News | Page 31

Engineering company Renishaw, which has its base at Wotton-under-Edge, has been boosted by the Chinese market, where orders during the past financial year were up by 75%. It means two new offices have now been opened in China to provide sales and services. It has led to the firm keeping 100 job vacancies open, said a company spokesman.

Due to four per cent per year cuts made on its budget, Avon and Somerset Police Authority has called for a re-think about funding.

Jobs have been saved at the Yeovil-based AgustaWestland helicopter programme because the government is to allocate an extra £32m to support the development of its civil helicopter programme. Yeovil Liberal Democrat MP David Laws celebrated by saying it was "fantastic news for Westland and Yeovil," adding that he and the firm had lobbied for the support.

A management buyout has saved 40 jobs at a paper mill which is one of Wells’ last manufacturing industries has been saved. The takeover of St Cuthbert’s Paper Mill at Haybridge by Henrik Bernander ensured its future. The new company will be called St Cuthbert’s Mill Ltd. The mill, which employed more than 100 people two years ago, had been slimmed down to 40 staff.

Devon and Cornwall police have improved on the national crime reduction average for across England and Wales by 4 per cent. Statistics issued by the government show the force area has remained being the fourth safest policing area in England and Wales, with 54 crimes per 1,000 people in the region over the 12-month period to June.

Those people in the south-west area travelling to and from London on Monday (October 4) will face not one, but two disruptions as Underground (LU) staff are on strike. Firstly there will be a walkout over job cuts until 7pm. In a separate dispute over pay, maintenance staff employed by engineering firm Alstom will stage a 24-hour strike from 7pm on Monday.

All the animals escaped harm when a blaze caused widespread damage at a farm in Taunton which is a favourite hotspot for tourists and holidaymakers. The main Fun Farm building at the family attraction was completely gutted – a café and a play area were among the areas destroyed. Staff moved all the animals to safety before the blaze totally took hold.

The Environment and Leisure department of Exeter city council has threatened to close nearly 40 per cent of its public toilets because it needs to save more than £50,000 from its budget. The toilets listed for closure were in Guinea Street, Buddle Lane, Cowick Lane, Blackboy Road, Oakhampton Street, Musgrave Row, Higher Cemetery, King William Street, Hamlin Lane and Ennerdale Way.

Fire crews put out a fire which was the result of a suspected arson attack directed at a nursing home in Gloucestershire. The incident saw a fence catch fire in the grounds of Chestnut Court Nursing Home in Quedgeley. The fire started just before midnight, was put out by firefighters before it spread to the home.

West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose described the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) as a "political matter," but he said hospitals were evidently "running into problems” over restrictions on working hours.

Areas such as the South West will suffer badly comparatively when the official list of axed quangos will be published today. These non-departmental public bodies appointed by Ministers to undertake delegated functions outside Whitehall are on the chopping block since the Government wants to save money and improve accountability.

Police have arrested a man in connection with a fire at Windmill Hill City Farm, one of Bristol’s city farms. The late night blaze badly damaged the adventure playground building used by a number of organisations from parent and toddler groups to adult learners, and luckily no one was hurt. Avon Fire and Rescue Service was called to the site in Phillip Street.