Gang who moved in to city centre flat to sell heroin and crack jailed for total of 13 years

July 5, 2014, 12:27 pm

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A GANG of drug dealers who moved into a Gloucester city centre flat and set up a heroin and crack cocaine shop have been jailed for a total of 13 years between them. Abdul Magid, 21, Rashid Omar, 22, and 25-year-old Mohammed Leammin, all of Roman Quay, The Quays, Gloucester moved into the flat, having relocated to the city from London and Manchester and immediately began selling Class A drugs to local addicts. Magid, who denied supplying and possession with intent to supply heroin and cocaine on October 15, 2013, was found guilty after a trial last month and was jailed on Friday for four-and-a-half years. Leammin, who also denied the charges, received the same sentence. Rashid pleaded guilty to both charges and was jailed for four years. Prosecuting barrister Virginia Cornwall told Gloucester Crown Court: "Police were observing the flat and saw two men arrive and leave shortly afterwards. "They stopped the men and discovered wraps of heroin and cocaine and then searched the flat. "When officers arrived Rashid ran from the bathroom to the lounge with his trousers around his ankles. "Drugs, contained in empty kinder egg containers and covered in excrement, were discovered. "When the flat was searched drugs paraphernalia including plastic bags cut for wraps, scales and £600 cash on Rashid and £575 cash on Leammin were found and all three were arrested. "This was a joint enterprise - all three were clearly involved in drug dealing - and all three have previous convictions. "The street value of the drugs seized in the flat was £1,845 and all three played a significant role in the enterprise." Defending lawyers pointed out that it was 'not a sophisticated enterprise' and that there was not a large quantity of drugs found. Rashid was said to have had a difficult childhood and was himself a drug addict, while Leammin was said to be the sole carer for his ailing mother. Magid also had "an unsavoury family background" and had "a good deal of immaturity".. Passing sentence, Judge Euan Ambrose said: "When police entered the flat they found 49 wraps of heroin and 42 wraps of crack cocaine. "The defendants were clearly using the premises as a drugs dealership and were running a Class A drugs retail outlet. "People knew where to come as no mobile phone evidence was found and this is an aggravating feature of the case. "Drugs are a blight on our society and only custodial sentences can be passed." After the case, Detective Sergeant Rob Harding said: "Let this be a message to all those who come to our city and sell drugs - they will be caught and sent to prison. "I am very happy with these sentences - they are entirely appropriate."

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World Cup 2014: Substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul is the hero as Netherlands beat Costa Rica in penalty shootout

July 5, 2014, 4:25 pm

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Netherlands 0 Costa Rica 0 (aet, Netherlands win 4-3 on penalties) Substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul was the Dutch hero as he saved two penalties in the shootout to send Louis van Gaal's side into the semi-finals of the World Cup. Newcastle's number one had gone on in the final seconds of extra time for Jasper Cillessen - a remarkably brave tactical decision by Manchester United-bound van Gaal that brought huge reward. Krul saved the second penalty by Bryan Ruiz and the decisive fifth by Michael Umana to end Costa Rica's fairy-tale run in Brazil 2014. The Dutch had been frustrated for large parts of the preceding 120 minutes by the Costa Ricans whose goalkeeper Keylor Navas was again in outstanding form. He was beaten twice by long-range efforts by Wesley Sneijder but on both occasions the woodwork came to his rescue. Sneijder was one of the Netherlands' successful penalty-takers along with Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt. The Netherlands will now play Argentina, who earlier defeated Belgium 1-0 with an eighth-minute Gonzalo Higuain goal.

