Wednesday 7th May

Wednesday, 7 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Interim Chairman of Yeovil Town, Stuart Robins, says the club is close to finding a new owner. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is examining an incident in which a volunteer was struck by a wagon at the Gartell Light Railway centre near Templecombe. An Ilminster man has been charged with fox hunting. Councillor Tony Lock has been sworn in as the new Mayor of Yeovil...and more

The Interim Chairman of Yeovil Town, Stuart Robins, says the club is close to finding a new owner. He stepped into the Chairman’s role last month following Martin Hellier’s resignation and decision to sell his majority shareholding. Stuart Robins says negotiations with a third party to buy Yeovil Town are progressing well but gave no further details.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is examining an incident in which a volunteer was struck by a wagon at the Gartell Light Railway centre near Templecombe. The volunteer was hit as he was attempting to get off the wagon near the Common Lane level crossing. The heritage railway was closed to the public at the time of the accident.

Racing pigeons from Somerset, released in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, have arrived back in the County. Pigeons played a vital role in World War Two, delivering messages when radio communications were disrupted. Over 1,000 pigeons from all parts of the West of England, including 50 destined for Somerset, flew back over the English Channel at the weekend, completing the crossing in around five hours.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident in Langport in which a man received serious head injuries when he was hit by a car. Emergency services were called to Parrett Close in Langport at 3 pm on Monday after a car collided with a pedestrian and two stationary vehicles. Avon and Somerset Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage. If you can help, you’re asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

An Ilminster man has been charged with fox hunting. It follows reports of a fox being pursued by a hunt group and killed in the area of Drimpton, near Beaminster. The man has been charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs under Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 and is due to appear at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 28th.

Entries are still open for this year’s Bristol, Bath, and Somerset Tourism Awards. It’s a chance for tourism and hospitality businesses to show off their success and honour their teams. Entries close on Sunday, May 18th, with businesses allowed to enter as many categories as they are eligible for. To enter, go to somersettourismawards.org.uk

Councillor Tony Lock has been sworn in as the new Mayor of Yeovil. Councillor Lock's chosen charities for his year in office are Yeovil Hospital Charity and Yeovil Freewheelers, also known as Yeovil Blood Bikes. Yeovil's new Deputy Mayor is Councillor Wes Read.

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