Thursday 13th March

Thursday, 13 March 2025 at 05:00

By Steve Haigh

A new campaign has been launched to persuade people in Somerset to stop smoking. Four people have been arrested in Chard in connection with the supply of Class A drugs. A dog from Yeovil has won the title of ‘best in breed’ at Crufts...and more.

NHS Somerset has launched a new campaign to persuade people in Somerset to stop smoking. Data shows that around 60,000 people smoke in Somerset. The Smokefree initiative targets those in high-risk groups, where smoking rates are higher or where cigarettes pose a health concern.

Four people have been arrested in Chard in connection with the supply of Class A drugs. South Somerset Neighbourhood Policing Team seized items relating to drug supply during a raid on a property in the town. Avon and Somerset Police say their enquiries remain ongoing.

Police are seeking witnesses to a two-vehicle collision in Chard. The crash, involving a grey BMW 520D and a grey VW Golf, happened in Church Street at around 5.30 pm on Monday, March 10th. A woman in the Golf was treated for her injuries at the scene. Police say their enquiries are ongoing and ask that anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage to please call the non-emergency number 101.

A Yeovil woman has appeared in court charged with using threatening and abusive language towards a family member. Pleading guilty to the charge at Yeovil magistrates court, Dorothy Isaacs, aged 76 of Orchard Close in Yeovil Marsh was fined £120 with £40 costs.

Blackdown Acapella made up of over 30 women singers who live in the Blackdowns, are to compete in the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers Convention. The event, being held in Harrogate in October, will allow the group to win national recognition for its work.

A dog from Yeovil has won the title of ‘best in breed’ at Crufts. Manu, a Finnish Lapphund, was singled out by the judging panel for having a ‘delightful head and expression’. His owner, Edward Forsey, has described Manu as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime dog’.

More from News

Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more
tuesday 3rd November

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to improve its planning enforcement team. Drivers are being advised that work to replace the central barrier on the M5 near Wellington starts this week. A health food shop in Chard has been crowned High Street Shop of the Year... and more
Monday 2nd November

A motorist was caught driving at 133mph on the A303 between Podimore and Sparkford, according to newly released data from Avon and Somerset Police. Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre closed for the last time at the weekend. Public firework displays in Ilminster and Martock have been cancelled due to rising costs... and more