Top high street fashion chain Primark is investigating how shoppers claim to have found labels sewn into summer dresses saying "sweatshops conditions" and "exhausting hours". 

Two women claim they found the hand-made labels sewn into bargain tops bought from the same Primark store in Swansea city centre, while a third woman from Northern Ireland said she found a 'cry for help' note handwritten in Chinese on a pair of Primark trousers.

Rebecca Gallagher, 25, said she spotted a label reading: "Forced to work exhausting hours" next to the washing instruction of her bargain top. And a second shopper, Rebecca Jones, 21, revealed how she found another label reading: "Degrading sweatshop conditions". 

The two women - who do not know each other - say they bought their £10 summer dresses from the same Primark store in Whitewalls, Swansea. 

It comes after the discount fashion retailers have been criticised over working conditions of workers abroad - but Primark insists it has a strict code of ethics. 

Mum-to-be Miss Jones said: "I was really shocked when I saw the label saying it was degrading sweatshop conditions. 

 "I used to shop a lot at Primark but not so much now. The label has made me think about how my clothes are made. I have no idea who made the label or how it go it there - but it does make you think." 

Fellow shopper Miss Gallagher, 25, spotted the handmade label sewn into the multi-coloured top from discount store Primark. 

She said: "I was amazed when I checked for the washing instructions and spotted this label. It was stitched by hand to say "Forced to work exhausting hours" and sewn in with the other normal labels. 

"I dread to think that my summer top may be made by some exhausted person toiling away for hours in some sweatshop abroad." 

A statement from Primark said it was "clear" that the incidents arose from merchandise bought several years ago. 

The dress and top from Swansea were made in different countries, although Primark did not specify which, but appeared to be of "a very similar type", a company spokesman said. They were on sale in 2013, whereas the trousers bought in Northern Ireland were last ordered by Primark in 2009. 

The company claimed the factory where the trousers were made has been inspected nine times by its "ethical standards team" since 2009 and no prison or evidence of forced labour was found. 

A spokesman for Primark said: "Despite growing suspicions in relation to the origin of the labels and the considerable time delay since the garments were bought, Primark knows its responsibilities to the workers in its supply chain and has already started detailed investigations." 

Primark's ethics came under fire in 2011 after the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh killed 1,000 workers, 580 of whom were employed by a Primark supplier. 

The company recently announced it will pay out compensation to workers who were injured and the families of workers who died in the collapse. 

Cornwall's only Rugby League team, the Keltek-sponsored Cornish Rebels,  have finished their on-field preparations for the South West Challenge Cup Final at Polson Bridge on Saturday, when they take on Exeter Centurions, with their last training session at Redruth. 

 Club captain Grant Thirlby put the players through their paces as the  Rebels look to defend the trophy they won in dramatic fashion last season. 

Thirlby said: "We had a good session tonight. The boys are looking sharp and ready for the game. 

"We have everyone available, bar one or two, which is great going into a final and causes a nice headache for Jonny and I to select the 20 for Saturday.

."Whoever we decide to go with, the lads all know that we are a squad, and we couldn't be where we are without everyone putting it in week in, week out both in training and on match days." 

 Launceston was also the venue for last year's final against the Devon Sharks which ended as a draw at full time, and which the Rebels went on to win. 

Rebels Chairman John Beach remembers the day fondly and expects an equally challenging and entertaining fixture. 

He said: "Nobody saw last year's final playing out the way it did, despite there being relatively little between the two sides over the season. This year we will approach with caution and show respect for a team that have improved greatly since last season.

 "We don't take much notice of the recent scoreline in the League fixture, as this is knockout competition rugby and anything can happen." The Centurions are no strangers to this competition, and they were winners in 2009 and will be eager to build on a strong opening third of the season.

 Beach added: "They will be giving it their all. They have tasted success in this competition before, and will go into the game with a game plan, for sure." 

 The game takes place at Launceston Rugby Club on Saturday (2.30pm).

Business leaders gave young students valuable advice into career opportunities during a speed networking event held at Truro College.

Employers from a range of organisations took part in the day (Wednesday, June 25) giving young A'Level and Extended National Diploma students tips and advice about what to expect in the workplace.

The first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Careers Speed Networking Day involved around 200 students and a number of local businesses.

It was organised by Cornwall Learning Education Business Partnership.

Employers were invited in to talk in ten minute slots to small groups of students about their business, their own progression routes and to offer tips and advice.

Among the business representatives taking part was Alastair Carnegie, managing director of Stoke Climsland-based energy broker Total Energy Solutions.

He said: "It was a great event. I spoke to around 50 students throughout the day with the aim of broadening their outlook on what they can do when they leave college. We talked about CVs, the interview process and even their body language, explaining how easy it is to lose the chance of a job before they even sit down.

