New £8m drain for west Cumbria
An £8m scheme to clean up beaches and the sea in west Cumbria nears completion.
Rail fares increase by an average of 3.9%
Unions describe 'Great Train Robbery' as rail fares increase
Four tattoo artists from Whitehaven have won £2.4m
A group of four tattoo artists from West Cumbria have won £2.4m on the National Lottery. They scooped the jackpot in Wednesday's draw.
Live updates
Cry for help from farmers in crisis
An appeal has been launched to help farmers who are in crisis after the hard winter. In some areas the snow, which stayed for months, means there is not enough feed for the animals.A fund set up by Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services will pay for extra support on farms.
Full Report: Crime Commissioner faces questions over expenses
Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner says that he is not resigning over the so called 'whistleblowing' expenses scandal.
Richard Rhodes spoke out today for the first time since an investigation was launched over an alleged leak of information about chauffeur driven car journeys that he took.
He also said he had no influence over that investigation.
Hannah McNulty was at the press conference at Cumbria Police headquarters in Penrith.
You can watch her full report below.
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Cumbria PCC 'leak' sparks row over whistleblower
Cumbria Police raid arrest a 3rd alleged "whistleblower" over leaked details of a crime commissioner's £700 trips in chauffeur-driven limo
Read the full storyCrime Commissioner will not resign over expenses
Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner says that he is not resigning over the whistle-blowing expenses scandal.
Richard Rhodes spoke out today for the first time since an investigation was launched over an alleged leak of information about chauffeur-driven car journeys that he took.
Lunchtime Report: Crime Commissioner faces questions over expenses
Cumbria's Police Commissioner Richard Rhodes is holding a press conference to face questions about his expenses and the investigation into them being leaked to the press.
There has been widespread criticism of the way that it has been handled - it centres around the costs of chauffeur driven car journeys taken by the Commissioner.
In a statement, Cumbria Police says it has well established internal whistleblowing procedures for issues to be raised by officers and staff and dealt with in a proper manner.
You can watch the lunchtime report from Hannah McNulty below.
Crime Commissioner apologises to people of Cumbria
Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes has begun addressing the media at a press conference.
He admitted making two mistakes; "failing to check cost of the driver and car and his expenses not being published online until this week".
He has apologised to the people of Cumbria.
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Crime Commissioner to give press conference
Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes will give a press conference at 2 o'clock. He's expected to comment on his expenses and an ongoing police investigation into the alleged leaking of information.
The press conference follows a statement that was released yesterday:
Operational policing matters are the responsibility of the Chief Constable. I do not have the powers to instigate or influence an operational policing investigation and the decision to commence an investigation has been made by solely the Chief Constable. I have not received an update on the investigation other than what has been released in the public domain to allow the Chief Constable his full operational independence.
Nothing more than concerns were raised by my Office... and a criminal investigation was not requested. All subsequent actions... have been made solely by the Constabulary.
Three people have been arrested as part of the police investigation into leaked information.
Mr Rhodes has paid back a £700 expense claim for 2 chauffeured Mercedes trips. The details were released as part of a freedom of information act request, but were due to be made pubic later in the year.
Third person bailed after arrest over expenses 'leak' claims
A 54 year old man has been released on bail, after being arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into leaked details about trips taken by Cumbria's Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes in a chauffeur-driven car.
The man, who is not an employee of Cumbria Police, was questioned on suspicion of perverting the course of justice following a raid at a house in Penrith yesterday. A 47 year old man and 50 year old woman, who are both police staff, were arrested on 10th April as part of an internal investigation.
They were questioned on suspicion of data protection offences and misconduct in a public office. Both have been released on bail. Labour MP Jamie Reed is calling for the Home Secretary to intervene while Liberal Democrat president Tim Farron described the arrests as a 'threat to free speech'.
Full report: Civil servants strike on Budget day
There was support yesterday for the scrapping of the planned fuel increase, the cut in beer duty and the help for house buyers.
But some did not believe the budget went far enough and there was anger that public sector pay rises will be capped at one per cent.
Tim Backshall was gauging public reaction:
'Decisive action is needed now' says Scotland's Finance Secretary
The Finance Secretary for Scotland, John Swinney, has given his post-budget reaction:
– Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney“The Chancellor has downgraded every economic growth forecast he has made and as a consequence of his policies public sector debt is rising. Today the Chancellor should have offered a decisive injection of new capital to fuel economic recovery.
"He has however cut the hard cash the Scottish Government has available to spend and applied a “straight-jacket” of loan and equity facilities over which the Scottish Government will have no discretion and which will have to be repaid at a later date.
"Decisive action to stimulate economic growth is needed now."
