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Councillors have rejected calls to scrap changes to a new home-to-school transport funding policy.

North Yorkshire Council voted last year to only pay for transport to a child's nearest school, rather than using school catchment areas as had previously happened.

Opposition councillors and parents had called for the policy change to be reversed, resulting in fresh vote on the issue at a meeting earlier.

However, the motion was defeated by ten votes, with a council spokesperson later stating that pupils starting new schools in September would find out if they are eligible for free travel in the coming weeks.

Ahead of the meeting councillors were met by a group of about 100 people protesting against the policy outside County Hall in Northallerton, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council had said it hoped the policy – due to come into effect in September – would deliver savings of up to £4.2m a year.

But campaigners argued the new system may actually cost money to implement, and was damaging to pupils, schools and rural communities.

The council said home-to-school transport was one of its three largest areas of expenditure, alongside adult social care and waste management.

A spokesperson added that the decision to change the policy was aimed at protecting frontline services.

Deputy leader Gareth Dadd said the new policy was "fairer to all families, responsible and affordable".

"Unfortunately, a more generous offer is no longer an option," he said.

"I would like to stress that parents and carers in North Yorkshire still have a choice as to where to send their children.

"It is important for them to factor in travel costs if they choose a school that is not the nearest to their home."

However, one parent speaking after the meeting said she now faced having to pay about £800 a year for her daughter to attend the same school as her son.

Another parent, Charlotte Fowler, said: "Shame on all those councillors who have let down North Yorkshire's children today.

"They had a chance to put things right and they blew it. By choosing to keep a broken system in place the council has left children isolated, parents burdened, and schools uncertain about their future."

Families of children due to start secondary school in September will find out if their child is eligible for free school travel by 30 May and those due to start primary school will find out by 30 June, the council has confirmed.

A man who called a woman more than 400 times in three days to intimidate her into dropping domestic abuse accusations against him has been jailed.

Adrian Duke, 37, of Russell Street, Peterborough, also hid in her house while she was visited by police and threatened her with violence if she read her statement in court.

Police said she withdrew the charges but later confided in officers.

Duke, who coerced the victim between September and December, pleaded guilty to intimidating a witness or juror and was jailed for one year and ten months at Cambridge Crown Court.

Det Con Isabelle Wilding, from Cambridgeshire Police, said: "The victim believed she had no option but to drop the charges, fearing violent consequences if she didn't.

"Everyone should feel able to contact the police without fearing the repercussions.

"This sentence not only means justice has been done, but will hopefully allow the victim to move on with her life."

A police investigation is under way after a man was stabbed in Nottingham city centre.

A man in his 30s was attacked in Market Street at about 11:50 BST on Monday, and was taken to hospital with injuries that were "not thought to be life-altering or life-threatening", according to Nottinghamshire Police.

Police put a cordon in place at about 12:00 and the road was closed, causing disruption to tram and bus services.

Ch Insp Neil Humphris said: "This was an appalling act of violence carried out in full view of members of the public."

"A team of detectives is now working to understand exactly what happened in the moments before, during and after this incident," Ch Insp Humphris added.

"To this end they want to hear from anyone who saw or heard any part of what happened.

"We understand the concern incidents of this nature can cause and people should expect to see an increased police presence while we investigate the circumstances."

Tram operator Nottingham Express Transit (NET) confirmed at 13:40 that it was running a full service once again.

Nottingham City Transport confirmed buses were back to normal routes following the closure, but advised passengers of possible delays.

Highly controversial plans to bring an electricity cable from an offshore wind farm onshore at a Devon beach have been approved.

White Cross offshore windfarm wants to put seven floating turbines about 30 miles (52km) off the north Devon coast and plans to bring a power cable onshore at Saunton Sands, then under Braunton Burrows and across the Taw Estuary to connect to a new electricity substation.

More than 1,800 people objected to the plans.

Councillors at the North Devon Council planning meeting held at Barnstaple Rugby Club were won over by the developers' argument that the project would create new jobs and bring renewable energy to the region.

Objectors cited concerns about the impact on tourism, on the environment and about high numbers of heavy goods vehicles.

About 100 members of the public came to the meeting with the vast majority against the plans.

Lucie Tamlyn, from Saunton Beach Villas, said there would be a huge impact on tourism.

She said: "We can't see how we would continue to attract guests during these works."

Helen Cooper, who has led a campaign to oppose the plans, said she was "bitterly disappointed but not surprised".

Leading figures from business and education spoke in favour of the application at the meeting held at Barnstaple Rugby Club.

