Local News Friday 24th March

Friday, 24 March 2023 06:00

A man who robbed a teenager of his wallet in Yeovil has been jailed. Police have stepped up their enforcement action to stop people parking on the main road outside Castle Cary railway station. Work is underway to replace damaged public seating in Ilminster. Muchelney Pottery near Langport is marking King Charles's coronation with a commemorative mug...and more.

A man who robbed a teenager of his wallet in Yeovil has been jailed. Lee Rowley, aged twenty-two, approached the seventeen-year-old from behind, forcing him to the ground before making off with his wallet in the incident in Higher Kingston in Yeovil in November last year. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Rowley, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was jailed for three years.

Police have stepped up their enforcement action to stop people parking on the main road outside Castle Cary railway station. In just one day, fifty-seven parking tickets were issued to owners with vehicles parked at the roadside, causing an obstruction. Police say they will continue to issue parking tickets until people stop parking on the main road. Rail users are calling on GWR to provide more parking spaces at Castle Cary station.
New figures from the RNLI show their crews in the south west saved forty-two lives last year and launched more than fourteen-hundred times. The charity is now asking the public to help with its latest fundraising campaign – the Mayday Mile. The fundraiser will see people taking on the challenge of walking a mile a day during the month of May.

Work is underway to replace damaged public seating in Ilminster. Around a dozen new wooden bench seats are being installed around the town and at Herne Hill, with funding provided through the Market Town Initiative run by South Somerset District Council.

The search is on to find a new chairperson to head up the board of trustees at Ilminster Arts Centre. The unpaid role involves acting as an ambassador for the charity and ensuring the board of trustees delivers success for the arts centre.

Muchelney Pottery near Langport is marking King Charles's coronation with a commemorative mug. The limited edition stoneware mugs are stamped with the Muchelney trademark. Only one-hundred-and-twenty-five of the mugs are being produced.

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People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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