A SHOPLIFTER from Hardwicke could end up behind bars for stealing two chicken fillets and a bottle of fruit juice.

Sean Markey, 38, pleaded guilty to stealing the goods worth £15 from Aldi on Friday night.

Markey is serving a 12-month suspended prison sentence for another offence.

His jail term is suspended for 18 months.

Police were called to the supermarket at 8.20pm after reports of a shoplifter 'kicking off' after he had been apprehended by security staff.

After a struggle, a bag split open spilling the chicken fillets and juice onto the floor.

There was an alleged headbutt directed towards staff, but no complaint was made.

He has been released on bail but must return to face the charges at Gloucester Crown Court next month.

He will appear in court on Thursday, August 8.

TWO men from Bedford have been banned from Gloucester until they appear at crown court to face charges of robbery and theft.

Carl Joseph Moore, 29, and James Lee Chumber, 27, both pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court to robbing a man of £300 in cash in Gloucester on April 19 this year.

The men also pleaded guilty to stealing a bicycle in the city on the same day. They have been released on bail and ordered not to return to Gloucester before their court appearance on Thursday, August 1.

MONEY is being raised towards a new stained glass window in memory of Gloucestershire composer Ivor Gurney.

The Ivor Gurney Memorial Festival is being held at Gloucester Cathedral on August 31 from 10.45am to midnight.

Opera singer Sarah Connolly CBE will perform alongside Simon Callow CBE and some of the country's finest musical talent, including Dame Felicity Lott, James Gilchrist, Neal Davies, The English Chamber Orchestra and Tenebrae Choir.

All the artists have agreed to waive their fees in support of the project.

The festival includes a morning and evening concert, with a selection of music composed by Gurney and his peers.

Tickets are available in person from the Cathedral Shop, or on 0845 6521823.

THE first people have moved into homes at Hempsted Quay.

Rachel Watts, 30, and her partner Jacob Clayton, 27, are the first occupants at the Bellway development on the outskirts of Hempsted village.

It is a development of 48 new homes, including two, three and four bedroom houses as well as two bedroom apartments.

Tim Lund, sales manager for Bellway Homes, said: "Hempsted Quay is a fantastic place to make a home. Whether you are a first-time buyer or looking for the perfect family home it has everything that you need.

"Almost on the doorstep of the development is Gloucester Quays which has enjoyed massive regeneration in recent years, converting the historic Victorian dockyard into the trendiest part of the city. This will offer residents a vibrant mix of cafes, bars and restaurants as well as designer outlets and antiques centres."

IT'S all change for one Gloucester school with a new name, uniform and logo on the horizon.

From October 1 Beaufort School, in Holmleigh Park, will emerge as Beaufort Co-operative Academy.

The uniform will be also be changing to blazers, clip on ties, and blue shirts.

The school logo will also be changing.

This comes after it was announced a new fence is to be built around the school to prevent pupils leaving the grounds during the school day.

POLICE officers seized more than £20,000 of suspected drugs in a raid in Pittville yesterday.

Officers from the Cheltenham South local policing team carried out a warrant in Wellington Street at 1.30pm.

Bursting into a flat in Wellington House, the officers found two bin liners full of suspected cannabis.

Investigations are ongoing, and a full analysis of the drugs is set to take place. Police estimated the haul to have a street value of around £20,000.

Two men were taken into custody during the raid. A 35-year-old man from Bishop's Cleeve and a 31-year-old man from Cheltenham were arrested on suspicion of supplying a Class B drug. They both remained in custody as the Echo went to print.

Detectives are now appealing for more information about the case.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "One of the ways that members of the public can help keep Gloucestershire safe is by reporting the use or supply of illegal drugs to police by dialling 101.

"Any information received is taken very seriously and will be acted on where appropriate."

Ward councillor Dave Prince (PAB) applauded the police on a job well done.

He said: "Police have to stamp out drug abuse, and there is no place for that in society. They need to clamp down on it.

"Drugs are not a problem in Pittville. People have obviously reported a possible crime, and police have acted on it.

"I always encourage anybody who sees something wrong or suspects something, whether that is drugs or not, to contact the police.

"I'm sure they will act accordingly, as they did in this situation."

Nearby resident Mike Willoughby, who organises the Street Watch in St Paul's, said any drug dealing in nearby areas would have an impact on the neighbourhood.

He said: "Any drug abuse would no doubt affect the people in St Paul's.

"Our experience is that, if drug dealing increases, we find the percentage of other crimes will also rise in the area.

"So it's a good sign if police are doing their job and making sure we wipe out drug use in our streets."

A THROAT cancer victim who tried to blame his ex-partner for torching his car could face prison.

Christoff Joachim, 56, was found guilty last month.

He appeared at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday for sentencing. But the case was postponed until September 26 as Joachim is due to go into hospital next month.

ADVENTURER Sean Conway is continuing his attempt to do what no man has done before.

