Rugby Union in England has been in turmoil since it went professional over 10 years ago. The list of contentious issues between the clubs, who run the Guinness Premiership and the Rugby Football Union (RFU), is as long as your arm. Needless to say most
TROOPS from the Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters are preparing for their next mission - fighting Taliban rebels in Afghanistan. The regiment has been told it will head out to the Helmand province of Afghanistan as early as next month. The regiment
FRIENDS of an Abberley farmer who died in an accident on the A449 have paid tribute to a "lovely man". Ian Ballard died on Sunday, January 28, when his car hit a tree near King's Hawford School, Worcester. A post mortem examination revealed the 49-year-old
FRENCH forward Abderrahman Traore has left Worcester City as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Player-manager Andy Preece has been told to reduce the wage bill at St George's Lane and he decided off-loading the striker was the only option. Traore, who
IT promises to be an intriguing seven weeks of international rugby but it is a great shame Chris Horsman will probably be the only Warriors representative strutting his stuff on the highest stage of all. The almost total lack of Worcester involvement
Midlands One: Luctonians v Broadstreet. Midlands Two West: Bromsgrove v Camp Hill; Malvern v Bridgnorth. Midlands Three West (North): Kidderminster v Stourbridge Lions. Midlands Three West (South): Ledbury v Bedworth; Old Coventrians v Hereford; Pershore
MARK Yates has scooped the Nationwide Conference manager of the month award for January - the second month running he has picked up the prize. The Kidderminster manager shared the December award with Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough. This time he led
Went walking yesterday in the peak district with a friend. The walk was not as long as previous days, but the terrain was tougher with more climbs and the weather was worse. We walked from Hayfield and while we were getting our boots and coats on out
DROITWICH golfer John Bic-kerton and Herefordshire's David Park were both round in two-under-par 70s in the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic. The duo are five shots off the lead and they trail world number one Tiger Woods by two. Englishman Ross
HEREFORD United are now free to concentrate on their Coca-Cola League Two promotion push after a hectic transfer window. The Bulls landed four players in the January dealings in a bid to close the six-point gap between themselves and the play-off places
WORCESTER prop Chris Horsman will start for Wales in their Six Nations opener with Ireland at the Millen-nium Stadium on Sunday. The tight-head has enjoyed a return to prominence in the last two months after poor form and a poor disciplinary record blighted
BOSS Mark Yates is determined not to underestimate the threat of Nationwide South play-off chasers Braintree Town in the FA Trophy third round on Saturday (3pm). Kidderminster Harriers' manager, who has scooped his second consecutive Nationwide Conference
MALVERN Town manager Paul Molloy wants his side to keep up the pressure on the Southern League Division One Midlands play-off chasing pack. The Langland Stadium side are six points behind the top five but have played more games than most of the sides
STOURPORT Swifts boss Phil Mullen wants his side to show more of the fighting spirit that served them well against Willenhall Town. Swifts drew 2-2 in Southern League Division One Midlands but only secured a point with a last-minute goal. But it is
EVESHAM United's push for the Southern League Division One Midlands play-offs continues on Saturday with a trip to lowly Leighton Town (3pm). Paul West's side stretched their unbeaten league run to seven games with Richard Ball's winner in the 1-0 win
STRAIGHT-TALKING Bromsgrove Rovers boss Rod Brown says his team must earn the right to success in Southern League Division One Midlands. Brown has told his players to stop being complacent and start showing the desire to win games. He got that in the
ANDY Preece says it is time to forget about all the FA Trophy confusion this week and concentrate on booking a quarter-final place. Worcester City travel to Welling United on Saturday (2pm) for a third round tie that has been dogged by uncertainty in
ELECTIONS for a Worcest-er parish council are to be advertised. At this week's meeting of St Peter's parish council, members agreed to advertise the vacancies coming up in May and urged people to be candidates.
