Regional News Overview: Storm Darragh’s Impact, Public Safety Alerts, and Local Stories

Storm Darragh continued to be a major news item earlier this week, causing travel disruptions across the West and resulting in power cuts and fallen trees affecting properties. Tributes have been paid to Tom Voyce, a former Bath and Gloucester rugby star, who passed away after being swept away by flooding in Northumberland. In Bristol, a police warning about counterfeit perfume, potentially containing human urine, generated considerable attention. Meanwhile, in Somerset, news focused on a burglary that led to a bittersweet Christmas lights switch-on event in Priddy. Heartfelt messages were shared on social media following the discovery of former England rugby international Tom Voyce’s body on Thursday. Mr. Voyce, aged 43, is believed to have been carried away by the current while attempting to cross a ford in his car near Alnwick. Among those from the rugby community who offered condolences was former England international Mike Tindall, who played alongside Mr. Voyce at Gloucester. Tindall stated, “He epitomised rugby as a game for all shapes and sizes, punching well above his weight.” Gloucester Rugby expressed that they were “desperately sad to hear the distressing news regarding our former player and friend,” while Bath Rugby conveyed their “thoughts and prayers” to Mr. Voyce’s loved ones via a Facebook post. Police in Bristol have issued an alert to Christmas shoppers regarding an increase in counterfeit perfumes being sold on the city’s streets, as reported by Bristol Live. Officers conducting patrols in the Castle Park and Broadmead areas confiscated suspected fake perfumes on 9 December. Reporter Shannon Brown quoted Avon and Somerset Police on X, who warned: “These items may not be good for you as dodgy perfume may contain harmful toxic chemicals, including cyanide, and, in some cases, human urine.” Somerset Live covered the burglary at the Queen Victoria Inn in Priddy, which occurred on the same evening the pub activated its 55,000 Christmas lights. Mark and Debs Walton annually adorn their pub with festive illuminations, including a giant snowman constructed from 2,500 wine bottles, to raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Senior Reporter Lisa Letcher noted that the owners indicated money was stolen from “a collection for poorly children.” A story concerning a woman who reported being sexually assaulted by “a gang of three masked yobs” in Bristol garnered significant interest. Bristol Live reporter Tristan Cork quoted the victim, who recounted jogging at the entrance to Netham Park in Barton Hill when she was “slapped and grabbed by three young men wearing balaclavas” who were all riding the same moped. Police are currently investigating a series of six similar, unsettling incidents that have recently occurred and are thought to be connected. In each instance, reports described two or three masked young men on a moped attempting to push cyclists off their bikes while riding alongside them across a wide area of the city. In Gloucestershire, a prominent update from ITV News West Country concerned a two-week delay in some bin collections in Cheltenham over the Christmas period. Collections originally scheduled for 25, 26, and 27 December have been moved to 8, 9, and 10 January, respectively. Borough councillor Izaac Tailford commented that this approach would “allow waste and recycling teams to enjoy some proper time off.” Somerset Live reported the impending closure of the renowned Jolly’s early next year. This establishment is recognized as one of Europe’s oldest department stores. Bath and North East Somerset Council, the site’s owner, stated that plans are at “an advanced stage” with a new occupier but did not disclose the future use of the building. Bath Live’s Facebook page saw numerous comments regarding the store’s closure after 200 years. One post lamented: “Milsom Street, Bath, was always Jolly’s. All my life I’ve shopped there and know many staff now dead or retired. This is like Harrods in London closing, it’s so sad.” A rescued fox, found trapped in a football net in a Bristol garden, generated widespread sympathy. The vixen was taken in by Secret World Wildlife Rescue after being discovered with a severe constriction injury to her leg. Staff at the animal charity reported that she was “currently recovering well and was completely relaxed during the recent storm.” Photographs from ITV News West Country showing a miniature pony visiting children in a Swindon hospital brought joy this week. Tinkerbell, a Shetland pony, brought festive cheer to the Great Western Hospital, visiting young patients in their beds. She was brought by Dinky Ponies, an organization that provides equine-assisted therapy to care homes, hospitals, and schools throughout Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Sam Dracott-Farrier, her handler, remarked: “I’ve never dressed up as Santa before, but seeing the look on the children’s faces has given me a new love for all things Father Christmas. I would love to do it all again.”