bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid: Nearly 500,000 redundancies planned since crisis began

British employers planned 58,000 redundancies in August , taking the total to 498,000 for the first five months of the Covid crisis .
966 separate employers told the government of plans to cut 20 or more jobs , compared to 214 last August , a more than fourfold increase .
However , the figures were down from the levels seen in June and July , which both saw 150,000 job cuts planned .
The figures were released to the BBC after a freedom of information request .
The economy bounced back in the summer after the unprecedented economic downturn earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged to return to the office , and customers encouraged to spend more by schemes such as the Eat Out To Help Out restaurant vouchers .
However a number of big businesses from many of the hardest-hit sectors , such as retail and restaurants , announced big redundancy plans , including Debenhams , DW Sports , Marks & Spencer , Pret a Manger , currency exchange company Travelex , and WH Smith .
The 58,000 positions put at risk in August was considerably lower than previous months , but it was still more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
`` There was a sense of optimism in August , we were starting to see more spending and more activity , there were hopes for a quick recovery , '' said Rebecca McDonald , senior economist at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think tank .
`` That seems a lot less likely now . ''
A government spokesperson said : `` Supporting jobs is an absolute priority , which is why we have set out our plan for jobs to protect , create and support jobs across the UK .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a £1,000 retention bonus , creating new roles for young people with our £2bn Kickstart scheme and doubling the number of frontline work coaches . ''
How will the end of the furlough scheme affect redundancies ?
The big summer rush may have been partly caused by firms preparing to cut staff before the end of the furlough scheme on 31 October .
That scheme , where the government pays part of workers ' wages when their employers can not , has helped to reduce the number of pandemic-related redundancies .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But given that most redundancy processes take months to complete , firms planning significant dismissals by the end of furlough would have had to notify government in the summer .
The Chancellor , Rishi Sunak , unveiled a new employment support scheme last month , where government will subsidise the pay of employees who are working fewer than their usual hours due to reduced demand .
It is less generous than the furlough scheme , and the next few months of redundancy data will give an early indication of how successful it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many employers will have difficult decisions to make in the coming months .
Given the design of the new scheme it seems likely that there will be a significant number of redundancies in the winter , '' said Ms McDonald .
`` We are concerned that it will be the lowest-paid workers in the hardest-hit sectors who will be affected the most . ''
Employers are obliged to notify government when they plan to make 20 or more staff redundant in any single `` establishment '' using an HR1 Advance Notice of Redundancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer positions redundant than the number they initially notify .
These figures pick up an increase in redundancy plans long before the Office for National Statistics ' redundancy figures , which appear with a lag of several months .
ONS numbers showed 156,000 redundancies from May to July , up from 107,000 in the previous three-month period .
However , any redundancy process involving fewer than 20 people does n't show up in these figures so the eventual total is likely to be larger than the HR1 numbers suggest .
Companies in Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and they are not included in these figures .

Last month his employer sent a meeting invitation. The reason was not specified, but Paul knew it could only be about one thing: compulsory redundancy. His employer - an IT firm supplying major restaurant chains - had been badly hit by the economic downturn. The Job Support Scheme didn't provide enough money for them to keep him on.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid could cause 'tsunami of cancelled NHS operations'

There could be a `` tsunami '' of cancelled operations this winter as the NHS copes with rising numbers of coronavirus patients , leading surgeons are warning .
Members of the Royal College of Surgeons of England say they doubt the NHS can meet targets to restore surgery back to near pre-pandemic levels .
Planned procedures such as hip replacements were paused to free up beds during lockdown in the spring .
And hospitals have since been dealing with a backlog .
In July , NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens told trusts hospitals should by September 2020 be performing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 rates of : And by October , this proportion should rise to 90 % .
But data suggests more than two million people have been waiting longer than 18 weeks for routine operations , with 83,000 waiting more than a year - up from 2,000 before the pandemic .
• TESTING : How do I get a virus test ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
• LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
• YOUR QUESTIONS : We answer your queries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means and why it matters • TREATMENT : How close are we to helping people ?
More than 140,000 operations such as knee and hip replacements were performed in July 2020 , up from 41,000 in April .
But that is less than half the level seen in July 2019 .
The Royal College of Surgeons of England surveyed nearly 1,000 members in September and found : • only 14 % were now able to treat the same number of patients as before the pandemic • 48 % said planned operations were currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels President of the college Prof Neil Mortensen said : `` This is a national crisis requiring a truly national effort across all hospitals - private and NHS alike .
`` As the virus becomes more prevalent again , there is a real risk of a tsunami of cancelled operations unless surgical beds are funded and protected .
`` That means building up theatre capacity and designating beds exclusively for those who need an operation . ''
• 22 % were unable to access `` Covid-light '' hubs , which keep surgical patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales , Northern Ireland and north-east England • 59 % said their trust or health board was not routinely testing asymptomatic staff , to keep coronavirus off surgical wards An NHS spokesman said the survey underestimated the amount of surgery now happening in the NHS , adding that goals for the end of August were met .
`` The NHS has flexed its hospital capacity and community services as needed throughout the pandemic , treating over 110,000 severely ill people for Covid-19 , and doubling the number of non-urgent operations since April .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal struck with independent hospitals also to make use of their bed capacity .
`` Covid inpatient numbers are rising and much depends on keeping the virus under control through continued public action on hands-face-space , Test and Trace service , and rapid action to control local outbreaks , '' he said .
• LIVING WITH BULIMIA : Freddie Flintoff goes on a personal journey • COVID-19 : What can we expect the winter to look like ?

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bbcuk--2020-10-05--'Long Covid': Why are some people not recovering?

For most people , Covid-19 is a brief and mild disease but some are left struggling with symptoms including lasting fatigue , persistent pain and breathlessness for months .
The condition known as `` long Covid '' is having a debilitating effect on people 's lives , and stories of being left exhausted after even a short walk are now common .
So far , the focus has been on saving lives during the pandemic , but there is now a growing recognition that people are facing long-term consequences of a Covid infection .
Yet even basic questions - such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether everyone will fully recover - are riddled with uncertainty .
There is no medical definition or list of symptoms shared by all patients - two people with long Covid can have very different experiences .
However , the most common feature is crippling fatigue .
Others symptoms include : breathlessness , a cough that wo n't go away , joint pain , muscle aches , hearing and eyesight problems , headaches , loss of smell and taste as well as damage to the heart , lungs , kidneys and gut .
Mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anxiety and struggling to think clearly .
It can utterly destroy people 's quality of life .
`` My fatigue was like nothing I 've experienced before , '' said one sufferer Jade Gray-Christie , • Long Covid : 'My fatigue was like nothing I 've experienced before' • Long Covid : ' I don ’ t have a life , I currently have an existence' • Coronavirus patient unable to work six months on Long Covid is not just people taking time to recover from a stay in intensive care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be left with lasting and severe health problems .
`` We 've got no doubt long Covid exists , '' Prof David Strain , from the University of Exeter , who is already seeing long-Covid patients at his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome clinic , told the BBC .
How many people are getting it ?
A study of 143 people in Rome 's biggest hospital , published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , followed hospital patients after they were discharged .
It showed 87 % had at least one symptom nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still had fatigue .
However , such studies focus only on the minority of people who end up needing hospital treatment .
The Covid Symptom Tracker App - used by around 4 million people in the UK - found 12 % of people still had symptoms after 30 days .
Its latest , unpublished data , suggests as many as one in 50 ( 2 % ) of all people infected have long-Covid symptoms after 90 days .
Do you need severe Covid to get long Covid ?
Half of people in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks after being infected with coronavirus .
A third were physically unable to return to work .
Crucially , doctors found no link between the severity of the infection and fatigue .
However , extreme exhaustion is only one symptom of long Covid .
Prof Chris Brightling , from the University of Leicester and the chief investigator in the PHOSP-Covid project which is tracking people 's recovery , believes people who developed pneumonia may have more problems because of damage to the lungs .
How is the virus causing long Covid ?
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitive answers .
The virus may have been cleared from most of the body , but continues to linger in some small pockets .
`` If there 's long-term diarrhoea then you find the virus in the gut , if there 's loss of smell it is in the nerves - so that could be what 's causing the problem , '' says Prof Tim Spector , from King 's College London .
The coronavirus can directly infect a wide variety of cells in the body and trigger an overactive immune response which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One thought is the immune system does not return to normal after Covid and this causes ill-health .
The infection may also alter how people 's organs function .
This is most obvious with the lungs if they become scarred - long-term problems have been seen after infection with Sars or Mers , which are both types of coronavirus .
But Covid may also alter people 's metabolism .
There have been cases of people struggling to control their blood sugar levels after developing diabetes as a result of Covid , and Sars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body processed fats for at least 12 years .
There are early signs of changes to brain structure , but these are still being investigated .
And Covid-19 also does strange things to the blood , including abnormal clotting , and damaging the network of tubes that carry blood around the body .
Prof Strain told the BBC : `` The theory I 'm working on is a premature ageing of the small blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the tissues . ''
But he warned that until we figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is difficult to figure out treatments . ''
Post-viral fatigue or a post-viral cough are well documented and common - we 've probably all had an infection that has taken ages to fully recover from .
Around one in 10 people with glandular fever has fatigue which lasts for months .
And there have even been suggestions that flu , particularly after the 1918 pandemic , may be linked to Parkinson's-like symptoms .
`` With Covid there seem to be more far-reaching symptoms and the number of people seems to be much greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasis though is on the word `` seems '' as until will have a true picture of how many people have been infected we wo n't know exactly how common these symptoms are , he says .
He told the BBC : `` The uniqueness of the way the virus attacks the host and the different ways it then alters the way cells behave seem to be both giving people more severe infection than other viruses and persistent symptoms . ''
• SYMPTOMS : 85 % of patients have one of these three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it twice ?
• LOCAL LOCKDOWNS : What happens if you have one ?
• QUARANTINE : Who must self-isolate after arriving in the UK • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
The number of people with long-Covid appears to be falling with time .
However , the virus emerged only at the end of 2019 before going global earlier this year so there is a lack of long-term data .
`` We 've asked , deliberately , to follow people for 25 years , I certainly hope only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going beyond a year , but I could be wrong , '' said Prof Brightling .
However , there are concerns that even if people appear to recover now , they could face lifelong risks .
People who have had chronic fatigue syndrome are more likely to have it again and the concern is that future infections may cause more flare-ups .
`` If long Covid follows the same pattern I 'd expect some recovery , but if it takes just another coronavirus infection to react then this could be every winter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still possible more problems could emerge in the future .
The World Health Organization has warned that widespread inflammation caused by coronavirus could lead to people having heart problems at a much younger age .
What should I do if I think I have long Covid ?
The NHS has a `` Your Covid Recovery Plan '' which has advice , particularly for those who needed hospital treatment .
It recommends the `` three Ps '' in order to conserve energy : • Pace yourself so you do n't push yourself too hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rest • Plan your days so your most tiring activities are spread out across the week • Prioritise - think about what you need to do and what can be put off It advises speaking to either your hospital team or your GP if you are not recovering as quickly as you might expect .
Some have raised concerns that there is not enough support for people with long-Covid .

