Wednesday 6th August

    A fire at the former Mermaid Hotel in Yeovil town centre is being treated as accidental. People with premium bonds in Somerset are being encouraged to check their numbers as over 800-thousand pounds of prizes remain unclaimed. Chard is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day later this month...and more.

    A fire at the former Mermaid Hotel in Yeovil town centre is being treated as accidental. Smoke was spotted coming from the property on the High Street at around 8.30 yesterday morning. The fire service says the building was empty at the time and suffered 100% smoke damage.

    People with premium bonds in Somerset are being encouraged to check their numbers as over 800-thousand pounds of prizes remain unclaimed in the county by bondholders. 

    A farm near Chard has taken delivery of two Albion cows and their calves to start a breeding programme. Albion Cattle are considered critically endangered, with a national population of just 300. The animals have been given conservation land to graze on at Beetham Farm in Combe St Nicholas in the hope they will soon start to breed.

    A couple in Martock, whose home was extensively damaged when a car drove into the front of it, have thanked the local people for their support. The house on Long Load Road was left in an unsafe state following the collision in early July. Owner, Mark Talbot-Phillips, says it will take at least a year to repair the damage.

    Chard is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day later this month. The war in the Far East claimed the lives of nearly 30,000 British soldiers and will be marked with a display and candlelight service at Chard Museum on Saturday, August 16th.

    A Red Kite, considered at one time to be on the brink of extinction, has been spotted in Somerset.  It was photographed flying above Maunsel Lock on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal near North Newton. The appearance of a Red Kite in Somerset is part of a wider pattern of sightings across the UK.

    More from News

    • Monday 15th June

      People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more

    • 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

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 22°C | Low: 13°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 24°C | Low: 13°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain shower

      High: 23°C | Low: 13°C

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