Tuesday 10th June

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A mother from Chard says schools need to do more to identify students with dyslexia. A fire in a van that caught alight at Stoke-sub-Hamdon is being treated as accidental. A former Yeovil-based police officer, who made it appear he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from policing...and more

A mother from Chard says schools need to do more to identify students with dyslexia so they can receive help earlier. Carinna Parsons had to fight for years to get a diagnosis for her daughter. She was one of the contributors to a programme about Dyslexia presented by Jamie Oliver and broadcast last night on Channel Four.

A fire in a van that started when a can of petrol caught alight at Stoke-sub-Hamdon is being treated as accidental. Onlookers reported hearing an explosion as the fire took hold within the vehicle at the top of Windsor Lane. The van was completely burnt out. No one was hurt.

A former Yeovil-based police officer, who deliberately held down the keys on his laptop to make it appear he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from the police force. PC Liam Reakes was found to have committed gross misconduct at a misconduct hearing, having held down the keys on his laptop between June and September of last year, resulting in the loss of more than 100 hours of police work time.

An architect behind plans to build a tidal lagoon in the Bristol Channel says it could provide up to 3% of the country’s electricity needs. The Severn Estuary Commission has carried out research and states that a lagoon in the Bristol Channel would significantly contribute to meeting the UK's electricity demand, which is expected to double over the next 25 years.

Police have charged a woman from Chard with carrying out two burglaries in Winsham. Bianca Rocha, aged 31, is accused of breaking into two properties last Saturday. She is also accused of one count of assaulting an emergency worker.

Bonners the Butchers have been named winners of the business section of this year’s Ilminster scarecrow competition. Milford and Dormer Solicitors were second. The Chair Ladies came third.

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