Monthly Archives: December 2025

Girl, 12, sexually assaulted by man in Weston-super-Mare park

Girl, 12, sexually assaulted by man in Weston-super-Mare park

Avon and Somerset PolicePolice want to speak to the man dressed in black after the assault, as well as the driver of the car which passed him in Kenn Close, Weston-super-MareA 12-year-old girl has been sexually assaulted in a park, sparking a police CCTV appeal.The girl was in Byron Recreation Park in Weston-super-Mare when a man approached her, touched her waist and kissed her at about 21:20 GMT on Saturday, Avon and Somerset Police said. She ran away…

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Exeter councillor defects from Conservatives to Reform

Exeter councillor defects from Conservatives to Reform

A councillor on Exeter City Council has quit the Conservatives and joined Reform UK.Alison Sheridan said she wanted to see "clear decisive action on a host of major issues".Sheridan will be the second Reform councillor on the city council which is currently run by Labour.Elections for a third of the seats on Exeter City Council are due to take place in May 2026.Sheridan, who represents St Loyes, said: "I am joining Reform UK as we need clear decisive…

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Fact-checking Trump’s Pennsylvania speech and his Politico interview | Donald Trump News

United States President Donald Trump spoke to US news outlet Politico in an interview at the White House on Monday, during which he made several strong claims about the state of the economy, the threat he claims is posed by drug gangs in Venezuela, and his popularity among Black Americans.Then, a day later, Trump spoke about immigration and affordability at a rally-style speech, which lasted for 90 minutes in Pennsylvania, during which he launched a scathing attack on…

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Cocker Spaniel home after suspected theft from west Dorset

Cocker Spaniel home after suspected theft from west Dorset

A red cocker spaniel that disappeared from a kennel outside a home in a village is now back with its owner.Gerry went missing from Hilfield, between Dorchester and Sherborne, Dorset, on Monday between 11:30 and 12:30 GMT sparking a police and social media appeal.Dorset Police said Gerry was found safe and well near Cerne Abbas about 5km (3 miles) away from his home earlier. The forced added inquiries were ongoing into the suspected theft.Gerry's owner Jackie Gibbs thanked…

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James Wilson: Exeter appoint New Zealander as new assistant coach

James Wilson: Exeter appoint New Zealander as new assistant coach

Exeter have appointed James Wilson as their new assistant backs coach.The 42-year-old New Zealander has most recently been part of the coaching set-up at Southland.The former back had playing spells at Bath and Northampton in the Premiership as well as spending time playing in his homeland and Japan.He replaces Ricky Pellow, who left his role as skills coach last month after 16 years as part of Exeter's coaching set-up."We were looking to recruit someone whose specialisms were obviously…

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Exeter renews collaboration agreement with Arab-American University Palestine

Research and education links between Exeter and a university in Palestine will continue, thanks to the signing of a renewed collaboration agreement. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University of Exeter and the Arab-American University in Palestine (AAUP)that underpins the collaborative “Stories of Hope” translational genomic research programme was first signed in 2019. It recognises a commitment by both parties to reduce the genomic healthcare inequalities faced by Palestinian families affected by rare genetic conditions, some of…

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Extra £81m to boost walking and cycling routes

Extra £81m to boost walking and cycling routes

An extra £81m is being invested to improve walking, cycling and wheeling routes across the south-west of England.Managed by the government's Active Travel, the money will be divided across local authorities depending on the councils' capability rating, which measures how well they can organise, plan and deliver travel schemes.Chris Boardman, commissioner at Active Travel, said the funding is not just about building infrastructure, but also aims to create communities where parents feel confident letting children travel independently.He added:…

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‘Dumped’ Evri parcel deliveries prompt responses by MPs

‘Dumped’ Evri parcel deliveries prompt responses by MPs

Concerns over abandoned parcels and failed deliveries by courier firm Evri have been raised by MPs.Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said she had been made aware of "numerous" cases of Evri parcels being "dumped or marked as delivered with no attempt made to actually reach the recipient".Bournemouth East and Poole MPs Tom Hayes and Neil Duncan-Jordan have also written to Evri in the past week urging it to improve its service.Evri has been contacted for comment.Conservative MP Dineage posted…

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Virtual underwater world comes to life at Poole Museum

Virtual underwater world comes to life at Poole Museum

An exhibition where sci-fi meets sea-life with digital sea creatures swimming in glowing waters and interacting with visitors is on show at a museum.The Sound of the Sea exhibition at Poole Museum, in Poole, Dorset, uses body-tracking sensors so visitors can see their avatars on screen and interact with colourful, futuristic sea creatures that respond to movement.Previously shown in Norway, the museum is the first to host the exhibition in the UK. The museum said the experience, where…

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‘Record-breaking loss for Rovers’ and ‘mysterious light’

‘Record-breaking loss for Rovers’ and ‘mysterious light’

Getty ImagesBristol Rovers head coach Darrell Clarke described the team's performance on Tuesday as "diabolical" after the club suffered their ninth consecutive lossHere is our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.Our pick of local website storiesAn inquest has found the death of John Henry Oates, known as Harry, was caused by a low-hanging cable which electrocuted him while he was running, ITV West Country reports.…

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Part of West Hoe Pier in Plymouth caves in after Storm Bram

Part of West Hoe Pier in Plymouth caves in after Storm Bram

Part of an historic pier has collapsed after being battered by "ferocious weather and sea conditions" caused by Storm Bram, the council has said.Plymouth City Council said the eastern section of the West Hoe Pier had been undergoing strengthening work since September to infill the interior after the stones within it had been washed out to sea over time.A spokesperson said the stormy waves and weather had caused the outer wall to cave in on Tuesday.Contractors would gauge…

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Jack McMillan: Exeter City defender gets ‘credit he deserves’

Jack McMillan: Exeter City defender gets ‘credit he deserves’

The game was Exeter's first since they were drawn away at Premier League giants Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup.January's tie at the Etihad could go a long way to easing the financial concerns that have blighted the fan-owned club this season. But Caldwell says it was important that his side were focused on the game with AFC Wimbledon, rather than having their minds on a match that is weeks away."It's a difficult thing…

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