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COUNCIL leaders in Gloucestershire will lobby the Government to help fund their bid to fix the Missing Link. The leaders of Gloucester City Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council will be asked to sign a letter requesting £255million for a dual carriageway between the Cowley roundabout and Brockworth on the A417. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited the A417 Air Balloon roundabout last week to see first hand the road which has become notorious for accidents, congestion and tragic deaths. The stretch was named by the Highways Agency on a list of roads in the South West earmarked for improvement but the decision on whether the scheme will be taken on is yet to be made. Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: "We are well behind this campaign because although the road is outside of Gloucester, it has a big impact on the city. "It affects our businesses and the economy of Gloucester. For example on the Gloucester Business Park it puts off businesses locating there because transport is difficult." Jeremy Hilton, who raised the issue in a city council meeting last week, pictured, said: "The importance of securing the money cannot be underestimated. It is the main road between Gloucester and the south east of England." The state of the road is also affecting businesses in Gloucester. Jim Rodgers, depot manager for haulage company Freightroute, based in Bristol Road, Gloucester said: "It's a brilliant idea to improve that stretch of road. If we have a time sensitive delivery to make and we get delayed then our customers won't appreciate us being late and we could lose money." David Cooper, manager of Cooper RJ, which is based near to the A417, said: "It's absolutely vital for us that this work is done. There's always lots of traffic that trickles down to the roads near us. "Most mornings drivers can be delayed for up to 20 minutes, and it's bad for businesses and people getting to work. There are also far too many accidents." Tewkesbury Borough Council's leader Coun Robert Vines said: "I am delighted to pledge our support for the Missing Link campaign, and I hope our request for the funding needed for this solution will be taken very seriously by the Government."

Council leaders to call on Government to fund £255million A417 'Missing Link'

A COUPLE have been found dead after the husband failed to attend court on charges of making and possessing indecent images of children. Robert and Ellen Griffiths, both aged 36, were discovered at their home in Shawbury Avenue, Kingsway, last Thursday when police forced their way into the house. Their deaths are not being treated as suspicious. Two days before they were found, a warrant had been issued for Mr Griffiths' arrest when he failed to attend Gloucester Crown Court to be sentenced. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier magistrates' court hearing to 15 charges of making indecent images of children and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals. A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: "Robert Griffiths, aged 36, failed to appear at crown court on July 15 in connection with the offence of making indecent photographs. "Police were called to an address in Shawbury Avenue, Kingsway, on the evening of July 16 where a man and a woman were found dead. "Their deaths were confirmed by paramedics shortly after midnight. Police are not treating this as suspicious." An inquest was opened by Gloucestershire coroner Katy Skerrett yesterday and adjourned until January 25 next year. Coroner's officer Andy Nicol said: "On July 17, concern was raised by Mrs Griffiths' family members that they had not heard from their daughter or her husband. "They contacted the police and officers went to the property and forced entry." He said Mr and Mrs Griffiths were found in the loft space and there were no suspicious circumstances. "Postmortem examinations have been carried out and the cause of death in both cases is vasovagal inhibition due to hanging," he said. He said the bodies of the couple had been identified by their respective fathers. Shocked neighbours of the couple said they had no idea that Mr Griffiths was due in court. The couple were described as 'quiet and unassuming' by nearby residents who said they saw them only rarely. "There were a lot of police cars and ambulances here last Thursday night about midnight and we wondered what was going on," said one neighbour. "It's all very distressing." Another neighbour Chris Thomas said: "I didn't hear anything about it and it's quite a family-oriented area, so it's quite surprising what you find on your doorstep and this is shocking." A mother who lives nearby, who did not want to be named, added: "It's very concerning that it can happen in this street and we didn't know about it. The fact he could skip bail in a street where children play quite frequently outside is very concerning. I think we should have known more about somebody of that nature living around here." Marcin Serek said: "We have got very good neighbours but I'm not familiar with this case – but it's very sad."

Husband and wife found dead at Kingsway home after man's guilty plea to indecent child images charges

STARK reminders of the brutality and suffering of the First World War have been found by a Gloucester resident. A copy of Covenants with Death first published by the Daily Express in 1934, was found by Albert Hughes when he was having a clear-out at his home in Westgate Street. The book, edited by TA Innes and Ivor Castle, has hundreds of photographs showing fighting in trenches, battles at sea and English homes destroyed by air raids. Some of the more brutal pictures in the book depict dead bodies left in the trenches, prisoners hanging from trees and victims of famine. Since finding the book, Albert, 90, has appealed for museums to take copies of the images for their exhibits. Albert, whose father served in the First World War in the Worcester Yeomanry, said: "I want to share this book with as many people as possible because I know I'm not going to be around for much longer. "When I found the book I was quite surprised and I thought if I don't show people this book before I go then it's gone forever." Albert, followed in his father's footsteps and fought in World War Two. He also saw Belsen concentration camp during his service. He said the book brings back memories of his own experiences. "My father didn't say all that much about his experiences in the war," Albert said. "All he told his children was how damp it was and we never asked questions. "Children these days want to know about these things and ask more questions. "It's enlightening to see nowadays so hopefully some of these pictures will be able to educate them." On the cover of the book, the inscription says: "The purpose of this book is to reveal the horror, suffering and essential bestiality of modern war, and with that revelation, to warn the nation against the peril of foreign entanglements that must lead Britain to a new Armageddon. "All the pictures are taken from authentic photographs." Readers are given a warning before they reach the last 15 pages of the book of the "inescapably horrible" photos which end the album. The warning reads: "But they are essential to a full view of the World War of terror. "It is important that young folks growing up understand that they reproduce actual happenings when foreign nations go to war in the flood tide of hate." Copies of the book are available to buy at online retailers for up to £80.

