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A rescue operation is under way after “scary and unprecedented” flooding near a holiday park in West Sussex.

One person has been taken to hospital and over 200 people have been evacuated after the River Arun burst its banks in the wake of Storm Kathleen and the French-named Storm Pierrick.

Flooding in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.
Pic: Gareth Theobald /X/PA
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Flooding in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. Pic: PA

A resident of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex said flooding in the town was “scary and unprecedented”, after he stayed awake until the early hours putting flood defences around his property.

Gareth Theobald, 36, said: “I was out the front of the building and watching the water just get higher and higher and higher, and then helping or stopping traffic going into the floodwaters and then just watching in disbelief as the whole of Brighton Road and our multimillion-pound development was being engulfed by floodwaters.”

The industrial relations officer added: “The amount of water is scary and unprecedented and those houses opposite our development are lower-ground flats and they were all flooded under a foot or so of water.”

He said he saw cars “driving into the floods at speed as well and getting stuck” and that “residents in the streets (were) trying to do what they can”.

Flooding in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.
Pic: Gareth Theobald /X/PA
Image:
Flooding in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. Pic: Gareth Theobald /X/PA

Flooding in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.
Pic: Gareth Theobald /X/PA
Image:
Pic: Gareth Theobald /X/PA

‘Get to higher ground – we are expecting water to rise’

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said on X that they had seen “severe flooding” across West Sussex, in areas like Earnley, Littlehampton and Bracklesham.

They added: “We are expecting the water levels to increase this afternoon. If you are directly affected, please get to higher ground if possible.”

Flooding in Littlehampton
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A rescue operation has been launched

Flooding in Littlehampton

Around midnight, fire and rescue crews responded to flooding in Littlehampton – where 15 people were evacuated.

They were also dealing with a “severe flooding incident” at Medmerry holiday park between Bracklesham and Selsey, after being first called out at around 1am.

They urged anyone in the vicinity of the holiday park to get to high ground if they can leave their homes.

One resident shot a video of the water surrounding his chalet, saying “everything’s underwater” and describing the area as “totally flooded”.

Paul Maskell, a resident at Medmerry park, added: “I am adrift like Robinson Crusoe. It’s incredible… totally flooded out.”

Medmerry Park in Chichester flooded after the River Arun burst its banks. 
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Medmerry Park in Chichester flooded after the River Arun burst its banks

At least 180 people have been evacuated from the holiday park, with one person showing signs of hypothermia, according to the fire service.

They were taken to hospital and South East Coast Ambulance crews assessed a number of other people.

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Chalets were left submerged

Firefighters evacuate an elderly resident near Rope Walk in Littlehampton, West Sussex, after the River Arun burst its banks overnight.
Pic: PA
Image:
Firefighters evacuate an elderly resident near Rope Walk in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Pic: PA

Firefighters evacuate an elderly resident near Rope Walk in Littlehampton, West Sussex, after the River Arun burst its banks overnight.
Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Then shortly before 7am, crews attended flooding at Bracklesham Caravan and Boat Club and evacuated around 20 people.

West Sussex County Council warned that flooding could worsen throughout the day and the Environment Agency advised people to stay away from “coastal paths, piers and promenades”.

The local council said: “It is also possible that the flooding may increase throughout the day. People directly affected should get to high ground if possible, unless unable to leave their residence. Otherwise, please avoid the areas to allow rescue operations to continue safely and effectively.”

The Environment Agency has said there is a low risk of coastal flooding in the area today, adding it’s likely that high tides or large waves will flood low-lying land and roads.

Weather warnings covering much of country

It comes as heavy rain and strong winds continue to batter parts of southern England, western Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland over the next few days, forecasters have said.

Several services run by South Western Railway and Great Western Railway have been cancelled or delayed this morning due to flooding.

The Met Office issued six separate yellow weather warnings spanning Monday to Wednesday morning.

A van drives through flood water on Ferry Road in Littlehampton after the River Arun burst its banks overnight.
Pic: PA
Image:
A van drives through flood water on Ferry Road in Littlehampton after the River Arun burst its banks overnight. Pic: PA

Winds in the southwest of England, including Cornwall and parts of Devon, could reach speeds of up to 65mph along some stretches of the coast.

