Two Arrested After Cars Damaged In Bath

Two men have been arrested after a number of cars were damaged in the Twerton area of Bath last night.

Avon & Somerset police were called at about 2.30am, Monday 3 February, to a report of cars being damaged and arrested two men nearby.

The two men remain in police custody.

Neighbourhood Inspector Steve Mildren said: "From about 7am this morning we started getting calls from people heading out and finding their cars had been damaged. Most had had their back window smashed and some were reporting items had been taken from the vehicles.

"We're now working through, contacting the people who have already been in touch with us and finding the registered keepers of the damaged vehicles we were already aware of. It may take us a little while to get in touch, as we have had six calls already, reporting more than a dozen incidents."

Minister Opens New £8.6m Station In Westgate

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has officially opened Wakefield Westgate's new train station during a tour of multi-million pound infrastructure projects being rolled out across West Yorkshire.

The new £8.6m station was the centrepiece of his visit to the region, which also included stops in Leeds and Pudsey to discuss how government investment is improving transport links for passengers. He also viewed work to reduce congestion on the A647 between Leeds and Bradford.

The government is investing heavily in the Yorkshire and Humber region with £370m planned to be spent on roads this year, while rail passengers will benefit from improved services as part of the £500m Northern Hub project.

West Yorkshire will also benefit from the government's new north-south high speed rail link, which will improve connectivity and boost the regional economy by £1bn annually.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "Strong transport links are vital to ensuring that communities and local economies can thrive. That is why we are investing heavily in West Yorkshire delivering a raft of improvements across the region's rail and road network, bringing real benefits to passengers and motorists."

Man Jailed For Sexual Offences

A man has been jailed for six weeks for outraging public decency and sexual assault, committed on buses on Bromley.

Michael Kowalski, 30, of Woolwich Road, Kent, was sentenced at Bromley Magistrates Court after pleading guilty. He will also be placed on the sex offences register for seven years.

On 23 October 2013, a 13-year-old girl travelling to school was walking down the stairs about to alight a route 320 bus near Downham Way, Bromley, when Kowalski grabbed her bottom. She challenged him, but he ignored her, so she alighted and reported the incident.

Officers from Bromley Safer Transport Team investigated and gathered intelligence on Kowalski, which resulted in him being arrested at a bus stop in Bromley North on 19 December 2013.

He was interviewed and charged after making a full admission to the offence, as well as a previous offence in April 2011, when he was travelling on a route 51 bus on Sevenoaks Way.

Superintendent Rob Revill, Safer Transport Command, said: "This sentence highlights our commitment to tackling sexual offences on London's buses. We take all reports of sexual offences on buses seriously and are commited to bringing offenders to justice. If someone has made you feel uncomfortable on your bus journey – however minor it may seem to you – reporting it to police can help us target the perpetrator and prevent it happening to another passenger."

(CD/JP)