Queen guitarist and leading badger cull opponent Brian May has spoken of his anger that a car belonging to a woman member of the Wounded Badger Patrol was vandalised while she was on patrol in west Somerset.

Dr May and others ended up changing a wheel on the car when he arrived to meet patrol members on Monday night. One of the tyres appeared to have been punctured by an instrument similar to a bradawl.

Praising the patrols in the west Somerset and west Gloucestershire cull areas Dr May said opponents of the cull "will not give in to intimidation."

Police are investigating the incident.

Dr May said: " It is quite a tough job the patrols are doing, obviously completely of their own volition, and to come back after a night trudging in the dark with people trying to fire guns around you and find this is not good."

In a statement Avon and Somerset Police said: "We are investigating a report of criminal damage to the front tyre of a car which was in a car park opposite Cleeve Abbey in Washford. The damage happened sometime between 8.30pm and 10.15pm last night. If anyone has any information we would ask them to come forward."

Dr May said: "The police were great. Sometimes the police get a bad press but everything I have seen has impressed me. They are working very hard to maintain impartiality and fairness and to focus on keeping the peace."

This is the second year that the six-week culls are taking place in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset as part of the Department for Food and Rural Affairs package of measures to fight bovine TB. They are due to continue for a further two years.

Last year's culls had to be extended because the numbers of animals shot by official shooting companies licensed by Natural England fell far short of the number that it had been estimated were needed to reduce the population by 70 per cent.

A three-week extension was granted, and the number of animals needed to be killed was also reduced.

The Government and farmers insist that culling is necessary to tackle TB in livestock, which saw more than 26,000 cattle slaughtered in England last year, but opponents say it is inhumane and ineffective and alternatives such as vaccination should be pursued.

Dr May and his Save Me Trust advocate vaccination of badgers, and ultimately of cattle. He is critical of the Government's claim that a vaccine for cattle, acceptable to the EU, is ten years away and cannot be achieved faster.

Last year an independent expert panel and Natural England monitored the cull. The independent experts found that controlled free-shooting could not deliver the level of culling needed and was not humane. Badgers can also be shot after being caught humanely in cage traps.

Yesterday when Dr May visited Stop The Cull's Camp Badger in West Somerset, Stop The Cull spokesman Jay Tiernan announced that a badger had been found dead with an abdomen wound two fields away from where shooters were working.

It was found overnight on Sunday/Monday. Mr Tiernan declined to reveal the location and said a postmortem has yet to be carried out.

Dr May said: "It appears to be evidence that suffering is growing, and it is quite incredible that this cull is being continued without any monitoring, any monitoring from the independent expert panel."

An NFU spokesman said: "We have seen no evidence that a badger has been found. If one has been found there is no evidence to suggest it is associated with the cull."

Some wildlife experts including Sir David Attenborough argue that the cull Could spread the disease because surviving badgers would move into new territory.

The first campsite in Britain purposely built for New Age travellers is lying half empty – because they have to pay council tax.

Teignbridge District Council has spent £1.2 million of taxpayers' money transforming an existing illegal camp near Exeter, Devon, into 15 state-of-the-art eco plots.

They come with allotments, a children's play area, and environmentally friendly features such as composting bins. But with just three months to go until the new site opens only six of the 15 pitches have been snapped up.

Locals believe the New Age followers are put off by lease agreements, rent, service charges and council tax and prefer to stay "off the grid".

Scores of them are remaining in their ramshackle homes at Haldon Hill, a nationally-recognised wildlife haven a short distance from the new site.

It continues to be blighted with caravans, old buses, huts and shelters housing up to 100 travellers.

Teignbridge authorities spent years searching for a solution after the community sprung up more than a decade ago, sparking tensions with local people.

After securing a government grant to build the legal state-of-the-art eco plots in nearby Haldon Ridge, the authorities expected travellers to jump at the chance to upgrade. But the plots have proved unpopular.

Motorists are being warned to expect congestion on busy routes into Bristol, Bath and Gloucester this morning.

The M32 and the A4044 southbound into Bristol are particularly busy and drivers should expect delays.

The A38 Critchard Way Taunton is busy but moving in both directions from the A38 Critchard Way junction to the B3170 Silver Street junction.

In Bath the A4 London Road is busy in both directions at the Margaret's Hill junction.

