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New website launched for young people in Somerset with disabilities

New website launched for young people in Somerset with disabilities

A new website for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has launched to give people a space to share their experiences.The Unstoppables, a Yeovil-based group, began as a monthly in-person meet-up. They have since launched an online platform so members can share their experiences more often.Eve is registered blind and is one of the Unstoppables, she said: "It's made a huge difference and changed my life completely. I feel listened to."Unstoppables is open to all…

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Brother says crash victim sister was loving and a great mother

Brother says crash victim sister was loving and a great mother

Sophie CridlandSouth of EnglandFamily handoutEmma was Shanes only sibling.The brother of a woman that died in a two-car crash is raising money to buy a headstone for his sister's grave and to support her four children.Emma Smith was involved in the incident on the A35 in West Dorset in October. Dorset Police said the 37-year-old, from Bournemouth, was pronounced dead at the scene and a 35-year-old man from Poole is on police bail while enquiries continue.Shane Morrison said…

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Fire that destroyed Dorchester cafe started by electrical fault

Fire that destroyed Dorchester cafe started by electrical fault

A fire service have revealed the cause of a blaze that ripped through a cafe on a high street a year since it happened.The Gorge Cafe on South Street, Dorchester was completely destroyed and neighbouring buildings were damaged on 9 December 2024.Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said: "The fire report states the most probable cause of the fire was a fault with an electrical item."The building contractors have removed the debris and rubble by hand and are working…

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Devon council set to maintain green spaces previously leased to trust

Devon council set to maintain green spaces previously leased to trust

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestBBCCouncillor David Thomas said it was a significant step towards securing the future of Torbay's treasured natural spacesA local authority is set to maintain green spaces previously leased to a conservation charity. Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (TCCT), which looked after 80% of Torbay's landscapes, said it did not receive increased funds from Torbay Council in time to prevent it from financial collapse in October.Torbay Council said notice of formal liquidation had been received, and it…

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Salmon functionally extinct in Devon river due to weir, says charity

Salmon functionally extinct in Devon river due to weir, says charity

Campaigners who say salmon are close to extinction on a river say the species could be re-established if improvements are made to an old weir.Fish cannot cross the School Weir on the River Sid in east Devon because it is too high to jump over, meaning that the species only exists in very small numbers, said the Westcountry Rivers Trust.The trust said salmon were "functionally extinct" in the river and urged authorities to help them.The Environment Agency said…

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Landulph bus shelter gets artistic makeover

Landulph bus shelter gets artistic makeover

Claire TaggArtist Jill Mannings Cox adds some finishing touches to her bus shelter designA town's bus shelter has been given an artistic makeover marking the coronation of King Charles III.Landulph Parish Council commissioned an artist to bring the shelter in the village to life after it had been damaged when a vehicle collided with it.Artist Jill Mannings Cox has recently completed the work which includes depictions of people in the community and views in the area.Parish councillor Claire…

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Robust regulation essential for nature recovery to unlock £1bn of investment, report shows

The effectiveness of ambitious efforts to attract over £1 billion annually into nature recovery by 2030 could be undermined without stronger governance and regulatory oversight, according to new analysis from the University of Exeter. Market-based instruments are crucial for addressing nature degradation and financing gaps, but the current framework risks market failures due to inherent complexities in valuing biodiversity, issues within existing schemes like Biodiversity Net Gain and a lack of robust regulatory control, the study shows. The…

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Honduras issues arrest warrant for ex-president Hernandez after US pardon | Crime News

The arrest warrant for the country’s former president comes amid a closely-fought election.Published On 9 Dec 20259 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareHonduras’s top prosecutor has issued an international arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, intensifying legal and political turmoil just days after the ex-leader walked free from a United States prison.Attorney General Johel Antonio Zelaya announced the move on Monday in a post on X, saying he instructed the Agencia Técnica de Investigación…

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F1 champion Lando Norris honoured with street in Somerset shopping centre

F1 champion Lando Norris honoured with street in Somerset shopping centre

Joe SkirkowskiWest of EnglandPA MediaLando Norris became the 11th Briton to win the F1 World ChampionshipsLando Norris may have only just been crowned Formula 1 world champion but he is already being immortalised in his home county of Somerset.The 26-year-old won the F1 title after a third place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix gave him the points needed to make the triumph possible.He was honoured with a pedestrianised street called Lando Lane named after him at…

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Activist’s hammer attack was to ‘protect friend’, court told

Activist’s hammer attack was to ‘protect friend’, court told

An alleged Palestine Action member has told a jury he struck a police officer with a sledgehammer because he was "protecting" a co-defendant.Samuel Corner, 23, is accused of attacking the Sgt during a break-in at Elbit Systems UK factory near Bristol in the early hours of August 6 last year.The Oxford University graduate from Devon is one of six accused of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder after using a prison van to break into site.He stands…

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Devon and Cornwall Police carry out drink and tests for ferry users

Devon and Cornwall Police carry out drink and tests for ferry users

Police have been carrying out random drink and drug tests on a South West ferry service.Operation Ferry is a part of Devon and Cornwall Police's push to reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related driving deaths in the build up to Christmas.It took place on the Torpoint Ferry where officers waited on either side of the service in Plymouth and Torpoint to carry out the tests.The force said it hoped the operation would highlight how long drugs and…

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Bournemouth news: Cherries want Semenyo to stay until summer

Bournemouth news: Cherries want Semenyo to stay until summer

Bournemouth want star attacker Antoine Semenyo to stay until the end of the season despite interest from big six Premier League clubs over a January move.The 25-year-old signed a new contract on 1 July, despite summer interest from Manchester United and Tottenham. However, the deal includes a series of release clauses that give the Ghana international future opportunities to leave.The first clause would allow Semenyo to leave for £65m before 10 January – a date chosen to give…

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