"It is not only a valuable experience for the students but also gives local businesses the opportunity to see what local talent there is on their doorstep. There is a gulf generally between education and business, and most students are not ready for the workplace when they leave the education system. Events like these help them understand more about what is expected from them."

Some of the possible career options up for discussion included Geology, Engineering, Marine and Nuclear, Conservation Bioscience and Science Communication, among others.

Kate Whetter, education projects manager at Cornwall Learning Education Business Partnership, said the purpose of the day was to inspire the 16 and 17-year-old students about the range of STEM career options.

She said: "The careers speed networking event has been a huge success for the students taking part. It has been a great opportunity to foster young people's interest in the workplace and to inform them of the range of STEM related careers available to them."

Businesses taking part in the event included Total Energy Solutions, Bluefruit Software, Transport Bombardier, TRAC Services, University of Exeter, Concept Shed, Lydon Marketing Ltd, Pendennis Shipyard, NatWest Bank, RCHT Haematology, RCHT Triple AAA Scanning, Superfast Cornwall and STEM ambassadors.

A VILLAGE has been given a new bus shelter – despite having no bus service.

Bissoe, near Truro, was given the shelter by Cornish Concrete Products, which has its base in the village.

Despite the presence of the eye-catching new structure, no public buses serve the residents or businesses.

The firm said it had provided the shelter to try to help the local community.

Production manager Simon Lucas said: "We just want to help and improve the area.

"The old bus shelter was falling down and we thought it was starting to become a bit of a hazard. We approached the council and asked if we could provide a new one for nothing.

"They agreed but said it would have to be similar to the old one, so we made one the same size but carved the word 'Bissoe' into the front of it. "There's no real focal point to the village when people come here, so we thought this would mark it out."

A group has been set up on Facebook to try to get bus services to start serving the village again but, as yet, it has been unsuccessful.

Mr Lucas said: "We are aware there are no buses coming here at the moment but we'd like to hope that the new shelter might encourage them to come back.

"It would certainly help us if they did, as it would help our employees to get to work more easily if there was a bus service," he said.

Mr Lucas said the firm was keen to help provide other benefits to the village and local community.

"We want to try and do some more things in Bissoe to help," he said.

"We already help local businesses where we can by providing them with materials and other things free when they need them.

"It's just an opportunity for us to give something back, really."

Local resident Nicholas Richards said: "It's nice that Cornish Concrete Products have done it out of goodwill and it's nice the way that they have done it, but it seems quite ironic that we have this new shelter but no bus services."

Commuters are experiencing delays on the train line between Falmouth and Truro this morning. 

The service has been reduced to one train per hour because of electrical supply problems, causing delays of up to 20 minutes for customers,

A replacement bus service has been put on and Falmouth to Truro train tickets will be accepted on the route 88 First Bus Service. 

 Police are not able to share much detail at this time but have said that they were called to a property in Widegates shortly after 9.30pm last night to deal with a domestic situation and it is understood one of the occupants has access to firearms. 

 Officers at the scene are searching for a 60 year old male in the vicinity. 

 Police are also liaising with Cornwall Council. 

 A police spokesman said that the unusual decision to close the school and the area was taken as a precautionary measure for safety reasons and because of the ongoing police activity. 

 They added: "We do understand that this will cause some significant inconvenience for some parents and local residents and this decision was not taken lightly but public safety is our most important concern of the school and police." 

 Dan Mountain of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We're doing everything we can to make sure the area is as safe as possible but there is obviously a high police presence there. "We'd ask people not to go near the area if at all possible." 

 Those in the area should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity via 999.

Around £75 million of NHS services in Cornwall have been put out to tender, sparking fears they could be privatised, it has emerged. 

NHS Kernow, the clinical commissioning group (CCG) for Cornwall and the Scilly Isles which buys health services on behalf of patients, has announced it is to put a series of "non-complex" procedures out to tender. 

It will let the NHS and private firms battle it out to provide services including hernia repairs, endoscopies and lesion removal to reduce waiting times and ensure care is available equally across Cornwall. 

While minor trauma care is included, NHS Kernow made clear emergencies including heart attacks, stroke and traffic accidents were not being taken away from Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT). 

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, criticised the Government's NHS shake-up, claiming the controversial Health and Social Care Act "forces" local commissioners towards a competitive bidding process. 

Mr George, who sits on the Health Select Committee of MPs, said: "I'm afraid this puts market dogma above patients' interests. 

"Any company from anywhere in the world can bid for those bits of planned health procedures which they believe will make them the greatest profit. 

"If this leaves a fragmented Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust with undermined services, it will also undermine its ability to respond to unplanned and emergency health needs." 

He added: "NHS Kernow is doing an excellent job in its effort to reintegrate out of hours services following the mishandling of the Serco out of hours GP contract. 

