UK weather live: Man’s body found near Yorkshire river as dozens rescued from flooded homes

WorldEnvironment
7 Jan 2025 • 11:34 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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A man’s body has been recovered from floodwater near the River Aire in North Yorkshire, as police appealed for help identifying him. Officers believe he entered the water over the weekend.

The first confirmed death in the severe winter storm impacting much of Britain came as 50 children had to be rescued by 4x4 vehicles from a primary school in Lincolnshire after being stranded in floodwaters.

Leicestershire and neighbouring Lincolnshire declared major incidents as they responded to hundreds of calls for help as waterways spilled over their banks and turned roads into rivers, burying cars up to their roofs.

Nearly 60 people were rescued from swamped homes and vehicles, the Leicestershire fire service said on X.

Hundreds of schools were closed for the first day of classes of 2025, trains were halted and commuters experienced significant disruption as sections of highways and major roads were closed by high water and snow.

Much of the UK has been hit by strong winds and periods of heavy rainfall or snow that struck before New Year’s Day, cancelling several fireworks displays and other celebrations.

Warnings to expect flooding were issued in nearly 200 places in England by late Monday afternoon.

Key Points

  • Children stranded at primary school as Lincolnshire declares major incident
  • Met Office issues four new weather warnings
  • Body found in flood water in North Yorkshire
  • Rail chaos spreads across UK as floods close lines
  • Key roads and motorways closed amid severe weather including flooding
  • Flight cancellations as major airports reopen runways

Fresh weather warnings in place after day of severe flooding

03:57

Namita Singh

Fresh weather warnings have come into force in parts of the UK a day after severe flooding and snow caused travel disruption and school closures.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place amid fears that more flooding could be on the way.

A snow and ice warning is in place across most of southwest England and Wales, and parts of northwest England and the West Midlands, until 10am this morning.

The same warning is in place for western and northern parts of Scotland until midday, and in Northern Ireland until 11am.

A critical incident has been declared by East Midlands Ambulance for the first time ever, with flooding partly responsible for the “level of escalation”.

All the places at risk of flooding as severe weather warnings are issued across UK

03:00

Holly Evans

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts are in place across the country as wintry conditions continue to cause travel disruption and school closures across the UK.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice come into force across large parts of the UK on Monday afternoon and will remain in place into Tuesday.

Many commuters suffered travel disruption on Monday morning, with major roads closed and railway lines blocked.

At 9pm, the Environment Agency had one severe flood warning, where there is potential danger to life, 186 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 302 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, active across England.

At the same time, National Resources Wales had two flood warnings and 16 flood alerts in place.

Read the full article here:

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Take these steps to protect yourself from winter weather dangers

02:00

Holly Evans

Winter weather brings various hazards that people have to contend with to keep warm and safe.

These dangers can include carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frozen pipes that can burst and make homes unlivable.

Public safety officials and experts say there are multiple ways people can prepare themselves to avoid these winter weather hazards and keep themselves safe.

Read the full article here:

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Flights cancelled at Aberdeen Airport as staff unable to de-ice planes

01:00

Holly Evans

Airline companies based at Aberdeen Airport have had to cancel and delay flights as they have been unable to de-ice planes, with many being rerouted through Edinburgh Airport.

Although the runway at the airport remains open and operational, the respective airline companies have had no choice but to make the decision.

A spokesman for Aberdeen International Airport said: “We understand how frustrating delays can be, especially during challenging weather conditions.

“While the airport is responsible for de-icing runways and taxiways to ensure safe take-offs and landings, the de-icing of individual aircraft is managed by the airlines and their contracted ground handling teams.

“Aberdeen International Airport has remained open and operational due to the hard work of our team in maintaining the airfield.”

Showers are also due to fall as rain or sleet on lower ground on Monday evening, with forecasters warning this could lead to a risk of icy stretches.

How winter fuel payments are changing – and what other support is available to pensioners?

00:00

Holly Evans

Winter fuel payments will be stopped for millions of pensioners this winter as Labour pushes on with its plan to boost public finances by means-testing the cold weather benefit.

The Labour government has been urged to review its decision affecting 10 million pensioners after the regulator Ofgem announced household energy bills will rise by £150 in October.

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned the double hit will lead to disaster for pensioners on low and modest incomes or living in vulnerable circumstances due to ill health.

