Faulty radios lead to Tube delays

Passengers faced severe delays in the morning rush-hour

Thousands of commuters faced long morning rush-hour delays after faulty equipment caused severe disruption on the London Underground (LU).

Radios not working in drivers' cabs meant the Circle Line was suspended anti-clockwise.

The problem also led to the part suspension of the Hammersmith & City Line while there were severe delays on the District Line.

An LU spokeswoman said malfunctioning radios led to the faults in rush hour.

The problems came a day before the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union was due to announce the result of a strike ballot in a dispute with London Underground (LU) over the working week and staff levels.

RMT members are expected to vote for strike action and the RMT could announce a strike will be held on New Year's Eve, when Tube services would normally run all night.

The RMT said that staff who had been heroes during the July 7 London bombings could face the sack, but LU insisted there were no plans to cut jobs.

Meanwhile, the threat of Christmas strikes by 250 RMT members at London's Docklands Light Railway receded today after management tabled what the union described as a "massively improved" pay offer.