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'Bellringer's 90th celebration' and 'swim warning issued'

Marion Jeffrey Seven men and women, all middle-aged or older, in a church tower, some holding bell ropes, and smiling to camera. Marion Jeffrey
Reg Holcombe (third from left) celebrated his 90th birthday with the Timberscombe church bellringing team

Here is our weekly roundup of stories from across local websites in the West of England.

What have been the big stories in the West this week?

A new surgical and diagnostic centre could transform healthcare at Salisbury District Hospital, according to the Salisbury and Avon Gazette. Residents are being invited to help shape the plans.

A warning has been issued at a swimming spot in Bath, Somerset Live reports. The landowner said it was "only a matter of time before someone dies" after witnessing three police call-outs to deal with people trespassing on a nearby railway track. The BBC has also covered this story here.

Residents are waiting to hear whether the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme will be made permanent. Bristol City Council is set to meet on Thursday to consider the future of the scheme.

There are concerns a lack of weeding at Gloucester Docks is making the area look run-down, according to Gloucestershire Live. Speaking at a council meeting, councillor Karen James said there had been a record number of complaints.

The West Somerset Free Press has reported on Reg Holcombe, who celebrated his 90th birthday by taking hold of the ropes in the bell tower of St Petrock's Church, in Timberscombe, Somerset.

Top five local stories for the BBC in the West

Something longer to read

The Bristol Cable reported on the methods used to predict the risk of child exploitation.

Concerns have been raised by the children's commissioner about how Bristol City Council's data tools may historically have "wrongly identified victims and suspects".

The AI algorithms, developed by the council and Avon and Somerset Police, were used for years before being "quietly decommissioned", the report says.

The council said analytics had never replaced professional human judgement or decision-making.

According to the Bristol Cable, former chief constable Andy Marsh is at the forefront of a drive to embed AI across the criminal justice system and recently said AI tools should be tested and those that work properly should "be spread like wildfire through policing".

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