Author: PA Media

Millions of people are braced for disruption to Christmas Eve getaway journeys due to severe road traffic and strikes decimating train services.

The AA predicted that nearly 17 million cars will be on UK roads on Saturday, leading to severe congestion on major routes.

Pressure on the roads will be raised due to industrial action on the railways.

A walkout by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail means trains will stop running early, and some routes will have no services all day.

The RAC and transport analytics company Inrix said the worst Christmas Eve traffic on major roads will be between midday and 1pm.

They highlighted a southbound stretch of the M6 from junction 27 (Chorley, Lancashire) to junction 13 (Stafford, Staffordshire) as the most likely location for long queues.

Many drivers battled a band of heavy rain on Friday which moved north from southern England and Wales to southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

National Highways said a 10-mile queue built up due to the M25 being closed from junction 11 (Woking, Surrey) to junction 12 (the M3) while standing water was cleared.

Heavy traffic stretched for three miles on the M20 as the westbound section of junction 4 (Leybourne, Kent) was closed after a serious crash on Thursday.

The AA reported “severe congestion” on several motorway stretches on Friday, including the north and west sections of the M25, the M1 around Luton, Bedfordshire, the M4 and M5 near Bristol, the M5 north of Birmingham, the M60 west of Manchester and the M8 near Glasgow.

AA president Edmund King said: “We’re expecting Christmas Day to be quieter with shorter local journeys.

“On Boxing Day traffic will pick up again with approximately 15 million trips as people head out to see friends and family.”

Network Rail said trains will stop running at around 3pm on Christmas Eve.

The early closure means the last departures on some long-distance routes will be before 1pm.

Examples of last train times include 10.45am for Leeds to London, 11am for London to Edinburgh and 12.48pm for London to Manchester.

East Midlands Railway will only run an “extremely limited service” between London St Pancras and Corby, with no trains on routes such as London St Pancras-Sheffield and London St Pancras-Nottingham.

No South Western Railway trains will run on several routes to and from London Waterloo, including Reading, Twickenham and Dorking.

Chiltern Railways will not operate any trains to or from Oxford, or north of Banbury.

No trains operate on Britain’s railways on Christmas Day.

The normal limited Boxing Day schedule has been scrapped due to the strike, while services will start later than usual on December 27.

Christmas is a key period for maintenance work on the railways.

Network Rail planned a £120 million programme of more than 300 projects over the festive period this year.

It said “around 85%” of this work will still go ahead despite the RMT action.

Border Force strikes continue at six UK airports but there was minimal disruption on the first day of the walkout on Friday as armed forces personnel were deployed to check passports.

Drivers are being warned to prepare for long queues as millions of people embark on journeys to spend Christmas with friends and family.

The AA said Friday will be the busiest day on the roads this week, with an estimated 16.9 million journeys being made across the UK.

A further 16.6 million journeys are expected to be made on Christmas Eve.

Congestion could be increased due to a strike by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail causing train services to finish at around 3pm on Saturday.

The RAC said roads will be busiest on Friday – the last working day before Christmas – between 10am and 7pm.

Transport analytics company Inrix expects journey times to be around 14% longer compared with the same period last year.

The RAC singled out the M25 clockwise between Junction 7 and Junction 16 as an area to avoid on Friday afternoon – with data from Inrix suggesting average vehicle speeds for this stretch of road could be as low as 26mph.

Other roads likely to be hit by congestion include the M60 near Manchester, the M6 in north-west England and the M40 in Oxfordshire.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We’re expecting to see lengthy delays on parts of the M25 today as Christmas getaway and end-of-the-week commuter traffic combine.

“We advise drivers, if possible, to avoid these roads around this time or delay their trips until after 7pm this evening when traffic is predicted to be lighter.

“A single vehicle breakdown also has the potential to add to the queues, so we encourage motorists to complete a few pre-drive checks before setting out – in particular ensuring oil and coolant levels are correct, and tyres have plenty of tread and are properly inflated.”

National Highways said almost 98% of England’s motorways and major A-roads will be fully open until the end of January 2 due to it completing and lifting roadworks.

AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: “We are advising those heading out in their cars to be prepared for some congestion, especially on popular routes heading out of London.

“The rail strikes have convinced more people to travel by car this year, and while hundreds of miles of roadworks have been removed to ease the pain, it might not be enough to keep the queues away.”

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “With pre-pandemic levels of travellers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays – especially in and around major cities.”

Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out the prospect of motorists facing a 12p-a-litre hike in fuel duty in March.

A 23% increase in the duty is pencilled in for March, but chancellors have repeatedly frozen the levy in the past.

Asked to confirm that the rise will not go ahead, the Prime Minister told MPs he would not comment on matters which are the responsibility of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

“Having previously had his job, I always preferred it when the Prime Minister made absolutely no comments about future tax policy, so I will absolutely adhere to that,” he told the Liaison Committee.

Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Harriett Baldwin told him the policy would mean extra taxes of “£6 billion a year during a cost-of-living crisis”, and said there is a need for a “better approach to fuel duty”.

Mr Sunak said: “Tax decisions are those that are made by the Chancellor in fiscal statements and that’s the way it should be.”

At the time of Mr Hunt’s autumn statement in November, the Office for Budget Responsibility said a “planned 23% increase” in fuel duty in March will add around 12p per litre to pump prices.

The figure is based on a combination of the scheduled end of the 5p cut in duty, and the long-standing policy of duty rising in line with the RPI rate of inflation.

But no chancellor has increased fuel duty in cash terms for more than a decade and the Treasury insisted a final decision on the rate would not be taken until the next budget, scheduled for March 15.

Jeremy Clarkson has said he is “horrified to have caused so much hurt” following backlash over comments he made in a newspaper column about how he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex.

The former Top Gear presenter, 62, said he would “be more careful in future” after the piece, written in The Sun, attracted criticism from high-profile figures and his own daughter.

In it, Clarkson wrote he had dreamed of Meghan being paraded through British towns and publicly shamed, adding that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) said it had received more than 6,000 complaints over the article – almost half the total number of complaints the media regulator received in 2021.

Writing on Twitter on Monday, Clarkson wrote: “Oh dear. I’ve rather put my foot in it.

“In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people.

“I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future.”

Clarkson’s article followed the recent broadcast of Harry and Meghan’s explosive six-part Netflix documentary, in which the couple made allegations of mistreatment by the royal family.

Those criticising the piece included Nicola Sturgeon, Carol Vorderman, Sir Philip Pullman and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

A spokesperson for Ipso told the PA news agency that the regulator had received over 6,000 complaints about Clarkson’s article as of midday on Monday, and that the number was subject to change.

He added that the complaints were being assessed in accordance with its standard procedure.

Ipso received a total of 14,355 complaints in 2021, the spokesman added.

When asked about the article, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “language matters”.

Speaking to reporters in Riga, Mr Sunak said: “I think for everyone in public life, language matters.

“You asked about racism. Now, I’ve seen some of the things that have been said.

“I absolutely don’t believe that Britain is a racist country. And I’d hope that as our nation’s first British Asian Prime Minister when I say that it carries some weight.

“You know, I’m really proud of our country, its culture, its resilience, its beauty. And actually, it’s an enormous privilege to champion Britain and indeed, its institutions like the monarchy when I’m out and about on the world stage as I am here today.”

Speaking to broadcasters on Monday, Ms Sturgeon said Clarkson’s comments about the duchess were “beyond the pale”.

“I think what he said about Meghan Markle was deeply misogynist and just downright awful and horrible,” she said.

“I have to say, taking a step back from it, my overwhelming emotion about guys like Jeremy Clarkson is pity.

“I mean, what is it that makes somebody so distorted by hate that they end up writing these things?

“I think that possibly gives an insight into Jeremy Clarkson and the kind of person he is.

“So maybe he just needs to take a step back from things and just think about life a bit more.”

Clarkson’s daughter, Emily Clarkson, said in an online post that she is “against everything that my dad wrote”.

“My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media,” she said, in a statement shared on her Instagram story.

