Day: May 25, 2018

A Border Force operation designed to protect young holiday makers travelling to Majorca from the risks of labour exploitation launched this week.

The activity, which is supported by modern slavery charity Unseen, was prompted by Foreign Office commissioned research which found that more than 80 per cent of British prisoners on the Spanish island are former “public relations” (PR) workers – those employed to attract people into the bars and clubs they work for.

The week long awareness raising operation, which is running at airports across the UK and specifically targeting Majorca flights, warns of the dangers of undertaking unofficial PR work in the Spanish tourist destination.

Other findings from the Foreign Office research included that unofficial PR workers were often forced to work long hours, for low wages, with no contract. Accommodation was often poor and some employers confiscated passports.

During the operation Border Force officers will be speaking to young holiday makers and distributing information about the steps they should take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of labour exploitation as well as who to turn to if they needed help.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:

By highlighting the issue we want to ensure that those contemplating PR work in Magaluf, many of whom are tourists tempted by the idea of an extended stay in the sunshine, do not find their summer turning into a nightmare.

Advice to people before accepting a PR role is to:

• insist on a contract setting out terms and conditions. Under Spanish law if you are working without a contract, you are working illegally
• keep your passport. Don’t accept offers from others to keep it safe
• ask to see accommodation before accepting it as part of a job package

Lloyd Milen, British Consul General in Barcelona, said:

With this operation we want to ensure young holiday makers are aware of the risks and know what to do if they have problems. Majorca is an amazing place for a holiday and will continue to be a favourite destination with young people, for its fabulous beaches and well-known nightlife, so I hope with this operation we will see fewer PR workers become consular cases this summer.

Anyone who is overseas and has their passport taken should first report it to the police. British nationals should then contact the local British Consulate for help and advice to get a replacement. In Spain the contact details are 0034 933 666 200 or info.consulate@fco.gov.uk.

Anyone feeling vulnerable about their work or finances can contact Unseen, in confidence, on 08000 121 700.

The operation supports the ongoing work of Border Force to address the issue of modern slavery and trafficking.

Australia and the Netherlands have declared their intention to hold the Russian Federation responsible for its role in the downing of the plane.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I would like once again to offer my condolences to the families and friends of those so tragically killed by the downing of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014, and to thank the Joint Investigation Team for its painstaking work. It is vital that this work continues towards prosecution. The 298 people, including 10 British nationals, who lost their lives in such horrific circumstances, deserve justice.

Earlier investigations, by both the Joint Investigation Team and the Dutch Safety Board, concluded that the aircraft was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile system, launched from within territory held by Russian-backed separatist groups. Thanks to the thorough and professional work of the investigators, we now know that that missile belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Military Brigade of the Russian army.

The Kremlin believes it can act with impunity. The Russian Government must now answer for its actions in relation to the downing of MH17. The UK fully supports Australia and the Netherlands in their request to the Russian Federation to accept state responsibility, and to cooperate with them in their efforts to deliver justice for the victims of this tragedy.

Instead of seeking to undermine the investigation through the deluge of disinformation we have seen from Russia about MH17 in the past, the Russian Federation must fulfil its obligations under UN Security Council resolution 2166 to provide any requested assistance to the investigation. To do otherwise would be a violation of the UN’s resolution, and to deny the families the justice they seek for their loved ones.

This is an egregious example of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent life. The international community has witnessed this irresponsible and destabilising pattern of behaviour in Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, in its fomenting of conflict in eastern Ukraine which has led to the death of over 10,300 people, and in its shielding of President Assad’s brutal regime as he uses chemical weapons against his own people.

The UK will continue to offer its full support to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Team, the Dutch and Australian authorities and other grieving nations to deliver accountability for this terrible act and justice for all those who died.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
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A Downing Street Spokesperson said:

“Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine.

“The two leaders discussed the Minsk process and the situation in eastern Ukraine and the need to tackle instability there.

“The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s strong support for Ukraine, including our commitment to maintaining pressure on Russia through EU sanctions.

“She went on to discuss how the international response to the poisoning incident in Salisbury had shown that coordinated action by a broad range of allies is the most effective way to respond to Russian aggression.

“They also discussed the announcement by the Joint Investigation Team that the missile which brought down flight MH17 belonged to the Russian army – pointing out that such actions fit into a well-established pattern of Russian aggression.

“The Prime Minister offered the UK’s full support to the investigation team which is looking into the incident, which saw 10 UK citizens lose their lives.

“The Prime Minister and President discussed the importance of Ukraine’s reform agenda, and looked forward to the forthcoming Ukraine reform conference in Copenhagen and the opportunity to demonstrate the progress made.

“The Prime Minister also thanked President Poroshenko for the strong cooperation between Ukraine and the UK ahead of the Champions League Final on Saturday, where 30,000 British fans are expected to travel to Kyiv to see Liverpool take on Real Madrid.”

