Maisie Lillywhite

A Royal Entomological Society project funded by Natural England and the Crown Estate will update conservation guidance for lowland chalk grasslands in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Researchers will study how six endangered species—including three butterflies, the wart-biter cricket, juniper and the burnt-tip orchid—are responding to increasingly severe heatwaves and drought. The article also highlights the Holnicote Estate in Somerset, where beaver-created wetlands have stored water, reduced flooding and supported wildlife through the dry summer.

A woman from Gloucestershire said she lives in daily fear after Neil Burdus shared hundreds of intimate images and videos of her, along with personal information, on pornographic websites and the dark web. She said the abuse caused severe anxiety, forced her to stop living alone and contributed to the loss of her job. Burdus, who admitted multiple offences, said he understood his actions were wrong but claimed he had not intended to cause harm. He received a 26-week custodial sentence suspended for two years, an 18-month community order including mental health treatment, rehabilitation requirements and more than £500 in costs and surcharge.

Gloucester artist Russell Haines has created a 50-metre painting, Lines of Resistance, chronicling Ukrainian families who settled in the city and residents who delivered aid to Ukraine. Visitors will add messages of friendship, hope, peace and solidarity during a month-long exhibition before the unfinished artwork travels to Ukraine, where messages from Ukrainians will be added before it eventually returns to Gloucester.

A burst water main in Cheltenham left some residents without water, with low pressure or discoloured supplies in the GL50 area. Severn Trent apologised and said repairs were taking longer than expected while teams moved water around the network. The incident also caused significant flooding on London Road, forcing the closure of part of the A40 and threatening nearby properties.

Claude Bond, 32, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after admitting he kidnapped a stranger at gunpoint in Gloucester in December 2025. Bond held the victim captive for three hours, threatened to kill and mutilate him, and demanded £250,000 from a relative, but no money was paid. Police found zip ties, a blow torch and a handwritten kidnap list at Bond’s home, though the suspected firearm was not recovered. The court imposed a 12-year restraining order, while the victim described lasting psychological effects from the attack.

William Keeling, 22, of Springbank in Cheltenham, has pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent, threatening someone with a bladed article, and assault by beating. The charges relate to a man being seriously injured in a Rodney Road car park on 16 July. Keeling is due to stand trial at Gloucester Crown Court on 25 January 2027.

Gloucestershire reablement workers have called off planned industrial action over Gloucestershire County Council’s consideration of outsourcing their contracts to a private company. Unison withdrew the strike after the union and council entered ACAS-facilitated talks. The council and Gloucestershire Health and Care Trust welcomed the constructive discussions, while Unison said it hoped they would lead to a resolution.

Decathlon will close its flagship Cheltenham store in Regent Arcade on 29 August, ending the French retailer’s first south-west England branch after less than five years. The closure is being attributed to shifting consumer habits and a tougher retail environment, and has been described by Cheltenham’s business improvement district as a dramatic loss for the town centre. Despite wider high-street difficulties, Cheltenham’s retail vacancy rate is 7.8%, below the 14% national average, and local representatives hope the large unit will be filled quickly.

Gloucester Cathedral's Gardening for Wellbeing programme, launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, supports vulnerable people through gardening, social connection and outdoor skills. Funding from the Barnwood Trust will help create a wheelchair-accessible sensory garden with raised beds, adapted equipment and accessible paths, with participants involved in building it. Members say the group benefits people experiencing mental health challenges, disability and social isolation while encouraging intergenerational learning and confidence.

Tributes have been paid to Louise Davies, a Gloucestershire volunteer who spent more than a decade helping reunite lost pets with their owners through the Animals Lost and Found in Gloucestershire Facebook group. Davies, who died after an illness, was remembered as a tireless and compassionate animal-rescue advocate and had won a BBC Radio Gloucestershire Make a Difference Award in 2022. A memorial fundraiser raised more than £14,000 in one day, with donations requested for MADRA Vets in Cheltenham to support microchipping and neutering animals.