“I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything that my dad wrote about Meghan Markle and I remain standing in support of those that are targeted with online hatred.”

Former Countdown host Vorderman said Clarkson’s comments were unacceptable “in any circumstance”.

“NO Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it ok to write this stuff about any woman & absolutely NO to ‘everyone who’s my age thinks the same’.

“No no no. We absolutely do NOT think the same. Listen to the noise Jeremy. The crowds are chanting ‘shame on YOU’.”

Mr Khan said Clarkson’s remarks were “dangerous and inexcusable”, writing: “As Jeremy Clarkson should well know – words have consequences.

“The words in his piece are no joke – they’re dangerous and inexcusable.

“We are in an epidemic of violence against women and girls and men with powerful voices must do better than this.”

Sir Philip, author of His Dark Materials, described Clarkson as “a brief loud noise and a brief bad smell”, but criticised Rupert Murdoch – owner of News UK, the organisation that publishes The Sun.

As well as Top Gear, Clarkson is known for his Amazon motoring show, The Grand Tour, which he presents alongside Richard Hammond and James May, as well as ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Amazon, ITV and The Sun have all been approached for comment.

Harry and Meghan’s Archewell foundation has also been approached for comment over the remarks.

Jeremy Clarkson has sparked a backlash with his comments about the Duchess of Sussex in his column in The Sun newspaper.

It is not the first the time the 62-year-old Grand Tour presenter has found himself at the centre of controversy.

Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, to parents Shirley and Edward, Clarkson started out as a motoring journalist working on local northern newspapers, including The Rotherham Advertiser and The Shropshire Star.

After going on to work for a number of other publications and automotive magazines, he secured his first major TV role on the original format of Top Gear, working on the show from October 1988 to March 1999.

Clarkson resumed presenting Top Gear when it returned in its new format in 2002, alongside co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond.

Despite the trio becoming incredibly popular, Clarkson was embroiled in various controversies during his time on the programme.

After making a series of offensive remarks, including comments about the German invasion of Poland and Hitler’s regime, lorry drivers, Indian culture and politicians, one of his biggest controversies came in 2014.

In an unused take for Top Gear, filmed in 2012, he is said to have used a racial slur under his breath.

The clip was later made public when it emerged on Daily Mirror’s website.

At the time it was reported that the BBC had informed Clarkson he would be sacked if he made any further offensive remarks.

Despite the warning, controversy continued to follow Clarkson and he was eventually suspended from Top Gear following a “fracas” with one of the show’s producers, Oisin Tymon.

It was reported that the 2015 incident occurred when the presenter was dissatisfied with the food he was offered while filming on location in North Yorkshire.

After considering Clarkson’s behaviour, the BBC confirmed his contract would not be renewed after his “unprovoked physical and verbal attack” on Tymon left the producer in hospital.

At the time, then-director-general Tony Hall said the decision had been taken with “great regret” but that Clarkson’s attack on Tymon meant “a line has been crossed”.

It was not the first time Clarkson had been accused of violence, having reportedly sworn and punched British broadcaster Piers Morgan at the 2004 British Press Awards.

In July 2015 it was announced that Clarkson, along with his former Top Gear co-presenters Hammond and May, would host a new motoring show on Amazon Prime Video.

The Grand Tour first aired on the streaming service in 2016 and has since seen five series and a number of specials.

In 2018 it was revealed that Clarkson would take over from Chris Tarrant as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV.

The presenter also launched Clarkson’s Farm, an Amazon Prime Video documentary series following his attempts to run his farm in the Cotswolds.

The series was positively received after its release in 2021 and has since been renewed for a second and third series.

UK drivers are embarking on an estimated 20 million car trips to see friends and family in the run-up to Christmas Day.

The RAC said leisure traffic will build steadily from Monday before peaking on Friday and Saturday, which is Christmas Eve.

Pressure on the roads will be heightened due to a strike by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail from 6pm on Christmas Eve.

Train passengers are being urged to complete journeys as early as lunchtime on that day, meaning many people will opt for car or coach travel instead.

