Nick Clegg has been ambushed on his weekly radio talk show by London mayor Boris Johnson.

Speaking on LBC Radio this morning (February 7^th), the deputy prime minister was put on the spot over the issue of public transport.

In a pre-recorded message, the mayor asked:

“When are you going to get politicians out of their limos and on to public transport? How can we possibly expect government to vote for increases in infrastructure spending … when they sit in their chauffeur-driven limousines – paid for by the taxpayer?”

However, Clegg was unfazed by the surprise call and was quick to respond on the issue, stating:

“I think we’ve actually cut the amount of tax payer money used to pay for minister cars by 70 per cent. Clearly ministers drive in cars – not all the time – but I think the fact we’ve cut the bill we inherited from Labour is a big step in the right direction.”

The Lib Dem leader went on to voice his agreement with the Mayor, stating that money needs to be found for infrastructure projects.

“Tell him to get out of his limo and get the infrastructure projects we are offering moving,” he told presenter Nick Ferrari.

As part of his weekly Call Clegg segment, the deputy prime minister was also quizzed on a wide range of topics including, the resignation of Chris Huhne, North Africa and the controversial mansion tax.

Image used courtesy of Chris Harvey / Shutterstock.com.

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A man who was killed when two cars carrying members of the same family crashed into the River Wye has been named as David Cox.

The 42-year-old, who worked at the BBC in Salford, was heading along the A6 in Buxton on a school run when the incident occurred.

He skidded off a bridle path that runs close to the Monsal Trail and plunged into the river. His 11-year-old daughter managed to escape from the car and get to safety.

Minutes after the accident, a second car, driven by Mr Cox’s wife and carrying the pair’s nine-year-old son, also entered the Wye.

Both occupants managed to flee the vehicle and swim to safety. However, despite attempts from local residents to help, Mr Cox was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital, where he later died.

Paul Hawker, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager, was among the first people to attend the scene and claimed that the icy conditions had contributed to the accident, according to a fire service spokeswoman.

Speaking to BBC News, Roux Joubert, head of TV and Mobile platforms at BBC Salford’s Future Media team, praised Mr Cox as a key member of the organisation.

“He will be sorely missed by everyone here and our thoughts are with his family at this time,” he said.

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A crash on the A30 in north Cornwall has resulted in the death of a pedestrian.

The incident took place at around 7pm on Saturday evening (January 19^th) near the A388 junction and Devon and Cornwall Police has issued an appeal for witnesses.

According to accounts, the 34-year-old man had been standing in front of his Renault Laguna in a layby before walking on to the closest lane of the A30′s eastbound carriageway.

A heavy goods vehicle was then involved in a collision with the man, who lived locally and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are calling for anyone who may have information about the incident to get in touch on 101, quoting log number 0670 of 190113.

The accident comes as many parts of the UK have had their transport networks disrupted by inclement weather.

Heavy snowfall has been bombarding Britain over the weekend and Met Office forecasters have predicted this will continue this week.

Martin Young, chief forecaster at the organisation, warned that eastern England and Scotland are set to be particularly affected by the cold weather.

“Everyone should keep up to date with the latest weather information and plan ahead for possible travel delays and disruption to transport during this spell of wintry weather,” he added.

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Part of the A2 carriageway near Gravesend in Kent has re-opened this morning (January 16^th) following a crash involving a car transporter.

Two people were injured in the incident, which took place at around 3pm yesterday.

Four lanes of the A2′s London-bound carriageway were blocked by several cars after the transporter spilled its load and two vehicles landed on the other side of the road.

The driver of the vehicle is said to have sustained serious, but not life-threatening injuries and was taken to Kings College Hospital in London.

A second motorist also suffered minor injuries, with News Shopper reporting that one eyewitness saw a Hyundai car strike a vehicle passing on the opposite side of the carriageway.

Kent Police confirmed that all sections of the major highway had fully re-opened earlier today, following a massive traffic jam yesterday evening caused by the closure between Pepper Hill and Ebbsfleet.

A number of vehicles in the queue broke down due to fuel problems and flat batteries and had to be recovered from the hard shoulder last night.

Police on the scene issued blankets to drivers that were stranded by the incident and advised motorists to steer clear of the area.

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A helicopter has crashed into a crane in central London this morning (January 16^th), killing two people and injuring nine others.

The aircraft hit the structure in Vauxhall at around 8am and more than 60 firefighters are said to be in attendance at the scene, alongside police officers and the London Ambulance Service.

Witness Paul Ferguson told BBC News how the vehicle “plummeted straight into the ground”.

“It exploded and you can imagine the smoke coming out of it. It was probably heading from the nearby heliport,” he said.

Another bystander, Chris Matthison, told the news outlet that the crane had experienced significant damage in the incident and could be lying across Nine Elms Road.

“I heard a very unusual dull thud, then there was silence. The silence really took my imagination. Emergency services responded very quickly,” he said.

Police confirmed the crash had taken place, but claimed it was too early for any casualties to be confirmed.

The helicopter is said to have cartwheeled in the air before hitting the ground and exploding, sending up a towering column of smoke.

Witnesses also reported low visibility at the scene, with mist obscuring the top of a nearby tower block.

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A 13-year-old girl has died after her family car was involved in a collision with a vehicle being pursued by police.

The teenager was travelling in a Volkswagen Polo on Ilderton Road in London with her family when the incident occurred.

A Peugeot 308 that was being chased by a marked police car hit the vehicle at around 6.30pm yesterday (January 6^th) and the 13-year-old passenger, who was in the rear of the car, died from her injuries at the scene.

The child’s brother, father and mother were also hurt in the collision, although their injuries are not thought to be serious at this time.

Metropolitan Police Commander Tony Eastaugh revealed that a “thorough investigation” into the incident is now underway and expressed his deepest sympathies for the family.

“An innocent family are now dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one,” he said, adding: “The thoughts of our staff and officers are with the family at this time.”

The male driver of the Peugeot was arrested and taken into custody, while a female passenger was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards and traffic officers have launched an investigation into the matter and a representative from the Independent Police Complaints Commission assessed the scene.

The Metropolitan Police said that the police vehicle’s sirens and blue lights were in operation when the accident occurred and representatives from the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended.

Image used courtesy of Adrian Reynolds / Shutterstock.com

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