Paul Coles, CEO of the South West Business Council, told councillors they should be excited about the opportunity and said: "Let's play a real part in delivering renewable energy in our region."

Bill Blythe, vice principal of Petroc College, described the project as "an investment in renewable energy and in the future of our students".

He said the scheme would bring "high quality jobs while preserving what makes our region special".

Al Rayner, the project director for White Cross, promised his company would "inject £153m into the local economy" and it was an "enormous" opportunity.

Developers and landowners could face "serious financial and legal consequences" for cutting down trees on sites being considered for new homes, a Surrey council has warned.

Environmental laws, which mean builders must compensate for the loss of any nature on housing developments, came into force last year.

Tandridge District Council (TDC) said there had been a number of recent incidents where trees were felled to clear areas for planning applications.

A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation said it can be "necessary to remove trees to allow a development to take place."

The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements mean that sites now have to be assessed before bulldozers can enter and developers have to commit to delivering a 10% net improvement in biodiversity that lasts over a 30-year period.

'Environmental vandalism'

The leader of TDC, Catherine Sayer, said: "We have had incidents where 300 year-old oak trees have been cut down because they are in the way of development.

"In one instance, the developer withdrew the planning application when they realised the cost of replacing the lost biodiversity would be tens of thousands of pounds."

Sayer said the council wanted to raise awareness that this "environmental vandalism has serious financial and legal consequences and [we] hope it acts as a deterrent".

Resident Terry Morgan, who lives near land where a tree was cut down ahead of a development taking place, told BBC Radio Surrey he was "angry."

"It's not a single tree, it is part of a long line of trees marking ancient boundaries, home to wildlife and so on," he said.

"To simply, for convenience, cut that tree down rather than make a planning application which is more appropriate to the site – that's the key thing I'm angry and annoyed about."

The developer has been approached for comment.

Sayer said she thought it was a "great shame" that ministers were looking at changing environmental rules to make it easier to build homes on smaller sites.

Last week, Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the changes would "simplify" the planning process.

She denied environmental protections were being compromised.

A spokesperson for the Homebuilders Federation said: "Clearly in some instances it is necessary to remove trees to allow a development to take place.

"In those cases developers are required to abide by all the relevant rules and regulations in place."

Separately, TDC said it was investigating the felling of woodland on land near Lingfield a few weeks ago as alleged criminal activity.

Tourism in Wiltshire has been given a boost after the county become an accredited member of a scheme aimed at growing the sector.

Wiltshire now has Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEP) status, which gives it access to a range of resources to attract greater footfall.

At the moment, Wiltshire's tourism is worth around £1.5bn annually, with sites such as Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle, Stourhead, Salisbury Cathedral and the Westbury White Horse among its attractions.

It's new LVEP means it will be included marketing activity and public relations opportunities set up by British tourism authority VisitBritain, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Nine police officers face a gross misconduct hearing following an internal investigation into alleged racial discrimination against a colleague, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.

An inquiry was launched by the force's Professional Standards Directorate in July 2024 after a report was made that an officer in the Bury district had been subjected to racist remarks by some colleagues in December 2023.

GMP said it had suspended eight officers who remained off duty. A ninth officer has been restricted from working in Bury during the investigation.

A date for the hearing will be set as soon as possible, the force added.

'Deeply concerning'

Meanwhile a separate probe, by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is examining an unrelated incident of alleged racial discrimination against an officer, also in the Bury district.

GMP said that investigation involved seven officers, of whom five remained suspended.

"The GMP and IOPC investigations relate to deeply concerning allegations into racist remarks about two officers in unrelated incidents," said GMP's head of professional standards, Det Ch Supt Mike Allen.

"We have conducted a thorough investigation and have fully supported the IOPC with their work, too.

"Ensuring we uphold the highest standards of professional behaviour across GMP is essential, and it is only right that when matters such as these are reported to us, we take all necessary action.

"We now await the outcomes of these ongoing proceedings."

GMP said it had worked extensively with officers, staff and the community in Bury to improve cultural awareness.

A proposal for the site of the former Body Shop headquarters in Littlehampton has been submitted for approval.

The plans involve the site at Watersmead Business Park, off Norway Road, which was also home to two former Amazon warehouses.

It would see the three-storey former Body Shop building demolished and warehouses redeveloped into nine separate retail units, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The plans are set to be decided by Arun District Council on 28 August.

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The complete removal of the headquarters will reduce the "apparent bulk" of the site from Norway Lane and the A259, according to the plans.

