Wednesday 14th February

Wednesday, 14 February 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Parents say that they are worried about planned cuts to the budget for providing transport to children with special needs. East Street in Chard is closed today for repairs to an electric cable. A car has crashed into a gatepost at Cricket St Thomas that featured in the BBC comedy ‘To the Manor Born’...and more.

Parents say that they are worried about planned cuts to the budget for providing transport to children with special needs. Somerset Council, which is looking to make savings of £100 million, wants teenagers with special educational needs and disabilities to learn to use public transport rather than taxis and minibuses for getting to school.

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police has defended criticism from her officers for allowing Channel 4 to film the force's standards department. The final episode of "To Catch A Copper" shown earlier this week, included allegations of sexual misconduct made against officers. Avon and Somerset Police Federation has expressed frustration with the documentary, claiming a lack of balance.

East Street in Chard, in the direction leading out of the town, is closed today for repairs to an electric cable. Traffic is being diverted via Crowshute Lane, with East Street due to re-open on Friday.

A car has crashed into a gatepost at Cricket St Thomas that featured in the BBC comedy ‘To the Manor Born’. The stone structure, situated next to the house lived in by Audrey Forbes Hamilton, was left broken into several pieces following the collision. Police say their enquiries into who was responsible are ongoing.

More than one million recordings of birdsong have been made as part of a project to monitor bird populations on the Somerset Levels. The recordings are being analysed using Artificial intelligence to help improve biodiversity on the Levels.

The Ferne Animal Sanctuary has opened a new store in Crewkerne. The outlet in Falkland Square will be officially opened on Friday, February 23rd by local MP Marcus Fysh.

The charity Brainwave is appealing for volunteers to run its shop in Ilminster. Volunteers carry out tasks that include customer engagement, creative merchandising, and sorting out donations. To apply, go to the Brainwave website.

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Tuesday 23rd December

NHS Somerset reports a strong uptake of flu jabs, but some eligible people for free vaccinations haven’t come forward. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 in which a pedestrian was killed. A Crewkerne woman has gone viral on TikTok after being trapped inside a Lidl store in the town... and more.
Monday 22nd December

Somerset Bus Partnership has welcomed a £24.7m boost for the county's bus services. Outline planning permission has been granted to build up to 100 new homes in Ilminster. An Ilminster man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years. Residents in Chiselborough have set up a group to try and re-open the village pub...and more.
Friday 19th December

Crewkerne Community Hospital is to lose half its inpatient beds. A review will be conducted of a project to make Bridgwater more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. Chard Methodist Church is offering residents a free lunch on Christmas Day. Yeovil-based Screwfix is opening a new outlet in Minehead...and more.
Thursday 18th December

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that delays in ordering 30 new medium lift helicopters for the RAF is putting the future of Somerset’s defence industries at risk. Somerset's farmers are being urged to convert more cow manure into biogas to heat homes. A new visitor centre has opened at Ham Hill country park...and more
Wednesday 17th December

Parcel business, Evri, has been criticised by Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke over what she claims have been ‘widespread delivery failures’. Demand for mental health support provided by South Western Ambulance Service is running at record levels. A nine-year-old Somerset boy has completed 100 days of litter picking for charity...and more
Tuesday 14th December

New data shows that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area is at an all-time high. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has issued a warning to prospective pet owners ahead of Christmas. The owner of four pubs in Somerset has warned that many could be forced to shut unless the government reconsiders business rates...and more.
Monday 15th December

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