Thursday 2nd April

Thursday, 2 April 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The joint master of a hunt in Somerset has criticised the decision to hold a public consultation on banning trail hunting. Images of two men police want to speak to in connection with an arson attack on a barber’s shop in Wincanton have been released. The company that runs four leisure centres in the Mendip area has gone into administration... and more

The joint master of a hunt in Somerset has criticised the decision to hold a public consultation on banning trail hunting. Mary Perry from the Cotley Harriers says criticism of trail hunting is frustrating, as they follow all the guidelines. The League Against Cruel Sports wants trail hunting banned, but Mary Perry says this would be unfair.

Images of two men police want to speak to in connection with an arson attack on a barber’s shop in Wincanton have been released. On Saturday, March 14, two men were caught on CCTV smashing a window at a property on Church Street, pouring flammable liquid onto a door and setting it alight. Images of the men can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

The company that runs four leisure centres in the Mendip area has gone into administration. Fusion Lifestyle manages Wells Fitness Centre, Tor Fitness Centre in Glastonbury, Strode Swimming and Fitness Centre in Street, Frome Leisure Centre, and Shepton Mallet Lido. Somerset Council says it will run the centres until a new operator is found.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A358 near Taunton in which a motorcyclist was killed. It happened at Mattocks Tree Hill in West Hatch at around 10.30pm on Sunday, March 29th, when a Nissan Juke, a Vauxhall Zafira and a motorbike collided. A man in his 20s, who was riding the motorbike, died at the scene. If you witnessed the accident or have dashcam footage, you’re asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

A road in Ilminster will shut to traffic for three nights later this month. Silver Street will be closed on April 13, 14 and 15 from 7pm to 5am for BT Openreach to carry out essential works. Diversions will be in place during the closure.

More from News

Friday 17th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has backed calls for a cap on heating oil prices. Invitations are being sent out to those in Somerset eligible for the latest Covid vaccine. A pub near Chard has closed just four months after reopening... and more
Thursday 16th April

Wessex Water has been told to pay £300,000 after a sewer spilled into the River Yeo killing dozens of fish. The Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton has been given a grant of half a million pounds. Today marks the official opening of the new visitor centre at Ham Hill... and more
Wednesday 15th April

Yeovil College has been upgraded to a Defence Technical Excellence College. Somerset Council is taking legal action against a housing developer that owes £35,000 in contributions towards local services in Broadway. An Ilminster couple have covered the first 400 miles of their epic walk around the coastline of mainland Britain... and more
Tuesday 14th April

Avon and Somerset Police has launched a new five-year plan to tackle anti-social behaviour. Additional GP appointments will soon be available at three local surgeries, following a £1 million investment to upgrade NHS facilities in Somerset. A Stoke-sub-Hamdon couple whose daughter died of cancer have raised £128,000 in her memory... and more
Monday 13th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for better support for survivors of domestic abuse living in rural communities. The RSPB in Somerset is urging people to stop feeding birds to prevent the spread of disease. Yeovil Town Football Club says an issue that had threatened it with removal from the register at Companies House has been resolved... and more
Friday 10th April

Maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will reopen on Tuesday April 21st. A Somerset woman, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, has criticised changes to the Motor Motability scheme. Somerset Freemasons have presented a cheque for forty-three thousand pounds to Young Somerset, a charity that supports young people in the county... and more
Thursday 9th April

Yeovil Town Football Club has received a warning that it could be struck off the register at Companies House. Somerset Council has been given £22 million to provide assistance to people facing cost of living pressures. Members of 1st Ilminster Scout Group have spent a night sleeping outdoors to experience the challenges faced by homeless military veterans... and more
Wednesday 8th April

A Yeovil school teacher has been banned from teaching for sharing inappropriate details about her private life with pupils. A Stoke-sub-Hamdon woman has been given a 17-month driving ban. A Yeovil woman who survived bone cancer is raising is running the London Marathon... and more