Dozens in Somerset SEND failures protest at County Hall Taunton

Post published:October 13, 2025

Ruth Bradley andMichelle RuminskiSomerset politics reporters, TauntonBBCParents and children gathered outside County Hall in TauntonDozens of families gathered outside a council's headquarters to protest against special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision.More than 50 parents and children gathered outside County Hall in Taunton, Somerset, angry about the authority's Send service which they said was failing their children,and leaving parents "exhausted".Organiser Tatjana from Somerset Send Army said: "We are barely standing. I'm just about keeping my job. I'm mentally exhausted. It's very tough but I'm never going to give up fighting for my son."Somerset Council said it was working hard to address a "very significant rise in demand" for support.Children joined parents at the protest calling for better Send supportMelanie was at the protest and has five neuro-divergent children."We have had to fight for every single one of them to get the support they need," she said."We've had broken promises, endless forms, endless meetings and endless professionals and nothing comes of it - we are absolutely exhausted and depleted."The Somerset gathering was part of a national action taking place at a number of council offices across England organised by The SEND Sanctuary UK, a parent-led organisation representing more than 35,000 families. Aimee…

Reading FC vow ‘strongest action’ after alleged racism at Exeter

Post published:October 13, 2025

Reading FC says it will support the "strongest possible action" if an alleged racist comment from one of its supporters is proven.The Royals' League One match at Exeter City on Saturday was paused in the 74th minute by referee James Durkin after the allegation was made by a player.The club said on Monday it has a "zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination" and will work with Exeter and the football authorities to investigate what happened.The match, attended by about 1,000 Reading fans, ended 1-1 after Jack Marriott's early opener was cancelled out by Jayden Wareham, who moved to Exeter from the Berkshire side in the summer."The club strongly condemns any form of racist abuse," Reading said in a statement."There is no place for racism in football or in society, and we maintain a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination."We are committed to working with Exeter City, the relevant authorities, and any other appropriate bodies to investigate the matter."Should the allegations be confirmed, we will support the strongest possible action against those responsible." Source link

Daily Dip for Dave sea swim at Gyllyngvase beach

Post published:October 13, 2025

Available for over a yearSeveral hundred swimmers took part in the Daily Dip for Dave sea swim at Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth at the weekend. It was all in support of Ruth Hitchcock and her husband Dave. Dave has neuroendocrine cancer and Ruth decided to get in to the sea every day to help raise awareness of the rare disease. The event at the beach was to mark 733 days in a row that Ruth has been swimming. BBC Radio Cornwall's Hannah Stacey was there.Programme WebsiteShow less Source link

Exeter–Queensland partnership striving to improve the security of global communication

Post published:October 13, 2025

A new international research collaboration has been launched focusing on one of the biggest challenges in contemporary communications. Experts at the University of Exeter and the University of Queensland will work together on a breakthrough technology called Quantum Link Verification, which promises to improve security in an increasingly connected, data-driven world. Developed by Exeter’s Quantum Non-Equilibrium Group (QNEG) and Queensland’s Quantum Technology Laboratory (QTLab), QLV uses the rules of quantum physics to detect if anyone is trying to intercept information travelling through fibre-optic cables. Modern communication systems depend heavily on these cables, but even with encryption, the cables themselves remain vulnerable to eavesdropping, especially as quantum computing becomes more powerful. Current methods of protecting infrastructure, like armoured cabling or post-quantum cryptography, can be expensive, slow, or uncertain in their long-term effectiveness. QLV offers a radical new approach. Instead of trying to prevent tampering physically or digitally, it makes eavesdropping impossible to hide. The system sends individual particles of light (photons) alongside normal data traffic. Any attempt to intercept them causes a change in their state, instantly revealing the intrusion. Led by Professor Andrew White at Queensland, and Professor Janet Anders in Exeter’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, both internationally recognised experts…

Gaza will be in the shadow of famine as long as we cannot plant our land | Israel-Palestine conflict

