The winners of this year's Hereford City Floral Decorations Competition have been announced. The competition, judged by Herefordshire Council's parks and countryside service, is organized each year, in partnership with Hereford City Council, to encourage Hereford's traders and business to brighten up their premises with floral displays, which in turn enhance the appearance of the whole city.

The Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Chris Chappell, will present the winners with their awards during a special ceremony to be held at the Mayors Parlour, Town Hall, Hereford on Thursday September 27, 2007 at 7.30pm.

The ceremony has been organized in order to thank the city's traders for their contribution and commitment to making Hereford a more vibrant place for residents and visitors alike. Winners of the Hereford City Floral Decorations Competition 2007 were: Group 1 - Banks & Offices: Beaumonts, Offa Street. Group 2 - Hotels & Public Houses (Large Premises): Three Counties Hotel, Belmont Road. Group 3 - Hotels & Public Houses (Small Premises): Taste Of Raj, St Owens Street. Group 4 - Small Fronted Shops: John McKellar, Church Street. Group 5 - Large Fronted Shops: Rockfield DIY, Station Approach. Group 6 - Other Premises: Bewell Square, Bewell Street.

Neil Powell, assistant parks manager who judged this competition on behalf of the parks and countryside service, said,

'This year the high standard of the floral displays despite the adverse weather in Hereford city showed the shared commitment of local people to enhance the city's environment. We very much hope that this enthusiasm continues in coming years with more businesses joining the next competition.'

Custody cells, the Force helicopter, police vehicles from through the ages and a falconry display will be just some of the attractions when the Leominster Police Station throws its doors open to the public for the first time.

Everybody is welcome to go along to Herefordshire Division’s Open Day on Saturday, 8th September, which is not only to celebrate the completion of the brand new station on Leominster’s Enterprise Park, but also the 40th Anniversary of West Mercia Constabulary.

Leominster’s state of the art custody block will be opened up once again and there will be guided tours carried out through its cells, interview rooms, reception and identity suite. The West Mercia helicopter is also scheduled to put in a special appearance at the police station’s own heli-pad, while a host of police vehicles from throughout the past 40 years will be on display. Visitors will also get to meet at least one of the division’s canine officers, with a dog van planned to attend during the day.

One of the star attractions will be a falconry display, with commentary by PC ‘Chippy’ Wood, one of Herefordshire Division’s wildlife crimes officers. Other exciting displays are planned for the main arena , including a self defence and unarmed combat demonstration.

Meanwhile, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service will also be on hand with fire safety advice and a special smoke tent, to show what it is like to be trapped in a smoke filled room and how to be best prepared for an emergency.

Chief Superintendent Mark Turner, Divisional Commander for Herefordshire, urged people across the county to come along and enjoy what promises to be an exciting day out for all the family. He said, 'We are keen to open our doors for people to find out what we’re all about and to give everyone the chance to see for themselves the fantastic new police station in Leominster. While it is often necessary for a lot of police work to be done behind closed doors, we are committed to being as open as possible with the communities we serve. We want the public to know that we are approachable and let them know what goes on in our police stations.

We are a part of the community and therefore want people to enjoy a closer look at what we do and come along and meet officers face to face. Entry is free and we have lots of competitions and police related goodies to hand out, so we are confident that nobody, whether young or old will leave empty handed or disappointed. There are also plans for the Division’s forensic department to set up a mock crime scene to demonstrate some of the techniques they use when dealing with an incident, to show people that there is more to collecting evidence than is seen on television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Goodie bags will be handed out to visitors and we’ve been optimistic about good weather by booking an ice cream van to help keep people cool. Even more entertainment will be provided by the acclaimed local 2FaCed Dance Company, while a special coffee morning and a variety of collections, quizzes and souvenir items will help to raise money for the Police Community Fund and the Macmillan Cancer Appeal.'

The Open Day will run from 10.30am until 4pm on Saturday, 8th September 8 and entry is free. Leominster Police Station can be found at the Enterprise Park, just off the main A49 Hereford to Leominster road.

Herefordshire Council's environment directorate has been awarded ISO 9001, an internationally recognized standard for Quality Management Systems. It took almost two years for the directorate, which includes planning services, highways and transportation, environmental health and trading standards and environment support service, to achieve ISO 9001.

Councillor John Jarvis, cabinet member for environment and strategic housing, said, 'As a county, Herefordshire is justly proud of its quality status and I am delighted the directorate's work has now been rewarded. Our customers are very important to us and the ISO 9001 shows our staff meet international standards for service delivery and also respond well when we have to deal with complaints.'

