Popular UK shopping centre is evacuated over ‘gas leak' fears as emergency crews swoop
Chatham Dockside in Kent was evacuated after a "strong gal-like" smell was reported in the air.
The Odeon cinema and Costa Coffee were closed around 1pm.
An office nearby was also evacuated, with staff told to work from home.
Around 40 workers were sighted waiting to be let back in this afternoon, KentOnline reported.
Emergency crews are on site to check for a possible gas leak.
The rest of the businesses remain open.
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Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Walkers delights fans with the launch of its first new permanent crisp flavours in two decades
Walkers has delighted fans after announcing the launch of two new crisp flavours, which will become the brand's first permanent releases in two decades. The popular crisp manufacturer has been working behind the scenes to develop two new tastes, which will soon arrive on UK supermarket shelves. The crisp makers, founded in 1948 in Leicester, made their mark with their first ever flavour - Ready Salted. Walkers later branched out and released their two second-most-popular flavours, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar, in 1954 and 1967, respectively. In the 1970s, the brand rolled out some of its other well-known and loved flavours, Prawn Cocktail, Roast Chicken and Smoky Bacon. Now, more than 50 years later, the brand has released two exciting new flavours -Sticky Teriyaki and Masala Chicken flavours. According to Metro, Walkers have spent the last 12 months putting tatties to the test by working through 'rigorous flavour testing' to formulate the perfect seasoning. It's not a quick process, with staff analysing and testing 63 flavour submissions in a six-step process. Both can be purchased from Tesco in six-pack bags, each containing 25g and costing £2.15. Since the release of its core flavours, the brand has largely worked on creating limited-edition flavours, with a few promoted to the permanent range. Describing the new flavours, the crisp maker wrote via Metro: 'With a balance between sweet and tangy, the new Sticky Teriyaki flavour is sure to hit your senses with an array of tastes inspired by flavours from Japan.' 'Packing a punch of flavour, the new Masala Chicken provides a rich and spicy taste and with Tikka Masala being a firm favourite dish in the UK, the new crisps give you a bite sized flavour you can enjoy on the go.' Walkers has previously trialled both flavours before, with the brand having created a Chicken Tikka Masala flavour in 2018, and later a 'Chicken Tackle Masala', which was brought out to coincide with the UEFA Champions League in 2021. A 'Japanese Teriyaki' flavour was also rolled out in 2010 as part of Walkers' 'Flavour Cup', which saw fans submit taste suggestions and pit them against each other. It comes after crisp fans were left rejoicing after finding out that a beloved classic would be returning to UK shelves in June earlier this year - some 20 years after being discontinued. Pickled Onion Discos, owned by KP Snacks, were taken off shop shelves way back in 2005. The tangy flavour is now destined to return to shops later this month on August 27. In 2022, several X (formerly Twitter) users spoke wistfully of the discontinued flavour. One said: 'Pickled onion disco were the best.' Another agreed, writing: 'Bring back Pickled Onion Disco crisps.' In 2023, another agreed, saying: 'Disco's pickled onion. Was the underrated best crisp. RIP.' The snack had such a cult following, that in October 2017, a petition was launched calling for their return. According to a statement by Amy Heap, marketing manager at Discos, the brand is very excited about the return of the treat. She said: 'This legendary flavour has been a fan favourite for years, and its mouth-tingling tang is guaranteed to take your snack game to the next level. 'Whether you've loved them forever or you're just discovering their iconic punch, we can't wait for you to tear open a bag and try them.' However, while the flavour is the same, one thing is changing - the price tag. According to shoppers, the crisps used to cost 20p a bag. When they return at the end of August, they will reportedly have an RRP of £1.35 for a 70g bag. Elsewhere, sweet-toothed shoppers expressed their delight at seeing a previously discontinued chocolate bar back on the shelves. Cadbury Dairy Milk Shortcake Biscuit chocolate bars were discontinued in the UK in 2008. But now fans of the treat have revealed that they've spotted it in B&M stores across the nation. One shopper took to the Newfoodsuk group on Facebook to share their find with other lovers of the treat. Posting an image of the bar, they simply wrote: 'Cadbury Shortcake Biscuit Dairy Milk Bar spotted at B&M Stores.' People took to the comments section to share their opinions on the snack, with many expressing how much they like it. One wrote: 'If you ever see these [drooling emoji] they were the best ever chocolate.' 'This was my favourite,' said another. Meanwhile, a third wrote in conversation with a friend: 'These where the best I told you about them before.' In a similar vein, another added: 'I used to love this! I'm glad they brought it back.'
