THE heatwave is set to become a memory with rain and lower temperatures.

The Met Office are forecasting heavy rain this morning, with temperatures reaching 22C (71.6F) and dropping to around 18C (64.4F) in the evening. Sunny weather has been forecasted for tomorrow.

ARMY veteran Kim Hibberd was killed in the heart of Gloucester in 2009.

Four years later artist pal Tony Houlden has paid an emotional tribute to Kim's mum Cathleen Roffe by presenting her with a portrait of her son, who died aged 55.

Gloucester man Kim served 12 years in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His main tour of duty was in Northern Ireland.

His life was cut short when he was killed on New Years Day in 2009 at his Parliament Street home.

Stuart Ballinghall, then 32, of Matson, was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison for murder.

Artist and sculptor Tony used a photograph of his friend to create a portrait in his memory. It hung on the walls of the Pig Inn The City pub until the pub closed down. Looking for a new home for the portrait, Tony decided it should go to Cathleen.

The 59-year-old said: "I met Kim in 1984. He was in a band with a friend of mine. He was such a brilliant guy and I was inspired by a photo of him."

Four years ago Cathleen paid tribute to her son when she said that he was 'a one off who made his mark on this world'.

Yesterday she said: "The painting is amazing. I didn't expect it. It is very much like Kim during his crazy moments. It brought back a lot of memories for me.

"I will need to find a strong wall at home to hang it from."

A SUSPECTED arsonist has been tracked down by police thanks to an appeal in The Citizen.

Aaron David Huntley has been found sleeping rough in Weston-Super-Mare and is now being questioned by Gloucester police.

He was arrested earlier this month in connection with a fire at Geoff Cook Picture Framing in Kimbrose Way and a burglary at the Language Immersion Centre across the road.

Both happened some time between late on Friday July 12 and the early hours of Saturday July 13.

The 30-year-old of Winsley Road in Gloucester was released on bail while officers continued investigations and was due at Gloucester police station on July 17.

But he failed to appear and police launched an appeal for information from the public to help trace him.

Following a call from a member of the public, who had read the appeal in The Citizen, Huntley was traced sleeping rough in the Somerset town.

He is being questioned at Gloucester police station.

NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair has refused to say when it will decide if it was in the wrong to put a drunk in a deafblind man's seat.

Deaf and visually impaired Charles Turrell, 51, was asked to leave his pre-booked seat because it was an emergency aisle on a flight back from Croatia recently.

But cabin crew then went on to allow a drunk man to sit in the same row.

Mr Turrell, who does voluntary work in Gloucester, said he was left in tears by the ordeal and said Ryanair discriminated against him because of his disability.

Michelle Lowe, a spokeswoman for the airline, said: "Ryanair's customer service department is investigating this matter."

Yesterday Mr Turrell said: "I won't give up until I've received an apology."

What's your favourite Gloucestershire day out?

My sister and I love a good walk. We often walk from home in upleadon to Staunton across the fields, have a lovely bacon sandwich and coffee at the garden centre and walk back through the woods.

And your favourite place to eat out in the county?

Three Choirs restaurant. Close to home, excellent food and fantastic views from the restaurant windows.

What's the worst job you've ever had?

Cleaning out pig stys, was awful but living on a small holding as a child, we had to be involved in these things to earn our spending money.

Have you got any unusual habits?

So many! But the one thing that irritates me the most is being given tea in a mug, especially a thick builders mug. Tea should only be served in china cups.

Who is your hero and why?

My dad. He knows absolutely everything. They just don't breed them like that any more.

What book are you reading at the moment or tell us your favourite?

I'm reading Bernie Nolans autobiography at the moment, very moving.

What was the last film you watched?

I'm not big into films and TV, but the last one I watched was about the tsunami and was good.

First single/record you ever bought?

Bay City Rollers, Teenage Dream.

Facebook or twitter?

Pied Piper has both and I love reading peoples tweets, however I'm not very good at either.

WHEN Derek Pargeter drove Joe Prewer to and from hospital nearly every day for treatment, hospital staff could have been forgiven for assuming they were father and son.

But there are no blood ties between the pair – only kindness.

Joe, 74, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December, and struggled to get to Cheltenham General Hospital for radiotherapy treatment.

Derek, 51, who owns a cafe in Bath Street, took it upon himself to take the older man to hospital more than three times a week, nursing him back to health.

