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Firefighters tackle property blaze in Cornwall
Firefighters are tackling a property blaze in south-east Cornwall after receiving multiple 999 calls. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said appliances had been sent to the property on the A387 near Polperro. Crews have been sent from Polruan, Liskeard and Looe. The service said crews requested an additional appliance which was sent from Lostwithiel as well as a water carrier, breathing apparatus support unit and incident command units. The fire service said assistance was being provided by Devon and Cornwall Police, South Western Ambulance Service and National Grid. More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall The fire service said a station manager was also at the scene. A spokesperson for National Grid said nearby power had been cut off for "safety reasons". Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Devon and Cornwall Police National Grid
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5 hours ago
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Celebrant who worked near terrorist attack pays tribute to victims
A celebrant has paid tribute to victims of the London 7/7 bombings as she recalled the terrorist attack 20 years on. On July 7, 2005, four suicide bombers struck the capital's transport network, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770 on three London Underground trains and a bus. The Prime Minister and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the July 7 memorial in Hyde Park at 8.50am to coincide with the moment that the first bomb went off. READ MORE: Jobs axed at private school The King asked for the country to reaffirm its commitment to building a society of all faiths and backgrounds, standing against those who seek to divide us. The Mayor of London and the Prime Minister laying wreathsSinead Comerford, who lives in West Oxfordshire, was in the capital on the day of the attacks. At the time, she worked for an Australian hotel accommodation website, as a product development manager for Germany and Austrian hotels. The office was on Elder Street, not far from Liverpool Street station and Edgware Road. Now she works as a celebrant, conducting ceremonies for families, and lives in Shipton-under-Wychwood with her husband Nick Beaney. Ms Comerford said: "I will remember the day forever. I was living and working in London at that time. On July 7, 2005, I had taken the 344 bus at 8am from Stockwell to Liverpool Street and walked to the office I was working in, not far from Edgware Road. "Shortly before 9am, one of our colleagues alerted us that his train could not stop at Liverpool Street station and he rang asking for directions back to our office. "Our other colleague had not arrived yet. We were beginning to worry." She added: "The first reports on the radio were of a power surge. I remember saying immediately that this must be a premeditated terrorist attack. We were very relieved when both remaining beloved colleagues arrived into the office. "Soon we could hear helicopters circling the skies. Phone lines were quickly down, so it was getting harder and harder to reach other friends and colleagues working in the city. "Fortunately I managed to contact family in Dublin to say I was safe. "We were all advised to stay in our offices and not to leave and go out into the streets. I remember seeing buses below, carrying people wrapped in foil blankets. The day was long and harrowing. I remember feeling very frightened." Sinead Comerford (Image: Sinead Comerford) Ms Comerford said she recently watched A song for Jenny, a drama on the BBC, about "the beautiful young woman, Jenny Nicholson, who was a victim of the attack at Edgware Road", and her mother Julie's response to the attack. She urged people to think of Jenny, her family and the other victims. Ms Comerford added "I hope Londoners today can reflect as they travel around the city and smile at someone near them on the train, bus and Tube today, strike up a conversation and help someone carry their heavy luggage up the Tube stairs." Three of the blasts happened on London Underground, on or about 8.50am, in the vicinity of Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square stations. The fourth device exploded at 9.47am on a bus that had been diverted via Tavistock Square. Last week, the husband of a doctor caught up in the 2005 attacks paid tribute to his 'wonderful' wife. Gerardine Quaghebeur, from Wootton near Abingdon, was sitting on an underground carriage near Aldgate station when a terrorist detonated a bomb. She helped fellow victims, and her husband Peter Richards said 'the shock and trauma of it never left her'. His wife of 30 years passed away on June 19.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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'I can't live like this anymore': Grans demand action after repeated flat flooding
Two grandmothers in Easterhouse have suffered repeated flooding coming from flats upstairs – with one woman living elsewhere for two years because of the problems. Residents are calling for landlords and housing providers to do more to protect buildings in the area as one of the flats above is rented out while the other one houses asylum seekers. Linda Doyle, of Denmilne Street, was flooded three times in May and June with water pouring through her bathroom ceiling and once in the living room. She also had flooding last October. Great-grandmother Linda, 67, who lives underneath a flat managed by Mears, which provides asylum seeker accommodation, said she feared the water was 'pouring through' her lights. She said: 'It is just constant. I am getting fed up with it. I can't live like this anymore. I can't do anything because of the constant water coming through. It is really unfair.' Although faced with initial problems of trying to report the issue, Linda eventually got through to Mears who have sent out plumbers and a 'helpful' supervisor visited. But she wants the problem permanently solved – and Mears have now agreed to fix her ceiling. (Image: LDR) Linda said: 'I want the pipework to be checked and want them to make sure the bath is sealed. I have worked hard to get my property – sometimes I feel like walking away. There are a lot of different tenants. They are often nice and don't bother me as long as they are not noisy. But it's the flooding. I have had enough.' A Mears spokesman said: 'We're sorry for the inconvenience caused by the water leaks from one of our properties. The source of the leaks has been resolved and the ceiling in the affected flat has been repaired and now that it is dry, it is being redecorated this week. We're grateful for the resident's patience and pleased to hear positive feedback about our staff.' Another grandmother who lives nearby hasn't been home for more than two years in Lochdochart Road due to repeated flooding problems from the rental property above her. The leakage led to her ceiling collapsing in 2023. City Building workers turning up to assess the situation as it was considered a hazard by environmental health. The homeowner, who does not want to be named, said: 'It has been leaking on and off for couple of years – it stopped for four to six weeks and then started again.' Her property is at ground level – and the first-floor flat above is rented out through a letting agency Easy Let. READ MORE: TRNSMT food prices REVEALED including £15.50 pizza After repairs were carried out following the collapse of the ceiling as she waited for the plaster to dry more water came in. Describing how she works hard to 'pay for' the property while it is 'ruined,' the 65-year-old said: 'It is causing me grief. I have no insurance now. I have had to stay with different people.' Easy Let was contacted for comment. Dennis Docherty, chair of the Denmilne Community Action Group, has been campaigning for landlords and Mears to take more action regarding the maintenance of communal buildings and gardens in the Easterhouse area. He said: 'Why is the Government paying landlords so much and not holding them accountable? Buildings are falling into disrepair.' The residents have issues with messy gardens, dirty closes, missing glass in doors and roofs needing repairs among other complaints.
