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

Threats by the EU lead to the introduction of laws to prevent companies dodging tax in the Crown Dependencies.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Head teachers in Jersey will go on strike for the first time over a pay dispute with the island's government, a union has said.

A spokesman for the National Association of Head Teachers said 87% of members in the island voted in favour of strike action, with a 75% turnout.

It comes in response to the ongoing public sector pay row, external with the States of Jersey.

Two weeks ago civil servants went on strike for two hours over the pay offer.

No date has been set for the strike.

A States spokeswoman said the pay offers were intended to achieve "the best deal possible" to "tackle equal pay" and raise the incomes of "the lowest paid".

Rob England
BBC News Online

A political pressure group has criticised plans to ban smoking at La Moye prison in Jersey.

Forest, which campaigns against tobacco control activity, says there should instead be designated smoking areas.

Image source, Getty Images

Prison authorities say inmates have not objected much to the ban, due to begin next month, and offenders will be offered one-to-one sessions to help them quit.

But Forest director Simon Clark said it was "one of the few pleasures" prisoners have.

He warned tobacco was "an important currency" in prisons and there could be "unintended consequences" of a ban, including violence and illegal drug taking.

Prison Governor, Nick Cameron, said the service helped prisoners in solving offending behaviour and leading better and healthier lives as part of preparing them for release.

BBC Weather

Showers will continue to cross the area from the west through this evening and overnight, but there will again be some clear intervals. The fresh west to southwest winds will persist overnight.

Minimum temperature: 8 to 11C (46 to 52F).

Thursday will be another day of sunshine and showers. Through the afternoon, the shower risk will diminish for a time, before longer spells of rain start to move in from the southwest later.

Maximum temperature: 8 to 11C (46 to 52F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

Rob England
BBC News Online

"No adverse effects" are expected for ferries travelling between the UK and the Channel Islands after Brexit, a UK minister has said.

Image source, Getty Images

Responding to a question in Parliament, external, Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, said the government had met with officials at the ports of Poole and Portsmouth.

"While work is ongoing, we do not currently expect services from Poole to the Channel Islands to be affected at all, nor any significant adverse effect on those from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands," he said.

Mr Grayling said the talks were held as part of wider discussions on the impact of Brexit "under a range of scenarios".

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A company that sells Guernsey jumpers has been told to stop implying that their clothing is manufactured in the Channel Islands.

Channel Jumper Ltd is a registered company in Alderney, but it's products, including Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney themed knitted jumpers, are made in the UK.

Guernsey Woollens, a local manufacturer, filed a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) against their competitors over the wording on their website, which claims it "brings you the finest quality traditional sweaters from the Channel Islands".

Image source, channeljumper.com

The ASA ruled that the wording on the "Our Knitwear" section of the Channel Jumper website - which claimed the company was founded to "establish a knitting industry" in Alderney - was misleading, as customers would assume that the clothing was made in the island.

The regulator ruled that the wording "must not appear again in its current form".

While the wording surrounding the Alderney knitting industry has been removed, the claim of bringing "the finest quality traditional sweaters from the Channel Islands" remains on the page.

Channel Jumpers has been contacted for a response.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Four men have appeared in court charged with raping a woman.

Jersey Magistrates Court heard the alleged assault happened at La Rue des Platons, Trinity, on Sunday.

Oprea Stefanita Dobre, 18, Florin Ionut Calin, 20, Marius Adrian Dobrin, 24 and Dorel Stafanita Diaconu, 22 - all Romanian nationals living in Trinity - were charged on Wednesday morning.

Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris committed the case to the Royal Court.

The men were remanded in custody and are expected to appear on 30 January.

Police said a fifth suspect, aged 18, was in custody for questioning.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Reports of suspicious financial activity in Guernsey have nearly doubled in the past five years, figures show.

The reports are submitted by finance companies to alert law enforcement agencies to suspected money laundering or terrorist financing.

Image source, Getty Images

In 2013, there were 745 reports, which rose to 1,438 in 2017.

The figures were requested by the BBC following a recent critical external report on Guernsey law enforcement, external which recommended the IT system used to log the reports was upgraded.

In it, the increase in suspicious financial activity reports is attributed to the authorities' efforts to raise awareness of reporting requirements.

The figures also revealed 37% of the 3,882 reports were referred to financial investigators in the United Kingdom.

South African investigators were passed 13%, while 10% of reports went to authorities in Indonesia and the US, respectively.

John Fernandez
BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey cannabis products business Celebrate Ltd wants to put up security fencing and other protective measures at a winery in Douit Lane in the Castel.

