Friday 26th September

Friday, 26 September 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Lloyds Banking Group has announced that it is closing its Halifax branch in Yeovil. Avon and Somerset Chief Constable, Sarah Crew, is calling on the public to stand firm against hate. A helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton has been involved in tracking a Russian warship over the English Channel...and more.

Lloyds Banking Group has announced that it will be closing its Yeovil branch of The Halifax. Lloyds Bank, by the War Memorial on the High Street, will be unaffected by closures being made across the country. The Halifax will close on January 12th,2026.

Avon and Somerset Chief Constable, Sarah Crew, is calling on the public to stand firm against hate. She's a signatory to an open letter, also signed by council leaders, asking for calm, following an incident in which a 9-year-old girl was shot with an airgun in Bristol in a racially motivated attack. Sarah Crew says people are scared to go about their daily lives for fear of being attacked on the streets, which is not acceptable.

A helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton has been involved in tracking a Russian warship as it crossed the English Channel. The Wildcat was scrambled to support HMS Iron Duke in following the Russian vessel as part of a NATO-led operation last week.

Pharmacy chain Jhoots, which has unexpectedly shut all its outlets in Somerset, has been accused of failing to provide patients with their medication and not paying its staff. In a statement, Jhoots says it's actively engaging with staff, partners and other stakeholders. But one former employee in Somerset claims she's owed thousands of pounds in unpaid wages.

A key flood defence in Somerset could be upgraded to cut the risk of flooding at places further inland. The Somerset Rivers Authority wants to widen Highbridge Clyce as part of mitigation measures to reduce the flood risk upstream from the River Brue.

A carpenter from Somerset has been chosen to carry out repairs at Britain's scientific base in Antarctica. Jo Oliver from Wedmore is part of a team of tradespeople travelling to Antarctica to help 'future-proof' buildings at Port Lockroy against the effects of climate change.

More from News

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
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more