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Buy yourself or a loved one a gift with a difference this Christmas. The South West Coast Path Association is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is raising funds to put some much needed tlc back into the path. It's called the 'Great South West Walk'. The aim? To cover one of several of the 56 legs of the walk all done in relay to cover the entire 630 miles around Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the Exmoor coast through Somerset. The event begins in April, on the 3rd for the North coast in Poole, and the 16th for the South coast in Minehead. It lasts until May and each walker is asked to try and raise £50 in sponsorships, and pay £10 for registration. Why not treat yourselves and your loved ones or friends and help raise the £250,000 needed to improve the area. Come together as one and save a much loved part of the country, and maybe even work off some of that extra Christmas weight whilst you're at it. Registration can be bought at www.GreatSouthWestWalk.co.uk Full Information on Locations and Routes is also available, or, contact: SWCPA- 01752 869237

Bath's night marshals have kept around 40,000 people safe in the city centre since August, according to business bosses. The Bath Business Improvement District (BID) initiative to make Bath's streets safer at night and ensure late-night revellers get home in one piece has been expanded over the festive period. The scheme helps around 2,000 people during a typical week, smoothing out taxi issues around Orange Grove and ensuring drunken behaviour does not get out of hand in the city centre. Records kept by the BID office suggest that early intervention by marshals prevented the police having to be called out to 353 incidents since August. And first aid administered by marshals ensured Great Western Ambulance Service was spared 58 journeys. The BID estimates that 40,000 people have benefited from the marshals' supervision and work since August. Over the Christmas holiday, the marshals are working extra shifts, having added Thursdays, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve to their normal Friday and Saturday rotas for a fortnight. On average there will be four marshals per evening, although on New Year's Eve there will be seven plus a medic. They are part of the BID-run Nightwatch scheme, which enables licensees, police and CCTV operators, as well as the marshals, to communicate about city security issues by using radios. Every pub, club or restaurant which signs up to Nightwatch receives digital radio equipment which connects them to the marshals, as well as to police officers and staff monitoring the city's CCTV system. BID manager Andrew Cooper said: "Throughout the year, the BID night marshals do important work that ensures Bath's night-time economy is able to prosper in a safe environment. Their work helping those who are enjoying a night out in the city is particularly important at this time of the year with thousands of extra people making the most of the holiday period. "One of our main goals at the Bath Business Improvement District is making the city as attractive a place as possible for people to visit, whether by day or by night. "The night marshals play a central part in fulfilling that goal." The scheme costs £40,000 a year to run, and is paid for by the levy operated by the BID on city centre businesses

Bath's night marshals have kept 40,000 people safe

It's been dubbed "Black Friday" – the Friday before Christmas when thousands of revellers head out onto the town. Tonight will be one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services with Christmas parties in full swing. The night begins full of laughter and cheer but doesn't always end that way for some people. Tonight police will be providing a live online news feed with photos to give a behind-the-scenes look at what they do to keep the party-goers safe over the Christmas period. You can view the force's Twitter feed below between 6pm and midnight and follow the action as police officers hit the streets to arrest criminals and keep people safe. The comment facility is switched off - if you would like to comment please use the This is Bath comment box at the bottom of this article.

<a href="javascript:;" onclick="post_nav(sdl('nlveml%8g=e.ot3y.hrpbcDictihiabXottpls5Gmpl%etba/%i2%%9/t3vF227/rAeoFF2pa%.pta5rn2ctal8esFoistdsi%mokc0et2%n%aKn.F2%3sttpwF3DtY.hwmDv_2rpwocicis?.boeoRsucimwdlirol_aeY', 153, 167, 8, 14), {su:window.location}, '_blank');">Friday before Christmas live updates from Avon and Somerset Police</a>

The live news stream is part of Avon and Somerset Police's "Have The Christmas You Deserve" campaign and is designed to give people an insight into what police officers are doing and highlights the issues they encounter to help protect people from becoming victims. Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford said: "As well as enforcing the law and protecting the public, part of our job is to let people know what we're doing to keep them safe and tackle any issues where they live. The live news stream on Friday will let people get a behind-the-scenes look at how we police the streets during one of the busiest nights of the year. "Police staff will be out and about with officers to provide updates on their activities and we hope people will visit our website on Friday night to join in the conversation and have a look at what we are dealing with on what's expected to be one of the busiest nights of the year. Avon and Somerset Police have also released a YouTube video called "Don't have a Nightmare this Christmas". The two minute video encourages people to drink responsibility and warns them about the possible consequences of getting out of control at their Christmas party.

