic rival.

Britain, where Brexit was promoted as "taking back control" from Brussels, wants the freedom to set its future economic policies.

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The fishing industry is another obstacle to a deal - it is a small part of the European economy but is very important to nations such as France.

The EU wants to continue to fish in British waters but Britain wants to control their access and quotas.

It comes after a week of intense negotiations in London, with late night sessions fuelled by deliveries of sandwiches and pizza.

There had been contradictory reports of how the talks were progressing, with some EU officials saying an agreement was near and British officials warning that the talks were in a "difficult phase".

Sky's deputy political correspondent Sam Coates said the pause was "no doubt a very significant moment" but "not unexpected".

"Things didn't go terribly well on Thursday in the negotiating room and (on Friday) they didn't get markedly worse but on the issues we've talked about for the last 12 months, there isn't the gap being closed."

He said there was the possibility that the call between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen could produce "a bit of a breakthrough" but "while it is possible at the end of that call, both sides could agree there are no more talks necessary, I'm told that is the least likely outcome".

Britain formally left the 27-nation bloc at the end of January but had been in a transition period since then, with rules on trade, travel and business remaining unchanged.

But from the beginning of next year, it will be treated by the EU as a third country, and the absence of a trade deal would bring tariffs and trade barriers with huge disruption for both sides.

Any deal must be approved by politicians in Britain and the EU before the end of the year to take effect on 1 January.

European Council President Charles Michel said: "We will see what will happen in the next days.

"But the end of December is the end of December and we know that after 31 December we have 1 January, and we know that we need to have clarity as soon as possible."

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2020-12-04 19:41:15Z
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Avonmouth explosion: Four victims named by police - Sky News

A 16-year-old boy has been named among the four victims of an explosion at a waste water treatment site near Bristol.

The four people who died have been named by police as Michael James, 64, Brian Vickery, 63, Raymond White, 57, and Luke Wheaton, 16.

Avon and Somerset Police said a fifth person was injured at the scene of the blast in Avonmouth.

That person is recovering at home and investigators will speak with them when possible.

The explosion at Wessex Water's Bristol water recycling centre happened at around 11.20am on Thursday.

The blast involved one of the chemical tanks and the workers were on top of the tank when it exploded, police had said.

Officers are working with the Health and Safety Executive and chemical and mechanical experts to determine the cause.

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Supt Simon Brickwood said the investigation "is likely to be ongoing for some time".

He added: "We appreciate the impact this incident has had on the local community and we thank those affected for their patience while our investigative work is carried out. The local neighbourhood policing team is available to address any concerns members of the public may have.

Image: Search and rescue crews were among those called to the site in Avonmouth

"I'd like to pay tribute to those involved in the emergency response, who have been at the scene throughout the night under very difficult and challenging circumstances."

Wessex Water's chief executive Colin Skellett said: "We are all absolutely devastated by what has happened.

""Our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives during the tragic event on Thursday.

"I know from the thoughts and comments I have received from so many, that this has affected the whole Wessex Water family.

"I know Avonmouth, I worked there for many years, and I know the people, some of whom have lost their lives during this terrible incident."

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2020-12-04 17:48:47Z
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Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson arrested on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation, Sky News understands - Sky News

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has been arrested in connection with an investigation into building and planning developments in the city, Sky News understands.

He is one of five men arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation offences.

None have been charged or named by Merseyside Police, with the force releasing the following details:

• A 72-year-old man, from Aigburth, on suspicion of witness intimidation
• A 62-year-old man, from Old Swan on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation
• A 46-year-old man, from Ainsdale, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation
• A 33-year-old man, from West Derby, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation
• A 25-year-old man, from, Ormskirk, on suspicion of witness intimidation

Sky News understands the 62-year-old is Mr Anderson, the city's directly-elected mayor.

Merseyside Police said detectives made the arrests on Friday as "part of an ongoing investigation".

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"Those arrested have been taken to police stations across Merseyside where they will be questioned by detectives," added a statement from the force.

A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "Liverpool City Council is co-operating with Merseyside Police in relation to its ongoing investigation. We do not comment on matters relating to individuals."

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2020-12-04 17:20:05Z
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