Devon council warning after life buoys used as dog toys
The council said the cost of replacing damaged items was adding up, but its main concern was people's safety."The monetary side isn't the main driver here," Hackett said.The council said adding padlocks to boxes which hold equipment could waste vital seconds in an emergency.Chris Willson, a coastal engineer for Torridge District Council, said: "Unfortunately people seem to like to vandalise certain items."It is quite a concern, especially if someone were to be in danger."The council said anyone who witnessed vandalism should report it to the police and damaged equipment should be reported to the council.
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Plane that crashed in UK was medical aircraft owned by Dutch IT millionaire
Four foreign nationals were killed in a plane crash at London Southend Airport after a small aircraft owned by an IT millionaire exploded into a fireball moments after take-off on Sunday. The plane, operated by the Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, is owned by Dutch man Con Zwinkels, who also piloted a Boeing 747 for Martinair, according to Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf. Essex Police chief superintendent Morgan Cronin confirmed that all four people onboard the plane were foreign nationals. Two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse were among those on board, according to a document which lists passengers. Cronin told a press conference: 'Yesterday afternoon, an aircraft which had landed here earlier in the day took off bound for the Netherlands. 'Shortly after take-off, it got into difficulty and crashed within the airport boundary. Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died. We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.' It is also understood that the plane had dropped off a patient at Southend and was due to return to its base in the Netherlands. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to four people killed saying his 'thoughts are with their families and loved ones'. Cronin added: 'Our detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with air accident investigators, the Royal Air Force, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to build an accurate picture of what happened. 'To aid our investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site. 'We're also speaking with dozens of witnesses, some of whom have already provided video footage, and we'd like to thank them for their help. I know this would be an extremely distressing scene for them. 'I know there will be a lot of questions about what happened here yesterday. We are doing all we can to establish the facts and get those answers.' The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into what caused the Beech B200 Super King Air to suddenly plummet to the ground. Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB said at this stage 'it is too early to speculate' on what may have caused the plane crash. She added: 'Our focus is on gathering the physical evidence from the accident site and interviewing witnesses. 'The remains of the aircraft will then be recovered to our facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further detailed investigation.' Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his one-year-old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 meters off the runway' before it began tilting left. Describing the moment of impact, he said explained: 'My daughter was pointing at it and then it lifted to the left. The left wing came down, the ring wing came up. I thought he's keen to go left as soon as he takes off. 'He's banking hard left and then the next thing you know, it's like another handbrake turn. He went left so violently and I thought 'What is he doing?' He was only about 100 meters up by this point. 'And then he corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds. I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way.' A plane 'corkscrewing' refers to the moment an aircraft rapidly spirals to towards the ground. Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at Southend Airport. The company was 'actively supporting the authorities with the investigation', adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.' Zeusch Aviation's website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights. The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night. London Southend Airport's chief executive Jude Winstanley said: Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period. 'We are in constant dialog with our operating airlines, and as I'm sure everyone will understand, the airport will remain closed until further notice. Passengers should contact their airline for information and advice.' Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror. John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a 'big fireball' after the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'. Johnson told the PA news agency: 'We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take–off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway. 'It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground. There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it.' He said he felt 'shaken up' and his thoughts were with the people on the plane and their loved ones. Terrifying: In one video circulating online, passengers were seen boarding with the crash billowing smoke on the other side of the runway
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Teenager badly hurt after four off-road bikes crash in Aberdeen
A teenager was badly injured after a crash involving four off-road motorcycles in incident happened on North Anderson Drive, near the Provost Fraser Drive roundabout, at about 16:45 on teenager - whose exact age was not given - was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where his condition was described as riders of the other three bikes left the scene, and Police Scotland has appealed for witnesses to come foward. The road was closed for about four-and-a-half Pete Henderson said: "Inquiries are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage of the area at the time to contact us."We would also ask the riders of the motorcycles that were involved in the incident to come forward to assist with the investigation."The Scottish Ambulance Service said it dispatched two ambulances, a rapid resuscitation response unit and a trauma team to the scene.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘They lump us all together': van-dwellers and homeowners clash over life near Bristol Downs
