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

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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