As temperatures drop and heavy snowfall is forecast across the UK, motorists are being urged to keep a “snowed-in survival kit” in their cars and vans.
Motoring experts at LeaseLoco say there are ten essential items every driver should have on hand during wintry weather.
Some, like de-icer and ice scrapers, are often found in most cars in winter, but the list also includes less obvious must-haves such as shovels and even pieces of old carpet.
Drivers are advised to carry warm clothes and high-visibility gear, plus a hazard warning triangle to stay safe if they get stuck in the dark.
A wind-up torch, phone charger, and jump-start kit are also recommended for emergencies.
Old rugs or carpet can give wheels extra grip if a car gets stuck, while a shovel and some basic provisions – water, snacks, or a hot drink – can make a long wait much more bearable.
John Wilmot, CEO and founder of car leasing deals site LeaseLoco.com said: “Breaking down is bad any time of the year, but breaking down in the snow is particularly dangerous and stressful, especially if you’re unprepared for the cold and icy conditions.
“The worst thing of all is if you’re stuck somewhere in the snow and you haven’t got what you need to stay safe or get moving.
“So we’ve put together a list of everything you might need to help drivers get prepared.
“Remember also to drive appropriately for snowy conditions. Slow down, keep a longer stopping distance, and use lower gears when necessary – especially going downhill. Braking, accelerating, and gear changes should always be smooth and gentle.”
Ten items to keep in your “snowed-in survival kit”:
Warm/high-vis clothes
Keep extra layers, gloves, hats, and a high-visibility vest in the car. They’ll protect you from the cold and make sure you’re seen if you need to step outside in poor weather or low light.
Ice scraper/de-icer
Only use specialist tools to clear ice and frost from your windscreen. Avoid makeshift alternatives that could scratch or damage the glass.
Shovel
A compact snow shovel can be a lifesaver if your car gets stuck. Use it to clear snow from around your wheels or dig a path if needed.
Carpet/rug
Small pieces of carpet, mat, or even cardboard can give your wheels extra traction if you’re struggling to move off on ice or packed snow.
Jump leads/power pack
Cold weather puts extra strain on car batteries. Jump leads let you borrow power from another vehicle, while a power pack lets you restart independently without relying on help.
Warning triangle
Keep one handy to place behind your car if you break down. It alerts other drivers and helps prevent accidents in poor visibility conditions.
Wind-up torch
Don’t rely on batteries – rechargeable or not. A wind-up torch ensures you’ll have light if you’re stuck in the dark or need to inspect the car safely.
Provisions
Pack water, snacks, and a hot drink in a thermos if you’re heading out in the snow. You never know how long you might have to wait for help if you get stuck, so stay hydrated and keep your energy levels up.
Phone charger/portable power bank
Make sure your phone stays powered so you can call for help, check weather updates, or contact friends and family.
First aid kit
Keep a basic first aid kit in the car. It allows you to treat minor injuries immediately until professional help arrives.
LeaseLoco is the UK’s biggest car lease comparison website, making it super quick and easy for drivers to filter and compare millions of deals from the UK’s leading car leasing companies to best suit their needs.
5.65 million people still need to file their Self Assessment tax return
Thousands of people celebrated the New Year by filing their Self Assessment tax return
6.36 million people head into 2026 with their tax affairs in order
Thousands of people got a head start on their 2026 resolutions by filing their Self Assessment tax return over the New Year.
With less than a month to the 31 January deadline, 54,053 customers chose to ring in the New Year by filing their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The figures, show:
342 customers beat the bells by filing their tax return in the last hour of 2025
19,789 missed their traditional New Year’s Day walk or day in front of the TV to file their tax return instead.
3,927 people filed between 11:00 and 11:59 on 31 December – the most popular time to file over the two days
More than 6.36 million taxpayers have submitted their tax return so far, which leaves almost 5.65 million who still need to complete their Self Assessment. Those who miss the deadline could face an initial late filing penalty of £100.
“New Year is a great time to start afresh. What better way than to ensure your tax affairs are in order for another year than completing your tax return. If you have yet to start, the clock is ticking, go to GOV.UK and start today.”
Customers can start their tax return, save it and re-visit it as many times as they need to before they submit it. And, once they’ve sent it, the bill doesn’t have to be paid straight away, but does need to be paid before the 31 January deadline.
The easiest way to pay is through the HMRC app. Customers can also set up notifications in the app to ensure they know when payments are due so they don’t miss a deadline.
Customers who are unable to meet the tax return deadline need to tell us before the 31 January. HMRC will treat those with reasonable excuses fairly.
The penalties for late tax returns are:
an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater
There are also additional penalties for late payments of 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. If tax remains unpaid after the deadline, interest will also be charged on the amount owed, in addition to the penalties above.
People who complete a Self Assessment tax return to pay the High Interest Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) can opt out and choose to pay it through their tax code via the new PAYE digital service.
