Friday 23rd February

Friday, 23 February 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud and money laundering in the South West, including in Somerset. Bus users in Yeovil have welcomed the decision to keep the 54 and 58 services running for a further 12 months. Young people in Chard will soon have the chance to learn about dance, drama and singing at a new School of Musical Theatre...and more.

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud and money laundering offences in the South West, including in Somerset. The group defrauded six people out of eight million pounds. Two of the victims are from Somerset, with over four million pounds taken from one of them. Using doctored telephone numbers, the fraudsters convinced their targets that their savings were at risk, and persuaded them to move their money to other cryptocurrency accounts.

Bus users in Yeovil have welcomed the decision to keep the 54 and 58 services out of the town running for a further 12 months. Both routes had been under threat due to low passenger numbers and Somerset Council cutting its subsidy. The 54 from Yeovil to Taunton through Somerton and Langport and the 58 that runs between Yeovil and Wincanton via Sherborne have been funded until March next year when a further review will take place.

Taunton Town Football Club has confirmed that it has now paid all the money it owed to tax authorities. The Club was subjected to a winding-up petition in January and stopped from buying and selling players. In a statement, the club says the news is a relief, but doesn't mean they are free from financial challenges. The transfer embargo against the club has also been lifted.

The National Trust is looking for volunteers to work at its properties in Somerset. It’s planning a series of local drop-in sessions in the hope of finding volunteers to help out at places like Montecute House and Lytes Cary Manor.

Young people in Chard will soon have the chance to learn about dance, drama and singing at a new School of Musical Theatre opening in the town. Chard-based musician and actress Bethany Goodman is behind the idea and will launch the Bethany Brown School of Musical Theatre at Holyrood Academy starting in April.

Wincanton Chamber of Commerce has announced the date of its annual Business Fair. It’s being held in the Memorial Hall in Wincanton on Wednesday, March 27th. To display your business at the event will cost £50.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.