
Lidl issues urgent recall on popular kitchen item due to fire hazard
Lidl has warned customers to stop using an air fryer it sold 'immediately' due to a 'fire hazard' associated with the product.
The retailer issued an urgent recall notice for the Tower 8L Dual Basket Air Fryer, which is said has a 'risk of overheating'.
Customers have been asked to check whether their products has the code T17129L and to return it if so. The batch number can be found on a white sticker on the base of the product.
'Our supplier is recalling the above-mentioned product due to risk of overheating, which could present a fire hazard,' the notice read.
'If you own one of the affected models, please stop using it immediately.'
It added that customers should contact the supplier at www.tower-safety.co.uk to check if their unit is affected and follow the instructions for returning it.
People who have bought one of the devices can also contact customer.care@lidl.co.uk or phone 0203 966 5566 for more information.
No other Tower products have been affected by the recall.
Earlier this month, Lidl issued a product recall for Harvest Basket Hash Browns with the batch number 5144L and best before date of the May 24 2027.
Lidl GB recalled the product due to the 'potential presence of foreign bodies (metal)' which may present a choking hazard.

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Full list of projected change in population for local areas in England
Here is a full list of the projected change in population for local areas in England between mid-2022 and mid-2032. The projections have been published by the Office for National Statistics. The list is for 309 areas in England, based on 2021 local authority boundaries. It reads, from left to right: name of local authority; projected percentage change in population between mid-2022 and mid-2032; estimated size of population in mid-2022 and projected size in mid-2032. The list is ordered by the size of the percentage change, beginning with the largest. City of London 48.6% (mid-2022 11,457; mid-2032 17,023)Tower Hamlets 20.4% (mid-2022 323,854; mid-2032 389,845)South Derbyshire 19.2% (mid-2022 111,145; mid-2032 132,463)Stratford-on-Avon 17.4% (mid-2022 138,573; mid-2032 162,678)North West Leicestershire 15.8% (mid-2022 107,666; mid-2032 124,628)South Norfolk 15.5% (mid-2022 144,617; mid-2032 166,982)Salford 15.2% (mid-2022 278,867; mid-2032 321,347)Tewkesbury 15.0% (mid-2022 97,032; mid-2032 111,619)Vale of White Horse 14.9% (mid-2022 142,335; mid-2032 163,566)Harborough 14.4% (mid-2022 100,550; mid-2032 115,004)Central Bedfordshire 14.3% (mid-2022 301,820; mid-2032 345,063)Preston 13.9% (mid-2022 151,869; mid-2032 172,921)Coventry 13.8% (mid-2022 352,889; mid-2032 401,655)East Devon 13.5% (mid-2022 154,374; mid-2032 175,154)Dartford 13.4% (mid-2022 118,810; mid-2032 134,718)Maidstone 13.4% (mid-2022 180,569; mid-2032 204,706)Islington 13.3% (mid-2022 219,594; mid-2032 248,818)Uttlesford 13.2% (mid-2022 92,675; mid-2032 104,867)Camden 13.0% (mid-2022 217,365; mid-2032 245,651)South Gloucestershire 13.0% (mid-2022 295,307; mid-2032 333,598)Cherwell 12.9% (mid-2022 164,189; mid-2032 185,337)Wychavon 12.5% (mid-2022 134,544; mid-2032 151,343)Eastleigh 