Southampton’s match against Preston this evening has been postponed after a fire broke out next to St Mary’s stadium.
Fire crews are tackling the blaze which broke out just after 1pm this afternoon affecting four industrial units in Marine Parade, Southampton.
It isn’t clear what caused the fire and a number of emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Southampton FC had been due to play Preston in the stadium this evening in the Championship.
Image: Drone footage captured the extent of the blaze
Several nearby roads have been shut and people have been advised to avoid the area and keep their windows closed to avoid smoke.
Footage shows the large fire, sending black smoke billowing far above the neighbouring football stadium.
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Following the initial response, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue services have dispatched more responders to try and tackle the blaze.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour blockbuster has become the most profitable concert film in history – a week before it hits cinemas.
Its distributor AMC said global advance ticket sales have topped $100m (£82m), overtaking the record set by Justin Bieber’s 2011 film Never Say Never which made $99m (£81m).
The film, which was recorded during the tour’s US leg, is set to be released in more than 100 countries next Friday 13 October.
“Audience demand for The Eras Tour concert film has been incredible from the moment it was first announced,” AMC said in a statement.
The US cinema chain previously said the film had beaten its record for the highest ticket-sales revenue during a single day in its 103-year history.
Swift‘s blockbuster has also broken the UK record for the most tickets sold during the presale opening week for a music event.
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Taylor Swift arrives at NFL game
The title was previously held by BTS’ Permission To Dance film, which was released last year.
Tim Richards, founder and chief executive of Vue International, said: “In the last week since tickets were released, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has once again broken records, smashing our previous UK presale admit figures as our biggest ever opening week by ticket presales for a music concert event.
“The huge impact of concert films is clear, with Beyonce now following suit with a concert film of her own, following the release of the trailer for her Renaissance World Tour concert movie – it’s an exciting time to be a fan of music and cinema.”
Swift’s tour is also on track to become the biggest in history, with 146 dates across five continents.
It started in March of this year and will run until November 2024.
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She will play in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Liverpool next summer.
Fellow pop star Beyonce’s Renaissance tour will be released in North American cinemas on 1 December.
Three lifeboats have been scrambled from Kent to a ferry in the English Channel after a fire broke out on board.
The Isle of Innisfree was around halfway across the Channel when the blaze broke out in the engine room.
There were 183 people on board in total – 94 passengers and 89 crew members. Everyone is safe and accounted for.
Image: The Isle of Innisfree in the middle of the image, surrounded by RNLI boats. Pic: MarineTraffic
A French tug boat has also been despatched to the scene.
A spokesman for Irish Ferries said: “Irish Ferries can confirm that this evening, the crew on board its ship the Isle of Innisfree were alerted to a small fire in the ship’s engine room while the ship was sailing from Dover to Calais.
“Irish Ferries crews train regularly to deal with incidents at sea, and the company has put its training into action and the fire has been extinguished.
“The Coastguard has been informed and despatched 3 RNLI lifeboats as a precautionary measure.
“The vessel is currently safely at anchor, and as the situation is stable, no emergency assistance is expected to be required.”
HM Coastguard said it “was alerted just after 17:30 today (3 March) to a fire in the engine room of a ferry that was mid-way from Dover to Calais.”
It continued: “The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished, but it is experiencing technical issues.
A mother with a condition so rare that just 50 people worldwide have it has given birth in what it believed to be a world-first.
Hira Ahmad, from Wandsworth in London, has Bruck syndrome, which means she has brittle bones, restricted growth and uses a wheelchair.
The 28-year-old, who grew up breaking bones so regularly, she was taken to a hospital every three months, told the PA news agency she wanted to share her story to inspire other mothers with physical disabilities.
She said: “People doubt on you… they will say ‘you won’t be able to have a baby, it’ll be very difficult for you’.
“But I just want to put out there that no matter what, don’t lose your hope.
“I want my baby girl to go out there and explain to people that my mum is someone who had Bruck Syndrome and is a wheelchair user full time, she’s got brittle bones, but she still managed to deliver me in the safest way.
“I want her to look up to me and have that inspiration from her mother.”
Mrs Ahmad, an insurance officer at Wandsworth Council, had foetal testing to check if her daughter Dua would also have brittle bone disease.
She said when doctors told her the baby would not inherit the condition “I had tears of happiness in my eyes”.
Doctors ran a simulated theatre trial before the birth to investigate how Mrs Ahmad should position herself during the birth to avoid breaking any bones.
Due to previous surgery for scoliosis, which involved a metal rod being used to straighten her spine to alleviate pressure on her heart, she gave birth via C-section under general anaesthetic.
Mrs Ahmed went into labour unexpectedly early at 36 weeks, but after being rushed to hospital the birth was a success and Dua was born without complications at St George’s Hospital in London on 29 January 2022.
Caring for a newborn had been tough, she said.
“In the beginning it was very difficult… holding a tiny baby and pushing yourself in a wheelchair from one room to the other,” she said.
“I couldn’t do it on my own of course… I have to have my husband’s help or my mum’s help always around me for me to be able to cater to her needs.”
Image: Ather Amin and Hira Ahmad with their daughter Dua
Mrs Ahmad said she always had “hope” she would be able to have a child after a doctor told her aged 12 she would be able to get pregnant, but she knew it would be difficult.
She said she wants to have more children.
“Maybe when Dua is at an age where we can manage her, maybe later on in life,” she said.
“I really want to, but I’ll have to look at my health at that time and make the decision later on.”
The UK’s biggest warship has broken down off the south coast shortly after setting sail on what had been billed as a “landmark mission” to the United States.
HMS Prince of Wales, the second of the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers, was experiencing an “emerging mechanical issue”, a spokesperson said. The problem is being investigated.
The £3bn carrier, which became fully operational only last year, is reportedly anchored south east of the Isle of Wight while the investigation is carried out.
“HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast Exercise Area while conducting investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” the Royal Navy spokesperson said.
The problem was first reported by UK Defence Journal, an online news site focused on defence issues, which cited unconfirmed reports about damage to the starboard propeller shaft.
A second specialist news site, Navy Lookout, said the 65,000-tonne warship had suffered a “significant technical fault”.
“Should the issue prove to be serious it goes without saying that this is extremely unfortunate and not a good look for the RN [Royal Navy],” it reported.
Image: The vessel suffered an ’emerging mechanical issue’. Pic: Royal Navy
The warship had departed from nearby Portsmouth on Saturday on what was described by the Royal Navy as a mission to “shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean”.
The trip – provided it goes ahead – is set to see the carrier visit New York, Halifax in Canada and the Caribbean, operating fifth generation F-35 fast jets off the deck as well as drones.
Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Hewitt, said in a statement to mark the departure – and prior to the mechanical glitch: “Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest of this year will not only push the boundaries of UK carrier operations, but will reinforce our close working relationship with our closest ally.
“From operating the F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the amazing sailors on board, many of which are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy.”
HMS Prince of Wales, which heads a carrier task group, deployed with a frigate, tanker and an air group of helicopters and drones.
The F-35 warplanes are set to join the ship in the US.
