Tuesday 12th November

    New figures have shown a sharp rise in crime in Chard in the last six months. A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about the joys of being a foster parent at the age of 88. Councillor Pauline Parsons has been honoured for her 40 years service to the local community...and more

    Chard Neighbourhood Policing Team says it remains dedicated as ever to cracking down on crime, to make Chard a safer place for people to live, work and visit. It follows data showing that the highest number of crimes of the last three years were recorded in Chard between July and September. 516 crimes were recorded, a 13.2 per cent increase in the same period in 2023 when 362 crimes were recorded. Local people say the rise in crime has left them feeling unsafe, especially in the crime-hotspot areas like Silver Street, Jocelyn Park and Bishop's Court. Meanwhile, two people have been arrested following a burglary in Chard. A bank card was taken and later used to buy items at a local supermarket. A 63-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both arrested on suspicion of burglary, remain in police custody.

    NHS Somerset is calling on people to donate the gift of blood this Christmas. They’re asking people to book appointments in the lead-up to Christmas to avoid last December's results when the amount of donated blood was at its lowest for three years. NHS Somerset says it takes only one hour to give a pint of blood, with each donation saving or improving the lives of three people.

    Wessex Water has been fined half a million pounds for polluting a river and killing thousands of fish. The company admitted three failures in 2018, causing the deaths of two thousand fish, including endangered eels. Wessex Water says it has improved its systems to stop it from happening again.

    A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about being a foster parent at the age of 88. Nigel, who’s believed to be the oldest foster carer in the County, has been providing a home for children awaiting long-term adoption for the last four years and has even been known to take those in his care to Glastonbury Festival. He says although it's hard work at his age but still enjoys doing it.

    Councillor Pauline Parons of Seavington St Michael Parish Council has been honoured for her forty years of service to the local community. Pauline, who’s stepping down as a councillor, gave four decades of service to Seavington St Michael Parish Council as both a member and clerk.

    A new accessible toilet has opened in the Quedam Shopping Centre in Yeovil. The facility, paid for through the government’s Changing Places Toilets Fund is designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities that limit their mobility. The new accessible toilet can be found in the Quedam opposite New Look.

    More from News

    • Wednesday 7th January

      Somerset's Lib Dem MPs have described a one per cent rise in Council funding as 'profoundly disappointing'. A new independent cinema will open next month in Wincanton. We’re facing the chance of heavy snow with Storm Goretti hitting the region on Thursday...and more.

    • Tuesday 6th January

      The Poundland chain has confirmed its store closures, including one of the Yeovil branches next Friday. Yeovil's Marlie Packer has been awarded an OBE for her outstanding contribution to rugby. Nearly one hundred new low-cost homes could be coming to South Chard...and more.

    • Monday 5th January

      A woman has been cut free from her car after a four-vehicle collision in Montacute. Devon and Somerset fire crews have been praised for their bravery, following the summer wildfires. More new homes are set to be built in Martock, following approval from Somerset Council...and more.

    • Wednesday 24th December

      A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, costing £15 million. The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into 17 flats. A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year...and more.

    • Tuesday 23rd December

      NHS Somerset reports a strong uptake of flu jabs, but some eligible people for free vaccinations haven’t come forward. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 in which a pedestrian was killed. A Crewkerne woman has gone viral on TikTok after being trapped inside a Lidl store in the town... and more.

    • Monday 22nd December

      Somerset Bus Partnership has welcomed a £24.7m boost for the county's bus services. Outline planning permission has been granted to build up to 100 new homes in Ilminster. An Ilminster man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years. Residents in Chiselborough have set up a group to try and re-open the village pub...and more.

    • Friday 19th December

      Crewkerne Community Hospital is to lose half its inpatient beds. A review will be conducted of a project to make Bridgwater more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. Chard Methodist Church is offering residents a free lunch on Christmas Day. Yeovil-based Screwfix is opening a new outlet in Minehead...and more.

    • Thursday 18th December

      Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that delays in ordering 30 new medium lift helicopters for the RAF is putting the future of Somerset’s defence industries at risk. Somerset's farmers are being urged to convert more cow manure into biogas to heat homes. A new visitor centre has opened at Ham Hill country park...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 7°C | Low: 3°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 6°C | Low: 3°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 6°C | Low: 3°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 7°C | Low: 3°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 7°C | Low: 2°C

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