First Scots same-sex weddings held

31 December 2014 Last updated at 01:02

Scotland's first same-sex weddings have taken place.

Joe Schofield and Malcolm Brown tied the knot at a humanist ceremony at the Trades Hall in Glasgow, while Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott married in private in the city.

The new law on gay marriage came into effect in Scotland earlier this month and these first weddings were held at 00:01 on Hogmanay.

The couples were joined by guests including the first minister.

Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie MSP acted as witnesses at the marriage of Susan and Gerrie, while Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead and Scottish government minister Marco Biagi MSP attended the ceremony for Mr Schofield and Mr Brown.

'Quite a year'

Susan, 54, and Gerrie Douglas-Scott, who is 59, live in Glasgow where they first met 18 years ago and have five grown up children.

They had a civil partnership in March 2006 and decided to convert it through a full marriage ceremony.

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Same sex marriage became legal in Scotland earlier this month

The couple said: "We are delighted that, at long last, after 18 years together, our love finally has the same recognition in law and society as all other married couples.

"As humanist celebrants ourselves we have had the privilege of marrying many hundreds of people over the last few years and so we know how special and important marriage is.

"Having Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie as our witnesses has been wonderful and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts not only for tonight but for everything they have done and will continue to do in support of LGBTI people.

"We are excited to be the first lesbians to have a legal marriage ceremony in Scotland. 2014 has been quite a year."

Mr Schofield, 42, a public health worker, and Mr Brown, a former DJ who is also 42, have been together for nine years and are from Tullibody in Clackmannanshire.

They said: "Today we are finally recognised as a married couple. We are very proud to be one of the first couples in Scotland to be able to officially call ourselves husband and husband.

"This is an amazing chapter in Scotland's history which we are all witnessing and can be proud of.

Continue reading the main story

This is a big day for many couples and their families, but it is also a milestone moment for Scotland as a whole"

End Quote Tom French Equality Network

"Scotland is leading the way in fairness and equality for all, and we would like to thank all those who campaigned so tirelessly for this change."

A total of 250 couples have converted their civil partnerships to marriage since the new law - the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill - came into effect on 16 December.

Following the usual 15-day notice period for marriages, Hogmanay was the first day same-sex weddings could take place.

Same-sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales earlier this year and the first weddings took place in March.

Scotland's first minister said: "This a momentous day for equality in Scotland, one where same sex couples have the right to marry the person that they love.

"This will send a powerful message to people about the kind of country we are."

According to the Scottish government, a total of 17 same-sex couples were expected to marry on Hogmanay.

'Big day'

Tom French, from the Equality Network charity - which campaigns for the rights of Scotland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities - said: "It was an honour to be invited to one of Scotland's first same-sex weddings, which really showed what this new law is all about - love, family and equality.

"This is a big day for many couples and their families, but it is also a milestone moment for Scotland as a whole."

Tourism body VisitScotland and charity Stonewall Scotland welcomed the first same-sex weddings.

VisitScotland said the new law would further promote Scotland as a friendly tourist destination for the LGBTI communities, and could enhance the country's already burgeoning market for marriage tourism.

Colin Macfarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland, said: "This historic change in the law is the result of a tireless campaign by many organisations, including Stonewall Scotland, parliamentarians and individuals to ensure that same-sex couples can enjoy full equality before the law.

"While there is still lots to do before the lived day-to-day experience of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is truly equal in Scotland, this is a day of celebration and what better way to celebrate Hogmanay by saying I do to equal marriage."

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Poppy duo and acting stars honoured

31 December 2014 Last updated at 01:59

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Joan Collins: "Dame Joan, wow"

The creators of the World War One ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London have joined acting grandees Joan Collins and John Hurt on the New Year Honours list.

Ceramic artist Paul Cummins and theatre designer Tom Piper are both made MBEs in recognition of the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation which attracted five million visitors.

The acting profession is strongly represented on the list, with Collins and Kristin Scott Thomas becoming dames and Hurt knighted. There is an OBE for Emily Watson, as well as James Corden and Sheridan Smith, who appeared together in TV sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

A total of 1,164 people are honoured by the Queen on the New Year list, three-quarters of whom have been recognised for work in their communities. The awards are split equally between men and women. And a further 87 recipients are named on the Foreign Office list which recognises service overseas.

Dame Joan, who was made an OBE for her contribution to the arts in 1997, is recognised this time for services to charity. She said she was "thrilled and truly grateful". Dame Kristin, who is shortly to play the Queen on stage in The Audience, said she was "thrilled, astonished and worried that I might suddenly wake up".

Among the other new dames are fashion designer Mary Quant; broadcaster Esther Rantzen, founder of the Childline and Silver Line charities, and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

Trevor Hicks and Margaret Aspinall, who campaigned for a quarter of a century for the families of the 96 football fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster, are made CBEs. A new inquest into the deaths is still going on.

Women's Rugby World Cup winners Sarah Hunter and Rochelle Clark are among the sports stars recognised with MBEs.

Athlete Steve Cram, a former 1500m world champion, becomes a CBE in recognition of his recent work as chair of the English Institute of Sport.

The same honour goes to novelist Ali Smith.

Meanwhile, an inquiry is to be carried out into the apparent leaking of a string of names from the list before they were officially announced. Sir Bob Kerslake, the outgoing head of the Civil Service, said he was "concerned", describing the situation as "highly regrettable".

Continue reading the main story

The poppy installation saw 888,246 ceramic flowers gradually fill the moat of the Tower of London, each one representing a British and Commonwealth military death in World War One. The Queen referred to the artwork in her Christmas message.

Mr Cummins said he felt "taken aback and extremely happy to receive this unexpected honour".

He said everyone who had worked on the project "should feel a part of this MBE, without them this installation wouldn't have been created".

Mr Piper added: "I am extremely proud of the part I have played in this unique collaboration. It has been a real privilege to co-create an artwork which has meant so much to so many people."

Dame Esther said: "I am thrilled that this honour recognises the contribution made by Childline and the Silver Line in transforming lives, and I am delighted that the talented teams at both charities have also been recognised for their inspirational work and devotion to the most vulnerable children and older people in our society."

