Stokes ‘aggressor’

ENGLAND cricketer Ben Stokes was the “main aggressor” in a fight that took place near a nightclub, an onlooker told Bristol Crown Court.

The 27-year-old is accused of affray in the Clifton Triangle area of Bristol during the early hours of September 25 last year. The court heard it was Stokes, of Durham, who had struck Ryan Ali. Ali, 28, and his friend Ryan Hale, 27, both of Bristol, are also standing trial accused of affray during the incident. All deny the joint charge. The trial continues. THERESA MAY has paid tribute to the “courage, bravery and skill” of troops who fought in the First World War Battle of Amiens as a poignant commemoration service marked its centenary.

Relatives of soldiers who served and died in the conflict also spoke of their pride and sadness as they joined the Prime Minister and the Duke of Cambridge at the event yesterday – staged exactly 100 years since the start of the offensive.

The battle changed the course of the war, as the comprehensive Allied victory, due to superior tactics, use of technology and leadership, finally convinced German commanders they could not win.

In Amiens Cathedral in northern France, the story of the battle was told through contemporary letters, diaries and poems read by guests from the 2,000-strong congregation.

In her message printed in the official programme Mrs May highlighted how the battle of Amiens heralded the beginning of the period known as the Hundred Days offensive.

The Prime Minister, who has been holidaying in Europe, wrote: “We remember with profound respect all those who served on both sides of the battle.”