Gloucestershire County Council puts historic weighing equipment up for auction

July 5, 2014, 11:00 pm

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HISTORIC weighing equipment from the Trading Standards Service is being auctioned off to help Gloucestershire County Council balance its books. More than 100 lots, no longer used by the council, will go under the hammer in Stroud later this month. It will see weighing and measuring goods, some of which date back to the 19th Century, will all be sold from Stroud Auction Rooms in Bath Road on Wednesday, July 9. The council hopes collectors will be keen to secure their own slice of Gloucestershire's history and there will be bids aplenty this week. Items include examples of precision balances, boxed beamscales and inspectors bags of weights, as well as brass and copper petrol measures and a brass standard yard. Other lots include equipment used for measuring pints and determining the strength of spirits, things to weigh cheese and check the accuracy of petrol pumps in filling stations. Many of the items are marked Gloucestershire County Council or City of Gloucester and should be of considerable interest to collectors. Eddie Coventry, head of Gloucestershire Trading Standards Service, said: "We are putting these items up for auction as they are no longer used by our teams but we anticipate that they will have some historical value to collectors who will be given this unique opportunity to make a bid to own some of these interesting lots. "They would have been used in the past by trading standards officers to check the accuracy of weights and measures used by shopkeepers in the area going back many years into the county's history." Thousands of unused books from the county's libraries were auctioned off earlier this year after having collected dust in the libraries' collection. The hoard included around 2,000 books that were unused or in a poor and deteriorating condition in a sale which raised nearly £10,000 towards the library book fund. Despite none of the reads relating to the county's history or heritage, the move raised concerns from Katie Flanagan, chairwoman of the Historic Libraries Forum, who warned rare and historic books were at risk of being sent abroad to private collectors and lost to the public forever. The council's legal team ridded its shelves of old volumes of legal books, which were of no use to officers anymore, in March 2013. An online catalogue with the full list of items is available at www.stroudauctions.co.uk/catalogue. For information on the auction and more about the work of Gloucestershire Trading Standards Service visit the website www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/glos.

Children rally round to help terminally ill mum after her plant pots were stolen

July 6, 2014, 1:31 am

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WHEN thieves stole much-loved plant pots from the front garden of a terminally ill mother in Gloucester, youngsters stepped in to replace them. Beverley James, 55, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in November and one of her great loves is gardening. She spends hours every day in the garden planting but while she was away with her husband Jamie for the night visiting family, thieves stole four large flowered planters from the front garden of their property in Northfield Road. But her faith in human kindness was restored by a thoughtful gesture from staff and children from the White City Adventure Playground. After hearing what had happened the children rallied round and produced four beautiful, planted, ceramic pots and gave them to Beverley. "Beverley was absolutely devastated when we came home to find they had been taken," said husband Jamie, who has lived in Northfield Road with Beverley and their teenage sons for the past 12 years. "She loves gardening so it was the last thing she needed after everything she is going through. "But she was blown away by such a kind and generous act by the girls at the playground." Staff at the playground asked some of the children if they had seen anything suspicious while they were playing. When the girls found out about the theft of the plant pots they asked staff if they could do something to replace them. So Kianna Stephens, Tilly Esson, Alliyah Tavarses, Brandi Williams, Lacey Etheridge and Jade Porter went to Pound Farm and bought some pots and plants and spent an hour planting them. Caroline Esson, of the playground, said: "Beverley and James have always been very supportive of the playground and we know Beverley is going through a lot at the moment. "When the girls found out about the plant pots they were desperate to do something to cheer her up and make her garden look nice again. "They took it upon themselves to do something and they felt really proud and good about themselves afterwards."

Beastie not behind new 'Banksy' graffiti in Cheltenham as £115,000 raised to keep artwork in town

