Archive

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Selling local art

    ART fans are in for a treat in Highworth. The town's Artists' Society is holding its autumn exhibition next month. Forty artists will be showing their work at the town council's community room between November 5 and 13. Oils, watercolours and pastels

  • Two dragged from car and attacked by youths

    TWO young men were dragged from a car and attacked by a group of teenage youths and girls in the centre of Downton on Friday night. Police have described the incident as "a nasty attack on two visitors to the Downton area" and have appealed for help in

  • Brothers' big swim raises funds in mother's memory

    Jeremy (left) and Rory Burton, after their sponsored swim. 28/10/04TWO young Salisbury brothers are on target to raise more than £500 for a hospital ward in which their mother died nearly two years ago. Jeremy Burton (11) and his brother Rory (eight)

  • Office park heralds jobs boost for city

    ABOUT 300 jobs will be created if a major office development and a 90-bedroom care home on land off London Road in Salisbury get planning approval. Four new office buildings are planned for land between London Road and the main Salisbury-to-London railway

  • Councillorstrek up Snowdon for Chelsea

    Chelsea with parents Nikki and Mike Bloomfield, brother Jordan and volunteer climbers. 28/10/04KIND-HEARTED parish councillors in Tidworth were heading north to Snowdonia last Friday, to help raise £3,700 for a little girl in desperate need of a new electric

  • Head-stamper's appeal rejected

    A VIOLENT thug jailed for stamping on a man's head after a row outside a pub has failed in an appeal court bid to clear his name. Justin Hayes (25), of Highfield Road, Amesbury, was jailed for two years at Salisbury Crown Court in May this year, after

  • Town's top policeman steps into retirement

    Retiring Police Inspector Tim Richards. 28/10/04AFTER 30 years' service with Wiltshire Constabulary, Inspector Tim Richards is stepping down as section commander at Amesbury, to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Insp Richards (51), who officially retires

  • Landowners hit back with military ban

    A FARMER from Codford, angered by the imminent ban on hunting, has stopped soldiers from training on his land. Josh Stratton has told the ministry of defence it can no longer use his 3,500 acres, in protest at the proposed Hunting Bill. He is one of ten

  • Sculptor victim of scam

    AN angry sculptor is threatening to chain himself to the inside of HSBC in Salisbury, unless the bank hands back nearly £2,000 of his money. Former Salisbury man Jonathan Cox (44), who lives in Broughton, near Stockbridge, said he suffered weeks of sleepless

  • Leisure plans deferred

    PLANS to hand over sports facilities and swimming pools to a leisure trust have been put on hold for 18 months, following a year of upheaval. Under the proposals, Salisbury district council would relinquish control of Five Rivers leisure centre, Durrington

  • Park-and-ride sites' future under review

    THE future of two more park-and-ride sites will remain under review because the council is unsure if there is enough money to pay for them. According to a review of the medium-term financial strategy, council coffers are likely to be £0.5m in the red

  • Relief road hopes dashed

    AFTER decades of campaigning, hopes for a Wylye Valley relief road were effectively dashed this week, when the scheme was dropped from a crucial plan for future development. The route, which would have bypassed the traffic-choked villages of South Newton

  • Cemetery decision is 'common sense'

    FORMER allotments and grazing land in Cow Lane, Laverstock, have been chosen as the site for a new cemetery for Salisbury, following intense pressure from Laverstock residents and a local football club. Their objections to the new city cemetery being

  • More swans slaughtered

    THE bodies of another eight swans have been discovered this week, after a spate of horrific shootings. A whole family of the birds living on the River Avon in Salisbury has been slaughtered and, in a separate attack, five male swans were killed and dumped

  • Two dragged from car and attacked by youths

    TWO young men were dragged from a car and attacked by a group of teenage youths and girls in the centre of Downton on Friday night. Police have described the incident as "a nasty attack on two visitors to the Downton area" and have appealed for help in