Read the full article here:

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The full story: New snow warnings as cold snap causes travel chaos, school closures and flooding

Monday 6 January 2025 22:59

Holly Evans

Fresh snow and ice warnings have been issued as freezing weather is continuing to cause travel chaos, school closures and multiple major incidents to be declared due to widespread flooding that has left children stranded.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said it declared a major incident in response to widespread flooding across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland on Monday morning, after receiving more than 200 calls. Crews have freed cars stuck in flood water, evacuated residents from flooded homes, and rescued at least 17 members of the public.

Lincolnshire Resilience Forum announced that a major incident had been declared in Lincolnshire on Monday afternoon, with emergency services having to rescue children stranded at a school in Edenham amid flooding.

Read the full story here:

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Trains in Scotland could face further disruption on Tuesday

Monday 6 January 2025 22:20

Holly Evans

ScotRail have warned passengers to check for details regarding their journeys, as a weather warning for snow and adverse conditions remain in place going into Tuesday.

The best ways to boost your immune system as cold temperatures hit

Monday 6 January 2025 21:49

Holly Evans

As large parts of the UK brace for heavy snow and freezing rain this weekend, with temperatures dipping as low as minus 5°C overnight, experts are urging people to take extra precautions to stay healthy.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued cold weather health alerts for all of England, warning of a week of wintry conditions ahead.

In light of the harsh weather, we have spoken to a GP who has explained how the cold can affect our health, and has also shared some effective ways to boost your immune system during the cold snap.

Read the full article here:

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Potential for further snow on Wednesday

Monday 6 January 2025 21:15

Holly Evans

The Met Office has warned that there is a chance of further snow in the southwest on Wednesday, with a yellow weather warning in place from 9am until midnight.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mike Silverstone, explained: “There is a chance of a further spell of rain, sleet and snow moving in from the southwest on Wednesday to affect some southern parts of the UK.”

“Whilst not all those in the warning area may be affected, it is possible that that 2-5 cm of snow may accumulate fairly widely. Whether this system will brush the south of the UK or miss us altogether still remains a little uncertain, but we’ll continue to assess this over the next day or two. Weather warnings may well be updated, so it’s important people stay up to date with the forecast.”

Watch: Staff snowed in at highest pub in Britain

Monday 6 January 2025 20:50

Holly Evans

Mental health support should be given to those affected by flooding, minister says

Monday 6 January 2025 20:30

Holly Evans

Those affected by flooding should be given support to deal with the mental health impacts “as quickly as possible”, a shadow environment minister has argued.

In the Commons, Dr Neil Hudson said: “We must not underestimate the mental health impacts that flooding has on communities, both in terms of the anxiety of being flooded, but also the trauma when flooding does hit.

“It is essential that practical support is provided as quickly as possible and remains in place after the waters have subsided, and the blue lights have departed.”

He added: “The Conservatives ring-fenced £100 million to help communities threatened by repeated flooding, can the minister commit to that funding, and will those affected by flooding again in this latest period of bad weather be eligible to apply?”

Environment minister Emma Hardy said she shared Dr Hudson’s concern about the mental health impact of flooding, adding: “We’re going to look at (the) flood funding formula in a whole and look at how it all works.”

Thousands without water and power amid bitter weather in Ireland

Monday 6 January 2025 20:10

Holly Evans

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Ireland are without water and electricity amid a bitter cold snap on the island.

The severe winter weather has led to the closure of some schools and some public transport restrictions as well as the cancellation of several healthcare services.

There are treacherous road conditions across the Republic of Ireland, with broad sections of the island experiencing below-zero temperatures.

Read the full article here:

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More snow could hit England and Wales overnight

Monday 6 January 2025 19:52

Holly Evans

The Met Office has warned that heavy wintery showers are expected overnight in Northern Ireland, Wales and southwest England, with the chance of snow.

Met Office warn of hail, sleet and snow leading into Tuesday

Monday 6 January 2025 19:35

Holly Evans

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said: “Hail, sleet or snow showers are expected to affect parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, spreading to Wales and parts of northwest England this evening, before moving into part of southwest England, the Midlands and southern England during the early hours of Tuesday. Rain or hail is more likely towards some western coasts.

“Icy stretches which develop overnight as a result of these showers, or the recent wet conditions, could bring some disruption to travel.

