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A £5 million project to transform the neglected Grand Parade and Undercroft into a new exclusive dining quarter for the city has moved a step forward. Bath and North East Somerset Council is now looking for formal approaches by restaurants interested in the new venue. As part of the scheme the two restaurants created in the development have to pre-let before the council will start the renovations. Situated below Grand Parade the two new restaurants will have al fresco dining, overlooking Pulteney Bridge and the weir. Grand Parade will be transformed with the introduction of two new foyers providing greeting areas and lift access to each restaurant. In addition, a new stairwell leading down to the Colonnades will also be installed. Leader of the council, Councillor Paul Crossley, said: "There are exciting possibilities for businesses who want a breath taking and unique location for their restaurant. The redevelopment of the Colonnades is something which is particularly exciting given their riverside location and important place in Bath's commercial history." A planning application for the development is due to be submitted in April. Leisure property specialists Fleurets has been appointed to act on behalf of the council to attract restaurant tenants to the development. Kevin Conibear, from Fleurets' Bristol office said: "Restaurant demand for Bath is always exceptional, due to the popularity of the city and the visitors that it attracts, coupled with limited restaurant availability. The Colonnades is unique and will offer riverside dining within the heart of the city. The image of Pulteney Bridge and the Colonnades defines Bath and is one of the most recognisable aspects of the city and this really is a great opportunity for restaurateurs to acquire trophy sites." Speaking at a Resource Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel meeting, property director for B&NES Tom McBain, said the development had received 18 expressions of interest from restaurants last year. He said the successful chain would be an exclusive name. "This will be somewhere you have to book several weeks in advance." Councillor Roger Symonds (Lib Dem, Combe Down) said the scheme was brilliant. "The people of this city, both people who have been here a long time and new people, will welcome this." But some members of the scrutiny panel criticised the consultation process. Councillor Charles Gerrish (Con, Keynsham North) said: "I am disappointed that the council does not follow the example of developers engaging with the public before there's a planning application. "I think this is such a major issue as far as the city is concerned we should engage with the public before submitting a planning application." Mr McBain said there had been extensive consultation with stakeholder groups and there would be a public exhibition once the planning application was submitted. It is anticipated that the restaurants will be available for occupation in early 2015. For further information contact Kevin Conibear or Stuart Parsons on 0117 923 8090.

Restaurants needed for new Grand Parade and Undercroft scheme

A van driver was hit over the head during an early morning robbery in Bathford today. Three men in a dark saloon car escaped with what police are describing as "a large quantity of cash" after the incident on the A4 at around 5am. The victim was driving a white Citroen van from the Chippenham to Bath direction when he was pulled over from behind by a dark car which flashed its headlights. When he stopped, he was hit over the head, and the three men searched the vehicle and drove off with the money. They left the man slumped by the side of the road, where he was spotted by a passing motorist who stopped and called the police. He was taken to hospital for treatment for a head injury but was not seriously hurt. Detective Inspector Charlotte Tucker, of Bath CID, appealed for anyone with information to come forward. She said: "It is very early into our investigation and we would appeal to anyone with any information to contact us on 101. "We would like to hear from anyone who saw the van driving from the Chippenham direction this morning, or who may have seen a dark saloon driving away from the scene."

Van driver hit over head during early morning robbery near Bath

A major tax break for parents has been unveiled on the eve of this year's Budget. The £2,000-a-year childcare tax break will allow parents to avoid paying basic rate income tax of 20 per cent on childcare costs of up to £10,000. This is up from the proposed £6,000 and self-employed and part-time workers will also be included after a lower earnings threshold of £50 per week was set. David Cameron announced the scheme of the eve of this year's Budget with the tax break being rolled out in the autumn of 2015. The Prime Minister said it would allow parents to chose to go out and work longer hours and will apply to all children under 12. "People I've been talking to are working two days a week, three days a week, who would dearly love to work another day or work some more hours, but they can't make the sums add up because the childcare is expensive and they are not earning enough," Mr Cameron said. "So this will help them to choose – do I want to work more? Do I want to take that choice to give more stability and security to my family? It's about helping parents to back the choice that they make." A number of other measures in this year's Budget have already been announced. The personal income tax allowance will up from £9,440 to £10,000 in April 2014. The ceiling for paying the 20 per cent basic rate tax is cut from £32,010 to £31,865 but the threshold for paying the 40 per cent higher tax rate will go up one per cent in April, from 41,450 to to £41,865, helped by the hike in the person tax allowance The point at which you pay National Insurance contributions is going up from £7,755 to £7,956 and the upper earnings limit from £41,450 to £41,865. VAT on goods bought online is set to rocket because you will have to pay the rate in Britain (20 per cent) and not that of the home country of the retailer - for example for Amazon this Luxembourg at just three per cent. Allowances for paying into an Isa savings account will also go up next month from £5,760 to £5,940 for a cash Isa but the amount you can pay into your pension with tax relief is being cut by £10,000 to £40,000. Corporation tax is being cut by two per cent to 21 per cent and will be cut again to 20 per cent next April. Duty on alcohol and tobacco will rise by two per cent more than inflation. Benefits will got up by the rate of inflation or one per cent, whichever is lower.

