Summary

  • Updates from Monday 8 October

  1. Laser shone at RAF helicopter over Wantagepublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Police are investigating a report of a laser strike on a military helicopter.

    An RAF Puma helicopter was flying over Wantage late on 18 October when it's thought a laser was shone at the aircraft from the area of Wasbrough Avenue.

    Thames Valley Police said the crew took "avoidance action" and were able to continue with the flight.

    Sgt Mark Smith: “This is a dangerous act which could have seriously endangered the aircraft."

  2. Quadruple amputee to climb Ethiopia mountainpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Alex Lewis from Stockbridge, Hampshire, was diagnosed with a Strep A infection in 2013 which developed into blood poisoning.

    It led to the loss of all his limbs and the infection ravaged his face. But he is now hoping to climb one of Africa's tallest mountains, Ras Dashen in Ethiopia.

  3. Firefighters not foxed by animal rescuepublished at 15:33 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    There was a rather unusual animal rescue for Dorset firefighters overnight when this fox got its paws stuck in a fence.

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  4. Signal failure to cause evening delayspublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    South Western Main Line services into London Waterloo station are "severely" disrupted by a fault.

    Read More
  5. Man wins at female gaming awardspublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Women in Games (WIGJ) is an organisation that promotes female talent in a male-dominated industry.

    Read More
  6. Lucy McHugh death: Birthday message to stabbed girlpublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Lucy McHughImage source, Family handout

    The mother of a teenage girl found stabbed to death in woodland has paid tribute to her daughter on what would have been her 14th birthday.

    Lucy McHugh, 13, was found in July near Southampton Sports Centre. No-one has been charged with her murder.

    Stacey White said her daughter's birthday should have been "filled with presents, balloons, cakes and a party".

  7. ‘Worst ever’ fly-tip site in Havantpublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    The Environment Agency moves in to clear up giant fly-tip site in Havant.

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  8. Council plea over Redbridge Causeway fundingpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Hampshire County Council has sent a plea to Westminster to help fund vital bridge works, having spent almost all of its £10m repair budget on the first phase of the scheme.

    County chiefs last month agreed £8.4m plans to strengthen one of the four bridges which make up Redbridge Causeway.

    But now county council leader Roy Perry has called on the government to help cover the £25m overall cost of repairing the 50-year-old link between Southampton to Totton.

    Redbridge CausewayImage source, Peter Facey
    Quote Message

    The bridges that form the structure are now in urgent need of repair, and as such they pose a major risk to the operation of the port and its links to the rest of the country.

    Roy Perry, Leader, Hampshire County Council

  9. Interactive map reveals WW1 wreck sitespublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    The project shows the location over 1,100 ships lying on the seabed off the south coast.

    Read More
  10. Woking-Clapham line reopens after signal failurepublished at 11:50 British Summer Time 24 October 2018
    Breaking

    Paul Clifton
    Transport correspondent, BBC South Today

    The railway line between Woking and Clapham has reopened fully following the earlier signal failure.

    But it will take the rest of the day for services to return to anything like the planned service.

    A cable connecting signals in the Woking area broke and has now been replaced.

    All trains on the South Western Main Line (from Weymouth and Southampton), the Portsmouth main line (through Guildford) and the line from Exeter (via Salisbury) pass through this stretch of track.

    Because of a RMT strike, the numbers of trains operating is lower than normal today.

  11. Man arrested over Swanage rapepublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    A man has been arrested after a woman was raped in Swanage in the early hours of Sunday.

    Dorset Police said a local woman aged in her 20s reported that she was in the company of a man she had met earlier that night in Bar One in the High Street and was later attacked on an area of grass in the town.

    A 28-year-old man was held on suspicion of rape and released while inquiries continue.

  12. Lines affected by Waterloo signal problemspublished at 10:25 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    An update on the lines affected by the major fault with the signalling systems at Waterloo:

    • Alton, Basingstoke and Woking to London Waterloo
    • Exeter St David's, Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury to London Waterloo
    • Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo via Guildford/Basingstoke
    • Weymouth, Bournemouth and Southampton to London Waterloo
    • Dorking to London Waterloo
    • Guildford to London Waterloo via Epsom/Stoke d'Abernon
    • Trains between Salisbury and London Waterloo will start and terminate at Basingstoke
    • Trains are not calling at Walton-on-Thames, Esher or Hersham

    Departures board - Basingstoke
  13. Campaigner died after choking on sandwichpublished at 10:07 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Disability consultant Robert Droy chaired national conferences and met with David Cameron.

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  14. Taxi driver robbed in Hedge Endpublished at 09:51 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    A taxi driver has been robbed at knife point in Hedge End near Southampton.

    Hampshire police said the driver was attacked after he picked up three men from Wickham Road in Fareham during the early hours of Monday.

    When they arrived at Grange Road in Hedge End he was threatened with a blade and had cash stolen.

    Police have appealed for witnesses.

  15. Commuters hit by Waterloo signal failurepublished at 09:33 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    This is the scene at Basingstoke station this morning as a major signalling fault continues to affect services on the South Western Main Line.

    Network Rail said the signal failure was affecting all lines between Woking and Surbiton, meaning trains are unable to run on this line through to London Waterloo.

    Trains between Salisbury and London Waterloo will start and terminate at Basingstoke, it added.

    Basingstoke Station
    Basingstoke station
  16. Pumpkin pickers spoiled for choicepublished at 09:17 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    As Halloween looms, people have been out taking their pick of a bumper crop of pumpkins.

    Read More
  17. Housing scheme for Winchester first time buyerspublished at 09:11 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    A scheme has been launched to help first time buyers get on to the property ladder in Winchester.

    The city council is putting £4.5m into the My Home scheme.

    Under the scheme, the local authority buys a house outright on the buyer's behalf. In turn, the buyer leases between a 50% and 70% share from the council, paying a monthly rent on the share they don’t own.

    For sale signs generic
  18. Westgate Centre marks first anniversarypublished at 08:51 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Oxford's Westgate Centre celebrates its first anniversary today, as figures show it has had 19 million visitors since it opened.

    More than 36 million people have visited the city centre as a whole in the past year - a rise of 9% on the previous 12 months.

    There'll be a special parade and performances in the centre later to mark the birthday.

    The £440m shopping complex covers 800,000 sq ft (74,300 sq m) and has space for 100 shops, restaurants and a cinema.

    Westgate
  19. Extra funding for Secamb to improve patient carepublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Sue Nicholson
    BBC News

    Secamb

    South East Coast Ambulance service is set to receive £30m of extra funding over three years to improve capacity and patient services.

    The service, which covers Kent, Sussex, Surrey and north-east Hampshire, has been in special measures since 2016.

    The money will be spent on increasing staff numbers and improving its fleet to ensure it has the right number and type of vehicles to respond to calls of all types.

    The additional funding was secured following an independent review that looked at demand for and capacity to deliver ambulance services.

  20. South Western Railway is advising passengers not to travelpublished at 08:35 British Summer Time 24 October 2018

    Rail passengers travelling into London Waterloo are being advised not to travel today because of a signal failure.

    South Western Railway services were already being disrupted by the second day of a five-day walkout by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

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