Summary

  • The latest news, sport, travel and weather reports for the West of England

  1. Tuesday's front pages: Western Daily Presspublished at 08:29 BST 14 August 2018

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  2. Salisbury poisoning: Decontamination work complete at pubpublished at 08:13 BST 14 August 2018

    Mill pubImage source, Reuters

    A pub which was closed after traces of a military-grade nerve agent were found in March will reopen "before Christmas".

    Following extensive cleaning and testing by specialist teams, the Mill pub has been handed back to its owners.

    It was one of the locations visited by former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Both were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury.

    Andrea Greenwood, from the Mill, said it had been a "difficult few months for all of us in the area".

    Quote Message

    This is about more than just one pub and our thoughts are very much with everyone affected by events.

    Andrea Greenwood

  3. That’s a wrap: Locals vent fury over holiday parkerpublished at 08:04 BST 14 August 2018

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    Here's a sight you don't see everyday.

    A parked car has been spotted on a road near Bristol Airport wrapped in cling film.

    It's believed to be the work of frustrated local residents who are fed up with people abandoning their cars on local roads, before jetting off on holiday.

    Avon and Somerset Police said it was yet to receive any complaints from the car's owner.

  4. Trains disrupted near Tauntonpublished at 07:20 BST 14 August 2018

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  5. Christmas market plans include anti-terrorism measurespublished at 17:01 BST 13 August 2018

    Stall at Bath Christmas Market

    There are plans to expand Bath's Christmas market this year into a new location and install extra defences against terrorism.

    Concrete bollards were in place last year and Visit Bath is planning to put up barriers again alongside a "robust vehicle action plan", insisting they're only precautionary.

    More than 400,000 people visited in 2017 and a planning application could see 26 stalls move into Milsom Street.

  6. Summer school for autistic childrenpublished at 16:39 BST 13 August 2018

    It is hoped autistic children will gain stability and independence by continuing to interact with others.

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  7. Bristol leads on pioneering NHS surgery for cerebral palsypublished at 16:13 BST 13 August 2018

    Bristol Children's Hospital will become the leading specialist NHS centre for operations to help children born with cerebral palsy.

    Pioneering selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, that involves cutting the roots of spinal nerves to help alleviate spasticity, has just become available on the NHS following a pilot project at the hospital.

    Patients like Edme Kelly will benefit:

    Media caption,

    Esme Kelly has cerebral palsy which means she can't walk unaided

  8. 'Cheers to the sunshine' say Somerset wine producerspublished at 15:27 BST 13 August 2018

    The South West Vineyards Association says climatic changes are improving conditions for producers in England.

    Nearly four million bottles of English wine hit the market in 2017 and now the industry claims it wants to double that figure within two years.

    Guy Smith who owns a vineyard near Langport which supplies a major supermarket says warmer seasons are helping producers achieve that goal.

    Vineyards in Somerset are doing well
  9. Ben Stokes 'lied about self-defence'published at 15:01 BST 13 August 2018

    The cricketer "acted deplorably as the red mist came down" in a fight outside a club, a court hears.

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  10. Summer club keeps autistic children aheadpublished at 14:37 BST 13 August 2018

    A special summer school for autistic children in Bristol hopes to address a "six month regression" in the children when they go back to school in September.

    The Venturers' Academy run the club for children and their parents throughout the summer holidays.

    It is hoped the pilot will gain wider recognition and prompt similar schemes:

    Media caption,

    The Venturers' Academy run the club to help the children over the summer holidays.

  11. Boy, 17, arrested over festival rapepublished at 13:27 BST 13 August 2018

    A 16-year-old girl is attacked at the Boardmasters festival in Cornwall.

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  12. Summing up in the trial of Ben Stokes and Ryan Alipublished at 13:10 BST 13 August 2018

    Ben Stokes outside court

    The trial, at Bristol Crown Court, of England cricketer Ben Stokes, 27, and Ryan Ali, 28, for affray has begun hearing summing up of the evidence for and against the two men.

    Both are on trial after a fight broke out between them outside Mbargo nightclub in Bristol, in the early hours of September 25 2017.