July 6, 2014, 2:18 am

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Graffiti artist Beastie has confirmed he is not behind new artwork which has been sprayed on hoardings over the Banksy spies painting in Cheltenham. Rumours were circulating yesterday about the identity of the artist behind the three figures with word STOP sprayed on the boards on Friday overnight. But graffiti artist Beastie from Gloucester, whose work has been likened to Banksy in the past, has ruled himself out as being responsible. It has since been confirmed the new graffiti is down to Cheltenham-based artists Dice67 and Decay. The battle to keep the Banksy graffiti in Cheltenham has captured the imagination of the town with £115,000 now donated to a fund hoping to buy it. The Spies mural, picturing men snooping in on a phone box, appeared on a house in Fairview in April. But builders moved in, putting up hoardings and covering up the graffiti artwork as they owner attempted to sell it. A temporary stop notice has been issued by Cheltenham Borough Council in a bid to halt the work to the listed property. Art lovers in the town hope the order will buy them the time to get the cash raised to buy the house and Banksy to keep it in the spa town. Angela De Souza, who is behind the appeal, confirmed a mystery benefactor had donated £100,000. But the fund will still need a further £750,000 to buy the mural and the house. Meanwhile artists are using the wooden boards, covering up Banksy's iconic work for their own pieces. Over the weekend more graffiti appeared depicting two artists spraying, stating STOP in red lettering. Angela, from the Women's Business Club, said a businessman had given them £100,000 and was "willing to match any amount another business is willing to put in". Another £10,000 has also been donated on the condition that other businesses match fund it. A further £5,000 has been raised by the public from smaller donations. Robin Barton, from the Bankrobber gallery in London is brokering a deal to sell the artwork. He has confirmed that the 28 days stop notice put in place by the council will be appealed and said the owners were enlisting the help of heritage surveyors to decide whether the house deserves its Grade two listed status. And even if the community does stump up the cash, it may not be enough as rumours are rife that a seven-figure deal could be done with an American. But Angela is not giving up. She hopes that the house could be turned into The Spy Centre - a satellite museum to the history and importance of GCHQ. She said it could be "very cool and relevant to the area and the Banksy can be used as a bridge for a new generation to learn and understand its relevance into the future ". "The impact of this for Cheltenham would be phenomenal," she added. "We could potentially access Lottery funding for maintenance and upkeep and run schools tours, coffee shop, spy games. I even have a movie idea," she added. GCHQ memorabilia has already been promised and some other Banksy pieces have been offered to display in this museum.

Find out what number baby you were on the NHS

July 6, 2014, 2:51 am

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EVER wonder what number baby you were that was born on the NHS in Britain? The likelihood is if you don't know it already you might not even know it was possible to find out. But thanks to a small piece of electioneering by the Labour party to coincide with the service's 66th birthday a new online tool has been launched that allows you to find out your NHS baby number. Chances are it will be in the millions, with some 44million babies born since the service was founded by Aneurin Bevan on July 5 1948. By using census details the tool gives you an estimate of your number, while, as a bit of Labour propaganda, encouraging you to enter your email address which is housed on the party's donations site. Intrigued? Just follow this link http://labour.tw/1pPXuMl

