Thursday 16th April

Thursday, 16 April 2026 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Wessex Water has been told to pay £300,000 after a sewer spilled into the River Yeo killing dozens of fish. The Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton has been given a grant of half a million pounds. Today marks the official opening of the new visitor centre at Ham Hill... and more

Wessex Water has been told to pay £300,000 after a backed-up sewer spilled into the River Yeo near Milborne Port, killing dozens of fish. The company has also been ordered to pay £6,500 towards the costs incurred by the Environment Agency in investigating the incident. The agency says the money paid by Wessex Water will be used by the Yeovil Rivers Community Trust to create reedbeds and ponds at Yeovil Country Park, including work to protect endangered water voles.

A consultant at Musgrove Park Hospital wants surgical caps worn in operating theatres to display the name of the staff member wearing them. Andy Stevenson, an orthopaedic surgeon at Musgrove Park, says not knowing the names of colleagues during an operation can contribute to mistakes, delays and unnecessary anxiety.

The Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton has been given a grant of half a million pounds by the government. The funding will be used to install new LED stage lighting, providing theatre-goers with ‘West End quality’ lighting.

A café in Langport has started a Meals on Wheels service, delivering hot dinners to local residents. The Angel Café runs the service two days every week. Anyone wanting a meal delivered should visit the Angel Café website to make a booking.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has called for more police to tackle knife crime. The government says that since it came to power, knife crime has fallen by 8%. However, Mr Dance says it remains a significant problem and that more officers are needed to bring it under control.

Today marks the official opening of the new visitor centre at Ham Hill. The centre, which cost one million pounds, offers space for learning and celebrates the heritage of the Iron Age hill fort. John Day, a long-serving volunteer at Ham Hill, will perform the opening.

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