6:46 am, March 11, 2026
South West Water owner prepares to pay penalties after stormy weather
The owner of South West Water has said it is expecting to face penalties from the regulator after rainy and stormy weather led to leakage repairs and burst water mains.
Pennon Group said power outages during Storm Goretti and Storm Chandra had a widespread impact to South West Water’s operations. The supplier said it responded quickly to minimise customer disruption, but that action was needed in relation to ‘mains bursts and leakage remediation’.
‘Due to the exceptional and sustained rainfall creating operational pressures, ODI performance across water and wastewater for the full year 2025/26 is anticipated to result in a net ODI penalty position,’ Pennon said. ODI refers to ‘outcome delivery incentives’, a system whereby a company can receive financial rewards or pay penalties based on performance targets, which are set by water regulator Ofwat.
Rachel Reeves says she might raise mileage rates for drivers using cars for work
Drivers may be able to claim back more in expenses for mileage, after Rachel Reeves said she was considering increasing the minimum tax-free amount.
The chancellor said she understood driving costs had risen ‘significantly’ in recent years, as the current rate of 45p-per-mile was last updated 15 years ago.
Drivers can currently claim 45p-per-mile tax-free for the first 10,000 miles and is supposed to cover running a vehicle, including insurance and servicing. After that drivers can claim 25p-per-mile. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported.
Chery reveals its smallest model with the Tiggo 4
Chery has taken the covers of its smallest model yet – the £19,995 Tiggo 4.
The new Ford Puma rival uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor to produce 201bhp. It has space for five and features a digital driver’s display, a touchscreen, physical shortcut buttons and climate control dials.
Prices for the Chery Tiggo 4 start at £19,995 with further details on the car’s specification, order books and delivery dates to be revealed in the coming weeks.
The markets
Stock prices in London closed in the green on Tuesday, as markets bounced back after Monday’s falls while a fall in the oil price cooled concerns around inflation.
The FTSE 100 index closed up 162.72 points, 1.6%, at 10,412.24. The FTSE 250 ended up 394.15 points, 1.8%, at 22,492.27, and the AIM all-share closed up 11.94 points, 1.6%, at 778.80.
The pound climbed to 1.3458 US dollars on Tuesday afternoon from 1.3396 dollars at the equities close on Monday. The euro stood higher at 1.1648 dollars from 1.1593 dollars. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was trading lower at 157.56 yen compared to 158.13 yen.
Cooper speaks to Rubio as US threatens ‘most intense day’ of Iran war
The Foreign Secretary has emphasised ‘close co-ordination’ on Middle Eastern security in a call with her US counterpart as Washington threatened its “most intense day” of strikes on Iran.
Yvette Cooper’s conversation with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday evening came after American B1 bombers were seen taking off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and explosions were reported in Tehran.
A spokesman for Rubio said the pair had ‘underscored the importance of continued close co-ordination on the security of the broader Middle East’.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon sets sail for eastern Mediterranean
Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon is heading to the eastern Mediterranean, a week after its deployment was announced.
The Type 45 destroyer is capable of shooting down drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iran and its proxies as the Middle East crisis continues.
Officials insisted the ship had been prepared as quickly as possible for deployment, with six weeks’ worth of work squeezed into six days.
Tuesday on Car Dealer
Revealed: The full agenda for Car Dealer Live 2026
Car Dealer Live 26 is set to be a day packed full of inspiring sessions to get you firing for the rest of the year – but what’s on the agenda?
Freshstream planned leadership change at Big Motoring World months before Waddell’s exit, court hears
Big Motoring World investors drew up plans to replace CEO Peter Waddell with Laurence Vaughan months before the leadership change eventually took place.
Podcast: Chinese car brands double UK market share as eyes turn to plate-change March
Chinese car brands have doubled their share of the UK new car market in the opening months of 2026, as car sales in general are outperforming the wider market.
Revealed: February’s highest used car price-risers, as market sees strong growth across board
February’s used car retail market saw a surprisingly strong performance across all fuel types latest data suggests, as the month posted a healthy rise ahead of the important plate-change month of March.
Renault Group futuREady plan – 12 new Renaults by 2030, and raft of new Dacias and Alpines
Renault Group has announced a bold new plan that includes rolling out 12 new Renaults, and a raft of by Dacia and Alpines over the next few years.
Keyloop confirms addition to leadership team with creation of new chief delivery officer role
Keyloop has added to its top team with the appointment of Jonathan Williamson to the newly-created role of chief delivery officer.
Weather
Breezy conditions affect southern areas today with variable cloud, sunny spells and the chance of isolated showers, reports BBC Weather. Scotland will be windier with frequent blustery showers, wintry on hills.
Tonight becomes windy nationwide, with heavy rain across northern and central Scotland, while south-east England stays mostly dry with clear intervals tonight.