Lee James is cowering in the rusting Mercedes Sprinter van he calls home. He is worried sick by the growing campaign to evict van-dwellers like him from historic parkland in the wealthy north-west of Bristol. 'I'm not in the greatest headspace today … I wouldn't have anywhere to go [if I was evicted] … this is my home,' he said in the gloomy interior. 'I just wish there was more kindness.' Last week, residents from the neighbourhoods surrounding the Bristol Downs, where house prices and average incomes are among the highest in the city, lobbied the Green-led council to remove the 60 to 100 vans and caravans in the park. There are about 650 live-in vehicles across Bristol, which has been dubbed the van-dwelling capital of the UK. The number of vehicles used as homes has quadrupled over the past five years, with the council estimating that there were only 150 such vehicles in 2019. Other van-dwelling hotspots include Brighton, Falmouth and Glastonbury. National numbers are hard to gauge as few councils count vehicle-dwellers. But people are thought to be living in vans and caravans in every city in the UK. Torbay last year used private enforcement officers to crack down on van-dwelling encampments. The issue is becoming increasingly divisive in Bristol. Residents have formed a 'Protect the Downs' action group and marched through the park. The group addressed a Bristol city council meeting on Tuesday 8 July after more than 8,000 people signed a petition calling on councillors to 'remove van-dwelling encampments'. Tony Nelson, the group's chair, told a packed public gallery that antisocial behaviour, including defecation in bushes, fighting, assaults, drug dealing and flashing had become a daily occurrence. He even claimed a child was nearly blinded after coming into contact with human excrement. 'This is no longer a park. It is a pit of antisocial behaviour,' he said. Nelson, who is a former RAF officer, urged the council to concentrate van-dwellers on unused sites elsewhere in the city. 'We are asking for basic, reasonable measures, enforce the rules that already exist, identify those eligible for support, remove the illegal encampments and restore safety and dignity for our public spaces,' he said. The council is drafting a new van-dwelling policy, which will be subject to consultation in September. Barry Parsons, the Green chair of the housing committee, told the residents the new approach would support the wellbeing of settled communities and van-dwellers. James, 45, however, fears that they will be moved on. He has been parked up on the downs since becoming homeless five months ago. He sought help from the council and local charities because he could not afford to rent a room in a shared house, which costs on average more than £850 a month in Bristol. But James, who is a self-employed handyman, said he was told he did not stand a chance of being rehoused. 'None of what [the campaigners] say about us is true. They lump us all together,' said James, who struggles with a range of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. 'I try not to think about [their campaign] too much because it is upsetting.' The residents' group accepts that there are some vulnerable, homeless people living in vehicles, but claims it is a lifestyle choice for the 'vast majority' of van-dwellers. 'The few vulnerable people are outweighed massively by the people who are choosing to live [on the downs],' said Nelson. He added that those priced out of the city should move to towns with lower rents, such as Newport in Wales: 'You cannot remove people's rights to access a family park because you can't afford a mansion in Clifton.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The group was unable to provide the Guardian with evidence that a child had nearly gone blind after coming into contact with human waste. Dog, fox and cat faeces carry worm eggs that can cause blindness. Police figures show there has been a 5.7% decrease in recorded crime in the ward covering most of the Downs over the past 12 months. People live in vehicles for a range of often overlapping reasons. Some van-dwellers cannot afford high rents, while others resent giving most of their meagre income to landlords. Some are escaping street homelessness. Physical and mental health problems are common. Some prefer life on the road. Research published by the council last year showed the single largest reason to live in a vehicle is the inability to find or afford anywhere else to stay. There are more than 21,000 people waiting for social housing in Bristol and more than 1,600 households in temporary accommodation. Amy Dickson, 35, has been living on the downs since last year. She moved into a van after she was evicted from a string of rentals in the city: 'I've always been in minimum wage jobs. My family don't have any money. I can't get a guarantor. I just can't afford to rent any more.' Dickson works three jobs, including cleaning and teaching yoga. She is unsettled by the campaign to remove the close-knit communities that have sprung up in the park. 'We've all parked together and it is really nice,' she said. 'It is awful to receive so much hate.' She scoffs at the suggestion she could move to another city. 'We have jobs here … that is talking out of total privilege. It is so ignorant.' The council has pledged to set up 250 temporary pitches on land set aside for development by the end of the year. Parsons said enforcement remained an option, but it was pointless to chase people from one part of the city to another. He accepted that the planned extra spaces could only accommodate a minority of van-dwellers. 'Cracking down on one location … in the absence of better alternatives, just means people will move somewhere else.' he said. 'People living in vehicles are fellow residents of Bristol and we have just as much responsibility to support them as anybody else.'
