Wednesday 31st July

Wednesday, 31 July 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil’s new Lib Dem MP is calling for more investment in Somerset’s ambulance service following an incident. Police are appealing for help identifying protesters caught on CCTV spraying red paint across the front of the County Hall in Taunton. One hundred dresses have gone on display at Shepton Mallet prison, raising money for local charities...and more.

Yeovil’s new Lib Dem MP Adam Dance is calling for more investment in Somerset’s ambulance service following an incident in which a pensioner with heatstroke was made to wait eight hours to be treated by paramedics. South Western Ambulance has apologised for the delay saying that more needs to be done to ensure a quicker handover of patients at hospital emergency departments.

Police are appealing for help identifying a group of protesters caught on CCTV spraying red paint across the front of the County Hall in Taunton. The incident at the weekend was the fourth such attack of its kind on County Hall this year. The protesters want a defence company evicted from a building owned by Somerset Council which they claim has links to Isreal. The company involved denied the claim. Avon and Somerset Police have posted a video of the latest incident on their website hoping that someone will recognize those responsible.

A consultation has been launched to help shape a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for Somerset. Somerset Council is asking for comments from local people and those closely involved in the sector, including social care, housing and public health. To submit a comment go to the Somerset Council website.

St John’s Almshouse in Sherborne is to get a major makeover, including the creation of a new tea room, alongside affordable accommodation. A joint scheme, involving the Almshouse and Sherborne Abbey, will see space retained for affordable accommodation, with the downstairs of the property becoming a tearoom. Other rooms upstairs will also be used for a young people's centre and community group meetings. A public meeting for all interested parties, to find out more and share views, will take place at the Almshouse in the coming weeks.

One hundred dresses have gone on display at Shepton Mallet prison, raising money for local charities. The dresses have been created from old wedding dresses as part of the New Clothes Project, which started five years ago.

More from News

Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more
Friday 28th August

An organisation that investigates loan sharks has opened a branch in Taunton. Free parking on Sundays in Somerset's main towns could end just before Christmas. Local communities in and around Draycott will be able to take advantage of a shuttle bus service... and more.
Thursday 27th August

A 21 mile stretch of the M5 is to be given a 50mph speed limit for three years. Chard remains a safe place to work, live and visit say Avon & Somerset Police. Sunflowers of Somerset is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a photography competition and community activities... and more.
Wednesday 26th August

Two people have been arrested and released under investigation after the death of a baby in Crewkerne. A large sand picture of the prime minister has appeared in Burnham On Sea. The wet winter and hot summer means cider producers are struggling with their yields... and more.
Tuesday 25th August

Fire crews have been dealing with a fire in Ilchester which broke out yesterday afternoon. Somerset’s frontline health services say heatwaves and tourism are making their jobs more difficult. A Chard health store has been named Natural Lifestyle Retailer of the Year.. and more.