Thursday 15th May

    The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has been asked to intervene in the decision to close the maternity ward at Yeovil Hospital. A man who lives in Winsham near Chard has been given a suspended prison sentence for breaching his sex offender notification requirements. Plans have been submitted to convert Dolphin House in Yeovil into 18 residential units...and more

    The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has been asked to intervene in the decision to close the maternity ward at Yeovil Hospital. The sudden shutdown, which takes effect next Monday and that will initially last six months, follows an inspection by the Care Quality Commission that found safety risks within the paediatric department at Yeovil Hospital. The issue regarding the decision to shut the unit was raised in the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s questions by Yeovil MP Adam Dance. After the unit closes, expectant mothers will have to travel to the County Hospital in Dorchester, the Royal United Hospital in Bath or Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton to give birth. 

    The family of a Yeovil man is asking for the public’s help in finding him. Ciaran King, aged 22, who also goes by Ciaran Lucas, was reported missing on Boxing Day. He’s described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build, with tattoos on both arms and his neck. If you know of Ciaran’s whereabouts, you’re asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

    Plans have been submitted to convert Dolphin House in Yeovil into 18 residential units.. Dolphin House in Hendford adjoins a mid-terraced property and Yeovil’s Masonic Hall. Each units will consist of one bedroom, a living room/kitchen space, and a shower room.

    A man who lives in Winsham near Chard has been given a suspended prison sentence for breaching his sex offender notification requirements. A court in Yeovil was told that Christopher Reynolds had used a fake name to exchange messages on the networking app Grindr. Reynolds, aged 63, of Davies Close, Winsham, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with his notification requirements. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months on condition that he does not commit any further offences.

    Several care homes in Somerset are to trial a new type of alarm system to help reduce falls. The Nobi smart lighting system will be installed at four care homes and is designed to immediately alert carers when a resident falls to ensure assistance is got to them as quickly as possible.

    Whites fish and chip shop in Chard has been named Chard and Ilminster News Fish and Chip Shop of the Year. Whites, on Boden Street, was the public’s pick as the best fish and chip shop in South Somerset in the Chard and Ilminster News poll. Palmer's Fish and Chips in Yeovil, and Vincent’s Fish Bar in Ilminster came joint runners-up.

    More from News

    • 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

    • Wednesday 3rd June

      A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 22°C | Low: 13°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 24°C | Low: 13°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain shower

      High: 23°C | Low: 13°C

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