Games success

Among the political honours, former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Paddy Ashdown is appointed a member of the elite Companions of Honour. Stirling MP Anne McGuire becomes a dame and Southend West MP David Amess is knighted. Baroness Ashton, the former EU foreign policy chief, has been made a member of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Dame Mary Peters, who won a gold medal in the women's pentathlon at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, also joins the Companion of Honour.

The honours for sport also acknowledge the work of ex-West Bromwich Albion footballer and racial equality campaigner Brendon Batson, who becomes an OBE.

Great Britain hockey captain Kathrin Richardson-Walsh, as well as Northern Ireland boxer Patrick Barnes and Scotland judo player Euan Burton, who both won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, all get MBEs.

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Dame Esther Rantzen: "I am used to very grand people being Dames and I can't really adjust"

The success of the Games itself is recognised, with a CBE for Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson and an OBE for Commonwealth Games Scotland chief executive Jon Doig.

Others from the world of entertainment on the list include comedian and author Meera Syal and Grammy-winning producer and one half of 1960s pop duo Peter and Gordon, Peter Asher. Both become CBEs.

Aldeburgh Music chief executive and former BBC Proms director Roger Wright, who receives a CBE, said he was "thrilled to be honoured for my work in the service of music".

Oscar-nominated screenwriter William Nicholson, whose work includes Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Les Miserables and Gladiator, collects an OBE.

In the world of business, wind-up radio inventor Trevor Baylis is appointed CBE, as are entrepreneur James Caan, who appeared on TV show Dragons' Den, and Brent Hoberman who co-founded travel website lastminute.com with Martha Lane Fox in 1998. There is an OBE for Julie Deane, co-owner and founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company.

Youth channel

There is a knighthood for Dr Simon Campbell who played a key role in the development of Viagra while he was senior vice-president at pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer.

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Jamal Edwards, one of youngest people to be awarded an MBE

Jamal Edwards, who founded influential youth broadcasting channel SBTV, becomes an MBE. The 24-year-old entrepreneur from west London, who helped launch the career of Ed Sheeran among others, said: "I'm overwhelmed. My gran doesn't know yet. My mum and dad know but that's it."

Former Lord Mayor of London, Fiona Woolf is named a dame for services to the legal profession, diversity and the City of London. She stood down as the head of the inquiry into how public bodies dealt with historical child abuse allegations earlier this year.

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Trevor Hicks: "I'm a bloke who's done a job of work to the best of his ability"

Kate Lampard, who oversaw the NHS investigation into Jimmy Savile, and Britain's most senior female police officer, Cressida Dick, who is to leave the Metropolitan Police after 31 years, both become CBEs.

There are knighthoods for HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor and former Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Matt Baggott.

David Verey, chairman of the Art Fund, which provided funding for the the Verey Galley at Eton College, now opened to the public, is also knighted.

Two Network Rail executives are also on the list. Patrick Hallgate, a route managing director involved in the repair of the flood-hit line at Dawlish in Devon, becomes an MBE for services to the economy in the South West. David Ward, route managing director for the South East, is given an OBE, for services to the rail industry.

Marathon runner

In a rare occurrence, two members of the same family are recognised for separate activities on the same list.

Mairi O'Keefe receives an MBE for services to people with disabilities through her work as chief executive of Leuchie House in East Lothian.

Her mother Catriona MacKinnon receives a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Gaelic language and culture.

Fauja Singh, who at 103 years old is widely recognised as the oldest marathon runner in the world, is also given a BEM.

Among the less heralded recipients, there is a BEM for Joanne Copsey, a town pastor in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, who co-ordinates a team of 50 volunteers working with the police to ensure people are safe on the streets at night.

Hazel Geach, who has given more than four decades of dedicated service to the Scouting movement in Romford, Essex, is made an MBE.

There is also an MBE for Gbolahan Bright, founder of Bright Futerz which provides counselling and mentoring to young people with behavioural problems.

The honours system

Commonly awarded ranks:

• Companion of honour - Limited to 65 people. Recipients wear the initials CH after their name
• Knight or Dame
• CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire
• BEM - British Empire Medal

Guide to the honours

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Blair warning to 'left-wing' Labour

31 December 2014 Last updated at 05:53

Tony Blair has suggested Labour under Ed Miliband may risk being too left-wing to win the general election.

The former prime minister said he believed the party "succeeds best when it is in the centre ground."

But 2015's election could be one "in which a traditional left-wing party competes with a traditional right-wing party, with the traditional result", he told the Economist.

Asked if he meant a Conservative win, Mr Blair replied: "Yes."

Mr Blair, the last Labour leader to win a UK general election, stressed the importance of "not alienating large parts of business, for one thing".

'Centre ground'

He told the magazine: "I am still very much New Labour and Ed would not describe himself in that way, so there is obviously a difference there.

"I am convinced the Labour Party succeeds best when it is in the centre ground."

BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said the comments "appear to make clearer than ever the gap between Mr Miliband and Mr Blair".

Mr Blair won three consecutive elections for Labour after modernising the party, before standing down to be replaced by Gordon Brown.

He also questioned Mr Miliband's claim the financial crash in 2007/8 and subsequent economic problems had shifted the UK's political centre ground towards the left.

"I see no evidence for that," Mr Blair said. "You could argue that it has moved to the right, not left."

Mr Miliband has in recent months committed his party to freezing energy prices and reinstating the 50p top rate of income tax.

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Children 'groomed in every town'

31 December 2014 Last updated at 06:01 By Tom Bateman Reporter, BBC Radio 4's Today

Young people are currently being groomed in "every town" in Britain, according to a charity.

Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (Pace) says "thousands" of children are affected and police forces lack skills to deal with such abuse.

A report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham found at least 1,400 children were abused over two decades.

The National Child Protection Working Group says police are dealing with an "unprecedented" number of abuse cases.

Child sexual exploitation can take place when a young person is manipulated by an adult into sex following a process of "grooming", involving being given gifts and being distanced from their parents.

Children may then be sexually assaulted by networks of adults over a number of years and can be shamed or intimidated out of reporting the crime.

Long lasting effects

Pace specialises in helping parents whose children have been sexually exploited.

Its director Fleur Strong told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "a significant number" of families were currently trying to cope with a child being sexually exploited.

She said: "I can show you families from Torquay to Exeter to Norfolk, there are families in Edinburgh, Belfast, all of them who will be suffering from this type of crime that lasts for many families for years and years.

