Local News Thursday 13th July

    Police are investigating reports of deliberate fires being lit within Ninesprings Country Park in Yeovil. Somerset Council has announced a new initiative to help elderly and disabled people stay living longer in their own homes. Local people are being offered the chance to work as Extras in a new BBC drama series being filmed in South Somerset...and more.

    Police are investigating reports of deliberate fires being lit within Ninesprings Country Park in Yeovil. A search has uncovered evidence of several fires taking place, which Police describe as acts of arson. They say given the recent hot weather, the fires could easily have spread throughout the woodland, causing huge damage. Anyone with information is asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

    Somerset Council has announced a new initiative to help elderly and disabled people stay living at home for longer. The new strategy, aimed at cutting fourteen million pounds from the Adult Social Care budget, will be gradually introduced over the next two years, focused on helping people to stay well for longer to avoid needing hospital and residential care. 

    Military veterans in Somerset are being invited to attend a health roadshow that is touring the County this week. The forces charity ‘Help for Heroes’ has brought together various charities to stage the event. 

    Local people are being offered the chance to work as Extras in a new BBC drama series being filmed in South Somerset. The documentary-drama based on the Late Roman Republic and the life of Julius Caesar is being shot in the grounds of The Newt Hotel, near Castle Cary. BBC Studios are looking for Extras as Roman senators and soldiers. No previous acting or toga-wearing experience is required. Details of how to apply can be found on the Newt Hotel website.

    More from News

    • Wednesday 17th June

      Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more

    • 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

    • 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.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 15°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 15°C