Residents in Wainfleet have been advised that it is now safe to return home after extreme rainfall flooded 137 properties in the town last week and more than 500 homes were evacuated.

More than two months’ worth of rain fell in three days last week, causing a breach of the flood bank on the River Steeping. Over 500 staff from the emergency services, Environment Agency, local council and partners have been involved in the incident response.

The Environment Agency has carried out temporary repairs to the flood bank on the River Steeping and has strengthened it with additional ballast. Engineers are now out on site using drones to survey the river bank and design a permanent repair to the breach. The next stages of repair include:

• Building and stabilising an access road to bring machinery on site
• Using a 35 tonne machine to insert steel reinforcements into the bank
• Carrying out permanent repairs using a combination of clay, stone and steel

The permanent repair work will begin when the ground surrounding the breach has dried out, as currently the embankments are saturated with water making it dangerous to bring heavy machinery on site. In the meantime, residents have been advised that they are safe to return home.

Ben Thornely, Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency said:

We know how hard this last week has been for the people of Wainfleet and the surrounding areas whose home and businesses were flooded. Keeping people safe and helping them get back home is our top priority and we are pleased that over 500 people can return to their properties today.

We will continue to support local residents over the coming days and our incident room is open and operational. There is some further rainfall forecast over the weekend and into next week – we are keeping a very close eye on the situation and are ready to act as needed.

Assistant Chief Constable Shaun West, chairman of the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum, said:

The emergency services, our partners and volunteers have been working around the clock to get people back in their homes and I’m happy to announce it is now safe to return.

We appreciate that this has been emotional and distressing time for local residents and our organisations will be providing ongoing support as things gets back to normal.

Summary of the flood response

Over 160 Environment Agency staff have worked around the clock alongside the emergency services to ensure that it is safe for flooded residents in Wainfleet to move back into their homes as quickly as possible.

On Thursday last week, due to the extreme rainfall, military assistance was requested to seal a breach in the embankment of the River Steeping. Within hours of the breach, Environment Agency engineers worked with the RAF to drop 342 tonnes of sand into the breach to stem the flow of water.

The Environment Agency and the Fire & Rescue Service have used some of Europe’s biggest mobile pumps to bring down river levels to reduce flood risk to properties in and around Wainfleet. So far, the fleet of pumps have moved nearly a million tonnes of water away from the town, enabling work to start on repairs more quickly.

The EA has also worked with telecommunications companies and mobile providers to extend their free Flood Warning Service to cover the wider area at risk around Croft and St Peter.

Community Information officers continue to be on the ground in Wainfleet, knocking on doors to ensure that everyone has the latest information and that they are signed up to flood warnings.

Weather outlook

There is the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms to return affecting parts of England later on Sunday and into next week.

The Environment Agency is encouraging residents of Wainfleet, and elsewhere in the county to check your flood risk, get the latest alerts and warnings, and get advice on what to do if you’ve been flooded.

Advice for residents

• Residents of Wainfleet can receive hourly updates from the emergency services on the @LincolnshireEP Twitter account.
• Avoid direct/ indirect contact with floodwater, if you feel unwell call NHS 111.
• Feeling tired, anxious and having difficulty sleeping is normal after you have been flooded. Contact friends and family for support as it can take a long time for life to return to normal.
• Do not use petrol or diesel generators indoors. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which can kill.

Michelle Howard, East Lindsey District Council’s Assistant Director (People) said:

Returning to normal life following an event like this can be easier said than done and we want to assure residents that we will continue to be there throughout the recovery efforts to help them access the support they need.

As well as continuing to share information through our communications channels, we will continue to have a daily presence at Coronation Hall for the foreseeable future where you can drop in for advice and support from a number of services. The support we are offering will also include a flood recovery link worker, this role will provide direct support to affected residents and operate as a communication channel and direct link between residents and support services.

A spokesperson from Anglian Water said:

We’d like to thank local residents for their help and cooperation over the last week in limiting the use of their facilities. We’re pleased to say water levels in the network are now returning to normal, so people can use their toilets, showers and washing machines as they would usually.

If people are experiencing problems with their facilities, they should report this directly to Anglian on 03457 145 145 or via Twitter or Facebook.

Dr Jharna Kumbang, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at Public Health England (PHE) East Midlands, said:

As some residents return to their homes, our advice is not to use petrol or diesel generators indoors. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which can kill.

Residents should avoid contact with floodwater and take care if they must go into flood water by following our advice about how to clean up your home safely.

If residents develop symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting or respiratory illness, they should call 111 in the first instance.

Feeling tired, anxious and having difficulty sleeping is normal after you have been flooded. We would urge those affected to contact friends and family for support as it can take a long time for life to return to normal.