  • Teenager fell to his death in lift shaft

    A BOWERCHALKE teenager plunged 150ft to his death down a lift shaft in a hotel in Argentina, an inquest heard. Toby Mann (19), of Knowle Farm, had been taking a gap year after leaving the £21,000-a-year Milton Abbey School, near Blandford, when the tragedy

  • Brothers' big swim raises funds in mother's memory

    Jeremy (left) and Rory Burton, after their sponsored swim. 28/10/04TWO young Salisbury brothers are on target to raise more than £500 for a hospital ward in which their mother died nearly two years ago. Jeremy Burton (11) and his brother Rory (eight)

  • Office park heralds jobs boost for city

    ABOUT 300 jobs will be created if a major office development and a 90-bedroom care home on land off London Road in Salisbury get planning approval. Four new office buildings are planned for land between London Road and the main Salisbury-to-London railway

  • Hair today and hair tomorrow for new salon

    A HAIR salon is celebrating moving into new premises. JJ's hair group has just opened a salon in Havelock Street, having moved from Crombey Street. Partner Jane Jennings said: "We have been in the Crombey Street building for 15 years and we are moving

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Former casualty manager lauded

    Jill Brewer 29752-31FORMER NHS manager Jill Brewer has won praise for slashing accident and emergency waiting times at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. A Department of Health report has paid tribute to the senior A&E official who died two weeks ago

  • Eat your way to good health

    Path to health Judy Foster takes details from a patient Ref: 73091-21THE familiar saying you are what you eat could not be truer, says Judy Foster. The allergy specialist from Stroud has just opened another practice at the Bentley Centre, in Stratton.

  • Visit Stonehenge free of charge

    NOVEMBER 6 - 7 2004, STONEHENGE: The iconic monument of Stonehenge will be opening free of charge from November 6-7, to mark the National Lottery's 10th birthday. English Heritage is offering the general public free entrance to the world famous site,

  • Black Watch poised to relieve US troops

    The deployment of British troops called in to support US forces in central Iraq is under way, the Ministry of Defence said. Soldiers from the Black Watch are moving northwards from their base in Basra to near Baghdad. The Warminster-based regiment Black

  • Town fans among the worst

    Ref. 29600-27According to a Home Office report, 38 Town fans were arrested last season, including 19 at away games. Offences included violent disorder, throwing missiles, racist chanting, pitch invasions and breach of banning orders. Reports dating back

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Man had sex with girl, 15

    A FATHER has been sentenced to six months jail for having sex with a 15-year-old girl. David Ransom, 38, of Cricklade Road, Swindon, had already pleaded guilty to two charges of unlawful sex with the girl when he appeared before a judge at Swindon Crown

  • The day life was such a drag at the supermarket checkout

    Mike Hamm, 63A CHECKOUT operator from Stratton dressed up as Mrs Doubtfire to raise money for the hospital that saved his grandson's life. Mike Hamm, 63, who works at Sainsburys in Stratton, has raised almost £800 towards the building of a new intensive

  • Don't miss those appointments

    SOUTH Swindon MP Julia Drown is urging women to keep their breast screening appoint-ments. Ms Drown has joined forces with Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the UK's leading breast cancer charity, to highlight the need for all women aged 50 and over to attend

  • Crunch time for hapless bus driver

    Ref. 73095-513PASSENGERS on the bus above got closer to their stop than expected when it collided with a bus shelter in Old Town. The number 10 Thamesdown bus ploughed into the shelter outside the Evening Advertiser office in Victoria Road at 10am yesterday

  • Lib Dems support County Ground revamp

    SWINDON'S Liberal Democrat group has voiced its support for the redevelopment of the County Ground. Tory councillor Justin Tomlinson put forward a motion on Friday asking the council to consider revamping the Robins' current home. And Coun Michael Dickinson

