Wednesday 13th November

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A South Petherton man has appeared in court charged with four counts of assaulting police officers. Public Health officials in Somerset have welcomed the news that an improved anti-smoking pill will be available locally on the NHS. A Royal Navy Commander, based at RNAS Yeovilton, has raised £4,000 for Help the Heroes with a world record attempt...and more

A South Petherton man has pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting police officers, two offences of causing criminal damage to police vehicles, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent. Appearing before magistrates in Yeovil, Matthew Reyland was also charged with a string of previous motoring offences, including driving while disqualified and without insurance. Reyland was remanded in custody for the preparation of pre-sentence reports, ahead of his next court appearance on December 13th. (story courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News).

A Yeovil man who was more than three times over the drink-drive limit when stopped by police has been given a 16-month driving ban. A member of the public reported Jason Waller after suspecting that he had been drinking because of the manner of his driving. Waller, of Abbots Meade, in Yeovil, pleaded guilty to driving after consuming excess alcohol and was also told to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work by magistrates in Yeovil.

Public Health experts in Somerset have welcomed the news that an improved anti-smoking pill is being made available on the NHS locally. It’s claimed the pill is more effective than nicotine patches or gums in helping people to quit tobacco. Around sixty thousand people smoke in Somerset and it’s hoped the drug could prevent thousands of smoking-related deaths each year.

A new care home has opened in Hatch Beauchamp with a communal allotment space where residents can grow their own fruit and veg. Beauchamp House, a Grade-2 listed property that has been under refurbishment for the past two years, is run by Care South and provides residential respite and nursing care.

A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about being a foster parent at the age of 88. Nigel, who is 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 it's still fun.

A Royal Navy Commander based at RNAS Yeovilton has raised £4,000 for a charity with a world record attempt. Rob Guest of 815 Naval Air Squadron raised the money for Help for Heroes attempting to set a new world weightlifting record.

More from News

Friday 17th October

A new £7 million primary school and nursery is to be built in the grounds of Holyrood Academy in Chard. A public consultation has opened into plans to merge the parishes of Ansford and Castle Cary. The nomination papers that paved the way for Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's first female Prime Minister have been uncovered in a Somerset garage...and more
Thursday 16th October

Two mothers in Chard are calling on carnival organisers to make carnivals more accessible to children with special educational needs. 4,000 people have been put on a waiting list at a new NHS dental practice in Somerset. Channel 4’s ‘Love It or List It’ is looking to feature properties in Somerset in a new series... and more
Wednesday 15th October

The maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital is to reopen within the next six months. There’s been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon theatre. No CrossCountry trains will run through Somerset this weekend due to planned industrial action by the RMT union...and more.
Tuesday 14th October 2025

Film and TV crews have given Somerset's economy a £4 million boost in the last 12 months. Around 100 people have objected to plans to build 325 new homes in Crewkerne. Somerset Council is asking the public to report anyone they see sleeping rough...and more
Monday 13th October

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is urging people to join a campaign for improved support for children with dyslexia. An opposition Conservative member of Somerset Council says businesses will suffer a ‘terrible blow’ if plans go ahead to sell off five Yeovil town centre car parks. A Yeovil man has been jailed for three years... and more.
Friday 10th October

Union members at Leonardo sites across the UK, including in Yeovil, have voted to go on strike after rejecting a 3.2 percent pay offer. GWR has apologised for not providing a visually impaired Yeovil women with an escort to cross between platforms at Pen Mill station. A walnut grower in Somerset is calling on supermarkets to stop importing the nuts from aboard and to sell the ones he grows instead... and more
Thursday 9th October

Police are appealing for witnesses to a break-in at The Crossing Café on Preston Road in Yeovil. A Yeovil Pharmacist says a 70 percent of people booking an online covid jab are not eligible this year. A former doctor in Chard has won through to the semi-finals of BBC Mastermind...and more
Wednesday 8th October

A child safeguarding review is underway following the murder of a two-week-old baby boy at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset’s been chosen for a pilot scheme in which drones are used to monitor environmental emergencies. Yeovil nightclub, Club Neo in Stars Lane, has got a new owner and is changing its name... and more