23/01/2013

Other News In Brief

’End In Sight’ For Sleet And Snow

Forecasters have said that the snow and sleet causing havoc around the country is coming to an end.

Snow continued to fall overnight in South Wales and south-west England but the Met Office says the flurries are set to ease, with milder and wet conditions by the weekend.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning advising people to be "be aware" of potential further outbreaks of sleet or snow in Wales, south-west England, the south-west Midlands and eastern Scotland during the day. It says a further 2-5cm (1-2in) of snow is likely, with as much as 10cm over high ground.

It adds that icy surfaces will continue to be a threat across much of the UK, especially where snow has fallen over recent days.

Police Warn Of Contaminated Ecstasy Pills

Police in Greater Manchester have warned that the deaths of three young men in the last week may be related to contaminated ecstasy tablets circulating in the area and on Merseyside.

Officers have offered complete confidentiality to drug users in their attempts to track down the source of the heart-shaped tablets coloured purple, green, yellow and blue which are thought to have put a dozen other users in hospital.

Tory Councillor Quits Over Lie Detector Tests

Cornwall council’s Conservative group leader Fiona Ferguson has quit her post over the use of "lie detector" tests on people claiming benefits.

Ferguson, who was responsible for corporate resources at the unitary authority, cited concerns about the use of voice risk analysis (VRA) software.

In her resignation letter to Jim Currie, Tory leader of the council, Ferguson warned that using VRA would not help the council to pursue fraud and would be "extremely damaging to our reputation".

She added: "It is clearly right that Cornwall council takes a strong line against people who deliberately mis-claim tax benefits but in this case I am more concerned about the impact on the vast majority of honest claimants."

(H)

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24 January 2013
Melting Snow Raises Concerns Over Flooding
The Met Office has issued a fresh warning as further snowfall is expected across much of Scotland, northern England and the Midlands on Friday. There is now an additional danger of rising water levels as snow melts and rain continues. The Environment Agency has two flood warnings and over 30 alerts in place.
17 January 2013
Rare Red Weather Warning Issued
The Met Office has issued a "rare" red warning for snow for parts of Wales on Friday. The weather service said that while snow is expected across much of Wales the warning applies to the Heads of the Valleys and Brecon Beacons areas of south Wales. A red warning is "rare and means take action", BBC Wales meteorologist Derek Brockway has said.