:00:09. > :00:12.First tonight, the start to Christmas nobody wanted to see.
:00:13. > :00:15.A serious accident on the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire has
:00:16. > :00:19.left three children and two adults critically injured.
:00:20. > :00:22.The crash caused long delays for travellers after it closed
:00:23. > :00:25.the southbound carriageway for several hours.
:00:26. > :00:28.The adults and children aged between one and 11
:00:29. > :00:34.Mike Cartwright sent this from the scene earlier.
:00:35. > :00:41.It happened on the carriageway closest to us, down by the services.
:00:42. > :00:43.Two days before Christmas, a family of five tonight
:00:44. > :00:47.are in a critical condition after their car
:00:48. > :00:55.As you can see from the condition of the car,
:00:56. > :01:01.At one point, three air ambulances were at the scene.
:01:02. > :01:07.The parents in their 30s were flown to Coventry Hospital,
:01:08. > :01:11.and the three children, a girl aged one and two boys
:01:12. > :01:14.aged seven and 11, were flown to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
:01:15. > :01:17.Tonight police say they all have serious injuries.
:01:18. > :01:20.The southbound carriageway was closed completely.
:01:21. > :01:24.The northbound, people slowed down to see what was going on.
:01:25. > :01:29.People looked for other ways out of the congestion and minor ways
:01:30. > :01:38.The M45 which leads onto the M1 was closed as well.
:01:39. > :01:42.It has caused huge congestion for people trying to get away
:01:43. > :01:47.for Christmas but for this young family tonight and anyone who knows
:01:48. > :01:54.Tonight rail passengers faced delays on services
:01:55. > :01:57.between Cambridge and Stansted and London Liverpool Street
:01:58. > :02:01.after overhead electric wires were damaged by a fallen tree.
:02:02. > :02:05.It was always set to be one of the busiest days
:02:06. > :02:08.of the year for travelling, with millions of us trying to get
:02:09. > :02:13.Would you like some chocolate to help you with your flight?
:02:14. > :02:18.Passengers at Luton travelling on the airport's busiest day
:02:19. > :02:26.Every flight to every destination is busy.
:02:27. > :02:30.Passengers thankful that possible strikes by baggage handlers
:02:31. > :02:41.I expected a lot of traffic coming here and it wasn't too much.
:02:42. > :02:43.And it's quite peaceful around here, too.
:02:44. > :02:47.We left with plenty of time just in case.
:02:48. > :02:51.I've travelled from Sutton Surrey to catch the train.
:02:52. > :02:53.I gave myself plenty of time just in case.
:02:54. > :02:56.The M25 was absolutely free this morning.
:02:57. > :03:08.With Luton Airport's ?110 million expansion,
:03:09. > :03:10.this is their busiest Christmas ever.
:03:11. > :03:16.We're reconfiguring the entire airport while trying to keep
:03:17. > :03:21.We understand that the offering is not as we would want it
:03:22. > :03:24.We are thankful for their patience and we apologise
:03:25. > :03:27.And on the railways, closures on the line
:03:28. > :03:32.between Cambridge and Ely as building on the new north station
:03:33. > :03:38.The line closed over Christmas and New Year due to electric cables,
:03:39. > :03:42.points and signalling being put in place further up the track.
:03:43. > :03:44.Christmas is obviously a great time for celebration.
:03:45. > :03:48.For the railway, it's a good chance to get on and do a lot of work.
:03:49. > :03:51.We appreciate that some people want to travel but we do need
:03:52. > :03:54.to close the railway to get on with that work.
:03:55. > :03:56.On the roads, thousands are expected to make their Christmas
:03:57. > :04:02.Certainly, today will be the busiest Christmas getaway day.
:04:03. > :04:05.The peak rush hour period will be the busiest on
:04:06. > :04:12.Be prepared, expect the worst.
:04:13. > :04:16.Hopefully, you will have a peaceful and safe journey home.
:04:17. > :04:20.The advice, as ever, is to check before you travel.
