Sabtu, 06 Januari 2024

Post Office scandal: Met Police investigate 'potential fraud offences' - BBC

The promotional image of all the actors in ITV's drama about the Post Office scandalITV

The Metropolitan Police is looking at "potential fraud offences" committed in the Horizon IT scandal.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were accused of wrongdoing after faulty accounting software made it appear money was missing.

The Met said it was investigating possible fraud offences from these cases.

It comes as 50 new potential victims of the scandal have contacted lawyers following an ITV drama about the issue.

Neil Hudgell, a lawyer who acts for claimants, told the BBC that some of those seeking advice were former sub-postmasters who were prosecuted by the Post Office.

The Met Police said the potential offences could have been related to "monies recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions".

The force has already been looking into potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice in relation to investigations and prosecutions carried out by the Post Office.

Two people have been interviewed under caution but nobody has been arrested since the investigation was launched in January 2020.

Between 1999 and 2015 more than 700 sub-postmasters were accused of wrongdoing based on information from a faulty accounting system, Horizon.

The Metropolitan Police said on Friday evening, as originally reported by the Times, that officers were "investigating potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions" which included "monies recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions".

The force also said in the statement: "The Met is investigating potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

"These potential offences arise out of investigations and prosecutions carried out by the Post Office.

"The investigation was launched in January 2020 following a referral from the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions].

"Two people have been interviewed under caution. Nobody has been arrested."

Some sub-postmasters wrongfully went to prison, many were financially ruined, forced to declare bankruptcy, while others describe being shunned by their communities following convictions for false accounting and theft. Some have since died.

The case has been described as one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British history.

To date, 93 convictions have been overturned and of those, only 27 people have agreed "full and final settlements".

Some 54 cases have resulted in a conviction being upheld, people being refused permission to appeal or the person appealing withdrawing from the process, according to the Post Office.

There has been widespread sympathy for the victims after the four-part mini-series Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Real Story aired on ITV this week. It centres on the story of sub-postmaster Alan Bates, played by actor Toby Jones, who drove the campaign to expose the scandal.

It focuses on the legal battle he led and won, paving the way for dozens of convictions to be overturned.

Mr Hudgell, executive chairman of Hudgells, one of the law firms acting for the claimants, says the TV drama has been instrumental in encouraging new cases to come forward.

"The majority of [those 50 new enquiries]... were not prosecuted but lost their livelihoods, lost their homes," he said.

"But there's a small handful of people who were convicted that have come forward, three in total at the moment, which is obviously a tiny number proportionate to those that are still out there."

He also told the BBC that one of the three people that had been convicted has received inpatient psychiatric care.

Mr Hudgell said the drama had brought to light the trauma of what the sub-postmasters went through: "It's brought huge widespread sympathy to these people so alongside that, family encouragement and speaking to other postmasters that have been along this journey, they have found the courage to come forward."

Alan Bates told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his portrayal in the mini-series had "made a huge difference to the campaign, it's reignited the whole issue again".

Mr Bates said the cast "really managed to get over the real suffering and persecution they'd suffered over the years from Post Office".

Asked why he thought new cases have come forward since the show aired, Mr Bates said some people "just did not know what had been going on over the years with the campaign".

"Some people take support from other victims standing up and being identified and that's given people the confidence to come forward."

However, Mr Bates said "the big hold up for the compensation is to speed the bureaucracy up which is holding up the payments to all these people".

"They really must light a fire under their officials to get this sorted," Mr Bates said, and added that about 60 to 70 claimants had died before getting justice.

Actor Toby Jones, who plays Alan Bates, told the Today programme that when he read the script, he realised it was about "modest good people, as surprised as the audience are now by what they were up against".

"It's very easy to understand. A computer system made an error and loads of people suffered as a result and when they rang the helpline, the helpline didn't help them," Jones said.

"It did the opposite and began to prosecute them for fraud. It's so straight forward you think it can't possibly be true.