  • These yobs could have killed us

    The damaged windscreen of the car in which Margaret Goodman was travellingMOTORISTS have become moving targets for a gang of stone-throwing yobs in Swindon. Police fear someone could be killed after several attacks on cars in Thamesdown Drive. And they

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Orchestrating cheerful time

    WOOTTON Bassett Orchestra has its Christmas concert with mince pies and candles, on Saturday, December 11 at Wootton Bassett Memorial Hall at 7.30pm. There will be carols and other music, including the clarinet Serenata by David Fanshawe. £5 on door,

  • Elvis's income still much alive

    ELVIS Presley, right, has come top of a list of the highest-earning dead celebrities, with an annual income of £22m. Peanuts cartoon creator Charles Schulz was in second place on the list, compiled by US business website Forbes.com. Lord of the Rings

  • Offer tops the lot for charity

    Do you have a use for four bin liners full of milk bottle tops? Maslin's Funeral Service helped in a charity event to fill a skip with bottle tops for a wheelchair for a boy in Cardiff. Having completed the task, the staff continued to collect the tops

  • Fishlock's award

    Bill Fishlock has been awarded for his charity work. Bill, has received the Paul Harris award from the Rotary Club of Swindon. The honour recognises Bill's voluntary work. A former chairman of the Prospect Hospice management committee, he also supported

  • Treasure trove of adventure

    YOUNGSTERS in the Wootton Bassett area can find out all about the life of a pirate today. Town crier Owen Collier will transform himself into a pirate, telling children what it was like to sail the seven seas under the Jolly Roger in search of treasure

  • Plea for drivers to help stroke victims

    DRIVERS are needed to transport stroke victims to a support group. Swindon Stroke Support Group has two mini-buses, but needs more people to drive them. Members attend weekly meetings at the Methodist church in Ermin Street between 7pm and 9pm on Thursdays

  • Talent on display

    NYTHE will be showing off its creative talents at an art exhibition next month. Members of the Nythe Painting Club are currently putting the finishing touches to their work, which will be displayed on November 27-28. The display is being held in Nythe

  • Beauty on show

    THE De Vere Hotel, West Swindon, will play host to a health and beauty show on October 31. The event, organised by health firm Stanbury-Smith, will explore the power of crystal healing. Further information can be obtained by emailing: stanbury-smithevents

  • Sack attack crime

    THE RAC is backing our campaign by donating free car security bags for 500 readers. Earlier this year, RAC Auto Windscreen the division which repairs broken windows ran its own Nothing on Display initiative, which saw the launch of the Safe Sack (pictured

  • A chance to put something back

    IF you take an interest in the environment you live in you may like to consider becoming a parish councillor. Covingham Parish Council currently has two vacancies. The council has recently been successful in opening a £56,000 play park, which was an instant

  • Sewage revamp wins top award

    A £17 million project to revamp Swindon's Sewage Treatment Works has received an award from the Institution of Chemical Engineers. The project involved increasing the capacity of the works by 25 per cent. The scheme was highly commended in the Water category

  • Time to brush up

    Nythe's Painting Group meets every Thursday at the Nythe Centre from 7pm until 9pm. The group welcomes newcomers to join them. Participants will need to bring their own materials. Further information can be obtained from Valerie Cosway on 01793 823343

  • Striking right note

    A NEW £50,000 award dubbed the Turner Prize for Music has been launched. To qualify, artists must create an imaginative and original piece of new British music to be performed in public. Organisers want it to provoke the same level of debate as the Turner

  • Brrr! Wrap up for cold winter

    IT'S enough to make the bookies freeze with fear Britain has more chance than ever of a thick cover of snow this Christmas, scientists have said. A study of 140 years of winter weather has found that while short showers are declining, heavy and prolonged

  • Olympic vest sold for charity

    A CHARITY auction held to raise cash for Christmas celebrations is expected to raise about £200. Among the lots sold off at the Queen's Park Social Hall, Euclid Street, was an Olympic running vest signed by British athletes. Auctioneer Coun Stan Pajak

