Jumat, 01 Oktober 2021

Petrol shortage: Army will begin delivering fuel to station forecourts from Saturday as crisis continues - iNews

Soldiers will start delivering fuel to petrol stations from Saturday as ministers seek to gain control over the ongoing fuel supply crisis, i can reveal.

Senior government sources confirmed that the Army will begin transporting fuel to station forecourts after it became clear that the situation was improving too slowly.

The decision comes after a week of major disruption that has seen motorists forced to queue for hours to fill up their vehicles.

Whitehall sources said troops have been training with haulage firms for the past few days, learning how to fill up tankers and petrol pumps.

Ministers have now decided to press ahead with plans to mobilise 150 military personnel who can drive fuel tankers to parts of the country that need it most.

A senior government source told i the Army vehicles would hit the road from Saturday.

The Government has attempted to play down the ongoing shortage in fuel supplies, repeatedly claiming that the situation was “stablising”.

But while the overall picture has improved significantly from last week, vast swathes of the country are still seeing acute shortages in petrol and diesel.

Earlier in the day, policing minister Kit Malthouse admitted the disruption being seen across the country could continue for “another week or so”.

It meant Downing St was given little choice but to give the order to mobilise troops.

The decision is still a major embarrassment for Boris Johnson, who was forced to give the order on deploying the Army on the eve of the Conservative Party Conference.

It also came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on the Government to utilise the Army to help petrol station “in areas of the country most in need now”.

“The Prime Minister should be taking emergency action today but yet again he’s failed to grasp the seriousness of the crisis. If it needs legislation, then let’s recall Parliament to get these emergency measures through urgently,” Sir Keir said.

According to officials, London and the South East is seeing the most acute shortages, while vast swathes of the Midlands and the North West are also facing supply issues.

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2021-10-01 15:27:00Z
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Jeremy Stansfield: Bang Goes The Theory host wins £1.6m BBC damages - BBC News

Jeremy Stansfield
PA Media

A TV presenter who was hurt while playing the role of a human crash test dummy has been awarded £1.6m in damages after a High Court battle with the BBC.

Jeremy Stansfield, 50, said he suffered spine and brain injuries while filming a 2013 episode of science show Bang Goes The Theory, resulting in more than £3m of lost future earnings.

Mrs Justice Yip ruled the effect of the injuries was "to derail the claimant's successful career in television".

The BBC disputed Mr Stansfield's claim.

The injuries happened when Mr Stansfield, who was 42 at the time, filmed a Bang Goes The Theory feature about the relative safety of forward and rear-facing child car seats.

The episode saw him "strapped into a rig like a go-cart which was propelled along a track into a post".

In the segment, Mr Stansfield explained he had calculated the experiment to give a similar crash profile to hitting a lamppost in a real car in an urban environment. The crashes were performed forwards and backwards twice each.

'Constellation of symptoms'

Mr Stansfield said he had been left with a "constellation of symptoms", leading to a significant decline in his health.

Mrs Justice Yip ruled that the "combined effect" of Mr Stansfield's physical injuries and his psychological reaction to the crash test had caused him "significant impairment" and restricted "his enjoyment of life".

Before the crash tests, Mr Stansfield had been an "exceptionally fit" man, the judge said.

A BBC physical assessment for a 2012 project involving a human powered aircraft, which he had designed himself as a former engineer, suggested he was performing at the level of a competitive athlete.

Jeremy "Jem" Stansfield with Bang Goes The Theory co-hosts Liz Bonnin and Maggie Philbin in 2013

Mrs Justice Yip said: "I must say that I find it astonishing that anyone thought that this exercise was a sensible idea.

"On his own account to camera, the claimant was simulating a road traffic collision of the sort that commonly causes injury.

"It might be thought that someone of his intelligence and scientific background might have appreciated the risk."

The judgement was not assessing liability, but the extent of Mr Stansfield's injuries and the damages owed.

The judgement said the BBC argued that "little more than a moderate whiplash injury with depressive symptoms" could properly be attributed to the crash tests, so only modest damages should be awarded.