Budget 2014: What will be in it for you

As British holidaymakers prepare for their annual dash for the sun-drenched beaches of Europe you may well be advised to stay at home. Three of the top beaches in Europe are in the UK, according to the TripAdvisor. Rhossili Bay in Wales is crowned as the best beach in the UK in the Traveller Choice Beaches Awards. And the Gower beach was also named third best in Europe and ninth in the world. So if you haven't booked your holiday yet, you just might well think again about the destination. Top 10 beaches in the UK 1 Rhossili Bay, Gower, Wales 2 Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon 3 Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall 4 Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset 5 Perranporth Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall 6 Longsands Beach, Tynemouth, N Tyneside 7 Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset 8 Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall 9 Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset 10 Nairn Beach, Nairn, Scotland Top 10 beaches in Europe 1 Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy 2 Playa de ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain 3 Rhossili Bay, Gower 4 Playa de las Catedrales, Ribadeo, Spain 5 Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece 6 Cala Mariolu, Baunei, Italy 7 Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe 8 Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan, Turkey 9 Porthminster Beach, St Ives 10 La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Spain

Booked your holiday yet? Top 10 beaches in the UK and Europe

Drivers in Bradford on Avon have been clocked as doing 135 mph in a 30 zone. However this is not due to a lack of regard to safety and the law but a faulty traffic calming sign, which makes even the slowest of drivers look like speed demons. The sign on Moulton Road in Bradford on Avon has been confusing drivers, registering their speed as 100mph+ more than it really is. So drivers going through at the speed limit of 30 are appearing way over the limit, apparently clocking up speeds of 135mph. The sign was due to be taken down tomorrow and moved to another location. But now Wiltshire council, who were unaware of the problem, will be taking it down tonight. A spokesperson said: "We were not aware of the problem with the sign. "It will be taken down tonight and be fixed before being moved to another location. "We urge anyone who spots a problem with any of our traffic calming signs to let us know straight away."

Slow down - you're doing 135mph in a 30 zone

We have teamed up with internet marketing troubleshooter John Bonney in a bid to assist Bath firms to make the most of modern technology. Mr Bonney, an online marketing specialist with 14 years' experience working with small firms, is now operating with the Bath Chronicle on a new strategy aimed at boosting business for the city's firms.. And he's called the the campaign "on-line fight-back". Mr Bonney is amazed that in this modern digital age there are still companies operating without a website, or with an out-of-date one. He urged enterprises that do have a web presence to act too, by making sure their firm is optimised on searches. And he stressed, that by turning to Chronicle for help with this, not only is it a win-win for the newspaper and the firms involved, but it also means money stays within the city's economy. "I want to help businesses improve their on-line footprint," said Mr Bonney. He explained that the perception of internet marketing is that it's mainly for companies with a global market. But, he stressed, that is only part of the story and firms operating within Bath's economy can benefit hugely too. "Most searches will have some sort of local element," he said. The Chronicle also wants to help city firms gain representation on a host of platforms, such as Google, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. Mr Bonney said firms that are not pushing their goods or services in all these ways will "miss the boat". "And it's the companies from outside the area that will take advantage," he said. "We are trying to raise awareness that this is an issue, and to help city businesses compete at a local level." And Mr Bonney said who better to help Bath businesses than the city's newspaper? He said: The Chronicle's tried and trusted brand, and the fact that we have been backing city businesses for years, makes it the perfect vehicle to push the on-line message and offer help. "We are claiming the on-line space for Bath," he said. Mr Bonney said help can be given on issues such as search engine optimisation, social media, bookmarking and web design. If you have a question for Mr Bonney, contact sshelley@swmg.co.uk

