William and Kate have cancelled a major engagement planned for the start of their Caribbean tour after villagers staged a protest over the royals' visit.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were due to tour a cacao farm in Belize during the first full day of their tour on Sunday, but the event has now been removed from the schedule by their office.
The issue threatens to overshadow the start of the couple's eight-day tour to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and raises questions about the planning of the trip.
Demonstrators had voiced opposition to the royals' visit due to a dispute over "contested property" between residents of Indian Creek village and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), the conservation charity that William supports as patron.
The landing site for the Cambridges' helicopter reportedly caused further problems amid claims residents were not consulted about the location, which is on the local football pitch, according to local Belize media outlet Channel 7.
A protest was reportedly staged on Friday opposing the royal visit to Akte 'il Ha cacao farm.
Photographs posted on social media showed demonstrators holding signs including one which read: "Colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince & FFI."
Sebastian Shol, chairman of Indian Creek village, told the Daily Mail: "We don't want them to land on our land, that's the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land."
A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location - further details will be provided in due course."
The Belize government said in a statement: "Indian Creek was one of several sites being considered. Due to issues in the village, the Government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry."
Channel 7 said the background to the situation centred on tensions between citizens and the state about the "meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights - rights to lands that were expunged in the colonial period by the British".
Voyager, the ministerial jet, will fly the Cambridges throughout their tour along with their 15-strong entourage, which is likely to include Kate's hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker and other personal staff, along with private secretaries and their press office team.
Highlights of the couple's tour will see them renew their friendly sporting rivalry when they take to the waters for a sailing regatta in the Bahamas in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
In Jamaica, the Cambridges are due to celebrate the island's musical and sporting heritage amid speculation Usain Bolt may be involved.
Two long-serving P&O Ferries workers yesterday told how they’ve dedicated half their lives to the firm – only to be cruelly sunk without trace by the heartless bosses.
Chefs Mark Patterson and Alan McCulloch, of Stranraer, never missed a shift during lockdown or took a penny of furlough, as they kept their ship sailing between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The men, both 59, are among 800 to be given the boot – to be replaced by what union bosses are calling “an army of scab labour”, on lower wages.
Mark and Alan, who earned £30,000 a year, each spent 30 years working for the firm, during which time they have felt like family members of fellow staff.
As they met at Cairnryan yesterday, they looked out on the huge European Causeway ferry, which they’ve worked on since it was introduced 21 years ago.
Mark slated P&O for the brutal way in which they were told their careers were finished, without notice, after decades of service. The same fate could affect up to 100 others in Scotland.
He said: “I was on a holiday at Centre Parcs on Thursday and I got a call right out of the blue to say I was sacked, with no notice or barely a thank you.
“There’s no jobs to be had down here, which is one issue. But I just can’t believe the callous way they did this after 30 years of service.
“There is not an inch of that boat I don’t know and I have felt like family with the other people on board.
“During the lockdown, I never missed a shift. I got on board and put my own health on the line, before vaccinations and boosters were a thing.
“Three of us did the work of five people – but this is the thanks we got. It’s disgraceful and I feel we have been treated like our service meant nothing.”
Protests were yesterday staged at Dover, Liverpool, Hull and Larne and Cairnryan will stage one on Wednesday.
Unions are also calling for a boycott of P&O Ferries and a government clampdown on the “illegal” tactics, amid fears that the callous measures could be copied by other big employers.
Nearly a quarter of P&O Ferries’ staff were told on Thursday, many by video link, that it was their “final day of employment”.
Alan was also distraught at the way the company had treated him.
He said: “It feels like I’ve been kicked in the b****. It’s hard to comprehend what has happened because it was so sudden and we had no notice at all.
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“I was on the boat, stationed in Larne, on Thursday and the food and beverage manager said there would be an announcement coming, which was ominous.
"Then we were gathered together to be told we were effectively getting the boot. They didn’t spell it out that a new bunch of cheaper staff were going to be walking into our jobs.
“So I was stuck over there and had to make the final trip back with this dreadful news to deal with.
“I feel disgusted and betrayed. We really felt when we were working through the Covid crisis that we were going beyond the call of duty. This is some way of repaying us.”
RMT union regional organiser Gordon Martin said: “It’s a hammer blow and sets a terrible precedent for workers’ rights. There is a dedicated workforce being replaced by a cheaper army of scab labour.
“P&O should be boycotted by any travellers who value workers’ rights. Their conduct should be examined because they have broken many rules that are meant to protect workers.
“We will be seeking legal redress for our members but this will be a massive blow for people around Cairnryan and Stranraer and the south west.”
Meanwhile Billy Jones, RMT branch secretary of Humber Shipping, accused P&O of paying new crew as little as £2.60 to £2.80 an hour. P&O did not comment but an insider insisted the figures were wrong.