Brutality and horrors of First World War told in book of photographs found in Gloucester

Pre-season is taking shape WE are now into the full swing of pre-season and it's great to be back in the squad environment, especially with plenty of optimism ahead of the big kick-off. I had two weeks off where I went on holiday to Barbados but I was back at Hartpury more or less three weeks before anyone else trying to rehab my ankle. Gradually all the boys started coming back in and it was only 10 or so of the international boys who were missing. The boys were off last week but again I was in working on my ankle. But they have all come back this week and we are pretty much up to full ranks which is great. Paddy Anson took charge of the first few weeks and we got through a lot of conditioning work, then Nick Walshe turned up to a few sessions and he introduced the ball and started doing some skills stuff. John Muggleton arrived last week and he's taking charge of this week with a big focus on defence. Nick and John both seem like really good guys. John is very self-assured and confident and he just wants to pass his experience onto the guys. He has showed us the stats of last year and what is and isn't acceptable. He has done some sessions this week and seeing the boys' faces and hearing what they were saying you can tell they have been very good. He wants us to have so much information and preparation in terms of defence that there will be no excuses. It is going to be detail, detail, detail so when you get to the match the guys will hopefully have much more confidence in what they are doing. It's been pretty tough so far but you still feel there is more to come. Last year we had 'Front up Fridays' where we went off to the Brecon Beacons and Yorkshire for army sessions and those kind of things. Those days were very mentally challenging. We have had nothing like that so far but the training has been very hard. The boys have been completely flogged doing hill sprints. There's even been a few being sick. All the sessions have been monitored with GPS tracking and heart rate monitors to make sure the boys are pushed to the limit. That kind of thing might come in the next couple of weeks but they keep the details pretty quiet. One of the first Fridays we were told the bus was departing at a certain time and straight away you started to wonder what lung-busting session we're letting ourselves in for. Some of the boys were getting worried but when we arrived it was just a team building day – the kind of thing where you transfer logs through holes and build rafts. It was a great day and while it wasn't particularly challenging physically it was tough and great for team bonding. With so many new faces this year that is more important than ever, we need to break down any barriers and bond as soon as possible. We need to get to know each other and to understand each other on the pitch. Laurie Fisher is not here yet because the Brumbies are doing so well, Walshy is in and out and David Humphreys is not in until August 1. We have to make sure we are comfortable with each other by the time they arrive because it is only a few weeks until our first pre-season games.New boys must still face initiations THERE'S been a huge amount of change to the playing squad this summer but everyone that has come in has been great. Greig Laidlaw came in and trained sooner than he was scheduled to because his wife was expecting a baby, and that just shows how much he wanted to be here. He has massive respect from the boys for what he has done in his career and you can't help to compare him to Brush (Bryan Redpath). He is a similar, small scrum-half and there are some comparisons in looks but we have to make sure we don't take the mick out of him like we did with Brush because he is a different personality. He is very professional and just goes about his job. Then there are guys like John Afoa and Richard Hibbard who have been very open and up front from the start. Days like the team building are designed for exactly that and ensure all the guys open up. There will definitely be some initiations for the new boys but there is some confusion over the head shave/milk challenge rules. There's talk of it not applying to those over 26-year-sold so we will see. I'm not sure if Hibbard had it written into his contract that we couldn't do it but perhaps we will have to pull in the likes of Phil Vickery, Trevor Woodman and Andy Hazell to help. If they start swinging there are some big boys so maybe we will have to get big John on side early and use his weight. n I'm still on course to be there for the first games. The ankle has been testing but I'm getting there. I was running the other week and got a little bit of pain so eased off. It's just about getting the balance right between pain I have to live with and pain we have to get rid of. We're all happy to play with knocks but we have to make sure it is right but I have done so much rehab and strength work that I don't think it will get a million times stronger. I'm still on target for the big kick-off I'm still on course to be there for the first games. The ankle has been testing but I'm getting there. I was running the other week and got a little bit of pain so eased off. It's just about getting the balance right between pain I have to live with and pain we have to get rid of. We're all happy to play with knocks but we have to make sure it is right but I have done so much rehab and strength work that I don't think it will get a million times stronger.