WESTFIELDS visit Friar Lane and Epworth in the Midland Alliance on Saturday looking to continue their recent run of form (3pm). The allpay.park club are unbeaten in four games following three wins and a draw. Chief executive Andy Morris is delighted
DEFENDER Adam Ward is the only doubt for Bromyard Town with a foot injury. Town host Ellesmere Rangers in the West Midlands League Premier on Saturday (3pm). Squad: O'Malley, Gray, McCarthy, Hoskins, Dew, Woodward, Amen, Andy Crowther, Wood, McLean,
HEREFORDSHIRE Council met up with community groups in Ledbury last week to discuss a new library for the town. The plan is to apply for a lottery grant to demolish the youth centre, off Bye Street, and replace it with a new community building housing
THE largest poetry festival in the UK has unveiled a new director and two Irish poets in residence for its 2007 programme. The Ledbury Poetry Festival has appointed Chloe Garner, who managed the Charleston Festival for three years, to the post of director
A DROITWICH councillor accused of stripping local council workers of overtime and weekend payments is seeking election to a top position in the union which represents them. Coun Peter Pinfield is standing for election as branch secretary in the Dudley
A NIGHTCLUB DJ has criticised some of Worcester's nightspots for spoiling the city's reputation as a tourist destination. Phil Marr, who works at Images nightclub in the Butts, spoke out after reading a Worcester News report about a man who claimed a
ATHLETES with learning disabilities are looking forward to taking part in a unique sporting event. Special Olympics Worcestershire has organised a unihock tournament to take place in Worcester this March. More than 20 teams from across the West Midlands
AN initiative to get people out of their cars is offering businesses in Worcester the opportunity to win up to £1,000 worth of book tokens. Choose How You Move - launched by Worcestershire County Council to tackle traffic congestion and reduce the environmental
BUS services will be affected during the funeral of a driver today but disruption will be kept to a minimum. Number 31, 32, 33 and 35 buses may be disrupted as First Buses staff attend the funeral of former colleague Brian Cartmell at Worcester Crematorium
HEALTH chiefs in Worcestershire have been told to improve the way they deal with patients' complaints after it was revealed that more than half of the issues referred to independent watchdogs should have been sorted out at local level. Between July 2004
A HEREFORD supermarket is set to stock Polish food as part of a new national drive. The town's Sainsbury's store is stocking a rangewhich includes stuffed cabbage and zurek soup made with sausages and boiled eggs. Other lines include cassis sauce, chocolate
MARK Yates has scooped the Nationwide Conference Manager of the Month award for January - the second month running he has picked up the prize. The Kidderminster manager, who shared the December award with Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough, led his Harriers
ALLEN David John The Family of the late David Allen wish to thank all Friends, Relatives and Neighbours, for their kind messages of sympathy, help and support following their sad loss. Thank you to all who attended the Funeral Service at Worcester Crematorium
WILCOX Marie The Family of the late Marie Wilcox would like to thank everyone for their kind messages of sympathy and support shown to them during their recent bereavement. Also for the donations received and their attendance at the funeral. Published
PICKSTOCK Nick and Tammi Are pleased to announce the safe arrival of Evie Maisy, beautiful sister for Ellie and Chloe. ---------- Congratulations! Big welcome to beautiful Evie Maisy. Well done Tammi. Mom and Dad Pickstock. Published in paper 01/02/2007
WARR Iris Gertrude Passed away on January 27th, 2007, aged 88 years. Much loved mother of Peter, Stephen, David and Martin, and of her Daughters in law, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. Funeral service at St Leonards Church, Cotheridge on Wednesday
DUTFIELD Yvonne Rita Passed away peacefully at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on January 28th, 2007, after much suffering, aged 61 years. Beloved wife of Joe. The funeral service will take place at Worcester Crematorium on Wednesday, February 7th at 12.30
PROBERT Dorothy Ivy Passed away suddenly but peacefully on Monday, January 29th, aged 82 years. Wife of the late Jim Probert. A much loved mom, mom in law, nan, sister and sister in law. At peace and free from pain. Funeral service at Kempsey Church on
UNDERHILL Peter John Of Knighton on Teme, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire was taken tragically on the ski slopes of Megeve, France, aged 58 years. February 14th, 1948 - January 23rd, 2007. A well loved, respected, gentle man and successful entrepreneur.
