delays hit Northern, Piccadilly, District, Central and Victoria lines

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Tube commuters are braced for another morning of rush hour travel chaos after disruption hit several London Undergroundlines.

Signal failures sparked severe delays on the Victoria, Northern and District lines, while the Piccadilly line and Central lines offered a reduced service as repairs were carried out to its fleet of trains.

Last night, Transport for London told the Standard the delays to the Piccadilly line would persist for a fortnight while engineers “work around the clock” to repair damaged trains.

Passengers using the line – the fourth busiest on the London Underground network - have already faced days of severe delays after “wet leaves on the track” damaged the wheels on several trains.

TfL apologised to customers for the delays.

Lighting and motor repairs were also being carried out to Central line trains causing delays until about 8am, TfL said.

A signal failure at Finchley Central at about 5am today meant the Northern line was suspended between that station and Mill Hill East. 

A faulty train added to the disruption on the line with minor delays between Camden Town and Edgware.

The Victoria line was suspended between Finsbury Park and Walthamstow Central after a signalling problem at about 6am. 

Service later resumed with severe delays and passengers have been advised to avoid Seven Sisters station. Normal service on the line resumed shortly before 8am, TfL said on Twitter.

The District line had minor delays between Earl's Court and Wimbledon after another signal problem at Earl's Court.

The DLR was also suspended between Bow Church and Stratford due to an obstruction on the track.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We apologise for the disruption experienced by our customers to their journeys this morning. 

"Several of our lines were disrupted due to signal failures and faulty trains. Our engineers have been working hard to rectify the issues and return to a high level of service as quickly as possible.”

Theresa May slaps down Jeremy Corbyn after PMQ IMF/IFS mix-up

Political reporter(wp/es):

Theresa May slapped down Jeremy Corbyn today after he got confused between the “IMF” and “IFS” economic bodies.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Labour leader branded the Government’s economic strategy an “abject failure” after forecasts for last week’s Autumn Statement showed lower GDP growth, wage growth and business investement down, and borrowing and debt revised up.

The Prime Minister hit back, stressing that the International Monetary Fund had forecast the UK to be the fastest growing advanced economy in the world this year.

A record number of people were in work with companies like Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Honda, Apple, Google, ARM and Facebook investing in Britain to “secure” jobs, she added.

But Mr Corbyn responded that eradicating the deficit had been put back from 2015, to 2020 and now “whenever in the future.”

He then added: “Since she quotes the Institute of Fiscal Studies, I think she has been a little bit selective, because they also went on to say that the prospect for workers over the next six years was ‘dreadful’ and creating the ‘worst decade for living standards since the last war and probably since the 1920s’.”

Mrs May seized on this mix-up, replying: “I have to say to the Right Honourable Gentleman, I think given that he can’t differentiate between the IMF and the IFS, it’s probably a good job he’s sitting there and I’m standing here.”

Former Tory Cabinet minister Peter Lilley later appeared to mix up European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker with Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, when asking a question about securing rights for EU citizens in Britain and Britons in other European countries after Brexit.

Police officer sacked for drunken assault on bar staff at Westfield

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A Met police officer has been sacked after she assaulted a member of staff at a pub in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford. 

PC Melanie Davies, based at Wandsworth police station, was dismissed on Tuesday for assaulting an employee at the Bat and Ball pub after they refused to serve her because she was too drunk.

PC Davies was on sick leave when she went drinking at the east London pub where she was reportedly refused service at the bar.  

Staff then tried to escort her out of the building when she lashed out at an employee.  

PC Davies was convicted of assault at Thames Magistrates' Court on August 31 and ordered to pay a fine of £430.   

She was dismissed on Tuesday following a misconduct hearing in which she was found to have failed to meet the Met's standards of honesty and integrity.

Assistant Commissioner Helen King, Lead for Professionalism and Chair of the Hearing, said:"Police officers are granted powers over their fellow citizens to enforce the law on others and, where necessary, to use force in order to do so. 

“This requires that the public and law makers have confidence that those entrusted to uphold the law will comply with it themselves, both on and off duty. 

“Some cases are clearly more serious than others both in the category of the offence and all the surrounding circumstances.

"An offence of assault, however minor, is one that has to be seen as serious given the nature and responsibilities of a police officer's role. 

“Therefore the only appropriate action for PC Davies in this case is dismissal."

