Summary

  • News, sport, weather and travel updates from across the West of England on Tuesday, 21 March 2017

  1. Four people arrested for drug production in Pulboroughpublished at 15:18 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Claire Cottingham
    BBC Live reporter

    Four people have been arrested in connection with drug production in Pulborough.

    BBCImage source, Sussex Police

    A 48-year-old man from Pulborough has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of possession of class A drug, abstracting electricity, production of class B drug. 

    A 64-year-old man from Pulborough, a 44-year-old woman from Taunton and a 28-year-old woman from Pulborough have been arrested on suspicion of production of a class B drug.

  2. Life sentence for Steven Sharpepublished at 15:05 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Steven Sharpe, 31, has been sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 24 and a half years.

  3. BBC local radio headlines across the Westpublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Radio
    • BBC Radio Bristol: Rail services between the South West and London will be disrupted for up to 48 hours after a freight train derailed in Somerset last night
    • BBC Radio Gloucestershire:  A man from Cheltenham has appeared in Court, charged with the murder of a teenager, last year
    • BBC Somerset:  One of the main rail lines through Somerset could be closed till tomorrow after a freight train derailed
    • BBC Wiltshire:  A shortage of GPs in Wiltshire - which has led to one practice cutting its opening hours to three mornings a week - has been described as "desperate" by a local MP
  4. Steven Sharpe to be sentenced later for stabbing murderpublished at 14:20 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Steven SharpeImage source, Gloucestershire Police

    Steven Sharpe has pleaded guilty to the murder of Camran Green, 17, who was fatally stabbed in Cheltenham.

    He is expected to be sentenced later.

    Bristol Crown Court heard Sharpe, 31, from the town, had planned to rob Camran (pictured below) of money. 

    Camran, originally from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, was stabbed in the stomach at an address in Shakespeare Road on 2 October.

    Camran GreenImage source, Gloucestershire Police/BBC
  5. Bristol City striker could lose driving licence for second time published at 13:41 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Tammy AbrahamImage source, Reuters

    A striker on loan to Bristol City could face losing his driving licence for a second time.

    Nineteen-year-old Tammy Abraham first passed his test when he was 17 - but had his licence revoked. 

    He's now passed the test again - but faces a court summons on suspicion of driving without a licence after a crash in January. 

    If he's found guilty of those offences - his licence could be revoked again. 

  6. Local newspaper headlines from across the Westpublished at 13:15 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    NewspapersImage source, Getty Images
  7. Man pleads guilty to teenager murderpublished at 12:53 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Camran GreenImage source, Family photo
    Image caption,

    Camran Green was stabbed at a house in Cheltenham in October

    A man has admitted stabbing a teenager to death. 

    Seventeen-year-old Camran Green was stabbed at a house on Shakespeare Road, in Cheltenham, last October. He died in hospital the next day.

    Today Steven Sharpe, who's 31, pleaded guilty to murdering the teenager and also to several counts of assault. 

  8. Blocked rail line: Latest train informationpublished at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Engineers on derailment site
    • Services between Taunton and Westbury and between Weymouth and Westbury are expected to be severely disrupted for the rest of today, and tomorrow.  
    •  Arrangements have been made for GWR tickets to be accepted on South West Train services via any reasonable route and CrossCountry services between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.
    • Arrangements have been made for GWR tickets to be accepted on local bus routes with First in Wessex Dorset & South Somerset.
    • If you have been affected by this disruption, you may be entitled to claim a refund, external .  
    •  A shuttle train service is running between Weymouth and Castle Cary with connecting replacement road transport to/from Westbury.  
    • People travelling between Weymouth and Westbury may also travel via Salisbury for the South West Trains service between Weymouth and Southampton, this journey takes up to three hours.
    • Services between Taunton and Reading will be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads, train services will not call at stations between Taunton and Reading.
  9. Lorry driver jailed for causing death crash while using mobile phone published at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Jodie MossImage source, Family handout

    A lorry driver, who killed a 21-year-old woman while selecting music on his mobile phone, has been jailed.  

    Jodie Moss, from Swindon, died when Dariusz Tokarczyk's HGV smashed into her stationary car on the A34 in Berkshire last year.