The Adventures of Sinbad: With Gloucester Rugby star James Simpson-Daniel

JONNY May has warned his rivals that his best is yet to come. While the Gloucester wing, who scored 12 tries in 24 matches for the Cherry and Whites last season, enjoyed a breakthrough year on the international stage he was still not satisfied. May started every encounter of England's Six Nations campaign but failed to fire on all cylinders upon his return to domestic action. He still earned a place on the summer tour of New Zealand but was only selected for the first Test as Stuart Lancaster experimented with combinations. But after reporting to pre-season training at Hartpury, following a well-earned break, the electric wing has declared he is desperate for more and can improve for both club and country. He said: "It was a long season with the end being particularly intense, so my body definitely needs rest to get back to being 100 per cent. "Looking back, it was a great season for me but I definitely have more to give, for Gloucester and for England. "I know what I need to work on and I'm determined to be even better this year. "I was a little disappointed to only play in the first Test but the coaches were clear that it wasn't a case of being dropped, it was a case of needing to see what others could do. "They wanted to look at Manu (Tuilagi) and Ashy (Chris Ashton) on the wing. "Come Autumn, they will pick on form and I'm feeling positive about my rugby and the progress I made. "I pushed hard to get my starting place and I played six games in a row for England. "It's like having a second club and I feel like a valued member of the squad now, but I still feel I haven't shown my best yet. The kind of person I am, I want more." England suffered a double dose of heartbreak in the Land of the Long White Cloud, losing the first two Tests by a combined total of six points before the All Blacks twisted the knife in the third and final encounter. But May is convinced England will benefit from the painful experience. He added: "We went into that first Test against New Zealand as massive underdogs, missing all the boys playing in the Premiership final, but we did really well. "We were kicking ourselves a bit because we had the opportunity to beat them in the first and second Test and those opportunities don't come along very often against a team like New Zealand. "We may have lost the series 3-0 but we'll take a huge amount from it. "We know they are not invincible and the fact we ran them so close twice will give our young team a lot of confidence" May's Red Rose breakthrough completed a remarkable journey for the 24-year-old who gambled on a move to Hartpury College eight years ago. The Swindon-flyer headed to the famous sporting institution to study a BTEC Dipolma in sport and it was here that his rugby career really took off. He worked his way through the ranks and quickly established himself in the set-up winning the BUCS national universities title and the EDF Junior Vase with the Hartpury club side. He has continued his studies while at Gloucester and is no rush to forget the college's contribution to his professional career. He added: "When I came to Hartpury, I hadn't achieved much rugby-wise at all; county B squad at best. "I improved massively while I was at college and winning those two finals at Twickenham with Hartpury was incredible. "We barely lost a game that season, it was a really special time and my performances put me on Gloucester's radar. "If I hadn't come to Hartpury, I honestly don't think I'd be where I am now. "It was a risk at the time, doing a BTEC instead of A-levels, being the only person from my school to come to Hartpury and living away from home, but it has paid off massively for me."

Jonny May declares the best is yet to come

AFTER following in the footsteps of Jonny May, James Voss is ready to hit the ground running at Hartpury College. The second-row from Jersey became the first recipient of the Gloucester-Hartpury scholarship in the the summer. He has been loving life in pre-season training with the Cherry and Whites and has now linked up with his Hartpury teammates and coaches. He is enrolled in the same foundation degree in Sports Business Management that May undertook. The unique scholarship covers Voss' accommodation and tuition fees to allow him the opportunity to pursue both rugby and education. And he is relishing the opportunity to impress Gloucester while plying his trade with Hartpury in National League One. He said: "Rugby is obviously what I want to do but it can be a very short career and I need to look at my options. "I was told about the trial at Hartpury for the scholarship by my agent, and as it happened, I was playing in Bristol that weekend, so I stayed on to take part in the selection process. "All I knew about Hartpury was that it was an established sports college but the trial gave me an insight into what life here could be like. "It was an easy decision to accept the scholarship and get the chance to study and play here. "It's definitely the best place to be as an elite sports person. You are surrounded by other people on sports courses and playing at a top level, so you really feel part of a community. "The facilities at Hartpury are amazing and being involved with Gloucester - from the coaching to the gyms, the physio and the medical staff - it's a massive step-up. "But I've been made really welcome by my team-mates and my coaches, and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone involved with the Hartpury set-up too. "It's great being involved on both fronts, learning new skills that I can apply to my game. "I'm ambitious and of course it's my dream to play in the Premiership but I just want to play at the best level I can and give it my all in every game I play." It is hoped Voss will become the latest Cherry and White star to fall off the Hartpury conveyer belt The likes of May, Billy Burns, Gareth Evans, Dan Robson, Tom Savage, Charlie Sharples, Elliott Stooke and Henry Trinder have all come through the system at the sporting college. And Hartpury director of rugby Alan Martinovic (inset) reckons he has all the attributes to make that step up in the future. He added: "James is a hugely exciting prospect and it's great to now have him on board. "Of course, we already have a proven track record of working alongside Gloucester Rugby to ensure that players reach their full potential. "The amount of students on our rugby programme who have gone on to play at the highest level are testament to that." "The Gloucester-Hartpury scholarship is yet another important development in this hugely successful partnership. "As well as supporting players with the potential to succeed in the professional game to develop their rugby career, it will help prepare them for life after sport - either through injury or retirement - by giving them a first-class education and the skills they will need to forge a career."