The RAC predicted 7.9 million getaway journeys will be made over the two days immediately before Christmas Day.

The worst congestion on those days is expected to be between 10am and 7pm on Friday, and between noon and 1pm on Saturday.

Total traffic volumes will be far greater prior to the weekend as drivers getting away for the festive period compete for road space with commuters and everyday motorists.

This is likely to cause jams in cities and on major routes.

Transport analytics company Inrix expects journey times to be around 14% longer compared with the same period last year.

Roads likely to be hit by congestion this week include the M25, the M60 near Manchester, the M6 in north-west England and the M40 in Oxfordshire.

National Highways said it will ensure almost 98% of England’s motorways and major A-roads are fully open from 6am on Tuesday until the end of January 2 by either completing or lifting roadworks.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Our research suggests getaway traffic will build steadily all week, culminating in two frantic days of travelling just before Christmas itself.

“By Friday, we fear it will be a case of jams today and jams tomorrow on the roads as millions of people jump behind the wheel to see family and friends – with last-minute Christmas shoppers as well as the impact of another rail strike also leading to an increase in traffic.

“If possible, drivers should try to make their trips on a quieter day earlier this week if they possibly can.”

The RAC’s traffic estimates are based on a survey of 1,886 UK adults conducted last week.

The AA, which issued an “amber traffic warning” for Friday and Saturday, urged motorists to carry out car checks such as levels of fuel, oil, coolant and screen wash, and ensuring tyres are correctly inflated.

The company’s head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: “Breakdowns add to traffic jams, so if everyone spent 10 minutes checking their car before leaving it could save everyone hours on their journey.”

Smart motorway safety targets for detecting stranded vehicles are being missed, a regulator has found.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said the performance of stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology on all-lane running (ALR) smart motorways – which do not have a hard shoulder – is below National Highways’ own minimum requirements.

Detection rates of stopped vehicles by SVD in National Highways’ five regions with ALR smart motorways is between 59.6% and 79.6%.

The company’s target is 80%.

Four out of the five regions are also failing to meet the aim of detecting stopped vehicles in an average of less than 20 seconds.

Their averages are between 43 and 65 seconds.

National Highways committed to improving SVD within the next six months and will spend £105 million to replace obsolete technology such as faulty CCTV cameras and message signs.

Earlier this year, the company completed the retrofitting of SVD – which uses radars – to all smart motorways without a hard shoulder ahead of schedule.

ORR chief executive John Larkinson said: “Our previous work on smart motorway data has shown that these roads are as safe as the motorways they replaced but the number of live lane breakdowns are higher.

“Having the SVD radar detection equipment in place sooner than planned has helped to reduce the duration of these breakdowns more quickly but it’s not working as well as it should.

“While it is still too early to have robust data, it’s clear National Highways needs to urgently improve its performance in this area.”

Around 10% of England’s motorway network is made up of smart motorways.

They involve various methods to manage the flow of traffic, such as converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane and variable speed limits.

ALR smart motorways boost capacity at a lower cost than widening roads, but there have been long-standing safety fears following fatal incidents in which vehicles stopped in live lanes were hit from behind.

National Highways chief executive Nick Harris said: “Our roads are among the safest in the world, but every road death is a tragedy and we know there’s more we can do to further improve safety.

“The report acknowledges the good progress we have made in a number of areas, including completing most of the actions in the smart motorway stocktake action plan.

“It’s right that road users expect high performance standards, that’s why we’re committing £105 million over the next two years to build further resilience into the operational technology to make journeys even safer and more reliable.”

But AA president Edmund King described the findings of the report as “simply unacceptable” and “a major concern for drivers”.

He said: “Vulnerable drivers have been left stranded in the most dangerous of places – the live lane of a motorway.

“If there are doubts about the technology, then the motorways are not smart and we should revert to tried and tested methods.”

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Whilst it is good news that stopped vehicle detection has been rolled out ahead of schedule, it will remain a concern that it hasn’t yet been fine-tuned to do as much good as it should.”

Top Gear has stressed “all health and safety procedures” were followed ahead of host Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff’s injury during filming and confirmed the incident is being “fully investigated”.

