Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

The Bibby Stockholm was home to just under 500 male asylum seekers

A story about the asylum seeker barge, Bibby Stockholm, pictured leaving Portland 18 months after it arrived, was among our most read this week.

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

'Pothole World' sign mocks county's roads

The sign has been installed next to the A41 near Bicester

A tongue-in-cheek sign criticising a local authority's approach to potholes has appeared on the side of a busy road.

The sign, which says "Oxon Highways presents: Pothole World", has been erected next to the A41 near Bicester.

Appearing to be pointing at the road, the banner features the taglines "fun for the hole family" and "guaranteed to drive you potty".

Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for the county's roads, said it repaired 41,000 potholes in 2024.

Sailor 'proud' to be ferry firm's youngest bosun

Ms Lucas was a sailing instructor before joining Wightlink

Lauren Lucas has always had a passion for boats but, at 20 years old, she has scaled up her ambitions and become Wightlink Ferries' youngest ever bosun.

The job puts her third in command on board the car ferries crossing the Solent between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Working alongside the captain, she helms the ship through the Lymington River and berths in Yarmouth Harbour.

She said becoming the company's first female bosun was a "proud moment".

Power tool 'ban' for graveyard volunteers

Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard have been maintaining the site, which is owned by Winchester City Council, for 10 years

Volunteers who look after a graveyard have said the council has banned them from using power tools at the site.

A member of the volunteer group said they had been using "mowers and strimmers" to maintain the disused St Giles Hill Graveyard in Winchester, which they had looked after for 10 years.

The graveyard is owned by Winchester City Council and has been disused for new burials since the 1970s.

The council said it was "working closely" with Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard and was positive a solution could be found.

'Amazing' community effort to free 180 cars from mud

A team of people helped to move about 180 stranded cars

Participants of an orienteering event where about 180 cars got stuck in the mud have praised the "amazing" response from organisers, attendees and local farmers.

Just under 500 people attended Berkshire Orienteers' Concorde Chase in Cold Ash, Berkshire, on Sunday, according to organiser Fiona Clough.

But when people started to leave at midday after several hours of heavy rain, their vehicles got stuck, sparking a seven-hour operation that ended up with tractors towing them out one by one.

Attendee Paul Fox said it was "a really good example of how to manage a crisis".

Asylum seeker barge seen leaving port

The Bibby Stockholm has been pictured leaving Portland, 18 months after it first arrived

The asylum seeker barge Bibby Stockholm has been pictured leaving port, 18 months after it arrived.

Images show the vessel being towed away from Portland Port, after the last asylum seekers left the barge in November.

Bibby Stockholm first arrived in Dorset in July 2023, to be used as accommodation for asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their applications.

The departure means the contract between the Home Office and Portland Port has expired and the barge will be returned to its owners, Bibby Marine.