A manhunt has been launched after a father from Bradley Stoke vanished with his 15-year-old neighbour.

Jack Saxton, 22, and Alyx Leighton, 15, disappeared from the town last Friday.

The Bristol Evening Post reports the pair could have gone to Scotland after travel plans were fouind on Alyx’s computer.

Mr Saxton has two sons and has lived with his partner for the past five years.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We are concerned about this girl’s disappearance because she is underage.”

→ On the web:
• Evening Post: Hunt for Bristol man on run with schoolgirl
• The Sun: Dad aged 22 runs off with schoolgirl, 15

Opticians Specsavers are the latest company to confirm they will be moving into The Willow Brook Centre.

Confirmation came through the centre’s website that they would be opening – most likely in a mall unit – later this year.

The centre’s website shows two under offer units there with ZeroG bikes taking the other.

Meanwhile, shoewear firm Brantano has confirmed it will be opening on 21 July 2009.

A man was threatened with a knife before being beaten in an assault near the Jubilee Centre, Bradley Stoke.

The incident, which took place on Sunday, happened as a couple walked past a gang while heading towards Braydon Avenue.

One threatened the man with a knife before being beaten and kicked by five others. They then ran off towards Little Stoke Lane.

Police say there had been reports of nuisance behaviour in Wrington Close earlier that evening and think the men involved in the assault were involved in that disturbance.

The men involved in the attack were all white, officers added.

The man with the knife is described as 5ft 5ins tall, small build with blonde or gingery spiky hair shaved at the sides. He was wearing a white or grey tracksuit.

A leaflet drop backing The Bradley Stoke Examiner’s broadband campaign is to be delivered to homes in more than 50 roads in the town.

The Conservative’s In Touch publication calls on residents to back our push to convince Virgin Media to cable the remaining streets here.

Those areas were not covered with the cable firm’s high-speed network which was rolled out to only half of Bradley Stoke.

At a photo shoot, which was filmed by the BBC’s Politics Show, Councillor Rob Jones (pictured) began delivering the leaflets in Juniper Way.

He, along with Cllr John Ashe, said: “The Examiner’s campaign for faster broadband has received the backing of many residents.

“As councillors we will do all we can to add support to their calls for faster broadband.”

The campaign, which has also featured in the Bristol Evening Post and The Guardian, will also feature on the BBC.

Sunday’s local edition of the Politics Show will feature a report on the terrible speeds suffered by some residents of Bradley Stoke.

If you want to help please e-mail cablemystreet@virginmedia.co.uk – remember to include your full postal address.

Two men were subjected to an assault in Bradley Stoke where the attackers hurled racist abuse and demanded money.

The attack took place on Wednesday on the field next to Patchway Common Pavilion, off the Avenue in Patchway.

Two white teenagers approached to Asian men who were playing cricket and stole their ball, demanding £10 for its return.

The Asian men told the attackers to keep the ball but it was thrown back and hit the neck of one of the victims.

Officers say the second victim was then pushed to the ground before the attackers hurled racist abuse and ran off towards the Bradley Stoke pub.

The first is described as a white male, around 16 years old, 5ft 10ins tall and slim build.

He had light brown medium length hair and was wearing a grey hooded top, blue baseball cap and dark tracksuit bottoms.

The second male is also described as around 16 years old, 5ft 8ins tall and medium build.

He had light brown cropped hair and was clean shaven and was wearing a white sports t-shirt with black letters on the front and black sports type trousers.

A charity has applied for planning permission to build a Multiple Sclerosis treatment centre in Bradley Stoke.

The The West Of England MS Therapy Centre wants to build the centre on land off Wheatfield Drive in the town.

The site would, should they gain permission, be between Wheatfield School and Bradley Stoke Way near the Primrose Footbridge.

The charity, which has been raising cash via the Moonstone Appeal, says in the ex-Avon area there are some 1,700 people living with MS.

The therapy centre is currently based in Nailsea which it says it needs to move out of.

The chairman of the therapy centre is ex-rugby union player, and former Bradley Stoke resident, Alistair Hignall who suffers from MS.

→ On the web: Moonstone Appeal

A new map pinpointing the roads in Bradley Stoke which are currently not covered by Virgin Media has been produced.

View Bradley Stoke – Virgin uncabled streets in a larger map

The Bradley Stoke Examiner has plotted the areas where the cable company’s high-speed network does not reach.

The firm has said they will cable the town’s remaining streets if enough residents get in touch with them.

In the south-eastern corner, where rival BT’s network is slowest, eight streets remain uncabled.

Meanwhile, South Gloucestershire Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb says the Examiner is doing a “great job” with its campaign for faster broadband.

Mr Webb’s, whose constituency includes some northern parts of Bradley Stoke, has been campaigning for broadband in rural areas of the district.

He added: “It certainly made me stop and think that if sections of Bradley Stoke with relatively high density housing are not deemed viable for broadband then what chance have some of the more rural towns and villages in my constituency got of getting anything soon?”

• If you want Virgin Media to complete its broadband roll-out in Bradley Stoke e-mail cablemystreet@virginmedia.co.uk – the more people that contact them, the more likely we’ll get high-speed broadband here. Please remember to include your postal address in your e-mail.

• The BBC’s Politics Show is taking up the story of poor broadband provision in Bradley Stoke on Sunday and they are looking for a case study family – if your internet speed is poor and you want to be on TV please contact dickon.hooper@bbc.co.uk

Updated on Tuesday to correct location of Steve Webb’s constituancy.