Potholes: Treating the illness not just the symptom
With the publication of the ALARM survey, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, David Giles, talks to LocalGov about investing in local roads.
Car driven into council officer outside school
20/02/2025 Police have joined local authority staff on school parking patrols in a Kent borough after a car was ‘driven deliberately’ into a council officer. |
Government seeks Prevent programme 'answers' after Southport attack
21/01/2025 Reforms to Prevent are to be unveiled this week ahead of a public inquiry looking at why it failed to stop last year's fatal Southport knife attack. |
Former council chief charged after Just Stop Oil protest
14/01/2025 A former council chief executive is one of two Just Stop Oil protesters charged with criminal damage after powdered paint was sprayed on Charles Darwin’s grave yesterday. |
Tory group leader quits party after police called to town hall
03/01/2025 The Conservative group leader of Oldham Council has resigned from the party after police were called amid a row at a town hall meeting. |
Thousands tricked by fireworks hoax despite council warning
02/01/2025 Thousands of people flocked to central Birmingham on New Year’s Eve after false claims circulated online that there would be a fireworks display at midnight. |
Police called amid row at town hall
19/12/2024 Police officers were called to Oldham Council on Wednesday after a meeting was suspended when a row broke out. |
Police called after council staff threatened
11/12/2024 Derby City Council has restricted access to its headquarters after staff received ‘malicious communications’ over the phone. |
Leader resigns after ‘inappropriate behaviour’ reported to police
09/12/2024 The City of Edinburgh Council’s leader has resigned after Police Scotland revealed it was investigating a report of ‘inappropriate behaviour’. |
Council staff arrested as police investigate corruption
06/12/2024 Four members of staff at Leeds City Council have been arrested on suspicion of bribery offences. |
Police take 'no further action' against Croydon officers
05/12/2024 Police have decided to ‘take no further action at this stage' against former Croydon LBC officers who were investigated for potential misconduct in public office. |
Social worker safety put at risk by policy changes
03/12/2024 Policy changes reducing police presence at mental health incidents are putting the safety of social workers at risk, a charity and university have warned. |
Art stolen from £1m sculpture trail
02/12/2024 Artwork from a public sculpture installation outside Wakefield Council’s headquarters has been stolen. |
Woking contacts police following auditor report
28/11/2024 Woking BC has contacted the police after an auditor's report found officers failure to ensure its finance and business was managed ‘prudently or lawfully'. |
Councils set for new anti-social behaviour powers
22/11/2024 Police and councils will be able to put ‘tough restrictions’ on perpetrators of anti-social behaviour under new powers announced by the home secretary today. |
Select committee member loses Labour whip as police investigate
28/10/2024 A Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee member has lost the Labour whip after a video emerged appearing to show him punching a man. |
Council destroys belongings of missing tenant
25/10/2024 East Riding of Yorkshire Council destroyed the belongings of an elderly tenant who went missing after banning his family from entering his flat. |
Finance officer jailed for £1m theft
03/10/2024 An ex-finance officer at Gedling Borough Council has been jailed for five years after he stole almost £1m to fund a gambling addiction. |
Ex-councillor jailed for ‘voyeurism on vast scale’
30/09/2024 A former councillor who filmed 28 women in bathrooms and bedrooms using hidden cameras over a 15-year period has been jailed for six years and two months. |
East Suffolk pledges to tackle abuse
27/09/2024 East Suffolk Council has committed to challenging the abuse or intimidation of its members and officers. |
Labour to take ‘zero tolerance’ approach to anti-social behaviour
24/09/2024 Labour plans to introduce ‘zero tolerance’ zones in city and town centres to combat anti-social behaviour, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced. |
Councils granted new powers to tackle domestic abuse
20/09/2024 Local authorities are to be granted more powers to prevent domestic abusers from making contact with their victims, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announces. |
‘Little meaningful progress’ made in tackling anti-social behaviour
09/09/2024 Little progress has been made in improving the responses of councils and other agencies to complaints of anti-social behaviour, Victims' Commissioner says. |
Police defend TV show role after council criticism
06/09/2024 Bedfordshire Police has defended its involvement in television programme 24 Hours in Police Custody after a council urged the force to drop out of the show. |
Mayors asked to take lead in drive against extremism
05/09/2024 Local political leaders have been asked to spearhead efforts to tackle extremism and foster greater community cohesion following a summer of disorder. |
Council leaders call for a voice on Cobra
