As it happened: West of England

Tattoo artist Marcus Kuhn hopes the public can help him rebuild his Bath-based business from the ashes after arsonists poured petrol through the door.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Swindon MP Robert Buckland says he is "extremely disappointed" that an emergency mental health suite is being closed.

He says the city's Sandalwood Court is "vital" for patients. A similar suite in Salisbury is also closing.

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership says the closures will help expand its central service in Devizes.

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Bristol Rovers plan to remain at their Memorial Stadium home for the long-term, owner Wael al-Qadi has confirmed.

After abandoning plans for a new ground at the University of West of England last week, Al-Qadi says Rovers will now look to redevelop their current ground.

The League One club previously hoped to build a new 21,000-capacity venue.

"If we study the Mem properly, we could regenerate and eventually provide the fans with something they have dreamt of," Al-Qadi told BBC Points West.

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DOUGLAS WAYMARK/FACEBOOKCopyright: DOUGLAS WAYMARK/FACEBOOK

A man who died swimming the English Channel was "completely prepared" for the gruelling triathlon he was taking part in, his girlfriend has said.

Douglas Waymark, from Cheltenham, got into difficulty about half way across, 12 nautical miles from Dover.

The 44-year-old was airlifted to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford on Monday night, but later died.

Girlfriend Lola Lewis, said: "He was nervous but I had every belief in him and the preparation he'd put in,"

The endurance athlete had been taking part in the Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon from London to Paris.

The triathlon starts with an 87 mile run from London's Marble Arch to Dover, followed by a swim across the channel to France.

The final leg is an 181-mile bike ride from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

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Gloucester have signed South African back row Ruan Ackermann from Super Rugby side the Lions.

Ackermann, 21, was ever-present as the Johannesburg-based side reached the Super Rugby final and is the son of incoming Gloucester head coach Johan.

Full details here.

Douglas Waymark was a focused and dedicated athlete, says his girlfriend Lola Lewis.

He died on Monday during an endurance exercise after he got into difficulty while swimming the Channel.

He died in hospital in Ashford but his achievements should not be forgotten, says his girlfriend.

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Bristol City have rejected "two solo bids" for centre-back Aden Flint from Championship rivals Birmingham City, Robins head coach Lee Johnson says.

On 2 August, Johnson dismissed a joint bid from Birmingham for Flint and left-back Joe Bryan as "derisory".

"Neither solo bid met our requirements or the figure we felt was acceptable," Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We're in a strong position. We don't want to lose quality players but, if we do, it would be at the right price."

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Jonty Evans from Andoversford in Gloucestershire, who rode Cooley Rorkes Drift at the Rio Olympics, has successfully raised £500,000 he needed to buy the horse, after it was put up for sale.

He's thanked everyone who donated to the fundraising campaign to save the horse known affectionately as Art.

Bob Neill, Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, says the UK prison service is shedding experienced officers at a time when more are needed.

It comes amid claims from a former prison officer that poor leadership, inexperienced staff and dilapidated buildings are causing huge problems at Erlestoke Prison near Devizes.

Drivers and pedestrians are reminded that the Clifton Suspension will be closed Thursday and Saturday evening for the Balloon Fiesta.

The Highways Agency is also warning that motorways and major A roads around Bristol are likely to be busy.

The festival attracts up to 100,000 people over four days at the city’s Ashton Court.

The A369 Rownham Hill will be closed on all the nights of the event from its junction with Beggar Bush Lane from 7pm until midnight. A diversion is in place via the B3129 and B3128.

Bristol Rovers Football Club have confirmed that the Memorial Stadium will be their long-term home.

The club's owners say redeveloping the Mem, which is in a residential part of Bristol, is their best bet.

A tattoo artist whose parlour was gutted in an arson attack had no insurance and is asking the community to help him rebuild his business after a "malicious and cowardly" attack.

Marcus Kuhn hopes kind people will help him clean up the parlour and raise money to rebuild it.

Bath man Gavin Weeks has set up a GoFundMe page in the wake of the arson attack that has damaged Just Good Tattoos.

The Bristol Rovers' owner has been chatting to our Sports Editor Alistair Durden about his plans for the team staying at the Memorial Stadium.

It's after a deal with the University of the West of England to build a new arena fell through

BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport

The owners of Bristol Rovers have confirmed the club is planning to redevelop the Memorial Stadium after a deal to build a new stadium fell through.

Plans for the club to move to a site near the University of the West of England were abandoned last week.

The club president Wael Al Qadi said in a video on the club's website that staying at the Memorial Stadium is now their best option.

"Our aim is to provide our supporters with modern beautiful facilities to watch great football," he said.

"We are determined to give the fans what they want. We didn't feel it was in the club's best interests to go down that path with UWE.

"Now a closure has been reached we will concentrate fully on regenerating the Memorial."

He added that planning permission will have to be applied for.

The girlfriend of a man who died during an attempt to swim the English Channel says she sometimes felt guilty for holding him back from his sporting ambitions.

Douglas Waymark, 44 from Cheltenham, got into difficulty about half way across, 12 nautical miles from Dover, during a gruelling triathlon on Monday.

The endurance athlete had been taking part in the Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon.

Here Lola Lewis pays tribute to him.

Two fires were started deliberately at two businesses in and around Bath in the early hours of this morning.

Just Good Tattoos in Cork Place, Bath, and Morris Barbers in Saltford could now be closed for weeks.

Police are investigating but say it's too early to link the attacks.

Marcus Kuhn ploughed his life savings into his tattoo parlour which had only been open a matter of days.

BBCCopyright: BBC

A former prison officer at a riot-hit jail says he fears for the young, inexperienced staff still working there.

Keith Conway said he took early retirement from Wiltshire's HMP Erlestoke in 2016 because he and his colleagues feared for their safety.

The government "needs to start getting discipline back into prisons", he said.

The Prison Service says it is taking "decisive action" to tackle the jail's "long-standing challenges".

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