But asked to provide the pay rates, they said the firm was unable to as the workers concerned were employed by an outside agency.
A petition by the RMT yesterday had been signed by more than 11,000 people. It called for workers to refuse to sign their redundancy agreements.
The sacking of hundreds of seafarers by P&O Ferries has led to the suspension of ferry services between the UK and parts of Europe. But what does it mean for those who need to travel?
Why did this happen?
P&O blamed the sacking of 800 workers on losses of £100million following the pandemic travel slump.
Politicians have slated the move and trade unions have called for wider public support for protests.
Which services are affected?
The firm said early yesterday all its ferries are “unable to run for the next few days”, with services hit including Dover to Calais and from Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne in Northern Ireland.
Does that mean I can’t travel?
Not necessarily. P&O said “where possible we are organising travel via an alternative operator”.
What are my rights as a passenger?
Travel trade group Abta says the choice of an alternative or a refund should be offered if a service is axed, as well as free accommodation if an overnight stay is needed.
What does P&O say?
The company’s terms state: “If your departure is delayed and your journey will no longer serve any purpose, a refund of the full ticket price shall be considered upon submission of reasonable supporting evidence.”
What compensation is available?
Abta says travellers are entitled to compensation of 25 per cent of their ticket price, depending on the length of the delay and the duration of the crossing.
Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, asked why P&O sacked staff without notice or consultation. He said: “For staff to be told via a pre-recorded Zoom call is absolutely unacceptable.”
Stranraer councillor Willie Scobie also blasted P&O but he slammed the Scottish Government for not making infrastructure improvements to help P&O make a profit in Cairnryan.
He said: “There has been high level lobbying to get the approach to Cairnryan and Stranraer up to scratch. The single carriage road has greatly affected profitability.”
P&O Ferries, owned by Dubai-based DP World, said it was a tough decision but it would “not be a viable business” without making the changes.
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A black pupil who was strip-searched after being wrongly suspected of carrying drugs is suing the Met Police.
The 15-year-old, also known as Child Q, is also taking civil action against her school, the law firm Bhatt Murphy said.
Scotland Yard has apologised after a safeguarding report found the search was unjustified and racism was "likely" to have been a factor.
Speaking via her lawyers, the girl said she wanted "cast-iron commitments to ensure this never happens again".
In a statement, she said: "I want to thank the thousands of people across the world of all backgrounds who have offered me support - both publicly and through messages conveyed to my legal team - following everything I've been through.
"I know I am not alone."
Hundreds of people attended a protest organised by Hackney Cop Watch at Stoke Newington police station.
During the incident, the girl was taken out of an exam to the school's medical room and strip-searched by two female Met police officers searching for cannabis, while teachers remained outside.
No other adult was present and her parents were not contacted.
Her intimate body parts were exposed and she was made to take off her sanitary towel, according to the review. No drugs were found.
The victim's mother told the safeguarding review that after the strip-search, her daughter had been "asked to go back into the exam" she had been sitting with no teacher asking about her welfare.
Her family said the girl had changed from "top of the class" to "a shell of her former bubbly self", and she was now self-harming and required therapy.
One of Friday's protesters told the BBC "she can't even fathom" the "disgusting" treatment of the teenager.
She said: "What they did to that child has brought tears to my eyes every day because I'm thinking 'could that have been my daughter once upon a time, could that be my granddaughter?"
London's mayor Sadiq Khan has written to the head of the police watchdog urging them to consider a case of gross misconduct.
However, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation was complete and its report was being "finalised".
It added three police constables had been served with notices last year advising them they were under investigation for misconduct, "over their roles in either carrying out the strip search or involvement in supervising it".
Scotland Yard has said the officers' actions were "truly regrettable" and it "should never have happened".
Met Police Commander Dr Alison Heydari said: "While we await the findings of the IOPC investigation, we have already taken action to ensure that our officers and staff have a refreshed understanding of the policy for conducting a 'further search' and advice around dealing with schools, ensuring that children are treated as children."
By Celestina Olulode, BBC News
"We love you Child Q… and we pray for resolve. Keep your head up".
That was the message of solidarity from Ayesha, one mother on this march.
Hundreds of people stood outside Stoke Newington police station, holding placards and banners. The crowds stopped traffic and buses were diverted.
"No police in schools" and "schools + cops = violence" were some of the messages people posted on the walls of the police station.
Amid chants of "protect black girls", nearby cars beeped their horns. Hackney MP Diane Abbott spoke of a community "confronted by brutality from police officers all over again".
Several other people made speeches and demanded justice. But while there's a clear sense of anger, this is also a community feeling traumatised.
Many here say they are worried about the current safeguarding measures in place in schools.
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All remaining COVID travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for unvaccinated arrivals, have now ended in the UK.
A range of "contingency measures" will be kept in reserve so ministers can take "swift and proportionate action" if needed to tackle new variants, according to the Department for Transport.