An independent assessment was carried out into the directorate, looking at the ability of its services to meet customer and regulatory requirements. To achieve the standard, the directorate had to identify its key processes in terms of service delivery. Staff then have to provide evidence of documented procedures carried out which enable the council to have a consistent approach to delivery of services. Factors taken into account during the assessment included: ·

• Ensuring all staff undertaking specific work are competent, and evidence of training is in place.
• Perception of customer satisfaction is determined, including responding to complaints about service delivery
• When things go wrong, effective arrangements are put in place to correct problems and prevent recurrence.
• Adequate resources are in place in terms of staffing, infrastructure, and work environment.
• Performance against objectives is monitored and measured, seeking continuous improvement.
• Audits of our processes are undertaken to ensure that all the requirements of the standard have been met.

The independent assessment took 12 days to complete and the external assessors audited many staff across the directorate, including the director, service managers and administration staff. Certification to the standard was recommended with no non-conformance identified by assessors.

Herefordshire Libraries are to start running baby sign and rhyme sessions at Ledbury Library. The first session will be held on Friday, 28th September between 10am and 10.30am.

Baby signing is a type of communication that babies as young as six months old can use to communicate with their parents and carers. Babies of this age are capable of understanding but their ability to speak doesn't develop until they are 12 to 18 months old.

In these sessions, babies will enjoy a couple of stories and some rhymes which parents will be able to join in with. Parents will also be taught a few signs which they can use to help them communicate with their baby in a fun and enjoyable way.

At the launch on Friday, 28th September, goodie bags will be handed out to parents and they will also be able to sign up for the Bookstart Book Crawl to collect certificates for their children. Each child is given their own Book Crawl collector's card and each time they visit the library they receive a sticker. When the card is filled with five stickers, they get a certificate. There are up to five different certificates to collect, with colourful drawings by top children's illustrators such as Catherine and Laurence Anholt, Rod Campbell, Penny Dale, Lara Jones and Hilda Offen.

Parents are reminded libraries do not charge fines for under fives on any library books. Any parents interested in the sign and rhyme sessions are welcome to drop in to Ledbury Library or telephone Herefordshire Libraries on 01531 632133 for further information. Alternatively, why not go along to the first session?

Herefordshire Libraries are to start running storytime sessions at Colwall Library from Friday, 28th September for the under fives. Parents are invited to bring under fives along to hear stories and rhymes between 2.15pm and 2.45pm.

To celebrate the launch, children will be given goodie bags and there will be face painting with a jungle theme. Children will also get the chance to sign up for the Bookstart Book Crawl to collect certificates for their reading.

Under this scheme, which aims to boost reading among under fives, each child gets their own Book Crawl collector's card and then receives a sticker each time they visit the library. When the card has been filled with five stickers, the child will get a specially designed certificate.

Parents are also reminded that Herefordshire Libraries do not issue fines on books issued to under fives. Any parents interested in the storytimes are welcome to drop in to Colwall Library or they can just come along to the first session on September 28.

Herefordshire Council has agreed to make an Order that designates parts of the town for the purposes of restricting the consumption of alcohol in public places.

The Order has been made under sections 12-16 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and the Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Designated Places) Regulations 2001. This legislation gives local authorities powers to place restrictions on public drinking within so called designated places where it is associated with nuisance, antisocial behaviour, or with disorder. Five similar Orders have already been agreed to cover designated areas of Hereford City and the market towns of Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury and Bromyard as well as the villages of Madley and Peterchurch.

The Orders give the police powers to require a person not to drink alcohol in a designated place where the officer believes that the person is, has or intends to do so, and to confiscate any alcohol or containers in the person's possession. It is not an offence to drink alcohol in these designated places but failure to comply with an officer's requests in respect of drinking or surrendering alcohol is an arrestable offence.

A report to Herefordshire Council's regulatory committee, said, 'These orders have already proved to be effective and successful in combating antisocial behaviour where alcohol consumption has been involved. I hope this new order will now help to tackle any similar problems in the market town of Kington.'

