UK News

Equality South West (ESW) is calling on MPs in the region to back same-sex marriage when the issue returns to the House of Commons today. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was approved in February, but an amendment has now been tabled that would enable heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnerships. This has been labelled a ‘wrecking amendment’ by Maria Miller, the Equalities minister, but supporters see it as an important final measure to ensure real equality for couples regardless of sexual orientation. Brenda Weston from ESW said: "There are 28 times more LGBT people in the UK...

Rising numbers of older people are facing homelessness according to a national debt charity. StepChange Debt Charity has seen a marked rise in the numbers of people aged 60 and over seeking its help with rent and mortgage arrears, while the amounts they owe are increasing too. Large numbers of older people seek help from the charity with their debts each year, usually with high levels of debt on credit cards and overdrafts but lower levels of housing debt arrears. The charity says that this is changing and that last year 1,837 people aged 60 and over contacted it for help with mortgage and...

Following investigations, it is now thought that yesterday morning's fire at the Summercourt area of Cornwall near Newquay may have been started deliberately.

A large number of buses were completely deystroyed by the fire, which is having an impact on the bus service provided in mid-Cornwall however Western Greyhound say they are doing everything they can to prevent disruption to vital services such as school buses. 35 buses were reported to have been destroyed in the fire, however, no people were injured.

Officers are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious...

The number of seabirds recorded washed up on beaches in two incidents along the English Channel covered in polyisobutene (PIB) has passed 4,000.

Now, leading wildlife conservation and animal welfare charities and the UK Chamber of Shipping, supported by the wider industry body MaritimeUK, have come together as a single voice to call for an urgent review of the hazard classification status of PIB.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is currently investigating the cause and culprit of these incidents. If it is confirmed that this disaster was the result of illegal...