Martin Lewes
Reporter

We've now finished this service of news, travel reports and a regular weather forecast. 

The day was dominated by, unusually, a council licensing committee.  

• Barrow councillors decided not to renew the license which David Gill, the founder of the South Lakes Safari Zoo, needed to stay in charge of the attraction he's built up.
• But they did so in a way which potentially allows the zoo to stay open until a new company, which has been bringing in improvements, can complete its application for a licence to take over.
• In other news, Ullswater Yacht Club was named club of the year .

We'll be back to do it all again from 08:00 tomorrow.  As always, if you have a photograph you'd like to share or you have news you think we should know, you can   email us ,   tweet us, external   or get in touch  through our Facebook page, external  .      

Have a very good evening.

BBC Weather

Showers will continue for a time overnight, but drier conditions will develop during the early hours. Clear spells will form, allowing a touch of frost.

Minimum Temperature: 2C (36F).

You can find the latest forecast for where you are, here .

The trust which runs hospitals in South Cumbria has now been appealing over social networks for more than 24 hours for off-duty staff to come in and help with a surge in the number of patients.

A spokeswoman said there was no particular high level of absences through sick leave or vacancies, simply an exceptionally busy weekend and Monday meaning as many people as possible were needed to help staff wards and departments.

Police say a man was treated in hospital after he was attacked at Roose rugby club's ground.

The victim, who the North West Evening Mail said, external was a player at the club, was said by police to have suffered a "cut to his side".

Officers say they'd like to hear from anyone who saw what happened, just before a match between Barrow Island and Walney A.

Ullswater Yacht Club, external has clinched the title of club of the year from the Royal Yachting Association.

Image source, Ullswater Yacht Club

Club members were at a show at Alexandra Palace in London to hear that as well as winning the "increasing participation" award, they'd taken the overall title.

The club suffered serious flooding last winter, but still managed to attract 500 people to a taster day later in 2016.

The club was voted Yachts and Yachting magazine’s Club of the Year 2017 in January. 

BBC Radio Cumbria Sport

There were mixed fortunes for the county's rugby league teams this weekend in their opening League one games of the season. 

Barrow Raiders cruised to an easy 28-0 victory over York City Knights and Whitehaven got off to a winning start with a comfortable 27-10 away victory over South Wales Ironmen.   

Workington Town meanwhile were at the wrong end of a 20-24 scoreline against Newcastle Thunder, despite running in four tries. 

The new company set up to run the South Lakes Safari Zoo has appealed for public support while it waits for its licence to be considered by Barrow councillors.

The Cumbria Zoo Company Limited was set up after councillors first refused the founder, David Gill, a licence to carry on running the attraction, and he has no part other than owning the land.

Today councillors again refused Mr Gill a licence , after seeing a report that listed a catalogue of shortcomings and animal deaths.

On its Facebook page, external , Cumbria Zoo said they would go through the inspection part of their licence application this month: "Safari Zoo remains open and CZCL need your support." 

It's believed a fire at a house in Flimby near Maryport may have been started deliberately.

Firefighters were called to the property on Ryehill Road last night. No one was injured, but the police were asked to attend.

BBC Radio Cumbria Sport

Barrow will face Tranmere for the second time in a week at Holker Street tomorrow evening. 

Image source, Getty Images

Despite their recent run of poor form, manager Paul Cox is optimistic about the Holker Street team's prospects for the rest of the season.  

North West Evening Mail
Newspaper

Young Cumbrian apprentices will front a local authority's recruitment campaign which has been launched today to mark National Apprenticeship Week. , external

The fiance of a zoo keeper killed by a tiger in 2013 says local authorities shouldn't be regulating the care of wild animals.

Sarah McClay (pictured) died when the big cat got through an insecure door  at South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton-in-Furness.

Image source, Stephen McClay

Since then the zoo has been the subject of critical reports and today the founder, David Gill, was refused a new licence by Barrow Borough Council .