If you want to follow the live news feed or get advice and information on how to keep yourself safe this Christmas visit the police website. The live updates can also be followed via twitter @aspolice using the following hash tag #xmasudeserve.

'Black Friday' . . . follow Friday before Christmas live updates from Avon and Somerset Police

Do you know someone who gives up their time to help others, has been brave in the face of adversity, or who has done something remarkable?

The chances are you do – and now is the chance for their achievements to be recognised with the Pride in Bath awards.

For the second year running the Pride in Bath awards will give people the chance to nominate those who have made a difference in their community, or who have shown great bravery, courage and determination.

The awards, a collaboration between The Bath Chronicle and BMI Bath Clinic at Claverton Down, have eight categories: Carer, Community Champion, Heroic Act, Charity Fundraiser or Volunteer, Young Person, Environmental Hero, Public Sector Hero, and GP Practice.

From caring for a relative, to supporting a charity or litter picking, there are many people in the community who perform selfless service.

Last year the category of Charity Champion was won by veteran fundraiser George Harding, from Weston, for his work raising more than £100,000 for Macmillan.

He said afterwards: "I feel really humbled to win the award and am so delighted.

"I want to inspire people of all ages to get involved with charity work and to challenge themselves."

Shirley Kelly, from Lower Weston, won the Carer of the Year category for the time she dedicates to looking after her husband, blind great-nephew and elderly neighbours.

She said at the time that she was shocked but absolutely elated.

"When you do things like this you don't really think about what you are doing, you just do it. I just do my best to help people who need it."

To nominate a person write a minimum of 250 words on why they deserve the award and attach it to the nomination form on this page.

Alternatively you can enter via www.this isbathco.uk/ prideawards.

An awards ceremony will be held on March 7 at the Assembly Room, where the winners will receive £500, with a £1,500 prize for the best GP practice.

People encouraged to enter the Pride in Bath Awards run by The Bath Chronicle and BMI Bath Clinic

However you look at it, 2012 has proved another year of mid-table mediocrity for Bath Rugby, albeit one with a bit of a wag in the tail.

If you're looking for a moment that summed it all up, then cast your mind back to a dour night in south Manchester in April and an encounter with Goldilocks.

Bath were staring down the barrel of a 16-9 loss to Sale Sharks, a defeat that effectively ended their hopes of qualifying for the current season's Heineken Cup.

Just then, a lanky bloke on a stag-do wearing a dress and a wig came cha-cha-cha-ing onto the pitch.

After a frankly creepy drag act performance, the transvestite pitch invader mildly taunted the Bath players with a zig-zagging run. And when the Edgeley Park security staff did nothing about it, Olly Barkley took matters into his own hands.

When Barkley ran at Goldilocks and swept him/her off his/her feet before dumping him in the Stockport mud, it was a moment that captured all the simmering frustrations of a season that had seen Bath fail to live up to their early-season billing.

Prior to that match, a top- four Premiership finish was out of the question but a Heineken Cup spot – surely the club's minimum goal – was still within reach. The loss to Sale represented the failure to meet that basic target and meant Bath wouldn't feature at Europe's top table for the first since they lifted the Challenge Cup in 2008.

Frustration and exasperation were the primary themes of early 2012. Unable to provide sufficient dominance up front, Bath also lacked penetration when they actually got the ball in hand. Under Sir Ian McGeechan, the sad truth was that Bath not only lost more games than they had done under Steve Meehan but they lost while playing unattractive rugby. No wonder Goldilocks took a beating.

Another moment of clarity came when Bath lost their home LV= Cup semi-final at The Rec to a severely under- strength Leicester side. Plainly, there was still plenty of ground to make up with English rugby's most consistent big-hitters.

