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ALIENS and meteors have strangely enough been ruled out as an explanation for the phenomenon seen in Gloucestershire's skies on Sunday evening. Tongues are wagging as to what the object was that was caught on camera by people all across Gloucestershire. More readers have submitted their own snaps of the mysterious sight. Andrew Hill, from Tuffley, spotted the phenomenon from Haresfield Beacon. He said: "It looks like falling debris with fire or flames at the front of the trails. "In the image there are four trails. I hope we will get some reason for this phenomenon soon." Reader Paul Hooper also wrote in to say that he was in South Worcestershire when he saw what looked like a 'UFO falling to earth'. Astronomer John Fletcher, who runs the Mount Tuffley Observatory from his Tuffley home, ruled out anything falling from space such as a meteor or UFO. He said: "This is likely to be a distortion of a vapour trail from a jet airliner as it enters the twilight zone in the atmosphere. "If it was a meteor then it would have been much faster. I can rule out it being anything falling from space."

Aliens and UFOs ruled out in mystery phenomenon in Gloucestershire's skies

Success at Gloucester Quays is rubbing off on the city centre, traders believe. The cultural experience at the Quays is now so good that night-time business leaders in Eastgate Street are hoping to replicate the success story. A pedestrianised street lined with tables and chairs for a spot of al fresco drinking might not be too far from reality for the street. Neil Joyner, general manager at The Registry nightclub, said: "Eastgate Street could look a bit more like Westgate Street in the future with tables and chairs. "At the moment it is not a nice area for older people to go down to. "We have seen a huge success at the Quays and it would be nice to see that happen in Eastgate Street now." Business leaders at a recent meeting of the NightSafe group pointed to the respectable drinking culture that had been created by establishments such as Portivo Lounge, where people are encouraging to stay at one venue for longer because of the outdoor seating. Recent crime figures show that the Quays is one of the safest parts of the city centre, with the number of incidents at drinking venues in other parts of the city higher than the number recorded in Cheltenham. The low crime rate at the Quays comes despite the area being very busy in the evenings with diners, drinkers and cinema goers. PC Mark Mansfield, from Gloucestershire Police, said: "We went down to the Quays the other day and it was extremely busy." Councillor Jennie Dallimore, chairman of the NightSafe committee, said: "It is a benchmark and we know that is where we are. "Nobody is in denial that there is a perception that Gloucester isn't as safe as Cheltenham." Eastgate Street is now being closed to traffic between 10pm and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights. It is hoped that the idea will make the street safer for party goers and will allow for more street entertainment to take place in the future. Night-time economy leaders are also looking into new ways of keeping the street cleaner to make for a more pleasant environment.CITY'S CRIME FIGURES Incidents of crime at Gloucester's night time spots are higher than those in neighbouring Cheltenham. Police monitored the number of recorded incidents over the last 12 months in the city's main pubs, bars and clubs and compared them to Cheltenham. Cheltenham had 821 incidents compared to 1,025 in Gloucester, yet Gloucester Quays was one of the safest areas. PC Mark Mansfield, from Gloucestershire Police, said: "The figures are a little bit worse than Cheltenham but not excessively." Rich Burge, the city's new City Safe co-ordinator, added: "It is difficult to get behind these figures. We could have had one club that has had a spate of mobile phone thefts in a week that has pushed up the figures." Plans to tackle the crime rate in the city's night-time economy include a new dispersal order for Eastgate Street and the surrounding streets in both directions. It means police can ban troublemakers from the area for up to 24 hours. If people flout the ban they can be arrested. The dispersal order will be put in place for six months if it is approved.

'Let's replicate Gloucester Quays success in Eastgate Street'

