Latest news with #SECAmb
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
M25: Section of motorway closed after waste lorry overturns
A section of the M25 has been closed after a waste lorry overturned in a crash with another HGV, causing a spillage of oil, diesel and waste on the anticlockwise carriageway between junction six (Godstone) and five (Chevening) was shut at about 03:45 BST and is expected to remain closed throughout rush Highways warned work to clear the "large spillage" will be "extensive and complex" and the road will need to be resurfaced. "The road will be closed through morning peak period," the agency said. Drivers have been told to exit the M25 at junction six onto the A25 and rejoin the motorway after Sundridge. The BBC has contacted Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue and South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) for further information.
Metro
04-05-2025
- General
- Metro
Spitfire plane crashes on field ahead of VE Day celebrations
A Spitfire plane carrying a pilot and one passenger has crash-landed on a field in Kent. The World War Two plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a field near Lower Wall Road in West Hythe yesterday evening, just days before the VE Day celebrations across the UK. The pilot and a passenger managed to walk out of the aircraft unhurt. One eyewitness described the moments before the hair-raising emergency manoeuvre: 'We were on our way home from shopping and saw another Spitfire circling, which we thought was unusual – maybe practising for a VE-Day ceremony. 'We continued driving and then came across the plane that had just crash-landed. The pilot and passenger were luckily out of the aircraft.' The emergency services were alerted and locals, along with a farmer, helped guide the rescue workers to the site. The fire service said: 'Two fire engines attended, and crews helped make the scene safe. One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics.' Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Best VE Day celebrations across the UK – from Red Arrows flypast to royals and street parties MORE: Overlooked but 'remarkable' Spanish gem has just got new UK flights MORE: Dubai Airport closure set to impact holidays for 17,000 daily UK travellers
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Spitfire crashes in Kent field hours before VE Day celebrations and fly-past
A historic Spitfire was seen circling "for a couple of minutes" in West Hythe, Kent, at 7pm on Saturday evening before performing an emergency crash landing A horrified eyewitness has recalled the terrifying moment a Spitfire crashed into a farmer's field just hours before VE Day celebrations. A historic Spitfire was seen circling "for a couple of minutes" in West Hythe, Kent, at 7pm on Saturday before performing an emergency crash landing. Eyewitness Emily was on her way home in the car when she saw the Spitfire in the air "for a couple of minutes" before it crashed. The pilot and passenger miraculously walked away unscathed. The eyewitness, who did not want to give her last name, told KentOnline: 'We were on our way home from shopping and saw another Spitfire circling. 'Which we thought was unusual so thought perhaps they're practising for a VE-Day ceremony. 'We watched that Spitfire for a couple of minutes and it flew off. So we continued driving, and came across the plane which had just crashed. The pilot and passenger were luckily out of the aircraft. 'Bystanders were walking across the field. So we pulled up and then walked across the field ourselves to check everyone was okay. 'We contacted the farmer to make them aware and to get the gate opened.' A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed they were called to the scene following the crash. It said: "We were called to an aircraft that had made an emergency landing. 'Two fire engines attended, and crews helped to make the scene safe. One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics.' Crews left the scene at around 9pm. The company that owns the Spitfire confirmed the pilot made a "precautionary landing." A spokesperson for Fly a Spitfire added: 'We are aware of an incident involving one of our Spitfire aircraft in the vicinity of Hythe. 'We have spoken to the pilot who has advised that a precautionary landing was made at a non-airfield site. "The pilot and passenger are uninjured and at this stage we have no further information.' The Spitfire was built in 1943 and used in the Royal Canadian Air Force's 441 Squadron, operating under the RAF during World War II. It comes as Britain will commemorate VE Day 's momentous 80th anniversary with a display of characteristic pageantry next week, with Red Arrows set to arc across the skies. Events will honour the dead; those who gave their lives in World War Two to defeat fascism. But they will also remind us, as a group of veterans has poignantly conveyed, that 'to remember is also our best hope of avoiding it ever happening again'. Bank Holiday Monday will see a procession of over 1,300 Armed Forces, uniformed services and young people march to Buckingham Palace from Parliament Square. In the sky above, the procession will finish with a flypast featuring aircraft including the celebrated Red Arrows.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Horror moment Spitfire 'practicing flypast for VE Day celebrations' crashes into field
A Spitfire crashed into a farmer's field while reportedly practicing a flypast for a VE Day ceremony. Fire crews and paramedics were rushed to the scene after the historic aircraft plummeted from the sky and into crops in West Hythe, Kent. Images from the incident show the warplane lying in a field as onlookers and emergency service personnel gather around it. An anonymous witness saw the plane after it hit the earth told KentOnline: 'We were on our way home from shopping and saw another Spitfire circling. 'Which we thought was unusual so thought perhaps they're practising for a VE-Day ceremony.' She went on explain how she had watched the plane for a few minutes while driving before suddenly coming across the crashed aircraft. The pilot and passenger had luckily made it out of the Spitfire, but bystanders had gathered to take a look at the damage and check to make sure everyone was safe. 'We contacted the farmer to make them aware and to get the gate opened,' she added. A spokesman for the fire service stated: 'We were called to an aircraft that had made an emergency landing. 'Two fire engines attended, and crews helped to make the scene safe. One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics.' Emergency crews reportedly left the scene just after 9pm. The iconic aircraft belonged to Biggin Hill-based Spitfire flight experience company, Fly a Spitfire. A spokesperson said: 'We are aware of an incident involving one of our Spitfire aircraft in the vicinity of Hythe. 'We have spoken to the pilot who has advised that a precautionary landing was made at a non-airfield site. 'The pilot and passenger are uninjured and at this stage we have no further information.' According to the local news site, the Spitfire was built in 1943 and entered service with 441 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving with the RAF. Its first operational sortie was flown on September 25, 1944.
