Monday 1st December

Monday, 1 December 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

New figures show that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area rose by 8% in the year to June. South Western Railway has restarted running hourly services through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne following months of disruption. Persimmon Homes South West has donated £1500 towards the running costs of Castle Cary Rugby Club...and more

New figures show that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area rose by 8% in the year to June. The total number of crimes increased from 156,941 between July and June 2024 to 170,002 between July and June this year. The most significant increases were in theft offences, which rose by 18%, and drug offences, which grew by 20%.

South Western Railway has restarted running hourly services through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne following months of disruption. SWR has been operating reduced services between Salisbury and Exeter since August due to track damage caused by the summer’s high temperatures. Engineers have now completed repairs to the track, allowing trains to travel at their regular speeds.

A major road closure will take effect in Crewkerne from tomorrow. Two-way traffic lights will operate on the A356 Broadshard Road between 9 am and 7 pm before the road closes to through traffic in both directions from 7 pm to 6 am the following day. The closures will be repeated on Wednesday and Thursday. It's to allow Wessex Water to replace monitoring equipment.

A Somerset transport firm is applying for permission to operate vehicles from an industrial unit in Martock. South West Pitch Services Ltd, based in Templecombe, wants to operate two goods vehicles and one trailer from Unit 11C on Great Western Road in Martock. People who live close to the site and believe they could be affected have until Thursday, December 11th, to submit written representations to the Traffic Commissioner.

A date’s been announced for work to start replacing ageing traffic signals at the A39 junction with Clarks Village in Street. Somerset Council says six sets of traffic lights, which span the junction need renewing as they are more than 30 years old. The work will start on January 5th and last for 16 weeks. The road between Westway Roundabout and Street Roundabout is also being resurfaced and a new path for cyclists and pedestrians is being added.

You can now take soft plastics like crisp packets, biscuit wrappers, and lids from ready meals to the Co-op store on Stiby Road in Yeovil for recycling. The in-store facility has been added as part of a major store upgrade, with customers now also provided with self-service tills.

Persimmon Homes South West has donated £ 1,500 towards the running costs of Castle Cary Rugby Club. The cheque presentation made to Club Chairman, Gary Power, comes ahead of Persimmon Homes starting work building 162 new homes at Tor Point in the town.

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