James Voss aims to follow in Jonny May's footsteps

IT HAS been a tough time for English cricket in the past few months and I will be interested to see what happens next. They have obviously come off a horrible winter down in Australia and now they have had some tricky results back here. But when you lose two top players like they have done in Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann it's always going to be tough. Those two were genuine world class players and you are always going to miss that. Some of the young players like Garry Ballance and Joe Root are stepping up and producing the goods, but at the same time some of the more experienced lads are struggling. But you don't become a bad cricketer just because you are having a bad trot. Every player goes through it at some stage of their careers. It doesn't take much for a couple of the good guys to step up and get a few good innings under their belt and then start performing. In the last match at Lord's when England won the toss in those conditions they would have probably have liked to have bowled better than they did. If they had bowled them out cheaply in the first innings it would have probably been a different story. The England players have been around long enough to know that they need to step up to the plate and start performing. Knowing what cricketers are like, I can assure you that they will be working bloody hard to turn things around. It's an especially tough time for Alastair Cook and it's an easy time for all the pundits to have their opinion and say their piece. But Alastair just has to go about his business and find a way of coming out of this bad run. He's certainly saying the right things and I can assure you he will be working really hard to make a difference. We have all had phases of our careers when it's tough, but you have to keep working. His record is second to none and I am sure he will come back. Sometimes you may need a break from it and I know Michael Vaughan has said Cook needs a break. But when you are playing the game you have personal pride in wanting to keep going and to turn it around and that's what Alastair is trying to do. When he's trying to do that in a side that isn't playing all that well too, it can be doubly tough.Craig deserves praise because he's done the hard Miles It was brilliant to have Craig Miles back with us for the game against Worcestershire this week. Craig has got such great ability and potential for a young guy and we're all certain that he has got a really big future in the game. But more than that he's a great guy around the dressing room. Everybody in the squad likes him as a bloke, he works really hard at his game and thinks a lot about it too. He came into the Worcestershire game off the back of a really tough three or four months as he battled back from injury. And after putting in all that hard work he came back and he got the results. We hope that he keeps improving and improving. He's pretty good at the moment already and he's just turned 20, hopefully that can continue. Tom Smith also bowled really well against Worcestershire. Tom's 26 but he hasn't played an awful lot of first class cricket in his career so far.I hope Rory can go on to emulate Tiger Wood and Jack Nicklaus Commitments with the day job meant I only really got to see one day of The Open. We had Saturday off so I watched as much as I could and I am stoked that Rory McIlroy won as I am a big fan of his. He could go on and be one of the best players to have ever played the game. The likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have outstanding records. But give Rory time because he is still so young. I think in time and in the form he is playing with at the moment he's got the talent to be up there. Nicklaus and Woods have both got such amazing records over a considerable period of time and it would be great to see Rory match that. I like seeing new people come through in sport to be the next big thing, be the next Tiger. It's happened in tennis where Federer became the next Bjorn Borg and then Nadal came along. When that happens in sport it's great because there is always the next big thing coming along and Rory could be that.

Marshall Law: Gloucestershire batsman Hamish Marshall on England, The Open and Craig Miles

OUTSPOKEN councillor Maria Edey says she will not "be suppressed" by Forest of Dean District Council after she was rapped over emails she sent to officers. The independent member claims she was censured for the tone and content of her correspondence relating to the way the authority handled plans for so-called puppy farms. A standards hearing said that Councillor Edey's behaviour breached the code of conduct she is bound by and the authority has stated she will now be banned from joining any outside bodies. Ms Edey, who lives in Coleford and has started a petition against puppy farming in the area, said: "They want to suppress me and I don't understand – it's freedom of speech. "They can do whatever they like. I will not give up on this whether they like it or not. "I probably did handle it wrongly and should not have said what I said but I am very passionate about things and I lost my rag." Neither the authority nor the councillor would say what specific aspects of the emails gave rise to the complaint but some were copied to all members of the council. In a statement, the council said: "A meeting of the full council considered a complaint regarding the conduct of Councillor Edey. "The complaint related to the tone and content of a number of emails sent to an officer of the council. "Some of the emails were copied to all members of the council. "The complaint was investigated as a breach of the council's code of conduct for members. An investigating officer and the standards panel, advised by the deputy monitoring officer and the independent person, considered that Councillor Edey's conduct constituted a breach of the Code of Conduct which warranted consideration by full council. "It was agreed that Councillor Edey should be censured for her conduct, that she should be removed from, and not appointed to any outside bodies, and the council should publish its findings in respect of her conduct." The complaint was debated behind closed doors after a meeting of the full council. A spokesman for the council said: "We are not going to be issuing anything else on this or discussing it any further as it is private business relating to a member of the council."

Councillor

SOLDIER Guy Pearce has embarked on a year-long endurance mission after conquering a mountain which tragically claimed the lives of three men. The 44-year-old completed the gruelling 24km Fan Dance over two sides of Pen y Fan just days after two soldiers died on the highest peak of the Brecon Beacons during a brutally-hot SAS selection day last July. Since then, he has pledged to tackle 12 physical events in 12 months – naming the challenge the Dirty Dozen – to raise as much money as possible for a charity which supports the children of the fallen. Having served in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia, he decided to back Scotty's Little Soldiers, a charity which was launched by an Army widow following the death of her corporal husband during the war on terror in the central Asian country in 2009. Mr Pearce, originally from Longlevens and serving with 29 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps in Cirencester, said: "I did the Fan Dance event for the charity last year and in a mad moment I decided to do a lot more this year and I came up with the idea of calling it the Dirty Dozen. "This charity has been gaining quite a lot of press over the last couple of years. Basically, they refer to it as a charity that helps the children of the fallen. "Being in the military and the recent conflicts I have been involved with, that is the connection but the child aspect just really hit me – I have done a lot for Help for Heroes but that is one sector we are kind of forgetting." He said the Fan Dance – which he has completed for the second time since starting the Dirty Dozen – replicates the first stage of the SAS recruitment process which is what tragically claimed the lives of the soldiers who would have attempted climbing the mountain with 90 pound packages in soaring temperatures. He has also completed the Tough Guy, an extraordinary cross country run with a total of 250 obstacles in Wolverhampton in January. "A lot of time is spent in the water and there are various bits where you have to break the ice to get in," added Mr Pearce, who said around 700 of the 4,500 entrants suffer initial stages of hypothermia. "I suffered from the first stage at one point but being in the military you recognise the signs and can then do something about it.I was going a bit gaga," His next challenge will be to complete the Tough Mudder, a challenge which will take in much of Cirencester Park and will feature some of the region's highest climbs and deepest mud pits. In between the major challenges he will also complete a series of sanctioned half-marathons to make up the Dirty Dozen, some of which are yet to be confirmed. To sponsor Guy, visit bmycharity. com/dirtydozen.

