UK News

Devon father one step closer to completing world-first swim to raise awareness of son’s brain condition

A father from North Devon is set to complete the final six lakes in his bid to become the first person to swim Switzerland’s ten largest lakes after his young son was diagnosed with a rare brain-attacking condition PANDAS, that caused sudden onset aggression, OCD and tics overnight.

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Seven day, 8am-8pm GP access plans for patients

The public will be able to see their GP seven days a week and out of office hours under new proposals set out by the Prime Minister for a first wave of GP groups offering extended opening hours across the country.

The government claims the move will make it easier for people see their family doctor from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week and will help thousands who struggle to find GP...

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Andy Burnham

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George Osborne wants long-term unemployed to work for their benefits

The government has unveiled a new Help to Work scheme aimed at encouraging the long-term unemployed back to work, under tougher rules for benefit payments.

The Chancellor George Osborne, told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that welfare must be "fair for those who need it and fair for those who pay for it"

The scheme will mean people in long-term unemployment...

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Mother and children in Braunton helicopter rescue

The police helicopter was involved in the rescue of a mother and her two children who were lost in north Devon on Sunday night.

At about 7.20pm on Sunday (29 September), Devon and Cornwall Police received an emergency call from the mother who was described as "distraught" and "panicking". She was with her ten-year-old and three-year-old children and told police that she was lost on...

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Conservatives set out key policies as conference begins

The Conservative Party will bring forward the second phase of Help to Buy, a scheme which makes it easier for home buyers to obtain a mortgage.

As their annual conference opens in Manchester, the Conservatives have announced their intention to accelerate the scheme which was due to start in January.

The second phase of Help to Buy will allow people in England to obtain 95%...

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder in Sidmouth

Police in Devon have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man who was allegedly assaulted in a Sidmouth pub.

Officers were called shortly after 10pm on Thursday 26 September to the Blackhorse Hotel after receiving a report that a man had been assaulted.

A 71-year-old man was found at the scene. Despite efforts of officers and paramedics the man was...

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Record numbers of child adoptions in England

New figures show that almost 4,000 children in care were adopted in 2012 - an increase of 15% and the highest ever since records began.

The annual 'looked-after children' statistics show that 3,980 children were adopted across England between April 2012 and March 2013, up from 3,470 the previous year. This is higher than in any year since 1992, when comparable records began.

In...

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Supermarkets withdraw "staggeringly offensive" costumes after outcry over mental health insensitivity

UK retailers have withdrawn controversial costumes from sale following criticism on social media.

The costumes attracted a number of complaints for being insensitive to people with mental health problems.

Asda, owned by US company Walmart, received the bulk of the criticism - via the social media site Twitter - over its sale of a ‘mental patient costume’.

Among the...

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Mind

Rethink Mental Illness

Plymouth set for new TV channel

Plymouth may soon get a local television channel according to regulator Ofcom.

Locations across the UK including Plymouth and Barnstaple, are slated to gain independent channels making original programming.

Ofcom is inviting applications from independent studios to get a licence to found a new channel for a local audience.

11 more licences were announced today as...

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"Britain can do better than this": Miliband stakes his claim

In a conference speech that was rapturously received by the Labour faithful but that may still leave questions over his leadership qualities and public belief in him as a prime minister in waiting, Ed Miliband confidently spoke for over an hour in Brighton on Tuesday (24 September 2013).

Among a number of key policy announcements, Mr Miliband pledged to freeze energy prices for...

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Miliband pledges to build homes and to cut rates for small businesses

In his conference speech on Tuesday (24 September 2013), the Labour leader Ed Miliband is expected to pledge a business rate cut for small firms and build 1,000,000 new homes, if his party wins the next general election.

The announcement will form part of a key note address to the Labour Party conference in Brighton, setting out part of Labour's alternative for the UK economy.

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Labour Party conference speech

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