Inevitably, given the new coaching set-up, this season has involved some redefinition and recalibration. Results may have been mixed but November's win over reigning league champions Harlequins showed just what a one-for-all- and-all-for-one mentality head coach Gary Gold is in the process of establishing.

Bath's defence, which was impressive last year, looks to have been further reinforced and while the side's cutting edge in the Premiership needs to be sharpened, the past fortnight's try glut in the Amlin Challenge Cup will have given the club a chance to broaden its attacking horizons.

Gary Gold is still in the early stages of reinventing the club and will be showing more of his hand soon. Gradually, there are grounds for believing that the future holds gold rather than Goldilocks.

TOM BRADSHAW: New hope after year of mediocrity

A former Bath student has designed a new light to help keep cyclists safe.

Emily Brooke, who grew up in the city and attended the Royal High School, has launched her own company after graduating from Brighton University.

While studying for her degree in product design she came up with a light that is mounted on the front of a bike and projects a symbol of a bike down on to the road increasing the cyclist's footprint on the road and alerting drivers to their presence.

To help raise money for the product, called BLAZE, Miss Brooke used Crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Miss Brooke, who now lives in London, hoped to raised £25,000 in a month but achieved it in just five days.

She said: "We recently launched on Crowdfunding website Kickstarter where we aimed to raise £25,000 in 30 days. Unbelievably we smashed through our target this weekend after only five days.

"The excitement and response the innovation is generating around the world is truly humbling and so exciting. We just want to see how big this innovation really could be."

Miss Brooke worked with road safety experts, Brighton and Hove City Council, the Brighton and Hove Bus Company and driving psychologists while developing the light.

After designing the concept at university, the innovation won her a place on an entrepreneurial scholarship in Massachusetts as well as becoming an inaugural member of Entrepreneur First, a British accelerator programme supporting recent graduates building their own business.

Ex-Bath student's bright idea to help save cyclists' lives

The great Christmas getaway got off to a soggy start as rain and disruption hampered festive travel plans. Flood warnings have been issued for large parts of the region as road and rail travellers faced delays to their journeys. Rail passengers are still facing hold-ups caused by signalling problems in London and there were delays to a number of services running through Bath Spa Station this morning with the 7.43 to London Paddington cancelled. The Environment Agency has issued more than 100 flood warnings and alerts for the South West of England as heavy rain continued to fall. Families have been warned that flooding is possible in a number of areas in and around Bath. Flood alerts have been issued for the River Biss between Westbury and Trowbridge. Householders living near the River Chew from Chew Stoke to Keynsham have also been alerted to the possibility of flooding. A further flood alert has bee issued for the River Avon around Melksham, Bradford on Avon and Chippenham. An accident closed one lane of the M5 southbound near Weston-super-Mare this morning and a one lane of the northbound carriageway was also shut between Burnham-on-Sea and Weston by a vehicle fire. Flooding between Taunton and Exeter St Davids and a signalling problem is causing disruption to train passengers in the South West. There are no trains between Plymouth and Tiverton Parkway or Taunton. Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington said: "We could see rainfall mounting up to more than 100 mm in parts of South West England by the end of the weekend. "The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings which means that the public should plan ahead to take account of possible travel delays or disruption, especially as they make their way to friends and family for the Christmas period." John Curtin, head of incident management at the Environment Agency, said: "Our teams are out around the clock to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding, clearing drainage channels and ensuring that flood defences are working properly. "With a very busy travel weekend coming up, we would also ask that people check their route before travelling, and remember not to drive or walk through flood water." Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "Even if you know your local roads, don't be complacent, as flash flooding is a real risk with so much water around."

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Matt Banahan, Ryan Caldwell, Nathan Catt, Carl Fearns, Lee Mears and Ben Williams have all put pen to paper as Bath look to cement a core of experienced top class players. Head coach Gary Gold said: "These signings represent a huge declaration of intent from our playing squad. "We put a real emphasis on taking care of our current players and their contracts, so we are very happy to have completed these deals in such good time. "That these guys were all keen to stay and be a part of what we are trying to achieve here at Bath says an enormous amount for the club. "They are all outstanding individuals as well as outstanding players, so it's fantastic news that they will all be wearing the Bath jersey for seasons to come."