Continue reading the main story

Fundamentally we have changed the way that we've dealt with victims"

End Quote Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster West Yorkshire Police

"I would say that without doubt there are thousands of families being affected today. This type of child abuse is in every town."

In September, West Yorkshire Police began a fresh investigation into the case of a girl who was groomed from the age of 13 and was trafficked to towns in the region.

Her mother, who for legal reasons can only be identified as "Sarah", said the process began in 2007 and her "world fell apart" because of her daughter's ordeal.

"We used to beg her not to go out, because she was begging and pleading and then actually took a knife to herself and said she would harm herself if she couldn't get out of the house," Sarah explained.

"These men had such a hold over her, that was it, they had her."

Police reaction

Sarah said she repeatedly called the police but no proper action was taken and on occasions her daughter and the family were themselves "blamed".

"Some officers would say [to her daughter]: 'What do you keep going back for, you must like what you are doing.'

"I was absolutely appalled, absolutely disgusted."

Sarah's daughter fell pregnant to one of the perpetrators. None of the men who groomed her has so far been caught.

Sarah now says she has "drawn a line" under the previous response from the police and is now satisfied her daughter's case is being fully investigated.

West Yorkshire Police admitted it had been "slow" in the past to recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation, but said that was now one of the highest priorities for the force.

It is currently investigating 84 cases of alleged grooming of children.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said: "Fundamentally we have changed the way that we've dealt with victims.

"Survivors will be listened to, they will be taken seriously and we will support them and ensure that we maximise every opportunity to bring these perpetrators to justice."

Better training

After the scale of exploitation in Rotherham was revealed, the UK's senior police officers are now more aware of the challenges involved in investigating grooming, according to Pace.

But the charity says that front-line officers still need better training to understand how to recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation.

The organisation also criticised the legal cut-off age for Child Abduction Warning Notices, which can be used by parents in England and Wales to try to prevent a named adult having contact with their child.

Once a child living at home turns 16, the warning notices no longer have effect.

Pace highlighted the case of a 16-year-old girl in Exeter, who was allegedly groomed by men who gave her so-called legal highs.

The charity says the girl's mother "is having a very difficult time" as a Child Abduction Warning Notice can no longer be used.

Detective Superintendent Paul Sanford, spokesman for the National Child Protection Working Group, said the number of abuse cases being investigated was stretching police resources.

He added that this "presents a real challenge to the police service, both in terms of finance and the number of trained and experienced personnel we need to investigate all of these cases".

"The Children's Commissioner estimated that some 16,000 children are at high risk of being exploited for sex across our towns and cities. This is unacceptable, and we are committed to doing all we can to root it out and prevent any more of the young and vulnerable becoming victims."

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Ebola screening tests under scrutiny

31 December 2014 Last updated at 08:26

Procedures for screening health workers returning to the UK after treating Ebola patients will be reviewed after an infected nurse flew from London to Glasgow despite raising concerns.

Pauline Cafferkey told officials at Heathrow she felt unwell but was allowed to continue her journey. She was diagnosed in hospital the next day.

Another passenger on her flight said screening had been "chaotic".

The chief medical officer said the case raised questions over precautions.

However, Dame Sally Davies said correct protocols had been followed.

"The risk of raised temperature when she came back appears to have been very low," she said.

"That's why we look at what we do all the time to see should we have been more precautionary, is it in the public's interest? Is it in the patient's interest?"

But she added: "I doubt it would have made much difference."

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Dame Sally Davies: "Many measures to protect public"

Ms Cafferkey was diagnosed on Monday after returning from Sierra Leone, where she had travelled as part of a 30-strong group of healthcare workers from Save the Children.

She was allowed to leave Heathrow after her temperature was taken seven times.

After an initial test, she told officials she believed a fever might be developing while she was waiting for a connecting flight to Glasgow.

Her temperature was taken a further six times over 30 minutes, but each test found her temperature to be normal.

She reported symptoms the following morning after arriving in Glasgow.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Naturally, we will be reviewing what happened and the screening protocols, and if anything needs to be changed it will be."

Enhanced screening - which involves passengers having their temperature taken and completing a questionnaire about their health - was rolled out at some UK airports, including Heathrow, in October.

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Dr Martin Deahl: "The whole process was a bit chaotic"

Save the Children said they had "robust and strict protocols in place to protect our staff."

A statement added: "Save the Children also asks staff to be careful outside of the treatment centre, where exposure to risks can be less obvious."

The charity's humanitarian director Michael von Bertele told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's really important for us to try and understand whether it was a failure of training, of protection, of procedure, or indeed whether she contracted it in some incidental contact within the community.

"Because our workers don't just work inside the red zone, which is a very high-risk area, they do also have contact - although we are very, very careful in briefing people to avoid personal contact - outside of the treatment centre."

But Dr Martin Deahl, a consultant psychiatrist who travelled back on the same flight as Ms Cafferkey, said there had been issues at Heathrow.

He said there were too few staff on duty and the rooms where returning volunteers were held were too small.

Donated plasma

Ms Cafferkey is currently being cared for at the Royal Free Hospital, in Hampstead, north London.

She was said to be doing "as well as can be expected under the circumstances" by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Dame Sally said Ms Cafferkey had been in the early phase of the disease when she made the journey to the UK from Sierra Leone, via Casablanca, and her fellow passengers were at "very low risk" of being infected.

She had no detectable fever or symptoms. Anyone displaying symptoms at screening, either in Sierra Leone or in the UK, would not have been allowed to travel.

One third of the 132 other passengers on the flight from Casablanca to Heathrow had been contacted by Public Health England, while advice had been given to more than half the 72 passengers from Heathrow to Glasgow, officials said.

Another healthcare worker who was recently in West Africa and fell ill in the Scottish Highlands has tested negative for the disease.

A third patient from Cornwall, who has also recently returned from an affected country, is being kept in isolation and being tested.

Ms Cafferkey could be offered plasma from patients who have survived the virus as part of her treatment.

Dame Sally confirmed that plasma had been donated by British nurse William Pooley, who recovered from Ebola in September after also being treated at the Royal Free Hospital.

Having fought off the infection, his blood should help others do the same.

Other available treatments include antiviral drugs, but there are no stocks left of ZMapp - the drug used to treat Mr Pooley.

