Four Poundland stores to close in Bristol and Somerset

Four Poundland branches in Bristol and Somerset will be closing amid financial problems at the budget chain.In June, Poundland was bought for £1 by investment company Gordon Brothers, which said it needed to shut about 100 shops to stop the retailer going into administration. The firm said it would try to negotiate cheaper rents and close branches where this could not be agreed.Branches in Portishead and Weston-super-Mare will close on Christmas Eve, while the Yeovil Middle Street and…

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Festive Weymouth seafront stockings highlight foster carer need

A seafront has been decorated with hundreds of handmade festive stocking to highlight the need for foster carers.The 471 stockings have been hung up along Weymouth Esplanade - each one represents a child or young person in care in Dorset.Dorset Council hopes the striking display - part of the council's Give the Greatest Gift campaign - will raise awareness and encourage more people to think about fostering.The stockings, on display along the Esplanade by the Jubilee Clock, were…

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Exeter City financial problems boosted by Jay Stansfield transfer payment

Stansfield is one of a number of players who have come through the Exeter system and gone on to be sold for high fees alongside Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu.In their last accounts published in April 2025 for the financial year ending June 2024, Exeter said they could earn around £5m from transfers.But the club has hit financial problems over the past few months after overspending their budget last season.It led to chief executive Joe Gorman and chairman…

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Bus services to get £139m funding boost

Hundreds of millions of pounds of government funding is to be spent on supporting bus services in the South and West of England.The Department for Transport (DfT) said the money, to be rolled out between 2026 and 2029, would help local travel become more reliable. Councils across the two regions will get a combined £139m in funding to help improve both the bus services themselves, as well as network infrastructure. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said a total of…

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Need To Know Somerset – Frome fire ripped through block of flats

Available for over a yearFire crews were called to the property on the evening of Wednesday the 3rd of December. Nine people have been moved into temporary accommodation in hotels due to extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the building. Image credit: Chloe RaeburnProgramme WebsiteShow less Source link

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Man, 18, hit by car on motorway was Tasered before death

National HighwaysLogan Smith, 18, died after being hit by a car on the M5 in North Somerset on SundayAn 18-year-old who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was Tasered by police before he was hit by a car and died, the police watchdog has said.Logan Smith, from Weston-super-Mare, died on the M5 in North Somerset late on Sunday evening. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said he was being taken to hospital when concerned paramedics…

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Derelict seaside hotel in Torquay converted into council flats

The first project in a council scheme to convert derelict hotels into rental homes has been completed.Brampton Court in the seaside resort of Torquay has been redeveloped into 14 energy-efficient one and two-bedroom apartments.Torbay Council, which came up with the scheme, said the apartments would be "let at social rents to local households" with the first tenants expected to move in before Christmas.The council has acquired a second site in Torquay at the Seabury Hotel and said construction…

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Appeal for Eden Project founder’s holiday home plans dismissed

Lee TrewhelaLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceLDRSThere were protests over an earlier version of the proposalEden Project founder Sir Tim Smit has had an appeal dismissed over plans to build holiday homes and other facilities at a golf course site.Cornwall Council refused a proposal from Mr Smit and his son Alex for 19 domed accommodation units known as drums, a clubhouse, car park, reception and classroom to be built at Gillyflower golf course in Lostwithiel in March 2024.Planning inspector Andrew…

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Four killed in ‘drug boat’ attack ordered by US defence chief | Newsfeed

NewsFeedThe US military says it killed four people in an air strike on a suspected drug boat in in the Eastern Pacific. The attack was ordered by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is under scrutiny over a previous attack in which survivors were killed in a follow-up strike.Published On 5 Dec 20255 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2Share Source link

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New Christchurch and Poole boat licences in bid to improve safety

Operators of pleasure boats and personal watercraft on parts of the Dorset coast will require new licences under plans set to be introduced to improve safety.BCP Council is set to establish its first Pleasure Boat and Boatperson policy, covering vessels in Poole and Christchurch harbours.It would mean boat owners would have to demonstrate their craft are "safe and well-maintained", with annual inspections and surveys of the hull.Operators of hired personal watercraft would also have to provide a safety…

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Jordan Young: Torquay United striker hailed by boss Paul Wotton

Torquay United striker Jordan Young has won praise for his work ethic from manager Paul Wotton.The 26-year-old has scored four goals in his last three games and is second in the National League South goalscoring charts with 12 from 20 appearances. Young moved to the Gulls from Yeovil Town just over a year ago and has found the target 22 times in the league over his time at Plainmoor. "He's got great technique but it's not a fluke,…

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