12.5% (mid-2022 139,056; mid-2032 156,397) Cambridge 12.3% (mid-2022 147,813; mid-2032 165,929)Rugby 12.2% (mid-2022 116,461; mid-2032 130,712)Wokingham 12.2% (mid-2022 181,383; mid-2032 203,488) Ribble Valley 12.1% (mid-2022 63,140; mid-2032 70,790)Mid Suffolk 12.1% (mid-2022 105,726; mid-2032 118,492)Selby 11.9% (mid-2022 93,613; mid-2032 104,720)Rushcliffe 11.6% (mid-2022 121,765; mid-2032 135,855)Manchester 11.0% (mid-2022 566,778; mid-2032 629,326)South Cambridgeshire 11.0% (mid-2022 165,709; mid-2032 183,906)Bedford 11.0% (mid-2022 187,503; mid-2032 208,073)Welwyn Hatfield 10.9% (mid-2022 120,420; mid-2032 133,553)South Oxfordshire 10.8% (mid-2022 151,845; mid-2032 168,232)Westminster 10.7% (mid-2022 209,866; mid-2032 232,354)Tendring 10.6% (mid-2022 151,400; mid-2032 167,509)Horsham 10.6% (mid-2022 148,769; mid-2032 164,513)Colchester 10.5% (mid-2022 194,648; mid-2032 215,166)Cheshire East 10.4% (mid-2022 406,587; mid-2032 448,884)Wyre 10.4% (mid-2022 114,924; mid-2032 126,854)East Hampshire 10.3% (mid-2022 127,285; mid-2032 140,409)Fylde 10.3% (mid-2022 82,990; mid-2032 91,510)Charnwood 10.2% (mid-2022 185,266; mid-2032 204,246)South Holland 10.1% (mid-2022 96,964; mid-2032 106,724)Telford & Wrekin 10.0% (mid-2022 189,000; mid-2032 207,956)Bristol 10.0% (mid-2022 478,636; mid-2032 526,594)Newham 9.9% (mid-2022 357,147; mid-2032 392,601)Cotswold 9.9% (mid-2022 91,360; mid-2032 100,374)Ashford 9.8% (mid-2022 135,741; mid-2032 149,094)Liverpool 9.8% (mid-2022 495,849; mid-2032 544,336)Southwark 9.8% (mid-2022 311,492; mid-2032 341,900)Knowsley 9.8% (mid-2022 157,107; mid-2032 172,423)Test Valley 9.7% (mid-2022 132,924; mid-2032 145,794)Stroud 9.6% (mid-2022 123,225; mid-2032 135,033)West Oxfordshire 9.5% (mid-2022 116,978; mid-2032 128,137)North Devon 9.5% (mid-2022 100,455; mid-2032 110,027)Broadland 9.5% (mid-2022 133,885; mid-2032 146,627)Mid Devon 9.4% (mid-2022 83,812; mid-2032 91,713)Hackney 9.4% (mid-2022 261,632; mid-2032 286,214)Maldon 9.4% (mid-2022 67,568; mid-2032 73,903)Breckland 9.3% (mid-2022 143,459; mid-2032 156,779)South Hams 9.3% (mid-2022 89,808; mid-2032 98,156)Malvern Hills 9.3% (mid-2022 81,070; mid-2032 88,585)Sheffield 9.3% (mid-2022 564,702; mid-2032 617,015)East Cambridgeshire 9.3% (mid-2022 89,438; mid-2032 97,707)Newcastle upon Tyne 9.2% (mid-2022 306,402; mid-2032 334,700)Wealden 9.2% (mid-2022 163,122; mid-2032 178,108)Wakefield 9.1% (mid-2022 357,698; mid-2032 390,301)Warwick 9.1% (mid-2022 151,233; mid-2032 165,009)Blaby 9.1% (mid-2022 104,283; mid-2032 113,732)Swale 9.0% (mid-2022 154,598; mid-2032 168,458)Kensington & Chelsea 8.9% (mid-2022 146,392; mid-2032 159,403)Cornwall 8.8% (mid-2022 575,532; mid-2032 626,317)Lichfield 8.8% (mid-2022 108,337; mid-2032 117,842)Babergh 8.7% (mid-2022 94,287; mid-2032 102,522)Exeter 8.7% (mid-2022 134,811; mid-2032 146,558)Wandsworth 8.6% (mid-2022 329,358; mid-2032 357,770)Mid Sussex 8.6% (mid-2022 155,010; mid-2032 168,298)East Staffordshire 8.5% (mid-2022 125,692; mid-2032 136,395)Greenwich 8.5% (mid-2022 291,879; mid-2032 316,549)Teignbridge 8.5% (mid-2022 135,972; mid-2032 147,462)Bath & North East Somerset 8.4% (mid-2022 195,988; mid-2032 212,527)Bolsover 8.4% (mid-2022 81,541; mid-2032 