Macaully Moffat

A total of 378 drivers in England and Wales have been convicted this year for ignoring red X lane-closure signs on smart motorways, generating £48,409 in fines, £33,255 in court costs and £20,183 in victim surcharges. The RAC warned that disobeying the signs can endanger stranded motorists, road workers and other drivers, while several convicted motorists cited traffic conditions or difficulty changing lanes safely. Most received three penalty points, with some facing driving bans. Smart motorways began with a trial on the M42 in 2006, and all-lane-running motorways were introduced in 2013; the government cancelled plans for new schemes in 2023 amid public opposition and financial pressures.

The fifth series of the cult science-fiction sitcom Red Dwarf is scheduled to air on BBC Two from 9 p.m. on August 13, 34 years after its original 1992 broadcast. The series follows Dave Lister and his companions—including Arnold Rimmer, Kryten, the Cat and Holly—aboard a spaceship three million years in the future. The broadcast coincides with the release of Red: Dwarf Titan, a semi-prequel co-written by Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall, and all Red Dwarf series are available on BBC iPlayer.