Local News Friday 8th July

Friday, 8 July 2022 06:00

Police are asking people in Somerset to look out for a prisoner who has gone on the run. More than sixty potholes are being repaired on Somerset's roads every working day at the moment, according to Somerset County Council. Cancer patients in Somerset are waiting longer than they should receive treatment. An animal shelter in Somerset says it's being inundated with calls from breeders to take in 'surplus puppies'...and more.

Police are asking people in Somerset to look out for a prisoner (pictured) who has gone on the run. Sean Phipps, aged 51, failed to return to Leyhill open prison on June 1st after being released on temporary licence. He’s described as white and about 6ft 2in tall. Police believe he may be sleeping rough, camped out in a rural area or sleeping in a disused building. If you can help the police, you’re asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

More than sixty potholes are being repaired on Somerset's roads every working day at the moment, according to Somerset County Council. The Council says a total of 1,299 potholes were repaired in June, equating to an average 63 repair jobs completed every working day.

Cancer patients in Somerset are waiting longer than they should receive treatment. That's according to a group of cancer professionals who staged a demonstration outside Parliament earlier this week. They say more than 32 percent of patients in Somerset are waiting more than 62 days for treatment.

An animal shelter in Somerset says it's being inundated with calls from breeders to take in 'surplus puppies'. St Giles animal shelter says the market is over-saturated with puppies with breeding dogs giving birth to unwanted offspring.

Skateboarders and music fans have arrived in big numbers at the Royal Bath and West Showground for the NASS festival. The event hasn't been held for the last two years because of Covid. Ella Eyre and Mable are performing live at the festival.

A new film's been made about how Somerset celebrated the Platinum Jubilee. The five-minute film was commissioned by Somerset’s Lord Lieutenant Annie Maw, it includes scenes of beacon lighting, street parties and the Royal Bath and West Show.

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Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more
Monday 20th October

Somerton and Glastonbury MP, Sarah Dyke, says the government needs to get an urgent grip on the worsening dentistry situation in her constituency. Bridgwater Town Council has criticised plans by the Somerset Council to charge for Sunday parking. Somerset Council’s Libraries service has launched its Winter Coat Exchange scheme for a third year...and more
Friday 17th October

A new £7 million primary school and nursery is to be built in the grounds of Holyrood Academy in Chard. A public consultation has opened into plans to merge the parishes of Ansford and Castle Cary. The nomination papers that paved the way for Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's first female Prime Minister have been uncovered in a Somerset garage...and more
Thursday 16th October

Two mothers in Chard are calling on carnival organisers to make carnivals more accessible to children with special educational needs. 4,000 people have been put on a waiting list at a new NHS dental practice in Somerset. Channel 4’s ‘Love It or List It’ is looking to feature properties in Somerset in a new series... and more
Wednesday 15th October

The maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital is to reopen within the next six months. There’s been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon theatre. No CrossCountry trains will run through Somerset this weekend due to planned industrial action by the RMT union...and more.