
Green bin collections halted after waste site fire at Elstow
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with the Environment Agency, the UK Health and Security Agency, police and the council on a "controlled burn" strategy at the site.The council has apologised to residents affected by the suspension of green waste and said they should use the household waste recycling centre at Barkers Lane to dispose of any excess green waste during this time.
Nicola Gribble, the council's independent portfolio holder for environment, said: "We regret the disruption caused by the fire at the Elstow Transfer Station and are working tirelessly to minimise the impact on our residents. "Suspending green waste collections was a difficult but necessary decision to prioritise essential waste services and public safety."
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BBC News
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Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment small boat arrives at Gravelines beach to pick up migrants to take them illegally across to the UK - as the French do NOTHING
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After the first boat is loaded up, remaining passengers watch on as it embarks on its journey into the Channel. Most of the children wear lifejackets ahead of the passage (pictured) It appears to pass very close to another vessel, before receding into the distance. Two French gendarmerie vehicles can be seen on the sand, with a small group of officers standing stationery as the events unfold. One policeman appears to be looking at his phone. Today's small boat passage comes after Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted Labour's 'one in, one out' scheme as a 'gimmick that just won't work'. He said: 'As far as we can see, removals under this scheme will only amount to six per cent of arrivals, meaning 94 per cent will stay. 'It will have no deterrent effect whatsoever. 'We also know that the agreement with France means any migrants claiming to be under 18, or who make a modern slavery or human rights claim, will not get removed. 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He added: 'No gimmicks, just results.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously said: 'Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil [at Dover port] and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. 'That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat. 'No-one should be making this illegal and dangerous journey that undermines our border security and lines the pockets of the criminal gangs.' She added: 'Criminal gangs have spent seven years embedding themselves along our border and it will take time to unravel them, but these detentions are an important step towards undermining their business model and unravelling the false promises they make. 'These are the early days for this pilot scheme, and it will develop over time. 'But we are on track to do what no other government has done since this crisis first started - sending small boat arrivals back to France and strengthening our borders through the Plan for Change.' As part of the treaty, Britain will accept migrants from France in exchange for small boat arrivals. That element of the scheme also began on Thursday, allowing migrants to lodge 'expressions of interest' on a specially-created Home Office website. It comes after a Cabinet minister appeared to contradict the terms of the new treaty with France earlier this week. Despite the narrow scope of the scheme and the fact it is likely to expire in less than 11 months, the PM has insisted on social media (pictured): 'If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured) has previously said: 'Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil [at Dover port]' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said small boat migrants sent back under the deal would see their human rights claims heard after being sent back to France. But it later emerged some types of human rights cases would, in fact, block the Home Office from being able to remove migrants in the first place. The treaty clearly sets out small boat migrants cannot be sent back to France if they have 'an outstanding human rights claim'. 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Times
an hour ago
- Times
Catholicism and cannoli on show in a century-old London parade
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