07/04/2017 Channel Islands News

All 25 members of Jersey's St Helier lifeboat crew have resigned

in a dispute with the RNLI over the sacking of the coxswain.

Andy Hibbs, who's volunteered with the charity for more than

two decades, says there's a culture of bullying.

The BBC has been contacted by another RNLI station that

claims its volunteers were also bullied.

They're the emergency services of the sea -

volunteers with the RNLI regularly risk their lives in all kinds

But if there's an emergency today, this lifeboat won't be going out

Yesterday coxswain Andy Hibbs was sacked, and his crew has

He says he's being punished for standing up for himself and them.

There's all sorts of issues obviously that I can't go

into because we've got five days to appeal.

But an allegation was made against me, it was investigated,

I was found not guilty and on the back of that

investigation, quite clearly shows that the person who made

So there's serious implications all the way through, but the thing is,

at the end of the day, myself and my crew have been

put under immense pressure, and bullied by a senior member

of the RNLI through no fault of our own.

Commenting on the allegations of bullying, the RNLI said...

But having no St Helier lifeboat crew during the hot,

sunny Easter holidays poses a health and safety concern,

although lifeboats from Guernsey and Alderney will be

Jersey's harbour master says he's confident they'll be able to respond

There's a range of options we've got.

We just have to respond appropriately, depending

But I can reassure everybody that as long as they're well prepared

and properly equipped, there's no reason at all why

they shouldn't go out to sea this weekend.

A protest is planned on Sunday to support Andy Hibbs and his crew.

He has five days from Monday to appeal against his sacking.

In the meantime, this station will remain empty.

Julie Flanagan, BBC Channel Islands, Jersey.

More than 40 people are now working on a murder investigation,

following the death of a woman in Jersey.

Ana Maria Rebelo's body was discovered at a

Tributes are describing her as a "bubbly" person

Three days on, it's hard to believe this is the house where 51-year-old

Ana Rebelo was found strangled to death.

This sole bunch of daffodils on the doorstep isn't

A different scene on Tuesday, when police were called

to the Victoria Street property, and later arrested a 58-year-old

man, who's since been released on bail.

Today, officers say they're working with Ana's extended family

Ana was a member of the congregation here at St Thomas's Church,

where people are shocked at her death.

We have all been bruised by a thing like this,

especially the Portuguese community.

This is the third such tragedy we have had in

She always said hello, she was a smiley person.

Pipa told us Ana was a family friend, who always had time

Rory, who works at a phone shop where Ana was a customer,

Claudia says, the last time they met, Ana talked about how happy

Investigators are continuing forensic work in the area today,

looking at CCTV footage, social media and phone records,

focusing on Ana's last known movements, to find out

what was behind the brutal act that ended a woman's life.

Luxmy Gopal, BBC Channel Islands, Jersey.

Sark residents calling for changes to the island's election and voting

system met with the MP in charge of the Channel Islands' link

On his first official visit to the bailiwick, Sir Oliver Heald,

who is the UK's Minister of State for Courts and Justice visited Sark

The group Sark First say a solution needs to be found

to the political disenfranchisement felt following uncontested

The Royal Air Force aerobatic team, known as the Red Arrows, will not be

in any of the Channel Islands air displays this September.

A clash in their event calender mean spectators will not

view their iconic colourful performance which has

been part of the event for over half a century.

Visit Jersey are remaining optimistic that their absence

won't affect tourism too much but organisers are disappointed.

I know from experience that everybody goes to the display to see

the red arrows and I heard that replacement, whatever it may be, I

am still working on that, will be equally exciting and that the people

stay to the end as well. We are going to have a brilliant display

anyway. It is a disappointment because of the long association with

Red Arrows in Jersey. It's been a great day in the islands

with plenty of sunshine. More of the same would be

nice for the weekend. The man who can tell us is Dan Downs

he has your forecast. Thank you. I find day for the

islands today and a similar picture into the weekend. Staying fine and

dry will stop there is the risk of some morning mist and fog patches.

We have high pressure with us, keeping things settled at the

moment. It does slip away to the east during because of the weekend.

Keep things fine into Sunday but by Monday this weather front here is

moving down across. Turning rather cloudy and cool. Not a great deal of

rain on that front by the time it reaches us. This has been the

picture to today. Hardly any cloud in the sky for the islands or indeed

England or Wales. It stays clear for most of us overnight tonight. The

wind coming in, a bit of a breeze but I think the most of us

temperatures are likely to dip overnight between eight and nine

Celsius. Risk of mist and fog patches forming boat. First thing

tomorrow morning. Quickly blown away and then it is a fine and great day.

Ealing warm, the air mass coming up from the south. Highs of 18 or 19

Celsius for Jersey. The UV level and the pollen will both be high.

Similar into Sunday. More anyway of sunshine but the risk of cloud

pitching in, particularly into the afternoon and around the coast. The

chance of mist patches early on. The change comes in on Monday, turning

cloudier and cooler. Have a good weekend. Looking good for the

weekend. Plenty of barbecues and getting out and about in the

sunshine. Take care, it is going to be very hot.

That's your news this Friday evening, BBC Radio Guernsey

and Jersey will have bulletins from six tomorrow morning

And through the weekend. There is plenty information on mine as well.

Good night. Monday, and north-westerly wind will

drag in more cloud and temperatures will be down by 8-9 .

Hello, my advice would be to make the most of the weather this

weekend, if you can. Because there will be a good day love sunshine on

offer and it will continue to warm up as well. This picture was taken

in Cumbria, at Workington, later in the afternoon. We got the sunshine

eventually in northern England but it's in the Northwest we have the

lowest temperatures at the moment. Under clear skies,