The 12 days of Local Pressmasness: 10 great FOIs

Any news editor will tell you the Christmas is a time to fear and dread. The dirty looks when the rotas don’t go someone’s way. The knowledge that behind the smiles, reporters still aren’t any further on with their Christmas specials a week before Christmas than they were six weeks before. And the lack of

FOI Friday: Illegal immigrants, councils using dating sites, suspended staff and the long cost of PFI

How many miles of roadworks in your area? < < < In Cumbria MOTORISTS in Cumbria face around 600 miles of roadworks every year. Figures obtained in a Freedom of Information response showed that, at the end of January, there were 217 miles of roadworks to be completed by the end of this month. The

FOI Friday: Dirty hospitals, re-employed redundant council workers, lost dogs and drug warrants

A fortnightly round-up of FOI-based stories which could be followed up anywhere… The secret past of would-be teachers < < < Sunday Sun POSSESSING explosives, being drunk while in charge of a child, death by reckless driving and indecent assault on a girl . . these are just some of the serious criminal convictions would-be

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: Strange weapons, cost of a big fire, prison menus and revisiting attacks at hospitals

Newcastle Evening Chronicle: Reports compiled about big fire show concerns over safety equipment EFFORTS to fight a giant blaze were hit by concerns over safety equipment. Internal fire service documents seen by the Chronicle reveal the fire caused damage to the neck straps on firefighters’ breathing masks that did not meet required standards. The fault

FOI Friday: Tonsils, waiting in ambulances, thefts from courts and some interesting emails

Courts were told to push for tougher sentences When doing FOI Friday, I try and pick FOI stories which can be replicated elsewhere. Based on that criteria, including this story from The Guardian seems a bit odd. Basically, the Guardian got hold of court emails which encouraged magistrates to direct riot-related offences to crown court

Life after the News of the World: Front pages from the regional Sunday newspapers

During today, I’ve seen a number of tweets from reporters and news editors heading into the office remarking how strange it is not to have the News of the World to go through when they get there. Doing the Sunday newspapers is a thankless task. You spend a good couple of hours and it can

FOI Friday: Boozy toddlers, rats on the run, football debt & councillors dodging tax

Britain’s youngest boozer? The Sunday Mercury used FOI to ask local hospitals the ages of those aged 12 or under who were treated for booze addiction, and the total number. One child was aged just three, and a total of 107 under 12s in the region were treated. Parking fines Don’t all shout ‘We’ve done

FOI Friday: Guns on the street, refunds for poor teaching, crimes in the town hall … and the hairbrush seized by cops

1. Guns off the streets Using the Freedom of Information Act, the Sunday Mercury in Birmingham reported on the number of guns which police had taken off the streets in the past three years – some 9,000. 2. Drugs cases involving youngsters in hospitals Sticking with the Sunday Mercury, it reported this week on a

FOI Friday: Legal aid for a murderer, teachers unchecked, wheelie bins and … top pothole streets

Legal aid for a man convicted of murder The Belfast Newsletter reports on the outrage caused by revelations that £800,000 was spent on legal aid for a man convicted of murder – a figure which is expected to rise now the man concerned is expected to appeal. In the classroom without a CRB check The