2018 Other News Stories that might be missed

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Ohio dad makes girl walk miles to school for bullying on bus

An Ohio father who made his daughter walk five miles (8km) to school as punishment for bullying has provoked a debate on parenting.
After 10-year-old Kirsten was suspended for three days from the school bus for a second-time bullying offence, Matt Cox decided to teach her a life lesson.
He made her trudge to school on a cold day while he followed behind in a car.
The video of the father's punishment has garnered over 15m views on Facebook and thousands of comments.
In the viral clip, Mr Cox's daughter is seen walking alongside a road, carrying a backpack and school supplies, in 2C (36F) temperatures.
Mr Cox follows behind her in his car in the town of Swanton, offering commentary on entitlement and bullying.
"Bullying is unacceptable," he said. "This is my small way of trying to stop it in my household."
Mr Cox added that many children feel entitled to privileges like being taken to school in the morning by car or bus.
"I know a lot of you parents are not going to agree with this and that's alright," he says.
"I am doing what I feel is right to teach my daughter a lesson and to stop her from bullying."

BBC News

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'Big metal toilet' for bus drivers sparks fury of residents in quiet suburban street

Residents on a quiet residential road have complained after transport planners installed an 11-ft lavatory block for bus drivers outside their homes.
On Tuesday Transport for London (TfL) installed the lavatory block - dubbed the “Turdis” by angry residents - on a street in Biggin Hill, on the border of South London and Kent, amid claims that homeowners on the road were not consulted.
Local councillor Julian Bennington said that furious residents smashed its windows within hours of its installation earlier this week and that its lock is already broken.
He said: “People are very angry - it's literally outside their houses.
"It's a monstrosity dumped here - the size of it and everything else - in the middle of what is a residential area.
"We knew nothing about it as local councillors and the council didn't either. Residents have now been asking about why they weren't consulted.”
The lavatory, which did not require planning permission, has been installed to serve drivers on the half-hourly R2 route via Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, TfL said.
Telegraph

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Boy so overwhelmed that he crawls away from meeting the Queen at new Coram charity centre opening

A meeting with the Queen was so overwhelming for one little boy that he dropped to the floor and crawled out of the nearest door, shouting "Bye" to amused onlookers.
Nine-year-old Nathan Grant was introduced to the Queen as part of her visit to Coram, the UK's oldest children's charity.
Telegraph – includes video.

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Colchester boy, 8, steers car to safety after mum has seizure

An eight-year-old boy took control of a car at 60mph and steered it to safety across a busy dual carriageway when his mother blacked out at the wheel.
Ben Hedger was on his way home from school with mum Lauren Smith when she had a seizure on the A120 near Colchester, in Essex.
The Ford Ka hit the central reservation and realising the danger, Ben put on the hazard lights and guided the vehicle across the lanes to the hard shoulder.
His mum said she was "so proud".
Miss Smith, 27, who lives in Colchester, lost consciousness at about 15.45 GMT on Monday.
"When I started having the seizure at first I grabbed the wheel and was steering erratically so because of that we moved from the left lane into the central reservation and crashed into that," she said.
"We were scraping along and that is when Ben realised he needed to do something.
"He put the hazards on, grabbed the steering wheel and steered us to the hard shoulder where we continued along until the car stalled."
Miss Smith said Ben had not realised how serious his actions had been.
"He realised something was wrong with me but he didn't realise he had done this amazing thing.
"He said he just did what he had to do otherwise we would have died."
After pulling the car over, Ben tried to use his mother's phone to call the emergency services before another car stopped and helped them.
Miss Smith, who came around after five to 10 minutes, said she had never had a seizure before and had to be told about what had happened by Ben, the emergency services and a fellow driver.

BBC News

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Swansea fraudster booked £44k Dubai and Seychelles holidays

A jobless man booked holidays worth £44,000 after noting passwords used by travel agent staff, a court heard.
Adam Griffiths, 28, then accessed their systems online to book luxurious holidays in the Seychelles and Dubai.
Griffiths, of Penlan, Swansea, took photographs and posted them on his Facebook page to impress friends.
Described by the judge as a Walter Mitty character, Griffiths admitted fraud and was jailed for two and a half years at Swansea Crown Court.
Staff at Tui and Burgess Travel branches in Swansea thought he was a time waster because he spent so much time discussing exotic holidays without making a booking, prosecutor Carina Hughes told the court.
In fact, he was taking the time to note down the passwords they were using, she said.
Griffiths used the details to book holidays to the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, flying first class, and even took a friend to the Seychelles on an all-inclusive holiday.
But they went hungry after discovering it was only bed and breakfast and could not afford meals out, the court heard.
Griffiths defrauded Tui of £39,466 and Burgess Travel of £4,700. The court heard he could afford to repay just £1.
His barrister Andrew Evans said Griffiths was desperate to be admired and in the past had claimed to have fought against ISIS, been close to Scotland Yard and was authorised to carry firearms.
In fact he was unemployed and lived in a council house, he said.
"You are trying to be someone you are not and went to extravagant lengths to impress," said Judge Geraint Walters.

