MARC Allen will be hoping his home crowd can roar him to victory when he takes on defending champion Terry Doyle for the Ultimate Impact (UI) welterweight title at GL1 on Saturday.

The clash will be the first of two title fights on the night with Adam Boussif looking to defend his welterweight title against Shane Riley, while there are another 13 matches on the card at the mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing event featuring amateur and professional fighters.

Allen, who lives in Gloucester, earned his shot at the title after beating former champion Wayne Drake at the last UI event in November and has an 8-5 win-loss record.

"He's going to be bringing a lot of support which is important for him to lift the title," said Paul Sutherland, who coaches Allen at Trojan Free Fighters in Cheltenham and is the matchmaker for the event.

Doyle won the title in June when he beat Drake in just his second professional fight to hold a 100 per cent winning record, but Allen is a two-time Pain Pit Fight Night champion.

London-based Boussif will be looking to retain the title he won on his last UI show at the start of 2014 when he beat Phil Wells by submission. He has a 6-3 record and has fought all over the country, as well as in Cage Warriors events in Europe.

Swansea's Shane Riley has fought at in the UI competition three times and won his two previous fights to put himself in a position to go for the title.

The headline kickboxing match will be the welterweight title fight eliminator between Gloucester's Steve Smith and Dave Conlon, who is a member of East West Muay Thai Boxing Club in Stroud.

There will also be five ladies bouts on the night with UI flyweight kickboxing champion Laura Handy making her MMA debut against European BJJ champion Ffion Davies.

UI co-owner Sutherland is a former multiple champion in kickboxing and MMA and has trained fighters who have competed in some of the world's top organisations, such as UFC's Che Mills, while he has also worked as an official judge for the UFC.

He is hoping for a big crowd, expecting anything between 500 and 1,000.

Sutherland said: "It is run professionally and the fighters are vetted by myself. I've been in this sport for a few years and I'm a former champion so I know how to treat the fighters."

Standard tickets for the event cost £25, while cage-side seating is £35, and VIP table seating is £45, and can be bought from www.

ultimateimpactevents.com, GL1 Reception or Trojan Free Fighters Cheltenham Gym. Doors open at 4.30pm for a 5.30pm start.

Hook Norton 1 Longlevens 3

LONGLEVENS beat Hook Norton to stretch their lead at the top of Hellenic League Division One West to five points.

An evenly balanced first half saw Longlevens take the initiative from a long range Dave Merrick cross which Craig Martin helped into the net.

Longlevens extended their lead after the break via a goal-mouth scramble which was eventually turned in for an own goal.

Levens sealed the win when Merrick fed Brad Martin to expertly curl into the bottom corner of the net.

Hook Norton got a late consolation via the penalty spot.

Longlevens: Hall, Overthrow, Smyllie, Sausman, Beaton, Dunn (B Martin 60), Kavanagh, Merrick, O'Connor (Baker 75), R Hughes, C Martin (c) (Rich 75). 

Yate Town 0 Shortwood United 1

SHORTWOOD United carried on where they left off at Totton with another performance of sheer character at Yate in the semi-final of the GFA Senior Cup.

The willingness of the side to battle was again apparent and they showed superb commitment to carry Wood through to the final, where they will now meet Cirencester Town.

With 15 minutes to go Josh Klein-Davies held the ball up well before pushing the ball into the space behind the defence. Josh Egan timed his run to perfection, nipped the ball past Martin Horsell and followed up to score.

In the dying seconds Joe Chandler had a golden opportunity to send the game to penalties but somehow headed wide.

Shortwood: King, Rawlings, Humphreys, Lee, Lawrence-Forbes (Sykes 67), Langworthy, Thomas M, Bennett, Sommers, Klein-Davies, Egan. Sub not used: Hoskins.

Police are appealing for information following an incident in Stroud when two cars received damaged tyres.

All four tyres were damaged on a Landrover Discovery and one tyre punctured on a Ford Focus Ghia in Eros Close, sometime overnight between February 15 and 16.

