The cost of a failed bid to block a wind farm, continued speeding by motorists and an outbreak of thefts from a local hospital have all been exposed by campaigning reporters on a Devon weekly.
The stories came to light as a result of a series of Freedom of Information requests made by the North Devon Journal.
Barnstaple community editor Adam Wilshaw said: “We have in the past six months published a series of hard-hitting exclusives based on Freedom of Information requests.
“The Journal champions old-fashioned investigative journalism and all our reporters make great efforts to spend time building up contacts, attending meetings, ploughing through official records, all to make sure our communities know what is going on at all levels.”
Some of the Journal’s FoI stories are summarised below:
Supporters of the wind farm condemned the authority for spending thousands of pounds opposing the scheme, even after it had been cleared by a Government inspector. There will be 22 turbines built, each 110m tall.
Nearly £20,000 was taken in one month alone when a cash machine was forced open, the Journal revealed. Other property taken from the hospital included a charity collection tin, doctor’s stethoscope, handbags and a computer.
The news came despite the presence of cameras and police patrols. The figures from Devon and Cornwall Police showed one driver was clocked doing 55mph in a 30mph zone, while another motorist was caught hitting 62mph in a 40mph area.
Medics and teachers expressed fears that Ritalin was being given out too often for children diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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