Shared responsibility

She said there was also evidence the BBC actively sought advice and had been warned of the danger yet still allowed the experiment to proceed.

The BBC has agreed to share responsibility and loss of earnings, the ruling said. Mr Stansfield had originally claimed almost £4m in damages.

A BBC spokesman said: "We take the health and wellbeing of everyone who works for the BBC extremely seriously.

"We keep safety measures on set under constant review and we made adjustments following the incident in 2013.

"We acknowledge the court's judgment in this complex case and wish Mr Stansfield the best for the future."

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2021-10-01 15:18:36Z
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'Blood everywhere' Woman has 'limbs ripped off' by out-of-control dog in violent attack - Express

The woman, believed to be in her late 60s or early 70s, was attacked by an out-of-control Japanese Akita at a property on Grosvenor Road. Police said the women suffered “serious dog bites” and was rushed to hospital on Thursday afternoon.

The force added they believe the dog lived with the woman at the house.

It is also understood the women suffered partial amputations during the terrifying ordeal.  

West Midlands Police said a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.

The force confirmed the dog was “humanely destroyed at the scene”.

Police and medics from West Midlands Ambulance Service were called to the property shortly before 2pm yesterday.

A paramedic and doctor treated the woman at the scene before she was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

A friend recalled seeing “blood everywhere” and said the woman was “in a bad way”.

They added: “It was touch and go whether she would survive.

"It’s just an absolute tragedy.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested after a woman suffered serious dog bites in Grosvenor Road, Wolverhampton shortly before 2pm yesterday (30 September).

“A woman, believed to be aged late 60s or early 70s, was taken to hospital and treated for injuries which are described as life changing.

“The dog, which we understand lives in the property with the victim and is believed to be a Japanese Akita, was humanely destroyed at the scene.

“A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.

“He remains in police custody today.”

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 1.43pm yesterday to reports of a person that had been bitten by a dog on Grosvenor Road, Ettingshall Park, Wolverhampton.

"One ambulance, a paramedic officer and a West Midlands CARE team doctor attended the scene.

"On arrival, we found one patient, a woman, with potentially serious injuries, she received treatment on scene and was conveyed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment."

This is a developing news story, more to follow.

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2021-10-01 12:43:00Z
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Sarah Everard murder: I would have got into Couzens' car, says MP Jess Phillips - BBC News

Labour's Jess Phillips says the onus can't be on women to change their behaviour, after the murder of Sarah Everard by an off-duty police officer.

She said she would have got into Wayne Couzens' car - "almost anybody would" - and more action was needed to restore trust in the police.

Couzens showed a warrant card as he kidnapped Ms Everard.

The Met Police has advised anyone stopped by a lone plain clothes officer to check their credentials.

The force says people detained in this way should ask "where are your colleagues" and "where have you come from?"

It suggested other "very searching questions", including "why are you here" and "exactly why are you stopping or talking to me?"

'Tone deaf'

And the force said that, to verify the answers, people should ask to speak to an operator on a police radio.

Jess Phillips, Labour's shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, said she could "sympathise with the Met - what else could they say?".

But she described their advice as "tone deaf".

"I could scream about the amount of things women are told to do," she told the BBC, adding that Ms Everard was "keeping herself completely safe, doing exactly what any woman would do".

Ms Phillips - who ran domestic abuse refuges before becoming an MP - said she knows her rights "better than most people" but even she "would have got in the car and almost anybody would have got in the car".

"The onus is on the Metropolitan Police to do better," she added.

Sarah Everard
PA Media

The only way confidence will be restored is "if we see the government and police forces starting to actually take violence against women and girls, and the complaints that women make day in, day out, seriously," she said.

"This is a conversation where women have been saying for some time, even before the death of Sarah Everard, that they don't feel that they are trusted by the police when they speak up or that violence and crime against them is prioritised."

Asked if Met Police Commissioner should resign, she said: "Getting rid of Cressida Dick is not going to help the fundamental and systemic problem that we simply don't care as much about the safety and security of women in this country as we do about other things.

"I want to hear more from Cressida Dick than 'we will work together, we will learn lessons' - honestly a five-year-old could come up with it."

