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

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.
Friday 5th June

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
Thursday 4th June

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
Wednesday 3rd June

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