Police Appeal After Man Found Dead At Home In Bartley Green

Police investigating the death of a 54-year-old man, are appealing for witnesses after it was revealed he may have been assaulted a day earlier.

The man, who has not been named, was found dead at his home address in Dudnill Grove, Bartley Green around 8am on Sunday morning.

A forensic post mortem will take place later today to establish the cause of death.

However, police believe the man had been assaulted the day before as he walked home from an evening out with his partner.

The assault took place between midnight and 2am Saturday 1st November in Long Nuke Road, Bartley Green. Three black men aged in their late teens/early twenties ran up to him and struck him in his face and head, before running off towards Roundlea Road and Woodcock Lane.

Elderly Man Targeted In Blackburn

Police are appealing for information after an elderly man was targeted in a robbery in Blackburn.

At about 7pm on Sunday the 85 year old victim was at home in Rawsthorne Street when two men knocked at the door.

As soon as the door was open they pushed the victim inside the property and into the front room. They demanded to know where his valuables where and stole about £7,500 cash from a tin.

The victim had recently had repair work carried out on his house by three men driving a red Ford Transit van with ladders on top and was also approached by a another man on Saturday who said further work needed doing, which he turned down after challenging him for identification and being assisted by a neighbour.

The man was described as white, in his forties, 5ft 5ins, stocky build, fair cropped hair and was wearing a yellow high visibility vest and jeans.

The men involved in Sunday's incident are described as both white, 5ft 10ins and of medium build. One was wearing dark blue clothing with a hat and the other a grey tracksuit with the hood up.

Police are treating the incidents as connected and want to appeal to anyone who may have information to get in contact.

EA To Complete 8km Dredge In Somerset By 31st October

The Environment Agency kept its promise to complete the 8km dredge of the Rivers Parrett and Tone in Somerset by 31st October.

Around 130,000 cubic metres of silt was removed from the two rivers during the 7 month dredge. The work will help reduce the likelihood and duration of flooding to properties on Curry Moor and North Moor, on the A361 and the West Coast mainline.

The Environment Agency continues to emphasise that flooding on the Somerset Moors and Levels can never be prevented altogether.

Craig Woolhouse, Deputy Director of Flood Incident Management said: "Our staff and our contractors Land and Water Services have worked extremely hard to complete this project on time.

"I'd also particularly like to thank local people for their patience over the last few months. Together we’ve completed one of the first actions for the 20 year Somerset Flood Action Plan, co-ordinated by Somerset County Council."

(CD)