Coronation Street's Anne 'Deirdre' Kirkbride Dies

Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow in the soap, has died aged 60 after a short illness.

A statement on the soap's website said the cast and crew were "heartbroken".

The actress was part of the ITV soap for 42 years after joining in 1972 - and has been part of some major storylines.

William Roache, who played her on-screen husband Ken Barlow, said: "I feel Anne's loss so personally having worked closely with her for over 40 years.

"We had some rows over the years as Ken and Deirdre, and it was wonderful to play those scenes opposite her.

"Coronation Street has lost one of its iconic characters and Anne will be greatly missed."

William Roache said Kirkbride was 'loving and vibrant'

One of the most memorable plots - the love triangle between Deirdre, Ken and Mike Baldwin - led to her being voted TV Personality Of The Year in 1983.

When her character chose Ken Barlow over Mike Baldwin in 1983, cheers went up as the "result" flashed up on the Old Trafford scoreboard.

Video: Kirkbride Was 'Iconic' - Roache

It read: "Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 - Mike 0."

In 1993 it was revealed she had throat cancer and she took three months off the show while undergoing treatment.

Many major storylines led viewers and fans to act as if Deirdre was a real person.

So much so that in 1998 then-Prime Minister Tony Blair promised to intervene to get Deirdre released from prison after she was duped into mortgage fraud.

Mr Blair gave his full support to the "Free The Weatherfield One" campaign.

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1. Gallery: Coronation Street Actress Anne 'Deirdre' Kirkbride Dies

   Anne Kirkbride has died aged 60 after a short illness

The actress was one of the best known on British television, having played Deirdre Barlow for more than 40 years

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Anne Kirkbride 'Was A True Icon Of Corrie'

Tributes are pouring in for Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride, who has died aged 60.

Fellow Coronation Street actors lined up to pay their respects to Kirkbride, who played Deirdre in the ITV soap for 42 years.

Kirkbride's on-screen daughter Kate Ford wrote: "Heartbroken at the loss of my friend and beautiful on screen mummy. The most crazy funny 100 per cent human. My life was enriched by her."

"My beautiful darling friend, Anne Kirkbride, passed away in a room filled with love. God Bless, my Darling Girl! Peace and rest," said Beverley Callard, who plays Liz McDonald.

In a statement William Roache, who played Anne's onscreen husband Ken Barlow, said: "I feel Anne's loss so personally having worked closely with her for over 40 years.

"She was such a loving and vibrant person. You always knew she was there because her laugh was never far away."

Les Dennis, who plays Michael Rodwell, tweeted: "So very sad to hear our lovely Anne Kirkbride has died. One of the true icons of @itvcorrie. We will all miss you. The nations favourite."

Alan Halsall, who has played Tyrone in the soap since 1998, said: "Rip Annie beautiful woman inside & out xxx #devastated #corriefamily".

Actress and singer Kym Marsh, who plays Michelle Connor, tweeted: "Cannot describe how devastated we all are. Sleep tight gorgeous lady we will miss you ridiculous amounts RIP Annie x".

Gaynor Faye, who starred alongside Kirkbride from 1995 to 1999, wrote: "Anne Kirkbride's smile & laugh always lit up the #Corrie green room...may it light up the sky as bright!"

Actor and singer Adam Rickitt, who was also in the show in the late 90s, wrote: "Just heard..so gutted. Annie..u were pure class..a smile always when needed and a hug always from the heart".

Other famous names from UK television have also expressed their condolences, including presenter Lorraine Kelly who wrote: "So very sad to hear of death of Anne Kirkbride - Thoughts with her husband and family and everyone who loved her. Corrie legend."

Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale in EastEnders, tweeted: "Such sad news about Anne Kirkbride. My thoughts are with her family and all the Corrie cast and crew."

Presenter and actor Paddy McGuinness posted a picture of a pair of glasses, similar to those worn by Deirdre in the soap. 

"Anne Kirkbride RIP. A part of our lives whether you knew her or not. She created such an iconic character," he wrote.

Phillip Schofield tweeted: "Just checked my phone and have heard of the sad loss of the wonderful Anne Kirkbride. My deepest condolences to the #Corrie family x."

