BBC Channel Islands News

There's been a "steady increase" in the number of people charged with drink-driving in Guernsey in recent years, police figures have revealed.

Guernsey Police said 92 people have been charged with drink-driving since last June compared to 79 in the previous 12 months.

Police described the trend as "disappointing" but insisted islanders weren't becoming immune to regular anti-drink-driving campaigns.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

The government has pledged more than £3m to help fund local road safety schemes for two major A-roads in Cornwall.

A stretch of the A3058 between Summercourt and Quintrell Downs has been allocated £1.1m.

A further £1.9m will go towards the A3071 between Penzance and St Just.

It has come from the the government's Safer Road Fund, following bids from Cornwall Council.

The money will be used for new barriers, footways, junctions and road surfaces to improve road safety and prevent accidents.

Image source, Google

Jersey Evening Post

Alderney's government has refused an application by Guernsey-based airline Waves for a licence to fly between Alderney and Jersey., external

BBC Spotlight

Plans to rebuild a disused station building at Saltash have been given a big funding boost.

More than £100,000 has been given to the project from GWR's Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, external.

The building is to be rescued from dereliction and restored into a waiting room, café and exhibition room, along with space for business units.

The money contributes towards a total cost of £400,000.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A senior Guernsey politician says the island is "swimming against the tide" when it comes to cannabis legislation.

Deputy Charles Parkinson says he would support legalising cannabis in the island.

Guernsey Press

Demolition work at a former hotel in Guernsey has started., external

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

A man in his late 60s is expected in Jersey Magistrate's Court later charged with trying to import almost £1.6m worth of drugs into the island.

The man was arrested at the harbour this weekend in a Porsche Cayenne, which arrived on the Condor Rapide from St Malo.

Officers said they found:

• 59 kg of cannabis resin
• 1 kg of cocaine
• 3.2 kg of MDMA

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey's chief minister says there will be a diversity of opinions on his new Council of Ministers after appointing his new assistant ministers.

Two members of Reform Jersey, deputies Geoff Southern and Montfort Tadier have been given roles, as has Senator Steve Pallett.

Senator John Le Fondre says since the abolition of collective responsibility - removed by former Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst during his last term of office - the island can have a more diverse council even if some of its members were elected to the States unopposed.

He has yet to set out the new assistant ministers' specific responsibilities but will publish a report outlining how they will work soon.

Guernsey's Andy Priaulx and Devon's Harry Tincknell narrowly missed out on a podium finish at the Le Mans 24 hours race.

The duo, with teammate Tony Kaanan, guided their Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team GT to fourth place in the GTE Pro class at the prestigious French race over the weekend.

"For me personally this has been a good Le Mans," said Priaulx.

Image source, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team

"I had a lot of fun in the car and I am driving with a brilliant team. I spent a lot of time in the car, as I was in it for eight and a half hours.

"I wouldn't say we have the speed to win, but we certainly had the team to win.

"We were very unlucky with an early safety car, which put us two minutes behind, and it's so hard to get that time back.

"However, we got back up into the top two or three positions, but then we had more bad luck with a safety car. Despite this we had a great race with a fantastic car, and the team did a brilliant job. It was a tough race, so to finish fourth was an achievement."

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

A new information commissioner has been appointed to regulate the data protection and Freedom of Information (FoI) laws in Jersey.

Dr Jay Fedorak, who has worked in British Colombia since 2012, will take on the role from 2 July.

He will also be responsible for representing the island internationally on data protection FoI matters.

Eleanor Parkinson
BBC Spotlight

A major retrospective exhibition of the work of celebrated abstract artist Patrick Heron has opened at the Tate St Ives.

It's the first time so many of his paintings have been shown together in Cornwall.

Many have come from private collections while others had to be flown in from abroad.

The exhibition, external will stretch from Heron's early work in the 1940s to his death at the very end of the 20th Century.

Guernsey Press

Greater powers to tackle derelict buildings and abandoned vehicles could be on the cards., external

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey's first Battle of Flowers ambassador, Arcadia Lockhart, said she was "overwhelmed to be chosen".

The annual floral parade changed from a Miss Battle to a Battle Ambassador that could be male or female.

Miss Lockhart, 21, was chosen at an event last night competing against four women and one young man. Lucie Hosking, also 21, was made consort to the ambassador.

Her brother, 10-year-old Tobias Hosking was made junior ambassador, and Chelsea Birch was junior ambassador runner up.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A 48-year-old man has died after a property fire in Plympton on Friday evening.

It happened on Maddock Drive at about 20:00.

He was taken to Derriford Hopsital where he later died.

His next of kin have been told.

Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are currently conducting a joint investigation to try and establish the cause of the fire.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Despite winning their final two matches Cornwall have failed to progress in the Minor Counties Twenty20 Trophy.

The Duchy recorded a 12-run and an eight-wicket win over Wiltshire in Calne, but Devon's two wins over Wales meant they ended two points behind their nearest neighbours who won the group.

Matthew Rowe's 86 helped Cornwall to 152-9 in their first match, but it was Cornwall's bowlers who impressed with Wiltshire reduced to 52-5 at one stage before eventually ending on 140-9 as Sam Wood, Lewis Goldworthy and Tommy Sturgess each took two wickets.

In the second match Peter Trego took three wickets for 18 runs as Wiltshire were restricted to 135-9 before opener Tom Rowe hit 51 while his brother Matthew scored 29 not out and Trego hit 47 not out as Cornwall scored 136-2 with a ball under six overs to spare.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Devon's cricketers are through to the finals of the Minor Counties Twenty20 Trophy after two wins over Wales at Instow.

Needing two wins to guarantee their progression, and with Wales, Cornwall and Dorset all still having a chance, Devon got off to a great start, winning their first game by 14 runs.

Batting first Devon made 155-6 as Zac Bess hit 73 off 40 balls to steady a side that had slipped to 72-5.

Bess then starred with the ball, taking 3-14 and two run-outs as Wales could manage only 141-9 in reply.

In the second match Wales batted first and were restricted to 122-9 before Gary Chappell (28) and James Burke (30) put on 64 for the first wicket, while Bess (24 not out) and Joe Thompson (27 not out) put on 49 for the fifth wicket as Devon made their target from 17.4 overs.

Finals day is at Wormsley on August 26 with Berkshire and Norfolk also already through.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A person who fell 20ft (6m) on to rocks in south Cornwall has been airlifted to hospital.

A second person who was trapped on the top of rocks was also rescued by the coastguard helicopter.

It happened at Charlestown near St Austell on Saturday at about 13:30.

Fire crews, police and paramedics all attended and the main casualty was airlifted to Derriford Hospital. Their condition is unknown.

Image source, Michael Norris

BBC Spotlight

Highways England says improving safety on the A38 is its number one road safety priority in Devon and Cornwall.

Campaigners want improvements on the section between Saltash and Bodmin following a string of fatal crashes.

The group Safer A38 and Future Expressway said there had been seven deaths on the road in the last year.

On Sunday there was a serious accident on the road, leaving a teenage driver in intensive care with head and chest injuries.

Highways England is yet to confirm how the road will be improved and said any announcements should be made in 2019.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A unique collaboration between the police and Cornwall's mental health trust has created the first police officer role of its kind in the UK, NHS and police bosses have claimed.

It's introduced a neighbourhood officer who works directly with mental health patients in the county.

PC Del Allerton-Baldwin said: "Previously Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust (CFT) and police staff were constantly clashing over issues surrounding where mental health patients sit in relation to the criminal justice system. Now we work together for the single most important person at the center of this - the patient."

The role is being partly funded by the police and the CFT.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A senior Guernsey politician is in favour of legalising cannabis in the island.

Deputy Charles Parkinson, President of the Economic Development Committee says Guernsey is swimming against the tide when it comes to the legislation of cannabis.

He said many places have already legalised the drug or are very close to legalising it.

He added he would decriminalise it but that was a personal view and wouldn't be shared by all States members.