Has Banksy struck again? Gloucester artist opens debate over latest street piece

July 6, 2014, 3:14 am

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Guerilla street artist Banksy could have followed up his controversial Cheltenham Spies mural with another piece a few miles away in Ledbury. The artwork stenciled onto an alleyway wall off High Street features a life size portrait of famous town poet John Masefield. The opening line of one if his most popular poems, Sea Fever, is seen spilling off the pages. Banksy is yet to claim the work, but art critics have said it bears all the humorous hallmarks of the controversial street scribbler. Speculation claimed the work was completed to coincide with Friday's Ledbury Poetry Festival launch. But street artists in Gloucester have doubts the world famous artist is responsible. Beastie, who is at the centre of the city's Culture Bomb Festival of street art and next month's Paint Jam, said: "This one isn't by Banksy, but that doesn't stop it from being a nice piece of street art. "It has got people talking in a way the blank wall before it has never done." Meanwhile in Cheltenham, a whopping £115,000 has now been donated to a fund hoping to buy the Banksy artwork for the town. The Spies mural, picturing men snooping in on a phone box, appeared on a house in Fairview in April. But builders moved in, putting up hoardings and covering up the graffiti artwork as they owner attempted to sell it. A temporary stop notice has been issued by Cheltenham Borough Council in a bid to halt the work to the listed property. Art lovers in the town hope the order will buy them the time to get the cash raised to buy the house and Banksy to keep it in the spa town. Angela De Souza, who is behind the appeal, confirmed a mystery benefactor had donated £100,000. But the fund will still need a further £750,000 to buy the mural and the house. Meanwhile artists are using the wooden boards, covering up Banksy's iconic work for their own pieces. Over the weekend more graffiti appeared depicting two artists spraying, stating STOP in red lettering. It is the work of Cheltenham graffiti artists, Dice67 and Decay. Dice67 said: "As lots of artwork had been appearing, we decided to add our own small contribution." Angela, from the Women's Business Club, said a businessman had given them £100,000 and was "willing to match any amount another business is willing to put in". Another £10,000 has also been donated on the condition that other businesses match fund it. A further £5,000 has been raised by the public from smaller donations. Robin Barton, from the Bankrobber gallery in London is brokering a deal to sell the artwork. He has confirmed that the 28 days stop notice put in place by the council will be appealed and said the owners were enlisting the help of heritage surveyors to decide whether the house deserves its Grade two listed status. And even if the community does stump up the cash, it may not be enough as rumours are rife that a seven-figure deal could be done with an American. But Angela is not giving up. She hopes that the house could be turned into The Spy Centre - a satellite museum to the history and importance of GCHQ. She said it could be "very cool and relevant to the area and the Banksy can be used as a bridge for a new generation to learn and understand its relevance into the future". "The impact of this for Cheltenham would be phenomenal," she added. "We could potentially access Lottery funding for maintenance and upkeep and run schools tours, coffee shop, spy games. I even have a movie idea," she added. GCHQ memorabilia has already been promised and some other Banksy pieces have been offered to display in this museum. Fundraisers will be meeting on Tuesday to discuss their plans further. The street art festival will be called Gloucester Paint Jam and will run from August 1 to 3 in King's Square and the city centre. It will be a festival by artists, for artists, with Beastie taking charge of the plans. But it is more than just street art – there will be dance workshops at the Guildhall and a performance space at The Eastgate shopping centre.

One of Gloucester's greatest war poets remembered

July 6, 2014, 5:41 am

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HORRORS of trench warfare during the First World War can be recalled through the era's poetry, and Gloucestershire's own Ivor Gurney is rightly regarded as one of the greats. Gurney was sent to Flanders and the Somme after being accepted as a Private in the 2/5th Glosters, and in the misery of the trenches wrote about his longing for Gloucestershire and his hatred of war. He went on to write hundreds of poems and more than 300 songs, and today his legacy lives on through poems such as 'To His Love,' 'On Somme,' and 'By Severn.' He has memorials at Westminster Abbey and Gloucester Cathedral and is remembered as one of the First World War's most prominent poets. Born in Gloucester in 1890, the second of four children, by 1904, the talented pupil was already composing his own music. He attended the same school as equally celebrated poet F.W. Harvey and the two were later to forge a close friendship after meeting on a tram in the city in 1908. By the outbreak of war in 1914, Gurney had moved to London after being awarded an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Although initially prevented from enlisting alongside Harvey due to poor eyesight, he was eventually accepted as a Private the following year. By 1916 he found himself in firmly embroiled in the misery of trench warfare, producing more poetry as the war continued. But it wasn't until the immediate post-war years that he really began to receive recognition as a composer and poet with his second volume of War's Embers published in 1919. Sadly a downturn in his mental health saw him admitted to Barnwood House mental hospital in 1922, later being transferred to an institution in Dartford, Kent. But while the quality of his songs diminished, it is often argued his best war poems were written in these years. Tragically, he wasn't to return to his beloved Gloucestershire until after his death from tuberculosis, on Boxing Day 1937 aged just 47. For more information visit ivorgurney.org.uk

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Lily Allen asks Google to hide her Gloucestershire home

July 6, 2014, 6:05 am

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Singer Lily Allen has had her £3m Cotswolds pile obscured on Google Maps after concerns the star's privacy was being invaded. Lily, who played a starring role at Glastonbury last week, asked for a block on the internet site that offers a 360 degree view of streets around the world. Her home in Cranham has now been blocked from view. She has joined ex-PM Tony Blair, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin who have also asked Google to have their mansion's obscured from view. Any member of the public can ask for street view images to be blurred. They are advised to simply click on a link next to the offending photograph, according to Google Maps terms and conditions.