88,416)Shropshire 8.4% (mid-2022 327,479; mid-2032 354,847)Stafford 8.3% (mid-2022 138,644; mid-2032 150,149)North Warwickshire 8.2% (mid-2022 65,947; mid-2032 71,349)Newark & Sherwood 8.2% (mid-2022 125,056; mid-2032 135,243)Southampton 8.2% (mid-2022 252,151; mid-2032 272,709)Hammersmith & Fulham 8.1% (mid-2022 185,506; mid-2032 200,590)Cheshire West & Chester 8.1% (mid-2022 361,799; mid-2032 391,136)Huntingdonshire 8.0% (mid-2022 184,096; mid-2032 198,906)Leeds 8.0% (mid-2022 820,802; mid-2032 886,763)Winchester 8.0% (mid-2022 130,597; mid-2032 141,012)Canterbury 7.9% (mid-2022 158,282; mid-2032 170,730)Milton Keynes 7.9% (mid-2022 292,517; mid-2032 315,470)Bassetlaw 7.8% (mid-2022 119,985; mid-2032 129,344)West Devon 7.8% (mid-2022 58,212; mid-2032 62,724)Bracknell Forest 7.7% (mid-2022 127,030; mid-2032 136,828)North East Derbyshire 7.7% (mid-2022 103,797; mid-2032 111,781)Chichester 7.6% (mid-2022 126,200; mid-2032 135,792)Arun 7.6% (mid-2022 166,381; mid-2032 179,004)Ryedale 7.6% (mid-2022 55,326; mid-2032 59,501)Reigate & Banstead 7.5% (mid-2022 153,674; mid-2032 165,213)East Hertfordshire 7.5% (mid-2022 151,717; mid-2032 163,069)Hillingdon 7.4% (mid-2022 310,894; mid-2032 333,958)Chelmsford 7.4% (mid-2022 183,414; mid-2032 197,011)Runnymede 7.4% (mid-2022 89,069; mid-2032 95,662)Chorley 7.3% (mid-2022 118,623; mid-2032 127,235)West Lindsey 7.2% (mid-2022 96,788; mid-2032 103,782)Cannock Chase 7.2% (mid-2022 101,144; mid-2032 108,413)Eden 7.1% (mid-2022 55,473; mid-2032 59,427)Somerset West & Taunton 7.1% (mid-2022 159,359; mid-2032 170,670)Lancaster 7.1% (mid-2022 144,561; mid-2032 154,797)Barnet 7.1% (mid-2022 390,346; mid-2032 417,948)Hinckley & Bosworth 7.0% (mid-2022 114,315; mid-2032 122,350)Hambleton 7.0% (mid-2022 92,076; mid-2032 98,519)Bromsgrove 7.0% (mid-2022 100,155; mid-2032 107,119)Basingstoke & Deane 6.9% (mid-2022 187,870; mid-2032 200,875)North Northamptonshire 6.9% (mid-2022 363,244; mid-2032 388,392)Wigan 6.9% (mid-2022 334,014; mid-2032 357,111)Tonbridge & Malling 6.9% (mid-2022 133,664; mid-2032 142,898)Nuneaton & Bedworth 6.9% (mid-2022 135,499; mid-2032 144,798)West Suffolk 6.8% (mid-2022 182,328; mid-2032 194,698)West Northamptonshire 6.8% (mid-2022 429,511; mid-2032 458,565)East Riding of Yorkshire 6.7% (mid-2022 346,316; mid-2032 369,673)Oadby & Wigston 6.7% (mid-2022 58,456; mid-2032 62,348)Rother 6.6% (mid-2022 94,221; mid-2032 100,462)North Somerset 6.5% (mid-2022 219,165; mid-2032 233,467)Havering 6.5% (mid-2022 264,675; mid-2032 281,854)Wolverhampton 6.5% (mid-2022 267,888; mid-2032 285,277)Buckinghamshire 6.4% (mid-2022 560,688; mid-2032 596,751)Amber Valley 6.4% (mid-2022 126,934; mid-2032 135,020)Rochford 6.3% (mid-2022 87,194; mid-2032 92,697)Northumberland 6.3% (mid-2022 324,286; mid-2032 344,717)North Tyneside 6.3% (mid-2022 210,512; mid-2032 223,735)North Kesteven 6.2% (mid-2022 119,689; mid-2032 127,155)Waverley 6.2% (mid-2022 130,329; mid-2032 138,426)Middlesbrough 6.2% (mid-2022 148,583; mid-2032 157,800)Braintree 6.1% (mid-2022 157,605; mid-2032 167,213)Dover 6.1% (mid-2022 117,546; mid-2032 124,720)Stockport 6.1% (mid-2022 297,191; mid-2032 315,310)Torridge 6.1% (mid-2022 68,664; mid-2032 72,852)Sedgemoor 6.1% (mid-2022 126,502; mid-2032 