somerset

A major route is closed in both directions following a "serious collision" in the early hours of the morning, police said.The M5 is shut between junctions 20 for Clevedon and 21 for Weston-super-Mare, according to Avon and Somerset Police. The motorway has been closed in both directions since 02:00 GMT and National Highways say the road is not expected to reopen until about 10:30 GMT.Diversions are in place but traffic monitoring site, INRIX, are reporting the routes are…

A new community swimming pool in Somerset is another step closer to reality, after the county received a government grant for projects which will improve inactivity.Around £230,000 will be spent along the Somerset coast, between Porlock and Burnham-on-Sea, including on the new facility in Minehead.The Somerset Active Sports Partnership (SASP) will pay for a feasibility report into a new swimming pool in West Somerset, as well as spreading the money among community groups.The organisation's chief executive officer Jane…

BBCIt's a busy week of news coming up in the West of England. We take a look at what you can expect to read about on the BBC News website in the next seven days.Airport meetingTuesday: A public meeting is being held over plans for Bristol Airport to extend its runway - meaning it would take over a part of nearby Felton Common.The airport wants a longer runway to accommodate long-haul flights.Airport bosses say they realise how important…

Bird flu has been confirmed at a large, commercial poultry site, according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).It says a 3km (1.9 mile) protection zone and a further 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone have been declared around premises, which is near the village of Ashcott, in Somerset.Defra said the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 had been confirmed on 29 November.It added that all the poultry on the premises would be humanely culled.The 10km…

A high street newsagent has closed its doors for the final time, after serving its community for 116 years.GW Hurley Newsagents, in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, opened in 1919 in the premises of a former sweet shop and has stayed in the same family ever since.Colin Morris, who has run the shop for 55 years, said his health had forced him and his wife, Monika, to close down for the final time on Saturday.He said: "I was born here, my…

Rachel Candlin,West of EnglandandSimon Parkin,SomersetBBCDaniel Barnett filmed the documentary with his grandparents, Adrian and Jill RobertsA teenager has hit the big screen after his hunt for a mythical creature was made into a new documentary.Daniel Lee Barnett, 15, from Stogursey, Somerset, travelled from the Quantock Hills to Washington in the US in search of the elusive Bigfoot with a team of experts.My Bigfoot Life starts with Daniel's discovery of a large footprint in woods near his home, which…

Bristol Zoo ProjectThe frosty weather has created some stunning dawn scenes across the region this week, while at Bristol Zoo Project, the new tropical house is keeping the reptiles toasty warm.Here is a selection of pictures from across the West in our weekly round-up.BristolBristol Zoo ProjectBeady-eyed: This Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko is part of Bristol Zoological Society's breeding programme and can be seen in the new tropical habitat at the zoo.Nick Potts/PA WireA handful: Bristol City's Sinclair Armstrong (L)…

Staff at a mental health charity in the West have voted to strike in a dispute over pay.Second Step delivers council and NHS-funded mental health services across Bristol, Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire.More than 100 people at the charity have voted to strike following concerns about wages, according to Unison.A spokesperson from Second Step said a plan is in place to avoid potential strike disruption, adding: "Our priority is to maintain safe, continuous support…