Wednesday 12th June

Wednesday, 12 June 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Yeovil man who committed non-recent sex offences against a teenage girl has been jailed for seven years. Tourism in the South West is at its lowest point for ten years. The Devon Truck Show has been announced as the new main sponsor of Chard Carnival...and more.

A Yeovil man who committed non-recent sex offences against a teenage girl in Lincolnshire has been jailed. Simon Slade, aged 65, of Cherry Tree Drive, in Yeovil, was convicted of two serious sexual offences and one charge of indecent assault following a trial at Lincoln Crown Court. The court was told the offending had taken place in the late 1990s with Slade grooming and manipulating the teenager into sexual activity. Slade, who runs a motor racing business in Yeovil, was jailed for seven years. (story courtesy of Somerset Live),

According to an industry expert, tourism in the South West is at its lowest point in 10 years. Hospitality and attractions face continuing challenges with staffing, the cost of living and energy. Tim Jones of the South West Business Council says pub and restaurant closures have contributed to a one-billion pound drop in turnover for the sector.

Households in Bruton, Castle Cary, Buckhorn Weston, Crewkerne, Ilminster and Martock will have a one-off Saturday rubbish collection later this month. It’s part of kerbside rubbish and recycling changes that begin next Monday for 92,000 homes in the South Somerset and Mendip areas. Of these, around 17,000 will have a one-off rubbish collection but not recycling on Saturday, June 15th or Saturday, June 22nd. The extra collections will mean households will not go too long between rubbish collections as collection days change.

A new role has been created to help restore trust in Somerset’s maternity services. The new role of Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate is designed to help women and families navigate the NHS after a traumatic birth.

The Devon Truck Show has been announced as the new main sponsor of Chard Carnival. The show held in Honiton raises funds for local charities and community groups. Chard Carnival will take place on Saturday, October 8th.

Ilminster Football Club is staging a fundraising dinner with guest speaker, Ian Holloway. The former Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City, Blackpool and Crystal Palace coach will be at The Shrubbery Hotel telling stories from his career on Friday, July 12th.

More from News

Tuesday 2nd July

A prolific shoplifter has been banned from entering a number of stores in Yeovil. Motorway users faced a second weekday of problems on the M5 yesterday. The organisers of the Somerset Comedy Festival have had to cancel more shows...and more
Monday 1st July

A lorry driver has been taken to hospital after a crash. Coldplay becomes the first act to headline the Glastonbury festival five times. East Coker Community Primary raises school funds, supported by a Team England star...and more.
Friday 28th June

A man has died following a collision between a lorry and a van near Wincanton. A bottlenose dolphin has been photographed off the Somerset coast in what is being described as a rare sighting. Serving members of the armed forces, veterans and cadets are being offered free bus travel this Saturday to mark Armed Forces Day and more....
Thursday 27th June

Revellers have been arriving in Somerset for the Glastonbury Festival. A local tech business has been heralded ‘Best Rural Enterprise In The UK’. Somerset Police have taken part in an operation that has seized 150 thousand pounds worth of drugs...and more
Wednesday 26th June

An investigation is being carried out following the sudden death of a man in Yeovil. Yeovil Town Football Club has condemned the use of its former club logo being used in anti-immigration campaigns. A touch of continental café culture is one step closer in Yeovil and more...
Tuesday 25th June

A West Camel bakery is hitting out at plans to open a new farm shop and hotel nearby. A 24-year-old man from Ilminster has been arrested and bailed after Police stopped an illegal rave in east Somerset. A man in his 80s has died after a collision on a rural Sherborne road and more...
Monday 24th June

Somerset Council are advising residents to have their bins out by 6am in the early part of this week. People in Wincanton paid tribute to a World War 2 aircraft crew at the town’s Memorial Hall. Staff at a Chard garage are hopeful after being announced as finalists at the 2024 Independent Garage Association awards...and more.
Friday 21st June

A team of firefighters from Yeovil Fire Station's Red Watch have completed a 270-mile round trip visiting every fire station in Somerset raising money for good causes. Toxic algae which has formed on Chew Valley Reservoir has forced all water-based activities on the reservoir to be suspended. An actor who grew up near Chard has won a top award at the Cannes Film Festival...and more.