Tuesday 21st January

Tuesday, 21 January 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

A Yeovil man, who drove while on drugs, injuring two children, has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence. Somerset cider maker, Thatchers, has won a trademark battle against Aldi. Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre is looking for more land for its animals...and more.

A Yeovil man who drove while on drugs and injured two children has been sentenced. Bournemouth Crown Court was told that Stephen Farrant was driving a cement mixer on the A30 towards Sherborne when he contravened a red traffic signal and crashed into a car turning into Sheeplands Lane. The passengers, two children aged 10 and 11, sustained serious injuries. Farrant, who had pleaded guilty to careless driving and driving while over the legal drug limit at an earlier hearing, was given a twelve-month suspended prison sentence and disqualified from driving for three years.

A 10-year programme of work to dredge Somerset's rivers means nearby villages are less likely to flood, according to Somerset Rivers Authority. The organisation was set up in the aftermath of the 2014 floods that left communities on the Somerset Levels cut off for months.

Drivers face a diversion of 21 miles from tomorrow when a road on the Somerset Levels closes for repairs. The A361 along Fore Street and High Street in the village of Othery will be shut for 13 nights between January 22nd and February 8th. It’s to allow for the A361 through Othery to be resurfaced. During the closure, traffic will be diverted through Bridgwater and along the M5 corridor.

Somerset cider maker, Thatchers, has won a long-running trademark battle in the Court of Appeal against Aldi over the labelling of a lemon cider drink.

A Somerset wildlife charity is looking for more land to home its animals. Secret World Wildlife Rescue rehabilitates injured animals before releasing them back into the wild.

Yeovil Recycling Centre will be closed on Friday, January 31st. It’s for resurfacing work to take place. If you’re planning a visit to the Yeovil Recycling Centre on Friday, January 31st, you’re asked instead to take your items to the recycling sites in Chard and Somerton. The Yeovil site will re-open as normal on Saturday, February 1st.

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.