“In addition to the ice, we could see snow accumulations of a few cm above 200 metres, with a chance of greater than 5 cm above 200 metres in Wales. The heaviest snow showers may also produce temporary accumulations of 0-2 cm at low levels. It is not possible to say exactly where this snow might fall, so it’s important that people are prepared.”

27,000 homes lost power on Monday due to cold snap

Monday 6 January 2025 18:57

Holly Evans

Northern Powergrid said more than 27,000 homes across Yorkshire and the North of England had lost power during the cold snap, with 100 customers still without power by Monday lunchtime.

Elsewhere, National Resources Wales had 16 flood alerts and one flood warning in place, while the Met Office warned that snow and ice was set to cause more disruption in large parts of Scotland.

Sunday night was the UK’s coldest of the winter so far, with a temperature of minus 13.3C recorded in Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, between Ullapool and Inverness.

Hundreds of schools were closed on Monday, in areas including Lancashire, Yorkshire and north-east Scotland.

The Met Office advised people to be “prepared” for snow.

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Government to invest £2.4bn in flood defences

Monday 6 January 2025 18:46

Holly Evans

Environment minister Emma Hardy said the Government intends to refresh its approach to funding flood defences and bring in a new approach in 2026.

She told the Commons: “Flood defence integrity is at its lowest since 2009/10, with approximately 60,000 properties less well protected than if flood defences were at an optimal condition. This is why we’re investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.”

She added: “To make the most of our flood forming, we’ll be refreshing our approach to funding flood defences, including a review of the existing flood funding formula … to ensure the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are taken into account when delivering flood protection.

“We were going to consult on this new approach in the new year, and of course, I’ll inform all members when that consultation is live, and we aim to bring the approach in from April 2026.”

Body found in flood water in North Yorkshire

Monday 6 January 2025 18:15

Holly Evans

Police have asked for help in identifying a body found in flood water. North Yorkshire Police said the body was recovered earlier on Monday from an area of flooding near Intake Lane in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.

Officers have made inquiries locally and with neighbouring forces in Humberside and West Yorkshire but have been unable to identify the man, who was found without any personal belongings.

He was white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.

He wore brown walking boots, blue jeans with a brown belt, a multi-coloured knitted jumper with a zip and hood and a waterproof coat which was possibly dark green.

The man was believed to have entered the water on Saturday or Sunday.

In a post shared on social media, the force said: “Does this description match someone you know who could be missing? Do you have CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage from the area, or any information that could help us piece together what happened?”

17 people rescued and 200 calls made in Leicestershire

Monday 6 January 2025 17:58

Holly Evans

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 17 people were rescued by crews and the control room received more than 200 calls on Monday morning as a major incident was declared.

Judi Beresford, Assistant Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: “Flooding poses a serious risk to lives and property, and we urge everyone to take these warnings seriously.

“Our control room and crews are working tirelessly to assist those in need and to keep people safe.

“We are working with our partners to reduce the impact of this major incident and ask the public to avoid flooded routes when travelling and never to enter floodwater.”

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Flooding is ‘personal priority’, says environment minister

Monday 6 January 2025 17:37

Holly Evans

Environment minister Emma Hardy told the Commons that “flooding is a personal priority” for her, after fresh weather warnings were issued across large parts of the UK on Monday.

In a statement, Ms Hardy said that as of Monday the Environment Agency’s areas of most concern are the Midlands, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with a major incident declared in Leicestershire.

She added: “The EA (Environment Agency) are continuing to respond in affected areas, including in the Midlands, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Birmingham, Nuneaton, Loughborough and the river Trent, Avon, and Idle.

“The Environment Agency are reporting at least 350 properties have flooded, and over 21,000 properties protected since New Year’s Eve. Over the next 24 to 36 hours, as water moves to the lower reaches and slower responding catchments, there will likely be some localised flooding across multiple smaller areas.

“Climate change will inevitably lead to more severe weather of the kind you have seen this weekend, but I want to reassure the House that flooding is a personal priority for me and one of our top five priorities in Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).”

Starmer urges people in flooded areas to follow advice

Monday 6 January 2025 17:21

Holly Evans

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Major incidents have been declared in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire due to severe flooding.

“My thoughts are with all those affected and my thanks to responders working hard to keep communities safe.

“Anyone in these areas should follow advice from the emergency services.”

