'Giant rats plague flat' and 'teens cause firework chaos'

Here's our weekly round up of stories from across local websites in the West of England.

A woman from Hartcliffe told Bristol Live she has been left living "in absolute hell" with giant rats climbing up the walls outside her flat and drunk strangers banging on the door asking to buy drugs. Bristol City Council bosses have now promised to take action.

A 22-year-old Bridgwater woman died a day after telling psychiatric staff she would kill herself if discharged, according to Chard and Ilminster News. An inquest into the death of Abbie Winn heard that she had "struggled with her mental health after her mother's death a few years ago".

The Wiltshire Times reported that plans for 200 new homes have sparked "a wave of opposition" over fears the development could threaten rare horseshoe bats and their habitat.

And groups of youths have been aiming fireworks at people and setting fires to bins in a neighbourhood near Gloucester. Police have issued a dispersal order for the area after two consecutive weekends of chaos in Abbeymead, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Finally, money is being raised for a permanent memorial to honour a town crier who served Trowbridge, Wiltshire, for more than 40 years. Trevor Heeks died in October.

The Bristol Cable features an in-depth look at the problem of overheating in the country's Victorian-era jails.

The article paints a picture of how extreme heat, such as we had this summer, can exacerbate mental health issues as prisons are "ill-equipped" to deal with high temperatures.

Inmates can be locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, with windows sealed to prevent drones from smuggling contraband, and poor ventilation.

Follow BBC West social channels in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.