
Firefighters tackle 'large' blaze at Pakefield industrial unit
People living nearby have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Woman looks on in horror as she sees her home EXPLODE from her office window just miles away
A mountain of rubble is all that is left of a family home after a suspected gas explosion. The detached house in Otterton in Devon was completely destroyed by a 'non-suspicious gas explosion' and the fire that followed on Monday morning. Miraculously, no one was inside the property at the time - but the huge bang was witnessed by the homeowner herself from her local business in town, who said she did not realise at the time that it came from her home. Wendy and John Marsh run care homes in the area. Their family home, bought for £360,000 in 2004, was just miles from their businesses when it was destroyed yesterday by the explosion. Locals reported seeing houses 'shaking' and the explosion was heard throughout the village, but thankfully no injuries were reported. One Otterton resident, Adrian Livings, described the explosion to the Sidmouth Herald as the loudest he had ever heard. 'The army carry out manoeuvres close by, so I'm used to hearing explosions but I've never heard anything sound so loud - you could feel it in the middle of your gut. I thought it might have been a plane crash. 'Everybody walked out into the street afterwards and we were all scratching our heads trying to figure out what had happened. 'Within minutes pieces of insulation from the house were landing on the road like snowflakes.' Five crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attended after the explosion at 11.30am and found the property 'well alight'. The road from Otterton Village to Ladram Bay was closed for most of the day for public safety. One horse rider was nearly thrown off after she witnessed the explosion, DevonLive reported. Dan Lawrence, Wales and West Utilities Gas Emergency Service Manager for Devon, said there were actually no gas mains networks in the area. He told DevonLive: 'We were called to reports of an explosion at a property in the Ladram Road area of Otterton this morning and immediately sent a team of engineers to attend. 'On arrival, we found that there had been severe structural damage to the property and the emergency services were in control of the scene. 'In our role as the gas emergency service, we are supporting the police and the fire brigade as they work to make the area safe and investigate the cause of the explosion. 'However, there is no gas mains network in the area, and so the explosion is not related to natural gas. 'We will continue to support the emergency services who remain in control at the scene.' Police thanked the local community, councillors and staff at Ladram Bay Holiday Park for their help and support while they dealt with the emergency. Parish council chairman Ian Simpson described the situation as 'very, very serious' and said locals were initially panicking. He said: 'It was a substantial blast, people reported that houses down through the village were shaken. 'Apparently, there was insulation flying through the air and landing in people's gardens. 'The emergency services were very concerned if any of that was on fire - we've got loads of thatched cottages in the village, it could have been catastrophic.' Police Inspector Mat Helm said the homeowners run a business locally and the female owner witnessed the explosion from her work window. An Exmouth Police spokesperson said: 'Unfortunately a family lost their home in Otterton. 'The cause appears to be a non-suspicious gas explosion at this time and between that and the subsequent fire, it has completely destroyed the home. 'Ultimately no person nor pet was injured in this instance and that is a massive blessing. However, I would highlight that for the family this is an awful thing so please don't go near the property out of respect for them - and its highly dangerous.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
American reveals the British supermarket staples that would 'unsettle' people in the US
An American woman living in the UK has sparked fury among Brits on social media after she shared four products commonly found in supermarkets that would unsettle people back home in the States. Paige Wester, who moved from the US to Newcastle in 2024 with her British partner and their two young sons, regularly posts lighthearted videos about her UK culture shocks to her 56,000 followers on TikTok. But her latest post, filmed during a routine shop at Tesco Express, didn't go down quite so smoothly with British viewers. In the video, the mother-of-two walks through the aisles, highlighting a selection of British foods that would 'send Americans into a coma'. The content creator reached for a bottle of HP Sauce - a type of brown sauce - before launching a scathing attack on the condiment. She said: 'I need someone to tell me what brown sauce is and why doesn't it have a name. It's so bad that it's just named after a colour. This is definitely a staple in British households... but you know what? To each their own.' She moved on to the frozen aisle, where she was left scratching her head at the abundance of peas on display. Paige said: 'British people absolutely love their peas... but why on earth are there so many types? And the fact you go and mush them and say they're edible is a disgrace.' Next, the mother questioned why Brits were so fond of squash, and accused the nation of prioritising it over water, as she added: 'Americans might be fat, but someone tell me why British people won't drink water - they have to have juice.' Paige also took aim at the 'unsanitary' open baskets shoppers can pick pastries and loaves of fresh bread from, and admitted the idea of the baked goods being in 'direct contact with everyone's germs' leaves her 'repulsed.' Despite being left baffled by various offerings at the supermarket, she revealed she was blown away by the stark difference in trolleys in the US and UK. The mother hailed British trolleys as the 'best invention to come out of England,' due to their 360 degree rotating wheels, and urged American manufacturers to 'take notes.' Over 2500 viewers shared their thoughts in the comments - with many Brits left furious by Paige's takes on beloved UK staples. Regarding squash, one person wrote, 'Wait til you find out what you're meant to put in the juice,' while another said, 'It's not juice, it's squash. It's a staple. Could be worse, we could be drinking mountain dew and koolaid.' Another, defending HP sauce, said: 'I don't even like brown sauce but coming after that when your cheese comes out a squirty bottle is mad One person, who hails from the States, agreed: 'I'm an American and I love brown sauce. It's like A1 but better.' Over 2500 viewers shared their thoughts in the comments - with many Brits left furious by Paige's takes on beloved UK staples In terms of peas, one viewer defended: 'Peas are to us what guns are to you. We don't need em but having them is our constitutional right!' Another wrote: 'If you're amazed by the peas, wait until you see the different types of ham.' Regarding baked goods, one wrote: 'How is the bakery unsanitary? according to UK health and safety they are permitted to be out for up to 4 hours and they are not high risk as they don't have moisture or protein.' Finally, one viewer concluded: 'What would send me in a coma in the USA is all the additives and corn syrup added into the food and drink and how processed it is.'


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Maryport bridge sticking up 'like sore thumb' back in use
A broken footbridge which was "stuck up in the air like a sore thumb" for more than 18 months is back in use being structure at the Elizabeth Dock in Maryport, Cumbria, was designed to be raised to allow boats in and out of the harbour when water levels are it had been in an upright position since December 2023 with the town's harbour authority saying it could not meet the cost of having it financial support from Cumberland Council, contractor Forth Engineering was appointed in May and the crossing was back in use for last weekend's Taste of the Sea food festival. Council leader Mark Fryer, who previously told the BBC the crossing had been "stuck up in the air like a sore thumb", said there were "lessons to be learned about not looking after assets in a proper fashion".He revealed the repair work had a budget of £75,000 and additional funding would be needed to fix lighting around the harbour "which again has not been looked after properly". The bridge was built in 2007 and gifted to Maryport Harbour and Marina Ltd by what was then Cumbria County May this year the harbour organisation said a range of hydraulic and electrical issues had been identified but that the estimated costs were "significantly beyond" its financial the reopening, a spokesman warned "further essential maintenance work is ongoing"."This includes adjustments to the locking pin mechanism, barrier arms and the electrical control system."In relation to the area's lighting, he said: "All assets have a lifespan. Even with regular maintenance and inspection [they] still require substantial works at some point."He added harbour bosses were working with Cumberland Council's lighting department and awaiting a plan to install replacements, with the local authority "continuing to maintain all functional lights on our behalf". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.