Passengers urged to check flights after disruption

14 minutes ago Share Save Victoria Bourne & Rachel Clun BBC News Share Save

Reuters

Passengers have been urged to check flight information with their airlines after an air traffic control issue caused disruption to all UK airports on Wednesday. Some passengers have reported delays, and one travel expert told the BBC the disruption could last for days. Airlines are demanding answers after more than 150 flights were cancelled on Wednesday and thousands more were grounded. NATS, which has apologised, said it had taken 20 minutes to resolve the issue by switching to a back-up system, and systems were fully operational within an hour.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said departures at airports across the UK resumed on Wednesday evening and NATS was working with airports and airlines "to clear the backlog safely and look after passengers." "I will be meeting the NATS Chief Executive today to understand what happened and how we can prevent reoccurrence," she said on X. A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said the airport was operating normally on Thursday. According to , 10 flights on Thursday morning to and from the airport were cancelled - four departures and six arrivals. Flights at other major UK airports were returning to normal on Thursday morning. Stansted Airport said all flights were operating as normal on Thursday morning, while a Gatwick Airport spokesperson said operations were "stable". At Manchester Airport, three outbound and three inbound flights were cancelled but a spokesperson for the airport said they were being worked into the schedule without affecting other flights. Ryanair also said all flights were operating as usual on Thursday. Airports across the UK urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline following Wednesday's disruption. Under UK law, airlines have a duty to look after passengers if flights are delayed or cancelled, including providing meals and accommodation, if necessary, and getting people to their destination. The airline should also organise an alternative flight at no extra cost. However, disruption caused by things such as a fire, bad weather, strikes by airport or air traffic control staff, or other "extraordinary circumstances" does not entitle passengers to extra compensation.

According to NATS, the Wednesday afternoon issue was "radar-related" and it reduced flight traffic to ensure safety. It added there was no evidence the incident had been cyber-related. EasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan said the error was "extremely disappointing", while a Ryanair executive called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign. Ryanair executive Neal McMahon said it was clear "no lessons" had been learnt and passengers continued to "suffer" as a result of Mr Rolfe's "incompetence". In August 2023, more than 700,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of more than 500 flights at the UK's busiest airports due to a major outage. EasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan, said: "It's extremely disappointing to see an ATC failure once again causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel." Graham Lake, a former director general of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, told the BBC's Today programme it was not fair to call for the boss of NATS to resign over the failure, as the organisation got the system back up and running "as safely and quickly as it could".

Frustrated passengers

Travel expert Simon Calder told BBC Breakfast there would be "thousands of people who are waking up where they did not expect to be this morning". He warned that disruption from Wednesday's outage would continue in the coming days as airlines attempt to get stranded passengers, as well as planes and crew, to their intended destinations during the busy summer holiday schedule. "The trouble is, at this time of year everything is stretched, all the airlines are running to maximum efficiency, very little slack in the system, very few spare seats to accommodate passengers whose flights were cancelled in the hundreds," he said. Sarah McPherson's son was meant to compete with England's under 15 boys international touch rugby team in Ireland, and she said she was "feeling pretty angry". "He is so very disappointed and at this stage we don't know if there will be another flight," she added. Jonathan Carr from Stourbridge was trying to get to Norway for his brother's wedding. He told the BBC it was "stressful" that his flight was cancelled but he hoped to arrive in Bodø late on Thursday. "It's really frustrating," said Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership. "We need to ensure there's sufficient resilience built into critical infrastructure that doesn't impact businesses, that doesn't impact travellers." According to flight data firm Cirium, 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled across all UK airports on Wednesday evening. That equates to 3% of all departures and 2% of all arrivals. In addition a number of flights had to be diverted to European airports, it said. Cirium does not attribute causes for cancellations, so some may not have been due to the air traffic outage.

Lawyers warn Starmer recognising Palestinian state could break law

16 minutes ago Share Save Jennifer McKiernan • @_JennyMcKiernan Political reporter, BBC News Henry Zeffman • @hzeffman Chief Political Correspondent Share Save

PA Media

Some of Britain's most distinguished lawyers have warned the government that recognising a Palestinian state would breach international law. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK would move towards recognition unless Israel met certain conditions, including agreeing a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution, on Tuesday. A day later, Canada announced it would also move towards recognition at a UN summit in September, where 147 of the UN's 193 member states already formally recognise a Palestinian state. However, opponents argue Palestine does not meet the legal requirements for statehood under international law because important criteria have not been met.

