New captain Billy Twelvetrees has urged Gloucester to restore Kingsholm as a fortress.

While the England centre led the Cherry and Whites for much of last season in the absence of Tom Savage, he was handed the captain's armband on a permanent basis last week.

He was "ecstatic" to be given the honour by David Humphreys and has laid down the gauntlet to his players by declaring Castle Grim must become impenetrable again.

Gloucester lost six league matches on home turf and Twelvetrees insists that will not be acceptable as a new era dawns at the club.

He said: "Making Kingsholm a fortress is massive for us as players, the city itself and the supporters. The players love coming here, the opposition find it difficult and we want to make it a fortress again.

"We didn't do that last year, it wasn't good enough and the players will hold their hands up to that but sport is about looking forward and we can't wait for this next challenge.

"Last year was disappointing but from a playing point of view we learnt a lot. We have licked our wounds and the players who are here really want to kick on.

"We have the building blocks but it's up to us to push it on. There's huge potential here, you look at the young guys coming through and then the experience and what they bring.

"We have every potential to do well if we get our heads down. We have great coaches behind us, the detail is going through and as long as we keep learning and taking on the challenges the possibilities are endless."

But while Twelvetrees is optimistic about the future he has urged patience following a summer of mass upheaval. Even the strapping centre felt like he was starting at a new school when he returned to Hartpury following international duty.

Twenty-six new faces in the playing department and a revamped coaching staff, with only Trevor Woodman surviving, greeted the England ace upon his return.

Such changes naturally require a bedding in period before they bear fruit.

He said: "It's great for everyone, it's been like going to a new school, barely recognising some of the coaches and players at first.

"But rugby is the best environment for that kind of thing, we're training together, socialising and team bonding is the most important thing.

"Everyone has started on a level ground and you need to earn the respect of everyone around you, not just the coaches and supporters.

"It will take time, there's a new coaching set-up and a lot of new players in key positions. It's not going to happen straight away and we have to be patient and believe in what we are doing as a squad.

"It's very exciting that we have a great group of coaches who are very enthusiastic.

"There's a lot of hard work to be done, we have to be honest and do what we need to do to be the best we can."

Twelvetrees is set to start against Munster on Saturday and he is relishing the opportunity to play alongside some of the club's stellar summer signings, none more so than James Hook.

"It's awesome to have his sort of calibre of player coming to Gloucester," Twelvetrees said.

"I'm really looking forward to playing alongside him, it's been great over the last few weeks in training, you learn stuff from him straight away and it's great to have his experience there.

"It's the same with a lot of the other guys coming in, there's a lot of talent and a lot of hard graft will be put in.

"There's now good competition in every single position and you need that in the Premiership. It's great for the standards we're setting, nobody knows what the team's going to be and that brings the best out of individuals."

A BEARDED dragon suffered from smoke inhalation during a blaze at a house near Gloucester.

Quick-thinking crews helped the lizard to recovery while colleagues tackled the flames shortly after 2.45pm.

A puppy also had a lucky escape from the property at Colwell Avenue, in Hucclecote, after fire broke out in the kitchen.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The puppy was rescued and the bearded dragon suffered from smoke inhalation.

"Once on scene, they discovered a small fire in the house which they dealt with using one hose reel and four breathing apparatus."

A total of ten firefighters from Cheltenham east and west stations spent around an hour at the property.

CONTROVERSIAL scientist Richard Dawkins has sparked anger once again - this time by claiming foetuses with Down's syndrome should be aborted.

The outspoken athiest author said parents should abort unborn babies with the condition and "try again".

He made the comments during a Twitter debate, provoking fury from many online.

Down's syndrome is a genetic disorder that delays growth and causes intellectual disability.

It is named after Torpoint physician John Langdon Down, who was the first to properly detail the condition in 1862.

The online discussion involving Professor Dawkins began when he posted a link to an article in US magazine New Republic titled 'The Catholic Church prefers medieval barbarism to modern abortion'.

The 73-year-old said: "Ireland is a civilised country except in this one area. You'd think the Roman Church would have lost all influence."

Irish Catholic fitter Aidan McCourt responded by asking The God Delusion author: "994 human beings with Down's syndrome deliberately killed before birth in England and Wales in 2012. Is that civilised?"

Professor Dawkins, who has around one million followers on Twitter, replied by saying: "Yes, it is very civilised. These are foetuses, diagnosed before they have human feelings."

He went on to say: "Learn to think in non-essentialist ways. The question is not "is it 'human'?" but "can it suffer?""

A Boston-based writer calling themselves 'InYourFaceNewYorker' tweeted at him: "I honestly don't know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down's syndrome. Real ethical dilemma."

Prof Dawkins' reply to the American's comment has since prompted a furious response online.

"Abort it and try again," he said.

"It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice."

GLOUCESTER residents have been left "frightened to death" by a convoy of travellers which have apparently set up camp on school playing fields.

A pair of caravans turned up at Beaufort School in Tuffley last night but neighbours were alarmed when several more were seen to move on to the site this morning.

A neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told the Citizen: "I live right at the back of where they are parking up and that field is full of children playing football in the school holidays – people are just frightened to death as big dogs are off leads.

