Popular Exmoor footbridge closed over safety fears
A popular footbridge in Exmoor has been shut over safety fears.The Hinds Pitt bridge, near the Tarr Steps circular walk, in Somerset, has been deemed unsafe after structural failures.Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) said it was working on a plan for a long-term replacement, reinstating public access.ENPA access and recreation manager, Dan Barnett, said: "The bridge has been there since the 1950s and some key parts of the steel structure have deteriorated to a point where they are no longer safe."
He said while they hoped to replace the bridge, the process would "take some time" to develop due to seeking agreement from relevant landowners and raising the "considerable funds required".Mr Barnett said temporary modifications of the bridge were possible, and they were looking into it "urgently" to allow the bridge to open while they planned for its replacement."In the meantime, the Tarr Steps site is otherwise open for everyone to enjoy, including short walks there and back on either side of the river and all the longer walks in the area are fully open too," he said."The popular long distance footpath the Two Moors Way is still passable using an alternative route on the west bank of the river," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Supermarket shoppers rush to buy suitcases on sale for just £8 – and they're perfect for Ryanair flights this summer
HOLIDAY season is nearly upon us, with millions of Brits planning sun-soaked trips abroad. But if you're looking to save cash on luggage allowance and planning on travelling light this year, we've found the perfect deal. Morrisons is flogging Lugg Venus Cabin Bags for just £8 - and they meet the size requirements on Ryanair flights. One savvy shopper snapped up the deal and shared their find on Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK. The suitcase comes with detachable wheels to help squeeze into Ryanair's 40cm x 20cm x25cm limit. "Look at these!" one wrote, tagging a friend. "Wait, what? The wheels come off? I bought this last week and didn't realise," a second joked. "Wow that's a great price. I might nip there later," a third added. Although not everyone is sold, one person wrote: "Was going to get one the other day but they are absolutely tiny. You'd fit more in a holdall." They added that they struggled to remove the wheels, too. Another added: "Best off for children, rather than carry on. I bought one last week, I'm 5'3 and the handle isn't long enough to pull along." All Ryanair passengers can bring a small personal bag on board but this must fit under the seat in front of you. Savvy parents race to their local supermarket as they spot branded sports bargains for just £7 in the clothing section All over-sized cabin bags will be refused at the boarding gate, or where available put in the hold for a fee. Anyone wanting to bring another bag, you'll need to upgrade and pay extra for priority and two cabin bags or checked baggage. Amazon is also selling a Ryanair-approved holdall for just £13.29. The Narwey carry on comes in a range of colours, including black, grey, purple, black and pink and comes with a padded shoulder strap for comfort. For those after check in luggage, Dunelm is selling a tough shell, metallic large suitcase for £45. And for short breaks or business trips, Sports Direct is selling a Slazenger lightweight cabin case for £14.99. The case has extendable sizing, plenty of pockets and even comes with a padlock. It's one of the cheapest branded cabin bags we've seen, down by a whopping £30. However it will have to be checked in as hold luggage for RyanAir, Jet2 and EasyJet. Baggage rules Here's the key information you need to know about regarding some of the key airlines operating in the UK. Ryanair All Ryanair passengers can bring a small personal bag on board but this must fit under the seat in front of you. It must be no bigger than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm. All over-sized cabin bags will be refused at the boarding gate, or where available put in the hold for a fee. Anyone wanting to bring another bag, you'll need to upgrade and pay extra for priority and two cabin bags or checked baggage. EasyJet The budget airline allows each person to bring a small cabin bag on board. It can be no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm, this includes any handles or wheels, and it needs to be able to fit under the seat in front of you. The bag can weigh up to 15kg but easyJet says you must be able to lift and carry it yourself. Any bag larger than the limit, or any additional bags will be put in the hold and you'll have to pay an airport bag fee. Jet2 Passengers can also bring on board one piece of hand luggage when flying with Jet2, free of charge. It must not weigh more than 10kg and can't be any bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, including any wheels and handles. If your hand luggage is larger or weighs more, it will have to be put into the aircraft's hold, which might incur an additional charge. Travellers can also bring a small, personal item on board with them, such as a handbag, laptop case or a purchase made at the airport, but this has to be placed underneath the seat in front of you. British Airways All British Airways passengers can carry one piece of hand luggage and one small item on board. The hand luggage must not be bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm while the small item cannot exceed 40cm x 30cm x15cm. TUI People flying with TUI can bring on board one piece of hand luggage, weighing no more than 10kg for free. It must be no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and you must be able to lift your hand luggage into an overhead storage compartment by yourself. Items such as laptops, handbags and any item bought at the airport must be small enough to be stored under your seat. Wizz Air Wizz Air passengers can only take a small cabin bag for free onto the plane. Bags must be no more than 10kg, and measure no more than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The public sector sicknote epidemic: They're 60% more likely to be off than staff who work for private firms
