our transport correspondent katy austin reports from sutton coldfield.me carer sharon can clock up a0 miles a day for work, in her own car. she pays for the fuel to get to herfirstjob of the morning, the business pays 35 pence per mile for the rest, but prices at the forecourt have got a lot more expensive. because the petrol is rising, i'm putting more out of my own pocket into my car. as before, it was even. so it covered it, basically. yes, but now it doesn't. everything else is going up as well and there's nothing coming in extra. the business sharon works for is trying to reduce the miles carers like her have to drive. what they are trying to do is speak to clients and try and shorten the allocated times in between the runs, to try and save fuel costs. they are worried about existing care sector staff shortages getting worse. there could be an impact where carers may think about what they want to do, in the future, whether it is home care for them or they could move on to other sectors which could impact our business and all home care businesses, if

it's a message that startled shoppers in sutton coldfield today. terrifying that we've had this much at this stage, and we don't know what's to come, we don't know the half of it. it's really scary, it's really hard for some people to cope, isn't it? it'sjust...where do we go, what we do? we've all got to keep warm, haven't we? happily...hopefully, it will be mainly in the summer, so we won't need as much per household, for lots and lots of people. the reason for these grim forecasts is this — it's the wholesale price of gas, which is surging back to all—time highs on fears that russian gas supplies will interrupted or internationally shunned. and to compound the cost—of—living crisis, there's the price of oil, which is at a seven—year high, and that recent spike is yet to make it to forecourts, where it seems likely that petrol and diesel prices will continue to break records. the uk gets less than 5% of its gas from russia, but prices are set internationally, so we're affected. germany, however, relies on russia for over 60% of its gas, and those

it is a message that startled shoppers in sutton coldfield today.we don't know the half of it. it's really scary, it's really hard for some people to l cope isn't it? it'sjust, where do we go, i what we do, we've all got to keep warm. hopefully it will be mainly l in the summer, so we won't need as much per household, but it's still going to be - awful for lots of people. the reason for these grim forecasts is this — the wholesale price of gas, which is surging back to all—time highs on fears that russian gas supplies will interrupted, or internationally shunned. and to compound the cost of living crisis, there is the price of oil which is at a seven—year high and that recent spike is yet to make it forecourts, where it seems likely the petrol and diesel prices will continue to break records. the uk gets less than 5% of its gas from russia, but prices are set internationally, so we are affected. germany however relies on russia for over 60% of its gas and those payments are helping prevent a total collapse of the rouble. that reliance and support ne

it's a message that startled shoppers in sutton coldfield today.on't know the half of it. i it's really scary, it's really hard. for some people to cope, isn't it? it'sjust...where do we go, what we do? _ we've all got to keep warm, haven't we? _ hopefully, it will be i mainly in the summer, so we won't need as much per household, _ but it's still going to be awful for lots of people. _ the reason for these grim forecasts is this — it's the wholesale price of gas, which is surging back to all—time highs on fears that russian gas supplies will be interrupted or internationally shunned. and to compound the cost—of—living crisis, there's the price of oil, which is at a seven—year high, and that recent spike is yet to make it forecourts, where it seems likely that petrol and diesel prices will continue to break records. the uk gets less than 5% of its gas from russia, but prices are set internationally, so we are affected. germany, however, relies on russia for over 60% of its gas, and those payments are helping prevent a total collapse of the rouble.

lot of cloud on thursday, it tended to break up late in the day, so this was the picture in sutton coldfielde clear spells holding on across parts of eastern england, northern ireland and too, but it's going to be a frost free night, temperatures early friday between about 7—10 . now, during the day, they could be some early brightness around for some of us, but we will see the cloud increasing from the west through the day, so a bit of sunshine for part of eastern england, perhaps eastern scotland, northern ireland too, but showery rain moving its way slowly northwards and eastwards, we we have seen recently, with some of those gusts up to about 30 miles an hour. and blustery showers moving in from the south—west later, there could be some hail and some thunderstorms mixed in with some of these torrential downpours. temperatures between about 8—12 , so a touch cooler than recent days. and then, as we move through friday night into saturday, we have got the next system approaching from the atlantic. that will bring some wetter, windier weather through the weekend eventually. but actually, as

lot of cloud on thursday, it tended to break up late in the day, so this was the picture in sutton coldfielde got a weakening weather front pushing up across the uk at the moment, and another one approaching from the west here. so, a band of cloud bring lots of rain for the midlands, northern england and scotland overnight too. some clear spells holding on across parts of eastern england, northern ireland too, but it's going to be a frost prenatal temperatures early friday between about 7—10 . now, during the day, there could be some early brightness around for some of us, but we will see the cloud increasing from the west through the day, so a bit of sunshine for part of eastern england, perhaps eastern scotland, northern ireland too, but showery rain moving its way slowly northwards and eastwards, windier than we have seen recently, with some of those gusts up to about 30 miles an hour. and blustery showers moving in from the south—west later, there could be some hail and some thunderstorms mixed in with some of these torrential downpours. temperatures between about 8—12 , so a touch coole