Wednesday 27th September

Wednesday, 27 September 2023 07:00

By Steve Haigh

A Somerset head teacher is calling for tighter regulation on vaping after seeing a significant rise in pupils vaping on school premises. Somerset Council says it's facing significantly higher costs with the planned upgrade of Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. Avon and Somerset Police will soon start deploying a drone in the fight against rural crime...and more.

A Somerset head teacher is calling for tighter regulation on vaping after seeing a significant rise in the number of his pupils vaping on school premises. Figures show that around one in five secondary school pupils have tried vaping. Mark Woodlock, Head of the Blue School in Wells, has sent an email to parents urging them to have conversations with their children about the dangers of vaping.

Somerset Council is seeking further financial support to pay for the planned upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The Council plans to spend twenty-nine million pounds on the upgrade that would see the Octagon virtually rebuilt with three hundred extra seats, a bigger stage, and two boutique cinemas. But with higher interest rates and increased building costs, it’s thought the final bill for the works will be significantly more than twenty-nine million. Somerset Council, which is facing a twenty-six million pound overspend in the current financial year, is reviewing all spending, including capital projects. Executive Members at the Council are due to discuss the Octagon project at a meeting on Wednesday, October 4th.

People in Somerset are being asked about their experiences of accessing NHS dental care in a new survey. Healthwatch Somerset has launched the questionnaire in response to the shortage of NHS dentists in Somerset, and the high cost of obtaining private dental treatment. The survey is available on the Healthwatch Somerset website.

Avon and Somerset Police will soon start deploying a drone in the fight against rural crime. It follows Wildlife Crime Officer, PC Stefan Edwards, gaining an Aeriel Vehicle Operators licence. PC Edwards is now able to pilot a drone to search for stolen machinery and equipment, while on patrol in the countryside.

An Ilminster woman, Ingrid Bloomfield, is appealing for some free warehouse space to use for filling shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for sending to children in Ukraine. Ingrid is asking for someone to loan her between two and four thousand square feet of floor space within a ten-mile radius of Ilminster for her charity work.

More from News

Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

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