The applicants would not discuss with the BBC the planning application in the Vale but residents have raised objections to the plans.

However, from looking at the plans, it appears there would be space for about 10 cars, alongside plans for a security fence around the perimeter of the site.

Residents nearby have already said they are dead set against it - despite not knowing what the site will be used for.

They said the idea of security fences in the area is completely out of character with the Ruette Tranquille, which it is on.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Law officers in Guernsey say they are working to improve a "vital" area of international work, following criticism of how long it takes to respond to international legal requests.

The length of time taken to investigate criminal offences and prosecute, or retrieve the proceeds of crime were described as "worrying" by external inspectors in a November report., external

Image source, Getty Images

Since 2012, there have been 262 requests for legal assistance from other jurisdictions, figures obtained by the BBC show.

The HMIC report also revealed authorities were working on cases linked to more than £200m worth of criminal assets, some involving "alleged corruption of foreign heads of state whose assets have been frozen in the Bailiwick of Guernsey."

A spokeswoman for Her Majesty's Procurer said many legal assistance requests were often complex and "answered substantively" within two to three months of receipt.

She added they had an "impressive record" in responding to urgent requests.

She confirmed law officers were already working on the report's recommendation to review working practices and were "likely" to develop an internal agreement with investigators to try and reduce delays.

BBC Channel Islands News

Sales of Channel Island lottery tickets are expected to push the first prize to £1m.

Malcolm Woodhams, from the Association of Guernsey Charities, said he believed this would result in a last-minute buying splurge.

The first prize was previously listed, external as £825,000.

The draw is on Wednesday evening and, after prizes, proceeds from sales go to local good causes.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Guernsey has responded to 16 requests for company ownership information since it established a register of ultimate business owners, figures requested by the BBC show.

Guernsey, along with Jersey and the Isle of Man introduced ownership registers in 2017, following pressure from the UK.

The island's government has said the registers are an effective deterrent to financial crime, and responded to all of the requests within 24 hours.

Fifteen of the requests came from UK authorities, and one from elsewhere, the Home Affairs Committee said.

Campaigners say making the registers public will make it easier to uncover corruption, money laundering and tax dodging.

A move by MPs earlier this year forced the British Overseas Territories to establish public registers of true company owners.

BBC Radio Jersey

Four men are due to appear in Jersey Magistrate's Court, charged with rape.

Jersey Police said it followed an incident in the early hours of Sunday.

A woman is being supported by specially trained police officers.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's minister for children has apologised to the victims of abuse in island care homes, as he announced a new compensation scheme.

It follows a campaign by a lawyer representing islanders who had been fostered, or who had spent time at Les Chenes residential home.

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry found the regime at the Les Chenes School was "harsh and inappropriate".

It is expected to cost the States millions of pounds.

Senator Sam Mezec said the States had failed children in the past and the new scheme would recognise that...

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey prison authorities say the inmates at La Moye haven't made much objection to a smoking ban which comes in next month.

It was announced on Tuesday that inmates will be offered one-to-one sessions to help them quit - with about 80% of new prisoners being smokers.

Governor of La Moye, Nick Cameron, said the prison service helps prisoners in solving offending behaviour and leading better and healthier lives as part of preparing them for release.

Meanwhile, Andy Buttimer - the health care manager at La Moye - says inmates have welcomed the opportunity to become healthier...

BBC Radio Guernsey

The president of the Committee for Employment and Social Security says sexual discrimination will be an issue in the States of Guernsey, just as it is with other employers in the island.

Deputy Michelle Le Clerc made the comment when speaking about the results of a consultation, which revealed workplaces had paid off members of staff to avoid litigation for sexual discrimination in Guernsey.

She said that was why it was crucial that an independent body outside of Guernsey's government dealt with concerns...

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

St John are through to the quarter finals of the Trinity Shield after winning 5-3 at St Ouen.

Jason de Andrade and Ruben Pestana each scored twice for the winners, along with an own goal, while Ciaran Pack got all three for St Ouen.

St John will now play reigning champions St Brelade in the quarter-finals of the Channel Island's oldest football tournament.

Twitter

An orange level weather warning has been issued for the Channel Islands by Jersey Met.

Orange level means winds up to gale-force can be expected and peope should "remain vigilant".

BBC Radio Jersey

The States want to recruit an officer who will be based in Paris to liaise with the French and German governments for Jersey after Brexit.

Plans for the new civil servant - who will work for the External Relations department - are included in a government report announcing departmental budgets for 2019.

The department - which now falls under the newly constituted Office of the Chief Executive - has been given a budget of £1.7m for the next year.

It wants to recruit the new officer within three months.