Watchdog examines assault linked to train stabbings



The police watchdog is investigating a force's handling of an alleged attack in Peterborough and its possible link with the mass stabbings on a train.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was looking at a complaint from a man who said he was attacked by someone with a knife in Fletton, in the city, on 27 September.

Ricky Butcher, 35, told the BBC he suffered facial injuries while waiting for a taxi outside The Fletton Club with a group of people.

Cambridgeshire Police has already been reviewing its prior contact with the man suspected of stabbing people on the Doncaster to London King's Cross train on 1 November, which was stopped at Huntingdon.

The force referred itself on Monday over the Fletton incident, the IOPC said.

IOPC director Emily Barry said her teams had been working closely with the force to "ensure that any complaints or conduct matters identified in its review are referred to us. We will keep the complainant and the force updated as our investigation progresses," she added.

Police have confirmed they are reviewing whether the Fletton incident is connected with the train attacks.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "We understand from the complaint that police were called by a member of the public to a report of a man armed with a knife. Prior to the police arriving the complainant reports he was punched by the man leaving him with facial lacerations. Police attended and spoke with the complainant however, the suspect had left the scene before officers arrived, and no arrest was made at the time."

Meanwhile, British Transport Police has linked the train attacks suspect with two incidents in which a man entered a barbers' shop in Peterborough earlier that weekend - as well as the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy.

Anthony Williams, 32, has appeared in court charged with 11 counts of attempted murder over the Huntingdon incident and a second stabbing in east London.

North Somerset Council sees 'depressing' overspend on recycling


A tonne of plastic that would have sold for £168 in 2024/25 is now only fetching £80 for the council

A council has been left with a "deeply depressing" overspend on waste recycling.

Unlike black bin rubbish, which local authorities have to pay to dispose of, materials from kerbside recycling collections and household waste recycling centres can be sold as a source of income. But North Somerset Council said this year, reduced prices and increased costs have hugely impacted this income stream.

Mickey Green, the council's director of environment, assets, and travel, said: "We are collecting more recycling but due to global […] pressures, it's all worth less." Mr Green said that recycling still generates millions to offset waste services at the council, although less than last year.

The price of plastic in particular has dropped by half since last year, according to the Local Democracy Service. A tonne of plastic that would have sold for £168 in 2024/25 is now only fetching £80. As a result, the council earned £260,000 less this year.

To help with recycling costs, a government spokesperson said £69bn had been available this year for councils to deliver public services, including a 6.4% increase in funding for North Somerset Council compared to 2024. Despite this additional government support, more than 20 plastics facilities have shut down in the country in the past two years.

A report which went before the meeting of the North Somerset Council corporate, assets, transport, and environmental services scrutiny committee (CATE) said the market was starting to improve, but it could take more than a year.

The council is estimated to lose out on another £100,000 because the off-takers used to dispose of wood have relocated from Newport to Barry in Wales.

Steve Bridger, chair of the CATE committee, said it was "deeply depressing" that the money lost due to market fluctuations was more than the council was set to save from its planned cuts to library services, which are "highly likely" to close three local libraries.

North Somerset Council is currently facing a £25m black hole in its budget for the next financial year, largely driven by a rapidly increasing demand for and cost of social care. The council's top finance officers have warned that the council will not be able to balance its budget without "exceptional financial support" from the government.

The crossing at Levington Heath, between Ipswich and Felixstowe, is on the list as a potential closure

The BBC understands 15 rail crossings in Suffolk are being considered for closure or modification by Network Rail.

The list was revealed earlier this year in a report to the Suffolk Local Access Forum, a statutory body which advises on public access.

Nigel Meadows from The Suffolk Ramblers said he "understood" why some of the crossings made the list but had concerns over alternatives at three of them that were used "regularly" by walkers — in Levington Heath, Wherstead near Jimmy's Farm, and at Old Newton/Dagworth.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said it was in the "early stages of discussions" and this was "to find ways to make the railway safer for everyone".

To shut or change a railway crossing which has a public right of way, Network Rail needs to apply for a Transport Works and Act Order (TWAO). This requires public consultation, can be objected to and the final sign-off has to be made by the secretary of state for transport.

