Latest news with #ITVNewsMeridian
ITV News
2 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Catch up: Watch the latest edition of ITV News Meridian (Thames Valley) from Saturday 31st May
Watch the latest edition of ITV News Meridian's Thames Valley programme from Saturday 31st May
ITV News
3 days ago
- Business
- ITV News
Emsworth business owner left heartbroken after being forced to shut up shop
ITV News Meridian's Siri Hampapur has talked to business owners on Emsworth's high street, who are being forced to close their doors for good. A businesswoman from the Hampshire - West Sussex border has been left heartbroken after being forced to close her shop for good because of rising costs. Lisa Edgington, the owner of Emsworth-based PO10 Lifestyles and Interiors, sells handmade gifts made by local artists. However, due to rising costs, declining footfall and customers cutting back on luxuries, she has had no choice but to close her shop. She says she would need to sell 2,500 postcards every week, just for her business to survive. Edgington said: "In the seven years we've been here we've had Covid thrown at us, we've had the energy crisis. "I got to the point where I was working out that if I worked two days a week on minimum wage I would be earning more than what I was earning than what I'm doing now working five days a week, just keeping the shop going. "If my heart wanted to continue this I think I will get myself into a debt situation which I will not put my family through." In the shop, Lisa would support local artists, like Sue Mulchrone, and sell their products to help with their business. Sue said: "This was a big part of my business and most of my sales were from this shop and it was really my bread and butter so it's really going to have a big impact and it's going to leave a big hole." Sue Mulchrone on how PO10 Lifestyles and Interiors closing will affect her business. Jonathan Rogers, owner of Vin Wine Merchants in Emsworth, is also being forced to close down because he believes customers' shopping habits are shifting. He said: "I used to get customers who would spend quite happily £60-70 on a case of wine each month but now just maybe three or four bottles for £20-30. "Those bulk sales have diminished somewhat because wine is a luxury and it's something that people can cut back on if they feel the need to and it makes my life harder certainly." "People are finding it hard just to make ends meet so they're looking for cheaper options and central high streets will just become deserted, so what happens next?" A government spokesperson said: 'We are focused on working with banks to create opportunities for small businesses to access the finance they need to scale, export and break into new markets. "We have also provided business rates relief and are protecting the smallest businesses from the employer National Insurance increases.' Havant Borough Council said: "We recognise the value of local businesses and strives to support the borough to thrive economically and are saddened to hear of a local business closing its doors. "With a dedicated Economic Development team, we support the borough's businesses within the resources at our disposal. "The Emsworth high street offer is cherished and respected, as are all high streets in the borough."
ITV News
13-05-2025
- Health
- ITV News
'We're healthy and we can't pass it on' - Shoreham HIV patient's message to combat stigma
ITV News Meridian's James Dunham has been speaking to Sue Hunter about her story. A HIV patient has been sharing the dangers of misinformation around the virus after she feared she would die after her positive diagnosis. Sue Hunter from Shoreham, Sussex, tested positive in 2006 and is on medication. It involves taking one pill a day, which stops her from getting unwell and has suppressed the virus, so it is untransmissible. She is now backing a charity campaign which aims to stop the stigma, as she wants people to understand that the treatment is effective at making sure she is not able to pass on HIV to anyone else. Ms Hunter said: "I didn't have the correct information and that caused me to have fear, the fear that I was going to die. "Obviously, I got that information that allowed me to tell myself that I can live a long and healthy life." When asked how it makes her feel when people are judgemental about her diagnosis, she said: "It makes me feel different, it makes me feel inadequate, it makes me feel as though I've done something wrong. "There was a potential partner and I told him I was living with HIV, on medication, and he told me 'I value my life too much to have a relationship with you'." She wants to combat the stigma of HIV patients like her, saying "We're here, we're great, we're living a healthy life, we can't pass HIV on. Please look at the science." Ms Hunter is one of than 100,000 people thought to be living with the virus in the UK. The 'Can't Pass It On' message, is being shared across Brighton and Hove as part of an awareness drive by theTerrance Higgins Trust. Marc Tweed from Terrance Higgins Trust, said: "People have got really out of date ideas about HIV. "They don't realise how far HIV treatment has progressed and for most people that means one pill a day. There's even injectable HIV medication, some people have an injection once every six months."
