Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Monday’s front pages report heavily on the lake tragedy near Birmingham – as four children fight for their lives after being rescued from a lake. It is believed the children were playing on the icy lake when the ice broke and they fell in.
Many of the papers feature images of the England football team, as they arrived back in the UK following their Quarter-final exit to France. Boss Gareth Southgate is said to be weighing up his options on whether he wants to remain in the job.
Frozen lake horror near Birmingham
The papers use words such as “horror” and “terror” to describe the lake tragedy. The police have confirmed four children were rescued and are in hospital, but eyewitnesses say there were up to six kids on the lake – police have refused to say if they are looking for more children.
The Daily Express claims four boys got into trouble when the ice cracked underneath one of the boys – and the remaining three children rushed to help him. The Mirror says as many as six children may have fallen into the water. An eyewitness tells the Daily Telegraph she saw the kids playing on the frozen lake and the people had shouted at them that it was not safe.
Government plans for winter strikes
The Guardian and the Times both lead with the government’s plan to draft in members of the armed forces to cover striking workers during walkouts by ambulance staff and Border Force officers.
The Times says some 750 military personnel will drive ambulances and support the health services, but NHS bosses are concerned that there will still be massive disruption, and patients will be at risk.
The Guardian says the military are asking questions about the amount of assistance they are being asked to provide to civilian authorities.
Families will be forced to hold a “virtual Christmas” due to the upcoming rail strikes, the transport secretary Mark Harper writes in the Daily Telegraph. The paper says he is the first minister to suggest that the impact of strike action will be similar to that of Covid lockdowns.
England return home after World Cup exit
Several papers feature images of the England World Cup team returning to the UK after being knocked out of the competition. The Sun says players and fans are begging boss Gareth Southgate to stay on as manager. The paper says there has been an outpouring of support after he said he wanted to reflect on whether to carry on in the role. The Telegraph reports the England squad have adopted the cat they befriended in Qatar.
