Local News Wednesday 9th March

    Gareth Witt of Yeovil with his van loaded with donations for Ukraine

    Clothing, bedding and medical products, donated by people in Yeovil, are close to being delivered to Ukraine. Police are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered facial injuries at Lydford-on-Fosse. Changes have been made to the plans for a park area and sports ground at Brimsmore in Yeovil. Avon and Somerset Police are carrying out extra horseback patrols in Somerset to help combat rural crime...and more.

    Clothing, bedding and medical products, donated by people in Yeovil, are close to being delivered to Ukraine thanks to the efforts of Yeovil businessman, Gareth Witt. Gareth, the owner of the Cow and Apple burger restaurant, in Church Path, launched an appeal for donations last Friday and set off on Sunday with a van filled with supplies for the Ukraine city of Lviv. By late yesterday, Gareth, who is an ex-Royal Marine, had completed most of the 2,000-mile journey across Europe and was within 160 miles of Lviv. So far, he’s raised £6,000 through Just Giving which he plans to use to buy a bus to transport people out of Lviv and into neighbouring Poland.  

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered facial injuries at Lydford-on-Fosse. The man was in his car when he was attacked by another man with a metal object. He suffered a broken nose and damage to his eye. The attack happened last Saturday at around 4.50 pm at the crossroads at Lydford-on-Fosse. If you saw what happened, or can help provide dashcam footage, please call the police non-emergency number: 101 

    Changes have been made to the plans for a park area and sports ground at Brimsmore in Yeovil. The plans are part of the new Brimsmore housing estate, near Thorne Lane, on which 900 homes will be built. The revised scheme, which has been submitted to South Somerset District Council for consideration, would see the open green space reduced by four acres with the addition of 38 new houses. The sports and play facilities would be moved to a flatter site. The developer says to compensate for the loss of the four acres of green space, five acres of new green space will be provided to the west of the site.

    Avon and Somerset Police are carrying out extra horseback patrols in Somerset to help combat rural crime. It’s to provide a reassuring presence and a deterrent to potential criminals. 

    A Langport man has been jailed for six years for sexual offences committed against three boys in Yeovil in the 1980s. David Byrne was convicted of six counts of indecent assault following a trial. Byrne was previously jailed for six years in 2018 after being convicted of four counts of indecent assault.

    An Ilminster boy is having his head shaved to raise money for Ukraine.11-year old, Rowan, will have his golden locks lopped off on Thursday. So far, he’s raised £600 towards his target of £1,000 for the Save the Children Ukraine Appeal.

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