"Alan took out this gargantuan task of trying to untie these disparate people who felt they were all isolated.

"The drama starts there when individuals become a chorus and they become unstoppable, this is what makes it great."

Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Alan Bates's partner Suzanne Sercombe in the programme
Getty Images

Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Alan Bates's partner Suzanne Sercombe in the programme, said she was "completely overwhelmed" by the response to the show and "the outpouring of outrage over the scandal and cover-up".

"It's more than any of us dared hope that it would move the campaign along, but sometimes drama can do that. And now: JUSTICE for the thousands affected," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Several financial compensation schemes have been set up to help those caught up in the scandal, although concerns have been raised about delays in payment.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Friday: "It's important that all those affected get the support they need, which I am pleased is happening and we will keep going as quickly as possible."

Last month, a board overseeing compensation called for all Post Office staff wrongly accused of theft and false accounting to have their convictions overturned.

The Post Office has previously said it encourages "people who believe they were wrongly convicted, for any reason, to consider an appeal".

Related Internet Links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiLGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2J1c2luZXNzLTY3ODk5MTg50gEwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYnVzaW5lc3MtNjc4OTkxODkuYW1w?oc=5

2024-01-06 08:38:40Z
CBMiLGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2J1c2luZXNzLTY3ODk5MTg50gEwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYnVzaW5lc3MtNjc4OTkxODkuYW1w

Cold weather alert issued amid 246 flood warnings in England and Wales - The Guardian

A cold weather alert has been issued and almost 250 flood warnings are in place across England and Wales as conditions continue to cause travel problems across parts of the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold weather alert for vulnerable and elderly people from 9am on Saturday until midday on Friday 12 January across England, with temperatures likely to be a few degrees below average across much of the UK, especially overnight, and ice appearing on wet ground.

The Environment Agency had 244 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, in place across England on Saturday, down from more than 300 on Friday morning. Natural Resources Wales had warnings in place on the River Wye at Monmouth and the River Ritec at Tenby.

There were a further 262 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, in place across England and nine in Wales.

Data from the Environment Agency showed almost every river in England had reached exceptionally high levels and some had reached record levels.

Heavy rain in Cambridgeshire meant rail replacement buses that were in use due to flooding on the line were unable to reach St Neots and Huntingdon railway stations for some time overnight.

Network Rail was continuing to repair damage caused by a landslip on Thursday near Arlesey, in Bedfordshire, along with planned engineering works. Affected lines were estimated to reopen by early Monday with a bus replacement service in place until then.

Great Western Railway said there had been “significant disruption” to its services after flooding near Chipping Sodbury, and the line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway was expected to remain closed throughout the weekend.

The line between Theale and Taunton was likely to remain closed on Saturday, with services continuing on alternative routes.

South Western Railway, which had much of its network affected on Friday, including by a landslip in Crewkerne, Somerset, said there was a good service on Saturday.

Roads had been closed in and around Gloucester due to flooding, and Gloucestershire police said a taxi driver had been reported for traffic offences on Friday night when he needed rescuing after getting stuck while trying to drive through flood water.

The Environment Agency said the River Severn was expected to have reached its peak at Gloucester Docks, and further upstream in Worcester, on Friday evening.

A slip road on to the A419 near Cirencester was closed on Saturday morning due to flooding, National Highways said.

In Sheffield, firefighters were called to rescue a man who fell into the swollen River Don.

The Environment Agency said “significant river flooding impacts” were expected on Saturday across parts of the Midlands on the River Trent, and in Gloucester.

It said areas of south-west England on the River Avon would also be affected, and that impacts were likely across much of England over the next five days because the ground was “completely saturated”.

Caroline Douglass, the agency’s flood director, said the Trent had been at “some of the highest levels we’ve seen in 24 years”. Nottinghamshire county council declared a major incident on Thursday because of the rising levels.

The Met Office predicted Saturday would be a dry day in most areas with some sunny spells, although there would a few showers along the coast and it would feel cold, with frost and fog patches overnight.