Major Christmas rail work will see Paddington, Liverpool Street and London Bridge effectively closed

Staff reporter(wp/es):

The boss of Network Rail today warned train passengers they face a “crescendo” of maintenance work over the festive season and told them to plan ahead to avoid their Christmas plans being wrecked.

Paddington, Liverpool Street and London Bridge will be all but closed for most of the holiday period and many services will not run in and out of Waterloo, Charing Cross and Cannon Street.

Preparations to complete the Crossrail and Thameslink projects will form part of the biggest programme of work ever undertaken by NR, with 24,000 maintenance staff laying new track and signals at 200 projects across the country from Christmas Eve.

On Crossrail, £45 million will be spent over Christmas on linking its new rail tunnels under central London with the surface-level network in outer London, Essex and Berkshire. The first services on what will be renamed the Elizabeth line will start in December 2018.

NR chief executive Mark Carne said the firm had learned the lessons of the Christmas getaway chaos two years ago, when work overran at King’s Cross and Paddington, while Finsbury Park had to be closeddue to overcrowding.

Mr Carne gave up his £135,000 annual bonus as a result.

He told the Standard: “It’s really important that passengers plan their journey carefully and look specifically at the stations they want to use and when these stations may be closed or the services reduced.

"What they can’t do is assume they can buy an open ticket to Cornwall and turn up on Christmas Eve and expect to get a train from Paddington.”

He said this is the third consecutive year that Network Rail will have carried out a record amount of maintenance.

It involves:

• Disruption at Paddington until January 3, with passengers having to change at Ealing Broadway until December  29 and no Heathrow Express. Ealing Broadway is expected to be flooded with 40,000 passengers a day — double its normal level.
• Many Liverpool Street services being cancelled until January 4, with passengers required to change at Newbury Park Tube station. Bus replacement services will run to Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.
• Thameslink work at New Cross resulting in no London Bridge and Charing Cross services until December 28, though Hastings trains will be diverted to London Bridge.
• Waterloo closing at 8pm on Christmas Eve till December 27 and fewer South West Trains services till January 3.
• Cannon Street having no Southeastern trains until December 27.
• Mr Carne continued: “There’s been a crescendo building up to the situation now, with Crossrail and Thameslink in particular. We are now right in the heart of these programmes. 
  “This is the busiest period. We’re going to have 24,000 people out over Christmas and New Year. Last year was about 15,000. It’s a significant step up, compared to previous years.”
  He said Network Rail had a “tremendous track record” since the chaos two years ago. “Every bank holiday since then, we have delivered what we set out to do and caused the minimum amount of disruption,” he claimed. 
  “We are typically delivering 99 per cent of the work or more and handing [the track] back on time. We have learned a lot. We are a finely-oiled machine in terms of this sort of work now. I’m very confident.
• “What we have also done is put a huge focus on contingency planning. If something goes wrong, we will be able to look after passengers in a completely different way.”
  He added: “I won’t be in Barbados. I will be making a series of visits to work sites. I will be out there supporting them. 
  “This is a huge investment being made from the public purse to provide a better quality of train service for passengers in this country. 
  “The vast majority of the network is still running. I think we will provide a good service for passengers over the Christmas and New Year period, but it will require people to make a little more effort in planning for it.”

KPMG city worker fighting for life after being left for dead

Pic:KPMG worker Christopher Mapleston has been left with a cracked skull
Crime reporter(wp/es):

A young city worker was left fighting for his life after being left for dead in a south London street.

KPMG Japan specialist Christopher Mapleston, 29, suffered a cracked skull and a slash to his head in a possible terrifying street attack in New Cross.

Police believe high-flying Mr Mapleston, who studied at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, could have been targeted in a robbery.

He was found in a critical condition with a fractured skull at around 3am on Sunday, November 20 on Arbuthnot Road, in New Cross.

He was last seen by friends – who waved him goodbye after a night of socialising – as he ran for a bus close to Peckham Rye Railway station between 1.30 and 2am.

But Mr Mapleston was found two miles away without his iPhone 6.

Detectives are appealing for help to piece together the events which left Mr Mapleston hospitalised.

Detective Constable Terry Martin, from Lewisham CID, said: "We cannot be certain whether Christopher's injury was the result of a fall or an attack. 

“One line of inquiry is that he may have been the victim of a robbery as he was found without his Iphone 6.

"I would like to speak with anyone who saw Christopher between the railway station and Arbuthnot Road. He was wearing a distinctive green camouflage jacket.