The emphasis though is on the word "seems" as until we have a true picture of how many people have been infected we won't know exactly how common these symptoms are, he says.


bbcuk--2020-10-06--Covid: Train passengers left out of pocket by local lockdowns

Train customers have expressed their anger at being unable to get refunds for tickets they can no longer use because of UK coronavirus restrictions .
In some parts of the UK , people have been advised against all but essential travel after a spike in Covid-19 cases .
However , passengers who bought advance tickets to travel to or from these areas are not entitled to refunds .
The passenger watchdog said customers should n't be left `` out of pocket for doing the right thing '' .
Advance tickets are usually non-refundable , although those restrictions were temporarily relaxed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown in March .
UK train companies have been propped up during the pandemic by money from the government , which has set the advance ticket policy .
The Department for Transport said it was focusing investment `` on maintaining services '' to `` ensure we are fair to taxpayers '' .
• Rail franchises axed as help for train firms grows • Passengers to be warned when trains are busy • What are the Covid rules where you live ?
Lola Mitchell , 41 , from Brighton , said it was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get a refund for her £106.50 tickets for a return journey from London to Newcastle .
She was due to travel to the North East last month for a socially-distanced concert , which was cancelled when new restrictions were introduced in Newcastle on 17 September .
Those measures included advising people in the area to only use public transport for essential purposes .
Lola cancelled her trip and has been trying to get her money back from LNER for her advance tickets , which are sold as non-refundable .
She was offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel for a £10 fee before her scheduled departure - but not a refund .
The government-owned train company has told customers that the Department for Transport has told it that `` normal ticket restrictions are still to be upheld '' despite the local lockdowns .
Lola said that the day before her planned travel date , LNER emailed her to ask her to consider whether making her journey was essential .
`` What a wind-up , if they are not prepared to offer a refund , '' she said .
Aaron , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip to Newcastle with his girlfriend .
They were going to celebrate their first anniversary and had booked their train tickets `` months before the restrictions came in '' for the first weekend in October .
He says he was `` shocked '' when LNER would n't refund his `` non-essential journey '' , and instead told him to choose another time , for a £10 admin fee - although LNER currently only sells tickets up until November .
That is n't an option for him , he says , because `` who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown - and secondly I have no reason to travel to Newcastle any more '' .
Another rail customer , Sue Taylor , 46 , who lives in Fulham in London , was planning on staying with friends in Glasgow .
She had bought a £33 advance ticket with Avanti for the return journey to London at the end of October .
Last month indoor visits between households were banned , first in Glasgow , and then extended to the rest of Scotland , until further notice .
The train companies will allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different day for a £10 administration fee , although Avanti has only released tickets until mid-December .
Sue said she would settle for a credit note , or the ability to be able to change the date of the ticket without a charge .
`` As it stands the only options I have are to either lose the ticket or pay another £10 to change , to a date of who knows when .
So much uncertainty .
`` Do I change it now for £10 , only to have that date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £10 to change again ?
There 's no winning for me . ''
She added : `` I do understand that the advance single ticket is , under normal circumstances , non-refundable , but we know nothing about the current situation is normal . ''
Another train company offering long-distance travel across the UK , CrossCountry Trains , does n't charge the £10 admin fee - although that was a policy it introduced before the coronavirus outbreak .
Anthony Smith , chief executive of independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus , said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of local lockdowns should n't be out of pocket for doing the right thing .
`` If they are asked not to travel , it seems unfair that they will lose the money for pre-booked journeys .
`` While the government continues to provide high levels of support to make sure the day to day railway keeps operating , advance tickets must be made more flexible or the railway will lose both custom and goodwill . ''
The Rail Delivery Group , which represents train operators , said the government initially offered refunds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptional circumstances the country faced '' .
A spokesman added : `` Significant taxpayer funding continues to help maintain rail services which is supporting the country 's recovery from the pandemic and , after careful consideration , the government does not intend to allow refunds for non-refundable advance tickets . ''
Last month the Department for Transport extended emergency measures to cover the losses of train firms by 18 months in England , while extra funding has also been provided in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
A Department for Transport spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak of the pandemic to support the rail industry and delivered `` refunds on all advance fares , as well as removing charges for cancellations '' .
She added : `` With fares revenue having fallen to less than 5 % of pre-Covid levels , we must ensure we are fair to taxpayers and focus investment on maintaining services , to enable social distancing and support our economic recovery . ''

Aaron, from London, had also planned a trip to Newcastle with his girlfriend. They were going to celebrate their first anniversary and had booked their train tickets "months before the restrictions came in" for the first weekend in October.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--State pension age hits 66 and set to rise further

The age at which most people start to receive the state pension has now officially hit 66 after steady rises in the qualifying age in recent years .
Men and women born between 6 October , 1954 , and 5 April , 1960 , will start receiving their pension on their 66th birthday .
For those born after that , there will be a phased increase in state pension age to 67 , and eventually 68 .
The full state pension for new recipients is worth £175.20 a week .
To receive the full amount , various criteria including 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satisfied .
• Use the government 's calculator to find out your state pension age The age at which people receive the state pension has been increasing as people live longer , and the government has plans for the increase to 68 to be brought forward .
However , the increases have been controversial , particularly for women who have seen the most significant rise .
Campaigners claim women born in the 1950s have been treated unfairly by rapid changes and the way they were communicated to those affected .
Some of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal challenge , claiming the move was unlawful discrimination .
The coronavirus crisis has led many people to reconsider retirement plans , especially those who feel they are more at risk from the outbreak .
Former pensions minister Ros Altmann argued that the crisis meant there was a `` strong case '' for people to be given early access to their state pension , even if it were at a reduced rate .
She also pointed out the large differences in life expectancy in different areas of the UK .
Younger workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider their retirement options , with a strong likelihood of state pension age rising further as time passes .
`` As people live longer , it 's clear many will also have to work for longer , '' said Pete Glancy , head of policy at Scottish Widows .
`` The increase to the state pension age provides a timely reminder to everyone to check your pension pots and ask yourself whether the savings you 've built up are enough for the kind of life you want in retirement . ''
Tom Selby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` As average life expectancy continues to increase , the state pension age will inevitably follow suit .
`` This means younger savers probably need to plan assuming they might not reach their state pension age until 70 or even beyond .
Anyone who aspires to more than the bare minimum in retirement needs to take responsibility as early as possible to build their own retirement pot . ''

