UK news / England

Sorting office threatens 400 jobs

news.bbc.co.uk - Plans to modernise postal services in Kent could lead to 400 jobs being cut and the closure of four sorting offices. More... (England)

Pakistan trio hit by ICC charges

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - have been charged, and provisionally suspensed, by the International Cricket Council. More... (England)

M4 closed after 10-vehicle crash

news.bbc.co.uk - The M4 in Berkshire is closed in one direction after an accident involving up to 10 vehicles. More... (England)

Birth paramedic 'refused to help'

news.bbc.co.uk - An ambulance paramedic put the life of a baby at risk by refusing to take the mother to hospital because they were on a break, a tribunal hears. More... (England)

Tin helmet councillor suspended

news.bbc.co.uk - A district councillor who wore a tin helmet and waved a Canadian flag as part of a land dispute protest is suspended. More... (England)

Man 'strangled wife and hid body'

news.bbc.co.uk - A cheating husband murdered his wife after she found out about his infidelity, a court heard. More... (England)

Aircraft men 'incredibly lucky'

news.bbc.co.uk - Two people in a light aircraft travelling to Norfolk which plunged into the North Sea are "incredibly lucky", the coastguard says. More... (England)

Hatton fighting career is 'done'

news.bbc.co.uk - Former light-welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton says he is unlikely to fight again. More... (England)

Children to face £80 litter fines

news.bbc.co.uk - Children as young as 10 face being fined £80 for dropping litter in Oxford after the proposal is approved. More... (England)

Curbishley linked with Villa job

news.bbc.co.uk - Alan Curbishley is among those to be interviewed for the vacant manager's post at Aston Villa, BBC Sport understands. More... (England)

Bones at centre of police probe are 1,500 years old

news.bbc.co.uk - Human remains found in a Oxfordshire garden, sparking a police inquiry, are dated back to 500 AD. More... (England)

Surgery rules Onions out of Ashes

news.bbc.co.uk - England and Durham pace bowler Graham Onions to miss the Ashes series against Australia this winter because of a back operation. More... (England)

Call for Magna Carta bank holiday

news.bbc.co.uk - Runnymede council calls for an extra bank holiday to mark the sealing of the Magna Carta in Surrey in June 1215. More... (England)

Newlywed denies strangling wife

news.bbc.co.uk - A cheating newlywed murdered his wife after she found out he had conducted two affairs, a court heard. More... (England)

Ex-officer jailed for child abuse

news.bbc.co.uk - A retired police officer found guilty of sexually abusing two boys while he worked for the force is jailed for seven years. More... (England)

Tube strikes on as talks collapse

news.bbc.co.uk - Thousands of Tube workers will strike next week as talks between London Underground bosses and two unions break down. More... (England)

Pakistan scandal takes new twist

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - may have been set up, according to the country's high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan. More... (England)

Pakistan cricketers 'were set up'

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - may have been set up, according to the country's high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan. More... (England)

Man jailed for murdering partner

news.bbc.co.uk - A man is jailed for life for killing his girlfriend, who was found dead in the bath at her south Manchester home. More... (England)

Missing boy couple 'faced court'

news.bbc.co.uk - Police in Lincolnshire continue their search for a missing foster couple and four-year-old boy they were looking after. More... (England)

Rare tree flowers after 23 years

news.bbc.co.uk - A rare Chinese tree has flowered for the first time in 23 years at Kew's country estate in West Sussex. More... (England)

Blast soldier 'joked with medics'

news.bbc.co.uk - An inquest hears a Tyneside Army bomb disposal expert was killed by a blast in Afghanistan. More... (England)

Shopkeeper 'killed by robbers'

news.bbc.co.uk - A Huddersfield shopkeeper was beaten to death in his store as he tried to protect his "hard-earned money", a court hears. More... (England)

Talks to avert Tube strike fail

news.bbc.co.uk - Talks between Tube bosses and two unions to avert a series of strikes break down. More... (England)

Rangers' plan to stop riot re-run

news.bbc.co.uk - Rangers fans will go into a "holding zone" ahead of their team's Champions League match in Manchester, to prevent a re-run of the 2008 riots. More... (England)

