Somerset pubs ‘facing closure’ over business rate rise

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Somerset
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Michelle RuminskiSomerset Political ReporterMillie CowardMillie and Jon Coward, the owners of the Bell Inn in Wiveliscombe, say they don't know where they will find an extra £500 a week to pay their future business rates bill A pub owner has said she is genuinely worried how she will keep her doors open as she anticipates a tripling in her business rates following the Autumn Budget. Millie Coward, who owns four pubs in Somerset, said she is anticipating the…

FA Cup: Exeter City ‘will not get millions’ from Man City tie – Gary Caldwell

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Exeter City Supporters' Trust, which owns the club, has lent it more than £600,000 in the past few months after an overspend last season. Liverpool University football finance expert Kieran Maguire estimates the tie could earn City around £350,000, as the club will get 45% of the gate receipts after match costs are deducted. With Exeter not having wealthy backers, they struggle to compete financially in the third tier."If you take a look at League One, where Exeter…

Ethan Roots targets England recall after signing new Exeter Chiefs deal

Post published:December 19, 2025
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The forward moved to Exeter in the summer of 2023 and was one of a group of impressive new faces in his first campaign as a new-look Chiefs side surprised many with a sixth-placed finish. But last season Exeter managed just four league wins and finished second from bottom - their worst-ever top-flight campaign. However, Roots has been in good form this season as Exeter have surged to second place in the Prem ahead of a weekend trip…

Volunteers spreading joy to thousands of kids this Christmas

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Duncan CookGloucestershireARCThousands of gifts have been collected for people in needTens of thousands of items are set to be donated across the west of England to spread joy this Christmas to families in need.From toys for children staying in emergency accommodation to a unique campaign ensuring that young people can enjoy the magic of a pantomime performance, a team of volunteers have been working hard to support families.Everything from toys and food, to sleeping bags and gift packs…

Missing hitchhiker and the DNA breakthrough that caught killer

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Dorset
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Alistair Binneyin Worcestershire ShutterstockThe body of Celine Figard was found dumped in woods in Worcestershire It is 30 years since a French teenager hitchhiked to the UK to visit her cousin for Christmas and vanished. Those who were close to the case talk about the lasting impact it had on them.Celine Figard was heading to a holiday job at a hotel in Hampshire where her cousin was working as a waiter. The 19-year-old set out to hitchhike almost…

Repairs due to start next month on Portland’s Ferry Bridge

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Dorset
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Essential repairs to a bridge in Dorset are due to start in the new year.Cracks have formed beneath the surface of Ferry Bridge, between Portland and Weymouth, and need to be repaired to stop further damage.The route will be partially closed from 19 January with traffic signals initially expected to be in place until 1 March.Councillor Jon Andrews, Dorset Council's cabinet member for place, said: "We understand these works will cause inconvenience, and we're very sorry for that."In…

‘Putting our home in a trust was a legal nightmare’

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Cornwall
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Amy Gladwell and Charlotte CoxBBC South West InvestigationsBBCJoyce Gifford says she still has trouble sleeping due to the stress it has causedWhen Joyce Gifford found out her name had been removed from her house deeds after it was transferred to a "family protection trust", she says she felt "sick".The 72-year-old signed her home in Cornwall into the trust in 2018 with McClure solicitors, who she says told her it would protect it from having to be sold to…

Bigger and complex household debts concern charity

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Anna VarleSouth West social affairs correspondentBBCTom Kehily from Ilfracombe started falling into debt after he lost his job and his relationship broke downAverage debt owed by households in part of Devon have risen by more than £4,000 in two years, a charity said.Christians Against Poverty (CAP) said research it had carried out showed the average household debt in North Devon was £14,330 in 2025, compared to £10,139 in 2023.Reverend Ben Warrender, a debt centre manager for the charity…

Exeter care agency put into special measures by Care Quality Commission

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Yui Mok/PA WireHorizon Care (South West) Ltd has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality CommissionA home care agency which helps more than 200 people living in their own homes in Exeter has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).The watchdog inspected Horizon Care (South West) Ltd in September after receiving "information of concern" about the service. It issued a warning notice that "rapid and significant" improvement was needed to safeguarding, care…

Tips on how to avoid delays in the South

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Chris McHughSouth of EnglandHampshire County CouncilA key section the M27 in Hampshire will be closed between 24 December and 4 JanuaryWith Christmas on the horizon, thousands of people will soon be heading home - but finding a way to beat the rush can be a daunting task. The RAC has predicted this year will be the busiest festive getaway since it began recording the data in 2013, with Christmas Eve alone set to involve 4.2m trips.But with several…

Australia PM Albanese launches gun ‘buyback’ plan after Bondi Beach attack | Gun Violence News

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:Al Jazeera
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Albanese said Australia has more guns now than 30 years ago, when the country’s deadliest-ever mass shooting took place.Australia will launch a national gun buyback scheme, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced, as the country continues to come to terms with the deadly attack on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead.Albanese called the plan the country’s biggest gun buyback since 1996 – the year of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in modern…

Tottenham vs Liverpool: Premier League – teams, start time, lineups | Football News

Post published:December 18, 2025
Post category:Al Jazeera
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Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs LiverpoolWhat: English Premier LeagueWhere: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United KingdomWhen: Saturday December 20, at 5:30pm (17:30 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Click here to follow our live coverage.Defending champions Liverpool will seek back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September when they visit Tottenham on Saturday, but the Reds’ woes are far from a…