Thursday 11th January

Thursday, 11 January 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

There was a ten per cent increase in drivers arrested for drinking or taking drugs in the Avon and Somerset Police area over the Christmas period. Plans have been approved to build a further fifty-nine new homes in Somerton. Police are asking for help identifying a man filmed on CCTV smashing the windows of a barber shop in Crewkerne... and more.

There was a ten per cent increase in drivers arrested for drinking or taking drugs in the Avon and Somerset Police area over the Christmas period. Three hundred and twenty-four drivers were arrested as part of Operation Tonic in December, with drink driving accounting for sixty-eight per cent of offences. Around two thousand drivers in total were stopped.

Plans have been approved to build a further fifty-nine new homes to be built in Somerton. The houses will be built between Bancombe Road and Bradley Hill Lane, as part of the Somerton Mead development. Somerset Council says it’ll be the end of the year now before a decision is made on the final phase of the Somerton Mead site, which includes a pedestrian link to the King Ina Church of England Academy.

An overnight road closure is planned on the A303 later this month. National Highways says it will shut the eastbound carriageway between Podimore and the Steart Hill Junction to begin work building a new westbound dual carriageway. The closure will take place from 9 pm Friday, January 19th to 6 am Saturday, January 20th. Access will remain for local residents, with diversions in place for all other road users.

Police are asking people to report bike thefts more quickly. They say they need to be told immediately if a theft happens to stand any chance of recovering the stolen bike. The plea follows figures showing that 200 bikes are stolen nationally every day with only one in ten returned to its lawful owner.

A new group, giving women who have been widowed a chance to meet up, has had its first meeting in Somerton. Called ‘The Merry Widows’, the group focus on building a new life after the loss of a loved one. The sessions are held at the White Hart in Somerton, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Police are asking for help identifying a man seen smashing the windows of a barber shop in Crewkerne. The man was filmed on CCTV breaking the windows of Hawa Barbers in Market Street in the early hours of Friday 29 September. An image of him can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

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.