Latest news with #Tagg
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Offer to 'share expertise' over station upgrade
Railway bosses say they are willing to share their expertise on historical coal mining beneath a station in Staffordshire to enable improvement works to move forward. It comes after a row between the local MP and leader of the borough council over the planned work at Kidsgrove Railway Station. Bosses at Network Rail said the previous scheme was hampered due to poor underground conditions caused by uncharted mine workings. The current project is now at an impasse while funding for exploratory works is being argued over by the politicians. Council leader Simon Tagg recently called on MP David Williams to ensure funding was still in place for the plans - which include parking for 200 cars and a new transport interchange - but said he had not received a direct response. The MP had claimed Tagg was attempting to deflect responsibility on the issue. He said Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council had failed to properly budget for the scheme, having been previously aware of historic coal mining in the vicinity of the station. "It is regrettable that they now resort to finger-pointing rather than putting forward a serious solution," Mr Williams said. Tagg also claimed bosses at Network Rail, which owns and manages most of the railway infrastructure in Great Britain, were blocking the scheme. They had demanded a fully funded restoration plan prior to giving the go-ahead for the work to begin, he said. Tagg added that he felt this was unrealistic, as Kidsgrove Town Deal Board, which is overseeing the scheme, would not be able to predict costings until the work had begun. Network Rail bosses said they had previously faced historic mining issues in the area. "During our work to build new lifts to make Kidsgrove station accessible for all, the multi-million-pound project was hampered by poor underground conditions caused by previously unknown historic mine workings," they said. "Having overcome those challenges, we are now offering our knowledge and expertise on what lies beneath the station for a separate council-led scheme to build a new car park and expansion of the station facilities on the site. "Due to risks from previous coal mine shafts, additional ground investigation is needed before improvements can safely begin, which our colleagues at Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council are leading on." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Delays 'risk derailing station improvement work' Colourful projections light up Victorian tunnels Mining works could derail station upgrade - MP Chancellor announces £1bn for 45 areas of England Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Telegraph
Everything you need to know about drinking on a plane
One might argue that alcohol is the key to keeping one's head on a flight. That the warm fuzz of a pre-take-off champagne (or a 6.30am pint in the airport Wetherspoons) is vital for enduring the inevitable delays, boredom and general indignities that air travel inflicts. But while there's no legal limit on the amount of alcohol that flyers can consume, being drunk on a plane is actually illegal – and alcohol-related incidents are on the rise, say airlines. In March, a Wizz Air passenger was fined £15,000 after her boozy conduct was so disruptive that her flight from Gatwick to Egypt was diverted to Athens – and there have been similar incidents on easyJet and United Airlines in recent months. Indeed, almost one in five holidaymakers have had flights disrupted by drunk passengers, says GoCompare. So before you reach for that pre-flight bracer, here's everything you need to know. Is it illegal to be drunk on a plane? Yes. According to The Air Navigation Order 2016, the regulations set out by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): 'A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft.' So, if that second G&T tips you over the edge, you're actually breaking the law. But what actually constitutes 'drunk'? 'There is no statutory definition,' says Craig Phillips, principal partner at Express Solicitors. 'The Court of Appeal [in R v Tagg, 2001] determined that the everyday meaning of 'drunk' should be used. 'Drunkenness' was described by the judge as: 'Affected by alcohol in the body to such an extent that one is without full or proper control of one's faculties or behaviour.'' So it's down to your conduct, not the quantity you've consumed. And the penalties are steep. 'If found guilty, passengers can face up to a £5,000 fine and a maximum of two years's imprisonment,' explains Phillips. 'Plus they could be pursued for costs incurred by the airline if the aircraft is diverted, and potentially a lifetime ban.' Diversion costs 'range from £10,000 to £80,000', the CAA advises. Can you be denied boarding if you're drunk in the airport? Absolutely. If staff think you're intoxicated, they can deny boarding or remove you from a flight before take-off – and your insurer won't cover any disruption to your trip. After a spate of alcohol-related incidents on Ryanair flights, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called for a two-drink per passenger limit in August 2024. Instances of in-flight violence were occurring on a weekly basis, O'Leary said. What happens to drunk and disorderly passengers on planes? It's at the captain's discretion. Crew will stop serving them and attempt to 'diffuse' the situation, but if they're deemed a danger to those on-board (and themselves), the plane may be diverted and police involved. 'We have a zero-tolerance approach to verbal and physical disorderly behaviour,' says Valeriu Ciocan-Boicea, senior cabin attendant at Wizz Air. 'Depending on the severity of the situation, the captain may decide to divert to ensure the safety of everyone onboard. In these cases, Wizz Air will take legal action against the passenger, charging the cost of the disruption caused to the airline and its customers.' Behaviour-related diversions are more common than you might think. In March 2025, an easyJet Glasgow–Hurghada flight reportedly diverted into Puglia, Italy, because of two intoxicated passengers. Also on easyJet that month, a Manchester–Tunisia flight diverted to Sardinia to eject a disruptive man into police custody. How many drinks can you order on a plane? There is no official limit – as long as you can handle them. If the crew think you've had enough to drink, they will stop serving you. Can you bring alcohol on a plane – and how much? Yes, but only booze that you've purchased from Duty Free before or during the flight: you're not allowed to bring your own alcohol (i.e. miniature spirits from home). There are rumours that EgyptAir, Kuwait Airways and Royal Brunei Airlines permit passengers to consume their own alcohol on board, but these are false. Attempting to do this is a serious offence. How much Duty Free alcohol can you take on board? It depends on the rules of your destination. For example, the wine allowance for entering the EU is four litres, whereas the US permits 2.25 litres and South Africa permits two litres. Some countries forbid travellers from importing any booze, such as The Maldives and Qatar. If travelling on a domestic UK flight, you can purchase duty paid alcohol 'at prices comparable with the UK average high street price,' advises World Duty Free. But still, you will be unable to drink it on board. What's the minimum age for drinking on flights? There isn't a single legal age enforced across all flights; carriers usually abide by the laws of the nation where they're registered, for example it's over-21 in the US. While the plane is on the ground, local rules also usually apply, so if you're flying from Riyadh to Heathrow with a European airline, for example, no alcohol will be served until you're airborne. Do airlines serve free alcohol? Free alcohol is offered on most long-haul flights, but some airlines are booze-free no matter the length of the flight – such as Royal Brunei, Saudia, Air Arabia and EgyptAir. Short-haul and 'budget' airlines (such as Wizz Air, Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair) serve alcohol on-board, but it's chargeable. British Airways offers free drinks on long-haul routes, but if you're travelling in economy on a BA Euroflyer flight, drinks aren't included. How do cabin crew judge intoxication levels? 'Our cabin crew are well-trained to identify intoxicated passengers before boarding,' says Ciocan-Boicea. 'They look out for the usual signs: slurring and stumbling. They would be a red flag before or during boarding, and would prompt the crew to check whether you're fit to fly.' Does altitude make you more drunk? Several factors cause alcohol to feel stronger and faster-acting when flying, says Dr Enam Abood, head doctor at Harley Street Health Centre. 'Some are related to the plane's environment, such as the different air pressure and lower oxygen levels. But factors that have the most impact are related to things we have control over, such as lacking our usual sleep, drinking less water and drinking earlier in the day than usual, and on less food.'