Temperatures would drop to -4C in parts of rural south-west England on Saturday night and -6C in rural areas along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire on Sunday night, it said.

Sunday was forecast to remain largely dry, except for the occasional shower in south-east England early in the day, with the cold weather continuing for much of the next week.

The Met Office chief forecaster, Jason Kelly, said: “As the prevailing weather conditions will be characterised by high pressure, a good deal of settled weather is likely.

“Clearer skies and a marked reduction in precipitation are expected, although any showers that do occur are likely to be wintry in nature.”

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS91ay1uZXdzLzIwMjQvamFuLzA2L2NvbGQtd2VhdGhlci1hbGVydC1pc3N1ZWQtYW1pZC0yNDYtZmxvb2Qtd2FybmluZ3MtaW4tZW5nbGFuZC1hbmQtd2FsZXPSAXZodHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vdWstbmV3cy8yMDI0L2phbi8wNi9jb2xkLXdlYXRoZXItYWxlcnQtaXNzdWVkLWFtaWQtMjQ2LWZsb29kLXdhcm5pbmdzLWluLWVuZ2xhbmQtYW5kLXdhbGVz?oc=5

2024-01-06 08:34:00Z
CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS91ay1uZXdzLzIwMjQvamFuLzA2L2NvbGQtd2VhdGhlci1hbGVydC1pc3N1ZWQtYW1pZC0yNDYtZmxvb2Qtd2FybmluZ3MtaW4tZW5nbGFuZC1hbmQtd2FsZXPSAXZodHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vdWstbmV3cy8yMDI0L2phbi8wNi9jb2xkLXdlYXRoZXItYWxlcnQtaXNzdWVkLWFtaWQtMjQ2LWZsb29kLXdhcm5pbmdzLWluLWVuZ2xhbmQtYW5kLXdhbGVz

Jumat, 05 Januari 2024

Two teenagers arrested on suspicion of murder of Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve in north London - Sky News

A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of 16-year-old Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve.

Harry had been with friends near the viewing platform on Primrose Hill to watch the New Year fireworks before he was stabbed to death.

The Metropolitan Police said shortly before 11.40pm he had been involved in a "fight with another male" that ended with "the stab wound that took his life".

A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday, while an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray.

A 16-year-old boy who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Scotland Yard said the two boys arrested remain in custody after attending a west London police station on Thursday.

A vigil for Harry
Image: A vigil took place for Harry in Haringey

Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a fast-paced investigation, and my team is working around the clock to identify those responsible.

"This is clearly a significant development, and we are keeping Harry's family informed."

DCI Grogan added: "Our enquiries so far have established that there was no racial or gang element to this incident, it appears to have been a spontaneous fight between two people who didn't know each other, that quickly escalated to extreme violence."

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS90d28tdGVlbmFnZXJzLWFycmVzdGVkLW9uLXN1c3BpY2lvbi1vZi1tdXJkZXItb2YtaGFycnktcGl0bWFuLW9uLW5ldy15ZWFycy1ldmUtaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEzMDQyNDg40gGGAWh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC90d28tdGVlbmFnZXJzLWFycmVzdGVkLW9uLXN1c3BpY2lvbi1vZi1tdXJkZXItb2YtaGFycnktcGl0bWFuLW9uLW5ldy15ZWFycy1ldmUtaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEzMDQyNDg4?oc=5

2024-01-05 09:33:45Z
CBMiggFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS90d28tdGVlbmFnZXJzLWFycmVzdGVkLW9uLXN1c3BpY2lvbi1vZi1tdXJkZXItb2YtaGFycnktcGl0bWFuLW9uLW5ldy15ZWFycy1ldmUtaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEzMDQyNDg40gGGAWh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC90d28tdGVlbmFnZXJzLWFycmVzdGVkLW9uLXN1c3BpY2lvbi1vZi1tdXJkZXItb2YtaGFycnktcGl0bWFuLW9uLW5ldy15ZWFycy1ldmUtaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEzMDQyNDg4

Keir Starmer open to making government time available for private member’s bill to allow assisted dying – UK politics live - The Guardian

Starmer says he would be “open” to making time available for a private member’s bill to allow assisted dying. He says this is the sort of matter that should be dealt with by a private member’s bill. There should be a free vote, he says. And he says he would vote in favour of changing the law, provided there were sufficient safeguards.

