Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands

BBC Radio Guernsey

Members of Guernsey's motor trade "clearly" want to be the ones to carry out new MoT-style tests on the island's vehicles, the president of the Environment and Infrastructure Committee says.

On Monday night, a policy letter was published by Environment and Infrastructure, and the Policy and Resources Committee, asking the States to protect rights to continue to drive in all EU member states post-Brexit - by extending the Vienna Convention, external to the island.

The convention carries certain requirements, including the need for vehicles to be subjected to MoT-style checks.

The States has been given three options of how it could be done: a States-run facility, an independent facility or for established garages to do the tests.

Deputy Brehaut said it was clear that the third option was preferred by the trade, but, if approved, regulation would be needed.

He said: "Anyone that does this will have to be inspected. We will have to monitor it."

BBC Radio Jersey

A Jersey States officer who made the wrong decision about health workers pay rises has already left the job, the chief minister says.

Incorrect pay upgrades were given to 125 health staff who will now have salaries cut after an independent report found the decision, made last year, was flawed.

John Le Fondre said he understood that the situation had "caused ructions across elements of the workforce", but added that the officer responsible was "no longer with us".

BBC Weather

A dry evening on Tuesday with a few clear spells. However, cloud will increase with outbreaks of rain moving in from the west during the early hours. It will be breezy.

Minimum temperature: 4 to 7C (39 to 45F).

Wednesday looks set to be mostly cloudy with the chance of a little rain or drizzle from time to time. South-easterly winds strengthening again later. Maximum temperature: 5 to 8C (41 to 46F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

BBC Radio Jersey

A man was punched in a Jersey pub after asking a 27-year-old to leave three women alone, police say.

The younger man was holding a glass in his hand when he hit the 60-year-old in the face at the Office pub in Hope Street, at about 23:00 last Friday, officers said.

The 27-year-old was arrested on suspicion of grave and criminal assault and has since been released on police bail.

The 60-year-old was treated at the General Hospital for a cut to his face.

Simon Fairclough
Guernsey Political Reporter

Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) is urging deputies to vote in favour of an amendment to proposals to change the island's drug-funding policy.

In an official letter of comment, committee president Gavin St Peter said P&R could not support a proposed change without a comprehensive review.

P&R has responded to a requete, being led by Deputy Peter Roffey, which seeks to give islanders access to the same range of medicines and treatments as NHS-funded patents when being treated in UK hospitals.

Deputy St Pier acknowledged it was a "highly emotive" subject but it would be "perverse" to review drug funding without a clear understanding of all the implications.

An amendment, tabled by Deputy Heidi Soulsby and Deputy Michelle Le Clerc, calls for a full review into drug availability, or to make all approved drugs accessible to Guernsey patients straight away with additional funding from P&R.

Deputy Soulsby favours option one, as does P&R.

Jersey Evening Post

A Syrian asylum seeker – who fears his life is at risk from Islamic State if he is forced to leave the island – has been granted the right to appeal against his deportation., external

BBC Radio Jersey

Special privileges granted to Jersey's top civil servant will only be kept if he achieves "a certain standard" according to the island's chief minister.

The States of Jersey's chief executive, Charlie Parker, was given entitled status "in the interest of the community" with his job, causing outcry from some politicians.

Normally only high-value residents in Jersey are given the status without having to live and work in the island for 10 years.

But now Senator John Le Fondre says he is "unsure" whether Mr Parker has already got the qualifications or not.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Officers are looking for a young girl who has lost her purse in Jersey.

It contains the girl's birthday money, according to police.

"We know it was lost on or around the 11 November," a spokesman said.

Image source, States of Jersey Police

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Next year you could be paying a bit more for a pint of beer in Sark.

The island is a favoured destination for booze-cruisers from neighbouring Guernsey owing to cheaper prices, and the lovely scenery, of course.

This island brewed pint cost just £2.80, for example.

But in its 2019 budget,, external Sark's government approved a 5% increase in impot - a duty on alcohol and cigarettes.

Booze prices are generally lower in Sark compared to neighbouring Guernsey and Alderney, where annual rises in alcohol and cigarette duty are the norm.