Firstly, the age at which the state pension begins has been rising, and will continue to do so. MPs will decide on how quickly this happens, fully aware of the strength of feeling from the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign over how this has been handled in the past.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Afua Hirsch: 'Don't sell off history with slave links - use it to educate'

A presenter of a new documentary about slavery has rejected the idea of selling art and artefacts with links to the trade , to compensate descendants .
`` I do n't think the sensible way to achieve reparation is to sell off national heritage , '' Afua Hirsch said .
`` I want people to see it and engage with it .
The more accessible it can be , the more it can be used to educate . ''
The writer and broadcaster is fronting Enslaved with actor Samuel L Jackson .
The series starts on BBC Two on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for The Guardian and penned the book Brit ( ish ) : On Race , Identity and Belonging , added : `` I 'm not about destroying history at all .
I want people to see it and engage with it .
`` But I do feel quite critical that until now these things have been held in a way that neither educates nor enlightens us about our colonial history . ''
• The National Trust homes where colonial links are 'umbilical' • How UK museums are responding to Black Lives Matter She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Trust , which has identified 93 properties with connections to colonialism and historic slavery .
Hirsch said she applauded the organisation , but that their collections should be used to tell a more complete version of history .
Hirsch , who was born in Norway but grew up in the UK , added that the debate about the legacy of slavery was `` not about beating ourselves up , it 's about understanding how we got here '' .
Enslaved used new diving technology to locate and examine sunken slave ships in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , retrieving artefacts such as a large ivory tusk 45 miles off the coast of Devon .
The four-part CBC/Epix series has already been broadcast in the US .
The transatlantic slave trade saw European countries including the UK traffic around 12 million people from West Africa to the Americas between the 16th and 19th Centuries .
Hirsch also filmed with Jackson in Elmina , Ghana , one of the major slave trading posts in what was then known as the African Gold Coast .
She added that history taught in British schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slave trade rather than just celebrate its abolition .
Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

She was responding to a question about the National Trust, which has identified 93 properties with connections to colonialism and historic slavery. Hirsch said she applauded the organisation, but that their collections should be used to tell a more complete version of history.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Thomas Partey: Arsenal complete £45m deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder

Last updated on .From the section Arsenal Arsenal have completed the signing of Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid on a long-term deal after paying his 50m euros ( £45.3m ) release clause .
He played 188 times for Atletico after joining the club in 2011 .
Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira , 24 , has moved in the opposite direction and joined the La Liga side on loan .
• None Transfer deadline day live - all the latest news and moves Arsenal have been linked with Partey , who has 29 international caps , throughout the summer transfer window .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 Super Cup with Atletico and signed a new deal at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2018 , until the end of June 2023 .
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said : `` We have been watching Thomas for a while , so we 're now delighted to add such a high-quality player to our squad .
`` He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy .
He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitude and his approach to the game .
He 's an intelligent footballer and we 're looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we 're building at the moment at the club . ''
Arsenal were also interested in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar , 22 - however Aouar told French TV earlier on Monday 's deadline day that he would definitely remain at the Ligue 1 club .
Torreira - who joined Arsenal from Sampdoria for £26m in July 2018 and has made 89 appearances for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season-long loan .
Arsenal had already added Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes for 26m euros ( £23.14m ) from Lille , former Chelsea forward Willian on a free transfer and re-signed Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid during the summer window .
The Premier League side 's French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi , 21 , has secured a loan move to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin .
Arteta 's side have won two of their opening three Premier League games as they look to improve on last season 's eighth-place finish .
Thomas Partey - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe there are not more clubs lining up for him .
He is so good .
A lot of people just think about him defensively , but he has actually got quite a bit going forward .
He has scored goals for the national team and a few for Atletico Madrid as well .
It is a massive deal for them and a massive statement .
'He has a lot to offer' Thomas Partey has a lot to offer .
He has been one of the best players at Atletico Madrid over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them in their Champions League campaign .
He is someone who is very good at protecting the defence but is also very good at going forward .
He is an excellent passer of the ball .
He is great when it comes to ball recovery and pressing up the pitch .
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page .
• None Me , My Brother and Our Balls : • None New series of the quirky comedy is streaming now

Last updated on .From the section Arsenal
Thomas Partey was part of the Atletico Madrid side which finished Champions League runners-up in 2015-16
Arsenal have signed Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid on a long-term deal after paying his 50m euros (£45.3m) release clause.
The 27-year-old Ghana midfielder made 35 league appearances and scored three goals for Diego Simeone's side as they finished third in La Liga last season.
He played 188 times for Atletico after joining the club in 2011.
Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira, 24, has moved in the opposite direction and joined the La Liga side on loan.
Arsenal have been linked with Partey, who has 29 international caps, throughout the summer transfer window.
Partey won the 2017-18 Europa League and 2018 Super Cup with Atletico and signed a new deal at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2018, until the end of June 2023.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: "We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we're now delighted to add such a high-quality player to our squad.
"He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.
"We're very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He's an intelligent footballer and we're looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we're building at the moment at the club."
Arsenal were also interested in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, 22 - however Aouar told French TV earlier on Monday's deadline day that he would definitely remain at the Ligue 1 club.
Torreira - who joined Arsenal from Sampdoria for £26m in July 2018 and has made 89 appearances for the Gunners - moves to Madrid on a season-long loan.
Arsenal had already added Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes for 26m euros (£23.14m) from Lille, former Chelsea forward Willian on a free transfer and re-signed Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid during the summer window.
The Premier League side's French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, 21, has secured a loan move to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.
Arteta's side have won three of their opening four Premier League games as they look to improve on last season's eighth-place finish.
'Partey signing is a massive statement'
Analysis by former Premier League defender Micah Richards
Thomas Partey - what a signing. I cannot believe there are not more clubs lining up for him.
He is so good. A lot of people just think about him defensively, but he has actually got quite a bit going forward.
He has scored goals for the national team and a few for Atletico Madrid as well. It is a massive deal for them and a massive statement.
'He has a lot to offer'
Analysis by La Liga TV presenter Semra Hunter
Thomas Partey has a lot to offer. He has been one of the best players at Atletico Madrid over the last two seasons.
He was key for them in their Champions League campaign.
He is someone who is very good at protecting the defence but is also very good at going forward. He is an excellent passer of the ball. He is great when it comes to ball recovery and pressing up the pitch.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid: Swansea prisoners make hundreds of PPE items

Prisoners in Swansea have made up to 300 protective clothing items a week for front-line healthcare staff .
A recent visit by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found workshops had been adapted during the Covid-19 pandemic .
This helped cut the number of inmates kept in their cells for long periods .
Inspectors said the number of men training as cleaners increased in response to enhanced levels of hygiene , with 33 bio-hazard cleans carried out in the prison by newly trained inmates .
Overall the coronavirus-shortened scrutiny visit found HMP Swansea to be a `` well-led establishment that , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress '' since the start of the pandemic .
It follows some damning reports in recent years , including one which said the prison was `` not fit for purpose '' after failing to prevent eight suicides over six years , all by prisoners who had been in Swansea for less than a week .
The latest inspection reported two further suicides since January 2019 `` soon after the prisoners arrived '' and an action plan had been drawn up in response to recommendations by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman .
Swansea was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overcrowded jails and according to a report compiled in July , it remained the ninth most overcrowded .
Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said while Swansea had `` progressed '' , managers needed to establish `` appropriate oversight in the areas of self-harm prevention '' .
But Mr Clarke said improvements were needed in the care of those at risk of self-harm .
He found the scale of mental health problems in Swansea was extremely high , affecting almost eight in 10 inmates , which has prompted the introduction of a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened in 1861 , had a Covid-19 outbreak between April and June as 12 prisoners and 10 staff tested positive .
But the inspector said a `` good partnership '' with the local health board , Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government meant every symptomatic prisoner was tested for Covid-19 .
Prisoners were able to get out of their cells for about 90 minutes a day during the pandemic , with inspectors finding a far greater proportion were involved in `` purposeful activity '' than other prisons .
Even in areas where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not staying 2m apart .
But some measures introduced in response to the pandemic had cut bullying , such as canteen orders being delivered to cells .
`` We found that managers had made significant progress during the Covid-19 pandemic , '' said Mr Clarke .
`` Appropriate priority was given to keeping prisoners in work , maintaining some limited face-to-face education and continuing sentence and risk management .
`` Outcomes for many prisoners at Swansea were better than at other local prisons . ''