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Labour minister opens door to an inheritance tax raid as Rachel Reeves scrambles to plug her £50bn spending hole - and Chancellor 'will also hit households with stealth and sin levies'
A Labour minister today opened the door to an inheritance tax raid as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to plug a £50billion spending hole at her next Budget. Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, failed to rule out changes to the so-called 'death tax' this autumn amid growing concerns about the state of the public finances. It follows claims that Treasury officials are examining whether tightening rules around the gifting of assets and money could help fill the multi-billion pound shortfall. Under consideration is the prospect of a lifetime cap which would limit the amount a person could gift before their death, the Guardian reported. The Tories warned that the plans revealed Labour's 'politics of envy' and said people should not be punished for passing on their hard-earned money. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research recently judged that Ms Reeves needs to find £50billion in tax rises or spending cuts to balance the books by the end of the decade. The respected think tank said higher-than-expected public sector borrowing and weaker economic growth had left the Chancellor with an 'impossible' choice between the two options. As well as a possible inheritance tax raid, Ms Reeves is also said to be looking at a fresh increase in the capital gains tax rate, as well as further 'stealth' and 'sin' taxes. A new analysis by Pantheon Macroeconomics predicted Ms Reeves will hit households with 'a mix of 'sin' tax and duty hikes, the freezing of income-tax thresholds, and either pension-tax or unspecified spending restrictions in 2029-30 to fill the hole in the public finances'. A sin tax is a tax on goods and services which are deemed harmful to individuals or society, such as tobacco or alcohol, as well as gambling. Freezing income-tax thresholds is often referred to as a 'stealth tax' because more people are pulled into paying higher rates of tax as their wages grow. The Pantheon report added: 'Public finances are in a desperate condition, and the Government appears to be limping from one fiscal event to another with no clear plan to deal with medium-term fiscal pressures and long-term sustainability.' Adam Corlett, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation, told The i Paper: 'With the Chancellor likely to need significant tax revenues in her Budget this autumn, sin taxes are a sensible place to start. 'Specific policies could include raising gambling duties and aviation levies, while motoring taxes are also in need of reform. 'But while sensible, there are limits to how much these reforms can raise, and the Chancellor may need to look to more mainstream taxes if the fiscal hole she needs to fill is particularly large.' Asked by Sky News this morning if Ms Reeves is planning an inheritance tax raid, Dame Diana said: 'I'm not the Chancellor and she's obviously going to announce her Budget in the autumn and we'll make her announcements then. 'But what I'm really clear about is that the decisions that she's already taken have allowed, for example, for me as the policing minister to make sure that we're getting those 3,000 additional police officers this year into our communities to keep people safe. 'So I think the Budget will come in October and we'll hear then what she wants to announce.' Responding to Dame Diana's comments, Tory MP Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, warned against 'punishing' savers for Labour's fiscal black hole. 'The mask has slipped,' he said. 'Labour is coming for your family's future to fund their failure - and they won't stop at inheritance tax. 'Those who've worked hard, saved responsibly and hope to leave something behind shouldn't be punished to pay for Labour's economic black hole. 'It's the same old Labour: tax first, think later. Nothing is safe under Labour - not your savings, not your pension, not even the gift of helping your children. 'This is the politics of envy and working families will pay the price.' Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, told GB News there would 'inevitably' be tax rises in the autumn following Labour's failure to 'get a grip' on welfare spending. New figures, published by the Department for Work and Pensions yesterday, showed the number of people claiming Universal Credit hit 8 million last month. The steep rise in the number of claimants over the past 12 months was driven almost entirely by people who are not required to work. The number of people on Universal Credit with 'no work requirements' reached 3.7 million in July this year - an increase of 39 per cent or 1 million since July 2024. It means 46 per cent of all Universal Credit claimants are not expected to do anything to prepare or to look for work. Sir Keir Starmer last month saw his attempt to cut Britain's ballooning benefits bill derailed by a major rebellion among Labour MPs. The Prime Minister was forced to scrap most of his planned welfare changes in the face of a huge Labour revolt. An earlier U-turn on axing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners has also left Ms Reeves with billions of pounds to try and find in spending cuts or tax rises in her next Budget. Ms Reeves has already ruled out increasing National Insurance, income tax and VAT for workers leaving her limited options to raise money unless she changes her fiscal rules. Inheritance tax raises around £7billion a year and is paid by around four per cent of estates. It is currently set at a rate of 40per cent of the value of estates above £325,000. Labour officials are said to be concerned about the amount of money being extracted from pension pots and gifted to relatives. They are reportedly looking for a way to tap into the wealth of the 'boomer' generation who have benefited from rising property prices and gold-plated pensions. Gifts made seven years before someone dies are at present not subject to inheritance tax. Those given three to seven years before death are taxed on a sliding scale known as 'taper relief'. The rate reduces each year from 32per cent to 8per cent. A Treasury source told the Guardian: 'With so much wealth stored in assets like houses that have shot up in value, we have to find ways to better tap into the inheritances of those who can afford to contribute more. 'It's hard to make sure these taxes don't end up with loopholes that undermine their purpose. 'But we are trying to work out what revenue might be raised and how to ensure it's a fair approach.' Tory MP Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, warned Ms Reeves against 'punishing' savers for Labour's fiscal black hole The source added: 'IHT can raise more, and even if we do nothing, it will raise more money as the threshold for paying it stays frozen. 