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Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

StudioCanal/Christopher Gibbins Two photos side-by-side. The photo on the left shows a statue of Paddington Bear, wearing a red hat and a blue coat, sitting on a bench and eating a marmalade sandwich. The photo on the right shows the damaged statue of Paddington on its bench. Only part of it is left, with the front completely torn off and the grey interior exposedStudioCanal/Christopher Gibbins
The newly installed statue was stolen from the bench in Newbury on 2 March

The sentencing of two RAF engineers who broke a Paddington the Bear statue and how a 13-year-old girl who was "broken in half" has learned to walk again are amongst our most read stories this week.

We have picked five articles from the past seven days in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to keep you up to date.

Paddington vandals 'antithesis' of bear, says judge

CCTV captured the moment Heath and Lawrence damaged a Paddington Bear statue

Two RAF engineers who broke a Paddington statue have been told by a judge they are the "antithesis" of everything the bear stands for.

Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, each admitted an offence of criminal damage at Reading Magistrates' Court.

The statue in Newbury, Berkshire, was damaged before being taken shortly after 02:00 GMT on 2 March.

The pair, who committed the offence while drunk on a night out, were ordered to carry out unpaid work and each pay £2,725 to cover the cost of repairs.

Girl who was 'broken in half' learns to walk again

Aliza is standing in a hospital garden smiling at the camera. She has long brown hair which is swept over one shoulder and tucked behind her ears. She is smiling at the camera and wears a cream woollen jumper, which has a large red heart embroidered on the front with black stripes across it and a navy blue raincoat over the top. In the background are hospital buildings but she stands on a grassy area with a tree and some green foliage around her.
Doctors did not know if Aliza, 13, would ever walk again after she fell off a horse last August

It has been seven months since Aliza was lying on the ground, unable to feel her legs, having just fallen off a horse.

The 13-year-old broke her back "in half" in August 2024 and had to be taken for emergency spinal surgery, while her parents were told to prepare for the worst.

But the teenager, from Stourpaine in Dorset, has come a long way since then and believes it is partly down to her positivity.

Not only is Aliza now walking again - she is back riding horses.

Chief constable's 'past relationship' investigated

Scott Chilton has short brown hair and is in police uniform. He is standing in front of a bush and red brick building.
Scott Chilton has been the chief constable of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for two years

The chief constable of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is being investigated by the police watchdog following an allegation surrounding a "previous relationship".

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it had launched the probe into a claim made against Scott Chilton.

It said it began the investigation following a referral from Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones, and was in "its early stages".

Mr Chilton is also the national lead for chief constables for both investigations and tactics, training and equipment.

Elderly couple shocked by £40,000 water bill

Robert and Patricia sat in their living room, looking at the bill, which Robert is holding. Robert has short white hair and wears a brown cardigan and dark blue trousers. Patricia has dark grey hair and wears a white jumper and dark blue trousers.
The couple usually pay about £33 a month for their water

An elderly couple who received a water bill of almost £40,000 have been told nearly two months later that they no longer have to pay it.

Robert Smith, 81, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said when he first opened the envelope "it was enough to give anybody a heart attack".

Thames Water has now recalculated the bill, cleared the balance as a "gesture of goodwill" and apologised for the "distress and inconvenience caused".

Mr Smith told the BBC that he and his partner Patricia Wood, 77, who usually pay about £33 a month, were becoming ill over the stress from the bill, which was caused by a leak.

Large fire seriously damages island pub

Island Echo Fire appliances, including one with an extendable ladder, stand in front of the Portland Inn at Gurnard at night. The two-storey pub is illuminated by fire service lights. A handful of firefighters stand in the road.Island Echo
The fire broke out shortly after midnight at the Portland Inn in Gurnard

A pub was seriously damaged by a large fire that spread through its first floor and loft.

Firefighters were called shortly before 00:30 GMT to the Portland Inn in Gurnard on the Isle of Wight.

Adjoining accommodation was evacuated as fire crews battled the flames, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said.

The blaze, which caused significant damage to the entire building, was extinguished by 06:00, the service added.

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