INVITATIONS had been sent out, the DJ booked and Stephen Wilson was looking forward to a massive party to celebrate his 40th birthday. But the Gloucester man was left gutted and angry to find out just hours before it was due to start, the venue had closed down. The dad-of-two had nearly 300 guests coming to the celebration at Voltage in Brunswick Road on Friday night, which he had spent two months planning. He said he began to get concerned after owner, Marc Watts, did not reply to his text messages, phone calls and e-mails last week. But panic started to set in when on Thursday night his DJ went down to the venue and found it closed. He then saw on Facebook a message saying it had closed. At 3.30pm on the day of the party, he received a call from co-owner, Gemma Watts, saying she had been away for six weeks and returned to just discover the booking. She returned his £50 deposit that day, but Stephen from Abbeydale is still disappointed at the way it was handled – particularly given he had been a regular in the nightspot for years. Stephen, a former student of the old Oxstalls Community School said: "I had arranged it two months ago and had hand delivered around 400 invitations, so it was going to be a big crowd. "At 9.30pm on the Thursday night we saw the Facebook post and I had to ring around other venues, but everyone was fully booked or could not take that number of people. "I was just absolutely devastated and had to cancel it. I went out for a meal and had a house party, with about 20 guests instead. "I am enraged, disgusted and furious – to say I am angry is an understatement. "I was a regular there and they have not even had the decency to contact me back. "I have never had a real birthday party before. It was a special age and I thought I am in a comfortable place in my life and I wanted to celebrate. "People were travelling down from across the country and there was a lot of time and effort gone into planning it." Gemma, who has co-owned the bar since November 2012, said Voltage closed down for person reasons. She said the two members of staff that worked there had been given prior notice of the closure. She told the Citizen: "I can understand why he is upset and I have met up with him myself to say I am sorry. "I made inquiries to find him another venue, but unfortunately everywhere was busy. "I am sorry that it has closed. Voltage was an amazing place and we put a lot of work and time into it." She added she thought a new owner was taking over the venue from Wednesday. The building, which has been homed to several bars in the past, currently has an expletive graffitied on it. The Citizen was unable to contact Mr Watts for comment.

Anger after the sudden closure of Voltage bar in Gloucester

Cinderford 28 Richmond 29 CINDERFORD sank further into the relegation mire as Richmond broke hearts at Dockham Road in the narrowest of defeats. The rearranged National One fixture was one Cinderford had targeted as a must-win but a losing bonus point was their only return as Rob Kirby's last-gasp penalty in front of the posts saw the mid-table visitors snatch the spoils. The Foresters have slipped to second from bottom in the league and though they have two games in hand, this defeat has taught the side those games mean nothing if you cannot win them. There is no doubt the standard of refereeing at the ruck was inconsistent, with Elliott Booley and Ed King receiving yellow cards while Richmond, who infringed at least four times at the breakdown in the red zone, got away with just a warning. Though disappointed director of rugby Andy Deacon was frustrated with the "soft penalty" that ultimately sank Cinderford, he believed more should have been done earlier in the game to avoid such a nerve-shredding conclusion. He said: "The overriding thought right now is that we got into a position to win it and with a soft penalty at the end we managed to lose it and it was taken away from us. "We played a lot better in the second half than we did in the first half so we just have to put two halves together now. "We need more control of the game. Richmond are a good side with big guys and big runners and they were asking questions of us all the time. "In the first half we dropped off too many tackles and gave away soft tries and it was those soft points that hurt us. "Yes, they kicked in the last minute to win it but we should have been stronger in our defensive performance to ensure it doesn't come to that." In the reverse fixture, Richmond subjected Cinderford to a humiliating 55-20 defeat and in the opening stages, they threatened to run away with the game once again. Wrecking ball wing Duncan Peters gave the visitors an early lead when he broke through covering tackles to dive over in the third minute and dire defensive work allowed Richmond to extend their lead in the 11th minute, despite a Mark Davies penalty for the hosts. A plethora of missed tackles allowed the visitors a run-in from halfway and saw lock Chris Davies go over in the corner to make the score 12-3. But Cinderford then managed to score 12 unanswered points when prop Booley was in the bin. In a fantastic piece of play, wing Nev Codlin won the chase to scrum-half Clive Stuart-Smith's cross-field kick to dart over for an unconverted try. Davies then found a gap to attack the line and selflessly offloaded to centre Adams for Cinderford's second try and a 15-12 lead at the break. But it was these glaring first-half defensive mistakes that would come back to haunt the side as they watched full-back Kirby's penalty sail over with two minutes left on the clock. Cinderford started the second half with 14 men after Ed King saw yellow and Richmond capitalised on the number deficit with Peter's second try. In response, a Cinderford driving maul muscled over, with replacement prop Will Davis planting the ball, and Davies' conversion gave the hosts a 22-19 lead. Cinderford opted for a penalty to extend their lead to 25-19 but Richmond hit back with a 70th-minute try for wing Rob Alexander to regain a one point lead. Davies' penalty minutes later soared over and it looked set to win the game – or so the home fans thought. Sport can be cruel and don't Cinderford know it. They conceded the penalty in the 78th minute and Kirby made no mistake. CINDERFORD: M Wilcox, N Codlin, J Adams, R Winchle, S Baker, M Davies, C Stuart-Smith (D Pointon, 69), C Bundy (W Davis, 51), K Britton (T Bozzard, 43), E Booley, E King (L Randall, 69), T Hicks, A Balding, M Brown, G Evans (c). Rep: S Hawley. RICHMOND: R Kirby, D Peters, J Falconer, M Keville, R Alexander, R Damant, J Gibbs, A Lyon (J Gethings, 53), T Coolican (63), D Parkinson, C Lenygon, C Davies, T Shaw, J Thompson (H Edwards, 63), J Attlee (c). Reps: J Kyle, L Grimoldby. REFEREE: Philip Davies ATTENDANCE: 322 STAR MAN: Mike Wilcox

