The Bradley Stoke Journal

Police in Bradley Stoke say they have taken action on drug misuse in the town following tip-offs from local residents.

A statement in the recently-published April/May issue of the Bradley Stoke Police Newsletter reads:

“Thanks to intelligence from members of our community. With the information we have received we have successfully carried out four drugs warrants over the last few weeks in the Bradley Stoke area.”

The news will come as a surprise to attendees of the January meeting of the Bradley Stoke Safer and Stronger Communities Group (SSCG), at which Inspector Bob Evely denied that drugs are a problem in the town.

Inspector Evely was responding to a resident who had asked what the police proposed to do about a house allegedly being used for drug dealing in Great Meadow Road.

Police refused to discuss the allegation during the public session, offering instead to talk with the resident in private after the meeting had closed.

A previous drug raid in Bradley Stoke, back in December 2008, uncovered a cannabis factory at a house in Juniper Way, where police recovered around 450 well-grown cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £180,000.

Drugs also feature on the agenda of the next meeting of the SSCG, which takes place next Tuesday (4th May) at Bradley Stoke Community School (7pm, start), where the agenda includes a presentation on ‘drug and alchohol treatment services’.

Related links:

• Bradley Stoke Police Newsletter, April/May 2010 [PDF, 479KB]
• Publicity poster for the SSCG meeting on 4th May 2010 (SGC)
• Police in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

Local Liberal Democrats have been buoyed by the news that a well-known election prediction website is forecasting a narrow victory for their candidate in the Filton and Bradley Stoke (FABS) constituency.

The Electoral Calculus website, which claims to incorporate regional as well as national swings in its modelling, is currently predicting that Peter Tyzack (Liberal Democrat) will take the seat with a tiny 0.15% margin over Jack Lopresti (Conservative).

Mr Lopresti, however, remains the clear favourite with the bookmakers, although his odds have lengthened from an initial 1/6 to 1/2 [at Ladbrokes].

Mr Tyzack’s chances are now rated at 2/1, having been 6/1 at the start of the campaign.

Ladbrokes are currently offering 8/1 against Labour candidate Ian Boulton taking the seat, although significantly longer prices are available elsewhere [e.g. 29/1 on Betfair].

All eyes will now be on tonight’s third and final televised Prime Ministerial Debate (BBC1 8:30pm), which could prove decisive – both nationally and locally.

Related links:

• Election leaflets delivered in FABS (The Straight Choice)
• Latest news from the FABS candidates (The Journal)

One thousand balloons were launched from the Town Square on Saturday afternoon, in the latest event to raise funds to send a local boy to the USA for an operation that will help him walk.

Five-year-old Toby Cox, who attends Holy Trinity Primary School, was born with cerebal palsy. He can only walk with the aid of a frame and finds walking, playing and sitting difficult and uncomfortable.

Toby has been offered the chance of an operation at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital that will hopefully remove the spasticity in his legs and allow him to walk unaided with a significantly improved level of comfort.

The operation, planned for 17th June, will cost £36,000, of which just over £16,000 has been pledged so far.

Toby’s parents say they will pay for their own flight, together with food and accommodation costs for a one month stay in St Louis.

The balloons and gas for Saturday’s event were donated by McDonalds with Subway, KFC and Specsavers helping out when the gas ran out. Free ice cream for the helpers was provided by Carl of G & J Ices, whose van trades outside  the Willow Brook Centre at weekends.

Further fund raising events taking place in Bradley Stoke include a Toby Fun Day at Bradley Stoke Community School on Saturday 29th May and a Charity Shield Football Tournament at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre on Saturday 5th June.

Numerous other fundraising events taking place further afield are listed on the Help Toby Walk website, through which donations can be made via PayPal. There is also a Help Toby Walk Facebook page, where the latest campaign news can be found.

More photos of Saturday’s balloon race launch: album; slideshow

A new club for leisure cyclists in the ‘Five Stokes’ area is holding its inaugural meeting on Tuesday (27th April) at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre, starting at 7:45pm.

Local resident Brian Bingham, one of three founder members of the new club, says he was inspired to set up the ‘Stokes Cycling Club’ after taking part in last year’s Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride.

Keen to take part in further organised cycle rides, Brian says he was frustrated to find that the majority of events started in either Bristol or Stroud, with very few being easily accessible from Bradley Stoke.

“… a plan immediately formed in my mind – to set up a local leisure cycling club and since finding out that the Five Stokes: Bradley Stoke; Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke; Great Stoke and Harry Stoke etc., has almost 50,000 population then I guessed that perhaps many of the population would also be interested, particularly as South Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas have some lovely cycling routes in the countryside – what we needed was a Club encouraging people to get out and about and enjoy cycling and the fresh air.”

Brian says he has received fantastic support from the Bristol branch of the Cyclists’ Touring Club, South Gloucestershire Council’s Community Sports Team and Better by Bike.

The club’s first organised ride will be on Spring Bank Holiday Monday (31st May) and is proposed to be a meander through quiet country roads to a pub in Iron Acton, which is cycle friendly and has a large garden for children.

For further details, contact Brian on 07500 352158 or email stokescyclingclub@gmail.com.

Related links:

• Stokes Cycling Club (Facebook Group)
• Walking and Cycling in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

Voters in the new Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency will have a choice of eight candidates when they go the polls on Thursday 6th May.

Previously announced Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green, UKIP and BNP candidates have now been joined by Ruth Johnson of The Christian Party and ‘Mr Vote Zero-None-Of-The-Above‘ (formerly known as Eric Mutch).

The Electoral Register closed yesterday but already-registered persons can still make an application for proxy voting until 5pm on Tuesday 27th April.

Bradley Stoke’s polling stations will be at Brook Way Activity Centre, Jubilee Centre, Holy Trinity Church, Baileys Court Activity Centre, Bradley Stoke Evangelical Church, St Mary’s Primary School and Church of Christ the King.

Counting of votes for the whole constituency will take place at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and will begin “as soon as is practicable after 10pm on the day of poll”, according to South Gloucestershire Council (SGC).

Related links:

• Filton and Bradley Stoke – General Election 2010 (The Journal)
• Election Information (SGC)