Local News Friday 8th September

Friday, 8 September 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Help in finding new work is being offered to staff made redundant at Pittards in Yeovil. Hundreds of pounds worth of food items have been stolen in a raid on a foodbank in Martock. There's been a big rise in the cases of 'out of control' dogs in Somerset...and more.

Support is being offered to staff who've been made redundant at Pittards in Yeovil following the collapse of the business. Around one hundred and thirty employees at the Yeovil factory on Sherborne Road have lost their jobs after efforts failed to find a buyer for the company. Somerset Council says there may be jobs with them that former Pittard's staff can apply for.

Thieves have stolen hundreds of pounds worth of food items from a foodbank in Martock. Shelving was also damaged in the raid at the Martock Christian Fellowship Centre in Church St.

There's been a significant rise in the cases of 'out of control' dogs in Somerset. Cases have risen from three-hundred-and-eighty-five in twenty-twenty to nearly five-hundred last year. Attacks on other dogs have also risen significantly. Professional dog walkers are now being asked not to walk more than six dogs at a time to help reduce incidents.

A team of walkers from the charity SARSAS in Somerset will attempt the three peaks challenge this weekend. They're raising money for local people who've been affected by sexual violence.

Work has started on extending the Lubborn Cheese factory at Cricket St. Thomas near Chard. The new building will increase the size of the production floor space at Manor Farm by around three-hundred-and-seventy square metres. Lubborn Cheese supplies a range of supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Coop, Morrisons, and M&S.

Promoting alternatives to the car will be at the heart of future Somerset housing developments. Somerset Council has launched a 'Creating Places for People' consultation, laying out a series of outline principles that will shape new developments across the county in the future. The consultation runs until October sixteenth.

More from News

Thursday 30th April

More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in joining a new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne. Somerset Council says a long-term solution is needed to make Hendford Hill in Yeovil fully safe for motorists. A Somerset man has won first prize at the World Marmalade Awards... and more
Wednesday 29th April

Somerset Council says Hendford Hill in Yeovil should be fully reopened to traffic by the end of May. Plans have been approved to build 40 new homes in Crewkerne. A huge pile of illegally dumped rubbish in Glastonbury has been cleared... and more
Tuesday 28th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal collision at Rimpton. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in South Petherton. Former Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has been retained as first-team manager of Taunton Town for next season... and more
Monday 27th April

A former school in Sherborne has been badly damaged by fire. A care home in Yeovil has been rated outstanding. ublic spaces in West Coker owned by Somerset Council are being handed over to the parish council. Mendip Golf Club has presented a cheque for £12,000 to Mind in Somerset... and more
Friday 24th April

Plans have been submitted to turn a property on Preston Road in Yeovil into a House in Multiple Occupation. Yeovil’s Marlie Packer has been recalled to the England Red Roses starting line-up for tomorrow’s Women’s Six Nations game against Wales. Three sisters from Yeovil will be running the London Marathon this weekend in support of Guide Dogs UK... and more
Thursday 23rd April

Helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton have completed six weeks of sorties, protecting Cyprus from attacks by Iran. People in Somerset who use domestic heating oil are calling on the government to regulate the oil supply industry. Patients are being invited to register at a new NHS dentist in Crewkerne... and more
Wednesday 22nd April

Expectant mothers are using Yeovil Hospital once again to give birth following the reopening of the maternity unit. A Yeovil man has been jailed for four years for committing sexual offences against two young girls. Plans have been approved to convert a pub in Milborne Port into housing... and more
Tuesday 21st April

NHS Somerset has delayed closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. A former Avon and Somerset Police officer has been jailed for making indecent images of children. A Somerset man has been fined after pleading guilty to hunting a wild animal with dogs... and more