Summary

  • Met Office warns of 'very dangerous' freezing rain

  • Lakes festival founder called in to help set up USA event

  • Yard boss calls for investment in Barrow to stop town's population dwindling

  • Brexit 'could hit nuclear industry'

  1. Police called after death of man in Carlislepublished at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    Police were called to the Belle Vue area of Carlisle earlier today after a man died unexpectedly

    Officers say they have no reason to be suspicious about circumstances.

  2. Pupils stay home for another week over Covid casespublished at 16:10 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    Home schooling is extended at the Richard Rose Central Academy after 95 positive tests.

    Read More
  3. Carlisle midfielder picks up Covid-19 during treatmentpublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    BBC Cumbria Sport

    Carlisle United midfielder Brennan Dickenson contracted Coronavirus while getting treatment for his hamstring injury at the national football centre, at St Georges Park.

    It's an added setback for the 27 year-old, who's been injured since his summer move to the club, and for the United head coach Chris Beech.

    Chris Beech
    Quote Message

    He's back now and doing really well, but it put him back a couple of weeks, he's had to do things the right way."

    Chris Beech

  4. Police officers 'betrayed' by pay freeze, says federationpublished at 15:31 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    Police Federation representatives in Cumbria say officers will see a pay freeze, being proposed by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as a "'betrayal"

    Jamie McTearImage source, Police Federation

    Jamie McTear, secretary of the Cumbria branch, said: “After being praised by the Government for their hard work over the past nine months, for public sector workers to hear the news of a pay freeze is a shocking way to repay that commitment.”

    He said officers had seen an increase in assaults, with some attackers using the threat of Covid-19 and spitting.

    Quote Message

    Police officers and other public sector workers have been at the forefront of the fight against this pandemic."

    Jamie McTear

  5. After a third of a century, BBC Cumbria's Martin Lewes steps asidepublished at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    One of BBC Radio Cumbria's most experienced journalists is working his final day before retiring.

    Martin Lewes at the Westmorland County Show

    Martin Lewes, seen here at the Westmorland County Show, started working for the BBC in Cumbria in 1988, and reported on events including a major strike at what was then the VSEL shipyard in Barrow, the Lockerbie atrocity, and the foot and mouth epidemic.

    For most of his career he was BBC Radio Cumbria's reporter in Kendal, where he covered both local and national news within 20 miles or so of the town, a job he describes as "being paid to drive around the Lake District talking to interesting people".

    He worked on two assignments training journalists from former communist dictatorships in Russia and Bosnia, and for the past five years has been the writer for this news feed.

    Quote Message

    I've loved almost every minute and it would not have been the same without the listeners, the readers and thousands of people I interviewed over the years, so I owe you all thanks for a job that at its best was like a hobby with good friends."

  6. Leading Cumbrian Conservative steps down to work for unionpublished at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    The leading Cumbrian local politician James Airey has announced he is retiring from politics to work for the National Union of Farmers.

    James AireyImage source, Conservative Party

    Councillor Airey served on the county, district and Ulverston town councils, and fought the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency for a seat in Parliament at the last election.

    Politicians, including from political parties, were quick with best wishes.

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  7. Cumbria's weather: Dull, damp and mistypublished at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    BBC Weather

    This afternoon will be mostly dull, damp and misty with rain and drizzle at times.

    However, the rain will become patchy and light later on, with a brisk south-westerly breeze and highest temperatures from 9C to 12C (48F to 54F).

    Weather graphic

    You can always find the detailed BBC weather forecast for where you are by searching for your location here.

  8. Rare lichen rescued from blown-down treepublished at 12:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    The lungwort was transplanted by hand in a bid to preserve it.

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  9. Weather on the fells: Rain clearing, low cloud remainingpublished at 10:45 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    • Temperature at 3,000ft: Around 6C to 7C (43F 45F)
    • Winds: South-westerly in the morning veering to westerly in the afternoon, with gusts to 55 mph on eastern fells, gusts to 45 mph on western fells
    • Cloud: Extensive cover with bases around 1,000ft to 1,640ft (300m to 500m) for much of the day
    • Weather: Cloudy with spells of rain, heavy at times in the morning, with a few lingering showers in the afternoon
    • Visibility: Poor or very poor in low cloud and rain in the morning then increasing to moderate below 1,600ft (500m) later in the afternoon
    BassenthwaiteImage source, Joe Hewer

    This photo of Bassenthwaite is nothing like today's weather forecast, but it is a stunning view from Barrow Fell, from one of our most regular contributors, Joe Hewer.

    Our thanks to him, and if you have a photo you think might be worth sharing, you can email it to us or send it via Twitter, external.

  10. Rescue bid starts for rare lichen after tree is blown downpublished at 09:56 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    A very rare lichen with one of its last strongholds on an oak in the Lake District is going to be carefully transplanted after the tree was blown down.

    April windle taking lichen from treeImage source, Stewart Walker/National Trust

    April Windle (pictured), one of the specialist staff lifting the lichen to replant it on dozens of trees in the valley, said: “Lichens are such amazing lifeforms and play such a fundamental role within these woods."

    The lungwort used to be widespread, but because of air pollution and other changes it is now only found in a few places in Britain, external.

    It was feared the lichen would be lost if the tree was allowed to rot and the operation is the largest translocation, as it's called, ever carried out for the species.

  11. Smoother service sought for potholes report systempublished at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A system meaning drivers complaining about potholes to Cumbria's highways engineers sometimes have their message bounced back saying they are contacting the wrong agency is being reviewed to make it less complicated, a meeting in Barrow was told.

