Birmingham Airport runway closed after small aircraft makes emergency landing
Three people from the aircraft were treated at the scene with one suffering minor injuries from the incident, which occurred at around 1.40pm on Wednesday, West Midlands Police said.
Other emergency services including West Midlands Ambulance Service have also attended the scene.
Footage and images shared on social media appeared to show a small white plane lying flat on the airport tarmac.
At least 11 flights listed on the departures page of the airport's website to destinations across Europe had been cancelled, while others said delays were expected until around 7pm.
Passengers have been told to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport, with both check-in and security also temporarily shut.
Gunnar Lauridsen, a 76-year-old from Denmark who had been on holiday playing golf, said he would most likely miss his connecting flight because of the closed runway.
He said: 'We are ultimately going to Billund in Denmark. This delay probably means we can't get our connection. So that means that we will be staying probably in Amsterdam overnight.
'I should have been to the doctors tomorrow morning. When you travel things happen.'
Camile Monteleone, a visual merchandiser, was meant to fly home to Barcelona after working in the UK for three days, but did not know if her flight from the airport had been cancelled.
The 30-year-old said: 'I don't have any news. I'm like 'what is going on'. It does not say anything on the Ryanair app about the flight.
'I'm just waiting for information. I have to let people know I'm here, stuck at the airport. I cannot do anything else.'
Haley, who did not give her surname, said she was told by airline Tui to check-in for her flight to Mallorca as normal but has since been told she cannot go inside the airport.
The 42-year-old said: 'It's taken the shine off a bit. It's not too bad at the minute. We're trying to stay positive.
'Tui told us to check-in as normal, but we've got here and been told we can't go inside the building. We've just been told they're moving people to the NEC.'
West Midlands Police said in a post on X: 'We are at Birmingham Airport this afternoon after a small aircraft was involved in an emergency landing at around 1.40pm.'
'Officers are among the emergency crews at the scene and one person has been reported to have minor injuries.
'The Civil Aviation Authority has been informed and the airport has suspended operations as an investigation is carried out.'
Birmingham Airport earlier posted on the social media platform: 'Following an aircraft incident, the runway is temporarily closed.
'We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.
'We will keep passengers already at the airport informed and those due to travel later today are advised to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport.
'We will continue to issue updates when we can.'
A response to the incident will be led by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch, a Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said.
'In the event of delays or cancellations, passengers will be expected to be provided with food and drink as well as accommodation if delayed overnight,' the spokesperson added.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said in a statement: 'We were called at 1.45pm to an incident involving a light aircraft at Birmingham Airport.
'Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics and three paramedic officers were sent to the scene.
'Upon arrival we found three patients from the aircraft, all of whom were assessed and discharged at the scene.'
Consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) offered stranded passengers a free pint if they showed their boarding pass at the Great British Beer Festival, which was taking place in the nearby National Exhibition Centre.
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Telegraph
40 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why moving to France doesn't guarantee the good life
Have you lived abroad as an expat? Whether you stayed or came back to the UK, we'd like to hear about your experience. Email money@ It starts, as dreams often do, with a holiday. Mornings spent savouring strong coffee and still-warm croissants from the boulangerie; evenings drifting from ice-cold rosé aperitifs to long dinners accompanied by a chorus of cicadas. In the haze that follows, a vision takes shape: living la belle vie francaişe – forever. For many looking to move away from Britain, France is a haven where excellent wine is cheap and a charming pied-à-terre awaits anyone handy with a power drill. Despite new layers of Brexit bureaucracy, thousands are still moving to EU countries each year. At the end of 2024, just under a quarter (23pc) of British-based respondents were considering doing so, according to research by Currencies Direct, driven by the cost of living and property at home and better job prospects overseas. But the analysis also suggests that France is losing its allure among British expats. Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada and America rank as more desirable destinations. According to France's interior ministry, an estimated 8,400 first-time residency cards were issued to British citizens at the end of 2024, down some 10pc from the previous year (9,339) and 24pc compared to 2022 (11,174). While there is much to enjoy about emigrating to France – gorgeous landscapes, rich culture and a high quality of life – plenty of expats have experienced the complex reality. 