"Have you found a mobile phone in this area of New Cross? Any piece of information, however small, will help us to discover what happened in the early hours of that morning."

Officers are keen to hear from anyone who saw Christopher that night. 

He is described as white, approximately 5ft 7ins tall, of slim build with brown hair. He was wearing a green camouflage jacket, black trousers and trainers.

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers at Lewisham via 101.

Huge tower of smoke as firefighters tackle town centre blaze

Pic:smoke could be seen for miles in east London 
Staff reporter(wp/es):

A thick tower of smoke could be seen billowing across east London this morning as firefighters tackled a blaze in Ilfordtown centre.

A fire ripped through the offices of a legal firm on Adelaide Road and spread to a range of shops on Ley Street, just a few hundred metres away from the Exchange shopping centre.

London Fire Brigade confirmed a crew was sent to the blaze at 7.39am and ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were still trying to extinguish the flames three hours later.

A hazard zone was set up after potentially explosive gas cylinders were found at the back of one of the properties.

A number of shop workers and 18 residents had to be evacuated although there are no reports of any injuries.

The entire ground floor of the property was alight and four shops were believed to have been damaged in the fire, which was eventually brought under control at around 10.40am.

One commuter posted on Twitter: “Fire in Ilford... saw it on way into work. Black smoke filling the air. Won't be long till trains are stopped.”

Another, known as Ash, added that there was an “awful fire in Ilford”.

Transport for London said bus routes 25, 123, 147, 167, 169, 179, 364, 462 and W19 were being diverted via Griggs Approach and Winston Way due to the fire.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers are attending a fire at a range of shops on Ley Street in Ilford.

"The ground floor of two properties are alight. A number of gas cylinders have been found at the rear of one of the properties. As cylinders can explode when exposed to heat a hazard zone has been set up.

"The Brigade was called at 0738. Fire crews from Ilford and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage."

The fire is believed to have started at Highland Solicitors, a small firm that offers services in employment law, immigration law, EU law and family divorce

Man Jailed who sexually assaulted young woman as she walked home in Ealing

Pic: Rafiul Akbar was sentenced to 42 months in prison for sexual assault
Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man who sexually assaulted a young woman walking home in Ealing has been jailed.

Predator Rafiul Akbar, 36, pounced on the woman, aged in her twenties, while she was walking home from Hanger Laneunderground station last year.

Akbar grabbed the woman from behind and sexually assaulted her before running away at around 1.00am on December 17, a court heard. 

Akbar, of Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, was sentenced to 42 months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on November 24 after being found guilty of sexual assault, police said. 

CCTV footage from the night identified Akbar as the suspect and he was arrested on December 31 last year. 

Detective Constable Hannah Rudd, who led the investigation by Ealing Borough, said: "The jailing of Akbar sends out a strong message to anyone committing this type of offence that they will be investigated, charged and put before the courts to face the consequences of their actions.

"I would like to praise the victim for having the strength to support this investigation - I can only hope this conclusion can help her move on from the events of that night."

Holborn Tube station evacuated after fire alert

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A busy central London Tube station was evacuated after a fire alert.

Alarms sounded at Holborn station shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday and crowds of people were led outside.

Tube services on the Central line were not stopping at the station while officials dealt with the incident.

London Fire Brigade said one fire crew was sent to the station to investigate.

A spokesman said firefighters were investigating why the alarm sounded and that there was no indication that there was a fire. 

On social media, witnesses described how passengers were rushed off the platforms and told to leave the station.

George Maier tweeted a video with the caption: "Emergency evacuation at Holborn station."

Roisin O'Shea tweeted: "Holborn station evacuated and firemen taking control of surrounding areas."

Mohammed Seedat said: "Holborn underground station evacuated."

The station reopened about half an hour later at 3pm.

British Transport Police said: "Holborn station briefly closed whilst @LondonFire responded to a fire alert.

"No fire and the station will reopen. Thanks for your patience."

Southern Rail strike to be even worse than feared thanks to driver overtime ban

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Hundreds of thousands of Southern Railway passengers face even worse disruption than forecast from next week because of a ban on train driver overtime, it was revealed today.

As well as nine days of strike action by drivers in the coming weeks, union Aslef has ordered members not to carry out any “non-contractual” work, including an “indefinite” ban on overtime.

