Monday 23rd March

Monday, 23 March 2026 05:00

By Steve Haigh

A wildcat helicopter belonging 815 Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton has been in action tracking two Russian ships in the English Channel. People living in Somerset will have to pay to use Dorset’s household waste recycling centres from today. A road in Ilminster has closed to traffic today and will stay shut for the next ten days... and more

The Ministry of Defence says a wildcat helicopter belonging 815 Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton has been in action tracking the movements of two Russian ships in the English Channel. The Russian vessels, one a frigate and the other an oil tanker, separated at the western end of the English Channel, following a period of surveillance by the Wildcat and HMS Mersey.

People living in Somerset will have to pay to use Dorset’s household waste recycling centres from today. Dorset Council operates ten recycling centres including one in Sherborne which is regularly used by people in Milborne Port, Templecombe and Henstridge which are all in Somerset. From today, anyone living in Somerset using the Sherborne recycling centre will have to pay £8.50 and book a slot in advance.

Police are appealing for witnesses to assist with an investigation into a high-value burglary in Yeovil. It happened when machinery was stolen from a builder’s merchants on Hendford Hill between 4.30pm on Saturday, February 28th and 7pm on Sunday, March 1st. Police would like to hear from anybody who was in the area at the time and saw people entering the premises. using a full-size lorry with blue, high-sided curtains, to transport equipment off the site. If you can help, you’re asked to please call the non- emergency number 101.

The CEO of Somersets Chamber of Commerce says AI won't replace workers but will increasingly play a bigger part in how businesses operate. David Crew was speaking at a Tech Summit attended by the likes of Microsoft and Amazon held in Taunton. Mr Crew says businesses need to embrace Ai and not be afraid of adopting the new technology.

A road in Ilminster has closed to traffic today and will stay shut for the next ten days. Love Lane is closed along its entire length from the junction with East Street. It’s to allow Network Plus to carry out connection works on behalf of National Grid.

More from News

Friday 20th March

Police are appealing for witnesses to a three-vehicle crash in Sherborne. The jobs of housing maintenance staff at Somerset Council could be outsourced to a private contractor. A pie throwing event is taking place in Chard today for Red Nose Day ... and more
Thursday 19th March

Farmers in Somerset say they're struggling after a doubling in the price of red diesel. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised Donald Trump over his comments about people with learning disabilities. A Somerset woman whose father was killed in a crash on the M5 is running the London Marathon to raise money for South West Ambulance...and more
Wednesday 18th March

The murder of a two-week-old baby by his father at Yeovil Hospital could not have been predicted, according to a new report. A road in Ilminster is to close to traffic for eleven days later this month. A new Post Office counter is to open in Somerton... and more
Tuesday 17th March

The government is being asked to help fund Somerset's carnivals. Bridgwater Town Council wants more trains to stop at the town’s railway station. A fund raising pie throwing event is taking place for Red Nose Day in Chard... and more
Monday 16th March

Drivers are being told that it could take several more weeks yet before Hendford Hill in Yeovil reopens to traffic. A new bus service between Glastonbury and Castle Cary railway station is to start on a trial basis. Children in Chard are being given free reading books as part of a scheme founded by Dolly Parton... and more
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