Sarah's partner, David Shaw, says local authorities aren't experts on the operating of zoos.

"Barrow Borough Council has worked very hard to bring in specialists to do this work, but it just proved that local authorities, that are having their funding cut year on year, are having to go out and find specialists in very specific areas when this should be managed by a national body", he said. 

Neil Smith
South Cumbria journalist, BBC Cumbria

The question now is whether the South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton in South Cumbria can be rescued and conditions for the animals be brought up to standard?

Inspectors earlier this year compiled an 800 page report listing a catalogue of problem, external s, and saying nearly 500 animals had died since 2013.

The owner and founder, David Gill, was heavily criticised in the report and council officials at a meeting this morning had recommended he be refused a new licence.

The zoo's future now lies in a second application from a company set up by senior staff, but without Mr Gill's involvement.

Mr Gill is expected to appeal, in which case, the closure of the zoo is stayed until that appeal is heard, and that will probably be after  an application by the the new firm, the Cumbria Zoo Company Limited , external , has been heard.

If that application, to be heard in June, is successful, the zoo can stay open.

In February, a report found 486 animals had died at the zoo in four years.

A 15-year-old boy has been given a two-year detention and training order for stabbing another youth twice, in the back.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the attack happened in the Wetheriggs Lane area in September, leaving the victim, 17, bleeding heavily although the wounds were described as superficial.

The boy admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon and was said to deeply regret what he'd done.

Judge Peter Davies told him: "You cannot use a knife. Knives can kill."

Sixteen prosecutions took place last year in Cumbria against drivers who illegally took their cars off road in the Lake District. 

The 4X4 vehicles and trails bikes cause damage to paths and tracks and sometimes leave tracks across the open hillside.

Undercover recording equipment is being used to catch motorists and motorcyclists who don't use the legally-recognised routes. 

Cumbria Police says repeat offenders could have their vehicle seized and crushed. 

There's a special report on Inside Out, on BBC1 at 19:30 this evening .

A zoo founder's fresh bid for a licence has been unanimously refused by Barrow councillors. 

David Gill now has 28 days to appeal. An 800-page report to the meeting had said nearly 500 animals had died since 2013. 

Barrow councillors considering licences for the South Lakes Safari Zoo in South Cumbria have been told that police hold serious concerns over the number of people qualified to use firearms if an animal escapes.

Supt Rob O'Connor told the meeting one of the qualified members had left, and he was worried about the level of cover.

Meanwhile animal welfare campaigners have simply told councillors the zoo should be closed. 

A new company, set up by some members of the zoo's management but in which Mr Gill plays no part, is expected to apply later this year for the zoo's licence.

BBC Weather

Forecasters are predicting a bright afternoon with sunny spells, a few showers and light winds. 

These showers may become heavy in places later, with a chance of thunder and hail locally. 

Temperatures could reach 9C (48F). 

You can find the latest forecast for where you are, here .

The Lake District national park authority is considering a new name for its tourist information centres.

It's launched a survey on the Internet, external to gather public views on calling the centres, in Bowness, Keswick and Ullswater, "The Lakes Place".

You can tell us what you think  on Twitter, external .

A leading MP says a way should be found to keep the collection of animals at a Cumbrian zoo, in spite of management problems said to have led to the death of nearly 500 specimens since 2013.

Barrow councillors are considering, external  a few options - to renew the licence for the South Lakes Safari Zoo's founder, David Gill, grant a licence to a new company or to close it.

The Conservative MP, Andrew Rosindell, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on zoos, told the BBC it would not be not a simple decision 

He said: "The question is, if you move the animals out and close the zoo, is that better for the animals who live there at the moment?  Simply closing the zoo isn't necessarily the best answer at this stage."

North West Evening Mail
Newspaper

A £10,000 reward has been put forward by the owners of a tourist attraction that was destroyed by arsonists.   , external

Image source, North West Evening Mail