Martin Lewes
Reporter

We've now finished posting news from around the county for today, and this week. Here's a reminder of some of today's main developments:

• A coroner who heard how a "nervous" 18-year-old driver from Millom and her friend died in a head-on crash, said he would call for legal changes;
• Two drug companies that tried to stop doctors in Cumbria and 11 other areas in England using a cheaper drug to help old people keep their sight, lost a High Court case;
• And people in Ulverston hoped a new film about Laurel and Hardy, due out next year, would revive interest in one of the town's most famous sons.

We'll be back to do it again from 08:00 on Monday.

If you've got a story, or a great photo, that you'd like to share, email us, drop us a line on Twitter where we're @BBC_Cumbria, external, or head to our Facebook page, external.

Have a very good weekend.

The family of Caitlin Huddlestone, one of two teenage girls from Millom who died in a head-on collision near the town last year, have backed the coroner's call for legal changes.

They described their daughter "a very quiet, sweet-natured, kind, thoughtful and a very beautiful person."

The coroner Robert Chapman completed the inquest into the deaths of Caitlin and her friend Skye Mitchell, who was driving, today, by saying he would write to the government calling for graduated driving licences, external for inexperienced drivers.

In a statement afterwards Caitlin's family said they supported a campaign by the road safety charity Brake for a system that would mean new drivers spend more time gaining experience.

BBC Weather

The odd shower is expected to last on into tonight but there will be a fair amount of dry weather as well with some lengthy clear spells.

It will remain rather blustery and feeling cool, with minimum temperatures around 4C (39F).

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

A major charity says it has some concerns about a High Court judgement today that allows doctors to prescribe a much cheaper drug for patients with a common eye condition.

Mr Justice Whipple today rejected an action brought by two drug companies that produce medicine developed to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, which would have prevented doctors using Avastin, originally developed to treat cancer.

The 12 clinical commissioning groups targeted by the action, including North Cumbria CCG, have cleared the way for the drug to be used across the NHS, saving many millions of pounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Doctors say Avastin is just as effective as the more expensive drugs, but Helen Lee, policy and campaigns manager of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: "We are concerned that patients will be anxious about what this means for their treatment.

"It is critical each patient has the opportunity to have a full discussion with their clinician to give consent prior to switching or embarking on treatment."

And she urged that all savings made should be invested in eye care services.

The rail union, the RMT, says it will continue striking on Saturdays into October, after more talks at the conciliation service ACAS failed to make progress in the long-running dispute over the role of guards.

The train company Northern says it expects to run about 30% of normal services tomorrow, when the latest strike takes place.

Passengers can find more information here, external.

Neil Smith
South Cumbria journalist, BBC Cumbria

The coroner at the inquest into the deaths of two teenage girls from Millom is calling for changes in the law for inexperienced drivers.

Image source, Family photo

Skye Mitchell (pictured) and Caitlin Huddlestone, both 18 and from Millom, died when Skye's Toyota Yaris collided with a Ford Transit van in July last year.

The coroner, Robert Chapman, concluded Skye Mitchell, who had passed her test only four months before, had taken a corner too fast and lost control.

Mr Chapman now plans to ask the government to consider a "graduated driving licence" preventing newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers, to try to cut the number of young lives lost on the roads

Police say a man wanted for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements, and for recall to prison, was seen yesterday in Ambleside.

Image source, Cumbria Police

Paul Hunter Redpath, 47, is described as 6ft 4in, with his hair tied in a pony tail. He has a Scottish accent.

Officers say anyone sighting him should call police, and not approach him.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Apparently grey seals give birth in the autumn, and down at South Walney Nature Reserve, which is now an established breeding ground for the species, they are apparently getting impatient!

The victim's mother says she fears the impact the attack will have had on her young daughter.

BBC News Travel

This weekend the A66 will close between Penrith and Brough for the third weekend running, while a £5m project to resurface and improve a stretch near Kirkby Thore continues.

