Staines-on-Thames and Staines Moor site of special scientific interest (SSSI) are suffering from high levels of surface water flooding brought on by rapid urbanisation Staines-on-Thames is in the Thames Basin and is playing host to several large-scale regeneration schemes from multiple well-known housing developers Spelthorne Borough Council is the local authority for the town and has been keenly selling the land as it seeks to generate funds and comply with the government’s desire for rapid housebuilding “As development has started to grow between [Staines Moor] – which is of big importance to us locally – and the River Thames the site has started to change physically,” Spelthorne Borough Council planning committee chair Michele Gibson told NCE “The environmental impact has been quite stark and it has had a negative impact on biodiversity “I’m on the site at least once a week and it’s so evident that the construction that is happening is causing the negative impact.” Even though she is the chair of the authority’s planning committee Gibson feels she doesn’t have power to stop these developments “You’re constrained by the fact that you’re only dealing with the planning application in front of you – it’s not holistic in any way “You’re constrained by the National Planning Policy but you’re also constrained by many other elements so when you try to take a holistic view is isn’t accepted.” Within Spelthorne Borough Council there is a push for the developments because it needs to maximise the land’s viability “It spent a lot of money on the land and now it’s got to justify those decisions,” Gibson said “So it is turning a blind eye to some of the evidence being put in front of it and it is pushing forward on a number of developments.” Gibson said the Environment Agency “does its best to lend support as a statutory consultee” even in cases where part of the SSSI are being directly destroyed the Environment Agency deferred to Surrey County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority for the area Surrey County Council told NCE that it is “well aware” of the groundwater flooding situation in Staines-on-Thames and referenced the fact that Spelthorne Borough Council is currently drawing up a local plan for future developments that should take into account the groundwater flood risk Gibson reported that the Environment Agency has provided some support in the development of the local plan but that the situation is already out of hand because legacy developments haven’t had to adhere to this new plan the developers are trying to interfere with the new local plan’s development “The developers are strenuously challenging [the plan] and fighting their corner saying ‘we need development and we’ve got to have it now’,” Gibson said “Any evidence put in front of them to say there is a flood risk Gibson said the problem is even further exacerbated because the developers are not enhancing the utility structure in Staines electricity etcetera and we’re building all these lovely buildings that drain these utilities but nobody’s actually increasing them or modernising them,” she said Staines Moor is a SSSI where biodiversity is at risk due to increased groundwater flooding What is actually happening in the ground at Staines-on-Thames less than 10 minutes’ drive from Staines-on-Thames Royal Holloway senior lecturer in earth science Dr Jonathan Paul – who trained as a geophysicist – has been studying the groundwater flooding in Staines His studies have attracted the attention of local groups who are trying to fight further development and he has held multiple town halls to explain his findings to people who live in Staines “It’s a super interesting part of the world,” he told NCE “It’s peppered with old gravel pits and landfill sites that have been backfilled with rubbish and loads of clay.” Further exacerbating the issue is that the aquifer layer in the area is close to the surface The area is covered in a layer of gravel that is 3-4m thick “The water flowing through it is quite extensive,” he said if you construct a huge basement through it it basically blocks that flow of water and tends to make it rise to the surface and cause groundwater flooding.” Paul has found that the area around Staines and as far as Windsor and Feltham is “pretty weird” because “the pattern of flooding isn’t what you’d expect – it doesn’t really follow the River Thames or smaller surface rivers” it’s basically discrete patches that don’t correlate with rivers or topography,” he said He and his research group have done tests using geophysical equipment on the gravel both in the field and in the lab “What we think is happening is the pattern of flooding that you see at the surface is a consequence of groundwater flow,” he said “The chemistry of the water that comes out has more of an affinity to the aquifer than to the River Thames.” “It’s been getting worse for quite some time,” he continued “There were places flooding last winter that have never flooded before and I think that’s basically because they’re building on the floodplain.” He has been studying the groundwater situation in Staines for a few years but he has heard from locals that the issue has been prominent in the area since 2014 early 2024 when there were a series of named storms in England saw the situation reach new levels For the first time people were realising the Thames hadn’t burst its banks but properties a quarter or half a mile from the river were experiencing flooded basements “[People realised] the water was rising vertically; coming out of drains coming out of cracks in people’s basements – and it was far more widespread and potentially dangerous than river flooding because you can’t stop it with sandbags,” he recalled The issues arising from groundwater flooding can be far worse than just flooded basements “What often happens is you get variable subsidence and foundering of the surface,” Paul said “So we’ve had buildings whose roofs are bowing and we’ve had sewage pipes that have broken because of the upward pressure on them.” He has been working in a street in south Staines where the sewage water has mixed with the foul lines meaning the flood water brings sewage up out of the drains “We’ve tested the