Local News Wednesday 25th January

Wednesday, 25 January 2023 06:00

Avon and Somerset Police arrested 346 drivers during its Operation Tonic campaign over Christmas. More than five million pounds is being spent to turn land near Bruton into a nature reserve. Another local pub has closed blaming rising running costs for the shutdown. The Care Quality Commission has carried out an inspection of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and rated it as ‘good overall’. A Somerset youngster has joined the intellectual elite becoming Britain's youngest-ever member of Mensa...and more.

Avon and Somerset Police arrested 346 drivers during its Operation Tonic campaign over Christmas. 130 people were arrested for drug driving offences, which was an increase of 100 from last Christmas. All the arrests were made in the six weeks leading up to New Year's Eve.

More than five million pounds is being spent to turn land near Bruton into a nature reserve. Nearly five hundred acres have been bought by the Somerset charity Heal which has plans to create a reserve in every county in England.

Another local pub has closed blaming rising running costs for the shutdown. The Carpenters Arms in Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil, which was bought by new management 18 months ago, has closed until further notice.

The Care Quality Commission has carried out an inspection of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and rated it as ‘good overall’. The CQC assessed three core areas - including specialist community mental health services for children and young people. That jumped from requires improvement to outstanding.

A Somerset youngster has joined the intellectual elite becoming Britain's youngest-ever member of Mensa. Teddy Hobbs had taught himself to read and count to 100 in seven languages before his third birthday.

A major incident, declared a week ago due to flooding in Somerset, has been lifted. Water levels on the Somerset Levels and Moors have been reduced with enhanced pumping and drier weather. The environment agency says at one point it was pumping enough water to fill 3,000 Olympic size swimming pools every day.

The Fixy van, operated by Somerset Waste Partnership, is in Chard today. It’s parked outside the Guildhall in Fore Street for collecting unwanted items of tech equipment including computers, keyboards and laptops, parts from which will be reused.

A Gastropub near Ilminster has been named among the best 100 Gastropubs in the UK. The Barrington Boar at Barrington is run by husband and wife team, Alasdair Clifford and Victoria Collins and is described as a country pub offering "modern British cooking" and "refined comfort food".