Take a walk along the north side of the Thames estuary near Tilbury and all seems well – white egrets paddling beside the fields, crumbling forts and pillboxes defending us from past invaders.
But today’s threat is already on the beaches. It lay beneath for years.
On closer inspection the crunch below my boots isn’t pebbles but breaking glass. This isn’t shingle but ground up waste – bottles, pottery, bricks and corroding metals.
It hasn’t travelled far as the seashore here was once a landfill site and the stubby cliff exposed as the tide drops reveals exposed seams of waste. What we buried has emerged to haunt us.
Layers of plastic sheeting flap and flake in the breeze, while plastic bubble bath bottles, vintage crisp packets and retro fabrics rise up from the earth.
Rightly, we worry hugely about dropping litter and waste pollution yet here is a wellspring of rubbish spewing more debris into the sea with every storm.
It almost has to be seen to be believed.
On this spot near Tilbury, there are two legacy landfill sites next to each other.
Combined they stretch for hundreds of metres. Dumping began in the Victorian era – one closed in the seventies, the other not until 1991.
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There are thought to be at least 1,000 dumps around our coastline and in a recent survey, 26 councils said they had old seaboard rubbish tips they could do longer defend.
‘Hazardous chemicals’ a hidden risk in the rubbish
It isn’t just unsightly but dangerous, says AJ McConnell from the conservation group Thames 21.
“As it starts to come out, it’s exposed to the elements. And it starts to break down and make its way into really, really small pieces. And then they call them microplastics.
“It’s not just the plastics, it’s also the hazardous chemicals. And that can be a really serious issue for wildlife.”
Understanding of these risks has emerged remarkably recently. In the not too distant past we thought it was okay to dump rubbish directly into the sea.
Most of these coastal landfills operated under much more lax environmental regulations and climate change is accelerating erosion, says William Powrie, professor of geotechnical engineering at the University of Southampton.
“We have got sea level rise and increased storminess so the waves are starting to attack things at a higher level,” he said.
“So, you know, there’s a whole complex of things going on which probably were unpredictable 20, 30 years ago.”
Now we know it’s harmful but doing anything about it is tough.
The clean-up solutions are either digging the waste up and reburying it somewhere safer or building really tough sea defences.
These are both controversial and really expensive with bills possibly stretching to billions of pounds.
Neither local authorities, central government or the companies who once operated these sites are willing to foot the bill.
Which means coastal rubbish and its toxic components won’t be laid to rest any time soon.
Three people have been injured in a “major incident” at a school in West Wales.
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Carmarthenshire has been closed as investigations continue into a reported stabbing on Wednesday, Dyfed-Powys Police said.
A local councillor who serves on the school’s governing body said she had been told the incident involved a stabbing.
Those injured were said to be receiving treatment.
One person has been arrested and police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Emergency services remain at the scene and the force said it is working closely with the school and Carmarthenshire County Council.
Pupils were released from the school at about 3.20pm, after it had been in lockdown since about 11am.
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A spokesperson said: “We are aware that there is footage of the incident currently circulating on social media.
“We would ask that this is removed to avoid contempt of court and distress to those affected.”
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Police have asked people not to speculate as the investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for Ysgol Dyffryn Aman said the family members of the injured have been informed.
“We would like to reassure parents and the public that the incident has been contained,” they added.
The comprehensive school in the town of Ammanford has about 2,000 pupils.
Police did not give the ages of those hurt or of the person who has been detained.
‘Deeply worrying’
Hundreds of parents were assembled outside the school by 3pm, waiting to collect their children from the school.
Rachel Young, a parent at the school, told Sky News her daughter and other pupils had been “locked” in the classroom.
“She’s fine but they’ve locked them in the classroom” she said.
“She’s scared obviously. She says she’s fine, but they all say ‘I’m fine’ but they’re obviously not going to be and what’s going to happen from now on, I don’t know. We don’t even know if the school’s going to be open.
“I wanted to get here. I rang the school and they said they’re not allowing anyone in or anyone out, but they couldn’t really comment any further than that.”
Councillor Rob James, who represents Lliedi ward, said: “My thoughts are with the headteacher, teaching staff, parents and pupils of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after today’s major incident.
“I have been in contact with Carmarthenshire Council and will provide any support I can to the school during this difficult time.”
First Minister Vaughan Gething said he was “shocked to hear” about the incident, adding it was “a deeply worrying time for the school, families and community”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his “shock” at the news.
“I want to thank the police and emergency services for their ongoing response and my thoughts are with all those affected,” he said.
In an interview with WalesOnline, Councillor Karen Davies – a LEA governor at the school – said she had been told there was a stabbing.
