logo
Roads reopen after telephone mast fire

Roads reopen after telephone mast fire

Yahoo10 hours ago
A fire at a telephone mast closed a number of roads in Whitley Bay for several hours.
The blaze broke out at about 03:30 BST on the roundabout between Hillheads Road and Marden Road, Northumbria Police said.
It said the fire was put out but as teams needed to access the structure nearby routes were closed, including the A193 from Percy Gardens to Park View and the A191 in both directions from the Morrisons roundabout.
All roads have reopened and an investigation is under way into the cause of the fire.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Northumbria Police
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Anger as 'brief' stop outside Sutton Coldfield opticians lands dad with £100 parking charge
Anger as 'brief' stop outside Sutton Coldfield opticians lands dad with £100 parking charge

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Anger as 'brief' stop outside Sutton Coldfield opticians lands dad with £100 parking charge

A dad was left fuming after a two-minute parking stop in a busy Birmingham shopping area cost him a £100 fine. Richard Jeffries said he stopped outside Malcolm Gray opticians in Lichfield Road in Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield, at 12.58pm on Friday, May 9. His fiancée got out of their blue Toyota and he took a pushchair from the boot for their six-month-old daughter Maisie before he drove off at 1pm. READ MORE: Popular city baker who gave up business is back with new venture He said the road was 'busy and dangerous' and it appeared a safe spot to drop them. He claimed signs bearing the terms and conditions of parking were 'set right back near the opticians' and could not be read from his location. He also said they were in 'small print'. Five days later, Mr Jeffries received a penalty charge notice from I Park Services Limited demanding he paid £100, reduced to £60 if he paid within 14 days. The dad, who is also a choirmaster in the area, appealed the decision and said he did not actually park but pulled up to allow his family out. He said there was no clear sign by the road detailing the parking restrictions. He said I Park was a member of the International Parking Community which has a code of practice that allows a five-minute grace period – which he was well within. But he said I Park dismissed his appeal 'within an hour'. A second appeal was with an 'independent appeals service'. Mr Jeffries told BirminghamLive: 'I drove off within two minutes, there was no-one in the car park and there no signs by the road. 'I think its unscrupulous. It's a way of getting money off people. 'I understand they don't want people in those spaces but I didn't actually park,' READ MORE: Driver seriously injured in two-car crash in city suburb He continued: 'Looking at the photos and screenshots not only can you tell I wasn't in a parking bay, I wasn't there longer than two minutes. 'Malcolm Gray was really unhelpful on the phone. They said 'it's nothing to do with us'. I said 'do you think it's fair?'. The lady said she didn't think it was fair, but there are signs. 'But as soon as you open the door of the car, that's when they charge you.' Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join Mr Jeffries added: 'After a while I thought, 'why should I pay £100 if I didn't actually park?' 'Malcolm Gray could look at its system or contact the company and say 'this person didn't park' and cancel it. 'We have parked at the Butlers Arms further up Lichfield Road and a couple of times I didn't put my reg in and they just cancelled it. 'I am minded to fight it. If I pay they are just going to get away with it. 'I think it's really unfair.' READ MORE: Asda thief sat on man and kissed him in car park before stealing gold chain Kathryn Hartland, owner of Malcolm Gray, said the parking company was brought in after the neighbouring Post Office's owner did so - prompting more people to park in its spaces and affecting customers. She told BirminghamLive: 'I have been an owner of the practice for many years. We have been there over 40 years. 'We have three spaces and we have always rubbed along with other businesses. 'There used to be banks there. People would park on our spaces and run in and out. 'Then two or three years ago the owner of the Post Office introduced parking restrictions using a parking company for her spaces. 'That meant more people parked in our spaces to avoid getting a charge. 'It made our parking worse. It became an issue. 'It was the last thing we wanted to do but we met with them (I Park) and they said: 'Let us take the stress out of your parking. ''Anyone coming in to your practice, they put their registration into an iPad. Anyone else we will deal with'. 'People think they are just posting a letter or buying stamps but they are using our spaces and our customers then have to park elsewhere. 'We continue to allow I Park Services to manage our parking spaces. But it is nothing to do with us how they do it. That's down to them.' Get the latest Sutton Coldfield news delivered direct to your inbox I Park said: 'The car park is for customers throughout the opening hours of the optometrists. 'Parking outside the hours of the optometrists is not permitted unless payment is made in accordance with the terms and conditions. 'Drivers must register their vehicle details inside Malcolm Gray, which can only be carried out if they enter the premises. 'If the driver of the vehicle fails to meet the terms and conditions to park the vehicle and leaves the vehicle parked in the car park, the price for parking is £100, which is reduced to £60 if payment is made within 14 days of the notice to keeper. 'The signage around the car park is displayed and can be seen by the driver on entering the car park. It shows the terms and conditions of the car park the driver, by parking their vehicle, agrees to. 'The vehicle entered the car park at 12:58 and left at 13:00. "No entry was made into the terminal inside Malcolm Gray Optometrists. 'A consideration period, for the driver to read the signage and decide if the terms and conditions are acceptable or to leave the site, which may be up to five minutes, will only apply if the vehicle has complied with the terms and conditions. 'Parking and allowing passengers to exit the vehicle negates a consideration period as the driver has parked but in breach of the terms and conditions. 'Grace periods are a period of time after a period of paid parking has expired. In this situation no grace period is applicable. 'The evidence we hold shows the vehicle stopped over a number of bays to allow a passenger to exit the vehicle who then walked off the site before the vehicle left the car park. 'There is no entry into the Malcolm Gray optometrists terminal, therefore the vehicle was parked without a valid permit or authority from the landlord. 'The parking charge is currently at the Independent Appeals Service whereby the evidence supplied will be adjudicated by either a barrister or solicitor. 'If the adjudicator rules in favour of the driver, the parking charge will be cancelled.'

