Local news from the Bridgwater Mercury covering Bridgwater, North Petherton, Sedgemoor and Somerset.

US firm to run rescue helicopters

8:27am Tuesday 26th March 2013

Britain's search-and-rescue helicopter service, which employs the Duke of Cambridge, is to be run by US-headquartered Bristow Helicopters, the Government announced.

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New nuclear plant gets go-ahead

6:57pm Tuesday 19th March 2013

The Government has given the go-ahead for the first of a planned new generation of nuclear power plants in the UK.

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Watchdog urges police poll revamp

2:57am Tuesday 19th March 2013

Just one in five people were able to make an informed decision when voting for their £100,000-a-year police and crime commissioner (PCC), the independent elections watchdog has said in a damning report.

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PM denies press regulator claims

11:06am Monday 18th March 2013

Prime Minister David Cameron has denied Labour claims that new press regulations would have "statutory underpinning" but said he was "delighted" with the deal that had been done.

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Aerospace institute plan unveiled

9:47am Monday 18th March 2013

The aerospace industry and the Government have announced a £2 billion investment to keep the UK at the forefront of world manufacturing.

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Body found in hunt for rugby fan

7:29pm Tuesday 12th March 2013

Police searching for a rugby fan missing for more than a month have found a body in a river.

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Thomas Cook set to axe 2,500 jobs

12:15pm Wednesday 6th March 2013

Around 2,500 jobs are to be axed at holidays group Thomas Cook after it revealed plans to close 195 of its high street travel agencies.

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Mildest day of the year is forecast

4:50am Tuesday 5th March 2013

After weeks of wintry weather, many people should be able to put their hats and scarves away - as it is set to be the "mildest day of the year so far", according to forecasters.

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'Batman' hands wanted man to police

4:57pm Monday 4th March 2013

A man dressed as Batman walked into a police station in the middle of the night and said "I've caught this one for you" as he handed over a wanted alleged criminal, officers have said.

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Parents urged to get off treadmill

11:04am Saturday 2nd March 2013

Parents are smothering their children, leaving them unable to cope by themselves as they grow up, Prime Minister David Cameron's adviser on childhood has said.

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Queen forced to cancel Wales visit

8:09pm Friday 1st March 2013

The Queen has been forced to cancel a planned visit to Wales after suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace has said.

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Sports Direct buys Republic stores

1:19pm Thursday 28th February 2013

The future of high-street fashion retailer Republic has been secured and 2,100 jobs saved after Sports Direct International bought the chain from administrators.

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Train death cricketer high on drugs

12:05pm Tuesday 26th February 2013

A county cricketer was electrocuted on a railway line before being struck by train as he attempted to flee police after driving while on a cocktail of drink and drugs, an inquest has heard.

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One million 'Romans' in Britain

12:20am Sunday 24th February 2013

Around one million men in the UK can claim to be direct descendants of the Romans, scientists have revealed.

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Cut back meat consumption: experts

2:58am Monday 18th February 2013

People should halve the amount of meat they eat as part of efforts to cut pollution caused by nutrients such as nitrogen, experts have said.

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Meat plant owner among three held

8:34pm Thursday 14th February 2013

The owner of a meat processing plant has been arrested along with two other men by officers investigating the horse meat scandal.

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Warmer weather set to follow snow

4:05pm Wednesday 13th February 2013

Warmer weather will return to the UK on Thursday after the snow is replaced by rain.

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Barclays to axe at least 3,700 jobs

7:43am Tuesday 12th February 2013

Scandal-hit banking giant Barclays said it is axing at least 3,700 jobs under a strategic overhaul, but revealed it is paying £1.85 billion in bonuses to staff.

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Bulger murder anniversary marked, including interview with Ralph Bulger

4:42am Tuesday 12th February 2013

A community will mourn as it marks 20 years since the brutal murder of toddler James Bulger.

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Victim recorded rapist's confession

11:09am Monday 11th February 2013

A woman who was raped as a child has been praised for her bravery after secretly recording her attacker confessing to the crime 20 years later.

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Public funds 'may be cut by third'

10:34am Wednesday 6th February 2013

Spending on services like police, defence, transport and justice could be cut by a third by 2017/18 under Government spending plans, a report warned.

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Friends help Gazza get treatment

2:29am Tuesday 5th February 2013

Ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been admitted to a treatment centre in the United States after celebrity friends intervened to help the star.

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More snow forecast amid big freeze

5:43am Sunday 20th January 2013

Snow is expected to blanket the UK for the next week, with no end of the big freeze in immediate sight.