Anyone with any information aboutthe vandalism is asked to contact Gloucestershire Police on 101, quoting incident number 91 of February 16.

Aspiring paralympian Issy Bailey is just one of the faces of the inspirational This Girl Can Campaign.

The 20-year-old who attends Exeter University plays for Gloucester's wheelchair rugby team where one of the coaches sent her picture into the campaign without her knowledge.

"It was quite a surprise," said Issy, who also represents the Great Britain disabled shooting team.

"He just told me he was going to use a picture of me playing for the team's website then next thing I know I'm part of a national campaign."

This Girl Can is a national campaign developed by Sport England and a wide range of partnership organisations to celebrate active women up and down the country, no matter how they look or even how red their face gets.

Issy has been playing for Gloucester since May last year – nearly a year after she was involved in a horrific crash near Cirencester, which left her paralysed from the waist down.

However, she has refused to let her injuries stop her from competing in top level sport.

"I started getting involved in shooting while I was still doing rehab after my accident. I had broken my ribs so couldn't do any really physical sport to begin with," she said.

"But then I saw some information about the wheelchair rugby team in Gloucester and I knew I had to go along and give it ago and since then I have never looked back."

Issy is one of the attacking players on the team and is one of their top try scorers – helping to get them to the top of league three.

Wheelchair Rugby, also known as Quad Rugby, or Murderball, is open to men and women of all ages.

Four players from each team are on the court at one time – two defensive and two attacking players.

"We use different wheelchairs that make it easier for us to ram into the other players and get the ball," explained Issy.

"Don't worry though, we are all strapped in to stop us from going anywhere."

From building site to thriving community - Kingsway has come a long way.

That was the message from residents in the growing estate at a fun day at the community centre today.

The event was held to identify strengths in the area, meet neighbours and plan for the future.

Organiser Alex Lodge, of GreenSquare, said: "The day was all about celebrating everything that is great about Kingsway.

"People have come along and told us what is great about living in Kingsway and what they would like to improve.

"Kingsway often gets a bad reputation but everyone we have spoken to has said such positive things."

Residents agreed that contrary to some people's impressions, Kingsway is a friendly place and a great area for families.

Mum-of-three Kerstin Dhaudi moved to the estate five years ago.

The 40-year-old said: "Kingsway seems to have this bad reputation but I really don't know why.

"All the residents say it is lovely and I have certainly never experienced anything negative.

She added: "It is still in the making so obviously there are some facilities missing, for example a health centre.

"It will take time to build up a strong community like Quedgeley for example as it is more established. But we are getting there."

Mum-of-two Steph Jones, 27, moved to the area last year.

"I heard negative things before I came here but I love living here," she said.

"Everything is easy to walk to and there are so many groups and activities to get involved with."

Fellow parent Laren Gomes said she has made many friends since moving to estate five years ago.

"The community support is great and there are so many groups to join," she said.

"For me, Kingsway has really met all my needs regarding childcare."

Ms Gomes said she would like to see a place of worship in Kingsway.

Visitors to the fun day were able to talk to local agencies and groups including Gloucester City Council, Carers Gloucester, Quedgeley Parish Council, One Church and Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service.

Local PCSOs were also on hand to provide information and children could take part in craft activities and have their bikes tuned up by Gloucestershire Bike Project.

Free refreshments were provided by nearby Coco Coffee Lounge.

Owner Lesley Dyer said: "The change in Kingsway over the past years has been phenomenal. There is a great atmosphere and there is a lovely community feel here now."

Forget about the bankers – Willie Mullins said it would make his Cheltenham Festival if old boy Hurricane Fly could roll back the years and land his third Champion Hurdle.

The County Carlow handler, whose unbeaten monster Faugheen is a short-priced favourite to land the Stan James backed contest on the opening day of the Cheltenham showpiece, believes there have been valid excuses for his two defeats at the track.