The A40 into Gloucester is busy at Highnam and there is congestion between the B4215 Highnam to the A417 Over Causeway at Maisemore.

The M4 and M5 are busy as usual in the rush hour but moving.

Experts are warning householders to expect an invasion of giant spiders this winter. Rising temperatures and easier access to food has seen the creepy crawlies grow bigger than ever. And the eight-legged creatures that strike fear into a large percentage of the population are set to move indoors to look for a mate. Prof Adam Hart of the University of Gloucestershire agreed with researchers from Sydney University in Australia who issued the initial warning. "This year has been seemingly a good one for the invertebrates which spiders feed on, and it's quite mild out there," he said. Spiders have been thriving in the September sun and families in the north have already reported larger than normal creatures in their homes this month. With males about to hunt a mate, householders can expect to see more of them in their homes over the coming weeks. But Professor Hart says people have nothing to fear from big creepy crawlies because spiders are the a free pest control service. "They often feed on the most common species, preventing a few species from becoming dominant. We want to encourage people to respect and learn more about their little house guests," he said. There are approximately 660 species of spider in the UK, and according to the preliminary results of the Society of Biology's House Spider Survey (which recently closed), the public struggle to differentiate between spider species and sexes. A collaboration between the Society of Biology and the University of Gloucestershire produced a new identification-focused application called Spider in da House which recently went into Android and Apple app stores. Using photos, identification tools, and further facts, the free app allows people to identify and learn more about 12 of the most common spiders found inside houses. Both sexes remain in their webs, most commonly in sheds, garages and wood piles, until the autumn when the males become nomadic and search for females. Females usually stay in their webs to await a suitor and the following spring produces more than 10 egg sacs, each containing around 40 to 60 eggs.

There is mounting concern over the future of a West Country arena after questions over how much money can be raised towards the cost of the cost of the car parking.

A £10 million "black hole" has emerged in the budget for Bristol's arena, it has been claimed. Concerns centre on how much money can be raised towards the cost of the £90 million project from car parking.

A new report shows parking facilities at the 12,000-capacity venue hang in the balance, as an adequate site is yet to be found. The report also shows that costs for a proposed 1,000-space car park have spiralled, while predicted revenue has fallen.

The city's Liberal Democrats say the report has uncovered a "black hole" in the scheme's finances.

There is already mounting pressure on parking around the Arena Island area due to the predicted growth of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

The council needs to balance the arena's budget before building the venue, which is due to open in 2017.

City mayor George Ferguson said steps were being taken to address the gap and rejected the Lib Dems' claims, saying: "It is irresponsible nonsense to talk of a 'black hole'."

The mayor has made it one of his key targets to create a much-needed venue for the city.

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Kent had accused the mayor of "taking his eye off the finances", warning the city that it "cannot blindly walk into this project with millions of pounds missing".

Car parking facilities were written in to the budget for the multi-purpose venue last October.

Initially it was estimated that about £1.5 million of revenue per year would be made from parking fees from events and use of the car park during the day by commuters.

But a review has seen the council revise the figures. A multi-storey car park is now seen as too expensive, while even a surface-level car park may not be used for commuter parking – as it is "against planning policy", the review said.

Councillors discussing the report at a scrutiny meeting also raised concerns about £53 million of funding coming from the government's City Deal scheme. The money would be borrowed and will depend on the growth of the enterprise zone.

Mr Kent, a ward councillor for Whitchurch Park who sits on the council's Business Change and Resources Scrutiny Commission, said: "I have a real concern that the budget is spiralling out of control.

"These things don't come for free but the mayor cannot expect the residents of Bristol to write a blank cheque.

"He's talking big ideas but taken his eye off the finances. We need a business plan that adds up and that is affordable for the city.

"The shortfall in the council's finances will have an effect on the future of the arena.

"We cannot blindly walk into this project with millions of pounds missing. The figures must add up and we need to make sure the funding is in place."

More reports have been ordered looking to find a solution.

Bristol mayor George Ferguson said: "The £90 million-plus project budget for the arena is based on a business case report but, as with all large projects, it is inevitable that there will be variances as we test some of the assumptions made in that report...

"However it must be understood that this is a long term investment that will break even over the 25-year life of the project and will deliver millions of pounds of investment to the city region. It is irresponsible nonsense to talk of a 'black hole'.