News of Kirkbride's death has also featured on many of Tuesday's newspaper front pages.

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UK's First Organ Transplant From Newborn Baby

Doctors have performed the first organ transplant on a newborn baby in Britain.

The donor was a girl who was delivered by an emergency caesarean at Hammersmith Hospital in west London.

Her brain had been starved of oxygen during pregnancy and she died six days later. She weighed 6lbs 8oz.

When it became clear she was not going to survive her parents gave consent for her kidneys and liver cells being used for the benefit of two other patients.

News of the operation has been revealed in an article in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood.

The authors, neonatal specialists Gaurav Atreja and Sunit Godambe, said they hoped more transplants using the organs of newly-born children would follow.

The girl was born at Hammersmith Hospital

"This case has set a milestone in the care of newborns in the UK," they wrote.

"We hope that neonatal units across the UK will actively start thinking about this noble cause, which makes the grieving family's journey easier and has the potential to transform another life."

Other research published in the journal last year said small babies in need of organ donations have "the odds stacked against them" because of current UK guidelines.

Guidance by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges restricts UK medics from diagnosing brain stem death in children who die before they are two months old, researchers said.

Because of this, a UK baby in need of a life-saving heart donation has to wait until one can be flown in from elsewhere.

The limitation does not apply to the rest of Europe, the US and Australia where infant transplants - though rare - are more common.

The Royal College of Paediatrics is expected to publish new guidelines on diagnosing death in babies between 37 weeks and two months following the UK transplant.

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Eurotunnel Fire: Delays Continue For Third Day

Travel disruption sparked by Saturday's fire in the Channel Tunnel is dragging on into a third day.

Eurotunnel passengers travelling by car or coach from the UK are having to wait about 90 minutes, and "approximately three hours" on the French side.

In an early morning update, the company said there was still "some timetable disruption" as repair work went on to fix damaged sections of the tunnel.

Despite the delays, Eurotunnel said it was "optimistic" of "more regular departures".

Train operator Eurostar, a separate company, was also hopeful, tweeting: "Eurostar plans to run a full service on Mon 19 Jan. Passengers are advised to check-in as normal."

Saturday's cancelled service caused big queues at London St Pancras

Thousands of passengers using Eurotunnel and the Eurostar high-speed train were left stranded on Saturday after a lorry fire stopped services.

Spokesman John O'Keefe said a "smouldering load" was found in the trailer of the lorry.

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1. Gallery: Travel Chaos In London And Paris

   This was the scene at St Pancras International station in London as Eurostar services are cancelled in both directions on Saturday

The company said trains would not be running on that day

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Britain Seeks To Wipe Out Tuberculosis

UK health chiefs have launched a £11.5m plan to try to wipe out tuberculosis in Britain, which has the second highest rate of the lung disease among Western European countries.

The plan will see Public Health England work with the NHS to improve access to screening, testing and treatment services as well as outreach programmes such as 'Find and Treat' mobile health units.

Paul Cosford, a PHE director, said: "TB should be consigned to the past, and yet it is occurring in England at higher rates than most of Western Europe."

Bruce Keogh, NHS England's medical director, said: "Our goal is to eliminate TB as a public health problem."

Often thought of as a disease of the past, when it was dubbed "the white plague" for rendering its victims pale and feverish, TB has stubbornly persisted in Britain.

It occurs mainly in areas of poverty and deprivation. The bacterial disease is hard to treat and contagious, passing on via the coughs and sneezes of an infected person.

In 2013, 7,290 TB cases were reported in England, an incidence of 13.5 cases per 100,000 of the population.

TB cases are concentrated in urban "hot spots" including London, Leicester, Birmingham, Luton, Manchester and Coventry.

PHE officials say TB clinics in London manage more cases a year than those in all other western European capitals together.

Drug resistant TB is also an increasing problem, with cases of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB rising from 28 cases in England in 2000, to 68 in 2013.

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More Freezing Temperatures On The Way

After the coldest night of the winter so far, forecasters have warned there will be no respite from plunging temperatures, which could last until later this week.