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, such as blood, vomit or faeces.

The virus has killed more than 7,800 people, mostly in West Africa, since it broke out a year ago.

The World Health Organization says the number of people infected by the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea has now passed 20,000.

What are the symptoms?

The early symptoms are a sudden fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat.

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding - both internal and external - which can be seen in the gums, eyes, nose and in the stools.

Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure.

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Prescription fraud plan criticised

30 December 2014 Last updated at 00:10 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online

Pharmacists have heavily criticised plans to strengthen checks at the counter for entitlement to free prescriptions in England.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says asking pharmacists to police prescriptions could harm patient trust.

By 2018, a new database will be up-and-running for pharmacists to check before handing over a free prescription.

Ministers say these extra checks could save the NHS £150m a year, which will be ploughed back into the NHS.

Continue reading the main story

Claiming a free prescription when you are not entitled takes money away from other frontline patient services, and reduces the amount of money available to spend on patient care"

End Quote Health Minister Dan Poulter

Fraud checks

Currently, pharmacists have to rely on people's honesty when dispensing medicines for free.

The patient will sign the back of the prescription form to say that they are exempt of any charge.

The NHS Business Services Authority runs checks, but only after a free prescription has been issued.

The Department of Health says this is not timely enough, meaning the system can be abused.

An estimated 30m prescription items totalling around £237m are incorrectly claimed each year.

Prescriptions in England

You can get free NHS prescriptions if you are:

• over 60, under 16 or aged 16-18 and are in full-time education
• pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate
• have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate
• have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid exemption certificate
• hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• an NHS inpatient

You may also be entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner receive certain allowances, such as income support.

Health Minister Dan Poulter said it was time to get tough on those who avoid paying their fair share towards the NHS.

"Claiming a free prescription when you are not entitled takes money away from other frontline patient services, and reduces the amount of money available to spend on patient care."

Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Dr Keith Ridge said the new measures aimed to strike the right balance between collecting charges and providing care.

But the body that represents pharmacists in Great Britain, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, says the new system could get in the way of treating patients.

RPS Board Chair David Branford said: "This move to make pharmacists police the Government's unfair charging system is totally unacceptable to us.

"Our job is to put the needs of vulnerable people first and make sure they get the care they need."

Around 90% of prescriptions in England are currently dispensed free of charge.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have scrapped all prescription charges.

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Ebola patient arrives in London

30 December 2014 Last updated at 08:31

A health worker who was diagnosed with Ebola after returning to Scotland from Sierra Leone has arrived at a specialist treatment centre in London.

The woman, who travelled to Glasgow via Casablanca and London Heathrow, was taken to the Royal Free Hospital.

She is understood to have been flown to RAF Northolt in a military plane after leaving Glasgow in a convoy.

Passengers on flights she took to the UK are being traced, but officials say the risk to the public is very low.

The woman left Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow just after 03:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Six police cars accompanied two ambulances as she was taken to Glasgow Airport. She has been taken to an isolation unit at the north London hospital from the RAF base in west London.

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UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said facilities in London were "world class"

The UK health secretary said NHS safety measures in place were working well.

Jeremy Hunt, who chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday evening, said the government was doing "absolutely everything it needs to" to keep the public safe.

"We are also reviewing our procedures and protocols for all the other NHS workers who are working at the moment in Sierra Leone," he added.

The patient, who had been working with Save the Children in Sierra Leone, arrived in Glasgow on a British Airways flight on Sunday but was placed in an isolation unit at Gartnavel Hospital on Monday morning after becoming feverish.

Under UK and Scottish protocol, she was moved to the high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. Her bed there is surrounded by a tent, with access restricted to specialist medical teams.

UK nurse William Pooley - who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone earlier this year - was successfully treated at the same facility.

A statement on the hospital's website said: "The Royal Free London can confirm that it is expecting to receive a patient who has tested positive for Ebola.

"The patient will be treated in the high level isolation unit."

Analysis: BBC health editor Hugh Pym

This latest incident will raise questions about the screening process in place for passengers leaving West Africa and arriving at Heathrow.

Public health officials say the woman was taken aside on arrival in the UK and her temperature was taken - the procedure followed for all incoming health staff who say they have been in contact with Ebola patients.

Her temperature was found to be normal and she was not feeling unwell, so she continued her journey to Glasgow.

Someone with Ebola only becomes infectious once they develop symptoms. In this case, that only became apparent after she arrived in Scotland.

The task of contacting the passengers and crew on the flights she took is now under way. That will be complicated, but officials are insisting the risk to those people is extremely low.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee on Monday, said the risk to the public was "extremely low to the point of negligible".

She added the patient was thought to have had direct contact with only one other person between arriving in Glasgow and attending hospital on Monday.

Efforts are being made to trace the 71 other passengers who travelled on the same flight from London to Glasgow.

A telephone helpline has been set up for anyone who was on the BA 1478 flight which left Heathrow Airport on Sunday evening. The number is 08000 858531.

A British Airways spokesman said: "We are working closely with the health authorities in England and Scotland and will offer assistance with any information they require.

"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and the risk to people on board that individual flight is extremely low."

Tom Solomon, director of Liverpool's Institute of Infection and Global Health, said of the reaction to the woman's diagnosis: "We are prepared for this.

"We've had training exercises up and down the country and that's why you've seen that the response has been very calm and very controlled.

"It's very important that despite this case we have healthcare workers continue to go out to west Africa to help bring this disease under control. If we don't fight the disease there, it will continue to spread."

Paul Cosford, medical director for Public Health England described the woman as a "very brave person", telling BBC Breakfast she had "put herself in the front line of care for people with Ebola".

He also said that about 150 people in the UK had been tested for Ebola recently - with all except Mr Pooley and the female patient being taken from Glasgow returning a negative result.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "It is important to be reassured that although a case has been identified, the overall the risk to the public continues to be low.

"We have robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts. The UK system was prepared, and reacted as planned, when this case of Ebola was identified."

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the bodily fluids - such as blood, vomit or faeces - of an infected person.

The virus has killed more than 7,800 people, mostly in West Africa, since it broke out a year ago.

The World Health Organization says the number of people infected by the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea has now passed 20,000.

What are the symptoms?