Don't get left behind . . . get online call to Bath businesses

Bath Rugby's trip to London Irish on Saturday is still too early for Carl Fearns to make his comeback from injury, according to first-team coach Neal Hatley. Flanker Fearns has not played since suffering a hamstring problem in the warm-up ahead of Bath's Aviva Premiership win over Newcastle Falcons in early February. The early indication was that the 24-year-old would be out for just a fortnight, but he has now been on the sidelines for six weeks. Forwards boss Hatley says Fearns will not feature in the Premiership clash at the Madejski Stadium this weekend and that the visit of Sale Sharks next Friday is a more likely date for his return. "I think Carl is only another a week away. He has been out for a while and with Francois Louw, Matt Garvey and Leroy Houston more rested it doesn't make sense [to play him]," said Hatley. "It's such a big run-in with Northampton, Quins and Sale all in that top six. We know we'll need Fearnsy firing and with at least a week to ten days training in him. "We have to be fair to him as well, we can't just pitch him up. He needs to put some training time in and then he'll come into the equation. "Rob Webber and Jonathan Joseph are out of their boots as well, so we could be heading into the final bit of the season getting international calibre players back for the run-in, which is brilliant." Bath return to action against Irish after a rare weekend off. The defeat to Exeter Chiefs in the LV= Cup semi-finals on March 9 meant they were without a fixture last weekend. Even without Fearns Bath still boast a quality back-row division and the additional rest period has given them extra time to recover from what has so far proved a demanding season. Hatley said: "People like Leroy and Matt have played an unbelievable amount of rugby, so it's been great for them. "I don't think there's ever an upside to losing a semi-final but it did give them the chance to recover."

Flanker Carl Fearns still not fit to make Bath Rugby return against London Irish

It's not just about the clothes at this year's Bath in Fashion. Modern ArtBuyer, the online art sales website, and the Abbey Hotel will once again be hosting an art exhibition to celebrate Bath in Fashion 2014. Shine is an exhibition of contemporary art exploring the theme of jewellery, a key element of any fashionista's wardrobe. Gleaming precious metallics and opulent jewel colours are the focus in this curated collection of paintings, limited edition prints and fine art photographs. Amongst the exceptional artworks on show will be striking digital prints by Chuck Elliott and wonderfully kitsch 'pin-ups' by the respected collage artist, Maria Rivans. The crowning centrepiece of the exhibition will be a stunning piece from Bath-based Nicholas Wylde's Wylde Art collection. Just as a luxurious jewellery box sparkles with brilliant cut stones and flawless gold, each piece in this exhibition will have its moment to shine. The free exhibition will hang in the public areas of the Abbey Hotel Bath from April 24 until May 15, for residents and visitors to browse from 9am until 9pm each day. All work will be for sale.

Modern ArtBuyer and the Abbey Hotel in Bath to host art exhibition as part of Bath in Fashion

Darren Hall, 39, of Triangle East, Bath, was fined £100 and given three penalty points for speeding. Byron Skipp, 40, of Whiteway Road, Bath, was fined £600 and given six penalty points for driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving a vehicle without a test certificate, driving an unlicensed vehicle and driving without insurance. Michael Murray, 49, of Lympsham Green, Bath, was given a community order for assault by beating. Glyn Copp, 38, of Sherwood Drive, Odd Down, was given a community order for assault by beating. Morgana Henderson-Hughes, 20, of Long Valley Road, Twerton, was given a community order for assault by beating, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and failing to answer bail. Paul Johnson, 37, of Dartmouth Avenue, Bath, was given a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 compensation for two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour. Kerry Palmer, 33, of The Paragon, Bath, was given a one-year conditional discharge for shoplifting. Sarah Playfor, 38, of Cathcart House, Snow Hill, was given a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £104.47 compensation for shoplifting. Darren Davies, 34, of Norfolk Crescent, Bath, was given a community order for shoplifting. Benjamin Hodson, 34, of Pulteney Road, Bath, was given a community order and ordered to pay £150 compensation for assault by beating. Jerry Buckley, 37, of Wellsway, Bath, was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £50 compensation for entering a building as a trespasser with intent to steal. Leanne Dutton, 21, of Southlands, Bath, was given a community order and ordered to pay £9.99 compensation for shoplifting. Donna Burns, 52, of Nursery Road, Colerne, was fined £60 and given three penalty points for driving contrary to a traffic order. Iain Cliffe, 39, of Ferndale Road, Bath, was fined £265 and given six penalty points for driving contrary to a traffic order. Billy-Jo Sheppard, 18, of Moorfields Road, Bath, was given a community order and a restraining order for threatening to carry out criminal damage and sending offensive or threatening text messages. Valentin Cosmescu, 25, of Upper Bloomfield Road, Bath, was fined £600 and given six penalty points for failing to provide a driver's identity to the police.

