People affected by the recent floods are being urged to visit a flood support and advice service that's rolling into Kendal today.

It will be parked at Asda from 3.30pm to 8pm both today and tomorrow.

Reps from Age UK and the Red Cross will be there, to offer help on applying for grants and how people can access other support services.

The mobile unit will also be visiting Morrisons in Kendal on the 24th and 25th of February at the same times.

The unit has been organised as part of a co-ordinated response to the district’s flood recovery, through the South Lakeland Community Flood Recovery group, which includes representatives from Cumbria County and South Lakeland District Councils, the Environment Agency, local and national charities and representatives from the business community.

Penny Pullinger, who is helping to manage the Gateway Mobile Support Unit, said: “What we are finding now is that many people affected by the flooding before Christmas are aware of some of the support that is available, but perhaps not everything they can access.

“By understanding their situation we can help them to get the support they need now and to think about the support they may need over the coming weeks and months.

“By registering they will also be kept up to date with information about grants and flood recovery help."

For those who are interested by won't be able to visit the team, forms to apply for help are also available at the Encouragement Cabin on Sandylands, the Flood Felief Centre in the Westmorland Shopping Centre, or by calling in to the Age UK South Lakeland offices on Finkle Street.

The Gateway Group is also running a flood support advice line on 01539 792028.

The first of twenty steel posts has been installed that'll help rebuild the collapsed section of the A591 between Keswick and Grasmere.

The key route's been shut since the carriageway fell away at Dunmail Raise during Storm Desmond.

Kier Highways has been contracted by Highways England to get the job done.

The government says it will reopen by the end of May.

Chris Holehouse, Highways England’s senior project manager for the scheme, said: “We’ve made real progress since starting the main construction work last week and the latest pictures from the construction site show how the retaining wall is already starting to take shape.

“We’re working closely with Kier Highways, Cumbria County Council and its contractors to do all we can to get the A591 repaired and re-opened as soon as possible, following the extensive damage caused by December’s storms.”

Once completed, the new retaining wall will provide greater protection to the road from the effects of erosion. It will be built using 4.5-metre-wide concrete panels which will be supported by the steel posts. More concrete will be poured behind the panels up to a thickness of 3.5 metres.

The wall will also be covered with local stone so that it looks like a dry stone wall and blends in with the local landscape.

So far, Kier has removed all the loose rocks and stones from the edge of the beck, created strong foundations for the concrete wall panels and installed some of the steel supporting posts.

Drivers, businesses and local residents can stay up to date by visiting the scheme website where they can also sign up to receive email updates about how the project is progressing.

Unemployment rose across the Morecambe Bay area in December with increases in South Lakeland, Furness and North Lancashire.

Cumbria Police want to speak to a Kendal man who is wanted in connection with an aggravated burglary that took place in January.

It is believed that 22 year old Jordan Jenkinson is in the South Lakes area.

Police would like to speak to anyone who has information about his whereabouts, after an incident on January the 6th.

Anyone with information should call Cumbria Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Fat Face stores in Cumbria are donating nearly a thousand pounds to five separate charities.

The outdoor clothing specialist's stores began a fundraising campaign in November last year - shops in Ambleside, Bowness, Kendal, Keswick and Kirkby Lonsdale took part.

The money will be split between the Will Clark Fund; Bay Search and Rescue; Young Carers in Kendal; Keswick Mountain Rescue; and Kirkby Lonsdale Arts Scene.

A new report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies has rated Cumbria Police as "good" at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

Three areas that need improvement have also been revealed by inspectors though, including protecting vulnerable people from harm and supporting victims.

Improvement's also needed in investigating crime and managing offenders, and tackling serious and organised crime.

Cumbria's Police & Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes said:  “Naturally, to receive an overall assessment by HMIC of ‘requires improvement’ is a disappointment, and there is clearly work to be done to raise the overall standard. HMIC have set out a number of recommendations in their report which will form the basis of a plan for improvement.  

“That said, I’d like to pick up on some of the many aspects of the positive feedback the Constabulary has received, and the examples of best practise that were identified.  For instance, the Constabulary was adjudged ‘good’ at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, and neighbourhood teams are working well with partnership organisations to resolve local problems. There are examples too, of good schemes to divert young people away from crime, such as ‘It’s your choice’ and ‘Prevent and Deter’.  There was good feedback, too, on how victims were kept up to date, with dedicated officers and volunteers contacting victims at key points in investigations.