It follows some damning reports in recent years, including one which said the prison was "not fit for purpose" after failing to prevent eight suicides over six years, all by prisoners who had been in Swansea for less than a week.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Paul Cleeland: ‘Gun error’ claim over 1972 murder case

Papers have shown a gun at the centre of a 1973 murder trial may have been the wrong weapon , it has been claimed .
Paul Cleeland , who says he was wrongly convicted , has obtained a transcript of his failed appeal in 2002 .
He said prosecutors claimed Terry Clarke was shot in Hertfordshire in 1972 with a Gye and Moncrieff ( G & M ) but two other guns were found at the time .
His lawyers have said judges wrongly ruled the other guns were excluded .
A court will hear the claims on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend of Cleeland 's , was shot in Stevenage after returning home from a bar on 5 November 1972 .
Cleeland always insisted he was innocent and was at home with his wife when Mr Clarke was killed but he served 26 years behind bars .
Court documents listed the guns as the G & M shotgun , an American Western Field 12-bore pump action repeater shotgun and a German Muller 12-bore double-barrelled shotgun .
A note by Edward Fitzgerald QC , who previously represented Cleeland , claimed the Appeal Court ruling in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error of fact '' .
He wrote : `` The Court of Appeal in 2002 proceeded on the basis that the evidence excluded the possibility that either of the two shotguns put forward by Mr Cleeland as the murder weapons could have been the murder weapons .
`` However , the transcript of the evidence obtained by Mr Cleeland confirms that the Home Office expert , Mr Pryor , did not rule out the possibility that the pump action shotgun was the murder weapon . ''
Lawyers for the 79-year-old from Folkestone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transcript after accessing a closed file in the National Archives .
Folkestone MP Damian Collins , who has backed Cleeland 's campaign to clear his name , said : `` Over many years , Paul was unaware of the contents of those papers when they could have real significance to his case . ''
The MP said most of the original trial evidence had been challenged and there was `` considerable doubt '' over the weapon , cartridges found at the scene , the type of weapon used , and lead residue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said : `` Over the past 10 years I 've been involved with it [ Cleeland 's case ] , a constant stream of new information has come out and I would say the direction of that information has always been to cast doubt on that original judgement . ''
Last year , Cleeland sought a judicial review of a decision by the Criminal Cases Review Commission ( CCRC ) not to send his case to appeal but his challenge was dismissed .
The CCRC has not commented on Cleeland 's @ @ @

The MP said most of the original trial evidence had been challenged and said: "Over the past 10 years I've been involved with it [Cleeland's case], a constant stream of new information has come out and I would say the direction of that information has always been to cast doubt on that original judgement."


bbcuk--2020-10-05--'Fantastic opportunity' as Jedburgh distilleries approved

The work will be carried out in two phases with a smaller distillery to be constructed first , followed by @ @ @ @

The work will be carried out in two phases with a smaller distillery to be constructed first, followed by a large-scale one.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid-19: 'Silent killer being weaponised by offenders'

Covid-19 is being `` weaponised '' by offenders , according to one police force which has seen spitting and coughing assaults on officers double .
North Wales Police saw twice as many such assaults between March and June compared with the same period in 2019 .
Almost one-third of assault charges on South Wales Police officers were related to spitting or coughing between March and May , BBC research shows .
Maximum sentences for assaults on emergency workers are being doubled .
`` It 's just absolutely appalling to weaponise a virus or disease against police officers and emergency service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general secretary Mark Jones .
`` It 's unlike anything we 've ever seen before , to be threatened with what is an unseen and silent killer is really terrible . ''
PC David Roberts-Ablett was coughed at by a man who claimed he had coronavirus symptoms after he was arrested for being violent towards staff at a Tesco supermarket in Cardiff .
Darrell Glen Humphries had been taken to the city 's University Hospital of Wales so an injury could be treated when the 53-year-old coughed in PC Roberts-Ablett 's face .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency staff '' In these times of Covid , there 's a concern .
It was a very worrying moment , '' said the constable of nearly 20 years .
`` He had been quite aggressive so I asked him to calm down .
It was a very deliberate motion by him , he turned his head , his eyes , fixated on me .
`` It was almost like he was targeting me , and he picked my face , and then deliberately looked straight at me and coughed at me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask at the time so I was protected . ''
Humphries , of Canton in Cardiff , was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison by the city 's magistrates in May for the attack .
`` It was a very worrying moment , thinking 'have I now got Covid ? '
, '' the officer said .
`` I thought what do I do ?
Where do I go ?
`` There is being a police officer and dealing with the criminal aspect of things , but there 's a more humane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's a lot of implications on me and my family , my colleagues and the people I am serving in Cardiff .
`` It does play on your mind because for a while you just do n't know . ''
Police forces across the UK saw a 21 % increase in assaults on their officers in the first three months of lockdown .
In the North Wales force area , 30 of the 157 crimes recorded against police officers were coughing and spitting , up from 14 the previous year .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up from 10 in 2019 , according to a freedom of information request by the BBC .
`` The amount of deliberate coughing and spitting at police officers has risen quite sharply , '' Mr Jones said .
`` To see that form of assault and attack on a police officer is quite worrying . ''
In the South Wales force area , the largest in Wales , of the 167 charges of police officer assaults , 55 were `` weaponising '' Covid-19 as threat and related to PCs being spat or coughed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a number of people effectively making a weapon out of spitting and then presenting that they 've got or believe they might have Covid-19 , '' said Chief Constable Matt Jukes .
`` A colleague who 'd been involved in an incident said 'in some ways I 'd rather be shoved , or punched , than get bitten or spat out , because of that long-term worry about the impact on health ' .
`` What the spitting and biting does is leaves officers with real uncertainty , until they can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always Covid-19 , sometimes it 's other infectious diseases .
Sometimes they have to wait for reassurance or knowledge that there may be another issue they need to deal with . ''
Assaults against police officers have also risen in the Gwent force area from 54 to 57 year-on-year , but they decreased in Dyfed-Powys from 111 to 96 .
Maximum sentences for those convicted of assaulting emergency workers in England and Wales are to be doubled , the home secretary said in September .
`` Every day they risk their lives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being punched , kicked or spat at , '' said Justice Secretary Robert Buckland .
`` Anyone looking to harm prison officers , police , fire personnel or health workers should be under no illusion - your disgraceful behaviour is unacceptable and you will feel the full force of the law . ''

"There is being a police officer and dealing with the criminal aspect of things, but there's a more humane side to it as well, where there's a lot of implications on me and my family, my colleagues and the people I am serving in Cardiff.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Coronavirus: Arlene Foster says new lockdown 'avoidable'

Another lockdown in Northern Ireland to tackle Covid-19 is `` avoidable '' if people adhere to the rules , First Minister Arlene Foster has said .
She said the executive did not want to have to impose further restrictions .
However , Mrs Foster said if that became necessary then Westminster would have to provide extra financial support .
She and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill spoke to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove about that prospect on Monday afternoon .
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster 's Evening Extra programme , the first minister said she did not believe another lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do is work with us and comply with the guidance and regulations out there , '' she said .
`` We know the impact they have on people 's way of lives , we do n't want to have to move to further restrictions . ''
The first minister said Justice Minister Naomi Long has been carrying out a review of the executive 's level of fines for breaches of the regulations .
Mrs Long is expected to put forward proposals for `` tougher penalties '' at Thursday 's executive meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools would not close again , even if other restrictions are imposed .
`` We will not be going back to a situation where our schools are closed and we 're in total lockdown , '' she added .
On Monday , 616 new cases of Covid-19 were identified in Northern Ireland , bringing the total during the pandemic to 14,690 .
The number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health remains at 584 .
On Sunday , Health Minister Robin Swann Swann said he did not `` want a return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young has said that Northern Ireland may need more than one circuit breaker , or temporary lockdown , this autumn or winter .
Finance Minister Conor Murphy has asked Chancellor Rishi Sunak for an `` urgent '' meeting relating to additional Covid-19 funding for NI .
He was speaking after the executive met on Monday .
The executive has not made any further decisions on imposing more restrictions , but Mr Murphy said ministers will meet again on Thursday .
He said his `` first priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can cope with tackling the virus .
The first and deputy first ministers are expected to reach out to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Taoiseach ( Irish Prime Minister ) Micheál Martin about the next steps across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland .
Mr Murphy also confirmed he was looking at a number of options for new financial support measures for Derry and Strabane , where new restrictions on hospitality have come into force .
`` There are some options in relation to support for Derry and Strabane , it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not-too-distant future for support in other areas , '' he said .
Asked for an estimate of how much financial support may be needed , Mr Murphy said his officials had `` not gotten to that extent yet '' .
He said it would depend on the severity of any further restrictions imposed .
`` The level of support will depend on the level of restrictions , the virus has had a much more rapid growth than anticipated , '' he added .
Meanwhile , Economy Minister Diane Dodds has warned that unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` we have n't seen since the early 1990s '' .
She said further lockdown measures in combination with the end of the government furlough scheme could see the current 3 % rate grow to about 12 % , which was experienced about 30 years ago .
`` That is a terrifying prospect for families and for communities and for individuals , '' she said on Monday .
The minister was updating the assembly on plans to support businesses affected by the tighter restrictions in the Derry and Strabane council area .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming days .
Mrs Dodds also said any further restrictions should take the economic impact and the ability to pay into account .

