Friday 22nd September

Friday, 22 September 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The RSPB in Somerset says it is seeing big changes in bird migrations to and from the county. The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says delays in answering 101 calls are a result of understaffing and accidental pocket dials. Beekeepers in Somerset are appealing for help to spot Asian hornets that are a threat to honey bees...and more.

The RSPB in Somerset says it is seeing big changes in bird migration patterns to and from the county. It follows a report claiming the changing climate is affecting the numbers, distribution and behaviours of migratory birds, including cuckoos and chiffchaffs.

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says delays in answering 101 calls are a result of understaffing, rising demand, and accidental pocket dials. Sarah Crew told a police performance and accountability board meeting that Avon and Somerset Police are dealing with around eighty thousand emergency and non-emergency calls every month.

Beekeepers in Somerset are appealing for help to spot Asian hornets. Somerset Beekeepers Association says they’ve received several unconfirmed sightings of Asian hornets that are a threat to the honeybee population. The insect is described as being like a large black wasp with yellow legs, an orange face, blackish brown body, with an orange stripe towards the end of its abdomen.

A Somerset mother who lost both her daughters to a rare but deadly disease is working to help other families dealing with the medical condition. Sarah Moore's daughter Harriet died aged eighteen months, then Kimberly died aged four. They both had Mitochondrial Disease. Sarah’s working with the Lily Foundation, which raises awareness of the disease.

The head chef of a gastropub based near Chard has won a ‘Best Pub Chef’ award. Charlotte Vincent, and her team at The Candlelight Inn in Bishopswood, were presented with certificates at the Great British Pub Awards ceremony held in Birmingham.

More from News

Thursday 13th March

A new campaign has been launched to persuade people in Somerset to stop smoking. Four people have been arrested in Chard in connection with the supply of Class A drugs. A dog from Yeovil has won the title of ‘best in breed’ at Cruffs....and more.
Wednesday 12th March

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. The Leader of Somerset Council has been to Westminster to put the case for central government to provide councils with more money. A new primary school is to built in Chard.... and more
Tuesday 11th March

The union representing workers at Somerset Council is warning of further job cuts at the council next year. Secondary school pupils in Somerset are being offered help to withstand peer pressure to vape or smoke. The bells of St George's Church in Hinton St George have been fully restored after becoming difficult to ring ... and more
Monday 10th March

A property in Raglan Terrace in Yeovil has been closed down by a court order after it was linked to anti-social behaviour. NHS Somerset says investing in nurse apprenticeships has helped to boost recruitment. A new community garden has opened in Chard.... and more
Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
Thursday 6th March

Somerset Council has approved a seven-and-a-half percent increase in council tax. People are being asked to return boxes of paracetamol bought from Boots Chemists in Somerset. It’s been revealed that five members of staff at Somerset Council are being allowed to work from home outside the UK...and more
Wednesday 5th March

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.
Tuesday 4th March

The population of Somerset has reached record levels with nearly one in ten born outside the UK. Stanchester School in Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’. Experts have been called in to appraise a 15th-century piece of artwork in Sherborne...and more.