Headlines: WECA mayor elections and GP wait times

Voters get the chance to go to the polls on 1 May to elect a new mayor for WECA

Here's our weekly round-up of stories from across local websites in the West of England.

We have a daily round-up as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app.

What have been the big stories in the West this week?

People across the West of England are preparing for the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) Mayoral Election on 1 May.

ITV West Country has published a guide outlining the candidates' visions for the region's future.

Gloucestershire Live and Somerset Live both reported on long NHS waiting times across the area. According to their coverage, a postcode lottery means that in some parts of the country, one in 10 patients wait over a month to see a GP.

In Somerset, a man has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend and a string of sexual offences against other women.

Kieron Goodwin gave Olivia Wood cocaine and fatally strangled her on the night she tried to leave him, Somerset Live reported.

Meanwhile, Bristol 24/7 highlighted how multiple venues in the city have declared themselves safe spaces for the trans community.

This comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex.

Top five local stories for the BBC in the West

Something longer to read

This first-person opinion piece published in Bristol 247 looks at how upcoming cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) may affect people with disabilities.

The author draws on their own experience with having their career disrupted because of ill health.

Explore more with our daily round-ups