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Claire Hayhurst

Claire Hayhurst is a regional reporter at PA Media, covering the West of England and Wales. She started this role in April 2013 and specialises in general news and crime.

<p>Forecasters have urged residents and businesses to be vigilant to the risk of flooding, with wet weather due to continue in England for another month</p>
News

Urgent warning issued as UK to endure more wet weather

<p>The judge told Dean Hamilton (pictured) to expect a “very lengthy prison sentence”</p>
Crime

Man admits rape of former Conservative councillor’s ex-wife

<p>Wild beavers are released into a pond within a wet woodland nature reserve at Holnicote Estate, Somerset</p>
Home News

Beavers released into the wild to help ‘bring back nature’

News

Who is Dan Thomas? Former Tory named head of Reform UK in Wales

<p>Devon Fire and Somerset Rescue Service in River Exe, Tiverton</p>
News

Body found days after kayaker went missing on river

<p>The items were part of the British Empire and Commonwealth collection, owned by the Bristol Museum (pictured)</p>
Home News

Man arrested after 600 artefacts stolen in Bristol museum robbery

<p>Wiltshire Police are seeking to identify in connection with the investigation into sexual offences against Joanne Young, describing him as being of large build, with scarring on the back of his head and a distinctive tattoo on the left side of his chest</p>
Crime

Police hunt for man connected to former councillor who raped wife

<p>Paul Lumber was a well-known fan of Bristol City FC and authored two books about his experiences</p>
Home News

Decorator died falling from ladder after tying flag to lamppost

<p>Paul John Lumber died on 6 December</p>
News

Man died from head injuries while erecting Union flag near his home

<p>The Prince of Wales talks to Matter chief executive Adam Root </p>
News

Prince William has microplastic filter installed at Forest Lodge

News

Police officer’s tribute to wife and children killed in house fire

<p>Nu Shearman and her children Eve and Ohner died in a house fire on Boxing Day</p>
Home News

Police officer pays tribute to wife and children killed in house fire

<p>Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton on Thursday (Alamy/PA)</p>
News

Coastguard search for two missing men at Devon beach abandoned

News

Coastguard search for two missing men at Devon beach abandoned

<p>Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton on Thursday (Alamy/PA)</p>
<p>Police have made an arrest after a woman in her 80s died following a serious assault at a flat (Amanda Rose/Alamy/PA)</p>
Crime

Police confirm arrest after woman in her 80s dies following assault

<p>Weather warnings were sent out ahead of Christmas Day</p>
News

Police launch search for two missing men at UK beach

<p>Rough seas at Bournemouth beach</p>
Home News

Police called as Christmas swimmers ignore weather warnings

<p>There were concerns over individuals in the water in Devon on Christmas Day (Andrew Matthews/PA)</p>
News

Emergency services called to beach after Christmas swimming incident

<p>There were concerns over individuals in the water in Devon on Christmas Day (Andrew Matthews/PA)</p>
News

Emergency services called to beach after Christmas swimming incident

<p>Logan Smith was inside an ambulance on its way to hospital</p>
News

Teen who exited ambulance tasered by police before car crash

<p>Logan got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and was in the live lanes of the motorway</p>
Home News

Teenager tasered on motorway before being fatally struck by car

<p>Emily Powell tidies in her daughter’s playroom </p>
News

Inside the £2m home that’s been turned into one giant painting

<p>Jilly Cooper died aged 88 (Lucy Ray/PA)</p>
Culture

Dame Jilly Cooper died from a fatal head injury, inquest told

<p>Crossroads actor Tony Adams has died at the age of 84</p>
Culture

Tributes paid to soap icon and ‘warmest gentleman’

<p>Kelly Faiers, 61, died at the address of Richard Scatchard, 70, in Somerset on October 15, 2023</p>
Home News

Police apologise after woman found dead at sex offender’s home

<p>The husband and wife were pronounced dead at the scene</p>
Crime

Husband and wife found dead at home treated as suspicious by police

<p>Girls aged 13 and 15 in the UK tend to be drinking, smoking and vaping more than boys, research showed </p>
News

Warning issued over vapes laced with ‘highly addictive’ drug

<p>Kelly Faiers, 61, died at the address of Richard Scatchard, 70, in Somerset on October 15, 2023</p>
Home News

Police apologise after woman found dead at sex offender’s home

<p>The husband and wife were pronounced dead at the scene</p>
Crime

Husband and wife found dead at home treated as suspicious by police

<p>Girls aged 13 and 15 in the UK tend to be drinking, smoking and vaping more than boys, research showed </p>
News

Warning issued over vapes laced with ‘highly addictive’ drug

<p>A man used his jet ski to disturb a pod of dolphins swimming in Cornwall</p>
Home News

Man banned from chasing dolphins on his jet ski

Home News

Man banned from chasing dolphins on his jet ski

<p>A man used his jet ski to disturb a pod of dolphins swimming in Cornwall</p>
<p>The incident happened in the Porth Joke, known as Polly Joke, area near Newquay, Cornwall</p>
News

