Public sector strikes threatened to spiral out of control after train drivers and border guards announced new walkouts on Friday.

Families face end of summer travel misery as passport control staff prepare to down tools at Heathrow airport between Saturday Aug 31 and Tuesday Sep 3.

Meanwhile, train drivers at LNER, which runs services between London and Edinburgh, are to strike every weekend for the next three months. Aslef announced the strike just 48 hours after securing an almost 15 per cent pay rise for drivers, spread across three years, to end a separate dispute.

Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer’s Government also gave a 22 per cent pay rise to junior doctors, spread across two years, to end their long-running industrial action.

The new strike announcements came after warnings that inflation-busting pay offers to end industrial action would encourage other unions to strike.

On Friday morning, Nick Thomas-Symonds, a Cabinet Office minister, had said it was “unfair” to suggest the pay deals would lead to more walkouts. 

He and other ministers have argued that the agreements would ultimately save money, given the wider cost to the economy of strikes.

Kieran Mullan, a Tory shadow transport minister, said: “After a no strings attached offer to throw cash at a Labour-backing union, it should shock nobody that more strikes are on the cards. 

“It’s a taste of what is to come – a nationalised train service seeing Labour-backing unions staging walkouts despite a bumper pay deal.

“All Labour are doing is encouraging the unions into more of this anti-passenger action, putting our rail network at the beck and call of unions whilst passengers pay the price. These strikes risk spiralling out of control under Labour.”

James Cleverly, a Tory leadership candidate, said: “The Labour Government has been played by its union paymasters. This latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones. 

“Offering a no-strings pay deal to militant strikers whilst stripping millions of pensions of their winter fuel payment is nothing short of a national embarrassment.”

Border Force workers will walk out on the final weekend of the summer holidays. Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, are all set to be affected by the walkout.

The Public and Commercial Services Union said its Border Force members were striking over changes to rosters and working practices. Seven days of industrial action took place earlier this year.

Fran Heathcote, the union’s general secretary, said: “Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country’s border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love.

“They’re being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they’re being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them.

“We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.”

About 500 staff are expected to walk out during the strike, which will affect all airlines using Heathrow. An overtime ban by the union will be in force from the strike days until Sep 22, increasing the likelihood of disruption at Heathrow’s passport control gates.

The second strike announced affects the East Coast main line. Aslef, the train drivers’ union, revealed the campaign days after securing the pay rise from the Government. The strikes will occur every Saturday and Sunday from Aug 31 to Nov 10 – a total of 22 days.

The union said “a breakdown in industrial relations, bullying by management and persistent breaking of agreements” was behind the renewed campaign.

Mick Whelan, the Aslef general secretary, said the dispute was separate from the pay rises agreed by the Government on Wednesday. On Friday, he accused LNER’s bosses of “boorish behaviour and bullying tactics”.

He called the managers “scabs” – a term of abuse for someone who works when a union wants them to strike – because some had stepped in to drive trains during previous Aslef walkouts.

Mr Whelan claimed managers had been handed a £2,000 bonus apiece for keeping services running while workers were on strike, and said: “Paying managers a bonus last month of £2,000 per person, again sanctioned by the Department for Transport, as a thank you for breaking agreements, was the final straw for many of our members.

“The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position. We would much rather not be here. But the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith.

“When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t.”

LNER runs trains between London and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line, serving cities including Sunderland, Newcastle and York. It has been in state ownership since 2018 after Virgin Trains, the former franchisee, handed it back to the Government.

Speaking to Times Radio about the strikes, Chris Philp, the Tory shadow Leader of the Commons, said: “This is unbelievable naivety from the Labour Government, thinking you can just throw some money at a trade union and that just solves all the problems.

“Of course, what they do is come back and ask for more. And other trade unions come back and ask for more as well.”

Meanwhile, the British Medical Association has claimed Tory MPs are “ideologically hateful towards working people” in a row over public sector pay.

