Friday 1st December

Friday, 1 December 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are warning of a spate of thefts of Ford cars in South Somerset. The government has turned down a bid for levelling-up funds to build a new train station to serve Somerton and Langport. Long-running roadworks on the Somerset-Devon border will continue over the Christmas holidays after a repair scheme was postponed...and more.

Police are warning of a spate of thefts of Ford cars in South Somerset. Several Ford Fiestas and Ford Eco Sports have been stolen over the past four months without a door key being used. Police say it's part of a national increase in thefts of Ford Fiestas that are no longer in production. The vehicles are less than 10 years old and it is believed are being stolen to order for breaking-up for spare parts. Owners of Ford cars are being advised to be extra careful where they park their vehicles and to report anything suspicious by calling 999.

The government has turned down a bid for levelling-up funds to build a new train station to serve Somerton and Langport. The Langport Transport Group, supported by Somerset Council, submitted the bid last year claiming there was a strong case to have a new station provided in the area and asked that the project should progress to the next phase. The government says it’s financing five projects with levelling-up funding across Dorset and Somerset at a cost of £87 million but the new train station proposal for Langport and Somerton is not one of them. Langport and Somerton were originally served by trains on the Taunton to Castle Cary line but their stations were closed in the 1960s.

People are being asked to flag up places that are the most at risk of flooding in Somerset. It’s part of a consultation by Somerset Rivers Authority into a new 10-year plan, aimed at minimising the flood risk.

Long-running roadworks on the Somerset-Devon border will continue over the Christmas holidays after a repair scheme was postponed. For the past 18 months, motorists travelling on the A30 have had to contend with temporary lights at Crawley Farm, between Chard and Yarcombe. The lights, installed by Devon County Council following a landslip, should have been taken down in September but the council has now put back the date for doing the work to early January.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more