Six extend contracts with Bath Rugby

An energy company has upped the ante in its plans to extract shale gas at Keynsham. UK Methane has withdrawn a planning application for test drilling at Hicks Gate, and says it will now apply for a full production facility there. It is facing stiff opposition from environmental campaigners who fear that the extraction process - known as fracking - will contaminate Bath's hot springs and cause other pollution. The firm claims the process - cleared by the Government after a tremor scare linked to a drilling rig in Lancashire - is a solution to the country's looming energy crisis. More than 500 people have objected to the test drilling plans submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council. In a letter to the council withdrawing that application, UK Methane director Gerwyn Llewellyn Williams says the planning process has become so demanding it will now skip the test drilling consent stage. "The level of information that is being requested is far higher than that for any other previous planning application that we have been involved with in other parts of the country; we feel therefore, for the extra amount of work that is involved, that we will apply for a full production permission. Central government has carried out enough work to prove that shale gas production is safe and has recently lifted the moratorium on fracking."

Bath City will have a free Saturday for the second weekend running after their Blue Square Bet South match at Havant & Waterlooville was postponed. Heavy overnight rain meant the pitch was unplayable and the fixture has been rearranged for Saturday, January 12 (3pm). City will be hoping the rain eases before their festive home double header against Weston-super-Mare on Boxing Day and Dorchester Town next Saturday (both 3pm). Non-league football across the area has been severely disrupted by the wet weather. The Toolstation Premier Division matches involving Bitton, Larkhall Athletic and Odd Down have all been called off, as have the Division 1 fixtures involving Corsham Town and Bradford Town. Keynsham Town's all-weather pitch means their home fixture against Almondsbury UWE could still go ahead.

Too much water in Waterlooville means Bath City's game is off

Match report: BATH RUGBY 0 SARACENS 22
By Harry Abbott
Charlie Hodgson produced a sublime performance at a rain-soaked Rec as Bath Rugby crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season against Saracens.
The visitors coped by far the better with the atrocious conditions, with the imperious Hodgson kicking 17 points to send the home side crashing back to earth with a bump following back-to-back Amlin Cup wins over Italian side Calvisano.
Head coach Gary Gold will be bitterly disappointed at how little his side offered during the match, with Bath's chances all but gone before half-time.
Both teams took time to settle in the face of the torrential rain but once Hodgson had his first sight of goal, it was all one-way traffic. The Sarries fly-half saw a drop-goal attempt from 30 metres drift wide but his long-range penalty three minutes later put the visitors ahead.
Hodgson was also crucial when the game's first try arrived midway through the half, with the England international slipping Michael Claassens' tackle on the Bath 22. He then fed David Strettle, who raced to the line before offloading to Richard Wigglesworth to complete the score.
Again Hodgson's boot was imperious, as he expertly landed the conversion from the left-hand touchline, before backing it up with another penalty soon after.
The same could not be said for Bath counterpart Stephen Donald, with the conditions getting the better of the New Zealand World Cup winner as he missed three kicks at goal in the space of five minutes.
Hodgson, however, continued in faultless fashion, scoring his third penalty before the break, while Chris Wyles was denied a second Saracens touchdown.
The visiting full-back raced onto Owen Farrell's neat grubber kick but there was just too much pace on the ball as Wyles and the backtracking Nick Abendanon and Horacio Agulla all clattered into the advertising boards.
The hosts took until two minutes before half-time to muster their first meaningful attack, with Tom Biggs looking to capitalise when Joel Tomkins fumbled Donald's high kick. The Bath winger pounced, punted and chased but the ball rolled just too far.
The chance seemed somewhat of an inspiration to the home side and they had 20 minutes of sustained pressure in the second period but, frustratingly, it came without reward.
Saracens gave away repeated penalties on their own line in the face of heavy Bath pressure but, in their desperate search for points, the hosts opted for scrums and lineouts before being the architects of their own downfall when they infringed themselves.
Such was Hodgson's control over the game that, when the visitors got themselves into Bath's 22 for the first time in the half on the stroke of the hour, the fly-half extended the lead with another penalty.
Two off-target kicks late on proved that even he was fallible in the pouring rain but he did have the final say when a fifth penalty five minutes from time brought an end to the scoring as the festive season offered little cheer for The Rec faithful.
Following defeat at Leicester Tigers in their last Premiership outing, Gold's side are now in danger of dropping out of contention for a top-four spot before the New Year arrives.
And should they fail to turn their fortunes around at Exeter next Saturday – as well as during the trip to Wasps a week later – they will have a fight on their hands just to reclaim a place in the top six.
BATH RUGBY: Abendanon, Agulla, Eastmond, Williams (Hipkiss 60), Biggs, Donald, Claassens, James (Perenise 77), Mears (Dunn 65), Wilson (Beech 77), Hooper, Day (Attwood 60), Louw, Mercer, Taylor. Replacements not used: Skuse, McMillan, Heathcote.
SARACENS: Wyles, Ashton (Short 65), Tomkins, Farrell, Strettle (Taylor 71), Hodgson, Wigglesworth (de Kock 50), Vunipola (Gill 50), Brits (George 65), Stevens (du Plessis 18), Borthwick (Sheriff 73), Botha, Kruis, Fraser (Saull 60), Brown.
Try: Wigglesworth Conversion: Hodgson Penalties: Hodgson 5
Referee: Greg Garner
Attendance: 12,200