BBC News

You have to admire his cheek.
Odd though, how an 'all-inclusive' holiday at those prices only includes bed an breakfast?

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New funding of £100m for children's hospital for East of England

Funding of £100m for a new children's hospital to help young people with physical and mental health problems in the East of England has been announced.
The NHS specialist hospital will be built near Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
The new money was announced on the day the government revealed how millions of pounds for projects in the East had been allocated.
The funding includes £18m for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS).
The children's hospital aims to bring together some of the world's top scientists to explore new ways of diagnosing and treating some of the most challenging diseases of childhood.
BBC News

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Bloxwich Christmas decorations woman stuck in ceiling

A woman was left feeling a bit Claus-trophobic when she fell through the ceiling while getting her Christmas decorations from the loft.
Stacielea Doran hopped into the loft at home in Bloxwich, but the ceiling gave way and trapped her mid-fall.
She was left between floors with just the legs of her Beauty and the Beast onesie dangling into the room below.
The 30-year-old said after freeing her the kindly firefighters even helped lift down the tree.
BBC News

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Zoo’s wildcat kitten captured on camera for first time


A rare Scottish wildcat kitten born at Chester Zoo has been captured on camera for the first time.
The female kitten, born in August, could offer a “lifeline for the species”, zoo bosses said.
Wildcats, also known as Highland tigers, are Britain’s rarest mammals and as few as 100 are estimated to remain in the UK.
Chester Zoo’s curator of mammals Tim Rowlands said: “Unlike domestic cats who can have several litters a year, Scottish wildcats will usually only have one, so every birth is really, really significant.
Gazette News

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Christmas dinner woman in Nottingham City Council win

A woman who hosts Christmas dinner for about 100 people says she is pleased a council has backed down on threats to fine her over her flyers for the event.
Mo Fayose, from Sherwood, Nottingham, raises money for the gathering herself, spending about £3,000 to help combat "festive loneliness".
She put ads on railings but was told by a city council police community support officer (PCSO) to remove them.
Nottingham City Council said no further action would be taken.
Ms Fayose, who is a mental health nurse, spent between £2,500 and £3,000 on the dinners in 2016 and 2017, from her own money and donations.
When she put on the first meal she only expected to host between five and 10 people at her house, but it was so popular she had to hire two venues.
However, in preparation for this year's Christmas Day meal she received an e-mail from a PCSO telling her to "immediately" take down the posters, which had been put up in the Basford area.
The mother of two said it "broke" her to read the message, which she found "appalling and crazy" in light of it being a good cause.
"The posters are really important; it's the way to get it to those who are not using social media," she said.
BBC News

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Death of Roger, the ripped kangaroo, sparks outpouring of grief on social media

Roger, the beefcake boxing kangaroo who came to fame when a photo of him crushing a metal bucket like a paper cup went viral in 2015, has died at the age of 12.
The death of the male kangaroo, who weighed 89kg (14 stone) and stood more than 182cm (6 feet) tall, has sparked an outpouring of grief from his 1.3 million Facebook and Instagram fans.
“He always brought a smile to my face. Such a proud strong boy,” the Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia wrote.
Roger was a joey when his mother was killed by a passing car near Alice Springs in 2006. His luck turned when Chris Barnes drove by and gave him a new home.
In a tribute video posted to Facebook, Barnes said Roger inspired him to build the Kangaroo Sanctuary to house the rapidly growing kangaroo and “a couple of his wives”.
Guardian

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Hundreds of Santas tour Isle of Man on motorbikes

Hundreds of motorbike fans dressed as Santa Claus have gathered for the first annual 'Santas On A Bike' on the Isle of Man.
The mass ride-out was organised by staff from Douglas company plan.com in aid of Rebecca House children's hospice.
Despite the rain, plenty of locals came out to show their support.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/46500026/ ... motorbikes

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Wellingborough evacuated after 'suicide vest' dumped

