A new writing platform has been launched to promote working class writers and tackle the publishing industry's "class crisis".

The Bee will consist of a website, literary magazine, podcast and outreach programme to support the development of working class writers.

It has been produced by Newcastle-based charity New Writing North and is part of the A Writing Chance programme, which is co-founded by Northumbria University, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and actor Michael Sheen.

New Writing North CEO Claire Malcolm said: "Talent is classless. Opportunity, however, is class-bound. The Bee is an urgent response to that."

She said: "Our research shows that despite incredible success stories from these initiatives the class crisis continues to grow.

"There's never been so much debate about class in the creative industries but nothing has changed and things are actually getting worse and inequality more entrenched, hence the need to make our own reality."

'Ordinary working people'

Ms Malcolm said just 10% of authors and writers were from those backgrounds.

It is hoped the Bee – which has a podcast the Working Class Library – will give writers the chance to publish fiction and non-fiction work.

The magazine's editor, Richard Benson, said people from "less well-off sections of society" deserve the chance to tell their stories.

"Much of the important writing being done today and so many of the best-loved stories come from ordinary, working people," he said.

"So often, it's stories from the working classes that express what's really happening in the world."

A 40-year-old man has been arrested after a suspected burglary at an exotic zoo.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnsons of Old Hurst in Church Street, near Huntingdon, at about 21:50 BST on Monday.

A blue Land Rover Defender and trailer were stolen by a group of men, the force added.

A spokesperson said a man followed and confronted the suspects, but when he did, they rammed his vehicle and drove off.

The confrontations happened in New Road, Humberdale Way and Ramsey Road in Warboys.

Det Con Emily South said the man "attempted to stop the suspects escaping".

The suspects were believed to have left in a Range Rover and Volkswagen Passat.

One of the vehicles thought to be involved was later found in Slacks Lane in Bury, near Ramsey.

The zoo is home to animals including lions, crocodiles and capybaras.

The suspect from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was held on suspicion of robbery and burglary and was released on bail.

Police appealed for anyone with more information to come forward.

When asked if she has any resentment towards the driver, Ms Lucas said: "Absolutely not, no."

"The driver had not been drinking. The driver was young. He was inexperienced," she added.

"We know that young people's brains are not mature until they're about 25.

"It wasn't his fault. There was nothing to stop him driving. It's just sadly – very sadly – one of those things."

Ms Lucas described her son as a natural entertainer and music lover who was "full of life" and who "completed the family". He was studying business at Bournemouth University and would have turned 23 this week.

Ms Lucas said she had joined other bereaved families to campaign for graduated driving licences to stop more families going through similar experiences.

"Losing a child, for anybody, is clearly hard," she said. "Losing a child where, arguably, it could be prevented by a change in the law… it's not going to save all lives, but it could save so many. That's really my focus.

"Let's make some change. Stop these deaths."

Graduated driving licences already exist in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, some US states, Finland, Norway, Sweden, France and Northern Ireland.

Ms Lucas is calling for a UK-wide version to be rolled out which would mean new drivers could not carry passengers under the age of 25 until they have been driving for six months, or have turned 20.

"It's to stop young people having a group of friends in a car when they don't have the experience to handle the distractions," Ms Lucas said.

"It's just about giving them some time to drive on their own and improve their own skills before they have the responsibility of having passengers in the car."

The restrictions explained

The overall campaign is led by Crystal Owen, from Shrewsbury, who lost her 17-year-old son Harvey when he was a passenger in a car that crashed in north Wales in November 2023. Three other teenagers were also killed.

The campaign is calling for:

• A minimum six-month learning period for learner drivers before they are eligible for a practical test.
• For the first six months after passing their test, or until they turn 20, drivers should not carry passengers aged 25 or under unless accompanied by an older adult
• All cars must be fitted with a tool that could smash open a window if a car is trapped, to allow occupants to escape to safety.
• Violating the rules would result in six penalty points, leading to immediate licence suspension.

Six mothers of road crash victims, including Ms Lucas and Ms Owen, have now delivered a petition calling for stricter driving laws to Downing Street after it was signed by more than 100,000 people.

Since the event, Ms Lucas said she heard from more parents who wanted to support it.

"The group has now got well over 100 members," she said.

MP for the South Cotswolds, Dr Roz Savage, said the work Ms Lucas has done to raise awareness was "admirable".

However, she added restrictions may "unfairly disadvantage" young people in rural areas where public transport is "often non-existent".

Ms Lucas argued the temporary restrictions are designed to save lives and not disadvantage, adding: "There is no greater disadvantage than having no life."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way.

"Whilst we are not considering graduated driving licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads.

"We are determined to tackle this, including through our THINK! campaign, which has a focus on men aged 17-24 as they are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than other drivers."

Lorna Lee, campaign manager at the AA, said that while more education could form part of a graduated drivers licence system, the presence of young passengers was the factor the motoring body sees "time and time again" in serious crashes.

"We know that for every similar age passenger that is carried with a young driver, that crash risk increases," she said.

"So if you can just remove that risk for a short period of time after they have passed their test, we think you would start to see a real improvement in the death and serious injury rates amongst that demographic."