World Cup 2014 Talking Point: Louis van Gaal proves Manchester United have got it right

July 6, 2014, 7:07 am

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THE best managers tend to get the big calls right, just as Louis van Gaal did on Saturday. The new Manchester United boss would have been left with a hefty dollop of egg on his face if his decision to send on Tim Krul had back-fired. But the Newcastle United goalkeeper rose to the tense occasion with two fine penalty saves to help send the Netherlands into the semi-finals. Van Gaal was fully vindicated and it must send his Dutch players into their clash with Argentina high on confidence, knowing the man in charge has the winning formula. No doubt the powers that be at Manchester United also allowed themselves a smile ahead of the new Premier League season. After David Moyes' disasterous reign at Old Trafford, van Gaal could be the man to bring the glory days back to the former champions, now not even the best team in their own city. Van Gaal will face more big calls when he takes over the Old Trafford hotseat after the World Cup, for what promises to be another gripping campaign in the top flight. But the way he handled Saturday's pivotal decision bodes well. In the meantime, the football festival in Brazil rolls on with this week's semi-finals and the final on Sunday. It's going to leave a big hole in many people's lives when the teams go home next week. Virtually every match in the tournament so far has been a joy to watch and provided great entertainment. As my girlfriend, who isn't a big football fan, declared during the match between Belgium and the USA, 'I'm scared to leave the room in case I miss something!'. England's desperately poor early exit aside, it's been a tournament to remember with some fluent attacking play combined with some great goalkeeping displays. It's such a shame we'll have to wait four years for the next one! JONATHAN HERBERT

World Cup 2014: Holland goalkeeper Tim Krul knew he would go on for penalty shootout

July 6, 2014, 7:15 am

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Holland goalkeeper Tim Krul is ecstatic to be in the semi-finals of the World Cup after his dramatic introduction to the tournament. The Newcastle United player came on with only seconds to go in extra time and produced two match-winning saves in a penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica. "Tonight I have realised a dream," said Krul. "What I've experienced is an incredible emotion. "(Holland coach Louis) van Gaal had warned me. It was something prepared and I knew that I would have this chance." Van Gaal promised Jasper Cillessen – who, unlike Krul, was not told of the planned change for the shoot-out – that he remains his first choice for the semi-final. Van Gaal said: "There is no question about who will start next game, it will be Cillessen. "But we felt Krul was the better choice here. "We told Krul that he would be a possibility for the penalties, but we didn't tell Cillessen, as we didn't want to ruin his preparation. The Oranje had numerous chances to win the game without the need for spot-kicks but were denied by the woodwork three times as well as by an inspired display from Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder said: It was that kind of night when the ball did not want to go in. "But despite all of our hard work we still went into the penalty shoot-out sharp. "There was only one team that deserved to go to the semi-finals and it was us. If you work hard you go very far." Holland, runners-up four years ago in South Africa, take on Argentina, who beat Belgium 1-0 in their quarter-final tie, in the last four on Wednesday in Sao Paulo. Navas lamented his team's elimination from the World Cup but believes they have done their nation proud. Los Ticos had never reached the quarter-final stages of the competition and had gone unbeaten in Brazil before losing 4-3 on penalties in Salvador. "We lost everything in a penalty shoot-out and we go home sad but with our heads held high," said Navas. "It's hard but this is life." Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana saw their spot-kicks saved by Krul while the Dutch converted all of their attempts. "We cannot blame anyone because to be there at that time is not easy," Navas said. "Our rivals did their job in the penalty shoot -out and we didn't."