In the courts: Cases at Bath Magistrates Court

Bath Rugby supporter Glyn Edwards gives his take on events at The Rec... It may be embarrassing for a committed supporter to admit this, but Bath's LV= Cup semi-final defeat by Exeter did have one – albeit very thinly-plated - silver lining. Of course I would always want Bath to be successful in any cup competition - whether I could be there to witness it in person or not. But missing the Exeter semi-final by having to be 'on duty' at Twickenham for the England v Wales game was bad enough, without my trip to Rome last weekend being affected by thoughts of what was happening at Sandy Park in the LV= Cup final. So it was – unfortunately for Bath – that Saturday was all about the finale of this year's RBS 6 Nations, rather than the Blue, Black & White's pursuit of our first trophy since United beat Northampton Wanderers at Franklin's Gardens in December last year to claim the A League crown. Flights to Rome were ludicrously expensive over the weekend – despite this season's not being the Valentine's fixture that this match has traditionally been, at least over the last six years or so – which meant that the only viable solution was to fly over for a longer stay than the rugby necessitated. Fortunately, the suburban B&B which we regularly stay at – a ten-minute journey south of the Colosseum – is owned by an Italian rugby fan, through whom I get tickets for the match, and has rates which go down significantly the longer your stay. Besides which, the Ides of March are well after Valentine's Day, and it seems that the anniversary of Caesar's assassination merits much lower prices! So, before 7am on Thursday last week my 'Rome virgin' son, James, and I headed out of Gatwick to begin our six-day visit to the Eternal City – the scene, so far at least, of eternal Red Rose victories at the impressive Stadio Olimpico and previously at the smaller and rather more homely, but enthusiastically atmospheric, Stadio Flaminio. Stadio Olimpico hosts some rather fierce Roman soccer derbies between Roma and Lazio – as it serves as the home ground for both clubs - with many being hard-fought, close contests in front of their often overly-passionate fans. Even with the many thousands of England supporters present – easily noticeable all around the stadium in their white shirts – the distinctively Italian carnival-type atmosphere was a reminder of just how much the addition of this fixture to the Six Nations calendar has improved the tournament as a spectacle. But, despite the closeness of the last two encounters, Italy's competitiveness – or rather the lack of it – was cruelly exposed by Stuart Lancaster's team in a 52-11 romp that gave England a chance of the championship title, to follow the Triple Crown secured against Wales the previous weekend. Whatever was to happen in the France v Ireland game to follow, all of the England supporters who had made the trip would have been delighted with the commitment and ambition shown by their team on the day as they played with skill and flair which the Azzurri were unable to contain let alone counter. We watched the following game on the stadium big screen as Wales demolished a ragged and rather clueless Scotland XV. They must be eagerly awaiting the arrival of new head coach, Vern Cotter from Clermont, in place of their hapless 'interim' leader, Scott Johnson, as they can surely only improve from their current low ebb. Despite the view that Steve Walsh then refereed France out of their contest with Ireland in Paris – consistent, perhaps, with his previously-stated dislike of England – the Irish played well throughout the tournament and are deserved 6 Nations winners. Their only defeat was to England, however, and but for a couple of awkward bounces of the ball and some questionable decision-making in Paris by the men in white at the start of the competition the final outcome could have been significantly different. Next year, with World Cup on the horizon, promises to be even more fascinating.

