Business leaders have pledged to ban plastic straws following a newspaper’s campaign to get them outlawed.

The Sunday Mail launched its Last Straw campaign with the aim of making Scotland the first nation in Europe to outlaw such drinking straws.

According to the Glasgow-based Mail, up to a billion straws, which take up to 500 years to decompose, are thrown away in Scotland each year.

Now, organisations and businesses including the Scotch Whisky Association and ScotRail have pledged to ban them.

SWA chief executive Karen Betts said: “Congratulations to the Sunday Mail on its Last Straw campaign. This is a real call to action for all of us to do everything we can to phase out plastic straws, which are almost impossible to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.

“The Scotch whisky industry takes sustainability very seriously. Through our environment strategy, the industry is taking action to reduce its impact on the environment, including to reduce non-fossil fuel use, increase recycling and ensure efficient use of water.”

A daily newspaper has joined other regional press titles in demanding the government imposes tougher sentences on killer drivers.

The Express & Star, Wolverhampton, is demanding MPs work quickly to pass a proposed new law which would see the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving increased from 14 years to life, after reporting on two cases in which two killers behind the wheel were given lesser sentences.

York daily The Press has campaigned on the issue since October 2016, while Johnston Press launched a group-wide drive the following month after its central investigations team compiled a report on lenient sentencing for such crimes.

However, despite the government announcing new legislation in October 2017, the proposal has yet to go before MPs.

A petition has now been launched by the paper calling for the tougher sentences to be introduced.

In an editorial on the subject, the E&S said: “The crime of dangerous driving should be urgently addressed by our lawmakers.While the death toll grows, time and time again we see people who are found guilty of this offence handed sentences that are pathetic.”

A city news website has launched its first campaign since becoming an independent editorial entity from a sister daily newspaper.

The rebranded Birmingham Live site, formerly run under the Birmingham Mail’s banner, has teamed up with reading charity Beanstalk in order to help improve children’s literacy in the city.

The campaign is being run with Birmingham Live’s ‘Brummie Mummies’ family channel, which is aimed at families and offers advice on things to do with children.

It is the first campaign launched by the site since a restructure which saw Trinity Mirror’s digital team in Birmingham made independent from its print team.

Trinity Mirror West Midlands editor-in-chief Marc Reeves said: “We’ve worked with Beanstalk on different projects over a number of years, so I’m delighted that this is the first campaign for the newly launched Birmingham Live site.”

On average, 35pc of children leaving primary schools in Birmingham cannot read at the expected level.

Two sister dailies have backed the return of a day to celebrate the county they serve.

The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star have lent their support for Suffolk Day, which was held for the first time in 2017.

It was marked on 21 June, the longest day of the year, to recognise that the sunrise on Suffolk’s east coast is the earliest in the UK.

The celebration has also been backed by BBC Radio Suffolk and Suffolk County Council.

Brad Jones, pictured, editor of the EADT and Star, said: “People across the county embraced the first ever Suffolk Day last year, and I think this year will be even better.

“We’re lucky to live in a fantastic part of the world, which has so much going for it. Do we celebrate it enough? Definitely not, but Suffolk Day is the perfect opportunity to change that.

A regional daily has launched a campaign aimed at keeping readers safe from bogus callers.

The Dundee Evening Telegraph’s ‘Safe as Houses’ appeal aims to keep people on its patch informed about the threats they could face in their own homes.

As part of the campaign, the Telegraph will run features on work being done by Dundee City Council and the police to tackle the problem, as well as highlighting the stories of those who have fallen foul of bogus callers.

It will also provide tips and tricks to ward off scammers.

Editor Andrew Kellock said: “It’s so important that people feel safe in their own homes. But sadly, there are criminals out there who want to take advantage of people in our communities.

“That’s why we’ve launched this campaign — so we can help you to take the precautions you need. Together, we can help make Dundee a safer place.”