The Montevideo Convention sets out the criteria for the recognition of a state under international law as a defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. A group of 43 peers, including some of the UK's most eminent lawyers, has set out their belief that Sir Keir's pledge could be in breach of international law as the territory may not meet these criteria for statehood. In a letter to the government's attorney general, Lord Hermer, first reported by the Times, they call for him to advise the prime minister against recognition. "It is clear that there is no certainty over the borders of Palestine," they argue, and also that "there is no functioning single government, Fatah and Hamas being enemies". "The former has failed to hold elections for decades, and the latter is a terrorist organisation, neither of which could enter into relations with other states," the letter adds. The peers warn that it "would be unwise to depart from" the Convention, signed in 1933, "at a time when international law is seen as fragile". They add: "You have said that a selective, 'pick and mix' approach to international law will lead to its disintegration, and that the criteria set out in international law should not be manipulated for reasons of political expedience. "Accordingly, we expect you to demonstrate this commitment by explaining to the public and to the government that recognition of Palestine would be contrary to the principles governing recognition of states in international law." Lord Hermer has previously insisted that a commitment to international law "goes absolutely to the heart" of the government's approach to foreign policy. The BBC has obtained a full list of signatories, which includes the prominent barrister Lord Pannick - who represented the previous government at the Supreme Court over its Rwanda scheme. There are 10 lawyers in total on the list, including former Supreme Court judge Lord Collins of Mapesbury. The signatories include 27 Conservative peers, nine crossbenchers, four Labour Lords and one DUP member.

The peers' intervention follows condemnation of Sir Keir's announcement by Emily Damari, a British-Israeli women who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year, who said Sir Keir is "not standing on the right side of history". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed it "rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism". Responding to fears the decision to recognise a Palestinian state does not align with the 1933 Montevideo Convention, business minister Gareth Thomas told Times Radio: "We haven't signed up to the Montevideo Convention, but is there a clear population in in Palestine? Yes, there is in Gaza and the West Bank. "We have made clear that we think you would recognise the state of Palestine, and that state of Palestine would be based on the 1967 borders. "Of course, there would have to be land swaps and there would be a shared capital of Jerusalem. They are well-regarded international views." Thomas stressed the UK Government had "made clear that there needs to be reform to the Palestinian Authority, that Hamas can have no role in the future government of Gaza and Palestine more generally". Pointing to the 147 other countries that have already recognised a Palestinian state, he added that the prime minister "was in talks this week with a series of countries, including Canada, and Canada have overnight, as you will have seen, taken the decision to recognise Palestine in September". Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country plans to recognise a Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution - that is Israel and Palestine living side-by-side. Carney said his decision was prompted by the "catastrophe" in Gaza, and because he feared the prospect of a Palestinian state was "receding before our eyes". The Palestinian Authority - which runs parts of the occupied West Bank - must commit to "much-needed reform" he said, and Hamas, which controlled Gaza, "can play no part". The UK has said it too would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel committed to a ceasefire. Sir Keir has said the UK will only refrain from recognition if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months. He also said Hamas must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and "accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza".

Staff were physically sick': The dine and dash mental health toll on restaurant workers

5 hours ago Share Save Ben Moore & Alex Bish BBC South East Investigations Team Share Save

Amanda Brighton said her venue was recently targeted by a group who failed to pay and claimed they had found a shard of glass in the food

Restaurant bosses have spoken out about the financial and mental health impact caused by dine and dash thieves, in a sector still affected by the pandemic and rising food prices. Some have told the BBC they have experienced customers running off without paying or putting glass in food to avoid paying the full bill. The trade body UKHospitality said a third of its surveyed members had experienced customers refusing to pay for their food. The National Police Chiefs' Council said theft could have a significant impact on individuals, businesses and communities.

Amanda Brighton, director of Joe's Bar and Grill in Oxford, said her venue was recently targeted by a group who failed to pay. "We had a group of people come in, they ordered a lot of food at once and a lot of expensive drinks and their bill was £230," she said. She said running up a large bill was only the first part of the scam. The group then said they had found a piece of glass in their food. "They usually place the foreign object in the food at the end," she said. "They try to leave completely without paying anything." When the diners were challenged the situation became heated. "The young lady that was talking to me was in my face, screaming at me and calling me names," she said. Ms Brighton said in the past they had posted photos of diners on social media to name and shame them.

Kate Nicholls from UKHospitality says the cost of living is hitting businesses

The dine and dash phenomenon can take many forms according to Kate Nicholls, the chair of UKHospitality. "It can be a customer walking out without paying, it can be fraudulent payments, or it can be somebody running up a massive bill and putting down a fake card, or going out and leaving the venue with an unpaid bill," she said. In their latest survey of members, many reported an increase in cases over recent years. "It's a growing problem and it needs to be tackled," she said. "It's theft plain and simple. It's the same as taking and stealing from the venue itself."

Richard Atkinson, President of the Law Society, said the usual offence charged in these cases was making off without payment. "The offence itself is committed if a person knows that payment on the spot for any goods is required, and dishonestly makes off without having paid as required, with an intent to avoid payment," he said. "It's an offence that carries a maximum of two years in prison." In proven cases where people put objects in the food, Mr Atkinson said it became another type of offence. "If people are seeking to claim what was served to them was something different, then that would amount to a fraud, because they're making a representation dishonestly to make a financial gain," he said.

