:00:00. > :00:10.Jon Kay, BBC News, Bristol. That's
:00:11. > :00:15.The number of cattle herds affected by TB across the region
:00:16. > :00:18.has more than doubled in the last six years from around 130 to 300.
:00:19. > :00:21.Another badger cull to is due to take place in Gloucestershire
:00:22. > :00:23.to try to reduce the spread of the disease.
:00:24. > :00:25.But the target number of badgers to be killed
:00:26. > :00:28.is lower than last year. Steve Knibbs reports.
:00:29. > :00:30.With the pilot cull about to start again,
:00:31. > :00:32.it's a nervous time for all involved.
:00:33. > :00:34.Faced with criticism from an independent report
:00:35. > :00:38.that the operation wasn't effective or humane enough,
:00:39. > :00:40.the company running the cull in Gloucestershire
:00:41. > :00:46.The report was critical, and we accept that.
:00:47. > :00:53.It did, however, say that culling badgers
:00:54. > :00:57.and by caging and trapping could be done safely,
:00:58. > :01:01.There were other issues that they have raised,
:01:02. > :01:04.and we've addressed them through extra training et cetera
:01:05. > :01:08.Also getting ready for the start of the pilot culls
:01:09. > :01:11.The Wounded Badger Patrol in Gloucestershire
:01:12. > :01:15.claims to now have 1000 members ready to patrol the cull zone,
:01:16. > :01:18.and that this year they are more prepared than ever.
:01:19. > :01:21.When they are shot badly, they will want to go back to their set,
:01:22. > :01:24.but this time around we will be able to see them,
:01:25. > :01:26.and then we will be able to cage them
:01:27. > :01:32.TB is showing no signs of going away.
:01:33. > :01:34.Over the border in Wiltshire, it's hit a record high
:01:35. > :01:38.with latest figures showing over 220 herds affected.
:01:39. > :01:40.Peter Bennett is under restrictions again.
:01:41. > :01:45.He can't sell his cows for at least 120 days following a TB outbreak.
:01:46. > :01:50.I would like to see an all`out attack on TB from all sides,
:01:51. > :01:55.and that is from the people who are against culling badgers,
:01:56. > :02:00.from the Government, and from the veterinary profession,
:02:01. > :02:07.as cancer is being treated, as the national enemy, if you like.
:02:08. > :02:09.Meanwhile, planning is under way on all sides
:02:10. > :02:12.ahead of the pilot culls starting again.
:02:13. > :02:15.Gloucestershire Constabulary said today they are putting public safety
:02:16. > :02:17.at the heart of their operation this year
:02:18. > :02:19.as contractors employed to shoot badgers
:02:20. > :02:24.as campaigners who don't want a single shot fired.
:02:25. > :02:30.A sixth Thames Valley police officer is being investigated
:02:31. > :02:33.for his role in the inquiry into Jayden Parkinson's murder.
:02:34. > :02:40.The Independent Police Complaints Commission
:02:41. > :02:43.is looking at how reports of her disappearance were handled.
:02:44. > :02:45.Last month, Jayden's ex`boyfriend, Ben Blakely,
:02:46. > :02:50.Hundreds of children could be left without secondary school places in
:02:51. > :02:55.Swindon by 2017 unless the town gets the equivalent of three new schools.
:02:56. > :02:59.are being sent to the Government this autumn,
:03:00. > :03:03.but they need the backing of local parents, as Will Glennon explains.
:03:04. > :03:09.almost 700 new primary school places have been provided in Swindon.
:03:10. > :03:15.That inevitably means more secondary places will be needed ` and soon.
:03:16. > :03:21.The council, though, says it's seen the problem and is planning ahead.
:03:22. > :03:25.to make sure there are sufficient to school places,
:03:26. > :03:29.so by 2018 we need about another 200 places per year
:03:30. > :03:33.But with pressures on council budgets,
:03:34. > :03:36.money to build new schools would mean cuts elsewhere.
:03:37. > :03:39.That's where places like New College come in.
:03:40. > :03:45.have put together a proposal for a free school.
:03:46. > :03:49.The Government would pay to build it, New College would run it.
:03:50. > :03:54.If they like the bid, the Department will pay for the land,
:03:55. > :03:56.the buildings and the revenue stream,
:03:57. > :04:03.So it is the quickest way of getting to where the town needs to be.
:04:04. > :04:08.is being proposed by the diocese of Bristol.
:04:09. > :04:12.It would have a Christian ethos but be open to all.
:04:13. > :04:14.By and large, we think when people understand
:04:15. > :04:19.they'll be very pleased to know that there is an outstanding
:04:20. > :04:22.Church of England secondary school as part of the mix within the town.