All the places at risk of flooding as severe weather warnings are issued across UK

Monday 6 January 2025 17:02

Holly Evans

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts are in place across the country as wintry conditions continue to cause travel disruption and school closures across the UK.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice come into force across large parts of the UK on Monday afternoon and will remain in place into Tuesday.

Many commuters suffered travel disruption on Monday morning, with major roads closed and railway lines blocked.

My colleague Jabed Ahmed takes a look at all the latest warnings:

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Trains calling at Gatwick but delays expected

Monday 6 January 2025 16:50

Holly Evans

Trains are now stopping at Gatwick after disruption was caused by a fire, on a day when public transport is already being affected by adverse weather.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called to a “small fire”, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, at 12.34pm.

The station has now reopened, but travellers have been warned of delays which could reach up to 45 minutes.

Children stranded at primary school as Lincolnshire declares major incident

Monday 6 January 2025 16:27

Holly Evans

Children have been left stranded at a primary school due to flooding in the surrounding area, with Lincolnshire being the second county to declare a major incident.

The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum has said emergency services have “operational responses” in place for “a number of ongoing incidents” which include multiple road closures.

“Emergency services are also working to get children currently stranded at a school in Edenham home safely. They are safe and well, routes around affected,” the group said.

In a post on Facebook, Edenham Church of England Primary School said that the fire brigade had advised parents not to collect children, due to the risk of their vehicles becoming stuck.

In pictures: Flooded roads in Worcestershire

Monday 6 January 2025 16:16

Holly Evans

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Simon Calder on a third weekend in a row of weather-triggered disruption to UK aviation

Monday 6 January 2025 16:01

Holly Evans

For a third weekend in a row, thousands of airline passengers woke up where they did not intend to be after large-scale flight cancellations. The Independent calculates that at least 150 flights to, from and within the UK were grounded on Sunday 5 January alone because of heavy snow and high winds.

With few alternative departures available, it is likely that 20,000 passengers were stranded – both in the UK and abroad – because their flights were cancelled or diverted.

The biggest problems were at Manchester airport, where the runway was closed because of snow for three hours on Sunday morning. The closure triggered 15 diversions – mainly of intercontinental flights – and 70 cancellations.

Some planes were diverted abroad, to Paris, Dublin and Shannon. The unluckiest passengers to be caught up in the snow chaos were the 243 on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ52, who endured not one but two diversions from Manchester to Gatwick.

Read the full article here:

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Pictured: Rainbow seen over flooded fields near River Tone in Somerset

Monday 6 January 2025 15:50

Tara Cobham

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What is the five-day weather forecast for the UK?

Monday 6 January 2025 15:42

Holly Evans

This Evening and Tonight:

A cold and frosty night to come, with some further wintry showers, particularly in western and northern areas. A risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces, especially where any late wintry showers fall.

Tuesday:

Another cold day tomorrow, with a mix of sunshine and wintry showers. The showers heaviest and most frequent in the north. Windy for many, although easing in the south later.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Cold with a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers, these most frequent in the north and northwest. A spell of rain and snow in the south possible on Wednesday.

Northern Powergrid says 27,000 across Yorkshire and North East England lost power during cold snap

Monday 6 January 2025 15:30

Tara Cobham

More than 27,000 homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the North East of England lost power during the cold snap, network operators Northern Powergrid said.

The firm said its teams have worked around the clock to restore electricity supplies to all but around 100 customers by Monday lunchtime.

A spokesperson said: “Our network continued to be impacted by the wintry weather conditions overnight, leading to customers predominately across Yorkshire and Northumberland experiencing power cuts.

“We want to thank our customers for their patience.

“We understand how difficult a power cut can be, particularly in these conditions, and our teams will continue to work until all of our customers’ power is back on.”

Major incident declared in Leicestershire over flooding

Monday 6 January 2025 15:12

Tara Cobham

A major incident has been declared over flooding in Leicestershire.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said it declared a major incident in response to widespread flooding across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland this morning, after receiving more than 200 calls.

Crews have freed cars stuck in flood water, evacuated residents from flooded homes, and rescued 17 members of the public so far.

Judi Beresford, Assistant Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: “Flooding poses a serious risk to lives and property, and we urge everyone to take these warnings seriously. Our Control room and crews are working tirelessly to assist those in need and to keep people safe.

“We are working with our partners to reduce the impact of this major incident and ask the public to avoid flooded routes when travelling and never to enter floodwater.”