They also suggest changes to pedestrian route and road layouts, planting areas including a pond, a bug hotel for increasing biodiversity, more parking spaces including electric vehicle bays and "sustainable" drainage infrastructure.

No objections have yet been registered by nearby residents or official bodies.

Plans for the demolition of the HQ were given the greenlight by the council in March this year, with the demolition beginning in May.

The Body Shop announced it was moving out of its Littlehampton site in October 2024 to relocate to Brighton, shortly after being pulled out of administration by the Aurea Group earlier that year.

A number of victims' families have criticised a decision by the UK's highest court to allow the government to appeal a ruling on the Legacy Act.

The Legacy Act was brought in by the last government and came into effect in May.

Parts of the act including a controversial measure to give a conditional amnesty to suspects who gave accurate information were later struck down by the Court of Appeal.

Labour has started the process of repealing the act, but last October lodged an appeal seeking to challenge other elements of the ruling handed down by the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court has now granted the appeal, with the hearing expected to take place in the next couple of months.

Secretary of State, Hilary Benn said: "There were aspects of the Dillon judgement that raised wider constitutional questions that go beyond the Legacy Act and that is why the government is appealing."

Benn said that he was pleased with the Supreme Courts' decision to allow an appeal.

He said: "On legacy I will ensure that we have a system that is compliant with the European Convention of Human Rights, that's a pledge I've made and the government will honour"

In September, senior judges in Belfast ruled that the Legacy Act gives the UK government too much veto power over the disclosure of material by a new commission which is investigating killings.

That case was brought by a number of bereaved relatives, who argued the commission was not sufficiently independent.

Speaking on Thursday, Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law said his clients would "relish the opportunity to again take a stand against this act on behalf of all victims affected by this egregious legislation".

He added: "It is disappointing that the Secretary of State has continued to utilise every available mechanism to try and uphold the Tory pet project of the Legacy Act.

"It is a testament to the importance of this case that the Supreme Court has confirmed that it will hear this case on an expedited basis, and indeed, before the end of June if possible."

The Legacy Act, which is opposed by Northern Ireland's political parties and victims' groups, was brought in by the last government and came into effect in May.

Labour has begun the parliamentary process of replacing the act, but said it intends on keeping the new legacy body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

Martina Dillon, who lost her husband Seamus after he was shot dead in a loyalist attack in Dungannon in 1997, said the appeal "only puts salt in the wounds of all victims".

"We warmly welcome the Supreme Court's decision to expedite this case and we look forward to defending our rights in London before the end of June."

What is the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act?

The act was passed by the Conservative government in September 2023 despite opposition from Labour, all Northern Ireland parties, several victims' groups and the Irish government.

It created a new legacy body known as the ICRIR to take over all Troubles-era cases from 1 May 2024, including those on the desk of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The act shuts down all historical inquests.

The act's most controversial element, the offer of conditional immunity to suspects, has been disapplied following legal action by bereaved families.

The court ruled this part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.

In late July, the Labour government wrote to the Belfast courts abandoning an appeal against the striking out of the amnesty clause in the legislation.

But it later confirmed it would seek an appeal to challenge rulings on other aspects of the act.

A chatty camel calf who was born at a UK zoo appears to be "strong and healthy", his keepers have said.

Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire said the baby boy, who is yet to be named, was born on 18 May to first-time-mum Orla and dad Oakley.

Camel keeper Gracie Gee said Orla was "constantly reassuring him with murmurs and noises – and you can hear him 'talking' back with squeaks, which is very sweet".

The fluffy new addition joins his half-sister Sally, who was born in April 2024, and will live with the zoo's herd of five adults.

"Orla is very protective and attentive of her newborn," added Ms Gee.

"Despite being thought of as grumpy, camels are very nurturing and caring parents, and it's wonderful to see Orla proving to be a natural mum already.

"The calf seems strong and healthy – he was walking within hours of being born, and visitors will be able to see him getting used to his long, lanky legs as he races around the camels' vast paddock."

Whipsnade Zoo's domestic Bactrian camels are an ambassador species for their critically endangered cousins, the wild camel in Mongolia and China.

The charity behind Whipsnade Zoo is supporting conservation efforts in Mongolia, including in the Gobi Desert.

Ms Gee said there were as few as 950 wild camels left in the deserts of Mongolia and China, with "hunting and water scarcity caused by human-activity largely to blame".

"Natural predation from the grey wolf is also putting pressure on the remaining population," Ms Gee said.