Delay for tourist bike hire plans

news.bbc.co.uk - Tourists and casual users are prevented from using London's cycle hire scheme until the end of 2010. More... (England)

Twig row sparks helicopter search

news.bbc.co.uk - A man criticises police for sending a helicopter to his house after he gathered twigs from a nature reserve near Princes Risborough. More... (England)

Solar lights installed along airport runway

news.bbc.co.uk - Solar-powered lighting is installed alongside Southampton Airport's runway for planes and airside vehicles. More... (England)

Footballer threw punches in club

news.bbc.co.uk - A West Bromwich Albion footballer is given a suspended sentence for throwing punches in a nightclub. More... (England)

Cliff death man had lost wallet

news.bbc.co.uk - A teenage rugby player who fell to his death from cliffs in Newquay was looking for his wallet after a pub crawl, an inquest hears. More... (England)

Man 'beaten to death' in own shop

news.bbc.co.uk - A Huddersfield shopkeeper was beaten to death in his own store as he tried to protect his "hard-earned money", a court hears. More... (England)

'The Stig'

news.bbc.co.uk - Profile of man who has won the right to say he is Top Gear driver More... (England)

Man beat wife and daughter to death

news.bbc.co.uk - The wife and daughter of a man who was later found hanged were unlawfully killed, a coroner rules. More... (England)

Divers aid search for missing man

news.bbc.co.uk - Police divers assist in the search for a County Durham man who went missing from a riverside wedding reception. More... (England)

Hanged florist killed his family

news.bbc.co.uk - A man whose wife and daughter were found dead before he was found hanged were unlawfully killed, an inquest hears. More... (England)

Footballer gets affray sentence

news.bbc.co.uk - A West Bromwich Albion footballer has been given a suspended jail sentence after admitting affray in a nightclub. More... (England)

Metres from connecting counties

news.bbc.co.uk - Cavers are just metres away from connecting Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire through underground tunnels. More... (England)

Pair held over 'honour killing'

news.bbc.co.uk - A man and woman are arrested on suspicion of murdering so-called honour killing victim Shafilea Ahmed, police confirm. More... (England)

RBS to cut a further 3,500 jobs

news.bbc.co.uk - Royal Bank of Scotland is planning to cut 3,500 jobs from its technical and back office division, based mostly in England. More... (England)

New start at child abuse nursery

news.bbc.co.uk - A new pre-school facility opens on the site where Plymouth nursery worker Vanessa George sexually abused young children and took photos of them. More... (England)

Bloomin' lovely: Tree flowers after 23 years

news.bbc.co.uk - A rare Chinese tree flowers for the first time in 23 years at Kew's country estate in West Sussex. More... (England)

Arrests in assisted suicide probe

news.bbc.co.uk - A man and woman are arrested on suspicion of helping a disabled man from South Tyneside take his own life, police say. More... (England)

Lake body 'is missing fisherman'

news.bbc.co.uk - Police confirm a body found in the Lake District is that of a missing North Yorkshire fisherman. More... (England)

Search continues for missing boy

news.bbc.co.uk - Police in Lincolnshire continue their search for a missing foster couple and four-year-old boy they were looking after. More... (England)

Carson out of England qualifier

news.bbc.co.uk - Goalkeeper Scott Carson is released from the England squad to face Bulgaria in the Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday because of a family bereavement. More... (England)

PM's 'prop'

news.bbc.co.uk - Does a Tony Blair-style drink habit do you any harm? More... (England)

Pakistan trio out of England tour

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot-fixing claims will not play against England in the upcoming one-day internationals and Twenty20 games. More... (England)

United defend season ticket sales

news.bbc.co.uk - Manchester United chief executive David Gill defends the club's failure to reach their season ticket sales target. More... (England)

Nottingham girl wins Miss England

news.bbc.co.uk - A 21-year-old law student from Nottingham is crowned as the new Miss England. More... (England)

JCB-sponsored £22m academy opens

news.bbc.co.uk - A £22m JCB-sponsored academy school, specialising in business and engineering diplomas, opens in Staffordshire. More... (England)

Rare fox twins born at Sussex zoo

news.bbc.co.uk - A second litter of rare foxes is born at an East Sussex zoo in less then six months. More... (England)