The 32-year-old, from Charlton Kings, is three weeks into his challenge to swim from Land's End to John O'Groats.

He docked at St David's in Pembrokeshire last night, and will take a short rest to assess the rest of the journey.

Swimming the equivalent of the English Channel every day, Sean is hoping his efforts can raise money for charity War Child.

The 1,000-mile expedition is a massive challenge for Sean, who admitted beforehand he'd had little time to train.

He only had two months after finishing the Fisherman's Friend Strongman Run, at Nurburgring, Germany, in May.

And his Herculean efforts for War Child have raised nearly £1,500 so far.

During his challenge, he has encountered all sorts of marine life, including jellyfish and seals.

Owain Wyn-Jones, spokesman for Sean's challenge, said the iron man would not give up.

"We're just arriving in St David's when we will take some time to look at our plans before we begin to move forward," Owain added.

"Sean has had a great week, and he has had to overcome some tough moments, but he will not give up. He is enjoying swimming with the fishes though."

To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/SwimmingBritain.

HER dream wedding has been 27 years in the making for mum-of-five Lisa Bullock – but just weeks before the big day, her mum died from a rare brain disease.

Helen, better known as Nelly, tragically passed away from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), but was able to see her daughter in her dress before it was too late.

Lisa, 43, from Badminton Road, Matson, was desperate for her mum to see her dress and days before 70-year-old Helen's death on June 1, Lisa turned up at her hospital bedside in it.

She said: "Just in the year that we finally get married, we lost mum. I can't believe it. It has been so hard for me to lose her so quickly.

"My partner and I have five children and each year we've decided to leave the wedding another year and that's why it has taken us 27 years.

"Mum had even bought her new pair of shoes ready for the wedding but within five weeks she was gone.

"I really wanted her to see me in my dress so I went to the hospital wearing it before she died.

"She could see me wearing it but couldn't say anything. I'm just glad that I did that for her."

Helen, who was a former Gloucester market trader with her husband Michael, died from familial CJD, a very rare genetic fatal brain disease. It causes the progressive death of the brain's nerve cells and is incurable.

Now Lisa and her family members have an anxious wait to see if they too might have the genes that lead to the condition.

But Lisa and her 43-year-old builder fiance Robert 'Ozzie' Hoskins are forging ahead with their plans for the wedding of all weddings as a tribute to her mum.

The big day, on September 7, will feature 12 bridesmaids, six best men, two ushers, a flower girl and page boy. Lisa said: "It's going to be a really big day for us and we will be paying tribute to mum."

Some 150 guests will attend the wedding at St Katharine's Church, in Matson, including TV presenter Kate Thornton, who is a friend of Lisa's.

POLICE are hunting a suspected arsonist from Gloucester.

They have appealed for the public to help them find wanted man Aaron David Huntley.

They want to speak to the 30-year-old, of Winsley Road in Gloucester, in connection with a break-in at the Language Immersion Centre in Commercial Road and an arson attack at Geoff Cook Picture Framing some time between late on Friday July 12 and the early hours of Saturday July 13.

He was arrested on suspicion of both offences but failed to attend Gloucester police station on his bail date last week.

The local policing team and force crime operations team have been trying to locate Huntley and are now turning to the public for help.

He is 5ft 9ins tall, of proportionate build, with light brown, short, wavy hair.

Call police on 101 or 999 quoting incident 16 of July 13.

Or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org In some cases Crimestoppers offer rewards of up to £1,000 where information leads to a conviction.

A BURGLAR has admitted breaking into a Gloucester home and stealing a computer hardrive, containing personal information and pictures.

Darren Lewis admitted stealing the computerware and £170 in cash from Floyd Pulley's Alfred Street home on March 1 this year.

The 27-year-old of Reservoir Road, Gloucester will appear before the city's crown court on August 15 this year for sentencing.

THE parents of critically-ill cancer patient Jasmine Charles are today praying she comes through potentially life-saving surgery.

The five-year-old will go under the knife for the first time today as surgeons attempt to remove a tumour in her kidney three months after she was diagnosed.

Her parents, Ev and Spike, yesterday drove her to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children from their family home in Winchcombe in preparation for the operation.

Little Jasmine has had to go through multiple courses of chemotherapy in the past few months in hope that it would shrink the tumour so it can be removed safely.

And she will require further treatment to kill cancerous cells for at least another year.

Her parents are holding onto hope that her life can be saved.

"We have got to be positive," said Ev, 31. "We have been waiting for this for a long time and it would be nice to finally have her tumour removed.

"She is doing really well. She is putting on weight (since her chemotherapy) and she is the bubbliest she has been for ages.

"Because it has been some time since she was diagnosed, it would be such a relief if all goes well.

"She is being very brave and she has been so strong."

Hundreds of people turned out at a fundraiser earlier this month to show their support for Jasmine.

"The event raised £700 for the cancer charity Clic Sargent, which has provided support for her family.