This is significant because, without the government being willing to make extra time available, private member’s bills on controversial issues like this can normally be talked out.

Starmer has said before that he favours a new vote on this, but he has not suggested Labour would guarantee time to allow it to pass (assuming a majority of MPs were in favour – which is not a given at this point.)

UPDATE: See the post at 9.52am for the full quote.

Filters BETA

This is what Keir Starmer said in his LBC phone-in about a Labour government making time for MPs to fully debate a private member’s bill to allow assisted dying.

When I was chief prosecutor, director of public prosecutions, I looked at every single case that the police investigated of assisted dying … So I’ve looked at probably more files or circumstances here than many others.

And I, as a chief prosecutor, drew up guidelines to try to make the law we’ve got work reasonably well, on the basis that we had to protect people from being exploited. But on the other hand, there were obvious cases of compassionate acts, usually by loving family members, in accordance with the wishes of somebody who wanted to end their own life.

We tried to make the current law work. I totally feel that we ought to actually change the law. It shouldn’t really be for the prosecutor to try and make the law work when it doesn’t really. It’d be better for parliament to actually change the law.

So I am an advocate of a change to the law. Obviously that change has to be very carefully crafted.

And I think the best route would probably be a private member’s bill, which is normally dealt with on a Friday in parliament. And yes, I would be open to making time for that. I think it should be a free vote.

Asked to confirm he would vote to change the law, Starmer said he would, “subject to it being the right change”.

Q: Do you think the police should investigate the sexual abuse allegations against Prince Andrew?

Starmer said he did not know the details of this, only what he had seen in the papers. But where credible allegations are made, they should be investigated, he said.

And that was the end of the phone-in.

Q: You want to impose VAT on private school fees. But why won’t you remove their charitable status too? If they keep that, they get tax relief on donations, funded by the taxpayer?

Starmer says Labour does not need to change the charitable status of schools to impose VAT on their fees. He avoids the point about how leaving it in place allows them to get tax relief on donations. And he defends the VAT policy, saying schools will not have to pass on the VAT charge.

Q: Should the Metropolitan police be investigating potential war crimes in Gaza?

Starmer says he was “surprised” to learn about this. He did not know this was happening until Boris Johnson spoke about it in a Daily Telegraph story yesterday.

The Met told the Telegraph that it had a duty to support the international criminal court, which is investigating war crimes in Gaza.

Starmer said the brother of a close friend of his was involved in the Post Office Horizon scandal. He said it was a gross miscarriage of justice. The government should speed up the payment of compensation, he said.

Starmer says he would be “open” to making time available for a private member’s bill to allow assisted dying. He says this is the sort of matter that should be dealt with by a private member’s bill. There should be a free vote, he says. And he says he would vote in favour of changing the law, provided there were sufficient safeguards.

This is significant because, without the government being willing to make extra time available, private member’s bills on controversial issues like this can normally be talked out.

Starmer has said before that he favours a new vote on this, but he has not suggested Labour would guarantee time to allow it to pass (assuming a majority of MPs were in favour – which is not a given at this point.)

UPDATE: See the post at 9.52am for the full quote.

Starmer says junior doctors have a “good case” when they say they deserve a pay rise.

He says Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, should be negotiating with them now.

Q: What do you think about the BMA saying junior doctors should not go back to work during the strike when hospitals call an emergency?

Starmer says he is “troubled” by this. Until now the system for an emergency override has been working well. He says he does not know why that has broken down now.

Q: How will you decide what level of borrowing is sensible?

Starmer says Labour will put money into its green energy plan, but it will be “an agile investment”. He says he wants to know what the money will be for. It is designed to bring in private sector investment.

