Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Thousands of people were on the streets of Oxford taking part in the traditional May Morning celebrations

May Day celebrations saw thousands of people enjoying sunrise during the hot weather this week and a report from events in Oxford was among our most read stories.

We have picked five articles from the past seven days in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

Thousands of early risers celebrate May Morning

Thousands of people gathered to celebrate May Morning in the heart of Oxford.

The unique tradition dates back more than 500 years and welcomes the coming of summer.

Crowds surrounded Magdalen College from 06:00 BST on Thursday to hear the bells ring out and choristers singing.

Morris dancing, folk singing and unconventional costumes were part of the traditional entertainment for the celebrations.

First female chief announced for fire service

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton went from selling Big Issues to becoming Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service's first female fire chief

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton will join Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service as chief fire officer (CFO) later this year, after six years at the helm in West Sussex.

"I am truly honoured and incredibly excited to begin this new role to ensure the service continues to deliver for the residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight," she said.

Ms Cohen-Hatton has held many senior positions, including interim deputy CFO in Surrey, since first joining the service in South Wales.

Driver fined for hard shoulder toilet break

Police said the motorist was only a few miles from the next services

A motorist was fined by police for "using the hard shoulder as a toilet".

The incident took place on Tuesday morning between junctions 12 and 13 of the M4 motorway in Berkshire.

The Thames Valley Police roads policing team posted on Facebook that it was having a "lovely drive down the motorway in the morning sunshine" when greeted by the sight of a driver answering nature's call.

Firm that illegally felled trees must replace them

The firm was fined £30,000 earlier this year for causing the damage in Fleet Wood in 2023

A company that illegally felled trees in a conservation area has been told to replace them by March 2026 or face further action.

Weymouth Park Ltd was fined £30,000 by magistrates in February for breaching a felling licence after it cleared 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres) of trees at Fleet Wood in Chickerell.

The fine was the largest ever secured by the Forestry Commission in an illegal felling prosecution, Dorset Council said.

It said the felling left "a significant ecological void in this cherished habitat".

Island Line service reopens after eight months

The Island Line has been out of action since September 2024

A railway line that closed for refurbishment work has reopened after eight months.

The Isle of Wight Island Line closed in September for "intensive and complex" repair work to the Ryde Pier structure.

Network Rail said engineers had installed 590m of new rail and replace 450 worn-out wooden sleepers with new composite versions, which are more resilient in extreme weather.

George Murrell, Wessex route renewals director, said he was "delighted that full Island Line services have resumed".