BODY RECOVERED FROM RIVER NENE MARCH: The body of a woman in her 60s was recovered from the River Nene in March on Saturday. Police were called to the Nene, close to Wigstone s Road, at 4.10pm after a body was spotted by members of the public. The

BODY RECOVERED FROM RIVER NENE

MARCH: The body of a woman in her 60s was recovered from the River Nene in March on Saturday.

Police were called to the Nene, close to Wigstone's Road, at 4.10pm after a body was spotted by members of the public.

The body was recovered by specialist teams. A police spokesman said the woman's death was non-suspicious and has been passed to the coroner for a post mortem.

YOUTHS ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED FIREARM INCIDENT

FENLAND: Four Fenland youths were held by police after a firearm was allegedly used to threaten someone in Skegness.

Armed police stopped a vehicle in which the youngsters were travelling in a nearby village some 55 minutes after the alleged incident.

Five people in a Ford Focus were arrested: a girl from Wisbech, 17; a boy from March, 16; a girl from Wisbech, 14; a girl from London, 14; and a boy from Wisbech, 16.

FENLAND KEY STAGE ONE PUPILS BEHIND REST OF COUNTY IN CORE SUBJECTS

FENLAND: New figures show five to seven year-olds in Fenland lag behind the rest of the county in the five major disciplines of maths, science, writing, reading and speaking.

And, with some notable exceptions, the trend continues right through to the age groups to when pupils take their GSCEs at 16.

The figures are contained in a report prepared by Adrian Loades, director of planning and development in the office of children and young people at Cambridgeshire County Council. He will present his findings to Fenland District Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee later this week which will be considering attainment and achievement in Fenland.

The committee will be asked to consider ways in which they could support improvements in educational attainment in Fenland.

Mr Loades said the average results for the county as a whole are above the national average for all key indicators at ages 5, 7, 11, 14 and 16.

However he pointed out the average results for Fenland "are below the county average for all key indicators at each phase of education," he said. "This includes results which show the overall attainment of pupils and also the progress made by pupils."

But Mr Loades was keen to emphasise that within these overall averages "there are some individual primary and secondary schools which are performing well."

TRACTOR, RIDGE FORMER AND PLOUGHS STOLEN IN BURGLARY

CHATTERIS: A heavy goods vehicle was used to steal agricultural equipment from a farm in Chatteris.

The theft took place between 6pm on Tuesday March 25 and 7.30am on Wednesday March 26 at a farm in Fentons Way.

A tractor weight, ridge former and two chisel ploughs were stolen and a porta cabin damaged during the incident.

PC Andy Minns said: "I would like to hear from anyone who has any information about this incident or thinks they know the whereabouts of the equipment."

Anyone with information should contact PC Minns at Chatteris Police Station on 0845 456 456 4 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

CARS PARKED IN FOUR STREETS BROKEN INTO

CHATTERIS: Four cars were broken into in Chatteris during Wednesday (April 2) evening and Thursday morning (April 3).

The incidents happened in:

• Slade Way, when a blue Ford Mondeo was broken into and a stereo stolen.

• Marritt Close, at around 3am, when a black Volkswagen Passat was broken into and a DVD player stolen. A man described as white, around 5'2" and wearing a woolly hat.

• Quaker Way, when a blue BMW 3 series was broken into but nothing was stolen.

• Angood's Lane, when a grey Audi A3 was broken into but nothing was stolen.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about the break ins.

Anyone with information should contact PC Chris Goodman at Chatteris Police Station on 0845 456 456 4 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

PROPOSED SHAKE UP OF TELEVISION NEWS CRITICISED

FENLAND: A planned shake up of television news was criticised for falling "well short" of the service viewers deserve.

Job cuts will result from revised proposals which will see separate east and west bulletins for the region replaced in favour of coverage for the whole of Anglia - a total of 10 counties - and some recorded segments used instead of live broadcasts.

Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union, said: "This proposal is unworkable and falls well short. They haven't attached any money to it. The proposal is predominantly still based on ITV significantly reducing its regional news output.

"What is being offered is significantly less than what's currently available."

On member of Anglia staff, who did not want to be identified, said decreased local content would mean an inferior service for viewers and expressed concern at the loss of the late live broadcast.

"News is the one programme viewers expect to be live and with recent concerns about TV fakery etc, viewers won't necessarily be aware they are watching pre-recorded news."

LETTER OF THE DAY

ON Saturday night around nine pm I was out walking my dogs when I noticed five orange lights that floated across the night sky but that was just the beginning.

Over the next half an hour there was about another 20 that floated across the night sky.

They were not planes as one flew over me with its lights flashing. Has anyone else seen these lights and have an explanation for this?

BARRY MUNDELL

CHATTERIS