27/08/2014 BBC Oxford News

Jon Kay, BBC News, Bristol. That's

The number of cattle herds affected by TB across the region

has more than doubled in the last six years from around 130 to 300.

Another badger cull to is due to take place in Gloucestershire

to try to reduce the spread of the disease.

But the target number of badgers to be killed

is lower than last year. Steve Knibbs reports.

With the pilot cull about to start again,

it's a nervous time for all involved.

Faced with criticism from an independent report

that the operation wasn't effective or humane enough,

the company running the cull in Gloucestershire

The report was critical, and we accept that.

It did, however, say that culling badgers

and by caging and trapping could be done safely,

There were other issues that they have raised,

and we've addressed them through extra training et cetera

Also getting ready for the start of the pilot culls

The Wounded Badger Patrol in Gloucestershire

claims to now have 1000 members ready to patrol the cull zone,

and that this year they are more prepared than ever.

When they are shot badly, they will want to go back to their set,

but this time around we will be able to see them,

and then we will be able to cage them

TB is showing no signs of going away.

Over the border in Wiltshire, it's hit a record high

with latest figures showing over 220 herds affected.

Peter Bennett is under restrictions again.

He can't sell his cows for at least 120 days following a TB outbreak.

I would like to see an all`out attack on TB from all sides,

and that is from the people who are against culling badgers,

from the Government, and from the veterinary profession,

as cancer is being treated, as the national enemy, if you like.

Meanwhile, planning is under way on all sides

ahead of the pilot culls starting again.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said today they are putting public safety

at the heart of their operation this year

as contractors employed to shoot badgers

as campaigners who don't want a single shot fired.

A sixth Thames Valley police officer is being investigated

for his role in the inquiry into Jayden Parkinson's murder.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission

is looking at how reports of her disappearance were handled.

Last month, Jayden's ex`boyfriend, Ben Blakely,

Hundreds of children could be left without secondary school places in

Swindon by 2017 unless the town gets the equivalent of three new schools.

are being sent to the Government this autumn,

but they need the backing of local parents, as Will Glennon explains.

almost 700 new primary school places have been provided in Swindon.

That inevitably means more secondary places will be needed ` and soon.

The council, though, says it's seen the problem and is planning ahead.

to make sure there are sufficient to school places,

so by 2018 we need about another 200 places per year

But with pressures on council budgets,

money to build new schools would mean cuts elsewhere.

That's where places like New College come in.

have put together a proposal for a free school.

The Government would pay to build it, New College would run it.

If they like the bid, the Department will pay for the land,

the buildings and the revenue stream,

So it is the quickest way of getting to where the town needs to be.

is being proposed by the diocese of Bristol.

It would have a Christian ethos but be open to all.

By and large, we think when people understand

they'll be very pleased to know that there is an outstanding

Church of England secondary school as part of the mix within the town.

For free schools to get government approval,

they need the backing of local parents.

700 must show their support for each school by the deadline in October.

Both schools hope to be open by 2016,

Will Glennon, BBC South Today, Swindon.

Thousands of motorists who've spent much of the last year

taking lengthy diversions to cross the River Thames

will soon be able to resume their normal journeys.

The Whitchurch toll bridge which connects Oxfordshire and Berkshire

will re`open on September 26th ` it's been closed since last October.

This was Whitchurch Bridge in April.

By now, it should have been finished,

meant that workers had to down tools in the middle of the project.

The job was originally scheduled for six months,

but the work has now taken nearly double that.

The next nearest crossing is about a ten`mile diversion from here.

Before the bridge was closed, about 6,000 vehicles a day

would go down this road to cross the River Thames.

But since it's been shut, it's had a big impact on businesses here.

We've probably been down by about 15`20% over the last year,

which when we were first told it was going to be six months,

it was bad enough, we thought we might not make that,

it was going to be another six months, quite frightening.

Work isn't just taking longer, it's also costing more.

That's 2 million more than the initial budget.

We're all be very relieved that we're going to open.

We've said all along that we very much regret

the inconvenience caused to local people and bridge users,

so we are very pleased that we can give a date

and it's in a timescale we set back in March.

The company says it's now up to the utilities companies

to make sure the job is done on time,

it should be reopened at the end of next month.

in the history of Oxfordshire County Cricket Club.

They've been involved in the Minor Counties Trophy Final

In the end, they lost by seven runs to Devon.

They'd been set 204 to win at Wormsley near Watlington

but finished on 196`9 after their 50 overs.

Hello there, good evening. A band of rain

is currently working north and eastwards across the region.

but there will be outbreaks of rain through the course of the night.

Easing most areas by dawn tomorrow, with a mild night to come, 15`16.

There will be the odd spot of rain first thing

but otherwise it's a predominantly dry start to the day,

and tomorrow we are looking at a mixture of sunny spells,

maybe scattered showers for the afternoon

Increasing cloud during the latter part of the day with temperatures

reaching a high of 20 Celsius, slightly warmer than today.

A look ahead to the rest of the week, staying fairly unsettled,

Saturday drying out as the day progresses,

but coming up next is the national weather forecast.

It looks like low pressure will see us out for what is rest of August.

It looks as if next week, summer will fight back. Low pressure is

approaching the UK. Rainfall totals are not adding up to too much. There

is some low cloud and hill fog around. Clearer skies reaching the

South West later in the night. Temperatures for Northern England

and Scotland going nowhere near as far down as they have done recently.

A lot of this rain is coming through overnight, so behind it, many of us

will start the day tomorrow dry with some hazy sunshine. The last of that

rain beginning to edge away from Eastern Counties of England into the

North Sea. And, again, many of us starting dry, drier weather heading

into southern Scotland. For northern Scotland, after several days of

sunshine, this might come as a shock - the rain won't last all day, much

of it will have cleared by the morning. Away from