"There are some options in relation to support for Derry and Strabane, it may be that we are looking in the not-too-distant future for support in other areas," he said.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid: Welsh quarantine considered for UK coronavirus hotspots

People travelling to Wales from Covid hotspots elsewhere in the UK could face quarantine under measures being considered by the Welsh Government .
Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he was looking at how powers could be used to protect areas with lower cases .
It comes after the prime minister rejected calls from Welsh ministers for a travel ban .
Currently people in lockdown areas in England can go on holiday in parts of Wales not subject to restrictions .
It is illegal for people to leave or enter lockdown counties Wales except for a limited set of reasons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar law does not exist for areas under local restrictions in England .
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Westminster government felt it was more `` appropriate '' to put `` travel restrictions in guidance rather than in law '' .
• Which parts of the UK face extra Covid restrictions ?
• What can I do during local lockdowns ?
Mr Gething said if some English areas were countries Wales `` would have quarantine regulations for them '' .
But he said there was `` no good reason '' to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Devon from travelling to Pembrokeshire .
`` We 're having to consider how we use our powers to protect lower-prevalence areas of Wales but at the same time , we do n't want to take a whole-nation approach , '' Mr Gething said .
First Minister Mark Drakeford had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week , asking for travel restrictions to prevent people visiting Wales from areas under lockdown in England .
But Mr Johnson told BBC Wales : `` We are all one country , people should exercise their common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` disappointing '' Mr Johnson did not respond to the letter .
He added that if people travelled from an area like Liverpool there was a risk of `` spreading events '' .
The Conservative health spokesman in the Senedd , Andrew RT Davies , said bringing in quarantine restrictions for people travelling to Wales from Covid hotspots in England was a `` dangerous slope '' for the Welsh Government to go down .
`` If you start introducing such quarantine restrictions in Wales does that mean then there 's a quid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland will start doing the same for Welsh residents ?
`` There are all sorts of questions to be answered before you even entertain implementing such dramatic action . ''
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said he had called for measures to limit travel with Mark Drakeford for `` two weeks running '' .
`` At a time when we need to act quicker and smarter to eliminate the virus , it 's regrettable that it took the UK government 's negligent dismissal of travel restrictions to bounce the Welsh Government into action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restrictions different ?
In Wales it is illegal to enter or leave the 15 locked-down council areas , and the the town of Llanelli , without a `` reasonable excuse '' .
That can include : • For work , if you can not work from home • To meet a legal obligation , and to access or receive public services Travelling through the areas is legal , but breaches can be punished with fines , with a fixed penalty notice of £60 for a first offence .
There is no similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in areas like Merseyside , Halton and Warrington have been asked to avoid non-essential travel .
In the Commons the Labour MP for Swansea West , Geraint Davies , asked Mr Hancock if people travelling from England should quarantine when arriving in Wales .
Mr Hancock said in response : `` The primary transmission of the disease is between households and between households mixing with each other '' .
`` And the approach that we 've taken thus far in England since we came out of the initial full blown lockdown has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than in law , because we felt that 's the most appropriate thing to do .
`` I know that 's not the approach that they 're taking in Wales , but that 's how we are currently handling it in England '' .
James Davies , Conservative Vale of Clwyd MP , said the travel restrictions in north Wales have caused `` huge disruption '' to half a million people .
Mr Davies said people had not been allowed to cross `` often meaningless county council boundaries . ''
The health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a `` simplified '' approach to local lockdowns with the devolved governments .
The UK government is understood to be planning a new three-tier approach to local coronavirus restrictions in England .
Mr Hancock said he had discussed these plans with Mr Gething and that it would `` simplify further if it were undertaken across the UK . ''
What has the UK government said ?
A UK government Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said : `` We work closely with local leaders and public health teams to inform decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a range of factors . ''
Public Health England , the Joint Biosecurity Centre and NHS Test and Trace `` are constantly monitoring the levels of infection across the country , '' the spokesperson added .
`` We discuss measures with local directors of public health and local authorities , constantly reviewing the evidence and we will take swift targeted action where necessary . ''
A data glitch that has delayed test results in England has not impacted Wales , an official has said .
An investigation is under way after nearly 16,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delaying contact tracing efforts .
Giri Shankar , incident director at Public Health Wales , said : `` Preliminary findings from a Department of Health and Social Care analysis have indicated that this issue has not affected Wales , either in terms of data reporting , or in terms of contact tracing under Test , Trace , Protect .
We continue to stay in close contact with the DHSC about this , '' he said .

"And the approach that we've taken thus far in England since we came out of the initial full blown lockdown has been to put travel restrictions in guidance, rather than in law, because we felt that's the most appropriate thing to do.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Coronavirus: How lockdown has affected mental health

Covid-19 may be a physical illness but it has also hit mental health hard .
In August , a group of NHS leaders said they were seeing a rise in people reporting severe mental health difficulties while charities including Mind , Samaritans and Calm have all said they have seen an increase in people coming to them for help .
The BBC 's Unusual Times podcast spoke to people around the country about the impact the pandemic and lockdown has had on them .
Cassius Hackworth , second year drama student , 19 , living in London but from North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health for the first time in my life - I look back at myself in March and see a different person .
`` About a month ago I was diagnosed with an eating disorder .
`` It started when I got my reports back from college .
Some of the things said 'Cass needs to build up some core strength and maybe get a bit fitter ' - which is completely fair .
`` I was n't a very fit person , and musical theatre courses require you to be strong , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I watched what I ate and started exercising .
Over the next couple of months it became this thing I had to do every day .
It got more and more toxic as lockdown went by .
`` I realised it was really bad around July , August time .
I did n't actually realise I had an eating disorder until one of my friends said a lot of the things I am doing are dangerous and demonstrate eating disorder habits so I got help .
`` I felt like I was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's thousands of men going through this .
`` Reaching out for help is incredibly brave and I am proud that I 've done it '' . '
I 've been up and down like a rollercoaster' '' My own opinion of lockdown is that it 's been an absolute nightmare .
`` I suffer mental health problems anyway through a serious head injury I had as a teenager .
It left me with brain damage on my frontal lobe , it affects my emotions , my personality , my sense of humour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was also left with epilepsy - it means I ca n't work , I ca n't drive - so I have to stay fit and active every day .
`` Lockdown meant you could n't see your friends , go to the pub , go to the gym - it was a nightmare .
`` When the restrictions lifted I was back at it .
Now we 're going back in - what are we supposed to do ?
I 'm losing the plot .
`` I write music and write about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way I 'm ever going to get anywhere with all this .
I 'm just trying to keep at it and see where this goes .
`` It 's beyond a joke .
I do n't know how everyone else is coping but I 've been up and down like a rollercoaster . ''
• SOCIAL DISTANCING : How have rules on meeting friends changed ?
• SUPPORT BUBBLES : What are they and who can be in yours ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your area ?
• YOUR QUESTIONS : We answer your queries 'It got bad very fast' '' I 've been working as an activities coordinator in a care home during the pandemic .
As you can imagine , it 's been a very challenging time .
`` I already suffer from depression but since I caught Covid in April , I 've had quite a big dip .
It got very bad very fast .
`` To cope I 've been taking things easy .
I go on lots of walks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loads of places in the North East I 'd never been to before .
`` Most importantly - I 've taken up roller skating and dyed my hair lagoon blue .
These two things have both been very healing .
`` I want to be able to take our residents to South Shields .
I want them to be able to hug their grandchildren .
`` I 'd even be chuffed just to take them to Greggs for a cuppa and a bit of cake just so they can get out .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go green but that 's slightly less urgent . ''
`` What 's affected me the most is the emotional and creative burnout .
`` As soon as the initial lockdown started I was bombarded with social media posts saying that 'this is the time to hone your craft - this is the time to do your dream project ' .
`` One of the things I saw a lot was the statement 'if you 're not working your hardest now - you never really wanted it ' and that kind of thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just went full throttle into projects , songs , videos , another song , concept , outfit , backdrop demo .
I 've got nothing left to give but my brain 's still stuck in this 'if you 're not working - you 're not worth it ' zone .
`` I 've scraped the bottom of the barrel of my brain to pump out a year-and-a-half 's worth of creativity in six months , yet I 'm still sat at my desk annoyed at myself for having nothing left to give .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my advice to anyone else struggling would be that having more time to create does n't equate to having to create more . ''
If you , or someone you know , have been affected by mental health issues , click here for a guide on where to find help and support .

