Image source, PA

Greenpeace has commented on EDF's decision to press ahead with Hinkley Point C, saying it is "terrible value for money".

Although no official statement has yet been made by EDF Energy, reports in Paris say board members have agreed to press on with the investment for the new nuclear plant in Somerset.

John Sauven, Greenpeace's executive director said:

Image source, PA

The EDF board voted by 10-7 in favour to build the new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset according to reports in Paris.

EDF in the UK has made no immediate comment.

EDF has decided to press ahead with building a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, according to reports in Paris.

More to follow. 

Protesters from Stop Hinkley described plans to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point as "financial suicide" when they gathered in Bridgwater's King Square earlier.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA

They were calling on EDF to abandon the scheme ahead of the board meeting this evening where the vote will be cast on whether to invest in building the plant.

One placard read: "Hinkley C will be everyone's financial nightmare", while others branded it a "white elephant".

Allan Jefferey, 64, spokesman for the campaign group said:

The board of governors at Coln House Residential Special School in Fairford, Gloucestershire are set to resign this evening.

It's in protest over Gloucestershire County Council's decision to remove 35 pupils from the school earlier in July following safeguarding concerns. 

Image source, Google

Councillor Paul McLain from Gloucestershire County Council thanked the governors for their hard work. 

He added: "The county council will always put the safety and well-being of students first – and take rapid action to protect them when we have concerns."

In a joint statement, the governors said: "The governors remain very concerned for the welfare of the children and staff but do not consider that...they are able as governors to offer the support to the school and staff which they would wish to provide."

If the decision goes ahead in Paris tonight, then Somerset could be home to the UK's first new nuclear reactor for decades.

Work has already started to prepare the site at Hinkley Point for construction.

BBC Points West's Dave Harvey has been taking a look:

Image source, Rex Features

Swindon defender Raphael Rossi Branco could miss the start of the League One season after suffering another groin injury.

Swindon Town head coach Luke Williams told BBC Wiltshire that the 26-year-old defender is "distraught".

Here are the top stories from your BBC Local Radio stations across the West:

BBC Somerset: A member of the board of the French energy firm, EDF, has resigned, hours before a vote on whether the company will build a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point

BBC Bristol: HMP Bristol has been classed as one of the worst in the country for the second year running

BBC Gloucestershire: The entire board of governors at the Coln House School in Fairford is resigning at 6pm today

BBC Wiltshire: Six teenagers have been arrested in connection with a fire at an empty Swindon hotel which broke out last night

Funding of £9m to make major changes to some of Gloucestershire's busiest roads has been approved. 

The Department for Transport is upgrading a range of works, including improving the Elmbridge Court Roundabout, a bus lane along the A40 Westbound, the Whittington Road junction to Arle Court roundabout in Cheltenham and bringing in new traffic signal technology.  

Image source, Department for Transport

Image source, PA

Investment in the UK's first new nuclear plant in decades is set to get final approval later today from the company financing most of the project.

Gloucester's House of the Tailor, external is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter today. 

The house was the inspiration for one of her most famous stories, "The Tailor of Gloucester", which was published in October 1903.

Steve Knibbs went for a look round earlier today:

Bristol City Council is facing a huge clean up operation after travellers who stayed on land in Lockleaze left behind tonnes of rubbish. 

This is what some of the people commenting on BBC Radio Bristol's Facebook, external page think of the situation.

Chris Rees: You've got to laugh at the hypocrisy in here when there are hundreds of thousands of tons of everyone's rubbish in Britain.  

Sue Harris: and they wonder WHY people get angry there is no need for this …we have to put with this all the time near to us it's not fair that we have to pay for this.

Patrick Hardyman-Richards: That's the second pile this year they have left behind on that area.  

A round-up of stories from local newspapers in the West:

Bristol 24/7:Former Bristol University student writes viral social media post after being told there was “no space” for black writers on her course, external

Swindon Advertiser:Six arrests over hotel blaze in Swindon, external

Gloucestershire Live:The patriarch of one of Gloucester's most controversial families has died, external

Somerset Live: CCTV released after man exposes himself in a park in Weston super Mare, external

Six teenagers have been arrested after a fire broke out at the empty Madison Hotel in Swindon yesterday.

Det Sgt Scott Anger, from Wiltshire Police, appealed for people who were taking photos of the fire to get in touch: "We would like to speak to anyone who may have heard or seen anything suspicious around the area of the hotel before the start of the fire. 

"A group of youths were seen running from the scene soon after the fire had started," he added.

The company went into administration in 2011 but was rescued by technology company Frazer Nash.

The Bullet is the first new model in more than a decade.

The car was developed under the codename Project Pinnacle after a prototype was discovered hidden under a dusty tarpaulin in a factory. 

Image source, Lockheed Martin

The final Merlin Mk2 helicopter has been handed over to the Ministry of Defence.

Workers at Lockheed Martin in Yeovil have spent the last 10 years designing and manufacturing the aircraft.

The MoD ordered 30 of the helicopters costing £750m.

The drivers of a coach which crashed in France, injuring two teenagers from Gloucestershire, are expected to be questioned later today.

The coach was carrying children from Bournside school in Cheltenham when it went into a ditch near the Swiss border. 

The driver said he lost control when he was looking for his sunglasses but police think he fell asleep at the wheel. 

The two students are expected to be flown home soon.

Image source, PA

Not everyone is convinced that a new nuclear plant in Somerset is the future.

"The price of every other form of energy is falling. That includes gas, which is plentiful and wind and solar are both coming right down in price," says Nick Butler, visiting professor and chair of King's Policy Institute at King's College London.

"We should step back and review it. The danger of what we are getting into is that are now locked into a very high price for a very long time."

It's expected that EDF will approve its investment later in the £18bn project to build Hinkley Point C - the UK's first new nuclear plant in decades.