Sark's government hopes the measure will raise an additional £16,000.

Whether that additional cost is passed on to the customer will be down to island businesses.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Condor Ferries has announced passengers travelling between the Channel Islands and the UK will need to carry identification from March.

Previously it was only required on services between France and the islands.

Paul Luxon, Condor's CEO, said it was part of the company's move to "adopt best practice", and to fall in line with "international standards".

The change will come into effect from 1 March 2019.

"Acceptable forms of ID include a valid or recently expired passport, driving licence or national identity card," a company spokesman said.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

The owner of Sark's bicycle rental business wants to know what progress has been made on plans to de-regulate the use of electric bikes on the car-free island.

In July, the island's government began a consultation to "see if there was an appetite for change", after it was approached by a number of residents.

Steve Cole, from Avenue Cycles, says he's not heard back on any progress since.

Mr Cole says he is turning down about 100 people each year who want to rent e-bikes as he can't under a 2013 Sark law.

"We've been trying to campaign for this for many years now, and it did come up once before and got brushed aside and nothing happened.

"But we are turning customers away every year and people throughout Europe and the world can go anywhere and hire an electric bike, except for on Sark - where the bike is king.

"We need to be able to say to people, yes or no," he added.

BBC Radio Jersey

A Jersey minister has blamed senior civil servants for a pay deal for some island health workers which has been described as "disastrous".

The workers were upgraded last year in an attempt to balance out the pay structure. The upgrading has cost the department £750,000.

A review concluded the deal had set colleagues against each other, and had been disastrous for industrial relations.

Senator Lyndon Farnham said it had been arranged without the knowledge of the States Employment Board, when civil servants ignored the correct procedures.

The 126 staff affected will have their pay cut again in April.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey's postal watchdog says the level of misdeliveries in the island is still concerning - despite work to improve the problem.

Image source, Getty Images

Postwatch chairman Bryan Guilbert says misdeliveries "regularly" pop up in statistics provided by Guernsey Post.

This is when a letter is posted to the wrong address.

Issues such as delays in the completion times of delivery rounds, and how some properties experience wrong deliveries more often than others, were highlighted in a report into postal services last year.

Mr Guilbert says progress has been made, but problems remain with the service.

Mark Henry, the sorting office manager, says weather disruption can cause huge delays in getting post to islanders.

He says in these circumstances catching up with the backlog is done "on the goodwill of the postmen" who often continue delivering "near dark".

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BBC Radio Guernsey

Planning permission has been sought to install a new hyperbaric chamber at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Health officials say the old chamber became "too expensive" for St John to run back in 2014.

Image source, Getty Images

The existing chamber has been put up for rent.

Hyperbaric chambers are used to treat conditions such as the bends, external, which can affect scuba divers.

It cost £30,000 to receive treatment in the old chamber, but the States say they hope new facilities will drive down these costs to £596 per visit.

In April, Jersey's only hyperbaric chamber was closed without warning as government funding was withdrawn.

BBC Radio Jersey

Three sites have been identified as possible locations for a new skatepark in Jersey.

A report from Jersey Sport said the new facility could be built at Coronation Park, Les Jardins de la Mer or Les Quennevais.

Image source, Jersey Sport

Jersey's skateboarders and other riders have been looking for a new home after the existing park at the New North Quay closed earlier this year.

Consultants - PMR Leisure - have released a report looking at 11 initial sites for a new park, assessing them on areas such as accessibility, space, history and the impact from noise.

Designs have been inspired by the island's history and surroundings and include a number of rails, pipes and benches.

The Jersey Skatepark Association has called for the States to take the project forward and make it a reality.

Senator Steve Pallot, the minister responsible for sport, says the States will need to consider the report's findings and what's needed before the project can move forward.

BBC Radio Jersey

Bel Royal Corner in Jersey has seen its fourth road crash since the end of October.

Police said only one vehicle was involved on Tuesday morning, and there were traffic delays while the scene was cleared.

More than 100 workers will return to old pay grades but will not have to pay back extra wages.