Monday 19th August

Monday, 19 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 Ilminster by-pass in which three people died. People needing a repeat prescription are asked to order it before the August Bank Holiday weekend. Somerset’s Armed Forces Hubs have been shortlisted for a national award...and more.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to an accident on the A303 Ilminster by-pass in which three people died. It happened last Thursday at around 3.30 pm when a Skoda Yeti travelling westwards towards the Southfields roundabout collided head-on with a van. Two men and a woman in the Skoda died at the scene. Two people in the van were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries. If you witnessed the crash or have dashcam footage of either vehicle travelling on the Ilminster by-pass, you’re asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

Engineering firm, Serco, has had its contract to deliver aircraft engineering support at RNAS Yeovilton extended by 12 months. The extension also applies to services provided by Serco at RNAS Culdrose. Serco, who employ 100 people, including 22 apprentices across the two bases, plan to take on ten apprentices as part of the contract extension.

People needing a repeat prescription are being asked to order it in advance of the upcoming August Bank Holiday weekend. NHS Somerset says over 70 Somerset pharmacies will be closed, with others having limited opening times, over the bank holiday weekend. They advise using the NHS app as the quickest way to order a repeat prescription.

A Somerset man has written a book based on his father's role in the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. Frank Hughes was part of Operation Market Garden in the Glider Pilot Regiment, where he silently flew behind enemy lines. ‘Veteran’ by Tan Hughes is on sale from today; a month ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.

Somerset’s Armed Forces Hubs have been shortlisted for an HSJ Award. The hubs, run in partnership with the Ark Project near Merriot, have been recognised for their contribution to healthcare. The hubs are open to all members of the armed forces community, providing help to serving and retired military personnel experiencing homelessness, and mental health issues. To get in touch with the hubs, visit their website or speak to your GP, health coach, or village agent.

An employee at Leonardo in Yeovil has raised eleven hundred pounds for the Alzheimer's Society. Chris Flatt, a Liverpool supporter and keen collector of football pin badges, raised the funds by giving away some of his pin badges in a raffle.

More from News

Wednesday 24th December

A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, costing £15 million. The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into 17 flats. A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year...and more.
Tuesday 23rd December

NHS Somerset reports a strong uptake of flu jabs, but some eligible people for free vaccinations haven’t come forward. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 in which a pedestrian was killed. A Crewkerne woman has gone viral on TikTok after being trapped inside a Lidl store in the town... and more.
Monday 22nd December

Somerset Bus Partnership has welcomed a £24.7m boost for the county's bus services. Outline planning permission has been granted to build up to 100 new homes in Ilminster. An Ilminster man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years. Residents in Chiselborough have set up a group to try and re-open the village pub...and more.
Friday 19th December

Crewkerne Community Hospital is to lose half its inpatient beds. A review will be conducted of a project to make Bridgwater more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. Chard Methodist Church is offering residents a free lunch on Christmas Day. Yeovil-based Screwfix is opening a new outlet in Minehead...and more.
Thursday 18th December

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that delays in ordering 30 new medium lift helicopters for the RAF is putting the future of Somerset’s defence industries at risk. Somerset's farmers are being urged to convert more cow manure into biogas to heat homes. A new visitor centre has opened at Ham Hill country park...and more
Wednesday 17th December

Parcel business, Evri, has been criticised by Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke over what she claims have been ‘widespread delivery failures’. Demand for mental health support provided by South Western Ambulance Service is running at record levels. A nine-year-old Somerset boy has completed 100 days of litter picking for charity...and more
Tuesday 14th December

New data shows that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area is at an all-time high. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has issued a warning to prospective pet owners ahead of Christmas. The owner of four pubs in Somerset has warned that many could be forced to shut unless the government reconsiders business rates...and more.
Monday 15th December

Toolstream in Yeovil has been put into administration, threatening the jobs of dozens of employees. NHS Somerset has issued a last chance call for people to get a flu jab after hospital admissions increased by 76% in a week. Police are investigating the theft of a bike valued at £7,000 in Sherborne... and more