South Live: Monday 18 March

1. Updates from Monday 18 March

BBC to show both Women's FA Cup semis

National Trust bans hunt from estate

Man jailed for smuggling migrants

Festival capacity to rise by 5,000

That's all, folks

Thanks for joining us today. We'll be back at 08:00 GMT on Tuesday.

£7m funding set for Newbury stations

Nearly £7m is set to be spent on Newbury's railway stations.

Great Western Railway is planning covered cycle parking, a ticket vending machine and improvements to the footbridge at the racecourse station.

Improved connections for those using public transport are planned for the town centre station.

N Chadwick

Ground broken on new Theale school

Ground is finally being broken today, more than four years since the idea of building a new primary school to replace the one in Theale was first put forward.

The village's parish council had blocked the proposal until recently, but now work on new £8m building at North Street playing fields can start.

It's hoped it'll be finished by Easter 2020, as West Berkshire Council says the need for a new primary school is urgent.

Google

Whyte joins up with NI squad

BBC Sport

Oxford United winger Gavin Whyte has joined up with the Northern ireland squad ahead of their Euro 2020 qualifier against Estonia in Belfast.

Whyte has won four caps for his country since he scored on his debut in a friendly against Israel in September.

This is the first international match since he admitted being after being filmed performing a lewd act in public.

Presseye

Strike over school redundancy fears suspended

Local Democracy Reporting Service

STRIKE action over redundancy concerns at a Southampton school, which was scheduled to take place this week, has been suspended.

Members of the National Education Union at Valentine Primary School say they have come to an agreement with Southampton City Council officers to suspend the walk-outs so “formal negotiations” can take place.

They add that officers will meet with trade union representatives and school leaders in “a formal setting” on Tuesday, 19 March, in “an effort to resolve the dispute”.

The two-day strike over the threat of redundancies and increased workload at the school was due to be held on March 20 and March 21.

Survey shows level of violence against police in Hampshire

One in five Hampshire police officers surveyed had suffered one or more injuries that required medical attention as a result of work-related violence in the last year, the local Police Federation branch has revealed.

It resulted in 484 days in sickness absence.

Hampshire Police Federation Chairman Alex Charge criticised sentencing policy for those convicted of assaulting police officers.

“Sadly the message doesn’t seem to have got through and we continue to see perverse, weak and unacceptable sentences for those who assault officers across our county," he said.

Hampshire Constabulary

Drivers urged to take note of horses

A new campaign is urging drivers to keep a safer distance from horses and riders, when passing them on the roads in Dorset.

Operation Close Pass - Horse Safe is a new initiative from Dorset Police suggesting a minimum passing distance of 1.5m when overtaking.

PC Heidi Moxam said: "It's about taking that extra time and being aware of what your engine sounds like and the extra noises coming from your vehicle because an animal can be spooked differently to a person on a bike."

Dorset Police

Thousands awarded to charity bringing disabled on holiday

Nearly £10,000 pounds have been awarded to a Berkshire charity which takes adults with learning disabilities on respite holidays to give their families a break.

Adam's Arc is based between Reading and Newbury and has received the money from the National Lottery.

Jackie Teague, who runs the service, told the BBC it "really gives parents a rest" while their children are off enjoying themselves.

CCTV released over courier fraud targeting man, 85

Police have released footage of a man who they believe may have vital information about a fraudster who posed as a detective to get money out of an elderly man.

The incident occurred on Saturday 2 March around 13:30 GMT in Straight Road, Old Windsor.

The offender posed as a bogus Hammersmith police officer when he contacted an 85-year-old man via phone and told him his bank account had been compromised.

He said officers were targeting staff at the bank and ordered the victim to collect some cash that would be collected by a courier later that day.

The con man also ordered his target to call 999 and cite the back of his card so they could confirm the identity of the bogus officer. But the offender stayed on the phone, resulting in the victim speaking to the fraudster.