12/08/2024 Local government representation on Cobra, the committee for dealing with national emergencies, is essential, council leaders say after last week’s riots. |
Councillor charged with encouraging violent disorder
09/08/2024 A Dartford councillor has been charged with encouraging violent disorder after he was filmed addressing a crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday. |
Councillor arrested over protest remarks
09/08/2024 A councillor has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging murder after comments at a counter-protest in London this week. |
Councils praise community spirit after peaceful protests
08/08/2024 Local authorities and police have praised the community spirit of counter-protestors who gathered across England yesterday following recent violent disorder. |
Liverpool ‘overwhelmed’ as £180,000 raised for vandalised library
07/08/2024 An ‘outpouring of support’ has been welcomed by Liverpool City Council in the wake of an arson attack on a local library and community hub. |
Council to support businesses after racist attacks
06/08/2024 Belfast City Council has agreed to financially assist business owners struck by ‘racist criminal attacks’ during disorder at the weekend. |
Council leader: Attack on asylum hotel ‘confirms worst fears’ about disorder
05/08/2024 The leader of Rotherham council said an attempt to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers had ‘confirmed our worst fears’ about the nature of recent disorder across the country. |
EDL faces ban after riots in English cities
01/08/2024 Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is said to be considering banning the English Defence League after rioting in several English cities in the wake of the murder of three girls in Southport. |
Rotheram: Mindless violence distracts from delivering justice
31/07/2024 Local government leaders have condemned violent protests that broke out after three girls were killed in a knife attack. |
Three arrested in connection with crematorium scandal
30/07/2024 Three people have been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and fraud by false representation in an investigation into the disposal of ashes. |
Old Bailey jury clears former chief of rape
25/07/2024 Ex-Harrow LBC chief Michael Lockwood has been cleared of raping and molesting two 14-year-old girls 40 years ago. |
Council launches ‘urgent review’ after Harehills riot
22/07/2024 Leeds City Council has launched an ‘urgent review’ of the case that saw children removed from a family and put into care after riots broke out last week. |
Council introduces DBS checks for members
11/07/2024 West Northamptonshire Council will require all members to receive Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. |
Police meet families about ashes found at funeral home
01/07/2024 Police and council officers have met with families who were identified in relation to ashes found during an investigation at a funeral home in Hull. |
Councillor posed as woman to share explicit images
01/07/2024 A councillor who posed as a woman on Facebook to exchange explicit images with men has been found to have committed gross misconduct. |
Parish council members all quit amid grass cutting dispute
24/06/2024 All members of a parish council in Cumbria have resigned after a man was criticised for cutting hedges and a grass verge. |
Council hires security after meeting disruption
11/06/2024 A town council in Norfolk has brought in a security firm to maintain order at its meetings. |
Investigation into fairground ‘malfunction’ after four injured
10/06/2024 A ‘thorough’ investigation will determine what caused a fairground ride malfunction that left four people injured at the weekend, Lambeth Council has said. |
Two Liberal Democrat campaigners arrested
07/06/2024 Two Liberal Democrat campaigners have been arrested on suspicion of election offences relating to a North Yorkshire Council by-election in March. |
Abandoned Baby Elsa in council care
05/06/2024 A DNA test has confirmed that a baby found abandoned in a shopping bag in Newham is biologically related to two other babies found in the London borough. |
London sees 400% increase in blue badge thefts
04/06/2024 A fourfold increase in the number of blue badge thefts in London is partly the result of local authority cuts, warns London Assembly Member. |
Rayner accusation after police drop probe
29/05/2024 Shadow communities secretary Angela Rayner has hit out at the Conservatives’ ‘desperate tactics’ after police said they would take no further action following an investigation. |
Council launches investigation after five-year-old dies in tower block fall
17/05/2024 Newham Council will carry out an investigation following the death of a five-year-old boy who fell from a tower block of flats in east London on Thursday. |
New police powers ‘would mean more injustices’
17/05/2024 Police are ‘completely unqualified’ to receive new powers to ban activities in public places, a campaign group has argued. |
Councillor calls police over ‘adhesive tape’ damage
14/05/2024 A town council chief has accused residents of Leigh-on-Sea of committing criminal damage with a leaflet and ‘adhesive tape’. |
Child sexual abuse review to inform new strategy
09/05/2024 Findings of a review of Walsall Safeguarding Partnership’s strategy after the largest child sexual abuse case investigated by police will now be published. |