Labour MP and chair of the Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper has called for an independent inquiry into why allegations into Couzens weren't fully investigated and also the wider culture within the police.

Policing minister, Kit Malthouse, has acknowledged police forces will have to work "much harder" to win back public trust.

'Widespread sexism'

He told Radio 4's Today that Wayne Couzens' crimes have dealt a "devastating blow" to public confidence in the police and it would take months and years to rebuild it.

Handout CCTV dated 03/03/21 taken at 9.34pm issued by the Metropolitan Police of Wayne Couzens (right) and Sarah Everard beside a vehicle outside Poynders Court
PA Media

"It's hard to underestimate the impact of this tragic, awful case," he said.

Mr Malthouse said "sadly" the Met had had to issue advice to women approached by police - and that it was "perfectly reasonable" they make enquiries and seek verification.

And he insisted there was a "suite of things" being done by ministers to tackle the issue of violence against women.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paddick - who served as deputy assistant commissioner in the Met Police - told the BBC there was "widespread sexism" within the force.

Officers are "concerned that things may be going backwards rather than forwards", he said.

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2021-10-01 11:23:21Z
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Insulate Britain activists detained after blocking part of motorways in tenth day of protests in three weeks - Sky News

Insulate Britain activists have been detained as the group blocks part of two motorways on their tenth day of protests in three weeks.

The group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, said about 30 of its demonstrators had blocked roundabouts at junction 3 of the M4 near Heathrow Airport, west London, and junction 1 of the M1 at Brent Cross, north London.

Insulate Britain said the demonstrators include eight people who were released from police custody on Thursday after blocking the M25 at junction 30 in Essex, and others who were arrested earlier this week.

It is not clear how many have been detained today, but images show some activists being handcuffed and led away by police.

Drivers stuck in long queues of traffic have beeped their horns in frustration.

Police officers try to free an Insulate Britain activist blocking a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport
Image: Police officers try to free an Insulate Britain activist blocking a motorway junction on the M4
An Insulate Britain activist blocks a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Image: Insulate Britain activists have been sitting and lying on the tarmac to block part of the M4
Police officers detain an Insulate Britain activist blocking a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Image: A demonstrator was placed in handcuffs by police at the M4 protest

The group wants the government to insulate and retrofit homes across the UK to cut climate emissions.

It has pledged to continue its actions until the government makes "a meaningful statement indicating that they will insulate all of Britain's 29 million leaky homes by 2030".

More on Insulate Britain

The group said in a statement: "It's incomprehensible that the government is continuing to delay action on home insulation when we urgently need to cut our carbon emissions, eliminate fuel poverty and help hard-working families with their rising energy bills.

A police officer applies a solution on the glued hand of an Insulate Britain activist blocking a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Image: A police officer applies a solution on the glued hand of an activist on the M4
Insulate Britain activists block a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Image: Insulate Britain activists are staging their tenth day of action in the past three weeks

"Added to which industry is crying out for the government to show some leadership and get behind a national retrofitting strategy. Come on Boris: get on with the job."

The government obtained an injunction last week which means anyone blocking the M25 could be found to be in contempt of court, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison or an unlimited fine.

Police officers detain an Insulate Britain activist blocking a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Image: An elderly activist is led away by police at the junction on the M4
Insulate Britain is calling on the government to insulate and retrofit homes to cut climate emissions
Image: Insulate Britain is calling on the government to insulate and retrofit homes to cut climate emissions

Insulate Britain admitted that its actions this week "are in breach" of the injunction.

Sir Stephen House, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, told the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee on Thursday that he is concerned police forces are under so much pressure to quickly clear the protests that "officers are putting their lives at risk".

He went on: "The most recent one I saw had officers running between articulated lorries that were moving on the main carriageway of the M25.

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"We cannot be doing that. We cannot put people's lives at risk. My officers' lives at risk and indeed the demonstrators' lives at risk.

"We have to look out for that first.

"But we have been very quick in moving these people and arresting them."

He added: "They started off on the slip roads, which is bad enough, but we've now moved on to the main carriageways of the M25, which is absolute lunacy."