Cinderford Rugby Club beaten by Richmond in thriller

Glorious sunshine and not a drop of rain over the weekend saw a great start to spring. As temperatures peaked at 16C yesterday, hundreds flocked to Gloucester Park to get their first bit of sunny weather for the year. Drinkers took advantage of Dr Foster's outdoor area in the Gloucester Docks, which was far busier than normal. Barman, Finley Grout, said: "The weather really has done us a huge favour. "We have been far busier than we normally would be at this time of the year, particularly as it is the weekend after Cheltenham races and most people have spent a lot of money there. "We have had a lot of people sat outside enjoying a drink and a meal all weekend. "There are quite a few people in this area of the docks having a wander around and it is definitely because it is sunny." Shoppers flocked to Trioscape Garden Centre in Newent in the hope of getting outdoors for the first time this year. Ben Jenner from the centre said: "We have got a lot of barbecues going through and outdoor and others buying outdoor patio furniture. "It has been really busy. It started picking up last weekend and has been busy again this weekend. I think the weather really does help." But unfortunately the summer may not be here early. According to the Met Office the weather is expected to become cloudy over the week ahead with the sunny spell. Temperatures are expected to remain at 12C over the next five days, with the odd patch of rain coming in later this week.

Gloucestershire weather: Spring sunshine brings people out in Gloucester but will it last?

A NEW street art festival is set to be launched in Gloucester this August. The festival is being co-ordinated by Gloucester City Council. Council leader Paul James announced to councillors recently that the council was seeking funding to make the festival a reality. Mr James said: "We are looking at a street art festival for August. It would be very different to the rest of the events programme in the city." There has been a number of calls for a festival after the rise in popularity of street art in the city. The Free Art Friday idea, where free pieces of art are dropped off in mystery locations around the city for people to hunt down, has become a weekly fixture for many. There has also been a rise in the number of anonymous street artists with Flava and Trix among the most notorious. They have often used the temporary hoarding at the Greyfriars Quarter building site as a place to carry out their work – and other pieces appear dotted around the city's streets. The festival has been welcomed by Flava. He said: "Me and Beastie planned to have it in Gloucester Park and call the event 'Art in the Park' but then I think it has sort have gone out of control so we are now doing painting in King's Square. "If I was to paint anything it would be a shop front in the centre of town, but that's unlikely, or maybe just the side of a huge building with scaffolding. But I'm not too bothered, give me a nice wall, shutter, board and I'll happily do something cool on it. "It's everywhere now. You'll always get the haters and you'll always get the likers, but you just have to carry on and gain respect from the city I guess." Others have welcomed the festival too. Rob Lavis, a fan of the Free Art Friday project, said: "Great news. It is a good way to bring attention to Gloucester for a positive reason. I love it."