Qinetiq plant 'is safe' says MP

news.bbc.co.uk - An MP says defence company Qinetiq has confirmed its commitment to its Malvern site despite recent jobs cuts. More... (England)

Century-old bones found in garden

news.bbc.co.uk - The remains of a body thought to be more than 100 years old is found by builders in a garden in Oxfordshire. More... (England)

Unique brass Roman lantern found in field

news.bbc.co.uk - A metal detecting enthusiast finds what is believed to be the only intact Roman lantern made out of bronze ever discovered in Britain. More... (England)

Rare Roman lantern found in field

news.bbc.co.uk - A metal detecting enthusiast finds what is believed to be the only intact Roman lantern made out of bronze ever discovered in Britain. More... (England)

Talks bid to avert Tube strikes

news.bbc.co.uk - Tube bosses will hold talks with two unions at the conciliation service Acas later to avert strikes over 800 jobs. More... (England)

Arsonists 'start third farm fire'

news.bbc.co.uk - Police link a suspected arson attack with two others at Northumberland farms within the last 24 hours. More... (England)

Protest over local council cuts

news.bbc.co.uk - Council workers and local residents hold a rally outside Bolton Town Hall to protest against the council's spending cuts. More... (England)

The slow goodbye

news.bbc.co.uk - Husband speaks of the woman he lost over many years to dementia More... (England)

Cavers dig for three county dream

news.bbc.co.uk - Cavers Tim Allen and Hugh St Lawrence give BBC News a glimpse of the cramped conditions as they try to connect three English counties by an underground network of tunnels. More... (England)

Police complaint numbers revealed

news.bbc.co.uk - At least 2,000 police officers were subject to three or more complaints by members of the public in the last year, figures obtained by the BBC show. More... (England)

Red alert over the threat from American crayfish

news.bbc.co.uk - Sightings of a new invasive species of crayfish prompt concerns by ecologists over its potential spread in the UK. More... (England)

Rough justice

news.bbc.co.uk - Are extradition laws too draconian? More... (England)

Prison 'difficult to run safely'

news.bbc.co.uk - Holloway Prison is "extremely difficult to run safely", with about 60% of inmates feeling unsafe at some point, inspectors say. More... (England)

School meals 'help fussy eaters'

news.bbc.co.uk - School lunches can tempt fussy eaters to try new foods, a survey carried out in England for the School Food Trust suggests. More... (England)

Ellen's new course

news.bbc.co.uk - Sailor Ellen MacArthur bids to promote sustainabilty More... (England)

'Holiday camp' punishments rapped

news.bbc.co.uk - Community service has been described as a 'holiday camp' after criminals were filmed sitting drinking tea and smoking illegal drugs. More... (England)

Pakistan trio 'may face' England

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers facing spot-fixing claims could play against England in limited-over matches on their tour. More... (England)

Body found in search for angler

news.bbc.co.uk - A body is found in a search for a North Yorkshire fisherman missing in the Lake District. More... (England)

Family flee home after sewer leak

news.bbc.co.uk - A family are forced out of their home after building workers damage a pipe and cause raw sewage to spill into the garden. More... (England)

Aircraft crashes into North Sea

news.bbc.co.uk - A light aircraft with two people on board travelling from Germany to Norfolk plunges into the North Sea off the Suffolk coast. More... (England)

Goat's horns ripped out in attack

news.bbc.co.uk - A billy goat is put to sleep after his horns are ripped out during an attack on a Manchester animal sanctuary. More... (England)

Subbuteo fan ready for flick-off

news.bbc.co.uk - A nine-year-old boy from West Yorkshire is preparing to take part in the Subbuteo World Championships in Germany later this week. More... (England)

Family deaths man in £500,000 row

news.bbc.co.uk - A florist believed to have killed his family was accused of overcharging customers and threatened with the police, an inquest hears. More... (England)

New-style academies open doors

news.bbc.co.uk - The first of 32 academies in England established under new legislation from the coalition government opened on Wednesday. More... (England)

Hairdresser blast death a mystery

news.bbc.co.uk - The cause of an explosion which killed a 19-year-old hairdresser in her car remains a mystery, an inquest hears. More... (England)