Southern confirmed it relied on overtime to keep a full service running.

The ban will begin next Tuesday, timed to coincide with the start of a further three days of strikes by RMT guards in the ongoing dispute over changes to staff roles and driver-operated trains.

Passengers face 24-hour strikes every week until the middle of January — 18 strikes in total.

Neither the RMT nor Aslef will rule out further walkouts. Southern admits the strikes by drivers “will bring it to a standstill” but says it is proceeding with staff changes and denies accusations these are unsafe.

Aslef has ordered its drivers to strike on December 13, 14 and 16, before a six-day strike from January 9 to 14. 

RMT guards will strike next Tuesday through Thursday, and then two further three-day-strikes, from December 22 to 24 and December 31 to January 2.

More Tube staff set to walk-out in fresh strike, TSSA union announces

Staff reporter(wp/es):

More Tube staff are set to walk-out in a fresh strike, a union announced on Tuesday.

London Underground workers voted to go on strike in a row over ticket office closures, jobs and safety.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) said staff have faced "unprecendented" levels of verbal and physical abuse from passengers since Tube ticket officers closed.

The union backed walkouts by 67 per cent and other forms of industrial action by 9-1.

The vote follows the announcement staff belonging to another union - the RMT - are to stage 24-hour walkouts next month.

More than 230 Tube staff members took part in Tuesday's TSSA ballot, which asked whether they were prepared to take part in a strike.

Union general secretary Manuel Cortes said it is not a dispute about wages but "our members being prepared to take part in a strike to let the world know that the Tube they are using is not fit for safe purpose".

He said: "Our customer service assistants are overwhelmingly trying to warn the public that the Tube they use is not safe. We no longer have enough staff.

"Our members will as a last resort go on strike to safeguard passengers. They are prepared to forego wages and risk media and management wrath to let the public know that our capital's Tube is no longer safe enough.

"This strike vote must not be dismissed as mindless militant action. Instead it's an act of desperation by mindful and public-spirited customer service assistants at their absolute best by putting passenger safety before anything else."

The RMT union has already announced 24-hour walkouts by train drivers on the Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City lines from 9.30pm on Tuesday 6 December in separate and unrelated disputes.

The Piccadilly line, fourth busiest on the network and the only Tube line serving Heathrow, is expected to be severely disrupted.

Thieves steal £3,000 of Christmas presents from critically ill children at London hospital

Pic:St Mary’s hospital in Paddington
Crime reporter(wp/es):

More than £3,000 worth of Christmas presents intended for critically-ill children have been stolen from St Mary’s hospital in Paddington.

The 150 gifts, decorations and a Santa suit were taken from a disused ward where they were being stored ahead of an annual Christmas party and candlelight concert.

The theft was noticed last Tuesday.

Details emerged today as the Cosmic charity - Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care - launched a crowdfunding appeal to replace the gifts. 

The paediatric intensive care unit at St Mary’s treats children from across London, the Home Counties and beyond for conditions including meningitis, sepsis or trauma from an accident. 

Tina Halton, lead play specialist St Mary’s, said: “I was so sad when I heard that we may not have Santa this year. Everything we use at Christmas time is given to us and donated out of kindness for the children who so deserve to have a little fun at this time of year.

“Santa has always worn the same suit at our children’s party and for a jolly visit to the wards on Christmas Day. It never fails to bring a smile to a poorly child’s face when they get a chance to meet the real Mr Claus and get a specially selected gift. 

“We have been truly heartened by all the people who have already expressed their support and want to help make sure the kids have a Christmas we can remember for all of the right reasons.”

A Met Police spokesman said the force is appealing for witnesses following the incident at a store room between Monday October 3 and Thursday November 17.

Acting Detective Sergeant Tom Hirst said: "This is an awful crime at this time of year and heard to imagine what kind of person would steal gifts so clearly destined for sick children to make their lives a little brighter this festive season.

"We are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible."

Man knifed in neck after fight outside Primark on packed shopping street

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man has been rushed to hospital after he was stabbed in the neck outside a Primark branch in a packed shopping street in east London.

Emergency services including police, ambulances and a London Air Ambulance raced to Exchange Street in Romford at around 2.15pm after reports of a violent fight between two men.

Horrified Christmas shoppers told how one man was stabbed in the neck in front of them as officers taped off a section of the street outside Primark.

A Met spokesman said one man was being treated for a stab wound to the neck and has been taken to hospital.

