Friday 29th May

Friday, 29 May 2026 at 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.

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