"The Government should be doing more to encourage commissioners like NHS Kernow to integrate health services in the patient's interest rather than to risk seeing them fragmented and salami sliced for the benefit of those companies seeking rich pickings from the NHS." 

NHS Kernow said contracts are coming up for renewal and that the public sector does not have a monopoly on the services as it stands. 

Joy Youart, NHS Kernow's managing director, said: "This is absolutely not about privatisation, this is about providing services for people closer to where they live. 

"It is about working with our partners, including RCHT and other NHS providers, but we must begin the process to look at the provision of some non-complex elective care when some of the current contracts end on 2015. 

"These services include outpatient attendances, follow-up appointments and a range of outpatient and day-case procedures including rheumatology. 

"Some of the treatments we are looking at are already delivered by private providers at the Duchy Hospital and at the Bodmin and Probus treatment centres so people don't have to visit the acute hospital. 

"Patients have told us that they want their services to be provided where they live, such as in GP surgeries and community hospitals. We have worked with doctors and other clinicians in our local providers, including RCHT, on these plans and they have also told us that there is a better way of providing these services."

A camouflage-wearing police sniper is among officers drafted  in as the search for a man who has access to firearms is stepped up near Looe. 

The drama unfolded after police were called to a property at a rural location in Widegates near Looe shortly after 9.30pm last night and it is understood that one of the occupants has access to firearms. 

Fifteen police cars, officers wearing bullet proof vests, a sniper wearing camouflage and two dog units have been scrambled to the scene. 

Trenode Church of England Primary School has been closed as a precaution, people are being told to stay away and the focus has been turned to Widlake Lane, which has been cordoned off. 

 The incident is being called a "domestic situation".

John Wilson, who lives opposite Widlake Lane, said he and his wife were awoken by the arrival of the police at about 4am this morning. 

 He said: "Someone has a shotgun on the farm and now there's lots of police vans.

"I took the dog out at around 4.30am/4.45am and there were three of four police cars and a riot van and the police have guns.  

"We do not normally have this sort of thing, if we see a police car in a week we're lucky", he added. 

 The head teacher of Trenode Church of England Primary School made the decision to close the school this morning as a precautionary measure and all members of the public are advised to avoid the area while the operation is ongoing. 

 Another resident Anne Chudleigh said: "It's shocking. I can't believe it." Yvonne Hand, who lives near the school and whose two children attend Trenode, said: 

"Police have been here since 9.30pm last night, we heard dogs and lots of car through the night.

"There are lots and lots of police around, a lot of armed police, and my children are both off school. "There are quite a few farms down by the school and quite a few farmers have guns. 

A tweet from Steve Sharp at 9.17am  said: "Just see the Police gearing up with billet proof jackets."

 "There are also a lot of back lanes and police have sealed some off." 

 A police spokesperson said: "We do understand that this will cause some significant inconvenience for some parents and local residents and this decision was not taken lightly but public safety is our most important concern of the school and police."

Those in the area should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity via 999. 

FURTHER fears have been raised over the future of St Michael's Hospital in Hayle following the announcement that £75million of NHS services in Cornwall were to be put out to tender.

NHS Kernow, the clinical commissioning group (CCG) for Cornwall and the Scilly Isles which buys health services on behalf of patients, has announced it is to put a series of "non-complex" procedures out to tender. 

 It will let the NHS and private firms battle it out to provide services including hernia repairs, endoscopies and lesion removal to reduce waiting times and ensure care is available equally across Cornwall. 

Michael Foster, Labour's prospective Parliamentary candidate for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said orthopaedic surgery, in which St Michael's Hospital is a specialist provider, was also on the list.

He said: "The recent Health Initiative Cornwall report identified the threat to St Michael's. By referring patients elsewhere managers can then claim that the service is 'not used enough' and make closure seem inevitable. 

"Now NHS Kernow wants to put orthopaedic surgery out to tender. Orthopaedics is one of St Michael's specialities, with high satisfaction rates, and I question how selling the contract off to the lowest bidder would be good for patients or the viability of this much loved hospital."

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, criticised the Government's NHS shake-up, claiming the controversial Health and Social Care Act "forces" local commissioners towards a competitive bidding process. 

Mr George, who sits on the Health Select Committee of MPs, said: "I'm afraid this puts market dogma above patients' interests. 

"Any company from anywhere in the world can bid for those bits of planned health procedures which they believe will make them the greatest profit. 

"If this leaves a fragmented Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust with undermined services, it will also undermine its ability to respond to unplanned and emergency health needs." 

He added: "NHS Kernow is doing an excellent job in its effort to reintegrate out of hours services following the mishandling of the Serco out of hours GP contract. 