New street art festival for Gloucester this August

Lydney 25 Avonmouth OBs 17 LYDNEY suffered a huge scare before taking the National Three South West points at Regentsholme. Relegation-threatened Avonmouth came out all guns blazing in the opening stages and led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. They stretched that to 12 points at half-time and it wasn't until the 64th minute that Lydney got their noses in front. It was all Avonmouth in the early stages and they went ahead in the eighth minute when full-back Eamonn Rees slotted a penalty. They went further ahead 12 minutes later when, following a period of sustained of pressure, the ball was fed out to wing Charlie Reynolds, who went over for the score and Rees converted. The try woke up Lydney and they came back strongly, opening their account with a well-worked three-quarters move. The ball reached centre Chris Holder, who was stationed out on the wing, and he ran over for a try in the corner. Tony Wicks was unable to convert. Both teams attacked with plenty of intent in the second quarter but it was Avonmouth, who are second from bottom and have won only four league games this season, who struck next. Second row Harry Hone surged downfield taking a number of Lydney tacklers with him before being held up just short of the try-line. But when the ball was recycled, it was fed out to Reynolds who went over for his second try. Rees converted to give the visitors a shock 17-5 advantage at the break. Lydney started the second half as though they meant business but initially they were repelled by some excellent Avonmouth defending. Eventually they broke through after a long period of possession. Second row Dave Bennett picked up from a ruck five metres out and powered over for the try, which Wicks converted. It was all Lydney by this stage and as the pressure increased the visitors started to concede penalties. Wicks slotted from in front of the posts and two minutes later – in the 64th minute – he kicked another penalty from under the posts to put Lydney 18-17 in front. There was only likely to be one winner at this stage as Avonmouth started to run out of steam and Lydney scored an excellent try 10 minutes from time through replacement wing Charlie Vine, who shook off several tacklers before touching down. Wicks' conversion stretched the lead to eight points. Lydney battered Avonmouth in the closing stages as they looked for the bonus-point try but to Avonmouth's credit they held firm to deny the runaway leaders. LYDNEY: Tony Wicks, Josh Hannis, Chris Holder, Josh Innes, Jack O'Connell, Mike Baxter, Sam Arnott, Zen Swagrzak, Mike Wallis, Steve Price, Brett Scriven, Dave Bennett, Adam Wheeler, Matt Boobyer, Will Jones. Reps, Sam Fisher, Jimmy Roberts, Charlie Vine. AVONMOUTH OBs: Eamonn Rees, Josh Krupa, Matt Blbin, Liam Poole, Charlie Reynolds, Joe Wearne, Connor Power, Josh Perks, Craig Britton, Ashley Challenger, Ryan Templer, Harry Hone, Phil Dickinson, Marko Mladenovic, Dan Lee, Reps, Ben Souch, Sam Thompson, Ben Seward. REFEREE: Chris Newton (Bristol).

Newton Abbot 37 Old Centralians 27 CENTRALIANS paid their first visit to Rackerhayes, home of Newton Abbot RFC, won a bonus point for their share in a 10-try thriller in this National Three South West match but still ended just missing out on the losing bonus point their battling performance deserved, writes Mike Wallace. Newton Abbot kicked off and soon established their pattern of play. Quick ball from the breakdown was swiftly run at pace in a series of sweeping three-quarter movements. Cents were confined to deep clearance kicks by fly-half Connor Gwilliam and counter-attack runs by full-back Lewis May and centre Liam Hemming. Newton Abbot scored twice in the first 15 minutes when centre Kevin Dennis broke two tackles to round off one move and number eight Martin Browne weighed in for the forwards. Fly-half Laurence May converted one for a 12-0 lead and warning bells for Cents. The Gloucester boys responded in the best possible way. May set off on one of his trademark mazy runs, off-loading to Hemming, who accelerated through to score and add the extras himself. Four minutes later, Cents won a penalty lineout and the forwards drove Rob Pinkney over to tie the scores 12-12. Cents were holding their own despite, as usual, being outweighed in the scrums but a charged-down clearance kick gave Newton wing Josh Davey a soft try and then Rob Pinkney got a technical yellow. From the resulting penalty Newton Abbot took a penalty lineout and, against seven men, drove flanker Jason Keenan over. May slotted the conversion to give the hosts a 24-12 interval lead. An early technical sinbinning of Newton Abbot flanker Alex Smith helped Cents exert pressure from the restart. Penetrating runs by wings Rob Jones and Ollie Townsend were halted just short of the whitewash until a clean break by Hemming set Jones up for a score in the corner. Newton Abbot hit back with a May penalty before Cents resumed battering the uncompromising home defence. Newton Abbot then showed how to finish from nothing when, with all eyes on the yawning open side, full-back Steve Ward eased down a narrow blind side to squeeze over in the corner. May converted from near the touchline to take the Devonians 34-17 ahead with 15 minutes left. The frenetic pace showed no signs of easing and Newton Abbot may have thought it was game virtually over but Cents' fitness began to tell. Noticeably, Newton Abbot were kicking more than running but Cents' backs were far from finished. The fresh legs of replacement Joe Preece rounded off some slick inter-passing with a corner try and all Newton Abbot could offer was another May penalty. Crunching tackles by Cents' centre Mike Mathers bottled up the midfield and Hemming's angled running put Cents on the offensive. A multi-phase move brought just reward for Townsend as he crashed over to take the score to 37-27. Cents were now in the ascendancy. With a losing bonus point only a score away and time running out they launched an all-out attack. In the final moments they camped out in Newton Abbot's 22, winning a penalty taken to touch five metres out. But a final effort by Newton Abbot nicked the throw, the ball was cleared and the referee blew for full time. Cents now have four postponed matches to play, mostly at home, giving them a realistic chance to escape relegation. NEWTON ABBOT: S. Ward; K. Browne; K. Dennis; A. Moore; J. Davey; L. May; M. Newman; L. Radford; D. Avery; T. White; B. Cole; C. Stewart; A. Smith; J. Keenan; M. Browne. Reps: T. Murch; N. Holt; M. Templeman. OLD CENTRALIANS: L. May; R. Jones; L. Hemming; M. Mathers; O. Townsend; C. Gwilliam; H. Preece; M. Vye; N. Stroud; S. Fritchley; R. Pinkney; P. Willetts; J. Huxtable; K. Blackburn; R. Pinkney. Reps: J. Preece; S. Preece; B. Slatter. REFEREE: Ben Wiles (Hants Society) STAR PLAYERS: For Old Centralians – fly-half Conner Gwilliam. For Newton Abbot – fly-half Laurence May.

