Tuesday 3rd March

Tuesday, 3 March 2026 05:00

By Steve Haigh

A woman from Ilminster has been jointly charged with another woman after a man’s body was found inside a car in Cornwall. Somerset businesses, involved in the supply chain for Leonardo, have welcomed the news that the Leonardo factory in Yeovil is to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-two homes in Milborne Port... and more

A woman from Ilminster has been jointly charged with another woman after a man’s body was found inside a car in Cornwall. Rosemary Manders, of Upton Lane, in Ilminster, and Dinah Manders from Exeter, are accused of preventing a lawful and decent burial. The charges relate to the discovery of a man’s remains in Helston, Cornwall, in December 2024. The two women have been given bail and will appear before magistrates in Truro on March 26th.

Somerset businesses, involved in the supply chain for Leonardo, have welcomed the news that the Leonardo factory in Yeovil is to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF, after months of waiting for a contract to be signed. Three thousand three hundred jobs at the Yeovil factory have been secured by the deal, which it's hoped will generate 15 billion pounds over the next decade in worldwide orders.

A member of Somerset Council who announced last week that he was switching from the Conservatives to Reform UK has changed his mind. Councillor Alastair Hendry, who represents Highbridge and Burnham South, says he's now decided to re-join the Conservative group on Somerset Council.

A 49-year-old man who died while taking part in a skydive on the Blackdown Hills at the weekend has been described as highly experienced who had completed 10,000 jumps. Skydive South West, who operate out of Dunkeswell Aerodrome, say the man was using his own parachute equipment, doing a wingsuit jump with a friend when he died. An investigation is now underway.

Plans have been submitted to build thirty-two homes in Milborne Port. Land south of Court Lane, described as one of the last undeveloped green fields at the northern edge of the village, has been earmarked for the development. Bracken Developments Ltd says none of the new homes will be affordable, due to viability issues brought about by necessary engineering and drainage work. Somerset Council is expected to decide on the application by the summer.

A road in Chard will be shut to traffic from tomorrow for eight nights. The B3162 Crowshute Link will be closed from 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm until March 11th for resurfacing. Somerset Council says access to properties may be restricted and ask that while the work is being carried out, cars are not parked on the road.

More from News

Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more