The early symptoms are a sudden fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat.

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding - both internal and external - which can be seen in the gums, eyes, nose and in the stools.

Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure.

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CBI wants 2015 focus on deficit cut

30 December 2014 Last updated at 00:00

Cutting the deficit should be the government's priority in 2015, the CBI has said, as it also calls for major changes to preserve public services.

In its new year message, the business lobby group says reducing the deficit is a "must" for whichever government takes power next year.

It hails the UK's economic performance which has left it the strongest among the G7 leading nations.

It also suggests a radical education reform to scrap GCSEs at the age of 16.

John Cridland, the CBI's director general, said: "We must sustain the best launch pad for the UK economy and our young people. Cementing Britain's reputation in the world as one of the best places to do business has to be a top priority for 2015.

"Our economy is among those enjoying the fastest growth among the G7 nations, with 1.2 million jobs created this year and employment set to grow in every region of the UK in 2015."

'Thousand cuts'

Mr Cridland continued: "For business leaders, deficit reduction is a must for the next government."

He said the easiest cuts to public services had already been made and the only way to bring down the gap between government spending and income was to take drastic steps to prevent public services suffering "decline through a thousand cuts".

The CBI suggests integrating health and social care, and a significant increase in services available online.

On education, Mr Cridland said the current system was leaving too many young people behind and he called for GCSEs to be replaced by a four-year learning plan between the ages of 14 and 18.

The BBC's economics correspondent Andy Verity says the CBI has long protested that its members have hundreds of thousands of unfilled vacancies for skilled jobs which it says young people could easily do if they were prepared at school.

Since 2012, the group has regarded the two years spent working towards GCSEs as an unwelcome distraction for 14 to 16-year-olds, especially those wanting to learn skills other than academic ones, our correspondent adds.

The CBI now says GCSEs should be abolished and replaced by tailored learning plans, with each pupil keeping up maths and English as well as a mix of either vocational or academic A levels, to be tested just once at 18.

On the future of Britain's place in the world, Mr Cridland said the majority of CBI members wanted the UK to remain within a reformed EU.

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Thatcher explored education overhaul

30 December 2014 Last updated at 00:04 By Sanchia Berg Today programme

Margaret Thatcher explored plans to overhaul the structure of English education when she was PM, files released by the National Archives show.

The documents from the 1980s reveal Mrs Thatcher wanted to make state schools independent of local authorities.

This has been the central plank of the current government's education reforms.

In 1986, policy adviser Oliver Letwin wrote that she had "failed" to give people more responsibility for their own lives within the education system.

Words underlined

In Mrs Thatcher's personal files, there is a critical, very direct memo from Mr Letwin - his "swansong" as a member of Mrs Thatcher's policy unit.

"You were elected to give back to individuals a greater degree of responsibility for their own lives," he wrote. "In education, you have so far failed."

He said there had been no effort to change the "framework" - a point endorsed by Mrs Thatcher with a large black tick in the margin - and that education was still "a nationalised industry".

"The provider decides what the customer ought to have, largely ignoring what the customer actually wants," he continued - words which the then prime minister underlined.

Mr Letwin, who is still an MP and a Cabinet Office minister, acknowledged that radical restructuring would not be popular in some quarters.

"It would provoke intense hostility" from the local authorities and the teaching unions, he wrote.

However, he saw it as the only way to improve the "quality" of schools.

Like Michael Gove, who stood down as education secretary in July this year, Mr Letwin believed giving power to the "customer" - the parents - would drive school improvement.

Mr Letwin suggested state schools could "declare UDI", rather like academies today, and suggested extending the "assisted places" scheme where the state paid for places at independent schools.

Parents could then have the choice of moving their children if they were unhappy with the local state school - just as Free Schools are intended to provide an alternative under the current government.

New approach

The files include a paper titled "Education without LEAs", marked "secret" - politicians and civil servants knew how controversial these ideas would be.

The documents show that Keith Joseph, education secretary from 1981 to 1986, had wanted to create 12 new independent state primary schools to show how a new approach would work.

The idea was supported by Mrs Thatcher, and other members of the cabinet were enthusiastic too.

According to a note of one meeting, then cabinet member Norman Fowler said: "It would reverse a trend for parents such as himself to send children to the private sector!"

On the memo, Mrs Thatcher scribbled: "It isn't meant for parents like him!" That idea was dropped.

It was left to Keith Joseph's successor, Kenneth Baker, to create the first state schools independent of local authorities. He set up the first City Technology Colleges in the late 1980s for secondary pupils.

School budgets

However, Lord Baker has now said he is fascinated to see Mrs Thatcher's files. "I didn't know about any of this," he told the BBC.

He said Mrs Thatcher had not told him what to do when he took over as education secretary, and had asked him to come up with his own ideas.

Lord Baker said: "I was on a rather different tangent but we got to the same destination."

Lord Baker gave schools control over their own budgets, established a national curriculum, encouraged grant-maintained schools - so setting the groundwork for Mr Gove's future rapid academies policy.

In recent months there has been growing criticism of this flagship reform.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of schools in England, recently called for an end to "sterile" debate over structures.

He said it was not the most important factor and that in practice there could be little difference in school improvement under an academy chain or a local council.

Since 2010 more than 4,000 state schools in England have become academies, accountable to central government rather than local officials.

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Two children and adult die in fire

30 December 2014 Last updated at 08:07

Two children and an adult have died in a fire in a caravan in Newchapel, Surrey.

The blaze broke out in West Park Road overnight. A joint investigation between Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has been launched.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said emergency crews were called out at 01:37 GMT.

She said: "The fire was extinguished using hose reels, however, three people - two children and one adult - died."

She added: "Out thoughts are with the family and friends involved at this tragic time."

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City Link owner 'disappointed'

29 December 2014 Last updated at 07:41

The owner of collapsed UK parcel delivery service City Link says it is "disappointed" the firm has been placed into administration.

Investment firm Better Capital, which owns City Link, said the appointment of an administrator had been leaked early to the media.

It said "the directors very much regret the impact" on staff of finding this out on Christmas Day.

More than 2,000 staff are expected to be made redundant on New Year's Eve.

Better Capital, in its first statement since the firm went into administration, said it had tried various options to "maximise" its investment in City Link, including an unsuccessful attempt to sell the business.

