NIBS: NEWS IN BRIEF

Being a newsreporter is all about condensing words and generating snappy punchy copy that gets straight to the point. In newswriting class we have to write NIBS (news in briefs). I really enjoy the challenge of sticking to a word count and being creative with words. Here is my best 3 NIBs to date. BOGUS gardeners stole £55 from a widower's kitchen table as they told him his apple tree posed a danger to passers-by in Beck Road, Ilworth. The victim, 84, spoke to two fair-haired men in their 30s yesterday at around 8.45am. The third thief entered the unlocked back door. The two men at the door had a rough appearance, and one had an eagle tattoo on his left arm. Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Yeltham 412311. A WIDOWED pensioner was left devastated after his 12 beloved pigeons and newly-hatched chicks perished in a fire in wooden outbuildings at his home on Monday. Two fire crews responded to an emergency call at 7.15pm at Wakeman Road, Sidston. A spokesperson for Sidston Fire and Rescue Service said a possible cause of the fire was rubbish being burned in the garden. The owner, Mr Arthur Staten, 70, said: "I'm so devastated about this. Those pigeons were my mates." INFESTATIONS of bed bugs, fleas and rats in Ealing will soon be wiped out thanks to a new team of pest controllers. Two new officers and two vans have been hired to reduce the current waiting list from six weeks to eight days. Councillor Sue Emment said: "The team gets up to 25,000 service requests a year and it's not an easy task." Residents can reduce pests by not feeding pigeons and storing their rubbish away from small animals.