Under Her Skin is not fancy. It is just two brilliant women – Debs Newbold and Laurel Swift – telling a flippin' good ancient sea tale about a woman that becomes a seal. Newbold captivates you every step of the way as she narrates the pair's fabulous new work, taking us on a journey from a quiet cove on Scotland's north coast to rush hour in Whitechapel. It is a distinctly 21st century take on an ancient fable which is beautifully convincing, humorous and, in the end, deeply touching. The work, directed by John Wright, played to an intimate audience at the Everyman Studio on Friday night, but this did not diminish Newbold and Swift's performance. Swift plays the double bass masterfully to create the sound effects to accompany Newbold's narration. She is as deft in her musical interpretation as Newbold is in her storytelling and together they share a wonderful rapport. This is just a simple tale of a woman who is really a seal – but the whole story comes beautifully full circle in a way that can never fail to impress.Michael Wilkinson

Review: Under Her Skin, Everyman Studio

MANY of us will be grabbing a bouquet this Mother's Day, but M&S is said to be the pick of the bunch when it comes to flowers that last. Consumer organisation Which? has said the £35 Spring Brights Gift Bag bunch from the high street store scored the highest mark in a survey. The flowers – including roses, chrysanthemums and geraniums – were described as 'a good-quality bunch' and 'well-presented' and said to last for a week. Ceri Thomas, editor of Which? Gardening, said: 'It's the best of the lot and the roses are still perky." The full rankings were: Marks & Spencer £35 Spring Brights Large Gift Bag (94 per cent); Teleflorist £32 Vibrant Bouquet (81 per cent); Next £29.99 Spring Bright Bouquet (79 per cent); Lakeland £34.99 Bright Bouquet (77 per cent); Moonpig £35 Spring Tulips (73 per cent); Scilly Flowers £28 100 Scented Narcissi (70 per cent); Waitrose £35 Passionate Tulips Bouquet, a Valentine's Day offering no longer on sale (67 per cent); Serenata £29.98 Kaleidoscope Deluxe (66 per cent); Wiggly Wigglers £34.95 Wiggly Posy (62 per cent); and Interflora £32.98 Scented Spring Perfect Gift (53 per cent).

Which? recommends M&S for Mother's Day bouquet of flowers

GRAPHIC designer Colin Steward who runs an erotic photography website was caught with hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer, a court heard. The 54-year-old, of Kingsholm Road, in Gloucester, who describes himself as a 'voyeur,' pleaded guilty at to 10 charges of making indecent pictures. He was sentenced to six months jail suspended for 18 months and placed under supervision, for 18 months. Judge William Hart imposed an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and told him he will have to sign the sex offender register for 10 years. He was ordered to pay £175 costs. David Maunder, prosecuting, said police raided his home on September 3 last year and found about 450 indecent images of children. More than half of them were at level four – one level below them most serious classification. They involved children in their early teens. When Steward was interviewed by police and told what had been found on his computer he said he had an interest in what he called 'erotica'. Steward said he ran a website where he sought people wanting to have adult shots of themselves. "He said he would be behind the camera rather than in front of it as he was a voyeur," Mr Maunder added. He said Steward told police he had been having personal problems over the last couple of years and added Steward was a man of previous good character. Paul Trotman, defending, handed the court three references for Steward. He said Steward was regarded by the probation officer as most unlikely to re-offend. Passing sentence Judge Hart said: "Until now you have led a perfectly honest, respectable and decent life and have brought up a family. You clearly have friends who value you extremely highly and have taken the trouble to write on your behalf. "You have now let down yourself and those who speak highly of you. You now realise that every image of this sort has a victim, a real victim. "Everyone, whether they pay for these images or not, helps fortify those dreadful people who produce the images in the first place and that of course leads to increased abuse of children, usually abroad but not always."

