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Pine martens could help red squirrels rebound
Restoring a native predator is helping the red squirrel population rebound after decades of competition with their grey cousins, researchers said. The pine marten preys on both but the invasive grey squirrel has been shown to be much more vulnerable, the Queen’s University Belfast study showed. When pine marten scent was applied to feeding stations across Northern Ireland, red squirrels showed increased vigilance for danger while their competitors did not. A spokesperson for Queen’s University said: “This is likely a response to red squirrels sharing a landscape with pine marten over a long period of time, with grey squirrels being relative newcomers to the threat that the pine marten poses.” Following introductions in the 19th and 20th centuries, the grey replaced the native red across much of its former range in the UK and Ireland. Pine martens, a recovering predator in the UK and Ireland, are naturally controlling introduced grey squirrels, while at the same time helping to secure the survival of native red squirrel populations. Researchers found that native red squirrels showed clear behavioural responses to pine marten scent, while grey squirrels did not. Reds visited the feeders less often when pine marten scent was applied. PA
Lorry driver who hid 17kg of cocaine in bunk bed jailed
A “corrupt” lorry driver who hid 17kg of cocaine in a bunk bed has been jailed for 12 years. Yuriy Vasilev, 48, from Pernik, Bulgaria, was caught trying to import nearly £1.4m of the class A drug into the UK. Border Force officers discovered blocks of the white powder stuffed into the frame of the bed. Vasilev claimed he did not know the drugs were in his lorry and that he had never seen them before. However, the National Crime Agency (NCA) found that he owned the transport company that moved goods from Bulgaria to the UK and Germany, and officers believe he used this as a cover to smuggle drugs around Europe. He was found guilty of attempting to import a class A drug at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday. Martin Grace, branch commander at the NCA, said: “There is a high criminal demand for cocaine in the UK, and the international organised crime groups who supply it need corrupt lorry drivers like Vasilev to do their dirty work for them. Intercepting these drugs directly impacts the groups behind the importations – costing them money, disrupting their activities and damaging their reputation. The illicit drug trade is a key driver behind the gang violence and exploitation we see on UK streets, which is why we and our partners are determined to do all we can to stop drugs at source and protect the public.” PA
Childcare postcode lottery for parents
Parents are paying 5 per cent more for childcare for under-2s than a year ago, a report has found. The findings suggest that childcare costs are rising faster than price increases generally, with the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation standing at 1.8 per cent in January. Parents are now paying an average of £131.61 per week for a child aged under two, or more than £6,800 per year, for a part-time nursery place, according to charity Coram Family and Childcare’s 20th annual childcare survey. The survey is based on data from 175 local authorities gathered between November 2019 and January 2020. It found that on average across Britain, 25 hours of nursery care for a child under two costs 5 per cent more than it did a year ago. The survey also found that parents face a “postcode lottery” with childcare prices and availability varying significantly depending on where families live. The most expensive regions were found to be London and the southeast, where the cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under-2 is £165.47 and £144.90 per week respectively. Looking just at inner London, the average cost is £182.56. Even if parents can afford childcare, they may struggle to find it, the research suggests. In England, just over half (56 per cent) of local authorities have enough childcare for parents working full-time, compared to 57 per cent in 2019, the report found. PA
Historic lighthouse to be demolished
A lighthouse is to be demolished after hopes that it could be saved from the sea ran out. Orfordness Lighthouse in Suffolk, built in 1792, was decommissioned in 2013, with the General Lighthouse Authority, Trinity House, predicting that the building would soon succumb to the waves. Volunteers from Orfordness Lighthouse Trust battled to protect the landmark. A spokesperson for the trust said they were proud to have kept the lighthouse “standing for years longer than anyone envisaged” with the help of “shingle sausage” defences. The trust said East Suffolk Council has “determined that Orfordness Lighthouse is now unsafe and ordered that it be taken down”, adding: “We have long known this day would come.” Demolition work will be carried out “in a way which enables the trust to preserve the key artefacts”, it said. A date for demolition is not yet known as it is dependent on the weather but is expected to be in the next few weeks. “We have had great fun sharing the building and the history of the lighthouse with you and we know it has brought interest and a lot of joy to many people,” the trust said.
A spokesperson from East Suffolk Council said: “Following a site inspection last month, our building control team advised the Orfordness Lighthouse Company that the structure was in a dangerous condition
due to exposed foundations on the entrance porch and a void between the base of these foundations and the ground. In order to remove this danger, the owners were advised to demolish the entrance porch and secure the access into the main lighthouse building. The decision to demolish the lighthouse at this time has been taken solely by the owners and is not being ordered by East Suffolk Council.”