An update on the man’s condition was not immediately available.

Scotland Yard said no arrests had been made and enquiries continue.

George Mark, a radio apprentice at Time 107.5 FM, told the Standard around 10 police officers were stationed in the street when he arrived on Monday afternoon.

He said: "There were crowds of shoppers who had obviously seen the police cordoning the scene off as they walked past.

"It didn't seem as though anybody was scared although everybody there were trying to squeeze information out of the police at the scene.

Jill Hartwell posted on Facebook: "In Romford doing Christmas shopping and police everywhere someone has got stabbed just been airlifted by helicopter."

Another man tweeted: "So a man just got stabbed in the neck in front of me in Romford. What a town to live in."

Northwick Park and Royal London hospitals rated best for stroke care in UK

Pic:The Royal London is one of the two hospitals given the top score.
Health reporter(wp/es):

Two London hospitals are providing stroke patients with the best emergency care in the country, a national audit reveals.

Northwick Park in Harrow and the Royal London in Whitechapel were each awarded a maximum score of 10 by the Royal College of Physicians.

The annual study measures the quality of care, the provision of clot- busting drugs — a process known as thrombolysis — and the number of staff on duty on a 24/7 basis.

The two hospitals are part of a network of eight hyper-acute stroke units established in the capital in 2010 to ensure expert care was provided as quickly as possible after the “brain attack”.

Dr David Cohen, lead stroke consultant at Northwick Park Hospital, which treats about 1,500 stroke patients a year, said its “door-to-needle time” for administering thrombolysis was under 30 minutes — half the national average. He said all patients were seen by a therapist within 24 hours and clinical psychologists targeted the “unseen” brain injuries.

“This is particularly useful in pat- ients of working age, so we can help them to get back to work,” added Dr Cohen. “In general, a third of stroke patients die. A third will get back to complete independence and a third will be disabled in some way.

“We are gradually pushing these numbers towards the good side. Slightly fewer people are dying and slightly fewer are being disabled.”

The report found “remarkable”  nationwide improvements in stroke care over the last two decades but warned that 40 per cent of sites had a consultant vacancy.

The Royal London, which treated 766 patients in 2015/16, was able to discharge patients home in under four days, compared with the nat- ional average of almost 14 days.

Dr Patrick Gompertz, consultant stroke physician at the Royal London, said the stroke team “worked tirelessly” to deliver “fantastic care”.

He added: “Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in the UK. We aim to provide the highest quality of care so everyone has the best chance possible of recovery and a good quality of life.”

Research has found that the faster people receive care the better their outcomes, reducing deaths and long-term disability.

Stroke is the second single most common cause of deaths in the world causing 6.7 million per year. In the UK, it will take a life every 13 minutes. 

The acute stroke units at the Royal London’s sister hospitals, Newham and Whipps Cross, scored 8/10, putting them within the top 15 per cent of units across the country.

Piccadilly line 'should be shut down

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Rail union bosses have called for the Piccadilly line to be temporarily shut down and its Night Tube launch delayed until an ongoing “shortage of trains” is resolved.

The RMT union demanded urgent discussions with transport bosses about a temporary closure of the line and for its Night Tube start date to be pushed back until the fleet of trains are fixed.

Around half the line’s trains were taken out of service on Friday due to “wet leaves on the track” and the situation has continued over the weekend and into Monday morning sparking huge queues at stations including King’s Cross.

Transport bosses said the slippery rails were causing wheels on the Tube trains to lock, leading to excessive wear and rendering them unsafe.

Transport for London said it was “working round the clock to repair the wheels” but has no estimate of when the problem will be fixed.

The RMT also urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the capital’s transport commissioner to call a summit meeting to draw up an action plan for the Piccadilly line - the fourth busiest line on the Underground which serves Heathrow Airport.

It added that problems on the line could “take weeks to fix” and that the Night Tube start date of December 16 should be postponed to “protect passenger and staff safety”.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "The entire Piccadilly line fleet of trains has got a major engineering problem which has finally boiled over. It's nothing new and it is down to pressure on services and sheer managerial incompetence.” 

He added: "The sheer danger of massive delays and overcrowding means that the service on the Piccadilly Line is inherently unsafe and will get worse under Night Tube.  

"Our members are asking why will it be another 10 years before these 43-year-old trains are fully replaced when refurbishment clearly isn't working. 

