Friday 26 April

Friday, 26 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A man has been arrested in Castle Cary and charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill. The NHS in Somerset says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years. A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity...and more.

A man has been charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill after being arrested in Castle Cary. Appearing at Yeovil Magistrates Court, Daniel Kellaway, aged 29, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody ahead of a Crown Court hearing in May.

The NHS in the county says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years despite challenges faced by the health service at a national level. Figures from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust suggest its employee turnover rate has fallen from fourteen-point-six percent in July 2022 to ten-point-eight- percent in March 2024.

Retailers in Somerset have been found to have sold knives to children despite tougher legislation recently introduced. Shops can face fines of up to one million pounds but in an undercover operation by Avon and Somerset Police an underage child was found buying a machete-style blade. The British Retail Consortium says it takes the matter very seriously and has many retailers now signed up to a voluntary code of conduct run by the Home Office.

An Ilminster-based charity that helps adults with their support needs has celebrated its 20th anniversary. Shared Lives South West provides specialised support for individuals with learning disabilities, mental health issues, and dementia. The charity, which operates across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, is currently rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission.

A crane born in Somerset as part of a project to reintroduce the species in the UK has paired up with a mate. Sherry and her partner have been tracked flying to Aberdeenshire after meeting in France.

A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity. Nick Bragg, of Frogmary Green Farm, is embarking on the challenge aiming to raise £10,000 for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. Nick will start his marathon at the Northumberland County Show on May 26, travel via the Suffolk Show on May 30 and 31, and finish at the Royal Cornwall Show on June 6th.

More from News

Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
News Friday 24th January

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.