  • Surgeries help police crack crime

    CRIME fighting initiatives in Gorse Hill have been boosted by the introduction of monthly surgeries with police community support officers. The sessions are the latest in a long line of initiatives in the area including the introduction of a Neighbourhood

  • Switch on time

    WROUGHTON will be illuminated on November 29 when the village's Christmas lights are switched on. There will be live music outside the Ellendune Shopping Centre prior to the switch-on at 7pm. Lights outside the Ellendune Community Centre will be lit at

  • Landing strip plan at airfield

    WROUGHTON Parish Council will meet tonight to discuss village planning applications. One of them is a bid to transform part of Red Barn Farm into a model aircraft landing strip. The owners of the farm are seeking approval to convert a 60 x 60m patch of

  • Selling local art

    ART fans are in for a treat in Highworth. The town's Artists' Society is holding its autumn exhibition next month. Forty artists will be showing their work at the town council's community room between November 5 and 13. Oils, watercolours and pastels

  • 14 and counting

    David Hempleman-Adams, right, has gone to Canada for another adventure. He hopes to break an altitude record in a balloon over mountainous terrain in Calgary. If successful his tally for unusal records in the past year will rise to 14.

  • Protest cost £7m

    POLICING anti-war protests at RAF Fairford during the Iraq war cost the taxpayer more than £7 million, it has emerged. The total bill for policing the Gloucestershire airbase where US B-52 bombers were stationed last year was £7.7 million, Home Office

  • Irresponsible tablet taking

    UP to half of people on prescribed medication fail to follow instructions for taking their medicine. New independent research has revealed that: *At any one time, seven out of 10 people are using prescribed or over the counter medication. *A fifth of

  • NSPCC thanks to cops

    THE NSPCC has praised Swindon police for uncovering a haul of child porn. Officers discovered more than 93,000 depraved images when they raided the home of Lee Adams. Adams, 35, of Alpine Close, Shaw, allowed other paedophiles to copy his collection.

  • Post Office lifts for elders hope

    POLITICIANS from across the board are being urged to call for a public show of disapproval at the decision to axe three post offices in Swindon. Councillors will be asked to back a motion calling on Swindon Council to express its unhappiness at the Post

  • MP gets wind up over five-turbine farm plans

    WIND turbines are like giant alien machines from a sci-fi horror story, North Wiltshire MP James Gray has claimed. The Tory hit out at government plans to increase the number of windfarms nationwide, insisting they damage the landscape. Quoting from HG

  • Former casualty manager lauded

    Jill Brewer 29752-31FORMER NHS manager Jill Brewer has won praise for slashing accident and emergency waiting times at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. A Department of Health report has paid tribute to the senior A&E official who died two weeks ago

  • Fundraisers set to call it a day

    73107-13A LONG-STANDING branch of the Royal British Legion is on the verge of disbanding unless it can find new members. The women's section of the Highworth branch now has only six members and they have decided that this will be their last year if they

  • Asda fined for mango claims

    73100-17SUPERMARKET giant Asda received a maximum £5,000 fine for claiming mangoes could help beat cancer. Asda Stores Limited, whose parent company is US firm Wal-Mart, pleaded guilty to breaching the Food Labelling Regulations 1996. And now outraged

  • Top finance councillor says no to a casino

    SWINDON Council's top finance councillor has said he would not back a casino. Nick Martin (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) said: "They methodically take money off anyone who visits. "I was a trainee accountant doing the books for working men's clubs, and once

  • Keep on rockin'

    73102-12THE Rockin' Emporium will live on after a customer stepped into the breach at the 11th hour. Owner Brian McVeigh is closing the shop he started with his wife Alison almost 20 years ago. Having announced he was to shut in August, he thought the

  • Names derided

    SHOULD the development at Coate go ahead, will some Swindon councillors (and our North Swindon MP) think that their names will be held in great esteem by future generations for bringing a University to Swindon? I think not they will be remembered only