Metro
28-04-2025
- Health
- Metro
NHS worker 'had Nazi flag and picture of Hitler in the background of video call'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An NHS worker joined a video call with Nazi paraphernalia clearly visible in the background, according to a whistleblower colleague. A recording of the call – which was part of a South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) meeting – shows a man in his home office with a large Nazi flag leaning against the wall behind him. There is also a framed picture of Hitler on a shelf and a swastika armband on a bookcase. His colleague Amelia – not her real name -was also on the call and said that when she reported what she had seen she was ostracised by other staff and bags of dog poo were left outside her home. The video, released by Sky News, comes at the same time as a SECAmb staff survey revealed claims of a culture of discrimination and bullying among staff. Sky News also shared an interview with a 65-year-old woman, Juliette, who said a private paramedic working with SECAmb sexually assaulted her in 2021. She claimed he put his hand down her cycle shorts while she was in an ambulance after a cycling accident. Talking about the video call meanwhile, Amelia, who is a manager at the trust, said she and colleagues had been in a meeting about staffing levels, when the fellow manager joined them from home. She said: 'I kept looking around the room thinking, 'why is no one saying anything?'… When I spoke to people afterwards they said: 'Oh yeah… he's always been into Nazi stuff'.' Amelia said she initially tried to report what she'd seen anonymously but was told she had to identify herself and put in a formal grievance for the matter to be investigated. She claims when she did this, she was isolated by her colleagues, frozen out of meetings and uninvited to team events, adding that it killed her career. An independent report concluded there wasn't enough evidence to prove she had been excluded deliberately. A separate report, seen by Sky News, found the manager's 'inappropriate behaviour' should have been challenged, however, he still works for SECAmb. Amelia said police looked into at her video complaint at one point and days later she 'had bags of dog faeces on my doorstep'. 'That went on for a few days,' she explained. Juliette, meanwhile, says she has spent four years trying to get SECAmb to listen to her claims she was sexually assaulted by the paramedic. The grandmother was hit by a car as she was cycling through Surrey and recalls lying on a stretcher, frightened to move in case she was paralysed. Two paramedics spent around 90 minutes carrying out assessments before taking her to hospital in an ambulance. Once inside the ambulance, Juliette was left alone with one of the paramedics, who said he needed to check her hips. She said he then, without asking, opened her shorts up with his left hand and put his right hand into her cycling shorts, between her legs. She claimed he then stared into her eyes, while she temporarily froze, terrified of what he might do. 'I felt so uncomfortable. Shamed, frightened, shocked. I didn't want it to continue,' she said. Juliette said her brain eventually 'snapped into place' and she moved her legs, at which point he moved his hand and sat behind her in silence for the rest of the trip. She reported the incident to the Met Police the next day, but she was told it was her word against his, so there was little chance of a successful prosecution. She said she then contacted SECAmb, but had to wait months for a response and when she did hear back was effectively told the assault did not happen. In a letter seen by Sky News, they said she removed the shorts herself and gave consent for an examination after complaining of a pain in her leg. Juliette said this account is completely false and has made her feel insulted, betrayed and humiliated. She said she is speaking out now to help something similar happening again. The SECAmb survey was carried out by the union GMB, who asked 4.000 staff about their working environment. GMB said that out of the 900 who responded, many spoke of a culture of discrimination towards women staff members, including sexual harassment, bullying and a general 'boys' club' culture. Around a quarter of those surveyed said they had experienced bullying, while the same proportion had witnessed inappropriate conduct. Sixteen per cent had witnessed racism, meanwhile, while 17.2 had seen sexual harassment. And 80% did not feel confident SECAmb would support them if they reported concerning behaviour. Lib Whitfield, a senior GMB organiser, said she has been working with the trust for eight years and the culture is now the 'worst it's ever been'. She said she receives calls every day from members who are suicidal. Ms Whitfield said there needs to be a full independent investigation into the culture of SECAmb that results in actions and not just words. The union is also calling for the resignation of the current executive. SECAmb posted a response to the Sky News story on its website. The statement said: 'We take the welfare of our people, and our patients seriously and fully investigated the historic cases covered in a Sky News report today. This included independent external reviews, commissioned by our Chief Executive. 'And while we recognise that as a Trust and a sector there remains more to be done to improve our culture, we do not believe the concerns raised by the GMB reflect how most of our staff tell us it feels to work at SECAmb now. More Trending 'This is reflected in the results of the most recent national NHS Staff Survey, completed anonymously by record numbers of SECAmb colleagues, (3,268), and which demonstrated significant improvements across all key themes.' The statement added that of those who responded to the survey, 60% said they felt safe to speak out about anything that concerned them, up from 45% in 2022. It continued: 'In the last two years, we have invested significantly in our Freedom to Speak Up service, have rolled out Trust-wide awareness training and a highly visible sexual safety campaign and have reviewed and improved how we deal with harassment of any kind.' The trust said it remains committed to working with its unions to make further improvements but said this could only happen with 'meaningful and constructive collaboration'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. 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