All Golds sunk by Hemel Stags

July 6, 2014, 9:36 am

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All Golds 14 Hemel Stags 21 The University of Gloucestershire All Golds' fine winning run came to an end against Hemel Stags today at the Prince of Wales Stadium. The Stags secured a win that was more comfortable than the score might suggest. The Stags had eased into a 16-0 lead after a quarter of the game against a side that looked a shadow of the outfit that had turned over both Hunslet and York in recent weeks. However, the All Golds briefly showed glimpses of that form in cutting the deficit to just two points at the interval but in a dour second half were snuffed out by some solid Stags defence. The game was slow to catch light with both sides trading set for set. An error by James Walter gave the Stags a scrum in good position and BJ Swindells went over on the last tackle to open the scoring. He added the goal and converted the Stags' second try six minutes later from James Cameron, scored after the All Golds' first attack ended tamely in a penalty for obstruction. The home side looked lethargic as if the efforts of their four match winning run had taken the legs out of them and the Stags had little difficulty in rolling forward to put in probing kicks to pressure the back three. With 21 minutes gone, after the All Golds had conceded another unnecessary penalty, Eddie Mbaraga forced his way over for the Stags' third try, but this time Swindells missed the goal. A forward pass gave the All Golds their first real attacking platform and Aidan Jenkins powered through to touch down straight from the scrum for a try converted by Matt Bradley. The All Golds' toehold in the game got stronger half an hour in when Ben White's offload opened space out wide and Phil Cowburn used his winger superbly to glide in untouched. The revival was complete five minutes later when a superb set move cut the Stags open up the middle and again White's off load was key as space appeared out wide, Jenkins diving over in the corner for his second try. A shower of rain early in the second period made handling difficult and a slew of mistakes resulted, but it was the Stags who controlled things better and extended their lead just before the hour mark. James Hill looked offside as he was first to Jermaine Coleman's kick but the officials awarded the try in the corner. There was only one more score in a half that the Stags controlled, their physical style stifling the All Golds and allowing the Coleman brothers free rein to dictate play with their kicking game that forced four goal-line dropouts. The win was sealed five minutes from time by a Swindells penalty, but the bonus point keeps the All Golds in fourth just ahead of the Stags and Gateshead. UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS: Danny Thomas, Scott Claridge, Jarrod Ward, Phil Cowburn, Aidan Jenkins; Ben White, Matt Bradley; Izaak Duffy, Craig Cook, Miles Fairbank; Jason Muranka, Sam Te'o; Brendan Smith. Interchange (all used): Casey Canterbury, Mike -Stewart, Frank Foster, James Walter. HEMEL STAGS: James Cameron; Jimmy Morgan, Matt Cook, Michael Brown, James Hill; Jy-mel Coleman, Jermaine Coleman; James Howitt, Evan Simons, Dom Maloney; Mike McMeeken, BJ Swindells; Eddie Mbaraga. Interchange: Romaine Nveratte, Dan Ljazouli, Ryan Chester, Matt Tebb. Referee: Adam Gill (RFL Appointment) Touch judges: J Woodman, J Barr Attendance: 168

A48 closed in both directions following collision involving motorbike

July 6, 2014, 9:37 am

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Police have closed the A48 in both directions following a road traffic collision involving a motorbike. Paramedics, firefighters and police officers attended the incident which happened shortly after 5pm between Tutshill and Lydney. The causalty has been taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by ambulance although the extent of his injuries are not known. A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said officers were treating the incident as serious. It is believed at this stage only one vehicle was involved.

Reasons to be cheerful with the #100dayshappy campaign

July 6, 2014, 9:48 am

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MANY of us live super busy lives. While the speed of life increases, there is less and less time to enjoy the moment you are in. But people across Gloucestershire have joined the latest social media craze to take time out and do and think about 100 things that make them happy. The ability to appreciate the moment, the environment and yourself in it is the base for the bridge towards long-term happiness of any human being and that is what people in Gloucestershire are doing. #100dayshappy has seen people do something that makes them happy for 100 days. They then post a picture on Facebook and Instagram to share with their friends. Elaine McLaren from Stroud is taking part in the 100 day challenge. She has already completed 32 days. She said: "I had a rough start to the beginning of the year. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and, because of the constant rain, I felt really miserable. So when I heard about this I thought it was a really nice idea. "It is the little sentimental things that make you happy. On Saturday, my daughter made me breakfast in bed, which made me happy and yesterday I finished making her a dress I had been working on. It is red, white and blue. It was really complicated to make and it was my first time sewing a dress. "I don't plan it but when I think something has made me happy, I take a picture and post it to Facebook. My cousin in Newcastle-upon-Tyne waits until the end of the day to decide what has made her the most happiest. "The challenge is a lovely way to realise life is not miserable."