Mr Meadows said he had been made aware of the Network Rail "wish list" in January and had researched the crossings. He had concerns about lack of alternative routes and said closing them would be a "major loss":

* of most concern was Old Newton, near Stowmarket, "because that's part of the Mid-Suffolk path and a very well-used"

* Levington Heath, near Felixstowe, was "currently very well-used as a link up to the old A12 with a lay-by there and open access land"

* The Wherstead crossing, south of Ipswich, had issues because he had used it this year and "it's near Jimmy's Farm and there seemed to be a lot of people walking around there... obviously a very well-used route again"


(BBC article continues)

A widespread engine fault on GWR’s fleet of intercity trains is causing overcrowding, late running and cancellations on London–Oxford services, and onwards into the Cotswolds. Fuel pumps are said to be “disintegrating”, leading to trains running slow with several engines out of service.

Over the last four weeks, only 60% of Oxford–Paddington services have run to time (or within 5 minutes). Some services have been particularly unpunctual: the 2035 from Oxford has been on time for just 15% of its scheduled runs, with the 1331 little better at 25%.

The engine failures mean that services booked for 9-coach trains are often run with just 5, with passengers being left on the platform at Oxford on occasion. A 9-coach train has 5 engines: GWR withdraws them from service if 3 of the 5 have failed.

Teen arrested after railway station assault

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and bailed in connection with a serious assault at a railway station.

British Transport Police said a man in his 50s sustained multiple facial fractures following an assault at Polsloe Bridge Station, in Exeter, on 30 October.

Officers have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Police said a boy, from Exeter, had been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and had since been released on police bail while inquiries continued.

The derailed train south of Shap.

At around 06:10 on 3 November 2025, a passenger train travelling from Glasgow Central to London Euston derailed after striking a landslip around 3 miles (5 km) south of Shap, Cumbria. The train was travelling at around 83 mph (134 km/h) when it struck debris that had been washed onto the track. This lifted the first bogie off the rails and to the right, where it ran derailed for around 560 metres. There were 9 staff and 86 passengers on board the train at the time of the collision.

Four people were treated for minor injuries as a result of the accident, and damage was caused to the train and to railway infrastructure.

The landslip occurred during a period of heavy and sustained rainfall. RAIB’s preliminary examination found that a drainage channel, which runs across the slope above the washed-out material, was unable to accommodate the volume of water which was present. This led to the slope material below becoming saturated, initiating the landslip.

Our investigation will determine the sequence of events which led to the derailment and will include consideration of:

•     the design, maintenance and management of earthworks and drainage in this area
•     the effectiveness of on-site monitoring equipment
•     the operational response to adverse weather warnings
•     the performance of the train during the derailment
•     any underlying factors which might have contributed to the derailment.

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:12/11/2025 13:48

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to the train for this service having broken down.

Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:12/11/2025 14:28

Queen Camilla joined a service from Chippenham for the service - there is ITV video of her standing next to Mark Hopwood at the service.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpyekyvkko



I worry (is it just me?) that if someone takes so many attempts to pass a test that have a safety implication, their eventual passing might just be a stroke of luck on that occasion and they might not actually be safe on the road thereafter.  A car is a lethel weapon after all, probably responsible for more none-medical deaths in the UK than knives.

Edit to add - about 1600 road deaths / 290 knife crime deaths last year .... UK figures

In March next year I need to get from Prague to Krakow. An open access Operator called Leo Express is coming up extremely cheaply. Under £10 once converted to GBP.
Has anyone any experience of this operator? Any comments ? Are they reliable?

Less than a tenner for a journey of around 550km seems too good to be true, or maybe I’m just used to U.K. pricing.

A learner driver has failed their theory test 128 times, according to a new report.

The candidate would have spent about £3,000, findings released by the AA Driving School and based on official statistics have shown.

Another driver passed on their 75th attempt last year, costing them an estimated £1,700.

According to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, obtained by the AA, two learners have taken their practical test 37 times without passing.

It took 43 tries for another candidate to pass, the report said, potentially costing them up to £3,200.

Can it be confirmed that the option to stay logged in has been removed? I only seem to be getting 360minutes now as an option.

What are we doing about it?
-
Engineers are on site monitoring the issue. There is a plan to fix the defect overnight but we will advise further here if this plan changes.


Well that's helpful.

Wreaths were placed on GWR trains from Gloucester to London Paddington

Events have taken place across the West of England to mark Armistice Day.

A two-minute silence was observed in offices, schools and shopping centres at 11:00 GMT to mark the time and date when the World War One Armistice came into effect.