  • Safe for the judge

    MY wife Diane, complete with her ferocious guard dog, Poppy, right, assures Swindon's senior judge, John McNaught, that he has nothing to fear after arriving at Swindon rail station. She is usually there with dozens of other cabbies, who will gladly transport

  • Plans in place to avoid fines

    I REFER to the article in the Advertiser on October 18, with regard to the European Union's targets for the landfill of biodegradable municipal waste headlined "Council faces fine of £28 million." Mechanisms are in place to ensure Swindon will not incur

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Smith Granted his chance?

    GRANT SMITH has spotted a vacancy that interests him and is out to convince his manager that he's the best man for the job. The Scotsman is likely to be handed a start against Sheffield Wednesday on the left side of midfield tonight, a position he would

  • Pupils aid walkers' fund

    The Mayor of Amebury, Steve Dayman and Steve Fear with pupils of Christ the King School. 28/10/04PUPILS at Christ the King School, in Amesbury, emptied their pockets of loose change on Wednesday last week, as charity walkers passed through the town raising

  • More swans slaughtered

    THE bodies of another eight swans have been discovered this week, after a spate of horrific shootings. A whole family of the birds living on the River Avon in Salisbury has been slaughtered and, in a separate attack, five male swans were killed and dumped

  • War reporter wows the WI

    Kate Adie with WI Federation chairman at Salisbury City Hall on Monday. 28/10/04THE redoubtable ladies of the Wiltshire Women's Institutes gathered in Salisbury this week to hear from another woman of substance - veteran war reporter Kate Adie. The journalist

  • Doctors deny 'magic potions' misconduct

    PATIENTS' lives were put at risk when two doctors at a private clinic in Downton advocated a vegan diet supplemented by 'magic potions' as a treatment for breast cancer, the professional conduct committee of the General Medical Council was told on Tuesday

  • Teenager fell to his death in lift shaft

    A BOWERCHALKE teenager plunged 150ft to his death down a lift shaft in a hotel in Argentina, an inquest heard. Toby Mann (19), of Knowle Farm, had been taking a gap year after leaving the £21,000-a-year Milton Abbey School, near Blandford, when the tragedy

  • Bridge over the Avon is reopened

    TRAFFIC is once again able to cross the Avon at Figheldean, after a new £340,000 bridge over the river was officially opened on Thursday last week. Gerald Gear, who has lived in the area nearly all his life, Philip Dawkins and Finlay McCulloch, the village's

  • An emotional return from Iraq for troops

    THERE was a heroes' welcome for the soldiers of the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment when they returned home from Iraq on Monday. Dozens of family members lined the parade ground at Bhurtpore Barracks, Tidworth, to welcome home their

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • City's trick or treat tie

    One-nil to the Whites. Craig Davis turns to celebrate after scoring what proved to be the winner against Billericay Town. 28/10/04ALTHOUGH Salisbury City will kick off Sunday's FA Cup tie at Slough Town knowing their destiny should they defeat their Ryman

  • Gardening guru comes to town

    Oliver Burton with Alan Titchmarsh at Ottakar's. 28/10/04NATURAL history enthusiast Alan Titchmarsh was in Ottakar's, Salisbury, last Thursday, signing copies of the book that accompanies his latest TV series, The British Isles: A Natural History. Dozens

  • Doctors deny 'magic potions' misconduct

    PATIENTS' lives were put at risk when two doctors at a private clinic in Downton advocated a vegan diet supplemented by 'magic potions' as a treatment for breast cancer, the professional conduct committee of the General Medical Council was told on Tuesday

  • War reporter wows the WI

    Kate Adie with WI Federation chairman at Salisbury City Hall on Monday. 28/10/04THE redoubtable ladies of the Wiltshire Women's Institutes gathered in Salisbury this week to hear from another woman of substance - veteran war reporter Kate Adie. The journalist