BBC/Ben Moore Restaurant manager Marian Pandos was hit by a customer a few years ago

Marian Pandos, the manager of Posillipo restaurant in Canterbury, Kent, said he had to be more vigilant when customers were eating outside after a brazen dine and dash. "He ate his lunch outside, he had a few cocktails and then he ran away," he said. He said one customer even assaulted him, leaving him with a "small injury". "He had a late lunch, a couple of drinks and walked away," he added. "I was running after him and he was very aggressive and he started to fight. "He hit me and we had to call the police."

Amadeo Grosso, manager of Posillipo in Faversham, Kent, said he believed the problem was getting worse. "I've been the manager since 2010, I have seen the cases increase year by year," he said. He said the restaurant had installed high definition cameras "to boost security".

Sanjay Jha has been running a restaurant in West Sussex for 10 years

Sanjay Jha, the owner of Thyme and Chillies in Birdham, West Sussex, described a recent case that he said seemed pre-meditated, when customers only paid £60 towards a £150 bill. "We suddenly realised people were complaining for no rhyme or reason, as if it was pre-planned that they are not going to pay for their meal," he said. "The restaurant is full up, everyone seems to be happy, but this particular group says no, this was not right, that was not right, as if they don't want to pay, so the intent was not right." Mr Jha has been running the restaurant for 10 years and said this was the fifth or sixth incident. "It definitely has a mental impact on the waiter and the manager who handles all of that," he said.

'Physically sick and upset'

A former restaurateur, who said he had been hit by several dine and dash cases in West Sussex, said it was affecting the mental health of staff in the industry. Neil Kimber, who used to run a restaurant in Selsey, said it was having a real toll on workers. "We had a lot of issues with staff being totally physically sick and upset following these incidents," he said. "We had a very large dine and dash of over £400, and the particular member of staff was questioning himself why he let that money go." "It's not just the money but the effect it had on him." He told the BBC that some restaurants had adopted new measures to protect their business, such as taking credit cards upfront and not accepting walk-in parties of over four people. Mr Kimber said the issue, which he believed was going to become a "prolific problem", was particularly tough to deal with after the pandemic and with rising food and fuel costs. "What with Covid hitting, VAT on food stuffs, the cost of food rising, we've got to address the situation of dine and dashes," he said.

UKHospitality's Ms Nicholls told the BBC the crime is having an impact on businesses that are still affected by the cost of living crisis. A new survey this week suggests food price inflation has risen for the sixth consecutive month. "We have seen repeat offenders coming through, so these are criminals," she said. "It's under-reported, businesses don't tend to take small scale thefts to the police because of resourcing issues."

A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesperson said: "Dine and dash type offences are largely opportunistic in nature and we would encourage all business owners and staff to make sure that when they do happen, they are reported so their local force can take action. "While policing will always follow all possible lines of enquiry to identify and pursue offenders, and tools like CCTV can greatly assist with this."

Scuba divers rescue lost wedding ring from river

Divers managed to find the ring within about five minutes

A man has described his relief after scuba divers came to the rescue when he lost his wedding ring in a river.

Ant Crocker, 34, was paddleboarding at Cardington Lock on the River Great Ouse, near Bedford, when the ring slipped off his finger.

His wife Danielle "wasn't happy" when he told her, so he contacted Bedford Scuba Divers to ask for their help.

"If they weren't looking for a ring, they would have been looking for a body," he joked.

As he nears his 50th birthday, Jamie Cureton is not in any hurry to call it a day after a playing career spanning 22 clubs, three promotions and three relegations.

"I've just registered myself as a player for the 2025-26 season and would like to make at least one appearance after my birthday," says Cambridge City's player-manager as he prepares his team for Saturday's FA Cup extra preliminary round tie at Kirkley & Pakefield.

Cureton was 19 when he made his Premier League debut for Norwich City against Everton, external in November 1994.

Back then, Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town had just been relegated from the top flight, Neville Southall was Everton's goalkeeper and Blackburn Rovers were on their way to being crowned champions of England.

Cureton will make it a remarkable 32 successive seasons as a player across nine tiers of English football, from the Premier League to the Essex Senior League, should he turn out for Cambridge City this campaign.

The list of clubs he has represented is endless.

Norwich, Bournemouth (loan), Bristol Rovers, Reading, Busan I'Cons (South Korea), QPR, Swindon Town, Colchester, Barnsley (loan), Shrewsbury (loan), Exeter, Leyton Orient.

There's more.

Cheltenham, Dagenham & Redbridge, Farnborough, Eastleigh, St Albans City, Bishop's Stortford, Enfield, Hornchurch, Maldon & Tiptree and now Cambridge City, where he is about to start his second season in charge.

"Football is all I have ever known," Bristol-born Cureton tells BBC Sport.

"I grew up in an area where trouble was around. Maybe I would have fallen into the wrong sort of crowd. Luckily, I had football.

"Anything outside football is a bit alien to me. I'd be quite lost without it. Being involved in the game keeps me happy and sane."