person hit by train between Alexandra Palace and Welwyn Garden City

Staff reporter(wp/es):::

All lines were blocked after a person was struck by a train between Alexandra Palace and Welwyn Garden City. 

Disruption on Great Northern and Thameslink rail between London and Stevenage is expected until the end of the day, though the lines reopened at around 8pm. 

Emergency services attended the scene, according to National Rail.

In an update, Thameslink said: "Trains between these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or diverted via Hertford North."

National Rail enquiries tweeted: "It is with great sadness that we advise that a person has been hit by a train."

According to its website certain Grand Central, Great Northern and London North Eastern Railway trains were affected as well. 

Commuters also spoke of delays and crowded platforms at Finsbury Park station following the incident. 

National Rail has directed people towards The Samaritans and The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) following the incident.

It said: "If you or someone close to you has been affected by this incident or other, there is always someone to talk to.

"You can contact the Samaritans on 116123 free at any time, on any phone.

"The CALM Helpline number is 0800 58 58 58, or 0808 802 58 58 in London."

Rugby mother charged with murdering two young daughters

Crime Watch(wp/bbc):::

A woman has been charged with murdering her two young daughters a year after the girls died.

Louise Porton, 22, is accused of killing 16-month-old Scarlett Vaughan and three-year-old Lexi Draper.

Both children died in hospital after paramedics were called to reports they had been found ill at their home in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Ms Porton, of Skiddaw, Rugby, is due to appear before magistrates in Leamington on Saturday.

Warwickshire Police said Lexi died in hospital after paramedics were called to reports she had been found unconscious in her home in the early hours of January 15 last year.

Scarlett then died on 1 February after paramedics were called to a report she had fallen ill, the force added.

Driver jailed after mother lost unborn baby in Somerton crash

Crime Watch(wp/bbc):::

A driver who caused a crash in which a mother lost her unborn child has been jailed for more than three years.

A court heard Stuart Wells, 29, may have fallen asleep at the wheel when he drove head-on into two cars on the B3151 at Somerton, Somerset, in March.

Jackie Luxon, who was pregnant, and her two-year-old daughter were both seriously injured in the crash.

Wells, of Sherborne, Dorset, admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was jailed at Taunton Crown Court for three years and seven months and banned from driving for six years and 10 months.

Wells had initially tried to blame a sneeze for the crash but later accepted the case against him.

Sentencing him, Judge David Ticehurst said: "Mr and Mrs Luxon were looking forward to the birth of their child in a few weeks and the fact she is not recognised by the law no doubt adds to their sense of loss."

The court heard other motorists had seen Wells' Ford Fiesta repeatedly drift in and out of the opposite carriageway over a seven-mile period, while also driving in excess of the 40mph speed limit.

One driver described him as a "real nuisance" and said he was "driving aggressively".

The court was told Mrs Luxon's husband had just bought a new car and she was following behind when the crash took place.

Wells clipped Mr Luxon's car and crashed head-on into Mrs Luxon's car.

In victim impact statements, Mr and Mrs Luxon said that in one-split second "unquantifiable" pain had been inflicted upon them.

They said: "In the space of a few hours we lost one child and another was placed in a medically-induced coma."

Mrs Luxon added: "Our unborn daughter is not recognised in English law as she did not experience life outside my body.

"It's heartbreaking that no prosecution was made for the loss of her life and I hope that this is taken into consideration and changes are made in the law."

Police car deaths: Review of 999 and pursuit driving

Crime Watch(wp/bbc):::
The way police cars are driven for 999 calls and pursuits will be reviewed after four deaths involving patrol vehicles in four days, a watchdog said.

Four people died in crashes in Warwickshire, Sandwell, London and Leicester from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would look for improvements in policy and procedure.

The AA welcomed the review and said the recent deaths could indicate a rise in the use of vehicles in crime.

The four people who died in the crashes involving police vehicles are:

• Paul Radcliffe, an 18-year-old student, was hit by a car which had earlier failed to stop for police in Oadby, Leicestershire, on Saturday
• Off-duty PCSO Holly Burke, 28, was struck by a car being pursued by police in Bearwood, in Sandwell in the West Midlands, on Tuesday
• A 26-year-old refugee from Eritrea died when she was hit by a 999 response car in Walthamstow on the same day
• Jessie Whitehead, 74, was riding a mobility scooter when she was hit by a marked car as it responded to an emergency call in Warwickshire on Wednesday
• Ian Todd, IOPC deputy director general, said: "The death of even one person on the roads, let alone four in such a short space of time, will be of concern.
  "While there has been a spate of road traffic fatalities over the past week, deaths and serious injuries following pursuits and emergency responses are thankfully rare in comparison to the large number of such incidents police are involved in on a daily basis."
  He said each death would be investigated "based on their own unique sets of circumstances".
  • Three police car deaths in 24 hours
  Mr Todd said the IOPC would examine whether the police drivers were suitably trained and followed agreed policies and procedures.
  "We will also look to see if there are changes and improvements which can be made to those procedures to reduce the risks of deaths and serious injuries in the future."
  Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "The apparent increase in incidents may reflect the growth of the use of vehicles in general crime.
  "This is one reason why we call for more cops in cars as they can help to apprehend the culprits of crimes and their presence can act as a deterrent."

  

  Nick Lloyd, acting head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said he welcomed the review.
  "It would make a lot of sense for good practice to be shared across all police forces any measures to improve safety rolled out right across forces.
  "It's also important to remember how the wider public react to blue lights not just car users but pedestrians and cyclists."
  Joshua Harris, from road safety charity Brake, said: "We would encourage police chiefs to review and update their guidance for their officers who are responding to emergency calls or engaged in 'blue light' pursuits."