water [in the street] and the levels of salmonella and E coli are off the scale – way beyond World Health Organisation thresholds,” he said He believes that groundwater flooding is “not being taken seriously” by the government because “there’s nobody whose job is to look at groundwater flooding – they’re only concerned with river flooding” His team is trying to help by modelling it and “delineating the risk areas where the council and the Environment Agency might put resources in and try to mitigate the problem” he accepts that there is not a lot of easy mitigation for groundwater flooding “I think probably the best thing they could do is – if they know the direction that groundwater is flowing – try and divert it,” he said “You can put in barriers like sheet piling in the subsurface and try to take it away from basements and channel it towards the Thames or water meadows “But I get asked this question all the time and it’s super tricky – it’s basically down to the decision-makers and how much disruption they would allow.” Paul said that this could be even more difficult in Staines judging by what he and his team have uncovered through their studies which shows that the water table in the area is “doing some pretty wacky things” “We spent a couple of days using ground penetrating radar which allowed us to map the water table pretty clearly to a really good spatial resolution,” he said They found that the water table is usually around 3m below the surface but that this varied from 0.5m to 5m in depending on where they were standing “The water table is warped up and down on really fine spatial scales,” he said It’s also “bouncing up and down on temporal scales” he added “Over the course of a week last summer we saw the water table in Staines drop by about half a metre,” he said but an average figure for how much a water table might go up and down might be 10cm a year so for it to jump half a metre in a week just indicates that there’s something beneath the surface that is causing these water flows to fluctuate quite a lot in very short timescales.” While Staines might be particularly susceptible to groundwater flooding Paul believes that what is happening there could become common in other places as we experience greater rainfall due to climate change “Anywhere in the Thames Basin is potentially susceptible right from Oxford down to London,” he said “And there are also cities with a similar geology where you’re beginning to see evidence of quite extensive groundwater flooding.” Last month NCE heard from experts at Arup, the British Geological Survey, Pell Frischmann and others about the growing threat of groundwater flooding in the UK A Surrey County Council spokesperson said: “As Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) we are aware of groundwater flooding in Spelthorne Groundwater flooding mechanisms in this area are particularly complex with links to high river levels on the Thames and Colne as well as surface water runoff “Spelthorne Borough Councils emerging local plan and recently published level 1 and 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessments do consider groundwater flood risk In accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework flood risk from all sources should be considered by the Local Planning Authority when determining a planning application any decision will consider consultation responses from the relevant statutory consultees.” Like what you've read? To receive New Civil Engineer's daily and weekly newsletters click here. A lack of engineering expertise in Myanmar and Thailand led to the… The 20m diameter void that opened up in Godstone High Street Proposals for the Guildford Flood Alleviation Scheme in Surrey were shared with… The sinkhole in Godstone that has captivated national media has most likely… The freehold of four-storey town centre building in Staines is up for auction with a guide price of £1.6 million Acuitus will auction the 6,000 sq ft property at 69-71 High Street which is currently let to Barclays Bank on a recently-renewed 10-year lease The building is close to the Elmsleigh and Two Rivers shopping centres and the site of a market which is held three days a week said: “The recently renewed lease by Barclays Bank is an important indicator for any property investor showing the bank’s commitment to stay on Staines High Street for now with the added prospect of possible residential re-development in the longer term “The freehold interest’s strong revenue stream will certainly be immediately attractive for investors.”   The auction will take place on May 15 at 1pm and will be broadcast via livestream on the Acuitus website with bidding online Visit: https://www.acuitus.co.uk/property/5414/ © Thames Tap (powered by ukpropertyforums.com) Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" UK Property Forums enable forums and events in the property sector which help to create business development opportunities Office Address:UK Property Forums Ltd is located in Reading 0203 478 7340info@ukpropertyforums.com We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again We upgraded the railway between Staines and Windsor Our engineers worked between Saturday 22 and Friday 28 March 2025 to complete a range of projects we laid 730 metres of new track on the 174 year old Black Potts Railway Bridge which crosses the Thames in West London 9 trains and 7 on-track machines to complete these works This included removing old rails and sleepers from site and installing new track We also made sure they were tested and safe for travel when the line reopened our engineers widened the pedestrian walkway over Mays Level Crossing in Datchet When the closure expanded to include all lines through Staines we worked between Staines and Egham at 8 different sites to install new track We also carried out structural repairs to the bridge over the River Wey in Addlestone as well as re-aligning the wheel timbers over the bridge Our teams worked around the clock to get this work done Our works benefit passengers by allowing trains to continue running safely over the River Thames and Wey into the future Pedestrians will also have more walking space over Mays Level Crossing in Datchet For more information