Friday 1st December

Friday, 1 December 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are warning of a spate of thefts of Ford cars in South Somerset. The government has turned down a bid for levelling-up funds to build a new train station to serve Somerton and Langport. Long-running roadworks on the Somerset-Devon border will continue over the Christmas holidays after a repair scheme was postponed...and more.

Police are warning of a spate of thefts of Ford cars in South Somerset. Several Ford Fiestas and Ford Eco Sports have been stolen over the past four months without a door key being used. Police say it's part of a national increase in thefts of Ford Fiestas that are no longer in production. The vehicles are less than 10 years old and it is believed are being stolen to order for breaking-up for spare parts. Owners of Ford cars are being advised to be extra careful where they park their vehicles and to report anything suspicious by calling 999.

The government has turned down a bid for levelling-up funds to build a new train station to serve Somerton and Langport. The Langport Transport Group, supported by Somerset Council, submitted the bid last year claiming there was a strong case to have a new station provided in the area and asked that the project should progress to the next phase. The government says it’s financing five projects with levelling-up funding across Dorset and Somerset at a cost of £87 million but the new train station proposal for Langport and Somerton is not one of them. Langport and Somerton were originally served by trains on the Taunton to Castle Cary line but their stations were closed in the 1960s.

People are being asked to flag up places that are the most at risk of flooding in Somerset. It’s part of a consultation by Somerset Rivers Authority into a new 10-year plan, aimed at minimising the flood risk.

Long-running roadworks on the Somerset-Devon border will continue over the Christmas holidays after a repair scheme was postponed. For the past 18 months, motorists travelling on the A30 have had to contend with temporary lights at Crawley Farm, between Chard and Yarcombe. The lights, installed by Devon County Council following a landslip, should have been taken down in September but the council has now put back the date for doing the work to early January.

More from News

Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more
Friday 11th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Yeovil in which a man riding an e-bike was injured and later died in hospital. Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says the number of false alarm calls it receives is on the increase. A new micro-pub opens in Chard next week...and more
Thursday 10th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for more targeted support for schools in Somerset. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident near Wells in which a cyclist died. Plans have been approved to convert a former care home in Yeovil into a house of multiple occupation...and more
Wednesday 9th April

A man from Yeovil has been jailed for stabbing another man in a pub in the town. Work is underway to help minimize the flood risk at Chard Reservoir. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-six new homes at Sparkford. A new Town Crier is needed in Glastonbury...and more
Tuesday 8th April

Work is underway to demolish the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with drink driving for a third time. Somerset Council has paid £35,000 in compensation for failing to deliver the right support to children with special educational needs. Another shop in Yeovil town centre is closing for good today...and more