An Essex town could become one of the first in the country to see a private security company patrolling residential areas. The company has been accredited by Essex Police and could be granted powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, issuing fixed penalty notices and confiscating alcohol. It could be the latest public service to be topped up by commercial companies: we already have private hospitals, prisons and schools. But with police budgets being tightened in the coming year the debate over paying for private security patrols is one that looks unlikely to go away.

Are solar panels on your roof really a good idea? Photovoltaic cells provide green energy and can make money for the house owner so they sound like a perfect solution for the environment and the economy. In the past, fitting solar panels were comparatively rare. But in April 2010 this changed when the government introduced the Feed in Tariff; this guarantees to pay a fixed sum for each unit of electricity produced by the householder. This is a subsidy to encourage renewable power, which benefits people who fitted panels since April 2010. But early adopters who fitted panels before last year do not receive the subsidy. And we all may be paying higher bills to help pay for the subsidies.

Inside Out investigates the radioactive waste from the London Olympics site which was dumped in the region. People living around Thornhaugh near Peterborough didn't know that the radioactive waste was dumped in a nearby landfill site. There are fears over how safe it is and the possibility of more radioactive waste coming their way. Campaigners fear it could become the last resting place for even more waste. Show less