FAN’S VIEW: When in Rome, think of Bath Rugby

He made the England tighthead shirt his own during the RBS 6 Nations and now Davey Wilson is relishing taking on the world champions. Bath Rugby prop Wilson was handed a place in the Red Rose front-row midway through the tournament after Leicester Tigers' Dan Cole suffered a season-ending neck injury. The 28-year-old went on to put in three bruising shifts against Ireland, Wales and Italy as England just missed out on championship glory, finishing runners-up to the Irish. England head coach Stuart Lancaster will surely have taken note and Wilson now seems certain to retain his starting spot in their three- Test tour of New Zealand in June. Wilson said: "It's going to be a massive challenge. "The All Blacks are the best in the world and those games are all back to back and down in their own back yard. "It'll be a great experience to go down there. They are the best team in the world for a good reason, because they perform well all year round. "But that's what we are looking forward to. We are going to test ourselves against the best. We'll see where we are after that." Wilson's England performances are all the more remarkable considering he had only just recovered from a lengthy calf injury. A 45-minute stint in an Aviva Premiership win over Exeter Chiefs was Wilson's only game time in ten weeks before being thrown in against the Irish. "Just before the tournament I didn't even know if I was going to be involved at all. I was injured and hadn't had much rugby," said Wilson. "But it's worked out all right. I was massively pleased to get called up. "The first game was quick and physical and I was blowing a bit towards the end but after that I felt good. "It was a good test and I think I am in a good place to crack on now for the rest of the season." Despite thrashing Italy 52-11 on Saturday, England had to settle for a third Six Nations runners-up finish in as many years after Ireland edged to a nervy 22-20 win in France. Although disappointed to miss out on a championship winners' medal, Wilson is happy with where England are 18 months before a home World Cup. Wilson said: "It wasn't out of our hands because we could have made something happen. If we didn't let that try in and maybe scored one more it could have made a different and it could have put Ireland under a bit more pressure. "We would have liked to win it but it's gone, we'll learn from it, push on from it and hopefully be better players for it. "I think we have to happy with the progress. "There's been a few players missing and we have brought a lot of players through. "We have to be pleased with the way we are building up to the World Cup."

Bath Rugby prop Davey Wilson ready to test himself against the world's best

Businesses in Bath look to save money thanks to the Chancellor's 2014 Budget. A £7 billion package to cut energy bills for manufacturers, an increase in the amount companies can invest tax free, increased lending to exporters and a continued freeze on fuel duty were all music to the ears of financial experts and business leaders in the city. During his fifth Budget speech George Osborne said the growth forecast for the economy had been raised to 2.7 per cent for this year and the budget deficit reduced to 6.6 per cent. But the Chancellor remained cautious. "Our country still borrows too much. It's still not investing enough, exporting enough or saving enough. "In this budget we make sure hardworking people keep more of what they earn and more of what they save." Partner of chartered accountants Monahans Dominic Bourquin said the Chancellor had delivered a lot of good news. "The Government has talked a lot about balancing the economy but the measures to help manufacturers save on their energy bills and the extension to the Annual Investment Allowance will both help businesses and increase the business they do. "He talked a lot about x million for this and x million for that, but that's just a drop in the ocean when you consider the £7 billion package he has made available for energy bills. "We are disappointed there was no business rate fall - the system desperately needs reforming." Executive director of Bath Chamber of Commerce and the Initiative in B&NES, Ian Bell, said many of the measures announced by Mr Osborne would benefit the city's economy. "There were several pieces of good news for businesses in the Budget, in which the Chancellor regularly stressed that he saw the need for a resilient economy and pledged to back those businesses who invest and export. "It was clear that lobbying by organisations such as British Chambers of Commerce had an impact. "For example, it was welcome news that he is doubling the amount of money available to exporters at a reduced rate of interest and interesting to hear he is encouraging flights to more destinations from regional airports such as Bristol. That could make it easier for business travellers flying out and in to this area." Other announcements included the point at which people start paying income tax will be raised to £10,500 from next year, 1p will be cut from a pint of beer, duty on spirits and ordinary cider has been frozen and the threshold for 40p income tax has been raised from £41,450 to £41,865. Bath MP Don Foster said: "What is striking about this Budget is that it is clear the Lib Dems are working hard in Government to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society. "We have brought down the deficit by a third and the economy is now growing faster than any other advanced economy. "We have worked hard and have delivered on jobs with 1.3 million more people in work. Most importantly for Bath, we have delivered a £800 tax cut for 36,940 workers in Bath." However, partner at Thrings Malcolm Emery, said he was disappointed with the Budget. "The Chancellor indicated this year's Budget was one for building a resilient economy, and with the recovery gaining momentum but not yet secure, he had an opportunity to provide further stimulus by reducing the standard rate of VAT. It is therefore surprising he did not take this opportunity."

