Phil Cannings

Around 15,000 people attended Newbury Racecourse for a day of racing followed by a headline performance from Jessie J, who ended her set with “Price Tag.” The weekend also featured a Friday-night performance by Tinie Tempah. Local trainer Clive Cox secured a notable sporting success when his three-year-old horse Coppull, ridden by Hector Crouch, won the Group Two Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes.

A Change.org petition launched by Thames Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O’Connor opposing the possible early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers surpassed 147,000 signatures shortly after launch. The petition condemns the government’s decision to leave Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers eligible for release under plans intended to ease prison overcrowding. Justice Secretary Alex Norris apologized to Harper’s family and said the decision had caused harm, but argued that wider restrictions could leave the prison system unable to function. Harper was killed in 2019 while responding to a quad-bike theft in West Berkshire.

Scott Laurie was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to strangling his former partner, Catherine Gibbs, during an attack in October. The prosecution said Gibbs had endured years of domestic violence, while the defence cited Laurie’s past trauma and asked for another suspended sentence. Judge Jane Rowley described Laurie as extremely violent and high-risk, saying immediate imprisonment was necessary to protect the public. He will serve half the sentence in custody and the remainder on licence, and was given a 10-year restraining order prohibiting contact with Gibbs.

A partial solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 is expected to obscure around 90% of the Sun over Newbury, beginning at about 6:15pm, reaching its maximum at 7:13pm and ending shortly after 8pm. The event will be the most significant eclipse visible from the UK since 1999, when West Berkshire residents saw a 97% partial eclipse. Residents are advised never to look directly at the Sun and to use certified eclipse glasses or indirect viewing methods. The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK is expected in 2090.

Kevin Rumble, 40, used his partner Chloe Thorpe’s online profile to contact a girl he believed was 14, who was actually part of a decoy operation. He sent explicit images, sexual videos and sexual messages, later admitting two offences involving communication with a child for sexual gratification and causing a child to view sexual material. Rumble was sentenced at Reading Crown Court to 14 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The court also noted explicit pornography on his devices, his limited insight and a medium risk of causing serious harm to children; he was ordered to pay £150 in costs and a victim-services surcharge.

Libby Knight, 25, of Burghfield Common, admitted at Reading Magistrates’ Court that she drove a Volkswagen Taigo in Tilehurst while having cannabis in her system above the legal limit. She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £48 victim services surcharge, and banned from driving for 12 months.

Nearly 14,000 racegoers attended Newbury Racecourse, where racing was followed by a Party in the Paddock performance from Ronan Keating. The singer performed several of his best-known solo hits and was praised for creating an energetic, engaging atmosphere. The weekend’s entertainment began with a Gipsy Kings concert, reinforcing the racecourse’s combination of live sport and popular music.

The 2026 wheat harvest has begun at Rookery Farm in Curridge, West Berkshire, after weeks of hot, dry weather caused crops to ripen earlier than usual. Eleanor Gilbert, known as the “Berkshire Farm Girl,” helped harvest oilseed rape from 4am before driving a tractor and grain trailer to transport wheat alongside the combine. The conditions enabled an early start but increased pressure on farmers managing crops and livestock, with harvesting expected to continue across the region in the coming weeks.

Firefighters from Royal Berkshire and neighbouring county services responded to a large grassland fire near Hungerford Park on July 10. Crews from several stations, supported by off-road vehicles, a water carrier and senior officers, attended the incident, while firefighters remained on scene to dampen down the area.

Drone photographs provide an aerial view of Newbury’s landmarks and changing skyline, including the closed former Kennet Shopping Centre ahead of planned redevelopment, the BT Exchange, Victoria Park, the Kennet and Avon Canal, the Wharf and the town centre. The images also show the surrounding West Berkshire countryside, capturing how Newbury is evolving while retaining its distinctive landmarks and landscapes.

A road traffic collision on the eastbound M4 between Junction 13 at Newbury and Junction 12 at Theale caused two of three lanes to close on 23 May 2026. Delays reached about 50 minutes, with congestion extending roughly four miles. Normal traffic conditions were expected between 1:30pm and 1:45pm.

Firefighters from Newbury and the Caversham Road water rescue unit rescued five of six abandoned cygnets from the Kennet and Avon Canal near Hambridge Road bridge in Newbury. Swan Support took the cygnets into care and will continue trying to locate their parents; if the adults are not found, the cygnets will remain at the charity until they can be released later in the year.