JONES Percy Vincent. Loved and remembered always. Wife Phyl and Family. Published in paper 01/02/2007
CURTIS Win In memory of my loving wife, passed away four years ago, February 1st 2003. Will always be loved and remembered by husband Bill and Family. Published in paper 01/02/2007
LOWE Albert Gerald Bert Formerly of Gilmour Crescent, Claines. Passed away peacefully on January 27th 2007, aged 87 years. Beloved husband of the late Heather. Much loved father of Mary and Sally. Dear brother of Doris and a loving brother in law of Billie
JEYNES Doris Dot Happy Birthday to a special mom and nan. Love from all your Family. xxx Published in paper 01/02/2007
GRICE George God saw you growing weary, The hill was hard to climb. He gently closed your eyelids and whispered Peace be thine. Love from all the Family. xxx Published in paper 01/02/2007
LITTER dropped on a route to school is causing problems in a city parish. At this week's St Peter's Parish Council meeting, Worcester city councillor Roger Knight said some of the litter consisted of letters written on headed school paper. He said schools
AN 81-year-old woman died after she tripped over her cat and fractured her hip, an inquest heard. Joan Wheeler, of Flax Piece, off the Pershore Road in Upton Snodsbury, died of a blood clot on Saturday, 22 days after the fall. Worcestershire coroner
SIR - I have a quick solution for the people with problems about fortnightly rubbish collections - have an extra bin delivered. I see no reason to make weekly collections as most people are happy with the present situation, it must be far healthier
A LEADING Kidderminster political figure has called on Wyre Forest District Council to put practicality in front of style when it comes to organising future projects. Fran Oborski has criticised the new metal seating built outside the Town Hall - part
THE construction industry and the Department of Trade and Industry are backing a campaign launched by Net-Regs - a free and confidential website that provides practical guidance to small businesses on their environmental obligations. Iindustry minister
AN initiative to get people out of their cars is offering businesses in Worcester the opportunity to win up to £1,000 worth of book tokens. Choose How You Move - launched by Worcestershire County Council to tackle traffic congestion and reduce the environmental
THREE local hospices will benefit from the generosity of a Worcestershire garden centre this year. Webbs, at Wychbold, near Droitwich - which has just been named garden centre of the year 2007 - has donated more than £80,000 in the last four years
NEW laws intended to help victims of domestic violence may actually have the opposite effect, according to family lawyers in Worcestershire. From July 1, breaching a non-molestation or occupation order will become a criminal offence, which could mean
A HEREFORD supermarket is set to stock Polish food as part of a new national drive. The town's Sainsbury's store is stocking a rangewhich includes stuffed cabbage and zurek soup made with sausages and boiled eggs. Other lines include cassis sauce, chocolate
A CHILDREN'S hospice that provides care for families in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire is in line for a fund-raising boost thanks to the mayor of Hereford and a leading Shropshire auction house. Shrewsbury-based Halls has agreed to
WORCESTER Warriors scrum-half Matt Powell has been summoned to appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel on a charge of allegedly stamping on an opponent during the Guinness Premiership match against London Wasps at Sixways on January 26
YOUNGSTERS have been improving their driving skills with a special course which is designed to keep them safer on the roads. The Worcestershire Group of Advanced Motorists ran an advanced driving theory course for up to 20 young drivers under the aged
OVER 50s can quiz experts at a Question Time-style event. Heyday Question Time will be chaired by Mayor of Worcester Ian Imray and will give anyone over 50 a forum to have their say on health, security, age discrimination or anything that relates to
CHILDREN can spend their school holiday exploring light, shade and shadow. The Worcester Arts Workshop's half term activities will encourage youngsters, aged between five and 11 to take part in some light shade and shadow related art. The workshops
A WORCESTER-based national charity has announced two developments within its team at management level. Eve Martin has been promoted from the role of director of operations to the post of deputy chief executive at Leukaemia CARE. Ms Martin, who has been
