Thursday 29th January

Thursday, 29 January 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more

Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. The Council has declared a major incident for Somerset, with homes still underwater, schools closed, and roads and rail lines impacted.

Homeowners who missed having their waste collected for recycling on Tuesday due to the bad weather are being asked to put out their boxes and blue bags for collection today. Somerset Council says crews will be working as normal today and on Saturday to help clear the backlog. They say homeowners should also leave their garden waste out for collection as normal.

Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. It’s put all 137 Original Factory shops and 1800 staff at risk. The business, founded in 1969, was sold to Modella Capital last year.

This year marks 20-years since the cult classic film ‘Hot Fuzz’ was filmed in Somerset. The comedy, starring Simon Pegg and directed by local filmmaker Edgar Wright, has attracted thousands of tourists to the city of Wells since its release in 2007.

Plans have been approved to build a single dwelling on part of the beer garden at the Podymore Inn at Podimore. Somerset Council has given the go-ahead to build a four-bedroom house next to the pub, despite concerns that it could add to localised flooding.

A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition. Connie Robins, who works at the Costa Coffee Drive Through by the Southfields Roundabout, will compete as one of 12 finalists in the Costa Coffee UK and Ireland Barista of the Year competition, which takes place in early February.

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.