134,210)Rochdale 6.1% (mid-2022 226,950; mid-2032 240,756)County Durham 6.0% (mid-2022 527,704; mid-2032 559,573)Wiltshire 6.0% (mid-2022 516,107; mid-2032 547,220)Forest of Dean 6.0% (mid-2022 87,934; mid-2032 93,232)Harrogate 6.0% (mid-2022 165,906; mid-2032 175,892)South Somerset 6.0% (mid-2022 174,306; mid-2032 184,794)Thurrock 6.0% (mid-2022 176,788; mid-2032 187,436)North Norfolk 6.0% (mid-2022 103,223; mid-2032 109,392)Folkestone & Hythe 6.0% (mid-2022 110,356; mid-2032 116,921)Leicester 5.9% (mid-2022 372,495; mid-2032 394,638)East Lindsey 5.9% (mid-2022 144,400; mid-2032 152,966)Mendip 5.8% (mid-2022 116,924; mid-2032 123,646)Waltham Forest 5.8% (mid-2022 276,312; mid-2032 292,198)Craven 5.7% (mid-2022 57,812; mid-2032 61,124)Guildford 5.7% (mid-2022 146,378; mid-2032 154,739)Hart 5.6% (mid-2022 100,912; mid-2032 106,594)Dorset 5.6% (mid-2022 383,373; mid-2032 404,842)Worthing 5.6% (mid-2022 112,022; mid-2032 118,291)Oxford 5.5% (mid-2022 162,448; mid-2032 171,425)Lambeth 5.5% (mid-2022 316,700; mid-2032 334,170)Darlington 5.5% (mid-2022 109,413; mid-2032 115,436)Boston 5.4% (mid-2022 70,831; mid-2032 74,675)Kingston upon Thames 5.4% (mid-2022 169,082; mid-2032 178,237)East Suffolk 5.4% (mid-2022 247,083; mid-2032 260,436)Nottingham 5.4% (mid-2022 327,424; mid-2032 344,928)Barnsley 5.3% (mid-2022 246,448; mid-2032 259,520)Lewes 5.2% (mid-2022 100,679; mid-2032 105,936)Brighton & Hove 5.2% (mid-2022 278,370; mid-2032 292,790)Melton 5.2% (mid-2022 52,404; mid-2032 55,115)Tunbridge Wells 5.2% (mid-2022 116,175; mid-2032 122,174)Swindon 5.1% (mid-2022 235,652; mid-2032 247,716)Crawley 5.1% (mid-2022 119,700; mid-2032 125,763)Harlow 5.1% (mid-2022 94,444; mid-2032 99,227)Herefordshire 5.1% (mid-2022 188,696; mid-2032 198,232)Broxtowe 5.0% (mid-2022 112,395; mid-2032 118,005)Sutton 4.9% (mid-2022 210,293; mid-2032 220,550)Lewisham 4.9% (mid-2022 299,023; mid-2032 313,514)Harrow 4.8% (mid-2022 261,933; mid-2032 274,599)South Kesteven 4.8% (mid-2022 144,228; mid-2032 151,205)Tamworth 4.7% (mid-2022 79,639; mid-2032 83,416)Norwich 4.7% (mid-2022 144,957; mid-2032 151,793)Peterborough 4.7% (mid-2022 217,657; mid-2032 227,880)Burnley 4.7% (mid-2022 95,655; mid-2032 100,138)Tandridge 4.7% (mid-2022 88,884; mid-2032 93,030)St. Helens 4.6% (mid-2022 184,728; mid-2032 193,301)Brent 4.6% (mid-2022 341,183; mid-2032 356,957)Medway 4.6% (mid-2022 282,643; mid-2032 295,627)Redbridge 4.6% (mid-2022 311,515; mid-2032 325,803)Bexley 4.6% (mid-2022 247,754; mid-2032 259,053)South Staffordshire 4.5% (mid-2022 111,530; mid-2032 116,573)Tameside 4.5% (mid-2022 232,806; mid-2032 243,326)Carlisle 4.5% (mid-2022 111,350; mid-2032 116,328)Fenland 4.5% (mid-2022 103,002; mid-2032 107,604)Hounslow 4.5% (mid-2022 291,199; mid-2032 304,197)Hertsmere 4.3% (mid-2022 108,311; mid-2032 113,007)Dacorum 4.3% (mid-2022 156,167; mid-2032 162,920)Spelthorne 4.3% (mid-2022 103,658; mid-2032 108,126)Trafford 4.3% (mid-2022 236,651; mid-2032 246,832)Barking & Dagenham 4.3% (mid-2022 220,039; mid-2032 229,454)Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole 4.3% (mid-2022 402,559; mid-2032 419,652)Derbyshire Dales 4.3% (mid-2022 71,755; mid-2032 74,806)Sevenoaks 4.2% (mid-2022 121,173; mid-2032 