WHAT HAPPENED ON 27th February 2001?

26th February 2001

EU VETS EXTEND UK LIVESTOCK EXPORT BAN

European Union veterinary chiefs have extended a temporary ban on UK animal exports until March 9 owing to the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis. The EU Standing Veterinary Committee said the ban due to expire on March 1 should be prolonged as more cases of the disease are discovered in Britain. But the panel was satisfied with the safety measures taken so far by the UK. France meanwhile is destroying 20 000 sheep which it imported from Britain.

27th February 2001

SNOW BRINGS CHAOS TO NORTHERN BRITAIN

Snow & strong winds have cut power to more than 100 000 homes in Scotland Northern Ireland & northern England. Fife East Lothian the Borders Co Down & Co Antrim have been badly hit; in Northumberland 15 pupils were stranded at a school for dyslexia. Both GNER & Virgin said rail services would not be running to Scotland. Forecasters expect the snowstorms the most severe in recent years to sweep across the rest of the UK.

27th February 2001

MONDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

Air strikes against Iraqi air defences caused "significant disruption" said Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. Mr Hoon said the operation 10 days ago by the US & Britain had been a "success" & both weapons dropped by the RAF hit their intended target. Shadow defence secretary Iain Duncan Smith backed the air assault. He said he "fundamentally" disagreed with those arguing that the air strikes would only make the situation worse.

26th February 2001

GOVT SHUTS PATHS TO STOP FOOT-AND-MOUTH

The Government has introduced powers to shut down rights of way in England & Wales in an effort to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth. Under them councils have discretionary rights to shut down paths across individual premises & affected areas. The Scottish Executive is expected to announce similar measures later today. Meanwhile many National Trust & Forestry Commission properties in affected areas have been closed off.

27th February 2001

SNOW BRINGS CHAOS TO NORTHERN BRITAIN

Snow & strong winds have cut power to more than 100 000 homes in Scotland Northern Ireland & northern England. Fife East Lothian the Borders Co Down & Co Antrim have been badly hit; in Northumberland 15 pupils were stranded at a school for dyslexia. Both GNER & Virgin said rail services would not be running to Scotland. Forecasters expect the snowstorms the most severe in recent years to sweep across the rest of the UK.

27th February 2001

GIANT DOME HAMSTER BOUGHT FOR £3 000

A six-feet-tall hamster which delighted visitors to the Millennium Dome has been sold at auction for £3 000. The giant rodent complete with a piece of cheese is one of 15 000 Dome items up for sale over the next four days. Father-of-three Brent Pollard plans to give his new acquisition pride of place at his Kent visitor attraction. A Scottish club owner bought a lifesize figure of a depressed England fan for #900 to display "whenever they lose".

26th February 2001

N IRELAND POLICE RECRUITMENT LAUNCHED

A huge recruitment drive for Northern Ireland's new police service has begun despite a refusal by Sinn Fein & the SDLP to back the policing arrangements. The Police Service of Northern Ireland aims to draw an equal number of Protestant & Catholic recruits. Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan said support was still not forthcoming from "all sections of our community". But the need to start recruitment meant he could not wait until then he added.

27th February 2001

SNOW BRINGS CHAOS TO NORTHERN BRITAIN

Snow & strong winds have cut power to more than 100 000 homes in Scotland Northern Ireland & northern England. Fife East Lothian the Borders Co Down & Co Antrim have been badly hit; in Northumberland 15 pupils were stranded at a school for dyslexia. Both GNER & Virgin said rail services would not be running to Scotland. Forecasters expect the snowstorms the most severe in recent years to sweep across the rest of the UK.

27th February 2001

FEARS OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH IN N IRELAND

The foot-and-mouth outbreak could have spread to Northern Ireland agriculture minister Brid Rogers has announced. A farm in south Armagh has been sealed off during tests after sheep arrived from a market in Carlisle two weeks ago An exclusion zone which straddles the Irish border has been put into place around the farm. Meanwhile the Army is modifying patrols in the area to try to minimise the risk of foot-and-mouth infection.

26th February 2001

TEACHERS' VOTE BACKS "NO COVER" ACTION

Members of a teachers' union in London and Doncaster have voted to take industrial action over staff shortages. The NASUWT said 93% of members who voted were in favour of refusing to cover unfilled posts. The NUT is expected to announce similar support. The so-called "no cover" action could mean schools having to send pupils home if teachers cannot be found for classes The results of separate ballots in six other regions will be known next month.

27th February 2001

SNOW BRINGS CHAOS TO NORTHERN BRITAIN

Snow & strong winds have cut power to more than 100 000 homes in Scotland Northern Ireland & northern England. Fife East Lothian the Borders Co Down & Co Antrim have been badly hit; in Northumberland 15 pupils were stranded at a school for dyslexia. Both GNER & Virgin said rail services would not be running to Scotland. Forecasters expect the snowstorms the most severe in recent years to sweep across the rest of the UK.

27th February 2001

DEATH Detectives are treating as suspicious the death of a man whose body was found on allotments at Leigh- on-Sea in Essex. The area has been cordoned off. SCHOOLS More than 80 000 children in 510 schools across England are receiving a free piece of fruit each day as part of the Government's drive to improve child health & nutrition. ROBBERY Police are hunting for four masked robbers who tied up a couple and their two children during a house raid in Scarborough North Yorkshire.

26th February 2001

DEER HUNTING FALLS FOUL OF DISEASE BAN

All deer hunting & stalking has been banned in Scotland by the foot-and- mouth control order officials said The Deer Commission for Scotland said it has suspended all deer counting & other activities planned for this week. "The ban on stalking is an important precautionary measure to minimise movement around the countryside " said commission director Nick Reiter. The National Farmers' Union in Scotland has cancelled all its farmers' meetings for the next seven days.

27th February 2001

SNOW BRINGS CHAOS TO NORTHERN BRITAIN

Snow & strong winds have cut power to more than 100 000 homes in Scotland Northern Ireland & northern England. Fife East Lothian the Borders Co Down & Co Antrim have been badly hit; in Northumberland 15 pupils were stranded at a school for dyslexia. Both GNER & Virgin said rail services would not be running to Scotland. Forecasters expect the snowstorms the most severe in recent years to sweep across the rest of the UK.

27th February 2001

PLANE CRASHES INTO THE SEA OFF SCOTLAND

An aircraft with two people on board has crashed into the Firth of Forth. A spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was a Shorts 360 passenger plane on a positioning flight. Investigators are on the way to the scene of the crash.