Areas of Kington to be covered by the order are Doctors Lane, (aka Prospect Road), Common Close, Park View (next to Lady Hawkins School boundary), Kington Football Club grounds, Kington recreation ground, Park Avenue, Mill Street, Crab Tree Road, Crab Tree Road car park, Marwick Close, Church Street, Church Road, The Square, Greenfields, High Street, Prospect Lane, Prospect Place, Furlong Lane, Bridge Street (up to and including the Arrow Bridge), Duke Street (up to its junction with Love Lane), Oxford Lane, Market Hall Street, Place de Marines, Market Hall, Co-operative Stores' car park, Nisa Stores car park, Lady Hawkins School grounds, the livestock market and the churchyard of St. Mary's Church.

The Order will come into force shortly. The committee will review the order after 12 months.

Herefordshire Local Access Forum is seeking new members. Set up by Herefordshire Council under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, the role of the HLAF is to improve public access to land for the purposes of open air recreation and enjoyment. Up to twenty two people are required to sit on the forum and because of a rolling membership, an opening now exists for new members.

Applications are sought from people with a knowledge of countryside issues and an understanding of the interaction between recreation, land management, conservation and other interests. Members serve on a voluntary basis for a period of three years and meetings are held three to four times a year at various venues in Herefordshire.

Rob Hemblade, Herefordshire Council's public rights of way manager, said, 'We are fortunate in Herefordshire to have the most beautiful and varied landscape and the forum will be helping to ensure opportunities for access and exploration can be fully considered. The forum aims to represent landowners and users of the land and has an important role to play in advising the council and other bodies on access issues.'

The closing date for applications is Friday, 21st September 2007 so if you would like to apply, do it soon. Application forms are available by contacting Paul Seville on 01432 260785 or by emailing seville@herefordshire.gov.uk.

Herefordshire Council has reinstated the permit scheme for residents wishing to dispose of their household waste. When the floods hit in July, the council temporarily relaxed the commercial vehicle and trailer permit scheme at its household waste sites enabling residents to get rid of any flood damaged household items quickly. Six weeks on, the permit scheme is restored and any resident wishing to dispose of their household waste in a commercial type vehicle or trailer must now have a permit.

The council says the permits are necessary to prevent business and commercial operators dumping waste and expecting council taxpayers to foot the bill when it goes to landfill.

'Any resident who wants to dispose of waste using a commercial vehicle or trailer is welcome to do so but they do need to obtain a permit in advance of visiting the site,' said a spokesperson. 'For six weeks we have not turned anybody away from our sites with their own flood damaged material, regardless of the vehicle. However, as the urgency of the situation has now passed, we feel that it is appropriate to fully restore the permit scheme.'

Businesses have to make their own arrangements for the disposal of waste and are now using legitimate outlets for disposal. This has resulted in a significant fall in waste going to the council's household waste sites since the beginning of the scheme in April this year. There have also been over 16,000 permit applications from the public to Herefordshire and Worcester Councils, who operate the scheme jointly.

To apply for permits you can telephone 0845 607 2007, visit Herefordshire Council info centres or log on to: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/householdwastesites.

Religious Education teachers and children aged between ten and eleven years from across the county have been invited to a big multi faith conference to learn about Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism.

The children will meet people from different non-Christian faith communities and learn about their religions by getting involved in creative workshops including music, art, dance, story telling and demonstrations of the way other people celebrate their faith.

Children will be introduced to Hinduism through Rangoli pattern making and Hindu story telling, and Sikhism through the use of authentic artefacts and spiritual music to explore morals and values. Children will have the opportunity to observe and participate in different Jewish rituals and try some traditional bread, collah or mazot. They will also be able to explore Islamic art through an Arabic calligraphy workshop.

The two day event will take place at Holmer CE Primary School and neighbouring Hereford Leisure Centre. The conference has been organized by a partnership between the Herefordshire multi faith development group and Holmer primary school, encouraged and supported by Herefordshire SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education), with grant funding from the Herefordshire Local Network Fund.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people, said, 'We are very grateful to SACRE and Holmer primary school for helping to make this event happen. It is important that our children have the opportunity to explore other faiths and try new things so that they have an understanding of the world around them and can learn to respect and celebrate difference.'

Midge Ault, event organizer from the Baha'I Faith, said, 'This is a wonderful opportunity to bring children and adults of different faith backgrounds together in a creative, positive and enjoyable way. I hope that this event will be the first of many.'

The conference takes place on Tuesday, 25th and Wednesday, 26th September between 9.15am and 3.45pm.

Children in Hereford's South Wye area are being invited to 'clown around' with their Dad's at the Green Croft Children's Centre on Saturday, 8th September. Many dads don't get the opportunity to have quality play time with their children due to work commitments or because groups available are often attended more by mothers. As a result the Green Croft Children's Centre in Redhill, Hereford is setting up a dads and kids group which aims to promote and boost interactive play and give dads a chance to meet other dads with young children.