Hurricane Fly's resurgence came at a time when Mullins was contemplating retiring the 11-year-old if he didn't train to his best this season, but he has been left astounded by the veteran's progress to land three Grade Ones at the expense of 2014 Champion Hurdle hero Jezki and stablemate Arctic Fire.

"To me, it would be my dream result if Hurricane Fly could win the Champion Hurdle," the trainer said about the 22-time Grade One winner.

"Faugheen is the future. Hurricane Fly has done everything a clear favourite should have. He's got class and it can be done at the age of 11.

"People have said he doesn't run as well at Cheltenham, I'm not so sure. He's won there twice and I think I have had two good excuses for his two defeats.

"I felt last year, in his last two runs, he wasn't sparking the way he can. I think a lot of people had it in their minds that we were going to retire him.

"I was ready to accept it if he didn't train but he took it hard. Last year he was just going through the motions, this year he has been grabbing the bridle.

"We changed a few things at home and really got him ready for his first run.

"I thought then 'at least he has his Grade One' .

"He's a horse who is very clear about telling us how he feels, but he came on again and went to the Irish Champion Hurdle.

"He was more tired after that than I have ever seen him but he's as good as ever at the moment."

Mullins alluded to the likelihood of Ruby Walsh, on board 'The Fly' for his last 18 starts, jumping ship to follow the market and be aboard the young pretender Faugheen.

"I think probably what the bookmakers say is the nearest to what is going to happen I would think," said Mullins.

"Faugheen is doing everything right. At the start of the season I thought he should go novice chasing but we took a closer look at what he was doing.

"To have a Champion Hurdle horse in the yard is huge rather than winning an Arkle."

Mullins is unconcerned he did not opt to give Faugheen another outing, which means he goes for the two mile championship without seeing a racecourse since Boxing Day.

"I didn't want to travel to England again and I didn't want him taking on Hurricane Fly," he said.

"We prepared Faugheen for the Red Mills (at Gowran Park last Saturday), I asked Ruby (Walsh) if he wanted to run or not; he said not. We thought long and hard about it.

"As for Arctic Fire, I wouldn't discount him on the day. He's a horse that has always shown me plenty. I probably haven't got the best out of him yet."

Mullins would have had a fourth string to his Champion Hurdle bow in the shape of Annie Power had she stayed injury free, as that was the reason she stayed over the smaller obstacles instead of embarking on a chasing career.

She's back on target now for a crack at the OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle, but the master trainer added: "If they keep falling out of the World Hurdle who knows?" suggesting options remain open.

Exciting plans to regenerate and expand Gloucester's forgotten shopping Mecca are in the pipeline.

The 20-year-old ageing buildings at the Peel Centre, off St Ann Way, are home to retailers such as Burger King, Toys 'R' Us, Hobbycraft and the former Cineworld cinema.

Developers Peel have submitted four planning applications aimed at significantly enhancing the appearance of the worn-out area.

It comes as Peel has confirmed the arrival of discount retailer Home Bargains.

In a planning document, Peel said: "The proposals seek to reverse the downward spiral of decline at the Peel Centre – a key city gateway site and a centrally located retail park."

The planning applications include re-cladding all of the existing retail warehouse units with modern sheet glazing and materials.

There are also plans to turn the former Cineworld site into three separate retail units, which could allow Toys 'R' Us to move there from its existing location across the car park.

Peel is also requesting to alter the range of goods that can be sold at a number of units.

Leader of Gloucester City Council Paul James said: "The Peel Centre was built in the 1980s and looks a bit tired.

"We do need to lift the Peel Centre but we want to make sure that any development is complimentary with the city centre, not in competition."

Home Bargains company logos feature in the recent planning documents submitted to Gloucester City Council.

Earlier this year, Peel wanted to open the discount retailer but the plan was thrown out by Gloucester City Council, with some calling it a 'Trojan horse' planning application designed to lure retailers away from the city centre and jeopardising the King's Quarter development in the city.

However, the change of use application was granted permission on appeal.

