News in Brief

Spy cameras target Camden drivers

Camden council wants to target drivers who cross against red traffic lights by installing cameras at road junctions. Sites earmarked for the monitoring equipment include Parkway, Camden Town and Heath Street in Hampstead. The borough's traffic planners also proposed traffic calming measures, better pedestrian crossings and improvements to bus lanes. The programme is expected to cost about pounds 790,000.

A Redbridge tale

Redbridge has one of the best library services in London, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. A survey of 3,865 library users showed that 90 per cent were satisfied or very satisfied with the service and 67.5 per cent said the staff were friendly and helpful.

Pigeon pests

People feeding pigeons in London may unwittingly be contributing to environmental problems, according to Westminster Council. An information leaflet, Pigeons and People in Westminster, says pigeons carry salmonella and tuberculosis bacteria and are also the source of a number of allergens. The birds' droppings damage buildings and feral pigeons can deprive other birds of food and scare them from city gardens.

All in together

A new education resource centre, providing support for local schools, has opened in Southwark. The facility houses under one roof the education library

service, teacher training

co-ordinators and information technology trainers who used to work on separate sites.

The building, on Cator Street, has been converted at a cost of around pounds 150,000.

Clinic wins award

An internationally known acute care hospital has won an Investors in People award for its commitment to staff training and development.

The Harley Street Clinic last year became the first independent healthcare facility in the UK to provide the advanced life support course - a programme for nurses, medical and paramedical staff which is approved by the Resuscitation Council. The award was presented by Gwynneth Flower, chief executive of the Central London Training and Enterprise Council, which staged the ceremony.