Thousands of UK bus stops to be turned into insect havens

Thirty bee and butterfly-friendly bus stop roofs have been installed in the UK since 2021

(Image credit: Albert Pego/Getty Images)

published 29 September 2022

The roofs of bus shelters across the UK are to be turned into miniature gardens to support bees and butterflies. Grasstopped bus stops were first erected in the Netherlands, and have since become a familiar sight in Nordic countries; in the UK, Leicester is leading the charge, with 30 installed since 2021. Clear Channel, the company that manages 30,000 shelters for local councils, says it plans to convert at least 1,000 of its bus stops into insect havens over the coming years.

Brit breaks sheep shearing record

A British woman has set a world record by shearing 370 sheep in eight hours. Marie Prebble, 34, whose family has worked land in Kent for centuries, sheared one strong wool lamb every 90 seconds, equivalent to more than 46 an hour, to claim her title. No woman had gone for the record before she staged her attempt in Cornwall, but she now has rivals limbering up to seize her crown, including a farmer from New Zealand who is planning an attempt in February. Sheep-shearing can become “quite addictive”, Prebble told Kent Online. “I feel like this is almost the beginning for me in terms of how far I could take it.”

Man scales Ben Nevis after nearly dying climbing it

A bricklayer who nearly died while climbing Ben Nevis has finally scaled the peak – with the physiotherapist who saved his life. Trevor Botwood, 63, had a cardiac arrest in 2020 while halfway up the mountain. He was spotted falling over by Courtney Ferguson, 27, who was out walking with her sister, and who performed CPR as they waited for an ambulance. “I owe my life to Courtney,” Botwood said. “She’s a beautiful person inside and out.” He added that he hoped his return trip to Ben Nevis with her would help him "put the incident to bed”.