25 years ago July 6, 1990: A GROUP of Russian chess players sampled a traditional English delicacy – fish and chips during their stay in Burnham.

The chess players, from Leningrad, were on a visit to Somerset for a week to play in invitation matches on a trip organised by Bryan and Ruth Wilson from Westonzoyland.

Their son Robert was Somerset’s under-18 chess champion.

Mayor of Burnham and Highbridge Cllr Peter Bowell welcomed the chess-playing group to the premier Fish Bar and said: “It was a great pleasure pleasure to meet the Russian youngsters.

“I think they really enjoyed their fish and chips.”

*CRIME figures across Sedgemoor had risen by 33 per cent during the first five months of the year.

The latest figures showed there were 2,174 reported crimes compared to 1,635 in the same period the previous year.

Chief Superintendent Colin Turnbull told the Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News: “In many of the areas they are crimes which were preventable and it is down to the owners of property to take the safeguards we have recommended time after time.”