Public sector workers are 60 per cent more likely to be off work due to illness than employees in the private sector. The extent of Britain's sick note epidemic is exposed in Office for National Statistics figures that reveal 148.9 million working days were lost last year, equivalent to 4.4 days for each worker. And the share of such absences among public sector employees was 2.9 per cent, significantly higher than the private sector's 1.8 per cent. The ONS claimed it could be explained by differences in types of jobs in the sectors and that workers in state-funded jobs were more likely to be paid for being off than those in private employment. But John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers are fed up with footing the bill for a public sector that's far more likely to be off sick. 'It reflects poor management and weak accountability. In the private sector, this would raise serious questions – in the public sector, it's too often ignored. Ministers must set clearer expectations, better oversight and ensure taxpayers aren't left footing the bill for unchecked absenteeism.' Sick rates have been higher in the public sector for every year on record, the ONS said. But in both cases, rates were lower last year than in 2023. The overall number of working days lost last year was 14.9 million down from 2023 but still 9.9 million higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The sickness absence rate of 2.5 per cent for women was higher than for men, at 1.6 per cent. James Cockett, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said some public sector roles – healthcare, education, social care and policing – could increase exposure to illness and also often be 'physically and emotionally demanding'. He said this could lead to greater rates of stress-related absence He added more public sector employers offer occupational sick pay compared with private sector employers.' Len Shackleton, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank, said: 'Private sector workers are more likely to be employed in small workplaces where absence is more noticeable and they may feel obliged not to let colleagues down. 'Their jobs may also be less secure than those in the public sector, again a motive for 'presenteeism' [where employees go to work despite being sick] which public sector workers don't feel to the same extent.'
Reuters
41 minutes ago
- Reuters
Quarter of UK mental ill health benefit claimants expect to lose out from planned reforms, charity says
LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - Around one in four British people with poor mental health who claim welfare benefits expect to lose their entitlement under proposed government reforms, according to research published by a charity on Thursday. Britain's government aims to save 4 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) a year by 2029-30 through tightening the rules for claiming a benefit known as personal independence payment (PIP) designed to cover disability-related costs, whether a claimant is in work or not. The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute said it interviewed 227 people with mental health conditions who receive PIP, which can be worth nearly 6,000 pounds a year. Some 24% of those surveyed said they expected to lose the benefit, while 39% were unsure if they would be affected. About one in five of those surveyed were in work, and nearly two thirds of them said reducing the benefit would make them work less, rather than more, due to difficulty affording transport costs or private mental health support. "Our analysis shows that these changes would actually result in many people with mental health problems who have a job cutting their hours or leaving the workplace altogether," the charity's chief executive, Helen Undy, said. PIP is paid to 3.7 million people in England and Wales, 6% of the population, and new claims have risen by two thirds in recent years. The government hopes that tighter eligibility rules will encourage more claimants to seek work. Under the government plans, claimants would need to have a severe difficulty in at least one area of daily life to qualify for the benefit, rather than a range of less severe problems. Britain's budget watchdog in March estimated that a third of claimants would be affected by the change, of whom around half would lose benefits after being reassessed. The new plans are subject to consultation until the end of the month. Finance minister Rachel Reeves has been under pressure from campaigners to reconsider, following a U-turn over a decision to scrap heating subsidies for most pensioners. ($1 = 0.7372 pounds)