126,280)Walsall 4.2% (mid-2022 286,218; mid-2032 298,293)Doncaster 4.2% (mid-2022 310,964; mid-2032 324,016)Ashfield 4.2% (mid-2022 127,101; mid-2032 132,431)South Ribble 4.2% (mid-2022 112,201; mid-2032 116,903)Gedling 4.1% (mid-2022 117,682; mid-2032 122,550)Gloucester 4.1% (mid-2022 133,530; mid-2032 139,055)Croydon 4.1% (mid-2022 392,610; mid-2032 408,837)King's Lynn & West Norfolk 4.1% (mid-2022 155,720; mid-2032 162,143)Cheltenham 4.1% (mid-2022 119,585; mid-2032 124,498)Rutland 4.1% (mid-2022 41,225; mid-2032 42,908)West Lancashire 4.1% (mid-2022 119,360; mid-2032 124,232)Havant 4.1% (mid-2022 124,839; mid-2032 129,921)Eastbourne 4.0% (mid-2022 102,364; mid-2032 106,457)Kirklees 3.9% (mid-2022 437,794; mid-2032 454,763)Halton 3.9% (mid-2022 129,008; mid-2032 133,986)High Peak 3.9% (mid-2022 91,106; mid-2032 94,626)Ealing 3.8% (mid-2022 370,129; mid-2032 384,268)Epsom & Ewell 3.8% (mid-2022 81,349; mid-2032 84,444)Mansfield 3.8% (mid-2022 111,070; mid-2032 115,247)York 3.8% (mid-2022 204,115; mid-2032 211,775)Luton 3.7% (mid-2022 227,298; mid-2032 235,786)Sefton 3.7% (mid-2022 281,039; mid-2032 291,470)Surrey Heath 3.7% (mid-2022 91,266; mid-2032 94,646)Elmbridge 3.7% (mid-2022 140,299; mid-2032 145,451)Plymouth 3.7% (mid-2022 267,063; mid-2032 276,830)Solihull 3.6% (mid-2022 217,784; mid-2032 225,719)Epping Forest 3.6% (mid-2022 135,009; mid-2032 139,866)North Hertfordshire 3.5% (mid-2022 134,161; mid-2032 138,912)Bolton 3.5% (mid-2022 299,153; mid-2032 309,657)Torbay 3.5% (mid-2022 139,409; mid-2032 144,296)Reading 3.5% (mid-2022 175,742; mid-2032 181,884)Basildon 3.5% (mid-2022 188,810; mid-2032 195,318)Portsmouth 3.4% (mid-2022 208,949; mid-2032 215,966)Slough 3.4% (mid-2022 159,387; mid-2032 164,739)Merton 3.3% (mid-2022 215,121; mid-2032 222,285)Derby 3.3% (mid-2022 263,620; mid-2032 272,298)Haringey 3.3% (mid-2022 262,413; mid-2032 270,988)Bromley 3.3% (mid-2022 329,689; mid-2032 340,449)Dudley 3.3% (mid-2022 324,931; mid-2032 335,488)Oldham 3.3% (mid-2022 243,993; mid-2032 251,928)South Lakeland 3.2% (mid-2022 104,821; mid-2032 108,216)Birmingham 3.2% (mid-2022 1,154,221; mid-2032 1,191,154)Gravesham 3.2% (mid-2022 106,870; mid-2032 110,252)Bradford 3.1% (mid-2022 553,044; mid-2032 570,100)Watford 3.1% (mid-2022 103,043; mid-2032 106,220)Isle of Wight 3.1% (mid-2022 140,779; mid-2032 145,083)Rotherham 2.9% (mid-2022 268,267; mid-2032 276,126)Brentwood 2.9% (mid-2022 77,348; mid-2032 79,567)Hartlepool 2.7% (mid-2022 93,847; mid-2032 96,386)Chesterfield 2.7% (mid-2022 104,104; mid-2032 106,912)Rossendale 2.7% (mid-2022 71,187; mid-2032 73,090)Pendle 2.6% (mid-2022 96,197; mid-2032 98,741)Mole Valley 2.6% (mid-2022 87,852; mid-2032 90,166)Wirral 2.6% (mid-2022 322,439; mid-2032 330,908)St Albans 2.6% (mid-2022 148,524; mid-2032 152,327)Great Yarmouth 2.6% (mid-2022 99,834; mid-2032 102,382)South Tyneside 2.5% (mid-2022 148,608; mid-2032 152,375)Sandwell 2.5% (mid-2022 344,582; mid-2032 353,269)Thanet 2.5% (mid-2022 140,683; mid-2032 144,179)Southend-on-Sea 2.5% (mid-2022 180,884; mid-2032 185,350)Hyndburn 2.4% (mid-2022 83,215; mid-2032 85,188)Wyre Forest 2.4% (mid-2022 102,306; mid-2032 104,735)Three Rivers 2.3% (mid-2022 94,179; mid-2032 96,373)Lincoln 2.3% (mid-2022 