Friday 29th May

Friday, 29 May 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

South Western Ambulance Service is struggling to cope after a surge in 999 calls during the hot weather. Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says a shortage of rental homes is making it harder for rural employers to attract workers. The National Trust is warning that changing weather patterns are making it difficult to maintain the Cerne Abbas Giant... and more

South Western Ambulance Service says it’s struggling to cope following a big increase in emergency calls due to the hot weather. On Tuesday this week, the ambulance service received four thousand 999 calls, the highest one-day figure in its history.

Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says a shortage of rental homes is making it harder for employers to attract workers to rural areas. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Association of Agricultural Valuers at the Royal Bath and West Show, Ms Dyke said countryside communities were being put under increasing strain because of a lack of affordable homes to rent.

Somerset Council says fifteen new temporary homes for homeless families will come into use over the next twelve months. The council says the properties will reduce the amount spent on emergency bed-and-breakfast accommodation for homeless families.

A woman from Yeovil who saved her mother’s life after learning CPR at work is urging more employers to provide life-saving training for staff. Olivia’s mother, Bridget Sugg, collapsed at home two years ago. Olivia had been taught CPR by her employer just two weeks earlier and used the skills to keep her mother alive until paramedics arrived.

The National Trust has warned that changing weather patterns are making it harder to maintain the Cerne Abbas Giant. The famous chalk figure of a naked man holding a club has been looked after by the National Trust for more than a century. But they say wetter winters are washing away the chalk, while hotter summers are leaving the giant vulnerable to erosion.

More from News

Thursday 28th May

People are being asked to take extra care in parks and open spaces as high temperatures and dry conditions increase the risk of fire. Plans to build hundreds of new homes in Yeovil can now go ahead after a High Court challenge by Mudford Parish Council was dismissed. A Somerset bakery chain has sparked a reaction after it stopped making iced buns... and more
Wednesday 27th May

The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health alert for Somerset to amber. Trading Standards officers have shut down three shops in Taunton after illegal cigarettes and vapes were discovered on the premises. Bridgwater Town Council is considering running its own bus services...and more
Tuesday 26th May

A Martock agricultural machinery business has gone into administration, putting around thirty jobs at risk. A new sensory room has opened at a Yeovil schook to support neurodiverse pupils. The headteacher of a Chard primary school is stepping down... and more
Friday 22nd May

The National Farmers Union in Somerset has welcomed the government’s new trade deal with six Gulf countries. Campaigners say Somerset’s canals and locks are in urgent need new investment. The Liverpool comedian John Bishop is heading to Somerset later this year...and more
Thursday 21st May

Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 20th May

People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
Tuesday 19th May

A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more
Monday 18th May

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground...and more