Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Google

A Radstock primary school is launching a new facility for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

The Midford, opening at St Nicholas Primary School in September, will be the first such facility in Bath and North East Somerset for children who have experienced early trauma and display attachment difficulties, after it was backed by the council.

It will provide a nurturing environment to support 10 pupils in their emotional development through a bespoke programme.

Headteacher Nicola Smith said in her proposal: “This proposal would give parents a local option and would prevent children having to travel long distances to access education.”

The council decision notice said: “The proposal creates additional provision for a growing area of need in our local education community.”

Young men and boys are no longer being sent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution after a watchdog's inspection revealed an "extraordinary" decline in safety and care. The chief inspector of prisons has demanded immediate improvements at Feltham A in west London. A justice minister has promised to repond with an "action plan" within 28 days. David Cornock reports.

Gloucestershire boost their promotion chances with a thrilling 13-run win against Worcestershire at Cheltenham.

One officer sold a truck worth £400,000 to a company without declaring payments to the service's accountants.

A challenge to the decision to buy the boat to make way for a harbourside development fails.

Image source, Reuters/BBC

The Metropolitan Police spent £2.1m on investigating the Novichok nerve agent poisoning, the BBC has learned.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed the force spent £1.84m on the investigation in Salisbury and £260,000 in Amesbury.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were targeted in the Novichok attack in Salisbury in March last year.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, was fatally poisoned three months later in nearby Amesbury.

A force spokesperson said the events were subject to mutual aid, where other police forces provided Wiltshire Police with additional resources in the investigation.

They added that £467,000 of the £1.84m spent in Salisbury was due to be repaid in this way.

Nearly 900 inscribed ledger stones are being lifted and restored to preserve Bath Abbey's history.

Image source, Getty Images

Avon Wildlife Trust is launching an appeal today to raise money to help vaccinate badgers against bovine tuberculosis.

The disease is spread between wildlife and cattle, and costs the UK £100m a year.

In the rest of the West Country a badger cull takes place each year, but the Avon trust says vaccination is a better way to eradicate the disease, and costs much less than culling.

Many farmers agree vaccination is useful, but culling should be the first measure to get the disease under control.

But the National Farmer's Union says the pilot could undermine the effectiveness of the current cull.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Eirian Evans

Experts in religious education and councillors are set to try and combat the increasing reluctance of some parents to allow their children to visit other places of worship such as mosques or synagogues.

Members of Swindon’s standing advisory committee on Religious Education were handed a report about parents' attitudes.

Some comments stated: "One parent from a school in South Gloucestershire didn’t want their child to attend the mosque visit as they were afraid Al Qaeda would find out about the visit and try to blow up the coach."

Another "didn’t want their child to attend as the MoD advised them not to go as they may get shot at the mosque".

There were also concerns expressed that staff at mosques would try to convert the children.

Another also tells of a visit to a synagogue in Bristol where parents of Somali origin weren’t willing to let their children attend.

Committee chairwoman, Swindon borough councillor Fay Howard, said: "When people actually go on visits, whether it’s to mosques, synagogues, temples, or Catholic and Anglican churches, they always find out that the people there are just like them, just the same and that we have much more in common than our differences."

Ishak Mogul, the head of the town’s Muslim Council agreed: "I’d encourage Muslim children to visit synagogues and churches, as did I, and children from other communities to come to see the mosque.

“It’s not about converting anybody, it’s about breaking down barriers – the better informed and educated someone is, the better decisions they make – all children deserve the chance to have this as part of their education."

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

More than 60 staff at one of Cornwall's most famous bakery companies are facing losing their jobs as part of a "restructuring exercise to drive efficiencies", bosses have confirmed.

Warrens, which describes itself as the "oldest Cornish Pasty producer in the world", said 66 staff "within production and distribution had been "regrettably ... placed "at risk of redundancy".

Nearly 500 other staff would be "retained within the reorganised business, while the retail arm will be unaffected", managers added.

A spokesman said: "We’ve taken time to explore all options systematically and concluded that this is unavoidable to ensure a stable future for the overall business and its wider workforce."

The company has stores across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, plus branches and franchises in other parts of Britain, five in the London area and one in Northern Ireland.

Image source, Google

A Stroud mule, which was given the chance to compete in top UK dressage events and won, may be banned from future events.

The former rider of Wallace the Great says she cannot understand why the rules may be changed to ban mules from top events.

Christie McLean rode Wallace the mule to victory last year after British Dressage changed the rules to allow half horse-half donkeys - to compete.

But now the Italian dressage board has asked the global body for the sport - the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) - to ban mules again.

British Dressage says it will wait until the FEI has made a decision before making its own announcement.

Image source, Avon and Somerset Police

A burglar, who stole Fanta from a home in Bristol and tried to sell it back to the original owner, has been jailed.

Nicky Jefferies was arrested after stealing garden tools from a home in Rodfords Mead, Hengrove, and two large packs of Fanta from a property in Griggfield Walk, Hengrove.

Avon and Somerset police were called to the area after they received reports of a man selling the suspected stolen items to other residents in nearby roads - including attempts to sell the Fanta to the original owner.

Jefferies, 39, of Creswicke Road in Knowle was sentenced on 22 July at Bristol Crown Court having pleaded guilty to the two burglary offences.

He has been jailed for two years and four months.

Image source, Dominic Winter Auctioneers

An original script from Morecambe and Wise's first ever broadcast in 1943 goes under the hammer in Cirencester today.

The episode of Youth Must Have Its Swing was broadcast on the Home Service in June 1943. The pair were just 17 years old when it was broadcast.

It's estimated the script will sell for between £200-300.

Voters in Gloucester go to the polls tomorrow to elect two new councillors to the City Council.

By-elections are taking place in Podsmead and Barnwood.

It will be the first place where the Brexit Party has stood candidates in a local election.

Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm and BBC Radio Gloucestershire will have the results on Friday's breakfast show.

Bristol Post: Student says she got scabies at hostel and is now being evicted, external

Somerset County Gazette: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service full time firefighter jobs shock, external

Swindon Advertiser: Thug brandished scissors as 'up to 20 men' brawled outside Swindon's Medina nightclub, external

Gloucestershire Live: Heroic park users' efforts in vain as man's body pulled from lake, external

Image source, Google

Two people have been arrested after a man was stabbed in Swindon's GWR Park on Tuesday afternoon.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said the victim,in his 20s, had suffered a stab wound to his chest and was taken to Great Western Hospital by ambulance.

His condition is described as stable and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

A 38-year-old man from Swindon was arrested in connection with the incident shortly afterwards,

Armed officers made a second arrest in Swindon town centre, at around 6.45pm.

A 41-year-old man from Swindon has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Both men remain in custody at Gablecross Police Station.