Friday 22nd December

Friday, 22 December 2023 at 09:31

Members of Somerset Council have backed a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. A primary school in Yeovil has come top of a list of best-performing primary schools in Somerset. Great Western Railway says engineering works will affect services through Somerset to London over the Christmas period.

Members of Somerset Council have backed a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. At a meeting held yesterday, all Labour, Green, Lib Dem, and independent members voted in support of an immediate bilateral ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict, with Conservative members abstaining. The meeting condemned the attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7th, and called for the hostages held by Hamas to be unconditionally released.

A primary school in Yeovil has come top of a list of best-performing primary schools in Somerset. Preston Primary topped the list with 95 per cent of pupils who sat this year’s SATS exams meeting the expected standards. The Countess Gytha Primary School in West Camel was in second place with a 90 per cent rating. The data, released by the government, is the first performance indicator on primary school performance in Somerset since the start of the Covid outbreak.

Great Western Railway says engineering works will affect services through Somerset to London over the Christmas period. Services through Castle Cary will be restricted, starting from Christmas Eve and up to Wednesday, December 27th.

If you’re planning to open a bottle of fizz this Christmas, be warned. Academics say a flying cork can cause serious injury if it hits someone in the eye. They say the pressure inside a bottle of fizz is three times that inside a car tyre, and can launch a cork travelling at speeds of up to fifty miles per hour. They say if you’re popping a cork, point the bottle at forty-five degrees and cover the top of the bottle with a towel, to minimise the chances of injury.

More from News

Friday 30th October

Wells Cathedral says it's having to get creative to bring in more money as financial pressures continue to grow. A convenience store in Martock has been allowed to keep its alcohol licence despite an employee working there illegally. Police have seized an illegally ridden e-scooter in Yeovil in response to concerns from local residents... and more
Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more