Post published:October 13, 2025

Last week, a ceasefire was announced after two years of genocide in Gaza. The bombs have stopped falling, but the devastation remains. The majority of homes, schools, hospitals, universities, factories, and commercial buildings have been reduced to rubble. From above, Gaza looks like a grey desert of rubble, its vibrant urban spaces reduced to ghost towns, its lush agricultural land and greenery wiped out.The occupier’s aim was not only to render the Palestinians of Gaza homeless but also unable to provide for themselves. Uprooting the dispossessed and impoverished, those who have lost their connection to the land, is of course much easier.This was the goal when Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered my family’s plot of land in the eastern part of Maghazi refugee camp and uprooted 55 olive trees, 10 palms and five fig trees.This plot of land was offered to my refugee grandfather, Ali Alsaloul, by its original owner as a place to shelter in during the Nakba of 1948. Ali, his wife, Ghalia, and their children had just fled their village, al-Maghar, as Zionist forces advanced on it. Al-Maghar, like Gaza today, was reduced to rubble; the Zionists who perpetrated the crime completed the erasure by establishing a national…

Reading FC vow ‘strongest action’ after alleged racism at Exeter

Post published:October 13, 2025

Reading FC says it will support the "strongest possible action" if an alleged racist comment from one of its supporters is proven.The Royals' League One match at Exeter City on Saturday was paused in the 74th minute by referee James Durkin after the allegation was made by a player.The club said on Monday it has a "zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination" and will work with Exeter and the football authorities to investigate what happened.The match, attended by about 1,000 Reading fans, ended 1-1 after Jack Marriott's early opener was cancelled out by Jayden Wareham, who moved to Exeter from the Berkshire side in the summer."The club strongly condemns any form of racist abuse," Reading said in a statement."There is no place for racism in football or in society, and we maintain a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination."We are committed to working with Exeter City, the relevant authorities, and any other appropriate bodies to investigate the matter."Should the allegations be confirmed, we will support the strongest possible action against those responsible." Source link

Crewkerne housing plans putting town at ‘breaking point’ say residents

Post published:October 13, 2025

Daniel MumbyLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceJuliet EardleyMore than 100 residents in Crewkerne have objected to the plansResidents in a countryside market town have said local services and infrastructure are already at "breaking point" amid plans for more than 300 new homes.Proposals to build 325 homes on the A356 Station Road in Crewkerne, opposite the railway station, were submitted in September. The application also includes a 'mobility hub' and additional station parking.More than 100 residents have objected to the plans, arguing that they would overwhelm the town's services and create tailbacks on the roads.Crewkerne Town Council is set to discuss the plans on Monday and Somerset Council is expected to make a final decision in spring 2026.Crewkerne is already the site of major development, with Taylor Wimpey building 635 homes at the Wool Gardens. Outline permission is also in place for 150 homes between Lang Road and Station Road and a further 67 homes could be constructed opposite Wadham School, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.Resident Alys Hennessy said more homes would be "entirely out of proportion" and would "effectively merge Crewkerne with Misterton".She added: "Both Crewkerne and Misterton have already contributed heavily to meeting national housing targets."Andrew Raggett, said: "Crewkerne's road…

Henry Arundell, Marcus Smith and Bristol injury crisis – Prem talking points

Post published:October 13, 2025

Is this the start of a new sort of unexpected at The Stoop this season?Eight minutes gone, snappy ball off the top of the line-out, and fly-half Marcus Smith attacks just inside Saracens' 10m line.In seasons past, it might have been a twinkle of the toes from Smith or a pop to a bludgeoning run from inside centres Andre Esterhuizen or Lennox Anyanwu.This time though, Smith punted an old-school up-and-under into the autumnal sun. Max Malins spilled it, Chandler Cunningham-South seized upon the ball and five phases later Smith himself was plunging over.In total, Harlequins kicked 32 times for 923 metres, compared to Saracens' 27 kicks for 678m.Smith pulled every club out of the bag on his return from British and Irish Lions duty, sliding in some cute grubbers and probing cross-field rakes, along with the high-altitude aerial stuff.There was plenty to interest new England attack guru Lee Blackett."Was it Quins? I'm not sure but it was certainly a different way to win a game," said Quins' head coach Jason Gilmore, who had suffered defeats in his opening two Prem games since being elevated to the top job after Danny Wilson's departure."I don't think it'll be something you'll see in our…