Q: Can you guarantee that Labour will get investing up to £28bn a year at some point during the first term?

Starmer says that will be subject to Labour’s fiscal rules.

He says he is “confident” he can get to that figure. But the fiscal rules come first.

Q: So it’s a gold-plated ambition, not a pledge?

It’s a “confident ambition”, says Starmer.

Q: Will you raise the income tax threshold to help lower-paid people?

Starmer says he does want to lower the tax burden for working people. But he won’t make unfunded promises he cannot keep. That is what Liz Truss did. And the economy crashed, he says.

Q: The tax take is at its highest for 70 years. One paper says there will be no tax cuts for two years under Labour. Is that your plan?

Starmer says he does not accept that. He says he wants to bring the tax burden down, but he wants to do it by promoting growth.

He says there has been too much chopping and changing. The year before last, there were four chancellors, he says.

Keir Starmer is starting his LBC phone-in.

Nick Ferrari is presenting.

Q: You talked about Project Hope yesterday. Was the speech mission accomplished?

Yes, says Starmer. He says he wanted to weld together hope with the reassurance already provided.

Q: Some papers say the speech was thin on detail.

Starmer says every year people say this. Last year he set out five big missions in massive speeches. Then people complain he is being too ambitious, and ask if he can achieve what he wants.

And the following year – people ask what he stands for, he says.

He says, as an example, he has a mission to halve violence against women and girls. That will be hard to do, he says. But people cannot really complain that they don’t know what he stands for.

Good morning. Keir Starmer will be doing his “Call Keir” phone-in on LBC shortly. We heard quite a lot from him yesterday, but there is always more to ask, and he might have more to say about the timing of the general election. Despite Rishi Sunak saying yesterday that he does not expect to call a May election.

Labour sources, who spent the last few weeks talking up the prospects of a spring poll, almost certainly to roll the pitch for attacks on Sunak for “bottling” it, are claiming they are not convinced. In her London Playbook briefing for Politico, Eleni Courea reports:

Senior Labour strategists tell Playbook they still think that’s when it will take place. One senior party official bet £100 last night that the GE will happen between April and June.

But Prof Sir John Curtice, Britain’s leading elections expert, told the Today programme this morning that for a long time he has been planning his schedule on the assumption that he will need to be on duty for an election in October or November. He said:

Now, there is beginning to be a consensus it might be 14 November.

All the parties have decided to hold their party conferences rather early next autumn.

The prime minister will end the Conservative conference on 2 October. That might be the starting gun.

Starmer is on LBC at 9am. Otherwise, the diary looks quiet today, but Sunak is doing a visit in northern England in the late morning.

If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a laptop or a desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting, too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line; privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate); or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvbGl2ZS8yMDI0L2phbi8wNS9sYXRlc3QtdWstcG9saXRpY3MtbmV3cy1nZW5lcmFsLWVsZWN0aW9uLWtlaXItc3Rhcm1lci1yaXNoaS1zdW5hay1sYWJvdXItdG9yaWVzLWxpdmXSAYoBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2xpdmUvMjAyNC9qYW4vMDUvbGF0ZXN0LXVrLXBvbGl0aWNzLW5ld3MtZ2VuZXJhbC1lbGVjdGlvbi1rZWlyLXN0YXJtZXItcmlzaGktc3VuYWstbGFib3VyLXRvcmllcy1saXZl?oc=5

2024-01-05 08:52:00Z
CBMiigFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvbGl2ZS8yMDI0L2phbi8wNS9sYXRlc3QtdWstcG9saXRpY3MtbmV3cy1nZW5lcmFsLWVsZWN0aW9uLWtlaXItc3Rhcm1lci1yaXNoaS1zdW5hay1sYWJvdXItdG9yaWVzLWxpdmXSAYoBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2xpdmUvMjAyNC9qYW4vMDUvbGF0ZXN0LXVrLXBvbGl0aWNzLW5ld3MtZ2VuZXJhbC1lbGVjdGlvbi1rZWlyLXN0YXJtZXItcmlzaGktc3VuYWstbGFib3VyLXRvcmllcy1saXZl

Hundreds more homes flooded after torrential rain - BBC

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Hundreds of homes have been flooded in England following a powerful storm and a week of heavy rainfall.

