Local News Tuesday 30th May

    Rising costs have been blamed for forcing the cancellation of this year’s Farmfest Music Festival in Bruton. Training at the Underwater Escape Unit at RNAS Yeovilton has been halted due to damage caused by the major flooding event in South Somerset earlier in the month. Householders in Somerset are being reminded that rubbish and recycling collections this week are running a day late because of the Bank Holiday...and more.

    Rising costs have been blamed for forcing the cancellation of this year’s Farmfest Music Festival. The two-day event that has been held in Bruton for the past fifteen years had been due to take place in early August. 

    Training at the Underwater Escape Unit at RNAS Yeovilton has been halted due to damage caused by the major flooding event in South Somerset earlier in the month. A spokesperson at the Navy base says they aim to have the unit back in use within the next few weeks.

    Mental health charities in Somerset have come together this week to run a series of public events in our area. Among other places, the Open Mental Health Roadshow will visit Chard and Yeovil. 

    Householders are reminded that rubbish and recycling collections this week are running a day late because of the Bank Holiday. This includes collections that would usually take place on Friday, June 2nd, which will now take place on Saturday, June 3rd. 

    Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service say they’ve responded to more than double the number of grass and barbecue fires they would usually attend at this time of year. This month alone, the fire service has turned out to eleven barbecue fires and twenty-one grass fires. This compared to just eight during April last year. As a precaution, they’re asking people not to let flames spread from bonfires and to dispose of portable barbecues safely.

    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

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 22°C | Low: 13°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 24°C | Low: 13°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain shower

      High: 23°C | Low: 13°C