Tuesday 18th August

Tuesday, 18 August 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

People across Somerset are banned from today from using hosepipes to water gardens, clean windows or cars, or fill swimming and paddling pools. More cases of the potentially deadly livestock disease Bluetongue have been confirmed in Somerset. Work is underway to improve disabled access at Holyrood Academy in Chard... and more

People across Somerset are banned from today from using hosepipes to water gardens, clean windows or cars, or fill swimming and paddling pools. The hosepipe ban, announced by Wessex Water, is the first time since the drought of 1976 that water restrictions have been imposed in Somerset. Wessex Water, which supplies almost all homes and businesses in the county, says its reservoirs are around half full, but it cannot maintain the current high level of demand for water.

More cases of the potentially deadly livestock disease Bluetongue have been confirmed in Somerset. Bluetongue is spread by biting midges and can affect sheep, cattle, goats and deer. Symptoms include fever, lameness, facial swelling, mouth ulcers and breathing difficulties. Defra says the hot weather has accelerated the spread of the virus and is urging farmers to report suspected cases immediately.

Work is underway to improve disabled access at Holyrood Academy in Chard. Accessible upgrades are being carried out across the school site, with the work expected to be completed before the start of the new school term in September.

The Women’s Institute in West Buckland is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a coffee morning this Saturday. The event is at the village hall, starting at ten o’clock in the morning, with everyone welcome. Photographs and memorabilia from the group’s archives will be on display.

And, Lawrences Auctioneers of Crewkerne is holding a special valuation day in support of Ferne Animal Sanctuary. The event takes place at the sanctuary in Wambrook, near Chard, on Thursday, September 24th. For a donation of just one pound, a team of experts will value your items, with proceeds supporting the animal sanctuary.

More from News

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

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
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
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more