Local News Thursday 7th October

Thursday, 7 October 2021 06:00

Avon and Somerset police have introduced new measures for the public to check an officer’s identity following the murder of Susan Everard by serving police officer, Wayne Couzens. It’s claimed 15,000 people in Somerset will be impacted by the 20-pounds-a-week cut in Universal Credit. The RSPCA in Somerset says it has rehomed thirteen hundred animals during the period of the pandemic. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with possession of a class-B drug and using threatening behaviour...and more.

Avon and Somerset police have introduced new measures for the public to check an officer’s identity following the murder of Susan Everard by serving police officer, Wayne Couzens. When asked, officers now have to give the person they have stopped their name and collar number. Officers also have to let a member of the public speak directly with the Police Control Room to confirm the officer is who they say they are.

It’s claimed 15,000 people in Somerset will be impacted by the 20-pounds-a-week cut in Universal Credit. The government has defended the move saying the uplift, introduced at the start of the pandemic, was always meant to be temporary

The RSPCA in Somerset says it has rehomed thirteen hundred animals during the period of the pandemic. The charity says the boom in pet ownership over the last 20-months is due largely to the public turning to animals for companionship. The RSPCA says, however, that anyone thinking of getting a pet should check they have the time, money, and lifestyle to care for the animal for the whole of its life.

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with possession of a class-B drug and using threatening behaviour. George Darch, 26, of Aldon Springs on Dorchester Road, pleaded guilty to having in his possession 6.8 grams of cannabis when searched by police.
Darch was made the subject of a restraining order and fined £70 with costs.

A conference is being held today (07-10) to discuss the new, one council for Somerset. Around 200 Parish and Town Council representatives are attending the event in Bridgwater organized by the County Council and four district councils. Somerset will have a single council governing the whole county from April 2023 with the County and four district councils all abolished.

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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