Publication
Warning of the dangers after death from drugs
A WARNING has been issued for drug users in Newbury following a death possibly relating to cocaine use. A person reportedly died on Monday following crack cocaine use in Newbury as other users in the area have been warned of the dangers. A...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Our star trio going for Games glory
WITH the 2026 Commonwealth Games officially under way today, our West Berkshire athletes are preparing to take on the world’s very best. Around 3,000 elite athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations will be battling it out in Glasgow for 215 medals –...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Huge pile of rubbish dumped in layby on A34 after lorry fire
A LARGE amount of rubbish was unloaded on the side of the A34 on Wednesday last week following a lorry fire. The waste was piled up in a layby off the A34 northbound between the A343 Andover Road and A4 Bath Road, causing lengthy delays as a lane of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pet dog Percy drowns in tragedy at beauty spot
A HEARTBROKEN family is raising funds for water safety measures following the tragic drowning of Percy the whippet. The three-year-old belonged to teacher Amy Gale but was being walked by her mother Annette Rooks. Percy fell into a canal and became...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Urn with ashes left at racecourse burger van
AN urn, understood to have contained cremated human remains, that was abandoned on the counter of a burger van at Newbury Racecourse has been buried in Greenham. The container and its contents – bearing two printed labels reading RIP GARY BONSOR and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THE HEAT IS ON
A RARE red warning for extreme heat is in force across the district amid fears temperatures as high as 40ºC could put lives at risk. Schools have shut, train services across the region are cancelled and health bosses are appealing for people to use...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
On the run to beat cancer at Race for Life
AROUND 400 people took part in Race for Life at Newbury Racecourse on Sunday, completing the 5k and 10k challenge to raise more than £36,000 to help fund life-saving cancer research. The crowds were a sea of pink and blue as runners completed the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mother’s search for ‘my knight in shining armour’
A MOTHER is appealing to the public to find the ‘knight in shining armour’ who rescued her son after he unexpectedly fell into a body of water. Vikki Harris, a mother-of-four from Newbury, is looking to thank the man who rescued her five-yearold after...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Jumbo fun for families in Parkway
THE circus came to Parkway on Friday. Hundreds of children and families enjoyed a packed programme of activities, including world-class juggler Dan the Hat, who delighted audiences with three interactive shows held outside Primark throughout the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Utility giant polluted waterways deliberately’
THAMES Water is fighting a landmark court case in which it is accused of pumping sewage into local waterways... deliberately. At issue is whether the company – which has admitted polluted waterways in Thatcham, Newbury and beyond – did so...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pupil from West Berks contracts meningitis
A CASE of meningitis has been reported in a West Berkshire primary school. The news follows the death last week of an Oxfordshire student and two reported cases in Reading. The latest case has been recorded at Westwood Farm Junior School in the West...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
24-hour fire watch at racecourse apartments
A 24-HOUR fire watch has been put in place at two apartment buildings in Newbury following an inspection which showed “defects” in the external walls. Residents living in both Carruthers Court and Chatham House at Newbury Racecourse have reported...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Parents of SEND pupils claim they are ignored
FAMILIES of children with special educational needs (SEN) claim they are being cut out of consultations to shape the future of SEN provision in West Berkshire. They say the council isn’t communicating when workshops are being held, and point to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Nursery rises like phoenix from the ashes of inferno
A NURSERY has reopened just six weeks after a late night fire destroyed one of its sites. Tigers Day Nursery, in Turnpike Road between Thatcham and Newbury, has reopened this week with a new look, after the fire destroyed its two main buildings in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION
A WAVE of mindless vandalism swept through Newbury on Thursday night, leaving a trail of broken glass and a communityfavourite attraction in ruins. Residents woke on Friday to discover a series of attacks across the town. With around six cars parked...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
West Berkshire’s best take a deserved bow
THE Newbury Weekly News Best in Business Awards 2026 were a huge success at Newbury Racecourse on Friday night. The big winners at our new-look ceremony were the team from Dingley’s Promise, who not only won the Charity of the Year award, but were...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Could Newbury look like this?
NEW plans – which could see a compromise for drivers and pedestrians in Newbury town centre – have emerged. The council is now investigating a hybrid version of pedestrianisation in the centre of Newbury which could see the town copy schemes like...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Call for special meeting over pedestrianisation
THE Conservative group on West Berkshire Council has called for an extraordinary council meeting to debate a motion on the extended pedestrianisation of Newbury town centre, after attempts to raise urgent questions at full council on Thursday were...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Car pranged but delivery firm refuses to pay out
A WOMAN, who claims her car was damaged by an Amazon delivery driver moments before handing her a parcel, says she’s furious the internet giant won’t pay for the repairs – arguing it isn’t liable because the man was a ‘flexible worker’. Caroline...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Racecourse pets facing eviction by Sovereign
RESIDENTS keeping pets in homes on Newbury Racecourse fear losing their companions as a housing association looks to enforce a ban on keeping animals inside its properties. More than 20 creatures, the majority dogs and cats, are understood to be...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Third of town’s swans wiped out by ‘bird flu’
AROUND a third of Newbury’s swan population has been wiped out by suspected bird flu over the past two weeks. The King’s Swan Marker told the Newbury Weekly News that the situation was “tragic”. Swan Support has responded to 24 deaths on the Kennet...
Read Full Story (Page 1)