"It has been amazing – very touching," Ev added. "For us, the help and support has been incredible.

"It is lovely to know that Jasmine is in their thoughts.

"People are always passing their best wishes onto her. We're definitely staying positive – that's what we have to do.

"The more chemotherapy she has, the better chance we have that her tumour has shrunk enough that it can be removed.

"We just hope that it can be done.

"We're still not entirely sure what will happen, not until at least a few hours into the operation.

"It will just be good to have everything back to normal.

"It will be nice for her to be able to do simple things, like lie in the bath, splash in the pool and run through the sprinklers in the garden.

"It has been tough but, with the support we have had, we are taking every day as it comes.

"Some days she will be fine and other days she won't be but the support has made it much easier for us.

"It will just be nice to know that the tumour has been taken out and to know that she is another step closer to returning to full health."

DEMANDS have been made for hospital managers to guarantee that money for doctors in Cheltenham's A&E will not be spent elsewhere.

Members of Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce want the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group to confirm that the cash for the 20 positions is not lost in an "NHS black hole" following a change to the service.

FULL STORY, P4

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JERMAINE McGlashan is fired up to re-establish himself as a 'match-winner' for Cheltenham Town this term.

The former Aldershot Town man started last season in blistering form on the right wing, but he admits he did not create enough goals and lost his sparkle in the second half of the campaign.

McGlashan, 25, has recently dispensed of his trademark dreadlocks in favour of a much more business-like haircut and he said he hopes the new-look can herald the start of a far more productive period on the pitch.

"I feel I started well last year, but in the second half of last season I let too many games pass me by and I wasn't at it," McGlashan said.

"I know I can be a massive player for the team and if confident and in the mood I can be a match-winner.

"I can't let games pass me by anymore and I feel I can hurt defenders and be an important player here.

"I put pressure on myself all the time and I know that if I am playing to my potential, we won't lose many games."

McGlashan set up only one League Two goal last season, compared with the 11 created by left-back Billy Jones.

He knows he must improve on that tally and that sometimes simplicity is the key with a proven goalscorer like Jamie Cureton waiting in the box.

"I have got two assists for Jamie in pre-season and people have been praising the crosses, but his movement is frighteningly good," McGlashan said.

"He demands it and you just have to put it in an area and I'd argue that if we had that last year I'd have finished with more assists.

"You don't always have to beat players to create something and sometimes I am running so quickly, it's hard to slow down.

"I just need to whip it around the defender and I don't want them to think I only have one way of playing.

"However I do it, I have to get it in there for Jamie and the other strikers and he'll score 20 a season as he has done all his career."

McGlashan spent time in the close season working with former Jamaica international Jamie Lawrence.

Lawrence runs a football academy in London, which is also used by Byron Harrison and ex-Robins loan midfielder Robin Shroot.

"I have been staying out after training sessions and in the off-season I did some work with Jamie Lawrence," McGlashan said.

"We had some good strikers here last season and didn't score enough goals so I have to look at myself and make sure we see more end product, goals and assists this year."

McGlashsan said his decision to opt for a much shorter hair cut was partly due to the stick he has been receiving from his team mates, but also down to the heatwave.

"It's a lot cooler now and I actually feel faster, which I am sure is psychological," he said.

"It was something that was in the back of my mind for a while and the lads getting into me a bit so it's a new season and a new start.

"I am feeling fresh and fit after all the pre-season work and the week in Wales was good for the lads in terms of bonding and the white-water rafting we did together.

"It's important we start the season well and confidence will build from there."

ROAD improvements at an accident blackspot in Matson have been welcomed.

Gloucestershire Highways is looking to introduce new traffic calming measures in Painswick Road.

The move follows concerns about the accident record at the mini-roundabout at the junction of Painswick Road and Cotteswold Road.

Highways is considering introducing vehicle-activated signs around the junction and installing a raised junction table. The work might also include reinstalling a T-junction in place of the mini-roundabout to improve visibility.

Gloucester city councillor Steve McHale (L, Matson and Robinswood) said: "This is something I fully support.

"Something has to be done with that roundabout, it is a blind spot and there have been a few bumps there.

"I think a raised junction will be a good option but it's hard to say. You never really know what is going to work until it is in place."

Sandy Brammer, secretary of the Matson and Robinswood residents' group, said: "The roundabout is so dangerous, you have to stick your nose right out to see if anything is coming.

"I would like to see it turned back into a T-junction like it used to be."

Highways teams are scheduled to resurface Painswick Road in the autumn and it is hoped the safety works can be carried out at the same time to minimise disruption to residents.

Letters have been sent to residents to make them aware of the potential changes.

Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways and flood, said: "There have been some concerns raised about safety at this junction and, although the introduction of a mini-roundabout saw a small reduction in the number of accidents, Highways believes a combination of new safety measures will make the junction safer.

"We will continue to keep people informed of any measures we are looking to introduce as part of this scheme."