Wednesday 17th September

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Environment Agency is being urged to rethink its decision to stop maintaining smaller rivers and streams in Somerset. South Western Railway, which runs trains through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne, has issued body cameras to more of its staff. Twelve new neighbourhood officers have joined Avon and Somerset Police...and more

The Environment Agency is being urged to rethink its decision to stop maintaining smaller rivers and streams in Somerset. The EA says it has to prioritise what it can deliver with the funding it has. Farmers and politicians have criticised the move, and now the Somerset Rivers Authority has called on the Environment Agency to carry out a formal impact assessment.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust says it's vital they get the input of families to an investigation into maternity services at Yeovil Hospital. Yeovil is one of fourteen hospitals across England to be examined as part of a government review of NHS maternity services.

South Western Railway, which runs trains through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne, has issued body cameras to more of its staff. It follows an increase in assaults and abuse on SWR staff, with two incidents being reported every day. The cameras are aimed at deterring assaults and other anti-social behaviour, and will collect video evidence for use in legal proceedings.

Twelve new neighbourhood officers have joined Avon and Somerset Police. The recruits, 50% of whom are female and 17% from an ethnic minority background, have been recruited through the Police Now's Graduate Programme. As neighbourhood officers, they will specialise in local policing, directly working with communities to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, to build trust in the Avon and Somerset force.

A Chard accountancy firm is hosting a coffee morning to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Lentells is inviting the public to its office in Chard Business Park, on Leach Road, on Thursday, September 25th, for the charity event.

More from News

Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more