Summary

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates for the West of England

  1. Power cut affecting part of Swindonpublished at 07:39 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    Scottish and Southern electricity says much of the SN25 postcode area of Swindon is without power this morning.

    Engineers are working to try to repair the problem. It's estimated it'll be fixed by 9am.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  2. Light aircraft deaths investigatedpublished at 07:37 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    Investigations are continuing into a plane crash in Worcestershire which left two people dead.

    Media caption,

    Two men killed in Worcestershire light aircraft crash

    The single-engine plane was heading to Gloucestershire Airport when it came down in foggy conditions at Bredon Hill near the village of Overbury.

    The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to the site.

  3. Police at Bristol Temple Meads station following cable theftpublished at 07:29 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  4. Another cloudy and grey daypublished at 07:10 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    Media caption,

    Watch: Weather for the West

    It looks like it's going to be grey and cloudy on Tuesday with mist and fog patches around.

    Here's Dan Downs with the weather forecast.

  5. Train disruption: What we know so farpublished at 06:56 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    GWR trainImage source, GWR

    Train services in the Bristol area are being "severely disrupted" after two separate incidents.

    GWR says no trains can run between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff or from Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester after signalling cable was stolen at Filton Abbey Wood.

    Repairs are likely to take until 10am.

    Replacement buses have been requested but GWR says they will be "very limited".

    Meanwhile a separate signal fault at London Paddington has now been fixed, but GWR says services running across the whole of its network may be cancelled or delayed until about 10am.

  6. Traffic lights not working on Swindon roadpublished at 06:42 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  7. Train disruption in capital caused by signalling fault in Londonpublished at 06:39 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  8. And if you're travelling on the trains around Bristol....published at 06:29 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    There's a lot of disruption here because of stolen cabling.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  9. If you're heading to London today on the train - beware!published at 06:23 Greenwich Mean Time 9 January 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  10. Remaining cold and cloudy overnightpublished at 22:01 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Media caption,

    Watch: Ian Fergusson with the weather forecast

    It will be a cloudy and murky night with outbreaks of drizzle, mainly over higher ground.

    It will be a touch milder than previous nights for most.

    Minimum temperature: 2C.

  11. Rare giant stick insect eggs discovered at zoopublished at 21:57 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Lord Howe Island stick insects at Bristol ZooImage source, MARK BUSHELL

    Eggs from one of the world's rarest stick insects have been discovered by keepers at Bristol Zoo.

    The five tiny eggs were laid by the Lord Howe Island stick insects - a critically endangered creature which was thought to be extinct for almost 80 years until its rediscovery in 2001.

    Bristol Zoo said it was the first time a second-generation of eggs had ever been laid outside of Australia.

    Quote Message

    We had our suspicions that the females might soon lay eggs, but to find eggs on New Year’s Eve is a great end to an already successful year and a fantastic start to 2018.

    Mark Bushell, Curator of invertebrates at Bristol Zoo

  12. In pictures: Bristol's buried streetpublished at 21:51 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson

    Earlier today, we told you about Bristol's hidden street.

    It was buried in 1879 when the railway company came to Lawrence Hill.

    Whole buildings and their shop fronts vanished underground as the road level was raised by the railway company.

    In 1999, David Stephenson from the Barton Hill History Group went to explore the area, which is now off-limits.

    Here's what he saw:

    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson
    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson
    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson
    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson
    Buried streetImage source, David Stephenson
  13. Wing-bending machine will help guarantee aerospace jobspublished at 21:41 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Interior of the testing warehouse

    One of the world's most advanced wing testing centres is on track to open later this year in Bristol which should help secure thousands of aerospace jobs.

    Equipment is being installed in the Airbus building at Filton which will bend and flex aircraft wings - way beyond their normal operating range - as part of rigorous tests new aircraft need to have to become certified for use.

    Wind-testing machineImage source, Airbus
    Image caption,

    Wings being tested to the limits

    Head of testing for Airbus Commercial, Steve Raynes, says currently getting a new plane to market can take seven years and he believes the new facility could take two years off the process.

  14. One of the world's oldest silverback gorillas has diedpublished at 21:34 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    One of the world's oldest silverback gorillas has died at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.

    Nico, 56, died in his sleep on 7 January and staff at the tourist attraction say they are "truly saddened".

    A spokesman said: "It is with deep regret and huge sadness that we have to announce the death of Nico, our much-loved western lowland gorilla.

    "His main keeper has been working with Nico virtually on a daily basis since 1989 and has forged an extraordinarily close bond with him.

    "It goes without saying that he is particularly devastated by the loss along with the rest of his keeping team who have cared for Nico over the years."

  15. Claire Perry to attend cabinet as business ministerpublished at 21:27 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Claire PerryImage source, Getty Images

    Following the latest Cabinet reshuffle, Claire Perry is the new minister of state for business, energy and industry and, in that capacity, gets the right to attend cabinet.

    The Devizes MP was seen as a protege of George Osborne. She quit her job as rail minister after David Cameron's resignation in July 2016.

    But the pro-Remain MP rejoined the government last summer and is regarded as having done a good job since then as energy minister.

  16. Friends gathering to knit a full-size gardenpublished at 21:02 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Media caption,

    Watch: Knitting a garden

    Things are blooming for one woman in Gloucester, as Clare Young has teamed up with friends to make a full-size garden OUT OF WOOL.

    The creation is being worked on for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival as she wants to raise money for the hospice which cared for her husband in his final weeks.

  17. Man charged with raping woman on Christmas Evepublished at 20:53 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    A police car

    A 19-year-old man has appeared in court charged with two counts of rape.

    Islam Ibrahim Alsayed, of Wade Street in Bristol, has been charged with the rape of a woman in Pithay Court, Bristol, in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

    He appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to appear at Bristol Crown Court on 5th February.

  18. Mother's 50% bone marrow match helps musician's recoverypublished at 20:43 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Stephen Sykes (l) and his mum, Joanne

    A professional musician from Somerset with a rare form of blood cancer has become one of just a handful of people in the West to get a radical new treatment.

    Stephen Sykes, from Shepton Mallet, didn't match a single one of the 15,000,000 potential donors on the bone marrow register.

    But thanks to pioneering medicine being tried out in Bristol, his mum was still able to became his donor despite only being a 50% match.

    Since his surgery the trombonist said he was feeling so much better and getting back to playing his instrument.

  19. From 'Johnson out' banners to a cup semi-finalpublished at 20:26 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    How Lee Johnson recovered from a club record of consecutive defeats to take Bristol City to the Carabao Cup semi-finals?

    Read More
  20. Fatally injured woman named locally as Claire Tavenerpublished at 20:07 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018

    Claire TavenerImage source, Claire Tavener / Facebook

    A woman found fatally injured at a house in Nailsea has been named locally as Claire Tavener.

    The 27-year-old was found at a property in Brendon Gardens early this morning but died at the scene.

    A 45-year-old man was arrested at Nailsea and Backwell railway station soon afterwards and was taken to hospital.

    The station was closed for a time and trains cancelled. Services have since resumed.

    A cordon remains in place at the house.

    According to Ms Tavener's Facebook page, she was an employee at The Old Farmhouse pub in Nailsea.

    A statement from the pub said: "It is with great regret that we announce that due to an extremely delicate situation of loss and bereavement, The Old Farmhouse will not be opening its doors today (Mon 8th January) out of a mark of respect. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope to reopen asap. We will keep you informed."