Managers on Southern rail have had to work as conductors on a reduced timetable that was brought in to cope with disruption, the RMT union has said.

The union, which is in dispute with the firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) over guards’ roles, said managers with the correct safety certification had been “press-ganged” into working on trains.

The new timetable which was brought in this week has seen 341 trains axed each day. Southern previously ran over 2000 services each weekday.

Angry commuters staged a demonstration at London Victoria on Monday.

The Resources Committee and Tandridge District Council has agreed to set up a scheme to give council tax discounts for up to three months to homeowners who have had to leave their homes due to flood damage.

Since the flash flooding last month, 32 families have left their homes and over 70 households have reported either internal or garden flooding.

Anyone who has left their property due to flood damage and cannot claim their council tax costs from their insurers can apply for the discount.

This process can take up to two months and while Council officers cannot apply to the Valuation Office on behalf of residents, they will be available to help them complete the forms if needed.

A group of Crawley residents is hoping for sunny summer days to help them top up their energy bill savings.  Two hundred and twenty five Crawley Homes tenants signed up to a council-run scheme to install solar panels on their homes last year.  

The systems generate free, green electricity from the sun’s rays for the householders to use during the day.  Residents can save up to an average of £120 off their annual energy bill.  

Any surplus electricity not used by the householder can be sold back into the National Grid to pay for the cost of installing the panels.