Gloucester man, who runs erotic photography website, found with indecent images of children on computer

HORSEBOXES have been a common sight this month as the racing world has descended on Gloucestershire - but one in particular has turned more heads than most. Nicky Henderson trained Barber Shop was once a favourite racehorse of the Queen and had many a run out over the hallowed Cheltenham Turf. But this new Barber Shop has a difference. Business partners Richard Humphries and Richard Battye have been cutting men's hair for 25 years. After seeing their traditional men's barbers in Brockworth and Innsworth flourish, they decided it was time for a new style of service. The pair splashed out on an unused horsebox on Ebay with the hope of transforming it into a mobile gent's salon. Mr Battye, from Longlevens, said the shop's opening coincided with the Cheltenham Festival by chance, but has attracted plenty of second glances on the road. He said: "We took it out and drove it through Worcester and Tewkesbury. You wouldn't believe the amount of looks we got, it is certainly unique. "We have had to chuck a few quid at it to get the electric professionally done, the awning and the roof. It was a shell when we had to, but now it looks like a proper barber shop. "It had a bit of welding done but it flew through the MOT. I do the driving and it goes well." The idea of a mobile shop is proving to be a smart move. Not only can the lads take their services all over the county wherever there is a demand, but they can also cut down on pricey business rates. "We looked at a unit in Quedgeley next to the post office but there was a planning permission problem," he added. "The city council are very approachable and there are lots of business grants available. People don't always know how to access them, that is the problem. It is up to small businesses like ours to help get the economy back where it should be. "The biggest letdown is landlords. With the tax breaks they get is better for them to have their units empty, rather than an income. It is very sad and the main reason why a lot of those shops are empty." His friend and business partner, Mr Humphries said: "We have always done the full gent's service with a proper wet shave with a cut throat razor. We had to have the van's roof weather sealed or replaced which would have cost us £4,000. "A builder said we should just tape bubble wrap to the ceiling to keep th heat in and the water out and it has worked well. "We got Busy Bees in Worcester Street to stitch some Union flags together to tidy it up and it looks pretty smart. "It is up and running now and once we are more established we will put on a new roof. We try to keep the traditional art of barbers going and do exactly what it says on the tin. Our motto is a traditional service at traditional prices." The pair are donating five per cent of their takings to Help for Heroes, charity events are also held throughout the year. The mobile Barber Shop will be outside GL3 Community Hub in Cheltenham Road East on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am until 4pm, opposite the new Tesco's.

Hairdressage? Mobile barbers in a horsebox set up by Gloucester business partners

A DAY trip nearly turned into a disaster when a car overheated and broke down in a safari park's cheetah enclosure. Nadia Stone from Gloucester thought she was going to be left with the choice of being burnt or mauled during the visit to West Midlands Safari Park. The 31-year-old from St Oswald's said she had just passed the warning signs, which told visitors to close the sunroof, windows and locked the doors. She said: "I suddenly thought I could smell burning. 'Is your car overheating?' I remember asking the driver. 'No,' he said, then 'although the engine does seem very hot'. "Seconds later I could see smoke coming out from under the bonnet. I went straight into panic mode, shrieking 'oh my God, turn the engine off, turn the engine off'. I had no idea what to do." She added: "Only a few weeks ago I saw a car pulled over on the motorway in flames and that picture was in my head. I just kept thinking that if the engine set on fire, what could we do? We weren't supposed to get out of the car. "The choice could have been between being burned or risk being mauled." The former Ribston Hall High School pupil said she and her friends saw a sign which recommended sounding the horn if in trouble. She said: "This car has the most ineffectual horn, so we were sounding it again and again and could see a ranger parked down the road, but he didn't move. We had no idea what to do. "We later found out he had heard us but wasn't allowed to move from his station. But we didn't know that. Nobody told us." The quick-thinking communications officer and international development masters student rang the safari park asking for help. Laughing at the situation with hindsight, she said: "By this point the car had stopped smoking so we weren't panicking and 20 minutes later, the cavalry turned up, topped us up with water and sent us on our way. "The whole way around the park, the car kept overheating. "It was really busy and there were lots of queues so we had to drive past the lions, tawny and white, the rhinos, giraffes and elephants with one eye on them and the other on the temperature gauge, and turning the engine off every time it started to rise too high. "It took forever to get out of the park."

