Archive

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Vehicle on fire on hard shoulder closed lane on M4 towards Swindon

A vehicle caught fire on the M4 motorway westbound today, causing tailbacks on the road. The vehicle was found by the fire service on the hard shoulder shortly after 12.48pm. Two fire crews from Caversham and Newbury Fire stations put out the

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Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's announce major changes including new 10p charge

A number of supermarkets across the UK have implemented major changes customers will notice in stores this month. Supermarket giants Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are among those who have either introduced new rules, or are trialling them in

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Swindon sex offender who raped teenage girl jailed for eight years

A sex offender from Swindon has been jailed for eight years for rape and four other offences against a teenage girl. Aaron Lee Alan Ferris Roberts, 33, of no fixed abode, Swindon, committed the offences in Cornwall between May and September 2020

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Work begins inside abandoned Tented Market 7 years after it closed

Work has begun inside Swindon’s Tented Market after nearly seven years of closure. Workmen have this week been spotted inside the building, with local businessmen reporting they first started three days ago. There were two workmen at the

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Great Western Hospital's restaurant receives new food hygiene rating

Great Western Hospital’s restaurant has received a new food hygiene rating. Inspectors had a look around the facilities provided by Serco Health in the Swindon Intermediate Care Centre on Monday, April 8. The results of this visit have now

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Gunning excited to challenge academy duo against Grimsby

Gavin Gunning is hoping to challenge his two academy prospects when Swindon Town visit Grimsby Town in League Two this weekend. Joel McGregor was handed his first league start for the club against Walsall on Tuesday night, a game which also saw

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‘Stop missing your appointments’ pleads local NHS

The local NHS has called for people to stop missing appointments after more than 170,000 regional GP appointments were missed in the last 12 months. Tens of thousands of GP appointments in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are

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Trains towards Swindon cancelled due to signalling fault

4:08pm Engineers are on site and investigating the fault. 4:08pm

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Why isn’t EastEnders on TV tonight? BBC soap removed from schedule

There are some schedule changes to EastEnders this week - one which you might want to be aware of ahead of sitting down to watch Thursday’s usual episode. The BBC soap will not air tonight (April 18) which means viewers will have to wait until

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Take a look inside £2.5m dream house you could win in charity draw

One lucky winner could soon own a £2.5 million house and £100,000 in cash as part of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw. The winner will get the keys to a contemporary home in Dorset with five bedrooms and a rainforest-inspired garden. Plus

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Vehicle fire part closes M4 towards Swindon causing heavy traffic

5:22pm Fire service statement A Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: At 12.48pm on Thursday

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Former Swindon man 'ordered wife's murder after starting affair'

A husband and his lover “arranged and paid for” the murder of the man’s then-wife in 1981 so that they could be together, a trial has heard. Allen Morgan lived in Swindon during the 1970s before moving to Bedfordshire with his partner Carol, who

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Stunning Cotswolds hotel's £300k revamp revealed at launch party

A HOTEL owner clinked glasses of bubbly with guests to celebrate the completion of a £300k refurbishment project last week. Husband and wife team Aidan and Sarah Stevens first took over The Stratton House Hotel and Spa in 2016 and invited Cirencester

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Swindon MP returns to government in new role under Sunak

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has returned to government. The MP was appointed to the post of Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero at the Department of the same name by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He is the second most senior

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Newsquest to run special NSPCC supplement for Childhood Day

Newsquest, the UK’s leading local media group, has announced it will be publishing a special Childhood Day supplement across its portfolio in support of the NSPCC. The supplement is just one of the initiatives from Newsquest’s partnership with

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Gavin Gunning on Grimsby, contracts, and FA Cup replays: as it happened

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Car parking loophole to avoid parking tickets as £177m in fines dished out

Little-known loopholes could save drivers in England from having to fork out on hefty parking ticket fines in car parks. It comes as new research found that 3.5 million parking fines were dished out to tradespeople alone last year, costing more

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Swindon Harriers youngster sits atop UK javelin rankings

A young Swindon Harriers athlete has cemented herself at the top of the UK rankings for javelin after throwing personal bests in back-to-back days. Last weekend was a special one for Lucy Bull as the 13-year-old continued to display why she is

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Is it illegal to take waste out of a skip? The law you should know on skip diving

Before you go 'dumpster diving', here is whether you could get in trouble for taking stuff from a skip.  'One man's trash is another man's treasure' is a cliché for a reason but put into practice by skip diving could get you into trouble. 

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Gunning explains 'tactical' reasons behind McGurk exclusions

Gavin Gunning has explained his reasoning behind leaving Sean McGurk out of the squad for Swindon Town’s last two games. McGurk made a quick start to life at Swindon as he netted two goals in his first three starts for the club but has since struggled

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Significant update on plans to reopen legendary Swindon nightclub

Plans to reopen derelict nightclub in Swindon town centre appear to have stalled. In 2021 it was announced that the Brunel Rooms - for decades a staple of the town's nightlife in Havelock Square - was to be given a new lease of life as a 'superclub

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Bristol Airport experience 'completely spoiled' surprise holiday

A Swindon wheelchair user has complained of inadequate assistance at Bristol Airport. David Wilson, 85, says he waited on the plane for help so long that the next crew boarded ready to fly the plane back again. David was on his way back from

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Crime hotspot fears on estate as car parks plunged into darkness

There are fears a Swindon estate could become a crime hotspot with three sets of car park lights out of action. One resident is now taking action over the issues at Carver Close in Stratton. Stephen Bayliss previously complained about the same

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Parents of children not attending Swindon schools fined hundreds in court

Parents in Swindon have been fined hundreds of pounds after their children failed to attend school regularly. Several cases were recently heard at Swindon Magistrates' Court. To protect the identities of the young people involved, the names, ages

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Drug-driving thief called Crook sentenced for a string of offences

A drug-driving thief caught with a hacksaw, hammers, and other equipment has been sentenced. Kelvin Crook, of no fixed abode, appeared in the dock at Swindon Magistrates' Court on April 12. The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to using threatening

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Community Speedwatch volunteers help snare rule-breaking drivers in 30mph zone

Five drivers face prosecution after being reported for speeding in a 30mph zone. Drivers hit speeds of up to 47mph in Highworth but were caught by Wiltshire Police with support from Highworth Community Speedwatch. Highworth Community Speedwatch

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'Do not eat': Asda issues warning to customers over 'unsafe to eat' product

Asda is recalling one of its products which are “unsafe to eat”, warning customers to return them to supermarkets for a full refund. The Asda Succulent Cooked and Peeled King Prawns have been recalled due to a labelling error which sows an incorrect

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The ‘everyday’ plants poisonous to dogs - do you have any in your garden?

There is no better joy than watching our dogs zoom around the garden – from sniffing out their favourite sticks to chasing that one ball they won’t leave alone. But as they make the most of their personal outdoor space, it’s important as owners

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New drivers should be banned from carrying passengers, the AA warns

Putting limits on what new drivers are allowed to do on roads will reduce “needless deaths”, ministers have been told. The AA said preventing new drivers from carrying passengers of similar age for at least six months after passing their test will