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The Cardiff streets that have seen the most complaints about things like potholes (Newport Road) and cracked pavements (Queen's Street), according to #FOI.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gallery/shoddy-state-cardiffs-cracked-dirty-27107061

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

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Niche tram #FOI (but may work for other publicly owned transport systems)

In Oct to Mar, there were 469,370 incomplete Metrolink journeys (where passengers didn't tap out), costing passengers £4.60 each time – even if they have reached the daily cap.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/it-head-in-metrolink-passengers-27077275

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

A total of 3,044 Kent children were being home educated in April 2022, compared with 1,997 in 2018, according to #FOI.

Council officials say the reasons behind the rise include mental health problems, bullying and parents' dissatisfaction with schools.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-65858064

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

Between January 2020 and May 2023, there have been at least 35 reported thefts of hospital equipment, drugs, and patients’ possessions across hospital sites run by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/the-trust-that-runs-scarborough-hospital-has-reported-dozens-of-thefts-of-staff-and-patient-property-across-sites-4172488

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

Another angle on the cost of living crisis - how many public sector workers are ditching pension contributions, potentially as a way of saving money.

#FOI shows number opting out of Teachers’ Pension Scheme has risen by over two-thirds in the past year.

https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2023/06/07/number-of-teachers-opting-out-of-pension-rises-by-two-thirds/?saveConsentPreferences=success

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

The number of prisoners in Scotland who have been placed on suicide watch has increased by 28% since 2007, #FOI figures show.

The number of prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm has fluctuated in the past 16 years, peaking at 3,217 in 2021.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/number-scottish-prisoners-suicide-watch-has-increased-28-cent-2007

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

The number of homeless families from Enfield living in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the government’s legal limit of six weeks has risen exponentially in the last year, #FOI shows.

At the end of March 2023, it was 113 up from one in April 2022.

https://enfielddispatch.co.uk/huge-scale-of-enfields-homelessness-crisis-revealed/

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

#FOI shows recorded incidents of sexual misconduct against Welsh ambulance staff have risen each year for the past five years.

Almost two in every three physical attacks reported by staff were sexual.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65825772

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

#FOI shows over the past five years more than 300 officers have been reported for rape and 500 for sexual assault. Only ten of those accused of sexual assault have been convicted. The vast majority – 350 – are still working for the police.

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-06-15/one-police-officer-accused-of-rape-every-week

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

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The 'optical illusion' cycle path causing chaos in Keynsham (as revealed by #FOI) is back: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/04/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-28-4-2023-foifriday/

Three psychology professors have been looking into what has been causing people to trip.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/keynshams-optical-illusion-cycle-path-8504124

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-16-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

Stay informed about FOI news and tips by following the blog: https://clairemiller.net/blog/

Or by signing up for my newsletter: https://clairemiller.net/Words-and-Numbers-.html#sec-546d

#FOIFriday #transparency #openaccess #journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

#FOI reveals crimes on trains and at railway stations since the start of 2021.

There were 74 offences in Wrexham and 102 in Flintshire - with the most common crime in both being railway trespass (22 in Wrexham and 26 in Flintshire).

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23538447.trespassing-common-crime-wrexham-flintshire-railways/

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

An alternative to how many traffic penalties were handed out - who is getting the fines?

#FOI reveals since full enforcement started on April 1, only 34% of penalties issued by Tunbridge Wells Council were to vehicles registered in the Borough.

https://www.timeslocalnews.co.uk/local-news/visitors-to-town-receive-two-thirds-of-traffic-ban-fines/

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

More than 3,000 West Midlands residents are facing lengthy waiting times for council-managed allotments, with some waiting over six years for a plot.

On average, residents are waiting approximately 35 months for a plot according to #FOI.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/cost-of-living/2023/05/30/people-in-the-west-midlands-waiting-up-to-six-years-for-allotment-plots-as-demand-soars/

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

At what speed are those breaching the limit most likely to be caught out?

When it comes to speed cameras or mobile vans in hotspot locations, it is drivers doing between 40 and 49mph who are caught speeding most often, according to an #FOI

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/speed-limit-drivers-most-often-26987841

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

Met police are planning to cut the number of mental health callouts they attend.

21 forces that responded ton an #FOI all showed an increase since 2017.

In Merseyside, mental health-related incidents increased from 7,629 in 2017 to 28,039 last year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64891572

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

The total weekly bill was £582,834 for 4,611 children, with 721 pupils getting taxis to school outside their local authority area, an #FOI reveals.

The biggest spender was Stockport at £138,515, though the highest number of pupils was 1,161 in Salford.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-councils-spending-over-26994658

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

More Scottish patients are choosing to go private, #FOI shows.

In 2019-20, 1,821 patients were removed from waiting lists at the four boards after deciding to have their treatment privately instead. In 2022-23 it was 2,669, an increase of 46.5 per cent.

https://inews.co.uk/news/scotland/scottish-patients-giving-up-on-nhs-waiting-lists-and-going-private-figures-show-2381032

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism

Two machine guns and nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition have been lost by the Ministry of Defence in the last two years, an #FOI reveals.

The Government department admitted lethal weapons and bullets vanished in 2021 and 2022.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/machine-guns-pistols-rifle-ammunition-30085524

This week's #FOIFriday: https://clairemiller.net/blog/2023/06/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-2-6-2023-foifriday/

#journalism #FreedomOfInformation #JournalismTips #InvestigativeJournalism