Bath businesses welcome Budget 2014

Most of the time I really quite like my personal trainer, Hetty Alton. The couple of hours a week when she's putting me through my paces at Fitness First, resulting in my face turning various shades of red and purple as I gasp for breath aren't my absolute favourite, but I can live with it because it's all in a good cause and I can't hate anyone who's going to help me fit into my dream wedding dress. This week though, she's not my favourite person. And that's because after a particularly hard session walking is really rather painful, and climbing up and down stairs is agony - which is fun when you live on the top floor of a Georgian building without a lift. Despite my moaning however, Hetty assures me that pain is a good thing because it means that I've pushed myself and the end result will be that I'm fitter and stronger. I don't feel fitter at this moment in time, but I'm choosing to believe her because it makes it slightly more bearable! The session which caused the pain was on two days ago and I returned to the gym again today for my second session of the week. Given that it's my thighs which are hurting I couldn't believe that getting back on the exercise bike would be a good thing, but Hetty assured me that actually it will help and explained to me, in very simple terms, what's happening to cause the discomfort. Part of the pain is due to small tears in the muscles, but a lot of it is because of the waste products, like lactic acid, that are getting trapped in the muscle. So while cycling may seem like it would exacerbate the pain, actually a moderate period of time on a low resistance will actually help because it will stimulate blood flow to the muscles and help them flush out the waste. Another thing that Hetty advises to help the muscles flush out the waste is a home version of hydrotherapy. When you take your post exercise shower you should alternate the water between hot and as cold as you can bear in short bursts of around 5-10 seconds which will cause the muscles to expand and contract and clear out all the things that would otherwise make them hurt. The other thing that Hetty advises after exercise is to try to keep active. While the temptation is just to go and collapse that will just make everything worse, according to Hetty. If you can keep moving for the rest of the day - even if that just means getting up and walking around the room every ten minutes or so, it will help. And, Hetty stresses, that unless you are an elite athlete it's important to rest the muscles. So if you've done an intense lower body work out, don't focus on that area again if the muscles are sore. Instead try something different. Which is why today it was my upper body that was targeted in my workout. As a result I'm fully expecting to barely be able to lift my arms tomorrow. That's something to look forward to!

Detectives investigating the murder of Bath hospital worker Melanie Hall have released a fresh appeal for information. The 18-year-old case is being featured on tonight's Crimewatch programme and includes new detail about a car which police believe may be important to their inquiry. They want to talk to anyone who owned or had in their possession, however briefly, a white VW Golf GTi hardtop, registration number C752 CYE, between the beginning of April 1996 until August 7 1996 when the car was once again registered with the DVLA. Officers are particularly keen to talk to anyone who may have owned the Golf, or have information about its whereabouts during that time, with connections to Cardiff and the Pentwyn area, a district north-east of the city centre. It is believed they may have crucial information that could help the investigation. Detective Superintendent Mike Courtiour, who has been leading the Operation Denmark murder inquiry since the discovery of Melanie's body in 2009, said: "We are very interested in this car and its possible connection to Melanie's disappearance, and we are appealing for anyone with knowledge of it to contact us, even after all these years." In October last year, murder detectives asked for information about another white VW Golf GTi – that one a soft-top Cabriolet, that they had recovered. Det Supt Courtiour said his team was still investigating whether that car was relevant to the inquiry. They are also still carrying out forensic tests on blue rope they have recovered, similar to that used to bind Melanie's body. Det Supt Courtiour said: "Our work into Melanie's murder remains very much active and positive. We are following up a number of leads, of which this missing Golf GTi could be very important." Melanie, who worked at the Royal United Hospital, was killed after disappearing from the then Cadillacs nightclub in Walcot Street in the early hours of June 9, 1996. The 25-year-old's remains were found 13 years later, next to the slip road onto the M5 at junction 14, on October 5, 2009. Anyone with any information is asked to call 101 and ask for the Operation Denmark Incident room, or ring the incident room direct on 01179 455 808. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A 44-year-old Bath man has been arrested on suspicion of Melanie's murder and has been bailed until April pending further inquiries.

