News in Shepton Mallet

The sound of steam engines will be heard at Cranmore once again as the East Somerset Railway opens for an exciting summer of events and experiences.

From March 12 the heritage railway will be open at weekends, additionally Wednesdays from the beginning of June and also Thursdays during the school summer holidays.

As spring officially arrives – according to meteorologists anyway – Mendip Ramblers are looking forward to lots of walking in dry and sunny weather. Yes, we're optimists!

Recently there has been some good news for all walkers! The requirement that all footpaths must be registered by 2026 has been lifted - we now shouldn't "Lose Our Way". Also there's a realistic hope for the completion of the England Coast Path in 2022 – all 2,700 miles. The Ramblers Association, along with many other charities, have campaigned for this important national asset for many years. It will be the longest managed and way marked coastal path in the world! While the Mendip area doesn't have a coastline it's not too far from the coast in Somerset and North Somerset.

A Somerset detective with 25 years' "exemplary" service has been sacked after sending obscene and abusive text messages to two sexual assault victims. 

The public would be appalled to learn that over a nine-month period in 2019 DC Jon Hooper also drafted sexualised comments about two other vulnerable female victims – that were never sent – "for thrills", a misconduct hearing was told. 

So, with Unitary and Town Council elections just around the corner and the recent addition of two replacement members of staff to the team it is all change in Shepton Mallet Town Council.

One of our recent focuses has been on collectively galvanising the councillors and staff team and involving the community to deliver on a whole scope of projects. This has ranged from the town centre resurfacing to the delivery of the winter and summer series events. We have also received very positive feedback regarding the new Shepton Mallet Town Council branding, which brings everything we do to life.

It's a fun-packed weekend in Shepton ahead, with live music, a rare chance to get a look at a local plant nursery, screen printing workshop, local derby football match and a chance to have your say on the town's art scene.

And don't forget, if your business or organisation is running an event, you can advertise it for free with Shepton Mallet Nub News.

A driver who got behind the wheel after taking cocaine, has been sentenced for a fatal collision that killed an 85-year-old woman.

Alistair Pole, 57, was driving his Audi A4 Quattro in Kilmersdon on 20 October 2019 when he pulled up at the junction of Church Street and Kilmersdon Hill.

A defibrillator has been stolen from outside McColl's in Shepton Mallet.

The defibrillator was fitted with a tracker and it was last tracked moving down the main road before going into the car park. The tracker was then removed and was found smashed up in the bins behind the car park.

Mendip District Council is urging bill-payers to set up a direct debit to pay their council tax from April, to ensure they get their £150 energy rebate payment as quickly as possible.

In Mendip, around 76% of households pay by direct debit - but it still leaves more than 12,500 households who do not currently pay their council tax through this convenient arrangement.

Shepton residents are being asked for emergency donations to help people of Ukraine.

Bath Ambulance station is co-ordinating a collection of supplies to be taken to the Ukrainian border, and Jenni Brown from Shepton is organmising the effort in Shepton and will deliver any donations from the town to the collection point in Bath.

Westdown Quarry near Shepton Mallet could reopen, if permission is granted.

A stretch of Somerset woodland near Shepton Mallet could be "seamlessly extended" and enhanced for future generations if a nearby quarry is allowed to reopen.