Body: We wish to make wholesalers and veterinary surgeons aware that Jurox UK has issued a recall for identified batches of 10 ml Alfaxan and Alfaxan Multidose 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection. This recall is because particulates have been found in identified batches of product during routine stability testing program.

This only affects the batches mentioned below:

Batch No.	Description	Vm Number	Pack size	Expiry
55523	Alfaxan Multidose 10 mg/ml Solution for injection for dogs, cats and pet rabbits	Vm 25296/4004	10 ml	16 Apr 2021
48317	Alfaxan 10 mg/ml Solution for injection for dogs, cats and pet rabbits	Vm 25296/4003	10 ml	22 Jan 2023
62816	Alfaxan 10 mg/ml Solution for injection for dogs, cats and pet rabbits	Vm 25296/4003	10 ml	16 Jul 2023

Jurox UK Ltd is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to examine inventory immediately and quarantine products subject to this recall. We would like to stress that this issue only applies to the batches listed above. All other batches and the 20 ml pack size are not affected.

For further information regarding the recall, please contact Mr Richard Beckwith on 07584 099536 or alternatively by email to richard.beckwith@jurox.co.uk

The Sellafield Ltd Peer to Peer safety scheme encourages employees to talk to each other about safety by reinforcing good practice and challenging unsafe behaviour.

And for every conversation recorded, £1 goes into a charity pot to be shared between good causes nominated by employees and trade union representatives.

Pete Oldfield, head of safety at Sellafield Ltd said:

Safe and secure stewardship is our overriding priority.

This covers everything from the safety of employees to care for the environment and the secure management of nuclear materials.

We encourage our workforce to talk to each other and work together to address safety concerns and share examples of good practice through the peer to peer scheme.

It’s all about looking out for each other, feeling comfortable in challenging and being challenged.

It gives employees the confidence to question unsafe behaviours and a willingness to recognise and reinforce positive safe behaviours.

All employees have the right to stop and check that they and their colleagues are carrying out tasks safely and securely.

Not only does the observation programme benefit the company by raising its safety bar, but it makes a real difference in our communities as well.

Unqualified Immigration Adviser Sentenced

A man who offered unregulated immigration advice and services in exchange for payment in excess of £11,000 from refugees he met in social centres was yesterday (20 June 2019) sentenced to 8 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay compensation to his victims in full, a total cost of £11,507.

Eugene Byass, 49, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to eight counts of providing unqualified immigration advice and services between November 2015 and late December 2017.

Mr. Byass met the victims at community and refugee centres in the Nottingham area where he offered assistance with their immigration issues. He was not qualified as an Immigration Adviser and his business, B & L Legal Consultancy was unregulated.

The offences, against vulnerable refugees and immigrants, took place at his offices in Vernon House, Friar Lane, Nottingham and later the Concord Business Centre, Nottingham Road, New Basford, Nottingham.

In sentencing HHJ Burgess said: “Over 22 months you acted as an Immigration Adviser. You were not qualified or registered. People who seek immigration advice are vulnerable, they cling on to people who say they can help. These are serious matters, people deserve proper representation.”

Speaking about the decision, Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner, Dr Ian Leigh, said: “This is not a technical or victimless crime, Eugene Byass was advising vulnerable people who could not handle their immigration cases on their own. They trusted him and he betrayed that trust. I urge people to check with the appropriate regulatory body, such as the OISC, to confirm their adviser is qualified.”

The OISC has reissued this press release. The original press release made references which may have implied that Mr Byass was convicted of Fraud Act offences or acted in a fraudulent way. The OISC would like to make clear that Mr Byass neither admitted nor was convicted of any Fraud Act offences. The OISC apologises for any inconvenience which may have been caused.

The OISC is an independent public body, established under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to regulate the provision of immigration advice and services in the UK.

For further media information contact Cornelius Alexander, OISC Corporate Communications Officer on 0207 211 1617.

It’s a pleasure to be asked to say a few words about the opportunities that lie ahead for RMB as a global currency.

But first I think it’s worth spending a moment taking stock of this wonderful building and its surroundings.

The Roman foundations beneath us – a temple to the Persian god Mithras – remind us that London has always been a bridging point between different cultures; open to people and ideas from across the world.

The majestic views of St Paul’s reflect the City’s resilience. Over the centuries, the Square Mile has endured peace and war, fire and plague, boom and bust, each time emerging stronger than before.

And with its striking combination of sandstone and glass – and its energy efficient design – Bloomberg’s new headquarters is a sign of the innovation and ambition that characterise the City today.

Openness, resilience, innovation…these are the time-honoured qualities that make London a leading centre for financial services.

These same strengths are accelerating us toward a position of leadership across the markets of the future, from FinTech and cyber-insurance to Islamic finance and green investment.

