News | Page 31

High street shops in a London borough are leaving their toilet doors open to let members of the public use them for free. The scheme allows passers-by to use the facilities in 14 premises around Sutton High Street without having to buy anything. In return, the shops get hundreds of pounds a year from the council, which does not have to run public conveniences of its own.

Fire damaged an industrial unit in Edenbridge, Kent early this week. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze damaged about 20% of the building in Enterprise Way, which was being used by a print firm.

Four hundred and fifty posts will be going at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead as the hospital trust which runs it attempts to cut £40m from its budget. Of these 450, 280 clinical and non-clinical posts have been identified. Of these, 131 are vacancies filled by temporary staff or staff due to retire.

Firefighters in Surrey have rejected a new fire service plan. Surrey Fire and Rescue Authority’s proposals reduce night cover but provide more engines during the day. A public consultation on the cost-cutting plan ended this month. The union representing firefighters conducted a survey of its members in Surrey.

Local authorities are required to save money after their central funding has been trimmed as part of deficit-busting measures. Reading Council (RC) is no exception, and it has employed two gardening related cuts – the authority has reduced the trimming of roadside verges from 10 to five times a year to save £80,000.

The decline in public toilets has sparked public debate, and Westminster City Council has been identified as a shining example.

A London teacher was alleged to have encouraged her pupils to play truant from school. She was accused for calling for the children to stay away from Friern Barnet School as a means of protesting against education cuts. A Barnet Council spokesman confirmed a teacher had been suspended at Friern Barnet School without prejudice as part of a formal procedure.

Teachers protested outside County Hall in Lewes as savings were rubber-stamped by councillors at East Sussex. The council, which approved £37m of cuts next year, estimates 150 to 200 full-time equivalent jobs will go next year but unions say more will be affected.

MP for Brentwood and Ongar Eric Pickles has put forward proposals that local councils and other public bodies in England would have to identify all staff earning £58,200 or more. The minister included it among proposals being put out for consultation – although staff could decline to have their name published.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) opposed the BBC axing staff positions while it is making cutbacks on its website department.

Jobs and services are threatened due to Ealing Council’s budget cuts being much worse than expected. Looking at its funding gained centrally from Westminster, Ealing must now make cuts of 30 per cent instead of the 28 per cent forecast last year.

Crime in the nation’s capital is continuing to go down. Figures from the Metropolitan Police Service show year-on-year reductions for January to December 2010.