Wednesday 17th December

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

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

Parcel business, Evri, has been criticised by Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke over what she claims have been ‘widespread delivery failures’ in her constituency in the run-up to Christmas. It follows numerous complaints about parcels not arriving on time and being left in the wrong place. One resident claims that a parcel was left in a flowerbed, and another found her parcel on the side of the road. Ms Dyke has now written to Evri's chief executive demanding an urgent investigation.

Demand for the South Western Ambulance Service's mental health support is at record levels, with around a quarter of its staff seeking help in the past year. It comes as figures suggest emergency responders are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition than the general population, with blue light workers at a higher risk of suicide than other groups.

The government is preparing to launch a consultation on banning trail hunting. Somerset’s hunts switched to trail hunting when the pursuit of foxes was banned 20 years ago. But critics, including some senior police officers, say it’s being used as a smoke screen for illegal hunting.

A nine-year-old Somerset boy has completed 100 days of litter picking. Theo Roberts set himself the challenge of collecting one large bag of rubbish every day for 100 days to raise money for the environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage. In that time, he has collected more than 340kg of waste and raised more than £2,300 for the charity.

Well done to Martock Charity Shop for reaching half a million pounds in donations to children’s charities in the South West since it opened in 2006. The independent charity shop at 3 North Street is run entirely by unpaid trustees, committee members, and volunteers, and donates to a range of good causes, including schools, children's hospices, children's hospitals, and neonatal units.

More from News

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

Toolstream in Yeovil has been put into administration, threatening the jobs of dozens of employees. NHS Somerset has issued a last chance call for people to get a flu jab after hospital admissions increased by 76% in a week. Police are investigating the theft of a bike valued at £7,000 in Sherborne... and more
Friday 12th December

The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.
Thursday 11th December

A man has appeared in court in connection with an attack in Wincanton. A member of Somerset Council, jailed for 26 months for taking part in a Just Stop Oil protest, may not have to stand down as a councillor. NHS Somerset has announced that changes to stroke services at Yeovil Hospital will "go live" in the spring of next year...and more
Wednesday 10th December

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
Tuesday 9th December

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.
Monday 8th December

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
Friday 5th December

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.