or to get in touch with us, please contact us by visiting our contact us page or by calling our 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41 Train services between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside resumed running this morning (Saturday 29 March) following a week-long closure to carry out vital railway upgrades Network Rail’s team of engineers has laid over 700m of new track including over the 174-year-old Black Potts Railway Bridge which crosses the River Thames The new rail is welded together to ensure smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers between Staines and Windsor Part of the railway through the Windsor area has a sharp curve which places additional stress on the steel rails that the trains travel on To bolster the longevity of this section of track engineers installed lateral supports to the sleepers which will bolster the strength and durability of the rails through this curve engineers also completed a range of other work in the wider Staines-upon-Thames area said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience over the last week while we carried out this essential maintenance work in the Windsor area “This week-long closure has allowed us to carry out a complex re-railing job over Black Potts Railway Bridge amongst a number of other important jobs and will ensure the continued safe and reliable running of services on the Windsor line for years to come.” Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway: “We are very pleased to see the line between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside reopen following this essential maintenance work We are very grateful for our customers’ patience and look forward to welcoming them back on our services.” B-Roll from the engineering works can be downloaded by clicking here to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years Fighting for quality news media in the digital age Libel action over Times Radio interview write-up settled - but war of words continues Guido Fawkes website owner Paul Staines has paid green industrialist Dale Vince £75,000 towards legal costs according to a new High Court statement about the legal battle It follows news last month that Staines had agreed to pay the Ecotricity founder £9,950 in damages and settle the case to avoid “ruinous” future costs. Vince’s lawyer Annabell Hood made a lengthy statement in open court on Friday which appears to conclude the legal side of the dispute Staines said afterwards that he thought Vince was “thin-skinned” and “we simply couldn’t afford to keep fighting” Vince meanwhile said the case was an “important win for free speech” Hood said in court: “On 9 October 2023 Mr Vince was interviewed by Stig Abell for Times Radio including the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel two days previously and the wider situation in Israel and Palestine Mr Vince confirmed that he agreed with Labour’s position that Hamas were terrorists and condemned their attack on 7 October 2023 Mr Staines published articles on the Guido Fawkes blog falsely accusing Mr Vince of having expressed support for Hamas during the Times Radio interview Mr Staines called for the donations Mr Vince had made to the Labour Party to be returned He published similar allegations on social media “Mr Staines’ false allegations were adopted and/or repeated widely “The allegation that Mr Vince supported Hamas was highly defamatory… Mr Vince invited Mr Staines to resolve the matter by retracting the false allegations apologising and paying Mr Vince’s legal costs Mr Vince indicated that he would waive any claim for damages if Mr Staines agreed to do this claiming that his website was based offshore and that he was immune from suit “Mr Staines’ stance forced Mr Vince to bring libel proceedings in order to obtain vindication with the Court granting permission forproceedings to be served in Ireland (Mr Staines’ country of domicile) Mr Staines did accept the jurisdiction of the Court and initially sought to defend the claim defiantly publishing a further article repeating the libel on 5 July 2024 which ended: “We’re not apologising and we’re not settling.” “During the course of the proceedings Mr Staines published a number of further publications in which he justified the publication of the false allegations and suggested that the claim was a strategic lawsuit against public participation (‘a SLAPP’) and that Mr Vince was seeking to have his website shut down in a form of ‘Chinese style’ censorship “Mr Vince is a passionate supporter of freedom of expression and a free press but this does not extend to the publication of highly damaging demonstrable falsehoods.” Hood said that legal costs of £143,000 have been incurred so far and so far Staines has paid £75,000 The final costs to be paid will be assessed by the court if they are not agreed Staines noted that on a recent podcast Vince described another associated legal action against politician Richard Tice as “a bit of fun” for him. Staines said: “It has cost some £250,000 to fight this case which has not been a bit of fun for me nor Richard Tice.” Vince said he was being counter-sued by Richard Tice for describing him as a “far right” politician because he is the deputy leader of Reform UK Staines said: “We could have appealed this judgement but Dale would inevitably have used his wealth to continue wearing us down “We argued unsuccessfully that we expressed an opinion about political statements that he made the judge ruled we made statements of fact “I am strongly of the opinion that these types of actions, which are political arguments that Dale Vince has publicly characterised in partisan terms, should be prohibited under the proposed cross-party supported legislation to block SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation).” Vince said: “This was never about the money – which I’ve donated to charities working in Palestine It’s about free speech and being able to exercise that right without a right-wing pile-on until now Paul Staines and his Guido Fawkes website have boasted that they were immune from UK law because their servers were offshore – in what you might call a ‘libel haven’ – that conceit is punctured and perhaps now he’ll think twice before smearing people for clicks.” Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog Lord Ross Kempsell is taking up the day-to-day running of the site as publisher Guido Fawkes owner Paul Staines is stepping down as editor this week after 20 years leading the political blog Staines is passing the reins over to Lord Ross Kempsell Guido contributing editor and former chief reporter Kempsell has been appointed to the role of publisher and will look at how to grow Guido’s audience and revenue no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the site The news was announced ahead of Guido’s 20th anniversary dinner being held this week Staines said: “If a week is a long time in politics I’ve also witnessed huge changes to the way politics is covered in this country “Guido has launched some brilliant careers When I look back I can honestly say that I’ve had more fun and broken more scoops than I can recount Now feels like the right time to pass the gunpowder to the next generation.” Kempsell is planning to focus on Guido as his first media development project and is aiming to grow its audience revenue and eventually the size of the newsroom news editor Max Young and senior reporter Ellie Wheatley Kempsell is understood to be looking at appointing a new editor in due course He said: “Paul’s decades of hard work has built an extraordinary media brand with unparalleled influence inside Westminster and beyond Paul did nothing less than single-handedly revolutionise political reporting in Britain Loved by its readers and feared by its competitors Guido is constantly growing in reach and impact “I am enormously proud of the newsroom team and I am focused on leading the commercial development of the brand for a new age while maintaining its focus on agenda-setting reporting.” Kempsell first joined Guido as a reporter in 2017 and has since become known for his roles as Talkradio’s first political editor, in then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s team at Number 10 as a special adviser focused on reform of Whitehall and the public sector and later as a press adviser for after Johnson’s resignation and as special correspondent at Times Radio focused on home affairs He was nominated to the Lords in Johnson’s resignation honours list last year aged 31 Kempsell’s PR firm Hyannis Strategy Ltd has assets of £2.6m according to its latest filing with Companies House 58-year-old Tina Smith has been handed a CBO after fires were set and shop windows and cars were damaged The order bars her from the town centre between 9am and 3pm and from handling items that could be ignited Police say “the offences will not be tolerated and we hope that this provides the community with some reassurance” For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 06:04 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 it will turn increasingly cloudy from off the North Sea Some bright or sunny spells developing by evening Staying dry with some lengthy clear skies overnight Turning chilly with a touch of grass frost in places Largely dry with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells on Wednesday with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells throughout the period Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average This website uses 'cookies' to give you the best Using this website means you are Ok with this You can change which cookies are set at any time - and find out more about them - by following this link<\/a> motors and property from the Maidenhead Advertiser Follow me on Twitter The railway line between Staines and Windsor will be closed for a week in March while new tracks are installed Network Rail has warned the route between Staines and Windsor and Eton Riverside Station will be shut from Saturday The closure is taking place so 800 yards of new track can be laid near the 174-year-old Black Potts Railway Bridge which crosses the River Thames in West London Network Rail said the upgrade works are needed so trains can continue to serve communities along the line between Staines and Windsor Buses will replace some South Western Railway services on the impacted route during the closure Traffic and Travel Voters have had their say in local council elections across Buckinghamshire Construction workers did make a mistake when building a new £1.3million roundabout the RBWM cabinet member for highways has said The Conservatives lost a long-held majority at Buckinghamshire Council and fell one seat short of the 49 needed - but how did the votes fall in the county's south A murder investigation has been launched in Slough after a 46-year-old man was killed in an attack © Copyright 2024 Baylis Community Media CIC All right reserved Surrey police opened investigation after man The mother of three young boys found dead in a house in Surrey has paid tribute to her sons who were “full of life and happiness” at a property in Staines-upon-Thames at about 1.15pm Angelika Swiderska – the boys’ mother and Piotr’s wife – issued a statement through Surrey police on Tuesday She said: “Piotr was an amazing husband and father to Kacper “He loved us with all his heart and would have done anything for us They were always smiling and even when I looked sad “We are grieving for them all and would like to ask for privacy as we try to understand why this tragedy happened “I would like to say a huge thank you to all our community for all the messages of condolence and teddy bears and for all the kind words about our family.” floral tributes were laid outside the home Polish media reported that the family had returned from a trip to Poland a week before the incident where they had spent part of the summer in Świniarsk Shehr Sikandari, who lives next-door to the victims, told Metro that he heard “horrific screams” shortly before the police arrived what we have heard,” he told the newspaper Three lovely children – we have seen them playing They often used to go for a walk in the park or a stroll They were quite horrific screams and everyone came out to see what was happening.” An investigation has been launched by Surrey police The force said previously that detectives believe it to be an isolated incident with no third-party involvement added: “This is a truly tragic incident and a thorough investigation is under way to establish exactly what happened.” Surrey police have also completed a mandatory referral to the police watchdog due to previous police contact with those involved Charlie Staines scored two tries for the Wests Tigers in their Magic Round clash with the Dragons NRL Press Conference: Wests Tigers v Dragons - Round 9 dispatched eight fire appliances to attend the blaze at a high-rise building located in Staines town centre which is being developed by Fairview New Homes consists of two buildings under construction at 13 and 15 storeys high respectively Plumes of grey smoke could be seen issuing from the roof of one of the buildings which is understood to be where the welding work was taking place The developer said that the building was unoccupied with SFRS confirming that all persons had been accounted for Three workers were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation while another person was taken to hospital by the South East Coast Ambulance Service As reported by the Construction Enquirer the developer said: “Around midday today we were notified by our construction team that there was a fire on the roof of one of the blocks at the Staines construction site which resulted from welding works being undertaken on the roof “The Fire Brigade was immediately notified and the whole construction site was evacuated in line with standard procedure One operative was taken to hospital as a precaution The building which is currently under construction was not occupied “We would like to thank the Fire Brigade for their swift and effective action as well as apologise to the residents and businesses of Staines for any concern or inconvenience caused.” SFRS said: “A huge thank you and well done to our staff and partners who supported yesterday’s incident in Staines-upon-Thames Our crews left the site at around 8pm yesterday and have re-inspected again today.” (Photograph by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service) If you would like to contribute towards the Fire & Risk Management Journal If you would like to receive information from the Fire Protection Association on the latest fire industry news Please enter your email address below to sign up to our newsletter We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website - if you are happy click acknowledge & accept. Alternatively, you can find more information in our privacy policy Police discovered the bodies in a property in Staines-Upon-Thames News | UK An investigation is being carried out to establish the circumstances of their deaths police believe it is an isolated incident with no third-party involvement Their next of kin are aware and will be supported by specialist officers Chief Inspector Lucy Sanders said: “This is a tragic loss of life in our community and we are working to establish exactly what has occurred “There is currently a significant police presence at the location and we would like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding whilst we conduct our investigation.” Surrey Police have also completed a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous police contact with those involved An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have been notified by Surrey Police about the tragic incident in Spelthorne today “We will be assessing a referral from the force to decide whether any action is required by the IOPC.” Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Charlie Staines grabs two on his return to first grade The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Sign up to our free daily newsletter for daily roundups of the biggest headlines and breaking news from SurreyLive Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters Shoppers have expressed excitement over a "fabulous" new store soon opening in Staines After the closure of Itsu that left some customers "heartbroken" the news of this new store in the Two Rivers Shopping Centre will certainly cheer up many While the opening date has yet to be revealed it has been confirmed that Hotel Chocolat has taken over a large empty unit near the Vue cinema by the car park The shop will sell a range of chocolatey goods Hotel Chocolat has gained a cult following with its "more cocoa It is one of the few chocolate makers claiming to grow it's cocoa Grown on the gorgeous Rabot Estate cacao farm in Saint Lucia Hotel Chocolat prioritises deep chocolatey flavours over artificial sweetness The company takes a gentle farming approach and is committed to paying farmers fairly Hotel Chocolat has something for everyone with a range of cocoa percentages and strengths Hot chocolates have become one of the brand's signature products with the Velvetiser for barista-grade hot chocolates Salted caramel vodkas, cacao gin and chocolate cream liqueurs can also be bought at Hotel Chocolat, great stocking fillers for those who love a Christmas tipple Advent calendars are also on offer now for Christmas at the store one shopper wrote via Facebook: "Fabulous ready for Christmas," another wrote: "Fabulous Find out more about things to do and activities in Surrey with our free What’s On email HERE. Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Train services between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside resumed over the weekend after a week of upgrading works Network Rail’s engineers laid over 700m of new track including over the 174-year-old Black Potts Railway Bridge The new rail is welded together to ensure smoother and more reliable journeys between Staines and Windsor Part of the railway through the Windsor area has a sharp curve which places additional stress on the steel rails that the trains travel on Engineers installed lateral supports to the sleepers to bolster the strength and durability of the rails through this curve and the track's longevity The line was closed for a week to carry out vital railway upgrades and reopened on Saturday engineers also completed track upgrades and maintenance from Staines to Ascot widened the pedestrian walkway on one side of Mays Level Crossing by Datchet station and cut back overgrown trees and shrubs on the Windsor