"In light of continued substantial losses, City Link could not continue as a going concern," it said.

Talks between union officials and administrators Ernst & Young were held on Saturday afternoon.

EY confirmed "substantial redundancies" were expected "over the coming days".

Coventry-based City Link employs 2,727 people.

It called in administrators on Christmas Eve after years of "substantial losses".

'Smashed to pieces'

Following Saturday's talks, transport union RMT demanded an immediate meeting with Business Secretary Vince Cable and called on the government to launch a rescue plan to save the company as a going concern.

The union said it had been told by administrators that more than 2,000 staff will be made redundant on New Year's Eve. Remaining staff will be retained in the short term to wind down the company, union officials said.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, called the situation a "despicable and callous manipulation" of thousands of workers.

He said: "It is crystal clear that there has been a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at City Link and that staff and their union have been starved of basic information."

The government has previously said it was unable to intervene in the administration process, although Mr Cable said he would meet the union in the New Year.

However, Mr Cash said: "Clearly that is too late and the business will have been smashed to pieces by then.

"If the government can nationalise the bankers then they can nationalise City Link, which is clearly in the public interest," he added.

The firm, which was founded in 1969, was acquired by restructuring specialist Better Capital in April 2013.

It invested £40m but EY said City Link had incurred substantial losses over several years and the money could not help it turn the firm around.

'Substantial redundancies'

On Friday EY said it was currently assessing the company and the status of existing orders.

"This process will have a bearing on the number of employees retained and those that unfortunately face redundancy in the next few days," it said in a statement.

"It is anticipated that there will be substantial redundancies over the coming days, at which point the administrators will provide a further update."

It said it anticipated that "a portion of employees" would be retained for up to three months.

Administrators were currently gathering expressions of interest from parties interested in acquiring specific assets, divisions of the business or the entire firm, it added.

But given the previous unsuccessful sale process administrators were "cautious about the prospects of finding a buyer", the statement added.

City Link employees
Location	Total employees
Aberdeen	19
Ashford	24
Bangor	16
Basingstoke	25
Beckenham	23
Beckton	32
Belfast	23
Bicester	28
Birmingham	70
Bournemouth	32
Bristol	50
Cardiff	44
Carlisle	28
Chelmsford	48
Coventry	404
Cowes	4
Durham	56
Edinburgh	22
Edmonton	36
Epsom	22
Exeter	41
Gatwick	42
Glasgow	75
Glenrothes	22
Gloucester	32
Guildford	24
Hatfield	116
Heathrow	132
Leeds	1
Leeming	34
Leicester	1
Lincoln	25
London City	19
London West Central	43
Maidstone	48
Manchester	67
Milton Keynes	91
Morley	74
Motherwell	27
Newcastle	45
Newmarket	1
Northampton	47
Norwich	44
Nottingham	48
Peterborough	63
Plymouth	58
Preston	52
Reading	2
Rotherham	34
Scunthorpe	28
Shrewsbury	38
Southampton	33
Stafford	40
Swansea	30
Swindon	73
Warrington	115
West Bromwich	56

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Smoking rot highlighted in campaign

29 December 2014 Last updated at 07:43 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online

Smoking "rots" the body from within, warns this year's quit smoking campaign from Public Health England (PHE).

The graphic online and print billboard adverts feature a roll-up cigarette full of decaying tissue.

While many smokers know the damage tobacco does to their hearts and lungs, they are much less likely to be aware of how harmful it can be to other parts of the body, says PHE.

Cigarettes can damage the bones, muscles, brain, teeth and eyes.

Current smokers are at double the risk of Alzheimer's disease, for example.

Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies says the adverts have been designed to shock and educate, but smoking groups branded the campaign as poisonous.

Stop the rot

The campaign also tackles common misconceptions around hand-rolled tobacco, or roll-ups. Many smokers mistakenly believe that they are safer than conventional cigarettes, says PHE.

But evidence suggests hand-rolled cigarettes are at least as hazardous as any other type of cigarette.

Yet their popularity is growing.

In 1990, 18% of male smokers and 2% of female smokers said they smoked mainly hand-rolled cigarettes. By 2013 this had risen to 40% for men and 23% for women.

Prof Kevin Fenton, National Director for Health and Wellbeing for PHE, said: "Much of the harm caused by smoking doesn't become obvious until middle age but the invisible damage can start shockingly early - even by the late teens.

"The earlier a smoker quits the better, but quitting at any age can help reverse at least some of the damage. That's why there is no time better than now to quit. Stop smoking and stop the rot."

Dame Sally said: "I think people know about the big killers - cancer, heart disease and stroke - but I don't think they realise about osteoporosis and I didn't know about fertility.

"And the doubling the likelihood of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's, I think is quite scary."

Simon Clark, director of the tobacco lobby group Forest, said: "Campaigns like this are an abuse of public money. Education has been replaced by shrill scaremongering that is often counter-productive because it's human nature to switch off when you're being nagged or shouted at on an almost daily basis."

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Record 2014 freeze for parts of UK

29 December 2014 Last updated at 05:45

Temperatures have plunged to their lowest recorded levels of the year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, temperatures fell to -8.1C (17.4F) overnight, while parts of England dropped to -7.6C, and -5.6C was recorded in Wales, BBC Weather said. Scotland also saw falls to -6.7C.

But it has not yet beaten the coldest day of 2014 - recorded at -8.9C in Aberdeenshire in early December.

The Met Office has warned of possible dangers to vulnerable patients.

A Met Office cold weather alert, which remains in place until 12:00 GMT on Wednesday for northern England and the Midlands, warns of the potential health risks.

The lowest temperature overnight was recorded at -8.1C in Katesbridge, County Down, beating Northern Ireland's previous 2014 low of -6.2C, BBC Weather's Peter Sloss said.

A new 2014 low in England was also recorded, with temperatures plunging to -7.6C in Oxfordshire - colder than the -6.8C recorded earlier this month.

In south Wales, temperatures were recorded at -5.6C, compared to -5.1C recorded earlier this year.

The lowest temperature recorded at a Met Office Weather station this year was -8.9C (16F) at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in early December.

It comes as parts of the UK have already been hit by sub-zero temperatures and forecasters have warned of further plunging temperatures over the next three days.

