Dog owners in South Somerset are being advised to prepare their pets for the end of lockdown. A Yeovil man who committed a string of sexual assaults spanning nearly 40 years has been jailed for 17-years. Extra volunteers are needed at Somerset's Covid vaccination centres. Avon and Somerset's new police and crime commissioner is seeking to recruit a deputy...and more.
Dog owners in South Somerset are being advised to prepare their pets for the end of lockdown. The RSPCA says suddenly leaving a dog at home without company can encourage destructive or aggressive behaviour as part of a stress reaction.
A Yeovil man who committed a string of sexual assaults spanning nearly 40 years has been jailed for 17-years. Barry Dunthorn, of Hendford Grove, was found guilty of nine counts of sexual assault on four males following a trial at Taunton Crown Court. The court heard how Dunthorn groomed his victims by giving them cash payments.
Extra volunteers are needed at Somerset's Covid vaccination centres. Although no appointments have yet been cancelled, fewer people are volunteering because they're returning to work or taking a holiday.
Avon and Somerset's new police and crime commissioner is seeking to recruit a deputy. Mark Shelford, who took over the role in May, says he wants the post holder to help him seek the views and concerns of local people.
People in the Bath and Wells diocese are being asked in a questionnaire who they would most like as their new Bishop. Peter Hancock retired as Bishop of Bath and Wells in May. The process to find his successor is expected to take a year to complete. People are asked to express their preferences in a survey on the Bath and Wells diocesan website.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.