It is understood that these include targeted testing from a country where a new variant has been detected.
The plans would only be enacted "in extreme circumstances", the department said.
Previously only fully vaccinated people were able to enter the UK without the need for tests.
All arrivals were also required to fill in a passenger locator form within 72 hours of travel, sharing their address, phone number, passport and flight details.
The forms were launched two years ago, when arrivals had to quarantine at home, to help check if travellers were following the rules.
'Greater freedom ahead of Easter' despite rising COVID cases
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "I said we wouldn't keep travel measures in place for any longer than necessary, which we're delivering on today - providing more welcome news and greater freedom for travellers ahead of the Easter holidays."
Aviation minister Robert Courts said the lifting of restrictions was due to "sacrifices made by the whole country", adding that he hopes to "never see a day" when the rules are re-introduced.
The decision was made despite rising COVID-19 cases in all four UK nations since the end of January, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Infections in the UK have risen by 43.9% in the last seven days, with another 534,747 people testing positive.
The number of people hospitalised with the virus has increased 22% in the last week - a total of 11,580 patients in the last seven days.
In England hospital admissions remain well below the peaks reached during the Omicron and previous waves, while in Scotland the figure was close to the record peak seen in January last year, according to data from ZOE and King's College London.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the lifting of travel restrictions was possible due to the success of the vaccine rollout and said the government would continue to monitor potential new variants.
'A final game-changer'
Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of Airlines UK - the industry body representing UK carriers, welcomed the changes, saying "the time to return to the skies is now".
"People want to go away, and there is a real air of positivity within the sector now," he said.
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Derek Jones, chief executive of Kuoni, a tourism company, said: "The removal of all travel restrictions is the final game-changer - people can now go on holiday or visit family and friends overseas without all of the stress that comes with testing before they return home.
"Finally, we've seen the back of the unpopular and ineffective passenger locator forms, which were always a hassle to complete.
"Travel has been in turmoil for two years but now it's back."
He said bookings have risen in the last few months for destinations like the Maldives, Mauritius, the Caribbean and Europe.
This video can not be played
A backlash against P&O Ferries is growing after the firm sacked 800 staff without giving them any notice.
The government said it would review its contracts with P&O Ferries after it fired its employees, planning to replace them with cheaper agency staff.
Unions hit out against the dismissal, saying it marked a "dark day" in the shipping industry.
P&O said it was a "tough" decision but it would "not be a viable business" without the changes.
A chorus of cross-party MPs, however, described P&O Ferries' actions as "callous" and "disgraceful".
Nearly a quarter of P&O Ferries' staff were told via a video message on Thursday that it was their "final day of employment".
The RMT union said it was one of the "most shameful acts in the history of British industrial relations". There are protests planned on Friday across the ports of Dover, Liverpool, Hull and Larne.
P&O Ferries worker Andrew Smith said he felt "utter dismay" after working for the company for 22 years.
"It's our lives," he said. "It's how our families have grown up, knowing that this is what we do, and it's just been turned on its head within a matter of hours."
This video can not be played
Mark Dickinson, general secretary of the maritime trade union Nautilus, told the BBC: "It's absolutely ripped the guts out of everybody."
Having worked in the sector for 40 years, he added: "It is a dark day in the shipping industry.
"I've seen some curveballs and some shocking developments over that time... but for a company to treat the legal process in such an underhand and callous way has shocked me."
In addition to taking part in demonstrations on Friday, both the RMT union and Nautilus are seeking legal advice on the dismissal.
Beth Hale, partner at employment law firm CM Murray, said P&O Ferries may well have breached employment law.
She told the BBC's Today programme that it should have consulted with unions and staff about potential dismissals and notified the government that hundreds of jobs were at risk.
"It's potentially an enormous breach, but they purport to be paying their way out of it," she added.
Sacked staff said the video message had referred to a "generous severance package" being offered, but no details were given.
Labour shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh pointed out that there were images circulating online, reportedly showing "handcuff-trained security, some wearing balaclavas, marching British crew off their ships.
"It is beneath contempt. The action of thugs," she said.
Maritime minister Robert Courts said he was "frankly angry at the way workers have been treated". He told the House of Commons P&O Ferries' actions were "wholly unacceptable".
"Reports of workers being given zero notice and escorted off their ships with immediate effect while being told cheaper alternatives would take up their roles, shows the insensitive nature by which P&O approached this issue," he said.
He added that he did not expect critical goods and services to be hit by the sudden drop in capacity, but travellers "should expect some disruption over the coming days".
The company has said services are unable to run over the next few days.
Former transport minister Sir John Hayes also criticised the "capricious, careless, callous" decision by P&O Ferries, and suggested the government should "recover any monies granted to P&O during the pandemic" in a bid to reverse it.
