A woman has marked her 60th year as a Girlguiding leader – earning her a service award presented by a celebrity and an afternoon tea.

Marion Davies, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, began volunteering for the organisation when she was 18, and has no plans to stop.

"I love the outdoors, I love the camping and giving the girls the opportunity to enjoy it and appreciate it," she said.

Her award was presented by Phil Harding, an archaeologist who starred on Channel 4's Time Team and who is also a deputy lieutenant for Wiltshire.

Parents in Wolverhampton are being urged to carry out detailed checks if they are hiring vehicles for their children's prom night.

Not all companies advertising the services of stretched limousines and other luxury or performance vehicles were licensed, the city council warned.

The council's licensing team said it was working with schools and other local authorities to alert families to the potential safety risks, including dangers linked to drivers plus uninsured or non-roadworthy transport.

Extra vigilance was said to be particularly needed when booking services advertised on social media, where the unlicensed trade primarily operated.

Companies hiring out a vehicle and driver with fewer than nine seats may require a private hire vehicle operator licence from the city council and people should check that with the service provider and the council, the authority said.

Companies hiring out a limousine and driver with nine passenger seats or more must have a public service vehicle (PSV) operator licence.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, said: "Prom nights are special occasions for young people to get together and celebrate all that they have achieved.

"Unfortunately, we are aware there may be unscrupulous companies looking to take advantage at this time of year. The driver may not have had a criminal record check or the vehicle may not be roadworthy. In addition, unlicensed vehicles and drivers won't be insured.

"Hiring a vehicle and driver that hasn't been properly vetted and licensed could put your child and their friends at risk.

"Please consider making checks on the company you are thinking of hiring from to make sure everyone has fun and stays safe on prom night."

A pledge has been renewed to provide better phone signal along a rail line, despite a lack of progress in recent years.

Tyne and Wear Metro bosses said they were "fully committed" to delivering 4G and 5G connectivity across the system.

Nexus, which operates the line, had dropped plans to install wi-fi on the Metro's new fleet of trains in 2023, but said it wanted to fix connectivity blackspots in areas such as Pelaw and Fellgate, as well as the underground section in central Newcastle and Gateshead.

Head of ICT Steve Duchar said improving connectivity was a "time consuming and costly" operation.

He said the company is engaging with "major network providers" to deliver improvements.

Mobile network EE has provided 4G connectivity through the tunnels since 2019, but other providers like O2, Vodafone and Three have not followed suit in subsequent years.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it understood no work had been carried out since the February 2023 pledge to install new infrastructure.

In London, uninterrupted 4G and 5G mobile coverage is being rolled out to all underground station ticket halls, platforms and tunnels on the Tube.

A woman says a book club for cancer patients has helped her to cope with the disease.

Florence Moore, from Boston, was invited to join the Lincolnshire-wide group, which meets online, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023.

She said the free books, which are sent to members monthly, had helped her to take her mind off the cancer by escaping "away into this other world".

Annie Theed, a Macmillan care co-ordinator, founded the club to help patients feel less isolated. She said: "We have created an atmosphere where people feel relaxed and can talk openly."

Ms Moore, an activities co-ordinator at a Boston care home, described how she "kept thinking about cancer all the time" before joining the club.

"I was sent my first book, which was set in the 1800s," she said. "It was brilliant reading it, as it took me away from my situation."

She added: "I'd forgotten how much I liked reading. I was being sent books that I wouldn't normally buy, yet I read every one and always got something from it."

The club, which was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic to help patients keep in touch with carers and one another, holds virtual meetings, allowing anyone in Lincolnshire with a cancer diagnosis to join.

It is funded by the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity.

Ben Petts, a manager for the charity, said: "The cost of a book could be a lot for some families to find each month. By providing this funding, we have ensured the book club is inclusive to everyone."

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.