Soldier Guy Pearce takes on year-long endurance mission after conquering mountain

LITTERING and flytipping are to be at the centre of a Government inquiry aimed at tackling a problem which costs £1billion nationally every year and has proved controversial across Gloucester. The Communities and Local Government Committee has launched the inquiry to help reduce the 30million tonnes of litter picked up every year on the streets of England. Problem areas in the city pinpointed as having litter issues in the past include Barton Street and College Street. Keep Britain Tidy has placed more than £1billion on the annual cost of managing litter and its knock-on effects nationally. The Government is asking for written submissions on what problems litter and flytipping create for communities, whether the situation is improving and if local authorities are doing a good job at managing the rubbish. Pam Tracey, Gloucester city councillor for Westgate, pictured, said: "Shopkeepers and residents in the city need to take more responsibility in making sure Gloucester looks tidy. A lot of people moan about the seagulls but it's the shopkeepers who leave their bin bags out in the street for too long. Something needs to be done." On the Citizen's Facebook page, Wilfried Dautlich said: "Tourists arriving to Gloucester by coach are greeted by a rundown depressing coach station, litter and cigarette stubs, never mind dozens of 'no smoking' signs. Go to Scandinavia and most of continental Europe and see the difference." Rhiannon Richards said: "It's not the quantity of rubbish that's the issue. The seagulls rip open the bags that are left in town for collection and scatter it across the streets." A city council spokesman said: "We take the problem of litter and flytipping very seriously and we have a number of different measures to deal with this including street wardens, social media and CCTV cameras."

Gloucester's litter hot spots targeted in Government litter inquiry

TWO hundred plywood boards have been primed and a host of international artists lined up as preparations for Gloucester's first street art festival near completion. While recent focus in the county has been on the Banksy spies mural in Cheltenham, volunteers have been working hard to make sure the city is ready for the inaugural Gloucester Paint Jam on August 2 and 3. Local artist Beastie and Marketing Gloucester have rounded up a group of local and national artists to spray, marker and stencil blasts of colour and creativity right across the city. Those ready to share their creative talents include Trix, Flava and Cheltenham's Dice67, as well as the likes of Bristol artist Andy Council, who will be painting an enormous mural at Bar H2O in Eastgate Street. Mhairi Smith, events manager at Marketing Gloucester, who has helped organise the artistic festival, said: "We are really excited about our first street art festival in Gloucester. "There has been so much hard work going on behind the scenes and the dance, music and art that will be on display during Paint Jam will be outstanding." The event was organised to provide an opportunity for artists to create work around Gloucester while engaging with the community and businesses. The majority of it will take place in King's Square using special hoardings with music from artists such as Hobbit and MC's Action Jackson, DJ FADE, Funky 9 and MC Danger providing a backdrop. Street dance, MC and DJ workshops are also going to be taking place at the Gloucester Guildhall from 12pm to 7pm. For details call 01452 503 050.

Finishing touches being applied to Gloucester Paint Jam

FROM a collection of rugby-ball shaped Humpty Dumpties to a scattered herd of Shaun the Sheep. These are just two of the ideas being touted for a theme for a set of sculptures to appear across Gloucester for the Rugby World Cup 2015. Based on projects which saw 80 Gromit sculptures dotted around Bristol and wicker pieces used in Yorkshire for the Tour de France, Gloucester City Council and Marketing Gloucester are musing an idea they hope will attract rugby fans to all parts of the city. It would see at least 25 sculptures, based on a chosen theme, placed in locations around the city, with each sponsored by a business. Visitors would be able to pick up a map or use an app on a smart phone to track the sculptures down. Council leader Councillor Paul James said: "We wanted to encourage movement around the city during the Rugby World Cup to make sure the whole city benefits from it rather than activity being concentrated at Kingsholm and the Docks for the fan zone. This is part of making sure the city centre gets its fair share of the action." Options include Shaun the Sheep, the Aardman Animations character which is being used to promote the World Cup, and Humpty Dumpty – the nursery rhyme character with links to Gloucester. However, Mr James said planners are open to suggestion. He said: "There are a couple of options. One is that we build a project around Shaun the Sheep. On the plus side, we will have a well-known figure that people know and like but, on the down side, it's not unique because there will be Shaun the Sheep in Bristol and potentially other locations. The other option is to come up with something that's connected with Gloucester." A decision on whether to go ahead with the idea will be made shortly. Businesses interested in sponsoring one of the sculptures should contact the city council.