P&O Ferries claimed almost £15m in government grants in 2020, which included furlough payments for its employees.
Sir John added: "Don't let anyone tell me this is the free market. The free market put little girls in factories and boys down mines, and both at risk on the high seas; we thought those dark days had gone - P&O are either too dim to see that or too dastardly to know it."
P&O Ferries said on Thursday that the decision to lay-off 800 workers was "tough" but said the business would not be viable without "making swift and significant changes now".
It said: "We have made a £100m loss year-on-year, which has been covered by our parent DP World. This is not sustainable. Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries."
P&O Ferries is one of the UK's leading ferry companies, carrying more than 10 million passengers a year before the pandemic and about 15% of all freight cargo in and out of the UK.
P&O was bought by DP World, the multi-national ports and logistics company based in Dubai in 2019. At the time of purchase, its chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem described it as a "strong, recognisable brand".
It paid a £270m dividend to shareholders in 2020.
However, like many transport operators, it saw demand slump in the pandemic.
Just a couple of months after the dividends announcement, it said it would cut 1,100 jobs after a downturn in bookings.
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The daughter of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and husband Richard slept in between her parents last night for the first time since they were forced apart exactly six years ago, their MP has revealed.
The family were finally reunited on Wednesday night after Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was captured and detained in Iran on 17 March, 2016.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, and fellow Iranian detainee, Anoosheh Ashoori, touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire just after 1am and walked off the plane together.
They spent an hour behind closed doors talking with and hugging loved ones before being transported to government accommodation.
Despite only being back in the UK for a matter of hours, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband have already been raising awareness about another British-Iranian national still in Iran.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's MP, Tulip Siddiq, shared the "first family selfie" of three of them on Twitter on Thursday evening.
She tweeted: "So lovely to have uplifting conversations with Richard and Nazanin today.
"They are both relentless in their pursuit of justice and raised the plight of Morad Tahbaz with me. Here I was hoping to sleep for a week…"
Earlier on Thursday, she described a conversation with Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband: "Richard sounds so happy this morning.
"He laughingly told me that Gabriella slept in between him and Nazanin last night for the first time in six years."
The Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in north London told Sky News how the family plan to isolate for a few weeks before they "eventually come out into the real world".
Gabriella, seven, didn't believe her mum was coming home and began playing the piano when she realised the news was true, Ms Siddiq said.
Richard's sister, Rebecca Ratcliffe, told Sky News on Thursday morning: "It's been a long time coming and it's just the most wonderful news to hear, it's been a lovely 24 hours."
Family 'still digesting' what has happened
Speaking from South Wales, Ms Ratcliffe said the family are "still digesting" the momentous events and "the suddenness which this has all happened".
"There is an element of shock," she said.
But the family are cherishing "quiet moments where they can just be," Ms Ratcliffe said.
"Last night when they finally got to bed, which was in the early hours of the morning, they all snuggled down together and there's a lovely photo Richard just sent me with Gabriella and Nazanin sharing a cup of tea in bed and just really enjoying all being together," Ms Ratcliffe said.
Of their plans for the next few days, Mr Ratcliffe told his sister they plan to "play it by ear" and "take each day as it comes".
They are expected to remain in government accommodation for a few more days before meeting other relatives.
The family will, at some point, return to their home in London.
But Ms Ratcliffe said the length of time they stay depends on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's "emotional stamina" - adding the family may escape on a holiday.
Big adjustment
It will be a big adjustment for all the family - including Mr Ratcliffe, who has devoted years to fighting for his wife's freedom.
"Suddenly realise all your dreams have come true and your family is back together again," Ms Ratcliffe added.
"I'm sure they will adjust to the normal rhythms of family life but it's going to take a while."
It is hoped the trio will join Richard's parents and family in Wales in the coming days - but there are no plans for a big party, his sister said.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was pictured tenderly cradling her seven-year-old daughter in emotional scenes after arriving in the UK.
Her ordeal began in 2016 in Tehran as she tried to leave the airport in the Iranian capital after being accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
What led to the Britons finally being freed?
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she couldn't be certain Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori could actually be released "until the last minute."
The breakthrough came after Britain paid £393.8m to settle a debt related to a tank order placed by Iran in the late 1970s.
Reacting to the news, Mr Ratcliffe said he was "so relieved" his wife was at last coming home so they could "start being a normal family again."
'Blood money'
Downing Street defended the almost £400m to Iran after ministers were accused of paying "blood money" to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release.
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo - who served under President Donald Trump - criticised the UK for "rewarding hostage-takers".
The money would be used by Tehran to "terrorise" Israel, Britain and the US, Mr Pompeo said.
But Number 10 said the payment was not "contingent" on the release of detainees.
The prime minister's official spokesman said the UK had never accepted British nationals being used as "political leverage", and that the money was "ring-fenced" for the purchase of humanitarian goods.