Pete McCormack provides a fan's view on events at Bath City FC... Another blank Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch at Havant & Waterlooville left Bath City fans wondering what shape the squad would be in for the hectic Christmas period. The enforced rest will certainly have helped the injured but will we be firing on all cylinders when we finally take to the field again? I am sure Archie will make sure the team are ready. I certainly hope the weather relents so we can get some football in Bath this week! This is the last fan's view of 2012. It has not been the best of years for City – there have been few high points to speak of. Mine was beating Newport County 3-2 early in 2012. It gave us hope we might make a fist of our fight against relegation, as did the battling win at Barrow, but it wasn't to be. Heading the Blue Square Bet South table in August was wonderful, albeit short-lived, and October's 3-2 home victory over Farnborough, complete with late, late winner, reminded me how great the game can be and showed City's old comeback qualities. Off the pitch, the Bath City Community Sports Foundation has been a joy to be involved with. It is one of the few successes to celebrate and is down to the energy, commitment and skill of Pete Sellwood and his team. By and large, though, it has been a very flat year with a disastrous relegation and two early cup exits to lower-league opposition. My biggest fear is that the general lack of interest around the club will spread into 2013. So what do fans want to see in the New Year? Certainly a play-off place would help to rekindle support and interest. Continued investment in young players is a must. It has been great to see Chris Allen, Noah Keats, Jason Mellor and Danny Ball come through in 2012 We need a tougher approach on the field to complement the passing football. Much more leadership is needed from the club to publicise it and galvanise support. We need more news on the future of Bath City FC. How are we getting on with the three-year plan? On a personal note, I would like to see recognition from the Charity Commission that other sports, including football, must feature on the Recreation Ground. You can let them know your views directly at www.charitycommission.gov.uk. Whatever happens, I will be back following City in 2013, just as I have for the last 44 years. I'll also be back writing this column after three important festive fixtures which will go a long way to setting the tone for the rest of the season. But Bath City FC needs your support as well. You can help by buying a Supporters' Club raffle ticket, with the draw taking place on Saturday, or by attending the New Year Party at Mayday Trust Park. Most of all, get along to this week's home fixtures against Weston-super-Mare (Boxing Day) and Dorchester Town (Saturday, both 3pm) –that's what it's all about!

Urgent flood warnings have been issued after torrential rain threatened to overwhelm rivers in west Wiltshire.
The Environment Agency says residents in Bradford on Avon, Melksham, Bathford, and Malmesbury must take immediate action because of the imminent threat to properties.
Police have also warned of hazardous driving conditions and standing water on all main roads in the area.
It comes after flooding caused major disruption throughout the South West and a further Met Office yellow weather warning of more heavy rain for the next 36 hours.
The flood warnings are for:
Bristol Avon (middle) at Bradford on Avon;
Bristol Avon (middle) from Melksham to Bathford, not including Bradford on Avon;
Sherston Avon and tributary at Malmesbury;
Tetbury Avon at Malmesbury;
And the Bristol Avon (upper) from Malmesbury to Melksham, not including Chippenham.

