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Daily Mirror
01-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Bin men physically attacked and threatened as they try to clear nation's rubbish
Some 61 refuse workers were physically attacked while trying to clear our trash last year, according to council stats we obtained under Freedom of Information laws Bin men are regularly punched, spat at and threatened with weapons, shock figures show. Some 61 refuse workers were physically attacked while trying to clear our rubbish last year, according to council stats obtained under Freedom of Information laws. Last night Brian Lennie, a bin lorry driver from Ipswich, Suffolk, said: "I've been verbally abused and called names – It's something I've got used to, but it shouldn't be the case. "It can sometimes feel unsafe when you're working alone. Traffic wardens and police don't work alone, yet we are expected to. There has been cut after cut after cut and I am concerned there will be more – the government needs to invest more in local councils and pay for the services people need." Residents typically kick off when workers refuse to empty recycling bins contaminated with general waste. One incident in Wiltshire saw a bin man injured by metal ball bearings fired from a slingshot. In Tameside, Greater Manchester, a resident threw his rubbish at the crew and set his dog on them. And In Derby, a bin man was attacked by the driver of a car whose wing mirror he had tucked in so the lorry could get through a narrow gap. It comes as hundreds of refuse workers in Birmingham continue to strike over poor working conditions and planned pay cuts. Tens of thousands of people work as refuse collectors in the UK and typically earn between £24,000 to £33,000 per year. A Local Government Association spokesperson said: 'Council staff work incredibly hard to collect waste and recycling and keep our streets clean and clear of rubbish. They are highly visible frontline staff who carry out an essential function within our communities and should be able to carry out their duties without fear of assault or abuse. Any attack on a refuse collector, verbal or physical, is completely unacceptable under any circumstances. Clare Keogh, Unite national officer for local authorities, said: 'These shocking figures and stories highlight just how tough and demanding being a refuse worker is. Unite has been campaigning and has raised disputes with employers on this for years. "Reports of abuse and health and safety breaches must be taken seriously - or we will see unrest in the sector continue to spread. Refuse workers play an immensely important role, with all of us relying on the work they do. However, the difficulties of the job have been exacerbated by years of austerity and cuts to council funding, with greater pressure applied on workers to meet higher demand with fewer resources.'
BBC News
29-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Slough council spends £32m on temporary housing
A council that saw its bill for temporary accommodation climb to £32m last year has said it is in the "eye of the storm" for housing Borough Council, which effectively went bankrupt in 2021, has so far only been able to claim back £20m of the bill from the government. The authority's housing director said about 50 people per week were approaching it seeking temporary housing.A government spokesperson said it was committing £1bn to "prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation". The Local Government Association said councils were facing a combined £76m shortfall in temporary accommodation budgets across the council's bill has risen sharply each year since 2021, when its spending on housing families in need of immediate shelter was about £ accommodation, such as hotels, hostels or caravans, is organised by local authorities for those who lack a permanent home. Pat Hayes, council executive director of housing and properties, said the issue was a national problem, compounded by the town's proximity to London. "At the moment we're getting 50 people a week knocking on our door, asking for housing," he said."These are all people being evicted from the private rented sector because they can't pay the bills or the landlords don't want to rent to people anymore, they want to sell, people moving from West London out to Slough."We're right in the eye of that storm as somewhere that is a little bit cheaper than London and considerably cheaper than the rest of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire."It's going to need a national solution from government."The Housing Benefit subsidy used to pay councils back in full for money spent on temporary housing. However, in 2011 the subsidy was changed to be no longer adjusted for inflation, leaving some councils out of pocket. Currently Slough council's gap between the money spent and the money reclaimed for the 24/25 tax year is £12m. It is still in the process of claiming the remaining money back and has two years to claim. A government spokesperson said: "The levels of homelessness in this country are unacceptable."That's why we are making a £1bn investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year - a £233 million boost from last year - to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping."We continue to keep the rates used for Housing Benefit subsidy under review and are exploring the impacts of subsidy rates on local authorities." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Measles signs and symptoms: how to spot a measles rash
