Wednesday 8th April

Wednesday, 8 April 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Yeovil school teacher has been banned from teaching for sharing inappropriate details about her private life with pupils. A Stoke-sub-Hamdon woman has been given a 17-month driving ban. A Yeovil woman who survived bone cancer is raising is running the London Marathon... and more

A Yeovil school teacher has been banned from teaching for 2 years for sharing inappropriate details about her private life with pupils. A tribunal heard that Natasha Blackmore, aged 36, who was Head of Design Technology at Westfield Academy in Yeovil, treated her pupils as friends, sharing inappropriate personal details, including drunken nights out, and exchanging messages on social media.

Joshua Morris of the Green Party has been elected unopposed to Ilminster Town Council. The Greens say Joshua, who’s 23, will bring a new perspective to town council business. His election boosts the number of Green Party councillors on Ilminster Town Council to four.

A Stoke-sub-Hamdon woman who was nearly double the drink-drive limit when stopped by police has been given a 17-month driving ban. Mauritrus Raybold, aged 29, of New Road in Stoke-sub-Hamdon, pleaded guilty to driving in Street with excess alcohol when she appeared before magistrates in Yeovil. Alongside the disqualification, Raybold was fined £230 with £85 costs.

A Yeovil woman who survived bone cancer is raising money for the charity that helped her by running the London Marathon. Laura James was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma when she was 18, which resulted in surgery on her left leg, leaving her with a permanent foot drop. She’s raised more than £2,000 so far.

Exmoor National Park is staging a Nature Festival next month. The event, being held over 6 days beginning Saturday, May 16, will be a celebration of wildlife and well-being in the National Park.

More from News

Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more