What would you pick? Ideas for city-wide sculptures to mark Rugby World Cup being considered

MOBILE phone users in rural Gloucestershire have called for improved coverage as Vodafone unveiled plans to improve its service across the country. The mobile operator is giving 100 rural communities across the UK the opportunity to apply for their Open Sure Signal Technology to bring 3G coverage to their area. Vodafone is calling for communities to work together with their MP to apply for the technology which forms part of plans to spend £1billion on its network this year. It is hoped that up to one million people could have mobile signal in their communities as part of the project. The Open Sure Signal Technology will be rolled out after an initial trial in settlements across the UK including in South Wales, Devon and Herefordshire. Mobile phone users in rural Gloucestershire welcomed the plans but called for operators to do more to improve their service. Phillip Burford, Forest of Dean district councillor for Hartpury, said: "In some parts of the Forest of Dean we are like a Third World Country for mobile phone reception. "Operators are always pushing for 3G and 4G but the signal always suffers. The signal is pretty much non-existent in the Newent area. "Most businesses these days need to be able to be contacted throughout the day, and people working from home rely on their mobile signals." Robert Spratt, who lives in Upton St Leonards, who struggles to get mobile coverage in his home, said: "More needs to be done in rural communities to improve their coverage. "One of the things that annoys me is that operators can change their side of the contract and you can lose signal in your home, but you can't opt out of it. "I can't change mobile operators because I'm stuck on a contract for two years." Ron Allen, Tewkesbury Borough Councillor for Winchcombe, said: "I welcome this scheme and hope it improves mobile receptions in rural communities. "More and more people are working from home and setting up businesses, so they need a good reception. Mobile companies need to rise up to this challenge." Jeroen Hoencamp, Vodafone UK chief executive, said: "This is an opportunity for people to make a real difference to their community and to be part of our commitment to close the digital divide between rural and urban areas. "Bringing mobile coverage and mobile internet to rural areas gives communities a real boost." both economically and socially."

Boost for mobile signal as Vodafone aims to improve rural service in Gloucestershire

GLOUCESTER will kick-off their LV= Cup campaign against the Ospreys at Kingsholm. The Cherry and Whites have been drawn in Pool One alongside Saracens, Bath and Newport Gwent Dragons. But as usual in the unorthodox format Anglo-Welsh competition, Gloucester will only face teams from other groups. They take the Swansea-based Ospreys on the weekend of October 17 and face on London Welsh, Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins. LV=Cup Pool 1 Saracens Bath Gloucester Dragons Pool 2 Northampton Sale London Irish Cardiff Blues Pool 3 Leicester Wasps Newcastle Scarlets Pool 4 Harlequins Exeter London Welsh Ospreys 2014/15 LV= Cup fixtures Round 1: (Oct 31-Nov 2) Bath v London Welsh Gloucester v Ospreys Dragons v Exeter Cardiff Blues v Scarlets London Irish v Leicester Northampton v Newcastle Sale v Wasps Saracens v Harlequins (Sunday, Nov 2, 1pm. Live on Sky) Round 2: (Nov 7-9) Exeter v Bath Harlequins v Dragons London Welsh v Gloucester Ospreys v Saracens Newcastle v Cardiff Blues Scarlets v Northampton Wasps v London Irish Leicester v Sale (Sunday, Nov 9, 3:15pm. Live on Sky) Round 3: (Jan 30-Feb 1) Exeter v Gloucester Harlequins v Bath London Welsh v Saracens Ospreys v Dragons Leicester v Northampton Newcastle v Sale Scarlets v London Irish Wasps v Cardiff Blues Round 4: (Feb 6-8) Bath Rugby v Ospreys Gloucester v Harlequins Dragons v London Welsh Saracens v Exeter Chiefs Cardiff Blues v Leicester Northampton v Wasps London Irish v Newcastle Sale v Scarlets Semi Finals: March 13-15 LV= Cup Final: March 22 (venue to be confirmed)