The mercury fell as low as minus 11C overnight and into Monday morning in areas of inland Scotland, with temperatures hovering around minus 7C across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

An amber warning - the second highest - for icy conditions across most of England, including the North, the Midlands and East Anglia, has been issued until midday on Thursday by the Met Office.

Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang said: "Today looks set to be a cold dry and bright day for most, although some snow showers are likely, especially in northeast England."

The Met Office said on its website: "Large areas of England will experience colder than average conditions in the coming week, with widespread overnight frosts.

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1. Gallery: Snow And Ice Hit Parts Of UK

   Snow and icy conditions are hitting many parts of the UK - and temperatures are set to plunge well below zero in many areas.

These pictures were taken in Cumbria, one of the areas hit by snowfall

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Delays As Eurostar Services Resume After Fire

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Video: Eurotunnel Services Resume

Passengers are being warned to expect delays on Eurostar services after a lorry fire left thousands stranded on both sides of the Channel.

Passenger services and the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle car service were stopped on Saturday after the vehicle caught fire on the French side of the railway's south tunnel.

The incident led to long queues at St Pancras station in London as services were cancelled. Queues have formed again at the station, where Sky's Charlotte Lomas-Farley reports this morning's first Eurostar train has now departed.

There were also delays and queues in Paris.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said services resumed at 2.45am UK time.

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1. Gallery: Travel Chaos In London And Paris

   This is the scene at St Pancras International station in London as Eurostar services are cancelled in both directions

The company said trains would not be running on Saturday

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Large queues of passengers have formed - but they are being told they will be unable to travel

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It is a similar scene at Gare du Nord station in Paris - this board shows all services have been cancelled

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Passengers are having to make alternative arrangements

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Passenger service Eurostar says it plans to run a full service today, but only "for passengers who have an existing reservation for this date".

Trains are expected to be delayed by between 30 minutes and an hour.

The company added that people whose trains were cancelled on Saturday are advised not to arrive at stations unless they had already been re-booked.

A Eurostar spokesman said: "All passengers who are booked to travel tomorrow, Sunday 18 January, should check in as normal half an hour before departure.

"Eurostar services tomorrow are already very busy and availability is limited."

Earlier, Eurotunnel spokesman John O'Keefe said a "smouldering load" was found in the trailer of the lorry.

The alarm was triggered after CO2 detectors were activated in one tunnel, Eurotunnel said.

Video: Passengers Hit By Eurostar Alert

A Kent Police spokesman said: "A lorry fire has led to the closure of both bores of the Channel Tunnel.

"The fire was at the French end of the tunnel and is being dealt with by the French authorities.

"There are no reported injuries."

In March, hundreds of Eurostar passengers were delayed after a lightning strike triggered a fire in a building close to the entrance to the tunnel in Kent.

Although there was no damage to the track, four trains in and out of England were affected.

Three eventually reached their destination but the fourth, which had been heading to Paris, was forced to turn back to London.

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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Eurotunnel Services Resume

Passengers are being warned to expect delays on Eurostar services after a lorry fire left thousands stranded on both sides of the Channel.

Passenger services and the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle car service were stopped on Saturday after the vehicle caught fire on the French side of the railway's south tunnel.

The incident led to long queues at St Pancras station in London as services were cancelled. Queues have formed again at the station, where Sky's Charlotte Lomas-Farley reports this morning's first Eurostar train has now departed.

There were also delays and queues in Paris.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said services resumed at 2.45am UK time.

1/7

1. Gallery: Travel Chaos In London And Paris

   This is the scene at St Pancras International station in London as Eurostar services are cancelled in both directions

The company said trains would not be running on Saturday

]]>

Large queues of passengers have formed - but they are being told they will be unable to travel

]]>

It is a similar scene at Gare du Nord station in Paris - this board shows all services have been cancelled

]]>

Passengers are having to make alternative arrangements

]]>

Passenger service Eurostar says it plans to run a full service today, but only "for passengers who have an existing reservation for this date".

Trains are expected to be delayed by between 30 minutes and an hour.

The company added that people whose trains were cancelled on Saturday are advised not to arrive at stations unless they had already been re-booked.

