Tube drivers stage 24-hour strike

Passengers have been warned to expect delays

London Underground (LU) is running a special service on the Piccadilly Line because of a strike by members of the drivers' union Aslef.

LU said half of the 50 trains on the line were running on Friday morning.

The drivers are staging a 24-hour walkout, which began at midnight, in support of a colleague who was demoted after passing four red signals.

Talks aimed at averting a strike by signal workers across the network on New Year's Eve will resume on Friday.

There will be extra bus services to cope with the Piccadilly Line strike, but LU warned of delays, with Tubes to Heathrow airport running just every eight minutes.

Chief operating officer Mike Brown said: "We believe we acted fairly and responsibly when handling this case.

"Passing a red signal is a serious issue and can cause severe disruption to Tube services."

Steve Grant, Aslef district organiser, told BBC News: "We are expecting total shutdown [on the Piccadilly Line] on Christmas Eve from midnight to midnight."

Replacement buses were laid on in some areas, including King's Cross.