Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. A reindeer farm near Yeovil thinks it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence. Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset...and more
Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested for being over the alcohol limit or for drug driving in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. That’s a 31% increase in arrests compared to the same period last year. The public is being asked to help take dangerous drivers off the road. If you suspect someone is unfit to drive, you should call 999 or report the matter at a police station.
A reindeer farm near Yeovil says it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence to keep operating. For the past 14 years, Sarah Sutton has run the Somerset Reindeer Ranch at Chilthorne Domer with an Animal Activity licence, but after reindeers were reclassified as "dangerous and wild" Somerset Council say she needs a Zoo licence to stay open. Sarah says a Zoo Licence is unaffordable and that she will have to close the business unless reindeer farms are exempt from the ruling. Somerset Reindeer Ranch in Chilthorne Domer is open over the Christmas and New Year period.
Young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Somerset now have their own website. Yeovil-based SEND group The Unstoppables has launched an online platform for members and others to share ideas and experiences.
Work restoring the old windows of the Grade II-listed water tower pumphouse at Crewkerne railway station has been completed. The project, carried out by the Friends of Crewkerne Station, was initially intended to cover the boarded side of the Pumphouse, but expanded into a complete restoration after it was discovered that the original window frames were still in place beneath the boarding.
Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset, arriving in a helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has criticised the government for axing the role. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Ilminster in which a woman was seriously injured. Residents of Freedom Avenue in Yeovil are raising funds for charity with a big display of Christmas lights...and more.
Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more
Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on a man in Chard. Lloyds Banking Group has announced a date for closing the Halifax in Yeovil. Train journeys on the Castle Cary to Taunton line will be disrupted next week due to engineering work. The mental health charity MIND in Somerset has produced a Christmas advent calendar... and more.
The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says her force is doing all it can to reduce anti-social behaviour. Somerset Council has deferred a decision on introducing Sunday car parking charges. People living in deprived areas in Somerset are being fast-tracked for hospital treatment...and more
Fire crews have rescued the driver of a car that got stuck in floodwater near Ilminster. Avon and Somerset Police are urging people going out to celebrate this Christmas to book a taxi or use public transport. A woman from South Petherton has come top at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships...and more,
A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a serious assault in Wincanton. Fire crews have dealt with a house fire in the village of Pitney. Plans have been submitted to redevelop Bridgwater Docks into a cultural and tourist destination. Ilminster's annual Christmas tree festival has opened in the town...and more
New figures show that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area rose by 8% in the year to June. South Western Railway has restarted running hourly services through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne following months of disruption. Persimmon Homes South West has donated £1500 towards the running costs of Castle Cary Rugby Club...and more
Somerset Council has failed to stop 150 homes being built in Crewkerne. Posters of a drag act coming to Somerset, displayed in Shepton Mallet, have been vandalised. Avon and Somerset police are using proceeds from drug crime to fund community projects...and more,
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