line to maintain railway safety said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience over the last week while we carried out this essential maintenance work in the Windsor area Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway added: “We are very pleased to see the line between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside reopen following this essential maintenance work London Scottish U14s delivered a commanding 59-0 victory against Staines on Sunday blending attacking flair with defensive steel in a complete team performance The boys showcased the results of their dedicated training The Scots dominated from the opening whistle with the forwards laying the platform for success consistently gaining crucial metres and scoring two well-earned tries excelling at the lineout and ensuring clean ball for the backs A standout defensive moment came early when Alexander M made an enormous tackle on a Staines player twice his size sending a ripple of excitement through the team and supporters alike Callum added his name to the scoresheet with a try and conversion in the first half both following patient build-up play with Callum continuing to pull the strings with pinpoint passing and clever decision-making looking like a young Serge Blanco at fullback slicing through defenders with ease and crossing the try line twice Devraj added two further tries to complete a dominant first-half display.  While the first half showcased attacking brilliance the second half was defined by discipline and defensive resolve Staines fought hard to get back into the game but the Scots’ defensive structure was unyielding Henry and Conor led the charge at the breakdown excelling in his new role by making critical tackles and disrupting opposition ball with Max and Ben continuing their strong second-row pairing Jake’s power consistently put Staines under pressure and he was rewarded with his second try of the game The entire pack worked as a cohesive unit to win turnovers and secure clean ball while Alexandre’s counterattacking brilliance secured him a hattrick the Scots were put under all kinds of pressure by a resilient Staines team desperate to continue fighting until the final whistle The team fought together as a unit with heroic efforts from Cal Ben and Henry as well as the rest of the team as a collective battling through waves of Staines attack to hold out and keep the clean sheet and ensure a satisfying end to a complete performance.  This 59-0 victory was about more than just the scoreline—it was a testament to the teamwork and Nico’s outstanding service from scrum-half ensured the forwards and backs worked seamlessly together Callum’s calm authority at fly-half brought balance to the attack while Alexandre’s brilliance from fullback and the centre pairing of Rudy and Zebi added flair and firepower This match highlighted how every aspect of the Scots’ game plan is coming together From set-piece control to defensive organisation and attacking creativity it was a display that reflected the hard work the team has put in throughout the season We’re always keen to welcome new players along to our U12 We train on Wednesday evenings (6:30–8:00 PM) and Sunday mornings (U12 9:30–11:30 U13–U14 11:30–13:30) at Kings House Sports Ground in Chiswick.Interested in getting involved Drop us a line at juniorsconvenor@londonscottish.com SubscrIbe for the latest news and offers direct to your inbox The deaths of three young boys whose bodies were found next to their father’s at a house in Surrey last week are being investigated as murder The deaths of the children are being investigated as murder by the Surrey police and Sussex police major crime team They added that they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation The force completed a mandatory referral to the police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous police contact with the family but the IOPC determined earlier this week that an investigation into this previous contact was not required paid tribute to her “amazing husband” and “happy He loved us with all his heart and would have done anything for us I would like to say a huge thank you to all our community for all the messages of condolence and for all the kind words about our family.” The senior investigating officer DCI Kimball Edey said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Dominik “They will continue to be supported by specialist officers as our investigation continues I would ask that their privacy is respected at what is a tremendously difficult time for them.” Inquests into the death of Swiderski and the three boys will be opened and adjourned on 10 September Guido settlement follows others between Vince and Associated Newspapers and GB News Guido Fawkes has settled a defamation case brought by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince after a preliminary ruling went against the political blog Guido editor and owner Paul Staines said the decision to settle instead of continuing to fight the libel case at a full trial at the High Court was a “purely commercial” one to avoid potentially “ruinous” costs Guido had raised almost £100,000 from donors to fight the case which related to two articles published in March 2024 about comments made by Vince on Times Radio about the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel The first article included a 16-second clip of Vince’s comments which he said “distorted the views that he had expressed across the whole” interview and asked: “If Labour thinks donor’s cash donations should be returned when they say extreme things what do they make of Vince’s views?” The second article featured further criticism and described Vince in the headline as “‘Hamas freedom fighters’ donor.” Staines had sought to defend the case on the grounds of honest opinion but Mr Justice Pepperall decided what he published amounted to statements of fact He said the website created the impression that “the statements that Mr Vince described Hamas as freedom fighters are statements of fact” The publication was also found to have been defamatory The judge wrote: “Given the nature of Hamas and the appalling atrocity committed on 7 October 2023 the imputations about Mr