30 years of service

Energy companies have been accused of an “unacceptable” level of customer service by the regulator during Storm Arwen , including switching off their callback service to avoid logging their failures. Ofgem said customers were left “having to cope in appalling conditions” in the wake of the storm in November 2021, with nearly 4,000 homes without power for over a week, in a damning report released on Thursday. Customers struggled to reach their network providers as call centres became overwhelmed after a million homes were left without power, leaving them with inadequate communication on when it would return. Three network operators highlighted in the report have agreed to pay an additional £10 million to affected communities, on top of the £30 million in direct compensation already paid out. One of them, Electricity North West, switched off its callback function in an apparent move to avoid being fined by Ofgem, which logs calls as unsuccessful if they are not returned … [Read more...] about Energy companies switched off callback services during Storm Arwen to avoid fines

F rench President Emmanuel Macron has accused Russia of using energy as a “weapon of war” as the chief executive of oil and gas giant Shell warned gas rationing in Europe this winter was possible. Mr Macron yesterday told citizens to "prepare for a scenario where we have to manage completely without Russian gas." "The summer, early autumn will be very hard," he said. "Russia is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war." He said the government would prepare a "sobriety plan" to conserve energy, which would start with turning off public lights at night when they aren't useful. "We need a general mobilisation," Mr Macron said in a televised address for Bastille Day. Ben van Beurden, chief executive of Shell, echoed the French president’s remarks, saying Russia had shown it is “able and willing to weaponise energy supplies.” Mr van Beurden said Moscow had “surprised” the market and told governments to be prepared for the Kremlin to restrict gas further. “For a … [Read more...] about Macron says Putin using gas as ‘weapon of war’ amid rationing fears

Christopher Robinson, from Bucknall, was stuck on the floor for 11 hours after a fall (Image: Stoke Sentinel) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info After falling at home on Tuesday, Christopher Robinson, 59, says he pressed his lifeline buzzer which alerted paramedics and his brother Stewart. Though his brother arrived within minutes, it took West Midlands Ambulance Service more than 11 hours to reach him. When the paramedics finally turned up, they had to ring Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for help to get him into a specialist ambulance. Related articles Prue Leith calls for assisted dying in admission about brother NHS go-ahead for life-extending drugs in war on breast cancers Christopher has been … [Read more...] about Man weighing 30st-plus has horror 13-hour ambulance wait after fall

Published 17 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Three women and two men were arrested after police were called to a fight at a train station involving about 40 people. A Translink worker was reported to have been assaulted in the incident at Castlerock train station in County Londonderry on Saturday evening. Officers were called to the scene at about 18:40 BST. A 30-year-old man was given a community resolution notice after being detained for suspected criminal damage. A 39-year-old woman was also given a community resolution notice after being arrested on suspicion of common assault. Police released a 22-year-old man arrested for suspected common assault pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). 'An appalling attack' Two other women - aged 23 and 69 - have been released unconditionally. Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd … [Read more...] about Castlerock: Up to 40 people involved in fight at train station

What the hell did you think would happen? For the better part of two years, we paid people to stay home , and covered the cost by printing money. In other words, for two years, the amount of goods and services being produced fell, while the amount of money in circulation rose. You don’t need a degree in economics to know that more money chasing fewer products means inflation. Most of us grasp the concept of a postponed reckoning. If you took two years off work, and maintained your income by borrowing, you’d be a lot worse off. We all understand that with reference to our own lives. So why do we struggle to extend the same reasoning to our nation’s finances? Perhaps because it is human to prefer sweet falsehoods to bitter truths. It would be lovely if there really were a way to get back to growth and stable money without significant cuts. And, politics being politics, various fools and opportunists are now stepping forward to claim that this can somehow be done. First, there are … [Read more...] about Britain is in crisis because of the arrogance and delusions of the lockdown fanatics

Ambulances stranded back-to-back outside hospitals, carrying patients waiting in vain for a free bed on a ward. Heart attack victims waiting hours for help, and a frail, elderly woman left on the floor of her home for 18 hours after a fall. Our spiralling emergency care crisis will be laid bare this week in a special edition of the long-running BBC series Ambulance. The Mail on Sunday has been given an exclusive preview, which follows paramedics working for the North East Ambulance Service as they battle to meet the daily demand for emergency care. And as one despairing 999 call operator wails during the show – no doubt echoing the thoughts of so many desperate people: ‘Can it get any worse?’ This week's long-running BBC 1 series Ambulance shows the terrible situation paramedics face each day during their efforts to bring patients to hospital It is a snapshot of a nationwide problem, with ambulance delays at record highs Viewers are taken into the eye of the … [Read more...] about Britain’s ambulance MELTDOWN: Paramedics face waiting half of their shift to unload ill patients at A&E, new documentary shows

Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing The body of a man has been recovered by police looking for a man spotted in the River Thames. The man, believed to be in his early 20s, was found by police divers in Hampton Court, south-west London, at about 22:30 BST on Sunday. Three police forces, the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and RNLI began the search after being alerted to a person in the water at about 16:10. The victim's family has been informed. The Met's Supt Richard Smith said: "Our thoughts go out to the young man who has lost his life. "Our officers worked incredibly hard with partner agencies but despite a rapid response he could not be rescued." The latest death follows that of a 14-year-old boy who entered the water at nearby Tagg's Island at the end of last month. Urging people to stay out of the water, Supt … [Read more...] about Hampton Court: Body of man found in River Thames

Published 26 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Bloody Sunday An MP has said recent incidents of "casual sectarianism" show that Northern Ireland has not done enough to build reconciliation and integration. The Alliance Party's Stephen Farry was speaking after events at the weekend. In Londonderry, the sale of Parachute Regiment flags at a parade was described as an "insult" by the son of a man killed on Bloody Sunday. There were reports of pro-IRA chanting during a Wolfe Tones concert on Sunday night. There was also widespread criticism after a mural depicting a burning police Land Rover was unveiled in west Belfast on Friday evening. And Larne FC announced on Monday it had suspended player John Herron after images emerged of him wearing a t-shirt with a pro-IRA slogan at a concert at the weekend. "We have shown that we … [Read more...] about ‘Casual sectarianism’ incidents in Belfast and Derry criticised by MP