Disappointing to see that Wetherspoons in Commercial Road Hereford do not appear to have any social distancing measures in place this afternoon for customers queuing outside to use their beer garden.

Although as adults we all have a responsibility to social distance to protect one another and follow the guidelines, failure to do this may result in further lockdowns.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Ross on Wye Fire Station used their Restricted Access Vehicle from to assist West Midlands Ambulance Service with casualty care for a man with injuries after falling whilst mountain biking in Weston Under Penyard, Ross-On-Wye.

They assisted him from the Woodland to the Ambulance.

#herefordvoice #herefordshirenews #rossonwye

Positive News | Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the C1083 - Bearwood Lane, Pembridge in #Herefordshire.

#herefordnews #positivehereford #hvroads

FUNERAL of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Saturday, 17th April, 2021 at 3.00pm

During the service, a choir of four singers (three of whom are Lay Clerks of St George's Chapel Choir) will be conducted by James Vivian and the organ will be played by Luke Bond.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Funeral will be a “Ceremonial Royal Funeral”, the same as that of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. It will not be a “State Funeral” - something that is generally reserved for Monarchs.

The Dean of Windsor will conduct the Funeral Service and the Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the Blessing.

Due to the current public health guidelines, some elements of the Funeral plan have been modified, although the day will still be very much in line with His Royal Highness’s wishes.

The Funeral will be broadcast live on TV and radio to allow people around the world to take part in mourning The Duke.

Running Order

On Saturday 17 April at 2:40pm, the coffin will emerge from the State Entrance of Windsor Castle into the Quadrangle, followed by the members of the Royal Family who will be walking in the procession. All those in the Quadrangle will give the coffin a Royal Salute before the coffin is placed onto the Land Rover.

The Queen will depart from the Sovereign’s Entrance in the State Bentley.

The Procession will move towards St. George’s Chapel, through Engine Court, Chapel Hill Parade Ground and into Horseshoe Cloister, arriving at the West Steps. The procession route will be lined by representatives from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Highlanders, and 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Air Force.

Minute Guns will be fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle for the duration of the Procession. The Curfew Tower Bell will also toll.

The members of the Royal Family who will follow on foot behind the coffin are:

The Princess Royal The Prince of Wales

The Earl of Wessex and Forfar The Duke of York

The Duke of Sussex Mr. Peter Phillips The Duke of Cambridge

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence The Earl of Snowdon

The National Anthem will play as the coffin arrives at Horseshoe Cloister, to met by representatives from the Commonwealth and a Dismounted Detachment of the Household Cavalry.

The Bearer Party will carry the coffin up the West Steps of the Chapel before pausing for a National Minute Silence at 3pm. The Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury will then receive the coffin.

As the doors to St. George’s Chapel close, the Royal Navy Piping Party will pipe the ‘Carry On’.

Members of the Royal Family

The following Members of the Royal Family will attend the Funeral Service in the Chapel:

• The Duchess of Cornwall
• The Countess of Wessex and Forfar
• Viscount Severn
• The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
• The Duchess of Cambridge
• Mr. and Mrs. Mike Tindall
• Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
• Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
• Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
• Mr. Jack Brooksbank
• The Lady Sarah and Mr. Daniel Chatto
• The Duke of Gloucester
• The Duke of Kent
• Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
• The Hereditary Prince of Baden The Landgrave of Hesse The Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• The Countess Mountbatten of Burma

The congregation will wear masks for the Service and Members of the Royal Family will wear Day Dress or Morning Coat with medals.

During the Service, a small choir of four will sing pieces of music chosen by The Duke of Edinburgh. The choir will be located in the Nave, away from the seated congregation, and in line with public health guidelines there will be no congregational singing.

The Funeral Service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, and is expected to last for approximately 50 minutes.

At the conclusion of the Service, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault. The Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the Blessing and the National Anthem will be sung by the Choir.

Her Majesty The Queen, Members of the Royal Family and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Family will then depart the Chapel via Galilee Porch.

City Centre trees will help create a greener space and support economic recovery

When visitors return to Hereford City Centre following lockdown they are set to experience a greener space with dozens of new trees being introduced over the coming weeks.

The trees, which will be in new planters, will help to create a more attractive environment for residents, workers, shoppers and visitors. The planters which also have seating attached, will ensure the City Centre is a place where people want to stay longer, spend and enjoy leisure time, helping to support the economic recovery of local shops and businesses. The new trees and plants will also support an improvement in air quality and biodiversity.

The improvements build upon the current refurbishment of the City Centre and the council’s Greener City project which has provided trees for local residents, businesses and organisations. The new trees are set to enhance High Town and the surrounding area including Commercial Street, Eign Gate, Widemarsh Street and Trinity Square. Smaller kerbside planters will also be introduced on St Owen’s Street.

While significantly increasing the number of trees in the City Centre, all of the planters will be movable to allow for events such as the May Fair and the regular markets held in High Town.

Work to replace some existing benches with the new planters and seating is due to start from Monday 29 March. It is expected to take around four weeks to get all of the new trees, planters and seating in place.