ITV News
30-04-2025
- ITV News
Gosport War Memorial Hospital: Families' frustration in latest meeting as they search for answers
ITV News Meridian's Andrew Pate has been speaking to family members at a forum, updating them on the investigation. Families who lost loved ones at Gosport War Memorial Hospital have told ITV News Meridian of their frustration at the slow pace of the police investigation. It revealed many patients, who were often elderly and vulnerable, were prescribed and given powerful painkillers in a manner that violated medical protocols and standards. Nearly thirty years after the deaths of their family members, many are still waiting for answers. For some, the pain is compounded by the fact that they are now the same age their loved ones were when they died in the hospital. Operation Magenta is one of the largest and most complex police inquiries in UK history. Led by Det Ch Con Neil Jerome, the investigation is being hailed for its thoroughness, but there is growing concern among the affected families about the pace of progress. Around 150 serving and retired police officers are working on Operation Magenta. The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, which is managing the investigation, code-named Operation Magenta, previously said 24 suspects were being interviewed, but have now confirmed this has risen to 29. That includes 24 for alleged gross negligence manslaughter and five for alleged offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act. So far, they have assessed more than 3 million pages of documents. This includes the medical records of over 750 patients and taken witness statements from more than 1,150 individual family members. With nearly seven years having passed since the investigation's inception, many are feeling that justice is taking too long. Linda Lacey, whose father Vernon Gregory died at the hospital said: "Everything seems to be stuck, that's the only way I can describe it, really. "And I just feel very sad for a lot of people like myself getting older. I've just lost my sister a couple of weeks ago. And soon people there'll be nobody left in the family to fight for the ones that they've lost." The son of Walter Wellstead, Tim, said: "Where are we after 27 years, no idea. I've got no idea at all." Robert Logan, son of Robert Wilson, said: "Next year I shall be the same age as my father was when he died, and that's much the same for many other people in there." "We cannot provide a timeline for the completion of this inquiry," Jerome stated. "This is a complex case, and we are committed to ensuring that every individual who may have been involved in these tragic events is thoroughly investigated." The story of the Gosport War Memorial Hospital is far from over, and for those who have waited decades for answers, the fight for justice remains ongoing.
ITV News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Where are local elections happening in the South of England and why have so many been cancelled?
Will your council be having elections this week? ITV News Meridian's Kit Bradshaw explains where they're going ahead in the South and Thames Valley. The local elections are almost upon us but in many parts of the South and South East they are not going ahead as planned. The government has delayed polling day in a number of areas, so that groups of councils can join a fast-track programme to get more devolved powers from Westminster. It means many county councils in our region will not have full elections this year, with elected councillors' terms of office extended into 2026. However, Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Kent were not included in the government's devolution priority programme and so elections there are going ahead as planned on Thursday (1 May). Ministers agreed to requests from the following county councils to delay their elections: Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire. Elections to the unitary council on the Isle of Wight were also postponed. This was to hold public consultations on reorganising councils and introducing directly-elected mayors. The plans would eventually end two tiers of local council – county and district – in areas which still have them. In the South East, county council elections have been called off in Essex and Sussex but are going ahead in Kent, as ITV News Meridian's Kit Bradshaw explains. Polling stations open at 7am on Thursday (1 May) and close at 10pm. A valid form of photo identification is required in order to vote. A number of councils across the country are also holding by-elections on 1 May. You can enter your postcode on the Electoral Commission website to see if elections are happening where you live. Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire are unitary authorities, where one council runs all major local services. Whereas Oxfordshire and Kent have county councils, which run transport, social care and education. District and borough councils run other local services. All the areas where elections are being held in our region are not counting the ballot papers overnight, with counting starting on Friday (2 May). Kent County Council The Conservatives have run England's largest county council since 1997. Last time, in 2021, the Tories won 62 of the 81 seats, ahead of Labour (7), Lib Dems (6), Greens (4) and Independents (2). Defections and by-elections since then have reduced the Tories standing to a still healthy 55 of 81 seats. Reform UK are hopeful of winning seats on KCC this time, with the Greens, Lib Dems and independents also optimistic about increasing their representation. Challenges from more than one party could see the Conservatives lose overall control. Medway is covered by a separate unitary council and not involved in KCC elections. The declaration of results is planned for 7pm on Friday. Oxfordshire County Council The Liberal Democrats are the largest party but do not have an overall majority, currently holding 20 of 63 seats. They have run the council since 2021 in a joint administration with other parties, with the Conservatives the main opposition. Labour and the Greens were both initially part of a Lib Dem coalition. But Labour left the administration in 2023, with the Lib Dems and Greens running a minority administration since then. Boundary changes since the last elections will see the number of county council seats increase from 63 to 69. The Lib Dems are hoping to take overall control, with results declared at 5pm on Friday. Wiltshire Council The Conservatives have enjoyed a majority on this unitary authority since the turn of the millennium and currently hold 57 of the 98 seats. The Tories' main challengers this year are the Liberal Democrats, who hope to build on their current tally of 29 seats. Swindon is covered by a separate unitary council and not involved in elections to Wiltshire Council. The declaration of results is expected at 6pm on Friday. Buckinghamshire Council The Conservatives have enjoyed a majority on Buckinghamshire Council (and its predecessor county council) since 1974 and currently have 105 of the 147 seats. Boundary changes at this election mean the council is being cut in size to 97 seats, so the Tories are guaranteed to see a drop in numbers, though they are likely to remain in control. The other parties are all hopeful of gaining representation here, with results declared at 3pm on Friday. Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode…
