Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Stories about the US vice-president's visit to Oxfordshire and an operation to rescue fish from a lake on the Isle of Wight were among our most read this week.

We have picked five articles from the past seven days in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

Musician backs out of gig over US vice-president

JD Vance was holidaying in the Cotswolds with his family

A musician described walking out of a venue before a gig after finding out it would be attended by US Vice-President JD Vance.

Folk-rock singer-songwriter Dolly Mavies said she and her band "packed up our stuff and left" when they discovered it was to entertain the Republican politician, who was holidaying in Oxfordshire.

His visit to Dean has resulted in an increased police presence in the area, and a number of protesters gathered in the village on Tuesday carrying placards and banners opposing the vice-president's visit.

Fish rescue bid 'phenomenal' as lake levels drop

Residents in Sandown came together to rescue fish from Canoe Lake

A "phenomenal" rescue mission was launched by residents hoping to save fish from a dried up lake on the Isle of Wight.

The Environment Agency said the first six months of the year were the driest since 1976 and the levels of rivers and lakes across the country were low.

A group of volunteers on the Isle of Wight said it was having a "drastic" impact on wildlife, after discovering more than 100 dead fish at Canoe Lake in Sandown.

It comes after Isle of Wight Council pumped emergency water supplies into Big Mead Pond, in Shanklin, and residents also raised concerns about water levels at a Southampton Common lake.

'I have to put my rubbish in my neighbour's bin'

Sian Warner have lived in Bracknell for five years.

A young Berkshire mum said getting her rubbish collected every three weeks has left her bins "overflowing" with nappies.

Bracknell Forest Council introduced the three-weekly collections in 2021 and West Berkshire Council will follow suit in September.

Sian Warner, who lives in Bracknell, said she had to ask her neighbours if she could use their bins to get rid of rubbish "which we don't know what to do with".

Both councils said the bin collection times were designed to encourage recycling, and Bracknell Forest Council said they had been a "resounding success".

'Do not feed' plea as goat nearly chokes on carrot

Chalky (right) and Shaka joined the herd in May

People are being warned not to feed the goats on Bournemouth's cliffs after keepers had to dislodge a carrot to prevent one of them from choking.

Bournemouth Goats, which cares for the herd, said the animals were unable to chew in the same way as humans and needed a carefully-planned diet.

It said the large piece of carrot could have had "serious consequences" for Chalky, the male goat that had it lodged in his mouth.

Last month, keepers had to ask people to stay out of the goats' enclosure after visitors were spotted climbing over the fence to pet the animals.

Dig reveals slipway where Nelson's ships were made

HMS Agamemnon, known as Nelson's favourite ship, took part in the Battle of Trafalgar and was one of the ships built at Buckler's Hard

A slipway from the 18th Century where ships for Lord Nelson's fleet were built and launched has been excavated by archaeologists.

The team from the University of Southampton said it was the first time one from this period had been totally uncovered in the UK.

Buckler's Hard, the small hamlet in the New Forest where the slipway is located, was once home to one of the busiest private shipyards of the 1700s.

The researchers said they hoped the findings would help improve their understanding of shipbuilding techniques and infrastructure during the period.