Hidden leak and steep embankment likely cause of Whitchurch canal breach

A canal breach that caused a giant hole, leaving boats stuck, was likely caused by a "long-term deep-seated leak" and a "steep-sided, high embankment predominantly constructed of sand," according to the Canal and River Trust.

A major incident was declared on a stretch of the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch in December, with two narrowboats left at the bottom of a trench and a third hanging over the edge.

The trust said while an investigation was ongoing, it was likely there was a leak beneath the canal bed, undetectable to its inspection regime.

Its chief executive, Campbell Robb, said: "The breach at Whitchurch was a distressing and frightening experience for all those affected." He added: "We remain deeply sorry for the impact this event has had on boaters and the wider community".

The long-term leakage is thought to have eroded material below the canal bed and created a void, ultimately resulting in collapse.

The trust said that the investigation, which continues while the site is drained and cleared, had not identified other factors at play such as heavy rainfall, overtopping, fallen trees or animal excavations. Final conclusions cannot be drawn until the site has been fully cleared and the investigation completed, including inspections of two nearby culverts which are currently not thought to be contributory factors.

Robb said that breaches of this scale "remain extremely rare" and the trust was taking forward "a number of recommendations from the investigation".

"We have a comparable inspection regime to organisations looking after similar infrastructure but we are augmenting this, including exploring different methods of geophysical surveying technology to better inspect beneath canal beds."



Last week, about 1,000 stranded fish were rescued from a pool of water in a nearby farmer's field.

The Canal and River Trust said that while repairs to the canal would take most of the year, it was already progressing getting the navigation back open as quickly as possible. This includes completing a 100m-long access track across farmland from the A41, which will be used to bring in 20,000 tonnes of aggregate needed to rebuild the canal's embankment.

Construction is likely to start this spring once in-depth ground investigation works are complete as part of due diligence to confirm the design of the embankment rebuild.

It was expected the full investigation would be completed and published in the coming months, the trust said.

Emergency services to use Shrewsbury gyratory cycle lane

Shropshire Council said it had worked with the county's fire and rescue service to ensure emergency vehicles can easily pass through a controversial gyratory system.

It comes after firefighters told the BBC they were being unnecessarily delayed during emergency callouts, and traffic around Shrewsbury railway station at peak hours was slowing down response times while putting "immense" pressure on drivers.

The gyratory scheme involved turning two lanes of Castle Foregate into one lane so a cycle path and "floating" bus stop could be installed.

Now, the local authority has said the cycle lane is to be used as an emergency vehicle route when needed.

Alongside this, the council said it has been checking the position and clearance of the variable message sign to make sure it provides enough space for emergency vehicles.

Councillor Rob Wilson said: "I am pleased that by working together we have been able to identify a solution. Moving forwards this must be a key determining factor in Shropshire Council's decision making related to any future changes."

Simon Hardiman, chief fire officer for Shropshire, added: "A critical element of an emergency response is the ability to make safe and effective progress when travelling under blue light conditions through areas of high congestion. The use of the cycle lane for emergency vehicles has been assessed and is proving beneficial in reaching people when they need us the most."

More than 7,100 people have signed a petition calling for the road layout to be returned to how it was before construction began in 2023.

In the case of Temple Meads of course, the Luftwaffe had a lot to do with it originally. Oh, and the planners who moved in shortly afterwards!

Amber wind warning issued as Storm Dave set to hit parts of UK

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

Tram fare dodge penalty to increase to £120


People travelling on Nottingham's tram network without a valid ticket will be issued with an increased fine from next month

Tram operator Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is set to increase penalties for fare dodgers to £120.

Passengers caught riding without a valid ticket or pass receive a "no questions asked" fine and from 1 May it will increase from £70 to £120, travel bosses said.

The operator said more than 10,000 people were caught travelling without a valid ticket in 2025.

NET said it wanted to reaffirm its "zero tolerance" approach and added fare evasion was "theft".

Penalties will be reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, NET said.

Bosses said an unpaid penalty leaves the passenger liable for prosecution with a further fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record.

Tim Hesketh, CEO at NET said: "We're all aware that if you're caught shoplifting you would expect to be prosecuted, so similarly, anyone caught travelling without a valid ticket – which is a crime – should expect to be treated accordingly.

"The last time we increased the cost of a PFN was five years ago, and while the cost of a PFN is much higher now, there are also more options available due to the early payment discount.

"Just like most of the public who pay for their ticket and use the trams properly, we want to ensure that our network is safe to use, and reducing fare dodging is part of that."

Hesketh added signs were located on each tram stop to assist people in how to buy a ticket before boarding and that each ticket purchased helped to improve the network.

Motability is a well intentioned scheme but long overdue for reform (with a small "r"!!!)I

Belfast Bikes see drop in rentals after price hike


The hire scheme, which includes a fleet of pedal and e-bikes, was launched in September

A bicycle rental scheme in Belfast has seen usage fall by a quarter since prices were sharply increased.

The revamped Belfast Bikes scheme was launched last September, with Beryl taking over operations and introducing e-bikes. It had faced some criticism over price rises, including a year-long membership costing £120 - nearly five times higher than before.

Belfast City Council said the latest rental figures "reflect a period of transition" and the new pricing structures offer users "flexibility". It said rentals were affected by reduced bicycle numbers during the initial installation period and users being required to register new accounts with Beryl.

The council added it was "encouraged by the steady growth in new sign-ups" and it expects usage to increase in the months ahead and into the summer.

Almost 51,800 rentals were recorded between last September and March this year, according to figures obtained by BBC News NI.

That compares to nearly 69,500 in the same period a year earlier - a drop of more than 25%. It is also the second-lowest figure for the September to March period since Belfast Bikes began operating in 2015.

