The city council of Aalst has voted to scrap a demand for €250 issued after the fire brigade was called out to clean up a bloodstain on the roadway. The bill was received by 79-yearold Georgette Van Den Bossche following a cycling accident in the summer. The council said that the rule for the cleaning services of the fire brigade to be paid by the person who created the situation was too narrowly interpreted in this case.

The Sea Life marine theme park in Blankenberge last week welcomed a new resident. Nicknamed Crabzilla, the Japanese giant spider crab has a total width from claw to claw of over 3.5 metres and was discovered last year in the Pacific Ocean. He had been living in Birmingham, England, but moved to Blankenberge to take advantage of their extra-large aquaria, which currently house some of Crabzilla’s smaller relatives.

The Flemish coast will get its own weather reports following years of lobbying. Coastal authorities will post weather bulletins online four times a day for the two sections of the coastline – west (De Panne to Ostend) and east (Ostend to Knokke- Heist). “The coast is under the influence of a micro-climate, and it needs its own weather report,” a spokesman for the Coastal department of the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services said. The tourist industry welcomed the decision.

The National Lottery is now online. As of last week, it is possible to play Lotto and Euro Millions via website. In the first five hours of operation, 2,500 players had logged on. The aim is to reach 50,000 a year. At present, only the “draw” games like Joker, Keno and Lotto are available, but virtual scratchcards will be added in a second phase. The National Lottery plans to later add sports betting, but that will require a change to the law. www.e-lotto.be

Three journalists from the online website clint.be infiltrated the TV reality show Mijn Restaurant! by posing as staff at one of the competing restaurants. The three were taken on by the Mechelen competitors three weeks ago and revealed their true identities last week in order not to sabotage the later stages of the competition. Broadcaster VTM and production house Kanakna are planning a complaint to the Council for Journalism, as well as possible legal action.

Uit in Vlaanderen, the online cultural and leisure agenda, is now available for smart phones and is GPS function as well as offering suggestions for other cultural activities in the neighbourhood. http://m.uitinvlaanderen. be