Local councils and charity organisations in Somerset have activated their cold weather plans. A Wincanton man has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Avon and Somerset Police have made 110 arrests so far as part of their Christmas crackdown on drink and drug drivers. There’s been a sharp rise in the number of people who smoke cigarettes in South Somerset...and more.
Local councils and charity organisations in Somerset have activated their cold weather plans to ensure that no one is left sleeping rough over the next few days, as temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing. Cecil Weir runs the homeless charity Julian House in Somerset. He’s asking the public to inform their local council if they see anyone sleeping rough so they can be offered a place to sleep.
A Wincanton man has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Nicholas Edgell, aged 74, pleaded guilty to three breaches of his SHPO and also possessing indecent images of children. Edgell was jailed for two-and-a-half years but due to the time he has spent in custody will serve only a further nine months before being released.
Avon and Somerset Police have made 110 arrests so far as part of their Christmas crackdown on drink and drug drivers. People say members of the public should call 999 if they believe someone is driving or is about to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
There’s been a sharp rise in the number of people who smoke cigarettes in South Somerset. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the estimated percentage number of smokers in the district rose to 13.6 percent in 2021 compared to 11 percent in 2020. The district with the highest percentage increase was Somerset West and Taunton with the number of people smoking cigarettes up from 10.0 percent in 2020 to 17.3 percent in 2021.
A road near Langport will be partially closed today for re-surfacing. Work to re-lay the road surface in Vessies Lane in Pitney is due to be completed by 5 pm.
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.