King's Cross trains cancelled for day

27 December 2014 Last updated at 11:53

All trains to and from London King's Cross have been cancelled because of overrunning engineering.

Network Rail said the work near the station was part of a £200m Christmas investment programme and described the move as "regrettable and unfortunate".

Operators intend to run services into other stations but watchdog Passenger Focus said it was "frustrating".

The Department for Transport said it would have talks with Network Rail about the "disappointing" delay.

East Coast Trains said passengers would need to start or finish their journey at Finsbury Park in north London, with at least one change of train. It said customers should defer travel where possible.

'Chaotic scenes'

Network Rail said Finsbury Park station had been temporarily closed at about 11:00 GMT due to overcrowding.

BBC journalist Vicky Riddell said there had been "chaotic scenes" at the station.

"People were unable to leave the station via one of the exits due to overcrowding in the underground passageways which led to the overground platforms," she said.

"Outside, the entrance to the mainline station was blocked due to the volume of people trying to get in and out, leading to people missing their trains due to being simply unable to get into the station."

Transport for London tweeted that travellers should "avoid the station if possible".

Meanwhile, First Great Western has said there will be no services between London Paddington and Reading due to overrunning engineering works.

The company is advising passengers to use alternative routes with South West Trains and Chiltern Trains.

David Sidebottom, passenger director at Passenger Focus, said: "Investment in maintenance and improvement is necessary, and we passengers understand that.

"We will be looking to see that operators and Network Rail are doing all in their power to alert passengers, to help them make alternative arrangements and to make it easy for them to claim refunds or compensation."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "It is extremely disappointing that Network Rail's engineering works have overrun and will affect travellers during this festive season. Passengers will be rightly annoyed.

"This was essential work but passengers need to be able to plan and rely on Network Rail meeting its deadlines for having the network back in service.

"The department is in contact with Network Rail to understand what went wrong and if lessons can be learned for the future."

Sunday delays

A Network Rail spokesman said the work was "a small part of a massive amount of engineering investment taking place over Christmas".

He said 4.5 million passengers use the railways on average every day, compared with two million a day over the Christmas and New Year holiday.

Najib Mohamed, 18, from north London, had to make other arrangements after arriving at King's Cross station expecting a train to take him to work.

"It is usually very, very busy here, but not today," the 18-year-old said.

"I am supposed to be working as a fundraiser today - and getting told where to go once I get here - but there are no trains so I think I might just go back to bed."

About 300 projects are being undertaken over the holidays across 2,000 sites up and down the country.

National Rail said a reduced service to and from London King's Cross was expected to operate on Sunday, but journeys could be retimed and take longer than expected.

Trains will leave King's Cross up to 20 minutes earlier than normal, resuming their usual stopping times from Peterborough. Services to King's Cross will arrive up to 40 minutes later than normal.

Other services will start or end at Doncaster, Newark North Gate, Peterborough or Stevenage.

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Ukraine awaits fresh prisoner swaps

27 December 2014 Last updated at 02:54

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The swap was watched by independent monitors, as Ben Bland reports

More prisoner exchanges are expected between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in the east - a day after the two sides swapped hundreds of captives.

Ukrainian officials say they are hoping that four soldiers will be freed. The number of militants due to be released has not been confirmed.

On Friday, Ukraine said 146 of its soldiers had been freed for 222 rebels.

Meanwhile, Ukraine froze vital bus and rail links with Crimea, its southern peninsula annexed by Russia in March.

Crimea has no land corridor to Russia, and relies on a ferry in the Azov Sea and flights from Russia.

The peninsula - which is also heavily dependent on Ukraine's power supplies - has also seen blackouts in recent days.

Kiev says it has to limit supplies, because Ukraine itself is experiencing power shortages.

In a separate development, the world's two largest credit and debit card companies, Visa and Mastercard, said on Friday they could no longer support bank cards being used in Crimea, following fresh US sanctions imposed this month.

The moves come ahead of the traditional holiday season in the region, when people travel to be with their families for New Year.

Russian media reported that a number of people in Crimea on Friday were unable to withdraw cash or pay for goods bought in local supermarkets.

