Pictures reveal secrets of former RAF Neatishead Cold War base
"I think there's about 40% of the bunker I haven't seen yet but what I have done is made sure I've got in touch with people that used to work here to make sure the place is kept alive enough as we slowly refurbish it and bring it back to life."Originally a World War II base, the site was an important part of Britain's air defences during the Cold War.
Mr Sachiti said he was using the site to develop technology aimed at covering mobile "notspots" - areas with poor or non-existent phone or data signals.However, it has emerged that last month the defence secretary issued a High Court writ against Mr Sachiti and his company, Academy of Robotics.Further details are not currently available, but Mr Sachiti said: "This is unrelated to any of our current or previous with the MOD, and unrelated to any radar tech which was recently announced."There was a minor dispute which was resolved but I cannot comment on the details."The Ministry of Defence has been asked for comment.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Increased betting tax would be a hurdle that horse racing may not overcome
The Treasury is currently consulting over plans to replace the existing structure of online gambling duties, which is comprised of three bands, to a catch-all Remote Betting and Gaming Duty. At present, there is a 15 per cent duty, but there are grave concerns that the government-induced changes could see it brought into line with the rate of tax on games of chance, such as online casino and slot machines, which is six per cent higher. Economic analysis commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority showed that the sport could lose £66m in income through the levy, media rights and sponsorship because bookmakers would be likely to respond by offering inferior-value prices and reduce budgets for such things as marketing and advertising. Horse racing is a sport that is part of the very fabric of British culture. Its two codes, Flat and National Hunt have been supported by monarchs and other royals for centuries. It also courted Sir Keir Starmer, who last September became the first serving Prime Minister since Sir Winston Churchill to attend the St Leger. Now, similar to one of the PM's current political allies, it has had a change of heart and is taking a more combative approach. Racing draws in more spectators annually than every other sport in the nation, except football. It provides jobs for more than 85,000 people. If betting tax levied on the sport is raised, it's been estimated that 2,752 of those jobs will be lost in the first year alone, and this could become an ever-decreasing cycle. As a show of strength and to underline the gravity of their concerns, the whole of the industry has committed to a one-day strike on 10 September, when racing is scheduled to take place at Carlisle, Kempton Park, Lingfield Park and Uttoxeter. For an industry that has so often taken a 'softly, softly' approach to such matters and wanted to keep respective governments onside, it's akin to throwing away the painstakingly prepared form book and, instead, tossing a coin. Will the 'heads' count in the sport be forced to reduce or will ministers turn 'tails' and elect to preserve the status quo? James Hutchinson, the managing director at Ripon racecourse, is clear on why the sport is right to take such action: 'It's important that we get across this message that the current proposals for this betting duty tax will have an enormous effect on British racing and the income into British racing and therefore the amount of money that it raises in terms of levy and the return therefore to racecourses and the return of prize money to owners and trainers. 'From our point of view as a small independent racecourse, we need to be seen to be a strong industry that can support all of its constituent parts and this potential change is going to put many of those at risk and that's not something we want to see. 'I'm in support of the action that's being taken because by doing so we will hopefully be getting across and extremely strong message to government that we feel very strongly about this and the industry is prepared to go to those sort of lengths to show what it means and the effect it could have if the changes take place.' 'I don't think there's any other sporting industry that could be as dramatically affected by the sort of change that the government is proposing.' James Hutchinson, managing director at Ripon racecourse Isn't this, however, racing people expecting the sport to be treated as a special case purely because of its history? Hutchinson disagrees. 'I don't think it's necessarily a special case other than the fact that it has huge heritage. It's been an important part of the culture and the colour of the nation. 'Over five million people go racing every year and to introduce this huge increase could have a major negative impact on the industry. It could effect the amount of racing, the amount of people going racing and it would be a huge loss to the country. 'I don't think there's any other sporting industry that could be as dramatically affected by the sort of change that the government is proposing.' Those involved in the sport are clear about the financial damage that could be inflicted and are similarly unified in their action, although all four tracks that miss out on racing on that date have been offered an alternative fixture on the calendar by the BHA, by way of compensation for those individual events. The government must act in the best interests of a sport that has given the nation great service since before there was a Prime Minister. It should get this enquiry overturned before the provisional result stands, scrap any plans to increase its tax burden and leave this piece of the fabric of our society unfrayed.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
UK house prices up £9,000 in past year
By Updated: The typical home has risen in value by £9,000 over the past year, according to official figures. The average home is worth £269,079, based on sales data from June, released today by the Office for National Statistics - £100 off the all-time record set in March 2025. It comes after a 1.4 per cent monthly jump in average prices with big swings recorded in the North East and North West. The ONS data is based on sold prices that will have been agreed on property sales in the months prior to June. A more forward looking survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors last week painted a weaker picture of the state of the property market. It revealed that more Rics members, comprising estate agents and surveyors, reported house prices falling in their areas in July than those that reported prices rising. Looking ahead, more Rics members see house prices falling over the coming three months than those who think prices will rise. However, over a 12 month timeframe, the majority see prices going higher. The ONS figures, while slightly behind, continue to show that prices are rising the most in more affordable parts of Britain. Average property prices in the North East are up 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to June, rising to £163,679 on average. Prices in Scotland are up 5.9 per cent to £191,927, while prices in the North West of England are up 5 per cent in that time. The average home there is selling for £212,057. In Northern Ireland, prices are also up 5.5 per cent over the last 12 months, reaching £185,108 on average. Meanwhile, prices in London are only up 0.8 per cent year-on-year, with the average home in the capital fetching £561,309. The South East and South West - where average house prices are £383,486 and £301,66o respectively - have also seen below average growth, up 2.8 per cent and 1.5 per cent annually. 'The dizzying pace of growth seen in parts of northern England is a world away from the modest 0.8 per cent rise recorded in London,' said Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of buying agent Garrington Property Finders. 'Prices in the North East are rising nearly 10 times faster than those in the capital, and inflation is brisk in Scotland and Northern Ireland too. 'At least London is back in growth territory. As recently as May, the average price paid for a home in the capital fell by 1.4 per cent in a month as sellers had to cut asking prices or agree to significant discounts in order to get their sale across the line. 'Price rises are modest in much of southern England too, and on the front line we're seeing lots of high-value homes coming onto the market in sought-after areas.' Hopper says that a glut of homes is putting 'buyers firmly in the driving seat' and giving them the 'confidence and clout to negotiate hard on price.' However, there is also a warning for those that are perhaps waiting for prices to fall. 'There are still well-priced homes sitting unsold, often because buyers are holding back,' said Amy Reynolds, head of sales at Richmond estate agency Antony Roberts. 'If you're waiting for prices to drop, you might be right – but the property you want could be withdrawn, nothing suitable may come up, or prices could rebound far faster than they fall. 'If you see something you like but aren't sure on the price, call the agent to gauge the seller's position before you view – far better than hesitating and watching someone else buy it.'