102,964; mid-2032 105,324)Sunderland 2.2% (mid-2022 277,512; mid-2032 283,728)Adur 2.2% (mid-2022 64,725; mid-2032 66,170)Bury 2.1% (mid-2022 194,590; mid-2032 198,669)Newcastle-under-Lyme 2.0% (mid-2022 125,404; mid-2032 127,922)Allerdale 1.9% (mid-2022 96,556; mid-2032 98,430)Scarborough 1.9% (mid-2022 109,055; mid-2032 111,159)Richmond upon Thames 1.9% (mid-2022 195,165; mid-2032 198,834)New Forest 1.8% (mid-2022 175,932; mid-2032 179,109)Stevenage 1.7% (mid-2022 89,616; mid-2032 91,169)Stockton-on-Tees 1.7% (mid-2022 200,112; mid-2032 203,515)Redcar & Cleveland 1.7% (mid-2022 137,168; mid-2032 139,447)Castle Point 1.6% (mid-2022 89,744; mid-2032 91,186)Windsor & Maidenhead 1.6% (mid-2022 154,869; mid-2032 157,280)Stoke-on-Trent 1.4% (mid-2022 260,008; mid-2032 263,647)Warrington 1.3% (mid-2022 211,797; mid-2032 214,642)Broxbourne 1.3% (mid-2022 98,999; mid-2032 100,315)Erewash 1.3% (mid-2022 113,073; mid-2032 114,574)Redditch 1.3% (mid-2022 87,129; mid-2032 88,279)West Berkshire 1.3% (mid-2022 162,397; mid-2032 164,506)Calderdale 1.3% (mid-2022 207,660; mid-2032 210,348)Hull 1.3% (mid-2022 268,677; mid-2032 272,124)Blackburn with Darwen 1.2% (mid-2022 155,823; mid-2032 157,734)Gateshead 1.2% (mid-2022 197,922; mid-2032 200,224)Rushmoor 1.1% (mid-2022 101,003; mid-2032 102,135)Worcester 1.0% (mid-2022 104,119; mid-2032 105,107)Blackpool 0.8% (mid-2022 141,648; mid-2032 142,706)Hastings 0.8% (mid-2022 90,621; mid-2032 91,303)Staffordshire Moorlands 0.4% (mid-2022 95,904; mid-2032 96,328)North Lincolnshire 0.3% (mid-2022 170,085; mid-2032 170,621)Woking 0.3% (mid-2022 104,290; mid-2032 104,577)Richmondshire 0.1% (mid-2022 50,108; mid-2032 50,141)Enfield 0.01% (mid-2022 327,426; mid-2032 327,472)Fareham -0.02% (mid-2022 114,562; mid-2032 114,536)North East Lincolnshire -0.5% (mid-2022 157,745; mid-2032 156,916)Ipswich -0.9% (mid-2022 139,295; mid-2032 138,113)Barrow-in-Furness -1.7% (mid-2022 67,354; mid-2032 66,197)Copeland -1.9% (mid-2022 67,425; mid-2032 66,174)Gosport -2.1% (mid-2022 82,277; mid-2032 80,533)Isles of Scilly -4.6% (mid-2022 2,281; mid-2032 2,177)


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
‘I earn £34k to make life or death decisions as a coastguard'
'The secret life of…' pulls back the curtain on professions you've always wanted to know more about. If you want to anonymously reveal all about your job, email money@ Coastguard shifts can go very quickly from zero to 100. You might spend hours doing routine tasks, with no emergencies. But then, when the calls come in, it's all hands on deck. You often get two or three or even 10 incidents all at the same time, so you have to prioritise them. I've been doing this job for over a decade. I lead a small team of officers who receive the emergency calls. My role is to determine the severity of the situation and then to plan and coordinate the response – tasking the lifeboats, helicopters or rescue teams. You sometimes have to be creative to locate a vessel, which is daunting when dealing with people's lives. What surprises most people is how much of our work involves suicide or attempted suicide. It makes up the largest percentage of all incident types. It's something we see almost every single day, or even