Inconclusive talks

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's spokesman said on Friday that Kiev expected four more of its soldiers to be released on Saturday.

Spokesman Vyacheslav Tsegolko wrote in a Facebook post that the soldiers "would be able to celebrate New Year and Christmas with their families".

Ukraine - a predominantly Orthodox Christian country - celebrates Christmas on 7 January.

Friday's prisoner exchange - the biggest since the conflict began in April - took place near the town of Avdiyivka, about 35km (22 miles) north of Donetsk.

Ukrainian and Russian media showed rows of men in civilian clothes standing on a road, supervised by armed men.

"They only just told us that this would happen," freed Ukrainian soldier Artem Syurik was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

"I am looking forward to seeing my parents and wife. They do not know I am coming."

Freed rebel fighter Denis Balbukov said: "I want to eat fried potatoes and talk to my relatives."

But he added: "I will go back to fighting. It was all right once we were moved to the detention centre, but to begin with, they really tormented and roughed us up."

Inconclusive talks were held this week in Minsk, Belarus, on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed 4,700 lives.

Although fighting has lessened considerably, the conflict continues and more than 1,300 people have died since a truce was announced in September.

Ukraine accuses Russia of actively supporting the militants with Russian soldiers and heavy artillery.

The Kremlin denies this but says its regular forces are fighting in eastern Ukraine as volunteers.

Ukraine: the human cost

• 5,200,000 affected by conflict
• 4,707 people killed including 36 children
• 10,322 wounded including 102 children
• 542,080 people displaced inside Ukraine
• 597,956 refugees and asylum seekers outside Ukraine

Source: United Nations 16 December

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Pakistan orders arrest of cleric

26 December 2014 Last updated at 21:25

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Abdul Aziz says the authorities should be looking at people who are accused of more serious crimes, reports Shaimaa Khalil

A judge in Pakistan has issued an arrest warrant for a cleric at a radical mosque in Islamabad who has refused to condemn the massacre of children at an army-run school.

Imam Abdul Aziz has been accused of threatening protesters outside the Red Mosque.

The cleric said the charge against him was insignificant.

Last week, Taliban fighters attacked the school in Peshawar, killing 152 people, including 133 children.

Mr Aziz said that the authorities should focus on arresting people accused of more serious crimes.

"My case is very small and even a sub-inspector can grant me bail," he said.

The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan says that Mr Aziz is well known for his pro-Taliban views.

Earlier this year, a school run by the cleric renamed its library in honour of the former al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden.

A spokesman for the Red Mosque said they would resist the arrest of Mr Aziz.

Civil society activists had lodged the complaint against Mr Aziz, saying that they had been threatened by mosque employees during a protest about his refusal to condemn the school massacre.

The demonstrators are also being investigated for holding an unlawful protest.

Pakistan has stepped up its anti-terror operations since the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on 16 December.

Earlier this week, the government announced new measures to tackle terrorism, including the establishment of military courts to hear terrorism-related cases.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that there was a "changed Pakistan" since the tragedy and that there would be "no place for terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and intolerance."

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Severe flooding hits Malaysia's east

27 December 2014 Last updated at 08:47

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Malaysians are angry that during the worst flooding in decades, their leader has been filmed playing golf with President Obama, reports Jennifer Pak

Malaysia is battling some of the worst floods in decades along its east coast, which have killed at least five people.

More than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes, and Prime Minister Najib Razak has returned early from holiday in the US.

He is due to visit the worst-hit areas of northern Kelantan state.

Eastern states are often flooded during the monsoon season, but this time officials say heavier rain and stronger winds have made things worse.

In some areas, entire towns have been submerged.

Darius Dramburg, an eyewitness in the flooded region, told the BBC World Service that his entire village was under water and there was no electricity running in some parts.

"Because there is no electricity there's no water either. The shops have all closed down so we don't know how much food we could get.

"I decided to leave the place now and go down to Kuala Lumpur."

Rescue workers are struggling to bring in enough food and supplies for families sleeping in relief centres.

BBC Malaysia correspondent Jennifer Pak, in Kuala Lumpur, says Mr Najib cut short his holiday after the media published pictures of him golfing with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii.

