Friday 7th March

Friday, 7 March 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more

The Lib Dem Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. It follows Somerset Council’s decision to increase its share of council tax by seven-and-a-half percent from next month.

A group in Somerset that supports men with prostate cancer says it is still important for men to get screened amid fears that rapid testing for prostate cancer might not always give an accurate result. Somerset Prostate Support Association says kits, sold as a way to make a quick check for prostate cancer at home, can give inconsistent and inaccurate findings.

A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset. The Sentinel-1C satellite, launched in December, has already delivered key data for monitoring the extent of flooding in the County with the data used to support local decision-making during emergencies.

Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle serious violent crime in Somerset. It’s launched a new website and is asking people to report activities such as knife crime, gun crime, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Crimestoppers is also asking people to use the website to report on illegally imported guns, converted blank-firing guns, and 3D-printed weapons and parts.

Ten nature reserves on the Mendips have installed a series of painted wooden adders to help prevent disturbance during the protected species' breeding season. At this time of year, the species comes out of hibernation and is more likely to be seen when out walking.

Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K event, which takes place on Sunday, April 6th. Organisers hope to exceed last year’s record of 270 runners.

More from News

Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more