
Headlines: Tower block fire and eerie shipwrecks
Our pick of local website stories
Footage of firefighters tackling a blaze at a block of flats near Castle Park features on Bristol Live. Surrounding roads were closed while crews got the blaze under control.Eerie pictures of long-sunken boats being raised from the bed of the River Avon near Bath appear on Somerset Live. The five vessels were attached to salvage airbags and towed away earlier this month.TV crews have descended on Marine Parade Weston-super-Mare to film the latest season of long-running BBC show Father Brown, the Weston Mercury reports. Elsewhere another production company has been using West Street as the backdrop for an undisclosed drama.Four students at special educational needs college National Star, based near Cheltenham, have won an award for completing 200 hours of volunteering in the community, Gloucestershire Live reports. The four have now been invited to Buckingham Palace.
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A post from Avon and Somerset Police about 14-year-old Ryan who has been missing since 9 May has been widely shared. The force say he may be using an electric bike to get around.A common parking scam has already been been employed in a car parks operated by South Gloucestershire Council, Yate and Sodbury Voice reports, just a day after charges were introduced. A QR code sticker is posted on signs and payment machines, directing smartphone users to fake payment sites.Gloucester's MP Alex Mcintyre MP has written to NHS Gloucestershire about "dental desserts" in the county. He says the south west is one of the areas "hardest hit" by lack of access to dental care.Ahead of their play-off match on Wednesday, Forest Green Rovers put out a statement warning people the unauthorised sale of football tickets is a criminal offence. The club wrote on Facebook: "Any tickets found to be on sale online or elsewhere can be cancelled by the club without a refund."
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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
How people in Epping reacted to closure of migrant hotel
Locals in Epping have welcomed an injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at a nearby hotel, but raised concerns the decision would only 'kick the can down the road'. Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary High Court injunction on Tuesday blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a then-resident at the hotel, was charged with trying to kiss a teenage girl, which he denies. Following the decision on Tuesday, a crowd of about a dozen people gathered outside the hotel brandishing flags, shouting 'We've won' and popping sparkling wine, while passing traffic honked their horns at them. A few police cars were parked nearby with officers standing outside the hotel, which is fenced in. Other residents gave a mixed reaction to the injunction, with some saying they were glad to 'see it gone'. But others cited concerns about where the asylum seekers currently housed inside the hotel would be moved to in light of the court's decision. Callum Barker, 21, a construction worker who lives next to the hotel, was handing out leaflets at the protest including the names of three men staying at the Bell Hotel who are alleged to have committed criminal offences. He said he was in favour of the injunction. Mr Barker told the PA news agency: 'Our community's in danger and we don't want these people here. 'I'm ecstatic; I haven't stopped smiling. For five years, this hotel's blighted us. Everyone's had their complaints and reservations about it and I'm really glad to see it gone. 'I think nationally there will be more protests; I hope so. We want people to get out into their communities, get rid of these hotels. 'It's not right they're here on taxpayers' dime while British people struggle. 'They get three meals a day and a roof over their head while kids go hungry in school and have to rely on free dinners and I think it's terrible. The asylum system is broken.' In the town centre, Charlotte, 33, a solicitor living in Epping, said: 'I think it's kicking the can down the road because where are they going to go? 'Personally, I have lived here for four years and I've never had an issue, never noticed any problems with any asylum seekers living in the hotel a mile away. 'With the injunction today, I don't know what the long-term solution is going to be because they have to be housed somewhere so what's the alternative? 'I don't partake in (the protests). I think people are allowed to have a right of free speech but what annoys me about them is I'm on community groups on Facebook and it seems if you're not speaking about it you're presumed to be completely for it when I think a lot of people are in the middle. 'There are extremists at these protests every week.' Michael Barnes, 61, a former carpenter from Epping, said he was happy about the High Court's decision. He said: 'The question is, where does it go from here? I don't love them on my doorstep but, in fairness, they've got to live somewhere. 'I don't think it's all of them, it's just the minority of them that get up to no good.' Gary Crump, 63, a self-employed lift consultant living just outside of Epping, said: 'I was quite pleased it's actually happened. 'I don't think they should be housed in the hotels like they are. 'We haven't got the infrastructure here. The doctors' surgery is filled up in the mornings with people from there with translators. Everything is pushing the limits. We're an island. We're full. 'I've got no reason to be against people coming into the UK but I do think that the reasons given are not true in a lot of cases.' Ryan Martin, 39, who runs a natural health business, said: 'It's a good thing. When people spend a lot of money to live in this area, they want to feel safe. 'Them shutting it down probably happened because of the noise that was made about it and the reaction they saw from people because there was a strong reaction. 'It was taking a while to happen but people finally got up to protest against them being here.'


Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Gladiators in chaos as FOUR stars are injured during filming for new BBC series
Gladiators is in chaos after four of the athletes were are injured during filming for the new series. Professionals, Legend, Diamond, Bionic and Athena, have all suffered injuries during the competition, which is set to be aired in January 2026. Filming began last month at Utilita Arena in Sheffield with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney returning to host. Diamond (Livi Sheldon) has suffered a knee injury, rupturing her ACL and MCL during filming. Legend (Matt Morsia) has tore a bicep, while Bionic (Matty Campbell) dislocated his shoulder and Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains) also injured her knee. A source told The Sun: 'Gladiators is the ultimate test of speed, strength and endurance - and four of its champions have paid the price.' They added: 'It just goes to show that these games are tough and even our professionals can suffer injuries.' Meanwhile the upcoming series of Celebrity Gladiators will come out just before the civilian one. A new batch of super fit celebrities are set to take on the Gladiators in a battle of strength and skill. The reboot of Gladiators was a smash hit when it aired last year, and a celebrity spin-off was quickly commissioned, featuring comedians and gym lovers. But this year the casting team have stepped it up and found four stars who can definitely give the Gladiators a run for their money. The Sun reported last month that model Vogue Williams will be joined on the show by fitness guru Joe Wicks, former Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, and gym-obsessed I'm A Celeb winner Sam Thompson. Vogue won the first series of Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and regularly shares fitness tips and workout videos with her Instagram followers. Meanwhile Joe dominated British TV screens during Covid thanks to his at-home workout clips, and reality star Sam often shares his gym progress. Former Olympian Nicola could however prove the one to beat, after retiring undefeated in 2019 and becoming the first female boxer to become an Olympic champion after winning gold at London 2012. A source told the publication: 'Last year, producers of the debut celebrity version played it for laughs with three comedians taking part — with hilarious results for viewers. 'But this year they've assembled four celebrities who can give the Gladiators a serious run for their money, and serve up a clash to savour. The first series of Celebrity Gladiators saw Joel Dommett and Ellie Taylor crowned the winners after a tense finale.


The Guardian
9 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Guy Pearce set to play Rupert Murdoch in Danny Boyle-directed drama
Danny Boyle is set to direct an adaptation of award-winning play Ink, based on the rise of the Rupert Murdoch empire. According to Deadline, Guy Pearce is in talks to take on the lead role with Jack O'Connell also in negotiations to star as Larry Lamb, who Murdoch hired to run the Sun in the late 1960s. The film will be written by original playwright James Graham, whose other screen credits include recent TV drama Brian and Maggie. Ink was a critical hit after it premiered on stage in 2017 going on to win an Olivier award and two Tonys. The Guardian's Michael Billington called it a 'gripping piece of theatre'. Murdoch previously referred to Boyle as 'a creative genius' on social media after the London Olympics opening ceremony. He also claimed it was 'a little too politically correct'. Boyle recently returned to the zombie franchise he helped to create with 28 Years Later, a box office success earlier this summer making $150m worldwide. The film featured O'Connell in the final scenes and he will be a more prominent feature in the sequel out next year. Boyle is attached to make the as-yet-confirmed third film dependent on the success of the second which will also see the return of Cillian Murphy. O'Connell also recently starred in Ryan Coogler's smash hit horror Sinners and will also soon be seen in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. Pearce received his first Oscar nomination this year for Brady Corbet's The Brutalist and will soon be seen alongside Keira Knightley in mystery thriller The Woman in Cabin 10 and Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars.