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 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more