Melanie Hall murder detectives release new car information as part of Crimewatch appeal

Bath and North East Somerset Council has been given more than £400,000 of Government cash to patch up roads damaged by this winter's wet weather. The £417,931 is a share of a £183.5 million pot created by ministers following the wettest winter on record - with that national sum enough to repair an extra 3.3 million potholes. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "Damage to roads causes misery for drivers and local communities and the severe weather over the last few months has made the problem worse. "This extra money will help make a real difference to the millions of road users and residents across the south west who rely on local roads, giving them safer and smoother journeys." Wiltshire Council is getting more than £3 million of extra funding. Councils will be required to publish information on their websites by the end of August showing where the money has been spent. This week's Budget included a further £168 million to tackle potholes on England's roads, which B&NES has been encouraged to apply for. Opposition Conservative councillors have written to the authority's chief executive Jo Farrar, saying the council should act swiftly to put together a bid for a share of the new funding pot.

£400k of extra cash for repairing roads in Bath area

Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry has helped serve up a world record . . . but not in the kitchen. Queen of cakes Mary, who grew up in Bath, was part of the record-breaking attempt to christen the most ships in one day by one company. Mary swapped the kitchen for Amsterdam to break a bottle of bubbly over one of 14 new Longships from the Viking Cruises fleet. The 78-year-old was joined by her daughter Annabel and headed to her domain, the kitchen to meet the chefs after christening the river cruise vessel Alsvin. Mary said: "It's an honor, as well as an amazing experience, to christen a vessel which I know will be home for Viking guests as they embark on River Cruising throughout Europe. "After spending some time on board the Alsvin, I can see why people are so taken with river cruising. As someone who is fascinated by travel, culture and food destinations you certainly get a sense of the Viking spirit on board."

Bake Off star Mary Berry serves up world record . . . with a bottle of champagne

New sponsors and partners have emerged for a Bath cycling festival.

More than 1,000 cyclists are expected to descend on the city for the Bike Bath weekend on June 28 and 29.

Among the sponsors are Bespoked – The UK Handmade Bicycle Show, Bath Ales and Bradford on Avon-based bike maker Moulton.

The event, which includes rides of 20, 60 and 100 miles on both days, continues to develop awards for those who complete the distances.

The Bath Gladiator 100-mile ride will challenge the strongest of riders, earning them the Yorkshire Regiment Centurion award.

Bike Bath spokesman Steve Baxter said: "We remain very grateful to all our sponsors and supporters and with their help can build the event into something really special for the region. We are pleased to see charities, schools, bike clubs and businesses from across the region all entering teams and the arrival of the Tour de France in July can only bring more cyclists out on to the roads."

Details are at www.bikebath.co.uk.

Well it's Thursday again and tonight at 8pm we're bidding farewell to the Hairy Bikers on BBC 2 and to be honest I think that out of all the cookery shows we're subjected to, Hairy Bikers is the best of the bunch.

This six week asian adventure has felt more like the BBC travelogues of old that I mentioned a few days ago and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Every week the pair visit a new location to sample and re create the local cuisine as well as jumping headlong into the local culture. Tonight the pair conclude their adventures in South Korea, trying out the fried chicken as well as turning their hands to archery and Gangnam style dancing, the latter named so forth after the residential area of Gangnam.

As I said, tonight is the last in the series and if you enjoy good quality TV you should definitely check out the other five episodes online because there's not a bad one among them.

Shows like this really undermine gimmicks like Holiday Hit Squad, showing them to be the wastes of screen time that they are. People enjoy holiday shows, not for weird injuries or seeing budget hotels fall down, but for seeing people getting stuck into local life and showing what can be found there. Similarly, people watch cooking shows to see people enjoying the food. Not to see people eliminated week after week after under cooking a hot pot.

It doesn't matter that the Hairy Bikers don't make groundbreaking television, they don't need to. Like all good craftsmen, they do a couple of things really well instead of trying to appeal to as many audiences as possible. In an age where people can easily browse online for holidays and recipes, many other cookery and holiday shows should take heed. The internet already does quantity over quality, television needs to follow a different path.

