Connect with us

Published

on

Aerial footage of the M25 shows relative calm on Friday evening, ahead of an “unprecedented” weekend closure of a section of Britain’s busiest motorway.

Drivers are being warned of massive delays when the M25 shuts in both directions on a five-mile stretch between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey this weekend.

The closure begins at 9pm on Friday, with the motorway set to reopen at 6am on Monday 18 March.

This section of the M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends, so the disruption caused by the works is expected to be significant.

More than 200,000 vehicles are set to be affected, including many travelling in and out of London, and to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Channel ports.

This will be the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened in 1986, with National Highways planning to demolish a bridge and install a new gantry.

Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead, said drivers should “only use the M25 if their journey is absolutely necessary” during the closure.

Read: Everything you need to know about the M25 closure

From junction 10 to 11, a diversion route is in place with cars being told to go northbound A3 to Painshill Junction, on the A245 towards Woking, and then on the A320 to M25 junction 11.

In the other direction, cars are being told to travel on the A320 south towards Woking, on the A245 towards Byfleet and Painshill junction, and then southbound on the A3 to junction 10.

Aerial pictures show the M25 on Friday ahead of this weekend's closure.
Aerial pictures show the M25 on Friday ahead of this weekend's closure.

Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs and only follow official diversion routes to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” closure.

Read more:
Map shows diversion route for closure between junction 10 and 11

A map showing the M25 closure and the diversion route
Image:
A map showing the M25 closure and the diversion route

Mr Wade said the amount of disruption will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions.

“How many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs?”, he said.

“There’s probably a greater risk of congestion by people just doing their own thing and thinking they can perhaps beat the signs and find a shorter or quicker route.

“That will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.”

A view of traffic approaching junction 10 of the M25
Pic: PA
Image:
A view of traffic approaching junction 10 of the M25. Pic: PA

National Highways senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said: “If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network.

“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.

“That’s why we’re trying to encourage people to not follow the satnav.

“Stick on the prescribed diversion route. It’s going to be more suitable for your journey.”

The closure is one of five planned full closures between the two junctions. The other dates have not yet been confirmed.

Continue Reading

UK

More jail time for criminals who refuse to attend sentencing hearings

Published

on

By

More jail time for criminals who refuse to attend sentencing hearings

Criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearings will face further punishment under a new law.

The government is introducing the Victims and Courts Bill to parliament today, which will include more jail time or loss of privileges in prison in England and Wales for criminals who refuse to attend court for sentencing.

Several high-profile offenders have refused to face victims’ families, sparking a public outcry and calls for a change in the law.

The families of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, law graduate Zara Aleena and mother-of-three Jan Mustafa have all campaigned for the change after their killers were absent from sentencing hearings.

Ms Nessa’s sister, Jebina Islam, Ms Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, and Ms Mustafa’s cousin, Ayse Hussein, said: “This move holds offenders to account.

“It sends a clear and necessary message: the justice system is not something you should be able to opt out of.

“It is not about punishment through force – but about ensuring that perpetrators cannot remove themselves from the consequences of their actions.”

More on Crime

Sabina Nessa was on her way to meet a friend when she was killed.
Image:
Teacher Sabina Nessa was killed by Koci Selamaj in 2021 after he drove to London to assault a stranger

They said the legislation is a “step in the right direction” and the proposed punishments indicate it is “being taken seriously”.

The trio added: “This change supports victims and society alike. It shows justice being done.

“It gives families a moment of recognition and a form of reparation. It is a moment of reckoning for the convicted.”

Under the new legislation, judges will be able to sentence offenders for up to two more years in prison for avoiding justice.

Those already facing lengthy imprisonment or whole life orders could have a range of prison punishments, such as confinement to their cells and being stripped of privileges, such as extra gym time.

Read more:
Should some women offenders be spared jail?
UK and India strike trade deal

Former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak had pledged to change the law after meeting the mother of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and Sir Keir Starmer promised to enact it.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel
Image:
Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed by Thomas Cashman, who refused to attend his sentencing hearing in 2023

Thomas Cashman, the gunman who killed Olivia as he chased a drug dealer who had run into her Liverpool home, did not appear in court to hear his life sentence in April 2023.

