FOI Friday: Why FOI beats open data and 9 other stories made possible this week thanks to FOI

The FOI request about theft of petrol from petrol stations is hardly a new one, but that doesn’t alter the fact it sums up why FOI trumps the principle of open data, from a journalistic perspective at least. The St Helen’s Reporter used FOI to find out how many petrol drive-offs there had been. Answer

FOI Friday: Roadworks hell, hidden art, naughty nurses and bedblocking patients

Plagues of roadworks < Get Surrey Dismay has been expressed over a ‘plague’ of roadworks on a stretch between Bramley and Guildford in the past three years. Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that more than 860 individual projects were carried out on the A281 from 2012 to 2014 – an average

FOI: How local journalists make a difference by sticking with a story

At certain times in the last 12 months, it will have been quite hard to avoid journalists in the West Country as news outlets from across the country followed wave after wave of floods hitting the region. The 24-hour news cycle, the instant update world of social media and the ease of publishing online have

FOI FRIDAY: Mice at Manchester United, appealing students, cabbie grumbles and turning the lights off

Mice raid Manchester United < < < Manchester Evening News I love this FOI. Simple, but effective – although the sports editor might not thank you Manchester United had to deal with a mice infestation at Old Trafford, the M.E.N. can reveal. The outbreak was one of a number of hygiene and safety issues flagged

FOI Friday: Councils investing in tobacco, sheep worrying, posh cars and NHS exit packages

From the amount councils invest in tobacco firms through pension schemes to the rise in cases of sheep worrying – 10 stories made possible thanks to the Freedom of Information Act

FOI Friday: Council workers earning less than a living wage, mental health wards and publicly-funded competitions

From revealing the impact of hospital ward closures to the number of people working for councils below a living wage – here are 10 FOI ideas from around the country

FOI Friday: Unusual council waiting lists, a housing crisis, and the theft of a six-foot cardboard copper

This week’s list includes how to work out if there’s a housing crisis, how well used (or not) Sarah’s Law is in your area, and finding out what people are your local prison have been jailed for

FOI Friday: Problem families, housing benefit cheats, kids in cells and unsolved crimes

1. How many ‘problem families’ have moved into your area? It’s not often it’s worth flagging up an FOI request before a result has come back, but this is a little different. The Ledbury Reporter newspaper reports on how Ledbury Town Council is trying to find out how many ‘problem families’ have been allocated housing

FOI Friday: Driving test interpreters, hospital inspection reports, school bus cuts … and getting more from police numbers

1. Driving test interpreters We’ve seen a few FOI success stories out of the Driving Standards Agency, which runs driving test centres. The latest one, though, from the Brighton Argus, could demonstrate that the agency is the gift which keeps on giving. The Argus reports on the number of people taking their test who required an interpreter

FOI Friday: Private detectives, bus lanes, stray dogs and mental health abscondees

Spending on private detectives A different take on how councils snoop on people – how much one council spent on hiring private detectives. Answer: £100,000 at Carmarthenshire Council, reports the Swansea Evening Post. Bus lane fines Fed up of FOI requests about speeding tickets or parking fines? How about asking how many bus lane infringements