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

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