A road traffic collision on the M4 eastbound between junctions 14 at Hungerford and 13 at Chieveley caused delays of about 50 minutes and four miles of congestion during the morning rush hour. Two lanes were closed while emergency services and recovery crews attended. The road was later reported clear, with normal traffic expected by approximately 10:15–10:30am.

The M4 remains closed westbound between Junction 14 at Hungerford and Junction 15 at Swindon after a serious early-morning collision involving a car and a coach. An extensive oil spill covers the road, with contractors expected to assess and treat the surface. The motorway was expected to reopen between 8pm and 10:15pm, while motorists were advised to use a signed diversion via the A338, A4, B4192 and A419 and allow extra travel time.

Thames Valley Police has renewed its appeal for information about Stephen, a 54-year-old man from Oxford who has been missing since March 2025. His blue Mazda 3 was found abandoned near Southfields on the Ridgeway in West Berkshire after he stopped at a Shell garage and bought a five-litre fuel can. Searches of the vehicle and surrounding area have not located the can or Stephen. Police are asking anyone who saw or spoke to him, found a green fuel can, or has any information about his whereabouts to contact them, while reassuring Stephen that he is not in trouble.

The Plough on the Green pub in Newbury has raised £6,000 for Dingley’s Promise through events including meat raffles, karaoke nights and charity horse racing evenings. The donation, supported by regulars and local residents, will help fund the charity’s transition project at its West Berkshire centre, recently relocated to Spurcroft School. Dingley’s Promise supports children with special educational needs and disabilities by helping them access early years education and prepare for school.

The M4 westbound between Junction 13 at Chieveley and Junction 14 at Hungerford was closed after a road traffic collision on 19 March 2026. Traffic was diverted, with National Highways expecting the motorway to reopen between 19:00 and 19:15. All lanes later reopened, although delays of about 15 minutes and three miles of congestion remained on the approach.

A contractor’s excavator caught fire during gorse-clearance work on Greenham Common. The operator escaped uninjured, and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the blaze. The burnt-out machine remains cordoned off, while the cause of the fire is under investigation and there are no indications of land contamination. The annual scrub-clearance programme is conducted by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust to maintain habitat diversity while preserving sufficient scrub for birds and insects.

Residents, councillors, faith leaders, schoolchildren and care-home residents gathered at West Berkshire Council offices in Newbury for a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony themed “Bridging Generations.” Speakers stressed the importance of passing Holocaust memories to younger generations, recognizing how prejudice develops and challenging hatred. The event included a reading by pupils and older residents, candle lighting, prayers and a tribute to Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, whose recent death was noted. The ceremony concluded with a call to join the Holocaust Memorial Day pledge and actively defend freedom, empathy and tolerance.

The A34 northbound carriageway between the M4 junction 13 and the A4185 at Chilton has reopened after a serious overnight collision involving a jack-knifed HGV, a van and two other heavy goods vehicles. One lane remains closed in both directions while the damaged central reservation barrier is repaired, with closures expected to continue throughout the day and repair work scheduled overnight. National Highways is completing vehicle recovery and barrier repairs, while drivers are advised to allow extra time and follow signed diversion routes.

Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage after a woman in her seventies was seriously injured in a collision with a silver Seat on Enborne Road, Newbury, on 14 January 2026. She suffered a head injury and suspected broken ribs and a broken arm and remains in hospital. No arrests have been made; witnesses are asked to contact police, quoting reference 43260020858.

Wildlife enthusiast Lee Brant has transformed a quiet field near Brimpton into a wildlife pond and insulated photography hide operated as Berkshire Wildlife Hides. A kingfisher arrived just 10 days after the pond was created and now visits up to 14 times a day, alongside frogs, dragonflies, mammals and songbirds. Brant hopes a visiting pair will nest there in spring, while photographers can book extended sessions at the hide.

A body was found in Pamber Forest during the search for 55-year-old Tadley man Neil Miller, whose birth name was Richard. Formal identification has not yet taken place, but his family has been informed, and police will prepare a file for the coroner. Miller was last seen in Tadley on December 26 and was believed to have left on a red mountain bike.

Shoppers arriving at Newbury Retail Park on the morning of 27 December 2025 were unable to enter because the car park security gates remained closed, despite the retail units operating normally. Several motorists turned away, while the cause and duration of the access problem remained unclear.

Thames Valley Police has released an e-fit of a man sought in connection with the harassment of a man in his twenties at the male toilets of M4 Membury Services westbound on October 26. The suspect is described as a South Asian man in his thirties, approximately 6ft tall and slim, with a long beard, wearing a white tracksuit and black turban. Police are asking witnesses or anyone who recognises him to contact 101, quoting reference 43250547933.