Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Last year UK’s warmest since records began
PARTS of the West may have woken up to a dusting of snow yesterday and the region has been hit by a recent cold snap. But according to new Met Office figures, last year was the UK’s warmest since records began. The mean average temperature for the...
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Oldest French restaurant in London to auction off decor
LONDON’S oldest family-run French restaurant is auctioning off its classic interior decorations to make way for a new look. On a busy street in Covent Garden, usually adorned with a large tricolour flag, Mon Plaisir has served up “great food” and...
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Dame Helen wowed by ‘wondrous’ restoration
DAME Helen Mirren has praised the “fantastic” restoration of a beloved cello dating back to the Second World War, in a first look at the upcoming Christmas special of The Repair Shop. In a clip aired on the BBC’s The One Show, the 80-year-old was “so...
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£5m plan to create homes for over - 65s
AN historic charity is stepping up its efforts to combat the housing crisis by investing £5 million into new and upgraded affordable homes for older adults – at a time when soaring prices are shutting out some of the most vulnerable. St John’s...
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Teenager who got out of ambulance was Tasered
ATEENAGER who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was then Tasered by police before being hit by a car and killed, the police watchdog said. Logan Smith, 18, from Westonsuper-Mare, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at 11pm on November 30...
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‘It’s just like Lego’ – couple save £100k on home build
ACOUPLE are saving more than £100,000 by building their own house – using polystyrene blocks instead of bricks. Hannah Bird and her husband, Charlie, a professional golfer, both 26, bought the 0.25-acre plot of land in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, in...
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Man jailed for stealing machinery ordered to pay £300k
AMAN who was jailed for his part in a crime ring that raided dozens of Somerset farms to steal expensive agricultural machinery has been ordered to pay more than £300,000. Harry Hollowell, 27 of Jellicoe Road in Yeovil, appeared at Bristol Crown Court...
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Council’s finances ‘full of red lights’ says Tory
SOMERSET Council’s finances have “more red lights flashing than a red light district”, according to one Conservative councillor. The council declared a financial emergency in November 2023 and has relied on support from central government to balance...
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Somerset pub named Inn of the Year by the AA
A SOMERSET pub has been named ‘AA Inn of the Year’ at the AA’s flagship Hospitality Awards. The George Inn, in Norton St Philip in Somerset claimed the award to be crowned Best Inn in the UK. In July the inn, with a history dating as far back as...
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Baby unit reopening plan to be announced within weeks
THE reopening of a special care baby unit at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) has taken a big step forward. Bosses temporarily closed the department and inpatient maternity service on May 19 amid safety concerns. In June, the Care Quality Commission...
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MPs: Flood cuts will leave us high and dry
SOMERSET MPs have called for a debate in parliament on proposed cuts to flood prevention and maintenance work across the county. The Environment Agency (EA) announced in mid-August that it would stop maintaining a significant proportion of Somerset’s...
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Dog walker died after being hit by tree branch
ARETIRED florist died after being struck by a falling tree branch as she walked her dog in a public park, an inquest heard. Mother-of-two Carol Spearing, 75, had met two friends for a walk in Ashcombe Park in her home town of Weston-super-Mare,...
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King: Your courage is a Beacon that guides us
THE King has hailed the “courage and camaraderie” of the heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in “humanity’s darkest hour” as “a flame that shall blaze for eternity” on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Charles, left, also significantly...
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Huge solar farm would be a ‘blight on the landscape’
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a huge solar farm next to Gloucester and Sharpness canal have sparked hundreds of objections. A proposal to install photovoltaic panels on more than 117 acres of farmland in open countryside in the Lower Severn Valley has...
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Final tributes are paid to cricketing legend Syd
GLOUCESTERSHIRE and England cricket legend David ‘Syd’ Lawrence made his final journey yesterday, carried by his son and loved by family, friends and stars of cricket, music and the communities in two West Country cities he loved. The fast bowler...
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Heatwave halts trips on iconic Flying Scotsman
EAGERLY-AWAITED trips on the Flying Scotsman in Somerset yesterday were cancelled due to track issues caused by the heatwave. It was hoped that scheduled services pulled by the famous locomotive would run today. Jonathan Jones–Pratt, West Somerset...
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Fury as RNLI pulls out of pier restoration plan
THE £25 million restoration of the historic Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare hangs in the balance after the RNLI pulled out of the project yesterday. The shock move from the lifesaving charity sparked outrage and came as North Somerset Council was...
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Career conversion: Jack swaps rugby for Glasto slot
ASINGER who swapped playing professional rugby for songwriting is now cycling 700 miles from Edinburgh to Glastonbury to celebrate landing his dream festival slot. Jack Cullen, a 30-year-old singersongwriter who lives in North West London, became a...
