Latest news with #DavidJones
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Narrow Water Bridge will be delivered ‘on time and on budget'
Work is well underway to install the 195-metre cable-stayed bridge linking County Louth and County Down at Narrow Water near Warrenpoint in County Down, providing the first direct cross over at Carlingford Lough for traffic and pedestrians. Speaking at the council's monthly meeting, Independent Councillor, Maeve Yore sought an update on the project, asking if it was 'on time and on budget.' Director of Services, David Jones, explained the construction of the cross border bridge is a three and a half year project, of which the first year has already been completed. He explained that that it was set to be delivered on time, and is on budget. The meeting also heard from a number of local councillors who argued they should have been invited to a recent visit by Taoiseach, Michael Martin to the site in Omeath. Deputy Chief Executive, Thomas McEvoy, told members the meeting had been a private visit organised by the Taoiseach's office, and was not organised by Louth County Council. He added that they had been asked to give a presentation on the progress which has been made so far. The project, which has been costed at over €100m, is a flagship project of the government's Shared Island Fund, aimed at increasing connectivity in the east border region, and providing an economic and tourism boost.
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Monmouthshire taking longer to respond to noise complaints
Responses and closure rates for fly tipping, littering and dog fouling deteriorated even though there was an overall reduction in the number of incidents reported to Monmouthshire County Council in 2024/25. The number of complaints dropped from 619 in 2023/24 to 542 but the number dealt with within three working days dropped from 525, or 84.8 per cent, to just 383, or 70.7 per cent, last year. The number of cases closed within three months also fell from 440, 71.1 per cent, to 316 which was only 58.3 per cent. Principal environmental health officer Huw Owen blamed 'time constraints and ever increasing demands on the service and requests' when the annual public protection report was presented to the overview and scrutiny committee. He said the department, which includes environmental health, trading standards and licensing, deals with around 2,500 service requests a year which he said was 'about a 34 per cent increase since 2019.' Figures show the council received 370 noise complaints during 2024/25 and responded to 237 within three working days which was 64.1 per cent and that was below 74 per cent responded to within the same time period the previous year when the council dealt with 385 complaints. Fewer cases were also closed within months in 2024/25 with just 47.6 per cent done so compared to 219, or 56.9 per cent, the previous year. READ MORE: Other statutory nuisances, excluding noise complaints, also suffered from reduced performance despite a slight increase in the number of reports from 153 in 2023/24 to 158 last year. Of those 111, or 70 per cent, were responded to within three working days, down from 79.7 per cent the previous year, and 89, or 56.3 per cent, closed within three months which was also down on the 60.8 per cent the previous year. Public protection has an annual budget of £1.9 million and reported a £185,647 underspend in 2024/25 largely due to a decision not to fill the head of service post following the retirement of David Jones in September 2024, delays in appointing to vacant posts and it having generated more income than projected. In addition to the underspend the service also transferred £92,279 generated in previous years through the Proceeds of Crime Act to the council's main account to support its overall financial position. Jane Rogers, strategic director for social services who now has responsibility for public protection, said the decision not to fill the head of service post is being monitored and will be considered as part of a wider review of the authority's senior leadership team.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Spalding cemetery expansion 'essential', says council
A Lincolnshire council is exploring ways to expand a cemetery before it runs out of space. South Holland District Council said extending the cemetery in Spalding was "essential", although it was not possible to know when capacity would be reached. Environmental tests are being conducted at the Chiltern Drive playing field in Spalding to see if it could be used. However, some residents said the playing field should be protected as it is regularly used by children, teenagers and dog walkers. One resident, David Jones, said: "There are far too many children staying at home and not playing out anymore and if they've got somewhere like this, which is really safe, I think they should be encouraged to come here. "If it's turned into a burial ground, children will have nowhere to go. They'll be penned in their houses, which is a tragedy really."Rodney Marks also lives nearby. He said: "South Holland District Council need to look a bit further than using green spaces that we have available for exercise and recreation." In 2012, a planning application was made to extend the cemetery into the playing field. An amended application was then submitted in 2014, but more than 100 people signed a petition against the plans. An objection was also made by Sport England. The plans were rejected in 2015 due to an unacceptable loss of recreational open space. The environmental tests are now being conducted to see if burials would have an impact on groundwater levels, the council said. A spokesperson added: "This initial work will run until autumn, and, if the ground is not suitable for such purpose, the process would then stop."No decision to proceed will be made without considering all the opportunities, impacts and risks."The Law Commission - an independent body which reviews legislation in England and Wales - is proposing a widespread change in burial could result in existing graves being reused to address national burial space council said it would like to "reach a positive position within the next 12 months to help protect" the service in Spalding. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Courier-Mail
