Friday 26 April

Friday, 26 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A man has been arrested in Castle Cary and charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill. The NHS in Somerset says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years. A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity...and more.

A man has been charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill after being arrested in Castle Cary. Appearing at Yeovil Magistrates Court, Daniel Kellaway, aged 29, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody ahead of a Crown Court hearing in May.

The NHS in the county says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years despite challenges faced by the health service at a national level. Figures from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust suggest its employee turnover rate has fallen from fourteen-point-six percent in July 2022 to ten-point-eight- percent in March 2024.

Retailers in Somerset have been found to have sold knives to children despite tougher legislation recently introduced. Shops can face fines of up to one million pounds but in an undercover operation by Avon and Somerset Police an underage child was found buying a machete-style blade. The British Retail Consortium says it takes the matter very seriously and has many retailers now signed up to a voluntary code of conduct run by the Home Office.

An Ilminster-based charity that helps adults with their support needs has celebrated its 20th anniversary. Shared Lives South West provides specialised support for individuals with learning disabilities, mental health issues, and dementia. The charity, which operates across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, is currently rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission.

A crane born in Somerset as part of a project to reintroduce the species in the UK has paired up with a mate. Sherry and her partner have been tracked flying to Aberdeenshire after meeting in France.

A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity. Nick Bragg, of Frogmary Green Farm, is embarking on the challenge aiming to raise £10,000 for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. Nick will start his marathon at the Northumberland County Show on May 26, travel via the Suffolk Show on May 30 and 31, and finish at the Royal Cornwall Show on June 6th.

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