A Eurostar spokesman said: "All passengers who are booked to travel tomorrow, Sunday 18 January, should check in as normal half an hour before departure.

"Eurostar services tomorrow are already very busy and availability is limited."

Earlier, Eurotunnel spokesman John O'Keefe said a "smouldering load" was found in the trailer of the lorry.

The alarm was triggered after CO2 detectors were activated in one tunnel, Eurotunnel said.

Video: Passengers Hit By Eurostar Alert

A Kent Police spokesman said: "A lorry fire has led to the closure of both bores of the Channel Tunnel.

"The fire was at the French end of the tunnel and is being dealt with by the French authorities.

"There are no reported injuries."

In March, hundreds of Eurostar passengers were delayed after a lightning strike triggered a fire in a building close to the entrance to the tunnel in Kent.

Although there was no damage to the track, four trains in and out of England were affected.

Three eventually reached their destination but the fourth, which had been heading to Paris, was forced to turn back to London.

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4. Murdered Artist: Police To Begin DNA Screening
5. Fish Factory Fire Raged For Over 10 Hours

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Murdered Artist: Police To Begin DNA Screening

Police investigating the unsolved murder of a grandmother as she house-sat for friends are set to start voluntary DNA screening.

Men who live, work or visit the Bosham area of West Sussex are being urged to eliminate themselves from suspicion following the killing of 55-year-old Valerie Graves.

The DNA screening will take place at the Millstream Hotel in the village from Wednesday.

It is the latest move by detectives who have launched a large-scale manhunt for the killer of grandmother and mother of two Ms Graves.

The claw hammer which may have been used to kill Valerie Graves.

She is believed to have been killed with a claw hammer in a ground floor bedroom in Smugglers Lane, Bosham, on 30 December,  2013.

She was bludgeoned as she house-sat with her sister Jan, mother Eileen and her sister's partner, Nigel Acres, while the property's owners went abroad for Christmas.

Video: Murdered Woman's Family Make Appeal

More than 9,500 people have been interviewed by police, a £20,000 reward has been offered, a BBC Crimewatch appeal has been made and a limited DNA match of a suspect has been yielded.

But despite an exhaustive inquiry, no one has been charged.

The death of Ms Graves shocked the small community of Bosham, which featured in an episode of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.

Last month, Ms Graves's two children Tim Wood, 32, and Jemima Harrison, 35, spoke - along with Mr Acres - ahead of the first anniversary of her murder.

The family said Christmas was put "on hold" as they faced their first festive season without her and as her murderer still remains at large.

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Fish Factory Fire Raged For Over 10 Hours

Fire crews have brought a huge blaze at a fish factory in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, under control.

The fire broke out at the Fresh Catch processing plant, sending plumes of smoke across the town and forcing the evacuation of homes and streets.

At its peak 10 fire units and several specialist crews tackled the flames at the industrial site in Kirk Square on Saturday.

Three crews remained at the scene overnight to damp down the fire before investigators assess the damage and potential cause later.

Emergency services were called to the blaze just before 3pm yesterday and did not stand down until just before 1am when they had managed to tame it.

Banff and Buchan SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford said last night: "Thankfully Police Scotland say there no reports of casualties but homes have been evacuated and the priority now is everybody's safety.

"This will be a very uncertain time for the workforce and, once the extent of the damage is known, we will be in a better position to assess what kind of assistance might be required."

Aberdeenshire Council tweeted: "A number of roads around Peterhead town centre are closed and are likely to remain closed into Sunday.

"We would like to thank all emergency service personnel involved in tackling today's fire in Peterhead and keeping people safe."

Fresh Catch is owned by Northbay Pelagic in Peterhead, one of Europe's busiest fish landing ports. It is reported to employ around 300 people.

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Man Charged Over South Oxfordshire Fires

A 47-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of alleged arson attacks in South Oxfordshire.

Andrew Main, from Roke, Wallingford, allegedly started blazes in Crowmarsh Gifford and Rokemarsh in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A council office, a funeral parlour and a thatched cottage were all set on fire.

Main has been charged with one count of arson with intent to endanger life and two counts of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court today.

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