Passenger suffered electric shock in balloon crash

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After severing the power cables, a fire was ignited under the hot air balloon's basket

A passenger in a hot air balloon suffered an electric shock when it struck a series of low-level power cables as it landed, an investigation has revealed.

One pilot and 10 passengers were onboard the Cameron Z-275 craft, operated by Virgin Balloon Flights, during the landing near Earls Colne in Essex on 10 April.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that while the pilot had seen a row of power lines parallel to the road, he had not seen a second line of cables.

After severing the cables, a fire was ignited under the basket and metal parts of the structure conducted the electricity, inspectors said

The hot air balloon had taken off from Petersfield Village - which is a retail and business park - in Gosfield in Essex at about 17:00 BST.

After 40 minutes in the air, the pilot chose a field off Newhouse Road to land in because Earls Colne airfield was closed.

The report said the crew member did not see a line of cables which was 30ft (9.1m) away from the road.

The fuel cylinders were turned off, but the fallen wires started a fire on the surrounding grass and smoke began to come from under the basket.

Two passengers were injured as the hot air balloon was evacuated, including a man who suffered the shock. He was treated in hospital for minor burn injuries, and also suffered a sprained ankle and chest pains.

Fire crews gave first aid, cooled the balloon's cylinders and worked with UK Power Networks to make the scene safe.

The investigation concluded the pilot followed his flight manual correctly by directing his passengers to landing positions. "There was insufficient time for the pilot to explain that parts of the basket structure might be electrically live, or that people should not touch the ground and the basket simultaneously," the report said.

The power cables that the pilot struck were not depicted on any of the maps he used, the inspectors continued.

A Virgin spokesman said after the incident: "The pilot responded swiftly and with the utmost care, ordering a prompt disembarkation of the basket to ensure passenger safety."

Disruption has been reported between Teignmouth and Exeter St Davids.

Services are no longer being affected by severe weather.

The 22:15 will be cancelled due to severe weather.

Cyclists concerned about 'slippery' new cycle lane

A university has written to their local authority with concerns over the safety of a new cycle lane near one of its campuses, following reports of slip accidents.

Road and cycle path improvements on the A4174 Ring Road between Bromley Heath and Frenchay in South Gloucestershire finished last November.

Staff at the university of the West of England's Frenchay campus have reported slip accidents and near misses while using the new cycle lane.

A spokesperson at South Gloucestershire Council said it has no concerns about the surface of the cycle path and asked people to take extra care during freezing conditions - adding surfaces can be slippery even after gritting.

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The cycle path between the Wick Wick roundabout and UWE's Frenchay campus has been painted green

Lukas Greiwe, who cycles to work, said the cycle lane was "very slippery" shortly after it was installed due to wet leaves on the path. He said he was concerned about a ledge which divides the cycle route from the pedestrian lane which runs alongside it. "There is a height difference between the lanes. Now I know it's there, but for someone who cycles for the first time or cycles in the dark, I think you can miss the ledge quite easily."

A council spokesperson added that it "routinely inspects that area of the network both proactively and where any concerns have been raised".

The cost of the road and cycle improvements was funded by the Department for Transport and secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.

Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities and local place at South Gloucestershire Council, called the completion of the improvements "a major milestone" in providing "more sustainable travel choices" across the county.

Network Rail staff hailed heroes after rescuing woman in snow

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Three Network Rail workers have been hailed as heroes for rescuing a woman and her two dogs after she fell in deep snow.

Joanne Reid, 60, says she feared the worst after falling during her normal dog walk on Monday morning near Insch station. With reports of 23 inches of snow and drifts even higher, she was completely hidden from view and unable to get back on her feet due to mobility issues.

Fortunately, a team of Network Rail colleagues were working to clear the heavy snow from railway lines nearby and heard Mrs Reid shouting for help. Darren Stalker, Stuart Fraser and Allan Rough were able to find her and her dogs lying in the deep drifts and help them to safety.

Mrs Reid said: “I couldn’t get up so I started to crawl towards the field, hoping there was something to help me, but I couldn’t get far. My support dog, Riley, was shaking as he knew something was wrong. My other dog, Rufus, lay down beside me. I was next to the railway, but trees were masking me. I couldn’t see how anyone was going to find me, so I started shouting. Eventually after ten or fifteen minutes, I saw an orange jacket through the trees and the three men appeared.

“The relief was unbelievable. I burst into tears. I really believed that if I hadn’t got somebody soon, the dogs and I could’ve been dead. I was so grateful. It was cold and horrible and they’re out working in this weather. Not only are they helping get the railway back up and running, but they’ve also just rescued somebody. I really do believe they saved my life. They say all heroes don’t wear capes, and that’s exactly what they were. Wearing bright orange safety gear and hard hats. They are my heroes.”

After getting back to their vital work clearing the railway, the team returned later in the day to check on Mrs Reid at home.

