Wiltshire Police honoured for role in repatriations
Royal British Legion has honoured Wiltshire Police for its role in the repatriation of British troops into the country. The legion's county chairman Denis Compton presented Chief Constable Brian Moore with a certificate to recognise the efforts of the force especially those members of the roads policing unit and officers from Wootton Bassett. Despite freezing weather many villagers lined the main road in Lyneham to pay their respects for Corporal Daniel 'Danny' Nield from 1st Battalion, The Rifles, killed in Afghanistan on Friday 30 January 2009. Corporal Nield was killed as a result of an explosion, believed to have been caused by a Rocket Propelled Grenade, during a contact with enemy forces during a deliberate operation north of Musa Qaleh in Helmand Province. more..

Heaviest Snow for 18 years causes havoc
Children made the most of an unexpected day off after ice and snow led to a raft of school closures. Overnight snow of upto 5 inches fell across the county leaving some people stranded, including bus and train services who stopped running. Children from Wootton Bassett Comprehensive School were sent home early and had another 24 hours off during the freeze. Lyneham Primary School youngsters were still at school despite the other local schools closing. See our Village gallery of the Wintery images of the snowfall more.

Jet crash-lands on City runway
A plane lies with its nose slumped on an airport’s tarmac after a terrifying crash-landing, Friday 13th February 2009. Passengers feared for their lives when the nosewheel of the British Airways flight from Amsterdam broke off as it touched down at London’s City Airport. Sixty-seven, plus four crew, were evacuated via emergency chutes after Flight 8456 scraped to a halt at the airport which is surrounded by water in the Docklands area. The plane stopped just yards from the waterside. Up to a dozen fire engines and six ambulances raced to the scene. Four passengers were treated for minor injuries.