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

Wednesday 5th August

Avon and Somerset's Police and Crime Commissioner is backing the wider use of police drones in towns like Yeovil to help tackle crime. Visitor numbers at Somerset's tourist attractions are down by around sixty per cent so far this year. A gardening expert says it'll take much more than the occasional shower to revive Somerset's parched lawns, parks and open spaces...and more
Tuesday 4th August

A Somerset doctor is calling for better community eye care. People in Glastonbury and Street are benefiting from a new bus service to Castle Cary railway station. A sailor from South Petherton is celebrating after sailing around the world... and more
Monday 3rd August

A yellow Heat Health Alert is in force across Somerset today. The swimming and leisure centre in Street remains closed following last Thursday's flooding in the plant room. Plans for a new primary school in Chard have been delayed until at least 2030... and more
Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more