The forecaster warned the strong gusts had a “small chance” of causing power cuts and damaging buildings.

A yellow weather warning for England’s southern coast, including Southampton and Brighton, says winds are expected to reach 55mph, peaking at 65mph in some areas before easing off.

Get your local forecast from Sky News

Another yellow weather warning for Wales’ west coast has been issued between 1am and 3pm on Tuesday, when “a spell of strong winds” will affect the region with gusts reaching up to 65mph overnight.

In Scotland, up to 40mm of rainfall is expected in some areas between 1am and 6pm on Tuesday, while a few could see as much as 60mm.

Affected areas include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen.

Further rainfall is forecast in western Scotland between 9am and 6pm on Wednesday and may cause flooding, with 15 to 25mm of rain expected to fall in most places and 40 to 50mm forecast on high ground.

The weather service warned rain and wind could disrupt rail and road travel across the country, as driving conditions worsen because of slippery road surfaces and limited visibility.

A low-pressure system, bringing the wet and windy weather, has swept in hot on the heels of Storm Kathleen.

Southern parts of the UK are being affected by Storm Pierrick, named by the French meteorological agency.

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Met Office forecast

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said that while these levels of rainfall would not be a “huge cause for concern” on their own, they will fall on “already saturated ground” which increases the risk of flooding.

“We’ll continue with very unsettled weather as we head into spring, which is usually when we start to see things settle down a little bit more,” he added.

“We’re continuing with one area of low pressure after another, which is mainly down to the fact that the jet stream is a bit further south than it would normally be at this time of year.”

The second half of the week should be a “bit drier” with warm temperatures in the south of the UK, before returning to normal over the weekend, Mr Partridge said.

He said: “It’s actually quite warm conditions for the time of year – we could see 19C or 20C across eastern and southeastern parts of the UK come Thursday and Friday.

“But the north will always stay quite unsettled.”

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.

The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.

The charges relate to four women.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.

Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.

He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.

The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.

Read more from Sky News:
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Last UK blast furnaces days from closure
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The comedian has previously denied the accusations, and said all his sexual relationships were “absolutely always consensual”.

Met Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”

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Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

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Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

​​​​​​​The last blast furnaces left operating in Britain could see their fate sealed within days, after their Chinese owners took the decision to cut off the crucial supply of ingredients keeping them running. 

Jingye, the owner of British Steel in Scunthorpe, has, according to union representatives, cancelled future orders for the iron ore, coal and other raw materials needed to keep the furnaces running.

The upshot is that they may have to close next month – even sooner than the earliest date suggested for its closure.

Read more: Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel consults unions over closure

The fate of the blast furnaces – the last two domestic sources of virgin steel, made from iron ore rather than recycled – is likely to be determined in a matter of days, with the Department for Business and Trade now actively pondering nationalisation.

The upshot is that even as Britain contends with a trade war across the Atlantic, it is now working against the clock to secure the future of steelmaking at Scunthorpe.

British Steel proceesing

The talks between the government and Jingye broke down last week after the Chinese company, which bought British Steel out of receivership in 2020, rejected a £500m offer of public money to replace the existing furnaces with electric arc furnaces.

More on China

The sum is the same one it offered to Tata Steel, which has shut down the other remaining UK blast furnaces in Port Talbot and is planning to build electric furnaces – which have far lower carbon emissions.

These steel workers could soon be out of work
Image:
These steel workers could soon be out of work

However, the owners argue that the amount is too little to justify extra investment at Scunthorpe, and said last week they were now consulting on the date of shutting both the blast furnaces and the attached steelworks.

Since British Steel is the main provider of steel rails to Network Rail – as well as other construction steels available from only a few sites in the world – the closure would leave the UK more reliant on imports for critical infrastructure sites.

British Steel in action

However, since the site belongs to its Chinese owners, a decision to nationalise the site would involve radical steps government officials are wary of taking.

They also fear leaving taxpayers exposed to a potentially loss-making business for the long run.

British Steel

The dilemma has been heightened by the sharp turn in geopolitical sentiment following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The incipient trade war and threatened cut in American support to Europe have sparked fresh calls for countries to act urgently to secure their own supplies of critical materials, especially those used for defence and infrastructure.

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Gareth Stace, head of UK Steel, the industry lobby group, said: “Talks seem to have broken down between government and British Steel.

