Thursday 5th June

Thursday, 5 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he’s been told the temporary closure of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital will not be made permanent. Firefighters have dealt with a fire on a coach carrying passengers at Vagg Hill in Yeovil. The authorities in Chile are holding a man who lives in Milborne Port after being found with class-A drugs in a suitcase...and more.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he’s been told that the temporary closure of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital will not be made permanent. The unit was shut with little warning last month following safety concerns raised in an inspection report by the Care Quality Commission. It has meant expectant mothers in the Yeovil area have to travel to the Royal Hospital in Bath, County Hospital in Dorchester or Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton to give birth. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Dance said the decision to close the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital had been badly handled.

Firefighters have dealt with a fire on a coach carrying passengers in Yeovil. The driver and the seven passengers on the coach made a quick exit when flames were spotted coming from the engine compartment. The incident happened at the crossroads at Vagg Hill. No one was hurt.

A Yeovil man has been given a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of a sexual assault against a teenager. Steven Hentschel, aged 54, was convicted of one count of sexual assault on a woman, who was 15 at the time and was given a 4-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. Hentschel was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and had his name put on the sex offenders register.

The authorities in Chile are holding a man who lives in Milborne Port after being found with class-A drugs in a suitcase. William Eastment, aged 79, was arrested by police as he was about to fly home to the UK.

The churchyard at St John’s in Glastonbury has re-opened after being shut for the past month due to anti-social behaviour.

Silver Street in Ilminster will be closed to traffic this weekend. It’s to allow for a food and craft market to be held between the Market Square and Court Barton. Residents of Silver Street are kindly requested to remove their vehicles by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday.

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Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

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Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more