Drug dealer's goods auctioned off

news.bbc.co.uk - Designer clothes and sports cars which once belonged to a drug dealer have been sold at an auction in Norfolk. More... (England)

Runners see red over race music ban

news.bbc.co.uk - Some half marathon runners in Cornwall say they are withdrawing from the annual Truro half marathon because of a ban on music devices. More... (England)

Rare paintings saved from dustbin

news.bbc.co.uk - Two rare paintings found in an attic in Surrey that were to be thrown away could fetch up to £30,000 at auction. More... (England)

Peroxide in hairdresser blast car

news.bbc.co.uk - A hairdresser who was carrying peroxide products in her car died when the vehicle exploded, an inquest hears. More... (England)

Man bailed in M5 murder inquiry

news.bbc.co.uk - Police investigating the murder of Melanie Hall, whose remains were found on the M5, bail a 39-year-old man. More... (England)

Goth dog lead hanging an accident

news.bbc.co.uk - A Plymouth schoolgirl hanged herself accidentally while experimenting with fainting to feel the sensation of being reborn, a coroner rules. More... (England)

Explosives expert

news.bbc.co.uk - The hidden world of an MoD worker who died after bomb trials More... (England)

Pietersen apologises for outburst

news.bbc.co.uk - Kevin Pietersen apologises for the outburst which followed his omission from England's limited-overs squads for the series against Pakistan. More... (England)

Two killed by van left on slope

news.bbc.co.uk - Two people were killed by a van that rolled down a slope after the driver failed to apply the handbrake, a court hears. More... (England)

Funeral held for British doctor

news.bbc.co.uk - The funeral of a British doctor shot dead on an aid mission in Afghanistan is held in Hertfordshire. More... (England)

Anti-rail protester to walk route

news.bbc.co.uk - A woman begins a quest to walk the entire route of the proposed high speed rail link, as part of a protest against it. More... (England)

Anti-HS2 campaigner to walk route

news.bbc.co.uk - A woman begins a quest to walk the entire route of the proposed HS2 rail link, as part of a protest against it. More... (England)

Lake searched for missing angler

news.bbc.co.uk - A major search is under way for a North Yorkshire fisherman missing in the Lake District. More... (England)

MoD criticised over blast death

news.bbc.co.uk - An MoD scientist died following a blast during top secret tests which were inappropriately planned, a inquest jury rules. More... (England)

Divers steal from submarine wreck

news.bbc.co.uk - Divers steal the torpedo hatch of an historically important submarine wreck lying off the English Channel, it emerges. More... (England)

Spurs clinch Van der Vaart deal

news.bbc.co.uk - Tottenham secure an £8m deal for Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart. More... (England)

'Bloodgate' doctor given warning

news.bbc.co.uk - The GMC issues a warning to the match-day doctor at the centre of the rugby "Bloodgate" scandal. More... (England)

'Double killer' accused over cash

news.bbc.co.uk - A florist believed to have killed his family was accused of overcharging customers and threatened with police the day before, an inquest hears. More... (England)

Soldier mourners fill cathedral

news.bbc.co.uk - Mourners gather for the funeral of a Cumbrian soldier who was shot dead in Afghanistan. More... (England)

Crouch out of England qualifiers

news.bbc.co.uk - Tottenham striker Peter Crouch is the latest player to pull out of England's squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland. More... (England)

First purple herons to breed in UK fly the nest

news.bbc.co.uk - A pair of chicks thought to be the first purple herons to breed in the UK have flown the nest, the RSPB says. More... (England)

Armed robbers raid Croydon Costco

news.bbc.co.uk - Armed robbers were caught on CCTV raiding a cash-and-carry store in Croydon, south London. More... (England)

City Titanic memorial is restored

news.bbc.co.uk - A newly-restored memorial marking the bravery of the engineers who died when the ill-fated RMS Titanic sank 98 years ago is to be unveiled in Southampton. More... (England)

Disabled woman to get £4m damages

news.bbc.co.uk - A seriously disabled woman wins a £4m compensation package from the High Court over her birth at an Essex hospital. More... (England)