Flood warnings issued as rivers threaten to burst banks

Bath Rugby head coach Gary Gold pulled no punches after his side rolled over against Saracens in the Aviva Premiership yesterday, claiming they saw it coming but could do nothing about it. Sarries cruised to an impressive 22-0 win at The Rec, with the outstanding Charlie Hodgson kicking 17 points and making the break which led to Richard Wigglesworth scoring the only try of the match. And while Gold admitted he knew exactly the tactics Saracens would employ, he conceded Bath were powerless to stop them. "The question is where didn't we fall short," he admitted. "Saracens were as good in every aspect of their game as we were poor. "The lineout didn't function, our kicking game didn't function and there were a couple of defensive lapses. "The small solace we can take is that we only conceded one try but Sarries are very good at what they do. They are three or four years down the line at playing these sorts of conditions and we certainly need to get a lot better at it. We were poor and it's an embarrassing result. "I wasn't surprised because we thought they would play a kicking game. They call it suffocate and strangle, and they do it very well. They deserve credit for how well they did it and the accuracy of their kicks was very good. "They are going to put you under a lot of pressure. It's a bit of a game of chess and we lost substantially." Aviva are proud to be title sponsor of Aviva Premiership Rugby – one of the world's leading rugby union competitions. Each season features 135 games, which will be watched by 1.7 million people live at the grounds. Visit www.premiershiprugby.com.

Last minute Christmas travel plans have been thrown into chaos by floods and severe disruption on the railways. Trains running through Bath are being delayed and cancelled and flooding between Bristol and Swindon is adding to the problems. Services between Bristol Parkway and Swindon are being diverted through Bath Spa Station. Journeys could take up to 45 minutes longer. And travellers heading south towards Devon and Cornwall are facing severe delays as a flooded line could remain closed for up to five days, network rail has admitted. British Rail has appealed to people to make alternative arrangements to travel to the two counties with only a limited bus replacements available. Passenges have been warned journeys times could be extended by two hours. Network Rail engineer Steve Hawkins said they would have to wait for flooding to subside before they could begin repairs. On the roads drivers faced flood problems this morning following more heavy rain overnight. The road was blocked between Farleigh Hungerford and Bradford on Avon this morning. In Trowbridge the A366 was closed near the Frome Road junction. A flood warning which urges families to take immediate action as flooding is expected has been issued for the River Avon from Bathford to Melksham. Families near the river in Bradford on Avon have been told to be prepared as flooding is possible. More than 30 flood warnings have been issued across the South West and more than 50 flood alerts are still in operation across the region. The railway line between Tiverton and Exeter is blocked and engineers have used plastic dams in a bid to stop water getting into signal boxes at Cowley Bridge, Devon. First said the routes between Par and Newquay, Liskeard and Looe and also Exeter and Barnstaple were also facing significant problems. More weather warnings have been issued again today but forecasters say the rain should ease later.

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Floods bring Christmas travel misery to thousands

Bath Rugby head coach Gary Gold: We knew what Saracens would do, we just couldn't stop them

A fashion chain has been forced to take items of clothing off its shelves after claims they were offensive. Route One in Little SouthGate removed T-shirts from its window display and has stopped selling them indefinitely after a father-of-two complained about the slogans printed on them – prompting a visit from the police. The store stocks accessories for skateboarding, snowboarding and BMX riders, as well as T-shirts with humorous messages and pictures. However, a range of T-shirts designed for Christmas, which carried phrases such as 'Merry Christmas Motherf*****' and 'Christmas is Gay', have been removed. Daniel Tobias, 45, from Bath, was shopping with his seven-year-old son when he spotted the T-shirts. He said: "The T-shirts can only be described as highly offensive and it's opposite a toyshop." Mr Tobias, who is also a secondary school teacher, added: "For a young child to visit a toyshop then turn round and see those words in big black letters and ask what it means just shows how inappropriate it is." Mr Tobias rang the police, Bath and North East Somerset Council and the company to lodge a complaint. Managing director for the Route One chain, Richard Boissevain, said the company apologised for any offence caused by the T-shirts. He said: "The T-shirts have been taken from the window and actually taken off sale – whether they are sold again is under review. "We don't want to cause offence to anyone. We have never desired to cause offence to any customer or member of the public." Mr Boissevain added that the company had only received one complaint from a member of the public before removing the T-shirts. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the T-shirts may have been considered in breach of public order laws and confirmed officers had visited the store to advise staff that the clothing should be removed from the window.