"I write music and write about my problems and that's the only way I'm ever going to get anywhere with all this. I'm just trying to keep at it and see where this goes.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid in Scotland: Sturgeon to meet advisers over further restrictions

Further restrictions could be introduced `` in the near future '' to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Scotland , Nicola Sturgeon has said .
The first minister is to meet advisers and ministers on Monday and Tuesday to discuss fresh measures .
She said it was `` vital that we do everything we can '' to slow the virus and that `` not acting costs lives '' .
Some advisers have backed the idea of a `` circuit breaker '' lockdown as a `` short , sharp shock '' to the spread of Covid-19 .
National Clinical Director Jason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of heightened restrictions could push the course of the pandemic back by 28 days and `` buy time '' ahead of winter .
However , Ms Sturgeon stressed that the term circuit breaker could mean `` a number of things '' , and said she would give the public and parliament `` as much notice as possible '' about any changes .
• Can a 'circuit break ' halt the second Covid wave ?
A further 697 cases of coronavirus were reported in Scotland on Monday , with 12.8 % of people newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a sharp increase in the number of people in hospital being treated for the virus over recent weeks , with 218 currently in hospital and 22 in intensive care .
Ms Sturgeon said this meant ministers had to take `` very difficult decisions '' about imposing fresh restrictions .
The government has consistently warned that fresh measures might need to be introduced ahead of the winter , when the NHS is under greater pressure .
Speaking on BBC Scotland 's Seven Days programme , Mr Leitch said a circuit-breaker - a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about `` buying yourself more time '' and reducing the `` R number '' or reproduction rate of the virus .
This measure tracks the average number of people an individual who has Covid-19 would be expected to infect , and which the government believes currently could be as high as 1.7 .
Mr Leitch said a circuit breaker would not be a full lockdown like the one introduced across the country in March .
He said there might be `` some choices in there about schools or about further education - but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the R number .
`` You get the R number down , you get the numbers down to a reasonable level and then you can begin to reintroduce some of the things that you 've closed .
`` So the idea is that a two-week , roughly , circuit-breaker , would buy you 28 days .
You do n't know that for sure , because it 's not an exact science , but it would buy you about a month in the pandemic . ''
As cases rise , it does n't take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks successfully to the virus spreading out of control .
It becomes much harder to spot where outbreaks start , stretching the Test and Protect system .
This is why some favour the idea of a `` circuit breaker '' .
Introducing a lot of restrictions all at once - perhaps for a couple of weeks - means you can successfully drive infection rates down and you regain control .
But most experts will say that a circuit breaker only buys you time and may have to be done several times to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the stricter the conditions , the bigger the difference in denting that R number , the rate of transmission .
It would make sense to do it when the schools are off and when there is still some economic support through the furlough scheme , but the October break comes at different times in Scotland - and also earlier than the rest of the UK .
The first minister has also said she would prefer a four nations approach to major changes in restrictions .
This is the dilemma for the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how far to go and if , or when , to push the button .
At her daily coronavirus update , Ms Sturgeon said she was `` hopeful '' that the recent curbs introduced in September - including a ban on people visiting each other in their homes - would `` help us stem the increase of the virus '' .
However , she said : `` There may well be a need for some further restrictions in the near future . ''
The first minister is to meet advisers to study the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and will then hold discussions with her cabinet on Tuesday .
She could potentially announce any changes at Holyrood as soon as Tuesday afternoon .
Ms Sturgeon said : `` If we do decide more restrictions are necessary , I want to assure you that we will give the public and the parliament as much notice as possible .
`` If we decide extra restrictions are necessary , it is because we deem it vital to get the virus under control and avoid unnecessary loss of life . ''
At Monday 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith said that `` applying measures in a short , sharp way '' could bring down the growth rate of the pandemic while also reducing the number of cases in circulation .
Ms Sturgeon said such a move would be about `` buying some time that gets you through winter '' .
She said it was important to suppress the virus `` while we 're waiting on other things to happen '' - such as the development of a vaccine .
The first minister also said `` four nation '' talks with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to be held on Monday afternoon .
During the briefing , Ms Sturgeon also announced a relaxation to the rules on the number of adults who can attend parent and baby groups .
Up to 10 adults will now be able to gather at the same time when their babies are under a year old , although the existing limit of five parents remains when the children are over 12 months .
• RULES : What are the restrictions in Scotland ?
• LOCKDOWN : Six months that changed our lives • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Scotland ?
• NUMBERS : Four key figures to watch out for

It would make sense to do it when the schools are off and when there is still some economic support through the furlough scheme, but the October break comes at different times in Scotland - and also earlier than the rest of the UK. The first minister has also said she would prefer a four nations approach to major changes in restrictions.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Covid: How many cases might contact tracers have missed?

An IT failure has caused almost 16,000 coronavirus cases to go missing from official data in England .
The infected individuals themselves were notified , and would hopefully have isolated to prevent spreading the infection , but the glitch meant none of their contacts were notified at the time .
A BBC analysis suggests this could mean at least 34,000 contacts were left in the dark about having been exposed to the virus .
And those missed contacts , who tracers are now urgently trying to reach , may have been unknowingly spreading the virus on to others for days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to contact-tracing .
Every missed day represents an opportunity for the infection to travel .
At the moment , about 60 % of people who are reached by a contact tracer will provide contacts - and they hand over the names of five people on average .
Of those contacts , 72 % are reached and told to self-isolate .
Applying that performance to the 15,841 cases missed due to the IT glitch , we can estimate that almost 10,000 would have provided just under 50,000 contacts , of whom about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conservative estimate , since the original 15,841 cases could have had as many as 80,000 close contacts , although the test-and-trace system would have been unlikely to reach all of them .
Based on NHS Test and Trace findings so far , most of the contacts would be what experts call `` non-complex '' cases - people living in the community rather than in care homes , for example .
Around 60 % would be people living in the same household as the infected person who tested positive .
So , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of the positive result .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament 51 % of the missed cases had been contacted since the weekend .
Where are they ?
Analysis by the BBC 's Data Journalism team shows that while all parts of England are affected , some areas make up a bigger share : • The North West had the most `` missed '' cases added to its testing figures over the weekend , almost doubling its infections from 9,012 to 17,360 • But , because the North West has the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect it to have the most missed proportionally • In relative terms , the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber saw the biggest increases in cases once the missed tests were added in • The North East and the South West also saw their testing figures for the last week more than double The hotspots have become hotter A breakdown of the lost cases has shown that while all parts of England are affected , most of them are in the North West , the area of the country that already had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two biggest cities - Liverpool and Manchester - had infection rates around 10 times the national average last week .
The rates reported previously - at just below 300 cases per 100,000 people - have now increased significantly , to between 400 and 500 cases per 100,000 .
The government says it would not have altered the decisions ministers have taken - last week tougher rules were brought in on households mixing - but it does mean there is even more pressure to bring down infection levels in that part of the country @

The government says it would not have altered the decisions ministers have taken - last week tougher rules were brought in on households mixing - but it does mean there is even more pressure to bring down infection levels in that part of the country.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--No James Bond - so which films are still being released at cinemas?

