A man from Calne is to face trial accused of raping a woman and other offences. Michael Burgess, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to carrying out the alleged sex attack when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday. The 26-year-old also denied
The case against a rugby player accused of punching Minety flanker Lee Paterson in an off-the-ball ‘cheap shot’ has collapsed. Daniel Reed was cleared of any wrongdoing after prosecutors offered no evidence on the fourth day of a trial at Swindon Crown
Calne serial offender Stuart Webb, who avoided serious punishment when he stole a Poppy Appeal box, has slipped his way out of trouble once again. Homeless Webb, 25, sickened the county’s veterans when he stole the box from the Murco filling station
A charity set up to support local groups, organisations and families in Malmesbury has raised more than £900 from a fundraising furniture sale. The Malmesbury Area Community Hub (MACH) is applying for funding and holding charity events to get their plans
Organisers of the Devizes marquee at next week’s Diamond Jubilee event in Salisbury were delighted to hear that the Queen will be visiting their exhibit. Her Majesty will only be visiting a handful of the tents, part of a medieval fair set up in Salisbury
FAMILIES in Upavon will use their £100 grant to flag up social events in their village, not just for this year’s royal anniversary, but for the future as well. The Upavon Bunting Group plans to decorate the village with mini flags this June and during
A 44-year-old man died of a suspected heart attack in Old Road, Chippenham last Wednesday. It is thought that Stephen Croxton, who is believed to have suffered from a form of autism, died in the doorway of his home. Police say there were no suspicious
IT was a pretty exciting finish to last week’s County Championship game against Glamorgan last Sunday and it feels like we’re the side that always has close finishes like that. We needed 90 to win going into the final day and we didn’t even get started
OVER £500 was raised for the Devizes Mayor’s Appeal on Monday night when Devizes Town Band performed their St George’s Day concert in the Corn Exchange. Mayor Sue Evans expressed her appreciation for the band’s efforts during the sell-out show which
Car enthusiast Michael Bristow’s long-held dream to bring back the Invicta sports car has come crashing down, after his company was wound up this week. Mr Bristow’s self-confessed “gamble” to produce the exclusive car lasted barely a decade, as his Westpoint
Prospect Hospice opens its latest charity shop in Royal Wootton Bassett next month with incoming new mayor Coun Mike Leighfield on hand for one of his first mayoral duties to open the shop. The new shop, which is on Potters Walk on the main High Street
A FULL house of 120 saw seven home fighters in action at the annual Devizes Amateur Boxing Club dinner show at the town’s football club on Saturday. The 10-bout show was opened by Jack Ball in a skills contest against Paul James of Tadley & District
FIireman Rob Warwick has celebrated his marathon with a special, permanent memento. After taking on the race for The Micro and Anophthalmic Children’s Society, which helps children with serious eye problems, Mr Warwick has had a tattoo reading ‘XXVI.II
British Airways pilot David Brown was thrilled to complete the London Marathon in his target of under four hours on Sunday. The 40-year-old ex-TA serviceman, from Charl-ton, near Malmesbury, ran in aid of BLESMA, the British Limbless Ex Service Men’s
Swindon Town football manager Paolo Di Canio will captain a team in a match to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance charity. The game will be on May 2 at the County Ground, Swindon. Town captain Paul Caddis will captain the ambulance team and
Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Area has taken another step forward in preparing its Neighbourhood Plan. The community area has set up a steering group to prepare the plan, as part of the new planning system approved by the government this
Two Corsham men, who coach a children’s football team, were pleased to overcome injury and complete the London Marathon on Sunday. Friends Leigh McCarron, 37, and Robbie White, 40, who run the Chippenham Under-9s football team, ran the 26.2
Police officer Graham Mansell said the thought of his son Toby dragged him through the last five miles of Sunday’s London Marathon. Mr Mansell, 31, and his wife Carly, who live in Calne, lost baby Toby in March 2010, barely one day after he
Retired Marlborough engineer Alan Joslin knew exactly what to expect when he waited with the other 30,000 contestants for the start of the London Marathon on Sunday – because he had run 93 previously, including a dozen or so times in the London
Radio producer Mark Jones, who lives in Swindon but was brought up in Marlborough, ran his first London Marathon on Sunday. He crossed the finish line in four hours and 28 minutes, which was two minutes better than he had predicted. Mr Jones, 46, hopes
