• A MAJOR trial was brought to a halt because the defendant’s clothes had not been washed by the prison service.

Billy Midmore failed to appear for his case at Southampton Crown Court because he has been wearing the same clothes for seven days.

Midmore was on trial for blinding Carla Whitlock with a highly concentrated drain cleaner.

Later in the month prosecutors and police welcomed the guilty verdict on Midmore after he carried out a vicious attack outside Turtle Bay restaurant in Southampton’s Guildhall Square.

The attack left the victim disfigured with permanent blindness in one eye.

  • MORE than 1,000 young people united at a Southampton nightclub in memory of a talented rugby player who died in a car crash.

Family and friends paid tribute to Macaulay Campbell, known as Mac, at Switch nightclub in Southampton.

The landmark gig was held two days before what would have been his 21st birthday and raised nearly £20,000 for good causes.

The idea for Macfest was organised by Mac’s girlfriend Fleur Gollogly and his brother Sam.

  • AWARD-winning BBC news presenter Huw Edwards visited Romsey Abbey to usher a spectacular concert featuring the renowned London Welsh Male Voice Choir.

The choir dates back to 1902 and have performed concerts in some of the country’s biggest cathedrals, concert halls and stadiums.

The event raised funds for the Wessex Medical Research Charity.

  • TWO Southampton cruise ships was under controversy as cockroaches and “potentially hazardous cheese” were found among other unsanitary conditions.

Inspectors shut down the Oceana’s swimming pools and spa baths after operator P&O failed a spot check in January.

The Oceana scored 82 out of a possible 100 in a health check when docked in the USA, with the pass mark being 85.

The Oriana scored a pass mark of 90 with the health inspectors urging P&O to “effectively deal with insect’s rodents and other pests” found aboard the liners.

  • IT WAS the end of an era for one Hampshire councillor.

Godfrey Olson, the longest serving councillor in the country, revealed he would not be standing for re-election this year.

After 61 years in service, the Conservative councillor announced he will not be standing to face the polls for Eastleigh Borough Council after his term ended in May.

It came after a year where the councillor won an award for his loyalty and long standing service.

Now in his 80s, Mr Olson said he was “proud of his achievements”.

  • THE man known as the Naked Rambler promised to cover up for the sake of his mum.

Stephen Gough’s defiant and bare-faced crusade for public nudity had spanned more than a decade and cost the public hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Now Mr Gough, from Eastleigh, sensationally vowed to put this clothes back on while he cares for his ill mother.

But he refused to give up his cause and said he could strip off again.

The former marine has insisted on taking his kit off in public for over 10 years and the revelation comes three months after his latest jail stint following another spell of nudity in public.

  • CONTROVERSIAL cab firm Uber began operating in Southampton offering fares 10-15 per cent cheaper than conventional taxis.

The San Francisco-based company allows passengers to book and pay for a private hire vehicle through a mobile phone app.

However Southampton City Council came under fire from existing taxi firms which said Uber’s application should have been put to a public consultation.

  • TWO men climbed a 220-foot-high crane on a Southampton building site and did a handstand.

The stunt was performed at the Watermark development and had sparked outrage among city leaders who condemned their actions.

Daredevils Danny Morgan and Simon Russell broadcast their stunt online gaining more than 1,000 views on YouTube.