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2021-10-01 11:37:30Z
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Sarah Everard murder: Policing minister Kit Malthouse says it's 'reasonable' to call 999 to identify lone officers - Sky News

The policing minister has said it would be "perfectly reasonable" for anyone being approached by a lone officer to call 999 and seek reassurance in the wake of the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

Speaking to Sky News' Kay Burley, Kit Malthouse gave advice on what people should do if they are approached by a lone police officer, although he said most do not patrol on their own.

Yesterday, Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police officer at the time, was given a whole life order for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Ms Everard in March this year.

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Sarah Everard murder: How it happened

Mr Malthouse said: "If anybody has any doubts about that police officer, they should question the officer on what they're doing and if there are any doubts they should ask to speak to the control room on that officer's radio or call 999... that is the devastating consequence of this awful man's actions."

He added: "I think it would be perfectly reasonable in similar circumstances for somebody to question the officer, seek reassurance, if that means asking them to identify themselves by speaking to the control room or calling in 999 if they feel in danger, then I'm afraid that's where we've got to."

Mr Malthouse said Couzens' actions have "undermined the good work of thousands and thousands of police officers".

The policing minister said the murder of Ms Everard by Couzens was a "devastating blow" to the police, but defended Met Commissioner Cressida Dick after calls for her resignation.

More on Metropolitan Police

He said that Ms Everard's kidnap, rape, and murder had "struck a devastating blow to confidence in the police, and in the Met Police in particular".

Zoe Billingham, former Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, told Sky News the focus now needs to be on what needs to change in policing and what needs to be learned from "this monster, so it can never ever happen again".

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Met Police commissioner's apology

The Met sent a letter to MPs last night, seen by Sky News, containing advice to those arrested by a single plain clothes officer, saying they should ask "some very searching questions" about who they are and what they are doing.

It adds that officers can expect the public to be "understandably concerned and more distrusting than they previously would have been, and should and will expect to be asked more questions".

Following grim details during Couzens' sentencing this week about how he used his position to falsely arrest Ms Everard, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities select committee, has joined senior Labour MP Harriet Harman in calling for Commissioner Dick to resign.

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Wayne Couzens police interview - in full

Ms Nokes told Sky News: "The Met need to rebuild trust, and telling women to run if someone purporting to be a police officer tries to arrest them is not a solution.

"The commissioner has had six months since Sarah Everard's murder to come out with a plan to help restore trust in the service she leads - since he pleaded guilty there has only been one outcome possible - she needed to lay out her plans to restore trust yesterday, in detail."

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But Mr Malthouse said he thinks Ms Dick should remain as he wants a police leader who is transparent and can learn lessons.

"I think that's Cressida Dick," he said.

He added that he thinks being Met commissioner is "possibly one of the top three most difficult jobs in the country", but having worked with Ms Dick for years he is confident she is "committed to whatever changes come out of the lessons learnt".

Are women safe on our streets?
Image: Are women safe on our streets?

Are women safe on our streets?

The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer has triggered an outpouring of concern over women's safety in the UK.

We want you to share your experiences, and your questions for our panel of experts. We'd also love to hear your solutions.

Email thegreatdebate@sky.uk to get involved.

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2021-10-01 07:30:11Z
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Map shows areas hit hardest by UK's fuel crisis as panic buying continues - Metro.co.uk

A ‘traffic light’ system has been set up to monitor the problem in different parts of the country (Picture: PA)

Britain remains in the grip of a fuel crisis, as garages are still running out of petrol faster than they can be resupplied.

Boris Johnson has suggested the situation was ‘stabilising’, but the Government has been accused of ‘gaslighting’ the country over the seriousness of the problem.

London, the South East, the North West, the West Midlands and the East Midlands all currently have fuel levels of below 20%, according to Whitehall’s own analysis.

These regions have been labelled ‘red’ under a new traffic light system set up to monitor the crisis.

However supplies are getting better in the North East, Yorkshire, and Wales, which have been moved from red to Amber.

Scotland is moving from amber to green and Northern Ireland is already there, according to the Times.