After running the London Marathon on Sunday, Gemma Brown was back at work for a commercial property company in Frankfurt, Germany, first thing on Monday morning. Miss Brown, 29, took part in the race as a tribute to the late Arthur Carrington
Chippenham man Stephen King has escaped a jail term, despite admitting sexually touching a child. King, 28, of Heron Way, pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when he appeared at North West Wiltshire
Singing and dancing will take centre stage at the Memorial Hall this week for Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society’s shows. The group started their run of Half a Sixpence yesterday and continues performances until Saturday. Simon Welch, of WBLOS,
Charitable Andy Peel Cross admits it was the £14,000 sponsorship he received to run the London Marathon in memory of his father that spurred him on. The landscape gardener, from Mildenhall, near Marlborough, completed the run in four hours and 40 minutes
THE London Paralympics might be just round the corner but para-equestrian star Anne Dunham admits she has looked even further ahead than that, writes NED PAYNE. Dunham is not yet assured of selection for the 2012 Games but has a strong chance
RICHARD Hughes has the plum ride of Trumpet Major to look forward to in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on his first week back from a 50-day ban. Richard Hannon's stable jockey at Collingbourne Ducis and son-in-law had to sit out Trumpet Major's win in the Craven
Box charity Jamie’s Farm held an open day to help promote the work carried out supporting vulnerable children from urban backgrounds. Around 250 people visited Hill House Farm, in Ditteridge, which offers children aged eight to 18 a chance to swap the
Despite heavy rain this week, Wootton Bassett Rugby club is hoping for more as the hosepipe ban threatens to take its toll. Restrictions put in place by Thames Water earlier this month, which apply to private and council facilities, could see grass seed
Chippenham charity Waste Not, Want Not has signed a 15-year lease on its Hungerdown Lane premises. The charity, founded in December 2002 and based in Hungerdown Lane, collects unwanted furniture to sell to those on low incomes. Project manager Phil
Anger is growing in Marlborough over Caffe Nero’s plan to open on Saturday even though it doesn’t have planning permission. Contractors are close to finishing conversion work at the former Dash fashion store in the High Street, which is being adapted
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is urging participants in their Sarsen Trail sponsored walk to raise a minimum of £50 each in the charity’s 50th anniversary year. The Devizes-based trust has been looking after the flora and fauna of the county for half a century
Fears that someone could be killed or seriously injured when parents drop off and collect their children from Bishops Cannings Primary School has prompted the parish council and the school to tackle the issue. Residents and parents have reported
A schoolgirl held a teddy tombola to raise funds for Water Aid after becoming concerned by the dried-up state of the River Kennet. Amy Slater, nine, crosses a bridge over the river on her way to Preshute School in Manton every day with her
Teenager Kate Good-man has been banned from driving after admitting drink-driving. Goodman, 19, of Allington Way, Chippen-ham, who works in her Mum’s shop, Magpie, pleaded guilty to the offence when she appeared at North West Wiltshire Magistrates’ Court
CALNE Town will face action over the ugly brawl that marred their celebrations after last weekend’s Wiltshire Senior Cup final at Hardenhuish Park. The Lilywhites beat the Wessex League’s Bemerton Heath Harlequins 2-1 but as they launched into celebrations
LITTLE Cheverell-based Olympians Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks are offering horse lovers the chance to own a foal of their star mount Headley Brittania in a unique online auction. The auction, being organised by sales agents Rachel Wakefield
The inaugural Persimmon Homes Malmesbury Half Marathon was officially launched today (Friday) to mark a new sporting milestone for the region. The 13.1 mile race will take place on Sunday, September 23 with runners starting in Malmesbury High Street
St Cyriac's Church in Lacock is holding two weeks of events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics. The programme, from Saturday, May 12, until Sunday, May 27, is designed to involve people of all ages and community groups in the village
OXFORDSHIRE county captain Annie Gowing scored a hole-in-one on her way to a matchplay win at the English women’s senior championship at Tidworth Garrison. The Frilford Heath player, who was playing in the second flight, made short work of the 168-yard
ROUNDWAY Parish Council is objecting to a proposal to upgrade Quakers Walk from a footpath to a bridleway. Developers of nearby housing have applied to Wiltshire Council to request cyclists and horses have use of the path as well as walkers. At a parish
A group of morris dancers who base some of their routines on the lifestyle of the Great Bustard bird are coming to Devizes on May Day bank holiday Monday. The Great Bustard morris group, based in Swindon, is coming to the Devizes Lions May Day Fair on
A TOTAL of 23 community groups in the Gazette & Herald’s circulation area will have a financial boost to their Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations this summer after successfully applying to our Community Fund. Some 76 groups applied for help from the
A video showing plans for the interior of Corsham’s new campus has gone online. The three-minute tour inside the campus was uploaded to YouTube last week and Corsham Shadow Community Operations Board (COB) town councillor Allan Bosley would like to hear
A GROUP of Wiltshire Council staff are preparing to walk the 55-mile White Horse Challenge. The 16-strong team plan to split the course between them and cover the entire distance. The White Horse Challenge raises money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance
About 1,750 homes in Marlborough experienced power cuts for almost two hours last night with the west half of the town left without electricity from 9.40pm to 11.35 when Scottish and Southern Electricity engineers restored the power. The east side of
A Corsham primary school believes the traffic calming trial taking place in the town is making it safer for pupils to walk to school. Headteacher of St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Rita McLoughlin believes the two week trial which has
ENTRIES have opened for Chippenham Harriers’ new five-mile road race and family fun runs in June. The June 10 event, which is being organised in association with Chippenham Rugby Club, replaces the popular Friends of St Mary School five-mile event and
A child rapist who groomed a young girl for sex will be out on the streets sooner than expected after his jail term was cut on appeal. Stephen Paul Hunt, 40, was sentenced to 18 years in prison at Swindon Crown Court in September last year
PARAMEDIC David Oliver has been struck off for sending sexually explicit online messages to a person he believed to be 15 years old. A panel of the Health Professionals Council Register’s Conduct and Competence Committee heard the allegation arose from
Lord Carey of Clifton, the former Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991-2001, was in Marlborough on Tuesday to talk about his new book co-written with his son Andrew, We Don’t Do God. More than 100 people were in St Mary’s Church to hear Lord Carey, who
IT WAS fantastic to get a win like that against St Albans on Saturday. The players produced an excellent performance for the supporters and the directors. We know that we’ve stalled and there’s been a lot of mediocrity around for too long, so it was
Purple haze has descended over a nature reserve in Oaksey as the meadows of a rare flower come into bloom. Snakeshead fritillaries are coming into their peak at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Clattinger Farm nature reserve, near Oaksey, this week
I WOULD argue that although it was a great day for the club on Saturday, securing promotion at Gillingham, there was a bit of a disappointment that we lost the game 3-1. It’s always slightly flat if you manage to get promoted despite a defeat but maybe
A dozen firefighters from Wilt-shire travelled to Westminster to tell MPs that plans to slash £1.8million from the fire authority budget would render the county’s service ‘not fit for purpose’ – and could cost lives. The reforms package has been put
Villagers in Pewsey have been asked to act as the eyes and ears of the police and to shop anyone they see causing criminal damage or behaving anti-socially. The plea came from parish council chairman Bob Woodward to a packed annual parish meeting
WILTSHIRE councillors who turned down a plan for a care village for older people on land next to Quakers Walk in Devizes are being urged to drop the reasons for their refusal as officers fear it will prove costly when the matter goes to appeal. In an
THE Ofsted inspectors’ two-week visit to Wiltshire Council’s children’s services department was the third in as many years. The previous two, in 2010 and 2011, were unannounced. The most recent was planned in advance. The inspection
WILTSHIRE Council will spend up to £500,000 on consultants, advisors and extra training for managers in a bid to turn around its failing children’s services department. The extra cash was approved after Ofsted failed the safeguarding services run by
Wiltshire's most vulnerable children have been put at a significant risk of harm because of failings by Wiltshire Council bosses, inspectors have said in a damning report. Ofsted said they had found ‘serious and significant shortcomings’ in