Eligible customers need to notify HMRC to stop Self Assessment before the filing deadline. Where a tax return has already been sent, customers can choose to stop from the following tax year. HMRC will then amend their tax code and they will be registered to pay HICBC through PAYE.
Customers do not need to include their 2025 Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating payment in Scotland, on their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year as payments received in Autumn 2025 will be recovered in the 2025 to 2026 tax return, due by 31 January 2027.
Self Assessment customers are at increased risk of being targeted by criminals and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone, including a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.
Experts advise against making hasty decisions about the future after festive stress
Relationships Scotland, Scotland’s leading relationship support charity, is urging couples to seek support for relationship issues, rather than opting for separation if they’ve had a challenging Christmas.
The first working Monday of the year, known as Divorce Day, is often the time when there’s a surge in people looking to leave their partner and enter into a formal separation agreement. This is often the result of the emotional pressures and expense of Christmas, which can push couples to breaking point as the New Year starts.
Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotlandsaid: “The New Year often prompts couples to reflect on their relationship, especially if the festive season has been fraught. Traditionally there is a spike in people looking to separate on what has become known as Divorce Day.
“Christmas can put a huge strain on relationships where families typically spend more time together with normal routines disrupted, creating a far higher potential for stress and arguments to erupt.
“Our advice is simple, and we urge couples not to be hasty in making decisions about the future but instead seek help to discuss the issues which are causing problems within the relationship.
“Often the advice and support from a trained counsellor can be the difference between a family staying together, or becoming another January divorce statistic.
“Where couples do decide to separate, we also have family mediators across the country who can help separating parents agree the future living arrangements for their children, ensuring both parents keep in contact with their kids after they split up where possible.”
The total number of divorces in Scotland has been relatively stable in Scotland over the last five years with 8,149 in 2024-25 compared to 8,251 in 2023-24.
Stuart Valentine added: “While Christmas will be a time of happiness for many, the pressure it brings can be too much for an already fragile relationship.
“Relationships Scotland understands the importance of positive and resilient relationships and the damage caused by relationship breakdown if not handled properly, especially for children.
“We hope couples experiencing difficulties will think about accessing support through counselling or mediation, before heading to the courts seeking divorce.”
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Children will be protected from exposure to junk food ads under new regulations, in a bid to tackle childhood obesity
UK Government delivers on pledge to restrict junk food advertising and help parents raise healthiest generation of children ever
New regulations will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets each year as part of drive to reduce childhood obesity
Children will be protected from excessive exposure to unhealthy food adverts on television and online.
Kids will be protected from exposure to junk food advertising on TV and online as new regulations come into force to help tackle childhood obesity.From today, adverts for less healthy food and drinks will be banned on television before 9pm, and online at all times.
This decisive and world-leading action by this government is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.
Evidence shows advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from a young age and increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses. The ban targets the media children and young people use most at the times they use it.
At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are living with overweight or obesity and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for young children (typically ages 5-9) in the UK.
Minister for Health, Ashley Dalton said: “We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
The UK government has worked closely with health campaigners and industry leaders to find the right balance which combines our commitment to raising healthy kids and economic growth. It’s in everyone’s interest that parents and children can make healthy choices and we thank food and drink companies for getting behind these restrictions voluntary since October ahead of them taking legal effect today.
Previous interventions, such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy resulted in businesses reformulating to make products healthier, and the measures coming into effect today have already had a similar impact, driving the development and promotion of healthier options.
This change is part of a range of measures the government is taking to lift children out of poverty and help give them the best start in life.
To tackle obesity and improve diets, Westminster has introduced the Healthy Food Standard to make the average shopping basket of goods healthier, and we’re giving local authorities the power to stop fast food shops setting up outside schools.
Katharine Jenner, Executive Director, Obesity Health Alliance, said: “It’s been one battle after another, but we are finally going to see children being protected from the worst offending junk food adverts.
“This is a welcome and long-awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing. These new restrictions will help reduce children’s exposure to the most problematic adverts and mark real progress towards a healthier food environment.
“For the government to achieve its ambition of raising the healthiest generation ever, this is an important policy as part of a broader approach to preventing obesity-related ill health. Continuing to strengthen the rules over time will help ensure these protections remain effective.”
Colette Marshall, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK, said: “With type 2 diabetes on the rise in young people, the need to improve children’s health in the UK has never been greater. Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and the condition can lead to more severe consequences in young people – leaving them at risk of serious complications like kidney failure and heart disease.
“The long-awaited move to restrict junk food advertising – along with other measures such as mandatory healthy food sales reporting for businesses and the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – can help protect the health of our children, creating a future where conditions like type 2 diabetes can be prevented in young people.”
The Soft Drink Industry Levy will be extended to cover more products, including sugary milk-based drinks – and the government is helping to further improve kids’ diets by banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16.
