Underground strike is called off

Piccadilly Line drivers staged a walkout on Christmas Eve

A London Underground (LU) strike planned by drivers for 5 January has been called off.

Members of drivers' union Aslef said it had reached a deal with Tube bosses in a dispute over the demotion of a driver who had passed four red signals.

A spokesman for the union said the driver would now be retrained.

The drivers, who work on the Piccadilly Line, staged a 24-hour strike on Christmas Eve which reduced the service by more than 50%.

The planned strike would have affected people returning to work after the festive break.

Spokesman Andy Reed said: "We have been pragmatic about this dispute and we are sure that calling off the strike will be welcomed by the travelling public."

Last week, the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union called off a strike scheduled for New Year's Eve.