Ford Transit Company Announces Shift Cuts

Workers at Southampton's Ford factory are facing a cut in earnings after the firm said it was replacing its two-shift working day with a single shift. The factory, which makes Transit vans, will also close for 20 days over the next three months. The announcement on Tuesday came on the day 1,100 staff returned to work after a Christmas break which was extended due to a downturn in vehicle sales. The company has said there will be no job losses at the plant in Swaythling.

WW1 Naval Veteran Dies

One of the remaining British veterans of World War I has died aged 108. William 'Bill' Stone, from Watlington in Oxfordshire joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday in September 1918 and served on HMS Tiger. He took part in the 90th Anniversary of the Great War Armistace in London in November 2008. Mr Stone's daughter, Anne Davidson, said: "William had a remarkable, long, healthy and happy life. He thoroughly enjoyed going to events, meeting people and, whenever possible, regaling those around him with his fund of Naval stories and jokes. He loved singing, knew most hymns by heart and had an amazing repertoire of old-time songs - often with alternative words."

Man Injured After Being Struck By Taxi

A 55-year-old man has been seriously injured after being hit by a taxi in the south side of Glasgow. The man was struck by the Volkswagen Sharan in Curtis Avenue, Kings Park, at about 6.55pm on Monday. He was taken to the nearby Victoria Infirmary, suffering from serious head and leg injuries. The male driver of the taxi was not injured but left badly shaken. Police have appealed for witnesses to the incident to contact them.

Fire At Bacon Factory

A fire has broken out at a food processing plant. Workers had to be led to safety at the plant in Northamptonshire, which is used for processing bacon. More than 40 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at TMI Foods on the Lodge Farm industrial estate in Northampton on Monday night. Fire crews were still damping down at the factory, on Tuesday morning. Firefighters said there was no indication as to the cause of the fire, though an investigation has begun.

JCB To Cut Almost 700 Jobs

Construction and agricultural equipment company JCB is to axe nearly 700 jobs blaming lack of credit from banks and not enough machinery sales. Several sites will be hit by the cuts, including plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham in North Wales. JCB expects production in the UK in the first three months of 2009 to be around 75% lower than at the same time last year. JCB Chief Executive Matthew Taylor said: "The ongoing reluctance of the banks to provide credit is aggravating an economic downturn which is now becoming much steeper than we could have ever envisaged. This unprecedented situation needs to be addressed with some urgency so that confidence and stability can return, otherwise irreparable damage will be caused to the UK's manufacturing industry."

Candidate For Information Commissioner Post

Christopher Graham, currently the Director General of the Advertising Standards Authority, has been selected as the preferred candidate to take over as Information Commissioner when Richard Thomas retires from the post in June 2009. Mr Graham was identified following a rigorous selection process, validated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Today, Tuesday 13th January, Justice Secretary Jack Straw is inviting the Justice Select Committee to hold a pre-appointment hearing and to report on Mr Graham's suitability for the post. This is in line with proposals announced last year to increase democratic scrutiny of key public appointments.

(JM/BMcC)