Record numbers of travellers will jam roads and trains tomorrow in the last bank holiday getaway of the year.

Rail bosses expect to carry eight million passengers from tomorrow until Monday on more than 70,000 trains.

Many offices will be left with a skeleton staff as thousands take the day off or leave early to beat the traffic.

Most congested will be the M25 western sector with motorists heading out onto the M4 and M3. Motoring organisations warn the next two weekends will be the busiest of the year.

Engineering work on the railways will add to the problems with the West Coast Main Line closed all day Saturday, Sunday and for most of Monday between Euston and Milton Keynes.

On Sunday and Monday there will be no service between Liverpool Street and Stratford stations.

Stewart Topp, AA patrolman of the year, warned: "It is going to be very busy on the roads. As well as families heading off before the schools go back there's also a full schedule of music festivals, airshows, sports fixtures and other major events."

However, the rush to escape may leave London quieter than usual.

• 

  Lenny Henry: 'Maybe one day we can have a black Doctor Who'

  As he wins the outstanding newcomer prize at the Evening Standard theatre awards for his role as Othello, Lenny Henry has come a long way from black and white minstrels

  ---

• 

  Spread of the Jedhead

  Jedward, voted off the X-Factor this weekend, are the most obvious proponents of the sticky-uppy look - but the style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste, says Nick Curtis

  ---

Sky in plot to hire students on the cheap

Sky News is currently recruiting students as reporters for its coverage of next year's general election. However, the opportunity doesn't quite seem so appealing

All stories