Thursday 1st February

Thursday, 1 February 2024 06:30

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says the government is not to blame for the financial crisis at Somerset Council. Dog walkers in Somerset are being reminded to keep their animals under control after multiple reports of livestock worrying. A girl in Queen Camel, who's been running a mile every morning before school, has raised nearly eleven thousand pounds for charity...and more.

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says the government isn’t to blame for the financial crisis at Somerset Council. The Council wants to cut spending by £100 million and increase the council tax by ten per cent to avoid going bust. Speaking in Parliament, Marcus Fysh accused the Liberal Democrat run authority of missing an opportunity to save tens of millions of pounds when Somerset Council was formed to replace the county council and district councils. Last week, the Treasury pledged an extra £600m for councils in England, after more than forty MPs including two from Somerset warned that local councils were not getting enough funding from the government.

Dog walkers in Somerset are being reminded to keep their animals under control after multiple reports of livestock worrying. Avon and Somerset Police received numerous complaints of sheep worrying earlier this month, which resulted in some animals dying and others being seriously injured.

The funeral takes place in Somerton today of Councillor Dean Ruddle. Councillor Ruddle who has died aged 59, represented Somerton on Somerset Council and was Chairman of Somerton Council. Following a private funeral service this morning, a public memorial service will be held in Edgar Hall starting at 2 pm. Those attending are asked to wear something bright and colourful to reflect Dean’s outstanding personality.

Nearly a third of women aged between twenty-five and forty-nine in Somerset are not attending their cervical screening appointments, according to new figures. The findings come from a study of women offered a screening, six weeks after giving birth.

A girl in Queen Camel, who has been running a mile every morning before school, has raised more than ten thousand pounds for charity. Mia, who’s 11, has been running in memory of a family friend who died of cancer for the charity Sarcoma UK. She completed her final run yesterday and says the whole thing had been very tiring.

More from News

Wednesday 17th June

Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more
Tuesday 16th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more
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.