Man arrested after councillor reports ‘threat’
29/04/2024 A man has been arrested after a Kirklees councillor told police he was the victim of threatening calls and behaviour. |
Council warns of dangerous autism ‘cure’ fraud
18/04/2024 Greenwich council has warned schools and nurseries to be on guard after learning of an individual offering ‘experimental procedures’ for autistic children. |
Rayner to be investigated by police after electoral law accusations
15/04/2024 Police have launched an investigation into whether Labour’s shadow local government secretary Angela Rayner broke electoral law a decade ago after allegations. |
LGA warning over XL Bully dogs ban
19/03/2024 Councils face a double whammy of soaring costs and declining police support as they try to enforce a ban on XL Bully dogs. |
Bodies removed from funeral home in fraud case
11/03/2024 Police have removed 34 bodies from the premises of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Yorkshire over concerns about the care of the deceased. |
LGA welcomes new police support for councillors
29/02/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed news that councillors will for the first time have a named police contact to help with security issues. |
Chesterfield council welcomes record drugs bust
26/02/2024 Dozens of gang members have been jailed for more than 120 years after a drugs bust in Chesterfield succeeded in disrupting nine county lines gangs. |
Council probe leads officers to ‘step back’
19/02/2024 Two senior Guildford and Waverley officers have agreed to temporarily ‘step back’ from their roles amid intensifying investigations into housing maintenance contracts. |
Call to recruit 19,000 neighbourhood officers
13/02/2024 A think-tank has urged the Government to launch a recruitment drive to boost police numbers and restore trust in neighbourhood policing. |
Council officer hands police file on £1m pay-outs
02/02/2024 A file relating to allegedly unlawful exit payments to managers at Northumberland County Council has been handed to police, Northumbria Police has confirmed. |
Worcestershire council contacted 36 times before child’s death
29/01/2024 Worcestershire County Council was contacted multiple times about the welfare of nine-year-old Alfie Steele, who was killed by his mother and her partner. |
Bronson Battersby: Review launched after toddler’s death
18/01/2024 Lincolnshire County Council has launched a review after the tragic death of two-year-old Bronson Battersby. |
Newsom report reveals Rochdale exploitation failings
15/01/2024 Failings by officials at Rochdale Council and senior police meant vulnerable girls were targeted by a child sexual abuse gang for years, report has concluded. |
Arrests over ULEZ camera explosion
19/12/2023 Two men have been arrested amid an investigation into an explosion in Sidcup that damaged a ULEZ camera and surrounding property. |
Investigation launched into ULEZ camera explosion
08/12/2023 The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation after an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) camera in Sidcup exploded on Wednesday night. |
Vape sniffer dog uncovers £18.5k of contraband
27/11/2023 A sniffer dog has helped Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team uncover thousands of pounds worth of counterfeit e-cigarettes and tobacco. |
LGA responds to councillor’s ceasefire email
21/11/2023 The LGA has spoken out after a councillor threatened to name locally elected members who did not sign up to support a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. |
Council admits hand in disposing of tents
15/11/2023 Camden Council has admitted that it was involved in the disposal of homeless people’s tents in central London last week. |
Housing minister among casualties of Sunak reshuffle
13/11/2023 The UK will have its 16th housing minister in 12 years after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s sweeping reshuffle affected the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. |
Street calls for PCC powers
02/11/2023 West Midlands mayor Andy Street has formally asked the Government to transfer police and crime commissioner (PCC) powers to the mayoralty. |
Labour to crackdown on anti-social behaviour
10/10/2023 Labour leader Keir Starmer will today promise local authorities stronger powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in town centres. |
Concern over Bristol schools’ app use to monitor children
22/09/2023 Campaign groups have accused Bristol schools who use an app to monitor pupils and their families of ‘intrusive monitoring’. |
Councillor charged over child grooming allegations
30/08/2023 A Scottish Labour councillor has been suspended from the party after he was charged over allegations of child grooming. |
Historic Crooked House bricks to remain on site
23/08/2023 The foundations of the historic Crooked House pub and the building’s bricks will remain on site as hazardous materials are removed, the council has confirmed. |
Council confirms murdered Sara Sharif was known to authorities
21/08/2023 A 10-year-old girl who was found dead in Surrey nearly two weeks ago was known to the county council. |
Local government funding system has 'broken down'
