The former boilerhouse chimney at Newbury District Hospital in Andover Road will be demolished at 1pm today. The site has been cleared by Sovereign Housing Association to make way for 100 flats for the elderly. It is hoped that by moving older people in that dozens of two and three bedroom homes in the town will be freed up to rent to struggling families.

Sovereign says the 80ft chimney will be demolished by a series of 12 explosions. Newbury.net will bring you the results later today.

Snooty shutdown

The Snooty Fox is scheduled to close for 10 days so builders can restore the upper floors for a new Tex Mex restaurant. The pub has a regular following, and is also popular as a pre-club venue on weekends, but landlord Peter Griffin wants to install a staircase and new floor on the first floor, which was removed some years ago, when the pub underwent various changes of ownership, and was known as the Globe, and Hobgoblin, and then the Snooty Fox. Mr Griffin will name the new venture Pedros. Although scheduled to close this week, the pub is still open at the moment, and staff will let customers know when the builders are due in.

Shop vandalized

A drunk man is believed to be responsible for throwing a flagstone through the window of Cottrells Office Equipment store in Bartholomew Street over the weekend, causing £1500 damage. Neighbours heard the commotion in the early hours of Saturday, and the safety railings of the nearby roadworks had all been kicked over.