Wednesday 5th November

Wednesday, 5 November 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Members of the Unite union at Leonardo in Yeovil have called off a planned strike for today. South Western Railway says trains on the West of England Line will start running normally again at the end of the month. A memorial post box has been placed at the entrance to Crewkerne cemetery...and more.

Members of the Unite union at Leonardo in Yeovil have called off a planned strike for today after being made an improved pay offer. The stoppage would have seen around 3,000 workers at all Leonardo plants around the UK walk out for the next three days. Leonardo has offered staff a 3.2 % pay rise, which Unite members rejected in a ballot. Details of the new offer, which have yet to be made public, will now be voted on in a second ballot. Unite says pending the outcome of the ballot, the threat of strike action remains. Leonardo says it's hopeful the improved pay offer, which it describes as competitive, will be accepted, allowing for the pay rise to be implemented in December.

South Western Railway says trains on the West of England Line through Somerset will resume normal service at the end of the month. A reduced service has been operating between Yeovil and Exeter since August due to track damage caused by the hot summer. From November 29th, direct services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, passing through Yeovil and Crewkerne stations, will again run every hour.

People have less than one month left in which to comment on plans to reshape children’s services in Somerset. Parents, children, professionals, and the wider public are being encouraged to participate in the consultation to inform Somerset Council on what is working well and what changes are needed to children’s services. The consultation, which can be viewed on the Somerset Council website, is the result of national proposals for families and practitioners to work together to promote the well-being of children. The closing date for comments is November 27th.

A seven-metre wide sculpture of the Earth has gone on display in Bridgwater. Created by the local artist Luke Jerram, the sculpture can be viewed at Bridgwater Town Hall until Sunday, November 23rd.

A road in West Somerset is shut to traffic today. The A396 between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe will remain closed until 4:30 pm this afternoon. It’s for the police to carry out inquiries into a recent road traffic accident.

A memorial post box has been placed at the entrance to Crewkerne cemetery for people to place letters, cards, or messages in memory of someone special to them. Crewkerne Town Council, which is behind the idea, says it’s a new way for people to remember a loved one who has passed away.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more