More than 1,000 miles of roadworks are to be removed across the UK in a bid to avoid travel chaos this Christmas.
With the festive season practically here, and nearly 40% of drivers said to be planning long journeys across the country to spend time with their loved ones this Christmas, National Highways has announced that it’ll be removing more than 1,100 miles of roadworks.
The roadworks are being removed from motorways and major A-roads nationwide in a bid to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.
This means that, from 6am on Friday 20 December up until 12.01am on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted to help make sure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.
More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks are being removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)
Some of the significant routes set to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include more than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London orbital, 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston in Northamptonshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk, and more than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft.
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A grand total of 11 miles of roadworks are to be removed in the North West, which is… useful.
Friday 20 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads over the festive period, according to National Highways.
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It’s estimated that 7.2 million people are planning journeys of more than two hours on this day.
7.2 million people are expected to make journeys during the festive period / Credit: RAC
Because of this, drivers are being encouraged to plan ahead for their journeys and prepare for all weather eventualities too by packing a winter travel kit that includes de-icer, an ice scraper, warm clothing, boots, food, water, a torch, and a snow shovel.
“With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads,” commented Andrew Butterfield, who is the Customer Service Director of National Highways.
To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage.”
Featured Image – National Highways (via Facebook)
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Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
Emily Sergeant -
16th December 2024 