    Last week, giving evidence, the cricketer said he "stepped in" to defend two gay men before the fight.

    Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, has told the jury: "Mr Stokes begins to use self defence but moves out of that to become the aggressor. If he was being tried alone his behaviour alone would constitute affray... Mr Stokes acted deplorably as the red mist came down".

    But Stokes' barrister, Gordon Cole QC, said: "In unexpected anguish Ben Stokes used reasonable actions" and claimed: "the evidence is ambiguous." He urged the jury to "look again at the body cam footage, look how he was, how he co-operated. He was calm and compliant."

    Summing up continues this afternoon.

    Both men deny the charges against them.

    Ryan Hale, 27, was acquitted of the same charge last Thursday.

  13. 'Several' stadium options for Roverspublished at 12:37 BST 13 August 2018

    Bristol Rovers president Wael al-Qadi says the League One club are exploring "several" options for a future home stadium.

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  14. Delays on M5 following collisionpublished at 12:36 BST 13 August 2018

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  15. Manager treated NHS as 'cash machine'published at 11:33 BST 13 August 2018

    A gang of four men used £650,000 of NHS funds to pay for luxury refurbishments to their homes.

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  16. Ben Stokes trial: Closing speeches under waypublished at 11:02 BST 13 August 2018

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    England cricketer Ben Stokes, 27, is back at Bristol Crown Court for day six of his trial for affray.

    Both he and Ryan Ali, 28, face the same charge - which they have denied - after a fracas near a nightclub in the city last year.

    Judge Peter Blair QC, The Recorder of Bristol, has told the jury they will hear closing speeches from Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting; Gordon Cole QC, defending Mr Stokes; and Anna Midgley, defending Mr Ali.

    He will then sum up the case.

    The judge said that he expects to invite the jury to retire to consider its verdicts at "some point" this afternoon.

    Media caption,

    Ben Stokes arrives at court for day six of evidence

  17. Parking your car in Bath just got pricierpublished at 10:47 BST 13 August 2018

    People paying for parking in Bath

    Charges at council run car parks in Bath have gone up from today.

    It now costs £15 to park all day at car parks including Charlotte Street, Manvers Street and Avon Street.

    There's also a new flat hourly rate of £1.60 across all of Bath and North East Somerset Council's off-street car parks in the city.

    But people living in the BANES council area are eligible for a 10% discount if they register online.

    It's part of measures to reduce air pollution and encourage people to use the park and ride.

  18. 'Banksy' road sign disappears from Clevedon lamppostpublished at 10:40 BST 13 August 2018

    Banksy road signImage source, Banksy

    A road sign apparently created by the street artist Banksy has disappeared from a lamppost near his home city.

    The photo of the stencilled sign on a lamppost in Clevedon, north Somerset, was posted on Banksy's officialInstagram page, externalon Friday.

    It depicted an elderly couple being carried by two children in an apparent reference to Brexit.

    But by Friday evening, the sign had been removed. The BBC has approached Banksy's representatives for a comment.

  19. Pioneering muscular dystrophy surgery now available on NHSpublished at 09:50 BST 13 August 2018

    Matthew Hill
    BBC West health correspondent

    Esme Kelly

    Bristol Children’s Hospital will be the country's leading specialist centre for operations to help children born with cerebral palsy.

    Until now the pioneering Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, which involves cutting the roots of spinal nerves that cause spasticity, was only available privately.

    Families, like the parents of two-year-old Esme Kelly from Swindon, have had to resort to crowdfunding to raise £36,000 for the operation and intensive physiotherapy.

    But even though the surgery is now funded, there’s a question mark over whether the physio provided afterwards is enough for optimal results.

    That means no end to the growing trend of recent years for families relying on charitable donations in order to pay for full treatment.

  20. Investigation continues after factory explosionpublished at 09:22 BST 13 August 2018

    Chemring Countermeasures

    Police are continuing to investigate after a man died in an explosion at a factory which makes military hardware in Salisbury.

    A fire broke out in a building where flares are made at the Chemring Countermeasures plant in High Post, Salisbury, on Friday evening.

    Wiltshire Police said a 29-year-old man from Southampton died at the scene and a second man was taken to hospital.