Severn Trent is urging its customers to be “mindful of their water use” after a dry spring and hot June. It said most counties in its area saw only half their average rainfall last month and in Staffordshire it had been as little as 37%. As a result, the firm said there was less water in reservoirs and rivers and while there was no plan for a hosepipe ban yet, it remained an option. Tony Larner, a spokesperson for Severn Trent Water, said: “Everyone can play a part in stopping that from happening.” At the end of May, a drought was…
Author: dmnews
A 14-member team of engineers from the UK has begun assessing a state-of-the-art British fighter jet stuck at an airport in India for more than three weeks now. The F-35B landed on 14 June at Thiruvananthapuram airport in the southern state of Kerala where it was diverted after it ran into bad weather during a sortie in the Indian ocean. The plane then reported a technical snag and was unable to return to the HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s flagship carrier. Its prolonged presence on Indian soil has sparked curiosity and raised questions about how such a modern…
A 15 year old has become the youngest swimmer to complete the North Channel swim from Northern Ireland to Scotland solo. Oscar Black, from Lurgan, County Armagh, swam from the Gobbins to Portpatrick last Wednesday in 16 hours and 38 minutes. As the crow flies, the two locations are 35km (21.7 miles) apart but due to strong currents Oscar swam a total of 46km (28.5 miles). The Lurgan College student said it was “hard to explain” the emotions he was feeling after his record-breaking swim. When he was 14, he completed the channel swim as part of a relay team.…
Early years teachers in England will be offered tax-free payments of £4,500 to work in nurseries in disadvantaged areas as part of government efforts to boost standards. The incentives are designed to attract and retain fully qualified staff in 20 areas, the education department said on Monday without confirming exactly which places would benefit. The scheme is part of a wider strategy designed to narrow the attainment gap among pre-school children due to be unveiled on Monday. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans would “help give our youngest children the very best start in life” – but the Conservatives…
A couple who were wrongly convicted of stealing money from their Post Office have said it was “almost impossible” to prove the financial damage they suffered. Amanda Barber and her husband Norman lost their home and business over a £5,600 deficit caused by the Horizon accounting system at their Thelwall Post Office in Warrington. They received 12-month community orders, but said that even though their convictions were quashed they could not have their claim for compensation looked at individually because they were asked to provide evidence going back 15 years. The couple said they had to accept a set £600,000…
Former sub-postmaster Harjinder Butoy spent more time in prison than any other victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. After 18 months in jail, it then took another 15 years to clear his name. He is one of dozens of sub-postmasters who gave evidence to the official inquiry into what happened. The inquiry chair, Sir Wyn Williams, will deliver the first part of his final report on Tuesday, which will focus on the human impact of the scandal and will also look at compensation. But Mr Butoy is not sure he will be able to watch. “It’s going to…
King Charles has called on people to stand united “against those who would seek to divide us”, in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. He condemned the “senseless acts of evil” that saw bombs detonated on the capital’s public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at Hyde Park’s 7/7 memorial on Monday at 08:50 BST – the time the first bomb exploded. Sir Keir said the country would unite to remember the lives lost in the suicide…
with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Campaigners say education, health and care plans (EHCPs) are “precious legal protections”, warning that thousands of children could lose access to education if the plans are abolished. The government says it inherited the system “left on its knees”. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described it as a “complex and sensitive area” when asked if she could rule out scrapping EHCPs. But Neil O’Brien, the shadow education minister, has criticised the government for “broken promises and U-turns”. An EHCP is a legally binding document which ensures…
Parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to bereavement leave under a planned law change. The government is set to amend the Employment Rights Bill to give parents the legal right to take time off work to grieve if they experience pregnancy loss at any stage. As it stands, bereavement leave is only available to parents who lose an unborn child after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the change will give “people time away from work to grieve”. “No one who is going through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss…
Last year’s beaten finalists Little Lever are into the semi-finals of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League’s Hamer Cup after a pulsating three-wicket win over Tonge during a weather-disrupted Sunday of action as they chased just 97. Captain Josh Gent and co were the only side to make it through, with the other three ties either not starting or starting and not finishing because of rain. That means the reserve day of Sunday, July 6 will come into play for Earby versus Blackrod, Ribblesdale Wanderers versus defending champions Read and Brinscall against Padiham. The latter was the only last-eight tie not…