Good to see the market traders setting up in High Town early this morning. There are already many people around and the coffee stalls are both busy with people.

Support our local economy and independent businesses.

We have all new tree's ready to bloom this summer with additional seating around.

It's bright and sunny have a great weekend in our fabulous city of HEREFORD!!

#lovehereford #herefordvoice #positivehereford #herefordnews

Traffic & Travel | Delays again on the A465 Belmont Road due to motorists entering and leaving the McDonalds drive-thru in both directions.

We witnessed several near misses and people sounding their car horns in the last 20 mins, this is potentially an accident just waiting to happen !

#herefordvoice #herefordnews #hereford

Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the U92415 - Easthampton Lane, Easthampton, Shobdon in #Herefordshire.

Statement from Claire Ward, Acting Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Herefordshire Council

Claire Ward 

I am upset by this judgment and deeply sorry that we have failed this family. We have neglected the needs of the children and their Carers and deprived the parents of their rights. I am saddened that our actions deprived a Mother of her right to say goodbye to her child and my deepest sympathies are with the family on their loss. We will provide the family with any required support and care to rebuild relationships and to help repair some of the damage we have done.

I have taken immediate action to address the serious issues highlighted by this judgment. There is a clear need for an urgent and thorough external review of Herefordshire Children’s Social Care Services. The attitudes, culture and professional practice demonstrated in this judgment is shocking and well below the standards we expect. Appropriate action will be taken on the conclusion of our investigations, in accordance with the council’s HR procedures, any relevant professional body requirements, and the law. It is evident that our previous commitments to improve our social care services for children have fallen sadly short of the standards expected and we have failed to provide the expected and appropriate support to this family. This is indefensible.

The incoming Chief Executive, Paul Walker, has been working closely with the senior management team to ensure we make real and sustainable changes to our Children’s Social Care services. We have appointed Cath Knowles as Interim Director of Children’s Services, who is a qualified and registered Social Worker, to provide professional experience, leadership and assurance for the coming months. Our Social Workers continue to do their best, often in very difficult circumstances, to support families and protect vulnerable children in our community. We will ensure our staff have the support they need and the confidence and commitment to report any concerns as we make significant and lasting improvements to Herefordshire Children’s Services.

We have notified Ofsted and we are working closely with regulators and partner agencies to ensure we protect and safeguard the children of Herefordshire. We have added further reassurance measures within Children’s Services to ensure appropriate checks are undertaken for decisions relating to children in our care. The judgment also identified incorrect legal advice being given to management. This advice was plainly wrong and there have been significant changes made to the management and staff within the Children’s Legal Team to ensure processes are observed and advice is sound.

I requested a Department for Education review of our Children’s Social Care services to assess whether children in care are safe in Herefordshire. This review took place last week and found no immediate actions were required on the cases they reviewed but clearly further external reviews will be required to make sure our service is fit for purpose. While we seek to understand the full extent of past decisions made within Children’s Services, we regret that we may find further instances that do not meet the required standards. If you have any concerns about the way you or your family have been treated by Herefordshire Children’s Social Care services, you can contact us at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/careconcerns or email careconcerns@herefordshire.gov.uk

If you are a child or young person and need someone to talk to Childline is free, private and confidential. Call 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk

The Samaritans are also available any time of the day or night - call 116 123 or visit Samaritans.org

A new Click & Collect service is being offered from Monday - Saturday 8am-8pm - Sunday 10am-4pm at Tesco in Abbotsmead Road, Belmont in Hereford.

 

This new service could be beneficial for people who are unable to obtain delivery slots

A man has been arrested in connection with the report of a rape in Craven Arms.

The 19-year-old from Shropshire was arrested yesterday evening (Thursday 15 April) on suspicion of rape and currently remains in custody in Shrewsbury.

Police were called around 1.45am yesterday morning to reports that a 17-year-old girl was attacked in an alley near Craven Arms Railway Station.

Fire crews from Ewyas Harold Fire Station were mobilised last night to an RTC on Whitecross Road by the Sainsbury's / Aldi traffic lights.

Two vehicles had collided at the junction, crews made the vehicles safe using the RTC equipment and following recovery cleared the debris and any spillage. All airbags within the vehicles had deployed.

Police and Ambulance service were also in attendance and the traffic through the area had delays for a short period.

All persons were assessed on scene and thankfully no persons were injured.

📷 Ewyas Harold Fire Station

Crews from Kingsland Fire Station were called today to a female trapped under a car near Aymestrey. The lady was released using Holmatro UK rescue equipment, the lady is now in the care of West Midlands Ambulance Service.

She was very lucky to walk away from this accident.

Joint working from Leintwardine Fire crews, West Midlands Air Ambulance and West Mercia Police.

Police in our neighbouring county are investigating reports of a rape in Craven Arms, Shropshire.

