Local News Wednesday 22nd March

Wednesday, 22 March 2023 06:00

The go-ahead has been given for Numatic International in Chard – makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner – to expand the business. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road accident near Castle Cary in which a woman died. Plans have been submitted to change the use of a former pub in Hardington Mandeville. A local man, injured in a fall in Chard, has publicly thanked people who came to his rescue...and more.

The go-ahead has been given for Numatic International in Chard, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, to expand onto the former Oscar Mayor site in the town. The company, which employs eleven hundred people, say land on the Millfield industrial estate will be used to create a new office and storage space, together with a new injection moulding plant and assembly line. An additional thirty-eight car parking spaces, twelve HGV spaces, and forty-cycle spaces will also be provided.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road accident near Castle Cary in which a woman died. It happened on the A371 close to the junction with Galhampton Hill on Sunday evening. Two other people were airlifted to hospital. If you can help, you’re asked to call the police non-emergency number 101.

There's been a sharp rise in reports of children being targeted and groomed online in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police say it records hundreds of cases where social media is used to abuse children.

Plans have been submitted to change the use of a former pub in Hardington Mandeville. The Mandeville Arms closed in 2016 with the new owner wanting to convert it to a single dwelling. Several local residents are objecting saying the building should be kept as a pub for the village.

Young drivers in Somerset are being urged to slow down and take extra care on country lanes. A quarter of all fatalities and serious injuries involve young drivers on rural roads. Somerset County Council is supporting a national awareness campaign aimed at getting young drivers to be more careful.

A local man, injured in a fall in Chard, has publicly thanked people who came to his rescue. Norman Moores, who’s 90, tripped while shopping in the town last Monday. Six people came to his aid with one driving him to hospital where he was treated for cuts to his head, arm and hand. Norman says he was treated with kindness by complete strangers to whom he is eternally grateful.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more