  • £1 million an hour

    Oil giant BP said record fuel prices and better refining margins had helped it to bank nearly £1 million an hour in profits. BP posted profits of 3.94 billion US dollars (£2.14 billion) for the three months to September 30 and adopted a bullish tone when

  • Best cleaned office

    NATIONWIDE House in Pipers Way has reached the shortlist of a competition to find the best-cleaned offices in Britain. The highly prestigious Kimberley-Clark Golden Service awards will be held at the Savoy Hotel in London on Friday, November 5, and Nationwide

  • Office equipment burns up batteries

    IT would take 23,000 household batteries to run a basic office for one week costing the equivalent of £17,500. Research carried out by Powergen for Energy Efficiency Week has revealed that a basic desktop computer and screen would get through 44 standard

  • Fresh approach for Uniq after two rejected offers

    CONVENIENCE foods group Uniq today said it had received a fresh approach just days after rejecting two potential takeover bids. The group, which makes desserts, ready meals and sandwiches for supermarket chains, said the revised proposal remained subject

  • Case for image management

    NATIONWIDE Building Society is among the satisfied clients of Britain's newest business picture provider. Swindon-based Pixmedia has been set up to provide high-resolution pictures for the media on behalf of corporates, charities and the public sector

  • Asda fined for mango claims

    73100-17SUPERMARKET giant Asda received a maximum £5,000 fine for claiming mangoes could help beat cancer. Asda Stores Limited, whose parent company is US firm Wal-Mart, pleaded guilty to breaching the Food Labelling Regulations 1996. And now outraged

  • Widow wants to see justice done

    73112-12A WIDOW whose husband died of asbestos related lung disease is appealing for his former workmates to come forward so she can sue for compensation. Glen Tayler was just 59 when he died in May from mesothelioma a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos

  • The long and the short of growing your hair

    BEAUTY FEATURE - IN case you hadn't realised, in every survey ever done the old answer is always the same - men prefer longer hair on women and, funnily enough, so do most women. So why do we see less and less clients with long flowing hair? Well, often

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Black Watch poised to relieve US troops

    The deployment of British troops called in to support US forces in central Iraq is under way, the Ministry of Defence said. Soldiers from the Black Watch are moving northwards from their base in Basra to near Baghdad. The Warminster-based regiment Black

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • 'My son built this hospital'

    Ref. 73105-52 Madge Millman, INSET: Robert Millman who built the hospital in NepalADVER reader Madge Millman is keen to help Claire Lawton achieve her goal of spending two months in Nepal helping the people of Kathmandu. Mrs Millman, 88, is probably better

  • Town fans among the worst

    Ref. 29600-27According to a Home Office report, 38 Town fans were arrested last season, including 19 at away games. Offences included violent disorder, throwing missiles, racist chanting, pitch invasions and breach of banning orders. Reports dating back

  • Crackdown on soccer thugs

    BOSSES at Swindon Town Football Club have vowed to crackdown on yobs by attempting to shut down websites promoting extreme violence. Hardcore groups are posting messages on the web gloating about glassing attacks, stabbings and mass brawls in the town

  • Neil beaming after league win

    HEAVY rain caused the bream to show in a good North Wessex Winter League third-round match on the Kennet and Avon at Wolfhall, Farmers and Brimslade. Match organiser Neil Richards (Talisman Gold) drew the end peg half way down the Farmers stretch and

  • New northwilts

    North Wiltshire District Councillor David Evans (LibDem, Hilmarton) has helped relaunch its website. You can pay council bills, apply for a job, report an abandoned vehicle or benefit fraud, check out council meeting times and get advice about council

  • Under 10s wanted

    Penhill Knights Football Club is building teams for the under nines and 10s. Vince Bown said: "We have a successful under-11s, so we wanted to get other ages involved. We will be in the North Wilts and District League and there will be activities, like

