Local News Thursday 2nd December

Thursday, 2 December 2021 06:00

Somerset's hospitals, pharmacists and GPs are being sent detailed guidance for helping with the major expansion of the Covid booster programme. Police say they’ve stopped a large amount of drugs from circulating in Chard. Police are investigating a spate of thefts of tools from parked vans in Ilminster. The go-ahead has been given for a new farm shop to be built on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. One in ten people in the South West says they've been involved in a collision on a rural road...and more.

Somerset's hospitals, pharmacists and GPs are being sent detailed guidance for helping with the major expansion of the Covid booster programme. The government wants millions of people to book appointments over the coming weeks to head off the threat posed by the Omicron variant. Health leaders warn the rollout poses a "huge logistical challenge" for the NHS.

Police say they’ve stopped a large amount of drugs from circulating in Chard. It follows the arrest of a man who was carrying a bag containing drugs and also cash by members of the Chard Neighbourhood Police Team.

Police are investigating a spate of thefts of tools from parked vans in Ilminster. The Ilminster Police Neighbourhood Team is asking people who leave tools in vans overnight to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity.

The go-ahead has been given for a new farm shop to be built on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. South Somerset District Council approved the application at Newlands Farm on the grounds that it represents a justified farm diversification scheme that would benefit the local economy.

One in ten people in the South West says they've been involved in a collision on a rural road. Between 2018 and 2020, 372 people were killed on rural roads in the region with 103 killed on urban roads. NFU Mutual, British Cycling and The British Horse Society are now launching a "Respect Rural Roads" campaign to improve safety.

A new professional orchestra has launched in Somerset. The Chamber Orchestra of the West is making its debut tour of the county this week. Orchestra Leader, Jackie Shave says their aim is to bring live music to as many communities in Somerset as possible.

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Friday 19th April

Work starts today building a new eastbound carriageway as part of dualling the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore. A childhood obesity clinic in Somerset has revealed that it is treating children as young as eight months old. Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign to recruit an army of young people to act as conservation champions...and more.
Thursday 18th April

A Martock man has been jailed after admitting to shining lasers at aircraft flying over Yeovil. Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the TK Maxx store at Babylon Hill. Nearly four hundred people have put their names forward for redundancy at Somerset Council...and more.
Wednesday 17 April

Three local primary schools have been named on a list of England's top five hundred primary schools. A new co-working space for businesswomen has opened in Wincanton. Urgent repairs are being carried out to Ilminster's new public clock after it started showing the wrong time...and more
Tuesday 16th April

A new operator has been found to run a Chard care home that has been at risk of closure. A licence has been granted to run a new music festival in West Dorset. People have until midnight tonight to register for a vote in the election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset...and more.
Monday 15th April

Four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal supply of prescription-only drugs in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court in connection with two burglaries in Langport. A well-known farm and restaurant business in South Petherton has been put up for sale. New figures have shown a further decline in the number of House Sparrows in Somerset...and more.
Friday 12th April

Yeovil Town will play National League football next season after beating Truro 2-0 last night to win promotion and the National League South title. Somerset Council says the cost of keeping Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre closed has risen to £140,000 a year. A holiday website has reported a 31 percent upturn in visitor numbers to Somerset...and more.
Thursday 11th April

Yeovil Town get another chance tonight to clinch promotion when they play away against Truro. Citizens Advice in Somerset says people are continuing to struggle with the cost of living. Some of England’s loudest voices will be heard in Yeovil later this month when the town's annual town crier competition takes place...and more,
Wednesday 10th April

A former sub-postmaster from Wincanton says she's having to work a 70-hour week to pay off debts she incurred due to the Post Office IT scandal. Two people have been fined for illegal fishing in Yeovil. Images of wildlife taken by a photographer in Somerton have been chosen to feature on a new set of charity cards...and more.