A South Petherton man has been found guilty of murder following a jury trial at Exeter Crown Court. Up to 300 adult education courses in Somerset are under threat. Plans to build five new houses in Templecombe have been given the go-ahead. A former nurse at Yeovil Hospital has been struck off for allowing a child to leave the children’s ward without informing social services...and more.
A South Petherton man has been found guilty of murder following a jury trial at Exeter Crown Court. Matthew Sheridan, had denied fatally stabbing Louis Bednall at a property in Hendford Hill in Yeovil last December. However, after deliberating on the case for less than ninety minutes, he was found guilty by the jury. The court had been told that Sheridan carried out a relentless and savage knife attack on Bednall after the two men argued over a bottle of vodka. Sheridan will return to court today for sentencing.
Up to 300 adult education courses in Somerset are under threat. It comes after the local provider. Somerset Skills and Learning lost out on funding for a key contract. The decision has also put 18 staff at risk of redundancy. The Department for Education says the process to award the contract was fair and open and that adult learners in Somerset can still access education and training through other providers.
Plans to build five new houses in Templecombe have been given the go-ahead. The three detached and two semi-detached houses will be built at the end of West Street. South Somerset District Council approved the application despite local concerns about pedestrian safety.
A former nurse at Yeovil Hospital has been struck off for allowing a child to leave the children’s ward without informing social services. Fiona Diba was a nurse at Yeovil Hospital in 2016 when she allowed a child to leave the children's ward with its parents, in breach of a protection plan. Following an investigation, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has ruled that she should no longer practice as a nurse. In a statement, Yeovil Hospital said it welcomed the decision.
A call has been made for disabled people to be provided with better toilet facilities at the Cartgate services on the A303 in South Somerset. Jo Elgarf says she had to use the toilet floor at Cartgate to change her daughter, Nora. She’s asking Highways England to provide a disabled toilet that has a hoist and space for a carer.
A dairy farmer Lewis White from Castle Cary has proposed to his girlfriend using two of his cows. He wrote ‘will you marry me' on the sides of the cows and his girlfriend Emily Francis accepted without hesitation. Lewis says being a farmer, how could he not have involved his cows in the biggest decision of his life.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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