Joshua Bell was sentenced to 17 months in prison, while Mark Gibson and Paul Price received suspended sentences for their roles in an attack on the president of a rival motorcycle gang in Coleford in April 2025. The victim suffered serious head and facial injuries, and his partner sustained fractured ribs and a fractured wrist. The court heard that the attackers sought to assert dominance and took the victim's motorcycle vest as a trophy. Luke Cole, described as a vulnerable non-member who was used by the group, will be sentenced later.

Drivers using the A417 and A436 in Gloucestershire are being urged to use both lanes until the point where traffic merges, following long queues around the A417 Missing Link works. National Highways project manager Céline Acard said this “zipper” approach would make journeys smoother and quicker. Temporary route changes are supporting construction of a new three-mile dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester, which is expected to be fully open by spring 2027. A new shared route for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and cattle is also planned across the scheme.

Michael William Buckle and Amy Roseberry-Buckle of Stroud were convicted of animal welfare offences after their Shih-Tzus, Daisy and Holly, suffered severe weight loss and neglect. Daisy was found to have likely starved to death, while Holly became so emaciated that she had to be put down. Both owners received 15-year bans on owning animals, 12-month community orders and £60 fines after the court heard they had failed to adequately address the dogs’ health problems despite veterinary and RSPCA intervention.

Incorrect electric-vehicle road markings appeared in Lydney and Cinderford in Gloucestershire, with words such as “electric vehicels” and “electirc vehicles” misspelled. Lydney mayor Tasha Saunders joked that she had to check the markings were not AI-generated, while councillor Ray Donaghue reported the Cinderford error. Contractors corrected both mistakes promptly at no cost to Gloucestershire County Council, which said the contractors were responsible.

Cotswold District Council has selected 10 strategic sites where 17,918 homes could be built by 2043, including major developments at Moreton-in-Marsh, Down Ampney, Preston and Mickleton. The proposals include schools, green spaces, local centres and affordable housing, with most development planned outside the Cotswolds National Landscape. Residents are expected to take part in a six-week consultation, subject to councillor approval, before the plan is submitted for independent examination in 2027 and potentially adopted in 2028. Council leader Mike Evemy says the plan would give the authority greater control over development and protect local landscapes, while the district is due to be replaced by a unitary council.

Siobhan says her nine-month-old daughter, Adora, overheated after they became stuck in severe M5 traffic caused by a police-led incident in Somerset. She drove along the hard shoulder to reach an exit and cool the baby, and says the experience will make her reconsider travelling in hot weather. Avon and Somerset Police advises motorists to call 999 in a genuine emergency, while National Highways urges drivers to remain in their vehicles where possible and plan journeys carefully. Significant delays are expected on the M5 during the weekend summer getaway.

A Bristol martial arts coach reflects on years of alcohol and drug addiction, describing how competitive jiu-jitsu was the only time he stayed sober. His substance use escalated after his father’s cancer diagnosis, but he has now embraced sobriety, mindfulness and healthy routines. He runs Roger Gracie Bristol with his brother and credits sobriety with improving his clarity, emotional well-being and family relationships, including with his daughter who overcame serious early health challenges.

A crowdfunding campaign aims to raise £15,000 to relight the historic England's Glory sign on Gloucester’s former Morelands Match Factory for the first time since the 1990s. Local historians Matt Cass and Paul James are leading the effort to mark the 50th anniversary of the factory’s closure, with funds covering potential replacement of the ageing sign. Community supporters, including the trading estate’s manager and members of the Moreland family, express enthusiasm for restoring the landmark as a reminder of its cultural and industrial heritage.

A Gloucestershire man is attempting to complete 100 holes of golf in a day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support after his wife Laura’s stage four cancer diagnosis. Beginning at Brickhampton Court Golf Complex, Henry Jordan aims to raise £5,000 in recognition of the help the charity has provided his family. Joined by relatives, he expects to walk around 30 miles during the challenge, which runs from early morning to the evening. A silent auction is also being held to boost fundraising, with his father expressing pride amid the family’s difficult circumstances.