Maternity wards in Gloucestershire won't be banning sales reps from offering goods to new mums - despite a call from campaigners Mumsnet to end the 50 year practise. Mumsnet claims an overwhelming 82 per cent of mums who took part in their survey said they wanted the money making scheme banned from postnatal wards in all health trusts nationwide. The Care Quality Commission's maternity services inspections are now including questions about the presence and practice of commercial representatives on maternity wards for the first time, as well as asking women about their experiences. A Freedom of Information request into Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust found although Bounty sales reps were permitted on wards unaccompanied and unsupervised, they only visited to distribute free samples and literature. Churchdown mum Ele Larter, who is expecting her third child in October, said there was no hard sell from Bounty reps when she gave birth to her first baby six years ago. "I was quite poorly at the time and the sellers came from bed to bed offering to take photos of the baby, keyrings, mugs and prints," she said. "I didn't feel that it was a hard sell and they always give you the option. I was getting information about Bounty fairly soon after I fell pregnant and then sent discount vouchers every trimester after that. I'm sure some new mums will be approached quite soon after giving birth." An NHS cash-for-access policy has been slammed in some quarters, with claims allowing salespeople onto maternity wards could breach UK laws. The NHS earns around £2.3 million a year through the deals, with each child born on wards earning hospitals up to £5.50. Under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, any mother over the age of 18 who is receiving health or residential care classifies as being at risk. A hospitals trust spokeswoman said: "No patient information is provided by hospital staff to the Bounty representative and they would have no access to any confidential information unless provided directly to them by a mother. The Bounty representative is female and always knocks on the patient's door or waits outside curtains and waits for permission to enter. In a survey carried out in 2012, 96 per cent of respondents indicated that the representative introduced herself and was polite and considerate." No patient details are shared between hospital staff and Bounty. Since April 2014, CQC's inspection teams have been using new checks in hospitals to ensure women's privacy and dignity is respected. A Bounty spokesman said its own poll showed 83 per cent of mums were happy to be called on by a Bounty lady. He said: "Privacy and dignity are of paramount importance to Bounty. "This is why we welcome the idea of developing criteria for hospitals to determine how privacy and dignity are respected. "Every day Bounty sees over 2,000 mums and their wellbeing continues to be our number one priority. "Recent independent research confirms that 83 per cent of new mums are happy with their visit from the Bounty lady and 80 per cent agree that it's acceptable for NHS hospitals to allow Bounty to visit mums on maternity wards. "85 per cent find the free samples, money-off coupons and the Child Benefit Form inside the Bounty pack helpful, whilst 86 per cent are happy with the information they continue to receive and 84 per cent find the health guides useful. "Bounty is proud of the fact that for over 50 years, we have worked in partnership with the NHS to provide free products and important health information to generations of new mothers."

Bounty will carry on selling on Gloucestershire maternity wards despite online campaign

TWENTY years behind bars is the punishment Stephen Smith will serve for historic sex crimes against children. The 61-year-old, formerly of Nailsworth and now of Ty Mawr, Llanbydder, near Carmarthen, Wales, repeatedly raped and sexually abused two young girls and indecently assaulted a boy. He preyed on one of the girls over a six year period from 1976 to 1982. It was during the same time scale that he indecently assaulted an 11-year-old boy. Then between 1992 and 1996 he committed a similar series of offences against another young girl. Both his female victims were six when his abuse of them began. The offences happened both in Nailsworth and Wales. Jailing him at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday, Judge Jamie Tabor QC said it had been clear to him when he saw the women victims give evidence what damage Smith had done. "They have written victim impact statements without self pity but with an understandable sense of anger and bitterness at the way you have behaved," said the judge. "These offences never leave the victims. They are always there in the background and the victims live with not just long lasting but perpetual unhappy memories. "Their psyches are invariably damaged as a result." The judge said Smith's offences against the two girls merited 15 years jail each, consecutively – a total of 30 years. But he said he had to bear in mind the "principles of totality" and should therefore not impose such a long overall sentence. He passed sentences of nine years for Smith's offences against one girl, nine years consecutively in respect of the other girl, and two years consecutively for the indecent assault of the boy. "This was a campaign of rape," said the judge. He said that when Smith is eventually released on parole he will be subject to a licence "which will control you for the rest of your living days". Smith would also have to sign the sex offenders register for life, he added. Smith had been convicted by a jury of five charges of rape and indecent assault of the girls and indecent assault of the boy. He was cleared of cruelty to the boy. Prosecuting barrister Paul Cook told the court at the start of the trial: "The defendant was mentally cruel, physically and sexually abusive to these children and they had complained to the police in the past, but withdrew their complaints. "On one occasion he raped one of the girls in a bedroom, placing his hand over her mouth." Smith raped one of the girls in a shed, a garage and in the back seat of his car, he said. The young boy was sexually abused in a caravan and was made to stand still for hours with heavy books on his head until he shook, it was alleged. Mr Cook continued: "The assaults happened when the girls were aged between six and nine, but the frequency of offences slowed down as they reached puberty." Smith was arrested in March 2013 when complaints were finally made to the police by his victims. In evidence Smith had denied abusing any of the three children in any way and claimed they had made the allegations to try to get money from him.

20 years in jail for man found guilty of historic sex crimes against children

DANIELLE Waterman says England's women are the best prepared they have ever been for a Rugby World Cup. Waterman made her Test debut in 2003 and became the youngest woman to represent her country at the age of 18, and has since passed 50 England caps. She is currently studying a part-time masters at the University of Gloucestershire and in November last year left her role as head of AASE Academy at Hartpury College to focus on her training in the build-up to the World Cup. England face Pool A fixtures in France against Samoa, Spain and Canada when the tournament gets underway in Paris on Friday. Waterman is joined in the squad by Katherine Merchant, who went to Prince Henry's High School in Evesham, Drybrook's Ceri Large, Gloucester-born Natasha Hunt and University of Gloucestershire graduate Sophie Hemming. England finished runners-up to New Zealand in 2010 at the Twickenham Stoop, losing 13-10 in the final. Waterman scored two tries in the 37-10 Pool B win over the United States as England finished top of the pool, before grabbing a try in the 15-0 semi-final success over Australia. England rallied from their opening round loss to World Cup hosts France to finish second in this year's Six Nations, and Waterman feels preparations are going well ahead of the tournament. She said: "We have learned a lot as a team. Not many people have left the squad since 2010, so we have definitely grown as individuals as much as a team. "We are analysing teams a lot better now because of the access we have to the video footage. "The analysis team we have got are fantastic and they are providing the footage of the players, so we can really get down to the nitty-gritty of not only our opponents but also our own performances and how we can learn from the mistakes we are making and also from the positives we are doing. "I left my job in November so I could concentrate on training for the World Cup. "We are fortunate we have had a week together every month in the build-up, which is the most time we have had together." England face Samoa on Friday, August 1 at 5pm, before playing Spain on Tuesday, August 5, at 2.45pm and finishing against Canada on Saturday, August 9, with all pool fixtures played at the FFR HQ at Marcoussis. Following the pool stages, teams are seeded one to 12, based on their finishing position in their pool and the number of competition points they have. The top seed will play the fourth seed (7.45pm) and the second seed face the third (5pm) in the semi-finals at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris on Wednesday, August 13. The final will be on Sunday, August 17, again at the Jean Bouin, kicking off at 5.45pm following the third-place play-off (3.30pm) and fifth-place play-off (1.15pm). New Zealand are heavy favourites having won the last three tournaments.

