It wasn’t all bad

The scourge of litter is receding from England’s beaches thanks to the introduction of the 5p charge on plastic bags. This summer the number of bags found dropped along the coastline has almost halved: only 6.9 bags for every 100 metres, compared to 11 last summer. The bags aren’t just an eyesore; they also pose a danger to numerous animals, notably seabirds and turtles. Since the 5p charge came into effect, the total number of bags handed out to shoppers has fallen by 80%.

A four-year-old girl who saw her mother collapse in the hallway of their home saved her life by calling 999. “Mummy’s got her eyes closed,” Suzie Mccash, from Tynemouth, calmly told the 999 operator after her mother, Rowena, suffered an allergic reaction and went into respiratory arrest. Suzie then carefully followed the call handler’s instructions to give Rowena medicine and hold her hand. Paramedics arrived soon after to take Rowena to hospital, where she made a full recovery. Northumbria Police were so impressed by Suzie they have given her a bravery award.

Isis Shiffer, a 29-year-old student and cycling enthusiast, has won a top design award for creating a bike helmet made from paper. The Ecohelmet, which was awarded the £30,000 Dyson prize, not only folds away to fit into a handbag but can also be disposed of in a recycling bin. The helmet’s honeycomb structure absorbs blows, making it as safe as an ordinary helmet; a plastic coating protects it from rain for three hours. “I was astonished to win,” said Shiffer, from New York, who hopes the helmet will be sold for $5 (£4) by city bike-hire schemes.