The images reinforce the belief of some Malaysians that the government has not been doing enough to prevent these annual floods, our correspondent says.

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North Korea berates Obama over film

27 December 2014 Last updated at 10:13

North Korea has condemned US President Barack Obama over the release of the film The Interview, about a fictional plot to kill its leader Kim Jong-un.

The country's National Defence Commission (NDC) also accused the US of shutting down the country's internet - and used a racial slur to describe the "reckless" Mr Obama.

Sony Pictures had originally pulled the title after a cyber-attack and threats.

But the company later reconsidered, releasing the comedy on Christmas Day.

A number of critics - including the US president - had warned that freedom of expression was under threat if the movie was shelved.

The controversial film was shown in some US cinemas and is available online, with several hundred independent theatres coming forward and offering to screen it.

However, larger cinemas decided not to show the film.

'Righteous deed'

In a statement issued on Saturday, an NDC spokesman denounced the US for screening the "dishonest and reactionary movie hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK [North Korea] and agitating terrorism".

President Obama, the statement said, "is the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to indiscriminately distribute the movie", blackmailing cinemas in the US.

It added: "Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest."

The NDC also accused also Washington of "groundlessly linking the unheard of hacking at the Sony Pictures Entertainment to the DPRK".

Analysis: Stephen Evans, BBC News, Seoul

The Interview is a classic Hollywood romp involving two lads who go to a strange place and get seduced (in several senses).

And it is very funny. That's partly because it is also a very good political satire.

It is powerful because it depicts Kim Jong-un as a vain, buffoonish despot, alternating between threats and weeping that he's been misunderstood. The people around him have all the signs of fear you might expect with a despot - they second-guess his likes and dislikes.

Maybe he - and they - were right to fear the film. North Korean defectors sometimes smuggle USB sticks with films and soaps into the closed-off country, and there is a view in the south that these are a particularly powerful means of undermining the regime in Pyongyang. If that's so, The Interview might be a good candidate for inclusion.

That fear may explain the North Korean leadership's intemperate, deeply racist language. It's not the first time, it has called President Obama a monkey.

Crude insult or satire. Which is more effective?

FBI accusation

Sony Pictures had initially pulled the film after suffering an unprecedented hacking attack at the hands of a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace.

The hackers also threatened to carry out a terrorist attack on cinemas showing the film on its scheduled release date of Christmas Day.

Last week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said its analysis pointed the finger at North Korea.

However, many cyber-security experts have come forward to dispute this assertion.

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The Interview screened at small US cinemas

At the time, North Korea denied being behind the attack but described it as a "righteous deed".

The country subsequently suffered a severe internet outage.

The Interview saga

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Mr Kim. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

• 22 November: Sony computer systems hacked, exposing embarrassing emails and personal details about stars
• 7 December: North Korea denies accusations that it is behind the cyber-attack, but praises it as a "righteous deed"
• 16 December: "Guardians of Peace" hacker group threatens 9/11-type attack on cinemas showing film; New York premiere cancelled
• 17 December: Leading US cinema groups say they will not screen film; Sony cancels Christmas Day release
• 19 December: FBI concludes North Korea orchestrated hack; President Obama calls Sony cancellation "a mistake"
• 20 December: North Korea proposes joint inquiry with US into hacks, rejected by the US
• 22 December: North Korea suffers a severe internet outage; US authorities decline to comment
• 23 December: Sony bosses appear to change their minds, saying they will now give The Interview a limited Christmas Day release
• 25 December: The Interview is shown in some US cinemas and released online

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Xbox and PlayStation tackle attacks

27 December 2014 Last updated at 10:16

Microsoft and Sony have been working to restore internet platforms for their Xbox and PlayStation games consoles.

Attacks disabled the online services on Christmas Day, making it difficult for users to log on.

The Xbox Live status page suggested on Saturday that Microsoft services had been restored. PlayStation said some services were being restored and thanked users for their patience.

A hacking group called Lizard Squad claimed to have caused the problems.

The name is the same used by a group of hackers that has targeted Sony in the past.