On Saturday, the lowest overnight recorded temperature was just above -5C (23F) in Perthshire with "widespread" frost hitting large areas of the country, the BBC Weather Centre said.

The amber - level three - alert in place for the North of England and Midlands is one below a national emergency and indicates social and healthcare services should target "high-risk" groups, such as the very young or old, or those with chronic diseases.

A yellow - level two - alert is in place in the rest of England indicating social and healthcare services should be working to ensure they are ready for a period of cold weather.

Weather and travel info How to drive in snow and ice

• Balance your speed - too fast and you risk losing control, but if you go too slow you risk losing momentum
• Start gently in second gear, avoiding high revs. Stay in a higher gear for better control
• Only use the brake if you cannot steer out of trouble
• Increase the distance at which you follow other vehicles
• Plan your journey around busier roads, which are more likely to have been gritted
• On a downhill slope, get your speed low before you start the descent, and do not let it build up
• In falling snow, use dipped headlights or fog lights, but switch off if conditions improve
• Read more about how to prepare your car

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Briton on missing AirAsia flight named

29 December 2014 Last updated at 07:30

The Briton on board missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 is Chi-Man Choi, the BBC understands.

It is thought the 48-year-old was with his two-year-old daughter on the plane, which was flying from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board when it went missing early on Sunday.

Hong Kong immigration officials said Mr Choi is a Hong Kong resident.

The UK Foreign Office earlier confirmed a British national was on the flight and the family had been informed.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond tweeted: "My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those on board Air Asia flight QZ8501."

Mr Choi's Facebook account says he comes from Kingston upon Hull, while his LinkedIn profile says he works for French multinational company Alstom Power and attended Essex University.

'Stay strong'

The Airbus A320-200 lost contact with air traffic control almost two hours after take off, at 06:24 local time (23:24 GMT Saturday) over the Java Sea.

The plane had requested a "deviation" from its planned flight path due to bad weather, AirAsia said.

AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes, who also owns UK Premier League football team Queens Park Rangers, tweeted: "Thank you for all your thoughts and prays. we must stay strong."

He later wrote on Twitter that he was travelling to Surabaya, where most of the passengers were from.

There were 155 passengers, including 16 children and one infant, and seven crew on the flight, according to AirAsia.

The airline has set up an emergency line for family or friends of those who may have been on the aircraft. The number is +622 129 850 801.

Travel editor of the Independent, Simon Calder, said investigators would be focusing on flying conditions as bad weather may have been a factor in the incident.

AirAsia, a budget airline which owns 49% of AirAsia Indonesia, is based in Malaysia and has never lost a plane.

This is the third time a Malaysia-based airline has lost a plane this year.

The country's national carrier Malaysia Airlines lost contact with flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean in March. And in July, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine.

Are you, or is someone you know, affected by this story? Do you know any of the passengers on the AirAsia flight? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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Britons caught on board fire ferry

29 December 2014 Last updated at 08:14

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Susan Daltas has spoken to the BBC about her family's plight

British families are waiting for news after relatives were caught on board a ferry which caught fire near Greece.

A British family of four and an engaged couple were on the Norman Atlantic, which was travelling from Greece to Italy, when fire broke out.

Dottie Channing-Williams, from Berkshire, said her son Nick, 37, was still awaiting rescue.

Susan Daltas said her daughter and two grandchildren had been rescued but that her son-in-law remained on board.

The Italian car ferry was travelling from Patras, in Greece, to Ancona, in Italy with 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board when a fire broke out on its car deck, north-west of Corfu.

Ships and helicopters are taking part in a major rescue operation and the Italian Navy said 221 people on board had been rescued by early on Monday.

One person has died after jumping from the ship and another has been injured, officials said.

The Foreign Office said four Britons had been rescued from the Norman Atlantic so far.

Mrs Daltas, who lives in Corfu, said four members of her family had been on the stricken boat. She told BBC Breakfast she believed that women and children had been taken off first.

Her son-in-law, Marcus, spoke to Mrs Daltas from the ferry on Sunday evening after her daughter, Mia, and her two granddaughters had been airlifted to safety.

Her youngest granddaughter had been taken to hospital in the city of Brindisi, in southern Italy, Mrs Dalta said.

"She was suffering from hypothermia because they didn't even manage to get a coat out of the cabin before they had to go on deck," she said.

The girl's mother and sister were on one of the rescue boats, said Mrs Daltas.

Her son-in-law was not able to tell her much about conditions on board, other than to say it was "cold and wet" and that he wanted to be reunited with his family.

Mr Channing-Williams, who lives in Greece, is a competitive show jumper and trains young riders.

He was on the boat with his 33-year-old Greek fiancee Regina Theoffili, who has now been rescued and taken to hospital.

His mother said: "We are, of course, pleased that Regina is off (the boat), but we can't get any information. We have been up the whole night trying to phone people and trying to find out exactly what is happening.

"I had told people they had both been airlifted and were fine and now that's not the case.

"A lot of what we're hearing is hearsay, we don't really know. I'm hopeful the wait for good news won't be too much longer."

Thunder and lightning

Mrs Channing-Williams told BBC Breakfast the wait was "just a rollercoaster, up and down".

"I just hope and pray they all get off soon because it's very difficult for families," she said. "My daughters have been up all night with me just trying to find out a bit of news."

Mrs Channing-Williams said her son had been intending to spend New Year's Eve with her later this week and added: "I just hope they're both going to be okay and we can put this behind us."

She said she spoke to her son on Sunday morning.

"I told him it's just so difficult because there's no information. And he said, 'it's far more difficult here, because we've been on the top deck in the freezing cold and rain and thunder and lightning.'"

British Ambassador to Greece John Kittmer said the embassy was in "close contact" with the Greek authorities and was urgently seeking more information".

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "From the passenger manifest, and other information available to us, we know that a number of British nationals were on board the Norman Atlantic.

"Local authorities have confirmed to us that four British nationals have been rescued so far.

"The rescue operation is ongoing and we remain in close touch with the Italian authorities."

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City Link staff 'face NYE redundancy'

28 December 2014 Last updated at 06:58

More than 2,000 staff from the collapsed UK parcel delivery service City Link are to be made redundant on New Year's Eve, the RMT union has said.

Staff learned on Christmas Day that the company had gone into administration, in a move described as "disgraceful" by the union for transport workers.