Crime reporting tool helping Teignmouth businesses

Post published:October 13, 2025

Traders in a seaside town believe an online crime reporting tool will make a "big difference".The UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) Business Crime Reduction Partnership was launched in Teignmouth in August with 12 months of funding from Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez.So far, 10 businesses and Teignmouth Town Council have signed up to UKPAC which lets people report crimes and share information between themselves and police to tackle repeat offenders.Jo Gask, owner of The Healthy Pet Shop, said it had come at the right time because traders had reported a rise in shoplifting incidents.According to the PCC, there were 89 shoplifting offences recorded by police in Teignmouth in the 12 months to June.Ms Gask said businesses in Teignmouth were a "close-knit community" and were finding positives with UKPAC, which is available on a smartphone app."The main thing for me is when you report something the police can see it immediately and it forms a bigger picture to get a better case against offenders which really helps," she said."I think it will make a big difference and there's certainly the appetite for it."The PCC's office said UKPAC was also being used in Torquay, Saltash, Liskeard and Barnstaple…

Dorset dairy farm fined after cattle slurry pollutes river

Post published:October 13, 2025

A dairy farm in Dorset has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,158.50 after cattle slurry was found to be polluting a nearby river.The owners of Manor Farm Dairy, in Hilfield, Dorchester, pleaded guilty to causing a discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter into a local river at Taunton Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.In March 2024, an Environment Agency (EA) officer discovered olive-green discolouration and foam in the watercourse at Bailey Ridge Lane, near Leigh, in Sherbourne, following a report of pollution from a member of the public.The officer then followed the watercourse upstream where it was traced to the farm.David Womack, senior environment officer, said the incident was "avoidable".He said the farmers should have reported the slurry to the EA "as soon as possible", where they could have got advice on how to deal with it."Wetter weather and TB restrictions contributed to larger volumes of slurry being produced in this instance which is why farmers are advised to regularly look at their slurry stores," he said."We can give advice on current legislation, help ensure slurry calculations are accurate and reduce the pollution risk by identifying non-compliant structures."An EA report noted the pollution caused a significant drop in…

Cornwall Council Reform UK group leader stands down from role

Post published:October 13, 2025

Seb NobleCornwall political reporterBBCRob Parsonage had been the leader of the Reform UK group on the council since MayThe leader of the Reform UK group on Cornwall Council has announced he is stepping down from the role.Councillor Rob Parsonage has been in the position since May - when the party won 28 seats at the local elections making them the largest group on the authority.It had hoped to be part of the new administration - but was left in opposition as a coalition involving the Liberal Democrats and Independents took control instead.Reform UK thanked him for his commitment and effort as leader and said it wished him well in his future endeavours. In a statement, Councillor Parsonage said: "On Saturday, I decided to resign my position as Reform group leader on Cornwall Council."This will now allow me time to focus on my constituency activities in Torpoint."His departure came just days after the group's deputy leader, Rowland O'Connor, confirmed he was quitting the group to sit as an independent in future. Reform confirmed Councillor Keith Johnson would now become interim leader with Councillor Kevin Towill acting as deputy leader. Last week, Rowland O'Connor quit the Reform UK group on Cornwall Council to…

Derelict Newquay hotel fire ‘inevitable’, councillor says

Post published:October 13, 2025

Chloe ParkmanSouth West andTamsin MelvilleSouth WestSt Dennis Community Fire StationCrews from five fire stations were sent to tackle the blaze in the early hours of SundayA fire that broke out at a derelict hotel in a seaside town was "inevitable", a councillor has said.Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said crews from five stations helped tackle the blaze at the Narrowcliff Hotel in Newquay, at about 03:15 BST on Sunday.Councillor Joanna Kenny, Liberal Democrat for Newquay Central and Pentire, said the blaze was an "accident waiting to happen" as the building had been empty and was not secure."There's very little that the councils, either council, can do about it," she added. "It's private property."Kenny said it was a "decaying complex"Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service's station manager Andy Hichens said crews were faced with a fully-developed fire on the fourth floor of the building when they arrived.He said the blaze later went "through the roof and right through the depths of the building and to the ground floor".'Top of the list'Ms Kenny said she had been "very worried" about the empty hotel in the run-up to the fire as the building had not been secure.She said a working party had been set up…