"Light night we all just locked up our sheds and garages as we became very worried.

"We only had around two caravans there until about 11am when there was a convoy of around seven or eight that I could see, but there were more beyond."

A spokesman for Gloucester City Council said the travellers moved to the school site following a short stay at Scott's Avenue in Podsmead.

Council officials are aware of the issue which they are in the process of investigating.

Councillor Christ Chatterton, who represents the Grange on Gloucester City Council, said: "Firstly these are school playing fields and luckily we are in the holiday period but it still can't be justified.

"This is also open space where people can take their children and dogs – it is a public amenity and should be kept that way.

"This is a similar situation to when they turned up at Tuffley Rovers a couple of months ago and there are places where it is not appropriate for them to go.

"And school playing fields are absolutely not the place for them to be and this is something that needs to be looked at as quickly as possible."

Councillor Gerald Dee, for Tuffley, said travellers who set up camp on public land are a notoriously difficult to tackle because they move on as soon as enforcement procedures start.

He said: "But the real problem is whoever they are they seem to make a mess. If they didn't leave so much rubbish, I think people could live with it."

Project Typhoon will help provide the missing link in the story of Gloucester's rich aviation history at the Jet Age Museum, historians hope.

The 20,000th visitor is expected to pass through the doors of the museum this weekend - more than double the number originally expected when it first opened last year.

It has been a huge success, with details of the latest exhibit under construction to commemorate the role of the Hawker's Typhoon fighter aircraft during the Second World War.

Women played a key role in its construction at the Gloster Aircraft Company. With many men fighting overseas, women worked tirelessly on the factory floor to piece together thousands of planes to be used in the war effort.

The Typhoon proved a powerful ground attack weapon to protect troops ahead of the Normandy landings, and played an important support role on D-Day.

Ahead of that vitally important milestone in British history, more than four Typhoons were produced at the Hucclecote factory each day. The GAC built 3,300 between 1941 and 1945.

Museum volunteers are now piecing together a cockpit and forward fuselage of a rare early version of the Typhoon to go on display.

It will help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the final aircraft to leave the factory in 1945.

An appeal has been launched to procure rare components of aircraft that may be held in storage across the county, and for any surviving factory workers to get in touch with the museum to tell their story.

Darren Lewington, from the Jet Age Museum, said: "It was designed as a fighter interceptor but it became clear it was better suited as a ground attack aircraft. It was hugely successful in that.

"The Typhoon is not very well represented and there is only one surviving example in Canada. We have the bare bones of a cockpit recovered from a scrap yard in Wiltshire and want to bring the Typhoon home to where it was made in Gloucestershire.

"It is very rare. The Typhoon was made at the height of GAC production and we want one back. It was a complex and unusual aircraft, so we need some help with the project."

A similar size to the Javelin aircraft, the museum only has space to build a cockpit section to go on display. A team of six retired engineers and aviation experts will piece together what they find. Donations are also needed to help pay for the production process.

A budget has been set at £15,000 to cover raw material and acquisition costs.

Trevor Davies, project co-ordinator, said: "We are planning a GAC reunion in the not so distant future so we are keen for anyone who was involved to get in touch with the museum.

"This project is not just in need of money, but we need expertise. We want this to have an education quality to pass on to the next generation. We want to inspire young people to get involved in engineering."

To help out contact Trevor on 01452 619793 or call the museum on 01452 260078.

Police are still seeking information about a shoplifting incident in a High Street supermarket in Cheltenham.

The incident took place on Tuesday 1 July at about 8 am, when an unknown suspect is believed to have left the store with several packs of bacon without paying. He was seen departing towards the Strand area.

He is described as being white, in his late 20s – early 30s, about 6 feet 3 inches, slim, wearing white shorts with black trim,a black vest-top, black wristbands on both wrists, black shoes and dark rimmed glasses. He was carrying a black holdall believed to be containing bacon.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting crime number Crime Number 14826/14 and incident number 67 of 1 July.

You can also give information anonymously by contacting the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org and you may receive a reward if someone is arrested and charged.

Ambulance driver Adam Kilpatrick has lost his job after he attacked another man at a city night club on Boxing Day, breaking his jaw.

The 21-year-old, who has found work as a motorcycle salesman, admitted unlawfully wounding Jordan Hadley causing him grievous bodily harm.

It happened when he punched Mr Hadley several times in the smoking area of Liquid club following an earlier disagreement between them, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Kilpatrick, of Harescombe Drive, Gloucester, was sentenced to a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay 1,500 compensation at £50 a month.

Prosecutor Richard Posner said there had been a 'history of disagreement' between the two men before the incident.

"The defendant wanted Mr Hadley to apologise to him and to get down on his knees in doing so," said Mr Posner.

"That was not something Mr Hadley was prepared to do.

"The defendant then punched him in the face. Mr Hadley asked why he had done that. In response he was punched four to five times more. He stumbled back and fell to the floor. One of the club door staff ran over and stopped the assault. The defendant was told to leave," said Mr Posner

"He texted almost immediately to apologise to Mr Hadley for what he had done. He was arrested soon afterwards."

