People in Somerset are being urged to sign up to a scheme, designed to make it easier to find dementia sufferers if they're reported missing. The pilot who died when his light aircraft crashed at Buckland St Mary near Chard has been named Joe Mann. Three roads in Ilminster will close next month for resurfacing. Cheddar Gorge and Caves are to remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future...and more.
People in Somerset are being urged to sign up to a scheme, designed to make it easier to find dementia sufferers if they're reported missing. It involves relatives of those with the condition giving the police details like a photograph, mobile number or previous addresses. Officers say the information will help them to find people more quickly.
The pilot who died when his light aircraft crashed at Buckland St Mary near Chard has been named as Joe Mann. Mr. Mann was Deputy General Secretary of the Community Union up to retiring in 2014. In the 1980s, he worked as an Engineer and union leader at Westland Helicopters, now Leonardo, in Yeovil. A woman passenger and family friend, named only as Margaret, also died in the crash.
Cheddar Gorge and Caves are to remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Longleat Estates, who operate the site, say due to the enclosed nature of the caves and fears over Covid, it’s unlikely the attraction will re-open until next year at the earliest.
Three roads in Ilminster will close next month for resurfacing. Station Road, West Street and High Street will shut for two days on September 6th and 7th for the work to be carried out.
A new management team has taken over the running of a popular pub on the outskirts of Yeovil. The Carpenters Arms at Chilthorne Domer has been closed for the past two weeks but will re-open on Saturday with a family fun day and bar-be-cue.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more