A CAT believed to have been lost from a Bromyard home has been stolen by a mystery caller. The owner of the 10-month-old ginger and white cat originally thought it was lost earlier this month and put up posters in the area. But they then received an
PLANS by Malvern Town Council to deliver excellent and efficient services while keeping a tight rein on expenditure are to be revised. Members of the best value committee have asked town clerk Richard Chapman to make a number of changes to the council's
TERRY Jenkins makes his bow in the Holsten Premier League Darts tonight when he goes head-to-head with Dennis Priestly. The Ledbury thrower, who is 33-1 to win the competition, takes to the oche at the Plymouth Pavilions live on Sky Sports from 7.30pm
WESTFIELDS recorded a vital 1-0 home win over Racing Club Warwick in the Midland Alliance to move up to 16th and take their unbeaten run to four games. The winning goal was scored by Jamie Cuss in the 10th minute. Westfields had to defend then for long
LEDBURY Rugby Club will be holding its annual charity sevens tournament on Sunday, May 13. Having established the competition last year, Ledbury have now expanded the event to 16 teams, plus a women's tournament for four of the top teams in the country
A WORCESTER-based national charity has announced two developments within its team at management level. Eve Martin has been promoted from the role of director of operations to the post of deputy chief executive at Leukaemia CARE. Ms Martin, who has been
BROMSGROVE Rovers returned to winning ways with a 5-1 victory at Solihull Borough last night. Rovers, beaten 1-0 by Spalding United at the weekend, were 3-0 up before half-time through Stuart Skidmore, Nathan Lamey and a Richard Munday own goal. Rory
A MAN who threatened his neighbour with a crossbow has been given a conditional discharge after magistrates agreed he had been driven to breaking point. Mark Howard admitted one charge of threatening behaviour and another of being in posession of a kitchen
A POLISH boy who spoke no English when he came to the UK just over a year ago will become the first fully fledged chorister from his country to sing at Hereford Cathedral. Adrian Walerowski, aged 12, is ready to don the traditional blue cassock and ruff
MALVERN Town Council may have to wait until the autumn before it applies to become one of the county's few elite authorities recognised for its quality. The council is already meeting most of the criteria to qualify for Quality Parish Status but has
SIR - Roger Berry asks what is being done to build more affordable housing for local people (Worcester News, January 27). He can't have been reading his Worcester News. There's been no end of coverage about plans to build thousands more affordable homes
CHILDREN at Green Hill School in Evesham are soon to be twinned with children from Sri Lanka, whose school suffered from the effects of the tsunami. The town's Rotary Club members have already met the school's pupils and picked up lots of information
A LEADING Kidderminster political figure has called on Wyre Forest District Council to put practicality in front of style when it comes to organising future projects. Fran Oborski has criticised the new metal seating built outside the Town Hall - part
PUBLIC health chiefs are urging people in Worcestershire to keep warm and well with another cold snap predicted by weathermen for the weekend. The most common cause of death is a heart attack or stroke, caused directly by the body's response to the cold
A NUMBER of proposals have been put forward to solve the problem of traffic congestion at the Wyche and British Camp, Malvern. Members of Malvern Hills Conservators have suggested three possible solutions after Herefordshire Council said it would listen
VOLUNTEERS who resuscitate cardiac arrest patients before paramedics arrive have been talking about their life-saving skills. Sarah Clark and Karen Clarke, Community First Responders for St Peter's, spoke at St Peter's Parish Council at a meeting on
TRAVELLERS illegally camped on two city car parks have received a final warning. The groups, both from Ireland, descended on the Worcester Woods Countryside Centre at County Hall and Perdiswell Leisure Centre on Friday. When the Worcester News went