The closures continue until 22 October.

A drunk who threatened police with a large knife has been jailed for 15 months at Carlisle Crown Court.

Scott William Graham had been escorted back to his caravan after refusing to leave Hallgarth Post Office in Kendal while intoxicated.

The court was told officers believed they would be attacked or stabbed, and Graham struggled as he was arrested, and then racially abused a sergeant at the police station.

Graham, 30, of Low Mead, Kendal admitted assaulting police, criminal damage, threatening someone with a blade and racially aggravated harassment.

A man who molested a primary school-age girl in Carlisle has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court.

Daniel Ionut Marinescu, 28, of no fixed address, at first claimed the contact was an accident, but later admitted two charges of sexual assault.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke read a victim impact statement from the child's mother, saying the attack had changed their lives and her daughter now often cried.

Marinescu, who was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register and banned from working with children or vulnerable adults, was said to regret his offence wholeheartedly.

Ulverston could be back in the spotlight in the coming months, as a new film about Laurel and Hardy is about to hit the big screen.

Stan Laurel was born in the town, and the trailer for Stan and Ollie - starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly - is out, external, before the film's general release in January.

Mark Greenhow, from the Laurel and Hardy Museum is hoping it will revive interest in the comedy duo.

Image source, Getty Images

A van driver has told an inquest in Barrow that he had "absolutely no way" to avoid a crash in which two teenage girls died on the A595 near Bootle.

Caitlin Huddleston and the driver Skye Mitchell, who were both 18 and from Millom, died at the scene of the crash and Ellis Marr, a rear passenger, suffered brain injuries.

The driver of the Ford Transit van in the collision, Patrick Troll, said the Yaris being driven by Skye was clearly going too fast for the corner.

The inquest heard details of a crash investigation report which said the Yaris had entered the bend at or above the maximum speed in the wet.

The hearing continues.

Stuart Kettell was seen passing through Carlisle this morning on his way from John O'Groats to Lands End, raising money for charity is a reclining bicycle seemingly adapted to the season of floods (although if you look closely he's cut a hole in the bottom).

Image source, Paul Grindley

We're grateful to Paul Grindley, who spotted Stuart in Spencer Street and sent us a picture.

If you've got a great photo, that you'd like to share, email us,drop us a line on Twitter where we're @BBC_Cumbria, external, or head to our Facebook page, external.

A court judgement clearing the way for doctors to use a cheaper drug to treat a common cause of blindness is being celebrated by NHS bosses.

Clinical commissioning groups, including North Cumbria's, had authorised doctors to use the technically unlicensed medicine Avastin, and they were challenged by the drug companies Novartis and Bayer, which produce more expensive preparations.

Dr David Hambleton, the North East and Cumbria lead on the issue, said he is absolutely delighted:

BBC Weather

It will remain blustery this afternoon with more sunshine developing but there will be further showers driven in on the fresh to strong westerly wind.

Maximum temperatures will range from 10C to 13C (50F to 55F).

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

We've more on the court case won this morning by the North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group to use a cheaper drug to treat wet macular degeration.

The condition is the commonest form of blindness among old people in Britain, and affects at least 3,000 people in the North East and Cumbria alone.

The drug companies Novartis and Bayer produced drugs to treat it, but across the world many doctors had found Avastin, originally produced to treat certain cancers, was just as good.

Doctors in parts of the country started using the cheaper preparation anyway, although it technically was not licensed for the purpose, and this was challenged by the two pharmaceutical firms.

Novartis today reacted angrily, saying it was a bad day for patients.

Follow the latest news stories from the National League, including transfers and selected contract announcements.

Electricity North West says its engineers are enroute to Flimby, where a power failure at about 10:00 has left 58 customers cut off.

They hope to have the homes reconnected at about noon. A van to provide hot food and drink, retained in case Storm Bronagh caused problems, is also travelling to the scene.