Over the last seven months, Highways England has been carrying out a major junction improvement at Barton Hill near York to improve safety and visibility for road users. As part of this £2.8m scheme which completed on Friday, sections of the hedgerow, a number of trees and stone from an old water culvert had to be removed.

But rather than throwing these items away Highways England and its contractor A-one+ have given them a new lease of life by working closely with Jonathan and Julian Curtoys, the owners of Sloemotion.

Highways England project manager Russell Mclean said:

We saved as much of the hedgerow as possible but sections of the hedge had to be removed. The sloe berries used to produce the gin grow on hedgerows, so it seemed like the perfect solution to donate the hedge to this local sloe gin producing firm.

We were able to reduce the amount hedgerow we needed to remove by altering some of the scheme’s drainage and this work will also help to prevent flooding in the area. Some logs from the trees were also donated to Castle Howard stately home to be used as chippings in the ground.

Cabinetmaker and artist Mark Bennett, of the Woodlark in Malton, was also brought on board. He will be taking part of an Oak tree which was removed from the site and transforming it into a bar for Sloemotion. The remainder of the tree will be used to create bat and bird boxes, which will be placed near to the A64.

Mark will also be using some of the removed hedgerows to create innovative displays for the gin company’s products and hand cut stone from the culvert will be used to adorn the company’s new buildings near Barton-le-Willows.

Russell added:

Our work to improve safety at the junction will benefit over 9,000 drivers a day. We have converted the crossroads to a staggered junction by realigning Mains Lane, extended the culvert to allow the carriageway to be widened, constructed 200m of new road and realigned 600m of the A64. We have also relocated a bus stop, an emergency telephone and a pedestrian crossing.

While we were doing this we upgraded and extended an otter fence to prevent them coming onto the A64. And we have reinstalled an old milepost and will be replacing a historic road sign that has been refurbished.

Jonathan Curtoys, Managing Director of Sloemotion, said the junction improvements will benefit his employees who use the junction.

The changes will certainly have a positive benefit for drivers but then to also donating the hedgerow, the stones and timber to local businesses it feels like something is being given back to the community. I commend Highways England and A-one+ for this – it has been a pleasure working with them over the last seven months.

Mark Bennett of The Woodlark added:

It’s great that we can use what would otherwise have gone to waste and give something back to the environment such as the bird and bat boxes.

Later this year replacement hedgerows will be planted.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The independent expert screening committee has recommended that bowel cancer screening in England should in future start 10 years earlier at age 50.

Currently, men and women, aged 60 to 74, are invited for bowel screening and are sent a home test kit every 2 years to provide stool samples.

Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, the committee recommends that screening should be offered from aged 50 to 74 using the faecal immunochemical home test kit (FIT).

The evidence shows that screening people at a younger age would enable more bowel cancers to be picked up at an earlier stage, where treatment is likely to be more effective and survival chances improved.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, and Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, have today agreed the recommendations. NHS England and Public Health England will now consider how to transition towards lowering the screening age as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

FIT is a new test due to be rolled out into the national bowel screening programme in the autumn and will initially be offered every 2 years to men and women at the current age range of 60 to 74. FIT is easier to use than the current test and is more accurate in detecting potential cancers. The latest recommendations will not delay the roll out of FIT, which is a priority.

The current bowel screening programme has a complementary procedure, bowel scope, also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a one-off test offered to men and women at 55. The committee recommends maintaining bowel scope screening in England, where it is currently rolled out until FIT is offered to the same age group.

Professor Anne Mackie, Director of Screening at Public Health England, said:

The risk of bowel cancer rises steeply from around age 50 to 54 and rates are significantly higher among males than females. Starting screening ten years earlier at 50 will help spot more abnormalities at an early stage that could develop into bowel cancer if not detected.

The committee recognises that this change will take time but wants the FIT test to be offered to all aged 60 and over as soon as possible, and options considered for a roll out plan where screening can be offered at 55 and eventually to all aged 50 – ensuring we have the best bowel screening programme possible.

Public Health Minister, Steve Brine said:

We are determined to make our cancer survival rates the best in the world. With the roll out of FIT as a new bowel screening test from the autumn – a much more convenient and reliable test – we have a real opportunity to reshape our bowel screening programme and potentially detect the stages of bowel cancer much earlier.

We are now considering opportunities and taking expert advice on how a sustainable, optimal bowel cancer screening programme starting at age 50 can work in the future.

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

These important recommendations will be carefully considered in the NHS Long Term Plan, which will set out ambitious improvements in cancer prevention and care for the decade ahead.

