Local News Friday 23rd April

    Exeter Crown Court

    A Martock man found guilty of multiple counts of rape has been jailed for 24-years. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a fatal accident on the A303 Ilminster bypass. A care home resident in South Petherton is believed to be the oldest person in South Somerset to receive a coronavirus vaccination. A cash machine has been broken into in Ilminster....and more.

    A Martock man found guilty of multiple counts of rape has been jailed for 24-years. Tom Wade-Allison, a chef by trade, was said to have spiked the drinks of his victims before carrying out the attacks. He denied the charges but was convicted of nine counts of rape. Passing sentence at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Timothy Rose praised the courage of the victims for giving their evidence.

    Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a fatal accident on the A303 Ilminster bypass. It happened at around 11.30 pm on Wednesday night between the South Petherton and Southfields roundabouts. A pedestrian in his 30's was pronounced dead at the scene. If you can help police with their enquiries you’re asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

    A care home resident in South Petherton is believed to be the oldest person in South Somerset to receive a coronavirus vaccination. Gwyneth Isaccs, who’s 104, and lives at Burnworthy House had her second jab last week. All 27 residents at the home, together with all staff have now been vaccinated twice against Covid.

    A project’s been launched in Somerset aimed at encouraging people to be more open about discussing their wishes for when they die. It’s being run by the charity Marie Curie along with NHS in Somerset. Bee Heygen lost her mother during a routine operation - an experience that prompted her to get involved in the project.

    A cash machine has been broken into in Ilminster. The ATM outside the Co-op store in The Square was raided at around 3 am on Wednesday. Local residents reported hearing a loud explosion at the time. Anyone with information is asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

    More from News

    • Thursday 28th March

      The waiting room and public toilets at Yeovil bus station that have fallen victim to Somerset Council spending cuts, will shut for good this weekend. A banking hub will not be provided in Ilminster when the town's last bank closes later this year. A rugby player who punched an opponent during a game in Sherborne has been ordered to pay his victim £4,000 in compensation...and more.

    • Wednesday 27th March

      Twenty-mile-an-hour speed zones are being introduced in fifteen areas across Somerset, including on roads in Chard and Ilchester. Plans to build fifty new houses at Broadway near Ilminster have been scrapped. Two people have appeared at Yeovil Magistrates Court charged with multiple drug offences...and more.

    • Tuesday 26th March

      More than two hundred and fifty new homes are to be built on the northern edge of Yeovil following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. The Shindig Music Festival, held on the Dillington Estate near Ilminster, has announced that this year's event will be their last. A hip replacement procedure at Yeovil Hospital, that can be done without patients needing an overnight hospital stay, has won a top award...and more.

    • Monday 25th March

      Twenty-five new electric buses will soon start running on Somerset’s roads thanks to a £14.7 million Government investment in public transport. A record number of houses were sold in Chard last year making it one of the most popular towns in Somerset to live in. Yeovil's Marlie Packer won her 100th cap with the England Women’s Rugby team playing Italy in a Six Nations game yesterday...and more.

    • Friday 22nd March

      A by-election for a seat on Yeovil Town Council has been won by the Yeovil Independents. Owners of empty properties in Somerset will be paying double in council tax from April. A Somerset man is celebrating after finding England’s largest ever nugget of gold, said to be worth £30,000, using a metal detector...and more.

    • Thursday 21st March

      A four-year-long, one-million-pound regeneration project in Chard, to improve the look of the town centre is nearing completion. Bus users have criticised a decision to cut a bus route between Wells and Yeovil. Yeovil is one of only three towns in Somerset to win a place in the finals of the national Britain in Bloom competition...and more

    • Wednesday 20th March

      Eighty-one motorists were caught using a mobile phone at the wheel during a two-week crackdown carried out by Avon and Somerset Police. People in Crewkerne are being asked to report incidents of fly tipping to the Town Council. A nurse at Yeovil Hospital will be raising money for the Roald Dahl Marvellous Children’s Charity when she competes in this year’s London Marathon...and more.

    • Tuesday 19th March

      Visit Somerset says the number of people visiting Somerset's tourist attraction is on the increase, despite a downturn in visitor numbers at UK tourist attractions. A new doctors’ surgery could soon open in Bruton as part of a new housing scheme. A campaign’s been launched in Bradford Abbas for the village to be given back a post box... and more.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain shower

      High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

    • Somerton

      Heavy rain shower

      High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

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