:04:21. > :04:23.Whichever mode of transport you choose, allow plenty
:04:24. > :04:29.The consumer group Which? says Peterborough Trading Standards
:04:30. > :04:31.has failed to protect millions of customers
:04:32. > :04:37.Whirlpool issued a warning over a year ago, after several
:04:38. > :04:43.The company say up to five million may be affected by the fault.
:04:44. > :04:46.The firm says it's launched a programme of repairs,
:04:47. > :04:48.but many customers say they're still waiting for
:04:49. > :04:54.Which? has now launched legal action against enforcement officers.
:04:55. > :04:57.The Church has today appealed to everybody to do what they can
:04:58. > :05:00.to help vulnerable people this Christmas.
:05:01. > :05:03.Reach Community Projects at Haverhill runs a foodbank.
:05:04. > :05:07.Volunteers have been preparing more than 100 Christmas hampers,
:05:08. > :05:12.alongside the parcels of essentials they provide throughout the year.
:05:13. > :05:15.Heather Ainsworth, who has six children and lost her partner
:05:16. > :05:18.six months ago, was presented with a turkey for
:05:19. > :05:24.They have been struggling really badly.
:05:25. > :05:31.Get myself into debts and at this stage I come,
:05:32. > :05:39.see Anne or somebody at Reach and they help me out.
:05:40. > :05:42.The world's longest aircraft, the Airlander 10, will be back
:05:43. > :05:44.in the skies over Bedfordshire in the new year.
:05:45. > :05:47.The undercarriage was damaged when the ship, named Martha Gwyn,
:05:48. > :05:50."landed heavily" on only its second flight in August.
:05:51. > :05:53.The manufacturers, Hybrid Air Vehicles,
:05:54. > :05:58.Over the Christmas period the new cockpit will be painted
:05:59. > :06:04.In rugby, under pressure Northampton Saints have won
:06:05. > :06:09.a crucial Premiership match against the Sale Sharks
:06:10. > :06:16.This try from Luther Burrell sealed a very welcome 24-5 victory tonight
:06:17. > :06:20.after Saints suffered their biggest defeat in their professional history
:06:21. > :06:28.Well, that's it's from the late team.
:06:29. > :06:40.After some rain earlier this evening things have dried
:06:41. > :06:43.out across the area and will stay dry for the rest
:06:44. > :06:52.of the night with clear spells, some patchy cloud
:06:53. > :06:55.temperatures dropping off to three or four Celsius,
:06:56. > :06:58.nothing that should give a frost but a chilly end to the night.
:06:59. > :07:01.Then we'll see long spells of sunshine as we go
:07:02. > :07:05.through Christmas Eve morning, is a little cloud pushing back
:07:06. > :07:08.from the West later in the day and winds blustery, a moderate
:07:09. > :07:10.to fresh south-westerly winds and temperatures reaching
:07:11. > :07:14.The dry weather will stay with us for the most part but we will see
:07:15. > :07:17.cloud increase and become much milder on Christmas Day,
:07:18. > :07:20.we will see temperatures up to 13 or 14 Celsius by the afternoon
:07:21. > :07:21.on Christmas Day, near record-breaking temperatures.
:07:22. > :07:24.Our average is about six Celsius for this time of year.
:07:25. > :07:29.Leave you with the outlook and that shows a very mild Christmas Day
:07:30. > :07:34.and then returning to something more average for the time year by Monday.
:07:35. > :07:37.mild and temperatures could reach 14, 15. He is down bet that the
:07:38. > :07:46.national picture. It will be more northern parts of
:07:47. > :07:55.the UK that see the worst of the weather. Another storm is developing
:07:56. > :08:01.in the Atlantic. This will turn into Storm Connor. This cloud has wrapped
:08:02. > :08:06.around storm Barbara. It brought gusty winds in the West. Some
:08:07. > :08:12.localised flooding in Scotland early on and the strongest winds in the
:08:13. > :08:13.north of Scotland approaching 80 miles an hour. The amber window