City councillor Paul Toleman (C, Westgate) said: "The Peel Centre is not looking great but it will eventually. Peel do a good job on things once work gets going.

"I am still concerned that big brands could be drawn away from the city centre."

Roger Wheeldon, director of development at Peel, said "Peel's commitment to Gloucester Quays is helping to deliver a regionally important visitor attraction that is creating thousands of new jobs and transforming the whole area.

"Further developments are planned by the company including major residential development and we also wish to work closely with the council and other parties to help to deliver the redevelopment of the Bakers Quay site.

"Our plans for the Peel Centre fit squarely within that wider masterplan for the whole area and we look forward to working with the council to secure the planning permissions needed to ensure delivery."

Home Bargains declined to comment.

Bookies are hoping to make a killing as eager EastEnders fans wait for the revelation of who killed Lucy Beale.

In a week of live and partially live episodes on the BBC One soap, the killer will finally be unveiled in Thursday night's show.

Some of the more unusual bets for punters this week are whether a punch will be landed on a cast member (1/2), if a cast member clearly forgets his or her lines (evens), and whether a cast member swears (2/1).

William Hill today slashed the odds of Billy Mitchell being the killer from 33/1 to 5/1 at 2:30pm. He is now the second favourite behind Bobby Beale at 7/2.

Last night there was a run on Abi Branning after her dad Max blurted out that her elder sister 'knew you killed Lucy' at the end of a semi-live episode.

There is another episode tonight, Wednesday, as part of the soap's Live week.

Who killed Lucy Beale (William Hill): 7/2 Bobby Beale; 5/1 Billy Mitchell; 5/1 Jane Beale; 6/1 Abi Branning; 6/1 Ian Beale; 8/1 Ben Mitchell; 10/1 Cindy Beale; 10/1 Peter Beale; 14/1 Les Coker; 14/1 Mick Carter

There have been 82,000 bets placed on the outcome at William Hill with the biggest bet so far £2,000 on Ian Beale which would win the customer a total of £25,000 at the odds when it was played. 400 bets were placed last night in the 10 minutes after the show finished and around £120,000 has been wagered since midnight on Sunday

Who killed Lucy Beale (Ladbrokes): Bobby Beale 7/2; Billy Mitchell 7/2; Jane Beale 5/1; Abi Branning 7/1; Ian Beale 9/1; Peter Beale 10/1; Ben Mitchell 10/1; Cindy Beale 12/1; Les Coker 14/1; Denise Fox 16/1; Cora Cross 16/1

A huge challenge awaits the new owners of HMP Gloucester - and they can't wait to get started.

City and Country, a development group specialising in the conversion of listed and historic buildings for residential and commercial uses, has bought the site along with Dorchester, Kingston and Shepton Mallet prisons.

After snapping up the 222-year-old prison, which closed in March 2013, City and Country now has a unique property on their hands

Managing director Helen Moore, visited the former prison today.

She said: "We have taken on Gloucester Prison because it is a fantastic listed building.

"This project, what ever the final vision ends up being, will bring fantastic regeneration benefits for the Blackfriars area of Gloucester.

"We are in this for the long-term. We always try to create real quality development.

"Every project we have taken on has won a national award and we don't expect any difference in Gloucester."

The firm is working on its development plans which are likely to be mixed use schemes including residential development with assisted living units, complementary retail and social amenity areas.

As part of the consultation process, City and Country will hold three events for members of the public to give their views.

Ms Moore said: "The first part of the process is to thoroughly consult with the key stake holders and the local community to find out what aspirations there are for the site.

"I can't guarantee that I can tick every box but we will listen and take the ideas into consideration.

"The whole Blackfriars area is being developed so we want it to fit with that.

"The most important thing is that we have a viable solution.

"There is no point having a grand plan that can't be achieved.

"We want to get it done as soon as possible.

"Time is of the essence and it is particularly important to get things going as empty heritage buildings deteriorate quickly."

City and Country is aiming to submit a planning application this year with the aim to start work on the site in the next 18 months.

