http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50082771/Major contract performance review.pdf

It's only taken seven years to discover that the council's monitoring of the contract is rubbish.

Steven Tracy Lock, 53 of Moreton-on-Lugg, Herford appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday (28 September) for sentencing, after pleading guilty to four counts of burglary of a dwelling and one count of burglary of a non-dwelling.

Steven Tracy Lock

The offences took place across Herefordshire and Monmouthshire between September 2019 and April 2020.
Detective Constable Laurence James, from Hereford proactive CID, said:

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“Lock targeted vulnerable, elderly women and men - aged in their 70s to 90s, breaking into their homes, in the middle of the night and taking cash, jewellery and/or power tools from them. He also broke into a shop and took cash out of the till.

“We will not tolerate burglaries in our community and hope this sentence sends a message to offenders that we will take robust action against those found to be committing crimes of this nature.

“I welcome today’s sentence and hope the victims in this case feel that justice has been served.”

 

Five people were arrested in connection with county lines drug supply in various operations across Hereford during a national County Lines Intensification Week that took place between Monday 14 September and Sunday 20 September.

Considerable quantities of drugs and cash were seized by police during the week of intensification.

Three men have been charged and remanded to custody and two men have been bailed.

Detective Sergeant Nick Shutt, of Herefordshire Proactive CID, said:

Quote

“Tackling serious and organised crime, such as county lines, is a priority for us and we will continue to do all we can to target those exploiting children, young people and vulnerable adults under our campaign protect.”

Protect is West Mercia Police's response to tackling serious and organised crime and those who cause the most harm in our communities to protect people from harm.

A man in his fifties sadly died at an address in St John’s Court close to Hereford's Edgar Street football stadium on Friday evening just after 10pm

A 43-year-old man from Hereford was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

This is an ongoing onvestigation and the police urge anyone with information to call 101 quoting incident 724i of 25092020 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A woman has been charged with murder following an incident in Cradley Hereford.

Laura Van Marle, aged 40, of no fixed address, was today (Sunday 27 September) charged with the murder of 69-year-old Susanna Van Marle. She was also charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a 73-year-old man.

Both charges relate to an incident which occurred yesterday (Saturday 26 September) at approximately 2am at an address on Finchers Corner in Cradley.

Detective Chief Inspector Leighton Harding said:

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“Our thoughts are with Susanna’s friends and loved ones following this sad incident. The family are being supported by specially trained officers and have asked for privacy during this difficult time.”

We have teamed up with our good friends at Charcuterie who are offering fabulous prize worth over £100 to celebrate their 1st Anniversary on October 1st. 🥂🍾🎉

Prize contains: One Party box, Two hampers, One Bottle of Kvass. 

To be in with a chance of winning simply head over to our Facebook Page HERE

1. LIKE Charcuterie & Hereford Voice
2. TAG a Friend 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️
3. COMMENT - Tell us who you would share this superb prize with?

A winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries on Wednesday 30th September 2020.

Prize to be collected from the Charcuterie shop in the Hereford Butter Market on Thursday October 1st. This is the 1st anniversary day and all meats will have 50% OFF together with FREE traditional Slavic 'Kvass' beer tasting. 

Good luck and thank you for continuing to support us & our local business partners. (Entrants MUST be over 18 years old)
T&C's 👉 http://bit.ly/2K37RuM

#hvcomps #hfdvcomps #HerefordVoice

Police were called at around 2am this morning (Saturday 26 September) to Cradley in Hereford, reports that a 69-year-old woman had been stabbed. The ambulance service attended but the woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A 40-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody at this time.

Detective Chief inspector Leighton Harding said: “Officers quickly made an arrest at the scene but enquiries are still ongoing and we are keen to speak to anyone with more information regarding this incident.

“We would like to reassure the community that this is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no further risk to the public.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting incident 55i of 26092020 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111. 

Polish pharmaceutical company Biomed Lublin claims to have successfully completed the production of a drug for Covid-19.

With the firm saying on September 23 that its initial research “has confirmed its efficacy”, it now plans to begin non-commercial clinical trials, and – if all goes well – Poland could be the first country in the world to have an effective drug capable of neutralising the SARS-CoV-2 virus at some stage over the next few months.

Biomed Lublin says that the drug is made by fractionating the plasma of healthy people – convalescents or those who had Covid-19 asymptomatically – and contains anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins.

