A Hereford man has been ordered to pay back over £172,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) or face more time in prison.

In June 2022, officers stopped Brian Gough in his car and found the 67-year-old in possession of cocaine and amphetamine.

A warrant was issued at his home address in Laburnum Grove, Hereford, where officers recovered drugs with a street value of £24,390 and drugs paraphernalia.

Gough was arrested and on April 12, 2023, he pleaded guilty to three charges of possession with intent to supply class A drugs (cocaine) and class B drugs (cannabis and amphetamine)

He was sentenced to:-

Three years for possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Two years and eight months for possession and intent to supply class B drugs.

10 months for possession and intent to supply amphetamine.

The sentences ran concurrently.

At the POCA hearing at Worcester Crown Court last Friday (9 August) Gough was instructed to pay back £172,653.75 - believed to be the proceeds of his crime. If he doesn’t pay back the money he will be sentenced to a further three years.

Detective Inspector Dan Fenn said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact the Proceeds of Crime Act has on those who make money from crime.“POCA allows us not only to bring criminals to justice but also strip them of the financial gains they made from their illegal activities.“Crime does not pay as West Mercia Police will proactively target those who are illegally benefiting from crime. Our goal is to send a clear message: Crime will not be tolerated.”

 A spokesperson for Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has said the team were called at 04:33am to a fire at a farm in Madley. The Sawmills at Lower Lulham Farm. The fire is of an open-sided barn containing four wood-drying kilns. The spokesperson has informed us that there are no casualties.

Update

We have this evening received un update from HWFRSW 

A fire service spokesperson has provided more details of the "significant fire" at Lower Lulham, Madley that they were called out to.

A total of 14 fire engines have been at the scene - two from Hereford, and one from each of the following areas:

Peterchurch 
Leominster
Eardisley
Ewyas Harold
Fownhope
Ross-on-Wye
Kington
Kingsland
Upton-upon-Severn
Bromsgrove
Malvern
Wyre Forest Fire Stations

Water carriers from Peterchurch, Leominster and Evesham, the aerial ladder platform from Hereford, incident command units from Ledbury and Droitwich and the welfare vehicle from Tenbury Wells attended alongside the engines.

Proposed change of use from non-residential institutions previously defined in the revoked class D1 to class E(b) for use as a cafe to service the local community and provide work experience for local young people. The layout is to match the existing. The external appearance as existing. Adjacent car parking which is council owned, for approx. 5 cars will remain as such with no change to existing availability and/or access. Soft and hard landscaping will remain as existing.

Planning Application P241939/F

The last planning application was back in 2018 and details can be found on this topic HERE

Hello, I’m a student doing my A-level geography coursework on the oval regeneration  in Hereford. I need your help answering a survey or any sort of information. I would love if people from the living in the area or surrounding could fill out the online survey on google forms. Please copy and paste the survey… https://forms.gle/vpsGe4EeegA34kL88 

If anyone has any other information to help me out on the regeneration as there’s not a lot of information online. Thank you 

The family of a man who died in a fire in Hereford have paid tribute to him.

Ryan Blackwell, who was 33, died after the fire in Charles Witts Avenue on Thursday 4th July.

Ryan’s sister Jayde Brown said “Ryan was selfless, thoughtful, and incredibly kind. We, as a family, are deeply shocked and devastated by his sudden passing. He will be so sorely missed by everyone who knew him.

"We’d like to thank everyone for their kind words and support during this difficult time.”

Detective Inspector Catherine Taylor said “Following extensive enquiries and postmortem results, there will be no further criminal investigation in relation to the fire and it has been referred to HM Coroner.

A man previously arrested has been released from police bail and no further action will be taken against him.

"This has been a tragic incident for all concerned and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

"Ryan’s family have been in close liaison with the police and have asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.”

Michells and Butler have submitted a planning application to install a aluminium bull statue outside their Miller & Carter restaurant at the Old Market in Hereford.

The proposed sculpture appears more like a Spanish fighting bull

Application:

Proposed instillation of aluminium bull sculpture on a slate clad concrete base, within the boundary of the external seating area to the front of the restaurant. Including the lifting and relaying of existing paving slabs to facilitate the trenching of an electrical cable to allow for the instillation of lighting on the base of the sculpture.

There have already been objections.