multiple times a day. Otherwise, we deal with anything from a major maritime disaster (thankfully, these are rare), or a missing child, through to somebody who has twisted their ankle on a cliff path. We're particularly busy in the summer, at weekends and on public holidays. Sometimes the good weather seems to encourage some people to mix drinking alcohol with taking risks at the coast, which is not a good combination. Drunken swims often don't end well. A lot goes through your mind during the high-stakes rescues. In most scenarios, I will devise a plan A, B, and even C. Then I'll decide which one to go with (though I'll normally spend the next few hours doubting my decision, hoping I picked the right one). Thankfully, to date, I have. Often, it'll be apparent from the outset that the people involved will not survive. Occasionally, though, you get a happy surprise. I've had times when it seemed that all hope was lost, but you just keep going and going, and then suddenly you'll hear from the helicopter radio that they've located the person in the water – and they're alive. Those incidents are the ones that you remember. It makes you want to keep searching. We're lucky in the UK – we have a lot of lifeboats, helicopters and rescue coordination centres, all the way from the Shetland Islands to Cornwall. We also have a relatively large number of Coastguard officers on at any one time. That said, most people underestimate how long a rescue team can take to reach them. A lifeboat normally launches within 10 or 15 minutes, as does a helicopter (at least during the daytime). But they still have to travel to the location. Whereas a person can drown in less than a minute. Another thing a lot of the public don't know – and a good safety message – is 'if you see someone in trouble at the coast, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard' (you'd be amazed how many still ask for the police). The most common misconception is that the Coastguard and the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) are the same organisation. We're not. The Coastguard is a state function, like the police, who coordinate the rescues. But the RNLI is an independent charity that provides the rescue boats, made up mostly of (unpaid) volunteers. We work very closely together, but we're not the same. People also think the Coastguard does customs work, but the focus is on search and rescue, counter-pollution and traffic monitoring. The Coastguard has had quite a high turnover of staff over the past decade. Some people find the hours difficult – we do four 12-hour shifts in a row, then four days off, part of which is spent sleeping and recovering from the jet lag-inducing night shift. Others find the nature of the work difficult. However, that has meant that for those of us who have stayed, there's been good promotion opportunities, and we've progressed fairly quickly. In terms of salary, an entry-level officer will earn about £25,000 a year plus £7,500 in allowances for working anti-social hours, rising up to £34,000 plus allowances for team leaders like me. That's the same nationally, with the exception of London, so those salaries go a lot further in some parts of the UK than in others. As civil