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“We have unequivocally proven that it is possible to produce a drug containing a concentrated dose of such antibodies and it can effectively use human plasma, which, after the fractionation process, can be converted into a drug with a treatment efficiency greater than plasma alone,” said Marcin Piróg, CEO of Biomed Lublin. “This is of great importance, especially taking into account the number of Covid-19 patients and how valuable and rare the raw material is given the current situation.”

“More than 3,000 ampoules of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin have been produced, which after the completion of the required quality tests, including product stability tests, will be submitted to clinical trials in four centres: in Lublin, Bytom, Białystok and Warsaw. The release of the drug for non-commercial clinical trials is planned in the fourth quarter of 2020,” added Mr Piróg.

 

Biomed Lublin already manufactures other recognised human plasma drugs, such as Gamma anti-D and Gamma anti-HBs. The same technology was used by the company to produce anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin.

The project to come up with a Polish Covid-19 drug was initiated in March by Grzegorz Czelej a Polish doctor and senator, and Waldemar Sierocki, a member of Biomed Lublin’s supervisory board.

“We have a drug, a Polish drug for Covid-19, that works,” said Mr Czelej. “Since the drug was created thanks to the generosity of Polish convalescents, Poles will be the first to receive it. Also, Poles should come up with a name for it. We are waiting for suggestions.”

Mr Czelej also called on the country’s authorities to make the process of approving the drug as quickly as possible.

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“The treatment of Covid-19 with plasma from convalescents has already been approved by the World Health Organisation, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Polish Ministry of Health. Scientists from around the world report on the effectiveness of plasma therapy in the treatment of Covid-19. The safety of plasma drugs has been proven by several decades of practice, which is confirmed by experts. So, I appeal to the relevant authorities to issue a decision on the approval of this drug for coronavirus in ‘epidemic mode. Similar practices have already taken place in the case of other drugs conditionally approved for the treatment of Covid-19 in order to save the health and life of patients,” he said.

Mr Piróg meanwhile said that if Biomed Lublin were to receive more batches of plasma from convalescents from Polish regional blood donation and treatment centres, it will be able to plan the production of new batches of the drug that can be used to treat patients with Covid-19 before the completion of approval procedures. He also confirmed that the company was looking to purchase plasma from abroad.

“It is important if and when we receive confirmation of the possible availability of further plasma donations from convalescents. We must also take care to ensure the availability of other health and life-saving plasma-derived drugs, for the production of which we use the same production infrastructure,” he said.

“We produce our medicine from plasma obtained from donors in Poland and we are currently focusing on local needs. Nevertheless, we have already taken steps to check the possibility of purchasing plasma from convalescents from other countries, including the US, from where we are already buying plasma for the production of our other plasma-derived drugs. In addition, depending on the production capacity, we are able to consider the production of entrusted plasma for the needs of countries that would like to use Biomed Lublin and its technology to receive anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins for the treatment of patients in their countries. Nevertheless, I emphasise that Poland is a priority now. We count on the support of the National Blood Centre and the Ministry of Health in accessing Polish plasma,” added Mr Piróg.

 

Source and full story HERE

We have received unconfirmed reports today that Herefordshire’s Wye Valley Trust have admitted a patient who is positive with Coronavirus. This is the first hospital admission in months.

#HerefordNews #HerefordVoice

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressing MPs and the whole nation on further coronavirus restrictions for England has announced a 10pm curfew in England for all pubs, bars and restaurants from Thursday.

🔹Office workers should work from home again where possible - although those in "key public services and in all professions" where this is not possible, such as construction and retail, should continue to go in. 

🔹From Thursday, all pubs, bars and restaurants must offer table service only and close at 10pm - but delivery services can remain open

🔹The requirement to wear a face covering has been extended to staff in retail, people in taxis and everyone using hospitality services.

🔹Fines for not wearing a face covering will now double to £200 for a first offence.

🔹COVID-secure guidelines will become a legal obligation for retail, leisure and tourism firms, with those who do not comply running the risk of fines of £10,000 or closure.

🔹Only 15 people can now attend weddings, but 30 can still go to a funeral

🔹The "rule of six" has been extended to indoor sports teams, such as five-a-side football games

🔹The phased reopening of stadiums for sporting events from 1 October has been scrapped

#HerefordVoice

Cycle lanes are currently being painted onto Commercial Road tonight in both directions as part of the temporary travel measures scheme. There will still be access for cars in both directions.

Thoughts?

#HerefordVoice #HerefordNews #Hereford

We are thinking about our friends in the US on this remembrance day and all those innocent people who lost their lives on 11th September 2001.