"It will be a challenge but no more so than the schemes we have taken on previously," Ms Moore said.

"We deal with very complex sites."

Ms Moore confirmed that City and Country will retain some of the historical features of the former prison, including a number of cells.

"One of the core values of our business is to ensure that people can read the history of the place," she said.

"It won't mean that every cell will be retained but there history will remain in some shape or form to maintain the significance of the place.

"This building was a prison for hundreds of years."

City and Country has certainly grabbed a slice of history – including bodies buried beneath it.

More than 100 graves of prisoners are believed to lie under part of the site, some in unmarked graves reserved for executed inmates. And any remains of King Henry III's palace will need to be investigated too.

Ms Moore said: "We are fully aware that the bodies are there and we will be have to decide what's the best solution."

The sale of Gloucester Prison and the development of Blackfriars is central to Gloucester MP Richard Graham's vision for the regeneration of the city centre.

A masterplan for the Blackfriars site created by Mr Graham, Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire County Council is expected to be revealed shortly.

Film fans have been evacuated from Cineworld at Gloucester Quays.

Dozens of people were escorted out of the building around 4.45pm and many took to social media to complain.

@cineworld@GlosCineworld when will the gloucester store be open!

— Siana Davis (@SianaLouise) February 18, 2015

@HayleyMortimer@cineworld@GlosCineworld some sort of water leak into the main fire system that supplies most of the Quays

— Siana Davis (@SianaLouise) February 18, 2015

Just been evacuated from the cinema half way through the Kingsman.. Will never no what happens at the end #mare

— Joe_Hanks (@JoeHanks13) February 18, 2015

@cineworld dont suppose you know whats going on in the Gloucester Quays branch? Everyones been evacuated

— Jizz (@The_Curly_One) February 18, 2015

Been evacuated from the cinema and have no idea why

— Roz (@EmilyWebb6) February 18, 2015

Don't even get to see how the film ends��

— Roz (@EmilyWebb6) February 18, 2015

A spokesman from Cineworld said: "There was a water leak in the men's toilets. We called out a private contractor and we reopened at 6pm."

When having a refreshing pint in a favourite Gloucester watering hole, you may be unaware of the ghouls and ghosts beneath your feet.

But Gloucester's pubs have a long-running paranormal history which has become folklore with generations of regulars.

The dead have apparently been communicating in our world in The Cross Keys, Cafe Rene, Dick Whittington, The Station Hotel and The New Inn, to name but a few.

Gloucester's ghouls also gave rise to a special ghost walk, which celebrates its 14th year in 2015.

Lyn Cinderey, who still organises the walks on request, said: "Most pubs that I know of in Gloucester are haunted. I think it has to be in the top five cities in the UK for ghosts.

"It's definitely one of the spookiest cities in the country, but we don't emphasise it enough."

Strange happenings reported at The New Inn include footage captured by CCTV of an unattended pint glass mysteriously disappearing.

There's also a ghost who regularly appears in the kitchen, and throws pots and pans around whenever it is left untidy, and another in the cellar, where a "bad tempered" spirit is said to linger.

Landlord of The New Inn, Mike Sage, said: "We always get the feeling that someone is watching us behind our backs. I want them to come out and talk to me because I would be interested in knowing about them.

"Many people come and stay in the hotel just hoping to hear something."

The Cross Keys also have CCTV footage of what they claim is paranormal activity.

A video show orbs of light appearing in the pub's back garden, and landlady Sue Bull said no one was around at the time.

There's also a ghost of a little boy which is often spotted in the cellar, and a ghouls named Jasper who sits at the pub's little bar.

Sue said: "They're friendly ghosts and they don't mean any harm. They're just a bit mischievous. Most people have a sixth sense when they come in here."

The Dick Whittington is said to be frequently visited by a ghostly black cat, and there's also been sightings of a little girl and man holding a long clay pipe.

A ghoulish commuter on his way out of Gloucester is allegedly trapped forever in The Station Hotel, where he is kept company by a spooky butcher.

