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Water companies will have to pay a £157.6 million penalty after missing key targets on reducing pollution, leaks and supply interruptions while customer satisfaction continues to fall, Ofwat has said. Not one company achieved the regulator’s top category of “leading” while Anglian Water, Welsh Water and Southern Water fell into the lowest category of “lagging” while the remaining 10 were rated “average”. Ofwat judges the performance of water companies in England […]

Police searching for Victoria Taylor have said there is “no information to suggest any form of third-party involvement” in her disappearance, as they revealed a new sighting of the 34-year-old on the day she went missing. Ms Taylor disappeared from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on Monday September 30 and a number of her personal possessions were found close to the River Derwent in the town. North Yorkshire Police […]

TGI Fridays will remain on UK high streets following a rescue deal for the chain, but more than 1,000 staff have lost their jobs with the immediate closure of 35 restaurants. Breal Capital and Calveton UK have acquired 51 restaurants after the group’s previous operator fell into administration. It means that nearly 2,400 jobs have been saved across the US-themed restaurant and cocktail bar. But joint administrators at Teneo said […]

Thunderstorms and heavy rain may cause travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales, the Met Office has warned. The weather service has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning from 4pm to 11.59pm on Monday across much of South Wales, South West England, and parts of southern England. The Met Office said there was a “good chance” that driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water or hail, adding […]

Investigations are continuing after an explosion ripped through flats leaving one man dead and three people injured. Emergency services were called to the scene in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, at about 6pm on Sunday amid reports of an explosion at a property in Kellie Place. One man, who was inside the building when it happened, was killed in the blast. He was pronounced dead at the scene and has not been formally […]

David Lammy said the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel was a moment of “deep reflection and pain”, as commemorations were held across the UK to mark the outbreak of the latest Middle East conflict. Visiting the South Tottenham synagogue in his own parliamentary constituency on Monday, the Foreign Secretary paid tribute to the Jewish community across the country. He echoed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s description of […]

A 50p depicting the Atlantic Salmon and bearing the King’s portrait is the rarest such coin in circulation, the Royal Mint has confirmed. The coin knocked the “highly collectable” 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time in 15 years, the official maker of British coins said. Just 200,000 of the Atlantic Salmon 50ps have been released to UK banks and post offices, 10,000 less than […]

Gary Lineker says “there are bigger problems in the world” than contract discussions over his Match of the Day future. The BBC last week denied an announcement was pending regarding its highest-paid star, who is under contract until the end of the football season. He began Saturday’s show by joking that it was his final one, quickly adding: “Before the international break.” Lineker has again laughed off talk of his […]

Baby boomers are living longer but are in poorer health than previous generations, and things are not improving, researchers say. A new study discovered those in their 50s and 60s are more likely to experience serious health problems than people at the same stage who were born during or before the Second World War. The results cannot just be explained by people living longer – obesity, diabetes and other chronic […]