  • Alley reopens and customers return

    AN OLD Town lane has reopened ahead of schedule after repair work. Wood Street alleyway, closed since October 4, reopened days after we reported traders were suffering a drop in revenue because of the closure. The alleyway will remain open until January

  • Draycott not off the Mark

    MARK Draycott endured a losing start to his career as a Swindon Supermarine player last night. The former Town youth striker was snapped up by Mark Collier on the eve of the Southern League Cup trip to Clevedon after a brief spell at neighbours Chippenham

  • Cats will lap up all your help

    SWINDON Cats Protection will be at Asda Wal-Mart in the Orbital Shopping Park on Sunday raising funds for its activities promoting cat welfare. Fiona Sword, spokeswoman for the group, said: "We're going to have collection bins so that if people have been

  • Where you can donate blood

    THERE will be blood donor sessions across the area in November. In Cricklade there will be donor sessions at the Town Hall in High Street from 1.15pm until 3.55pm and 5pm until 7.15pm on November 2. In Wroughton, there will be sessions at the Ellendune

  • Battler Battersby

    CORONATION Street's Les Battersby has told "corporate fat cats" to keep their hands off the Cream of Manchester in the fight to save the city's Boddington's brewery. Bruce Jones, who plays Battersby in the soap, is lending his support to save the renowned

  • Music and mince pies at festive event

    The Wootton Bassett branch of the North Wiltshire Conservative Association is holding an evening of Christmas carols, mince pies and mulled wine on November 26 at Manor Farm, Clyffe Pypard. Music will be provided by the Wootton Bassett Brass. Tickets

  • Black day for Cilla

    CILLA Black's plans to open a nightclub in the West End have been scuppered. The TV presenter had found a venue for the club in a street close to Oxford Circus. But council officials turned down her plans because the area already has too many late-night

  • Routine visits to the dentist now outdated

    ROUTINE six-monthly or annual visits to the friendly dentist could become a thing of the past. Health experts have recommended tailoring the interval between check-ups to meet the needs of the individual person. The new guidelines which have been published

  • Treats for bonfires

    CONFECTIONERS have revealed some of the top tasty treats that Swindonians will be able to enjoy this coming Bonfire Night. Roast chestnuts, jacket potatoes and treacle toffee not surprisingly rank among some of the most popular, according to confectioners

  • Funerals could be hit by strike

    Hundreds of funeral workers across the UK will mount picket lines outside Co-operative Funeralcare offices today when they stage a 24-hour strike in a dispute over hours and pay. Staff including administrative workers, pall bearers and hearse drivers

  • Hotel triumphs

    A FOUR luxury star hotel in Swindon has won a prestigious award. The Best Western Blunsdon House Hotel in Blunsdon has won the Best Western Premier award after a complete refurbishment of the hotel. Co-owner Peter Clifford said he was absolutely delighted

  • Pub in line for prize for being a haunted hotspot

    A VILLAGE pub has been short listed in a competition to find the country's most haunted drinking spots. Cider company Strongbow, which is running the Halloween-themed competition, picked The Red Lion Inn in Avebury after seeking advice from expert Richard

  • Getting it right with First Great Western

    FIRST Great Western trains has been named the second best performing long distance operator in the UK. The company, which runs trains to London from Swindon, has achieved an increase in punctuality and performance in its first three months as a new franchise

  • Biker is injured

    A BIKER was taken to hospital with minor injuries following a collision in Westcott Place. The man's red Honda collided with a van just before 9am yesterday. He was treated at the Great Western Hospital. Witnesses to the crash should call Swindon police

  • Help the Brigade

    COVINGHAM Boys Brigade is seeking support from people who might be able to help with future projects. The brigade meets every Friday evening at St Paul's Centre in St Paul's Drive, Covingham. If you have a skill you would like to share, the group would