The sessions will take place between 10am and 12 noon on the first Saturday of each month from this Saturday, 8th September until June next year. No booking is necessary for this event, so anybody wishing to take part can just turn up on the day.

Each meeting will have some kind of fun activity organized. The first event on 8th September will focus on a "Big Top" theme where dads and their children can have a go at a range of circus skills, including juggling, plate spinning, uni-cycling and magical tricks. The group activities are being supported by Herefordshire Council's Wider Family Learning which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

Centre Manager, Viv Daly, said, 'We know there are many dads out there in the community who may be looking for activities and ideas on things to do with their children. Research tells us that interacting in children's play helps children develop a whole range of social skills as well as cementing parent / child bonds and we've organized these sessions to help dads learn about the importance of play. The sessions are free, refreshments are available and most of all, it promises to be fun.'

Herefordshire Council has won its race against time to find a solution for children separated from their school by a closed railway bridge.

Following further assessments and discussions with Network Rail, the council is to reopen the Colwall Green Bridge on the B4218 for pedestrians only. This will enable school children to use it in time for the start of the new school term on Wednesday, 5th September 2007.

The bridge was closed to all traffic on Wednesday, 15th August after an assessment by highways engineers raised safety concerns. Since then the council has looked at a number of possible solutions to help children get to schools on the other side of the bridge. They had put plans into place for the installation of a temporary footbridge and special school buses, should the bridge have had to remain closed. Following further analysis and discussions with Network Rail, the council has decided the bridge can be reopened for pedestrians only. However, the council will continue to monitor the bridge and will review the decision if there is a risk to safety.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, cabinet member for highways and transportation, said, 'The safety of our schoolchildren will always be a prime concern and we promised from the outset to explore every possibility to ensure the children had a journey to and from school which was as safe and as easy as possible. Reopening the bridge to pedestrians was an option most likely to be welcomed by the local community, so I am delighted that we are able to do this. 'We apologize, however, for the disruption to road traffic and we do appreciate that the bridge closure separates what is a strong community.

A programme for repairs is being put together and we intend to restore the bridge as soon as possible. However, it is likely to be a few months before it can be reopened to any vehicles.'

Herefordshire Council undertakes the assessment and repair of all bridges in Herefordshire as part of its local transport plan, which aims to maintain a high quality and safe road network. The closure of the Colwall Green Bridge will not affect rail services.

Access to Colwall can still be gained via the B4218 Wyche Cutting or via the signed diversion route, which uses the A449, the C1167 at Ledbury and the C1165, Mill Lane, Colwall.

Police are investigating a serious sexual assault on the site of an autograss race meeting at Monkland, near Leominster on Bank Holiday Monday. Officers were called to the site off the A44 shortly after 3am after a young woman reported having been raped. The incident took place on the site in the early hours and police have now begun a full investigation.

The site was busy with people camping as part of the three day race meeting at the time of the incident and officers are continuing their enquiries with the event organizers and others in attendance. It is believed the incident happened between 1am and 2am on Monday, 27th August and police have issued a description of a man they want to trace.

He is white, aged approximately in his 50s and around 5ft 9ins to 5ft 10ins tall. He had short, spiky grey hair and wore a dark zip-up top, smart trousers and lace-up shoes similar to walking boots. They were made of a canvas material. They keen to hear from anyone who was at the event who saw this man or the victim between 1 and 2am.

The victim is described as white, aged 17, medium build, around 5ft 2ins tall with mousy blonde hair with lighter blonde highlights. She was wearing flip flops, an orange vest and a blue and black fleece jacket with a ‘Wolf Sport’ logo on it. Police also want to talk to anyone who was in the beer tent immediately before the incident when a fight is known to have broken out.

'This is a serious incident and police are keen to trace the offender as quickly as possible,' said Detective Chief Inspector Sheila Thornes, who is leading the investigation. 'People were attending the event from around the country as well as from the local area and it is important that we speak to anyone who can assist the investigation. They may have seen the victim with the offender or recognize his description. Equally, they may have been in the beer tent when a fight is known to have broken out immediately before the rape took place. I must stress that this is an unusual event for Herefordshire and we are continuing to liaise with members of the autograss community as well as the victim and her family to provide all of the appropriate reassurance and support.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hereford Public Service Desk on 08457 444888. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Police arrested a man at the site in the early hours of Monday morning. He was taken to Hereford Police Station for questioning and subsequently released on bail while enquires continue.

