Thursday 26th September

Thursday, 26 September 2024 06:00

A body has been found in the search for missing Michael Wheeler from Yeovil. The Met Office has issued another yellow rain warning for the region. Ilminster’s hopes for a banking hub has been raised... and more.

A body has been found in the search for missing Michael Wheeler from Yeovil. Police say the discovery was made during a search of a property in Yarlington near Wincanton on Wednesday afternoon.

Four men have appeared in court charged with murder in connection with his disappearance. 39 year old David Garland and Jack Rance who’s 28, both of no fixed address are charged with murder, along with 38 year old Mark Roberts and 18 year old Reuben Clare, who are both from Yeovil. They have all been remanded in custody, pending a further appearance at Bristol Crown Court tomorrow. Specialist officers are supporting Michael’s family.

The Met Office has issued another yellow rain warning for the region. Up to 60mm of rain could fall across the UK over the next 36 hours, with the possibility of roads being affected and further flooding in Yeovil and South Somerset. This follows heavy rain which swept across the area at the end of last week. Flood water left some roads closed and the National Grid reported a number of power outages. The warning is in place from this evening through to 10am tomorrow morning.

Ilminster’s hopes for a banking hub appears to have been raised, after the town council met with Link and Cash Access UK to discuss a new application. This follows vital criteria appearing to change in the town’s favour. Lloyd’s was the last bank to announce its closure in Ilminster, earlier this year.

A new pedestrian crossing between a major housing development and Chard town centre is not being considered by Somerset Council. Tilia Homes is currently in the late stages of building 200 new homes on the Snowdon Grange development. The Council says it currently has no plans to provide a new crossing over the A358.

And a Wincanton woman has described her shock at finding an eight-and-a-half foot boa constrictor in her garden last weekend. The snake, christened ‘Lucky’, is being looked after by a snake expert and both Lucky, and the town resident who found him, are both reported to be doing well after the initial fright!

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.