Microsoft's Xbox Live has 48 million subscribers and Sony's PlayStation system has more than double that number, at about 110 users.

In a tweet posted on Saturday morning, PlayStation said: "Update: PS4, PS3, and Vita network services are gradually coming back online - thanks for your patience."

'Member Two'

A hacker claiming to be from Lizard Squad - a 22-year-old calling himself Member Two - said it had hacked the sites "because we can".

He also suggested the motive was to demonstrate weaknesses in the two companies systems.

"It's just such a huge company Microsoft... Do you not think they should be able to prevent such an attack?" he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"Is Christmas really about children playing with their new consoles, or playing with their new toys, or is it about them spending time with their families and celebrating Christmas?" he added. "I think everyone's just taking it all out of the ordinary."

Analysis: Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC technology correspondent

Sony executives must be asking themselves - when will it stop?

The attack on the PlayStation network - along with Microsoft's Xbox Live network - is nothing like as serious and sophisticated as the Sony Pictures hack.

But the impact on customers is more direct, and the fact that the company has taken longer than Microsoft to get its network up and running is another blow to the reputation of its security operation.

The distributed denial of service attack which overwhelmed the servers at Sony and Microsoft appears to have been on a very large scale, and came when traffic would have already been very high.

But customers are just as angry with Lizard Squad, the group which claims it launched the attack - and has since justified it with some rather pompous statements about exposing poor security.

The group now appears to have set its sights on bringing down Tor, the secure network which enables anonymous online communication. That has incurred the wrath of the better known hacker collective Anonymous - so prepare for more online conflict in the coming days.

Connect

To make the most of the Xbox and PlayStation consoles players have to connect to the internet in order to reach the console manufacturers' servers.

The outage stopped people accessing some core services, such as registering a new account, connecting with other people to play the same game and connecting to entertainment channels via the console.

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A hacking group called Lizard Squad claimed to have caused the problem

Earlier this month a different branch of Sony - Sony Pictures Entertainment - was hit by a cyber attack that stole huge amounts of data from its servers.

The fallout from that hack soon focussed on The Interview, a film featuring a fictional plot to assassinate North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

No link between Sony Pictures hack and the gaming service disruptions has been confirmed.

However, the latest disruption did mean that many families were unable to enjoy their new Christmas presents.

In the UK, Ros Bruce, from Essex, said her 10-year-old son got an Xbox One for Christmas, had spent most of the day in tears, and called for Xbox to provide compensation.

Ian Hornby, from Lancashire, spent a frustrating time trying to connect a new PlayStation to the Sony network, and said he hoped that the electronics giant would now invest in better protection for its systems.

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Warnings of icy roads across UK

27 December 2014 Last updated at 12:09

Warnings about icy roads have been issued for much of the UK as forecasts suggest snow in many areas could thaw and freeze again as temperatures fall.

BBC Weather said "ice would be the main hazard" facing northern England, Wales, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Around 2,000 homes in the East Midlands were without power at 11:30 GMT on Saturday, according to Western Power Distribution.

Roads were particularly badly hit in Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

A group of coach passengers spent the night in a Sheffield church, and some drivers were forced to abandon their cars due to heavy snowfall and a crashed lorry on the M1.

Drivers were also marooned in the Peak District and Chesterfield areas of Derbyshire.

The Met Office put out yellow warnings - meaning "be aware" - for snow and ice for much of Scotland.

There are also ice warnings for Northern Ireland and parts of England and Wales, and a warning of high winds for south-east England.

In other developments:

• Liverpool Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport have reopened after closing on Friday evening
• Some passengers faced delays at Manchester Airport after flights were diverted there from Liverpool and Leeds
• Police warned of hazardous conditions on the roads, especially in Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Chloe McIntosh was one of 20-30 passengers who tried to catch a 14:15 GMT National Express coach from Sheffield to London on Friday.

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Stranded coach passenger Chloe McIntosh: "Residents opened up the local church and the priest gave us lots of teas, lots of mince pies"

She said the coach did not arrive to collect the passengers, and a replacement got stuck in the snow before getting out of Sheffield.

The passengers took shelter at Our Lady of Beauchief & St Thomas of Canterbury Church before eventually boarding another coach at 06:30 GMT.

