Friday 7th February

Friday, 7 February 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. Stuart Foster of Welbeck Road in Yeovil pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared at Yeovil Magistrates Court. The Court was told that Foster had sent harassing messages to his ex-wife over three months. Apart from the fine, he was told to pay a £480 victim surcharge and was made the subject of a nine-month restraining order during which time he must have no make contact with his ex-wife.

A Yeovilton woman will set off later this month to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Ally Mcllroy, was a member of the Army Air Corps for 24 years, and now works as a Safety Officer at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil. She is due to start her ascent of the 6,000-meter-high Mount Kilimanjaro on February 16th raising money for the Rawthey Project that supports ex-members of the armed forces, emergency services and NHS communities.

A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. His Majesty's Inspectorate found the force requires improvement in five areas, including reducing the amount of non-emergency calls it abandons. Avon and Somerset Police say it welcomes the report and plans to tackle the problem areas it highlights.

The Local Government Ombudsman has called for Somerset Council to review its direct payment system - after a mother was left 7 thousand pounds in debt. Her children have extensive special needs and have care plans in place but the funds were not paid by the authority.

The government is giving £43 million towards building the new flood barrier on the River Parrett. Work has already started building the barrier and is expected to be finished in 2027. The barrier is designed to give protection to around 11,000 homes in areas surrounding the River Parrett.

Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships. The championships take place at Millfield School in Street tomorrow and on Sunday.

More from News

Wednesday 23rd July

Somerset Council is planning to open twelve new Special Educational Needs units in mainstream schools. Yeovil Hospital is participating in a trial that could revolutionise the treatment of sepsis within the NHS. A 55-acre site in Chard, with plans approved to build 295 homes and a new football ground, has been put up for sale...and more
Tuesday 22nd July

Somerset Community Foundation has launched a "Together for West Somerset Appeal" to help families affected by last Thursday's school coach crash on Exmoor. People in Somerset are being encouraged to improve their recycling of food waste. Free family cooking sessions are being held in Chard. A new children’s soft play area is soon to open in Yeovil...and more
Monday 21st July

A GoFundMe page set up to support families of last week’s Exmoor bus crash, in which a 10-year-old boy died, has raised over forty thousand pounds. A local councillor is calling for the introduction of speed cameras on the A30, from Yeovil to Sherborne. A group from a school in Ilchester have hiked 26 miles across the Jurassic Coast to fundraise in memory of a school colleague...and more
Friday 18th July

EDF has completed another milestone in constructing the new 'Hinkley C' nuclear power plant near Bridgwater. The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire opens today with helicopters built in Yeovil on display. A road leading to Chard reservoir, shut two months ago for strengthening work to a dam wall, has re-opened...and more
Thursday 17th July

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has serious concerns about plans that could see the closure of inpatient beds at Crewkerne Community Hospital. Ilminster residents are being asked to vote in a referendum on adopting a new neighbourhood plan for the town. An event in which people take part in a race against horses is returning to Somerset later this year...and more
Wednesday 16th July

A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. Crewkerne Community Hospital could be turned into a neighbourhood health centre...and more.
Tuesday 15th July

The fire service has blamed a discarded portable barbecue for starting a blaze at Ham Hill Country Park. A care home for people with autism and complex needs in Crewkerne has been rated 'good'. A seven-year-old Yeovil boy has set a new world record for completing the most number of consecutive sit-ups for his age group...and more
Monday 14th July

Somerset Council is warning motorists against scanning QR codes at its car parks payment meters. Chard Town Council is spending £10,000 on short-term youth provision over the summer months. Former Yeovil Town player Marcus Stewart says he wants to continue raising money towards finding a cure for motor neurone disease...and more.