Talks between union officials and administrators EY were held on Saturday afternoon.

EY warned of "substantial redundancies over the coming days".

Coventry-based City Link, which is owned by investment firm Better Capital, employs 2,727 people.

It called in administrators on Christmas Eve after years of "substantial losses".

'Smashed to pieces'

Following Saturday's talks, the RMT demanded an immediate meeting with Business Secretary Vince Cable and called on the government to launch a rescue plan to save the company as a going concern.

The union said it had been told by administrators that more than 2,000 staff will be made redundant on New Year's Eve. Remaining staff will be retained in the short term to wind down the company, union officials said.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, called the situation a "despicable and callous manipulation" of thousands of workers.

He said: "It is crystal clear that there has been a truly horrific catalogue of mismanagement at City Link and that staff and their union have been starved of basic information."

The government has previously said it was unable to intervene in the administration process, although Mr Cable said he would meet the union in the New Year.

However, Mr Cash said: "Clearly that is too late and the business will have been smashed to pieces by then.

"If the government can nationalise the bankers then they can nationalise City Link, which is clearly in the public interest," he added.

The firm, which was founded in 1969, was acquired by restructuring specialist Better Capital in April 2013.

It invested £40m but EY said City Link had incurred substantial losses over several years and the money could not help it turn the firm around.

'Substantial redundancies'

EY said it was currently assessing the company and the status of existing orders.

"This process will have a bearing on the number of employees retained and those that unfortunately face redundancy in the next few days," it said in a statement.

"It is anticipated that there will be substantial redundancies over the coming days, at which point the administrators will provide a further update."

It said it anticipated that "a portion of employees" would be retained for up to three months.

Administrators were currently gathering expressions of interest from parties interested in acquiring specific assets, divisions of the business or the entire firm, it added.

But given the previous unsuccessful sale process administrators were "cautious about the prospects of finding a buyer", the statement added.

City Link employees
Location	Total employees
Aberdeen	19
Ashford	24
Bangor	16
Basingstoke	25
Beckenham	23
Beckton	32
Belfast	23
Bicester	28
Birmingham	70
Bournemouth	32
Bristol	50
Cardiff	44
Carlisle	28
Chelmsford	48
Coventry	404
Cowes	4
Durham	56
Edinburgh	22
Edmonton	36
Epsom	22
Exeter	41
Gatwick	42
Glasgow	75
Glenrothes	22
Gloucester	32
Guildford	24
Hatfield	116
Heathrow	132
Leeds	1
Leeming	34
Leicester	1
Lincoln	25
London City	19
London West Central	43
Maidstone	48
Manchester	67
Milton Keynes	91
Morley	74
Motherwell	27
Newcastle	45
Newmarket	1
Northampton	47
Norwich	44
Nottingham	48
Peterborough	63
Plymouth	58
Preston	52
Reading	2
Rotherham	34
Scunthorpe	28
Shrewsbury	38
Southampton	33
Stafford	40
Swansea	30
Swindon	73
Warrington	115
West Bromwich	56

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Warning of more disruption on trains

28 December 2014 Last updated at 07:44

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"We've let a lot of people down," admits Network Rail boss Robin Gisby

Rail passengers have been told to expect more disruption on Sunday at some London stations.

Network Rail said trains are now able to run to and from the city's King's Cross station, which saw many cancellations and delays yesterday.

But operators warned that trains would be "extremely busy" due to reduced services.

Overrunning engineering works caused major problems for thousands of rail passengers yesterday.

The Office of Rail Regulation has said it will launch an investigation into the situation while Network Rail admitted passengers had been let down, adding that extra resources had been brought in to complete the work.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has demanded answers from Network Rail, which runs the UK's railway network.

Track replacement work

Robin Gisby, managing director at Network Rail, said he was "deeply sorry" for the delays.

He defended the decisions that shut down King's Cross and caused 300 metre long queues at nearby Finsbury Park, where police were called in to deal with the crowds.

"We've let a lot of people down, I'm afraid, and I can only apologise for that," he said.

He said engineers had been working "tirelessly" to complete the track replacement work, adding that "extra resources have been brought in to ensure the work is completed for the morning".

Train operators warned the engineering works will continue to disrupt some services on Sunday.

East Coast Trains said it expected to run an amended timetable in and out of King's Cross, but warned services would be "extremely busy".

Over-running engineering works and signal problems also caused delays and cancellations on Saturday for Great Western trains at Paddington station in west London.

First Great Western said disruption at Paddington would continue until 09:00 GMT on Sunday. It has already said that those with tickets dated for 27 December would be able to use them on Sunday and Monday or would be entitled to a refund if they chose not to travel.

The overrunning work between King's Cross and Finsbury Park is part of a £200m Christmas investment programme.

'Bitter cold'

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Widespread misery for passengers at King's Cross, as Emily Unia reports

Cheryl Oxley, who was planning to travel to Bradford, spoke about her aborted journey from Finsbury Park.

"I was standing in the bitter cold trying to work out if any of the destination options would get me close to Leeds or Bradford.

"I overheard I could get a train to Peterborough and change there and there was a Peterborough train on the screen but then that never materialised."

Read more from passengers

'Badly wrong'

The shut down of King's Cross caused chaotic scenes at Finsbury Park, which passengers had been advised to use in its place.

The smaller station was temporarily closed following police advice.

Trains coming into the capital were halted for long periods while waiting for a platform to become free at Finsbury Park.

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"The queue for a train went on and on and on" reports Daniela Relph

Sara Nelson, from watchdog Passenger Focus, said the disruption was "extremely frustrating for passengers".

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Office of Rail Regulation said: "The immediate priority is for Network Rail to ensure disrupted parts of the railways are back up and running again for passengers as soon as possible.

"Network Rail, working with the rest of the industry, must learn lessons and prevent problems like this happening again."

Transport Secretary Mr McLoughlin said the situation on Saturday had been "totally unacceptable".

"I will be asking Network Rail to set out what went wrong and how they can learn lessons, but its priority must be to get services running into Kings Cross as well as Paddington," he said.

Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said it was "unacceptable disruption, just as people try and get home after Christmas".

Contact us

Were you planning to travel from King's Cross today? How has the disruption affected your plans? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number.

Have your say

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