Friday 8th May

Friday, 8 May 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police investigating a fire in Shepton Mallet are appealing for help to identify two people. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has called for more government support for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. This weekend sees the start of the Great Gardening Show at The Newt near Bruton...and more

Police investigating a fire in Shepton Mallet are appealing for the public’s help to identify two people. The incident happened in Collett Park on Saturday, March 21st, when a waste bin was set alight, causing damage to a café. Officers want to speak to two people captured on CCTV to help with their enquiries. Images can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website. Anyone with information is asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has called for more government support for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. During a debate in the Commons, Mr Dance said funding shortages had led to reductions in some specialist services, including rope rescue and water response teams. He added that rural fire stations face additional challenges because of geography. Mr Dance said a full review of rural fire service funding was needed.

The Somerset-based defence firm SEA says the war in Ukraine has changed thinking within the defence sector. The company, based in Beckington, builds a wide range of defence equipment, including drones and undersea surveillance systems. Managing Director Richard Flitton says technology once considered unconventional in warfare has now become mainstream.

Chard Community Hub is preparing to celebrate four years of service in the town with an exhibition showcasing its work. The Hub, which began on Fore Street in May 2022 and now operates from the Boden Centre, will host the event on Saturday, May 30th. The exhibition will highlight the Hub’s impact and the support services it provides, including food assistance, wellbeing groups, and early years support.

This weekend sees the start of the Great Gardening Show at The Newt in Somerset near Bruton. The event is being held for the first time and will feature demonstrations, plant sales, food and drink stalls, and an appearance by celebrity TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh.

More from News

Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more
Friday 17th July

Plans have been submitted to build 30 new homes in Ashill. As the heatwave continues, a Somerset air conditioning business says demand for its services has never been higher. Morrisons has confirmed it will close its Glenthorne Avenue store in Yeovil on August 1st... and more
Thursday 16th July

Plans to build up to one hundred new homes on Yeovil's former cattle market have moved a step closer. It’s being made easier for parents in Somerset to register children for free school meals. Wessex Water says it has no plans for a hosepipe ban at the moment but is keeping a close eye on supplies as demand increases... and more