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Met Office says storms may cause travel disruption and flooding, leading to difficult driving conditionsHeavy thunderstorms could give way to the warmest day of the year so far in Britain.The same storm caused mudslides in northern France, which started around midnight and killed at least one person, a 57-year-old woman, and injured her partner. Continue reading...

Crime crackdown plan also gives victims of rape and sexual assault the right to specialist support throughout justice processSix police forces will be given powers to charge domestic abuser suspects without the involvement of the Crown Prosecution Service as part of a series of Labour proposals to solve more crimes announced on Thursday.A future Keir Starmer government would also give victims in domestic abuse,...

Proposed £100 charge could be seen as a price worth paying to continue to sell the productsFirms flouting the proposed ban on disposable vapes should face harsher fines to deter unscrupulous businesses, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.Under the government’s plans, businesses caught selling disposable vapes once the ban is in place could be given a fixed-penalty notice of £100 by their local...

Exclusive: Independent examination of rape prosecutions hears lawyers are ‘obsessed’ with credibility of victims and use victim-blaming languageAnalysis: CPS report makes for grim reading – and it’s only the start Lawyers in the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales have trivialised teen sexual abuse, are “obsessed” about the credibility of rape victims and used victim-blaming language, according to a critical official examination into...

Met Office issues warning with risk of power cuts, travel delays and rural communities becoming cut offA band of heavy snow could cause disruption later this week across parts of the UK, with as much as 20cm possible in higher areas.Temperatures will drop as the week goes on, with a yellow snow warning issued that covers much of Wales as well as northern and...

Thousands without electricity while roads closed, rail services suspended and flights cancelledStorm Isha – latest updatesThousands of people have been left without power as Storm Isha brings disruption to electricity and transport networks.The storm battered the UK with heavy rain and gusts of up to 99mph with the entire country subject to wind warnings issued by the Met Office. Continue reading...

Met Office data indicates lows of -11C hit overnight in England, with snow warnings in all four parts of UK on ThursdayThe UK has shivered through another cold night as weather warnings for snow and ice are in place throughout Thursday.Much of the UK endured temperatures below freezing overnight, with preliminary data from the Met Office indicating the mercury fell to as low as...

Critics say assumption in English and Welsh law that computers are ‘reliable’ reverses usual burden of proof in criminal casesMinisters need to “immediately” update the law to acknowledge that computers are fallible or risk a repeat of the Horizon scandal, legal experts say.In English and Welsh law, computers are assumed to be “reliable” unless proven otherwise. But critics of this approach say this reverses...

Majority of flood warnings in south of England and Midlands, with some snow flurries overnightMore than 100 flood warnings remain in place after last week’s Storm Henk deluge as large parts of the UK endured a cold, frosty morning.The Environment Agency (EA) said there were 126 flood warnings in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of...

Health Security Agency issues week-long alert for vulnerable and elderly people across EnglandA cold weather alert has been issued and almost 250 flood warnings are in place across England and Wales as conditions continue to cause travel problems across parts of the UK.The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold weather alert for vulnerable and elderly people from 9am on Saturday until...

Train operators say services face delays and cancellations after rain and strong winds batter UKMore than 300 flood warnings are in place across England as travellers face transport delays, with train services struggling to get back on track after rain and strong winds from Storm Henk lashed large parts of the UK.The Environment Agency said on Wednesday there were 368 active alerts in England...