SOMERSET saw just 30 positive Covid-19 tests in the latest 24-hour period as infection rates continue to drop.

A SENIOR Tory MP has called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to announce additional support for festivals as part of the Budget next week.

RAIL passengers in England and Wales have been hit by above inflation fare rises - despite the collapse in demand.

DISADVANTAGED sixth form and college students are around three A-level grades behind their more affluent peers - and worse in one area of Somerset - a new report suggests.

SOMERSET taxpayers are “subsidising the policing in Bristol” and not getting a fair deal, a councillor has claimed.

A RISE in council tax for Somerset residents will pay for 70 new police officers.

BELOW are the planning applications received by South Somerset District Council for the week of February 15, 2021.

If you post the location of police speed traps on Facebook, Instagram of Twitter, you face breaching section 89 of the Police Act 1997.

KENSINGTON and Chelsea is the least affordable location in Britain for people trying to get on the property ladder, while East Ayrshire in Scotland is the most affordable place, analysis has found.

Here is a round-up of some of the best deals you can find in Aldi and Lidl this weekend.

THOUSANDS of Exeter residents have spent a second night away from their homes following the controlled detonation of a Second World War bomb.

THERE have been 40 positive Covid-19 tests in Somerset in the last 24-hours.

A 2,000-year-old Celtic Chieftain’s chariot brooch which was unearthed by a metal detectorist has sold for £55,000 at auction - seven times its estimate.

A BARGAIN store is coming to Chard in June 2021.

A SUSPECTED Second World War bomb discovered in Exeter is to be detonated, police have confirmed.

The cash-saving guru shared his trick with viewers on The Martin Lewis Money Show this week, dedicating a section of the show to Sainsbury’s.

Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Co-op are urgently recalling a number of products over possible health risks.

A SOMERSET strawberry grower has purchased two plots of land totalling 34.5 acres after securing £5.5 million in funding.

THERE have been 43 new Covid-19 cases across all four Somerset districts in the past 24-hours.

PEOPLE aged 40-49 are next in line for a Covid-19 vaccine, after Government advisers concluded that vaccinating in order of age remains the quickest way to cut deaths.

SAINSBURY’S will increase salaries for staff at its supermarkets and Argos stores and pay a bonus to frontline workers, the third since the pandemic started, the retailer said.

A BBC film crew will be filming on Berrow Beach for the next few days - and members of the public are being asked to keep their distance from them.

SOMERSET’S fire authority will not allocate more taxpayers’ money to bail to its own commercial operation – which is now more than £770,000 in debt.

PRIMARY school pupils in Chard have been writing letters to care home residents.

A CONFIRMATION present found in a sock drawer at a remote cottage is estimated to be worth a staggering £20,000.

A SOMERSET youngster has set herself the challenge of dressing up as a different character each day to raise money for charity - raising a staggering amount in the process.

TAUNTON-BASED St Margaret’s Hospice Care has been awarded £1,000 to help fund end of life care in Somerset.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Action Fraud have been informed of the incident.

The £9bn high street recovery plan has been sent to Rishi Sunak for consideration.

Prince Harry confirmed he is a fan of The Crown and opened up about his decision to withdraw from royal duties, insisting he “did not walk away”.

The hike comes after the price was increased for the previous three years.

THERE have been just under 50 new Covid-19 cases in all four Somerset Districts in the past 24-hours.

PLANS to build ten houses in the centre of Chard have received backlash from residents – but the owner of the land says scheme is “much improved” in comparison to the historic 12 home scheme, consented a number of years ago.

THERE is a lot of misinformation online about the Covid-19 pandemic, and many people are uncertain where to go for the truth.

SOMERSET Member of Parliament Jacob Rees-Mogg has rejected the belief that Yorkshire is 'God’s own country'.

Healthcare waiting lists in the UK are now longer than they have been for about 20 years.

The Prime Minister has offered engaged couples clarity following his announcement, here is all you need to know.

A COMMUNITY'S plan to save their village pub has taken another few steps forward.

THERE have been 41 new Covid-19 cases in four Somerset districts in the last 24-hours.

THIS footage shows the moment a man who heard noises in his chimney for five days discovered the culprit - a large OWL.

A 19-YEAR-OLD woman is missing from Yeovil.

THERE have been 39 new Covid-19 cases in four Somerset districts in the last 24-hours.

THE FAMILY of a motorist who died after a crash near South Petherton have paid tribute to a man who "loved the outdoors".

SUSPECTED cannabis plants were discovered in the former NatWest building in Crewkerne, after the fire yesterday afternoon (February 22).

ONE result of the consultation being launched into creating a unitary authority in Somerset is in local elections.

PEOPLE are being urged to have their say over once-in-a-lifetime plans which could change the way public services are delivered in Somerset.

FIRE crews have been working through the night to control a blaze at a derelict Somerset building.

PLANS for 10 dwellings in the centre of Chard have caused outrage among local residents.

Some have expressed concern that, if schools open too soon, the rate of virus transmission could begin to rise once again.

AVON and Somerset Police received more than 480 reports of suspected Covid-19 regulation breaches over the weekend.