Thursday 3rd April

Thursday, 3 April 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two-thirds of employers in Somerset say the hike in employers' National Insurance will mean cutting staff. Police are investigating incidents of repeated damage at Somerton recreation ground. A man has been arrested in Chard on suspicion of indecent exposure. The story of the Monmouth Rebellion is being told in a new exhibition...and more

Two-thirds of employers in Somerset say the hike in employers' National Insurance will mean cutting staff. From next week, employers' NI contributions increase from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent. NI will now be paid on earnings of £5000 a year instead of paying it on wages of £9,000 per annum Employers have told Somerset Chamber of Commerce they will pass the extra costs to customers but charities and nurseries, who are funded by government vouchers, say they will have to find other ways to cover the increases.

Police are investigating incidents of repeated damage at Somerton recreation ground. They say young people have been seen starting fires, littering, and vandalising play equipment. Police have stepped up patrols at Somerton recreation ground, as their investigations continue.

A man has been arrested in Chard on suspicion of indecent exposure. The alleged incident happened on a cycle path between Touches Lane and Great Western Road at around 9 am on Tuesday, March 25th. Police ask that anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously around Chard Skate Park and Great Western Road to Henson Park in Chard early in the morning on Tuesday, March 25th to call the non-emergency number 101.

Somerset's domestic abuse service says it has been receiving calls from parents to report abuse by their children at home. It comes as the government makes the Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’ available to all schools free of charge. The mini-series highlights the dangers of extreme misogyny content online.

Visitors to Somerset's nature reserves are being reminded to stick to pathways and keep dogs on leads during the current breeding season for ground-nesting Skylarks.

The story of the Monmouth Rebellion is being told in a new exhibition to mark its 340th anniversary. The display, being held at the Museum of Somerset until July, will look at the consequences of the failed uprising.

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.