A visitor attraction that cares for hundreds of swans has closed for winter a week earlier than planned and cancelled its half term Halloween events amid fears of a bird flu outbreak.Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset had been due to welcome visitors to its Ghostly Games trail from Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November.A post on its website said: "Due to suspected avian influenza (bird flu) on the reserve, as a precautionary measure, and in line with other nature reserves, we have made the difficult decision to close the swannery a…

A military museum has hosted a training exercise to test the emergency services' response to a chemical incident.Police, fire, ambulance, search and rescue teams and university paramedics took part in the exercise at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset.The fake scenario involved a forklift truck colliding with a chemical tanker carrying chlorine, resulting in a chemical leak, casualties and missing people.The Tank Museum remained open throughout the event on Thursday and there was no risk to the public.Sgt Matt Weldon, of Dorset Police, said: "These types of exercises are vital in…

Nikki Fox,East of England health correspondent at Essex Coroner's Court and Lewis Adams,EssexFamily handoutAbbi Smith understood and felt the world around her differently due to being autistic, her family saidA mental health trust that discharged a patient despite a "real and immediate risk to her life" was neglectful in its conduct, a coroner has said.Abbi Smith, 26, died the day after her release from the Linden Centre, an inpatient unit run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).A three-week inquest found Ms Smith, from Braintree, was not kept safe and…