Wednesday 4th June

Wednesday, 4 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council states that gas canisters were responsible for igniting six fires at local sorting facilities last year. A leading medical academic in the South West says vaccine fatigue could be the reason why so many vulnerable people are not having a COVID-19 spring booster jab. Avon and Somerset Police say the waiting time for calls to be answered to the non-emergency number 101 has been cut to an average of 11 seconds...and more

Somerset Council say that gas canisters, such as those used for camping stoves, were responsible for igniting six fires at local sorting facilities last year. It's warning of the dangers of putting out canisters with other household waste for collection at the kerbside. The council is asking that gas canisters be taken to local recycling sites, where they can be safely disposed of free of charge.

A leading academic in the South West says vaccine fatigue could be the reason why so many vulnerable people are not having a COVID-19 spring booster jab. Dr Bharat Pankhania from the University of Exeter was commenting after NHS Somerset revealed that 7 out of 10 clinically vulnerable people have yet to receive a Covid Spring booster. He says regular boosters are vital to protecting against catching Covid.

People in Somerset have just ten weeks in which to give their views on how the County’s electoral map could be redrawn ahead of the next local elections in 2027. Somerset Council was created with 110 elected members, two for each of the 55 divisions on boundaries inherited from Somerset County Council, and is now proposing to cut the number of councillors to 96. For further details about the changes and to leave a comment, go to the Somerset Council website

A Somerset father has described government cuts to therapy funding for adopted children as "extremely cruel". Jeremy Wilson, who has three adopted children, says a 40% reduction in the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be damaging to families like his.

A section of Ilchester Road in Yeovil will again be closed to traffic in both directions from 6 pm this evening to 6 am tomorrow. It’s to allow Wessex Water to carry essential repairs to a water main.

Avon and Somerset Police say the waiting time for calls to 101 to be answered has been cut to an average of 11 seconds. They say updates to the non-emergency number now mean that simple queries are responded to quickly, with more time-consuming calls passed to call handlers.

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