“Another area of work to highlight is that of complex crime investigations, which are of a good standard.  

“However, investigations of less complex crime were deemed sub-standard, and workloads unmanageable.  Custody Investigation Teams were found to lack the capacity to carry out effective duties and are often seconded to other duties.

“One of my responsibilities as Police and Crime Commissioner is to hold the Chief Constable to account. At my Executive Board in March, I will ask for a report from the Constabulary about the progress that has been made to address the concerns and issues highlighted within the HMIC report.”

Detective Superintendent Andrew Slattery said: “The Constabulary welcomes the findings from HMIC’s latest PEEL inspection into police effectiveness.

“We are pleased that the inspection highlighted the work we conduct to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour at a local level by effective policing and partnership working. One of our strengths is the positive relationship we have with our communities and this engagement enables us to tackle those issues that matter most to the public. However, there are crime threats facing the county that are not as visible to the public and it is our duty to ensure that we effectively tackle those to keep people safe.

“The Constabulary has already begun to look into the areas for improvement, particularly with regards to the management of offenders and tackling serious and organised crime. Additional resources will be committed to managing offenders by the Constabulary. The Constabulary has an excellent track record of tackling serious and organised crime but the focus for us will be to improve the understanding of all our officers and staff of the vital role they play in tackling the threat from organised crime and how they can contribute to our fight against those causing the greatest harm. We will ensure that we include our partners to a greater degree in this vital work and make sure that Cumbria is united in its efforts to keep our communities safe.

“Our officers and staff are proud to serve the public and I can reassure the public that the areas of improvement are being treated with the utmost importance.”

Kendal's gearing up for "a lot of fun" over the next couple of weeks, according to the town's Business Improvement District team.

As this year is a leap-year, local women are being invited to propose to their partners on Victoria Bridge on February 29th.

The BID team says local ladies who pop the question on the bridge will also be in with a chance of winning prizes from local businesses to celebrate their engagement -and the bridge being open again.

BID Manager Sarah Williams says anyone interested should get in touch as soon as possible, by emailing her at sarah@kendalbid.co.uk

Sarah says that's just one of the ideas planned for over the next two weeks to celebrate the re-opening of the bridge, after it was shut due to riverbed damage.

An NHS team from Cumbria raised more than £2000 for the county's Community Foundation during the recent Big Sleep.

50 occupational therapists braved the cold by sleeping in the old Honister Slate Mine.

The money will go towards the charity's Winter Warmth Appeal which helps the elderly and vulnerable heat their homes.

Janet Folland, Professional Lead for Occupational Therapist at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust who originally brought forward the idea of The Big Sleep Challenge to Occupational Therapists in Cumbria said:

“The Big Sleep was a great opportunity to bring together a group of Occupational Therapists whilst also fundraising for a Cumbrian charity. The challenge really was a testament to the grit and resolve of all who took part. I would like to thank them all for braving the weather, the cold and the dark to sleep in a slate mine at the top of a mountain! I am also grateful to everyone at Honister Slate Mine. 

“We have now raised over £2200 and I feel from doing this we have made a big contribution to the raising of awareness of fuel poverty and the impact that cold weather can have on vulnerable people in Cumbria.”

A Carnforth-based heritage railway company has been issued with a Prohibition Notice, preventing it from running services on mainline railways.

The Notice - from the government's Office of Rail and Road - the 'ORR', has been given to the West Coast Railway Company amid safety concerns after several incidents in the past year.

A review of the company's safety certification was launched in December, after a number of incidents which included a steam engine going past a danger signal in Wiltshire last March.

The train came to a halt, avoiding a collision with an express train by less than 60 seconds.

The company was given a warning at the time - but safety issues continued, resulting in the latest action.

A statement from the ORR, reads: "ORR considers WCRC continues to present a safety risk, hence we are issuing a Prohibition Notice.

"Under the terms of the Notice, the company will not be able to operate trains on the mainline network until we are satisfied its governance and operations meet industry practice and are fit for the scale of its operation.

"Steps the company must take include: the introduction of clearer governance structures with proper accountability for safety; more robust risk assessments; and enhanced processes for managing staff with a focus on safety culture."

Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways at ORR said: "A decision to stop a train operator from running rail services is not taken lightly. However, my concerns about West Coast Railway Company’s lack of appreciation of the seriousness of a collective range of incidents over the last year, coupled with ORR’s concerns on the company’s governance, regrettably make this prohibition necessary. These failings create a significant risk to operations on the mainline network.

