Local News Friday 28th July

    A local man has been given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a one-year driving ban after being found guilty of causing death by careless driving. The go-ahead has been given to convert a former pub in Chard into a guesthouse. The South West is one of the most competitive regions in England for renting a home...and more.

    A Merriott man, found guilty of causing death by careless driving, has been given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a one-year driving ban. Christopher Banke was appearing for sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court after earlier being found guilty of causing the death of motorcyclist, Adrian Saunders, on the A3066 at Beaminster in October 2021. Banke, who had pleaded not guilty to the careless driving charge, was ordered to pay court costs of three-and-a-half thousand pounds. 

    People are being encouraged to book their holiday accommodation and tourist attractions in Somerset using a new app called the Somerset Reward Card. It's to avoid commissions being paid to online travel agents and offers rewards to those who use it. 

    The go-ahead has been given to convert a former pub in Chard into a guesthouse. The Golden Fleece on Perry Street closed in 2020 due to poor sales. Somerset Council’s approved the change of use subject to the character of the building being retained.

    The RSPCA says there were three-hundred-and-sixty reports of cat cruelty in Somerset last year. Nationally, the number is almost eighteen thousand.

    The South West is one of the most competitive regions in England for the housing rental market, according to the property website Rightmove. Its figures suggest average requests for viewings per rental property stands at twenty-seven in our area. 

    Details have been announced of this year’s Ham Hill Dog Show. The event was cancelled last year due to the death of the Queen and takes place on Sunday, August 13th. All monies raised will go to the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard and the Friends of Ham Hill.

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    • Thursday 18th June

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    • Wednesday 17th June

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    • Tuesday 16th June

      Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more

    • Monday 15th June

      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

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 28°C | Low: 16°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 27°C | Low: 15°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 27°C | Low: 15°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 29°C | Low: 17°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 29°C | Low: 16°C

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