BBC Somerset

Dunball roundabout reopens to ease Bridgwater’s traffic

Dunball roundabout reopens to ease Bridgwater’s traffic

An upgraded roundabout which caused months of traffic delays has been reopened after a full year of works.The £10.7m project at the Dunball roundabout in Bridgwater, Somerset, which links junction 23 of the M5 to the town, started in November 2024.A year later, it has reopened and Somerset Council said its teams would stay on site over the next few weeks to ensure the junction works.The council added: "[It] has been delivered on time and on budget. We're…

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Pancreatic Cancer warning as family ‘blindsided’ by man’s death

Pancreatic Cancer warning as family ‘blindsided’ by man’s death

Beth CruseWest of EnglandEmmie KayEmmie Kay said she had just six days with her grandad after his diagnosisA woman says she was left "blindsided" when her grandad died from cancer just six days after his diagnosis.Emmie Kay, from Bridgwater in Somerset, has shared her story ahead of taking on a 100km (62-mile) challenge to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.Ms Kay said her grandad Jim seemed to be in good health before his diagnosis, but he died just…

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Glastonbury mural gives 94-year-old woman ‘dream garden’

Glastonbury mural gives 94-year-old woman ‘dream garden’

A 94-year-old woman says a huge mural painted on the side of her house gives her a "dream garden" that she "doesn't need to look after".Muriel Baker, from Meare near Glastonbury in Somerset, had her wall transformed into a countryside scene.She cannot manage the weeding or watering needed for a garden, but this option lets her feel as though she's sitting in one while enjoying a coffee or tea, she added.It is the second mural she has had…

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‘Clifton Suspension Bridge’ and ’emergency choir’

‘Clifton Suspension Bridge’ and ’emergency choir’

PA MediaThe Clifton Suspension Bridge has been undergoing restoration for the last two yearsHere's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.Our pick of local website storiesOur top three from yesterdayWhat to watch on social media Source link

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Formula 1: Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri – who will win title?

Formula 1: Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri – who will win title?

They might have tried, but Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better.The Formula 1 title race is perfectly poised going into the final three races of the season. McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are separated by just 24 points - in Norris' favour - with a maximum of 83 still available.Damon Hill, F1 World Champion (for Williams in 1996) and BBC 5 Live pundit, knows what it is like to feel the pressure of an impending…

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Care organisations in Somerset given £616k funding boost

Care organisations in Somerset given £616k funding boost

Community projects which help people find care and support networks close to their home have been awarded £616,000 of government funding.The Somerset Cares Alliance is a new collective of organisations across the county aiming to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of adult social care.Jacky King who set up Wincanton Cares, which is part of the new alliance, said the funding was a "really fantastic opportunity to get projects off the ground".Somerset Council won the funding from the…

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Allied Pharmacies take over dozens of Jhoots branches

Allied Pharmacies take over dozens of Jhoots branches

Dawn Limbu, Sarah Turnnidge and Carys Nally,West of England BBCAllied Pharmacies has taken over 60 former Jhoots branchesDozens of pharmacies which had been repeatedly and unexpectedly closed have been taken over by a different firm.There were calls for some Jhoots pharmacies to lose their NHS rights and be shut down amid claims its locum workers were owed hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid wages.The affected branches also faced allegations of operational failures including a failure to maintain…

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Animal Farm Adventure Park fire deaths leave owners ‘devastated’

Animal Farm Adventure Park fire deaths leave owners ‘devastated’

Dan Ayers,Somerset and Dawn Limbu,West of EnglandBBCAnimal Farm Adventure Park is a family-owned business which has been open since 2009Owners of a family farm attraction say the loss of some of their animals in a fire has left them feeling "shocked and devastated". The blaze broke out at the Animal Farm Adventure Park in Berrow, near Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, at 15:37 GMT on Tuesday.Firefighters worked to tackle the blaze until 20:00 on Tuesday evening, but the fire destroyed…

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Hundreds of jobs at risk amid Swallowfield closure

Hundreds of jobs at risk amid Swallowfield closure

Sarah Turnnidge,West of England and Dan Ayers,BBC Radio SomersetBBCMore than 250 people work at the cosmetics factory A cosmetics factory in Somerset is set to close, putting more than 250 jobs at risk. KDC/One, one of Wellington's biggest employers, announced a proposal to close its Swallowfield site in the town earlier.A spokesperson for the company said it had made the "difficult decision" to move work carried out at the factory to another site in Irvine, Scotland. The firm…

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Taunton Brewhouse gets five-ear funding deal to secure future

Taunton Brewhouse gets five-ear funding deal to secure future

A theatre which is almost 50 years old has secured more than half a million pounds in new funding. Taunton Town Council has said it will pay £105,000 a year for the next five years to the Taunton Brewhouse to secure its future and help with ongoing maintenance and repairs.The council stepped in after Somerset Council, the building's owner, said "it was no longer financially sustainable" to continue funding the venue's repairs.Vickie Robbins, executive director of the theatre…

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Time taken to bring shoplifters to justice is ‘unacceptable’, retailers tell BBC

Time taken to bring shoplifters to justice is ‘unacceptable’, retailers tell BBC

Cherry Wilson and Jim ConnollyBBC News InvestigationsBBCHead of security Tom Hirst said the criminal justice system is "too easy" on shopliftersThe time it takes to bring shoplifters to justice is "unacceptable" with retailers waiting longer for criminals to face punishment compared with a decade ago, the BBC has learned.In one case, stores targeted by a thief waited up to 10 months for a shoplifter to be sentenced, despite retail workers piecing together her identity without help from the…

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