http://www.jellycast.com A look back on the week's news from the Shropshire Star region. en-PI http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ JellyCast http://www.jellycast.com c.leggett@Expressandstar.co.uk (shropshirestar) News Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:33:09 +0100 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:20:48 +0100 shropshirestar shropshirestar c.leggett@Expressandstar.co.uk podcast No No A look back on the week's news from the Shropshire Star region. A look back on the week's news from the Shropshire Star region, provided by the regional newspaper team. http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/347 James Garrison and Stuart Dunn with another look at the fortunes of Shrewsbury Town and AFC Telford. How will the teams get on this weekend? Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:24:47 +0000 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/347 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/347 No Podcast 00:09:46 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/346 Neil Bentley and Carlie Swain return with more fun and games from this week's Severn Radio breakfast shows. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:51:53 +0000 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/346 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/346 No Podcast 00:16:21 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/344 Neil Bentley and Carlie Swain with the latest goings-on at The Severn Breakfast Show. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:29:49 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/344 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/344 No Podcast 00:11:16 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/343 Podcasters Stuart Dunn and James Garrison assess the fortunes of Shrewsbury Town FC and AFC Telford United and look ahead to what the weekend will bring. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:27:29 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/343 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/343 No Podcast 00:09:33 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/342 Shropshire Council has spent nearly £6,000 on air travel in the past two years, it was revealed today. The authority is disputing figures contained in a report by the Taxpayers’ Alliance which claims the authority was in the top 10 councils in the West Midlands for spending on flights with a total of £11,822. Council leader Keith Barrow said the council’s details were published yesterday as he claimed officials wanted to continue to openly share as much information on its activities and costs as possible with the public. Destinations council officials went to included Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic and Northern Ireland. Mr Barrow said flights paid for by the council related to social workers pursuing court orders for protected vulnerable children who had been taken abroad. He said others were funded externally at no cost to local taxpayers. Trips included, for example, work by the council’s conservation team to provide expertise and help for developing countries. A number of local schools also paid for flights for educational trips and events for local children, which were then reimbursed by parent or pupil contributions. But the Taxpayers’ Alliance said there were 29 councils in the region who paid nothing for air travel in the past two years. Mr Barrow said: “I hope people read through the figures and make up their own minds on how responsibly we are spending their council tax. Sometimes overseas flights are unavoidable. “It is the council’s policy to sanction travel by air (economy class) only on an exceptional basis, where it can be shown it is cheaper than alternatives and in terms of cost of staff time. “If you closely examine the figures, there have been only two fact-finding events. “One of which I attended, at the cost of £60 for flights, and another attended by a member of staff to learn new ways of delivering services, but we have cut these back to a minimum. It’s very easy for groups who may have their own motives to take figures out of context.” Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:20:35 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/342 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/342 No Podcast 00:06:18 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/341 David Cameron was today assessing the damage to his premiership after 79 Tory MPs – including Shropshire’s Mark Pritchard – defied him. All voted against the Government for a referendum on Europe and the Prime Minister’s authority suffered a severe blow after he was struck by the biggest rebellion on Europe ever experienced by a Conservative PM. Despite the revolt, the referendum bid was overwhelmingly rejected by a majority of 372. But the result will provide little comfort to the stricken Premier. Tory Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, backed the PM. Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland Secretary and North Shropshire MP, also voted with the Government, but lost his ministerial aide Stewart Jackson in the fall-out. Telford’s Labour MP David Wright toed his party line and voted against. Montgomeryshire Tory MP Glyn Davies reluctantly voted against the motion as it was ‘unclear’ and ‘divisive of the Eurosceptic opinion’. But Mr Pritchard disagreed, placing him in direct conflict with fellow county Tory colleague Philip Dunne, an assistant Government whip, whose job was to urge Tories to vote against a referendum. Today, Mr Pritchard insisted it was ‘right that I put country first, party second and career last’. Last night, in a speech to the Commons, he said fellow backers were not ‘rebels’, but ‘patriots’. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:28:06 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/341 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/341 No Podcast 00:02:40 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/339 Rogue traders preying on vulnerable and elderly people in Shropshire have been warned they will be caught after a county builder was jailed for ripping off pensioners. Shropshire Council has made the pledge following the case of William Varey, 32, of Church Street, Ightfield, near Whitchurch. Yesterday Shrewsbury Crown Court heard he duped victims in Market Drayton by charging thousands of pounds for roofing repairs either of poor quality or not needed. He attempted to charge almost £15,000 for the work at the three houses. He received £7,000. Varey, who pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and three of misleading commercial practices, was branded a ‘menace’ and jailed for two-and-a-half years by Judge Robin Onions. Today Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council cabinet member for trading standards, said: “This case sends a clear warning that Shropshire Council will not hesitate to take legal action against tradespeople who try to defraud residents. “We would advise people to never agree to work being done by anyone knocking on your door. Always turn them away and get several quotes from reputable traders before having work carried out.” Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards, of West Mercia Police, added: “Rogue traders prey on the most vulnerable in society, conning them out of large sums of money – sometimes their life-savings. “Furthermore, the work is usually minimal, over-priced and often totally unnecessary in the first place. “Such people are a scourge. They are unscrupulous and seek to take advantage of vulnerable people, especially the elderly.” In court yesterday Tony Watkin, prosecuting on behalf of Shropshire Council, said Varey cold-called at three neighbouring houses in Market Drayton in October and November last year. Without informing them of their cancellation rights, he persuaded the elderly householders, including an 83-year-old disabled man, to enter into contracts for small pieces of work such as pressure washing a roof, but then invented other work he claimed was required. By Tom Johannsen Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:27:08 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/339 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/339 No Podcast 00:04:08 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/338 With James Garrison away on holiday, the Shrewsbury Chronicle's Stuart Dunn sits in to discuss Shrewsbury Town's fortunes with Shropshire Star AFC Telford Correspondent Chris Hudson Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:14:14 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/338 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/338 No Podcast 00:11:15 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/337 Revised pay cut plans have been put to thousands of Shropshire Council workers. Bosses have offered to limit next year’s pay cut to a maximum of 1.9 per cent. That is down from the 2.7 per cent originally planned. Other plans put forward by the council include providing two extra days’ paid leave to be taken on December 29 and 30 this year, as well as an increase in the rate of reimbursement for business travel from 40p a mile to 45p from the start of next year. Unison had been planning to send out ballot papers this week to ask its members to vote on the proposals. But following meetings with members in Shrewsbury, Ludlow and Wem, union chiefs have requested further talks with council leader Keith Barrow. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:11:32 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/337 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/337 No Podcast 00:01:38 http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/336 Trendy fish pedicures could spread HIV and hepatitis C, officials have warned. People with weak immune systems or underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of infection from the foot spas, experts have warned. Questions have been raised in recent months over the beauty craze which sees customers place their feet in tanks of water containing dozens of tiny Garra Rufa fish which nibble on dead skin. However, local beauticians have insisted that residents have nothing to fear and that people can safely book for treatments. Experts admit that the pampering carries a ‘very low’ risk for healthy clients. The pedicures – which are popular in Asia – have been banned in some US states, including Florida, Texas, New Hampshire and Washington amid fears that infections could spread through open wounds. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) today issued new guidance. While it advised certain individuals to avoid treatment, it said any risk was ‘very low’ for healthy clients when spas adhered to strict codes of cleanliness. Dr Hilary Kirkbride, consultant epidemiologist at the HPA, said: “Provided that good standards of hygiene are followed by salons, members of the public are unlikely to get an infection from a fish spa pedicure, however the risk will be higher for certain people.” The claims were recently rubbished by beauticians in Shropshire. Cassie Newton, at the Vanity beauty salon in Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, said: “Our health and hygiene standards are far higher than the minimum that we are expected to follow. “The water is changed daily and we also do daily water quality and bacteria checks.” The Utoeopia fish spa, at Nail it with Deb, in Willow Street, Oswestry, also insisted that strict standards were followed. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:10:50 +0100 Content http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/336 jellycast http://shropshirestar.jellycast.com/node/336 No Podcast 00:01:18