METRO GRAPHICS Areas where stations have 20% of their fuel or less (Picture: PA/Metro.co.uk)
London, the South, the Midlands and the North West have been hit the hardest (Picture: PA/Metro.co.uk)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock (12519743e) A fuel delivery by Hoyer at the Esso petrol station at the Tesco Express causes a queue with drivers hoping to be able to re-fuel before the pumps run dry again. Fuel Shortages, Emmer Green, Reading, UK - 01 Oct 2021
A fuel delivery is made at an Esso petrol station in Reading, but many stations are being cleared out faster than they can refill (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has suggested an easing of the crisis in recent days appears to have stalled, with 27% of stations running dry yesterday – the same as the previous day.

Executive director Gordon Balmer said: ‘PRA members are reporting that whilst they are continuing to take further deliveries of fuel, this is running out quicker than usual due to unprecedented demand.’

The PRA said it had surveyed 1,200 garages across the UK yesterday, and found only 52% of sites reported having both petrol and diesel in stock. Meanwhile 21% had only one option available 27% were completely dry.

Drivers have been forced to venture out late at night and into the morning for fuel. Portsmouth-based Joe Wells tweeted: ‘Being told there is petrol when I’ve been to five petrol stations and they’ve had none is literally gaslighting.’

SIPA USA via PA Images Cars queue at a reopened Shell station on Holloway Road. Many stations have run out of petrol due to a shortage of truck drivers linked to Brexit, along with panic buying. (Photo by Vuk Valcic / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
The Government says the situation is ‘stabilising’, but panic buying continues (Picture: PA/SOPA)

Londoner Kim Sunley added: ‘Absolute bulls*** to say fuel crisis is over if my bus journey in NE London is anything to go by. One station closed, two gridlocked with queues. Government gaslighting.’

Mr Balmer said: ‘PRA members are reporting that whilst they are continuing to take further deliveries of fuel, this is running out quicker than usual due to unprecedented demand.

‘We would urge drivers to maintain their buying habits and only fuel up as and when needed to ensure there is plenty of fuel to go around.

‘It is important to remember that fuel stocks remain normal at refineries and terminals, and deliveries have been reduced solely due to the shortage of HGV drivers.’

Treasury Chief Secretary Simon Clarke told Sky News: ‘We are in a situation now where more fuel is being delivered to petrol stations than is being sold so that crisis is now absolutely back under control.

‘That is something that will continue to ease if people just return to normal buying habits.’

AA president Edmund King said: ‘Most drivers have managed to find fuel, but might have had to travel to several filling stations or to queue.

‘A large proportion of drivers changed their refuelling habits over the last five days, and this should now allow forecourts to restock and find their feet again.’

A sign showing the lack of fuel is displayed at the entrance of a petrol station in London, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. Many gas stations around Britain have shut down in the past five days after running out of fuel, a situation exacerbated by panic buying among some motorists. Long lines of vehicles formed at pumps that were still open, blocking roads and causing traffic chaos. Some drivers have had to endure hourslong waits to fill up. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Figures show 27% of petrol stations in the UK ran completely dry yesterday (Picture: AP)
A man fills up a canister with fuel at a fuel station in London, Britain, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
People have been filling up jerry cans with petrol as well as their cars (Picture: Reuters)

Ministers have already begun deploying the Government’s reserve tanker fleet – driven by civilian drivers – to support the resupply of filing stations.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said military drivers – who have been on standby since Monday – should also start appearing on the roads in the coming days.

The Government has rejected calls from the retail and hospitality sectors to ease immigration rules in the run-up to Christmas to ensure services are maintained.

It has offered 10,500 temporary visas to foreign lorry drivers and agricultural workers – expiring on Christmas Eve.

But Polish lorry driver Tomasz Orynski said the Government can’t treat immigrants like ‘like taps you can turn on and off’.

He said if ministers want to attract foreign workers, they should offer better pay and conditions, such help with accommodation or long-term visas.

Many foreign drivers say they aren’t interested in dropping everything to come over for just three months, claiming facilities for truckers in continental Europe are much better.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-10-01 09:21:00Z
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