Darren Stalker, Stuart Fraser, and Allan Rough said: “We are just glad that the lady and her dogs are home safe and well. The weather was treacherous, so being stuck outside was certainly not ideal for her. We really appreciate all the recognition, but anyone in that situation would have done the same. We were glad we were there to help. Thanks from us all.”

Liam Sumpter, manager director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “I’m incredibly proud of our colleagues whose quick thinking and compassion made such a difference in truly brutal conditions. They were out there working tirelessly to keep the railway running safely yet didn’t hesitate for a second to help someone in real distress. Their actions show the very best of Network Rail. I’d like to give a big thank you to them and all our other teams working hard in such challenging weather.”

Image credit: Network Rail

Weather on this part of the coast has been benign but various train services suspended for the day means that I'm hoping the extended validity of tickets that is on offer will apply to 4 in 8 day Wales explorer tickets as I'm hoping to make this one a 4 in 9 day ticket.

We are sorry for the disruption to your travel plans. If you are able to postpone your journey, you will be able to use any tickets for yesterday (8th Jan) or today at no additional cost on GWR services up to and including Sunday 11th January. Alternatively, if you are unable to travel, you can claim a free refund for your tickets.

Due to forecasted severe weather between Swansea (SWA) and Shrewsbury (SHR):

We expect the incident to last until the end of the day and disruption to services is expected until the end of the day.

Network Rail have reported weather warnings for heavy sleet and snow in the area and have closed the railway to all services.

You cannot travel - there are no trains running and we are unable to run Rail Replacement Bus services.

The preceding 12:05 to Penzance appears to be soldiering on.   It left Truro over two hours late just after 18:30 but looks not to have moved past Penwithers Junction on the way to Redruth since 18:42.

The 13:03 relies on a connection at Plymouth to reach Cornwall and that is just ahead of the 12:05 but again seems not to be moving, having overtaken it at Truro.

Does anyone here know / is there any public information as to the scale of the damage and the consequential timelines?

The Looe branch line also remains closed due to flooding. We will provide a separate update on the Looe branch once we have a greater understanding of when the line will reopen.

Dear Graham

We promised to keep you updated on the impact of Storm Goretti. Network Rail teams were on location at key sites across the network throughout the night, dealing where possible with issues as they arose.

Much of our network is operating as normal. However, there remains some lines that are closed due to storm damage and fallen trees.

All lines in Cornwall remain closed following storm damage to the signalling system and fallen debris/trees, as well as issues on the local road network and power grid issues. We do not expect to run services in Cornwall for the rest of the day, apart from the Gunnislake branch which should reopen for passenger service shortly. We’re continuing to work across the rail industry and with national infrastructure partners to improve this situation and have services running safely again as soon as possible. 

The Looe branch line also remains closed due to flooding. We will provide a separate update on the Looe branch once we have a greater understanding of when the line will reopen.

In Devon, both the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines should reopen for passenger service imminently. This follows a train with specialist colleagues for tree removal having run on both lines to clear debris.

There is also currently no service between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford and again, we anticipate this will remain the case for much of the day.

Due to the widespread impact on both the road and rail network, there is no road replacement transport running. The times provided above are indicative, and this is a rapidly moving situation. For the very latest customer information we ask passengers to visit www.gwr.com/check.

Any help you can give to share this latest travel update would be much appreciated – and if there’s anything else we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes

Tom & Heledd

That said Graham, in UK law, there is no implied right of privacy when in a public place ...

Both are technically correct, but there is a clear preference depending on the context and your location.

In British English, and particularly when referring to an institution like the Met Office, "forecast" is generally the preferred past tense.

Why "forecast"?
The verb is based on "to cast" (just like broadcast or typecast). Historically, these are irregular verbs that do not change their form in the past tense.

• Past tense: "The Met Office forecast a storm yesterday."
• Past participle: "A storm was forecast for yesterday."

Why "forecasted"?
"Forecasted" is a regularised version of the word. While it was once considered incorrect by traditionalists, it is now widely accepted and listed in most modern dictionaries as a valid alternative. It is slightly more common in American English than British English, and it is often used when the word acts as an adjective (e.g., "the forecasted results").

Which one should you use?
Since you are in the UK, "forecast" will sound more natural and "standard" to most people.

I’m still not sure forecasted is an actual word. 

Following yesterday's storm, I'm wondering if the branch will be closed for several more days now.

Due to severe weather between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 18:00 09/01.
Customer Advice
Storm Goretti hit the UK yesterday, which brought strong winds to South West and snow to other areas of the GWR network.

As a result, all services between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford are suspended until at least 18:00 but disruption may continue until the end of the day.

Customers are advised not to attempt to travel between these stations. Due to issues on the road network, rail replacement transport is not in operation.

[...]

An update will follow within the next 2 hours.
Last Updated:09/01/2026 10:03

It looks like a motion will be put forward next week by the Conservative group in Bristol City Council to look again at reinstating the Henbury Loop rather than the spur as it's argued that the arena and new housing around Henbury have changed the criteria underlying the original decision.  It's covered by Bristol Live in the link below.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-arena-housing-make-plans-10743664