Dedicated Shropshire helpline for domestic abuse victims
The charity's head of client services Helen Richardson said: "We're really excited to be able to offer a dedicated Freephone number for Shropshire residents, providing free domestic abuse support to all those in the county. "The new service aims to reach those living rurally where there can be greater barriers to accessing in-person support."Shropshire Council leader Heather Kidd said the launch of the dedicated helpline was "a significant and welcome development". The service would provide "a safe and confidential point of contact for anyone affected by domestic abuse", she added."Domestic abuse can happen in any area, often to the most unexpected people and can be well hidden. "So this helpline will offer vital support, advice and guidance to help individuals find safety and access further help when they need it most."
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The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
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The Independent
43 minutes ago
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BBC News
44 minutes ago
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Asbestos: More than 280 dumping incidents in NI since 2019
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Widespread problem There have been more than 3,000 illegal dumping incidents recorded across Northern Ireland between 2019 and 2024 with material including everything from scrap metal to new figures obtained by BBC News NI showed that, after mixed waste and general construction waste, asbestos was the most common illegally-dumped material in Northern law in Northern Ireland states that a licensed removal contractor must be used to dispose of asbestos, but it can often be an expensive process. Failure to dispose of asbestos legally can result in prosecution and it is also the legal responsibility of the landowner to secure their land to prevent any illegal waste and Newtownabbey Council Area had the highest number of illegal asbestos dumping incidents, with 44 recorded since 2019. 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'Shocking' The charity Mesothelioma UK said the latest figures on the illegal dumping of asbestos were "extremely concerning"."We urge the UK government to establish a national task force to review and address every aspect of our shameful asbestos legacy," chief executive Liz Darlison said."The UK has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world, it is preventable and safe management and disposal of asbestos is at the root of the problem."Between 2014 and 2023, there were 699 asbestos-related deaths in Northern Hagan's father died in 2022 soon after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Tony Rodgers had worked as a social worker all his life and his family said they had difficulty pinpointing any obvious exposure to asbestos."It really came as shock for our whole family when we found out that the type of cancer dad had was almost always caused by exposure to asbestos," Ms Hagan said. She said the amount of asbestos being illegally-dumped was disgraceful."As someone who has lost one of the people I loved most in the world because of an asbestos-related illness, those statistics just make me cross, it's shocking," she said."It's scary to think that there are places where this dangerous material is just being dumped and members of the public aren't aware aware of it, that anybody could just stumble across." BBC News NI previously reported that millions of pounds had been spent on removing asbestos from healthcare buildings and schools in Northern government has also paid out more than £40m in compensation for asbestos-related illnesses in Northern Ireland since March this year the BBC launched a podcast called Assume Nothing: Killer investigated the history and use of asbestos in the UK.
