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 to 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, 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 merchant on Hendford Hill between 4.30 pm on Saturday, February 28th and 7 pm 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, 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 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.

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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
Thursday 30th July

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
Wednesday 29th July

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
Tuesday 28th July

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
Monday 27th July

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
Friday 24th July

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.
Thursday 23rd July

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
Wednesday 22nd July

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