Local News Friday 8th July

Friday, 8 July 2022 06:00

Police are asking people in Somerset to look out for a prisoner who has gone on the run. More than sixty potholes are being repaired on Somerset's roads every working day at the moment, according to Somerset County Council. Cancer patients in Somerset are waiting longer than they should receive treatment. An animal shelter in Somerset says it's being inundated with calls from breeders to take in 'surplus puppies'...and more.

Police are asking people in Somerset to look out for a prisoner (pictured) who has gone on the run. Sean Phipps, aged 51, failed to return to Leyhill open prison on June 1st after being released on temporary licence. He’s described as white and about 6ft 2in tall. Police believe he may be sleeping rough, camped out in a rural area or sleeping in a disused building. If you can help the police, you’re asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

More than sixty potholes are being repaired on Somerset's roads every working day at the moment, according to Somerset County Council. The Council says a total of 1,299 potholes were repaired in June, equating to an average 63 repair jobs completed every working day.

Cancer patients in Somerset are waiting longer than they should receive treatment. That's according to a group of cancer professionals who staged a demonstration outside Parliament earlier this week. They say more than 32 percent of patients in Somerset are waiting more than 62 days for treatment.

An animal shelter in Somerset says it's being inundated with calls from breeders to take in 'surplus puppies'. St Giles animal shelter says the market is over-saturated with puppies with breeding dogs giving birth to unwanted offspring.

Skateboarders and music fans have arrived in big numbers at the Royal Bath and West Showground for the NASS festival. The event hasn't been held for the last two years because of Covid. Ella Eyre and Mable are performing live at the festival.

A new film's been made about how Somerset celebrated the Platinum Jubilee. The five-minute film was commissioned by Somerset’s Lord Lieutenant Annie Maw, it includes scenes of beacon lighting, street parties and the Royal Bath and West Show.

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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.