Thursday 16th April

Thursday, 16 April 2026 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.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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