Union official resigns

The union official whose dispute with the chemicals giant Ineos escalated to the stage where it threatened the future of the Grangemouth oil refinery has resigned from his job with the company. Stephen Deans said: "Ineos Grangemouth is now entering a new period, and my own situation would only prove to be a distraction, and would cast a shadow over what we all must hope will be a prosperous long-term future for the plant."

Crime code updated

Businesses will be able to make Impact Statements when they are victims of crime, as part of new measures announced in the revised Victims Code. The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed changes to the Code to give a stronger voice to retailers affected by crime.

Action on motoring cost

The government has announced a raft of measures intended to help motorists cut the cost of running a car. They include a crackdown on whiplash fraud, a freeze on MOT test prices and a scheme to reduce the cost of fuel at motorway service stations.

Search for armed robber

A police helicopter was scrambled in an unsuccessful search for an armed robber after an attack on a forecourt in Norfolk.

Police were called to Nun’s Bridges Service Station, Thetford, at 8.23pm on Tuesday, October 15, after a man with a knife demanded money from a cashier.

Community award

A Top 50 Indie has made a major contribution to its local community after being presented with a £500 Kingsmill Community Retailer award. Hazlegrove Services, at Sparkford, near Yeovil, Somerset, which is owned by Chartman, was presented with the award to help fund the community’s acquisition of a defibrillator.