Police were called at 1.43am this morning (Thursday 15 April) with reports that a 17-year-old girl had been attacked while walking through an alley near Craven Arms Railway Station. Police believe the offence happened around 12midnight after the victim got off of a train from Ludlow.

Officers are carrying out enquiries within the area and a scene guard is in place while the investigation is ongoing.

Shrewsbury Detective Inspector Dafydd Jones said:

Quote

“We understand incidents such as this are extremely concerning to the community and we would like to reassure the public that we are following every line of enquiry and that there will be an increased number of patrols in the area while the investigation continues. Please be assured there are a significant number of officers dedicated to this investigation and the scene guard will be in place overnight while they carry out searches and make their enquiries.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference 024i of 15 April or alternatively report it online through the Tell Us About section of the website. If you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100% anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call or I.P address. You can contact them online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service rescued a person on West Malvern Road Malvern.

Casualty on the Malvern Hills with suspected leg fracture. Casualty reached by crews from Malvern Fire Station with Argocat off-road vehicle, and transported to roadside for treatment.

Leominster Police have advised us that they are attending reports of an overturned lorry on the A49 at Queenswood/Dinmore Hill.

Please drive slow, emergency services are on route.

Businesses on a Hereford industrial estate are being urged to make full use of a new Covid rapid testing site – and to help keep it open beyond a trial period.

Herefordshire Council says the new lateral flow test site at Block B, Skylon Court in Coldnose Road, Rotherwas, is being operated on a pilot basis until April 30.

The council says it is vital as many businesses in the area use the testing facility as regularly as possible and volunteer to help keep it open beyond the end of the month.

Testing is available to employees who cannot work from home and designed to find people who have the virus but show none of the symptoms.A council spokesperson said:

Quote

“Around one in three people who are infected with Covid-19 have no symptoms so could be spreading the disease without knowing it. So if these cases are identified early it can help to reduce the spread and therefore limit the impact that this has on your business whilst also protecting the local community.

“Lateral flow device (LFD) testing is a fast and simple way to test people who do not have symptoms of Covid-19, but who may still be spreading the virus. The tests are easy to use and give results in 30 minutes.

“To operate beyond 30 April, we need the business community of Rotherwas to step-up and run this service, so if you are interested in supporting the testing programme and would like to volunteer, please let us know by signing up with the testing team on site and we will arrange training and support.”

The council says regular testing is essential to help control the spread of the virus. It has issued the following advice to businesses:

• Frequency – It is recommended that testing is undertaken twice weekly.
• Assistance – There will be a number of trained staff on site, to meet and greet, signpost people, advise on how to undertake your swab and answer any questions throughout the process.
• Clothing – Exterior doors and windows will be open to provide fresh air ventilation so please dress accordingly. Please do not bring any unnecessary items or bags that may be cross-contaminated.
• Registration – For the registration process you will need to have a smart device (phone or tablet) with a camera function to scan a QR code. If you do not have a smart device, additional devices are available on site to use and the registration assistant will be on hand to advise, however, it may cause a slight delay in the registration process if you are not using your own device. The registration process requires answering a number of questions on the device, so if you require reading glasses please ensure you have them to hand.
• Process – Link to demonstration self-swabbing process:
• Results – To receive your results, you will need to input your mobile phone number, so ensure you have this to hand for the registration process.
• Booking – No booking necessary just turn up!

The centre is open from 8am to 2pm on Monday, 1-6pm on Wednesday and 8am-2pm on Friday.

Testing is available to all those that work on the industrial estate and is on a first come, first served basis. You should not attend if you are showing any symptoms of Covid-19.

We have received tributes following the passing of popular and well liked local Dentist Bob Binnersley, who sadly died this week.

A message on the St Martins Dental & Implant Clinic that he founded in 1989 announced the sad news yesterday.

Bob Binnersley

Quote

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of Bob Binnersley.

Bob founded St Martins Dental Practice in 1989 starting with a small detached house and turning it into the seven surgery practice it is today. Including a training centre for dental nurses.

Between Bob and Krista, they not only created an amazing place to work but an extended STM family. Who still to this day when they hear the words ‘fancy dress party at The Binnersleys’ come running from far and wide.

As well as his fantastic dentistry many of Bob’s patients will remember him for his infamous jokes and one liners! The most common one being ‘A check up from the neck up, it won’t take long!’.

If he wasn’t being rude to you then you knew something was up!

He was incredibly passionate about dentistry and helping people. He was a founding member and chairman of the Hereford Independent Practitioners Society for over 20 years which helped to bring other dental practices in Hereford together.

Bob loved his cricket and would quite often have it playing in surgery with his nurse keeping a watchful eye on the score.

He also fought hard for Hereford to finally have the flood defences which we so desperately needed. As those that will remember his house and the practice flooded many times. Most weeks we would have phone calls asking for him to be interviewed on the radio!

Bob’s legacy will live on through his wife Krista, his children Richard, Rachel, James and Thomas and his extended family, also his STM family and all the dentists and dental nurses that he has trained and inspired along the way.

He will be greatly missed by us all. RIP Bingo