Calls for weekday firework ban after dog 'scared to death'

July 6, 2014, 9:55 am

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In Monday's Citizen we speak to the group calling for a week day firework in Churchdown ban after greyhound 'Leo' was scared to death. We also run a feature on war poet Ivor Gurney and look at micro-pub plans for the former Sophia's restaurant in Cinderford.

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World Cup 2014 OPINION: Brazil will still reach final despite double blow

July 7, 2014, 6:18 am

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THE only other time Brazil and Germany have crossed paths in a World Cup was the 2002 final in Japan, when the South Americans triumphed 2-0 thanks to a masterful display from their star player, Ronaldo. On Tuesday night Luiz Felipe Scolari's team go into their semi-final showdown in Belo Horizonte without their latest national hero Neymar, but I am still backing them to progress to the final. Most people would agree Germany have a stronger all-round squad and Neymar's back injury coupled with a suspension for captain and key defender Thiago Silva have left Brazil reeling. But the incredible passion and fervour coursing around the entire nation will, I believe, be enough to drag them through to the Maracana and end Germany's chances of a fourth success. Brazil have won the World Cup five times, but Germany's overall record is one of remarkable consistency, with this their fourth successive semi-final appearance. They have been workmanlike and ruthless thus far in search of their first triumph since Italia '90, but I do not think they will become the first European team to conquer the world on South American soil. Much will depend on Chelsea's attacking midfielder Willian, who looks set to be given the almighty task of replacing Neymar. It is also time for Hulk to deliver in front of goal after a mixed set of performances. They may have been underwhelming at times, but Brazil appear to be improving as the tournament progresses. If they show more of the sort of unbridled passion displayed by David Luiz after his magnificent free-kick against Colombia in the quarter-finals, I cannot see them losing. Perhaps the key to their hopes of success is the ability to temper that sort of extreme emotion shown by the players throughout the tournament so far without losing the raw passion that will ultimately help them lift the trophy. They have dealt with the weight of expectancy admirably well on their way to the last four and the loss of Neymar will only serve to make them even more determined. Brazil is nowhere near ready to stop their World Cup party and I predict an mouthwatering all South American final against Argentina.

Germany wary of Brazil's physical threat in semi-final showdown

July 7, 2014, 6:22 am

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GERMANY coach Joachim Low believes World Cup semi-final opponents Brazil are "lacking flair" as the two heavyweights prepare to do battle in Belo Horizonte On Tuesday night (9pm). Low is expecting a physical encounter against Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, who have committed 96 fouls at the tournament, picking up 10 yellow cards. Brazil's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia saw more fouls committed (54) than any match at the tournament up to that point. The most in a game previous to that fixture also involved Brazil, with 51 fouls committed in the last 16 game with Chile. "They're playing more robustly than any other team here," said Low. "There's little left of that traditional Brazilian style of football. "At the end of the day, it's up to the referee to come up with the correct punishment." Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger also believes Brazil have been overly physical en route to the last four. "I am all for a healthy hardness, but some of Brazil's fouls were over the limit," Schweinsteiger said. "Brazilians are not only football magicians. "Hard tackling is part of their game. We have to be careful and so does the referee." Brazil will be without one of their most technically gifted players, with Barcelona striker Neymar ruled out after injuring his back against Colombia. But Schweinsteiger fears his absence could galvanise his Brazil team-mates. "Neymar's team-mates will want to win the World Cup for him," he added. "They'll derive strength from that." Germany finished runners-up at the 2002 World Cup, when they lost 2-0 to Brazil in the final. Since then, they have lost at the semi-final stage in each of the last two tournaments. They lost to eventual champions Spain in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but Schweinsteiger believes the current Germany squad is stronger than the one from four years ago. "We're a step further now," he said. "The number of really good players on the team is greater now than before." The man tipped to replace Neymar, Willian, gave Brazil a scare when he suffered a back injury in training, but he has declared himself fit to face the Germans. "I was hurt on my left side," he said. "It bothers me a bit but it is not significant. I am available to play." Neymar says his dream of being a world champion is not over despite being ruled out of the rest of the World Cup. The 22-year-old fractured a vertebra in his spine after being kneed in the back by Juan Zuniga. The Barcelona player said his dream was "interrupted... but it continues". He added: "I'm certain my team-mates will do everything so my dream, which is to be a champion, comes true." Speaking in a video released by the Brazilian Soccer Federation, Neymar said: "My dream was also to play in a World Cup final, but this time it didn't work out. "I am sure they will win this Cup and be champions, and I will be with them, and all Brazilians will soon be celebrating all of that. "It's a very difficult moment. I have no words to translate what is going through my head and my heart. "I'd just like to say I will be back as quickly as possible; when you least expect it, I'll be back."

