Monday 3rd February

Monday, 3 February 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. The body of Michael Wheeler was found at Yarlington, one month after he was reported missing. Appearing at Bristol Crown Court, Mark Roberts, aged 38, Angus Warner, aged 32, Reuben Clare, aged 18, David Garland, aged 39, and Jack Rance, aged 28, each pleaded not guilty to murder. They also denied a charge of conspiracy to murder Mr Wheeler between August 1 and August 25 last year. All five were remanded into custody ahead of their trial, set for April 28th.

Data shows that around 350 people who attended A&E at Yeovil Hospital and Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital in December had to wait more than 12 hours to be seen. NHS Somerset says it was due to bed blocking, where no follow-on care was available to discharge patients, and also a higher number of people being unwell in December, and requiring hospital treatment.

Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in the Triangle in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP, Adam Dance. The area, which includes seating for 100, a water feature and a big TV screen, is part of the £24 million Yeovil Refresh Project, aimed at smartening up the look of the town centre and attracting new investment.

Longleat on the Somerset/Wiltshire border will be joining in with celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday this year. It’s thought Jane Austen visited the estate and that some scenes described in her books may have been inspired by the visit.

A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested after two people were stabbed in Yeovil. Police say the teenager has been arrested on suspicion of affray and being in possession of a bladed article in a public place. It follows an incident in Raglan Terrace last Wednesday when a man in his 50s, and a teenage boy were taken to hospital after suffering stab wounds. A 15-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and affray.

The Village Agents scheme in Somerset says the decision by the government to cut winter fuel payments has hit people really hard in Somerset. They say hundreds of people have been in touch asking for help with paying their heating bills.

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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