“It is also becoming clear that the wheels themselves are at fault and they've only recently been replaced. The contract for that job needs to be forensically examined. 

"These issues have now all come together in a cumulative effect and are the reason why sections of the line were closed on Friday. RMT has been told the problem could take weeks to fix properly.

That's why consideration has to be given to the service being suspended until the trains are repaired and signed off as safe. 

"We will have health and safety reps out and about from this morning advising our member and we expect an urgent response from the Mayor and his officials which we have set out today."

Tony Matthews, General Manager for the Piccadilly line, said: "‎I sincerely apologise to Piccadilly line customers for the ongoing disruption to their journeys. 

"The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority which is why we've had to continue taking some trains out of service to repair their wheels. 

"This means that we do not have a full fleet available to run a good service.  We will continue working around the clock to repair the wheels so that we can return to giving our customers the high level of service that they deserve as quickly as possible.‎"

A TfL spokesman said: "Night Tube services are currently planned to launch on the Piccadilly line on Friday December 16. 

"Night Tube services on the Piccadilly line will see a train every ten minutes between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5, so fewer trains will be needed compared to running a full service during the day on the entire line."

The 'Trellis' skyscraper gets the green light in London

Pic:Planning permission has been given for the "Trellis" tower to be built in the City 
Staff reporter(wp./es):

The City of London Corporation on Monday gave the green light for the City’s tallest tower, dubbed the “Trellis”, to be built.

At 304.9 metres, the 1 Undershaft 73-storey skyscraper will be the highest in the Square Mile although five metres shorter than the Shard at London Bridge. It will occupy the site of what is now the Aviva Tower.

It will comprise nearly 1.4 million square feet of office accommodation, as well as shops. An estimated 10,000 workers will work there.

At the top of the building will be a free public viewing gallery with a restaurant. The Museum of London has also had discussions with developer Aroland Holdings over opening a dedicated gallery there.

It was approved by the planning and transportation committee following their vote of 19-2 to approve the project.

Earlier plans by Singaporean property firm Aroland were scaled back in October to just below the height at which buildings are considered a danger to planes on the approach route to City Airport.

Chris Hayward, chairman of the planning and transportation committee, said: “This development shows the high levels of investor confidence in London’s status as a global city following our decision to leave the European Union.”

He added: “I believe this building will play an important part in increasing London’s attraction as the world’s leading financial centre.”

Meanwhile the architect Eric Parry said: "This is a really exciting opportunity for Londoners and the team behind 1 Undershaft are thrilled to get started on the next phase of the project."

Bank of England spent £100K on summer party as country grappled with Brexit vote

Pic:The Governor of the Bank of England 
Business reporter(wp/es):

The Bank of England spent almost £100,000 of public money on its annual summer party at a time when the country was reeling from the Brexit vote, it has been revealed. 

A fortnight after the UK voted to leave the European Union,governor Mark Carney and around 2,500 Bank staff and their families partied at the annual summer sports day, spending £99,035 of tax payers' money. 

The Bank said it "carefully budgeted" for the Governors' Day party on July 10 which was held at its sports grounds in Roehampton, south west London. 

But details of its party spending come at an already difficult time for the Bank, with Mr Carney under political fire amid complaints he went too far in warning of the economic dangers of Brexit in order to bolster Remain during the referendum campaign.

Mr Carney has faced calls to resign after the Bank controversially warned Brexit could tip the UK into recession ahead of the vote, only to have rowed back on its gloomy predictions - most recently upgrading its forecasts for growth this year and next.

Costs of the Bank's summer party can be revealed following a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association.

The Bank said it spent more than £94,500 excluding VAT on food, entertainment and the venue for the summer event, with nearly another £4,500 on "other" costs.

The TaxPayers' Alliance branded revelations over the Bank's summer party as a "huge slap in the face to all those who have struggled under the Bank of England's policies".

Chief executive John O'Connell said: "Not only have savers had very little to celebrate over the last eight years because of rock bottom interest rates, but many will rightly be angry that staff are then spending huge sums of money on lavish parties for themselves.

"It would be right to consider these sensitivities when planning any future function."

The Bank said the Governors' Day is a "long-held tradition that is open to all employees - including members of the Monetary Policy Committee - including their families, with the aim of recognising their hard work and dedication".

It added: "The annual event is an important one for all Bank employees and the Bank strongly believes that this carefully budgeted event is worthwhile."