Last updated 19:40, Thursday, 08 May 2008

THE first glimpse of spring encouraged people to visit the Netherhall Art and Craft exhibition in Maryport at the weekend.FIRE chiefs in Cumbria are warning smokers to take care when lighting up at home after a number of fire deaths in the county.ENGINEERING students at Cockermouth School have completed a project with manufacturing company James Walker.A SILLOTH café has been awarded five stars for hygiene.A WORKINGTON nightclub has been taken over after its parent company went into administration.

Spokeswoman Liz Percival said there was a steady stream of people through the exhibition at Netherhall School and the event should raise about £700 for the school.

The exhibition featured a wide range of arts and crafts including more than 200 paintings.

This was the 17th annual exhibition, which was started by the late Jimmy Black, who ran art classes in the community education department of the school.

The classes are still held and so is the exhibition which Mrs Percival said was a way of giving something back to the school.

Seven people have died in fires in the county in the past year with five believed to be smoking related.

People should not leave cigarettes unattended, make sure they are extinguished properly, and never smoke in bed.

Free smoke alarms are being offered by the fire service, as well as fire-retardant bedding to those with health or mobility problems.

Three A-level pupils aged 17 and 18 made a presentation to the directors of the company based in the town. Dominic O’Connor, Alex Tomlinson and Myles Hudson were given a real-life problem to solve – one James Walker is working on – and were invited to give their answers to the company.

The Garden Café at Stanwix Holiday Park was inspected in March, just one month after new manager Emma Sealby took over.

Five stars is the best officers from Allerdale council can award in the Scores on the Doors scheme.

Fusion, on Ladies Walk, was owned by Candu Entertainment. The nightspot has now been taken over by company Time Limit.

A spokesman for Fusion said: “ This means we can continue to run as normal. No jobs have been lost and we will be staying open.”