Dr Rob Laurenson, the co-chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The absolute scenes of Conservative MPs climbing out the woodwork to bleat on about train drivers getting a deal (albeit BELOW aggregate inflation of the past three years, i.e. another pay cut). These people know no nuance and are ideologically hateful towards working people.”

The death of a 13-year-old girl was caused by Costa Coffee staff failing to follow allergy processes when they served her a hot chocolate, an inquest has concluded.

Hannah Jacobs died within hours of having a few sips of the drink on Feb 8 2023, East London coroner’s court was told on Friday.

She was severely allergic to dairy, fish, and eggs.

Dr Shirley Radcliffe, assistant coroner, said: “The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista.”

Abimbola Duyile, Hannah’s mother, previously told East London coroner’s court she had ordered two hot chocolates made with soya milk, and told staff of her daughter’s severe dairy allergies.

They had popped into the Costa Coffee branch in Station Parade, Barking, owned and operated by a franchisee, before a dentist appointment.

Urmi Akter, the barista, previously said that when she took the order from Ms Duyile, she was asked by the woman to wash the jug the drink was made in because her daughter had a dairy allergy.

The court heard how Ms Akter said she had repeated the woman’s request that the jug be washed out, and claimed she had pointed out that the hot chocolate is made from milk.

Under Costa’s rules, customers who ask for non-dairy products or who say they have a dietary requirement should be shown a book which lists the ingredients of each drink, and how it is made.

Ms Akter told the court she did not show the woman the book as she had been assured that washing the jug would be fine.

Ms Duyile insisted that she had asked for soya drinks and said she was being “extra picky”, the court heard.

Hypersensitive anaphylactic reaction

Neither Hannah nor her mother were carrying the epipen prescribed for the child’s severe allergy to cow’s milk at the time.

Later, when Hannah began to feel unwell while tasting the drink on the way to the dentist, she was offered an epipen, which her mother refused.

She decided instead to go to the chemist for antihistamines, Iqra Farhad, a dentist, earlier told the court.

Previously giving evidence to the court, Santokh Kahlon, a pharmacist, said the chemist had no epipens owing to general shortages, and said he would have “definitely used” the one the dentist had offered if he had known about it.

A post-mortem examination found Hannah died after suffering from a hypersensitive anaphylactic reaction triggered by an ingredient in her hot chocolate that caused an allergic response.

Analysis of the mother and daughter’s cups by Barking and Dagenham council found no traces of soya milk but “substantial levels” of milk protein.

Allergen safety training was online quiz

The inquest heard that at the time of the death of Hannah, the allergy training for Costa staff was an online portal and quiz that could be accessed and completed from home.

Ms Duyile said that treating allergen safety training as a “tick box exercise is not acceptable”.

A member of Ms Duyile’s legal team read a statement outside East London coroner’s court on her behalf, saying: “Better awareness is really needed in these industries and across society of the symptoms of anaphylaxis.

“Allowing people who serve food and drinks to retake an allergy training test for 20 times is not acceptable.”

Ms Duyile also paid tribute to her “vivacious, caring, affectionate” daughter who had “everything to live for” while holding a framed photograph of Hannah and cried as the statement was read out on her behalf to reporters outside the court.

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who died following a severe allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette containing sesame have called for “urgent” government action to “improve understanding” of allergies across schools, businesses and wider society.

“We need urgent government action to improve understanding within schools, businesses and society that food allergies can be a serious, unpredictable health condition, not a lifestyle choice, and ensure people with allergies have access to joined up and timely NHS allergy care,” said Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founders of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, a food allergy charity.

“Today, along with Hannah’s grief-stricken mum Abi and on behalf of other parents who have lost children to food allergies, we once again urge the Government to appoint an allergy tsar – a national champion for the one in three people who live not just with food allergies, but all types of allergic disease including asthma and eczema.”

A Scotland Yard officer who drunkenly crashed his car into a wall told a couple not to worry as “I am the police”, a misconduct hearing was told.