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CARMELA , 11, IS YOUNGEST EVER MBE
Carmela Chillery-Watson, from Dorset, who has LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy, has been made an MBE for services to charitable fundraising
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Hospital reopens after solar panels spark blaze
A MATERNITY hospital has reopened and is running a near-full service after a huge fire on the roof in Bristol on Thursday. St Michael’s Hospital, on Southwell Street, was forced into an evacuation after a fire broke out at around 4.30pm. Patients,...
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Cher’s killer jailed after ‘brazen’ carnival attack
AMAN who murdered a Bristol woman in front of her threeyear-old daughter during Notting Hill Carnival’s family day has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years. Shakeil Thibou, 20, stabbed Cher Maximen, 32, in the groin as her young...
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‘Speak with one voice on social care’
SIR Ed Davey has asked Liberal Democrat council leaders to press the Prime Minister on the urgent need to reform social care. In a call with councillors following last week’s local elections, the Lib Dem leader accused the Government of “dragging its...
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Jailed for life: Killer ex admits ‘I’m going to hell’
AFORMER doorman who murdered his estranged wife after a six-month campaign of stalking and harassment when he refused to accept their relationship was over has been jailed for life. Paul Antony Butler, 53, stabbed university lecturer Claire Chick, 48,...
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Man United joins clubs paying tribute to ‘Joey T’
PREMIER League giants Manchester United are among the clubs who have paid tribute to Somerset-born footballer Joe Thompson, who has died following a brave battle with cancer. Thompson was born and raised in Bath before moving to Manchester and later...
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Family of mercy killer ‘have paid heavy price’
AWOMAN who killed her terminally ill father as an act of mercy has spoken of the “heavy price” her family has paid after she walked free from court with a suspended prison sentence. Dr Lisa Davenport, 55, smothered Barrie Davenport, 88, with a pillow...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email richard.bache@ reachplc.com or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email richard.bache@ reachplc.com or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email [email protected] or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email richard.bache@ reachplc.com or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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Woman who claimed to be Maddie in custody
AWOMAN who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been remanded into custody by magistrates after being charged with stalking the parents and siblings of the missing girl by turning up at the family home, leaving voicemails and sending messages. Julia...
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Famed glove factory’s transformation to begin
WORK to transform two derelict factory buildings in Glastonbury is expected to start later this month. Under the plans, the grade II-listed Baily’s buildings are set to be turned into a new office hub, studios and workspace for small businesses. There...
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Police officer admits to slew of child sex offences
ASENIOR West police officer has admitted a string of child sex offences. Thomas Kettleborough, 35, an inspector with Avon and Somerset Police, pleaded guilty during a hearing at Exeter Crown Court yesterday. He admitted one count of engaging in sexual...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email richard.bache@ reachplc.com or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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> A swimmer in Harlaw Reservoir in the Pentland Hills, Edinburgh.
The West faces an amber alert for possible snow and cold weather
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Fears for local say in housing shake-up
GOVERNMENT plans to overhaul local councils’ planning committees, as part of a drive to “getting Britain building again,” are threatening to destroy a “vital part” of local democracy, the MP for Bath has warned. As part of the Prime Minister’s plans...
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Lucky Lauren, 24, wins £3m ‘Hollywood’ home
AWOMAN won a £3 million home on the way to McDonald’s – and celebrated with a Happy Meal. Lauren Keene, 24, from Gloucester, has become the youngest Omaze Grand Prize winner after securing the “Hollywood Hills”-inspired Wirral mansion. The...
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Gifts to bring a smile to 2,500 military children
SOLDIERS, students and volunteers have packed 2,500 special Christmas boxes for children who have a parent overseas with the UK Armed Forces this December. Each box is packed with resources and activities to help children cope with parental separation...
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‘Thanks is not enough for incredible support’
THE families of best friends Max Dixon and Mason Rist have told how their lives have been devastated by their murders. But both Mason’s grandmother Gail Iles and Max’s mum Leanne Ekland thanked the community in Bristol, and the police, for their...
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Corrections and complaints
IF we have published anything that is factually inaccurate please contact Richard Bache via email richard.bache@ reachplc.com or write to The Editor, Western Daily Press, Whitefriars Business Centre, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT. Once verified, we will...
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Epic 55-year pub crawl sees ale fan Rob toast his 12,000th venue
AWEST pub is among the very best places in Britain to get a pint – according to a man who has should certainly know a thing or two having just visited his 12,000th pub. Rob Cocker, 73, has been on what might be Britain’s most epic pub crawl over the...
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Homeless hostel’s future ‘at risk’ as cutbacks loom
BATH’S homeless hostel on Manvers Street is “at risk” as the local council plans cuts, the charity which runs it has warned. Julian House’s hostel has provided emergency short-term accommodation for rough sleepers in the city for 35 years. But its...
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Coroner calls for water safety education for all
ACORONER has written to the Education Secretary calling for better water safety for children following the inquest into the deaths of two youngsters at Bournemouth. Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and Sunnah Khan, 12, from High Wycombe,...
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