There are around 300 flood warnings in force, the majority in the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England, with many residents forced to evacuate their properties.

Flooded roads and railway tracks are bringing more delays for travellers.

A major incident has been declared in Nottinghamshire along the banks of the River Trent.

Nottinghamshire County Council said more than 100 homes had been flooded, with the potential for the number to increase as Friday progresses.

Neil Clarke, leader of Rushcliffe Council in Nottinghamshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that water levels on the River Trent were starting to drop slightly but the situation remained serious.

The Environment Agency said the river's levels were some of the highest seen in 24 years.

The agency's executive flood director, Caroline Douglass, told BBC Breakfast more than 1,000 properties had been flooded this week in England, including hundreds overnight into Friday.

Some 50 properties on Alney Island in Gloucester had been evacuated, she added.

"We're a country that's wet and we always do get a lot of rainfall," Ms Douglass said.

"Over November and December, following Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated right across the country, particularly in the east.

"That's been topped up over the pre-Christmas period [and] that rainfall from this week has just added to that, so there's nowhere for the water to go.

"In that situation we get more flooding and greater impacts than we've seen and probably in areas where people aren't used to it."

Overnight into Friday, 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called out to an incident in east London, after reports of flooding on Smeed Road in Hackney Wick.

A safety cordon has been put in place, with London Fire Brigade saying it is working to divert the floodwaters.

Also in London, a party boat moored at Temple Pier on the River Thames sank on Thursday amid heavy rainfall.

The mast of the Bar & Co boat, which was moored at Temple Pier juts from the water after the London party boat which acts as a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub sunk in the River Thames.
PA Media

Heavy rain has fallen on ground already saturated by Storm Henk, which caused disruption across large parts of England earlier this week.

Several rivers have burst their banks, including the Trent in Nottinghamshire and the Severn in the West Midlands and West of England.

At just after 10:00 GMT, there were more than 3290 flood warnings in place across England - meaning flooding is expected - and more than 320 flood alerts in place - meaning flooding is possible.

Natural Resources Wales said there were two flood warnings and 12 alerts in place.

The Environment Agency, which issues flood guidance for England, said ongoing impacts from this week's rainfall were likely across much of the country over the next five days.

The highest rainfall totals recorded on Thursday were 35.2mm in the village of Otterbourne in Hampshire, while between 20 and 30mm fell across much of southern England.

A Met Office yellow warning for rain covering the south expired at 03:00 GMT on Friday.

Handout photo courtesy of Liam Ball of the Boat Inn pub in Shropshire, surrounded by floodwater
Liam Ball/ Handout

Train companies have warned that flooding is impacting on services.

Great Western Railway, which connects London with south-west England and south Wales, said there was "significant disruption on the network" which was expected to last throughout the course of the day due to displaced trains and crew.

Several routes have been closed, including between Yeovil Junction and Exeter following a landslip near Crewkerne.

Rail services on Thameslink, which runs through Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire via central London to Kent and East Sussex, are also affected on Friday following a landslip at Arlesey.

In Gloucestershire, between the towns of Gloucester and Lydney, flooding is blocking all services - affecting CrossCountry and Transport for Wales services.

The disruption is expected to continue until at least Friday morning.

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Showers will continue into Friday morning, according to forecasters, and are likely to affect parts of south-west and eastern England, Wales and areas in Scotland.

On Thursday, parts of Worcestershire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, north Yorkshire and Sussex were submerged.

Experts say a warming atmosphere increases the chance of intense rainfall and storms.

