Rather than approaching in a straight line, the tunnel begins to twist and turn round dramatically. The angle of the curve is part of the explanation for why there is an enormous gap between the carriages and the platform at the station - bigger than nearly anywhere else on the network.

Why the curve? Why the gap? The main answer is: the tunnels have to go around the single most intriguing, and least visited place in central London: the Bank of England's vaults.

Far deep beneath the ground, right in the heart of the financial district, is a city within a city. Some 40% of the Bank's floor space is to be found not above ground but under the earth, and at the heart of this underground network is the biggest gold storage facility in Europe.

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There is more gold in the vaults here at the Bank of England than in Fort Knox - more than in any other single place in the world, save for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And now, for the first time, Sky News has been invited down into the vaults to see them for ourselves.

It almost goes without saying that the security measures to be granted access were thorough in the extreme. We had to pass through a number of gates and steel doors, to be stripped of our phones and any money on us, to turn our cameras off and agree not to divulge the precise mazy path we took from the Bank's main lobby through to the vault. But once we finally reached the gold, the sight of it was breathtaking.

The Bank has 12 vaults, each of which holds thousands of bars of gold. We filmed in one of them - vault 4 - but caught glimpses of two of the other vaults beyond it, a hint of the vastness of this store of wealth. All told, there are more than 5,000 tonnes of gold in the Bank's vault. While that's about 1,000 tonnes short of the holdings in New York, in another sense, the Bank's vaults are only the tip of a bullion iceberg, since the Bank is only one of a number of major vaults dotted around London.

That comes back to an important point: London remains the world's capital for the trade in physical gold. Thanks in part to history, it remains the primary place in the world where countries, companies, and individuals trade the precious metal with each other in physical form.

The vast majority of the gold in the Bank's vaults belongs not to the Bank of England (it owns only two bars for display) or even the UK government (we'll come back to that in a moment) but to other countries. For this is where more than 60 central banks around the world store their gold, to enable them to trade it.

There are curios aplenty. I was shown bars of gold that were recovered from shipwrecks and explosions, the scars still visible on them. There are bars with the Soviet hammer and sickle still branded on them, though no Nazi swastikas. There were a few such bars here, but they were melted down some years ago.

For the most part, you can trade the gold without it even leaving the vault. Each bar (they are all of standard size, 400 troy ounces, which works out at between 12 and 13 kilograms - which by the way makes them surprisingly heavy) has a serial number or bar code and when they get bought and sold, all that happens is the code is assigned to a different customer; the bar stays where it is. But sometimes, customers insist on moving the physical bar, and that's where things get interesting.

The Trump effect

For early last year, a remarkable phenomenon took place. As investors fretted that Donald Trump might be about to impose tariffs on the movement of precious metals, as well as everything else, the price of gold in New York, normally pretty much identical to the London price, jumped higher. All of a sudden, there was an opportunity for anyone with the wherewithal to shift physical gold across from London to make a quick turn. So investors rushed to take gold bars out of the vaults here and fly them across to the US (via Switzerland where they were melted down from London dimensions to New York dimensions).

The idea of gold flying around the world might seem a little odd until you note that even in normal times many planes flying into and out of London Heathrow have a gold bar or two inside the cargo hold. This is how the gold market works - very much beneath the radar.

When that flurry happened a year ago, the Bank actually had trouble satisfying the urgent demand for bars, in large part because it's simply not equipped for this kind of thing: there is only one gate through which bullion deliveries happen, and physically moving that much gold was an inordinate challenge. However, in the following months, the prices equalised and gold began to flow back into the Bank's vaults. Their holdings, while a little lower than at the beginning of last year, began rising again.

Gold's enduring importance

Only a little over 300 tonnes of gold in the vaults here belongs to Britain. It used to be considerably more but, in a decision which has been chewed over extensively since then, back in the late 1990s Gordon Brown opted to sell more than half of Britain's reserves off. Back then the gold price was around $275 per ounce. Today the price is close to $5,000 (£3,714). A recent analysis found that the sale, which involved swapping the gold for bonds, resulted in a $47bn notional loss. The figure would likely be higher today, since gold prices have risen since then.

"I think at that point there was a genuine debate about whether it's sensible to have reserves - whether you can make them more useful," said the governor, Andrew Bailey. "And I think the Gordon Brown debate was very much about how gold just sits in a vault - that it's not useful in that sense. So I think you've got to put it into that context now."

The governor said that recent events, including the spike in gold prices, had underlined the importance of the asset, and London's part in its market.

