Wednesday 5th August

Wednesday, 5 August 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Avon and Somerset's Police and Crime Commissioner is backing the wider use of police drones in towns like Yeovil to help tackle crime. Visitor numbers at Somerset's tourist attractions are down by around sixty per cent so far this year. A gardening expert says it'll take much more than the occasional shower to revive Somerset's parched lawns, parks and open spaces...and more

Avon and Somerset's Police and Crime Commissioner, Clare Moody, has backed the wider use of police drones in towns like Yeovil to help tackle crime. She's welcomed a pilot scheme in Norfolk where officers are using drones to catch shoplifters and deal with anti-social behaviour. Ms Moody says the technology could become an important tool in keeping communities safe.

Somerset Council is selling one of its tenanted farms as part of efforts to raise money. Pond Farm, near Chard, includes a bungalow, farm buildings and eighty-three acres of land. The council says the property is being offered for sale in three separate lots on the open market.

Visitor numbers at Somerset's tourist attractions are down by around sixty per cent so far this year, according to Visit Somerset. The organisation has also recorded a fifteen per cent drop in enquiries through its website. Tourism contributes around fifty-five million pounds to the county's economy each year. Visit Somerset's Chief Executive, John Turner, says the figures are disappointing.

A Yeovil man is due to appear in court next month facing three charges, including being the owner of a dangerously out-of-control dog that allegedly attacked a man. Leyton Gale, of Monmouth Road, is also charged with assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty and with criminal damage following an incident in St Michael's Road. No pleas were entered when the case was heard before magistrates in Yeovil.

A gardening expert says it'll take much more than the occasional shower to revive Somerset's parched lawns, parks and open spaces. After what's been described as the driest July on record, Michael Griffiths, author of The Easy Garden, says sustained rainfall will be needed before the county starts turning green again.

More from News

Monday 17th August

Wessex Water, who supplies almost all homes and businesses in Somerset, has introduced a hosepipe ban effective from midnight tonight. A sinkhole on Station Road in Castle Cary has been repaired, two years after it was first discovered. A Wildcat helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton has taken part in the annual passing-out parade at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth... and more
Friday 14th August

Police are investigating an incident in which obscene words were scratched onto the World War One memorial at Ham Hill. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has repeated his call for the upgrade of the town’s police station to include a custody suite. A Somerset carnival club is building a specially adapted float to allow a wheelchair user and her assistance dog to take part in this year’s carnival circuit...and more
Thursday 13th August

An Ilminster family is celebrating after winning one million pounds on the National Lottery. Police have released a picture of a man they want to speak to in connection with suspected frauds in Somerset. Somerset Council has opened a tendering process to find a main contractor for the £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon theatre... and more
Wednesday 12th August

Experts say with good visibility forecast for this evening, people across Somerset should have some of the best views of the solar eclipse anywhere in the UK. A Somerset councillor is calling for the Stop Line cycle route between Chard and Ilminster to be better supported. It's 40-years ago this week since a Lynx helicopter built in Yeovil set a new World Helicopter Speed Record... and more
Tuesday 11th August

Wessex Water says a hosepipe ban is possible if customers fail to cut their water usage. A record number of illegal dog fights were reported in Somerset last year. Yeovil Town's Mason Obeng has won the traditional sack of potatoes, given to the player who scores Yeovil's first goal of the new season, as a lucky omen... and more
Monday 10th August

A local councillor claims anti-social behaviour is putting people off coming into Yeovil town centre. South-West Water has announced a hosepipe ban in the Chard area. Great Western Railway has apologised after a wheelchair user from Chard became stuck at one of its stations... and more
Friday 7th August

Chard's biggest employer, Numatic International, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, has announced job cuts. A new Neighbourhood Plan for Hatch Beauchamp has officially been adopted. Two historic artefacts taken from Glastonbury Abbey more than 70 years ago have been returned...and more
Thursday 6th August

A local man and convicted former neo-Nazi, selected by the Conservatives to stand in Crewkerne South in next year’s local elections for a seat on Somerset Council, has pulled out after a backlash against his candidacy. A charity that runs children's homes in Somerset is terminating its contract early following a critical report by Ofsted...and more