Former landlord of The Dick Whittington Norman Ferguson, who is now at The Station, said: "I don't mind the ghosts being around. They don't take up much space so I don't have to charge them for a room.

"The dead will never hurt you. The living do that."

Tributes have been paid to a "gentle giant" and popular Newent personality.

Viv Gray died in his sleep in the early hours of February 3 after a battle with cancer. He was 63.

He was father to Daniel, Anita, Jason and Darren and had many grandchildren who he loved dearly.

His funeral was held at Coney Hill Crematorium yesterday, where donations were made to the Rendcomb ward at Cheltenham General Hospital who were caring for Viv during his final moments.

Family man Viv became well-known in Newent by regularly walking his dogs in the arboretum, and was described as "bomb-proof" after surviving many health scares.

Ex-wife of Viv, Lyn Ackroyd, said: "He had many friends who he met from walking his dogs Alfie and Prinny at the arboretum in Newent.

"He would often say his dogs were his best friends. If you hadn't met him through the arboretum then it probably would had been his crude sense of humour, friendly and outgoing character that would leave him in your thoughts."

Viv's main hobbies included fishing and he also had a particular love and interest in motorbikes.

In his life he had survived numerous heart attacks, kidney cancer and diabetes.

His daughter Anita Dallimore said: "He loved his dogs and he made a lot of friends from dog walking.

"A lot of people knew him. He was a gentle giant. He was a character and you never forgot him if you met him.

"He also loved coming to family BBQs and telling rude rhymes."

Lyn added: "Our best memories of him are at family events like BBQs, meals out and Christmas dinners.

"Always managing to fall asleep not long after arrival, sharing funny and very crazy stories with us and having us running around making him his partial cups of tea."

A Pakistani fraudster who went on the run from justice for eight years before being arrested was set free again today after just 37 days in custody.

In 2007, asylum seeker Raja Shahzad, 32, failed to appear at Gloucester Crown Court to be sentenced for a £116,000 credit card scam as well as other frauds.

He skipped bail and left his home in Barton Street, Gloucester. He then moved to Reigate Avenue, Birmingham where he got married and had a child, all the time evading justice - until last month when he was stopped by police for jumping a red traffic light.

Police who stopped him realised a warrant had been issued for him in 2007 and he was detained.

On Wednesday at Gloucester Crown Court Recorder Adrian Palmer QC sentenced Shahzad to 20 months jail suspended for two years with an 8pm-7am nightly curfew for six months.

He told Shahzad: "You finally come before this court for sentence for offences committed nearly nine years ago for which you should have been sentenced in 2007.

"You absented yourself from court on that occasion and have remained away from court for some eight years.

"By chance you were picked up and now you are here for sentence for a string of offences.

"You committed five offences of using fraudulent cheques to buy a fridge and various gift vouchers to a total value of between £500-£750.

"What overwhelms those offences is that for six months during 2006 you joined a conspiracy to obtain money in a sophisticated manner.

"You set up a fraudulent company and you used the credit card machine of an Indian restaurant in Cheltenham to obtain £116,000 by charging its customers twice when they paid for meals. Initially those customers were the losers and then it was Royal Bank of Scotland, which had to re-imburse them.

"This was a substantial and sophisticated fraud.

"However, since then you have led a blameless life, you have formed a relationship and are now married with a six year old daughter.

"Because of your personal mitigation and solely because of them I am just persuaded to suspend sentence."

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said Shahzad had been the only person to be prosecuted in respect of the restaurant scam but others were clearly involved.

In April 2006 Shahzad had set up a bogus business called Kashmiri Handcraft Carpets. He had been issued with a card payment machine for customers - but the firm never traded and he used the machine, with the aid of an accomplice at the Everest Restaurant in Cheltenham, to duplicate 2,455 transactions when customers paid for meals.

Each payment was doubled and money went into Shazad's fake business account. Customers complained and the bank had to recompense them. Ultimately the bank froze the Kashmiri Handcraft account with £6,489 still in it. Later, £30,000 in cash was recovered from the homes of other people associated with Shahzad.

