Wednesday 22nd July

Wednesday, 22 July 2026 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

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

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Taunton Crown Court heard that 43-year-old Wayne Shortland, from Yeovil, and 38-year-old Lewis Coombes, of Castle Cary, were caught on a doorbell camera breaking into a property in South Street on Sunday, March 22nd. Shortland has been jailed for three years and six months, while Coombes has been sentenced to three years.

Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. At a full council meeting, Conservative opposition councillor Lucy Trimnell questioned why no events had been held there in recent weeks, including screenings of the World Cup and Wimbledon on the new Big Screen. She said people were confused because they had been told the former bandstand area would become a shared space for sports and other major live events. But Lib Dem Council Leader Bill Revans said showing the World Cup had not been feasible because of safety concerns and licensing arrangements.

Yeovil Community Church, which supports local homeless people, has welcomed new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s promise to “end rough sleeping in our country”. But Bridget Doney, who runs the church’s homeless project, says the issue is complicated and will be difficult to resolve.

A Somerset councillor jailed for his role in a Just Stop Oil protest on the M25 has resigned, triggering a by-election. Michael Dunk was one of two Green Party councillors elected to represent Frome West in May 2022. He was jailed for 26 months after activists climbed gantries on the M25 in November 2022, demanding an end to new fossil fuel projects. Mr Dunk was later released on licence and was able to attend council meetings. But after a failed appeal against his conviction, he has now officially stepped down. A by-election in Frome West is expected to be held later this year.

And Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play. The school has received an OPAL Platinum Award for excellence in its outdoor play and learning environment.

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