"We want to encourage successful business operations on our railways and hope WCRC will be able to put in place steps to ensure fit and proper safety management with a view to resuming operations.  Our inspectors stand ready to work with the company to support and advise as it strengthens its approach to safety."

Cumbria Police has launched a CCTV appeal for a couple of separate incidents last month.

In the first picture, officers would like so speak to the man in connection to the theft of two Karrimor jackets from Sports Direct in Kendal on the 24th of January:

In the second image, the force wants to speak to the woman in relation to an incident on a Stagecoach bus service between Penrith and Kendal on the evening of the 21st of January:

Anyone who has any information should call Cumbria Police on 101 and ask for PC 2021 Phelps, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Met Office has issued warnings for the next three days as more unsettled weather heads towards the Northwest.

A yellow alert for ice is in place for tonight and tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, a separate yellow warning for rain comes into effect on Saturday lunchtime and lasts all weekend.

You can keep up with the latest weather warnings by clicking here.

Kevin Wadsworth is the Met Office Advisor for the Northwest: "The unsettled theme is set to continue. Just for now, though, it isn’t too bad. Some bright or sunny spells and just the occasional shower to watch out for. Where the ground is wet, we may see the risk of icy patches forming on any untreated surfaces overnight, so there’s a Yellow Warning of Ice in force from 20:00 this evening to 10:00 tomorrow morning (medium likelihood, low impact), for areas roughly north of Warrington and Greater Manchester area. Please note that some agencies receive specialist forecasts from us to inform their winter maintenance operations and they should continue to refer to those for best advice.
 
"After a dry start on Friday, we’ll see the cloud thickening and some outbreaks of rain developing by late morning or early afternoon. Once the rain moves away tomorrow evening, we’ll have a blustery westerly wind, clear spells and scattered showers for the rest of the night.
 
"Any showers left around early on Saturday morning will move away, as a more general area of thickening cloud moves in from the west. This will bring strengthening winds and outbreaks of rain to all of us during the course of the morning and into the afternoon. We should see a drier interlude on Saturday evening/night, but further rain is likely on Sunday. Thankfully, Monday and Tuesday are expected to be much brighter and drier, with a cold breeze and one or two isolated wintry showers.
 
"The ground is still very wet, so the weekends rainfall is likely to cause some surface water flooding in prone locations. As a result, we have a Yellow Warning of Rain (medium likelihood, low impact), in force, which covers areas from the north of Cheshire northwards, and is valid from 12:00 on Saturday to 23:55 on Sunday."

Emergency services were called to Sellafield this week, to deal with an incident involving sulphuric acid.

Firefighters from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service were called at about 10.30am on Tuesday to help Sellafield fire crews.

A spokesperson for Sellafield Ltd said: "We can confirm that a small quantity of sulphuric acid transferred into a contained area within the water treatment plant on the Sellafield site on Tuesday.

"Site operations were not affected and there have been no safety, environmental or radiological implications.

"With the support of Cumbria Fire and Rescue the issue was quickly resolved. The cause is being investigated fully."

A northern housing association is working to make home ownership more affordable, after a recent report highlighted that the average person in Cumbria would need an annual payrise of more than £16,000 to avoid being priced out of the market.

The report, produced by the National Housing Federation, revealed that only people earning upwards of £40,000 a year can afford a typical mortgage in the county.

The average worker only earns £23,410 though - meaning they'd need a 69% pay rise to be able to afford a mortgage.

The average home in Cumbria now costs £172,783 - that's over seven times the average salary.

With house prices rising at a faster rate than most salaries and people continuing to struggle to get onto the property ladder, Two Castles Housing Association has built 104 homes this year across Cumbria and the North West in areas where demand is at its highest.

All those homes have been either sold under shared ownership agreements or let at affordable rates, providing a vital supply of housing to people otherwise priced out of the market.

Developments completed in 2015 include 43 new affordable homes in a £7m scheme at Grange-over-Sands, 27 new affordable homes in a £3.9 million scheme in Kendal, South Lakeland, both built by Esh Property Services in partnership with Two Castles.

An additional £2.6 million scheme of 18 new affordable homes has been built in Staveley by Two Castles with local developer Russell Armer Homes, while another 40 homes across Cumbria were built as part of Story Homes developments and acquired by Two Castles, with 14 completed in 2015.