A man whose dumping of a fake suicide vest in a bin sparked a security alert has been given a police caution.
A controlled explosion had to be carried out on the mocked-up device the 28-year-old wore to a fancy dress party on Saturday.
An RAF bomb disposal team was called in after council workers it on Sunday, in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, forcing shops to be evacuated.
Northamptonshire Police said it was "highly irresponsible" behaviour.
The man, from Kettering, admitted wearing, and subsequently disposing of the device in a bin in Market Street, when he attended a voluntary police interview.
The discovery led to town centre roads being shut and a 100m cordon being put in place.
Ch Supt Mick Stamper said all reports of suspicious packages were taken "extremely seriously".
"The actions of this individual were highly irresponsible and resulted in huge disruption, inconvenience and concern to local people, shoppers and businesses," he said.
"This man now has a police record simply because he didn't think through his actions. He dressed up in a costume with a fake explosive attached believing it was OK because he was going to a private function.
"It was not OK. Even if he had stayed at the function, it is still an offence to dress up in any way that would either intentionally put people in fear of violence or that would be perceived as racially or religiously aggravated."
Ch Supt Stamper said the man had shown "genuine remorse" for his actions.
As part of his caution, he will complete 40 hours of litter-picking in Wellingborough and pay the borough council £500 in compensation.

BBC News

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The pub where your cash is worthless

Cashless establishments may be safer and more convenient, but are they more popular with the public at large?
After yet another break-in at south London pub the Crown and Anchor, Arber Rozhaja decided enough was enough.
Burglars were after cash lying around after lock-up, but what if there was never any cash on site at all?
Mr Rozhaja, operations director at the pub's parent firm, London Village Inns, calculated the volume of cash transactions and was bowled over.
"Somewhere in the region of 10-13% of the total revenue would be cash and the rest was card," he says.
So in October, the Crown and Anchor went fully cashless.
Customers can use debit cards, credit cards and contactless payments including Android Pay and Apple Pay. But a fiver will get you nowhere.
BBC News

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Aylesbury goalkeeper, 14, dies after match injury

A 14-year-old goalkeeper has died after he was injured in a "freak accident" involving another player at a youth football match.
Luca Campanaro, a Bedgrove Dynamos player from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was hurt at an away match in Hillingdon, west London on Sunday.
He was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital where he died on Monday.
Luca's father, Americo Campanaro, said: "I feel like my heart has been ripped out."
Mr Campanaro added: "He was a big lad, a big unit, that's why he was a goalkeeper, with a big heart to match. A gentle giant."
He said his son was "very popular" and would "do anything for anyone".
The teenager had been playing an under-15 match against Harefield United when he collided with another player and Mr Campanaro said: "No one is to blame, I feel sorry for the other lad.
"What happened on Sunday was a freak accident, but [Luca] went doing what he loved."
Luca's 70-year-old grandfather Gerard Conroy, a former RAF nurse, rushed on to the pitch to help the teenager when he was injured.

Full report on BBC

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Streets with UK's slowest and fastest broadband named

A village street in Bamfurlong, Gloucestershire, has been named as the slowest for broadband internet, according to an annual survey.
The study said homes on Greenmeadows Park averaged just 0.14 megabits per second (Mbps).
The fastest spot, by contrast, is said to offer speeds that are nearly 1,900 times faster.
It was named as Abdon Avenue in Birmingham, where the average speed was recorded as being 265.89Mbps.
For the sake of comparison, those figures suggest it would take users four-and-a-half minutes to download all four episodes of David Attenborough's Dynasties series in high definition in Abdon Avenue, but almost six days in Greenmeadows Park.
The research was carried out by the price comparison service uSwitch, which said it was based on more than 279,000 real-world speed tests by members of the public.
However, the team behind a rival service has criticised the company's methodology.
BBC

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Father Christmas given parking ticket at shopping centre

Well-wishers have rallied around Santa after he was given a ticket for parking in the wrong space.
Father Christmas said he was "stunned" to receive the notice for wrongly parking in a parent and child space at Thornaby's Pavilion Shopping Centre.
He told BBC Tees: "Santa Claus gets a parking ticket? It's unheard of."
People on Facebook called for the attendant to get a lump of coal for Christmas, but the centre defended the ticket saying it was "unfortunate".
Sam Wise, who photographed the incident, said Santa was "fuming" when he returned to discover he had been fined on Tuesday morning.
Santa said: "I parked at Thornaby to do a few little jobs as I'm busy this time of year, and I parked at the parent and toddler bay and put my disabled blue badge in the window.
"I came back about half an hour later and they had put a ticket on my car.
"I was in my silver sleigh, and I was stunned."
Leslie Harrison wrote on the Facebook group Thornaby Alert that the centre was taking the rules "far too seriously", while Linsey Catchpole added "you can't fine Santa".
But shopping centre manager Oliver Westley said: "Unfortunately, Santa parked his sleigh in the wrong bay."
Responding to accusations on social media that the parking attendant had "no Christmas spirit", he added: "He has plenty. Santa wasn't at the car when the ticket was issued."
Father Christmas said he would appeal against the ticket, but confirmed the incident would not affect deliveries on 24 December, saying: "No it hasn't ruined Christmas. Ho ho ho."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-46527905