'We were caught out by French tax, but still want to stay' Andrew and Caroline Lewis, both 60, had always adored the south of France. They both spent holidays there as teenagers. Fast forward a decade, and with six sons in tow, they continued to take trips across the Channel. 'We couldn't afford hotels, so we'd drive the car down with everything we owned strapped to the roof for two weeks' camping,' Andrew says. Alongside Andrew's construction business, they bought and sold houses in London, always hoping there would be enough left over to buy somewhere in France – but paying for the children's schooling got in the way. When their youngest finished his studies, they finally had the funds to start searching. They viewed 250 properties over the next few years. Nothing felt right, until they found an 18th century farmhouse in Quissac, a village in Occitanie. It was 'a pile of stones': no windows, no doors, half the roof gone, and reeking of the 5,000 hunting pheasants living on the land. A week later, they spotted a cock pheasant in their Wimbledon garden and took it as a sign. After lengthy negotiations with the owner's children – under France's strict inheritance laws, all heirs must agree to a property's sale – they bought the 32-bedroom property, La Deveze, and its surrounding 200 acres. The renovation took three years while they commuted between Quissac and London. They moved full-time in 2018 although it was far from finished. 'We lived with holes in the floor, bats everywhere, and no heating,' Caroline says. 'I remember watching Downton Abbey in the dark, freezing, thinking: this is the life!' They worked with French builders on major jobs but handled the finishes themselves, including replacing the roof with 22,000 Roman-style tiles. Then Covid hit, halting Andrew's business and forcing them to sell their London flat. As newly classified French tax residents post-Brexit, they were hit with capital gains tax in the UK – since it wasn't their main home – and again in France, with no allowance or taper relief. 'We'd only owned La Deveze for two years, so the French tax was high,' Andrew says. 'On top of the money pit that we were still trying to make liveable, it really caught us out.' Despite setbacks, the Lewises have found their rhythm. They have transformed the property from hosting holiday rentals and yoga retreats into a bespoke wedding venue, with 28 bookings lined up for the next calendar year. A return to the UK looks unlikely – especially with a new dream project in the Côté d'Azur. 'It's been abandoned for nine years, with a view straight over the Bay of Cannes,' Andrew says. 'Maybe we're being stupid, but it would be the perfect bolthole for us to relax in between weddings.' 'Making friends with the French was tough' The French countryside has been luring Britons for years, with TV shows like Peter Mayle's series A Year in Provence and Channel 4's Escape to the Chateau capturing the hearts and minds of expats looking to leave behind their daily grind. The result is that parts of rural France have quietly become 'Franglo-Saxon'. According to Insee, France's national statistics agency, the top three regions with the highest British presence – Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, and Île-de-France (which includes Paris) – are home to around 78,000 British expats, roughly the population of Shrewsbury. In many cases, their arrival is slowing rural decline and boosting local economies. But for anyone keener on authenticity, the sudden appearance of fish and chip restaurants and corner shops peddling PG Tips and Marmite could feel they're trading one British bubble for another. Ann Tams, 74, and her husband Chris, 72, experienced this first-hand after buying a riverside townhouse in Couiza, just under an hour's drive from Carcassonne, in 2006. 'Properties in France were still relatively cheap – we paid £80,000 and used it as a holiday home,' she says. Their summers were spent hiking and playing tennis; winters meant trips to small, nearby ski resorts. But it was moving to Algiers for three years for Chris's job that piqued their appetite for adventure. By 2011, fluent in French and ready for a change, the couple made the leap and moved to France full-time. Looking for more space and a bigger garden, they sold the house in Couiza and relocated to Ginoles, a small spa village just outside Quillan, near the Pyrenees. That, Ann says, was their first mistake. 'It was much harder to integrate as it was full of Brits who just wanted to stay British; not speaking French and sticking to their own groups, which wasn't what we came for.' The couple threw themselves into village life – attending fêtes, sports clubs, and community events – but deeper friendships remained tricky. 'Making friends with the French was tough, as they're not unfriendly, just very private,' she says. 'It took us five years to be invited to our neighbour's house across the road, even though we'd invited them numerous times.' Disillusioned by the isolation and climate-related decline in ski conditions – and pulled home by the desire to spend time with ageing family members – they put the house on the market in 2016. It wasn't a speedy French exit however, as the property took three years to sell. 