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A strike by London Underground workers will go ahead on Thursday after talks with Tube bosses broke up without agreement.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said it had offered to suspend the action if Transport for London (TfL) had agreed to pause planned job cuts until the end of the year and promise no changes to pension terms.

Its statement said: “Arrogant Tube bosses refused to be reasonable and agree to the proposal, saying they would press ahead with their plans, meaning that LU staff have no choice but to go ahead with Thursday’s strike action.”

Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said: “TfL have missed a golden opportunity to make progress in these negotiations and avoid strike action on Thursday.

“Our members are resolute in their determination to see a just settlement to this jobs and pensions dispute.

“And they will continue their industrial campaign for as long as it takes.

“TfL need to start making compromises and work with the union to reach a deal that works for staff and avoids further disruption to the lives of passengers.”

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Mick Lynch, Secretary-General of the RMT
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Mick Lynch is general secretary of the RMT

It had wanted TfL to make a clear statement that London Underground would not agree to “detrimental” attacks on pensions arising out of a review they are conducting with the government.

Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “TfL urged passengers to check before they travel on Thursday, warning London Overground and DLR services may be subject to last minute changes as a result of the Tube strike, while London Trams will be running a reduced timetable.

Disruption from the strike will continue to affect services into Friday morning.

Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We met with the RMT and Unite this week to urge them to call off this Tube strike as no proposals to change pensions or conditions have been made.

“Unfortunately, no agreement could be reached but we remain open for discussions as there is still time for the unions to call off this action.”

TfL urged customers to check before they travel on Thursday as a “very limited or no service on the Tube” was expected.

“London Overground, the Elizabeth line and DLR services may be subject to last minute changes, including non-stopping at some stations shared with London Underground,” it said.

“London Trams will also be running a reduced timetable.”

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

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Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

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google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
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Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

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