Sheep pushed off cliff at popular tourist location

<p>Bronwen James, 29, leaves Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday</p>
Crime

Ex-PE teacher charged with string of sex offences against children

News

Two skydivers killed in Devon airfield tragedy named

<p>Alexander Dighton, 28, admitted 11 offences relating to a violent attack at Talbot Green Police station in South Wales on the evening of January 31</p>
Crime

Armoured thug stabbed officer in police station attack

<p>Alexander Dighton, 28, admitted 11 offences relating to a violent attack at Talbot Green Police station in South Wales on the evening of January 31</p>
Crime

Armoured thug stabbed officer in police station attack

<p>The inquest into the death of actor and reality TV star Paul Danan has concluded</p>
Home News

Coroner delivers ruling in inquest into Paul Danan’s death

<p>Adrian Smith was found dead on the M$</p>
Home News

Man confronted by online paedophile hunters found dead on M4

<p>Morgan Dorsett died following the attack in a flat in Bristol</p>
Home News

Teenager killed in XL bully attack was bitten on face and neck

<p>Avon and Somerset Police arrested the man on Friday evening, before releasing him on Saturday</p>
Home News

Man who died on M4 had been arrested after ‘online paedophile sting’

The app intervenes when smoking is detected (University of Bristol/PA)
Health

Smartwatch technology could help people quit smoking, study finds

Junior doctors on the picket line at Cardiff’s University Hospital in January (Ben Birchall/PA)
Business

Union urges junior doctors to accept pay offer from Welsh Government

<p>The family eating at Bella Ciao restaurant in Port Talbot</p>
Crime

Dine and dash couple rack up more than £1,000 in unpaid bills

A man has been arrested for sex offences
Crime

Man and woman charged after bodies of two babies found

Wills Memorial Building (Alamy/PA)
UK

Bristol University to remove slave trader Edward Colston’s emblem from logo

The trial was heard at Cardiff Crown Court (Antony Stone/PA)
Crime

Van thief convicted of murdering delivery driver with his own van

Barton House was evacuated on Tuesday evening (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Residents of evacuated Bristol tower block call for independent investigation

UK

Residents of evacuated Bristol tower block call for independent investigation

Barton House was evacuated on Tuesday evening (Ben Birchall/PA)
Schoolchildren in Bristol protested outside City Hall (Claire Hayhurst/PA)
UK

Children on school strike hand in petition calling for Gaza ceasefire

Barton House in Bristol (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Evacuated Bristol tower block was not built according to plans – councillor

Barton House, Bristol, where around 400 residents were evacuated on Tuesday evening after structural problems were discovered (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

‘Shock and panic’ among Bristol residents evacuated from tower block

Lewis Bush murdered his mother at her home (Gwent Police/PA)
Crime

Man who murdered his mother in frenzied attack jailed for life

Lewis Bush murdered his mother at her home (Gwent Police/PA)
Crime

Man who murdered his mother in frenzied attack jailed for life

Huw Evans died in November 2022 (Dyfed-Powys Police/PA)
Home News

Man died after being attacked by cow that escaped market, inquest told

Richard Scatchard is considered a risk to the public (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
UK

Police hunt sex offender wanted for questioning over death of woman

Wiltshire Police made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (Anthony Devlin/PA)
UK

Wiltshire Police reviewing domestic violence disclosures under Clare’s Law

Protesters on the house in August (Danny Lawson/PA)
News

Prime Minister submits plans for fence around his home following protest

Queen Camilla with Frankie Dettori as she attends the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire (Lucy North/PA)
UK

Queen unveils statue of Frankie Dettori at Ascot Racecourse

Storm Babet is battering the country (Andrew Milligan/PA)
UK

Danger to life flood warning issued in Wales as Storm Babet continues

Wales has become the first country in the UK to drop the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
UK

Fears over emergency response in 20mph zones will not materialise – Drakeford

A homemade sub-machine gun found in Reed Wischhusen’s house (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
Crime

Gunman plotted mass shootings from ‘house of horrors’, police say

Prosecutors allege that Reed Wischhusen was fascinated with mass shootings and infamous killers (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
Crime

Jury retires in trial of gunman accused of plotting mass shooting

Stephanie Coxon completed the Three Peaks Challenge (Cygnet Health Care/PA)
UK

Daughter climbs three peaks to scatter father’s ashes and fundraise for charity

Dahlia flower farmer Andie McDowell amid the blooms at Stonehenge (Ben Birchall/PA)
Lifestyle

Victorian dahlia show recreated at Stonehenge with thousands of flowers

Lifestyle

Victorian dahlia show recreated at Stonehenge with thousands of flowers

Dahlia flower farmer Andie McDowell amid the blooms at Stonehenge (Ben Birchall/PA)
Dahlia flower farmer Andie McDowell arranges some of the blooms at Stonehenge (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Victorian dahlia show recreated at Stonehenge with thousands of flowers

