Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire Adam Simmonds has set a budget to establish the British mainland's first reservist force.

BBC: Adam Simmonds

But the British government knew that it was unlikely to be able to restore peace to Northern Ireland, and to the British mainland, without a political deal.

ECONOMIST: Down to the wire

The writer and philosopher said the cliffs were the first sight of the British mainland seen by his Italian immigrant father who came to the country in the 1960s.

BBC: White cliffs of Dover get writer in residence

Rural motorists on the British mainland hoping for a slice of the government's fuel rebate - launched this week on the Isles of Scilly and a group of Scottish Islands - probably shouldn't hold their breath.

BBC: Danny Alexander dampens fuel rebate hopes

There is no doubt that the industry has structural problems, it is on a relatively small scale, until now there's been little interconnection with the British mainland and the Irish Republic, and much of the infrastructure is getting old.

BBC: A highly charged debate

On the British mainland, frustration with police investigations in some high-profile cases - the Stephen Lawrence murder is one - has led to the issuing of a private prosecution to bring the alleged perpetrators of a crime to court.

BBC: 'Historic action' by Omagh families

The Grade-II listed structure was opened in 1867 and is the only British pier which links the mainland to an island.

BBC: Birnbeck Pier

British International Helicopters (BIH) stopped its year-round service linking the islands and the mainland on 31 October after running into financial problems.

BBC: Skybus