Three arrested after raid on Newington Pharmacy in Ramsgate

A pharmacy at the centre of a police raid has reopened today after three people were arrested, the Kent Online reports.

The arrests came after a joint operation between Kent Police and NHS fraud investigators.

The Newington Pharmacy in Newington Road was at the centre of police activity from 9am yesterday morning.

Police spokesman Scarlet Jones said: "In a joint operation between Kent Police and local NHS fraud investigators, three warrants were executed in the Ramsgate area which resulted in the arrests of two men and one woman."

Inquiries by the NHS are said to be ongoing.

Drug addict who held up pharmacy using replica gun is jailed

A drug addict who robbed a pharmacy using a replica gun has been jailed for more than four years, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Philip White, 31, from Hoylake admitted holding up the chemist at Higher BebingtonHealth Centre. Liverpool Crown Court heard how Salim Malik let him in to the shop in Brackenwood Road, which was about to close, on December 1, because White said he needed some Night Nurse.

But when the pharmacist’s back was turned, White, of Queens Road said: “Put all the diazepam in a bag.”

Nottingham-made Boots products to be sold in more American stores

US drug store giant Walgreens is to begin rolling out the sale of Nottingham-made Boots products into more than 2,000 of its American drugstores, the Nottingham Post reports.

The move is scheduled to start this summer and is centred on Boots No7 cosmetics and its Soap & Glory ranges which are made in Nottingham.

In the past, Stefano Pessina, formerly executive chairman of Alliance Boots and now chief executive of parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance following the merger of Walgreens and Alliance Boots last year, has said the sale of Boots products overseas will help secure the future of the Nottingham factory.

The company said Walgreens, with more than 8,000 drug stores, was expanding its beauty offering by promoting No7 and Soap & Glory in about 2,000 of its drugstores beginning this summer.

Man arrested in connection with Stafford pharmacy burglaries

A man has been arrested in connection with pharmacy break-ins in Stafford.

Prescription drugs were taken from Rowlands Pharmacy in Marston Road during two raids last month, the Staffordshire Newsletter reports.

A 30-year-old from Stafford has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and taken into custody, Staffordshire Police said today. An investigation into the incidents is ongoing.

During the first break-in, which happened at around 11.30pm on Tuesday, December 22, a pane of glass at the front of the shop was smashed to gain entry.

Five boxes of 28 tablets of Nitrazepam were stolen alongside an unknown amount of Pregabalin capsules.

Junior doctors' strike: Work starts to avert next walkout

Attempts are under way to avert a second doctors' strike in England, as hospitals battle to re-arrange thousands of operations postponed because of the contract dispute, the BBC reports.

A 24-hour walkout by junior doctors ended at 08:00 GMT, and conciliation service Acas says it hopes formal talks can restart by the end of the week.

The next proposed strike is a 48-hour one beginning on 26 January.

More than 4,000 operations were postponed amid the dispute.

Corset ad promising 'sexy, tiny waist' banned for being irresponsible

A TV ad showing women using a corset to squeeze their waists to a “sexy, tiny” size has been banned for being irresponsible, the Guardian reports.

The Shop Channel UK ran an infomercial promoting the Velform Mini Waist that showed women using the product with a presenter stating: “Have you ever wondered how celebrities get those tiny little waists they flaunt on the red carpet?”

The ad, which showed women using the compression garment to make their waists look extremely small, promised that the product was the “secret to getting that sexy, tiny waist, so small that you’ll be everyone’s envy”.

The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint that the ad encouraged unhealthy body perceptions and that it was irresponsible and harmful.

Potato-rich diet 'may increase pregnancy diabetes risk'

Eating potatoes or chips on most days of the week may increase a woman's risk of diabetes during pregnancy, the BBC reports.

This is probably beccause starch in spuds can trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, say US researchers.

Their study in the BMJ tracked more than 21,000 pregnancies.

But UK experts say proof is lacking and lots of people need to eat more starchy foods for fibre, as well as fresh fruit and veg.