Kate Jones

A 55-year-old Gloucestershire man has been charged with 51 sexual offences against several related children, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual assault by touching, and causing or inciting sexual activity. The alleged offences took place over several years. He appeared in court on August 20 and was remanded in custody pending his next hearing.

The Barn Theatre’s production of the jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet, starring Darren Day as Sun Records producer Sam Phillips, will transfer from Cirencester to The Arts at Marble Arch in London for a limited run from September 4 to December 6. The musical dramatizes the chance 1956 recording session involving Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, and has previously received Broadway and West End recognition. The London production is being presented by Built By Barn in partnership with Steve Spiegel and TRW Production, with full casting still to be announced.

Silverware was stolen during a burglary at a house in Cherington near Tetbury between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday, August 18. Gloucestershire Constabulary is seeking information and advises witnesses to report suspicious activity, while anonymous information can be provided to Crimestoppers.

Louise Mouat told Oxford Crown Court that the death of her husband, businessman Gary Mouat, had destroyed her family's present and future, leaving her widowed at 34, a single parent and responsible for their glazing business. Gary was found dead in Banbury after being drugged with gamma-butyrolactone by Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru, whom he had contacted to arrange paid sex. The couple pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Gary's death and that of 80-year-old Malcolm King and were jailed. Gary's parents, Trevor and Gill Mouat, said they had lost their only child and would never recover fully from the loss.

Visitors to Cotswold Country Park & Beach reportedly suffered severe sickness, diarrhoea, fever and dehydration, with several children allegedly requiring hospital treatment. A parent said her children and other youngsters tested positive for campylobacter after attending a gathering at the site. Cotswold District Council is investigating and has asked anyone who became ill after visiting to contact their GP and provide information. The attraction says its bathing water remains safe, water quality is normal and there is no established evidence linking the reported illnesses to the lake. An Environment Agency analysis found Aphanocapsa levels below the warning threshold, while the attraction said it would continue regular testing and work with relevant authorities.

Viewers in Gloucestershire submitted photographs of a solar eclipse in which more than 90% of the Sun was obscured by the Moon. The event drew crowds to locations including Stonehenge and Greenwich, prompted warnings to use certified eclipse glasses, and was followed by increased UK searches for sore eyes. The Perseid meteor shower provided an additional spectacle that night, while eclipse-related demand led to shortages of glasses, increased colander sales and a sharp rise in streams of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Lovehoney’s UK Sex Map 2026 ranks locations by adult-product purchases per capita. Cirencester was identified as Gloucestershire’s highest-ranking town and placed 19th nationally, while Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire ranked first overall. Lydney, Tewkesbury, Cinderford and Dursley completed Gloucestershire’s top five, with Cheltenham and Gloucester ranking near the bottom of the county list. Lovehoney expert Annabelle Knight said smaller towns often show strong engagement with sexual wellness, partly because online shopping offers privacy, convenience and choice.

Cirencester History Festival will return from October 23 to November 1, 2026, with headliners including Ben Macintyre, Alice Loxton, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Robert Harris, Kate Williams, Philippa Langley and Ronald Hutton. The programme will feature talks, family events, walks, music, craft and cookery, opening with a candlelit performance by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Organizers expect ticket sales to rise to 7,500, while a community-led Bayeux-inspired tapestry project and subsidized youth tickets will broaden local participation.

A prolific shoplifter in the Cotswolds was arrested again after allegedly targeting local businesses while on bail. The suspect had previously been charged with multiple shoplifting offences and was arrested again following further reports. He was charged with additional offences, remanded in police custody and due to appear in court.

Community volunteer Gerry Watkins received a £35 parking fine after stopping in a restricted zone in Cirencester to help a dehydrated homeless man during hot weather. Gloucestershire County Council rejected his appeal, saying the vehicle was illegally parked and there was insufficient evidence to support exceptional circumstances. Watkins has launched a petition calling for fines to be waived when people stop to provide genuine emergency aid, while the council says it will review any further evidence and considers cases individually.

Sainsbury’s has agreed to sell its entire Argos business to Swift Partners for £120 million, including 201 standalone stores, 466 outlets inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets, 450 collection points, the Habitat brand and related logistics and sourcing operations. The Argos stores in Dursley, Yate and Cribbs Causeway are expected to continue operating normally. Around 1,400 Argos employees will transfer to Swift Partners, which was established by former retail executives Richard Pennycook and Trevor Strain. The transaction is expected to complete by February, with the businesses fully separated by February 2029, while Argos customers will continue to earn Nectar points.

Sainsbury’s has agreed to sell its Argos business to Swift Partners for £120 million, including 201 standalone stores, 466 supermarket-based outlets, 450 collection points, the Habitat brand, logistics facilities and overseas sourcing offices. The transaction includes the Argos branch in Cirencester and will transfer about 1,400 employees to Swift Partners. Stores are expected to continue operating normally, with Argos retaining Nectar points. The sale is intended to let Sainsbury’s concentrate on food while giving Argos a new investment-led future; completion is expected by February, with the businesses fully separated by February 2029.

Rendcomb College, an independent day and boarding school near Cirencester, closed permanently on July 3 after citing low student numbers, VAT on fees and increased National Insurance costs. The Rendcomb College Foundation is consulting on changing its charitable purposes so it can support education more broadly, subject to Charity Commission approval. Trustees intend to sell the college site through Knight Frank, with offers invited above £20 million, and use the proceeds for the foundation’s revised objectives. The consultation runs until August 14.

Rendcomb College, an independent day and boarding school near Cirencester, has been put on the market as a freehold estate for offers above £20 million after closing because declining pupil numbers and rising costs made it financially unviable. The 230-acre Rendcomb Park includes a Grade II* listed mansion, multiple residences and boarding houses, a theatre, sports facilities and other campus buildings. Knight Frank is marketing the property, which may be sold as a whole or potentially divided into parts subject to planning and other consents.

Around 6,000 households in Cirencester experienced no water or low pressure for up to 16 hours after a problem at Thames Water’s Latton treatment site during a heatwave. The incident was the third major interruption in the area in less than two weeks, prompting MP Roz Savage to condemn Thames Water’s performance, criticize executive pay and pollution, and call for water-company licences to be revoked. Thames Water said the latest issue was resolved overnight and that separate recent disruptions had different causes, including a power outage and exceptionally high demand. The company provided bottled water and prioritized essential services, while affected customers may be eligible for £50 compensation under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme.