Friday 23rd February

Friday, 23 February 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud and money laundering in the South West, including in Somerset. Bus users in Yeovil have welcomed the decision to keep the 54 and 58 services running for a further 12 months. Young people in Chard will soon have the chance to learn about dance, drama and singing at a new School of Musical Theatre...and more.

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud and money laundering offences in the South West, including in Somerset. The group defrauded six people out of eight million pounds. Two of the victims are from Somerset, with over four million pounds taken from one of them. Using doctored telephone numbers, the fraudsters convinced their targets that their savings were at risk, and persuaded them to move their money to other cryptocurrency accounts.

Bus users in Yeovil have welcomed the decision to keep the 54 and 58 services out of the town running for a further 12 months. Both routes had been under threat due to low passenger numbers and Somerset Council cutting its subsidy. The 54 from Yeovil to Taunton through Somerton and Langport and the 58 that runs between Yeovil and Wincanton via Sherborne have been funded until March next year when a further review will take place.

Taunton Town Football Club has confirmed that it has now paid all the money it owed to tax authorities. The Club was subjected to a winding-up petition in January and stopped from buying and selling players. In a statement, the club says the news is a relief, but doesn't mean they are free from financial challenges. The transfer embargo against the club has also been lifted.

The National Trust is looking for volunteers to work at its properties in Somerset. It’s planning a series of local drop-in sessions in the hope of finding volunteers to help out at places like Montecute House and Lytes Cary Manor.

Young people in Chard will soon have the chance to learn about dance, drama and singing at a new School of Musical Theatre opening in the town. Chard-based musician and actress Bethany Goodman is behind the idea and will launch the Bethany Brown School of Musical Theatre at Holyrood Academy starting in April.

Wincanton Chamber of Commerce has announced the date of its annual Business Fair. It’s being held in the Memorial Hall in Wincanton on Wednesday, March 27th. To display your business at the event will cost £50.

More from News

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.
Monday 3rd March

A woman from Crewkerne has been fined £280 for assaulting two emergency workers. Plans have been announced to open new NHS dental surgeries in Chard and Crewkerne. A Yeovil man has been thanked for raising £10,000 for the cardiac charity Heartbeat...and more
Friday 28th February

A local man has been charged after allegedly driving a tractor while under the influence of alcohol. One hundred bikes, collected with household waste in Somerset, have been donated to charity. The junction of the A37 Ilchester Road and Stiby Road in Yeovil will again shut this evening for resurfacing...and more.
Thursday 27th February

Fourteen hundred people have added their names to a petition against Somerset Council's plans to scrap free car parks. St Margaret’s Hospice has won a share of £25 million of government funding. A man from Charlton Adam is preparing to visit Ukraine as an Aid Worker for a tenth time...and more
Wednesday 26th February

A local man has been charged with possessing an air weapon following an incident in Yeovil town centre. The Labour government has removed funding to the Amulet Theatre in Shepton Mallet that the previous Conservative government had allocated. Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K fun run with organisers aiming to exceed last year’s number of runners...and more.