servants, we're also part of the government pension scheme, which is pretty generous, with employer contributions at around 28pc. To thrive in this job, you have to be fairly mentally robust and able to detach yourself. Some of the emergency calls that we receive can be fairly distressing – people on the other end of the phone will be having just about the worst day of their life, and it's essential that we remain calm, logical and professional. I think we are probably fairly paid compared with the other emergency services. Although it can be high intensity for short periods, generally we are a lot quieter than the ambulance or police, taking a very small number of calls compared to them. You can't really prepare mentally for emergencies. But you do get used to it. We decompress as a team, sometimes joking about incidents in ways we wouldn't in public. Even though we're fairly detached from the danger as Coastguard officers, these can be intense emotional moments that stick in your memory if you don't learn to cope. Still, the job isn't all drama; we actually spend the most time on routine tasks. Every three hours we broadcast the weather to vessels on the radio, very much like the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast. That can be pretty dull. Also, there's quite a lot of paperwork that comes after every incident which we coordinate – including when we get malicious fake calls. We get the occasional hoax call. It seems the objective is usually to get a large-scale search response. While it may be exciting to watch a helicopter or a lifeboat search through rough seas, what these people don't understand is the immense risk the crews of that aircraft and boat are putting themselves at. My biggest nightmare is a hoax call ending in an accident for a rescue unit. Search and rescue is intrinsically dangerous for those who carry it out. It would be a tragedy if a false distress call ended in the death or injury of a responder. I was attracted to the service by the variety that the role offered. I'm somebody who doesn't like every day to be the same, and that's certainly the case here. I was also attracted by the relative ease of joining; there are no minimum qualifications or requirements. Cliché as it may sound, I also wanted to help people, and that is literally the point of what we do, every day. This job has definitely changed how I view the sea and how people engage with it. Before I started with the Coastguard, I used to think that scuba diving looked like a fun activity. Now I think it looks incredibly dangerous and I wouldn't want to do it. It's amazing how quickly scuba diving can go wrong for somebody. You could extend that to a lot of water-based recreational activities. Most of the people we rescue have ended up in the water with no intention of entering it – through an accident or through negligence. The most important thing is that people educate themselves about the risks. Those who grew up (or live) by the coast understand the dangers, but many inland visitors don't. What may look like an inviting and enjoyable place to swim may have dangerous undercurrents or tidal rips. The sea is a risky environment, and it's relentless – it takes no prisoners.