Monday 9th June

Monday, 9 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is giving £1.5m to Hill View Special School at Ash near Martock to prevent it from closing. Two men have been convicted of killing a Yeovil man they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. People across Somerset are being asked to make a note of any wildlife they see...and more

Somerset Council is giving £1.5m to Hill View Special School at Ash near Martock to prevent it from closing. The school, which opened in September last year and was funded by the Department for Education, is facing costly building issues and lower-than-anticipated pupil numbers.

Two men have been convicted of killing a Yeovil man they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. Mark Roberts, aged 39, of Juniper Close in Yeovil, and David Garland, aged 40, of no fixed address, were each found guilty of both murder and conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler at Bristol Crown Court. Three other men were cleared of charges against them. The court heard that Michael Wheeler was friends with the men. Still, their relationship soured when they confused him with another Michael Wheeler, who was jailed in 2003 after admitting to grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls.

Somerset's main water provider, Wessex Water, is one of six water companies banned by the regulator OFWAT from giving bonuses to executives. The ban imposed on Wessex Water follows the company's conviction over two sewage spills last year.

A Chard man has been disqualified from driving for 18 months and given a 12-month suspended prison sentence. Dean Lawrence from Millfield in Chard was convicted of speeding, driving without insurance and being over the drug drive limit while at the wheel of a car in Chard last October.

People from across Somerset are being asked to make a note of any wildlife they spot. The Big Count, organised by the Somerset Wildlife Trust, gathers information for the Somerset State of Nature Report. We're being asked to record wildlife we see in gardens, parks, and community green spaces for this year's Big Count, which runs from June 16th to June 25th.

More from News

Friday 12th December

The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.
Thursday 11th December

A man has appeared in court in connection with an attack in Wincanton. A member of Somerset Council, jailed for 26 months for taking part in a Just Stop Oil protest, may not have to stand down as a councillor. NHS Somerset has announced that changes to stroke services at Yeovil Hospital will "go live" in the spring of next year...and more
Wednesday 10th December

Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. A reindeer farm near Yeovil thinks it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence. Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset...and more
Tuesday 9th December

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has criticised the government for axing the role. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Ilminster in which a woman was seriously injured. Residents of Freedom Avenue in Yeovil are raising funds for charity with a big display of Christmas lights...and more.
Monday 8th December

Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more
Friday 5th December

Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on a man in Chard. Lloyds Banking Group has announced a date for closing the Halifax in Yeovil. Train journeys on the Castle Cary to Taunton line will be disrupted next week due to engineering work. The mental health charity MIND in Somerset has produced a Christmas advent calendar... and more.
Thursday 4th December

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says her force is doing all it can to reduce anti-social behaviour. Somerset Council has deferred a decision on introducing Sunday car parking charges. People living in deprived areas in Somerset are being fast-tracked for hospital treatment...and more
Wednesday 3rd December

Fire crews have rescued the driver of a car that got stuck in floodwater near Ilminster. Avon and Somerset Police are urging people going out to celebrate this Christmas to book a taxi or use public transport. A woman from South Petherton has come top at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships...and more,