Somerset County Carnival circuit winners declared

BBCRamblers Carnival Club were amongst the big winnersThe winners of this year's Guy Fawkes Carnival season have been revealed.The longstanding Somerset tradition sees different Carnival Clubs compete against each other in a number of categories centred around design, creativity and performance.The season sees carnivals taking place in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Weston-super-Mare, Noth Petherton, Midsomer Norton, Shepton Mallet and Wells before ending in Glastonbury.With all the scored counted it has been revealed that Ramblers Carnival Club won top prize in…

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Poppy parade and Joe Wicks

November is in full swing across the county, bringing people together for parades of all sorts.Firefighters marched in the poppy parade on Armistice day and carts were seen on Weston-super-Mares streets for carnival.Find this and more in our weekly picture roundup.Lights and colours: A procession of illuminated carts and costumed performers filled the streets of Weston-super-Mare for the return of the carnival.The event, which dates back to 1871, is one of the well-known Somerset Guy Fawkes carnivals. The…

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Four malnourished kittens saved from landfill site

Four kittens were saved after they were found malnourished and riddled with fleas and worms at a landfill site. Workers from a cat welfare charity used kippers to tempt the kittens to safety after staff at Westcombe Waste in Somerton, Somerset, found two other dead kittens.The three males and one female kitten, aged about five weeks old, were discovered under an 8m (26ft) high pile of wood.Rebecca Dawson, from Cats Protection, said after two weeks of specialist food,…

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Uninsured drivers targeted in Avon and Somerset Police crackdown

Rachel Candlin,West of England and Charlie Taylor,SomersetGetty ImagesPolice forces across the UK have been raising awareness of the dangers of driving without insuranceDrivers without insurance are being targeted by police in efforts to crackdown on the "significant number" of uninsured vehicles on Britain's roads.The week-long operation, running until 16 November, has seen officers across the country use centrally-held data to target and stop offending motorists.Teams from Avon and Somerset Police are taking part after seizing almost 2,500 uninsured…

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Street artist releases book of paintings depicting Bristol

Chloe HarcombeWest of EnglandBernard BrydenPeter Brown, also known as Pete the Street, paints landscapes and street scenesAn artist who paints street scenes and landscapes around the world has released a book about his work in Bristol.Artist Peter Brown, also known as "Pete the Street", has spent 32 years capturing views of cities including Bath, London and New York.He hopes the book Bristol Paintings will help readers discover new places and revisit familiar locations. "I just hope that I've…

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Prem Rugby Cup round-up: Wins for Gloucester and Sale Sharks

Gloucester claimed a hard-fought 19-17 victory against West Country rivals Bath in the Prem Rugby Cup amid terrible conditions at Kingsholm.While battling the elements, the Cherry and Whites ran in three first-half tries through Josh Hathaway, Kealan Freeman-Price and Will Knight to remain top of Pool A.In arguably worse conditions in Greater Manchester, a strong Sale Sharks lineup swept aside Exeter Chiefs to claim their second win of this season's competition.Sam Dugdale - who signed a new deal…

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Storm Claudia brings flooding and disruption to the West

Bea SwallowWest of EnglandBBCRoads are closed and rivers are bursting their banks as Storm Claudia closes inMajor flooding has closed roads across the west country as Storm Claudia brings amber weather warnings and heavy downpours.Traffic monitoring site INRIX is reporting queueing traffic and one lane closed due to flooding on the M5 southbound after J19 A369 near Portishead, Somerset.Rising river levels are also expected to cause flooding overnight for the River Avon at Twyning in Gloucestershire, and Winford…

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Wiltshire PCC says scrapping role will ‘politicise’ policing

BBCWiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson described the move as "doomed to failure"A police and crime commissioner (PCC) claims the government's decision to scrap the role is an attempt to "politicise" policing.Philip Wilkinson, who was elected PCC for Wiltshire in 2021, described the move as "thoughtless, heartless and doomed to failure".He said: "Take away all the functions [of PCCs], it's going to mean a less effective, less efficient and more politicised police force."Under the changes, when the commissioners' terms end…

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Teens still exposed to violence and suicide online despite ruling

Harriet Robinson and Andy Howard,West of EnglandZara McDermott is shown the findings of BBC West's investigationTeenagers are still being exposed to social media content about bullying, suicide and weapons despite new safety rules being introduced, a BBC investigation has found.Measures came into force in July as part of the Online Safety Act, meaning online and social media companies are now legally responsible for keeping children and young people safe online.The experiment, in collaboration with BBC Morning Live, used…

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West Country schools and fundraisers mark Children in Need

Chloe HarcombeWest of EnglandBBCMany children around the West Country, including these Priestley Primary School pupils in Calne, Wiltshire, had the chance to meet Pudsey earlierPeople around the West Country have been fundraising and meeting Pudsey for BBC Children in Need.Challenges and bake sales have been held across Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire in a bid to raise as much money as possible for the cause.BBC Children in Need funds vital support for children and young people struggling with…

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