Sid is now a fully licensed police dog (South Wales Police/PA)
UK

Abandoned dog poised for ‘long and happy career’ after joining police force

Beryl Purdy died earlier this week at her home in Broomfield, near Bridgwater (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
Crime

Plea hearing date set for man accused of murdering church warden

Lucca Froud set out from Marble Arch in London (University of Bristol/PA)
UK

Novice runner completes seven marathons in seven days for wild fish charity

Lucca Froud set out from Marble Arch in London (University of Bristol/PA)
UK

Novice runner completes seven marathons in seven days for wild fish charity

Beryl Purdy, who died at her home in Broomfield, near Bridgwater, Somerset (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
UK

Man appears in court charged with murdering church warden

Beryl Purdy, who died at her home in Broomfield, near Bridgwater, Somerset (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)
UK

Man, 36, charged with murdering ‘dearly loved’ church warden

Shane Loughlin survived the fatal crash (South Wales Police/PA)
Crime

Man jailed for driving dangerously without a licence before fatal crash

Christopher Kapessa (Family Handout/PA)
UK

New inquest date set for inquest of schoolboy who drowned in river

A 1.2km stretch of the River Aller was filled in to create a new seven-hectare area of wetland (Ben Birchall/PA)
News

Somerset river reconnected to floodplain following three-year project

The Prince and Princess of Wales at a service in St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire to commemorate the life of the late Queen (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Kate lays flowers at cathedral service in memory of late Queen

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at St Davids Cathedral, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, West Wales (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

William and Kate at cathedral to mark anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death

The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured in Scotland in July (Aaron Chown/PA)
UK

Prince and Princess of Wales to commemorate life of Elizabeth II at cathedral

Pc Mitchell Curtis following a previous hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court (Ben Birchall/PA)
Crime

Police officer accused of intentionally suffocating woman to stand trial

Zak O’Neill has been sentenced to be detained in a secure psychiatric hospital for the manslaughter of his his mother, Michelle, whom he stabbed multiple times (Gloucestershire Police/PA)
Crime

Teenager stabbed devoted mother to death during mental health crisis, court told

British explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams, 66, at his home in Wiltshire (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Explorer excited to add hydrogen balloon attempt to his Atlantic crossings

Floral tributes left near the scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff (Ben Birchall/PA)a
Crime

Man admits driving dangerously without a licence before fatal crash

Images changed from kites, mountain bikers and dogs into military helicopters and tanks (DIO/PA)
UK

Drone display held over coastal town to highlight military training land risks

Sir David Hempleman-Adams will co-pilot the flight (Torabhaig Single Malt Whisky/PA)
UK

Three explorers aim to be first to cross Atlantic in a hydrogen balloon

Team members crawled through bushes of stinging nettles and over a barbed wire fence to help the injured (Trowbridge Rugby Club Women/PA)
UK

Women’s rugby team praised for ‘saving lives’ after car crash by training pitch

Placeholder for missing image
UK

Police will take no further action regarding MP’s leaflet on Traveller sites

Sir David Hempleman-Adams will co-pilot the flight (Torabhaig Single Malt Whisky/PA)
UK

Three explorers aim to be first to cross Atlantic in a hydrogen balloon

Team members crawled through bushes of stinging nettles and over a barbed wire fence to help the injured (Trowbridge Rugby Club Women/PA)
UK

Women’s rugby team praised for ‘saving lives’ after car crash by training pitch

Placeholder for missing image
UK

Police will take no further action regarding MP’s leaflet on Traveller sites

Leaky barriers can hold back water after storms, the study showed (Daniel Jones/PA)
Science

Beaver-like dams can protect communities from flooding, study finds

Placeholder for missing image
UK

Hot air balloons scatter across Bristol skyline ahead of fiesta

Emma Potter lived in Stroud, Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire Police/PA)
Crime

Man jailed for minimum of 24 years for murdering woman in Stroud

The veteran has raised £500,000 for the charity SSAFA (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Ex-paratrooper raises £500k as he completes 19,000-mile coastline charity walk

Chris Lewis is aiming to raise £500,000 for the charity SSAFA, which has supported him (Chris Walks the UK/PA)
UK

Former paratrooper to complete 19,000-mile walk of UK coastline on Saturday

Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Will Kerr (Devon and Cornwall Police/PA)
UK

Suspended chief constable ‘strenuously denies any allegations of criminality’

Will Kerr joined Devon and Cornwall Police in December 2022 (Devon and Cornwall Police/PA)
UK

Chief constable facing criminal investigation into sexual offence allegations

Chief Constable Will Kerr has been suspended (Devon and Cornwall Police/PA)
UK

Chief constable being criminally investigated over sexual offences allegations

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