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

BBC Channel Islands News

A number of cars and boats are believed to have caught fire at Jersey's Tamba Park.

Large plumes of black smoke could be seen across the island and from as far away as Guernsey.

BBC Radio Jersey

The 18 passengers treated at Jersey's General Hospital after a coach carrying tourists crashed at Mont Les Vaux have been released.

The driver is continuing to be monitored.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's emergency services say the fire is now under control and the nearby roads have reopened.

Residents are being advised to keep their windows closed for a while longer as there is still smoke in the area.

The large black plumes of smoke could be seen from across the island and even from Guernsey.

BBC Radio Jersey

Islanders are being asked to avoid Tamba Park while emergency services deal with a fire on the site.

Jersey Fire and Rescue Service says due to the large amounts of the smoke being produced nearby residents should close all windows and doors.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Golf sessions are being rolled out for people with dementia in Guernsey after a successful scheme in the UK.

It is a joint project being run by Guernsey Alzheimer's Association and the Royal Guernsey Golf Club, which is laying on eight sessions.

The pilot launches on 1 October.

BBC Radio Jersey

Laws banning landlords in Jersey from refusing to let their properties to families with children will finally be introduced in 2020, the housing minister says.

However, Sam Mezec added that landlords should stop discriminating against tenants with children from now.

The States Assembly agreed in March 2018 to change the law so young families cannot be prevented from renting any Jersey property.

Senator Mezec said too many Jersey families were still struggling to find suitable accommodation because they were excluded from properties "out of prejudice".

He said that, once the new law was in place, landlords would not be allowed to evict islanders with children in the middle of their tenancy.

Jersey Evening Post

Jersey's chief minister has been heavily criticised for refusing to release details of £100m of government cuts until just weeks before they are debated – with one politician branding his administration a "government of chaos, external".

The driver is "being assessed" at hospital and 18 passengers suffered "minor injuries".

Twitter

BBC Radio Jersey

Mont Les Vaux, leading up to St Aubin, remains closed due to a coach crash in which 19 people - 18 passengers and the driver - have been taken to hospital.

BBC Radio Jersey

Eighteen passengers have been taken to hospital after a coach full of tourists crashed in Jersey.

The Waverley Tours coach was carrying 40 people on a tour around the island.

Paramedics treated the driver at the scene and he's now in hospital.

Mont Les Vaux, leading up from St Aubin, is closed from the former Shell Garden to Woodbine Corner stores.

A police spokeman says the road will be closed for a while. Drivers are being diverted down the lanes but motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

BBC Radio Jersey

A coach full of passengers has crashed in Jersey and paramedics are treating the driver.

Mont Les Vaux, leading up from St Aubin, is closed from the former Shell Garden to Woodbine Corner stores.

A police spokesman said they're not sure how many people are injured.

More to follow.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The Guernsey States Members Conduct Panel has cautioned a deputy for comment he made in an email to a third party.

The panel found Deputy Richard Graham had expressed himself and his opinions using "immoderate language", which he had acknowledged before the hearing in front of an investigation panel.

Last month, Brendan and Pamela Murphy complained of Mr Graham's conduct towards them in a series of email exchanges on 28 July, breaching five parts of the code.

The breach was judged to be of a minor nature.

Deputy Graham said he had accepted the caution and the matter was now closed.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey teaching unions are warning that children's education could be at risk from a shortage of teachers schools are facing at the beginning of the academic year.

Figures revealed at the end of last week showed there were 56 unfilled posts across island schools.

Marina Mauger, of the NASUWT union, said the States needed to offer more incentives for people to come to work in Jersey or education would suffer.

Deputy Rob Ward, who leads the education scrutiny panel, said he was also unhappy about the shortage, and the States needed to build bridges with teachers after last term's strike action over pay and conditions.

Education Minister Tracey Vallois said new figures would be released at the end of the week showing how many of those they had managed to fill.

She added that schools which could not fill posts would either use supply teachers or take on temporary staff.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Overcrowding roads is one of the biggest concerns for Pointues Rocques residents with the prospect of a number of properties being built in the area.

A proposed development of 22 flats and 13 affordable houses has a month left of consultation.

It was first agreed by the States to use the area in St Sampson for housing in 2016 as part of the island development plan.

Since then, it has taken a number of years to get the framework for the number of houses agreed, largely due to protests by residents and conservationists.

Residents of Rue des Pointues Rocques said they were concerned at the amount of development already in the area adding to traffic, even before this new development.

Developer spokesperson Peter Falla said they had listened to feedback and they saw no issue with the development going ahead.

Luke Webb
BBC Radio Guernsey

The Guernsey Investment Fund has committed more than £19m to 11 projects since launching 18 months ago.

The fund invests in projects and businesses which may benefit the Bailiwick both directly or indirectly.

Investments by the fund range from £100,000, through to multimillion-pound deals that have made big investments in the expansion of businesses.

Fund chairman Gilbert Chalk said the fund had considered more than 100 applications and inquiries since launching, whilst 65 investment opportunities had been rejected or withdrawn.

When the fund began in 2018, the Policy & Resources Committee agreed to invest £25m into it on the basis that fund manager Ravenscroft would secure additional funding from the private sector.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A new chief executive has been appointed at the Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA).

The JSPCA committee said Debra D’Orleans is "passionate" about animal welfare and has been involved in animal charities for more than 30 years - starting as a volunteer for a cat shelter and assisting with the Riding for Disabled - which supports people with disabilities to take up horseriding.

She will take over from Kevin Keen, who has been the interim boss at the JSPCA since October.

Image source, JSPCA

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey schools are short of more than 50 teachers just before the beginning of the new academic year.

Students go back to the classroom on Wednesday in primary and secondary schools, but by last Friday there were still 56 vacant posts.

The education minister said new figures would be released at the end of the week showing how many of those they have managed to fill.

In the meantime, Senator Tracey Vallois, said that any schools which could not fill their posts would either use supply teachers or take on temporary staff on fixed-term contracts.

The staffing issues follow a long dispute over teachers' pay which was only resolved at the end of last term.