'We hit a slump in the market and lost money, eventually selling it to another British couple,' she says, adding that she was grateful they had kept hold of their home in West Sussex. Now the couple are preparing to move to Dumfries and Galloway, not far from their daughter in Glasgow – 'our 10-year itch,' as Ann puts it. They haven't returned to France since selling the house. 'August in Ginoles was unbearable, and winters were freezing, so we're enjoying a more temperate climate now,' she adds. 'Living elsewhere makes you appreciate the UK, even the weather!' Endless admin kills the joie de vivre For all its pastoral promise and slower pace of life, France isn't always the sun-drenched paradise it is imagined to be. And time spent in the country doesn't necessarily make its foibles easier to ignore. For Roy Carpenter, 59, the has rose tint faded the longer he has stayed. Carpenter has lived in Lyon for almost 30 years. He is originally from the US and works as a professor of American civilisation at the Université Grenoble Alpes. He came to France for love, married a French woman and stayed after the divorce. He is now married to Shona, 63, a Scot. Even with a level of French far above the average Anglophone, he was treated as an outsider to start with. 'The best thing was when they would say 'gosh, you're alright for an American',' he laughs. He's long been intrigued by the British – and to some extent, American – love affair with France. 'After two weeks in the sun, everyone wants to move here,' he says. But behind the joie de vivre lies endless admin and a frustrating aversion to queuing, according to Carpenter. Beyond the clichés, he finds France to be far more conservative than many outsiders realise. 'In the States, people think it's socialist and liberal, but it's not,' he says. 'Even the Left-wing parties, until Macron, were more conservative than the Conservatives.' Change, he adds, comes slowly, if at all: budgets don't add up, protests are constant, and even teenagers take to the streets over pensions. The national mindset, he believes, is summed up in a phrase: ' Oui, mais pas comme ça' – yes, but not like that. 'They want change, just never the way it's proposed.' Carpenter sees France as fiscally cautious to the core. 'They don't want you to take on debt,' he says, recalling how even a simple student loan for his son came wrapped in layers of red tape – insurance, insurance to insure the insurance, and invasive financial questions. 'As his guarantor, they asked why I'd spent €300 the previous February. I thought, why do you care?' He also notes that debit cards are king, and mortgage lending is approached with extreme caution, with terms rarely over 10 years. After a long-standing health issue, he was repeatedly refused a loan for his own house. With retirement on the horizon, the couple plan to swap France for Scotland or America, although they worry about the financial leap they'd need to make and missing out on decent healthcare as they age. Their mixed feelings are a reminder that for many expats, moving to France – despite the gastronomy, the sun and the fêtes – is no guarantee of the good life.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a psychotherapist, this is the scientific reason why pampered celebrities like glamorous millionaire Molly-Mae Hague are NEVER happy... they're addicted to moaning
From the outside, celebrities often seem to have it all: Stunning looks, wealth, a gorgeous partner, an army of fans, an enviable wardrobe, beautiful homes, a dedicated glam squad... so why do so many also have a penchant for complaining? A mental health expert told the Daily Mail that MOANING is addictive, and even the rich and famous can struggle to free themselves from its clutches. Debbie Keenan, a BACP senior accredited psychotherapist, explained that it's human nature to focus on the negatives. This is because our brains have evolved to stay alert for potential dangers and threats—but while they once would have looked like a sabre-toothed tiger or landslide, now we often get worked up about relatively minor inconveniences. Ms Keenan said: 'This is called negative bias, and unfortunately it is more powerful than positive bias. 'Imagine a net, which is your mind, and as your thoughts pass through, only the bad ones get caught, sticking like velcro. 'Thoughts are not facts, we have about 60,000 of them a day and we hang on to the negative ones, we let all the positive ones go! 'If someone said one criticism about you, and 20 other people said positive things, it would be the negative criticism you'd be thinking about tonight.' Last month, former Love Island winner Molly-Mae Hague was blasted by fans for 'always moaning'. The mother-of-one, 26, raised eyebrows when told fans she's 'not done one fun thing all summer' despite glamorous holidays in Dubai, France and Spain, plus a staycation at Center Parcs. She also vented about a disappointing family trip to the Isle of Man with her partner Tommy Fury and their daughter Bambi, 2. It was their first trip out in Tommy's new £86,000 motorhome; but Molly-Mae used the video to complain about the traffic and having to change her daughter's routine—leaving fans shaking their heads in dismay. And there were more moans to come. Speaking in a vlog posted to her 2million YouTube followers, she said: 'I said to a friend the other day, that I'm going to make it to the end of summer having not done one fun thing.' Ms Keenan understands that people naturally become frustrated, but there's a time and a place to let it out—and it's not on social media. She said: 'If you want to vent, social media probably is not the healthiest place to do it. 