Serious crash on A38 in Devon closes road both ways
National Highways said traffic that had been caught in the eastbound closure was being slowly released past the scene.
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South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Severn Bridge weight limit is being enforced say officials
The body responsible for the suspension bridge that connects Wales and England, via the M48 from Chepstow to Aust, was responding to the latest photograph of a lorry that appears to be over the 7.5 tonne limit crossing it emerged. National Highways has said it working with police and other bodies to uphold the ban introduced at the end of May and says it has installed automatic number plate recognition, ANPR, cameras and held a recent enforcement day on the crossing. Chris Pope, of National Highways, said: 'The numbers of vehicles breaching the ban is a small percentage and we are working with local police, through Operation Wolverine, as well as the DVSA and The Traffic Commissioner to prevent infringements and ensure that HGV drivers flouting the ban are dealt with.' He was responding after a photograph of a building supplies tanker crossing the bridge, from Chepstow, was taken on Monday, August 4. Before the temporary weight limit was put in place it was estimated around 10 per cent, or just over 3,200, of the 32,000 vehicle that cross it every day were HGVs over 7.5 tonnes. An enforcement day to support the implementation of the 7.5 tonne weight limit on the M48 Severn Bridge. Picture: National Highways. Drivers failing to abide by the restriction face a potential three penalty points and a £100 fine. Chepstow Bulwark and Thornwell councillor Armand Watts, who has constantly raised concerns over the impact of the weight restriction and how it is being managed, said the photograph raises doubts over its enforcement. He has been seeking information on the use of the ANPR cameras, while in July Monmouthshire councillors were told the cameras are in use but 'success' would depend on the back office capacity of Avon and Somerset Police which has responsibility for the Severn Bridge and the second Severn Crossing Prince of Wales Bridge. Labour's councillor Watts, who also raised his concern policing the restriction could be an additional burden on police, said: 'I've not seen any police at the bridge the last couple of weeks but they've probably got crimes to solve.' Officers from Gwent Police and vehicle licensing agencies were part of the enforcement day. Mr Pope, of the UK Government agency National Highways, said it has installed ANPR cameras, with enforcement supported by Avon and Somerset, while Gwent Police is conducting patrols to catch drivers who ignore the weight restriction. 'Operation Wolverine with Gwent Police is running for three months, and ANPR cameras have also now been installed at either end of the structure. We continue to work at pace with Avon and Somerset Police as we transition from physical enforcement to predominately digital via ANPR cameras,' said Mr Pope. 'There is extensive signage on the approach to the bridge and we have worked hard to raise awareness of the need for the ban including briefing hauliers, Logistics UK and the Road Haulage Association. The weight restrictions are essential to future-proof the bridge and hauliers must observe the signs and take an alternative route if their HGV is over 7.5 tonnes.'
BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
Devon foodbanks say families struggle to feed children in school holidays
Families are struggling to put food on the table during the school holidays, charities have warned. A community kitchen and foodbank in Okehampton in Devon said a dramatic rise in families needing affordable food had forced it to double the amount of supplies it bought in each week. Newquay Foodbank said the summer holidays were "a real pinch point" and one in four young children were at risk of needing a food director Zoe Nixon described it as a "devastating reality for too many families", adding: "Parents should be able to enjoy this time with their children, not lie awake wondering how to put food on the table." Last year, the Trussell Trust said its south-west community food banks distributed 6,484 food parcels in the UK, 63% of food parcels were delivered to households with children of all ages up to 16, it Green, co-founder of the Okehampton Community Kitchen and Foodbank, said it was seeing "a massive increase in people not in emergency food need, but in affordable food need".Many could not afford "to put a decent meal, even once a day, on the table", she said."Those people are anxious, they're worried, they're scared. They're also proud, they don't want to come to a food bank," Ms Green added. 'Make ends meet' As well as the food bank, the Okehampton community hub runs a food club which offers affordable boxes for £ Read, who has four children between the ages of 10 and 17, said she "quite often dreads the summer holidays" and relied on the charity's boxes to manage."With having the six weeks off over the summer, finances are stretched," she said."We haven't got the money to go out and have takeaways or have a day out, so having these £2.50 boxes are really helpful to just make those ends meet over those six weeks."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Mysterious wealthy heiress breaks cover in a SUPER expensive Chanel outfit to grab some cash - as she swaps her wrecked $1.5million Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce for a humble minivan after head-on crash
