Tuesday 27th May

Tuesday, 27 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Government is to look at the circumstances behind the decision to close the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. The Royal Bath and West Show opens this week with concerns being raised about the spread of Blue Tongue disease in farm animals. An 86-year-old Somerset man is preparing for his fourth skydive to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society...and more.

The Government is to look at the circumstances behind the decision to close the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. The baby ward closed suddenly last week due to safety concerns raised in an inspection report by the Care Quality Commission. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says the unit will remain closed for six months while a review is conducted. Expectant mothers due to give birth in Yeovil have been asked instead to attend the Royal Hospital in Bath, County Hospital in Dorchester or Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. The government’s promise to intervene follows a public protest against the closure and a question asked of the Prime Minster by Yeovil MP Adam Dance in the House of Commons.

The Royal Bath and West Show gets underway this week, with concerns being raised about the spread of Blue Tongue disease, which affects farm animals. The show states that it has procedures and rules in place to protect against the spread of the disease, including a ban on cattle from affected areas.

Trains that run through Yeovil, Sherborne and Crewkerne stations have become the first in the country to be brought back into public ownership. South Western Railway, who operate services on the Exeter to Waterloo line, was transferred at the weekend to Great British Railways, a company wholly owned by the government.

A woman who fatally stabbed her husband at their home in Baltonsborough near Street last year has been jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Christine Kekkonen claimed she hadn't intended to injure 41-year-old Henri Kekkonen but was convicted of his murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

A Somerset florist is celebrating after winning gold at last week’s Chelsea Flower Show. Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers in Charlton Musgrove was awarded the top prize as a member of the Farewell Flowers Collective for their interpretation of a funeral scene, which featured flower displays and a wirework sculpture of a man and his dog visiting a graveyard.

An 86-year-old Somerset man is getting ready to do his fourth skydive to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society. Brian Standring will be jumping from 15,000 feet for the charity, which he started supporting after his close friend Alan was diagnosed with dementia in 2012. He says despite the potential risks of skydiving at his age, supporting the Alzheimer’s Society is what is important.

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Friday 29th May

South Western Ambulance Service is struggling to cope after a surge in 999 calls during the hot weather. Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says a shortage of rental homes is making it harder for rural employers to attract workers. The National Trust is warning that changing weather patterns are making it difficult to maintain the Cerne Abbas Giant... and more
Thursday 28th May

People are being asked to take extra care in parks and open spaces as high temperatures and dry conditions increase the risk of fire. Plans to build hundreds of new homes in Yeovil can now go ahead after a High Court challenge by Mudford Parish Council was dismissed. A Somerset bakery chain has sparked a reaction after it stopped making iced buns... and more
Wednesday 27th May

The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health alert for Somerset to amber. Trading Standards officers have shut down three shops in Taunton after illegal cigarettes and vapes were discovered on the premises. Bridgwater Town Council is considering running its own bus services...and more
Tuesday 26th May

A Martock agricultural machinery business has gone into administration, putting around thirty jobs at risk. A new sensory room has opened at a Yeovil schook to support neurodiverse pupils. The headteacher of a Chard primary school is stepping down... and more
Friday 22nd May

The National Farmers Union in Somerset has welcomed the government’s new trade deal with six Gulf countries. Campaigners say Somerset’s canals and locks are in urgent need new investment. The Liverpool comedian John Bishop is heading to Somerset later this year...and more
Thursday 21st May

Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 20th May

People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
Tuesday 19th May

A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more