Then just before Joe was given the all-clear by doctors, Derek was involved in a car accident which left him with four broken metatarsals and titanium rods inserted into his foot. He had to close his cafe.

So Joe decided to return the favour, and has spent the last 14 weeks caring for Derek.

Both men will be celebrating Joe's good news at the beer festival at the Little Owl at the weekend, which will raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Joe said: "He is just like a son to me. He took me to hospital for treatment for seven weeks, and he has been there for me.

"I used to go to his cafe in the morning, and we got on very well. He was just brilliant.

"When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was devastated, but he was always looking after me and taking care of me.

"Derek has just been good to me, and ever since he had his accident, I have been trying to help him like he did me."

Derek, who has taken his first steps towards walking again, expressed his gratitude to Joe.

He added: "We have a great relationship. It's fair to say I think of him like a father.

"I lost my father a long time ago, and Joe has been there to take care of me and to nurse me back to health. It must be really difficult, but we are always there for each other. I'm thankful I've met someone like him, and I couldn't ask for anyone better."

Both are regulars of the Little Owl Inn in Charlton Kings, which is starting their beer festival on Saturday. There will be a selection of real ales and cider.

COULD you help children in care make the transition to adulthood?

The average age for leaving home is 24, but children in care often leave their home as teenagers.

The council is looking for more people to be supported lodgings carers.

They take a young person aged between 16 and 21 into their own home and provide a bed, meals and support until he or she is ready to live independently in a place of their own.

Linda Ostrowska, 56, from Gloucester has had a number of young people stay with her through the scheme.

She said: "It gives me a real sense of satisfaction to know that I have genuinely helped change their lives."

Young people living in supported lodgings must be either in employment or training or be looking for work.

For more details call the Fostering Recruitment Team on 01242 532654 or visit www.gloucestershire. gov.uk/fostering.

DRIVERS are staying within the speed limit in Hucclecote and Coney Hill.

On Tuesday July 2 and Friday July 12, PCSO Khim Mortimer and councillors Tarren Randle and Lise Noakes, conducted speed checks on Hawthorne Avenue and Coney Hill Road.

They found the average speed was 28mph.

This was in response to police receiving a number of complaints from residents about the speed of traffic in the area. The checks were designed to educate drivers in terms of road safety.

ARTIE Tocknell has been crowned the Echo's Little Prince.

The two-year-old has been chosen as the winner of our competition as part of our celebrations of the Royal birth.

We received dozens of entries but it was Artie who proved to have the regal touch.

It has been a tough year for the toddler after his father, Ian, died in August.

But his mother, Michelle, said Artie had continued to thrive despite the blow to the family.

And she admitted her youngest son was a wonderful toddler.

Michelle, of Davey Road, Tewkesbury, said: "Artie loves his cars and his animals.

"Everything he does is car crazy – just like a typical two-year-old boy.

"If you want to keep him occupied, you just have to show him a car.

"We took him to the Air Tattoo in Fairford on Sunday, not knowing how a two-year-old would be with the jets all flying past.

"But he was really in his element and loved all of the planes."

Artie has two older brothers, Alex, eight, and Jack, 13.

Michelle, 42, said she had wanted a third child but did not expect to have another baby. Then Artie was born in 2011.

She added: "He was a gift which I thought, at my age, I would not have another child.

"Artie came at a point in my life when I thought I would never have any more.

"Having lost his dad, it makes him even more special.

"It has been a very traumatic year but, fortunately, he has been too young to realise."

Echo editor Kevan Blackadder thanked everyone who took part in the contest.

He said: "We had some wonderful entries, and lots of princesses as well as princes.

"But our winner is Artie, who gets our vote as the new Prince of Gloucestershire."

The family have won a meal for four at Nandos in The Brewery.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: "We are so happy to have been involved in the Little Prince or Princess competition.

"We feel that Artie Tocknell is a truly fantastic little prince and a deserving winner."

STRONG UK sales growth has helped Gloucestershire engineering success story Renishaw achieve record revenues of £396.9m.

According to the firm's preliminary results for the year ending June 30 sales in the UK were nine per cent ahead of target at £20.7m (2012 £18.9m).

There were also strong performances for the Wotton-under-Edge firm in its other markets, although profits before tax were down on the previous year, from £86 million to £81.5 million.

Sir David McMurtry, chairman of Renishaw, said: "Total Group revenue for the year amounted to £346.9m, 5% ahead of the £331.9m for last year although this was not as high a level as expected earlier in the year.