"The arena has been a long-held aspiration for the city that we are now well on the way to delivering.

"We are taking the necessary steps to address any potential gaps in funding whilst remaining completely committed to delivering this vitally important venue, that is a major catalyst for the regeneration of the enterprise zone and the wider city region."

A man has appeared in Taunton Magistrate Court charged with attempted murder after an alleged stabbing at a farm in Baltonsborough near Glastonbury.

Lewis Edward Clapp, aged 29, of Hestover Farm, Baltonsborough has been charged with the attempted murder of his father Arthur Clapp.

He is also charged with false imprisonment of his mother Jenesta Clapp and also one charge of actual bodily harm also against Jenesta Clapp.

Police were called to the farm at 8.13am on Monday.

Arthur Clapp had to be airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and is described by police as being in a stable condition.

Lewis Clapp has been remanded in custody to appear before Exeter Crown Court tomorrow.

The Bristol Downs was packed with runners, walkers and joggers of all ages this weekend when the ninth annual Run for the Future took place to raise money for prostate cancer treatment and research in Bristol.

Over 500 participants showed up to support the charity event and organisers said it was one of the best yet. It is hoped around £20,000 will be raised from the day which will go to the Bristol Urological Institute (BUI) based at Southmead Hospital.

The sun shone for the run which also saw plenty of entertainment for the non-runners. The Barry Walsh Band performed to crowds, and the Ambling Band played as runners crossed the finishing line. Lucky winners were drawn for the great raffle prizes on offer including the use of a BMW Z4 for the weekend courtesy of Dick Lovett, Afternoon Tea at the Grand Pier, a family pass to Wookey Hole Caves and a case of wine from Avery's.

The run was started by Bristol Deputy Lord Mayor Faruk Choudhury and Olympic runner Nick Rose was spotted taking part.

The event is organised every year by Bristol Rotary and member Ian Beattie said: "We are absolutely delighted with the turn out for the Run for the Future, which this year was the culmination of two weeks of raising awareness of prostate cancer, with events throughout the city.

"Bristol is considered a Centre of Excellence for prostate cancer research and treatment and that is thanks, in large part, to the money raised by Run for the Future. We have now raised over £250,000 over the years so we'd like to thank everyone for the continued support.

"It was great to see many families bringing along a picnic to soak up the atmosphere. I'd like to say a big thank you to our comperes Steve Le Fevre and Ali Vowles from the BBC who did a great job of getting the crowds going."

The family 5k run was open to everyone with the youngest participant, who was pushed round the course in a pram, just months old. First over the line was Jack Millar, aged 18 of Julian Road, Bristol in just 17 minutes.

A student, studying economics at Nottingham University, he was using the run as a warm-up for Bristol's half marathon and came second last year. Second was 40-year-old Bristol urology consultant Anthony Koupparis in 19 minutes with Mat Newton of Bristol just behind in third place.

Prostate cancer claims the lives of 11,000 men in the UK every year, with a further 41,000 being diagnosed. At the event men were given free PSA tests by Spire Hospital, which is the first step in early diagnosis of the disease.

A Bristol woman is taking part in this year's Bristol Half Marathon in aid of local charity St Peter's Hospice, which is currently caring for her mother.

Julie Cowles, 46, from Brentry, is taking on the 13-mile run for her mum Joy Jolly, 75, who was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in 2012.

Joy attended a 12-week programme at St Peter's Hospice after undergoing chemotherapy for her illness and now attends regular art therapy sessions at the hospice.

St Peter's Hospice is the official local charity for this year's Bristol Half Marathon.

Julie, who is taking on the run with long-time friend Glenda Willcox, 46 said: "Mum's treatment at the hospice has been amazing. The nurses have cared for her brilliantly and have really been great to her.

"Mum was originally really low about the thought of attending her sessions at St Peter's Hospice, but the staff who have helped her and comforted her and the rest of us through this time, made her feel much more at ease.

"This half marathon will be my tenth. I usually don't run to raise money for charities, but when the hospice got in touch with me and asked if I would be interested in taking part and raising money for the charity, I was more than happy to do so.

"We don't know how much we will raise, but so far we have around £300 and are hoping for more. If we were to reach at least £500 that would be fantastic for us and brilliant to give to the charity."