The mysterious heiress behind the wheel of a $1.5million Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce that was wrecked in a head-on crash has been spotted in a ritzy suburb wearing an outfit worth almost as much as her car. Masked millionairess LanLan Yang, 23, made a dash to a bank ATM in Double Bay in Sydney 's well-heeled eastern suburbs to replenish her wads of cash on Wednesday. She was driven there by her new minder in a minivan after she was banned from driving following a horror collision in Rose Bay more than two weeks ago. The dramatic late night crash left Kyle Sandilands ' chauffeur George Plassaras in a coma with multiple broken bones after her Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV ploughed into his Mercedes van. She emerged unscathed from the crash but allegedly refused to take a breath test at the police station following her arrest at the scene. On Wednesday afternoon, she reported to Rose Bay police station as part of her bail conditions, dressed head to toe in very expensive designer gear. She wore an exclusive vintage Chanel jacket worth more than $18,000 and matching cap retailing at over $3,000. Her high-end designer earrings and brooch are believed to be essentially priceless and only available to an elite clientele who don't care - or ask - about prices. One eastern suburbs insider estimated the jewellery could be worth 'hundreds of even more'. She finished the look with a pair of vintage Chanel Camelia pumps worth a cool $1,500 and a pair of Mui Mui sunglasses valued at around $750. The Daily Mail confronted Ms Yang as she exited a bank after after withdrawing wads of $50 notes from the ATM. Ms Yang, who was once again hidden behind a facemask, was flanked by her personal chauffeur who looked more like a personal bodyguard. She refused to answer questions about her mysterious wealth that has intrigued the nation, including rumours her fortune stems from the iron ore trade. She is due to face Downing Centre Local Court on Friday over her traffic charges but would not elaborate on her state of mind or whether she will be supported by family. Instead she kept her head bowed as she returned to her $100,000 2024 Toyota Vellfire minivan. Despite its high price, it is still a far cry from the Roller she wrecked - or the SPARE 2018 Roll-Royce Ghost Convertible she keeps unregistered in the garage of her apartment block Yang's extraordinary apparent wealth has sparked widespread interest in Australia - particularly after the Daily Mail revealed she owned two Rolls-Royces and lived in a luxury apartment in Vaucluse in Sydney's eastern suburbs. And in recent days, the speculation has taken off in China, where she has become the subject of wild, inaccurate claims that had gone viral on Chinese platforms Douyin and Weibo, plus mainstream Chinese media reports. A series of widely-viewed Chinese social media posts falsely claimed that Yang paid an $80million bond to get bail. They also claimed, without naming a source or providing any corroboration, that authorities found she had $270billion in her bank account after her arrest. The first claim about the bond is demonstrably false - a court spokesperson told the Daily Mail there was 'no monetary condition stipulated by police' as part of her bail agreement. Days after the crash, Daily Mail confronted her to ask about her alleged victim's injuries, however she shielded her face from the onslaught of cameras. The designer-loving heiress briefly removed her mask during her visit to the bank Her garage uses a car lift that can only take 3,000kg, which is likely why she opted to park her other luxury vehicle - that costs more than many people's houses - on her residential street instead of keeping it undercover. While very little is known about Yang or how she obtained her substantial wealth, neighbours from her upmarket building described her as 'polite' and 'shy' when they were approached. They also added the young resident, who occupies the building's prized penthouse apartment, decorated her car with the mega-exclusive Labubu toys. 'She decorates the front of the car with those Labubus - it's cute,' the neighbour revealed. Another neighbour added she was rarely seen at the property. Radio host Kyle Sandilands spoke about the incident days after the July 26 crash and called his chauffeur the 'greatest employee ever'. 'What did [he] say when he was taken away in the ambulance? He asked for his mobile phone so he could do what?' he said. 'This is a guy at 4.30 in the morning after he has been cut out of his vehicle, he's been trapped in his van for an hour, this poor bloke. The Daily Mail previously revealed Yang also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000 'And he asks the ambo: 'Get my phone so I can make sure Kyle's all right for the week.' Mr Plassaras had to be cut from his vehicle before he was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. The head-on crash left Mr Plassaras with a broken spine, broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, a torn open abdomen, two broken hips and two broken femurs. He could be heard yelling for help inside the crushed vehicle, as emergency crews from NSW Police Rescue and Fire and Rescue NSW worked to free him. The crash was captured on nearby CCTV which appeared to show Yang's luxury SUV allegedly veering into oncoming traffic before the collision. Her Rolls-Royce and his Mercedes are being held in a secure lot in Alexandria pending a police investigation. When she was taken to Waverley Police Station following the crash, police allege Yang refused to undergo a breath analysis.
