Thursday 25th July

Thursday, 25 July 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A crowdfunding appeal has been launched raising money to help find a Chard man missing for almost two weeks in Sardinia. Somerset Council is to sell off some of its buildings to help balance the books. Building work on the UK's biggest electric vehicle battery factory near Bridgwater will begin next month...and more.

A crowdfunding appeal has been launched to raise money for a Chard man missing in Sardinia. The appeal has so far raised £2,200, which will be used to pay for a group of volunteers to travel to Sardinia to help find Michael Frison. It’s now almost two weeks since Michael was last seen.

A local man is part of a group taking a bank to the High Court over excessive mortgage repayments. David Riley bought a house in Yeovil in 2006 with a mortgage from Northern Rock, which then collapsed a year later. He and thousands of others were left trapped with excessive mortgage repayments they couldn't get out of.

Avon and Somerset Police have increased checks on detainees held in custody after concerns they were at risk of self-harm. It follows a report that found detainees were sometimes left undressed in cells after having their clothing removed. Avon and Somerset Chief Constable, Sarah Crew, says more regular checks on detainees are now being made.

Members of Somerset Council have voted to sell off some of the council’s most iconic buildings to help balance the books. It's part of plans by the council to save tens of millions of pounds by cutting jobs and transferring the delivery of non-statutory services to town and parish councils.

Building work on the UK's biggest electric vehicle battery factory near Bridgwater will begin next month. Piling work on Building One will begin first and run until spring next year. Quieter work will be done at night and around two hundred lorry movements are expected every day at the peak of construction work. The global battery business, Agratas, says it'll try to mitigate the impact on local people and promises to deliver on its 'local first' commitment to jobs and skill.

A Chard mother has started a podcast for other mothers to share their stories on parenting. Annie Tombs describes herself as a stay-at-home mum to her three-year-old son Eli and previously worked in special needs education. Last year, she started a Facebook group called Mums and Munchkins that now has more than 500 members, offering advice to mothers, together with children’s items for sale, and quick and easy children’s meal recipes.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.