WORCESTERSHIRE Wildlife Trust is turning the spotlight on wetland restoration in Evesham to coincide with today's World Wetlands Day. The Wildlife Trust's partnership projects, through Water For Wildlife, restore and recreate large areas, promoting natural
Worcester-based Sanctu-ary Housing Group is celebrating becoming the first landlord in the country to gain accreditation with the Tenant Participation Advisory Ser-vice (TPAS). People living in the group's properties were congratulated by TPAS chief
A TRIO of politicians have teamed up to fight plans to break up the Pershore Group of Colleges. It is planned to absorb the Pershore campus with War-wickshire College and merge Holme Lacy with Hereford College of Technology. West Worcestershire MP Sir
TWO Pershore High School students kept up the high standards of the school's debating reputation with their latest performance. Luke Gordon and Nathan John travelled to Birmingham on Saturday, January 20, to take part in the International Competition
A LEAFLET is to be distributed by Malvern Hills wardens asking residents to be good neighbours. The four-page document published by the Malvern Hills Conser-vators warns people about fly-tipping, parking and the storage of materials. Ian Rowat, director
A FLEET of lorries could soon be powered by vegetable oil as a haulage firm prepares to go even greener. Company bosses at TM Logistics, based at Edgar House in Martley, part of Taylors of Martley, are still carrying out tests to see whether their lorries
SIR - Do not fall for Government propaganda that too many custodial sentences are dished out. As a JP until recently, I can tell you the unvarnished truth. Countless individuals regularly spared prison don't cooperate with community punishments and
THE mother of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is angry at claims by a psychiatric watchdog that the condition has never been scientifically proven. The Worcester News reported yesterday how figures obtained by the Citizens Commission
DROITWICH residents have been invited to express their feelings at a public meeting about the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy. Last month, the Worcester News revealed the Government was keen to see an additional 62,300 homes built in Worcestershire
A PUBLIC debate will take place at the Guildhall today on plans to extend Worcester by up to 17,000 homes. Worcester City Council's planning committee will hear an interim report on the different options for expansion that face Worcester in the future
PUBLIC lavatories in the centre of Upton-upon-Sev-ern are to be put up for sale following the town council's decision not to assume responsibility for them. The High Street toilets, which are owned by Malvern Hills District Council, were closed last
A TRIO of politicians have teamed up to fight plans to break up the Pershore Group of Colleges. It is planned to absorb the Pershore campus with War-wickshire College and merge Holme Lacy with Hereford College of Technology. West Worcestershire MP Sir
A BINMAN refused to remove rubbish for a frail 83-year-old woman because she put empty tins of dog food in the wrong bin bag, says her furious daughter. Betty Rouse, from Bisley Close, Warndon, Worcester, did not realise she was supposed to put tins
DARTS players hit the bullseye when they raised £577 for a Worcester charity. The Barbourne Inn in Bank Street, Worcester, boosted the coffers of St Richard's Hospice by hosting the James Newell Memorial Cup. The cash raised from the darts knock-out
A RARE 19th Century Wedgwood antique has been discovered in a house in Droitwich. A fine art expert uncovered the majolica matchbox modelled as a fly, thought to be worth about £1,200, during an antiques valuation visit earlier this week. It will be
SIR - Blair's regime is happy to commit British troops to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but when it comes to honouring those who have given service to defend British citizens from foreign occupation there isn't a Labour minister in sight. This year marks
A COMMITTEE looking at religious education in classrooms across the county visited a Worcester school to see how the subject is taught. The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) visited the RE department of Christopher Whitehead Language
COMMUTERS parking on the roads around Malvern Link railway station are causing problems for local residents, and some fear an accident is inevitable. The number of cars parking along Somers Road and Lower Howsell Road has more than doubled since car