'When celebrities with millions and millions of followers—from all walks of life, who follow them for escapism—start moaning, it's like they're a standing on a pedestal in a pair of Louboutin heels complaining that their feet hurt while everyone walks around on the pavement barefoot. 'People look up to them, and they're moaning and groaning about things that may be minor. 'They're complaining about their holiday to Dubai and a luxury lifestyle most people can never access, while their fans are struggling to make ends meet. 'It comes kind of from a place of privilege and entitlement and it's kind of a slap in the face for their followers who are struggling. 'You can't help but think, "What's the intent? Why are they doing it? Is it for attention? Is it for validation? Is it self esteem, or is it something deeper?" 'It's quite sad, really.' When Ms Keenan works with clients who are caught up in negative thought loops, she teaches them cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to help nip them in the bud. 'If you're constantly offloading and moaning, it can become a vicious cycle until you don't even know you're doing it any more,' she said. But when it comes to influencers, the nature of the industry means they are often surrounded by hangers-on and yes men who enable their behaviour, plus adoring fans who validate their every word. Furthermore, moaning can be good for business: so when their monetised videos are clocking up millions of views and generating thousands of pounds, there can be little incentive to change tact. She said: 'They're often surrounded by people pleasers who don't want to call them out on their behaviour. It becomes rooted and ingrained. It becomes a behaviour whih can be quite toxic. 'Because it's not challenged, they're going to do it more and more. 'And when it comes to social media, they're going to do it even more the next day, because people are sympathising and validating what they're saying. 'And even if they're not sympathetic or in agreement with the content, people are commenting and interacting, they are still giving it their attention. 'It can quickly snowball.' Working as an accredited BCAAP therapist, Ms Keenan often deals with clients who can't shake themselves out of a glass half empty mindset, even if they're not diagnosed with depression or another mental health condition. 'The reasons for negative thinking can deep rooted; it might be related to low self esteem or low self worth,' she said. 'They might have learned in childhood that moaning was the only way to get attention, to get validation, to get their voice heard. 'Maybe moaning and complaining was the only way they could get people to listen to them. 'It can be also be a sign of unmet emotional needs. Someone who is constantly moaning may have deeper issues, perhaps they're lonely, or they're isolated.' As the old adage goes, misery loves company—but ironically, incessant moaning can leave you isolated because people can quickly get fed up of making an effort with persistent doom-mongers. 'You could be moaning for decades, and you might find that people stop listening to you,' she said. But, worryingly, things can go the other way. Ms Keenan said: 'Happiness is infectious, but so is negativity—if it's left unchecked, it spreads like water.' Molly-Mae also came under fire for griping to her sister Zoe—who left fans reeling after moaning that her 5* trip to Bali wasn't luxurious as she expected and she was leaving the Indonesian island for the more familiar climes of Dubai—that she had had a rotten summer. Molly-Mae said: 'Zoe, I haven't socialised once. I'm going to get to the end of this summer having not done one social fun thing. 'I haven't a life. That's not good is it. Summer will end and I've not done one fun social thing.' It left some fans open-mouthed as they called out how she failed to acknowledge the three holidays she's already been on this year not to mention a glamorous trip to watch the tennis at Wimbledon while wearing a pricey designer outfit. Ms Keenan said that one of the best ways to combat negativity in ourselves is to face it head on. 'Write down the negative thought, evidence for, evidence against—not your opinion, just the facts. 'Start to learn to be grateful, write down what you have in your life and what's going well, because it won't all be negative, unless you're really in a in bad way. 'When you have a negative thought, take a breath. You don't have to accept it, thoughts are not facts.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
I went on UK's only NUDE cruise where cops and docs frolic… they say it's all fun and games but there's one golden rule
THE boat hadn't even moved 6ft from the dock when the shout to strip off went up - within seconds all 120 passengers were completely starkers. I had just hopped on board for the 13th annual 'Nude Cruise' - a three-hour, bare-all boat trip to celebrate naturism - and already it was NOTHING like I'd imagined... 11 11 11 As the double decker ship meandered along the River Exe estuary in Devon, dozens of smaller pleasure boats sail alongside us, their passengers cheering us on - and some of them even stripping off, too. Considering the wall-to-wall nudity involved, organisers were keen to emphasise from the outset that they are not swingers - and anybody caught trying to act inappropriately would be banned for life. Rachel Wick, 50, a local authority administrator who has organised the annual boat trip alongside her partner Nigel since 2012, said: 'It's really sad that a large percentage of the population equate being naked only with sex - it's not. 'If they came to our event, they would see it's clearly not what it's about. 'If somebody misbehaves, they will be on our banned list. Not that it's ever happened but we're always mindful that this has to be a safe environment because you can feel quite vulnerable when you haven't got your clothes on. 'One of the things I love about it is you can't tell from looking at all of us whether we are rich or poor, working or retired. When you can't judge people's status, we're all on a level. 'People think you have to be beautiful but we're all normal people of different shapes and sizes.' Nigel said the group regularly organises nude events at a variety of venues, and businesses are always happy to accept the 'buff pound' because guests are respectful and unlikely to go elsewhere to eat and drink. He added: 'The nudist world is a real mix of people, from prison officers to barristers and doctors. 'It is the sense of freedom and being relaxed in your own body that draws people in. It's a very friendly environment. 'If we go to a hotel, people generally don't go out, they stay all day. 'We have never had any trouble at any event. It's an older group and if anybody started a fight, they're likely going to break a hip.' What struck me most about the trip was how remarkably normal it all was - apart from the obvious naked elephant in the room, this could have been any other boat trip organised by a local village church group. Upstairs, the nude guests - many of whom were pensioners - mingled and chatted while one volunteer sold raffle tickets. Downstairs, the naked disco was in full swing with some patrons shimmying to Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen while others lined up for the cash-only bar - with some sporting special pouches to carry their bank notes and phones. The £22 cruise ticket also included a free hot pasty, for those brave enough to risk spillages! Members believe events like this are becoming more popular as Brits slowly relax their up-tight attitudes towards nudity. An Ipsos poll found 14% of those surveyed identify as naturists or nudists while a BBC report suggests there are 6.7 million naturists in the UK. 11 However, another poll for YouGov found four in 10 (59%) said they felt uncomfortable with being naked, with women being more likely to feel that way than men. Some guests said they couldn't speak openly about naturism, believing their bosses would take a dim view if they found out. Dee, from Plymouth, said: 'My employer and child would be shocked if they knew I was doing this. 'For some reason, a lot of people for some reason associate what we do with swinging but it doesn't mean that. 'It's just people wanting to take their clothes off and enjoying the freedom, nothing else.' Another passenger - who declined to be interviewed - explained: 'Half of my family don't know I'm a nudist.' At the turnaround point, the skipper steered the boat past the pubs and restaurants in Topsham, much to the delight of hundreds of waiting punters who had gathered - some in fancy dress and others wearing very little - to cheer on the naturists. Mark Carroll, who has been a lifetime naturist, explained how he recently introduced his partner Claire Stone to the community. Claire said: 'I love it. I do a lot of naturist beaches but this is the first time I have done a community event. 'Times are changing - it's becoming more popular but the younger generation are still quite prudish. 'My teenager asked where I was going tonight. I said, 'A naked cruise,' and he just replied, 'Ok then' but didn't want to ask any further questions.' Mark added: 'People are more relaxed than they were, our generation is more comfortable with it all. 'The more people hear about it, the more they want to get involved.' 'Many Brits are too repressed' Kevin Little, 61, from North Dorset, who has been a naturist since 1997, revealed he saves a fortune not having to pay for extra luggage on flights. He said: 'It's quite addictive. I love being on a beach and just connecting with nature. 'When we go on holiday, we can get on a flight with no luggage - we can take a little rucksack for a month. 'We get frustrated by the cliched, seaside-postcard, t*ts-and-willy jokes but it's been that way for so long, it's hard to get away from. 'A lot of people tell me: 'I wish I could do that'... Well, you can. But people are very body conscious, although nobody cares.' His wife Tanis, 61, said: 'One of my sons is always trying to get his friends to do naked runs - he's tried to get younger people involved." One of the few under 40s onboard was Martin Niebroj, 39, who revealed he finds nudity freeing but admits it can be problematic in less organised settings. He said: 'I really like the social part of it. Technically it's not illegal to be naked in public in Britian, but it always causes a lot of interest. 'I feel people who are naturists should be allowed to express themselves and should have a space to do it. Events like this allow that.' Martin, originally from Czechia and now living in Exeter and working in marketing, said many Brits are too repressed about nudity. He said: 'If you go into a public sauna in England you always need to have swimwear. In continental Europe, people generally are more liberal.' After three hours, the boat returned to the dock and the passengers dressed again… some more reluctantly than others. 11 11
