THE SEARCH for a Charlotte Alder, also known as Charlotte Birch, who has been missing since yesterday afternoon continues this evening.

Wight SAR, the Coastguard helicopter and the Police helicopter have all been involved in the search today. Multiple sightings have been reported along the Shide path and in Rookley.

In the courts, attempting to smuggle a mobile phone into prison on his first day in custody saw a Shalfleet man back in court. In what he described as a moment of stupidity, David Taylor, 38, of Fleet Way, was caught with a mobile phone as officers searched him on arrival at HMP Bullingdon.

Also at court, a sex offender was jailed after probation officers found hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer. Nicholas Phipps, 63, of Monkton Street, Ryde, was on a sexual harm prevention order for a previous offence when officers carried out a search of his property, as part of the order.

Two youth workers could be funded by Newport Parish Council in an attempt to combat a recent spike in anti-social behaviour. The parish council say they hope to allocate around £800 to pay for the extra support after officers from Newport’s Neighbourhood Policing Team arrested more than nine youths last weekend.

There is only one GP on the Isle of Wight for every 1,700 people, new figures have revealed. A Freedom of Information request revealed there were 82 practising GPs on the Isle of Wight.

A woman was freed from her vehicle following a crash at Knighton Shute, near the Downs Road. Emergency services were called to the scene after two cars collided this morning. Police were also called to Ryde when a car came off the road this afternoon. No injuries were reported.

Grazing his left hand when cleaning his fishpond led to a retired carpenter and joiner contracting sepsis and later dying from multiple organ failure, an inquest was told. Also at Coroner's Court, the inquest heard a pensioner died after falling in his bathroom and impaling his eye on an upright metal toilet roll holder.

Finally, good news for all fast food fans. Lake's new KFC will open in two weeks time. Chair of the Lake Parish Council, Councillor Susan Horton told the County Press the new fast food chain in Merrie Farm Park will open after an official ceremony on January 23 at 12pm.