However, many factors contribute to extreme weather and it takes time for scientists to calculate how much impact climate change has had on particular events - if any.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

Banner saying 'Get in touch'

Do you live in a region affected by the adverse weather? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Related Topics

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTY3ODg4OTU50gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjc4ODg5NTkuYW1w?oc=5

2024-01-05 09:08:33Z
CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTY3ODg4OTU50gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjc4ODg5NTkuYW1w

Kamis, 04 Januari 2024

Widespread flood warnings after week of downpours - BBC

An aerial photograph taken by drone of flooding from the River Ouse near York, BritainEPA

Hundreds of flood alerts and warnings remain in place across England and Wales following a week of heavy downpours.

It comes as weather is expected to be drier on Friday and into the weekend.

This week, heavy rain has fallen on sodden ground in the wake of Storm Henk, leading to flooding and people having to evacuate their homes.

A major incident was declared in Nottinghamshire along the banks of the River Trent.

Late on Thursday, Nottinghamshire County Council said more than 100 homes had been flooded, with the potential for this number to increase into Friday with water levels expected to rise further.

As of Friday morning, there were 302 flood warnings in place across England and Wales, meaning flooding is expected, with 330 flood alerts in place - meaning flooding is possible.

Guidance on flooding is issued by the Environment Agency in England and Natural Resources Wales.

A Met Office yellow warning for rain covering the south of England expired at 03:00 GMT on Friday.

Handout photo courtesy of Liam Ball of the Boat Inn pub in Shropshire, surrounded by floodwater
Liam Ball/ Handout

Overnight into Friday, 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called out to an incident in east London, after reports of flooding on Smeed Road in Hackney Wick.

A safety cordon has been put in place, with London Fire Brigade saying it is working to divert the floodwaters.

Showers will continue into Friday morning, according to forecasters, and are likely to affect parts of south-west and eastern England, Wales and areas in Scotland.

Stefan Laeger, of the Environment Agency, said: "Significant surface water and river flooding impacts are possible across parts of the Midlands and the south and east of England on Thursday and Friday due to heavy localised rainfall falling on already very saturated catchments.

"Ongoing minor impacts are also likely across much of England over the next five days as some larger rivers slowly respond to recent and forecast rain."

On Thursday, parts of Worcestershire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, north Yorkshire and Sussex were submerged.

Train companies have warned that flooding is impacting on services.

Great Western Railway, which connects London with south-west England and south Wales, said several routes had been closed, and is urging customers not to travel.

In Gloucestershire, between the towns of Gloucester and Lydney, flooding is blocking all services - affecting CrossCountry and Transport for Wales services.

These disruptions are expected to be in place until at least Friday morning.

Flooding has also blocked all lines between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall - a route operated by Great Western Railway services.

It is expected to be blocked until at least the morning, with replacement bus and taxi services being provided.

Late on Thursday, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services also all warned their services remain affected by the weather.

Banner saying 'Get in touch'

Do you live in a region affected by the adverse weather? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Related Topics

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTY3ODg4OTU50gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjc4ODg5NTkuYW1w?oc=5

2024-01-05 04:57:34Z
CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTY3ODg4OTU50gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNjc4ODg5NTkuYW1w

NHS England chiefs accused of undermining doctors’ strike action - The Guardian

The British Medical Association has accused NHS chiefs of bowing to political pressure in a patient safety row over striking junior doctors being called back to work.

The doctors’ union criticised NHS England, saying the process by which medics may be called back to the frontline in “extreme circumstances” risked total collapse because of a failure by health bosses to follow it.

NHS England hit back on Thursday evening, defending local hospital chiefs and saying they were only making genuine requests for help in order to protect patients. It called the BMA’s attack “regrettable” and accused the union of calling into question the “integrity” of local clinical leaders – some of whom it said were likely to be BMA members.

Rishi Sunak also waded into the row on Thursday, giving his backing to the requests. “It is right the NHS does absolutely everything it can to ensure patient care,” he said. “These strikes are disrupting people’s lives and causing an enormous amount of concern.”