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
UK inflation heat puts Bank of England back in the spotlight
LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - British inflation looks set to hit 4% next month, double the Bank of England's target and a level likely to add to nervousness at the central bank about the risk of price growth getting stuck at a stubbornly high rate. Consumer prices climbed by 3.8% in July, data showed on Wednesday, the fastest annual rise for a Group of Seven economy and approaching the BoE's forecast of a 4% peak in September. While below the four-decade high of 11.1% reached in October 2022, when energy prices were surging after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, July's reading was the strongest in 18 months. By comparison, U.S. inflation held at 2.7% in July and in the euro zone it is expected to stay around 2%. British inflation has been above the BoE's 2% target almost constantly since May 2021. Little wonder then that the central bank - which saw its standing fall in the eyes of the public when inflation jumped in 2022 - has suggested that its already gradual run of interest rate reductions might slow, even with the jobs market weakening. That would be a blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and finance minister Rachel Reeves who are seeking to speed up Britain's slow-moving economy. They have pointed to the five rate cuts since they came into office as a sign of progress. The BoE's quarter-point cut to its benchmark rate on August 7 was opposed by almost half of its monetary policymakers. One of them, Catherine Mann, pointed in March to research in the United States showing that public attentiveness to inflation doubles when price growth hits 4%. The research, by Oliver Pfaeuti, a University of Texas assistant professor, found the increased U.S. public awareness of inflation "substantially amplified the already inflationary supply shocks and rendered inflation more persistent". Thomas Pugh, chief economist at accountancy firm RSM UK, said inflation at 4% was probably not an automatic trigger for long-lasting economic damage but "there is some pretty good evidence that consumers and businesses are paying a lot more attention to inflation". He noted that September's data would be used to set rail fares and student loan repayments and by some pension schemes. "There is a genuine risk of some higher inflation becoming baked into the system," Pugh said. Many businesses are caught between the burden of rising costs and the risk of losing customers also under strain. Steve Hardeman, managing director of Clevedon Fasteners, which makes rivets and other parts for construction and engineering firms, said his firm had raised prices around five times since 2022 in response to higher electricity bills and labour costs. "We're looking at increasing our prices again because of things that are coming down the line," he said. Nimisha Raja, founder of food manufacturer Nim's, said she had seen a lot of "opportunistic" price rises. She pushed back when one supplier sought to raise the price of courgettes by another 5% after a 30% increase earlier this year. "I said we can't afford to do that because we can't pass this cost on to our customers. And they did back down." The BoE has become increasingly alert to the risk of inflation getting stuck too high. But it is counting on a gradual deceleration in wage growth to continue. At around 5% a year, it is down from almost 8% two years ago but remains far above the 3% level that the BoE thinks is consistent with its 2% inflation target. Despite a slowdown in payrolls numbers, some employers are still scrambling to retain staff. The British arm of German supermarket Lidl said last week it would give workers a fifth pay rise in two years, matching an increase at rival Aldi. Many other firms are taking a more cautious approach. Private-sector pay settlements held at 3% in the three months to July and uncertainty about the economy suggest further caution ahead, data firm Brightmine said on Wednesday. Inflation hitting 4% in September was unlikely to affect pay settlements for early 2026, Sheila Attwood, HR insights and data lead at Brightmine, said. But if inflation holds around 4% in the following months, that could have an impact in the spring, she said. The head of a major trade union group responded to Wednesday's inflation figures by saying workers needed immediate pay rises. "The time for action is now," Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said. The BoE has forecast inflation to slow to 3.6% in December and average 2.5% over 2026 before returning to 2% only in the second quarter of 2027. However, the central bank said the risk of higher-than-expected inflationary pressures had risen. Robert Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, expects inflation to be higher than the BoE does at 2.7% in 2026 and close to 2.5% in 2027, in part because he assumes finance minister Reeves will end a car fuel duty freeze and may resort to other tax hikes to stay on track for her budget targets. Wood predicts the BoE has now reached the end of its rate-cutting cycle. For now, however, most economists think the jobs market slowdown will allow for borrowing costs to be lowered further. A Reuters poll of analysts showed most expect a rate cut in November and another in early 2026. "There is always a risk that wages react to higher inflation, but at least this is not 2021," Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, said, pointing to a rise in unemployment, more people entering the workforce and no energy price surge. "It may be an environment where the Monetary Policy Committee chooses to be cautious but the labour market currently looks too weak to pose a major, medium-term inflationary threat."