And our growing partnership with China is absolutely part of the City’s ambitions for the future too.

The RMB Opportunity

In his visit to Beijing in April, the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, spoke of the UK as the natural economic partner for China.

He outlined how we have the legal and technical expertise, and the capacity in our capital markets, to help deliver the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the same way, my message to you today is that we also have the transformative strengths that are necessary to help RMB fulfil its potential to be a leading currency in the global market.

Because despite China’s incredible growth in recent times, we have yet to see an equally dramatic use of RMB.

RMB is only the 5th most used payments currency globally, sitting at just under 2% of the global total, as opposed to the US dollar at around 40%.

But this is now changing.

In 2016, we saw the addition of RMB to the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights. Since then, many countries have added the RMB to their mix of reserve currencies, including the UK.

The increasing use of RMB in trade has helped to popularise the currency, and initiatives like the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road are likely to further this trend.

The inclusion of RMB products in global indices is boosting opportunities for global investors and increasing exposure to the China market. This recognises the strides China has made in terms of market opening and transparency.

Here in London, we approach this opportunity from a position of strength.

The UK has been at the forefront of supporting Chinese efforts to open their markets over many years.

London is already home to the world’s largest foreign exchange market and is the leading RMB trading and investment centre outside of China.

Around 36% of RMB transactions are carried out in the UK, compared with about 6% each in France and Singapore – and we’re even ahead of Hong Kong.

The UK has also been home to many ‘firsts’ in RMB products.

In 2012, HSBC issued the first RMB-denominated bond outside of Greater China, and they chose to do it here in London.

In 2014, IFC issued the first RMB-denominated green bond: again, it was here in London.

And in the same year, the UK government issued an RMB 3 billion sovereign Dim Sum Bond, becoming the first western country to do so.

The UK market monitoring group, a partnership between the City of London and People’s Bank of China, is now tracking these developments.

Their publication – the London RMB Business Quarterly – contributes to our understanding of the London offshore RMB market, providing recent data, policies and commentaries from market participants.

And it gives investors a way of keeping their finger on the pulse.

Next Steps

It was my enormous privilege to welcome Vice Premier Hu Chunhua to the UK for yesterday’s Economic and Financial Dialogue.

This was the 10th such dialogue between our two countries. Through this enduring relationship we have sought to maintain London’s position as a centre for RMB trading and investment, and further our shared efforts to tap its potential.

Yesterday morning, I was pleased to join the Chancellor at the London Stock Exchange to witness the launch of the new London-Shanghai Stock Connect, which included the start of trading in Huatai Securities.

This initiative links the UK and Chinese markets together and means that, for the first time, any foreign company will be able to list in mainland China.

It is also the first time that international investors will be able to access China A-shares from outside of Greater China, and through international trading and settlement practices.

And it is the first time that investors will be able to trade across London and Chinese time zones.

Together, our two countries are now looking to deepen and broaden this connectivity.

Yesterday the EFD announced that the UK and China will accelerate plans to explore a UK-China Bond Connect.

We also secured agreement from the Chinese to undertake a feasibility study into extending their trading hours to help facilitate bond trading across our time zones.

I am confident that the London market will play its part by continuing to foster innovation in RMB products and services, and support the continued internationalisation of the currency.

Reform and openness

It will be important to see continued developments in China’s financial reform and openness too.

China has made great progress in recent years.

Following announcements in 2017 to deepen access to China’s financial markets for foreign investors, an important set of measures have been released.

This includes the removal of restrictions on ownership stakes, together with onerous regulatory requirements.

In securities and mutual-fund management joint ventures, foreign firms are now able to take 51% stakes, with the promise of full control by 2020.

In insurance, foreign companies can now also take 51% stakes in joint ventures and onerous requirements on operating history have similarly been removed.

And encouragingly China has promised further opening to come, along with continued progress on exchange rate reform and capital account convertibility.

The UK welcomes these breakthroughs and supports their continued implementation to enable greater foreign participation.

Conclusion

Let me draw this together.

The man behind this building and so many others in the City, Norman Foster, once said that it would be impossible to be an architect without also being an optimist.

And today, we too have good reason to be optimistic.

As the internationalisation of RMB progresses, we can build on solid foundations.

London’s enduring qualities of resilience, innovation and openness are alive-and-kicking.

The City is already the leading destination for RMB trading and investment.

And with the tenth UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue successfully concluded, the path before us is now one of growing partnership and opportunity.

I look to the City to continue to bring your innovation and ambition to bear as the RMB market develops.

I have every confidence that we can unlock the potential that RMB represents.

And I look forward to working with you, and with our friends in China and around the world, to make this so.

Thank you.