Thursday 18th April

Thursday, 18 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Martock man has been jailed after admitting to shining lasers at aircraft flying over Yeovil. Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the TK Maxx store at Babylon Hill. Nearly four hundred people have put their names forward for redundancy at Somerset Council...and more.

A Martock man has been jailed after admitting to shining lasers at aircraft. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Andrew Wilson was sentenced to four months imprisonment. At an earlier hearing, Wilson had admitted two counts of directing a laser beam at an aircraft, an offence under the Laser Misuse Act 2018. On the first occasion, he targeted a helicopter flying over Yeovil. The second incident involved an Airbus A320 passenger plane flying over Yeovil on its descent to Bristol Airport, with 200 people on board. The court was that Wilson had not only jeopardised the eyesight of several pilots but had recklessly endangered the lives of hundreds of innocent people. Story courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News.

Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the TK Maxx store at Babylon Hill, just outside Yeovil. It happened on Tuesday, April 16th at around 9 pm. Two men from Yeovil have since been arrested on suspicion of burglary offences.

Nearly 400 people have put their names forward for redundancy at Somerset Council. The Council plans to cut around one thousand jobs in this financial year, up to a quarter of the workforce, in an attempt to save £40m. 372 members of staff had applied for voluntary redundancy when the deadline to apply expired at the end of March.

Conservationists in Somerset have welcomed the news that a bill to ban the use of peat in gardening products has passed through the first stages in Parliament unopposed. The county has the largest peatlands in the South West and contributes a huge amount to the total UK output.

Staff from South Western Ambulance have been in London lobbying MPs as part of a campaign for fairer pay. On a visit to Parliament, Emergency Care Assistants, who work with paramedics as part of emergency ambulance crews, were asking for support for their campaign for higher pay, to better reflect their levels of training, and the important work they do.

Former Somerset and England cricketer, Marcus Trescothick has been presented his OBE for services to mental health. Marcus currently works as a mental health ambassador with the Professional Cricketers' Association. In 2006, he had to leave an England overseas tour due to his struggles with depression and anxiety.

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