Re-routing the Rotherwas Access Road in South Hereford to avoid the newly unearthed Rotherwas Ribbon archaeological find could cost council taxpayers up to £110 million. This is one of the options facing Herefordshire Council when its cabinet meets on Thursday, 6th September to discuss how the Bronze Age Ribbon can be best safeguarded for future generations.

A report to cabinet contains options for diverting the course of the road, which the business community says is essential for the future of firms located in Rotherwas. Options range from abandoning the road, which would cost £6 million, to building a bridge (£10 million) or creating a tunnel underneath the Ribbon (£110 million). If any of these options are approved, council officers warn that the county faces serious financial challenges and other important projects would have to be halted. Instead, officers recommend that the building of the road continues, at a cost of £400,000, and that the existing Ribbon find is protected in line with archaeological best practice.

Furthermore, the presumed course of the Ribbon, both North and South of the access road, should be investigated to ensure opportunities for tourism, heritage and education can be explored. English Heritage has been involved with the Rotherwas access road since being consulted following the discovery of the Ribbon. Experts from English Heritage have advised that the engineering solution proposed by the council would provide appropriate long term protection for the archaeological find. English Heritage is considering funding further archaeological investigation outside of the road corridor to enable the Rotherwas Ribbon's extent and character to be more fully defined.

The council stopped work on the Rotherwas access road around the Ribbon site earlier this year, when the significance of the find was established. It announced the find to councillors and citizens in May. Plans to protect the Ribbon were initially put on hold after popular demand to see it. Around 1,000 people were given escorted tours of the site during July.

The council covered over the site in August and archaeologists conducted a fingertip clean of the surface to carefully remove any deposited silt. A number of protective, weatherproof layers were then put over the site to protect it.

The rejection of lottery funding for a modern, showcase library for Ledbury is a serious blow for the market town, states Herefordshire Council. The council's £2million lottery bid sought to inspire young people to continue reading and learning into adulthood, as well as building on the cultural heritage of Ledbury, linked to the poetry festival and the John Masefield Society.

The idea, based on local consultation, was to house a state of the art library, a flagship for the whole county, at the town's current youth centre site, which will be rebuilt making greater use of its surroundings and incorporating a new information centre and youth centre, designed by young people. The council was expecting a decision on the bid in September but received the bad news following a letter to the Big Lottery Fund from town councillor Martin Eager asking for the bid to be rejected.

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for economic development and community services, said, 'It has already been established that the current library building is not adequate because it does not allow, and cannot be adapted to allow, access for people with disabilities, which is plainly discriminatory. There were proposals to put the new library in the Masters House at St Katherine's but a detailed conservation report showed this would need to have internal walls knocked out, which would have destroyed the building's character and historical importance.

I can understand there are solutions that some people might prefer but they have been shown to be impossible if we are to safeguard local heritage. The council is trying to achieve a practical solution that will benefit the whole community. Following rejection of the bid, we have to consider what alternatives might be available but Ledbury has missed out on a golden opportunity to create a showcase library which would have been the pride of the county.

The lottery bid deserved to be successful and would have brought much needed external investment to the town. There would have been enormous benefit for young people, with increased provision in the centre of town. There would also have been strong links to support heritage, such as housing John Masefield collections held by Herefordshire Libraries, and providing accommodation for the annual Ledbury Poetry Festival, as well as showing a comprehensive collection of poetry volumes as a resource for the whole county.'

In terms of young people, only 558 are registered at Ledbury Library out of a potential population catchment of 1220. A new facility would have provided zoned spaces and the youth centre designed by young people to meet their changing needs and tastes. The focus of the project on literature and young people was developed through an analysis of existing service provisions and consultation with community partners.

Amey plc has purchased the major part of Herefordshire Jarvis Services (HJS), which provides highways and traffic services in the county. Jarvis plc has completed an agreement to sell 80 per cent of HJS, while Herefordshire Council owns and retains the remaining 20 per cent share in the business.

Herefordshire Jarvis Services was created in 2003 in an agreement between the council and Jarvis plc. It was one of the first 'strategic delivery partnerships' in the UK. Since then, HJS has provided highways and traffic services, civic and school catering, grounds maintenance, street and building cleaning, recycling facilities, building management and maintenance as well as other support services across the county.