Vince’s statements and beliefs were plainly defamatory at common law Staines has agreed a settlement offer to pay £9,995 in damages to Vince although he does not have to publish a statement of apology He will also remove both articles and accompanying tweets and has undertaken not to repeat the relevant comments Guido Fawkes usually ignores British court orders and therefore the legal perils faced by most UK publishers given that he and his site’s servers are based outside the country But Ireland-based Staines decided not to use his usual “safe haven protection” in this case as he wanted to “make a stand and defend free speech” Two simultaneously decided cases being brought by Vince against Reform MP Richard Tice and Conservative peer Shaun Bailey concluded that the politicians had shared statements of honest opinion Staines said in a statement: “I am glad that Richard Tice and Lord Bailey secured the ‘honest opinion’ preliminary ruling that we failed to get The courts are not the right place to conduct political arguments “My decision to settle is a purely commercial one similar to the decision that Associated Newspapers and GB News made Following the adverse ruling on meaning the Guido Fawkes Organisation simply does not have the resources to risk a ruinous High Court legal battle of this kind involving appeals against a wealthy claimant who revels in bringing legal claims against critics “I am strongly of the opinion that this type of action which the claimant has publicly characterised in partisan political terms should be prohibited under the proposed cross-party supported legislation to block SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) “We will make no apology for closely scrutinising wealthy party political donors who do business in government regulated industries.” Separately this week the publisher of Mail Online and the Mail on Sunday agreed to pay Vince £40,000 in damages over an article published in October falsely alleging he supported Hamas Associated Newspapers apologised and acknowledged the allegation “was untrue and that Mr Vince does not support Hamas in any way” It was the second such settlement from Associated Newspapers after it first apologised and paid damages to Vince last year over another article making a similar claim in March 2024 Vince has also previously received damages and an apology from GB News over a tweet and video relating to his Hamas comments. Vince said in a statement on X: “Guido Fawkes used a doctored news clip to smear my reputation and it snowballed into a right-wing pile-on involving the Daily Mail “Having just beaten the Daily Mail for the second time – If this were a football game the score right now would be seven nil I believe in free speech and a free press – but neither of those things is the freedom to be dishonest “The court ruling today makes clear that I was seriously defamed by Paul Staines and that left him with no real prospect at a full hearing Paul Staines is now liable for substantial damages and costs and must remove the pages on his website which contain his falsehoods and refrain from repeating the allegations “I believe this case is the first successfully pursued against Paul Staines and his Guido Fawkes operation Staines has in the past bragged that his offshore operation enabled him to operate outside of the laws of our country – I am happy to have burst his bubble From now on he will have to be diligent and accurate with what he publishes.” Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsberkshire north hampshirenewsNo SWR services between Staines and Eton & Riverside until FridaySouth Western Railway says it's to carry out maintenance work South Western railway are urging passengers to check their journey before they leave as maintenance works on their tracks in Berkshire and Surrey get underway Services between Staines and Windsor and Eton Riverside will not run until Friday (28th March) Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Dom Joly is Leading Britain's Conversation Three children and a man have been found dead inside a home in Staines-upon-Thames - as police refer themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct Police discovered their bodies in a property in Bremer Road though Surrey Police believes it was an isolated incident with no third-party involvement Read More: Explosion and smoke plume rocks east London after 'pre-planned explosion' spreads out of control Read More: Viagogo defends listing Oasis tickets for inflated prices - despite warning from band over reselling The force has also completed a mandatory referral to police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous police contact with those involved Chief Inspector Lucy Sanders said: "This is a tragic loss of life in our community and we are working to establish exactly what has occurred "There is currently a significant police presence at the location and we would like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding whilst we conduct our investigation." An IOPC spokesperson said: "We have been notified by Surrey Police about the tragic incident in Spelthorne today "We will be assessing a referral from the force to decide whether any action is required by the IOPC." See more More Latest News See more Latest News See more The News Explained See more Royals See more Highlights & Opinion See more More Topics SearchHave your say - Join our Online Community and help make a difference Talia Staines added gold to her open water silver in the Female 800m Freestyle at the GoCardless Swim England National Summer Meet In the afternoon’s heat declared winner events it was Staines who set the fastest time of the day as she took gold in the 18 Years and over age group Team Luton’s star added another gold to her collection after winning one of the same colour in the 7.5km race at the GoCardless Swim England Open Water National Age Group Championships on Saturday The 22-year-old finished in 9:09.25 as she comfortably came home fastest in heat 10 – the penultimate of the afternoon’s session Rhianna Foster added to her success in the 1500m Freestyle to take home the silver The Kingston Upon Hull athlete swam well once again to finish in 9:17.98 but still knocked around