Wiltshirecounty

Drivers have been warned of 40-minute queues on the M4 following reports of a crash. The incident has caused significant disruption to traffic on the motorway.

Police have arrested two men in connection with a stabbing in Trowbridge on 31 October, with a manhunt under way for a third suspect, 47-year-old Redouane Bendhiyaf. The attack happened under a bridge on a footpath near Tesco Extra on County Way shortly before 2pm. A man in his 20s remains in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries.

Drivers in Swindon face multiple road closures for essential maintenance works. The M4 Overbridge in Wroughton began changes on November 1, 2026 under the National Highways Safety Scheme, resulting in footway closure, single-lane working, and a 30mph speed restriction on Croft Road for 18 months. Other sites including Bowleymead, Burytown Lane and Little Hinton Lane will see temporary closures beginning late November 2026, with works expected to conclude by March 19, 2027.

Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, from County Durham, died in June 2022 after being struck and run over by a reversing Warrior armoured vehicle during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain. A coroner ruled the death an accident but criticised the Army's safety procedures, citing flawed training of the student commander, a non-functional rear-door alarm that had been faulty since 2018, and use of the vehicle for disembarking troops despite it not being designed for that purpose. The Ministry of Defence said it had already made several safety improvements, including preventing Warrior vehicles from reversing with the rear door open.

Thames Water has been prosecuted by Wiltshire Council and fined £32,000 after pleading guilty to carrying out unauthorised roadworks in Royal Wootton Bassett and Purton. Swindon Magistrates' Court heard that the company carried out work without an approved permit in Royal Wootton Bassett in April 2024 and closed the public highway without required authority in Purton in July 2024. The council said Thames Water made conscious decisions to proceed without necessary approvals.

A fundraiser has been launched following the death of 19-year-old Georgie Nolan, who went missing near a Wiltshire canal. Nolan was last seen on Saturday, October 24, near The Barge Inn along the Kennet and Avon Canal in Bradford on Avon, and a body was discovered three days later following a major search operation. The fundraiser, set up by Nubalina Nolan, aims to raise £10,000 to support Georgie's family with funeral costs and daily expenses. More than £7,800 has been raised so far.

Albert Kweku-Duah, 21, of South Marston, Swindon, crashed his blue BMW 116i into a mains gas supply on Station Road in Tidworth on the evening of August 6, just three weeks after passing his driving test. The collision caused a substantial leak, prompting emergency services to declare a major incident. Residents in the area were evacuated from their homes overnight, and some were left without gas for a week. Kweku-Duah pleaded guilty to careless driving and driving without insurance at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on 30 October. He was fined £511, ordered to pay a £204 surcharge and received five penalty points on his licence for careless driving. The case relating to driving without insurance was adjourned, with Kweku-Duah due to reappear on 30 March 2028.

Colerne in Wiltshire has built a mock-house from palettes and scrap wood to burn on bonfire night. The village holds the event annually on Manor Field on 5 November, drawing thousands of residents. This year's structure will be set alight at around 6.30pm, followed by a 15-minute firework display, a barbeque and a licenced bar.

Derek Barker, 92, is on trial at Bristol Crown Court for alleged sexual offences against four boys at Monkton Combe School in Bath in the 1970s and 1980s. The prosecution alleges he pleasured himself while watching one boy abuse another. A victim who reported the matter to the school's chaplain was told it was a 'wicked lie'.

The M4 westbound carriageway between junctions 16 and 17 in Wiltshire will fully close overnight from Tuesday, November 12, to Wednesday, November 13, as part of a £20 million repair project. National Highways will use the closure to install a new 50mph speed limit and set up two-lane running. Westbound traffic will be diverted via Royal Wootton Bassett, the A3102, A4 and A350, while HGVs will take a separate route through Cirencester and Malmesbury. After the closure, the M4 westbound will remain in two lanes under a contraflow system until February 17.

Ayan Kolah, aged thirty-eight, from Chippenham, was jailed for five years and seven months after admitting to causing the death of sixty-four-year-old cyclist Robert Jones on the A350 at Lacock on January 20. She was almost four times over the drink-driving limit and banned from driving for seven years and eleven months.

A reward of up to £20,000 has been offered for information about the murder of Graham Pennycook, a 64-year-old dog walker from Wiltshire. Pennycook went out for a morning walk near Perham Down in Ludgershall on 24 September 2026, but his dog returned home alone, prompting his wife to raise the alarm. His body was later found in nearby woodland. Investigators believe he was assaulted in the woods approximately 40 to 45 minutes into his regular route. Crimestoppers, an independent charity, is offering the reward for information leading to arrest and conviction. Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah have lodged a Building Control application with Wiltshire Council to refurbish and restore the pool house at Baverstock Manor, near Dinton. The application follows larger refurbishment works approved for the Grade II*-listed manor house itself in May 2025, which included repairs, new glazing, internal alterations and attic conversion.