Summary

  • Updates on Wednesday 20 January

  1. Stonehenge tunnel: Salisbury by-pass considered as alternativepublished at 11:28

    A southern by-pass of Salisbury is being considered as an alternative to a Stonehenge tunnel, the BBC has learned.

    The government announced in 2014 that it wanted to build a tunnel alongside the World Heritage site.

    StonehengeImage source, Thinkstock

    A £2bn, 1.8-mile (2.9km) tunnel is the government's preferred option at Stonehenge but some archaeologists argue it could damage the ancient site.

  2. Poppi Worthington criminal case 'must be reopened'published at 11:22

    A criminal investigation into a father found to have sexually assaulted his 13-month-old daughter shortly before her sudden death must be reopened, an ex-justice minister says.

    Sir Simon Hughes was speaking after a court judgement in the case of Poppi Worthington.

    Poppi WorthingtonImage source, Family Handout

    On Tuesday a family court judge ruled Paul Worthington carried out a "penetrative" attack on daughter Poppi.

    Mr Worthington will not face criminal action unless new evidence emerges.

  3. Fairy tales 'older than you think'published at 11:02

    Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rumpelstiltskin are older than you think.

    Beauty and the BeastImage source, PA

    The fairy tales can be traced back thousands of years, according to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon.

  4. Dydh da. Hello - How good is your Cornish?published at 10:54

    A Cornwall MP wants to reinstate the Cornish language as a GCSE exam.

    Camborne and Redruth Tory George Eustice, admits even he can't speak it and wants that to change.

    Here's a few useful phrases to get you started...

    •  Dydh da. Hello.
    • Kernow a'gas Dynnergh. Welcome to Cornwall.
    • Ha sos. 'Right mate.
    • Myttin da. Good morning.
    • Dohajydh da Good afternoon.
    • Gorthuher da Good evening.
    • Fatla genes? How are you?
    • Pur dha, meur ras. Very well, thanks.
    • Da lowr, meur ras. Ok, thanks.
    • Ha ty? And you?
  5. Fundraiser 'overwhelmed' by charity requestspublished at 10:43

    Poppy seller Olive Cooke, whose death last year sparked a furious debate about charity fundraising tactics, felt overwhelmed by requests, a report says.

    Olive Cooke

    Mrs Cooke's details were on file with 99 charities and in 2014 she received 466 letters from them, the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) found.

  6. MP wants Cornish language taught to GCSE levelpublished at 10:37

    A Cornwall MP is campaigning to reinstate the Cornish language as a GCSE exam.

    It was scrapped in 1996 because not enough pupils were taking it.

    But Camborne and Redruth Tory George Eustice, who admitted he did not know any Cornish, said the time was right to bring it back.

  7. 'Sat-nav' jams 50ft lorry in Hertfordshire villagepublished at 10:33

    A 50ft (15m) lorry became wedged in a small village street after being directed there by a sat-nav, its driver said.

    The village was blocked for several hours after the vehicle became stuck in Walkern High Street, Hertfordshire, on Monday afternoon.

    Police tweeted on Monday: "Question, what is 50 feet long and unlikely to fit through the narrow streets of Walkern#satnavfail."

    The stuck lorryImage source, Hereford and Ware Police

    The lorry was removed later.

  8. Police appeal for help to find identity of man brought into hospital in Novemberpublished at 10:25

    Do you recognise this man?  

    He says his name is Roger Curry, but he cannot remember anything about himself. Doctors say he shows signs of dementia.

    He was found wandering in the Credenhill area of Hereford on 7 November by passers-by who took him to Hereford County Hospital.

    "Roger" was wearing a black hooded top, black jogging bottoms, grey and black socks and lace up trainersImage source, West Mercia Police

    Adam Vanner, missing persons co-ordinator at West Mercia Police, has urged anyone who knows "Roger's" true identity to get in touch.

  9. Eye-in-sky offers floods insightpublished at 10:14

    Images from a drone have provided a unique view of the impact of the floods that hit northern England.

    Flooded riverImage source, Neil Entwistle
    River EdenImage source, Neil Entwistle

    The Storm Desmond pictures suggest excessive management of floodplains limit their ability to hold water and slow the flow of floodwater.  

  10. Newham tops list of UK debt hotspotspublished at 10:02

    My name's Kate and I'll be looking after the England Live page from now until 19:00.  

    I noticed this morning on the BBC Breakfast programme they were talking about debt.

    Britain is more than £180bn in debt and towards the end of last year we took out even more credit - the highest amount since the financial crisis. 

    UK debt hotspots

    Research carried out for BBC Breakfast , externalby charity StepChange and Experian found Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Hull, Manchester and Sandwell were the worst areas for debt. 

  11. 'Terrorist house' boy, 10, probed by policepublished at 09:47

    A 10-year-old Muslim boy who wrote he lived in a "terrorist house" is investigated by police, the BBC can reveal.

    A 10-year-old Muslim boy's homework
  12. Lorry stuck in village after sat nav failspublished at 09:33

    A 50-foot-long lorry got stuck in a Hertfordshire village street yesterday after the driver's SatNav failed.

    Hertfordshire Police tweeted an image of the lorry stuck in Walkern.

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  13. 'Royal city' status to be debated by councilpublished at 09:21

    Gloucester has "many royal connections" - but is that enough to earn the city a royal title?

    Gloucester Cathedral
  14. Steel workers 'upbeat' about futurepublished at 09:07

    Andy Kershaw
    BBC Radio Sheffield

    Despite the 100 redundancies announced today, Sheffield Forgemasters says it's upbeat about the company's future.

    Managing director Gareth Barker, who began as an 17-year-old apprentice, said "redundancies will secure our future".

    Sheffield Forgemasters
  15. Standing-only escalators 'quicker'published at 08:51

    Queuing was reduced and 30% more people used the Tube's escalators during the trial in Holborn.

    People standing on the left in HolbornImage source, Abdullah Al-Mazyad

    Standing-only escalators 'quicker'

    A trial in which Holborn's escalators became standing-only improved the speed people got through the station, Transport for London finds.

    Read More
  16. They think we're still underwater: Flooding double whammy to tourist tradepublished at 08:38

    Yorkshire Post

    Tourism leaders have warned that the region’s £7bn-a-year industry is being affected in the wake of the Boxing Day flooding disaster as many potential visitors believe the region remains underwater, external.

  17. How do you get home when you have no memory?published at 08:25

    Mobile phone contacts, clothing labels and tattoos are some of the clues that can give police vital leads when tracing friends and family.

    Mobile phoneImage source, PA
  18. Woman due in court over businesswoman's deathpublished at 08:12

    A woman has been charged with murdering a businesswoman who was found stabbed at her home.

    Sadie Hartley, 60, pictured below, was discovered with multiple stab wounds in the hallway of her house in Lancashire on Friday night.

    Sadie HartleyImage source, Lancashire Police

    Sarah Williams, 34, from Chester, is due before Blackburn Magistrates' Court later.