A total of £116,000 was obtained by the scam, said Mr Kesner. Details of more than 2,000 customers and 234 credit cards were found on Shahzad's computer.

He told the court Shahzad's other offences involved using a lost cheque book which came into his possession to buy a fridge and four sets of gift vouchers at shops in Cheltenham including Debenham's, M&S and Boots.

Amanda O'Mara, defending, said Shazad came to the UK in 2003 and had applied to stay but that application had never been determined.

He had married a Philippines woman and had set up home in Birmingham in his real name and using his correct date of birth, passport and driving licence details, she said,

"He has expressed his remorse to me for these offences. I believe that at that time in 2006/7 he was in a situation in his life which is unlikely to repeat itself," she added.

"He has made no significant attempt to avoid being arrested since he failed to appear at this court."

Gloucester will have none of their current Six Nations stars at their disposal for Saturday's clash with London Welsh.

England duo Billy Twelvetrees and Jonny May have both been retained by Stuart Lancaster, with the Rugby Football Union having an agreement to do so with Premiership Rugby.

There is no deal with the other home nations, meaning Richard Hibbard and Greig Laidlaw could have faced the Exiles.

But the Cherry and Whites have opted to give both players the week off in a bid to prolong their season.

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys said: "We have no internationals available this week. With the nature of the games they have played we have given them time off this week.

"It's a long season, there's a number of games both in terms of the Six Nations and with us in Europe and the league to play and we want to make sure they're playing well.

"This was an opportunity, in what's a pretty intense time for players involved in the Six Nations, to get a bit of time out of the game."

Flooding is unlikely over the next three days, despite the highest tides along the River Severn in 19 years.

Environment Agency manager Dave Throup is still urging people not to take risks when attempting to catch a glimpse of the famous Severn Bore from tomorrow morning.

He said: "It goes in cycles and these are the highest tides in a 19-year cycle. But the impact of the tides depends on other factors, like the surge behind it, how much rain there's been and the weather in general.

"It's an odd one to explain, but despite the tide being high, we're expecting the river levels to be a little lower than the highest ones seen last year.

"There shouldn't be any over-topping of the river banks but we will have our incident room open just in case."

He added: "The important thing is that people don't take risks. Don't clamber onto flood defences, or take up dangerous positions on the river banks to see the bore."

The crash which killed a Stroud brother and sister was caused by a faulty tyre and lowered suspension, an inquest heard today.

Bobby Roberts' 2.8 litre Volkswagen Golf V6 veered sharply across the A419 Ebley bypass, collided with an oncoming vehicle and crashed upside down in to a ditch. He and his sister Jinny-Mae Cook were killed instantly, the Gloucester inquest heard. Another passenger, Nick Gayle, survived.

Tests after the crash on November 15, 2014, later found dad-of-one Mr Roberts, 28, was more than two-and-a-half times the drink drive limit and had traces of cocaine in his blood.

However Coroner David Dooley concluded that the offside front tyre probably deflated so rapidly that it could not be known whether the alcohol, drugs and loud music in the car would have made for a different outcome. The inquest heard that the front offside tyre and both rear tyres were under the 1.6mm tread depth limit - and the same three were too also too wide.

That meant that there was not enough space between the offside front tyre and the lowered suspension strut, and the two rubbed. There was so little tread on that tyre that the metal cord was showing, and the front suspension damper had an oil leak, police investigator Peter Davies said.

"The front offside suspension strut being lowered intentionally or not reduced the clearance in the wheel arch," said Mr Davies in a statement. "The offside front suspension being inoperative due to oil loss produced a problem with handling and suspension. Evidence the left side front tyre rubbed on the strut was found and could have caused the failure. A combination of poor maintenance and fitting wheels and tyres without taking in to consideration the clearance may have caused the tyre to fail."

