Thursday 24th October

Thursday, 24 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

More plastic wrapping and bags are to be recycled in Somerset. A house in Yeovil was damaged by a fire that started when two dogs accidentally turned on a gas hob. Members of Chard Inner Wheel Club have been marking 74 years of the club’s existence...and more

More plastic wrapping and bags are to be recycled in Somerset. It follows a successful trial in which three and a half thousand households were invited to add soft plastic items to their kerbside collection. Mickey Greene, Executive Director of Climate and Place at Somerset Council, says the move will help reduce waste going to landfills.

A house in Yeovil was smoke-damaged by a fire that started when two dogs accidentally turned on a gas hob. The dogs were alone in the house and looking for food when they caught a switch turning on the hob. A neighbour, who heard an alarm go off, called the fire service who rescued both dogs unharmed. Meanwhile, a blaze in a building at Henson Park in Chard is being treated as arson. It happened on Wednesday at around 9 pm with crews from Chard and Ilminster in attendance. Police are asking anyone with video of the fire or, knowledge of who might be responsible, to please call the non-emergency number 101.

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with disorderly behaviour at Yeovil Hospital. The court was told that Andrew Spear, aged 35, of Hillcrest Road, used abusive language towards staff after being taken to Yeovil Hospital by police following concerns about his welfare. Magistrates told Spear the incident had been very unpleasant for staff and other people in the hospital and fined him £120 and £85 in costs.

Members of the Chard Inner Wheel Club have been marking 74 years of the club’s existence. They gathered for a lunch at Hornsbury Mill where they were entertained by a talk about Chard-born Margaret Bonfield, who holds the record for being the first female Labour MP to hold a cabinet position.

Two-way traffic lights will be operating on Furnham Road in Chard from tomorrow to allow Wales and West Utilities to carry out essential work to a gas pipe.

More from News

Friday 29th May

South Western Ambulance Service is struggling to cope after a surge in 999 calls during the hot weather. Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says a shortage of rental homes is making it harder for rural employers to attract workers. The National Trust is warning that changing weather patterns are making it difficult to maintain the Cerne Abbas Giant... and more
Thursday 28th May

People are being asked to take extra care in parks and open spaces as high temperatures and dry conditions increase the risk of fire. Plans to build hundreds of new homes in Yeovil can now go ahead after a High Court challenge by Mudford Parish Council was dismissed. A Somerset bakery chain has sparked a reaction after it stopped making iced buns... and more
Wednesday 27th May

The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health alert for Somerset to amber. Trading Standards officers have shut down three shops in Taunton after illegal cigarettes and vapes were discovered on the premises. Bridgwater Town Council is considering running its own bus services...and more
Tuesday 26th May

A Martock agricultural machinery business has gone into administration, putting around thirty jobs at risk. A new sensory room has opened at a Yeovil schook to support neurodiverse pupils. The headteacher of a Chard primary school is stepping down... and more
Friday 22nd May

The National Farmers Union in Somerset has welcomed the government’s new trade deal with six Gulf countries. Campaigners say Somerset’s canals and locks are in urgent need new investment. The Liverpool comedian John Bishop is heading to Somerset later this year...and more
Thursday 21st May

Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 20th May

People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
Tuesday 19th May

A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more