In response to today's announcement on the sale, Councillor Roger Phillips, leader of the council, said, 'This is good news for Herefordshire. The original contract to create HJS was pioneering at the time and has achieved strong progress in the quality of services. We welcome the sale to Amey, a company focussed on developing long term local government service partnerships. It has long been recognized that HJS was not core business as far as Jarvis was concerned, so the sale comes as no surprise and is in the best interests of everyone involved. We are keen to develop further these key public services and we are optimistic about the prospects in partnership with Amey.'

Mel Ewell, chief executive of Amey, said, 'This is a great acquisition for Amey and is a key part of our strategy to develop long term, end to end service partnerships in the local government market. Working together with Herefordshire and the team at HJS, Amey will further improve the services delivered on the ground. We look forward to working within the Herefordshire community and delivering a first class service to both residents and visitors.'

Richard Entwistle, chief executive of Jarvis plc, said, 'I am pleased that we have completed the agreement with Amey. The transaction completes a further strategic element in the turnaround of Jarvis and will enable us to focus on our core businesses. Following discussions with Amey, the council and the management team at HJS, we felt that this opportunity was beneficial and in the best interests of all concerned.'

Following extensive consultation, the Herefordshire Partnership has produced a strategy for older people in Herefordshire. Its overall vision is that older people in the county will remain independent and active, continue to live in and contribute to, strong local communities and be included in decisions regarding the future services and activities that they want and need.

'This is a huge step forward,' said Councillor Olwyn Barnett, cabinet member for adult social care and health on Herefordshire Council. 'The strategy recognizes that older people are first and foremost citizens who want to remain engaged and active in their communities. More importantly, growing older should be considered as the golden era which offers exciting opportunities and improved quality of life. However, this is just a start.

This strategy represents the first step towards stronger partnership between the council, other statutory agencies, voluntary organizations and older people to develop and implement a number of detailed action plans early next year. These action plans will address five key areas:

• Staying involved
• Feeling and being safe
• Having enough money and avoiding social isolation
• Staying healthy and independent
• Exercising individual choice and control.

A lot of work has taken place to get us this far and I'd like to thank all those who have contributed.'

Copies of the strategy are available to download free from the Herefordshire Partnership's website at www.herefordshirepartnership.com.

Free printed copies can be obtained by calling the Herefordshire Partnership on 01432 261792 or emailing hfdpartnership@herefordshire.gov.uk.

Police investigating a report of the sexual assault of a 16 year old girl in public toilets in East Street, Hereford, are trying to trace a man who may be a vital witness. The incident happened late on Thursday, 23rd August, (the day GCSE results were announced) and into the early hours of Friday, 24th August.

The victim had been in the Cathedral grounds with a male but needed to go to the toilet, so made her way to East Street to use the facilities at the rear of Marks and Spencers. She was escorted by the male who waited outside. When she emerged, she was pushed back into the cubicle by the male and sexually assaulted.

The assault was interrupted, however, when a member of the public wanting to use the toilet opened the door briefly. He apologized when he realized there was someone inside and waited outside for the cubicle to become available.

'This man was described as being white and aged in his late teens or early 20s and was tall and of slim build,' said DC Helen Davies from Hereford CID. 'He had spiky hair and was wearing a black fleece and blue jeans. It is thought he was driving a dark blue or black sports car with a spoiler at the rear, which he parked in the Marks and Spencer’s loading bay. After he had tried to enter the toilet, he waited opposite for a vacant loo and saw the victim and the male emerge. It is likely this person has vital information about the incident and police are very keen to trace him as a witness.'

The interruption is believed to have happened between midnight and 12.45am on Friday, 24th August. The witnesses, or anyone else with information about the incident, is asked to contact DC Helen Davies at Hereford CID on 08457 444888 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The absolute deadline for Wyenot News stories and other items is 12:00, midday on Tuesday, for inclusion in the following day's edition.

PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER: This is an absolute deadline and not the time I am asking for articles to be sent in. Mondays and Tuesdays here at 'Wyenot News' are Hell with by far, the most events I cover occurring at the weekend. The photography that the public sees happening is only one tiny part of the whole picture (please excuse the pun) of running this weekly news publication and the bits of prep that people do not see, are actually the most time consuming part of getting the story out.

If at all possible, please send your story in as early as you can, rather than wait until the very last minute, so that I can have at least a fighting chance of getting to bed before 3:00 am every Tuesday and Wednesday morning after what has lately become two 18 hour working days on the trot.

Thank you very much for your understanding and help.

Alan

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