"Good growth was realised in the Far East, especially China, where sales were £138.8m, 7% ahead of last year's total of £130.2m. Elsewhere, revenue growth in the Americas was 3% ahead of last year at £79.2m (2012 £76.8m) and 9% ahead in the UK at £20.7m (2012 £18.9m).

"In Europe, revenue of £96.0m (2012 £95.7m) was at a similar level to last year. Adjusted group profit before tax for the year was £81.5m, compared with £86.0m last year, which with the inclusion of an exceptional gain of £2.9m reported in our half-yearly financial report gives a statutory profit before tax of £84.4m (2012 £86.0m).

WHETHER asbestos was the cause of death of a former carpenter will not be known.

An inquest heard Alan Perrins of King's Stanley was exposed to the disease while working at Fibrecrete in Gloucester during 1966.

But medical evidence did not support it to be the cause of death when the 77-year-old from Stonehouse passed away at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

The former serviceman's death was recorded as an open verdict at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court.

Deputy coroner David Dooley said: "His employment history is potentially damning here and I don't think I can ignore that.

"But the medical evidence is against on balance the death being caused by industrial disease."

RECRUITMENT problems mean Gloucestershire is served by only 11 elite emergency department consultants.

The county's two acute care hospitals, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General, should have 20 consultant posts filled but like 80 per cent of NHS trusts, it can't find enough of them.

It's why critically ill patients won't be sent to Cheltenham General Hospital at night from the end of this month, and the Commons health select committee blamed long hours and stress on recruitment to an area which faces rising demand from patients.

There isn't enough doctors in training to fill consultant posts until 2020, across the UK.

A leading Gloucester GP said many factors play a part in getting the right numbers in specialities, including emergency – and it's not just the appeal of the job, or perceived lack of it by newly-qualified doctors and students. Most specialities are a case of feast or famine," he said. "Sometimes the NHS doesn't plan what it will need in five years time well. Some of it may be down to some people saying it's a disaster area but there's geographical reasons too."

Challenging

A Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said nationally, recruitment into emergency medicine remains "extremely challenging" at both consultant and middle grade levels.

The trust currently has 11 full time emergency department consultant posts and continues to recruit. Emergency medicine consultant Dr Tom Llewellyn said: "Our priority is to ensure that the sickest patients are seen by very skilled specialist staff when they need to be.

"The proposals for changes to night time services at Cheltenham were developed for service quality and safety related reasons, which includes the availability of experienced emergency medicine doctors. With this change, the vast majority of patients will continue to access services in the way they do now."

THUNDERSTORMS and killer algae have been identified as the possible causes of thousands of fish dying in Pittville Lake.

The fish were scooped out of the water yesterday after an apparent mass suffocation.

Environment chiefs are currently testing water from the lake. Oxygen levels are low.

The exact cause of the deaths is not yet known. However, it is thought the thunderstorms in the early hours of Tuesday morning could be partly responsible, stirring up silt and making the lake thick with muck.

Another options is a blue green algae bloom which can have a dramatic impact on water oxygen levels.

Community ranger Janice Peacey said it was thought nothing had been done deliberately to the water.

However, blue green algae can cause illness in dogs and other animals and walkers are being warned to keep pets out of the possibly toxic water.

She said the Environment Agency was called immediately and was on site yesterday, testing the water.

"We know that oxygen levels are low but at this stage we don't know more than that," she said. We are monitoring the situation closely and await advice from the EA about any action that we need to take.

"In the meantime, I strongly urge people to remain cautious and to avoid coming into contact with the water in case it contains anything toxic. Please also remember to keep dogs on leads so that they are not tempted to jump in for a swim."

The majority of the dead fish are thought to be roach but a handful of large pike are known to have perished too.

Shane Berry, a volunteer who helps maintain the park, said: "There are thousands dead and there are likely to be more."

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "We're currently monitoring oxygen levels in the water, and initial samples have shown low readings. The low oxygen levels could be due to a number of factors linked to environmental conditions such as thunderstorms causing pressure changes, rainwater washing pollution off roads, or algal growth."

The results of the EA tests are expected in the next few days.

Bob Brown, 42, walks Bernard, his Pug Cavalier cross and Pug, Stanley, around the park every day.

He said: "My dogs typically don't go in the water but I do see people who let their dogs go in the lake but that is discouraged anyway because of dogs attacking birds. No one is going to let their dog in now."