As Bristol's only adult hospice, St Peter's Hospice cares for more than 2,670 patients each year as well as supporting family members.

All services are provided free of charge but this care costs around £18,000 a day. For around £14,000 of that, the hospice relies on gifts in wills, kind donations and funds generated by the hospice shops.

Louisa James, events fundraiser for St Peter's Hospice said: "We are delighted that Julie has chosen to run the Bristol Half Marathon for St Peter's Hospice.

"We work hard to provide the very best care and comfort to those who come to us but we need support like this to be able to continue our work."

A series of first-day covers commemorating the last time Scotland declared independence is to be sold at auction in Cirencester on Friday.

The collection includes no fewer than 29 First Day Covers marking the 650th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath – another declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. The 5d stamps were issued in April 1970.

The collection also includes first day covers celebrating the ninth British Commonwealth Games, held in Edinburgh in 1970, while a set from July 1971 featuring includes Sir Walter Scott; a February 1970 set celebrating British architecture includes Fife harling alongside Ulster thatch, Welsh stucco and local Cotswold limestone; and a set championing urban renewal, issued in April 1984, includes Perth alongside Liverpool, Bristol and Durham. 

The stamps have been given an estimate of £50 by auctioneers at Moore Allen and Innocent.

The Australian owner of Bristol Airport announced this morning that is has sold its 50 per cent stake in the hugely successful business for an estimated £250 million.

The investment firm Macquarie has sold its stake to a Canadian company.

The sale means that the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Teachers) is now the sole owner of the airport.

And the deal has taken place when the airport is enjoying record success in terms of passenger numbers.

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets has owned Bristol Airport since 2001.

Over that period the airport's network has grown year on year to reach 107 destinations served by 13 airlines this summer.

As a result, passenger numbers have grown on average by seven per cent per year. The total hit the six million last year making Bristol one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and the main gateway to the South-West of England.

The growth has come at a time when other regional rivals such as Cardiff have struggled and seen large falls in passenger numbers.

The Canadian firm bought into the airport in 2008 and has worked in concert with Macquarie on development and increasing passenger numbers.

As a result Bristol is now the ninth largest airport and there are plans in place to increase in size to 10 million passengers per year.

"We are very proud of the strong development of Bristol Airport under the ownership of our funds," said Edward Beckley from Macquarie.

"In 2001 the airport was handling 2.7 million passengers and today it is the primary airport in the region, with great potential for further growth."

"Teachers' looks forward to continuing our relationships with all stakeholders at Bristol Airport and supporting its further development. We will work to build on the success we have achieved in our partnership with MEIF during the past eight years," said Andrew Claerhout, Senior Vice-President of Teachers' Infrastructure Group.

Robert Sinclair, chief executive at Bristol Airport, said: "Macquarie's long association with Bristol Airport was a period of unparalleled passenger growth and development which saw it become one of UK's leading regional airports.

"Macquarie and Teachers' have been instrumental in supporting the expansion of the Airport's route network and significantly enhanced facilities for passengers. We look forward to working with Teachers' to continue investing in the Airport for the benefit of the region we serve."

August was the busiest month in the airport's history, when more than 700,000 passengers passed through the terminal.

And the airport has big plans for the future, with a £120 million expansion on the cards and talks taking place to bring transatlantic flights back to the South West.

The airport was badly hit by the recession, but it still fared much better than many other of its regional rivals.

Cardiff Airport was taken over by the Welsh Regional Assembly after many of the major carriers pulled out of South Wales.

Meanwhile, in Bristol, passenger numbers for the past 12 months reached 6.23 million, passing the record total for a calendar year, which was recorded in 2008, just before the recession.

A policeman is being investigated after he blocked a disabled parking space with his patrol car as he swooped on a McDonald's for a burger.

Blue badge holder Phillip Skeates was outraged when the hungry officer pulled in front of him as he waited for one of the spaces to become available.

He took a photograph of the officer returning with his burger and posted it on Facebook - but embarrassed police had it taken down minutes later.

Phillip, 44, said: "Being a disabled person, I think this is such a terrible thing to do.

"I was so angry because if anyone else had done that they'd certainly have got a ticket. This is an abuse of power.

