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Passengers ‘stranded in stairwell’ as plane departs without them | News UK

TL:DR – Passengers ‘stranded in stairwell’ as plane departs without them | News UK

• A Jet2 flight from Manchester to Alicante departed, leaving dozens of passengers behind in a stairwell.
• Passengers waited up to 40 minutes without guidance, after scanning boarding passes and showing passports.
• They were mistakenly directed to the stairwell, believing they were awaiting a bus to the plane.
• Jet2 issued an apology, citing an “error on the stairwell directions”.
• Affected passengers received £10 vouchers and arrangements for alternative flights.

Passengers ‘left behind in stairwell’ after plane flies off without them | News UK

Dozens of holidaymakers hoping to jet off to Spain were left waiting in a stairwell as their plane took off without them.

Passengers at Manchester Airport were ‘gobsmacked’ after the Jet2 flight took off to Alicante without them today.

The group had shown their passports to the airline’s staff and had their boarding passes scanned, but were left standing in the stairwell for up to 40 minutes without any idea of what was going on.

They were under the impression that they were waiting for a member of staff to open the doors to let them onto the stairs up to the plane or onto a bus to take them to the aircraft.

Jet2 has now told the passengers there was an ‘error on the stairwell directions’ and has issued an apology.

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Matt was one of the passengers due to travel on the LS879 flight to Alicante, scheduled for 7am. He said he was ‘gobsmacked’ over what happened and claimed Jet2 staff had told him that it had ‘never happened before’.

Matt told UK News how he and his son had arrived at the airport on time, made their way through security, then headed to the gate with time to spare when the flight was called.

Passengers were left in the stairway without directions (Picture: MEN Media)

After passengers on the first half of the plane were called through boarding, the number range for Matt’s seat was called.

He said: ‘We’ve all gone through to the gate and boarded. But instead of carrying on onto the plane, there were some stairs, so the herd mentality is that we all went down the stairs and followed each other. There were a lot of us.

‘And then we’re thinking ‘why aren’t these doors open’. We thought a bus would come for us and take us to the plane. We were there for 10 minutes, 20, 30, then we thought ‘what’s going on’. We were literally stuck like caged animals.’

Matt said an airport worker then came over from the runway to ask what was going on. He then reportedly told the passengers, ‘the plane’s gone’.

Matt said he was told that staff do not carry a headcount once passengers have boarded the plane.

‘That plane is at least 36 people light, it’s bizarre. You’d think the captain would ask if they had a full flight,’ he added.

Matt said he and the other passengers had been given a £10 voucher from Jet2 while waiting to find out when the next flight would be available to them to Alicante.

He added: ‘I’ve got my son here who suffers from anxiety, and I’ve brought him to take him away. It’s like an episode of Fawlty Towers, you’ve never seen anything like it.

‘They’re saying now that there should have been the red rope to divert you onto the plane, but that wasn’t, so everyone just went down. It’s unfathomable. I don’t even think this has ever happened before.’

In a statement, a Jet2 spokesperson said: ‘We are aware that flight LS879 from Manchester to Alicante departed without some customers this morning, and we are investigating this as a matter of urgency with the airport.

‘Our team are looking after these customers, and we have already arranged for them to take other flights to Alicante today. We would of course like to apologise to these customers.’

Life in the UK’s most impoverished town: Beggars earn more than market traders

TL:DR – “Life in the UK’s most impoverished town: Beggars earn more than market traders”

• Walsall declared Britain’s most deprived town in the 2025 Good Growth for Cities Index.
• Residents liken it to a “real-life Shameless” with increasing crime, gang violence, and drug issues.
• Once thriving, the town now suffers from rising unemployment, boarded-up shops, and homelessness.
• Locals report feeling unsafe, especially at night, with some claiming beggars earn more than workers.
• Council officials claim ongoing transformation efforts are underway to improve the area’s situation.

‘We live in UK’s most deprived town – beggars make more than market stall traders’ | News UK

Britain’s most deprived town has been named as Walsall – and people who live there say the area is like living in a ‘real-life Shameless episode’.

The Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index 2025 named the Black Country town, once the centre of the UK’s leather industry, as having the worst quality of life.

Some have said it’s akin to living in a ‘war zone’, with many too scared to leave their homes at night due to gang violence and drug addiction.

Residents say the town, which used to boast major retailers and independent stores, had steadily declined over the last 20 years due to many factors, including rising unemployment and a lack of investment.

Daniel Briars, 40, said: ‘I know a lad who runs a market stall and some days he takes home less than £100. I’ve spoken to homeless people who earn more than that by begging outside Spoons.’

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One person, who lives on the Blakenall estate – previously dubbed Britain’s roughest – said Walsall deserved the moniker as the worst place in the country.

High levels of homelessness have also struck the city (Picture: SWNS)

High drug usage and crime rates have turned many away from the town (Picture: SWNS)

‘I’ve been here 40 years, it used to be okay, but now it’s gone so much downhill. It’s rubbish and drugs which are the issue. The council and police aren’t interested in us,’ he explained.

‘The fire engines are here a couple of times a week as the kids keep setting stuff alight. It’s scandalous; no wonder no one wants to live here. This is worse than Shameless; it’s honestly terrible here.’

Walsall was also named the second least healthy high street and third worst job market in the country, according to the study.

The Good Cities Index is based on a city’s economy and says the town struggled more than anywhere else for growth in the past year.

Some residents said they wouldn’t dare go to the town centre (Picture: SWNS)

Allan Sharratt said the town used to thrive – but has gone downhill (Picture: SWNS)

The list is based on 12 different categories, including job availability, skill level of the working population and housing affordability.

One market trader, who would only give his name as David, added: ‘I was born in Walsall and it’s gone downhill. It’s in a state, full of drinkers and beggars.

‘A lot of people have stopped coming, especially old people; they get frightened to come to the town. People here don’t want to work; they get their payments and just pinch from the shops.’

Alan Sharratt, 79, grandad-of-two, a retired retail worker, said: ‘It used to be a fantastic thriving town, but now there are more empty shops than being used. It’s a shame.

‘When I was at school in the 50s, it was a thriving area. There was a market in the town centre, and you could buy anything you wanted to.’

Alan said he thinks unemployment is what’s causing many of the town’s issues, but says he doesn’t even know what the town centre is like anymore, as he wouldn’t ‘dream’ of going there, given all the crime.

High street shopper Sam said she was moving to Poland to escape the area after claiming she felt unsafe on the streets.

Community workers Andrew and Jayne, both 38, said a lack of amenities and violence in the area made the result unsurprising.

Andrew said: ‘You’re more likely to get caught up in knife crime here than 90% of the UK. There are not as many amenities as in other areas, and it has one of the highest council tax rises.’

Jayne, who goes into schools to teach first aid, said Year 6 students were having anti-stabbing ambassadors come speak to them at the age of nine or ten.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council, defended Walsall.

‘The challenges we face are not unique, but what sets us apart is the determination and ambition that’s driving our transformation and creating positive change,’ he said.

‘We continue to work to raise Walsall’s profile regionally and nationally to secure much-needed investment. Transformative projects are already underway, delivering much-needed infrastructure and opportunities.’