Rutland and Stamford Mercury - National News Feed

PM faces gay marriage Bill backlash

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:55:53 GMT

David Cameron is facing a fresh bout of Tory strife after the coalition's plans to introduce gay marriage cleared the Commons.

Afghan interpreters can come to UK

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:31:35 GMT

Around 600 Afghan interpreters are to be offered the chance to settle in Britain after an apparent coalition rethink.

55 beaches meet tough new standards

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:38 GMT

More than 50 English beaches have met tough new EU standards to receive Blue Flag awards for 2013.

Police force to sell unused £11m HQ

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:36 GMT

A police force that spent more than £11 million on a headquarters it has never used has announced it will sell the site after it has been empty for five years.

102 free school proposals approved

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:34 GMT

Education Secretary Michael Gove has approved more than 100 free school applications, which will make up around 50,000 school places.

'Failures' in tax fraud crackdown

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:32 GMT

Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money is being lost because of the failure of HM Revenue and Customs to clamp down effectively on fraud and error, MPs have warned.

'Alarming rate' of wildlife decline

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:31 GMT

UK wildlife is "in trouble", with almost 2,000 species of birds, animals, insects and plants known to have declined in the past half century, experts have warned.

Food hygiene 'a postcode lottery'

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:30 GMT

Food outlets in parts of the London borough of Bexley have the worst hygiene standards of more than 2,000 postcodes, while those in Birmingham's B35 area offer the best, according to a Which? investigation.

Clegg dismisses coalition break-up

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:10:26 GMT

Nick Clegg will insist that he and David Cameron are both "absolutely committed" to governing in coalition through to 2015 as he attempts to calm speculation over the future of the power-sharing deal.

Harry Potter edition fetches £150k

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:50:48 GMT

A first edition of the first Harry Potter book, personally annotated by JK Rowling, has sold for £150,000 at auction.

'World class' rocker Bolder dies

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:37:38 GMT

Uriah Heep and Spiders From Mars bassist Trevor Bolder has died following a battle with cancer, his band said. He was 62.

Dame Judi proud of Bomber Boys role

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:04:56 GMT

Dame Judi Dench has described herself as being "very proud" to be the first patron of a new campaign to preserve the Bomber Command Memorial for generations to come.

Seven UK child soldiers in Mid East

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:58:06 GMT

Britain sent seven children to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq during a four-year period, it has emerged.

Woman tries to drive into Commons

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:52:28 GMT

A woman has been detained by police after trying to drive through the main gates of the House of Commons.

Gay marriage plan backed by MPs

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:40:00 GMT

The Government's plans to legalise gay marriage have cleared the House of Commons despite more Tory MPs voting against the proposals than voting in favour of them.

Patients 'harmed' by 111 service

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:04:42 GMT

The implementation of the new NHS non-emergency advice line has caused harm to patients, the director of patient safety at NHS England has admitted.

Three jailed for fake £1 coins plot

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:14:25 GMT

Three forgers have been jailed for what police believe is the largest ever plot to make fake pound coins in the UK, some of which may still be in circulation.

Jail term for 'sugar daddy' conman

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:11:01 GMT

A heartless conman who fleeced more than £170,000 out of a string of women he met on a website for "sugar daddies" has been jailed for seven years.

Australians win show garden prize

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:05:25 GMT

An Australian team has won the best show garden prize for the first time in the Chelsea Flower Show's 100-year-history - with one of its members celebrating by stripping off and going for an impromptu swim.

Last-ditch appeal over measles jabs

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:05:23 GMT

Health chiefs are appealing to children still unprotected against measles to sign up to an in-school vaccination drive before it ends.