The presenter, 45, was taken to hospital to receive medical treatment on Tuesday morning after being involved in an accident while shooting for the motoring show.

The incident happened while the former professional cricketer was at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

A spokesman for the show said: “Our primary concern is and has been for the welfare of Freddie – as well as the Top Gear team.

“All health and safety procedures were followed on site and the incident is now being fully investigated, in line with standard policy and practice.”’

A BBC spokesperson said: “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately.

“He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was “aware” of the incident and “making inquiries”.

The HSE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions.

It is procedure for the BBC to report the incident to the HSE and for inquiries to be made.

Flintoff, who was appointed England cricket captain twice, first in 2006 and 2007, retired from the international stage in 2010, briefly returning to play for Lancashire four years later.

Following his successful sporting career he became a familiar face on television, joining various reality and panel shows and appearing as the face of supermarket brand Morrisons.

In 2010 he became a team captain on Sky’s A League Of Their Own, hosted by James Corden before being crowned king of the jungle in the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015.

He was announced in October 2018, ahead of the show’s 27th series, as a new host of Top Gear alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.

Tuesday’s accident is not the first faced by Flintoff since he began working on the programme.

In February 2019 the presenter was involved in a minor incident when he crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

In September of the same year he crashed again while driving a three-wheel vehicle at a reported speed of 124mph during filming for Top Gear at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away from the incident unharmed.

Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash at the same airfield in 2006, leaving him in a coma.

UK car dealers are being urged to help find used cars that can support fighters in Ukraine.

A charity sourcing vehicles for the frontline named Car4Ukraine.com has launched an appeal for pick-up trucks to rescue civilians and combat the Russian invasion.

Some farmers have already handed over suitable vehicles.

The vehicles are retrofitted with armoured plating and machine guns.

Suitable models of pick-up trucks include the Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger.

Right hand drive vehicles are particularly sought after as they confuse Russian snipers who shoot at the wrong side of the cars in an attempt to target the driver.

Ivan Oleksii, of Car4Ukraine.com, told magazine Car Dealer: “A lot of the vehicles are actually purchased by us, we don’t just come and say we want your car for free.

“But some people do offer them for free or for very cheap prices.

“Cars in the UK have come from farms or other places of work so they may not look in good condition but mechanically they are sound.

“They need to be diesel, need to work and have a good solid subframe as we add a lot of weight to them.”

He went on: “The cars are used for a number of purposes on the frontline.

“It could be to rescue civilians or it could be to launch attacks on the Russians. Some of our cars have destroyed tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

“One, last week, even shot down a Russian cruise missile.”

Car dealers can contact Car4Ukraine.com to donate vehicles.

Top Gear presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was injured and taken to hospital to receive medical treatment after being involved in an accident while filming for the show.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning while the 45-year-old former professional cricketer was filming at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately.

“He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”

The father of four, who has presented the BBC One show since 2019, was airlifted to hospital following the incident, but is not thought to have suffered any life-threatening injuries, The Sun reported.

Flintoff, who was appointed England cricket captain twice, first in 2006 and 2007, retired from the international stage in 2010, briefly returning to play for Lancashire four years later.

Following his successful sporting career he became a familiar face on television, joining various reality and panel shows and appearing as the face of supermarket brand Morrisons.

In 2010 he became a team captain on Sky’s A League Of Their Own, hosted by James Corden before being crowned king of the jungle in the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015.

After appearing in the BBC drama Love, Lies and Records in 2017, he went on to make his musical theatre debut in Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends The Musical and hosted All Star Musicals for ITV in December the same year.

He was announced in October 2018, ahead of the show’s 27th series, as a new host of Top Gear alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.

Tuesday’s accident is not the first faced by Flintoff since he began working on the programme.

In February 2019 the presenter was involved in a minor incident when he crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

In September of the same year he crashed again while driving a three-wheel vehicle at a reported speed of 124mph during filming for Top Gear at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away from the incident unharmed.

Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash at the same airfield in 2006, leaving him in a coma.