    PotholesImage source, Getty Images

    Councillor Ben Shirley, told a meeting of Cumbria County Council’s Barrow local committee that one resident reporting a hole was told that it was for Highways England to repair that one and not the council.

    Angela Jones, a county council director, said everyone was dissatisfied with the current system of automated responses: "We hope the new system will direct the public straight to the right department so they do not have to keep going back and forth all the time with the same complaint.”

    • The budget to fix potholes in Barrow for the next year will be £742,015.
  12. Cumbria weather: Cloudy with light rainpublished at 08:17 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2020

    BBC Weather

    Today will be cloudy and wet, but much of the rain will be light.

    The rain will turn increasingly light and patchy this afternoon.

    Temperatures between 9C to 11C (48F to 52F).

    You can check the latest forecast for where you live, by searching for your location here.

    Weather graphic
  13. Final parts of Carlisle-based firm face sale or closurepublished at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    The fashion chains Peacocks and Jaeger, the surviving parts of the Carlisle-based EWM Group, have gone into administration, putting nearly 5,000 jobs and 500 shops at risk.

    The other two chains owned by EWM Group, Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home, went into administration 12 days ago.

    Closed down Peacocks storeImage source, Getty Images
  14. Cumbria's weather: Cold at first, rain around dawnpublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    BBC Weather

    This evening will be dry and cold with clear spells for a time, before it turns cloudier from the west overnight with spots of rain arriving before dawn.

    There will be gentle winds, becoming moderate later on and lowest temperatures early in the night from -2C to 1C (28F to 34F).

    Weather graphic

    You can always find the latest BBC weather forecast for where you are, by searching for your location here.

  15. Copeland picked to pilot use of electric scooterspublished at 16:21 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    People in Copeland will get the chance to rent electric scooters to see if they can be used for local transport.

    A hire company called Ginger, external is working with Copeland Council to place 15 of the e-scooters, possibly rising to 80, around the borough for people to hire for short trips for which they might otherwise use a car.

    Electriuc scooter in Los AngelesImage source, AFP

    The scooters are used in a number of cities around the world, like the one pictured in Los Angeles, but will be illegal in the UK while trials are running.

    Those in Copeland will be limited to 15 miles an hour, limited to certain areas by technology called "geofencing", and insured by the hire company, and users will need the sort of driving licence allowing someone to ride a low-powered motorcycle, external

  16. Health chief: County's hospitals under 'intense pressure'published at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    Hospital serving Cumbria are under intense pressure as the number of patients suffering from Covid-19 increase, according to the county's director of public health.

    Colin Cox

    Dr Cox said the increase in the number of cases appeared to be tailing off a bit, with all parts of the county now showing infection rates of between 188 and 224 per 100,000 population, below the England average of 274 per 100,000 population.

    But he said there were now 93 patients in north Cumbrian hospitals and 161 in the Morecambe Bay area.

    Quote Message

    We are no longer seeing the alarming rates of increase of just a few weeks ago."

    Quote Message

    But it’s very clear that our hospitals, particularly in the north of the county now, are under intense pressure as a result of increasing admissions for COVID-19 and that it is not sustainable for them to operate like this."

    Colin Cox

    Covid-19:What are the symptoms and how do I protect myself?

  17. Police thank public after woman robbed in Carlislepublished at 14:28 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    Passers-by who helped when a woman was robbed of her purse in Lowther Street, Carlisle, have been thanked by police.

    The woman was slightly hurt in the incident at about 15:00 on Monday.

    Police logoImage source, Cumbria Police

    Officers say a man has been charged and will appear at Carlisle Crown Court on 18 December.

  18. County's Covid tracers 'have sought national partnership"published at 13:37 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    Cumbria's public health department, which traces many coronavirus contacts, has been trying to join a partnership with the government's test and trace system for three months, and is only now close to succeeding, BBC Cumbria has been told.

    Test centre sign

    Earlier, one of Cumbria's MPs said many people in the county were finding themselves unable to claim a £500 payment to cover 14 days' isolation, because they had been told to go into quarantine by local tracers or the NHS App, and not the national call centre.

    The Department of Health responded that part of the problem was that the Cumbria contact tracing system, which has been widely praised, was not in the required partnership with the national system.

    A county council spokesperson said: "We are still trying to move this forward with the national Test and Trace system but we stand ready to implement this as soon as we’re given access to CTAS (the database of people who have tested positive) – we have the capacity in place and could start essentially immediately."

    Quote Message

    The delay has absolutely not been on our side, we’ve been pushing it for ages."

    Cumbria County Council spokesperson

  19. Cumbria's weather: Sunny with the breeze easingpublished at 13:03 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    BBC Weather

    This afternoon will have periods of sunshine with an easing north-westerly breeze and temperatures from 5C to 8C (41F to 46F).

    Weather graphic

    You can always find the latest, hour-by-hour, BBC weather forecast for where you are, by typing in your postcode or location here.

  20. Meet the fire service team saving lives with a pulse checkpublished at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 19 November 2020

    Cumbria's firefighters have been credited with helping hundreds of potential stroke victims while on safety visits to check on vulnerable people, external, by checking for a symptom of irregular heart rhythms as well as testing the smoke alarms.

    Fire service "Safe and well" teamImage source, CFRS

    The fire and rescue service sends its staff on what are called "safe and well" visits, where as well as checking for fire risks and advising on smoke alarms, members of the team look at various other issues such as smoking cessation and falls.

    Now they also carry a device to check pulse rates which can pick up the signs that someone is at risk of strokes, and it's estimated that have detected 850 people at risk, and saved 215 lives.

    Their success has been recognised by a special feature in Atrial Fibrillation Association publication, the Healthcare Pioneers Report.