West Midland Safari Park are thrilled to announce the birth of their first Indian rhinoceros calf. Arriving on Tuesday 8th September at 2:29pm, the male calf, is the first Indian rhino to be born on site in the Park’s forty-seven-year history.Deputy Head Keeper of Ungulates, Shelley Tudor, said

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"We are absolutely delighted and have been waiting a long time for this moment. After holding this species of rhino for over ten years, this is our first calf to be born at the Park.”

“We acquired Seto and Rap as youngsters and have been able to watch them grow and mature over time; which makes it even more momentous to see them produce their own calf. He is a very special addition to the Asian rhino House, and we look forward to watching him develop, and maybe go on to produce his own little rhinos in the future!"

 

The rhino calf’s parents, eleven-year-old Seto and twelve-year-old Rap, can often be spotted by guests at the Asiatic section of the drive-through Safari, near to the state-of-the-art Indian rhino House built at the Park in 2009. Both Seto and her calf are bonding well together in a private area where keepers can observe them at a safe distance as they settle in.

Also known as the Greater One Horned rhinoceros, Indian rhinos are placid animals who are often recognised for their armoured and prehistoric appearance. The new arrival is not currently available for viewing, but he will eventually join his family at the Wild Asia section of the reserve where guests will be able to spot him roaming the plains and having lots of fun, likely covered in mud!

The Park is home to two types of rhinos – six Southern White rhinos and three Asian rhinos. Both species face threats in the wild such as poaching and habitat loss and are classed as ‘near threatened’ (white rhino) and ‘vulnerable’ (Asian rhino), by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The calf is currently un-named, but the Park can reveal it will begin with the letter ‘I’ mirroring the naming of all other animals born on-site in 2020. It’s clear to see already that he will have a lasting impact on West Midland Safari Park, in supporting their efforts in raising awareness of the vital preservation of this fantastic species.

West Midland Safari Park is fully open, and the Indian rhino can be seen as part of the four-mile safari. Admission prices are £24.00 for adults, £20.00 for children aged 3-15 years and £22.00 for concessions. Children under the age of three are free. Admission includes a summer Free Return Visit. Rides for
the Adventure Theme Park are charged extra.

Further information about West Midland Safari Park is available from the Park’s
website www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114. Find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WestMidSafari.

You may have already noticed some changes on the site, I am in the process of some nice new updates and this also includes updating the themes used by the forum, so you are not imagining it 😀

I hope to have it all complete within a week or so please bare with me and carry on using the site as normal.

Colin

Students from Whitecross school have been sent home to self-isolate after positive case of Covid-19 confirmed. 

As a result, 24 students have been told to self-isolate for 14days.

Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, said: “I can confirm that a Year 7 pupil at Whitecross High School, Hereford has tested positive for Covid-19.

"We would like to reassure parents and carers that we are working closely with the school and swift action has been taken to identify close contacts.

“There are 24 pupils identified as close contacts and they have been sent home to self-isolate for 14 days.

"All other pupils should continue to attend school as planned.

“We have worked with all our schools who have put robust measures in place to minimise the risk of coronavirus spreading.

"We understand parents will be concerned but we can expect to see more cases in schools and the process of testing and contact tracing is part of the ‘new normal’.

#HerefordVoice #herefordshire #HerefordNews

Traffic & Travel: The M5 in Gloucestershire will be closed until Monday after a serious multi-vehicle crash.

The motorway is closed in both directions between Junctions 9 and 11 near Tewkesbury following a serious collision in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Highways England have now confirmed that the M5 will remain closed until Monday due to ‘extensive road surface damage’, meaning the road needs to be resurfaced.

Motorists are advised to consider their journeys or find an alternative route.

Motorists heading northbound are advised to follow solid triangle leave the M5 at junction 11 and take the A40 then take the A417 onto the M50 at junction 2. Continue on the M50 and re-join at junction 9.

Motorists heading southbound are avoid to follow the solid circle ,leave M5 at junction 9 and take the A38 and then take the A40 and re-join the M5 at junction 11.

If you have have concerns about any business you visit not being COVID secure, you can let us know by emailing us news@herefordvoice.co.uk or leave a comment below.

Maybe we can encourage Herefordshire Council to do the same by offering this service of being to report it.

We have been running a competition for the past few weeks to come up with a suitable name for our famous Hereford Bull Statue in the city centre.

(all unofficially of course, but if it's good enough maybe we can persuade the Council to make it official! Who knows)

We have now drawn up a shortlist of names from all the entries and created a poll HERE 👉👉 https://hfd.news/ox8 👈👈

Let's see which is the most popular winning entry! (Poll ends Saturday 12th)