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Asian hornet spotted in Berkshire
(Caption here)
The National Bee Unit has confirmed the sighting and is monitoring the situation. 

Defra is asking beekeepers and members of the public in the Berkshire area to remain vigilant after an Asian hornet was spotted in the Ascot area.

The sighting has been confirmed by the National Bee Unit, and the vicinity is being monitored for any further Asian hornets.

This is the first confirmed UK sighting in over a year – with the most recent confirmed sighting occurring in Gosport, Hampshire in September 2020. 

Nicola Spence, Defra's Chief Plant and Bee Officer, commented: “While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than other wasps or hornets, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

“By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets. 

“That’s why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the area following this confirmed sighting.”

Defra has said that anyone who suspects that they have seen an Asian hornet should report it using the phone app 'Asian Hornet Watch', using this online report form or emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. 

Identification guides, along with further information, are available here, and Defra is advising members of the public to ensure that they do not approach or disturb a nest, as Asian hornets are not generally aggressive towards humans, but can become aggressive when they perceive a threat to their nest. 

Nicola added: “Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online.” 

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RCVS Knowledge appoints Veterinary Evidence editor-in-chief

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence.

A world-renowned expert in evidence-based veterinary medicine, Prof Cockcroft will lead the strategic development and editorial quality of the open-access journal. He was previously in the role from 2017-2020.

Katie Mantell, CEO of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are excited about the extensive knowledge of evidence-based veterinary medicine and clinical veterinary research that Peter brings, and we look forward to working with him over this next phase of the journal's development." 

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News Shorts
CVS Group hit by cyber attack

CVS Group, which owns more than 450 veterinary practices in the UK, has been hit by a cyber attack.

In a statement, the group said the incident involved unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. As soon as the attack was discovered, the group took its IT systems temporarily offline, causing 'considerable operational disruption'.

It has warned that the security steps taken and ongoing plans to move its operational systems and IT infrastructure to the Cloud are likely to have an ongoing impact over a number of weeks.

Due to the risk that personal information was accessed, CVS has informed the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is working with third party consultants to investigate the incident.