The committee also looked at screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a group of lung conditions, including emphysema, that cause breathing difficulties. It recommended that screening should not be offered for a number of reasons, including a lack of evidence that the impact of screening for COPD would have on smoking cessation.

As part of a regular review process, these recommendations will be looked at again in 3 years – or earlier if significant new evidence becomes available.

The latest screening recommendations were made at the UK NSC’s meeting on 29 June 2018, the minutes of which are published today (10 August 2018).

This press release is issued on behalf of the UK NSC, an independent organisation, by Public Health England.

1. The UK National Screening Committee is independent of, but supported by, Public Health England.
2. Detailed summaries of the recommendations for all of the conditions mentioned can be found online.
3. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific expertise and support. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

Football fans gearing up for the new season are being reminded to ‘Know The Game Plan’ and report any security concerns to stewards or staff.

Officers have been working with the Premier League, EFL (English Football League) and individual clubs to enhance measures designed to keep supporters safe, and to raise and awareness of the threat from terrorism among club employees and supporters alike.

While there is no specific threat to football grounds, the project is part of a wider police plan to work more closely with different sectors such as retail, hospitality and entertainment to help protect the public.

Other sports such as rugby, tennis and cricket have also been supporting the ‘Know The Game Plan’ initiative, while former England internationals Alan Shearer, David Seaman and Paul Parker took part in a police campaign during the recent World Cup.

Nearly a quarter of a million sports event stewards have been issued with a short guide giving key advice to help protect crowds of spectators.

National Coordinator for Protective Security, Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth said:

The chance of being caught up in a terrorist attack is low but we want the public to feel confident to come forward and report any concerns if they see something suspicious to matchday staff or police.

The more clubs encourage supporters to do this, the more likely they are to act on their instincts and not worry they might be mistaken or wasting time.

Most concerns will turn out to be nothing and that’s absolutely fine. It’s far better to say something than risk an important piece of information being missed.

Our mantra is Action Counters Terrorism. If you see something, don’t hesitate to ACT.

Bob Eastwood, Security and Operations Adviser for the EFL added:

Getting supporters to think about security is just part of the work football has been doing in partnership with the police.

Over the last 12 months we have held many events all over the country so counter-terrorism officers and stadium security managers can share their knowledge and do all we can to stay a step ahead.

The safety of all fans is football’s number one priority and we all have a role to play in doing everything we can to keep each other safe – police, officials and supporters.

The key ‘Know The Game Plan’ advice all fans are asked to follow is:

• arrive early, allowing more time for security checks
• minimise what you carry, fewer bag searches will speed up entry to the ground
• be vigilant at all times and if you see anything suspicious, tell a steward right away
• if you see anything that could pose an immediate threat to safety, call 999
• in an emergency, listen to the public address instructions and follow them
• if told to evacuate, do so immediately, do not wait around to film events on your mobile
• move right away from the stadium as quickly as possible for your safety and to allow clear access for any emergency vehicles
• once you are safe, follow the local police force on Twitter for updates

To find out more, visit Know The Game Plan or @TerrorismPolice

The 2 firms provide a range of managed laundry services to higher education customers such as universities, colleges and providers of student accommodation. These services include supplying and maintaining washing machines and tumble dryers, refurbishing laundry rooms and providing cashless payment services and apps to monitor machines remotely.

When JLA New Equity Co Limited (JLA) acquired Washstation Limited (Washstation) in May 2017, the transaction represented a merger between the 2 leading providers of managed laundry services to the higher education sector.

After receiving a complaint about the completed merger, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an initial Phase 1 investigation into the takeover in February 2018. It found significant competition concerns, namely that JLA’s purchase of its nearest competitor would give the merged company a market share of more than 90%.

As a result, the case was referred to a group of independent panel members at the CMA for an in-depth, Phase 2, investigation.

After considering a wide range of evidence, the CMA has issued provisional findings. It is concerned that the merger is likely to result in customers paying more for laundry services or receiving a lower quality service, which might ultimately impact students.

The CMA found that, following the merger, JLA now faces only limited competition. Other providers of managed laundry services in the higher education sector are not currently in a position to compete strongly with JLA / Washstation, and it is unlikely that any future expansion by these firms would be sufficient or quick enough to offset the loss of competition caused by the merger.

The investigation has also shown that companies providing laundry services in other sectors – for customers such as hospitals, care homes or leisure centres – would find it difficult to enter the higher education market and create enough competition to act as rivals for the merged company.

The CMA is now inviting comments on its provisional findings until 31 August. It will also seek comments up until 21 August on its remedies notice, which outlines measures the CMA could take if it finally decides that there has been a substantial lessening of competition.

Further details are available on the investigation case page.