eight seconds off her best time Mollie Fisher led for the majority of the race in heat nine to clock in as the third and fastest swimmer in the 18 Years and over the City of Manchester swimmer clocked in just under the 9:20.00 mark after setting a 9:19.80 That was a seasons best for her as she came away with the bronze medal In the 12/13 Years competition Lydia Shipley pulled clear of the field in the her heat to claim the gold medal The Middlesbrough swimmer knocked 15 seconds off her personal best after she touched the wall in a time of 9:30.84 She finished more than six seconds faster than City of Coventry Grace Clewes After clocking in at 9:37.10 she took silver in a time was fastest than all of the entry times in her age group She just clocked in faster than Maidstone’s Olivia Qualer who had to settle for bronze despite a strong time of 9:38.71 Maya Orfanidis missed out on the podium in fourth but can go home proud after setting a new personal best by 28 seconds in a time of 9:40.13 Chloe Barnard shaved just over ten seconds off her personal best as she won gold in the 14/15 Years event The Basildon and Phoenix swimmer was six seconds ahead of her nearest rival after touching the wall in 9:22.21 after 16 lengths on the Ponds Forge pool Olivia Robins finished strongly to make sure she set a new lifetime best time of her own in second place The 14 year-old swimmer impressed in amongst some of the older swimmers in her age group to get on to the podium The City of Birmingham swimmer set a time of 9:28.97 as she won silver ahead of City of Leicester’s Francesca Harrison Portsmouth Northsea’s Jemima Sawle broke her personal best by 15 seconds to win gold in the 16 Years Female 800m Freestyle She set a 9:12.41 to finish ten seconds ahead of her nearest rivals as she asserted her dominance at Ponds Forge After putting clear water between her and the swimmers behind her in heat 10 Sawle swam a consistent race to record a swim that would’ve placed her fifth at the Aquatics GB Summer Championships last week Lucy Matthews of City of Coventry was ten seconds off Sawle’s storming time to take home a well earned silver medal She put in a consistent display to clock in less than three seconds faster than third place Freya Jones Jones also topped her best effort to round out the podium places setting a 9:25.77 to earn herself a medal for Nova Centurions Sophie Dowding was another one to set a new lifetime best after putting one of the stronger performances of the session from lane eight She was 13 seconds faster than the rest of the field in her age group clocking in at 9:13.06 which would’ve placed her second in the age group above It gave a deserved gold to the Team Ipswich swimmer in the 17 Years race who knows that she’ll now end her season with gold Sophie Martin also set a personal best in second with a 9:26.41 She finished third in the penultimate heat but was the second fastest in her age group finishing comfortably faster than those behind her Macy Barker from the City of Liverpool was third In the morning heats there was also a medal given out as Kai Bradford impressed to take his first medal of the meet in the Open/Male MC 50m Freestyle He was narrowly second to touch the wall in the ‘splash and dash’ race as the 15-year-old impressed to finish in 28.67 That swim earnt him a score of 583 British Para-Swimming Points just two more than Crawley’s Alfie Penfold Penfold was quickest in the water (27.81) but just lost out on points to Bradford despite a strong swim Oswestry Otters’ Akaash Das completed the top three to add to his gold in yesterday’s finals session He won bronze after scoring 550 points for his time of a 30.90 seconds For all the results from the GoCardless Swim England National Summer Meet 2024, click here. Images: Will Johnston Photography For media enquiries, please visit our Contact page A fire broke out on the roof of a tower block in Staines-upon-Thames however the public was asked to stay away from the area Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player UK standouts George Staines and Shem Rock have both been handed tough matchups for OKTAGON 71 The unbeaten prospect Staines (5-0) is set to face dangerous submission specialist Hafeni Nafuka (10-2) in a captivating lightweight contest All five of Staines' professional bouts to date have taken place under the OKTAGON banner who compiled a 16-1 record as an amateur prior to turning pro in 2023 also earned an IMMAF amateur world title along the way Staines' first professional fights occurred on the set of the reality TV show OKTAGON Challenge "Star Killer" defeated Matthew Elliott and Armand Herczeg to reach the finals where a submission win over Denis Frimpong crowned him the series champion He later picked up two decision victories within the organization in 2024 and now faces his most experienced opponent yet in Nafuka The "Namibian Nightmare" has already secured three submission wins in the OKTAGON cage and is coming off a unanimous decision loss to former champion Ivan Buchinger in November Shem Rock (11-1-1) has been scheduled to face promotional newcomer Abdullo Khodzhaev (6-1) The 31-year-old Rock remains unbeaten within the organization and has claimed three consecutive first-round rear-naked choke victories in his last three outings The Liverpudlian faces a tough test in Khodzhaev who has spent much of his professional career competing in promotions like UAE Warriors and ONE Championship The Czech-based promotion will quickly return to Germany following OKTAGON 69 which took place in Dortmund last Saturday night and provided plenty of memorable moments—most notably the bizarre ending to its main event Winner Max Holzer kissed and then humped his defeated opponent Deniz Ilbay and both athletes tumbled through the open door and into the crowd The event also featured an impressive promotional debut by grappling phenom Frederic Vosgrone and a wild influencer bout between Ediz Tasci and Uwe Schüder in the co-main event Zhalgas Zhumagulov Challenges Beno Adamia For Flyweight Title At OKTAGON 73 Oktagon 67 Preview Shem Rock To Face Jaroslav Pokorny At OKTAGON 58 Cormier: “Takedown Defense Will Make or Break Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315”