Parking on the grass verges round West Park is causing considerable damage. Cllr Robin Lawrence has arranged for signs to be erected saying "NO PARKING ON VERGE". Robin said, "The grass verges add to the beauty of the Park and should not be churned up by tyre tracks."
Teenagers who smoke, or whose mother smoked in pregnancy, are at higher risk of hearing problems and understanding what is being said, a US study says. In tests on 67 teenagers, Yale University found those exposed to smoke had trouble focusing and interpreting sounds when there was a distraction.
The "postcode lottery" in social care for the elderly must be addressed to stop some people using up their life savings to pay for it, a charity says. Everyone over 65 who needs assistance is being funded £25,000 by means of informal and private care to plug a shortfall, Counsel and Care calculates.
Energy-saving light bulbs could trigger migraines, say campaigners. The Migraine Action Association says members have told them how fluorescent bulbs have led to attacks. The government is set to prevent the sale of conventional light bulbs within the next four years in a bid to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
An elderly disabled woman was dropped off by a bus driver on a dark country Devon road against her wishes.
The decision to reject calls for a borough-wide consultation on the cinema and shopping complex plans has angered Liberal Democrat councillors.Cllr David Kendall, leader of the Lib Dem Group on Brentwood Borough Council, said many residents would be "dismayed and frustrated" after the Conservative-controlled administration voted against his motion at a full council meeting.