“My advice to government is: please, Jonathan Reynolds, Business Secretary, get back round that negotiating table, thrash out a deal, and if a deal can’t be found in the next few days, then I fear for the very future of the sector, but also here for Scunthorpe steelworks.”

British Steel declined to comment.

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Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace branded ‘crude attempt to enrich himself’ as Chinese spy documents set to be released

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Prince Andrew's Pitch@Palace branded 'crude attempt to enrich himself' as Chinese spy documents set to be released

Prince Andrew’s efforts to make money from his Pitch@Palace project have been branded as a “crude attempt to enrich himself” at the expense of “unsuspecting tech founders”, as new documents may shed more light on what he and his team have been attempting to sell.

Today is the deadline for documents to be released relating to Prince Andrew‘s former senior adviser Dominic Hampshire and his interactions with the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.

In February, an immigration tribunal heard how the intelligence services had contacted Mr Hampshire about Mr Yang back in 2022. Mr Yang helped set up Pitch@Palace China, a branch of the duke’s scheme to help young entrepreneurs.

The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew
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The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew

Pic: Pitch@Palace
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Yang Tengbo. Pic: Pitch@Palace

Judges banned Mr Yang from the UK, saying his association with a senior royal had made Prince Andrew “vulnerable” and posed a threat to national security. Mr Yang challenged that decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Since that hearing, media organisations have applied for certain documents relating to the case and Mr Hampshire’s support for Mr Yang to be made public. SIAC agreed to release some information of public interest. It is hoped they may include more details on deals that he was trying to do on behalf of Prince Andrew.

So what do we know about potential deals for Pitch@Palace so far?

In February, Sky News confirmed that palace officials had a meeting last summer with tech funding company StartupBootcamp to discuss a potential tie-up between them and Prince Andrew relating to his Pitch@Palace project.

More on Prince Andrew

The palace wasn’t involved in the fine details of a deal but wanted guarantees to make sure it wouldn’t impact the Royal Family in the future. Sky News understands from one source that the price being discussed for Pitch was around £750,000 – there are, however, reports that a deal may have stalled.

Photos we found on the Chinese Chamber of Commerce website show an event held in Asia between StartupBootcamp and Innovate Global, believed to be an offshoot of Pitch.

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Who is alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo?

Documents, released in relation to the investigations into Mr Tengbo, have also shown how much the duke has always seen Pitch as a way of potentially making money. One document from 21 August 2021 clearly states “the duke needed money at the time, and saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding”.

But Prince Andrew’s apparent intention to use Pitch to make money has led to concerns about whether he is unfairly using the contacts and information he gained when he was a working royal.

Norman Baker, former MP and author of books on royal finances, believes it is “a crude attempt to enrich himself” and goes against what the tech entrepreneurs thought they were signing up for.

Read more:
Who is Yang Tenbo?
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Emails between Andrew and Epstein revealed

He told Sky News: “The data given by these business people was given on the basis it was an official operation and not something for Prince Andrew, and so in my view, Prince Andrew had no right legally or morally to take the data which has been collected, a huge amount of data, and sell it…

“And quite clearly if you’re going to sell it off to StartupBootcamp, that is not what people had in mind. The entrepreneurs who joined Pitch@Palace did not do so to enrich Prince Andrew,” he said.

Rich Wilson was one tech entrepreneur who was approached at the start of Pitch@Palace to sign up, but he stepped away when he spotted a clause in the contract saying they’d be entitled to 2% equity in any funding he secured.

He feels Prince Andrew is continuing to use those he made a show of supporting.

He said: “It makes me feel sick. I think it’s terrible – that he is continuing to exploit unsuspecting tech founders in this way. A lot of them, I’m quite grey and old in the tooth now, I saw it coming, but clearly most didn’t. And a lot of them were quite young.

“It’ll be their first venture and you’re learning on the trot, so to speak. So to take advantage of people in such a major way – that’s an awful, sickening thing to do.”

We approached StartupBootcamp who said they had no comment to make, and the Duke of York’s office did not respond.

With reports that a deal may have stalled, it could be a big setback for the duke – especially with questions still about how he’ll continue to pay for his home on the Windsor estate now that the King no longer gives him financial support.

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