James Bond has gone from hero to villain in the eyes of some film fans who now fear for the future of the big screen , after 007 's latest delay led Cineworld to shut its doors ( for now ) .
But despite the disappearance of most blockbusters and a large chunk of the audience , many cinemas are battling to stay open , and there 's still a long list of smaller-budget films in the schedule .
Director Jessica Swale , whose drama Summerland came out this summer , said she understood the financial `` fear '' that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bond 's No Time To Die , Fast and Furious 9 and Marvel 's Black Widow until 2021 .
But she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme there was `` a much bigger picture '' to take into consideration if studios want movie theatres to survive the pandemic .
`` The blockbusters are the vehicles which restore our audiences , and so essentially if they stay away , I think the audiences will too , '' she said .
If no blockbusters get released , the `` knock-on effect '' is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry will be under threat .
Meanwhile , film critic Jason Solomons told BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday that he fears the public will `` lose the passion we have for cinema '' .
Watching films at home does n't have the same magic , no matter how big your screen is , he said .
Some films , such as Disney 's live action Mulan remake , went straight to streaming rather than risk a cinema release .
If we get out of the cinema habit , Solomons warned that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of escape - getting up , going out , being with friends , having a date '' .
He added : `` Because of Covid , we 're losing all of this fun .
We 're losing theatres , we 're losing gigs , we 're losing clubs .
But to lose the cinemas - that is the last vestige of culture and civilisation . ''
• Odeon to cut hours at some cinemas to weekend-only After Cineworld 's announcement , Tim Richards , the boss of rival chain Vue , complained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` we have no movies '' .
What he meant was , they have no blockbusters .
However , there are plenty of new movies - some of which could find fans among the loyal cinema audience .
Pick and mix of some of the new films due for release : Rose Glass 's psychological horror Saint Maud - released in the UK on Friday , 9 October - follows hospice nurse Maud ( Morfydd Clark ) , who fears she may have become possessed after becoming obsessed with a former dancer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Empire magazine said it has `` ambition and audacity [ which ] should be shouted from the rooftops '' .
Out on the same day is Miranda July 's comedy Kajillionaire , in which the life of Evan Rachel Wood 's character is turned upside down when her criminal parents ( Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins ) invite an outsider to join them on a heist .
The following week sees the release of Herself , the third film from Mamma Mia !
and The Iron Lady director Phyllida Lloyd .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to get from those Abba and Margaret Thatcher movies .
This tale of a Dublin woman trying to leave an abusive marriage behind was described by Variety as `` the standout of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival '' .
Friday 16 October also sees the return of Robert De Niro in The War With Grandpa .
The comedy , directed by Tim Hill , is about a young boy ( Oakes Fegley ) who works to get his grandfather to move out of his room , after he moves in with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pixie and The Secret Garden .
The former is a Barnaby Thompson-steered heist film centring around a woman ( Olivia Cooke ) and two men who find themselves on the run in Ireland after their plan goes wrong .
The latter - based on Frances Hodgson Burnett 's 1911 novel of the same name - is a fantasy drama about a young orphan ( Dixie Egerickx ) who is sent to live with her uncle ( Colin Firth ) - only to find a magical garden at his estate .
Luxor , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tells the tale of British aid worker Hana ( Andrea Riseborough ) returning to the ancient Egyptian city - struggling to reconcile the choices of her past with the uncertainty of the present .
At the end of November , Jamie Foxx stars in Soul , the latest Disney/Pixar animation , about a music teacher whose soul gets separated from his body after an accident .
And Neil Burger 's Voyagers finds Colin Farrell and co sent into deep space on a maddening multi-generational mission in search of a new home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cinematic orbit at the end of November .
The Harry Macqueen-directed film stars Firth ( again ) and Stanley Tucci who `` dazzle '' ( according to The Guardian ) as a veteran pair facing their fears about love and mortality .
Existing releases Tenet , After We Collided and Bill & Ted Face the Music are among those still playing widely .
And into December , the new Dune adaptation starring Timothee Chalamet was due for release - although this has now been moved to October 2021 , according to the movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to see major releases like Eddie Murphy 's Coming 2 America and Wonder Woman 1984 in December - but a lot can happen between now and Christmas ...
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Seven days later will bring Pixie and The Secret Garden. The former is a Barnaby Thompson-steered heist film centring around a woman (Olivia Cooke) and two men who find themselves on the run in Ireland after their plan goes wrong. The latter - based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name - is a fantasy drama about a young orphan (Dixie Egerickx) who is sent to live with her uncle (Colin Firth) - only to find a magical garden at his estate.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Youth jail plans therapy rather than steel doors

`` Once you 're caught in the grip of the system you are doomed , '' says the founder of a radically different approach to jailing young offenders .
Steve Chalke aims to stop a revolving door of criminality that at present sees 69 % of young prisoners reoffending within a year of release .
He says the `` 19th Century , Dickensian '' approach is `` absolutely broken '' .
Instead he will lead England 's first `` secure school '' , opening near Rochester , Kent in 2022 .
According to the Ministry of Justice 's recent White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-offending must be `` schools with security , rather than prisons with education '' .
The proposed legislation will also allow a charity to run these new institutions - and the charity running the first secure school will be the Oasis group , headed by Mr Chalke .
`` We have to move from a model of justice which is about retaliation to a model that 's about resettlement and renewal , '' he says .
`` And the only way of doing that is a psychologically-informed approach . ''
There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than metal doors and warders with bunches of keys - even though this will remain a secure jail with a perimeter wall .
`` There are going to be bedrooms , not cells ; a house , not a wing , '' says Mr Chalke .
He wants to use neuroscience rather than clanging steel doors and bars .
Toughened glass , thick wooden doors , electronic fobs rather than locks and keys can be as secure as steel bars , he argues , but with a different and less aggressive atmosphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` retribution '' and a system that `` scares and intimidates '' .
`` So we lock people up in cells and behind bars and all the rest of it , leave them there for three , four or five years , let them go and then wonder why they 've not got better , '' he says .
`` When the public talk about the word 'secure ' , they think of bolts and bars and locks .
Whereas , for a lot of young people , what they need is 'security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish they could go to sleep tonight and feel secure that they wo n't be woken up by their dad beating up their mum or their mum having another alcoholic row .
They want to sleep in security , '' says Mr Chalke , whose academy trust group runs more than 50 schools .
The starting point has been trying to break the pattern of reoffending - to end the cycle in which offenders enter the prison system as children and then are highly likely to return there as adults .
There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crime - for the 69 % who reoffend within a year of release , each young reoffender commits an average of five crimes .
For shorter times in custody , of six months or less , the reoffending rate is even higher at 77 % .
And the reoffending rates for those leaving custody are much higher than for young people given cautions or non-custodial sentences .
There is also a financial cost .
A young offender institution costs £76,000 per inmate per year , a secure training centre place £160,000 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per year .
And House of Commons library figures show there were 269 assaults per month on average in young offender institutions .
Mr Chalke wants the secure school to turn the page on how young inmates are treated .
Not least because the challenge is changing .
There has been a rapid reduction in the number of under-18s in custody , down by more than two thirds since 2001 , to a current total of about 860 .
In contrast almost 13,000 were given community sentences .
But Mr Chalke says those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more hard-core group of serious offenders , often with complex psychological problems .
He wants to use the expertise of mental health services working with dangerous people in secure settings - and to use advances in neuroscience to address the impact of neglect and abuse .
Alongside the education and therapy inside , he wants to set up a much more effective safety net for when inmates are released - helping with accommodation and employment .
Mr Chalke tells the story of what he 's trying to avoid - a 17 year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being intercepted by their former gang and sent out as a drugs courier and getting stabbed in a dispute , all within a day .
But the secure school is being built on a troubled site - the former Medway secure training centre .
This was the subject of an undercover investigation by BBC Panorama and was later closed .
It 's also not far from the village of Borstal , which gave its name to a previous approach at youth justice .
Frances Crook of the Howard League for Penal Reform rejects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and said it is `` not the answer '' .
She says it is just another in a long list of `` reinventing ways of punishing children by locking them up - which always failed '' .
The prison reform organisation 's chief executive said the problem was sending so many children to prison , rather than cosmetic changes to how they were treated .
But the Ministry of Justice says that secure schools , with their focus on education and `` wrap-around health services '' are going to be the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of youth custody '' .

"So we lock people up in cells and behind bars and all the rest of it, leave them there for three, four or five years, let them go and then wonder why they've not got better," he says.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Can Boris Johnson's levelling-up mission survive Covid?