"The Government should be doing more to encourage commissioners like NHS Kernow to integrate health services in the patient's interest rather than to risk seeing them fragmented and salami sliced for the benefit of those companies seeking rich pickings from the NHS." 

NHS Kernow said contracts are coming up for renewal and that the public sector does not have a monopoly on the services as it stands. 

Joy Youart, NHS Kernow's managing director, said: "This is absolutely not about privatisation, this is about providing services for people closer to where they live. 

"It is about working with our partners, including RCHT and other NHS providers, but we must begin the process to look at the provision of some non-complex elective care when some of the current contracts end on 2015. 

"These services include outpatient attendances, follow-up appointments and a range of outpatient and day-case procedures including rheumatology. 

"Some of the treatments we are looking at are already delivered by private providers at the Duchy Hospital and at the Bodmin and Probus treatment centres so people don't have to visit the acute hospital. 

"Patients have told us that they want their services to be provided where they live, such as in GP surgeries and community hospitals. We have worked with doctors and other clinicians in our local providers, including RCHT, on these plans and they have also told us that there is a better way of providing these services." 

Police have released an image of a 60 year-old man who is believed to be armed with guns 

 Derrel Weaver, from Higher Widlake Farm, Widegates, is wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation which began following a domestic incident at the farm at around 9.30pm on Thursday, June 26, 2014. 

 Police are urging members of the public not to approach Mr Weaver, but call 999 immediately.

 It is currently unclear whether Mr Weaver may be armed, but this is a possibility.

 We would reassure Mr Weaver that police are not pre-judging any actions, but would like to speak to him as soon as possible. 

 There remains a high police presence in the Widegates and wider Looe area which involves firearms officers and trained local officers. 

 Superintendent Jim Pearce said: "We would ask the public to be vigilant at what is obviously a disturbing time for local communities. 

 "If any member of the public sees Mr Weaver we would ask them to ring 999 and not to approach him. 

 "There is currently significant enquiries on going to locate Mr Weaver and this includes the chance he may be in possession of a firearm.

"There is currently no suggestion that Mr Weaver is any risk to members of the public, but we need to locate him as soon as possible. 

 "There is already extensive work on going to contact and speak to Mr Weaver by trained police co-ordinators and this also remains on going.

 Supt Pearce added: "Police are aware of this and are doing everything possible to maintain the safety of the community, but we would ask all local people to be patient at what is obviously a disruptive time.

 "There is a large number of police experts specifically trained for incidents like this currently involved in the operation. " 

Trenode Church of England Primary School was closed in consultation with the head teacher earlier this morning (Friday 27 June). The school is expected to remain closed for most of the day.

No other schools are currently affected.

BIG knickers and bunny ears were the order of the day at a Truro fundraiser.

At the Falmouth Bay Seafood Café's first Bridget Jones night, 40 women raised £3,000 to be split between Marie Curie Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Sales and marketing manager Charlotte Thomson said: "We planned the event at short notice, so to raise over £3,000 is absolutely fantastic.

"Quite a few ladies dressed up and we had a few in Christmas jumpers, bunny ears and even full bunny outfits just like in the film.

"The big knickers competition went down really well too and it was won by Amanda from the Glendorgal Hotel in Newquay who went to great lengths and personally embroidered her knickers, winning a bottle of champagne.

"The support we received from local businesses was amazing, including Klimek Jewellers who donated a pearl necklace worth £450 and 42 sets of pearl earrings for the goody bags.

"As the guests made their way to the counter to pay their bill they were also given a tub of custard from Rodda's and it all got a bit messy."

She is now planning another charity night, this time involving men too.

A TRURO dance school is celebrating success for both its students' success and its head.

Jason Thomas has been granted membership of the Council of International Dance (CID) at Unesco, the official worldwide organisation for dance.

The announcement followed successes for several students of his Jason Thomas School of Performing Arts, each having secured at least one vocational course and many gaining fully funded places from September.

Emily Jesson, from Camelford, has a funded place at Laine Theatre Arts; Adie Armstrong, from Bodmin, and Amy Mules, from Exeter, funded places at Cambridge Performing Arts; and Emily Wagland, from Falmouth, a funded place at MADD College.

Josie Skinner, from Exeter, will be going to Urdang and Abi Hunn, from Wadebridge, to SLP College.

Their graduation show, Dancing In The Street, takes place at the Burrell Theatre at Truro School, on Saturday at 7.30pm.

The next audition for the foundation course in dance and musical theatre is on July 9.

Mr Thomas said: "Congratulations also go to evening school students Aine Reynolds, from Truro, who has been accepted into the London Contemporary Dance School, and Jasmine Payne, who is 12, from Newquay, who has been accepted into the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London."

The centre's annual summer school takes place from July 28 to August 1 with past student Elly Braund, who is now working with the Richard Alston Dance Company.

For more information call 01872 276365.