In December, the Prime Minister announced parents could save up to £500 a year on baby formula thanks to new government measures aimed at reducing household costs and easing the cost of living for hard-working families.
This government has also introduced supervised toothbrushing for three to five-year-olds to protect those in the most deprived communities from tooth decay.
The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, meanwhile, will break the cycle of addiction and stop the next generation getting hooked on nicotine. It will also halt the advertising and sponsorship of vapes, limiting their packaging, flavours and displays which lure young people in.
These measures combined with the junk food ban mark the 10 Year Health Plan’s shift towards prevention and significant progress towards the government’s our pledge of raising the healthiest generation of children ever.
Farid (17), Bite Back Activist, said: “Today is a milestone moment – one that young people across the UK have been campaigning for over many years. We welcome the government taking action to put children’s health front and centre, to protect young people from the predatory and manipulative marketing of unhealthy food by junk food giants.
“These new rules are an important first step that begins to rip down the wallpaper of junk food advertising that surrounds young people on TV and online every day. We’re proud to see this change finally happen. But this cannot be the end. Young people are energised to keep pushing, working hard to make 2026 the year we fully transform the environments children grow up in.”
Malcolm Clark, Senior Policy Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “The world around us heavily influences what we eat and drink, which is why Cancer Research UK has long campaigned for restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods to children.
“Measures announced today – if properly enforced – are a crucial step towards creating an environment that protects children and empowers healthy lifestyle changes.
“Obesity and overweight causes at least 13 different types of cancer, and children living with obesity are much more likely to live with obesity as adults too. The UK Government must build on this landmark legislation with further bold action to make a healthy diet more accessible and reduce people’s risk of cancer in the future.”
Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said: “This is a positive step towards creating healthier environments for children and tackling childhood obesity.
“Childhood obesity remains one of the most significant public health challenges we face, driving health inequalities and placing a significant cost burden on the NHS and wider society. These measures are an important part of a whole systems approach, alongside local action to improve access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity.
“We are pleased to see that these measures complement other public health initiatives, such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which together signal a strong commitment to prevention and improving health outcomes.”
Alice Wiseman MBE, Vice President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: “The vast majority of deaths in this country are caused by preventable illnesses and disease, including many cancers, respiratory, heart and liver disease. These illnesses are often linked to the consumption of harmful products like unhealthy food and drink, but this is not the result of personal choice.
“The reality is that what we eat and drink is heavily influenced by cheap prices and clever marketing campaigns backed by multi-million pound budgets. We simply don’t have the freedom to choose.
“There is no quick fix, but we know from our experience of tackling tobacco harm, that one of the key ways to reduce illness and death caused by harmful products is to introduce tighter restrictions on advertising those products.
“There is of course further to go, but today’s legislation is a significant and welcome step forward in protecting people from industry influence and reducing the number of people living with – and dying from – preventable illness and disease.”
The clock is ticking and the countdown is on. In January 2027, BT Openreach will shut down the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), the technology behind analogue landline phones.
But with just 12 months remaining until the big switch-off, the digital experts at Workflo Solutions are warning some businesses are woefully underprepared for this landmark change.
The PSTN switch-off has been deemed necessary because the network of traditional copper lines is no longer equipped to handle the demands of today’s advanced digital world. Bandwidth limitations restrict its ability to support features such as video conferencing and data sharing – crucial tools for modern businesses – and maintaining this ageing infrastructure has become increasingly expensive and impractical.
Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working in January 2027. From phonelines to security alarms, door entry systems to CCTV, any technology that relies on the old copper lines will be affected.
And so businesses across the UK have been urged to move to a single, digital Internet Protocol (IP) network that primarily uses full-fibre connections.
Described by Workflo Solutions as the next generation of business communication, IP leverages the power and flexibility of the internet to deliver voice, data and video services over a single, high-speed fibre optic network. This shift to IP signifies a major technological leap forward in terms of speed, reliability and functionality.
Commenting ahead of the switch-off, Workflo Solutions’ managing director Michael Field said; “For sectors heavily reliant on traditional telephony, such as healthcare, telecare and security, it is essential that their critical services remain uninterrupted while alternative solutions are implemented.
“They need to act now to ensure a smooth transition to digital technologies to avoid disruption to their operations.
“Worryingly, there are still some businesses that are woefully underprepared for the switch-off. The move to IP-based networks is unavoidable, and postponing preparations might cause last-minute issues.
“So we’re urging all businesses to act now, review their current systems and begin implementing the necessary updates to ensure a seamless transition to a more advanced, efficient and versatile communication network before they get left behind.”
We are so excited to see runners signing up, doing what this community does best, coming together!
Join the fun and get yourself involved. Be part of the solution. We need you!!
Not a runner, don’t worry, you can walk it all if you like, or you can create a relay team and there will be lots of other fun activities over the weekend including a junior fun run for the small people and a more competitive version for the teens if they sign up.