Do you remember what you first tweeted? How did you announce yourself to the exciting new world of social media? You can now search for your first tweet after Twitter launched a new tool to mark its eighth birthday. Go to first-tweets and type in the name of any Twitter account and discover the first post to the site. More than 240 million people have joined Twitter since it was launched in 2006, with over 15 million in the UK alone. Twitter's founder Jack Dorsey sent the first tween on March 21, 2006. It simply read: "just setting up my twttr". Since that day more than 300 billion tweets have been sent and currently 500 million every day.

What was your first Tweet? Twitter’s birthday gift to network users

The parents of a Bath hairdresser who was killed in a crash on the A46 have called for the speed limit to be reduced on the accident blackspot. Yasmin Richards, 21, died last November when her Ford Ka was involved in a head-on collision on the Hartley Bends just north of the city. Her parents Helen and Paul were at her inquest today at the Coroner's Court in Flax Bourton and questioned why that stretch of road, which has seen a high number of serious and fatal accidents in recent years, is still 50mph. Mrs Richards, 47, said: "Yasmin didn't know that road well and she would have had no warnings of what was ahead until she came across the bends. "From everyone we have spoken to about this, it is obvious that the road is too fast. No matter what signs were there, she wouldn't have known to slow down because of what was ahead on the road. "Clearly a lower speed limit would mean you would have more control and if in any way it prevents someone else having an accident, then obviously this needs to be done." The couple said that people who regularly use the road know to slow down, but to an inexperienced driver like Yasmin, who usually caught the train to Bath, it would have been impossible to know how difficult the bends were to negotiate. Assistant coroner Dr Peter Harrowing echoed their concerns and said he would be writing to the Highways Agency, the body responsible for that section of the A46, to ask them to investigate whether more safety measures, including lowering the speed limit, was needed. He said: "As well as considering Yasmin's death today I have a wider public duty to prevent further deaths and I have listened to what the family have said and what one of the witnesses has said in his statement. "I cannot comment on the number of road traffic collisions which have occurred along that stretch of road. "However, what I do intend to do is to exercise my authority to write to the appropriate agency, which I believe to be the Highways Agency, to ascertain from them whether there's anything further that can be done in relation to the road markings, the speed limit or any other way that carriageway can be altered to prevent any further accidents." The Highways Agency is currently installing new warning signs around the Hartley Bends, but has repeatedly refused calls from the local community to reduce the speed limit. The inquest heard that Yasmin, who lived in Alveston in South Gloucestershire and had recently started working at Artizan hairdressers in Bath, lost control of her car while driving southbound towards the city. An investigation found that three of her tyres were badly worn and under-inflated which police believe caused her to swerve and then over-correct her steering, meaning she crossed over into the path of oncoming traffic on the bends. Ian Marris, who was driving the Range Roger which hit her, told officers he had no way of stopping in time or moving out of the way before the collision. He also said in his statement: "There have been a number of serious and fatal collisions and I feel strongly that the speed limit is too fast and needs to be reduced." The inquest heard that it was likely that both drivers were travelling under the 50mph speed limit and that toxicology reports had shown Yasmin did not have any alcohol or drugs in her system. PC Chambers, from Avon and Somerset Police's collision investigation unit, said: "I believe the crash was caused by a combination of lack of experience, the condition of the vehicle and the speed she was travelling through the bends." Speaking after the inquest Mr and Mrs Richards, who attended with a number of Yasmin's family, said their daughter was a cautious driver as she had undergone a serious operation on her spine when she was younger as a result of suffering from the condition Scoliosis. They said they had been heartened by the tributes to their daughter, including the comments from her colleagues at Artizan at the time of the crash, and the 500 people who attended her funeral. Mr Richards, 48, said: "She was just so full of life and she really lived her life to the full. She loved working in Bath and was so happy in her new job, doing exactly what she loved." His wife added: "She was such a positive person and overcame this horrible operation, which never stopped her from doing anything." The family are now raising money for the spinal research team at Frenchay Hospital, where Yasmin was treated, in her memory.

Parents of Bath hairdresser Yasmin Richards killed in A46 crash call for speed limit reduction