Monday 3rd February

Monday, 3 February 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. The body of Michael Wheeler was found at Yarlington, one month after he was reported missing. Appearing at Bristol Crown Court, Mark Roberts, aged 38, Angus Warner, aged 32, Reuben Clare, aged 18, David Garland, aged 39, and Jack Rance, aged 28, each pleaded not guilty to murder. They also denied a charge of conspiracy to murder Mr Wheeler between August 1 and August 25 last year. All five were remanded into custody ahead of their trial, set for April 28th.

Data shows that around 350 people who attended A&E at Yeovil Hospital and Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital in December had to wait more than 12 hours to be seen. NHS Somerset says it was due to bed blocking, where no follow-on care was available to discharge patients, and also a higher number of people being unwell in December, and requiring hospital treatment.

Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in the Triangle in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP, Adam Dance. The area, which includes seating for 100, a water feature and a big TV screen, is part of the £24 million Yeovil Refresh Project, aimed at smartening up the look of the town centre and attracting new investment.

Longleat on the Somerset/Wiltshire border will be joining in with celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday this year. It’s thought Jane Austen visited the estate and that some scenes described in her books may have been inspired by the visit.

A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested after two people were stabbed in Yeovil. Police say the teenager has been arrested on suspicion of affray and being in possession of a bladed article in a public place. It follows an incident in Raglan Terrace last Wednesday when a man in his 50s, and a teenage boy were taken to hospital after suffering stab wounds. A 15-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and affray.

The Village Agents scheme in Somerset says the decision by the government to cut winter fuel payments has hit people really hard in Somerset. They say hundreds of people have been in touch asking for help with paying their heating bills.

More from News

Wednesday 12th March

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. The Leader of Somerset Council has been to Westminster to put the case for central government to provide councils with more money. A new primary school is to built in Chard.... and more
Tuesday 11th March

The union representing workers at Somerset Council is warning of further job cuts at the council next year. Secondary school pupils in Somerset are being offered help to withstand peer pressure to vape or smoke. The bells of St George's Church in Hinton St George have been fully restored after becoming difficult to ring ... and more
Monday 10th March

A property in Raglan Terrace in Yeovil has been closed down by a court order after it was linked to anti-social behaviour. NHS Somerset says investing in nurse apprenticeships has helped to boost recruitment. A new community garden has opened in Chard.... and more
Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
Thursday 6th March

Somerset Council has approved a seven-and-a-half percent increase in council tax. People are being asked to return boxes of paracetamol bought from Boots Chemists in Somerset. It’s been revealed that five members of staff at Somerset Council are being allowed to work from home outside the UK...and more
Wednesday 5th March

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.
Tuesday 4th March

The population of Somerset has reached record levels with nearly one in ten born outside the UK. Stanchester School in Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’. Experts have been called in to appraise a 15th-century piece of artwork in Sherborne...and more.
Monday 3rd March

A woman from Crewkerne has been fined £280 for assaulting two emergency workers. Plans have been announced to open new NHS dental surgeries in Chard and Crewkerne. A Yeovil man has been thanked for raising £10,000 for the cardiac charity Heartbeat...and more