Local News Thursday 20th October

Thursday, 20 October 2022 06:00

One of the companies that supplies gas to homes and businesses in Somerset is asking customers not to tamper with their gas and electricity meters. Police are appealing for help in finding a man who's gone missing from Yeovil and who needs urgent medical treatment. New data has shown that nearly a quarter of inquests held in Somerset last year have been delayed for more than two years. Police are investigating a break-in at the Co-op store in Ilminster. Yeovil Literary Festival gets underway today...and more.

One of the companies that supplies gas to homes and businesses in Somerset is asking customers not to tamper with their gas and electricity meters. Wales and West Utilities says there’s been a sharp rise in reports of meter interference and that by doing so people are putting themselves at risk.

Police are appealing for help in finding a man who's gone missing from Yeovil and who needs urgent medical treatment. 50-year-old Alan was last seen on Watercombe Lane off Preston Road on Monday afternoon. He has tattoos on his arms and hands and was wearing a plain black baseball cap, a black jacket, black jeans, a white t-shirt and black trainers. Anyone who sees Alan is asked to call 999.

New data has shown that nearly a quarter of inquests held in Somerset last year have been delayed for more than two years. The government says the pandemic placed immense pressure on coroners’ courts and that a raft of measures to help clear the backlogs has been introduced.

Police are investigating a break-in at the Co-op store in Ilminster. Police say it happened in the early hours of last Saturday, October 15th when a quantity of cigarettes was stolen. CCTV footage of a man police would like to identify can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

Yeovil Literary Festival gets underway today. The 2022 event marks the tenth year of the festival and features no less than 54 different writers and celebrities, many of whom are household names. Events are being staged at the Octogan theatre, the Westland Entertainment venue, and Yeovil Library, over the next five days.

A Crewkerne woman has been recognised for her work helping children with special educational needs and disabilities. Pearl Barnes who has worked as a SEND Leader for 24 yrs was presented with her certificate at the National Association for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities annual gathering in Birmingham.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more