Danielle Waterman chasing World Cup glory

VIOLENT Lee Chugg fractured his partner's jaw in two places with just one punch. Michelle Blade was left having to eat liquidised food through a straw for six weeks and underwent surgery to put metal plates into her face following the attack on May 29, this year. Chugg, 35, was jailed for 20 months at Gloucester Crown Court during his 67th court appearance. Prosecutor Mark Hollier said the couple had been together for a number of years and Chugg was a drug user and alcohol dependant. He said he had previously been sentenced to nine weeks in prison after head butting her at Gloucester Railway Station in May 2013. In a victim impact statement, Ms Blade said she was in hospital for three days following the attack. She said: "I am not going to lie and say I'm scared of him when I am not." But the court heard their relationship had come to an end, but she would remain in contact with him and visit him while he was in prison so he could see their daughter. Defending Sarah Jenkins said: "It was a single punch and there was a lack of premeditation. It was a moment of madness in a background of some disputes in the days leading up to it. "He was on a methadone script and had been drinking heavily. "She had refrained from substance abuse for some time, but took a heroin over dose and social services had become involved - it was taking its toll on both of them. "He had got back in touch with his estranged sister that she did not like and he hit her while his phone was in his hand." Appearing from videolink, Chugg, told the court: "She was beating me beforehand." Mrs Jenkins added: "He is now far from drug use. He tells me he is 35 and this is the strongest he has been in terms of drug and alcohol use." Judge Jamie Tabor QC jailed Chugg of Magdala Road in Gloucester for 20 months after he pleaded guilty to causing Ms Blade grievous bodily harm. He told Chugg: "Many of your crimes no doubt have been to feed your drug habit, but you have been before the court for violence. "I don't detect a great deal of remorse from you, but you have taken this opportunity to clean yourself up."

$Violent Gloucester man jailed after fracturing girlfriend's jaw with one punch$

DRUGS, cash, scales and dealers' lists with 29 names on it were found by police when they raided a Wotton-under-Edge street dealer's home. Shannon Wilkins was jailed for 10 months after he admitted possessing a class B designer drug with intent to supply. Gloucester Crown Court heard police discovered 41 grams of the cathinone derivative amphetamine drug, worth an estimated £820 on the streets, at the 25-year-old's Bearland home following a raid on January 11, last year. A further £420 in cash and a mobile phone containing texts that suggested dealing were discovered on it. Prosecutor Julian Kesner said scales and two dealers list, which included 29 names owing a total of £5,635 were also found at the property. He told the court: "He was an active street dealer operating at least since January of that year." The court heard Wilkins had 22 previous matters before a court and was given a 16 week suspended prison sentence in October 2012 for battery. Defending Charles Thomas said: "He is now residing in an address in Swindon and working part time as a shop fitter. "This is a young man that has turned a corner – it is almost 18 months since this offence." Mr Thomas said Wilkins had just come out of jail and his dad, step-dad and gran had died in quick succession. "He got involved with drugs after running up a drug debt and the only way he could pay it off was by dealing. "He has now replaced drugs with the gym and this is a man who has turned a corner and can be given another chance." But Judge Jamie Tabor QC told him: "In October you left the court with a suspended sentence and what you knew before you left was that if you offended again that would be operated. "But within two months you had made a deliberate decision to become a drug dealer. "You can do better than this. Please don't come back." Wilkins was due to stand trial at Gloucester Crown Court earlier this year, but entered a guilty plea on the day of his trial. The prosecution offered no evidence against his co-accused Amie Jones, 20, of Middle Tynings in Nailsworth and she was found not guilty.

Wotton-under-Edge street dealer jailed

Hotter than Honduras and warmer than Waikiki - the spectacular weather across Gloucestershire will continue this weekend giving a great opportunity to get out into sunshine. Saturday will be fine and dry with temperatures in the county once again likely to top 28C (82F). There will be a slight risk of a shower into the evening, but it will stay warm and sultry overnight with the mercury not dipping much below 17C (63F). Sunday promises to be another fine day, although slightly cooler at 22C (71F) with showers expected overnight and into Monday morning, before another week of warm, sunny spells ahead.Latest Gloucestershire weather forecast

Gloucestershire weather latest: Balmy day in store before a change overnight