News in Frome

Such a gorgeous photo and thank you to owner and alpaca farmer Sharon Snook for allowing us to share this.

Welcome baby Annie, the new arrival to a local alpaca family.

Police chiefs have been won over by the region's e-scooter trials after initially fearing "twisted metal and bodies scattered all over the highway", it has been revealed.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary traffic management unit boss Richard McKiernan told a remote meeting that he had expected carnage on roads and pavements during the West of England Combined Authority's (Weca's) pilot project.

Mass vaccinations get underway from today at Bristol's Ashton Gate – and a major site in Somerset is set to follow in two weeks' time.

Bath and West Showground boss Rupert Cox said hosting the facility will provide vital extra income and help to ensure outdoor events can resume later this year at the Shepton Mallet venue.

Damp and cold homes can be really hard to deal with especially during the winter months. It is not unusual for properties in Mendip to show signs of damp, condensation and mould which are made even worse as the weather gets colder.

Mendip District Council is encouraging local residents to contact the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) for free advice on how to deal with damp and mould, which cause indoor air pollutants that can trigger or exacerbate asthma, other respiratory issues and cardiovascular conditions.

Local law firm Thatcher + Hallam has welcomed a new Head of Communications to the team. Nicola Cretney, who lives locally, has worked in marketing and communications roles with a wide variety of organisations, including those in the e-commerce, hospitality and medical fields.

Nicola said, "It's an exciting time to be joining the team at Thatcher + Hallam. Not only are they a thriving organisation in terms of the legal support they offer but they are very supportive of the local communities within which they work, working alongside a range of organisations from sports clubs to charities to the local museum. I am really looking forward to being a part of the team, but also getting to know more about these organisations and helping to share their stories too."

For a second year running, coronavirus looks likely to cause the postponement of any scheduled local elections.

Last year elections across the country were cancelled including for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, with current commissioner Sue Mountstevens asked to stay on for another year.

Whether it was by helping someone with their shopping or standing on the doorstep clapping for key workers, many of us saw more of our neighbours in 2020 and formed new connections. Strong neighbourhoods can come together to make their streets a nicer place – and it's great to know that help is only ever a few doors away.

But what do you do when tensions are brewing on your street? A small neighbourly dispute can have a big impact on the community, but fortunately there are positive and practical ways to approach this.

Somerset residents should be on their guard against a new text scam as they wait for their coronavirus vaccine.

Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards has issued a warning about fake texts which could lead to people's bank details being stolen.

The company behind plans to expand the Westbury incinerator has applied to the Environment Agency for an environmental permit so it can burn non-hazardous waste.

The Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has confirmed that both the newly-approved Oxford/AstraZeneca and the original Pfizer Biotech coronavirus vaccines will be given out in Somerset.

The group confirmed the information as it released details of a new hospital vaccination hub, that will begin operating seven days a week from this weekend at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.