Quick thinking saves the day after car breaks down in cheetah enclosure in safari park

A woman has been taken to hospital after being knocked over by a car in Tuffley. The 61-year-old was thought to have suffered head injuries following the collision with a green Honda civic this afternoon. It took place on the A38 Stroud Road near St Peter's School just after 4pm. She was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The road was closed following the crash. It was expected to open this evening.

Woman taken to hospital after being knocked over in Gloucester

A person has been hit by a train on the Swindon to Cheltenham line this evening. First Great Western reported severe delay and cancellations following the incident at around 6pm. The line was said to be re-opened by 8pm, however delays are still expected. Trains did not stop in Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud and Kemble this evening. Some replacement bus services were put in place. No further information on the person struck by the train is available. A spokesman for FGW stated: "Following a person hit by a train earlier between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa all lines have now reopened. "Train services running through these stations are returning to normal but may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 10 minutes.

Person hit by train on Swindon to Cheltenham line

A man has died after he was hit by a train on the Swindon to Cheltenham line on Sunday evening. British Transport Police were called to the line near Frampton Mansell, near Stroud, around 5.20pm after reports a man had been struck. Paramedics from South West Ambulance Service pronounced the man dead at the scene. The man has yet to be formally identified although police believe he was a 52-year-old man from Oxfordshire. The death is treated as non-suspicious. First Great Western reported severe delays and cancellations following the incident at around 6pm. The line was re-opened by 8pm. Trains did not stop in Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud and Kemble this evening. Replacement bus services were put in place.

Man dies after being hit by train in Gloucestershire on Sunday

Work has begun to provide major improvements at two busy Gloucester roundabouts. In May last year the Department for Transport approved the county council's bid for £2.2 million of funding to help tackle serious congestion on the A38 and A417, at the C&G and Walls roundabouts in the Barnwood area. Today work started at Walls roundabout. It will be completed in July, with most of the major works finished by June. Meanwhile, main construction work is planned to start at the C&G roundabout in June, with the completion of the overall scheme sometime later this year or early next year. Although there will be a brief period when work is carried out on both roundabouts at the same time, lane closures won't be in force at both concurrently. The scheme costs £3.1m in total, which will be met with the £2.2m government funding, and the rest shared between Gloucestershire County Council and Sainsbury's contributions. It includes changes to the junctions, widening of lanes, new flexible traffic light systems and extra lanes. Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "This is a big job, but we know just how important it is to invest in the county's roads to drive the local economy forward. The work will not only contribute to improving the transport system in Gloucestershire, it will help the county to grow. "Although some disruption is inevitable while this work is carried out, we've agreed working restrictions with the contractor to keep this to a minimum. However, we would also urge people who use these roundabouts to think about alternative ways to travel and please bear with us while the improvements are made." Since more and more businesses have opened up on the Barnwood Business Park and surrounding area, the roundabout and roads leading off it have become gridlocked with heavy traffic during peak times. Customers of Sainsbury's Barnwood store have reported delays of up to an hour in getting out of the store car park on occasions in the past. The county council has been looking for a solution to alleviate the problem for some time. The aim of the DfT's pinch point funding is to deliver local highways projects that can unlock economic growth. Any funded scheme must be open to traffic by March 2015 and must cost under £5m. The DfT requires a local contribution to the cost of the scheme of at least 30%. The council's scheme includes:C & G roundabout Localised widening (3 to 4 lanes) and installation of traffic signals on the Barnett Way entry arm (there are no signals at the moment). Replacement of the existing fix timed signals on all three remaining arms with a flexible computer-controlled system known as a MOVA. Additional flared entry lanes (three to four lanes) from the A417 (Elmbridge Court approach) and A417 (Zoons Court approach). Localised changes to signing and lining on the junction approaches.Walls roundabout Installation of new flexible computer-controlled traffic signal system, known as a MOVA, on three approaches of the Walls Roundabout (A417 Corinium Avenue approach; A38 Eastern Avenue and Barnwood Road (northern approach). Localised widening to allow extra room for traffic on the A417 Corinium Avenue approach. Increasing the number of lanes around the roundabout to three on the southern half of the roundabout. The new signals will be compatible with emerging bus priority technology needed to pave the way for future improvements to the Number 10 Stagecoach 'Gold' route on the Barnwood Road corridor. Repositioning of existing pedestrian crossing facilities to allow new crossings to be integrated with the new traffic signals.

