Martin Lewes
Reporter

We've now finished posting news reports from around Cumbria for today, and indeed this week. Here is a reminder of some of today's developments:

• There was a steady drumbeat of weather warnings about Storm Dennis, with the latest promising some pretty heavy rain which means almost certain flooding in areas like the Eden Valley, which could really do without it
• We heard that some numbers of students at private schools in Cumbria who come from China and other countries where there is a growing risk from the Coronavirus will not be going home on their half-term holidays or possibly even at Easter
• And we told you how the BBC presenter Joe Costin, having had a heart bypass operation, decided the subject would make excellent radio. Do listen next week, we just hope he doesn't mind being described as veteran!

We will be back on Monday from 08:00 or possibly earlier if there is a lot of news to... errr... mop up from the weekend.

If Dennis does turn serious tune to BBC Radio Cumbria, and our main news page will keep you as up to date as possible

You can help: If there's news you think we should know or you want to share a photo you've taken, let us know by sending an email, or on Twitter, external.

Stay safe and have a good weekend.

A Whitehaven man who told police he was driving a car when his friend had actually been behind the wheel was branded a “twit” by a judge.

Kristian Tinkler, 23, failed a breath test, was arrested and charged, and after a friend came forward the following morning to identify himself as the actual driver, spent a total of 30 hours in custody.

Tinkler, of Stanley View, Mirehouse, later said he hadn’t wanted to get his friend into trouble, and in court he admitted intending to pervert the course of justice, and permitting the use of a vehicle without insurance.

Judge Peter Davies imposed a two-year community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work, and put six penalty points on Tinkler's clean driving licence.

“You are a twit,” Judge Davies told Tinkler:

A main road into Carlisle from the west, closed since the derelict Central Plaza Hotel threatened to collapse on to it, should reopen in March, officials said today.

Carlisle City Council said today that demolition had been completed ahead of schedule, but since then 7,600 tonnes of rubble had been removed from the site and the two-storey deep hole that was left now had to be made safe and fenced off.

The city now plans to hand the Viaduct past the hotel back to the highways department on March 9, but a county spokesman said the road had to be assessed and possibly repaired before it could be reopened to traffic.

• Temperatures at 3,000ft (900m): 5C (41F) in the morning, rising to 7C (45F) in the late afternoon
• Winds: South or south-westerly winds at around 60-70mph, with gusts to 90mph during the afternoon and a significant wind chill
• Cloud: Broken at around 1,300ft to 2,000ft (400m to 600m), becoming overcast as the day progresses
• Weather: Storm Dennis will push in from the west, bringing very strong to severe gales winds and outbreaks of heavy rain for most of the day
• Freezing level: Above the summits
• Visibility: Moderate to poor for much of the day in the low cloud and heavy rain

The Lake District Weatherline report on fell top conditions is here, external.

BBC Weather

There will be clear spells but also a few showers through the evening, dying out into the early hours.

It will remain breezy but a few mist patches may form with lowest temperatures from 0C to 3C (32F to 37F).

Severe weather warnings from the Met Office, external say heavy rain between midday tomorrow and 15:00 on Sunday are likely to cause flooding in parts of Cumbria, and winds could also gust to 60mph around the coast.

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

A woman who sold prescription-only medication that may have contributed to the death of a friend has been given a suspended prison sentence at Carlisle Crown Court.

Linda Short collapsed at home in Whitehaven in May 2018, and died in hospital the next day.

A pathologist said drugs found in her bloodstream, including gabapentin which she was not prescribed, contributed to her collapse and may have been fatal, and pill boxes that had contained the substance, bearing Kerry Marie Woodburn's name, were found in her home.

Woodburn, 37, of New Street, Whitehaven, admitted supplying the prescription-only medication she was given to treat back pain, although the court was told she faced no charges linked to Ms Short’s death.

After hearing Woodburn had been "devastated" by the death, and considering background information, Recorder Eric Lamb suspended a 30-week jail term for two years, and imposed a 25-day rehabilitation requirement.

BBC Cumbria Sport

The Cumbrian M-Sport team are currently fourth in the Rally Sweden with Teemu Suninen with Esapekka Lappi just behind in sixth place.

