Slovenian girl, 12, saves project aiming to reintroduce cicadas to New Forest

Conservationists failed to capture elusive insects this summer, so Kristina Kenda offered to step in

When British conservationists flew to Slovenia this summer hoping to catch enough singing cicadas to reintroduce the species to the New Forest, the grasshopper-sized insects proved impossible to locate, flying elusively at great height between trees.

Now a 12-year-old girl has offered to save the Species Recovery Trust’s reintroduction project. Kristina Kenda, the daughter of the Airbnb hosts who accommodated the trust’s director, Dom Price, and conservation officer Holly Stanworth in the summer summer, will put out special nets to hopefully catch enough cicadas to re-establish a British population.

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Portsmouth hospital reopens A&E after restoring power

Queen Alexandra hospital had closed ward to new admissions and declared major incident after outage

A hospital has reopened its emergency department after closing it to new admissions and declaring a major incident after a power cut.

The outage on Monday morning at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire, also affected phone lines. A small number of procedures had to be cancelled.

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Man jailed after shoplifting hundreds of Cadbury Creme Eggs

Layton Richards, 29, sentenced to eight months in prison for string of thefts in Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex

A thief has been jailed for eight months after being found guilty of shoplifting almost 800 Cadbury Creme Eggs over a three-month period.

Layton Richards, 29, had been charged with 24 shoplifting offences between 6 January and 18 April this year, with Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary accusing him of stealing as many as 798 of the confectionery items.

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Man graduates 41 years after being denied ceremony by parrot problem

Jonny Clothier was refused graduation at Bristol University over unpaid bill relating to flatmate’s bird

A man who was denied his graduation for 41 years because of an unpaid bill of £64.80 relating to a parrot has finally donned his cap and gown on the same day as his son.

Jonny Clothier studied architecture at the University of Bristol and was meant to graduate with his peers in 1983. But his old flatmate had a parrot which, after being left unsupervised, had free run of their university accommodation and was said to have wrecked the place.

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Dozens of dead wild animals dumped outside Hampshire shop

Police investigate discovery of about 50 hares, an owl and a kestrel at door of Broughton community shop

A police investigation has been launched after dozens of dead animals were left outside a shop in Broughton.

The Broughton community shop in Hampshire said it was “shocked” to discover the bodies of about 50 dead hares, as well as a barn owl and a kestrel outside on Friday.

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Hampshire allotment holders ‘appalled’ over eviction notices

Villagers in King’s Somborne angry over letters from landowner, the diocese of Winchester, sent over festive period

For more than a century villagers have grown fruit and veg on allotments at King’s Somborne, a picture postcard village in the Test valley, Hampshire.

But plot holders are up in arms after being served eviction notices from the owner of the land, the diocese of Winchester, to make way for housing.

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Hampshire police officer sacked for using ‘extreme’ force against detainees

Force apologises to victims, who included a traumatised woman, for Sgt Simon Lythgoe’s ‘inexcusable’ behaviour

A police officer and power-lifting champion has been dismissed after using “extreme” force against two detainees, including a traumatised woman.

Hampshire police described the actions of Sgt Simon Lythgoe, who was based on the Isle of Wight, as inexcusable and apologised to his victims.

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