Young Sport: Newent enter new Under-14s team

July 7, 2014, 6:34 am

≫ Next: Huffington Post UK founder Carla Buzasi lands another top job

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NEWENT Town Under-14s will be entering the Gloucester Youth League for the first time during the 2014/15 season. Coached by Newent's senior manager Paul Wilband, skipper Hayden Rust and first team player John Gardner, the newly formed team means the club now boasts three adult sides, an Under-18s group and now an Under-14 XI too. Any new players interested in joining Newent should contact Debbie Bignell at debdora@me.com. "We as a club are really excited about the up and coming season across the club," Bignell said. Newent would like to thank Gill Taylor at Smootheelicious for kindly sponsoring the Under-14s team. The new Gloucester Youth League campaign for Under-11s to Under-16s starts on September 7, with the Under-eights, nines and 10s starting a day earlier.

Huffington Post UK founder Carla Buzasi lands another top job

July 7, 2014, 7:06 am

≫ Next: Pictures: Filming on JK Rowling drama this week at Stroud police station and Archway School

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A FORMER Gloucestershire school pupil who started an industry-changing news website has landed another top job. Huffington Post UK's founding editor-in-chief Carla Buzasi is returning to the world of fashion after setting up the news aggregation and comment site which pulls in more than eight million unique visitors a month. The former student of Stroud High School and High School for Girls in Denmark Road, Gloucester, saw her first bylined story while on work experience at the Gloucester Citizen when she was 16. Carla, whose mum and dad were teachers in Gloucestershire, was an associate editor of Marie Claire before she successfully pitched the idea of a UK version of Huffington Post to its US owner in 2011. Her new job is a global role for data and insight firm WGSN, a fashion trends forecaster. "Launching the Huffington Post in the UK three years ago was a once-in-a-lifetime role," she told The Guardian. "I have relished every opportunity and challenge along the way. Now it is time for a new chapter and another amazing opportunity."

Pictures: Filming on JK Rowling drama this week at Stroud police station and Archway School

July 7, 2014, 7:20 am

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FILM makers moved in to a Stroud school today to start work on JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, before moving on to Stroud police station. The drama of the first novel JK Rowling wrote after the Harry Potter series, it centres around a battle for power on the council of the fictional town Pagford and takes some dark turns and stars Michael Gambon. The location team was looking for a 1970s and 1980s feel to the set of the BBC/HBO-funded drama, and with the concrete police station near to Archway School, it fitted the bill. Around 200 students and staff at the Paganhill secondary school are lined up to be extras. In a letter to parents, Archway School headteacher Colin Belford said the school will be used early in July and during the summer break. "Whilst they will be using professional actors they are interested in using quite a large number of our students as extras in scenes where they want to recreate school assemblies, examinations, corridor and outdoor shots and getting on and off school buses," he said in the letter.