Local News Thursday 2nd September

Thursday, 2 September 2021 06:00

Great Western Railway, which runs services through Castle Cary, is advising passengers to only travel if their journey is essential. Increased numbers of motorists submitting dashcam footage to police have led to a sharp rise in driver prosecutions. A shop owner in Somerset is warning of a shortage of children’s toys this Christmas. A man has been charged in connection with an assault on another man in Langport last weekend...and more.

Great Western Railway, which runs services through Castle Cary, is advising passengers to only travel if their journey is essential. It follows a lorry hitting a bridge in Plymouth and blocking the main Paddington to Penzance line that runs through Somerset. Network Rail says it could be Sunday before things return to normal.

Increased numbers of motorists submitting dashcam footage to police have led to a sharp rise in driver prosecutions. In a post on social media, Avon and Somerset Police thanked local motorists for helping to keep local roads safer by sending video footage of drivers breaking the law.

A shop owner in Somerset is warning of a shortage of children’s toys this Christmas. Manufacturers say it’s due to not having enough people to make toys. Shop owner, Mark Granger, says toys will also be more expensive, due to the higher costs of shipping supplies to the UK from China.

A man has been charged in connection with an assault on another man in Langport last weekend. Appearing before local magistrates, Horatiu-Aurel Varga, of no fixed address, was charged with wounding with intent. Varga was remanded in custody and will next appear at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, 24th September.

Plans have been submitted to convert a pavilion into a new changing rooms block at Kings School in Bruton. If approved by South Somerset District Council, a new 'external viewing terrace' will be added to the Hyde Pavilion, alongside the cricket pitch in Dropping Lane.

TV celebrity Martin Clunes is set to make an appearance at a charity coffee morning in Chard. The Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly star will be guest of honour at the event being held in Chard Guildhall on Saturday, 11th September with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

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