"Gold is viewed as a flight-to-safety hedge against uncertainty in the state of the world - and that's been true for quite a long time," he said. "There is no question that the greater uncertainty around world events has again prompted that. But I think there's something even more true at the moment: that if you look at the mix of what are viewed as the flight-to-safety assets, [there's] gold, but dollar assets were also viewed [as safe havens].

"The dollar is somewhat the focus of attention at the moment in that much of that question around uncertainty in the world. So I think that's putting even more emphasis at the moment on gold as the safe asset. So we've seen an even bigger price rise in gold."

In short, much of the recent rise in gold could be put down to the "Trump effect" with investors fretting about his economic policy, his trade war and the pressure he is trying to put on the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.

History matters

All of which puts London's bars in the spotlight. They are, in one sense, no stranger to politics and to controversy. After all, this is the repository of much of the world's governmental wealth. So whenever regimes change and try to shift that wealth, London is often part of the conversation - as the ultimate custodian. Take Venezuela: the Maduro regime has been demanding the repatriation of its gold reserves - stored here at the Bank - for some years, taking the Bank of England to court over it. But since the government does not recognise the regime, it has thus far refused. A government decision - but one which places the Bank right in the middle of events.

Do such episodes underline the trust investors have in London as the safest, most logical place to put their gold? That's a question some have been asking in recent years, especially after G7 nations seized overseas assets owned by the Russian government following the invasion of Ukraine.

Adrian Ash, director of research at Bullionvault, said: "London's position as the world's central hub for physical gold was only strengthened last year by the risk of President Trump imposing trade tariffs on US gold imports. Exports of gold bullion out of China are still effectively banned, making the metal's No.1 consumer a dead-end for global flows. Shanghai and Beijing's push to attract foreign gold holdings has so far failed to beat worries over property rights and the rule of law. Again, London stands out with its long history of political and legal stability."

When it comes to gold, history matters. That's part of the explanation for this continued wonder under the ground in London. An extraordinary warren of vaults with extraordinary wealth within them.

Abdullah Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was fatally injured at Newham Leisure Centre, east London, while training in 2017.

He was preparing to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London when part of a throwing cage fell on him.

Teams and coaches from several nations were present at the time of the tragedy.

The charge said the national governing body for athletics caused the death of Mr Hayayei by "supplying for use... a discus/shot put cage which it used and operated without its base structure and which collapsed" into the Paralympian while he was practising shot putting.

At the Old Bailey on Friday, UK Athletics Ltd admitted corporate manslaughter, having previously denied the charge.

In a statement, the body said it "deeply regrets" the incident, and added: "Our deepest thoughts and sympathy remain with his family, friends, teammates and all those affected by the events of that day.

"As you will appreciate, due to the ongoing court proceedings, UK Athletics is unable to comment any further at this time."

Keith Davies, who was the head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympics Atheltics Championships, also pleaded guilty to a health and safety charge.

Prosecutor Karen Robinson invited the court to set a two-day sentencing hearing in early June, and he confirmed the prosecution would not seek a trial.

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Colin Gibbs, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement that Hayayei "was a father-of-five who should have been able to compete on the world stage and return home safely to his family".

"There can be no doubt that UK Athletics were grossly negligent in their safety management, which caused the death of a talented athlete," he added.

"They left equipment in a seriously unsafe condition, and Mr Hayayei's death was wholly avoidable - a fact the organisation has admitted.

"For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable."

The Metropolitan Police added that their investigation required detailed engineering expertise to understand the chain of events that led to the tragedy.

It said that officers had examined more than 1,500 documents, taken around 160 statements, spoken with more than 80 witnesses and collated expert reports.

Police were called to a hospital on 3 January after concerns were raised over the child - Isiayah Henry, from Woolwich, southeast London - who had been admitted with what have been described as "serious injuries".

He died on 19 January despite the "best efforts of medical staff", police said.

After initial enquiries, police began a safeguarding and criminal investigation.

Tanisha Henry, 28, of Woolwich, and Mikael Williams, 30, of Southwark, will next appear at Woolwich Crown Court on 22 April.

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They have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child.

Isiayah's family have been informed and continue to receive support from specialist officers, the Metropolitan Police said.

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But despite the milder, brighter and spring-like feel for many, some areas are also predicted to get showers and longer spells of heavy rain, increasing the risk of flooding on already saturated ground.