The clash came as a senior doctor warned on Thursday that patients will experience “degrading” care and “significant harm” on the NHS for several weeks, amid a “perfect storm” of strike action, winter viruses and dangerously overcrowded hospitals.

The 144-hour stoppage – due to end at 7am on 9 January – is the ninth time junior doctors have stopped working since last March and the longest strike to hit the health service since it was founded in 1948.

The BMA and NHS England have a long-held agreement for derogations, in which junior doctors return to work when there are safety concerns about emergency care. Under the deal, hospitals are supposed to show they have “exhausted” all other sources of staff before recalling striking medics.

The BMA said this had always worked well in previous stoppages. But during the current strike some trusts had refused to provide evidence that they had undertaken these steps, it said.

“This refusal to provide the information necessary to take well informed decisions is fundamentally undermining the derogation process as we are being asked to take decisions about our members’ right to strike without the requisite information,” said BMA chair, Prof Philip Banfield, in a letter to NHS England chief, Amanda Pritchard.

He said: “NHS England, it seems, is wilfully placing the BMA in an impossible situation.

“A number of local negotiating committee leaders have told us that their employers decided to apply for a derogation well in advance of strike action and before alternative solutions could be pursued. In addition, consultants on the frontline in several of the departments we have received requests from, have expressed surprise that a derogation request has been submitted, telling us they are staffed safely.

“We are increasingly drawing the conclusion that NHS England’s change in attitude towards the process is not due to concerns around patient safety but due to political pressure to maintain a higher level of service, undermine our strike action and push the BMA into refusing an increasing number of requests – requests, we believe, would not have been put to us during previous rounds of strike action.”

The Guardian understands about 25 derogation requests had been submitted by NHS chiefs to the British Medical Association by Thursday afternoon, calling on doctors to return to work. Almost all of the requests were rejected, with some still being considered by the union.

Several trusts have declared critical incidents during the strike, and others reported “extreme heightened pressure” and being “exceptionally busy”. One cited A&E waits of “up to 11 hours”.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS has a robust process in place for seeking derogations from the BMA to prioritise the safety of our patients and this has involved providing strong evidence where the most challenged systems need support.

“Nationally, we will continue to support local medical directors and other clinicians as they work hard to deliver the safest possible services for patients.”

Meanwhile, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, warned NHS patients would suffer “significant harm and trauma” for several weeks as the health service faces a “perfect storm” of pressure.

Patients would be subject to degrading corridor care and those in ambulances could face long waits outside hospitals, he added. Cooksley also said patients would face “significant harm and trauma due to delayed ambulance responses”.

The dire situation on top of the long-term workforce crisis had brought the health service in England to the brink of collapse, he added, but it “will take at least a decade to return to the delivery of high quality acute care”.

On Thursday night Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, said the NHS “doesn’t just belong” to the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee and that the health service “cannot be switched on and off on whim”.

She said the walkouts were having “very serious consequences” for patients and other NHS workers, and promised to start talks in 20 minutes if the strikes were called off.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjQvamFuLzA0L25ocy1lbmdsYW5kLWNoaWVmcy1hY2N1c2VkLW9mLXVuZGVybWluaW5nLWRvY3RvcnMtc3RyaWtlLWFjdGlvbtIBb2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjQvamFuLzA0L25ocy1lbmdsYW5kLWNoaWVmcy1hY2N1c2VkLW9mLXVuZGVybWluaW5nLWRvY3RvcnMtc3RyaWtlLWFjdGlvbg?oc=5

2024-01-05 02:31:00Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjQvamFuLzA0L25ocy1lbmdsYW5kLWNoaWVmcy1hY2N1c2VkLW9mLXVuZGVybWluaW5nLWRvY3RvcnMtc3RyaWtlLWFjdGlvbtIBb2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjQvamFuLzA0L25ocy1lbmdsYW5kLWNoaWVmcy1hY2N1c2VkLW9mLXVuZGVybWluaW5nLWRvY3RvcnMtc3RyaWtlLWFjdGlvbg