The opening round in Monte Carlo saw the Dovenby Hall outfit claim a record 250th consecutive WRC point return, a record stretching back 18 years, and something team boss Malcolm Wilson doesn't believe will ever be broken:

Image source, Getty Images

The veteran BBC Radio Cumbria presenter Joe Costin was so impressed by his own heart bypass operation that he went back into the theatre to watch his surgeon perform the same procedure on another patient.

Joe, 73, was diagnosed with heart problems after a routine check-up with his GP, and had his operation done by Prof Stephen Clark, the consultant cardiac surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

BBC Radio Cumbria will be featuring Joe's story on programmes throughout the day next week, and Prof Clark will be on the Caroline Robertson show from 09:00 to 12:00 on Tuesday.

A woman has been seriously injured in a crash involving a car and a van near Penrith this morning.

The woman, in her 70s, was a passenger in the van, which collided with a car on the A686 between Langwathby and Edenhall.

She was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle by air ambulance.

The van driver, a man in his 80s, has minor injuries and the car driver wasn't injured.

Police say they're concerned about a missing 76-year-old man, who was last seen near Edenhall at 11:00 this morning.

Image source, Family photo

Peter Wakefield is 6ft and slim, and was wearing a blue jacket, beige jumper and black or grey trousers.

Saturday's National League game between Barrow and Dagenham & Redbridge is postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

BBC Cumbria Sport

Carlisle United travel to Crawley Town in League Two without injured trio Callum Guy, Harry McKirdy and Joshua Kayode.

Barrow will be boosted by the return of defender Sam Hird from injury for tomorrow's visit of Dagenham in the National League.

Workington Reds, currently two points behind NPL North west leaders Ramsbottom, will be looking to return to the top of when they host Mossley tomorrow.

A show of light and sound transforms Carlisle Cathedral for the City of Lights project.

Sian Hall
BBC Radio Cumbria

Appleby and other towns in the Eden valley could face a second weekend of flooding from Storm Dennis, external, according to the Environment Agency.

Around 20 homes were flooded in Appleby during Storm Ciara last weekend, many on the Sands where skips are still located to collect ruined furniture and other possessions.

Stuart Mounsey, the flood risk manager for Cumbria, says it all depends on the track the rainfall from the storm takes across the country.

BBC Weather

Spells of rain will move in from the west this afternoon, turning more showery later. Becoming windy with freshening south-westerly winds.

Maximum temperature: 7 to 10C (45 to 50F).

The Met Office has updated warnings for Storm Dennis at the weekend, predicting a more severe impact in parts of Cumbria, and you can see details here, external.

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

In case you missed it, Cumbria county council set its budget and the increase in its share of council tax this year, yesterday.

The council's net budget, after fees and other charges are taken into account, external, is just over £400m a year, and most now comes from council tax after a steady reduction in central government grants since 2010.

This year's county council tax increase is just under 4%, of which half is ring-fenced for adult social care, and which amounts to £55 a year on a Band D property.

But the political debate centred on just £4.5m being set aside in each of the next few years, in case of inflation associated with Britain's departure from the European Union.

Conservative opposition leader James Airey said it was a party political slush fund, while the Liberal Democrat Peter Thornton (pictured speaking, above) said it was simply prudent.

Steven Bell
BBC Cumbria

The Environment Agency says the flooding in Warwick Road in Carlisle on Sunday night was not caused by the River Petteril over-topping flood defences.

The street, which has been inundated twice in the past 15 years, filled with ankle-deep water, leaving many residents worried that they may have their homes ruined again.

The agency says the cause of this flooding is being investigated.

With more bad weather forecast this weekend, external, the Environment Agency says it'll be using pumps to send any water back into the river if it threatens to flood again.

A Met Office amber warning for heavy rain as Storm Dennis sweeps across Britain has been extended to cover more of Cumbria, external.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office now says heavy rain, which could fall from 12:00 tomorrow to 15:00 on Sunday is now likely to cause some flooding to homes and businesses, and will disrupt travel.

Between 50mm and 80mm (2in to 3in) is expected to fall on parts of the county, with warnings for strong wind

Police in the Lake District say they are investigating two burglaries in which high-value mountain bikes were stolen.

A Canyon Spectre and a GT Sanction were taken from a shed on Stonecroft, Ambleside, some time between Monday and Wednesday this week, and a red Norco men’s mountain bike and a grey Norco men’s mountain bike were taken from a shed in Beck Nook, Stavelely between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday lunchtime.

The firm is promising customers affected that they will get compensation within days.