Martin Fear, Terry Wells and Richard Spindler all received Royal National Lifeboat Institution long service medals presented by the High Sheriff of Somerset, Janet Montgomery and The Mayor of Weston-super-Mare, Councillor Martin Williams on Sunday 25th January 2026. From left to Right, Martin Fear, Janet Montgomery, Richard Spindler, Terry Wells, Cllr Martin Williams, (Photo: RNLI) Volunteers are the heart of the RNLI and make up the vast majority of their staff, 97% of their

Work to restore Birnbeck Pier will continue next week with North Somerset Council’s contractor Mackley on site from Monday (2 February) in preparation for works to start on the pier itself. Double-stacked office cabins will arrive next week with a 100-tonne Long Reach excavator planned to arrive by mid-February. This will shortly be followed by a 100-tonne crane which will begin works to the foreshore and first Pier. Later this year, a long-reach excavator with a cherry picke

Avon & Somerset Police’s Neighbourhood Team for Weston-Supe-Mare have arrested three males on conspiracy to supply a Class B drug “A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said; “We work closely with education providers, and information was shared with police that Weston Supermarket on St James Street had been supplying college‑age students with THC vapes.” “Several students subsequently became unwell.” “Earlier today, officers from the Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Tea

At a budget meeting held on 19th January 2026, the Labour-led Weston-super-Mare Town Council officially voted for a 0% change to its budget for the 2026/27 financial year. Despite inflationary pressures, Weston Town Council has successfully maintained its precept at £164 per year for an average Band D property (aside from a minor 14p technical adjustment). This means that for approximately £3.15 per week, the Town Council will continue to deliver many local services valued by

The Purple Ball is being held on Saturday 7th March at The Grand Pier Johdi Russell who sadly passed away in 2017, aged just 17yrs old, from Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy (SUDEP) Organisers are looking for raffle and silent auction prizes and tickets can be purchased here Organiser Aimie Russell said; “ We organise The Purple Ball event in memory of my sister, Johdi Kate Russell, who sadly passed away from SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy) in 2017. At the tim

Two Bristol-based organisations have come together to create new resources aimed at helping people know what to do when someone dies. North Bristol NHS Trust and Bristol Memorial Woodland Trust, alongside health psychologist Mireille Hayden, have produced two booklets, ‘ Guide to End-of-Life Planning ’ and ‘ When Someone Dies ’, which are available now for the public and healthcare professionals, and provide invaluable advice. The guides are free to anyone who is facing the p

The Bank of England is interested to hear from the people of Somerset about the impact of the cost of living on their finances, as part of their Citizens’ Forum programme which has been running across the UK since 2018. The event is designed to gather information from local people, which will complement existing data and analysis, and help inform the Bank’s policy decisions. Monetary policy has been guided by the need to squeeze inflation out of the economy to achieve the 2%

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is set to approve the start of a consultation on the combined authority expanding to include North Somerset Council.   Negotiations with the national government have already unlocked an additional £15 million in the short-term for projects in the region, should North Somerset join. An additional £1 million has been offered to assist with the process of the local authority joining Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Glo

Dan Aldridge MP has met with Marks & Spencer to press the case for new investment in Weston-super-Mare, as momentum continues to build following the recent success of securing Poundland’s future on the High Street. The confirmation that Poundland will remain open and invest further in Weston has been widely welcomed by residents and businesses, reinforcing confidence in the town as a place worth backing. Building on that progress, Dan Aldridge met with Adam Hawksbee from Mark

Worle based singer and saxophonist Lucy Harvey has been announced as a Regional Winner at The Wedding Industry Awards 2026 in the Musical Act category for the third year in a row. Regional Winners now go through to the National Final in Liverpool in January 2026. Excitement reached fever pitch as The Wedding Industry Award South West Winners were announced at a glittering event at Aldwick Estate near Bristol on Monday 17 th November. Now Lucy will head to the national finals

North Somerset Council has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today calling for urgent changes to the way councils are funded, warning that national policy is pushing bills up locally while reducing government support. Just before Christmas, the council received its provisional funding settlement from government. The figures show North Somerset could lose £18.6 million, and the council estimates the changes could remove more than £30 million from local services over t

Two residents of Weston-super-Mare will receive an Order of the British Empire it has been announced as part of the 2026 New Year Honours list. Fundraiser Susan Collard has been awarded an OBE for charitable service after raising tens of thousands of pounds in recent years for the Bone Cancer Research Trust after her daughter, Mary, sadly passed away from bone cancer in 2012 at just 11yrs old. Susan Marshall will also receive an OBE for services to education and the community

The South West has been cautioned that a sharp fall in temperatures could result in an increase in deaths over the next week. A cold weather health alert has been issued for the region from 8pm on Sunday, December 28 until 12pm on Monday, January 5. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the cold spell could have a “significant” impact on health and social care services. Falling temperatures are expected to pose a greater risk to elderly people and those with existing hea

Poundland on Weston-super-Mare High St has been saved in a last minute deal which will see the store re-open on Saturday January 10th. A petition had been signed by hundreds of local businesses and residents calling for the store to stay open. Local MP Dan Aldridge, who has been campaigning to save the store said; “ It’s a Christmas miracle, Poundland's been saved! It will be reopening on 10th January, and I know this will be a huge relief and very welcome news for the brilli

Avon & Somerset Police have issued advice to residents to be on the guard against burglars this Christmas season. A spokesperson said; “ Don’t let burglars turn your Christmas into a nightmare, stay secure, stay smart and share these tips to help others do the same” ✅ Check that doors and windows are locked. ✅ Keep house and car keys out of sight and reach. ✅ Fit good quality locks or bolts to outside doors, garages and sheds. ✅ Invest in a signal blocking pouch (Faraday Bag

A Just Giving page launched by a famile friend has already received over £4000 in donations towards its target. Heather Prindiville who launched the page said; “As a close friend of the family and seeing first hand just how difficult the coming moments, days, weeks, months, and even years will be for them I just want to be able to do something to ease the road ahead. Tragedy has struck in the most unimaginable way and so close to Christmas. My beautiful friend Tori and her am

Police have released photos of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who was stabbed to death in Somerset. One image shows the girl in a white sleeveless top and wearing a hairband with Minnie Mouse-style ears. The other picture is of Aria in a pink dress, wearing a rosette and "happy birthday" headband, surrounded by balloons. Her family approved the release of the images. Photo: Avon & Somerset Police Photo: Avon & Somerset Police It comes as a teenage boy appeared in court charged wi

Cllr Catherine Gibbons, the Deputy Leader of North Somerset Council and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Families issued following statement this morning on behalf of North Somerset Council; "I have been shocked and deeply saddened by the news of Aria’s death. “On behalf of everyone at North Somerset Council, I offer our sincerest condolences to Aria’s family, friends and the school community. The pain of losing a child in such tragic circumstances is unimaginable

Improvements have been made to bus passenger facilities at Weston General Hospital. A small transport hub has been created near the entrance to the hospital, including:  a new large bus shelter with improved seating an e-ink screen offering digital timetables and real time updates additional seating outside of the shelter and motorcycle parking facilities  This is the first of several small transport hubs being introduced throughout North Somerset, with larger transport hubs

North Somerset Council is scheduled to have its funding from Central Government cut by a whopping £17.4m over the next 3yrs in a blow that risks crippling vital services. North Somerset Council has sought permission to raise Council Tax above the 5% maximum threshold in a bid to increase funds. If the request fails, the council will be left with no choice than to cut even more services to the residents of North Somerset. In order to plug the existing gap in finances, the coun