Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

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A golden plaque, flowers and handwritten cards have been laid at the Bicester Motion site following the three deaths

PA Media A golden plaque, flowers and handwritten cards. — A golden plaque, flowers and handwritten cards have been laid at the Bicester Motion site following the three deaths

The news of the deaths of two firefighters - Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler - and a member of the public, David Chester, who were all killed in a blaze at an Oxfordshire business park, was among our most-read stories.

We have picked five articles from the past seven days from Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

Popular Dorset beach loses Blue Flag status

Weymouth Central Beach missed out on the internationally recognised award

Getty Images Weymouth Beach — Weymouth Central Beach missed out on the internationally recognised award

A popular Dorset beach has lost its Blue Flag status as nine sites across the county retain the accolade.

Weymouth Central Beach missed out on the internationally recognised award given to beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats that meet specific environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria.

It comes after the beach's water quality was downgraded from "excellent" to "good" by the Environment Agency at the end of 2024.

Avon Beach, Branksome Chine, Canford Cliffs, Durley Chine, Fisherman's Walk, Friars Cliff, Highcliffe, Sandbanks, and Shore Road all received Blue Flags.

Tributes to firefighters and father killed in blaze

Martyn Sadler and Jennie Logan died in the fire at the Bicester Motion business park

Facebook A composite of Martyn Sadler, wearing fire uniform and smiling, and Jennie Logan, wearing a grey jumper and cuddling a brown dog in front of a field of tulips — Martyn Sadler and Jennie Logan died in the fire at the Bicester Motion business park

Tributes have been paid after the deaths of two firefighters and a 57-year-old man in a fire at an Oxfordshire business park.

Firefighters Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, died in the fire at Bicester Motion on Thursday. Father-of-two David Chester, who worked at the site, was also killed.

The fire was reported at about 18:30 BST on Thursday and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar.

Warning as frisky New Forest stallions released

The 21 stallions will be out in the New Forest for about six weeks until 23 June

New Forest Roads Awareness Four horses all brown in colour one to the left rearing up with dense woodland behind them. — The 21 stallions will be out in the New Forest for about six weeks until 23 June

Drivers and visitors to the New Forest are being warned to keep their distance as stallions have been released in the New Forest to breed.

As the behaviour of the 21 stallions could be erratic, verderers who regulate the livestock on the forest have urged visitors not to walk through the pony herds and to keep dogs under close control.

Motorists are being urged to be on their guard, plan their route and expect large herds of ponies that are likely to be "flighty and defensive".

The stallions were turned out on Monday and will be brought in on 23 June.

Terminally ill crane hero's bucket list granted

Glen Edwards who used a cage to rescue the workman, who was surrounded by flames and thick smoke, has always played down his heroics

BPM Media Glen Edwards wearing an orange hard hat, high-vis vest and sunglasses. — Glen Edwards who used a cage to rescue the workman, who was surrounded by flames and thick smoke, has always played down his heroics

A terminally ill hero crane operator, who rescued a workman from a burning high-rise building is set to get his bucket list wishes granted.

Glen Edwards was dubbed the "Bruce Willis of Reading" after using a cage to rescue the workman, who was trapped on a roof of the Station Hill development in November 2023.

After being told his spine cancer had grown Mr Edwards' wife, Kate, asked Bucket List Wishes for help "to make some lasting treasured memories together whilst we can".

The charity has stepped in and will first help the couple and their teenage son move home, before organising several other wishes, including a family photo shoot, for Mr Edwards and his loved ones once they are settled in.

Abandoned kittens adopted by surrogate mum

Lumen was hand-fed, along with Ember, by RSPCA staff on the island

RSPCA A kitten being hand-fed with a bottle as he sits in a RSPCA staff member's hand. — Lumen was hand-fed, along with Ember, by RSPCA staff on the island

Two abandoned kittens who were hand-reared by RSPCA staff have been adopted by a surrogate mother and moved to the Isle of Wight to help them.

Ember and Lumen were fed every two hours by RSPCA staff on the Isle of Wight after they were found.

They helped find a suitable mother with a litter of a similar age from West Sussex's Mount Noddy RSPCA centre, near Chichester, and she and her three kittens were moved to the island.

Ember and Lumen were introduced to the mother, Brook, along with her kittens, and she immediately accepted them as her own.

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