The UK can and will `` build back better '' .
The Conservatives ' theme at their virtual party conference this week is a message that Boris Johnson has sought to impart continuously since the country emerged from lockdown in early July .
But as the prime minister prepares to deliver his leader 's speech on Tuesday , his party is facing up to the impact that the worst public health crisis for a century is likely to have on its ability to deliver on its promises to voters .
The PM has insisted his mission of national renewal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key backdrop to the Tories ' thumping victory in December 's election , has not been put to one side in the national struggle against Covid .
He says the programme , which the party describes on its conference website as `` driving lasting change in parts of the country forgotten by successive governments '' , is being accelerated , rather than slowed , by the pandemic .
And the rush of announcements made during the four-day event and beforehand suggest the government knows it can not afford to lose sight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give those living outside London and the south of England a better chance in life and bigger slice of the economic cake .
In his own speech , the PM will earmark £160m to upgrade ports and infrastructure in Teesside , the Humber and other areas as part of a drive to make the UK a world-leader in low-cost green energy .
• Action on left behind parts of England 'delayed' • Conservatives to set up second HQ in Leeds Elsewhere , the lion 's share of a £80m fund for local regeneration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North East , North West and Yorkshire , a review of transport links will look at upgrading the A1 in Northumberland , while a shake-up of vocational education will pay for all 18-year-olds without an A-level to take a college course .
These are all consistent with the Tories ' promises in their election manifesto to share prosperity and opportunities more equally across the UK and to boost economic performance beyond the capital .
The party is also seeking to leave a more permanent imprint of its own by opening a second HQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help its MPs defend the dozens of `` Red Wall '' seats snatched from Labour in December , some of which turned blue for the first time in electoral history .
But as Conservative activists grapple with the role that transport , green and digital technologies will play in the UK 's post-Covid recovery , the legacy of what is the UK 's deepest post-war recession can not be ignored .
The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the government faces a `` daunting task '' if it is to reverse deep-seated regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe , in the current climate .
In a recent analysis , the respected think tank warned that inequalities within regions are often more acute , with towns in post-industrial regions , coastal resorts and isolated rural areas among those which have fallen furthest behind , a situation which could be exacerbated by Covid and any disruption to post-Brexit trade with Europe .
Even `` well-designed policies could take years or even decades to have a meaningful effect '' , it says .
While the government is right to focus on addressing decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D outside London and the South East , it says the cost of closing the gap can not be underestimated , with £22bn alone being needed to bring per person spending on transport across England in line with that in the capital .
The government , it adds , `` can not be all things to all places '' .
Whatever improvements can be made in infrastructure , housing and skills , the IFS says the success of the levelling-up agenda will inevitably be judged on how far employment and pay disparities can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the think tank as one of the five most `` left-behind '' towns in terms of working-age employment rates , has had some recent success stories to celebrate .
Start-up bank GBB announced recently it would set up its headquarters in the town , creating more than 120 jobs , while the National Hydrogen Transport Centre is also basing itself there - consolidating the Teesside 's market-leading position in the emerging clean technology .
But , at the same time , Covid is casting a long shadow over the North East , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of jobs in hospitality and retail are `` hanging by a thread '' due to local restrictions .
Speaking to the BBC 's Newscast podcast last week , Andy Preston - who despite being an independent is admired by local Tories - said the implications of the virtual lockdown for the local economy were `` monstrous '' .
He said he had been left `` fuming '' at what he said was the lack of consultation and dialogue with ministers over restrictions , which have prompted claims of a growing North-South divide in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fraying in relations between local leaders and ministers does not augur well at a time when the government 's blueprint for further devolution in England has reportedly been shelved until next year .
Far-reaching plans to create more combined authorities and directly elected mayors , while at the same time abolishing a raft of district councils , have caused unease in some Tory heartlands .
Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine , who championed English devolution while advising David Cameron , has urged the government to get on with it , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hampering progress .
`` There should be no presumption that civil servants in London devising schemes which seem sensible to ministers should be imposed on local economies , '' he told a recent meeting of the Lords Economic Affairs Committee .
But the former Tory , who lost the party whip after rebelling against the government over Brexit , has urged ministers to get the capital on board and not give the impression that London is being penalised for its success .
`` It is very difficult to see how you level up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` You are never going to make a success of an economy by holding back the most successful core part . ''

While the government is right to focus on addressing decades of under-investment in transport and R&D outside London and the South East, it says the cost of closing the gap cannot be underestimated, with £22bn alone being needed to bring per person spending on transport across England in line with that in the capital.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Alcoholism in the time of coronavirus

Alcoholism in the time of coronavirus

We had an incident during lockdown when the police came out .
He was on the phone to the ambulance @ @ @ @ @ phone to me because he was so drunk he could n't get his words out @ @ @ @ @ him shouting abuse in the background and she sent the police .

We had an incident during lockdown when the police came out. He was on the phone to the ambulance operator and he handed the phone to me because he was so drunk he couldn't get his words out. The operator could hear him shouting abuse in the background and she sent the police.


bbcuk--2020-10-05--Small firms suffer as banks make it harder to get a bounce-back loan

Quitting his IT job two years ago to start a beer tour business was a dream for Mike Hampshire .
But his hopes of breaking even in his second year of operation were crushed when the coronavirus crisis hit in spring .
Now the future of his Leeds-based business is in serious doubt as he 's been unable to get a bounce-back loan .
`` Without a loan to tide me over I 'm going to have to look for other work , '' he said .
He 's not the only small business owner struggling to survive without being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government scheme .
Mr Bounceback , an anonymous northern businessman behind a website which helps struggling small firms , said he has heard from lots of people with problems .
`` Several banks are not accepting new customers , and the majority of them have chosen to only allow their existing customers to apply , or even worse some lenders appear to be handpicking customers and inviting them to apply , '' he said .
`` With many firms facing continued cashflow pressures , it is concerning that businesses who bank with non-accredited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vital financial lifelines , '' said Suren Thiru , head of economics at the British Chambers of Commerce .
But banking trade body UK Finance told the BBC that `` the vast majority of applicants have been able to rapidly access the finance they need through the bounce-back loan scheme . ''
It pointed out that more than 1.26 million smaller businesses have already received more than £38bn in finance so far .
`` There are now 28 accredited lenders offering finance through the scheme , including some that are open to new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire 's guided beer tours came to a sudden halt in March when pubs shut their doors .
`` I 've pretty much had no income since March , but had a bit of cash put by , so thought I 'd try and ride it out , '' he told the BBC .
`` When pubs re-opened , the social-distancing rules made it impossible to run the tours and I 've also had to cancel the annual beer festival I run in November . ''
With his money running out he turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a bounce-back loan .
`` I need about £5,000 to see me through to the spring when , hopefully , things will be better , '' he said .
But he banks with Monzo which is n't one of the 28 lenders which signed up for the government scheme .
He tried to apply through HSBC , but the bank closed its doors to new customers last week , the day before he made his application .
Now he reckons he 'll have to take on a different job , just to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There are so many unknowns .
If I do find another job , it could well become a permanent thing which would mean the end of my business . ''
HSBC said that it has made £12bn of bounce back loans and that it is trying to prioritise existing applications , which is why it closed applications to new customers on 30 September .
`` We are no longer accepting new applications for Bounce Back Loans from companies that do n't have an existing HSBC business account and we will also stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers until 14 December , '' the bank said .
Lloyds Banking Group , which includes Bank of Scotland and Halifax , says limiting bounce back loans to existing companies makes applications speedy as well as fraud and money laundering checks .
Bounce-back loans allow small firms to borrow up to £50,000 over nine years at preferential rates , with the loans 100 % guaranteed by the government .
The closing date for bounce-back loan applications is 30 November which means time is running out for firms who have yet to secure a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lenders have approved 1,260,940 applications for the BBL scheme .
Of the 28 accredited lenders on the bounce-back loan site , only two appear to offer loans to non-customers : peer-to-peer site Funding Circle , and Capital on Tap .
Skipton Building Society accepts non-customers but only if they sign up for an invoice finance facility too , which requires credit checks .
`` Government-backed loans are just one part of the industry 's wider support for businesses during these difficult times , with providers also offering commercial lending , capital repayment holidays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning there is a range of help available for any firm that needs it , '' said UK Finance .
The BCC 's Suren Thiru said : `` Government , regulators and banks must work together to ensure that a greater number of firms can access this support during this challenging period . ''

"Several banks are not accepting new customers, and the majority of them have chosen to only allow their existing customers to apply, or even worse some lenders appear to be handpicking customers and inviting them to apply," he said.