"When he walked back to the car there were lots of people shaking their heads and tutting at the officer.

"If he'd have parked there to deal with a crime I obviously wouldn't have complained but I think this abuse of power needs highlighting.

"Why didn't he just use the drive-through option nearby?"

Phillip saw the peckish PC parked across yellow zigzag lines - blocking another car - and then got out and calmly walked into the takeaway near Sainsbury's in Swindon, Wiltshire.

He initially thought he was answering a call - until he emerged 10 minutes later carrying his lunch in a McDonald's bag.

Phillip said: "I thought perhaps he'd been called to an issue, but I could tell from his body language when he got out of the car that he hadn't.

"It was apparent he had all the time in the world and I was gobsmacked when I saw him walking back to his car with a big bag of McDonald's 10 minutes later."

Philip was so annoyed he posted the photo of the PC on the Facebook page of the local police.

He has also complained to Wiltshire Police who are refusing to identify the officer in question.

Phillip added: "The photo was removed within seconds but I've had a message from Sergeant Graham McLaughlin, who said it had to be taken down while the matter was being investigated."

The police later responded on the social media site, saying: "The officer involved has been spoken to and apologies for his lapse in judgement."

A police spokesman said: "This officer was on a designated break and had stopped off to buy some food.

"Clearly, he has not parked his patrol vehicle in the most sensible manner and we can only apologise to other motorists who were hindered by this.

"Wiltshire Police are now looking into this issue."

Action from last night's draw with Oldham

Williams is denied a Swindon winner as Oldham find a late leveller.

The leader of a council scrutiny panel which was investigating a local authority's handling of the care of brain tumour patient Ashya King has resigned, claiming his inquiry was being unfairly blocked.

Conservative councillor Alistair Thompson has stepped down from the position saying that officers at Portsmouth City Council were not being allowed to be involved in his review.

The Hampshire authority became involved in the case when it obtained a legal order from the High Court making it the boy's legal guardian after his parents took him from Southampton General Hospital to Spain.

The order was subsequently lifted and wardship was returned to Ashya's parents, Brett and Naghemeh King.

Mr Thompson told the Portsmouth News: "The council officers were not allowed in any shape or form to be involved in the review,

"That, in my mind, makes my position as the head of scrutiny of the panel void.

"We need to check that we obeyed the rules and applied them correctly."

Conservative council leader Donna Jones has said that a separate review by the independent Portsmouth Local Safeguarding Children Board (PSCB) should be concluded and should take priority over the internal review.

Ashya's parents sparked an international police hunt when they removed their five-year-old son from Southampton General Hospital on August 28 without medical consent.

They wanted him to receive proton beam therapy which was not available for him on the NHS and which he is now undergoing in Prague.

The first half of September has been the UK's driest for more than 50 years, weather experts said today.

Figures to September 15 show there has been 6.7mm of rain across the UK, which is just 7% of the September average of 96mm, the Met Office said.

Forecasters would normally expect about half of the average monthly rainfall by this point in the month.

A spokesman said this made it the driest first half of September for the UK in available records back to 1960. It is also the driest start to September for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not for England – 1997 and 2003 were drier.

Looking at individual countries, Wales has been the driest with less than 1mm of rain up to September 15. Northern Ireland has had 1.2mm of rain, while England has seen 4.1mm and Scotland 13.5mm.

The UK mean temperature so far has been 13.9C (57F), which is 1.3C (34F) above the full-month average.

Day-time maximums have been particularly high, with a UK average of 18.4C (65F) which is 1.9C (35F) above the average, while night-time minimums have been closer to average at 9.6C (49F), which is 0.7C (33F) above average.

Sunshine has also been slightly above normal with 70.8 hours for the UK – about 57% of the full-month average.

The figures have come about after a prolonged spell of settled and fine weather, dominated by high pressure sitting over the UK. This has blocked the usual low pressure systems that move in from the west and bring unsettled conditions.

The spokesman said: "While these figures are interesting, they don't tell us where the month will end up overall. A few days of wet or cold weather could drastically alter the statistics, so we'll have to wait for the full-month figures before making any judgements.

"Whilst the rest of this week should be dry and warm for many areas, some sharp showers may develop in places, particularly through Thursday and Friday."

A group of "greedy" women masterminded a £21 million get-rich-quick pyramid scheme, it can be reported for the first time today.