Pc Leo Steeden lost control of his MGF vehicle and careered into the boundary wall of a couple’s home in Newington, Kent, on Aug 8 2022.

The officer, who was not wearing shoes, rang the couple’s doorbell and flashed his warrant card at the pair while promising to fix the damage.

A builder, who was called out by the couple to repair the wall, described Steeden as “p—– as a pudding”.

The hearing heard how Steeden, when offered a cup of tea after the crash, instead suggested a drink at a nearby pub.

When the couple, who were not identified during the hearing, said this was inappropriate and that they should wait for the police, Steeden replied: “I am the police and it’s OK after an accident.”

The hearing heard how Steeden had initially waited at the scene before going to a local shop to buy and drink a small bottle of wine and beer.

Steeden had claimed to have only drunk a glass of wine before driving and suggested he may have fallen asleep in the moments before the crash or been affected by a Covid-19 vaccination he had earlier in the day, the panel heard.

Three days before the incident, Steeden had told his superiors he had a problem with alcohol.

‘Grossly irresponsible’

Steeden, who had served in the Metropolitan Police for more than 20 years and had received a commendation for “professionalism, courage and determination” following the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March 2017, was sacked for gross misconduct.

Christopher McKay, who chaired the panel, concluded: “To put members of the public at risk by driving with excess alcohol was grossly irresponsible. The fact that only a wall was demolished when Pc Steeden crashed was relatively fortunate.

“The outcome could have been much worse. He then compounded his misconduct by trying to cover up the fact that he had been drinking before the accident by showing his warrant card to members of the public and telling them he was a police officer to discourage them from calling the local police before drinking further alcohol to prevent it being proved that he was over the limit at the time of the accident.

“A proven lack of integrity undermines a police officer’s reliability and credibility. In the panel’s judgment, the appropriate outcome for Pc Steeden is dismissal without notice.”

BBC presenter Chris Packham has been criticised after urging people who bank with Barclays to stick their heads in a bucket of petrol and set themselves on fire.

The 63-year-old Springwatch and Earth host made the comments at an Action for Wildlife Day event in Derbyshire.

The environmental campaigner urged people not to bank with financial institutions that invest in “fossil fuels, weapons and poverty”.

Speaking at the event last weekend at Carsington in the Derbyshire Dales, he said: “But, if anyone here is banking with Barclays, then, I suggest you stick your head in a bucket of fuel and set fire to it because you’re burning our planet down. And, it’s time to put this stuff behind us.”

His comments have been criticised as incitement, amid claims they are inappropriate for a leading BBC broadcaster.

Barclays declined to comment on Friday.

Tim Bonner, the chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “It appears that in an increasingly desperate bid to stay in the media spotlight, Mr Packham is resorting to saying more and more bizarre and outlandish things to get noticed.

“Few are taking much notice, but it does pose serious questions for the RSPB, RSPCA and BBC about how much longer they can justify turning a blind eye to this behaviour, while allowing him to continue playing a significant role in representing them on the national stage and in family-friendly broadcasting.

“The respectability of all three organisations is on the line”.

Reported to police

A complaint about Packham’s comments was also made to Derbyshire Constabulary. 

The complainant, a country sports enthusiast who wishes to remain anonymous, wrote to officers asking how the BBC presenter’s comments could be legal “given the recent spate of civil unrest which we have seen across the country” and those “inciting people to take direct action.”

A police spokesman said: “The video has been reviewed and no offences have been committed.

“Each incident that takes place is reviewed based on the language used as well as the specific set of circumstances in which the comments are made.

“In this instance, while there is legislation covering individuals encouraging or assisting a person or persons to cause serious harm to themselves, there is no suggestion that this is a serious attempt to influence anyone to commit any such acts.

“The words used in this instance do not reach the threshold for an offence and no action will be taken in relation to this incident.”

‘Private views’

A BBC spokesman said: “Chris Packham is a freelancer, not a member of staff, and he’s not currently on air. His private activities and views are his own, not the BBC’s.”