The shocking action on the side of the M4 near Bristol was revealed by Highways England today as the company released a list of excuses given to its traffic officers by drivers who had wrongly stopped on motorways.

Other excuses included a family cooking a meal and someone getting out of a taxi to spend a penny.

But CCTV footage reminds drivers why stopping on the hard shoulder also presents a risk. As many people set out on journeys this bank holiday and half term holidays the answer is to be prepared.

A narrow escape when an out of control car skidded across the motorway.

Simon Jones, Highways England, Regional Director South East said:

We want everyone to get to their destinations safely. But some people put themselves at risk. The advice is simple: Be prepared. Check your vehicle before you set out to avoid unnecessary breakdowns; don’t stop except in an emergency; and if you have to stop, make sure you know what to do.

Drivers often think the hard shoulder is a safe place to stop but over 100 people are killed or injured on the hard shoulder every year. We don’t want you to become one of those statistics; we want you to stay safe.

Drivers can get advice about how to check their vehicles before setting out:

If hot weather if forecast drivers are advised to carry plenty of water to drink.

What to do in an emergency

Always try to exit the motorway immediately if your vehicle is damaged or experiences difficulties. If that’s not possible, move into the nearest place of relative safety.

On most motorways this will be the hard shoulder. But on a smart motorway there may not always be a hard shoulder, or the hard shoulder may be open to traffic. In these cases you’ll see emergency areas spaced regularly along the motorway. Make your way to the nearest one.

You should follow these steps:

• Use an emergency area if you are able to reach one safely. These are marked with blue signs featuring an orange SOS telephone symbol on them.
• If you can leave your vehicle safely, contact Highways England via the roadside emergency telephone provided in all emergency areas. We will either send a traffic officer to help you, or set the motorway signs to temporarily clear lane 1 to assist you to rejoin the motorway.
• If you cannot get to an emergency area but the vehicle can be driven, move it to the hard shoulder (where provided) or as close to the nearside verge or other nearside boundary as possible.
• In all cases, switch on your hazard warning lights.

If you stop in the nearside lane next to a hard shoulder or verge and feel you are able to exit safely with any occupants, consider exiting your vehicle via the nearside (left hand) door, and wait behind the safety barrier, if there is one and safe to do so.

If it is not possible to get out of your vehicle safely, or there is no other place of relative safety to wait then you should stay in your vehicle with your seat belt on and dial ‘999’ if you have access to a working mobile phone.

For advice on how to drive on motorways, including during an emergency, visit our guidance page.

Excuses given to Highways England traffic officers by drivers who have wrongly stopped include:

• naughty step – A traffic officer on routine patrol came across a child walking outside of a vehicle walking alongside the motorway on the M4 near Bristol. The car occupants had given the child ‘time out’ for playing up.
• nice day for a walk – Traffic officers came across an abandoned LGV in a live lane on the M1 near to Northampton Motorway Services. The driver returned 15 minutes later. Apparently he would rather walk into the services rather than use the lorry park.
• hungry – Traffic officers from Dartford found a family congregated on the hard shoulder, cooking a meal as they were hungry.
• festive feast – a crew who had stopped to investigate a car stopped on the hard shoulder of the M6 between with no hazard lights on came across a driver eating a mince pie. She had passed the Stafford South Motorway Services a couple of miles back.
• sleeping dangerously – Traffic officers found the driver of an LGV fast asleep on a verge of the M60. His vehicle was blocking an emergency access route near Cheadle.
• lost – Traffic officers stopped to assist a driver on the hard shoulder of the M1 near Mansfield. She had stopped to look for directions to the crematorium and was ringing her husband for assistance.
• sat nav sagas – A patrol came across a stationary vehicle with no hazard lights on in foggy conditions on the M1 between Chesterfield and Mansfield. The driver walked back up the embankment and got back into the car, which had three passengers, as the traffic officer approached. He had stopped in an emergency area after losing mobile signal for his sat nav.
• nature calls – A minicab which appeared to be a broken down in a live lane on the M25 had in fact stopped for a passenger to relieve their bladder on the exit slip road going towards Staines-upon-Thames.
• potty break – Traffic officers came across a family who had stopped their vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M6 between Oddendale and Penrith so that a child could use a potty.
• text that can’t wait – A patrol stopped with a vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M56 near to Chester Motorway Services. The driver was waiting to receive a text and then going to respond.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Across the country, some 237 miles of roadworks are being removed by 6am on Friday 25 May for the bank holiday getaway, meaning more than 98 per cent of the motorway and major A-road network managed by Highways England will be roadworks-free.

Smart motorway roadworks have already been completed between junctions 8 and 10 on the M60 near the Trafford Centre and between junctions 18 and 20 on the M62 near Rochdale, where drivers have been able to use an extra lane in each direction since December last year.

Temporary narrow lanes are now due to be removed on a 4-mile stretch of the M60 as Highways England works towards completing its smart motorway upgrade this summer.

