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Hampshire & Isle of Wight weekly round-up: 10 February - 16 February 2024

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Pelé and his partner Jo have fostered 70 children

A story about former Southampton footballer Pelé fostering 70 children was among our most read stories this week in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Solent and South Today.

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

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HMS Prince of Wales delayed leaving port

Hundreds of people lined the shoreline to watch HMS Prince of Wales depart

HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth a day late after postponing its scheduled departure at the last minute.

The Royal Navy carrier, which was due to sail on Sunday, is replacing HMS Queen Elizabeth on a Nato exercise after it broke down a week earlier.

Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said the fleet's carriers were getting a "reputation for not being reliable".

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Ex-mayor denies sex assault at fireworks display

Andrew Matthews/PA Wire Derek GreenAndrew Matthews/PA Wire
Derek Green, pictured before a previous hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, denies sexual assault

A former mayor has denied sexually assaulting a girl during a fireworks display while on official duty.

Ex-Winchester mayor Derek Green is accused of touching the 16-year-old inappropriately over her clothing at the event on 5 November 2022.

A four-day trial is set for 10 March 2025.

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Ex-footballer fosters 70 children since retiring

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Theo said it was "great" to have somewhere he feels "welcome and loved"

A former professional footballer has described the "amazing" experience of fostering 70 children over the past decade.

Former Southampton FC player Pedro "Pelé" Monteiro and his wife Jo started fostering following his retirement.

The pair are now fronting a campaign led by the club and Southampton City Council to find more foster carers.

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Surge in number of children taught at home

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Home educator Nadia said her daughter Nuri, 7, was faring better outside school

Home education is rising sharply in some southern counties of England, figures suggest.

BBC South requested data from 15 councils in Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire for the years 2013-2023.

Hampshire County Council reported the highest number of home-schooled children, up from 623 to 3,593.

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The links between Mauritius and Isle of Wight

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The exhibition looks at connections between an island in the English Channel and one in the Indian Ocean

A new art exhibition draws links between two islands more than 6,000 miles (9,700km) apart.

Created by artist Gayle Chong Kwan, A Pocket Full of Sand explores the historical and contemporary connections between Mauritius and the Isle of Wight.

Ms Chong Kwan, who is of Chinese Mauritian and Scottish heritage, said the connections between the two islands - ranging from military links to geological ones - "have proved really interesting".

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