Packham appeared at the event as the key speaker for Wild Justice, a pressure group that uses the legal system to try to get a better deal for UK wildlife by challenging government decisions through the courts.

Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion were also at the Action for Wildlife Day gathering, which was born out of an event called Hen Harrier Day.

For several years, Packham has been opposed to what he sees as the environmental damage and destruction of wildlife harrier habitats by the controlled burning of upland heather in a practice known as swaling.

Olivia Blake, the Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, also appeared on stage at the event.

Last year, Packham stoked controversy after presenting a programme in which he questioned whether it was ethically acceptable to break the law in protesting against government climate policies.

Earlier this year, he told a court he “selectively” supports Just Stop Oil. He has also defended climate activists’ “right” to target MP’s homes as long as their actions were “peaceful and non-violent”.

Packham has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The Church of England is increasingly dropping the word “church” in favour of “relevant and modern-sounding” descriptions such as “community”, a new study suggests.

The Anglican church appears to be increasingly avoiding the word “church” when discussing the creation of new worshipping communities and congregations, a report has found.

The Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research looked at the language used by 11 dioceses to describe new churches.

The creation of a new church group is traditionally referred to as a “church plant”. But the report found that while 900 new churches had been started by the dioceses in the past decade, none had used the phrase “church plant” as the primary way to describe the project.

The report’s author, Rev Dr Will Foulger, vicar of St Nicholas in Durham, found that six of the 11 dioceses used the language of “worship” in their main descriptor of new church projects, two used “congregation”, and seven used “community”.

Dr Giles Fraser, vicar of St Anne’s, Kew, told The Telegraph that this apparent reluctance to use the word “church” reflects “a misplaced desire to be relevant and modern-sounding”.

In an article on UnHerd, Dr Fraser said that it was as if, “the Church has given up on church. Not since Prince became Squiggle has there been such a daft revision.”

He warned that embracing these new forms of worship had been “ruinously expensive” for the Church, cautioning that the push for modernisation should not come at the expense of traditional parish churches.

The report found that 10 of the 11 dioceses studied “used the language of ‘culture change’ to describe the place of new things within the dioceses.”

Dr Foulger suggested that the Church of England might be moving away from using the word “church” as part of a cultural rejuvenation.

He said that the word “church” was not comprehensive enough “to describe what it is that these dioceses have been starting”, adding that the phrase “new things” might be more appropriate.

A spokesman for the Church of England told The Telegraph that one reason why the word “church” appears less often in description of “new worshipping communities” is that these forms of worship can exist outside of traditional bricks-and-mortar churches.

Examples of these new communities have cropped up across the country.

At St Barnabas in Ealing a “Shh free” mass is on offer to welcome families with young children, while the “silent disco worship” at All Hallows Bow in east London – a new congregation founded within an existing church – attracts young adults.

Outdoor worshipping

The Diocese of Worcester, meanwhile, has embraced outdoor worshipping, with members of the churches in the Teme Valley South replacing church services with countryside walks, stopping for Bible reading and prayer along the way.

“These communities often meet in existing church buildings, attracting additional worshippers alongside traditional congregations, but they are as much ‘church’ as any other form of worship,” a Church of England spokesman said.

He added that a church is defined in theological terms as “a community of people who, together, live in relationship with God through Jesus Christ”.

In his report, Dr Foulger acknowledged that this change in language by the Church is “forcing us to redefine what we think a church is in the Church of England”.

He also recognised that the debate had “left certain parts of the Church – for whom fidelity to ecclesial forms and practices is central – feeling outside of the planting conversation”.

Since 2014 the Church Commissioners have awarded £82.7 million to dioceses to be used for the purpose of starting new churches and religious communities.

This investment is set to continue. In 2021, the Church of England announced plans to establish more than 10,000 new worshipping communities over the next decade.

A spokesman for the Church of England defended its funding record in parish churches, stating that “significant investment has supported parish renewals, front-line ministry roles, and children’s and youth workers across various church traditions”.