Local News Wednesday 14th September

Wednesday, 14 September 2022 06:00

A Yeovil man has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. A Somerset couple has returned from visiting London where they laid seventy bouquets of flowers outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. South Western Railway has welcomed the decision by trade unions to suspend strike action this weekend. Traffic was disrupted for a time near Wincanton yesterday when a car caught fire. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard has been presented with an Artsmark Gold Award...and more.

A Yeovil man has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. Taunton Crown Court was told that Paul Morgan (pictured) had carried out 'an extensive campaign' of grooming and manipulation on the girl. Morgan, who pleaded guilty to all charges against him, was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

A Somerset couple has returned from visiting London where they laid seventy bouquets of flowers outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. Russell and his partner Gemma say the seventy floral tributes were to mark each of the seventy years of the Queen’s reign.

South Western Railway, which runs trains through Yeovil Junction station, has welcomed the decision by trade unions to suspend strike action following the death of Queen Elizabeth. The action was due to take place this week on Thursday and Saturday. SWR says it will be reinstating normal service for the days which would have been affected by the strikes.

Traffic was disrupted for a time near Wincanton yesterday when a car caught fire. It happened just after 9 am at the Holbrook roundabout. A section of the road was closed to motorists while firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard has been presented with an Artsmark Gold Award. The award is in recognition of the school has put creativity at the heart of the curriculum. It has provided pupils with a variety of creative experiences, including putting on art exhibitions and variety shows and participating in community projects such as Culturally Chard and Chard Carnival.

A Martock business is waiting to see if it will be granted new Royal Warrants following the death of the Queen. Warrants are awarded to companies to show they provide goods or services to the Royal Family with SFM Technology in Martock having supplied fruit harvesting and spraying machinery to Her Majesty. However, warrants automatically expire on the death of the royal who granted them, and firms have two years in which to remove the Royal coat of arms from their products, vehicles, and stationery or hope the new Monarch, King Charles The Third, will re-issue the warrant. At the request of SFM Technologies, we confirm that the information contained in this story was not provided by the company, and the company was not approached for a comment.

More from News

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.