Local News Thursday 2nd September

Thursday, 2 September 2021 06:00

Great Western Railway, which runs services through Castle Cary, is advising passengers to only travel if their journey is essential. Increased numbers of motorists submitting dashcam footage to police have led to a sharp rise in driver prosecutions. A shop owner in Somerset is warning of a shortage of children’s toys this Christmas. A man has been charged in connection with an assault on another man in Langport last weekend...and more.

Great Western Railway, which runs services through Castle Cary, is advising passengers to only travel if their journey is essential. It follows a lorry hitting a bridge in Plymouth and blocking the main Paddington to Penzance line that runs through Somerset. Network Rail says it could be Sunday before things return to normal.

Increased numbers of motorists submitting dashcam footage to police have led to a sharp rise in driver prosecutions. In a post on social media, Avon and Somerset Police thanked local motorists for helping to keep local roads safer by sending video footage of drivers breaking the law.

A shop owner in Somerset is warning of a shortage of children’s toys this Christmas. Manufacturers say it’s due to not having enough people to make toys. Shop owner, Mark Granger, says toys will also be more expensive, due to the higher costs of shipping supplies to the UK from China.

A man has been charged in connection with an assault on another man in Langport last weekend. Appearing before local magistrates, Horatiu-Aurel Varga, of no fixed address, was charged with wounding with intent. Varga was remanded in custody and will next appear at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, 24th September.

Plans have been submitted to convert a pavilion into a new changing rooms block at Kings School in Bruton. If approved by South Somerset District Council, a new 'external viewing terrace' will be added to the Hyde Pavilion, alongside the cricket pitch in Dropping Lane.

TV celebrity Martin Clunes is set to make an appearance at a charity coffee morning in Chard. The Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly star will be guest of honour at the event being held in Chard Guildhall on Saturday, 11th September with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

More from News

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.
Friday 10th July

A Yeovil woman has shared how she is still on the waiting list for a transplant, a year on. A Crewkerne community group saved two tonnes of food from landfill last month and gave it to residents in need. Yeovil Town have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 season....and more.
Thursday 10th July

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for the South West. A former Cherry Farm in Chard has donated its netting and high-tensile wire to Somerset Aid for Ukraine. Somerset Council is moving forward with its next phase of plans for the county...and more.