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. The MMR vaccination can protect you from catching measles. Vaccination rates in the UK is below the 95% recommended threshold. A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. Concern is growing about the number of cases of measles in the UK and the current MMR vaccination rates which are below the 95% recommended threshold needed for herd immunity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a statement following the death, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'This is tragic news and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the child who sadly died. 'We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death. 'There is an urgent need to address falling immunisation rates. Nationally, only 84 per cent of children in England receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by age two, and just 88.8 per cent receive both doses by age five—below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve herd immunity.' What is measles? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, the virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can have serious health consequences, especially for young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of measles? Measles often begins as cold-like symptoms including a high temperature, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Small white spots may also appear inside the cheeks and back of lips, according to the NHS. What is a measles rash? The measles rash usually appears a few days after developing the cold-like symptoms, brown or red in appearance, it starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. Is there a measles outbreak in the UK? There have been 529 confirmed measles cases so far in England in 2025, with 68 per cent of cases occurring in children under the age of 10-years-old. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of these cases, 233 have been in London, 64 in the East of England and 64 in the North West. With 84 out of 152 upper tier local authorities (UTLAs) reporting at least one confirmed measles case since January 2025. In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012. This spike of cases was initially driven by a measles outbreak in Birmingham and London. Can you catch measles if you are vaccinated? If you are fully vaccinated from measles you may be able to catch the virus, but it is rare. Vaccination is the main form of protection we have against catching the illness and plays an important role in stopping its spread. Dr Connor Bamford, Virologist, Queen's University Belfast, explained: 'Measles is a vaccine preventable illness and so we need more people vaccinated against the virus (two doses of MMR, which also protects against other viruses). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely measles will spread due to herd immunity. To reach herd immunity we need >95% vaccine coverage but on average the UK has less than 85% and there are pockets around the country with even lower levels. We need to encourage more vaccination.' You can find out more about what measles is, symptoms of measles, how to spot a measles rash and access the MMR vaccine at .
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Measles signs and symptoms: how to spot a measles rash
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. The MMR vaccination can protect you from catching measles. Vaccination rates in the UK is below the 95% recommended threshold. A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. Concern is growing about the number of cases of measles in the UK and the current MMR vaccination rates which are below the 95% recommended threshold needed for herd immunity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a statement following the death, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'This is tragic news and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the child who sadly died. 'We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death. 'There is an urgent need to address falling immunisation rates. Nationally, only 84 per cent of children in England receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by age two, and just 88.8 per cent receive both doses by age five—below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve herd immunity.' What is measles? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, the virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can have serious health consequences, especially for young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of measles? Measles often begins as cold-like symptoms including a high temperature, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Small white spots may also appear inside the cheeks and back of lips, according to the NHS. What is a measles rash? The measles rash usually appears a few days after developing the cold-like symptoms, brown or red in appearance, it starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. Is there a measles outbreak in the UK? There have been 529 confirmed measles cases so far in England in 2025, with 68 per cent of cases occurring in children under the age of 10-years-old. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of these cases, 233 have been in London, 64 in the East of England and 64 in the North West. With 84 out of 152 upper tier local authorities (UTLAs) reporting at least one confirmed measles case since January 2025. In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012. This spike of cases was initially driven by a measles outbreak in Birmingham and London. Can you catch measles if you are vaccinated? If you are fully vaccinated from measles you may be able to catch the virus, but it is rare. Vaccination is the main form of protection we have against catching the illness and plays an important role in stopping its spread. Dr Connor Bamford, Virologist, Queen's University Belfast, explained: 'Measles is a vaccine preventable illness and so we need more people vaccinated against the virus (two doses of MMR, which also protects against other viruses). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely measles will spread due to herd immunity. To reach herd immunity we need >95% vaccine coverage but on average the UK has less than 85% and there are pockets around the country with even lower levels. We need to encourage more vaccination.'
Evening Standard
16-07-2025
- General
- Evening Standard
Families face £1,076 bill per child for summer holiday childcare
Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment.