Ms McIntosh told the BBC: "National Express unfortunately did nothing for us - they went missing between 12 and 4am."

National Express said it was arranging "alternative travel" for its customers, adding: "We apologise to the passengers whose journeys have been so severely disrupted."

How to drive in snow and ice

• Balance your speed - too fast and you risk losing control, but if you go too slow you risk losing momentum
• Start gently in second gear, avoiding high revs. Stay in a higher gear for better control.
• Only use the brake if you cannot steer out of trouble.
• Increase the distance at which you follow other vehicles.
• Plan your journey around busier roads, which are more likely to have been gritted.
• On a downhill slope, get your speed low before you start the descent, and do not let it build up.
• In falling snow, use dipped headlights or foglights but switch off if conditions improve.

Read more about how to prepare your car and get readers' tips on driving in freezing weather.

Dr Stan Fowler told the BBC he was one of a "handful" of drivers who had spent the night in their cars at Woodhall Services on the M1.

"I arrived here at 20:30 and have bedded down for the night after parts of the car park became impassable," he said.

"The staff have been excellent and have brought duvets from the nearby hotel and although it wasn't how I would have chosen to spend Boxing Day night, it really hasn't been too bad at all."

A crashed lorry blocked all southbound lanes of the M1 south of Barnsley earlier, and at 11:30 GMT on Saturday delays remained on the motorway on the stretch between Sheffield and Barnsley.

Issuing a cold weather alert for parts of England, the Met Office said there was a 90% chance that severe weather until 12:00 GMT on Wednesday could "increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services".

The amber - level three - alert is one below a national emergency and indicates social and healthcare services should target "high-risk" groups, such as the very young or old, or those with chronic diseases.

Public Health England also urged people to look out for vulnerable friends and family and neighbours during the cold weather.

Contact us

How are you being affected by the snow where you are? How has the weather caused you to change your plans? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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City Link closure 'disgraceful'

26 December 2014 Last updated at 04:44

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General Secretary of the RMT union Mick Cash called the timing "an absolute disgrace"

The Christmas Day announcement that parcel delivery firm City Link had gone into administration was "disgraceful", a union has said.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said it was "shocking" to have "sprung this announcement once all the Christmas deliveries have been completed".

The Coventry-based firm, which employs 2,727 staff, made the move on Christmas Eve after "substantial losses".

Administrators warned of "substantial redundancies" in the coming days.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I worked on Christmas Eve with no warning this would happen; I found out from the news"

End Quote City Link worker

Mr Cash said the decision to go into administration was the "bitterest blow any group of workers could receive on Christmas Day".

"RMT will do everything within its power to mobilise a political and industrial fight to save the thousands of jobs that have been put at risk as a result of this shock announcement," he said.

"The way it's happened... that on Christmas Day they've done this to our members is disgraceful."

The RMT told its members on Christmas Eve that it understood that wages owed up to 31 December would be paid, but any further payments were not guaranteed.

City Link, owned by investment firm Better Capital, called in administrators Ernst & Young because no buyer had been found to save the company.

Ernst & Young said some staff would be retained to return parcels to customers and help with winding down the company.

City Link has stopped accepting parcels from customers at its head office and transport hub in Coventry, its three other transport hubs and 53 UK depots.

Operations will be suspended at its depots until Monday, when customers and recipients will be able to collect parcels - which they have been urged to do as soon as possible.

The firm's online parcel tracking system remains live and a phone helpline will be open on Saturday and then from 29 December.

'So furious'

Simon Judd, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, said: "I'm a sub-contractor with City Link, now find I have a liveried van and no work."

He added: "They've got rid of most employed drivers at my depot, and presumably nationwide. Just have to hope I can find some work elsewhere, after getting van made white."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The strain of these losses became too great and all but used up Better Capital's £40m investment"

End Quote Ernst & Young

One City Link worker, who wished to remain anonymous, called the situation "utterly disgraceful".

"I worked on Christmas Eve with no warning this would happen; I found out from the news," he said.

"I am so furious with what has happened, I have no idea what I'll do. I have no money since it's Christmas so I don't know where next month's rent will be coming from, where will I live? How will I eat?"