Check the weather forecast in your area

Sky News weather producer Jo Wheeler said some parts of the UK have experienced 51 consecutive days of rain during the start of 2026.

"If we're looking for a glimmer of hope, let alone a glimmer of sunshine, it will turn milder over the next few days.

"Not a heatwave, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but temperatures surpassing seasonal norms by a few degrees. However, conditions will remain unsettled with bouts of wet and windy weather spreading from the Atlantic."

After a spell of widespread frost and snow it is now predicted that temperatures will reach the early teens, with the potential for 16C (61F) in the south of England on Saturday, although it will be cooler further north.

The highest temperature recorded so far this year was 13.9C (57F) on 6 February.

But Atlantic systems will produce wet and windy conditions at times.

"It will be Northern Ireland and western Scotland that will bear the brunt of the wet weather over coming days, putting the highest rainfall totals in the northwest," said Wheeler.

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The risk of flooding remains in some parts of the UK after the start of 2026 brought seemingly relentless rain due to a "blocking pattern".

Recent figures from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology reveal Northern Ireland and the southwest of England had their wettest January on record.

It was also one of the five wettest Januarys since 1890 for southern counties of England.

Flooding risk remains

On Friday afternoon, more than 60 flood warnings remained in force in England, including the rivers Ebble, Wylye and Avon around Salisbury, River Avon in Ringwood and Christchurch, River Frome around Dorchester and the River Severn in Tewkesbury and the northern outskirts of Gloucester.

The Environment Agency has also issued several groundwater flood warnings in parts of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset.

Groundwater flooding happens when the water table rises to the surface, with cellars and basements particularly at risk.

'Don't be fooled'

Low-pressure systems currently approaching the UK and Ireland are bringing up some warmth from Iberia.

"We can expect temperatures in the low to mid-teens over the weekend and into the coming week, which isn't bad for late February," said Wheeler.

But she warned against the change in weather lulling people into believing spring is just around the corner.

"Don't be fooled!" she said. "There's still the potential for temperatures to return to average values; maybe even lower than average. Gardeners be warned!"

Yellow warnings issued

Earlier this week, the Met Office had issued a series of yellow weather warnings for rain, snow and ice, partly caused by Storm Pedro - named by the French equivalent of the Met Office.

In addition, cold weather alerts were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) across most of England, apart from London and the southeast, until 6pm on Friday.

January had the biggest budget surplus since records began in 1993, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It meant the government received more money than it spent last month, leaving £30.4bn left over.

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It's £15.9bn more than the surplus in January 2025, although the figures are not adjusted for inflation.

The surplus is even higher than anticipated by independent forecasters the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) - about £6.3bn bigger.

Why?

While there was little change in government spending, the highest-ever recorded surplus resulted from revenue being "strongly up" and lower interest rates, the ONS said.

Self-assessed tax revenues were nearly £6bn more than planned for and capital gains tax receipts surged.

Lower interest rates have meant borrowing money cost less.

The cost of borrowing was £1.5bn in the month, £5bn lower than the time last year.

A relief for Reeves

It's been described as a "welcome relief" and "good news" for Chancellor Rachel Reeves by analysts from Big Four accounting firm PWC and economic research firm Pantheon Macroeconomics.

"This decline eases immediate pressure on the public finances", PWC's economist Nabil Taleb said.

Paying more on debt can mean public finances are more exposed to economic shocks.

But the path ahead is not without hazards for Ms Reeves.

The room she has to spend money before breaking her self-imposed fiscal rules - to bring down government debt and balance the budget by 2030 - has narrowed since the November budget.

Lower gross domestic product readings, a key economic measure, may already have eroded the sums Ms Reeves has to spend before breaking her fiscal rules.

Anaemic economic growth and a rising unemployment rate could mean tax takes stall.

And the January tax revenue figures could be a one-off.

The month is key for the exchequer because of the influx of self-assessed income tax receipts.

Further evidence economy 'picked up smartly'

Good news for the economy also came in the form of retail sales, which recorded a far better than expected January.

The total volume of retail sales, which measures the quantity bought, increased by 1.8% last month, the ONS said.

It was the largest increase since May 2024.

There continued to be "strong" sales at online jewellers as they reported "demand had hit unprecedented levels", the ONS added.

Also selling well were works of art, furniture and technology,

This data gave "further evidence that economic growth picked up smartly in the New Year as budget uncertainty fades", Pantheon's chief UK economist Rob Wood said.

Retail sales figures matter as they measure household consumption, the largest expenditure in the UK economy.