To continue to address the shortfall, Two Castles has plans for 66 more affordable homes in Cumbria in 2016. Once complete, all of these homes will be sold on or let to local people with established connections to the area.

Rob Brittain, property services director at Two Castles Housing Association, said: “The NHF’s report indicates that it is simply impossible for many people in Cumbria to even consider home ownership. This serves to highlight just what a vital contribution our affordable housing makes.

“Through our shared ownership homes we help to make the housing ladder more accessible for hardworking, local people – people from whom home ownership might otherwise simply not be an option.

“Our new housing schemes, such as our development in Kendal for example, continue to be over-subscribed by families who are struggling to stay in the communities they call home. With this in mind we will continue to work hard with partners to continue to address the shortfall in housing throughout 2016.”

Cumbria police want to speak to a woman in connection with an incident that happened on the 21st January, on a bus from Penrith to Kendal.

No details have been released about what exactly happened, other than it occurred just after 6pm on board a stagecoach service.

The female pictured was travelling with the male in the flat cap sat behind her in the picture.

Anyone with any information, or who may be able to identify the man pictured, is asked to call Cumbria Police on 101 and ask for PC 2021 Phelps or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police investigating a theft from Kendal's Sports Direct store last month have released an image of a man they'd like to speak to in connection with the incident.

It happened on the 24th January, and Officers want to speak with the man in the photo.

Two Karrimor jackets were taken from the store.

Anyone who has any information should call Cumbria Police on 101 and ask for PC 2021 Phelps, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Tourism businesses from across Cumbria have until the end of March to enter the prestigious Cumbria Tourism Awards.

The awards celebrate the very best of what Cumbria has to offer - as well as the individual people behind the attractions.

It's now in its 14th year, and there are 16 award categories in total which celebrate the huge range and diversity of Cumbria’s tourism industry.

The majority of the winners from the awards will go on to represent the county at the Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2017.

There are new categories this year, with full details here.

Ian Stephens, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, said: "Taking part in the Cumbria Tourism awards is a fantastic way to showcase and market your tourism business. I highly recommend you take the time to submit an entry as the entire process from start to finish is an invaluable way to review your offer and gain insights into how to grow and develop. The gala dinner is a glittering midsummer celebration and if you are lucky to win an award, the additional publicity brings local and national recognition and a great sense of achievement for you and your team."

Cumbria's flood victims should get millions in European Union funding, according to the leader of the Lib Dems.

Tim Farron, the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, today handed over a petition from more than two thousand people calling for the UK Government to apply for money under the EU’s Solidarity Fund.

It helps countries when they’ve been hit by major natural disasters, like the flooding seen in our region before last Christmas.

Click below to hear Mr Farron's comments, speaking in Brussels:

Cumbria County Council has agreed its new budget, and will increase Council Tax by 1.99%.

Since 2011, the council has identified £153 million in savings - but another £75 million still has to be saved.

You can see how each property band will be affected on the table below:

Cllr Patricia Bell, Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council and Cabinet member responsible for finance, said: "This year our budget consultation has been about strategies for the future and how we can continue to deliver our priority services in a drastically different way within the budgets available. A process within which there have been no easy decisions. Today’s decisions have been about setting a budget that will help us live within our means.

"So far we have made our savings by reshaping the council; changing how we do business internally as well as a significant amount that has come from working more effectively with our partners and communities. Even with this we still face an extremely tough and challenging time as a result of Government cuts.

"We have a legal duty to balance our books. To achieve this, the journey ahead will continue to be difficult. This budget is about taking control of our future despite the tough economic times which the council continues to face.”

Police have cancelled their appeal for help to find a missing Windermere man.

An appeal was launched this afternoon, after the man in question hadn't been seen since 10.30am on Wednesday morning.

Local people are being thanked for their help.

Cumbrian school kids are being encouraged to enter the Rydal Mount Wordsworth prize for young poets.

It's organised by the famed wordsmith's descendants.

This year's theme is Mind the Gap and budding poets are being asked to consider the effects of the recent floods and the closure of the A591.

There's a week left to enter.

Entry forms can be found by clicking here ; or via the Cumbria education department schools’ information portal.

Peter Elkington, the curator of Rydal Mount, who is organising the contest on behalf of the Wordsworth family, said: “The writers can interpret the theme in any way they wish, but we thought that it would be an opportunity for some of them to consider how the winter storms and the Gap on the A591 have affected their lives and their family lives.”