Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A set of six stamps featuring birds which can be sighted in Jersey will be issued by Jersey Post next week as part of the 2019 Europa stamp issue, National Birds.

Each year, European postal administrations are given a stamp issue title to interpret and illustrate by PostEurop - the trade association that has been representing European postal operators since 1993.

Image source, Jersey Post

The aim of the joint stamp issue is to build awareness of each other’s culture and history, with Europa stamps eagerly sought by collectors around the world.

National Birds is the title for 2019.

James Dann - from Jersey Post - said: “As birds by their very nature are migratory and representative of countries all around the world, we chose to depict six species which can be sighted in Jersey.

“We were keen to take an original approach to the designs and had the idea of showing the birds, together with their traditional symbolic meanings."

Steve Leale was allegedly told he should not get priority treatment after "killing innocent people".

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A swimmer was rescued off St Brelade's Bay after getting into difficulty in the water, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service has said.

Its inshore rescue boat - along with the RNLI inshore lifeboat - launched at about 11:40.

The woman was seen struggling in the water about 100m south of the wayside slipway.

She was treated at the shoreline by members of the public before being transported to hospital suffering from the effects of hypothermia.

The RNLI has reminded people to never swim alone and to always swim parallel to the shore and not straight out.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

There are calls for more volunteer youth leaders to join St John in Guernsey after an increase in children wanting to sign up to cadet and badger groups.

Badgers is the junior section of St John, for children aged six to 10 and cadets is for older children and teenagers aged 10 to 18.

Both groups take part in activities involving first aid training as well as promoting personal development, creativity and communication.

Image source, St John Emergency Ambulance Service Guernsey

Youth leaders help with the running of weekly meetings, which include first aid training, team-building skills, games and other activities.

St John Guernsey’s Chief Operating Officer, Nikki Harrison said the groups are "flourishing" at the moment.

"We have experienced an increase in demand for both age groups, but the popularity means that we're now almost at the stage of having to put names on a waiting list.

“Volunteering with St John can be really rewarding as you watch the children build self-confidence and learn new skills," she said.

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Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

There are traffic restrictions in place near the Daisy Cottage campsite in St Ouen due to an incident involving an acetylene cylinder that is alight.

Jersey Fire and Rescue Service is asking drivers to avoid the area.

Image source, Jersey Fire and Rescue

Image source, Jersey Fire and Rescue

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Brexit-related delays at Portsmouth’s port could leave Channel Island supermarkets "empty" of food for periods of time, according to the the director of Portsmouth International Port.

About 95% of all food in the islands comes from the port and in the past, supermarkets have felt the pressure when ships have been held back by 24 hours or more in situations such as poor weather.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Mike Sellers warned that any delays due to a no-deal Brexit could significantly slow supplies getting to Jersey and Guernsey.

He said: "The Channel Islands rely on Portsmouth so they’ve been concerned about the potential impact and they want to make sure that their goods are still moving freely."

As a result of the concerns, a fast-track system will be used for ships going to the islands.

New technology will also be put in place to allow the port to digitally share information with shipping and customs services so that it is immediately known if cargo has been cleared.

The plans come as part of long-term "worst case scenario" preparations for leaving the EU without a deal.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Sark's government is unlikely to meet the deadline for purchasing the island's electricity company on Friday.

In January, Chief Pleas agreed to take steps to value the company, with a view to purchasing it by the beginning of March.

Negotiations have been taking place for almost three months but the island's government was always clear that it was unlikely to meet the deadline set.

People searching for the body of a Lincolnshire pilot whose plane crashed into the English Channel in January say his body may eventually wash up on the coast.

Image source, Getty Images

David Ibbotson (pictured right), from Crowle in North Lincolnshire, was flying a plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala (left) when he crashed in the channel a month ago.

Yesterday, the team searching for his body said they'd found "no trace" of Mr Ibbotson.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Winds of force seven are expected across the islands, Jersey Met has said.

It has issued a yellow weather warning for wind.

Image source, Jersey Met

BBC Weather

Thursday will be cool and partly cloudy with some showers.

Any early fog will rapidly lift in the morning as showers stream in from the southwest.

Then a further mix of brighter spells and potentially thundery showers in the afternoon.

It will be cool and breezy later with some rain forecast overnight.

BBC Radio Jersey

Inna Gardiner has been elected to represent St. Helier districts 3 and 4 in the Jersey States by-election.

She will become the 14th woman currently elected to Jersey's States Assembly - a new record.

She replaces Deputy Richard Rondel who died last year., external

Ten candidates put themselves forward for election, and 1,600 votes cast, meaning turnout was around 19%.

Reform Jersey candidate Lyndsay Feltham came second, while Anthony Lewis was third.

Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands

BBC Radio Guernsey

Image source, Getty Images

Guernsey Water has scored higher customer satisfaction rates than the UK utility average, according to a survey carried out by the Institute of Customer Service.

The local company's business benchmark score was 81.4, with the national average coming in at 74.7.

The survey was carried out by 10,000 customers and is the second time Guernsey Water has teamed up with the Institute.