Meg Hoyt, chair of the Belfast Cycle Campaign group, urged the council to make the scheme "as affordable and friction-less as possible".

"Our view is that the price change probably had a significant impact on numbers in the short term," she said. She added that Belfast "badly needs joined-up cycling infrastructure", describing current provisions as "patchy, difficult to negotiate and not very visible".

The council's figures were released in a Freedom of Information response.

They also show that since their introduction, e-bikes have been more popular than standard pedal bicycles. There were almost 29,900 e-bike journeys or rentals between last September and March, compared to just over 21,900 for pedal bikes.

A bike-sharing scheme was first introduced in the city over a decade ago. At one point, almost 40% of the rental bikes were out of action due to vandalism.

(BBC article continues)

I guess one issue is how you'd get to Reading station to catch a train at 0228 or 0330 on Saturdays or 0324 in the early hours of Monday morning?

I suppose a cab may be an option if you're already reasonably local but otherwise I suspect these trains will largely be carting fresh air around.

CalMac in 'better place' as third repaired ferry returns to service

Scotland's ferry shortage is reaching a "much better place" with a third major vessel set to resume service, CalMac says.

MV Lord of the Isles will be ready to sail again "early next week" after problems with its main engine put it out of action last Saturday.

The operator said its network was in a "critical" state last weekend after a series of issues left four ferries needing repairs while four others were under annual maintenance.

Earlier this week MV Glen Sannox returned to Arran and MV Isle of Islay, the newest ferry of the fleet, entered service after snagging issues were resolved.

However, chief executive Duncan Mackison warned passengers to be prepared for weather disruption over Easter weekend during Storm Dave. He said: "With MV Lord of the Isles available for service from early next week, we will have three of the four major vessels which had unplanned technical issues back in action. The picture is much improved from a few days ago and we're able to operate additional services for Mull, Barra and South Uist next week."

He added: "We have detailed information on our website for customers travelling over Easter weekend."

(BBC article continues)

Bus or Lime bike? New subscription heats up the race for a cheaper commute


New pricing means it might be cheaper to e-cycle or e-scooter than get the bus - but would you?

Suited and booted, James is on his 15-minute commute home from work. But he's not on a bus, a train or a tram - he's on an e-scooter.

"I get to avoid the rush hour and being packed in like a sardine," says the 23-year-old in Salford, Greater Manchester. James is also saving money, something he's keen to do as a recent university graduate. "In terms of raw affordability, £4 on your commute a day is not bad - especially in the cost of living crisis."

He's one of a legion of often young people seen zipping around some of Britain's cities on bright green hired e-scooters and e-bikes operated by US company Lime. Other companies, including Forest and Bolt, and other councils run similar schemes.

And Lime's latest move appears to be an attempt to help change habits for commuters - not just those already scooting or pedalling for leisure.

It launched LimePrime at the end of February - a monthly subscription giving riders in Salford, Nottingham, London, Oxford and Milton Keynes a fixed price for the first 20 minutes of their journey. After that, riders are charged per minute at a discounted rate.

While Lime has arguably been perceived by some in the past as relatively expensive, the new subscription appears to try to undercut the cost of single journeys using buses and other forms of public transport.

In Salford, the LimePrime costs £1.50 for the first 20 minutes in return for a £2.99 monthly fee. By comparison, a single ticket from Salford to Manchester costs £2 by bus and £2.80 by tram - though season tickets for buses and trams can be cheaper.

It raises the question: will more companies and councils bring the pricing of e-scooters and e-bikes in line with buses and other traditional public transport - and can that change how we travel to work in cities?

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Motability drivers 'horrified' by compulsory black-box trackers

Motability drivers under the age of 30 say they are "horrified" by rule changes that mean their vehicles will be fitted with compulsory black boxes.

They will monitor driving habits, such as speed and braking, and will provide a weekly rating.

More than four red ratings over 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme, which allows eligible disabled people to lease a new car using part of their benefit payments.

Critics say the UK-wide change will affect disabled people's freedom and ability to work, but Motability says it is about "keeping prices down and keeping people safe". It says it has removed 300 drivers since a pilot scheme began in Northern Ireland in September.

...

During last year's Budget, the government removed its tax break on insurance and it must now cover 12% on each insurance premium. It must also now pay VAT on some vehicles meaning the scheme will need to pay out an additional £300m from 1 July.

Nigel Fletcher, chief executive of the Motability Foundation, said that would be the equivalent of a price rise of £1,100 for every driver on the scheme. "A lot of disabled people won't be able to afford that, so we're now having to try and work out how can we make changes to the scheme that protects pricing as much as we possibly can," said Fletcher.

He added that black box was about "keeping prices down and keeping people safe" and its data had also found younger drivers to be the highest risk.

He said, of the 300 drivers removed from the scheme, one had driven 117mph in a 30mph zone.

"This a serious safety issue, not just for that individual, but everyone else in that community. They will get lots of warnings before they get taken off the scheme. And then if they are taken off the scheme, we will need to start looking at what our policies are around allowing them back onto the scheme in the future."

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A test in Northern Ireland saw 300 vehicles taken from the disabled - one was recorded doing 117mph in a 30mph zone

From Belfast Live

Motability takes back 300 Northern Ireland vehicles as compulsory black box rules come in on April 13

More than four red ratings over 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme and the car seized

Motability users have been informed about new mandatory changes taking effect from April 13 for drivers. Newly leased vehicles will be equipped with telematics devices that will track driving behaviour, including speed and braking patterns, and will generate a weekly performance score.

Receiving more than four red ratings within a 12-month period could result in drivers being removed from the Motability scheme, which enables eligible disabled people to lease a new car using a portion of their benefit payments. The new requirement will apply to all new first time leases, all customers aged under 30 and any which have a named driver under 30.