Eleanor Richardson objected writing "We already have a bull statue in Hereford. The one proposed is a SPANISH bull and isn't within keeping of the local community or local heritage"

Another objection from Pippa Heart with the comment; "The design of the statue is not relevant to the surrounding area- the bull depicted is not a Hereford bull- the design is more that of a Spanish fighting bull"

Planning Application P241785/F

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The Police have cordoned off East St and Police vehicles are parked near Church St.

We have contacted West Mercia Police and waiting for an update.

An investigation has launched following a report of rape in the early hours of yesterday morning (21 July) in Ross-on-Wye.

The incident happened around 3am between Three Crosses Road and Springfield Road.

Detective Inspector Catherine Taylor said: “I know an incident like this will bring great concern to the community and I would like to reassure the public that a thorough investigation is now on going.

“I am appealing to anybody who may have any information that would help with our enquiries, however insignificant you feel it may be, to please contact the police. I also ask that people check any doorbell footage they may have from around the time the incident happened.

“There will be an increased police presence in the town as we carry out enquiries and specially trained officers are supporting the victim”.

If you have any information, please contact Detective Constable James Smith by email james.smith@westmercia.police.uk or by calling 01432 347103.

Alternatively, if you do not feel comfortable speaking with the police, information can be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Improvement works to Leominster Town Centre are continuing apace and are now expected to be complete by November.

Leominster town centre is benefitting from the multi-million pound High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) Fund, which is breathing new life into high streets that are rich in heritage and potential.

The Leominster scheme was awarded £1.3 million Historic England grant funding which is matched by £2,185,500 of funding from Herefordshire Council. The council is working in partnership with Leominster Town Council, along with residents, businesses and community groups to deliver a range of projects, agreed with Historic England, which aim to renew and rejuvenate Leominster's High Street and Conservation Area.

The major investment has already transformed buildings with improvements to structure and facades to reflect the original detail, restoring local historic character and heritage features.

Cllr Philip Price, Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure, said: “Winning this funding was an incredibly competitive process and involved a lot of effort from the council and our local partners, so we are delighted to be carrying out these improvement works for the benefit of Leominster. Once finished, the enhancements will be beautiful and be a boost to the aesthetics and accessibility of the Town Centre that will bring benefits to local people and businesses for years to come.”

The works were originally intended to be completed in September, but delays due to drainage and sourcing of materials means the anticipated completion date is now the end of November, with some ongoing work to continue in Corn Square.

Cllr Price continued: “It is always a challenge when working with older structures, and some of the issues we have discovered have unfortunately led to the delays experienced. However, we are committed to doing the job thoroughly and with the long-term in mind, so where defects have been found we have fixed them rather than leaving them to be discovered down the line, and we will continue this approach.

“It can sometimes take longer than any of us would like to properly identify potential problems and the appropriate solution. As such, we are aware of the inconvenience to Leominster that will have been caused by the delays incurred by drainage and materials sourcing issues, so to help provide a boost to local businesses we are implementing a number of measures.”

These include:

• Free Parking – from 7 August two hours free parking in Etnam Street Car Park for the duration of the improvement work.
• Additional promotion of Leominster – funding to be provided by Herefordshire Council to support the promotion of events and festivals in Leominster. A total of £2,500 will be made available and we will be liaising with local businesses and Leominster Town Council on how this can be allocated most effectively.
• Support for events affected by the work – we understand the extension of this work may impact on planned events. We are keen to ensure the events continue and we will provide support to the organisers to help facilitate these where possible.
• Signage – Some businesses and residents have expressed concern about the placement of signs and safety barriers. We are committed to minimising disruption where possible and if notified of any concerns we will work with the contractors to alter signage.
• Herefordshire County Business Improvement District have also separately committed to support businesses in Leominster.

Cllr Price concluded: “We are committed to working with the local community, and there will be a residents and businesses meeting on Tuesday 23 July at Grange Court from 5.30pm. This is a great opportunity for local people to find out more, ask questions, and express any concerns or issues they may have.”

NON-MATERIAL AMENDMENT APPLICATION AMENDMENT OF PLANNING PERMISSION REF: 231703 THREE COUNTIES HOTEL, BELMONT, HEREFORD, HR2 7BP

Carney Sweeney (planning consultants) has submitted the following covering letter. 

On behalf of our client Lidl Great Britain Ltd, this application is submitted for a non-material amendment to the wording of conditions 3-7 attached to planning permission ref: 231703. Permission ref. 231703 was granted on 15 March 2024 for the following:
"Demolition of existing hotel and associated structures and erection of Class E foodstore with associated access, parking, servicing, drainage and landscaping."

