FIRE CREWS TACKLE GARAGE BLAZE CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL CHARGER WISBECH: A fault with an electrical charger caused a fire in garages in Queen s Road, Wisbech. Two fire crews from Wisbech and a crew from Outwell tackled the blaze shortly before 6pm on S

FIRE CREWS TACKLE GARAGE BLAZE CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL CHARGER

WISBECH: A fault with an electrical charger caused a fire in garages in Queen's Road, Wisbech.

Two fire crews from Wisbech and a crew from Outwell tackled the blaze shortly before 6pm on Sunday. They extinguished the fire using one monitor, one hose reel and a jet.

POLICE LAUNCH APPEAL AFTER MOTORCYCLIST IS KILLED IN COLLISION

NEWTON: A motorcyclist was killed in a collision near Newton yesterday (Sunday) evening.

Stephen Mason, 35, from Kirkgate Street, Walsoken, was riding a blue Suzuki motorcycle which was travelling along the B1165 High Road, about 240 metres east of its junction with Fen Road, Newton, just before 6pm.

A police spokeswoman said it was believed the bike left the road and collided with a tree stump.

PC Pete Bimson, of the road policing unit, who is investigating, said: "I would like to speak to anyone who was driving along the B1165 just before 6pm who saw this motorbike.

"We need to speak to other drivers to establish exactly what happened."

CONTACT: PC Bimson on 0845 456 4564.

EURO MP BRAGS ABOUT 'MAKING SHEDLOADS OF MONEY'

EAST: A Euro MP who recently visited the Fens only a fortnight ago has been exposed bragging about cashing in on British taxpayers money on dodgy allowance and travel claims.

UKIP MP Tom Wise was caught on camera during a two month investigation by a leading Sunday national to follow the goings on within the European Parliament.

The MEP - who recently attended a St George's Day even at the Three Tuns pub in Doddington - said his job is "the opportunity to make shedloads of money.'

In the undercover footage, filmed by a News of the World Reporter, also said: "I don't know what an MEP's job is. No one's ever given me a job description. I've no idea what an MEP should or shouldn't do. So you make it up as you go along."

• Fenland UKIP leader denounces Euro MP - full Story coming later.

PLANNERS USE NEW GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE TO STOP GROWTH OF HAMLET

TIPPS END: Time has been called on the expansion of a Fenland hamlet after planners used a new Government directive to bring to an end a rash of house building.

New homes have been springing up in Tipps End near Welney in recent years under laws which allowed in fill in the countryside.

But now Fenland District Council says the Government policy which allowed such developments has been deleted.

And the first casualty has been a bid to build a home in the garden of Toft Cottage.

The council says two five bedroom homes nearby were applied for an approved just before the directive came in.

"The site lies within an existing hamlet, which has seen a variety of consents granted supported by the now deleted policy "says a report by council officers.

"However following the deletion of this policy no such policy justification exists to allow the development.

"No concerns are raised in respect of the impact that the proposal would have on existing residential amenity, nor that of the future residents of the approved dwellings at Windmill Farm.

"In addition no concerns are raised in respect of access, parking or layout.

"Notwithstanding this, it is considered that the principle of development is unacceptable"

The council says development in hamlets such as Tipps End will be in future be more strictly controlled

LIB DEMS WELCOME COUNTY COUNCIL'S NEW LEADER

CAMBRIDGESHIRE: Liberal Democrats on Cambridgeshire County Council have welcomed the fourth Tory Leader of the Council in a little over 12 months. Jill Tuck was chosen by the Tory group from a field of six during its monthly meeting on Friday.

David Jenkins, Lib Dem group leader, said: "Cllr Tuck's got quite a job on her hands. "She will lead a council which has been on the receiving end of a series of adverse Audit Commission and CSCI reports.

"She will have to make something out of the congestion charging mess which the last two leaders have dropped her in and which has split her group.

"And she's got to ensure that the ever unpopular Cambridgeshire Guided Bus gets finished as near on time as possible and without going over budget.'

"At the same time she's got to address the issue of growth on the one hand and climate change on the other. The conservative group has shown itself unimaginative in its approach to the former and signally unable to grasp the enormity of the latter.'

He added:: "If I were in Cllr Tuck's shoes I'd be looking to distance myself from the mistakes of my predecessors and to learn from the many inputs which the Lib Dems have given: through motions which they have moved in council, petitions which they have supported and the alternative budgets which they have presented in each of the last three years.