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Woman who missed work due to flooding says it is worst she has seen in local area

Monday 6 January 2025 15:00

Tara Cobham

A woman who missed work today due to flooding on the roads has said it is the worst she has seen in her local area.

Sonia Wheatley, a support worker from Loughborough in the East Midlands, whose husband also missed work, said: “I’ve never missed work before because of the weather. Last year when it flooded, I managed to get through the floods, but it’s never been this bad.”

Mrs Wheatley, 52, left earlier on Monday morning in anticipation of the flooding but said the water became too high to risk going through.

“There’s no rain at the moment, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to get through tomorrow,” she added.

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In pictures: Lingfield in Surrey is hit by flooding

Monday 6 January 2025 14:40

Tara Cobham

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The Independent’s Simon Calder discusses flight chaos on his Travel Podcast

Monday 6 January 2025 14:20

Tara Cobham

A third chaotic weekend in a row for the UK's airline passengers.

Normally we expect disruption over Christmas, but by the time it's the 6th of January things clear up – but not this year.

In pictures: Snow blankets Northumberland

Monday 6 January 2025 14:00

Tara Cobham

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Traffic seen building up on section of M25 in Surrey

Monday 6 January 2025 13:40

Tara Cobham

Traffic can be seen building up on a section of the M25 in Surrey.

A lane on the motorway is closed between junctions 8 and 9 anti-clockwise due to a crash.

Pictures show traffic stretching back to near junction 10 for the A3.

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Met Office’s forecast for this afternoon

Monday 6 January 2025 13:20

Tara Cobham

The Met Office has forecast sunny spells in parts of the UK this afternoon, while wintry showers will continue in other areas.

Across the country temperatures will remain cold, added the forecaster.

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts still in place across England and Wales

Monday 6 January 2025 13:12

Tara Cobham

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts are still in place across England and Wales.

At 1pm, the Environment Agency had 164 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 321 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, active across England.

At the same time, National Resources Wales had two flood warnings and 20 flood alerts in place.

Today is busiest day of winter so far for vehicle breakdowns due to weather, says RAC

Monday 6 January 2025 13:05

Tara Cobham

The RAC said Monday would be the busiest day of the winter so far for vehicle breakdowns because of severe weather.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Today will undoubtedly be the busiest of the winter so far and our patrols are working exceptionally hard rescuing thousands of our members in difficult conditions. Waiting times will be longer as a result.

“The impact of the weather, and the fact many people are using their vehicles for the first time after a festive break, means we’re expecting to be 80% busier than normal.

“At our peak today, we will be dealing with upwards of 20 new breakdowns every minute.

“We urge drivers who know their vehicles are slow to start to book in a mobile mechanic or reliable local garage as soon as possible as it may mean a new battery is required.

“Conditions are especially challenging due to heavy rain and snowmelt causing flooding across the country.”

Group of young people seen helping free a bus in Leeds

Monday 6 January 2025 13:00

Tara Cobham

A group of young people have been seen helping free a bus in Leeds.

Re-posting the BBC’s video on X, formerly Twitter, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “We love to see it.”

Full list of school closures across UK as snow and ice warnings issued

Monday 6 January 2025 12:40

Tara Cobham

Hundreds of schools across the UK have been forced to close after the country was hit by overnight snow and ice.

A number of yellow weather warnings from the Met Office remain in place for large parts of the UK on Monday, with the country facing widespread disruption.

Schools and nurseries have had to shut on what should have been the first day back for many pupils after the holidays.

Here is a full list of school closures across the UK on Monday:

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Mountain rescue team helps clear cars from snow drift in North Yorkshire

Monday 6 January 2025 12:20

Tara Cobham

A mountain rescue team has had to help clear cars from a snow drift in North Yorkshire.

The area near Ribblehead has seen heavy snowfall as multiple snow warnings are in place across the UK.

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River Itchen bursts its banks following torrential rain

Monday 6 January 2025 12:00

Tara Cobham

The River Itchen has burst its banks following torrential rain near Eastleigh in southern England.

Pictures show the White Swan pub’s car park has consequently flooded.

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In pictures: Flood water begins to rise in Kent

Monday 6 January 2025 11:43

Tara Cobham

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Most-delayed flights finally take off

Monday 6 January 2025 11:35

Travel correspondent Simon Calder

The two flights most heavily delayed by Sunday's airport snow closures in northwest England are finall