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A cold health alert has been issued for Christmas Day, as forecasters said the prospect of a white Christmas was “highly unlikely”. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow cold health alert from 6pm on Christmas Day to 12pm on December 27 for south-west England. The agency said low temperatures are likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services including “increased use of healthcare […]

Hospital admissions for flu in England are falling for the first time this winter, though health officials have warned the virus is “still with us” and that infections could “bounce back” in the new year. The rate of admissions stood at 7.8 per 100,000 people in the week ending December 21, down from 10.0 per 100,000 the previous week, according to data published on Wednesday by the UK Health Security […]

The family of a 13-year-old girl have said they are “heartbroken” by her death, as police continue to investigate after arresting a teenage boy on suspicion of harassment. Madison Richardson died in hospital on November 24 after emergency services were called to reports of a concern for welfare at an address in Manchester, a police spokesman said. The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesman said a full investigation was launched in […]

Passengers travelling home on Christmas Eve have faced travel difficulties after railway services from a major airport were disrupted because of a lack of staff. Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between Reading and Gatwick Airport would be disrupted on Christmas Eve due to a shortage of train staff. The M27 will also be closed completely in both directions from Junction 9 at Whiteley to Junction 11 at Fareham East […]

Shoppers descended on UK high streets and retail parks to buy last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve, boosting retailers amid a challenging consumer backdrop. More shoppers visited shops and retail destinations compared with a year ago, according to early data. Figures from retail technology specialists MRI Software showed footfall up to 1pm on Christmas Eve was up 2.4% compared with the same day a year earlier. This also represented a 20.5% […]