Latest news with #CouncilBosses
BBC News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
28,000 penalties issued over school parking safety rules in Derby
Nearly 28,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued to drivers for breaking rules on parking outside schools in Derby, it has been City Council has set up School Safe Haven Zones in 14 area across the city which drivers cannot enter during term obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), through a Freedom of Information request have shown the council generated £950,000 from the penalties between July 2023 and May bosses said the enforcement had made it safer for children outside the school gates and cut congestion and pollution. The authority said the aim of the road closures was to allow children to get to and leave school more safely without vehicles passing by. The streets covered by the haven zones included Redwood Road where 2,172 penalties were issued over a two-year were 6,142 were issued in Church Street, 4,063 in Thornhill Road and 2,265 in Bromley StreetA further 1,059 penalties were issued in Uplands Avenue, 2,001 in Vicarage Road and 6, who breach the rules are liable to pay a £70 penalty - reduced to £35 if paid within 14 LDRS said some residents have previously raised concerns that the zones move school parking problems to other areas. Taxi drivers also recently stated concerns that they were not able to pick up or drop off vulnerable customers at their homes because of the rules in place, according to the council said taxis were not exempt from the rules. It said zone times have been kept "as short as possible" during the start and end of the school day and "drivers or passengers arriving during the closure periods only have a short distance to walk if they park on the edge of the scheme". 'Encouraging results' Carmel Swan, Derby City Council cabinet Member for climate change, transport and sustainability, said: "School Safe Haven Zones aim to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and promote cleaner air by encouraging more families to walk, wheel and cycle to school. Each zone is a collaboration between the school, council, residents and businesses."The feedback from our current trials has been extremely positive, with communities reporting significant improvements in traffic levels outside schools and, most importantly, the safety of pupils and their families. "The results have been encouraging, with 88% of individuals who receive a warning notice not committing a second offence."
Sky News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Labubus: Choke warning over fake versions of must-have toy popular with celebrities
Council bosses in the UK have warned people about the dangers of buying fake versions of a furry doll that has become a global sensation. Labubus are Chinese-made cheeky-looking, sharp-toothed soft toys resembling a bear that can be fastened to handbags. Styled to resemble grinning female elves, their popularity has caused queues at toy shops, including last month at the opening of Germany's first Labubu outlet in Berlin. They are a type of plushie, defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as "a toy made from cloth and filled with a soft material so that it is pleasant to hold, often in the form of an animal". Rihanna and Dua Lipa are among the celebrity fans pictured with them on social media, and they are now sweeping the UK. But the toys are not cheap, with one UK retailer, Labubu's, offering them at around £20 each while on the Pop Mart website, they cost between £14 and £80. Their surge in popularity has made them a target for counterfeiters and instead of forking out for the genuine article, many customers have bought cheaper versions, known as 'Lafufus', fakes that have detachable parts, including eyes, that could cause choking. Hull City Council's head of public protection, Rachel Stephenson, said the fakes are "simply not worth the risk", as they are "poorly made and haven't been subject to the same standards and checks as the real thing. "They can easily come apart, posing a serious choking hazard for small children." The council's trading standards team has seized hundreds of the toys from a number of shops around the city, and warned many more will likely still be on sale. Genuine Labubus have high-quality packaging, clean, precise detailing and consistent paintwork, official Pop Mart and Kasing Lung markings and retail for upwards of £17.50 each. 0:42 Last weekend, thieves stole $30,000 (£22,000) worth of Labubus from a shop in Los Angeles. Labubus were created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, who published an illustrated book series in 2015 called The Monsters, in which the female characters are featured.