'But we have to look at the levers for taxing wealth if the aim of the government is to avoid hitting earnings from work as much as possible.' At the last Budget, Ms Reeves changed the rules so farmers paid inheritance tax for the first time on estates over £1million. The paper also reported that Ms Reeves is looking at whether to increase capital gains tax rates by a few percentage points. This could be teamed with an allowance for those who put money into British businesses so as not to deter investment into the UK. Ms Reeves has been under pressure from her backbenchers to introduce a form of wealth tax to target the rich. A Treasury spokesman said: 'As set out in the plan for change, the best way to strengthen public finances is by growing the economy - which is our focus. 'Changes to tax and spend policy are not the only ways of doing this, as seen with our planning reforms, which are expected to grow the economy by £6.8bn and cut borrowing by £3.4bn. 'We are committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible, which is why at last autumn's budget we protected working people's payslips and kept our promise not to raise the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, employee national insurance or VAT.' The possible changes to inheritance tax come after Sir Keir's popularity today sunk to its lowest level to date. The Government's approval rating slipped to minus 55, according to pollsters YouGov. Just 13 per cent of the public included in the survey said they approved of the Government's record since returning to power under Sir Keir last summer - the same percentage as the previous week. But those who disapproved slipped by another percentage point, down to 68 per cent. It meant the net approval rating lurched to a record low for this administration. The weekly poll makes grim reading for Labour HQ, and follows a series of blows to Sir Keir's authority, including fresh accusations he has failed to get a hold of the small boats crisis, and claims he has presided over a 'two-tier' justice system. He also had to deal with the resignation of his homelessness minister over a rental home row. The YouGov data came after it was officially confirmed more than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour won the 2024 general election. Analysis claimed the milestone was reached in 401 days of the Starmer government, compared with 603 days for Rishi Sunak's administration, and more than 1,000 days under Boris Johnson's. Liz Truss did not last long enough to reach the landmark, although a total of 10,532 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel during the 49 days of her premiership.
The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
Poundland is making a major change for shoppers as part of restructuring plan to close 68 shops
POUNDLAND is making a major change for customers as part of plans to close 68 shops. The discounter has revealed the date shoppers will no longer be able to buy products off its website and its loyalty scheme, Poundland Perks, is axed. 1 Both services will be discontinued from September 16. A spokesperson said: "We know these changes will disappoint our digital shoppers, (but) they're part of our determination to simplify and refocus our business for customers and colleagues alike. "When Poundland is at its best, it's an 'everyday low-price' retailer and we want to make sure all customers can benefit from our low prices without the hassle of looking for a voucher in an app." Shoppers are being told to head to their nearest branch to buy their favourite products ahead of them becoming browse only - you can find yours via Loyalty scheme customers signed up to the Poundland Perks app have until January 15, 2026, to use their rewards vouchers. It comes as Poundland goes through a major restructuring after being sold in June. with 13 having already shut. A further 39 branches are confirmed as closing for good in August and September. Poundland's new owners have said they also want to: Close its frozen and digital distribution centre in Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year Ditch frozen products from stores Reduce the number of chilled food items sold Close its national distribution centre in Bilston, West Midlands, in early 2026 Provide more womenswear and seasonal ranges Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures These five plans are subject to High Court approval with a hearing set to take place this month. An exact date for this hearing is yet to be confirmed. What's going on at Poundland? Poundland, owned by the Pepco Group, was sold for "just £1" in June as part of a deal struck with investment fund Gordon Brothers. The ex-owner of Laura Ashley agreed to buy the discount chain for the nominal fee as it said it would move forward with a major restructuring plan. This included pumping £80million of financing into Poundland. Later that month, Gordon Brothers laid out the details of the restructuring plan, which included closing 68 stores and negotiating rent reductions at a number of other locations. Poundland was put up for auction in March as Pepco, a Polish company, sought to offload the brand. The owner had reported weak Poundland sales over the previous six months and cut the brand's trading guidance for the year as a result. Poundland revenues dropped by 6.5% to £830million for the six months to March compared with a year earlier. The brand suffered "challenges across all categories" and had 18 net store closures over the period. Pepco had blamed "highly challenging trading conditions" for the fall in sales. The 49 Poundland stores closing in August and September THESE are the 49 stores confirmed as closing in August and September as part of the restructuring plan: The following Poundland stores permanently closes on August 10: Ammanford Birmingham Fort Cardiff Valegate Cramlington Leicester Long Eaton Port Glasgow Seaham Shrewsbury Tunbridge Wells More stores will close their doors for the final time on August 17: Bedford Bidston Moss Broxburn Craigavon Dartmouth East Dulwich Falmouth Hull St Andrews Newtonabbey Perth Poole Sunderland Stafford Thornaby Worcester On August 24, additional closures will take place at these locations: Brigg Canterbury Coventry Newcastle Kings Heath Peterborough Peterlee Rainham Salford Sheldon Wells Whitechapel On August 31, the following stores will also close: Blackburn Cookstown Erdington Kimberley Shopping Centre, Nottingham Horsham Hull Holderness Kettering Omagh Shepherds Bush Southport Taunton Meanwhile, Poundland's branch in the Rivergate Shopping Centre, Irvine, will close on September 14.
