The South Glos Post

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after four youths were robbed at Westerleigh Common.

The incident occurred on Saturday 15th August 2009 at around 9.30pm when the victims were at the large grassed area between Wellstead Road and Westerleigh Road.

They were approached by four black men who demanded they hand over their mobile phones. When they tried to protect their property they were punched in the face and kicked in the chest.

The offenders stole three mobile phones, a silver iPod Nano, a silver chain with flat circular hoops and a black wallet containing bank cards.

The first man is described as a black male, 18-20 years old, 6ft – 6ft 3ins tall, of skinny build, wearing a black jacket or jumper and black trousers. He had either a black beanie hat or the hood of his top covering his head. This male spoke with a very deep voice.

The second man is described as a black male, 18-20 years old, 5ft 10/11 ins tall of medium build and wearing all black clothing.

The third man was also a black male, 18-20 years old, 5ft 10/11 ins tall of medium build and wearing all black clothing.

The fourth man is decsribed as a black male, 15-17 years old, 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build and he wore something covering his head, possibly a baseball cap. He was also wearing all dark clothing. This male sounded a lot younger than the others as his voice was a lot more high pitched.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to contact Staple Hill CID on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call.

Source: Avon and Somerset Police

South Gloucestershire Council have been successful in bidding for funding from Natural England’s ‘Access to Nature’ grant from the Big Lottery.

The resulting project, Wildways, has now officially started and seeks to engage people across the Kingswood area in wildlife activities. The three year project will bring people closer to nature and helps them gain access to their local green spaces.

The first event of the project is a free Wildways Bat Walk. Bats are amazing mammals and listening in on their calls as they hunt and travel across the darkening sky is a magical experience. South Gloucestershire is a national hot spot for bats with several different species occurring locally. Conham River Park in Hanham has a new bat cave which will provide a safe hibernation site for the rarer bat species.

Join the Wildways project to discover bats alongside the River Avon and the Avon Valley Woodlands Local Nature Reserve. The walk will be led by Jim Mulholland of the Avon Bat Group and there will be the opportunity to use bat detectors to track down these fascinating night time creatures.

Meet in the car park at Conham River Park, bottom of Conham Hill on Tuesday 8th September 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

For more information please call the environment team on 01454 863592 NaturalEnvironment@southglos.gov.uk

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a robbery in Kingswood on Monday 17th August 2009.

The incident occurred between 5.10pm and 5.50pm when the victim, a 17-year-old male, was walking home from work.

The victim suffered a fractured jaw and a broken nose but is unable to remember what happened due to concussion.

He left Aspects Leisure Park, Longwell Green and may have used the cycle path to Hanham High Street.

From there he went onto Furber Road, Kingsway and onto Hillside Road. He had his red and white mountain bike stolen.

The victim remembers a woman in a car asking if he was alright and a man also stopped to check on his welfare.

Police are keen to speak to these people as they may have valuable information which could help with their enquiries.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any details is asked to call police at Trinity Road on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask your name or trace your call.

Source: Avon and Somerset Police

A charity that hits all the right notes is bringing music and fun to South Gloucestershire’s senior citizens.

South Gloucestershire Council and Merlin Housing Society are supporting Golden Oldies – a charity that runs singing sessions for the over 60s, providing entertainment and promoting social inclusion.

The council is supporting Golden Oldies for the second year running. The sessions are free and offer relaxed, fun singing sessions for older people. Each session features a leader who will encourage participants to sing favourite songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The sessions take place weekly at a range of venues across South Gloucestershire, including Downend, Kingswood, Yate, Filton and Thornbury on a monthly basis.

Councillor Matthew Riddle, executive member for community care and housing, said: “Golden Oldies is an excellent initiative and we are delighted to be able to fund these sessions. They will help to improve social opportunities and the quality of life for many older people in South Gloucestershire.”

For more information please contact the Golden Oldies on 01761 470006. Golden Oldies can help arrange transport if you have difficulty in getting to the sessions.

Source: South Gloucestershire Council