Three former employees of Winterbrook Nursing Home are accused of ill-treatment and neglect.

Michael Race
BBC South

A driver "under the influence of drugs" drove the wrong way down the M4 before crashing into an oncoming vehicle, an inquest has heard.

Darran Walker died in the collision with a car on the slip road at junction 7 for Slough after being followed by police.

A jury was shown dashcam footage at Reading Coroner's Court showing the 36-year-old, from Slough, driving away from a marked police car before the fatal crash.

David Lomax, 83, is accused of forcing himself on a woman in 1978 at her home in Leeds.

The daughter of a man apparently left for 18 hours with second degree burns at Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital says she is "appalled" by the treatment he received.

The elderly man, from Liphook, Hampshire, is believed to have received the burns from spilling hot liquid on his chest.

His daughter Maria Harding said he should have been accompanied by hospital staff while eating.

She noticed the burns 18 hours after the incident.

Mrs Harding said: "He has awful blisters on his body, that level of care just should not happen in a hospital like that."

The NHS trust which runs the hospital said it cannot comment on individual cases, but says it takes these incidents very seriously and always thoroughly investigates.

Sandy Balls Holiday Park is building 108 static lodges as part of a £10m development.

More than 400 knifes were handed in as part of a knife amnesty held in Dorset over four days.

A large variety of items were handed in including hunting knives, samurai-style swords, rapiers and sword sticks, along with an assortment of kitchen knives and cleavers.

Image source, Dorset Police

Dorset Police described the haul as "excellent", adding it hosted the amnesty in an attempt to reduce knife crime in the area.

All items collected are then placed into metal drums and destroyed.

A 12-year-old girl who was seriously injured when she was hit by a vehicle at an Oxfordshire race event has said she is lucky to be alive.

Madison Oxlade was badly hurt at the 'Big Van Banger' meeting in Standlake, Oxfordshire, in August.

She was handing out trophies when a van clipped a cabinet where she was standing.

Image source, CS Motorsport

"I'm glad to be home because I can be in the comfort of my own home and not being poked and prodded", Madison said. "I'm lucky to be here now."

Organisers of the event say they've been reviewing the track layout and will be adding extra fencing, while West Oxfordshire District council says it's still investigating any possible breaches of health and safety law.

All the latest headlines from across Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Unusual road markings, which show double yellow lines in the middle of a road and misplaced arrows, are to be removed by a council.

Reading Borough Council said a crew would be sent down to remove the paint, after recent resurfacing work on Green Street in the town.

The authority confirmed its contractors were not responsible for the work, but it seems the true artist is unknown.

Plans to build more than 8,600 homes in Oxford could see flood plains removed, according to city councillors.

Under the plan, 18 hectares of green belt will be developed - which will take up 1.4% of the protected land within the city's boundary.

Oxford council's scrutiny committee has been examining the proposals, which set out plans for house building over the next 20 years, and officers revealed last night that the plans build on half of developable land in the down.

Alex Hollingsworth, housing lead for Oxford City council, said: "There is a massive shortfall of housing in the city, and the only way to improve housing affordability is to build more houses."

"This is already the most unaffordable city in the country".

A fire in a ground floor flat in Ryde was caused by a tealight candle on a plastic box in a bedroom.

Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze started at 04:41 this morning and crews from three stations were called to George Street in the town, which was closed as a result of the incident.

Residents were alerted by a smoke alarm and nobody was injured.

Image source, google

Dorset's nine councils are set to merge and form two unitary authorities in April.

Geoff Croudace has sent us this wonderful early-morning sight of countryside near Andover, Hampshire.

The mist and sunny skies were snapped near Perham Down.

You can send in your amazing local pictures here.

Image source, Geoff Croudace

The increase is expected to bring in £510,000 in extra revenue for Southampton City Council each year.

It is slow on the M4 westbound in Berkshire between junction eight/nine (Maidenhead) and six (Slough) after an earlier accident.

BBC Berkshire's resident Geordie, Michael Race, takes to the streets to try and find out.

Emily Hudson
BBC Radio Solent political reporter

People in Southampton are facing a council tax rise of almost 3% next year.

Southampton City Council has published its budget plan as it looks to save £15m by 2021.

It's also planning on increasing tolls for the Itchen Bridge, closing two residential care homes it owns and hiking charges for residents of council properties.

Marie Jackson
BBC News

Rosie Bensberg is a 23-year-old food blogger from Oxford who's gone from learning to cook carbonara with her dad to graduating with a Cordon Bleu diploma.

Clare Smyth, 40, grew up on a farm in County Antrim to become the world's best female chef and cater for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding reception.

She's the first and only woman to run the kitchen of a British restaurant with three Michelin stars and, this week, her first solo venture earned her two Michelin stars in its first year.

We got the two together at Clare's restaurant in Notting Hill, west London, and asked Rosie to serve up the questions to her cooking idol.

Image source, MARTIN EBERLEN

Image source, Slough Borough Council

A course is being launched to help men who mistreat their loved ones change their behaviour

The 12-week course in Slough is aimed at helping men who recognise their behaviour is "not healthy" and help them find solutions to their "relationship-based conflict".

Angharad Jones of Thames Valley Police said: “We recognise that there is not always support for men wanting to address their behaviour.

“We want to offer them the opportunity to do this in a safe, supportive and non-judgmental environment.”

Police are investigating alleged ill treatment at Winterbrook Nursing Home in Wallingford.