county news

Carnival will try and make Somerset event more accessible

Carnival will try and make Somerset event more accessible

Charlie TaylorBBC Radio Somerset andChris LockyerSomersetBBCEvery autumn, processions of illuminated carts pass through ChardOrganisers of a popular carnival have agreed to discuss how to make the event more accessible with two parents of children with additional needs.Every autumn, processions of illuminated carts pass through Chard as part of the South Somerset Carnival Circuit. The events are often noisy and bright, meaning those with sensory processing disorders can find the experience overwhelming.Belinda and Livvy, from Chard, are calling for…

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Dorset Olympic palm tree petition to be presented to Weymouth town council

Dorset Olympic palm tree petition to be presented to Weymouth town council

Sophie CridlandSouth of England, South of EnglandBBCA petition to save two much-loved palm trees on an esplanade in a seaside town is to be discussed at a local council meeting.Since Weymouth Town Council announced the removal of the trees, local people and some tourists have said they want them to remain in place.Now it has been agreed that an attempt will be made to replant the palm trees elsewhere in the town.800 paper and 350 verified online signatures…

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Dorset cancer charity hosts ‘life-affirming’ fashion show

Dorset cancer charity hosts ‘life-affirming’ fashion show

Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandIan MetcalfThe Charity Angels UK Dorchester Fashion Show debuted in 2023, raising about £9,000"When they first walk on the catwalk, they're quite tentative. By the final scene, they're living life."Jane Hinnrichs is the lead organiser of the second Charity Angels UK Dorchester Fashion Show, featuring 14 Dorset women who have experienced breast cancer.The sold-out event is in its second year and aims to raise funds for research into secondary breast cancer, as well as show…

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Dog owners asked about Cornwall beach restrictions for pets

Dog owners asked about Cornwall beach restrictions for pets

Christine ButlerSouth WestBBCDelilah the greyhound-cross loves a run on a beach, like here at Carlyon BayDog owners in Cornwall are being invited to have their say on restrictions put in place for dogs during the summer months. Cornwall Council is about to update its Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for the next three years. It currently bans dogs from 46 beaches, usually after 10:00 BST and before 18:00 from 1 July to 31 August, although Blue Flag beaches have…

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Cornwall and Isles of Scilly facing child poverty ‘crisis’

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly facing child poverty ‘crisis’

Brian Lawless/PA WireOne in five children across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are living in povertyPublic health officials have issued an "urgent call" to tackle child poverty in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.The 2025 director of public health annual report said 27,000 babies, children and young people up to the age of 19 lived in "relative poverty".One young person said living in poverty was a "hard place to grow up", but added: "It definitely makes you…

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Nancy Astor statue in Plymouth removed to fix wobble

A statue of the first female MP to take her seat in the House of Commons has been temporarily moved for repairs.Plymouth City Council said the bronze figure of Nancy Astor was taken away on Monday from its position on the Hoe for up to 12 weeks while "essential maintenance work" was completed.The authority said a wobble had developed due to the statue's position on the seafront and exposure to the elements.Astor became the first woman to sit…

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Concerns over 2,700-acre ‘mega-solar’ scheme in Devon

Concerns over 2,700-acre ‘mega-solar’ scheme in Devon

Kirk EnglandSouth West environment and tourism correspondentBBCStephen and Sharon Boulton, who live close to the proposed solar farm, say other options should be explored first"It's going to be huge, absolutely vast," says Stephen Boulton of the solar farm that could be built on fields near his home in rural Devon."Moving here was my retirement dream, to be able to look out over a view like this," added Mr Boulton, who is now spearheading the campaign against what could…

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Two houses in Plymouth evacuated after high readings of fuel

Two homes were evacuated after higher than expected fuel readings were taken on a street in Plymouth, with the alarm being initially raised by an occupant.Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to the Dayton Close in Crownhill at about 13:25 BST on Tuesday after the occupant called them to report the smell of fuel.A spokesperson for the service said at about 20:30 crews and South West Water (SWW) remained at the scene as…

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High Court clears Reform councillors of election overspending

Two Reform councillors and their election agent have had their names cleared by a High Court judge after being reported for overspending on election expenses by a colleague.Exeter councillors Neil Stevens, his brother Tony Stevens and their agent Rob Sheridan brought a civil case to the High Court in an attempt to protect their reputations as they face a police investigation.Justice Martin Spencer said any mistakes made by Neil Stevens and Rob Sheridan had been in good faith…

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Manoj Chinthathira appears in court over Taunton rape allegation

Manoj Chinthathira appears in court over Taunton rape allegation

Chloe HarcombeWest of EnglandGoogleThe woman was found in Victoria Park in a distressed state on Saturday, police saidA 29-year-old man has appeared in court accused of raping a woman in a park. Manoj Chinthathira appeared at North Somerset Courthouse earlier charged with two counts of rape and one count of strangulation after the woman was allegedly raped in Victoria Park, Taunton, on Saturday.Avon and Somerset Police said members of the public found the woman in the park in…

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Appeal after glass smashed in woman’s face at Devon pub

An investigation has been launched after a woman had a glass smashed in her face during an altercation at a pub in Devon, police have said.Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were appealing for witnesses after a fight broke out at the York Inn on Imperial Road, Exmouth, in the early hours of 12 October. The woman suffered cuts to the face and nose which required seven stitches, police added."During the altercation, a woman had a glass smashed…

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‘Wonderful’ new NHS practice opens in ‘dental desert’ Wellington

‘Wonderful’ new NHS practice opens in ‘dental desert’ Wellington

Cheryl DennisSomerset, Wellington andChris LockyerSomersetBBCHeather Bubb said having a new NHS service was "wonderful"A woman whose long-term dentist went private said it is "wonderful" that a new NHS surgery has opened in her town.Heather Bubb, 77, had been with her dentist in Wellington in Somerset for more than 25 years before it suddenly went private, leaving her facing a £5,500 bill she could not afford in 2023.The new dental surgery on an industrial estate is the first NHS…

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