Wednesday 29th January

Wednesday, 29 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. At the moment, women are offered a test 12 weeks after childbirth. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust says if testing at six weeks proves accurate, it could save lives.

Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. Wayne Shortland, aged 41, is described as white, 6 feet tall, of medium/slim build. with brown eyes, and short greying hair. He has a scar on his left hand. Police say Shortland should not be approached and that if you know of his whereabouts, to call 999.

The government has given half a million pounds towards planting trees in Somerset. The funding has been secured through the Urban Tree Challenge and will be spent planting 700 mature trees, including 100 in Yeovil at Oak Tree Park, Yew Tree Park, and Milford Park.

Work has started building a new outside seating area at the rear of the William Dampier pub in Lower Middle Street in Yeovil. The William Dampier, run by JD Wetherspoons, is currently closed and is due to re-open on Tuesday, April 8th.

Police have released images of a man they want to speak with in connection with a burglary near Ilminster. Jewellery was taken in the break-in at a house on Peasmarsh Farm Lane in Peasmarsh on Boxing Day. Photos of the man can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website. If you recognise the man or, have any information that could help the police, you’re asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

We’re being asked to get outside and start counting different species in our gardens, parks and from our windows. It’s to contribute to the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch, which is the biggest public wildlife survey held in the UK.

Moolham Lane in Ilminster from the junction with Greenway to the junction with Kitchill Lane North will be closed to traffic on Friday. It’s to allow for Openreach to carry out pole testing works.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.