    Tokarczyk, 47, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

    He was sentenced to four-and-half years in prison and banned from driving for 51 months.

    Click here to read more.

  10. Fire damaged community farm shut for investigationpublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    WATCH: The farm's office building has been extensively damaged.

    A fire which caused "extensive damage" at a community farm is closed to visitors while police investigate what caused it.  

    Firefighters were called to Lawrence Weston community farm, in Bristol, on Monday night. 

    No animals, which were in a barn about 20 metres from the blaze, were hurt. 

    Damaged buildings include offices, storage space and toilets.   

  11. A very hungry caterpillar is helping research into Alzheimer's published at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    WATCH: Meet the Manduca sexta caterpillar with Professor Jean Van Den Elson

    Caterpillars are being used to shed light on whether changing our diet could reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.

    Scientists at Bath University have cultured Europe's only colony of tobacco hornworm. 

    They want to find out if eating molecules found in red wine and chocolate can prevent them from developing a harmful by-product of sugar which is thought to lead to a decline in memory in humans. 

  12. Blocked rail line: Latest video from the scenepublished at 11:13 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    Engineers assess derailed freight train.

  13. Blocked rail line: New pictures of scene releasedpublished at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

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  14. Mobile phone ban keeps people talking down the pubpublished at 10:41 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    WATCH: Pub landlord Victor Long banned mobile phones a decade ago

    Pub landlord Victor Long banned mobile phones from his bar 10 years ago. He said the Ship, in Portishead, is "an oasis".

    He outlawed the use of mobiles after regulars got annoyed with people talking loudly on their phones. 

    Now, he thinks it's the best thing that could have happened - because people can actually talk to each other. 

  15. Blocked rail line: Train journeys affected 'until at least Thursday' published at 10:19 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

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  16. Blocked rail line: Commuters on disruption to services to London published at 10:07 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    WATCH: Castle Cary commuters talk of problems after the derailment.

    Commuters trying to get to London today from Castle Cary talked about how they're changing their plans. 

    The disruption has been caused by a derailed freight train which came off the tracks between Castle Cary and Westbury last night.

    Great Western Railway is warning passengers it could take more than 48 hours before services are back to normal. 

  17. Jenson Button Grand Prix helmet raises £9k for amputeepublished at 09:39 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Jenson Button helmet

    A helmet worn by Jenson Button during a Grand Prix has fetched £9,000 at an auction to raise funds for a triple amputee from Somerset. 

    Jenson's school friend Jamie Mines had his hands and a leg amputated after suffering an electric shock at work. 

    Jamie, 33, was injured at the Kendrick Industrial Estate in Swindon just before Christmas. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating.

    Jamie MinesImage source, Mines family
    Image caption,

    Jamie Mines is still recovering in hospital

  18. Football: Sherwood banned for foul-mouthed rantpublished at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Swindon Town director of football Tim SherwoodImage source, Getty Images

    Swindon Town director of football Tim Sherwood was hit with a two-match stadium ban because of a foul-mouthed rant at a referee, the Football Association says .

    The former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss repeatedly swore at referee Mark Brown at half-time during a 1-0 defeat at Bury on 11 February.

    Sherwood, 48, has already served the ban, while he was also fined £2,000.

    On Monday, the FA published the written reasons for Sherwood's suspension.

  19. Community farm seriously damaged in firepublished at 09:03 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Lawrence Weston fireImage source, Lyndsey Curtis

    A fire has caused "extensive damage" at a community farm. 

    Firefighters were called to Lawrence Weston community farm, in Bristol, on Monday night. 

    Buildings affected included an outbuilding, offices, storage space and toilets. No animals, which were in a barn about 20 metres from the blaze, were hurt. 

    Avon Fire and Rescue Service said an investigation into the cause of the fire was under way.

  20. Blocked rail line: Disruption could last longer than 48 hours published at 08:52 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Media caption,

    The train derailed between Westbury and Castle Cary and is causing delays to services.

    • GWR say the disruption to services will continue for at least the next 48 hours and "potentially longer".
    • There are 38 wagons to move from the junction where it happened.
    • The Rail Accident Investigation branch is at the scene.