Wednesday 8th November

Wednesday, 8 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

New figures suggest that 1-in-8 households in Somerset are in fuel poverty. A man has died in a house fire at Alhampton near Castle Cary. An Ilminster woman is walking across the Sahara Desert raising funds for a charity that helps people with drug addiction. People wanting to park at Castle Cary Railway Station will be able to use a new temporary car park from this week...and more.

New figures suggest that 1-in-8 households in Somerset are in fuel poverty. The Open Data Institute also found that the South West is one of the worst affected regions in the UK when it comes to households choosing between heating and eating.

A man has died in a house fire at Alhampton near Castle Cary. The man was pronounced dead at the scene following the blaze that broke out at around 8 a.m. on Monday, earlier this week.

People wanting to park at Castle Cary Railway Station will be able to use a new temporary car park from this week. Great Western Railway, who owns the site, say it's to ease parking problems locally in the run-up to Christmas but the car park will close again early in the New Year to allow for contractors to finish building it to eventually provide 200 new parking spaces.

A man has been arrested after a quantity of cannabis and £30,000 in cash was found in a property in Milborne Port. The raid was carried out after police traced the sender of a package of cannabis, discovered at Heathrow Airport, to the property address in Milborne Port.

Somerset Community Foundation has launched its annual Surviving Winter Appeal. The charity says it will be supporting around 800 older people with grants of up to £500 to help pay their fuel bills.

An Ilminster woman is currently walking across the Sahara Desert raising funds for a charity that helps people with a drug addiction. Sophi Unwin, who works at estate agents Greenslade Taylor Hunt in Ilminster, is walking a distance of 100 kilometres across the Sahara Desert, raising funds for the Nelson Trust.

Yeovil Town maintained their run of good results beating Torquay United 3-1 away at Plainmoor last night. The Glovers, who stay top of National League South, are now undefeated in 12 games.

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