Union’s ‘warning’ before boy fell from school stairwell: A teachers’ union has said it questioned the design of a school where a 12-year-old boy fell from a fourth floor stairwell, before it opened. Nina Franklin, of the National Union of Teachers, said the union raised concerns over Fairfield High in Bristol but was assured it was safe. The unnamed boy remains in hospital following the accident on 24 February. Bristol City Council said a full risk analysis was carried out as part of the building design. More from BBC News…
Magistrate faces sex abuse charge: A former Bristol magistrate and church pastor has been charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy. James Hennah is accused of three counts of illegal sexual touching between 2007 and 2010. The 39-year-old, who was a prominent member of the Bristol Community Church in Kingswood, is also charged with watching his alleged victim, who was under 16, “doing a private act” without consent, for his own sexual gratification, in 2010. He appeared at Exeter Magistrates’ Court for the first time yesterday. More from Bristol Evening Post…
Final countdown for Oldbury nuclear power station: Oldbury nuclear power station near Bristol is to stop generating electricity after 45 years of use. Both of the station’s reactors were scheduled to be turned off in 2008 but had their operational life extended. Reactor two was turned off in 2011 and reactor one is due to be shut down at 11am. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Magnox, which own the site, said continued operation was not economically viable. The switch-off will be watched through a video link by many of the station’s 500 staff in Oldbury’s canteen. More from BBC News…
Petition against Ashton Court parking charges: More than 1,300 people have signed a petition opposing the introduction of parking charges at the historic Ashton Court estate near Bristol. Bristol City Council is looking to charge £1 a day with concessions available for local people as part of measures to balance its budget. Councillor Gary Hopkins says the authority, which owns the estate, needed to raise funds for maintenance. He said the move could raise £200,000 per year. More from BBC News…
Struck-off nurse working as a manager in nursing home: A care home manager who was struck off for a catalogue of failings is continuing to work in a Bristol nursing home. Although Isla Meek has been struck off as a nurse, she is officially still allowed to work in a care home setting as long as she doesn’t take on a nursing role. More from Bristol Evening Post…
RFU Championship play-off groups are finalised: Bristol Rugby will be up against London Welsh, Nottingham and Doncaster in their Championship play-off group. The top two teams will make it through to the two-legged semi-final, with the winners meeting in a two-legged final. The winners will be promoted to the top tier of English club rugby. More from BBC Sport…