Eurostar: Mother 'gutted' after Make-A-Wish trip cancelled
A mother has been left "gutted" after a Make-A-Wish trip to Disneyland Paris for her terminally ill daughter Daisy, five, was cancelled due to disruption to Eurostar services following the discovery of an unexploded bomb.Toni Mannion, 38, said she had been "looking forward to making some special memories", but was unable to take alternative transport to France with her daughter who has complex needs. The World War Two explosive, found near Gare du Nord station in Paris, was defused on Friday afternoon - with commuters being told to expect normal services on Saturday. Eurostar's chief safety and stations officer Simon Lejeune said he was "incredibly sorry" for the travel disruption.
Paris train services to resume after WW2 bomb defused
Five-year old Daisy has a rare metabolic disorder called Nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH). She uses a wheelchair, is non-verbal and has severe epilepsy.Ms Mannion travelled from Birmingham to London on Thursday with Dasiy, her one-year-old daughter Lara, her mother and a friend. "We've been planning this for such a long time. Make-A-Wish charity paid for everything from start to finish. "We were really looking forward to making some special memories with the girls. I know Make-A-Wish will look to reorganise. But it's still a bit gutting really."I cried, we all cried. We've been really looking forward to it. Her [Daisy's] life is limited, we just never know how long we've got left with her."We wanted to make some really nice memories."Many Britons found themselves stuck on the other side of the Channel on Friday, with no easy way of making it back to UK. But some, like Vicky and her mother Jo, decided to "make the most of it" and spend a few more days in Paris. "We were starting to get a bit worried about being able to get home eventually," said Vicky. Vicky and her mother were only planning on staying one night, but have since decided to book a train back on Sunday."We're going to make the most of it. We just walked up to the Eiffel tower and are going to have a walk around the city, take our time and enjoy Paris," she said.
Many travellers complained about being unable to get on to the Eurostar app, including Bob and Mavis from Nottingham who had been hoping to travel to Paris from London St Pancras International on Friday."It's taken us hours to get through on the Eurostar app, because it keeps crashing", said Mavis. The couple, who had finally managed to book a train to get them into Paris on Saturday, said they were having to spend money for a hotel in London overnight.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
British holidaymakers will avoid long airport queues after border deal agreed
Britain has agreed to a fluid border between the British overseas territory Gibraltar and Spain in a major deal with the European Union after years of Brexit wrangling The UK and Spain have agreed a deal over the border between Gibraltar and Spain. Britain has agreed to a fluid border between the British overseas territory and Spain in a deal with the EU. Under the agreement, checks will not be required on people crossing the border. Travellers arriving by air at Gibraltar airport will show their passports to British and Spanish officials under a dual border checks system. It will mirror the way French and British passport officers check people's documents on the Eurostar at London's St Pancras station. Approximately 15,000 people – over half of Gibraltar's workforce – cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day. Without a new agreement, the EU's incoming system of entry and exit controls would have introduced a 'hard border' under which every individual passport was checked, raising fears about long queues. People from Gibraltar are holders of full British passports. READ MORE: Rachel Reeves's Spending Review key points - NHS bombshell and major housing update The deal also secures an arrangement for goods and customs to enter Gibraltar across the land border. Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the agreement was a "breakthrough" after years of uncertainty and that the UK's commitment to Gibraltar "remains as solid as the Rock itself". He said: "Alongside the government of Gibraltar, we have reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again. "I thank the Chief Minister and his Government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The UK's commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as the Rock itself." President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal. In a post on X/ Twitter, she said: "It safeguards the integrity of Schengen and the single market, while ensuring stability, legal certainty and prosperity for the region." Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the deal would "protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty". "Now is the time to look beyond the arguments of the past and towards a time of renewed co-operation and understanding. Now the deal is done, it's time to finalise the treaty." Mr Lammy held talks with Gibraltar's leaders, members of the opposition and the business community before leaving the British overseas territory to head to Brussels on Wednesday morning. Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory. The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move. Gibraltar also hosts an RAF base at its airport and an important naval facility.
ITV News
15 hours ago
- ITV News
UK agrees free movement deal between Gibraltar and Spain
The UK Government has reached a post-Brexit deal on Gibraltar, allowing free movement between the UK overseas territory and Spain. It ends years of uncertainty for Gibraltan residents who faced the possibility of new hard-border controls, set to begin in November. Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020. Now under the new deal, there will be a fluid border between Gibraltar and Spain, without passport checks for people crossing. It is a relief for the estimated 15,000 people, over half of Gibraltar's workforce, that cross the land border between Spain and Gibraltar every day. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Gibraltar's chief minister met with EU and Spanish negotiators in Brussels on Wednesday, to get the deal over the line. Gibraltar airport will now have a Eurostar-style dual border control, carried out by Gibraltar and Spanish officials. Immigration and law and order in Gibraltar will remain the exclusive responsibility of Gibraltar's authorities. While Spanish officials will take responsibility for the Schengen Area in a model that mirrors French police operating in London's St Pancras station. The deal also includes a 'bespoke goods and customs model' for goods entering Gibraltar by land, avoiding the need for 'onerous checks'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "This government inherited a situation from the last government which put Gibraltar's economy and way of life under threat. "Today's breakthrough delivers a practical solution after years of uncertainty. "Alongside the Government of Gibraltar, we have a reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again. "I thank the Chief Minister and his Government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The UK's commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as the Rock itself.' Gibraltar was not included in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement negotiated by the Conservative government following Brexit. Instead, the previous government began negotiations in 2021 to reach a deal, but it remained unresolved until Wednesday. Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the deal would "protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty". "Now is the time to look beyond the arguments of the past and towards a time of renewed co-operation and understanding. Now the deal is done, it's time to finalise the treaty." Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the also hosts an RAF base at its airport and an important naval facility.
Time Out
17 hours ago
- Time Out
Eurostar is launching a new service between two culture-packed European cities
Eurostar is best known for its route between London and Paris, which annually ferries 280,000 passengers between the UK and French capitals, but the operator is rapidly expanding. As part of a new batch of services that includes a route from the UK to Germany and Switzerland, Eurostar has just announced a new service from Amsterdam to Geneva via Brussels. The route could be on the cards from 2030, and the plan is to have it operate multiple times a day. The journey is expected to take around five hours, and the number of trains from the Netherlands to London will also be increased from three to four per day to complement the new route. Here's a map of what the new routes will look like. This is all part of Eurostar's €2 billion investment into expand its train fleet by up to 50 trains. Right now, the operator is active in the UK, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, so a stop in Switzerland will be its sixth country, and the new trains should help supplement this. Eurostar already welcomes around 19.5 million passengers per year (which increased from 2023 by 5 percent). According to Gwendoline Cazenave, the company is 'seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before'.
