The Exeter Express & Echo is campaigning for phone firms to crack down on Internet dialling scams which leave computer users with huge phone bills after their modems are redirected to premium rate and international numbers by a rogue virus.
Telephone industry watchdog Ofcom has now announced a two-month review into tightening up regulation of premium rate operators.

Annes Glyn, a former writer for the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald and Yr Herald titles has been awarded a top literature prize.
Annes was presented with the prestigious Literature Medal at the 2004 National Eisteddfod.

The advertising sales team at East London Newspapers were the subjects for Archant London’s own version of Big Brother.
In keeping with the TV show, the event saw nominations, evictions and regular tasks that were all based on selling – with the team having to produce four supplements in four weeks.

A Leicester city council officer refused to speak at a meeting to discuss the future of a local sports centre when he discovered a Leicester Mercury reporter was present.
The Mercury’s reporter left so the meeting could continue after the move by head of community services, lifelong learning and community development Steve Goddard, which prompted six members of the public to storm out.

The Birmingham Evening Mail’s Why My Child Appeal has hit the £600,000 mark.
The campaign aims to raise £1m for the Wellchild Research Centre to be based at Birmingham Children’s Hospital which will be Europe’s first research centre into childhood diseases.

Graeme Robb, a well-respected sports correspondent for the Press and Journal in Aberdeen, has died five days after having heart bypass surgery. He was 67.
Graeme covered cricket, rugby and swimming for the paper for 20 years.

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