It was also the sixth anniversary of The Veterans Charity and Great Western Railway joint "Poppies to Paddington" Remembrance memorial.

Poppy wreaths were collected from stations including Gloucester and laid at the war memorial at Paddington Station in London.

Mel Rudge from the Gloucester City Royal British Legion placed one of the wreaths on the GWR train when it stopped at Gloucester this morning. He said its "very important, we must remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice".

The train stopped at several station on its way including Kemble and Didcot before arriving in London where the wreaths were laid at the War Memorial to mark Armistice Day.

In Dursley, it is the first year the day of remembrance has been held at the new war memorial garden, built to give veterans "ringside seats" during services to honour the fallen. The Dursley and Cam branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) helped the community raise £3,800 for the garden. RBL secretary, Julie Campbell said she felt "immense pride and joy that we are able to give this to Dursley".


The new memorial in Dursley features a plaque with the names of 44 soldiers who died in World War One and World War Two

The Bath Branch Grenadier Guards led the service at the First Field War Memorial in Combe Down, Bath. Around 400 school children from Combe Down Primary school along with their teachers and parents plus members of the local community gathered to pay their respects. Penny, a local 13 year-old schoolgirl played the last post.


People gathered at the Burma War Memorial in Taunton for a two-minute silence

In Bristol, Simon Bennett was at the service held at Arnos Vale cemetery. He said he felt "more than any time in history, this is the the perfect opportunity to remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country. I've got ancestors who fought in the First World War and Second World War. So [I am] very proud of what they did for this country," added Mr Bennett.

In Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, military veteran Alister Cheesewright said seeing "everyone line the streets" in the town "means a lot". There is a "proud history here," he added.


The last post was played in front of crowds gathered in Royal Wootton Bassett

One might hope that, in the circumstances, LNER might provide free travel to those BTP locations to collect their items, on proof of the appointment

That's *exactly* why you do take out travel insurance. It wasn't Ryanair's fault....

Learner driver scammed over test feels 'hopeless'

A teenager who lost £200 after booking a driving test from scammers has called on the government to improve its booking system and waiting lists.

Lucy Sturt, 18, from Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, found a third party on social media to book a slot but never heard back from them after parting with her money. She said: "I'm feeling pretty depleted and just a bit hopeless because it limits what I can do, not being able to drive, which is really sad."

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson recommended learners used the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) official site. The DVSA said it was committed to developing a new booking system.

Lucy describes the official website as "horrific", with attempts to log into it early in the mornings when new tests were released proving fruitless. Automated systems, or bots, block-book driving test slots, contributing to the problem. She is also regularly booted from the site when it assumes she herself is a bot.

According to figures obtained by the AA Driving School, the majority of test centres in the south of England have waiting times of more than five months.

Lucy searched Facebook groups advertising driving test cancellations and was directly messaged by an admin after leaving a post on one of them, with the discussion carried over to WhatsApp. "I probably knew it was too good to be true because the test was coming up in a few weeks, but because I was so desperate you just resort to things like that because you really want the end product," she said.

Lucy has called for a "complete reform" of the DVSA system, as well as "more safeguarding to stop these robots from bypassing the system".

Lucy's mother Chrissy Sturt said: "The scammers are exploiting desperation, and the desperation is caused by this centrally-broken system. We're just an ordinary little family. We can't compete with these bots and other systems that have been set up to grab all the slots."

...

In a statement the DVSA said it used "enhanced bot protection" to stop bots buying up tests, but that they were "constantly evolving and changing". It said it did not "run, approve or endorse any cancellation finder apps or services", and that learners should use the DVSA official channel to book their test. It added: "Any tests booked outside of the official DVSA booking site could be a scam and may result in the learner driver not having a test slot and losing their money."

Since January 2023, the DVSA has investigated more than 1,600 business accounts for booking violations. It said it was committed to developing a new system to both deal with the increase in demand and the use of bots which "cheat learners out of being able to easily book a test".

A DfT spokesperson said it had "inherited a frustrating system where many learners found themselves stuck in limbo, waiting to ditch their L plates, but unable to get a test". It said it instructed the DVSA to take further measures, and was seeing "early signs of improvement" though there was "still more to be done". It said the department would "make sure the DVSA continues to do all they can to reduce waiting times".