Offensive T-shirts are removed from Bath shop window

A Keynsham youth worker is to tweet the town parish church's Christmas sermon.

The sermon at St John the Baptist Church, Keynsham, will be delivered by the Rev Simon Howell while live tweets will be sent out by church youth worker, Dan Crouch, whose handle is @DanCrouch.

They will be joined by other congregations and clergy from the Diocese of Bath and Wells and from across the country in a Christmas twitter campaign.

Dan, who runs the weekly @One youth group, says Twitter is the perfect way to spread the Christmas message.

"The young people often use Twitter to chat to each other and now we can tweet the Christmas sermon as it happens and in doing so engage in conversation about Christmas and reach people directly in their homes."

The hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist goes live on Christmas Eve. Tweets can be expected from all services up to Christmas Day.. Dan will be joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu and Archbishop Designate Justin Welby.

Live tweets of sermon as Keynsham parishioners herald Christmas through Twitter

The Government's mission to kickstart the economy with widespread house-building on the west's greenfield sites is raising hackles among Tories in Bath.

The Tory group on B&NES Council has written to Conservative ministers who have suggested green fields are built on to call for protection of the Green Belt around much of their area.

Tory group leader Councillor Francine Haeberling has written to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Planning Minister Nick Boles, whose comments about the need for house building sparked controversy, to appeal for the Green Belt around Bath and Keynsham to be protected.

She said the council was "being pressed" by the Government into delivering a "level of new house building which is not sustainable", even though new homes are needed.

The letter said: "We need reassurance from ministers that planning decisions should be taken locally and that the council has the freedom to agree upon development plans which are right for our area. Conservative councillors will continue to press the need for a brownfield-first development policy."

Bath Conservatives in house-building appeal to protect Green Belt

Babies aren't the only things that have been delivered at work by a Bath widwife.

Keen foodie Laura Kirkman has been treating her colleagues as she completes work on her first cook book.

Laura, 32, who is based at the Combe Down Surgery at Sulis Meadows, has just published her first recipe book – dedicated entirely to tiffin.

Called Tiffintastic, the book includes 12 recipes – one for each month of the year, with seasonal recipes for Easter and Christmas as well as new flavours such as white chocolate and ginger, and earl grey.

Laura said: "I started making tiffin about five years ago for friends and events and people never wanted anything else and it stemmed from that.

"Then people started asking for certain types of tiffin for certain events and that's where the idea of 12 different recipes came from."

She added: "There isn't a book like it on the market. It's very on trend with people wanting to bake but there wasn't a book talking solely about tiffin."

The book has taken four years and many hours of experimenting to compile, as Laura researched all manner of different potential recipes.

She said: "My work colleagues have been the guinea pigs and got to taste all the different recipes. It's been quite intensive playing around with things to see what works and what people prefer."

Tiffin is defined as a form of cake-like confection composed of crushed biscuits – usually digestives, sugar, syrup, raisins and cocoa powder, often covered with a layer of melted chocolate.

Unlike conventional cakes, tiffin does not require baking. Instead, following preparation of the mixture, the confection is chilled until it sets.

Because of this, many people refer to tiffin as fridge cake.

It is so popular, Cadbury's introduced a tiffin bar as part of its Dairy Milk range.

Tiffintastic is a family affair and has been published by Quick Brown Fox Publications which is owned by Laura's brother Adam.

Tiffintastic is priced £11.99 and is available from Oldfield Park Bookshop and other independent book shops in the city, as well as on Amazon.

Bath midwife Laura Kirkman delivers some tasty recipes for tiffin

Christmas steps to help the South West Coast Path Association