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

BBC Radio Jersey

Samples of Jersey milk and potatoes have been sent to the USA to test if they contain a toxic chemical.

In February, low levels of PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfonate, a chemical found in firefighting foam - were found in the water at a number of homes near the airport runway.

Similar contamination was found 25 years ago in water in homes near the airport, contained in foam no longer used by Jersey's Airport Fire Service.

Environment Minister John Young confirmed the tests were being done so authorities could find out what background levels of PFOS were in different areas of the island.

When the contamination was discovered earlier this year, Environmental Health said low levels of the chemical were found in a number of homes in St Peter.

It told residents it was still safe to drink tap water.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey Police believe as many as four men were involved in a fight outside the Bean Around the World coffee shop in the early hours of Sunday.

One man was seriously injured.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grave and criminal assault and has since been released on police bail.

Police said they wanted to speak to two men who intervened and also spoke to officers afterwards.

Adam Durbin
BBC News Online

Jersey customs and immigration officers seized approximately 9.7kg of cannabis resin and a commercial quantity of powder, suspected to be MDMA, from a vehicle arriving on the ferry from Poole.

A Polish national, 39, living in Liverpool has been charged with the importation of cannabis and remanded in custody, pending a future court appearance in June.

The cannabis seized has an estimated street value of £197,000.

In 2018 the drugs seized by customs officers were valued at £2m.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The way in which drivers in Guernsey are taxed for motor vehicles could change because the current system is unsustainable, according to the island's most senior politicians.

Taxes on motor fuel currently raise about £20m a year, which accounts for 5% of the States' total revenues.

Now the committee has proposed a system of motor tax based on distance travelled rather than the amount of fuel burned.

The President of the Policy and Resources Committee, Gavin St Pier, said such taxes were revenue that went towards funding all public services, but that it was under threat as fuel use declined as a result of more efficient cars and an uptake in electric vehicles.

The proposals have not yet been debated by the States.

Clodagh Rice
BBC News Business Reporter

The chief executive officer of Exeter-based airline Flybe, Christine Ourmieres-Widener, has told staff she is leaving on 15 July.

She will step down after the sale of the business to Connect Airways and that "we have been able to secure the jobs of our employees with the sale to Connect Airways".

Her successor is to be announced before she steps down.

Flybe was sold earlier in the year to a consortium including Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group.

In her note to staff, Christine Ourmières-Widener said: "It has been the greatest privilege to lead Flybe over the past two tumultuous years and to work with such an outstanding and dedicated team of people.

"I knew that taking the helm at the time I did would pose real challenges - but the scale of them after years of difficulty at the company surprised even me.

"However, together we persevered and, despite the many curve balls thrown at us late in the day, have been able to secure 2,500 jobs with the sale to Connect and provide our customers with the service they have come to enjoy without any significant disruption".

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey Airport was the fifth worst for delays in the UK last year, an investigation has found.

Passengers were kept waiting on flights for an average of 16 minutes in 2018, according to the Press Association, the same as Manchester.

The records of 24 airports were examined in the report, based on data from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Jersey was worse than places such as Belfast, Southampton and Heathrow.

The BBC has contacted the Ports of Jersey for comment.

BBC Radio Jersey

Police in Jersey are to increase patrols around parks after a razor blade was found "wedged into the woodwork" of one of the rides in a children's play area.

The Infrastructure Department said the blade was found in a rocking boat in the Millennium Town Park by patrol officers at about 07:00 on Tuesday 21 May.

It said that staff from Municipal Services, along with St Helier Parks, were "checking the play equipment regularly and are doing everything to keep our parks safe".

Anybody who saw play equipment being interfered with or damaged should call police immediately, they added.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's Fort Regent could be turned into a hotel and leisure development, or a conference and exhibition centre.

Those are two preferred options being considered by the steering group looking into what should happen to the site in future.

Deputy Hugh Raymond, who is in charge of the fort's future, said there now seemed to be some progress in making decisions after a risk review closed it for concerts because of safety concerns. It has remained open for its day-to-day use as a leisure centre.

The States is inviting companies to tender for the job of taking the fort forward.

Two other options being considered are turning it into a botanical garden or a sport village.

The former fort, an early 19th Century landmark, overlooks St Helier.

BBC Radio Guernsey

It is hoped a Guernsey slipway will undergo repairs in the spring of 2020.

Havelet slipway - popular with dinghy sailors, rowers and swimmers - was damaged six months ago during stormy weather.

Harbour Master David Barker said that, although it was not an operational part of the harbour, it was a valuable commodity for the public and it was their duty to fix it.

Image source, Guernsey Harbours

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey Police have dropped a controversial new shift pattern that was causing stress to officers.

Managers originally said Project Horizon was meant to relieve pressure on the service while making sure there were enough officers to cope with emergencies. That was despite having fewer police officers to work with.

But, after running for six months, a review concluded it had caused too much disruption to officers' working hours and their home lives.

A statement from headquarters said the project had been paused while managers tried to work out if any of it could be useful.

Image source, Jersey Police

BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey politician Rob Prow could place an amendment before the States in an attempt to push the subject of a UK health agreement up the list of priorities.

The old reciprocal health agreement, which saw islanders travelling to the UK and vice versa not having to pay for health care, ended in 2009.

The UK government ended the agreement, saying it was not cost-effective. It means anyone travelling from Guernsey to the UK or the reverse has to pay the full cost of any healthcare needed.

Deputy Prow said that, despite the disappointing lack of progress, there was clear willing from some UK politicians to see it reintroduced.

He said people in the UK's Department of Health "have brought this up as a subject that they are happy to talk about".

"This really should be seized with both hands," he added.

Image source, PA

The States of Guernsey website, external said people travelling were "strongly advised to obtain medical insurance for any trip away from the islands ... to cover our treatment and the cost of repatriation".

Emily Wood
BBC Weather

There will be a few showers on Tuesday morning, but there will be some sunny periods too.

Largely dry in the afternoon with just a small chance of one or two isolated showers moving through at times.

Maximum temperature: 12 to 15C (54 to 59F).

BBC Radio Guernsey

Food waste in Guernsey is powering about 200 homes in the English town of Warminster.

For the last five months, leftover food from the island has been exported to a plant called Malaby Biogas, which turns food waste into electricity.

The process which uses anaerobic digesters and provides fertiliser to local businesses is almost carbon negative according to its owner Thomas Minter.