“I have been told someone has been arrested and that two members of staff have been stabbed, but have no confirmation on how serious the injuries are,” she told the news website.
“I send my thoughts to those injured and all the people there. I know how well the school rehearsed lockdown and I am sure everything is under control.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, described the incident as “violent” and said it was “deeply sad and distressing”.
Adam Price, Senedd member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said: “As we wait for more information to be released, my thoughts, like the rest of us, are with the school’s community.”
Emergency response
A spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service said the service was called shortly after 11.15am to an incident on Margaret Street.
“We sent four emergency ambulances and the hazardous area response team to the scene, where crews were supported by two Cymru high acuity response unit paramedics and an operational manager,” the spokesperson added.
“Advanced critical care support was delivered by the emergency medical Retrieval and Transfer Service in two Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters.”
The Wales Air Ambulance confirmed it was in attendance at an incident in the region.
“We mobilised three critical care teams at 11.30am. Our Dafen and Welshpool based crew were mobilised by air and our Cardiff based crew was mobilised by road,” they said.
Three men have been arrested after the deaths of five people – including a seven-year-old girl – who were attempting to cross the English Channel.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has said it is supporting the French investigation into the deaths.
The men arrested were two Sudanese nationals aged 19 and 22 and one South Sudanese national aged 19, Craig Turner, the deputy director of the NCA, said.
The suspects have been accused of facilitating illegal immigration and entering the UK illegally.
It comes as a seven-year-old girl, a woman and three men died during the attempt to cross the English Channel on Tuesday.
A further 55 people believed to have been on board the boat have also been identified and will continue to be questioned by police in the next few days.
“This tragic incident demonstrates the threat to life posed by these crossings and brings into focus why it is so important to target these criminal gangs involved in organising them,” Mr Turner said on Wednesday.
Sky News was told on Tuesday that about 50 people who had paid for a place on board the boat helped carry it down the beach in Wimereux, northern France, before getting to the waterfront.
It was at this point that another group of people emerged and pushed their way on to the boat, threatening those on board.
It meant that a total of 112 people were on the boat that was only meant to safely accommodate 20 people.
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According to the latest data from the UK government, a total of 402 migrants were detected crossing the Channel in seven small boats on Tuesday alone – an average of 57 people per boat.
From 17-22 April there were no detected crossings.
The NCA announcement comes on the same day as the bodies of 19 people were recovered off the coast of Tunisia, near one of the primary points of departure for those seeking to traverse the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
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In an attempt to deter migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats, the UK government passed the controversial Rwanda bill on Monday – which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to the African nation.
Riderless military horses charged through central London today after bolting during morning exercises – with at least four people taken to hospital.
It is thought several horses initially became loose after they were spooked by the noise of builders moving rubble down a rubbish chute during what the army described as “routine exercise” in central London.
Two of the horses, one of which appeared to be covered in blood, were later seen running riderless on the road near Aldwych.
Pictures and videos of the horses were shared on social media, one of which showed a black 4×4 with blue lights following the animals.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) said four people were taken to hospital from three separate incidents on Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street.
It is understood that three Household Cavalry personnel were also assessed at hospital for their injuries, but they were not seriously hurt.
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According to the ambulance service, paramedics were first called to the incident on Buckingham Palace Road to reports of a person being thrown from the back of a horse.
A taxi driver waiting outside the nearby Clermont Hotel had the windows of his car smashed after a spooked horse collided with the Mercedes people carrier.
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A horse also crashed into a parked double-decker tour bus, smashing the windscreen.
Roland, a worker for tour bus company, Toot Bus, said the scene was “total mayhem”.
“I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy. People were running around to avoid them,” he said.
‘Routine exercise’
An army spokesperson said a “number of military working horses” became loose during “routine exercise” this morning.
“All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp,” the spokesperson said.
“A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.”
Sky News understands the animals were Household Cavalry horses.
City of London police said they received a call at around 8.30am today and that two of the loose horses had been caught on the Highway near Limehouse.
They were later transported in an army horse box to receive veterinary care.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement at 10.30am that all the horses had been caught.
“We’re pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the army,” the force said in a statement.
Three incidents in central London
On the incident on Buckingham Palace Road, a spokesperson for the LAS said: “We were called at 8.25am today to reports of a person being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road.
“We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, and an incident response officer.
“Our first paramedic was on the scene in five minutes. We treated a patient at the scene and took them to hospital.”
In relation to the incident on Belgrave Square, the spokesperson said paramedics were called at 8.27am and treated two patients at the scene, both of whom were taken to hospital.
The spokesperson said paramedics were also called to the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street at 8.35am and treated a patient at the scene, who was then taken to hospital.