Hunter Kelly, of Ernst & Young, said: "City Link Limited has incurred substantial losses over several years.

"These losses reflect a combination of intense competition in the sector, changing customer and parcel recipient preferences, and difficulties for the company in reducing its cost base.

"The strain of these losses became too great and all but used up Better Capital's £40m investment, which was made in 2013 and intended to help to turn around the company."

Ernst & Young will "provide support to employees relating to potential redundancies", Mr Kelly added.

Founded in 1969, City Link said on its website it had annual revenues of approximately £300m, a fleet of 1,700 vehicles and delivered 60 million items across the UK and worldwide each year.

Are you an employee of City Link? Are you expecting a delivery from the company? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.

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Met Office warns of snow disruption

26 December 2014 Last updated at 11:15

Snow could cause disruption across large parts of the UK later, the Met Office has warned.

An "area of rain, sleet and snow" will move eastwards across Northern Ireland, central and northern England and much of Wales on Friday, forecasters said.

The highest risk of snow is in Wales and central England, where up to 15cm (5in) could fall, even on low ground.

Several centimetres is forecast elsewhere, but "some uncertainty surrounds how much snow will occur".

A yellow severe weather warning - meaning "be aware" - has been issued for all the affected areas.

But there is potential for an amber warning - indicating people should be prepared - in Wales and the Midlands, forecasters warned.

Icy roads

The Met Office said there was "potential for disruption from snow", especially for people travelling, and roads could turn "very icy" later.

A cold weather alert for parts of England was issued on Friday morning, with forecasters warning of a 90% chance that severe weather between 15:00 GMT on Friday and 12:00 GMT on Wednesday could "increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services".

The amber - level three - alert is one below a national emergency and indicates social and healthcare services should target "high-risk" groups, such as the very young or old, or those with chronic diseases.

Public Health England also urged people to look out for vulnerable friends and family and neighbours. during the cold snap.

"A depression will track south-eastwards across England and Wales during Boxing Day, clearing south-east England overnight. A spell of snow is likely, even to lower levels, on the northern flank of this depression. South of the depression centre, rain will fall, heavy at times," said the Met Office.

The weather system is expected to move across the country before "clearing during [Friday] evening and overnight" - though the weather warning applies from 11:00 GMT on Friday until 06:00 GMT on Saturday.

Contact us

What are your plans for Boxing Day? Will a change in weather conditions have an impact? Has it started snowing where you are? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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BBC Weather forecaster Jay Wynne said there would be "quite a bit of variation from location to location on how much snow you see".

BBC forecaster Laura Gilchrist said: "The main thing to underline is that although the warning runs from 11:00 to 06:00 it's not necessarily going to be snowing everywhere in these areas all of the time. It's a moving risk as we go through the day."

Forecasters have also warned of freezing temperatures in the days leading up to New Year.

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Xbox and PlayStation online crash

26 December 2014 Last updated at 01:58

Xbox and PlayStation online services have been suffering technical problems, amid claims a hacking group has disabled their services.

Microsoft and Sony - the companies which make the games consoles - have told customers they are aware of issues affecting their online services.

A hacking group called Lizard Squad is claiming to have caused the problems.

Microsoft and Sony have not commented on the claim, but both said they were fixing the issues.

Just before 21:00 GMT, PlayStation's official Twitter account posted: "We are still looking into the PSN (PlayStation Network) issues reported earlier. Thanks again for your continued patience today."

A message on Xbox's website says: "Hi Xbox members. Are you having a rough time signing in to Xbox Live? We're working to get this figured out right away.

"Keep trying to sign in when you get a chance. We're grateful for your patience, and we'll be sure to loop you in on our progress in 30 minutes."

'Worst Christmas ever'

Ros Bruce, from Essex, said her 10-year-old son got an Xbox One for Christmas, and he and a friend had spent weeks planning what games they would play together online.

She said they had been downloading a game since 09:00 GMT - and by 23:40 it was still not ready.

"He has spent most of the day in tears," she said.

"He says it's been his worst Christmas ever.

"I think Xbox should compensate us all."

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