Earlier this year, triple crossbow and knife killer Kyle Clifford refused to attend his sentencing when he received a whole life order.

Southport child murderer Axel Rudakubana was removed from his sentencing hearing for repeatedly shouting in January.

Sabina Nessa was on her way to meet a friend when she was killed.
Image:
Teacher Sabina Nessa was killed by Koci Selamaj in 2021 after he drove to London to assault a stranger

Undated family handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Zara Aleena. A sexual predator who stalked and murdered Zara Aleena is set to challenge his sentence at the Court of Appeal. Jordan McSweeney targeted at least five women before he turned his attention to 35-year-old Ms Aleena as she walked home from a night out early on June 26 2022. Issue date: Friday October 20, 2023.
Image:
Zara Aleena was killed by Jordan McSweeney, who should have been recalled to prison at the time. Pic: PA

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: “I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing.

“Justice isn’t optional – we’ll make sure criminals face their victims.”

The bill also says it will restrict parental responsibility from child sex offenders who commit serious crimes against their own children.

The powers of the Victims’ Commissioner will also be strengthened to require them to produce an independent report on whether agencies are meeting their statutory duty over the Victim’s Code to hold the government to account.

Child protection charity the NSPCC backed the move, saying they hope it will improve how young victims and survivors are treated, but said it was “not a complete solution”.

Continue Reading

UK

Teenagers to drive trains due to concerns over labour shortages

Published

on

By

Teenagers to drive trains due to concerns over labour shortages

Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains due to concerns over labour shortages, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

The current minimum age for someone wanting a career on the railways is 20.

But with 87% of night-before cancellations made because a driver is unavailable, the government has decided to lower the age of entry by a couple of years.

Several operators rely on drivers to work extra shifts voluntarily.

At present, the average age of a British train driver is 48, while 30% are due to reach retirement age by 2029.

A consultation on lowering the minimum age for drivers, carried out last year by the Conservative government, received “overwhelming support from across the industry”, the DfT said.

Other nations which have lowered the age for train drivers are France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, officials added.

Transport for London opened driver apprenticeships on the Underground to 18-year-olds in 2007.

Read more:
Vardy must pay Rooney at least £1.4m in Wagatha Christie costs
Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident

Training to drive mainline trains generally takes between one and two years.

Assessment and qualification standards will be unchanged.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Industry body the Rail Safety and Standards Board said its research had shown 18-year-olds are “capable of safely becoming train drivers”.

New job and apprenticeship opportunities could be available as early as December, the DfT said.

Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said the government was “future-proofing” the railways against “delays and cancellations caused by a shortage of drivers”.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “At the moment, young people who want to become train drivers leave school or college at 18, get other jobs, and we miss out as an industry as they don’t wait around until they turn 20 to find a career.”

Continue Reading

UK

Customer stabbed to death inside Lloyds bank in Derby – as two men arrested

Published

on

By

Customer stabbed to death inside Lloyds bank in Derby - as two men arrested

Two men have been arrested after a customer was stabbed to death inside a Lloyds bank.

The victim – a man in his 30s – was attacked at the branch in St Peter’s Street, Derby, at around 2.35pm on Tuesday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, Derbyshire Police said.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder, while another man in his 30s is being held on suspicion of assisting an offender. Both remain in police custody.

They were detained around 6pm at the same property in Western Road, Normanton.

Detective Inspector Tony Owen said: “No one else was hurt and while the investigation is at an early stage, at this time we are treating it as an isolated incident.”

The victim has not yet been formally identified, but police said his family had been made aware.

Read more from Sky News:
Woman’s body found near former cricket club
Boy who died after being pulled from canal is named

A Lloyds spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the incident at our Derby branch and our thoughts are with those affected.

“We are supporting our colleagues during this difficult time and will co-operate closely with the police.”

Continue Reading

Trending