WORCESTER City Council has launch-ed a newsletter aimed at improving communication between taxi drivers and the Guildhall. The aptly named Taxi Times is available from the Guildhall now and features a foreword by Coun Dave Clark, who is the chairman
CAMPAIGNERS gathered to protest about traffic using Lower Chase Road in Barnards Green, Malvern, as a rat-run. More than 20 residents waved banners and recorded the numbers of cars using the access-only road illegally on Saturday. The road, which is
THE group of volunteers who had hoped to buy the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich have had their hopes dashed by the firm that owns the building. Paul Durows, company secretary for Blytheswood Ltd, says the freehold, which it holds for the venue and the
THE family of a Worcester-shire businessman has paid tribute to him after he died in a skiing accident on holiday. Peter Underhill, aged 58, was with family and friends in Megève in the French Alps, when he fell and suffered a serious head injury. He
THE brave and good-humoured fight put up by Hanley Swan cancer sufferers Justin Morton and Roy Phillips has inspired their friend to do a swimathon. Stuart Clarke started swimming in the new year to get fit, but as he was ploughing up and down the pool
PENSIONERS in Worcester have re-ceived from more than £100,000 in extra benefits. A pioneering partnership between the Pension Service, Worcestershire County Council and local district councils has helped people over the age of 60 make sure they are
SIR - I fear Mr Brown has got himself into a bit of a state regarding the BBC licence fee (Letters, January 29). What may I ask can you buy these days for £131? You could possibly go to four football matches, though not to Manchester United, Arsenal
A PRESTIGIOUS slimming award is the icing on the low-fat cake for a Droitwich woman, who has shed five stone and lost 67 inches from around her body. Denise Mawson said she felt sluggish and unhappy when she weighed in at 15 stone and wore a dress size
EVERY time we heat our homes, take a flight or drive the car, CO2 is added to the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and each tonne of carbon dioxide that is added to the atmosphere adds to the effect of global warming. We are now being actively encouraged
We wish to point out that Worcester Community Housing's Tidy Tolly day is to take place on Tuesday, February 13. Volunteers are being asked to pick up litter and remove graffiti from the highways and parkways. Anybody interested in taking part should
A WORCESTER woman has celebrated her 100th birthday. Milly Bagnall, who grew up in Northwick, Worcester, toasted her big day yesterday by having a tea party with family and friends. She puts her long life down to enjoying an active lifestyle while growing
HELP is needed to identify some scraps of newspaper found in a grandfather clock. The four pieces of brown, ragged paper could have been in the clock for as long as 100 years and appear to come from a Halifax newspaper. The dates of the articles are
A 71-year-old man who fell into the river Severn following a rowing accident has thanked his rescuer. In a story that broke on the Worcester News website www.worcesternews.co.uk on Saturday, we reported how two people were pulled to safety after their
I recently had a meeting with the Pershore and Upton-upon-Severn branch of the National Farmers Union (NFU). Harriett Baldwin, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for West Worcestershire, was also present. Much of the conversation centred on the
SIR - Your front page coverage and comment about the girl raped by someone she met online (Worcester News, January 29) was excellent and this young girl has been very brave to speak out about such a dreadful experience in order to help others. The internet
THE parents of three teenagers who were killed on the A449 before Christmas have opened their hearts to the Worcester News and spoken of their grief. The families of Martyn Pickering, Stephanie Goodall and Kyle Gadsby have talked about the tragic night
IF you have a complaint about goods or services at your local store, the chances are that you'll be able to achieve some form of redress quite quickly. When you complain to the store's management, you can safely expect matters to be resolved with speed
WORCESTER City have had a protest upheld by the Football Assocation over a proposed date switch for their FA Trophy third round clash. City will visit Nationwide South leaders Welling United for a 2pm kick-off on Saturday after the Kent club finally