Pat Bolton, who walks her jack-a-doodle Rosie around the lake regularly, added: "You do see dogs in there, especially the Labrador variety with people throwing sticks into the water to fetch. I have never heard of this before."

CRITICISM has been made of plans by the NHS to ease the pressure on A&E facilities.

Just 17 per cent of hospitals had the recommended level of consultant cover, according MPs in the Health Select Committee.

It comes as Cheltenham General Hospital prepares to reduce cover between 8pm and 8am from next week because of a lack of specialist staff.

Recruitment problems mean Gloucestershire is served by only 11 elite emergency department consultants.

The county's two acute care hospitals, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General, should have 20 consultant posts filled.

The cross-party group has now questioned whether the NHS will be ready to deal with problems next winter.

The MPs said staffing issues and rising attendances were among the main causes of the problems.

According to figures, there are not enough doctors in training to fill consultant posts until 2020 across the UK.

A leading GP in the county, who has not been named, said many factors played a part in getting the right numbers in specialities, including emergency cover.

And he insisted it was not just the appeal of the job, or perceived lack of it, by newly-qualified doctors and students that caused the difficulties.

"Most specialities are a case of feast or famine," he said.

"Sometimes the NHS doesn't plan what it will need in five years time well.

"Some of it may be down to some people saying it's a disaster area but there's geographical reasons too."

A Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said, nationally, recruitment into emergency medicine remained "extremely challenging" at both consultant and middle grade levels.

The trust currently has 11 full-time emergency department consultant posts but is continuing to recruit.

Emergency medicine consultant Dr Tom Llewellyn said: "Our priority is to ensure that the sickest patients are seen by very skilled specialist staff when they need to be.

"The proposals for change to night time services at Cheltenham were developed for service quality and safety related reasons, which includes the availability of experienced emergency medicine doctors.

"With this change, the vast majority of patients will continue to access services in the way they do now."

DRUNK clubbers are being sent home as police exercise their latest weapon to clean up Eastgate Street.

Section 27 notices give officers the power to ask boozed-up and disorderly troublemakers to leave the city centre immediately.

If the notice is ignored, the person is arrested and forcibly removed. Police are issuing about a dozen such orders in total on Friday and Saturday nights and as a result crime has dropped noticeably and no major incidents have been reported in Eastgate Street for weeks.

Chief Inspector Richard Burge said: "We are issuing five or six a night at the weekend and on one Saturday two people were arrested for ignoring them. Those who get one are then sent a letter warning them that their behaviour will be monitored in future.

"I have been encouraging officers to use them early on in the evening. There is some discretion to be used when issuing them because as soon as we make an arrest an officer is taken off the street, and given the numbers we have, we can't always afford to do that."

Rich Payne, manager at Zezt bar in Eastgate Street, said: "A lot of people are coming out already drunk after drinking at home, that's the trouble.

"And it gets to a point when they are at your door and you're talking to them and nothing is going in so action needs to be taken."

In 2011, Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, likened Eastgate Street at night to 'decadent Rome' after witnessing underage revellers, drunks staggering in the street, a suspected rapist and 'depressing' nightlife.

Clubber Steve Nobes, 25, from Gloucester, said: "It used to be really quite bad in Eastgate Street, I've seen loads of fights. But in the last couple of months I haven't seen much trouble at all."

MARLON Pack's pre-season purgatory looks set to continue, with primary suitors Crawley Town unable to meet Cheltenham Town's valuation of the midfielder.

The League One club made their first firm offer for Pack a month ago, but it was rejected by Cheltenham.

Crawley boss Richie Barker, who was at Cheltenham's home friendly against Coventry City on Tuesday night, is known to still be keen on Pack, whose wage demands are not thought to be an issue.

But Crawley are not believed to be in a position to pay the compensation fee required to capture the 22-year-old, who has spent most of the summer training on his own along with some sessions at former club Portsmouth.

That figure is estimated to be at least £80,000, but the final amount could be decided by Football Association tribunal if the clubs in question cannot come to an agreement.

Bristol City and Peterborough United have also shown an interest in Pack, whose wages are still being paid for by Cheltenham despite him effectively being a free agent.

It has been a tough calendar year for Pack so far, with a £100,000 switch to Swindon Town almost completed in January before the County Ground club were placed under a transfer embargo while a takeover was finalised and approved by the Football League.

He was forced to refocus quickly on Cheltenham's promotion push and did so with maturity, producing some of his best performances of the season immediately after returning to the team, but he has now been left in limbo again.