The group encouraged around 10,000 vulnerable women to "beg, borrow or steal" £3,000 to put into the scheme between May 2008 and April 2009.

Victims were lured by the promise they would receive a £24,000 payout when they reached the top of their pyramid, with organisers promising they "could not lose".

The scheme, called Give and Take, quickly spread from Bath and Bristol to Gloucester, Bridgwater, Cheltenham, Torquay, Weston-super-Mare and Wales.

Committee members behind the scheme pocketed up to £92,000 each, while as many as 88% of the women they recruited lost out – some up to £15,000.

The scheme, also known as Key to a Fortune, was hidden under a veil of secrecy as members were banned from writing about it, Bristol Crown Court heard.

But the pyramid was uncovered by authorities when a disgruntled employer in Bristol contacted Trading Standards to complain that it was being promoted in his workplace.

Eleven women, aged between 34 and 69, became the first to be prosecuted for such a scheme, under new legislation in the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Act 2008.

Following two lengthy trials, in 2012 and 2013, three were convicted of the charges against them, three pleaded guilty, one was acquitted and two juries could not reach a verdict on another.

A third trial – a retrial of three women a jury could also not reach verdicts on – was due to begin at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday but the defendants entered guilty pleas before a jury was sworn.

Reporting of the case was banned until the conclusion of all trials and lifted this morning following legal representation from the three women and the media.

Judge Mark Horton will sentence the three women, charts co-ordinator Mary Nash, 65, committee secretary Susan Crane, 68, and games coordinator Hazel Cameron, 54, in October.

Nash, Crane and Cameron all admitted operating and promoting the pyramid scheme.

Sally Phillips, 34, of Hengrove, Jane Smith, 50, of Bishopsworth, both Bristol and Rita Lomas, 49, of Whitchurch, Somerset admitted promoting the scheme in 2012.

Phillips received a three-month suspended prison sentence, Smith a four-month suspended sentence and Lomas a four-and-a-half month suspended sentence.

Chairman Laura Fox, 69, Jennifer Smith-Hayes, 69, and Carol Chalmers, 68, were convicted of operating and promoting the scheme during a trial in 2012.

Fox, of East Harptree, Smith-Hayes of Bishopsworth and Chalmers, of Weston-super-Mare, were sentenced to nine months' imprisonment.

No verdict was reached following two trials of Tracey Laurence, 60, of Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire, while Rhalina Yuill, 34, of St George, Bristol was acquitted of promoting a pyramid scheme on her second trial.

Winterwear doesn't need to be boring as proven by Bristol's much loved local charity shop chain St Peter's Hospice whose hidden designer gems on the racks are providing people all over the city with an exciting new-season wardrobe.

Stocking the latest trends, colour palettes and fabrics the 47 St Peter's Hospice shops in the area often surprise shoppers with what is on offer.

Pre-loved items from French Connection, Topshop, Austin Reed and Christian Dior can all be found on the rails of the stores, confirming that charity chic is alive and well.

From stylish jumpers and coats to winter boots and handbags shoppers are spoilt for choice. And there's something for the boys too with suits, shoes and accessories all in store at less than half the price of most retailers.

Roger Childs commercial director for St Peter's Hospice said: "Everyone knows that charity shops are much better value for money than high street shops but what a lot of people don't realise is the quality of stock that comes through our doors.

"We regularly see designer items being donated and we go on to sell them for less than half the original price. The clothes we put out on our rails are always great quality and some even still have tags.

"There's also the added fun of shopping at charity shops like St Peter's Hospice as you never know what hidden gem you're going to find and as the season is changing now is the perfect time to try.

"Updating your wardrobe with a few key items or even giving it a complete makeover can get expensive though so we're encouraging people to visit one of our shops to see what they can find."

As Bristol's only adult hospice, St Peter's Hospice cares for more than 2,670 patients each year as well as supporting family members.

All services are provided free of charge but this care costs around £18,000 a day. For around £14,000 of that, the hospice relies on gifts in wills, kind donations and funds generated by the hospice shops.

With shops in Bedminster, Backwell, Knowle, Kingswood, Keynsham, Yate, Horfield, Long Ashton, Chipping Sodbury, Whitchurch, Hanham and Bristol City Centre as well as many others, you will never be far from your nearest shop.

