Somerset Chamber of Commerce is expanding its support in Weston‑super‑Mare with a new Weston business breakfast — a dedicated networking event designed to strengthen local relationships and boost economic growth.   A spokesperson for Somerset Chamber of Commerce said; “Recent Chamber events in the town have shown just how eager Weston’s business community is to connect, collaborate and stay informed. From conversations with the Bank of England to insights on major infrastruct

Kids Go Free is coming back again for the Easter school holidays, giving free bus travel for a fortnight to around 150,000 kids aged under 16 across the West. The hugely popular, nationally unique initiative saw big increases in children and young people taking the bus over the summer and Christmas school holidays in 2025, with many places seeing the number of journeys double, compared to the same times the previous year. Every free journey is putting money back into families

Reset WSM are a community interest company (CIC) who work tirelessly to support young people, especially those with additional needs, to access an inclusive education for those struggling in mainstream settings, a valuable resource for children and young people across North Somerset. Already offering alternative provisions, school sessions, and targeted groups, the team at RESET went above and beyond for young people in 2024, hosting the first annual North Somerset Youth Awar

A 16-year-old boy has denied the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died in Weston-super-Mare in December 2025. The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is accused of killing Aria after emergency services were called to the Mead Vale area at 6:09pm on 15 December. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. A previous hearing at Avon Coroner’s Court was told that Aria died from a single stab wound to the chest at her home. During a hearing at Bristol Cr

Dan Aldridge, MP for Weston-super-Mare and member of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has challenged senior leadership at Royal Mail over serious concerns about declining service and reports of staff being told to hide undelivered post. During a Parliamentary evidence session, Dan directly questioned Alistair Cochrane Chief Executive Officer of Royal Mail, raising concerns from frontline postal workers about pressure on staff and reports that some may have been told t

UK Town of Culture is a new national competition that celebrates towns with strong identities, creative ambition and a great story to tell. The winning town will host a year of arts, heritage and community activity, bringing together local people, artists, organisations and visitors to tell the story of the place they call home. Cllr Ciaran Cronnelly, leader of Weston Town Council said; I love Weston-super-Mare, I love the creativity of our town, the energy of residents and b

by Paul Howe A Ukrainian war veteran who lost both legs in combat has been given a new chance at independence — thanks to the efforts of a Weston fundraiser, a local mobility supplier and a volunteer who regularly drives humanitarian aid to the front line. The veteran told volunteer driver Norbert Istvan Fejes  that his greatest wish was for a mobility scooter adapted for someone with double lower-limb amputation. Within weeks, that wish became reality. Norbert, who lives in

A 20 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance and drug supply offences. Several vapes have been seized and will be sent for examination. The man remains in custody while officers continue further enquiries and searches. A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said; “We are aware of an incident that occurred on Saturday 21 March, in which a woman became unwell shortly after being given a sample vape at Weston Supermarket on St James St

Jewson has donated £1,000 to Mendip Green Primary School to support its new outdoor play and learning (OPAL) project, as the builders’ merchant celebrates the relaunch of its refurbished Weston-super-Mare branch. The donation will support the next phase of the school’s OPAL journey, helping expand outdoor play opportunities for more than 600 pupils. The funding will enable the school to purchase materials including topsoil and turf to complete the banks around its giant sandp

Grand Pier Limited, Weston Super Mare, that operate The Grand Pier failed to pay £3,307.08 to 94 workers. They have been named and shamed amongst 400 companies nationally that have been issued fines and are on a Government list for failing to pay workers the minimum wage. Those aged 18 to 20 are entitled to £10 an hour, which is set to go up to £10.85, and the minimum for under-18s and apprentices is £7.55, rising to £8. Photo: ( gov.uk ) Published on Thursday 19th March it i

The Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team for Weston-super-Mare carried out a high‑visibility operation today, supported by colleagues from CCTV, Community Response, and the Business Improvement District. The operation was a success with multiple arrests and seizures. During the operation police undertook a range of actions including; Two prolific offenders were located and arrested A 44‑year‑old woman was arrested for multiple shoplifting offences. She has been charged and

Weston Independent News has learned that the former M&S has been purchased by a development company and that advertisements for renting the space were not authorised. ABL Group who have purchased the store are a property investment group which specialises in conversions of unused commercial/office space and have successfully carried our multiple projects. They have a small portfolio which is forever growing and have around 15 companies that operate under the ABL Group. In a

Weston-super-Mare’s MP, Dan Aldridge, has secured a further £19 million in Growth Mission funding to complete the restoration of the town’s iconic Birnbeck Pier, following months of lobbying Government to close a critical funding gap. With the first phases of restoration already progressing at pace – including essential repairs to the island sea wall and stabilisationworks on the boathouse, clock tower pavilion and landside cliff face, completed in 2024 – a significant shortf

Avon & Somerset Police will be hosting free online sessions led by a Child Exploitation Prevention Officer. The events which will be taking place on the 18th & 30th March are information sessions for parents and carers to learn about the different forms of child exploitation and how offenders groom/exploit children both online and offline. The sessions will be led by Avon & Somerset Police’s Child Exploitation Prevention Officer, Andri Nicolaou, and they will help participant

The M5 is closed in both directions between junctions 18 (Avonmouth) and 19 (Portbury) due to a welfare-related incident. Emergency services are at the scene, however there is significant congestion in the area. Motorists are advised to give extra time for their journey and seek alternative routes.

Weston-super-Mare is set for a weekend of boots, guitars and country spirit as Dakota Saloon presents Country Rock, a two-day live music event taking place on Easter weekend, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th April 2026, on the Beach Lawns of Weston-super-Mare.   The event will bring together some of the region’s talented country and country-rock performers for a lively weekend of music, dancing and community spirit, while also raising awareness and support for Weston-super-Mare Se

A poll conducted by Weston Independent News with over 1000 responses has found that 78% of respondents when asked the question; “Do you approve of North Somerset’s Council decision to introduce a booking system at Weston Recycling Centre”, with a “No”. A total of 1073 people responded to the poll with 186 votes (18%) answering “Yes”, 836 votes (78%) answered “No” and 51 votes (4%) were undecided. The changes to the way residents can attend the recycling centre in Weston-super

Cannabis pipes have been spotted on sale next to sweets at the Milton Supermarket which is under news management and is currently being revamped. The items were spotted by a local resident next to sweets in the store The item, a small metal pipe with packaging depicting marijuana leaves was spotted in front of the tills above sweets this week. The shop is Milton is currently being revamped by a new owner (Photo: Weston Independent News) The pipe can be used for ordinary toba

Builders merchant Jewson is inviting builders and tradespeople from Weston-super-Mare to come and celebrate the official relaunch of its local branch, following a major refurbishment. From 7:30am on Friday 20th March, the branch at Winterstoke Road will host live entertainment from local band Lipinski, with free food and drink including breakfast rolls, burgers and ice cream from regional providers. There will be merchandise up for grabs and suppliers on hand giving free demo

A man from Weston-super-Mare has been jailed for more than three years after a police investigation found he had more than half a million indecent images of children. The images were found following a search of Martin Schwarz's home after intelligence was received that indecent images were being accessed at the address. The 65-year-old was subsequently arrested and 11 phones and external hard drives containing a total of 542,904 indecent images were seized. After an investiga