Industry

Two benches dedicated to a former footballer who died have been unveiled. Former Southend United captain Chris Barker, 39, took his own life on New Year's Day in 2020. The Bench for Barks campaign, run by the Southend United Ex-Players …

Motorists are being urged to "plan ahead" as a motorway junction will close for at least 14 weeks for a £5.7m upgrade project. Somerset Council's contractor Heidelberg Materials is refurbishing junction 26 of the M5 and the A38 Chelston link …

Labour has retained the mayoralty of North Tyneside after beating Reform UK by a thin margin. Karen Clark tallied 16,230 votes, putting her just 444 ahead of John Falkenstein. Clark, who effectively becomes leader of North Tyneside Council, said the …

The existence of a subterranean part of a city's history – a tunnel linking a prison to a nearby hospital – has been unveiled. Senior engineers at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) said the underground passage leading to the jail …

Derbyshire County Council has generated nearly £1m from fines issued for unauthorised school absences, a Freedom of Information Act request has revealed. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) obtained figures which show the authority issued 20,487 penalties since 2021, totalling …

A man allegedly seen carrying an axe in Nottingham has been arrested after a taxi driver's tyres were slashed following a "disagreement". Police said armed officers were sent to Waterloo Crescent, near the Forest Recreation Ground, at about 08:20 BST …

New speed limit signs for mobility scooters have been placed in a shopping centre – and they are already making a "significant difference". Idlewells Shopping Centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, placed notices on its entrance doors in May aiming to improve …

The relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway may have been happier than previously thought, according to new research. For more than 200 years it has been believed that Shakespeare left his wife in Stratford-upon-Avon when he travelled …

An 86-year-old pensioner has embarked on a 73-mile (117km) wheelchair challenge in support of his wife. Wheelchair-user Thomas Hedley, who lives at a care home in Ashington, Northumberland, has decided to wheel himself the equivalent length of Hadrian's wall to …

An MP says she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition months after returning to work following a "life-threatening" illness. Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson was in intensive care at Bath's Royal United Hospital (RUH) after a viral infection to her …