Roads reopen after telephone mast fire
Roads reopen after telephone mast fire

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Roads reopen after telephone mast fire

A fire at a telephone mast closed a number of roads in Whitley Bay for several hours. The blaze broke out at about 03:30 BST on the roundabout between Hillheads Road and Marden Road, Northumbria Police said. It said the fire was put out but as teams needed to access the structure nearby routes were closed, including the A193 from Percy Gardens to Park View and the A191 in both directions from the Morrisons roundabout. All roads have reopened and an investigation is under way into the cause of the fire. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Northumbria Police

Is Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull to sign with Mercedes? What to know about rumors of major F1 shakeup
Is Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull to sign with Mercedes? What to know about rumors of major F1 shakeup

Yahoo

time11 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Is Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull to sign with Mercedes? What to know about rumors of major F1 shakeup

One of F1's biggest stars could be on the move soon. Max Verstappen, who is currently signed with Red Bull, is in talks with Mercedes over changing sides, according to The Guardian. The negotiations have reportedly intensified leading up to this weekend's British Grand Prix. Advertisement There was plenty of buzz around the Dutch driver at the Austrian Grand Prix last week, where the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, confirmed he was trying to sign Verstappen. The racer allegedly contacted Mercedes first, and the two sides have been in talks ever since. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Verstappen, a four-time world champion, would be a huge get for Mercedes, who have a history of convincing drivers to sign on with them. The team lured seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton away from McLaren in 2012. Here's a look at the rumors swirling around Max Verstappen and Mercedes. Advertisement MORE: F1 standings 2025: Updated driver and constructor points, results for Formula One season Did Max Verstappen sign with Mercedes? Verstappen has not signed with Mercedes, but he is reportedly in talks about leaving Red Bull to join the rival team. Mercedes has had its eye on Verstappen since last year, when the team had an opening. They ultimately selected Kimi Antonelli to join George Russell for 2025, but neither driver has a contract for next year. Wolff is clearly interested in Verstappen for 2026. 'As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world it is clear you're exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future,' said Wolff at the Austrian Grand Prix. Advertisement MORE: Max Verstappen family tree: F1 driver announces birth of first child with wife What team is Max Verstappen on? Verstappen is currently with Red Bull. He has been with the squad since 2015 when he first raced for the junior side, Toro Rosso. He was elevated to the senior side in 2016 and, in his debut, became F1's youngest-ever race winner (18 years and 228 days) at Barcelona. MORE:Does 'F1: The Movie' have a post-credit scene? Is Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull Verstappen is not leaving Red Bull right now, but he is reportedly in talks with Mercedes about joining them soon. The former is the only team Verstappen has raced for as a professional. Advertisement MORE:The 15 best and worst racing movies of all time Max Verstappen contract details Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028. However, he does have exit clauses in his deal that would allow him to leave. There is reportedly an option that would be triggered if he is below a specific place in the standings at the summer break, which is after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3. MORE:Only a handful of NFL players make more than Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store