Thief steals hundreds of dollars worth of toys by shoving them down her pants
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. CCTV footage showed the shocking moment a brazen thief steals around $800 worth of Jellycats by stuffing them down her pants. The huge haul of Jellycat soft toys was taken from St Peter's Garden Centre, south west of Birmingham, England, after a woman stuffed a 'significant amount' of the stock into her trousers and bags. Footage filmed on June 7, 2025, showed a woman helping herself to items as she walked through the store, casually adjusting her pants as she went. Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material. Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity. William Blake, managing director of St Peter's Garden Centre, said: 'We were deeply disappointed by the incident, where a significant amount of stock – over $800 worth of Jellycat toys – was stolen from our store. 'As an independent, family-run business, every loss impacts not just our shelves but the hardworking team behind the scenes. 'Our staff work tirelessly to create a warm and welcoming environment for all visitors, and it's disheartening when that is taken advantage of. 'We're co-operating fully with local authorities and we'd like to thank our customers for the response to the video and all their continued support.' Jellycat toys are extremely popular right now. Picture: Supplied The woman stole $800 worth of Jellycat toys. Picture: CCTV West Mercia Police said: 'We received a report of theft from St Peter's Garden Centre on June 11. 'Inquiries are ongoing.' In Australia, stores such as David Jones stock Jellycats, with the department store seeing a massive uptick in sales in previous years. 'We've seen strong demand for the brand and an increase in sales in not only their iconic bunny which they are best known for but also more niche/unique styles,' a David Jones spokesperson told last month. 'There has also been a noticeable shift in the consumer who is buying this product, traditionally bought for children we have seen demand from Gen Z thanks to social media driving the trend among this group.' It comes as Aussies have gone wild for the Labubu craze, a furry plushie featuring a bizarre grin and sharp teeth. Designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the product is sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart following a collaboration with Lung on his story series book The Monsters, released in 2015. While the Labubu hit the market in Asia in 2019, the toy only took off after Blackpink's Lisa, a popular K-pop singer, was spotted with a $32 keychain-version of the doll attached to her handbag in April 2024. And in just 12 months, the whole world has become hooked, including Aussies. This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission Originally published as Thief steals hundreds of dollars worth of toys by shoving them down her pants
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Herald Sun
Thief steals hundreds of dollars worth of toys by shoving them down her pants
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. CCTV footage showed the shocking moment a brazen thief steals around $800 worth of Jellycats by stuffing them down her pants. The huge haul of Jellycat soft toys was taken from St Peter's Garden Centre, south west of Birmingham, England, after a woman stuffed a 'significant amount' of the stock into her trousers and bags. Footage filmed on June 7, 2025, showed a woman helping herself to items as she walked through the store, casually adjusting her pants as she went. Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material. Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity. William Blake, managing director of St Peter's Garden Centre, said: 'We were deeply disappointed by the incident, where a significant amount of stock – over $800 worth of Jellycat toys – was stolen from our store. 'As an independent, family-run business, every loss impacts not just our shelves but the hardworking team behind the scenes. 'Our staff work tirelessly to create a warm and welcoming environment for all visitors, and it's disheartening when that is taken advantage of. 'We're co-operating fully with local authorities and we'd like to thank our customers for the response to the video and all their continued support.' Jellycat toys are extremely popular right now. Picture: Supplied The woman stole $800 worth of Jellycat toys. Picture: CCTV West Mercia Police said: 'We received a report of theft from St Peter's Garden Centre on June 11. 'Inquiries are ongoing.' In Australia, stores such as David Jones stock Jellycats, with the department store seeing a massive uptick in sales in previous years. 'We've seen strong demand for the brand and an increase in sales in not only their iconic bunny which they are best known for but also more niche/unique styles,' a David Jones spokesperson told last month. 'There has also been a noticeable shift in the consumer who is buying this product, traditionally bought for children we have seen demand from Gen Z thanks to social media driving the trend among this group.' It comes as Aussies have gone wild for the Labubu craze, a furry plushie featuring a bizarre grin and sharp teeth. Designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the product is sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart following a collaboration with Lung on his story series book The Monsters, released in 2015. While the Labubu hit the market in Asia in 2019, the toy only took off after Blackpink's Lisa, a popular K-pop singer, was spotted with a $32 keychain-version of the doll attached to her handbag in April 2024. And in just 12 months, the whole world has become hooked, including Aussies. This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission Originally published as Thief steals hundreds of dollars worth of toys by shoving them down her pants
