LOOKING back on some of the stories the Gazette has reported through the years...

March 1997

CHILDREN in Yate were asked to prove how ‘European minded’ they were in the lead up to the Festival of Europe, which was to take place in April 1997.

Schools in the town were invited by Yate Town Council to take part in several competitions to promote European awareness.

Nursery school aged children were asked to draw pictures of typical European scenes, while older children were asked to write about what Europe meant for them.

All entries were intended to be displayed at Poole Court in Yate, where they would be judged during the Festival of Europe.

March 2007

BURGLARS broke into a Cam DIY store by sawing through the roof, the Gazette revealed.

The thieves first cleared tiles from a low roof at the side of the Indoor Outdoor store before taking a saw to the roof beams.

After gaining entry to the building, the burglars sprayed foam on the shop’s alarm system to silence it.

The incident happened in the early hours of a Monday morning, however police at the time did not appeal for any information.

POLICE in Gloucestershire warned offenders that improvements to forensic techniques including DNA profiling would lead to more criminals being brought to justice.

The warning came after two 16-year-old boys were convicted at Gloucester Crown Court after one spot of blood was found on one of the defendants’ gloves.

PC Ken Bolan said: “Detailed work on a spot of blood the size of a pin head discovered on one of the gloves linked him to the crime scene and helped secure conviction.”

He added: “Potential offenders should be warned that with such resources at our disposal, those responsible for such offences will be caught and brought to justice.”

The police hoped that the warning would stop people from offending in the future because of a “far higher risk” of being caught.

Scene of crime officer sergeant Chris Ellis explained: “If you commit a crime, you will leave evidence behind and our thoroughly trained staff are going to find it.”

He added that when people were taken into police custody, a sample of their DNA is kept forever.