Khalid El-Rayes, Project Manager for the Manchester smart motorway upgrade at Highways England, said:

We’re now at the stage where we can remove the temporary narrow lanes on part of the M60 in time for the bank holiday weekend, and we’re working to complete the remaining construction work as soon as possible.

We’re on schedule to be able to remove all the roadworks on the North West’s first smart motorway by the end of August, improving journeys for the 180,000 drivers who use the route every day.

The Manchester smart motorway stretches 17 miles between junction 8 of the M60 near Carrington and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale. The scheme is Highways England’s most complex smart motorway project, covering 13 junctions – an average of one junction every 1.4 miles.

The 10 miles of extra lanes on the M62 have increased capacity on the stretch of motorway which links Greater Manchester to Yorkshire by a third, and new variable speed limits have also been introduced on electronic signs on both the M60 and M62 to tackle congestion and keep traffic flowing.

Drivers will be able to use wider lanes on the westbound carriageway between junction 18 at Simister and junction 15 at Worsley, and between junctions 15 and 17 on the eastbound carriageway from Friday morning. Narrow lanes are also due to be removed between junctions 17 and 18 on the eastbound carriageway early next month.

A temporary 50mph speed limit will remain in place between junctions 10 and 18 on the M60 into the summer while construction and technology work takes place to finish the smart motorway upgrade.

The work will include completing a new concrete safety barrier in the central reservation, fitting electronic signs to overhead gantries, installing new street lights and commissioning the new technology along the route.

Some overnight resurfacing work will continue into the autumn on parts of the M60 once the smart motorway is operational. This work will take place at night so that the route can remain fully open with no impact on drivers during the day.

When the smart motorway is complete, traffic sensors will automatically monitor the flow of traffic and adjust the speed limit accordingly, tackling the stop/start conditions and tailbacks caused by sudden braking.

A total of 50 CCTV cameras will also provide 100% coverage of the route, and allow Highways England’s traffic officers and the emergency services to respond quickly to incidents.

You can view more details on the Manchester smart motorway scheme.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Kevin Gerald Neal, and his wife, Cheryl Neal, have been banned from acting as company directors for 6 and 4 years respectively, due to their misconduct in Kevin Neal Associates Wealth Management LLP (KNAWM).

The finance company had been incorporated to take over the wealth management business of a previous company, Kevin Neal Associates Limited, which went into compulsory liquidation on 1 July 2013.

By a deed poll and declaration, signed by both Kevin and Cheryl Neal on 8 April 2011, KNAWM became liable, amongst other liabilities, for any award of the Financial Ombudsman Service against Kevin Neal Associates Limited.

By May 2014, at least six decisions by the Financial Ombudsman Service, totalling at least £573,274, had gone against Kevin Neal Associates Limited and KNAWM.

The company’s previous insurer refused to settle the claims and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had altered KNAWM’s permissions to ensure that it did not transfer away assets without its permission.

Despite this, between May and June 2014, KNAWM transferred £55,000 and two cars worth £22,120 to associated parties.

However, these transactions were to the unreasonable risk and ultimate detriment of other creditors who either submitted claims in the liquidation of Kevin Neal Associates Limited or were included within the Statement of Affairs.

The Secretary of State accepted disqualification undertakings from Kevin Gerald Neal and Cheryl Neal on 10 May 2018 for periods of 6 and 4 years respectively and they are effective from 31 May 2018.

The disqualifications prevent Mr and Mrs Neal from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership for the duration of their bans.

Mark Bruce, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

“This is a particularly blatant example of common misconduct seen by the Insolvency Service.

“Mr and Mrs Neal plainly acted to improve their position, once the partnership was insolvent, while failing to honour either the prior decisions of the Financial Ombudsman or the protections put in by the FCA, specifically to stop such actions.

“Such conduct will invariably lead to disqualification.”

Notes to editors

Kevin Neal Associates Wealth Management LLP (CRO No. OC357585) was incorporated on 2 September 2010 and traded in Wealth Management from Repton Manor, Repton Avenue, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3GP and The Maltings, Bridge Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 2DE.

Kevin Gerald Neal’s date of birth is in January 1958. Cheryl Neal’s date of birth is in September 1959. They have resided in recent years in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

The allegation not disputed in the undertakings was:

Mr Neal caused, and Mrs Neal caused or allowed, Kevin Neal Associates Wealth Management LLP (“KNAWM”), on 19 May and 3 June 2014, to make payments totalling £55,000 to an associated company, and on 27 and 30 May 2014 to transfer vehicles with estimated equity of £11,363 and £10,757 to an associated company and/ or themselves when they knew, or ought to have known, that KNAWM was insolvent and due to enter into liquidation. These transactions were to the unreasonable risk and ultimate detriment of other creditors who submitted claims in the liquidation, or were included within the Statement of Affairs sworn by Mr Neal, in respect of liabilities totalling £9,443,648.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

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