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A man has been found guilty of the murder of Neil Parkinson, who was found dead in Cotheridge in Worcestershire last December. Neil, who was 66, from Clifton-Upon-Teme was leaving his partner’s property in Cotheridge on Saturday 12 December when it is believed he was attacked at the end of the driveway. He and his vehicle were driven to a layby on the Ankerdine Road and set alight. Earlier today (Thursday 12 August), Mark Chilman, 52, from Pencombe, in Bromyard, was found guilty of murder by jury. Mark Chilman He will be sentenced on Monday 16 August at Worcester Crown Court.Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Dean Jones, from West Mercia Police’s Major Investigation Unit, said:

The Centre, which is owned by the Council and managed by Social Enterprise and Registered Charity Halo Leisure was forced to close in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The original plan was to reopen in August 2020 along with all other leisure facilities, however, this wasn’t possible due to severe and deliberate damage caused to the roof of the Centre through vandalism. Since then the contractors working on behalf of the Council have made the building watertight and repaired the substantial water damage caused by the vandalism. The Centre is now due reopening ahead of schedule today. Alex Haines, Halo Partnership Manager said: Cllr Gemma Davies, Cabinet member for commissioning, procurement and assets, said:

Bromyard Lions a community group of like minded people who wish to assist our community in any way we can. We act independently of the many other community groups, of which there are many in Bromyard already, without stepping on their toes but bringing something else to the community to enhance what is already there. We have made scrubs for the hospital when required, masks for groups as requested. We have embarked on a couple of big garden projects to assist with tidying the sites at the Hope Centre & Bromyard Community hospital and we are able to do so by fund raising to meet the costs. The rewards are in the pleasure we can bring in helping those in the community who are vulnerable. Other projects as and when funds allow. We also collect spectacles for recycling, some 500+ to date which will help third world countries improve sight. Also we have given over 100 Message In A Bottle pots for people to record allergies, people to contact in an emergency and medications, inside and place in the fridge. Stickers are supplied for the window and door for Police, Fire and or Paramedics to see on arrival in an emergency. We also collected and donated 14 laptops and 5 tablets to Queen Elizabeth High School Bromyard for pupils to continue their education from home during the pandemic. Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organisation. Lions are an international network of over 1.3 million men and women in over 44,000 clubs within 200 countries who work together through selfless, effective community service to answer the needs that challenge communities. Lions are individuals who volunteer their time to humanitarian causes in their local and global communities, conducting and supporting vision and health screenings, building parks, awarding scholarships, assisting youth, providing help in times of disaster and much more. In the British Isles and Ireland, and the rest of Europe, Lions donate over 5.7 million hours and £88 million to humanitarian causes each year. As a member of a Lions Club you become aware of the needs of your community and have the opportunity to make a difference. Each Club provides volunteers with project management experience, leadership training, personal development opportunities and organised fund raising programmes. Being a Lion empowers you to help others in a way that no one person could do alone. Lions International Foundation’s Global Causes • Diabetes - We serve to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve quality of life for those diagnosed. • Vision - We serve to prevent avoidable blindness and improve quality of life for people who are blind and visually impaired. • Hunger - We serve to ensure the community members have access to nutritious foods. • Environment - We serve to sustainably protect and restore our environment to improve the well-being of all communities. • Childhood Cancer - We serve to help those affected by childhood cancer survive and thrive. To find out more, or to join us please contact our President Tony John Richards. tjrichards60@gmail.com or 07885647675.

The Bromyard Centre owned by Herefordshire Council and managed by Social Enterprise and Registered Charity Halo Leisure was forced to close in March 2020 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The plan to reopen in August 2020 along with all other leisure facilities wasn’t possible due to severe and deliberate damage caused to the roof of the Centre through vandalism. Since then the contractors working on behalf of the Council have made the building watertight and the internal works to repair the substantial water damage caused by the vandalism is progressing. Alex Haines, Halo’s Partnership Manager said, Herefordshire Council and the Contractors are doing all they can to progress as quickly as possible within the demanding constraints of a Covid compliant workplace. They have developed a scheme of work which indicates a handover to Halo by the end of the Summer 2021. Chris Jenner, Assistant Director for Technical Services at Herefordshire Council, said: Alex Haines went on to say, “Everyone involved is working hard to reopen the Centre. We care passionately about keeping community leisure centres open and viable for the long term. We've done it for nearly 20 years in Bromyard and we intend to continue to do so for many years to come.” Halo has developed a number of options for local people to help them keep active during the Centre's closure. Visit haloleisure.org.uk/news/1460-your-options-whilst-the-bromyard-centre-is-closed

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were called to a house fire near Bromyard Downs just before midnight last night. Firefighters from Bromyard, Leominster and Malvern were in attendance and tackled the house fire using hose reels, main jets and Breathing Apparatus to extinguish this fire. #herefordvoice #herefordshirenews #herefordnews

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Worcester, Tenbury, Evesham and Malvern using specialist equipment attended a very large fire yesterday evening in the open involving undergrowth and scrub at Bringsty Common, Herefordshire.

Mark Chilman, 51, from Pencombe, Bromyard, has been charged with murder & remanded to Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court to appear tomorrow (Thursday 17 December). He was charged in relation to an incident that occurred in Cotheridge, Worcestershire, on Saturday 12 December. A 27-year-old man remains in custody.

Police have released CCTV images following an attempted robbery at a shop in Bromyard. At 7.40pm last night (Monday 23 November) at Premier on the High Street. A man entered and threatened the cashier with a knife demanding money from the till. The offender left immediately, and no money was stolen during the incident. Police are appealing to anyone who might recognise this man, who we hope can help us with our investigation. DC Leah Lowe of Hereford CID said: "This is believed to be an isolated incident and thankfully, no one was injured. The investigation is on-going and we are appealing for any witnesses and anyone who recognises this individual to come forward. “If you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please call us on 01432 347399, quoting incident number 553i 23Nov." Alternatively, information can be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via their website.

At around 3.30pm yesterday (Sunday 22 November) we received reports of a serious collision on Church Street, Bromyard involving a car and a pedestrian. A 10-year-old girl was injured in the collision and transported to hospital. She remains in hospital with potentially life changing injuries. The collision resulted in the closure of Church Street, which then remained closed for several hours. If you witnessed the incident, have dashcam footage or have any information that can help officers with their enquiries, please contact the officer in the case, PC Lee Palmer on 07970864697 quoting incident number 355i of 22 November, or by using our online reporting function on West Mercia Police website under the section tell us about.