  • An unwelcome battle over sign

    A WELCOME sign has caused unwelcome disagreement between two councils. Wootton Bassett Council put up a sign welcoming visitors to the town on the Malmesbury Road but Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council says the sign is in its parish. The sign is on the left-hand

  • NEW - Heath & Beauty

    We've extended our Health section to include beauty topics and pampering advice. Read about skin rejuvenation, the latest beauty treatments, keeping fit and more. And you can still read about the key issues in Wiltshire, such as hospital closures, the

  • Drivers ready to drive on right to celebrate new Beaujolais

    FIVE drivers who work for BP Castrol in Swindon are getting ready to navigate some of France's hidden routes with their car boots packed with red wines and champagne. And when they reach home on Friday November 19 their cargo will be sold in aid of Prospect

  • Major review of night life

    NIGHT-TIME entertainment and leisure facilities in Swindon are about to be reviewed in a major new study that could have significant implications for the way people enjoy themselves in town during the evenings. The Night Time Economy Task group has to

  • Sarnie bar man's bite at Big Apple run

    73093-23THE manager of a Swindon sandwich bar is hoping to complete a trio of feats for charity when he does the New York Marathon. By day Jason Cuthbert is the franchise owner for two branches of O'Brien's sandwich bar, but in the evening he has been

  • Disabled taxi driver gets specially adapted cab

    A SPECIALLY-ADAPTED taxi is helping to keep disabled cabbie Allan Wells in the driving seat after more than a quarter of a century at the wheel. Allan has taken delivery of the new automatic Silver specification, silver coloured TXII, which has been fitted

  • 'Our wildlife needs to be protected'

    A SWINDON pressure group fighting the uni-versity campus plan at Coate Water says a recent government recom-mendation is not clear cut. Friends of the Earth say, even though an indepen-dent panel has given the green light to the scheme for a new University

  • I'm no longer shocked

    Car park warden Peter Alldiss is no longer shocked by the carefree attitude of drivers. "When I started two years ago I was amazed, he said. "But not any more, I'm used to it. "I find cars left with the doors wide open, or windows wound down. "I've seen

  • The warning signs go up......

    73101-66OUR campaign to beat smash- and-grab car crooks swings into action today. Dozens of hard-hitting Keep Your Car Clear posters will be going up in car parks across town. The posters show a thief snatching a handbag from a car, and warns motorists

  • The appeal of Mr Peel

    THE MUSIC industry is today reeling from the sudden death of broadcasting legend John Peel. And among those paying tribute to the 65-year-old radio DJ who died from a heart attack was Andy Partridge, lead singer of Swindon band XTC. He said Peel played

  • Ex-pats get the election fever

    73050-12EX-PAT Americans in Swindon are awaiting next week's presidential elections. Some will be favouring Bush, the others Kerry, while some even feel the whole poll is a sham. But whatever their political allegiances, they will be eagerly awaiting

  • Widow wants to see justice done

    73112-12A WIDOW whose husband died of asbestos related lung disease is appealing for his former workmates to come forward so she can sue for compensation. Glen Tayler was just 59 when he died in May from mesothelioma a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos

  • Britain blamed

    IN Britain during the last 12 months there has been a huge increase in gun crime and violent crime. But what a coincidence the same increase in violent crime has taken place in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and all three countries are spheres of British

  • Mum's thanks

    I WOULD like to say many thanks to the wonderful staff of Space Adventure who took such great care of my son on Saturday. He was visiting the play area with his carer and suffered a fit. The staff kindly provided a first aid room, blankets and pillows

  • Baffled by our council's view

    I am baffled by Coun Dobie's letter saying his and other councillors' views are not being taken into account over the development of 1,800 houses and the university at Coate. As the deputy leader of the council, does he not speak to Coun Bawden on this

  • No need to panic over laws

    NEW laws on how disabled people are treated at work and when they apply for a job come into force this month and 1.1 million small businesses will be affected. One in five people of working age is disabled from having arthritis or diabetes to being hearing