UK News

Why Estuaries Are More Than a Scenic Weekend Spot

Estuaries are places where river water and seawater meet, creating working waterways as well as rich natural habitats. Around the South West, they are part of local life, with people walking beside them, sailing through them, watching birds on them and relying on them for access to the sea.

Their appeal is easy to understand, but the view is only one part of the story. An estuary is shaped by tides, mud, freshwater, saltwater, weather, boat traffic and the way people use the shore, so it needs care rather than casual use.

Wildlife depends on the edges

The mix of fresh...

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Marine A launches appeal on conviction

Marine A, Sgt. Alexander Blackman from Taunton has launched an appeal to overturn his conviction and sentence for the murder of an injured insurgent prisoner.

Blackman was convicted a military court martial in November for the murder of an injured insurgent while a member of the Devon based Royal Marines.

The 39-year-old Blackman received a sentence of 10 years for after video evidence showed him shooting dead a badly injured man with a 9mm handgun

He is also heard saying: “It’s nothing you wouldn’t do for us.” and “Go on, shuffle off this mortal coil you ****.”...

Flybe plane makes emergency landing

A Flybe plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Paris on Saturday due to “minor technical” difficulties.

The service from the Exeter-based airline was returning skiers from Geneva to Cardiff when the flight was forced to land at Paris Orly international at around 4pm (January 4).

On landing fire crews treated the plane’s left engine with hoses and passengers were unloaded from the plane.

All 68 passengers were unhurt and taken on a later flight from Paris to Cardiff

Passenger Luke Broadley, who was returning from a Skiing holiday praised the Flybe...

RSPCA in action as storms batter Britain

Fifty of the RSPCA’s specially trained rescue teams have been out rescuing animals affected by the storms across England.

The RSPCA has received around 150 calls for its help specifically for flood related incidents. From the 29th December 2013 to the 2nd January 2014, the RSPCA has been called to 149 incidents and assisted in the rescue of over 130 animals.

These figures are expected to rise over the weekend, as more severe weather looks set to batter Britain. With around 300 RSPCA inspectors, and only 45 specially trained water rescue specialists, the charity is braced...

Calls to suspend Enviroment Agency cuts

Professional union, Prospect has urged the government to suspend its job cuts at the Environment Agency in the light of the recent widespread flooding.

The Agency has confirmed that it will be cutting 1,500 jobs including some from flood protection as part of the government’s latest round of austerity cuts.

Although it is unclear which area of the organisation will see the job losses but the union claims that 550 jobs related to flood protection could be lost.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said the agency was making its own choices...

10 Oddest late tax excuses

With the 31 January tax return deadline just around the corner, HMRC has revealed the ‘Top 10 oddest excuses’ for sending in a late return.

The following bizarre, exotic and flimsy excuses have all been used by tardy taxpayers:

1. My pet goldfish died (self-employed builder) 2. I had a run-in with a cow (Midlands farmer) 3. After seeing a volcanic eruption on the news, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else (London woman) 4. My wife won’t give me my mail (self-employed trader) 5. My husband told me the deadline was 31 March, and I believed him (Leicester hairdresser) 6. I’...

Commuters rail fares over £5,000 a year

Some Commuters could see their travel costs rise to over £5,000 a year as the rail fares increase nationwide.

Industry organisation, the Rail Delivery Group, have said that increase is the smallest increase in the last four years but campaigners have said the fares are still rising three times faster than average incomes.

On average UK rail fares are set to rise by 2.8% but some regulated tickets, such as season tickets and off-peak travel tickets have risen by 3.1%.

This could see some commuters spending more than £5,000 a year on travel costs.

South West...

Heartbroken boy wants stolen pony home for Christmas

A hearbroken five-year-old boy has teamed up with the RSPCA to help find his best-friend, a 24-year-old Shetland cross Welsh Pony.

Tic-Toc, the elderly pony was stolen from his paddock in Cambridgeshire over two weeks ago prompting his young owner Josh Carnagie to seek help from the general public.

Josh’s mum Catriona Carnegie said: “Josh is absolutely devastated. He has grown up with Tic Toc, they are best friend. Last year he wrote a letter to Father Christmas asking him to make Tic Toc better because he knows he’s on medication for his feet.

“He talks about Tic...

Libraries help the Devon economy

Libraries have a role in helping new and small businesses grow, says Dr Stephen Fear, Entrepreneur in Residence and Ambassador at The British Library.

Dr Fear was speaking in Exeter to business leaders at a briefing by Devon County Council, hosted by Ashfords, about a new resource within Exeter's Central Library that will give businesses access to high quality business and 'Intellectual Property' (IP) information.

The multi-million pound redeveloped Central Library, on track to open next summer, will include a dedicated entreprise support service, funded...

Russian Amnesty will free Arctic 30

Russian MPs have backed an amnesty law that may see the charges against Arctic 30 dropped allowing them to return home for Christmas.

If the amnesty bill passes at its final reading in the Russian Duma (parliament) tonight the 26 non-Russian members of the Arctic 30 will be able to leave Russia and return home.

Six Britons including three from Devon are among those arrested following a protest against a Gazprom oil-drilling platform in the arctic circle.

The amnesty law, backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, could also see the release of two members of Pussy...

New Polymer bank notes in 2016

The Bank of England has confirmed plans to introduce its new polymer banknotes starting with the introduction of a new Winston Churchill £5 note in 2016. The first note will mark the end of a 320 year tradition of using cotton paper notes but will introduce a range of newly developed security features making counterfeiting the notes far more difficult. The new notes are also much more durable than the cotton paper notes lasting more than twice as long before becoming damaged by age. This includes dirt and moisture resistance which mean the new notes will remain cleaner for longer. The Bank...

UK News

Why Estuaries Are More Than a Scenic Weekend Spot

Marine A launches appeal on conviction

Flybe plane makes emergency landing

RSPCA in action as storms batter Britain

Calls to suspend Enviroment Agency cuts

10 Oddest late tax excuses

Commuters rail fares over £5,000 a year

Heartbroken boy wants stolen pony home for Christmas

Libraries help the Devon economy

Russian Amnesty will free Arctic 30

New Polymer bank notes in 2016

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