Monday 28th July

Monday, 28 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A boat used for sightseeing trips on the River Parrett at Langport has sunk after being vandalised. A union representing firefighters in Somerset says former retained staff are missing out on pension payments. Thirty-nine new affordable homes are to be built in Merriot...and more

A boat used for sightseeing trips on the River Parrett at Langport has sunk after being vandalised. The Duchess of Cocklemore was built in 1908 and used as a ferryboat in Devon. Mud was thrown over the roof and the bilge pumps, which kept the boat afloat, were switched off before it sank.

A union representing firefighters in Somerset says former retained staff are missing out on pension payments. The Fire and Rescue Services Association states that recent legal amendments mean anyone who served as a retained firefighter between April 2000 and April 2006 may qualify for the payments.

Thirty-nine new affordable homes are to be built in Merriot. The development at Shiremoor Hill will comprise two, three, and four-bedroom houses and bungalows, available for rent or purchase.

A Chard man has been given a ten-week suspended prison sentence after being caught driving while disqualified and without insurance, and for being in possession of an offensive weapon. Appearing in court in Yeovil, Tyler Saunders, aged 20, of Auckland Way, in Chard, who pleaded guilty to all charges, was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and given a twenty-five-day rehabilitation order and told to pay costs of £40.

No trains are stopping at Crewkerene station from today, until further notice. Passengers are being offered a replacement bus service connecting Yeovil Junction and Axminster stations. Network Rail says it’s due to the dry weather causing clay embankments to shrink, meaning trains cannot travel safely at their normal speeds.

Hatch Beauchamp Primary School has held its first literary festival. Featuring workshops and performances by visiting storytellers and authors, the four-day event was supported by Hatch Beauchamp Parish Council and Somerset Community Foundation.

A defibrillator has been installed at The Arrow at Abbey Manor in Yeovil. It can be found to the left of the pub's front entrance and is available 24 hours a day.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more