Monday 18th November

Monday, 18 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Nightspots in Yeovil are participating in a new initiative aimed at reducing crime and making people feel safer. A drop-in session is taking place in Chard this week for local people to ask questions about a new £2 million flood prevention scheme. The A303 eastbound between Ilchester and Podimore will be closed from 8 pm tonight until 6 am tomorrow...and more.

Nightspots in Yeovil are taking part in a new initiative to reduce crime and make people feel safer while on nights out in the town. ID scanners, used to verify documents and capture images of customers, have been installed at the entrances to Wetherspoons, Club Neo, and Chicago Rock to identify potential trouble causers. As part of the initiative, a handheld drugs itemiser is also being used to prevent controlled substances from getting into the hands of vulnerable people.

The A303 eastbound between Ilchester and Podimore will be closed from 8 pm tonight until 6 am tomorrow. It’s to allow for the road to be white-lined. Diversions via the A37, and A359 will be in operation.

Rail passengers are advised to check before travelling on Great Western Railway, which runs trains through Castle Cary. Engineering work today will affect routes heading into London, with a reduced timetable in operation and trains stopping at Reading. GWR say passengers should check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys.

A drop-in session is taking place in Chard this week for local people to ask questions about a £2 million flood prevention scheme for the town. It’ll see Wessex Water carrying out sewer improvements, and Wales and West Utilities upgrading a gas main. The work being carried out by Wales and West will involve replacing ageing metal pipes with long-lasting pipes and is due to start in January.

A Somerset dietitian has won a top prize for her work. Leah Seamark, who leads the Community Dietetic Gastro service run by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, has been awarded a Dietitian Recognition Prize by Guts UK, the charity for digestive conditions in the UK. It’s in recognition of her team giving dietary advice to patients with a wide range of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome and coeliac disease.

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The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.
Thursday 11th December

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Wednesday 10th December

Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. A reindeer farm near Yeovil thinks it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence. Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset...and more
Tuesday 9th December

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has criticised the government for axing the role. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Ilminster in which a woman was seriously injured. Residents of Freedom Avenue in Yeovil are raising funds for charity with a big display of Christmas lights...and more.
Monday 8th December

Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more
Friday 5th December

Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on a man in Chard. Lloyds Banking Group has announced a date for closing the Halifax in Yeovil. Train journeys on the Castle Cary to Taunton line will be disrupted next week due to engineering work. The mental health charity MIND in Somerset has produced a Christmas advent calendar... and more.
Thursday 4th December

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says her force is doing all it can to reduce anti-social behaviour. Somerset Council has deferred a decision on introducing Sunday car parking charges. People living in deprived areas in Somerset are being fast-tracked for hospital treatment...and more
Wednesday 3rd December

Fire crews have rescued the driver of a car that got stuck in floodwater near Ilminster. Avon and Somerset Police are urging people going out to celebrate this Christmas to book a taxi or use public transport. A woman from South Petherton has come top at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships...and more,