Roger continued: "Of course we wouldn't have the wonderful things to sell if it weren't for the kind donations from our supporters. Anyone who's sorting out their wardrobe ready for winter, please do remember to drop your pre-loved items at one of our shops.

"Updating your wardrobe at St Peter's Hospice makes great sense – you'll have new look, more money in your purse and you'll be supporting Bristol's only adult hospice at the same time."

People with heart and lung problems should think twice before taking any physical activity outdoors because of a slight dip in air quality.

The Met Office say those who experience any symptoms should consider putting their strenuous exercise off for another day.

Today the daily air quality index is moderate, four on a ten point scale where one is normal and ten is very high risk to health. But forecasters warn it could be worse in busy urban areas clogged with traffic,

A blanket of low cloud across the region, which can contributie to a build up of pollutants, should clear as the day goes on and give way to sunny spells.

Temperatures could rise as high 23C but there is a risk of heavy and thundery showers, mainly in Cornwall and Devon.

Tomorrow further scattered thundery, heavy showers are expected across the region but many places will escape the downpours and enjoy a warm, sunny day.

Towards the weekend the weather will feel a few degrees cooler, especially at night, and although it will be mainly warm and dry, there is a risk of some unsettled patches of weather creeping into the region next week.

The outlook for the rest of the month is better than average but as we go into October the dry, settled weather is likely to become more and more interspersed with occasional unsettled spells.

Although daytime temperatures are likely to be around, and often above, average it could turn quite chilly overnight with a risk of fog patches in places. 

Bath MP Don Foster said the death of Sammuel Amin is a 'terrible tragedy for the whole city' and it was 'vital' to demand more be done on the River Avon to stop further tragedies.

The Lib Dem MP said that while the authorities had made improvements, and were planning more, the death of the 18-year-old student 'must force us all to consider what more can be done'.

Sammuel's death was the third this year and the sixth in five years in the River Avon, and almost all have involved young men who have fallen into the river following nights out in the city.

An online petition was organised following the discovery of Sammuel's body in the Avon earlier this week, and council chiefs defended their actions on improvements to safety on the river. Additional funding between Bath & North East Somerset Council and the Environment Agency was agreed, and a special trellis up to two miles long is being embedded in the river bank to make it easier for people who fall in to be able to clamber out.

Mr Foster said it was 'vital' to ask if 'yet more' could be done to prevent more deaths.

"I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sammuel Amin this week," he said. "I send my condolences to his family and friends. This is a terrible tragedy for them and for the whole city.

"Sammuel's death must force us all to consider what more can be done to improve the safety of our river so we can try and prevent further tragedies.

"Already, over the past three years a great deal has been happening. Working with partners, such as the Environment Agency, the Canal and River Trust, the Police and the Fire Brigade, B&NES Council has invested in river bank safety and improvements, including more signage, more fencing along the river, measures to make it easier to get out of the river and raising awareness with the 'Don't Let River Water Be Your Last Drink' campaign," he added.

"Earlier this year the Council and Environment Agency agreed further funding for addition measures such as more fencing, vandal proof life buoy cabinets and additional measures to make it easier to climb out of the river. With 6,000 new students in the city, work is in hand to spread the safety message to them and to the owners of pubs and nightclubs.

"But it's vital we also ask if yet more can be done. Once the Police have issued their report, RoSPA will be invited to make further recommendations. I will do all I can to press the Council and the other responsible agencies to quickly implement whatever is recommended. I also hope that local residents will come forward with suggestions that can be considered," he added.

The Duchess of Cambridge will not travel to Malta this weekend for her first official solo overseas visit because she is still suffering the effects of acute morning sickness.

Kate, who is pregnant with her second child, had been in doubt after suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum – just like her in first pregnancy.

Her husband the Duke of Cambridge will take her place.

In a statement Kensington Palace said: "The Duchess of Cambridge will no longer visit Malta this weekend. The Duke of Cambridge will undertake the visit instead.

"Her Royal Highness continues to suffer from the effects of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The decision not to travel was taken by the Duke and Duchess on the advice of the Duchess's doctors.

"The Duke is honoured to represent Her Majesty The Queen on the visit, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of Malta's independence.

"The visit itinerary remains unchanged."