Local News Thursday 8th April

Thursday, 8 April 2021 07:30

An inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of Yeovil Town captain Lee Collins. Taylor Woodrow Plus has won the contract to upgrade the A358 between the Southfields roundabout near Ilminster and M5. The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, Andy Marsh is leaving his post. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with a drink and driving offence....and more.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of Yeovil Town captain Lee Collins. The hearing was told the footballer was pronounced dead after being found in his room at the Lanes Hotel in West Coker on March 31st. Somerset Senior Coroner, Tony Williams, asked for further reports and adjourned the inquest to July 7th. Meanwhile, £4,000 has been raised through a public appeal to help Lee Collins’s family. The appeal is being run through social media by Yeovil Town Disabled Supporters.

Taylor Woodrow Plus has won the contract to upgrade the A358 between the Southfields roundabout near Ilminster and M5. Highways England will spend £328 million turning a 9-mile stretch of the road into a dual carriageway, together with a reduction in the number of road junctions and private accesses onto the A358.

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, Andy Marsh is leaving his post. He says it’s the right time to embark on a new challenge, and won't be seeking to extend his contract beyond June. Andy Marsh joined the Avon and Somerset force in 1987 and was appointed Chief Constable in 2016.

A Chard man has appeared in court charged with a drink and driving offence. Lanis Fustei of Samuel Vickery Way in Chard was disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years and given 80 hours of unpaid work. Magistrates in Yeovil also fined him £346 for driving without the correct insurance. Fustei pleaded guilty to both offences.
At the same court, Daniel Marks of Swanmead Drive, in Ilminster, pleaded guilty to a drink driving charge and was fined £300 and given 80 hours unpaid work.

An extra eight million pounds has been allocated towards supporting care providers in Somerset. The money from the County Council is to help those most affected financially by the pandemic. The Council says around half of the funding will be given to those in greatest need in the form of a Covid supplementary payment.

A fundraising event themed around the story of Homeward Bound is raising money for the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard. The charity is encouraging people to walk, cycle, even to swim the 200 miles distance on which the Homeward Bound story is based

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Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more