Hairdresser Jinny-Mae, 18, was found at the side of the car but police were not able to tell whether anyone in the VW was wearing seatbelts. Andrew Smith, who was heading the other way toward Stonehouse when Bobby's car hit his Vauxhall Vectra, said in a statement he saw a car accelerate in to a gap, before a screech of tyres.

"It appeared the driver had lost control and I tried to avoid it," Mr Smith, who suffered rib and ankle injuries, said. "I got out. The collision turn my vehicle 45 degrees to the left. I did not know where vehicle one (the VW Golf) was. It was upside down in a ditch facing back in the direction from where it had come. I became aware of loud music emanating from it."

He said passing motorists stopped and he found a man lying on the ground, who it was initially believed had been a pedestrian struck by his car - however it was later confirmed he was a passenger in the Golf.

"I detected a strong smell of alcohol," said Mr Smith. "He was talking. He was not rational or coherent and said 'Leave me alone, I just want to go go home now.'

"I was approached by a female who said 'I cannot believe he survived in that car.'"

Another driver, Donna Williams, saw Mr Roberts' car suddenly veer across the road behind her, consistent with Mr Smith's statement.

The largest tyre width for that VW Golf is 225mm, the inquest heard. But the three faulty tyres were 255mm, while the nearside front was 215mm. Mr Gayle refused to give a statement to police.

Mr Roberts and his sister were pronounced dead at the scene and Mr Dooley said post mortem examinations found injuries consistent with being killed instantly. Neither would have suffered, he said.

A toxicology report showed Mr Roberts had 210 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. Another test showed 256mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. The legal limit is 107mg and the report said that second reading indicated that he had been drinking in a session for 'quite a long period' beforehand. The report also suggested he had taken cocaine in the 24 hours before the crash.

In conclusion Coroner David Dooley said: "We have heard the car was poorly maintained. It had incorrect tyres on it and incorrect sized wheels.

"There was rubbing of the strut with the offside front tyre, which on balance of probabilities may have caused it to deflate. The tyres were in poor condition.

"The fact he was drinking to excess has to be taken in to account but there is no guarantee this accident could have been avoided if he had not been drinking at all."

He recorded conclusions of death by road traffic collision for both.

A world war, a coronation and the invention of the television.

Doris Rees has lived through all these events in the same house – but due to a faulty phone line she has now been forced out of her beloved home after 75 years.

The 84-year-old, known as Pam, has lived in the same cottage near Newent since the age of nine when she moved to the village with her parents.

Having never married, Pam has remained in her childhood home - making very few changes to it.

There is no running hot water and she heats seven kettles on the stove once a week to fill her tin bath.

She owns one of the first colour televisions ever made and has basic electricity.

While she can live without most modern comforts, a telephone line is essential for her as she wears an emergency alarm pendant and the service needs to be able to contact her if anything should happen.

Pam's phone line has been down for almost a month now and she has been staying with friends and family overnight, but the whole thing is now beginning to take its toll.

"I'm beginning to feel like a burden and it's really quite distressing," said Pam, who was a church organist for 60 years.

"I just want to be able to spend the night in my own bed.

"I'm now not sure how long I will be able to stay here and it will break my heart to sell it."

A spokesman from BT said confirmed that there had been a fault with the line and some tree cutting works had to be carried out in order for the engineers to get access to the damaged parts of the cabling.

Engineers were due back onsite yesterday to carry out replacement works and to put in new overhead cabling.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused whilst this is being worked on," he said.

To make the situation worse, Pam's home was also hit by lead thieves at the beginning of February.

Police are asking any witnesses to get in touch quoting incident number 129 of February 5.

"It's been a bit of a disaster really but the whole community has been so wonderful and helped make this situation just that little bit easier," added Pam.

As this week is half-term Pam has not been unable to stay with her neighbours or her family, who have been driving from Ross-on-Wye every day to pick her up.

However following a plea at church her vicar has organised for her to stay at the George Inn in Newent and a couple from the church are driving her back and forth every day.

"It has been a bit like going on holiday but now I just want it sorted," said Pam.