Proposal

Works associated with the demolition of the former hotel buildings are a specialist element of the construction process and consequently programmed to be carried out by a specialist contractor rather than a general contractor which will carry out the subsequent construction of the Lidl store.. Furthermore, and partly in response to a desire to limit the potential for criminal activity at the site, there is a strong desire to carry out the demolition activity as early as possible (in late 2024), before the General Contractor has been chosen and appointed.

As currently drafted the conditions do not recognise the separate nature of the demolition works and the subsequent construction works and consequently it is not possible to fully discharge the conditions until the main contractor is appointed. In order to facilitate the separate phased nature of the works this application proposes amended wording to allow information in respect of the demolition phase of works to be submitted and approved separately to information in respect of the construction phase of works.

CoveringLetter 2.pdf

At around 7.05pm yesterday (Thursday 4 July) officers were called to a fire on Charles Witts Avenue in Hereford.

When officers arrived a 33-year-old man was sadly found dead at the scene. His death is being treated as suspicious and an investigation is underway.

A woman, aged 56, was taken to hospital for further treatment.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody while enquiries continue.

Detective Inspector Catherine Taylor, said: “Police, accompanied by fire and ambulance services, attended a house fire last night, where a man was found to have suffered serious injuries. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“His death is currently being treated as suspicious and an investigation has been launched to establish the circumstances. At this stage all lines of enquires are being explored. Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this difficult time.”

Jesse Norman (Conservative) holds his seat in Hereford and South Herefordshire

Full results below 👇

Ellie Chowns (Green) wins seat from Sir Bill Wiggin in North Herefordshire 

Full results for North Herefordshire below 👇

The 34-year-old serial killer was on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of a baby girl, known as Child K. It comes after she was convicted last August of the murder of seven babies.

Lucy Letby appearing in the dock at Manchester Crown Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

The 34-year-old was convicted of attempting to murder the child, referred to in court as Baby K, following a retrial.

In a statement, Baby K's family described having to endure a "long, torturous and emotional journey - twice".

"Today, justice has been served. But it does not take away the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we have all had to experienced," they said.

Last August, Letby was convicted by a different jury of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neo-natal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

However, a verdict on the allegation relating to Baby K could not be reached, and a retrial was ordered, heard at Manchester Crown Court.

Whitbread, the owner of Beefeater, announced plans earlier this year to close 126 of its "lower-performing" restaurants due to a drop in foot traffic at some sites.

A spokeswoman for Whitbread told the Hereford Voice that Beefeater locations in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye will close this week.

"After many years serving the community we can confirm the Starting Gate and Travellers Rest are closing their doors on July 5.

We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by taking other vacancies across the business through recruitment."

Both restaurants are attached to Premier Inn hotels, also owned by Whitbread. Plans to run the Beefeater in Hereford as a Premier Inn restaurant for the time being have been confirmed, but only for the use of the hotel guests.

Whitbread, which operates more than 840 Premier Inn hotels in the UK (as well as a further 51 in Germany), has decided to close some of its less profitable food and beverage outlets in an effort to improve the overall business’ performance.

A motorists has crashed into the Doctors Surgery at Belmont this morning. All emergency services are at the scene. We are not sure if anyone was injured.

The building has been severely damaged. Paramedics are at the scene together with Police and Fire Service.

More to follow...
 

Herefordshire Crematorium has joined the growing list of crematorium and cemeteries nationwide to join the ‘Letters to Heaven’ initiative, which gives grieving people a chance to send messages to their departed loved ones.

The idea first came about when a young girl in Nottinghamshire expressed a wish to send letters to her grandparents, and the concept has been adopted in Local Authority areas across the country.

In 2023, Hereford Crematorium was contacted by two local ladies who had been impressed by the story and wanted to see if something similar could be done in Hereford. The Crematorium then purchased a white post box and Ursells of Ross, local memorial masons, kindly donated the memorial book which explains the purpose of the post box.

The boxes are free for anyone to post a letter to their loved ones, or, if it is a special occasion, they can post birthday cards, anniversary cards, Mother's Day and Father's Day cards, Christmas cards and holiday postcards.

Letters, messages, or cards posted in the boxes will be treated respectfully, and will never be opened or read.

John Gibbon, Direct Services Manager at Hereford Crematorium said: “We are pleased to be a part of the ‘Letters to Heaven’ initiative. Losing a loved one is the most difficult experience any of us will go through in life, and writing these letters, which are treated sensitively and confidentially, will hopefully be a help to people working through the grieving process.”