The Bradley Stoke Journal

Avon and Somerset Police have today issued a news bulletin appealing for witnesses to an unprovoked attack that occurred at The Common (East), Bradley Stoke at about 5:45pm on Friday 20th June 2008.

A Police spokesperson confirmed that the arrests made in Campion Drive on Saturday 21st June were in connection with Friday’s incident at The Common (East) and that details previously released to The Journal have now been revised following further investigation and arrests.

The helicopter of the Western Counties Air Operations Unit was called in this afternoon (Saturday 21st June) to help in the search for four suspected robbers on the run in Bradley Stoke.

The “eye in the sky” was seen hovering over the town at around 5pm, whilst on the ground Police vehicles were seen in action at The Common (East) and, on the other side of Primrose Bridge, in Campion Drive.

Residents of Campion Drive reported seeing three handcuffed suspects being put into Police cars that had pulled up close to the fence that runs alongside the Three Brooks public footpath leading up to Primrose Bridge. Police seemed to be seeking further suspects and three officers were seen running off towards the nature reserve on the other side of Patchway Brook (see photo above), but they later returned empty-handed.

[Postscript - Monday 23rd June 2008] The following statement has been given to The Journal by Avon and Somerset Police:

Police were called at 4.54pm on Saturday June 21 2008 by members of the public reporting that four youths matching the description of those wanted for a robbery in Campion Drive, Bradley Stoke, on Friday June 20 2008 were on Patchway Common.

Officers attended and the helicopter of the Western Counties Air Operations Unit was involved in the search for the suspects.

Three men were detained by 5.20pm. A 19-year-old from Patchway, an 18-year-old from Bradley Stoke and a 16-year-old from Filton were all arrested on suspicion of robbery and bailed pending further police enquiries.

[Postscript - Tuesday 24th June 2008] Police have issued a revised statement. We are now told that Friday’s incident was an alleged assault rather than robbery and that it occurred at The Common (East).

The pond at Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Road has been cleared of rubbish by a team of volunteers from the local community. As The Journal reported last week, the pond had become polluted with shopping trolleys, bicycles, tyres, plastic seats and other debris, making it dangerous for people and wildlife.

The community action, inspired by two members (Mikey and Keith) of the local youth club, was coordinated by Ruth Cornish of Southern Brooks Community Partnership with help from Bradley Stoke Neighbourhood Policing Team and Home Housing Group.

Members of the youth club worked together with families from the neighbourhood adjoining Jubilee Green to collect debris from the pond and load it into a skip. Local Police Community Support Officer Pat Gardener was on hand to help direct the group, which consisted of about thirty people of all ages.

The pond was cleared in just under an hour, leaving the skip overflowing with mattresses, bicycles, an exhaust system, tyres, plastic furniture, computer equipment, a motorcycle, a vacuum cleaner and several shopping trolleys.

The hard work was followed by a well earned rest with the participants enjoying a barbecue back at the Jubilee Centre.

Lots more photos of the community pond clearance can be viewed in our PicasaWeb Gallery [album, slideshow].

As stated in our previous report, littering and fly tipping can be reported to South Gloucestershire Council’s Streetcare team (Tel: 01454-868000). If you are dissatisfied with the response you get from Streetcare team, you are advised to contact your local town or district Councillor [see The Journal’s Contact your Councillors page for how to do this].

Each home in South Gloucestershire is allowed one free collection of bulky waste (items that are too big to fit in your bin) in any 12 month period, while the Sort It! Centre in Station Road, Little Stoke accepts most types of household waste.

Abandoned Tesco trolleys should be reported to the customer service desk (Tel: 01454-847300) at the supermarket group’s Savages Wood Road store. The company told The Journal that it has a policy of collecting dumped trolleys when it is made aware of them. No comment could be obtained from the Aldi store at Patchway Brook roundabout, whose trolleys require a one pound deposit.

Southern Brooks Community Partnership is calling on residents of Bradley Stoke to help clear out the pond at Jubilee Green, Savages Wood Road. Rubbish has been dumped in and around the pond, making it dangerous for people and wildlife.

Interested parties are asked to meet at the Jubilee Centre [map] from 6pm on Thursday 22^nd May. Gloves and bags will be provided, but helpers are asked to bring their own waterproof footwear (wellies or waders).

The clear-up is the idea of members of the youth club that meets at The Jubilee Centre. Youth club members and leaders will be joined by a member of the Bradley Stoke Neighbourhood Policing Team as they they deal with the shopping trolleys, bicycles, tyres, plastic seats and other debris that litters the pond.

More photos of the pond before the tidy-up: [album; slideshow]

The initiative comes a few weeks before the town’s annual Community Festival that features events on the Jubilee Green over the weekend of 6^th-8^th June.

Residents are reminded that incidents of littering and fly tipping can be reported to South Gloucestershire Council’s Streetcare team (Tel: 01454-868000). If you are dissatisfied with the response you get from Streetcare team, you are advised to contact your local town or district Councillor [see The Journal’s Contact your Councillors page for how to do this].

Fortunately, other ponds within Bradley Stoke are in a healthier condition. A few weeks ago, The Journal’s photographer took these shots [album; slideshow] of the pond at Patchway Common. Elsewhere, the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group has created two new ponds in the grassland to the north of Savages Wood.

In dramatic scenes at Baileys Court bowling green on Sunday afternoon, police were called after a group of approximately fifty bowlers and supporters from Northavon Bowls Club entered the ground in defiance of an order imposed by Bradley Stoke Town Council. The bowlers began to set out equipment for an “open session”, but were soon interrupted by the sound of police sirens and the arrival of officers from Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Gates to the green had been padlocked two weeks ago by the Council, but the chain on one of the gates was mysteriously severed sometime earlier on Sunday. This allowed the group to enter the premises at around 2pm.

The Club is in dispute with the Council over proposals for a new rental agreement at the ground and following the breakdown of negotiations between the two parties, the Club has been banned from the green and pavilion and instructed to remove all its effects by 1st May. [see earlier report in The Journal]

A total of seven police officers and PCSOs attended the disturbance and they are understood to have requested that the group leave the premises as they were committing an unlawful act of trespass following an incident of criminal damage. Heated discussions ensued, with some members of the club commenting that the strength of the police response was “over the top”. The group eventually left the ground after being there for about forty-five minutes.

More photos from this story may be found on The Journal’s PicasaWeb pages [album, slideshow]. Related posts: bowls