15/08/2023 The funding system for local government has ‘broken down’ and what councils currently receive from Whitehall and council tax barely reflects need, a think-tank has warned. |
Crooked House pub demolition must be ‘catalyst’ for reform
11/08/2023 The Crooked House pub demolition should lead to planning reforms to make it easier to stop ‘unscrupulous owners’ from redeveloping pubs, campaigners say. |
Police treating Crooked House pub fire as arson
10/08/2023 The police are now treating the fire at the historic Crooked House pub – ‘Britain's wonkiest pub’ – as arson. |
Investigation launched into demolition of ‘Britain's wonkiest pub’
09/08/2023 An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the demolition of the historic Crooked House pub has been launched, the local authority has said. |
Health backing for police withdrawal delay
08/08/2023 Senior healthcare figures have backed councils’ demand to delay police withdrawal from non-urgent mental health callouts. |
Hertsmere to stop funding community support officers
02/08/2023 Hertsmere Borough Council will no longer pay for police community support officers (PCSOs) and plans to establish its own scheme of enforcement officers. |
Met still stop and search without body-worn cameras
31/07/2023 The Met have carried out 6,225 stop and searches since January 2022 without using body-worn video (BWV) cameras, according to new data. |
LGA: police mental health withdrawal too quick
26/07/2023 Council chiefs have raised concerns that plans for police to stop attending mental health incidents are ‘being rolled out too quickly’. |
Council suspends Bournemouth boat trips after deaths
07/06/2023 Boat operations from Bournemouth Pier have been suspended as a precaution following the deaths of two children. |
Council helps Premier League stop £7m streaming fraud
31/05/2023 Five men who illegally streamed Premier League matches have been jailed following a trading-standards investigation led by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. |
Councils 'not ready' for Met's mental health withdrawal
30/05/2023 Councils are not ready for the consequences of the Metropolitan Police Services’ decision to withdraw from non-emergency mental health callouts, experts warn. |
Review into Leicester unrest launched
26/05/2023 The Government has commissioned an independent review into the unrest in Leicester last year that occurred between groups of young Muslim and Hindu men. |
Cardiff Council leader calls for investigation into Ely collision
23/05/2023 The leader of Cardiff Council has called for an investigation into the events that led to the deaths of two teenagers and a riot on Monday night. |
Alarming figures reveal 300% increase in ‘cuckooing’
19/05/2023 Figures collected from local authorities across London have revealed a 300% increase in the number of ‘cuckooing’ cases across the capital. |
Met accused of siding with protesters over drag storytelling session
09/05/2023 The Metropolitan Police have been accused of siding with demonstrators at a protest over a drag performance for children at a pub in south London. |
Council ‘deeply concerned’ by coronation arrests
09/05/2023 Westminster CC says it is ‘deeply concerned’ over the arrest of three women’s safety volunteers who were arrested in the early hours of coronation day. |
Council has ‘unanswered questions’ about refugee barge
04/05/2023 Dorset Council and police have criticised the Home Office for not answering key questions about plans to house asylum seekers on a barge in Portland Port. |
Petition to save venue after crush deaths hits 50,000
02/05/2023 A petition calling on Lambeth Council to save the O2 Academy Brixton after two people were crushed to death last year has reached over 50,000 signatures. |
Parents reluctant to report missing children, report finds
26/04/2023 Low trust and confidence in the Metropolitan police is making some parents and carers reluctant to report children missing, according to the London Assembly. |
Campaigners call for ‘community-led approach’ to youth violence
25/04/2023 Police powers should be reduced and a ‘community-led approach’ to violence among young people adopted instead, according to campaigners. |
Scottish council leaders and police strengthen collaboration
18/04/2023 Local authority leaders in Scotland have agreed four key priority areas to strengthen collaboration between local government and policing. |
Abuse survivors take legal action against council
05/04/2023 Former pupils who were sexually and physically abused at a school in Liverpool have begun legal action against the city council that ran it. |
Child sexual exploitation taskforce announced
03/04/2023 PM Rishi Sunak has announced the establishment of a new taskforce of specialist police officers to help investigate child sexual exploitation and grooming. |
Police called after LTN planters set on fire
29/03/2023 Rochdale Borough Council has called the police after local low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) planters were set on fire. |
Black children six times more likely to be subjected to strip searches
27/03/2023 Black children are six times more likely to be strip searched by the police in England and Wales than white children, according to official figures. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
