somerset

Chris LockyerWest of EnglandPA MediaDrink and drug driving offences are slightly up on last yearMore than 200 arrests have been made in the first two weeks in December by police forces in the West of England for drink or drug driving offences.It is part of action over the festive period to tackle the offence on the roads of Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.Officers have been conducting roadside checks, warning drivers there is "no safe way" to drink and…

Daisy BodkinGloucestershire BBCThe department will reopen once the strike ends on the 22nd of DecemberAn A&E department is closing for five days as doctors strike across the country.Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department will shut between 20:00 GMT on Tuesday until 08:00 on Monday. The site will instead be used as a minor injury unit from Wednesday until Sunday.Dr Ananthakrishnan Raghuram, the hospital's chief medical Officer, said: "This is a difficult time... but we're ready, we're prepared and we…

Sarah TurnnidgeWest of England BBCPolice say a teenage boy has been arrested in Worle, North Somerset A teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a nine-year-old girl.Police were called to Lime Close in the Mead Vale area of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, at 18:09 GMT on Monday, where the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was arrested in nearby Worle at 18:19 and is currently in police custody. House-to-house inquiries are being carried out,…

Michelle Ruminski,Somerset political reporterandRuth Bradley,Somerset political reporterBBC NewsRed Brick says it is "preparing for the very real possibility of insolvency"A council has terminated two multi-million pound government-funded regeneration projects after an audit of one highlighted concerns over governance and finances. Somerset Council ended the Life Factory and Glastonbury Food and Regenerative Farming Centre projects, both Glastonbury Town Deal schemes, in November. In a new report, the authority says it is seeking repayment of more than £2.4m in grant…

Clara BullockandMatthew Hill,SomersetBBCThe mum of an autistic man who died on holiday said she wants care companies to remember their responsibilitiesThe mother of an autistic man who died after falling from a balcony in Tenerife said she hopes his inquest will remind care companies of their responsibilities.Jamie Cole, 25, from Weston-super-Mare, was accompanied on holiday by carer Lousha Rees who worked for private care company Lifestyle, also known as Accomplish.Coroner Dr Peter Harrowing said on Monday that Ms…

Three companies have pleaded not guilty to health and safety offences over the death of a site supervisor at the new Hinkley Point C power station.Jason Waring, 48, from Nottinghamshire, died in a construction incident at the plant in Bridgwater, Somerset, on 13 November 2022.Mr Waring worked for one of the site's main contractors Bylor, a joint venture between two of the companies facing charges - Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and Laing O'Rourke Delivery Limited.NNB Generation Company (HPC)…

Carys NallyWest of England Road GremlinsBridgwater Carnival is the UK's oldest carnival and is visited by thousands of people each yearA £4.9m project to future-proof a carnival has begun after seven years of planning and fundraising.Contractors have started on the first phase of a long-term scheme to redevelop Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival's (BGFC) main workshop site off Bristol Road.Phase One will see the construction of five modern workshops with essential amenities including lighting, heating and running water. Chris…