:04:23. > :04:25.For free schools to get government approval,
:04:26. > :04:28.they need the backing of local parents.
:04:29. > :04:33.700 must show their support for each school by the deadline in October.
:04:34. > :04:35.Both schools hope to be open by 2016,
:04:36. > :04:43.Will Glennon, BBC South Today, Swindon.
:04:44. > :04:48.Thousands of motorists who've spent much of the last year
:04:49. > :04:50.taking lengthy diversions to cross the River Thames
:04:51. > :04:52.will soon be able to resume their normal journeys.
:04:53. > :04:54.The Whitchurch toll bridge which connects Oxfordshire and Berkshire
:04:55. > :04:57.will re`open on September 26th ` it's been closed since last October.
:04:58. > :05:03.This was Whitchurch Bridge in April.
:05:04. > :05:06.By now, it should have been finished,
:05:07. > :05:11.meant that workers had to down tools in the middle of the project.
:05:12. > :05:15.The job was originally scheduled for six months,
:05:16. > :05:18.but the work has now taken nearly double that.
:05:19. > :05:22.The next nearest crossing is about a ten`mile diversion from here.
:05:23. > :05:26.Before the bridge was closed, about 6,000 vehicles a day
:05:27. > :05:29.would go down this road to cross the River Thames.
:05:30. > :05:33.But since it's been shut, it's had a big impact on businesses here.
:05:34. > :05:37.We've probably been down by about 15`20% over the last year,
:05:38. > :05:40.which when we were first told it was going to be six months,
:05:41. > :05:42.it was bad enough, we thought we might not make that,
:05:43. > :05:47.it was going to be another six months, quite frightening.
:05:48. > :05:50.Work isn't just taking longer, it's also costing more.
:05:51. > :05:56.That's 2 million more than the initial budget.
:05:57. > :05:58.We're all be very relieved that we're going to open.
:05:59. > :06:01.We've said all along that we very much regret
:06:02. > :06:03.the inconvenience caused to local people and bridge users,
:06:04. > :06:06.so we are very pleased that we can give a date
:06:07. > :06:09.and it's in a timescale we set back in March.
:06:10. > :06:12.The company says it's now up to the utilities companies
:06:13. > :06:15.to make sure the job is done on time,
:06:16. > :06:19.it should be reopened at the end of next month.
:06:20. > :06:27.in the history of Oxfordshire County Cricket Club.
:06:28. > :06:29.They've been involved in the Minor Counties Trophy Final
:06:30. > :06:34.In the end, they lost by seven runs to Devon.
:06:35. > :06:37.They'd been set 204 to win at Wormsley near Watlington
:06:38. > :06:49.but finished on 196`9 after their 50 overs.
:06:50. > :06:51.Hello there, good evening. A band of rain
:06:52. > :06:53.is currently working north and eastwards across the region.
:06:54. > :06:58.but there will be outbreaks of rain through the course of the night.
:06:59. > :07:01.Easing most areas by dawn tomorrow, with a mild night to come, 15`16.
:07:02. > :07:04.There will be the odd spot of rain first thing
:07:05. > :07:08.but otherwise it's a predominantly dry start to the day,
:07:09. > :07:11.and tomorrow we are looking at a mixture of sunny spells,
:07:12. > :07:13.maybe scattered showers for the afternoon
:07:14. > :07:18.Increasing cloud during the latter part of the day with temperatures
:07:19. > :07:20.reaching a high of 20 Celsius, slightly warmer than today.
:07:21. > :07:23.A look ahead to the rest of the week, staying fairly unsettled,
:07:24. > :07:28.Saturday drying out as the day progresses,
:07:29. > :07:44.but coming up next is the national weather forecast.
:07:45. > :07:51.It looks like low pressure will see us out for what is rest of August.
:07:52. > :07:57.It looks as if next week, summer will fight back. Low pressure is
:07:58. > :08:02.approaching the UK. Rainfall totals are not adding up to too much. There
:08:03. > :08:07.is some low cloud and hill fog around. Clearer skies reaching the
:08:08. > :08:10.South West later in the night. Temperatures for Northern England
:08:11. > :08:15.and Scotland going nowhere near as far down as they have done recently.
:08:16. > :08:19.A lot of this rain is coming through overnight, so behind it, many of us
:08:20. > :08:23.will start the day tomorrow dry with some hazy sunshine. The last of that
:08:24. > :08:29.rain beginning to edge away from Eastern Counties of England into the
:08:30. > :08:32.North Sea. And, again, many of us starting dry, drier weather heading
:08:33. > :08:36.into southern Scotland. For northern Scotland, after several days of
:08:37. > :08:44.sunshine, this might come as a shock - the rain won't last all day, much
:08:45. > :08:45.of it will have cleared by the morning. Away from