Massive project gets underway at Barnwood and C&G roundabouts in Gloucestershire

Volunteers are primed and ready to give visiting rugby fans from across the globe good lasting memories of Gloucester. When the Rugby World Cup comes to the city's Kingsholm stadium in 2015, there will be an army of volunteers from the county's clubs, and members of the public, to help the event run smoothly. The deadline for initial applications was Friday, March 14. "I would not have thought we would have any problems in getting the numbers of people needed, either through the rugby clubs or from the general public," said Gloucester City Council leader Paul James. "I have always got the impression that it would not be a problem and it may well just be a matter of who the organisers can accommodate. "Gloucester people are rugby people and know what's required. "We as a city have shown in the past, such as during the Olympic torch relay that there is an appetite for volunteering in sport. "Hartpury College and the University of Gloucestershire want to be involved too - I don't think we will be struggling for numbers." Three quarters of 'The Pack' - the volunteers - will be recruited from rugby clubs in England and Wales and te remaining 1,500 places will give members of the public the chance to be part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The majority of roles will be in spectator services and transport. Members of the general public who registered an interest in volunteering before the deadline, as well as nominated club members, will be invited to complete a volunteer application form around now. The application window will close on April 17. Selection events will then take place between June and December 2014. Adam Balding, Gloucester City Council's Rugby World Cup 2015 co-ordinator, said: "There is the opportunity to get involved both through this national programme and locally through a recruitment process that the council will be running. " It is a great chance to be involved in one of the world's largest sporting events and to showcase our city to visitors. The volunteers really helped make the Olympics the special occasion it turned out to be. Between us all we can do the same for this event and for Gloucester." Meanwhile Mr James is looking forward to seeing former Gloucester coach Nigel Melville, who is in charge of the USA Eagles team. They played the All Blacks at Kingsholm in the 1991 tournament and this time are very likely to feature alongside Georgia, Argentina, Tonga and Japan. "The eagles supporters will love Gloucester - what an awesome place to play a World Cup game," Mr Melville said on Twitter.

Former Gloucester coach Nigel Melville 'relishing' Kingsholm return ahead of 2015 Rugby World Cup

'Popular' rabbits living on the Walls roundabout will be protected during multi-million pound improvement work. Fencing has been put up by Gloucestershire Highways to protect them and their burrows from harm during construction work and to keep them out of the working area. The fencing has been installed with a buried 'return' to discourage rabbits from digging into the working area. A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Highways said: "The location and installation of the fence was carried out in consultation with an ecologist to ensure no rabbits were harmed and no rabbit burrows were disturbed when the fence was erected. "The fence will be monitored to ensure that it remains intact for the duration of works. Once the works have been completed, the fence will be removed. This method is considered to be the most appropriate method to protect rabbits during the works." In May last year the Department for Transport approved the county council's bid for £2.2 million of funding to help tackle serious congestion on the A38 and A417, at the C&G and Walls roundabouts in the Barnwood area.

No rabbits were harmed in the construction of this rabbit proof fence

INVESTIGATIONS are continuing today after a woman was knocked over by a car at an accident black spot in Tuffley. Residents have said more needs to be done when it comes to road safety following the crash on Sunday afternoon. A 61-year-old was taken to hospital with head injuries after the collision which took place on the A38 at the zebra crossing outside the Esso Station in Stroud Road. The crash happened at about 4pm. Police confirmed the pedestrian went to Frenchay Hospital, near Bristol, but her injuries are now not thought to be life threatening. People living in the area have described the road as a black spot for accidents. City councillor Gerald Dee (C, Tuffley) said: "I feel sorry for the lady who was knocked over and I will be talking to Councillor Colin Organ, who also represents the area, on how we can improve the road. "Where the accident happened is a black spot for accidents. There have been two or three in the past few years. There is a lot going on in this bit of the road, with the petrol station, shop and a pub further up. It is a bendy road which makes it harder for the pedestrian to see further afield. Some parts of Stroud Road are very hilly." "There are a lot of junctions going off into different directions. Something needs to be done about this and I will be discussing with highways." Although no arrests have been made police are still investigating the incident. Karen West who works at The Knoll Care Home in Stroud Road, said: "Although we are slightly hidden from the main road, the road itself is very busy. There are a few zebra crossings which help people cross." In a separate incident in 2009 another woman suffered injuries in Stroud Road, Tuffley, near the Esso filling station after a crash. The 91-year-old suffered life-threatening pelvis, leg and chest injuries. Anyone who witnessed the collision on Sunday, who hasn't spoken to the police should call 101 and quote incident 315 of March 16.