He said following the attack Mr Hadley did not realise he had two fractures of the jaw and he tried to carry on with life as normal. Because of that Kilpatrick was offered, and accepted, a police caution.

But Mr Hadley was in such pain that he went to hospital on December 29 and the fractures were found.

"He has since undergone three operations to insert plates and he has endured months of what he calls torture," said Mr Posner.

Because the injury was much more serious Kilpatrick was rearrested.

Mr Hadley had suffered £2,000 loss of earnings because he was not able to work for some time, added Mr Posner.

James Bromige, defending, said it was a 'tragic case' because of the impact that 30 seconds loss of temper had on both Mr Hadley and Kilpatrick.

He had been working as an ambulance driver for Aviva at the time of the offence but had lost his job after notifying his employers of what he did.

"He is seriously and sincerely remorseful for what he did," he added.

Kilpatrick said he wanted to compensate Mr Hadley for his injury.

Passing sentence, Recorder Nicholas Atkinson QC said he took into account Kilpatrick's previous good character and excellent references about him.

STUDENTS keen to see the engineering sector thrive across the county are urged to enrol on a pioneering new degree course.

In conjunction with Versarien and other business leaders, the University of Gloucestershire has launched an industry-led programme for the very first time.

And those students who think they have what it takes to succeed with the Citizen and Echo-backed Graduate scheme should sign up to the BEng integrated engineering degree now.

Mike Simmonds, business development manager at the university, said: "From a university agenda, we are keen to support the engineering and manufacturing sector, which is so important to Gloucestershire, and we wanted to do that in any way we can."

Companies backing the scheme will pay for undergraduates to enrol on the BEng integrated engineering degree – a level six 'top up' day-release course – for the right candidate.

Mr Simmonds added: "There is a feeling that if people wished to progress from being undergraduates they would have to go out of the county or commute which would not be ideal for employers and employees.

"But the really interesting thing is the mixture of different students coming onto the course and we are now looking forward to getting into the classroom. We have been designing, developing and tweaking the programme and thinking about how we can be novel in terms of its delivery."

The course, which will launch next month at Park campus, Cheltenham, will be delivered for one day per week over two years which will allow the student to study and work.

It will allow students with a background in mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer-enabled technology or manufacturing engineering to learn skills at a higher level.

Mr Simmonds said businesses across the company have helped shape the course on what he said has been an "interesting journey."

Although the course will continue to be developed, it will help employers improve the skills of their workforce.

Successful candidates must have an HND or Foundation Degree (level 5 qualifications) in a related engineering discipline, an HNC (level 4 qualifications) plus several years' industry experience and knowledge or substantial industry experience and knowledge.

The course is being delivered one day per week over a two-year period; this will allow individuals in employment to attend the course, alongside their regular job.

Through the Citizen and the Echo, Neill Ricketts, chief executive of Forest of Dean-based Versarien, is searching for a student to support through the programme. Mr Ricketts said: "I have been working with the university since the inception of this course along with several others, it is vitally important as our company continues to grow that we have access to the right skills."

To apply for the sponsored place email your CV and a letter to david.shepherd@glosmedia.co.uk by August 29.

Residents at a caravan park near Gloucester are at risk of being made homeless after they were given just over two months to leave.

Up to 30 people at the Orchard Park fixed caravan site in Twigworth have to move out as part of a bid by owners Park Home Life to modernise the complex. Some of the people being told to go have lived there for more than 20 years.

The Citizen has seen a copy of a letter sent to a shorthold tenant, giving them notice to leave by October 31, as the firm ushers in new leasehold properties. Leasehold is when someone buys a property with a fixed term on it after this comes to an end ownership returns to the landlord.

Some residents are at risk of being made homeless and others forced to move back in with their families.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been allowed by the company to spend £3,000 on his property since moving in eight months ago.

He said: "I was absolutely gutted when I was told I had to move out. There are people on this block who have been at the park for more than 20 years and the management have just told them to leave. We thought we had found a place to retire.

"It feels terrible because we've invested so much in the property and we feel at home here."

Another resident, who is not leaving, said: "We're an old fashioned community and it's a different way of living admittedly but we all help each other out. There are people here that are at risk of being made homeless. There's nowhere for some of these people to go."

Resident Phillip O'Dea, who has been told to move out, said: "I've only been here for 12 months so it's not much of an upheaval for me. But there are people who've been here for decades who are not happy about it."

"It's a huge inconvenience for people, especially so close to Christmas."

Another resident who is moving out, who did not want to be named, said: "I feel betrayed, especially because I've lived in the park since 1983. I'm out of work on disability allowance, so it's hard to find somewhere else. I'm checking every day but I've not found a new place so far."

Adam Griffin, managing director of Pine View Parks, part of the Park Home Life group, said: "Pine View Parks is a very caring and responsible business. At Orchard Park, there is a clear need to modernise and upgrade not only the homes but all of the infrastructure as well as bringing on mains gas for the long term benefit of residents. We are talking to every resident that this modernisation affects and doing our utmost to help relocate or rehouse."