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Manager charged over pit deaths

12:33pm Friday 18th January 2013

The manager of a colliery where four miners died has been charged with fours counts of manslaughter, police said.

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Jobs fear as Blockbuster collapses

2:59pm Wednesday 16th January 2013

DVD and video games rental firm Blockbuster UK has gone into administration, putting more than 4,000 jobs at risk.

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Two dead in helicopter crane crash

9:38am Wednesday 16th January 2013

Two people have died when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London and cartwheeled to the ground.

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Horse meat traces found in burgers

2:58am Wednesday 16th January 2013

Traces of horse meat have been found in burgers on sale in some of the UK and Ireland's busiest supermarkets, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said.

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May expected to back police pay cut

10:37am Tuesday 15th January 2013

The Home Secretary is to respond to proposed reforms of police conditions that include a salary cut for new starters and the introduction of compulsory redundancies.

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Day-Lewis leads UK's Oscars charge

2:27pm Thursday 10th January 2013

Daniel Day-Lewis leads British acting hopes at the Oscars after he was nominated for best actor in US historical drama Lincoln.

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Flooding fear over fresh heavy rain

7:42pm Saturday 15th December 2012

Heavy showers are set to continue this weekend, bringing the risk of more flooding problems for parts of the UK.

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Pain of missing April's parents

12:30pm Wednesday 12th December 2012

The parents of missing April Jones have spoken of their pain at realising they will never see their daughter alive again.

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Derby pitch invader says sorry

1:40pm Monday 10th December 2012

The Manchester City fan who ran on to the pitch and tried to confront Rio Ferdinand in Sunday's derby match has apologised, his solicitors have said.

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Nine charged over derby trouble

12:47pm Monday 10th December 2012

Nine people have been charged in connection with trouble at the Manchester derby, Greater Manchester Police said.

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Bishops to tweet Christmas sermons

12:15am Sunday 9th December 2012

The country's senior bishops are set to tweet their Christmas Day sermons for the first time this year in a Christmas Tweet campaign.

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Boy killed by car at caravan site

11:36pm Saturday 8th December 2012

A seven-year-old boy has died after being hit by a car allegedly driven by a teenager at a caravan site, police said.

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Sub-zero night coldest of winter

11:11am Thursday 6th December 2012

Temperatures plunged below zero in many areas during the coldest night of the winter so far.

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Online retailers braced for rush

7:41am Monday 3rd December 2012

Online retailers are braced for their busiest day of the year as consumers take part in the annual pre-Christmas shopping spree dubbed Cyber Monday.

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Snow expected as weather worsens

5:11am Sunday 2nd December 2012

Widespread snow is expected to fall across England and Scotland, as the severe weather continues to take hold of Britain.

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A great ‘discoverie’ for poet Blake

5:49pm Thursday 15th November 2012

Skipton-born poet, writer and literary critic Blake Morrison will present his new collection of poems at Skipton Library next Thursday, November 22.

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Man quizzed over burning poppy

2:39pm Monday 12th November 2012

A teenager arrested on Remembrance Sunday on suspicion of posting a picture of a burning poppy on Facebook has been released on police bail.

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Suspended sentence for April 'joke'

2:06pm Wednesday 7th November 2012

A sales adviser who made a series of depraved sexual comments about five-year-old April Jones on Facebook has been given a suspended prison sentence.

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Double killer will die in prison

1:28pm Friday 2nd November 2012

A homeless drifter will die in prison after being convicted of the murders of a vicar and a retired teacher.

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Wet summer 'increases flood risks'

12:26am Friday 2nd November 2012

The wet summer has left the country with a higher risk of flooding this autumn and winter, the Environment Agency and Met Office have warned.

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Economy bounces back with a bang

9:47am Thursday 25th October 2012

The UK climbed out of the double-dip recession with a bang between July and September as the economy returned to growth at its fastest pace in five years, official figures showed.

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Ford confirms axe for 1,500 workers

11:30am Thursday 25th October 2012

Ford is to close its Transit van factory and another UK site with the loss of up to 1,500 jobs, sources said.

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Savile probe to investigate doctors

11:10am Thursday 25th October 2012

Information on three doctors who worked at hospitals where Jimmy Savile had links has been passed to police amid claims they were involved in a network of child abusers connected with the disgraced presenter.

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Economy bounces back with a bang

10:57am Thursday 25th October 2012

The UK climbed out of the double-dip recession with a bang between July and September as the economy returned to growth at its fastest pace in five years, official figures showed.

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Job losses voluntary at Ford plant

11:10am Thursday 25th October 2012

Job losses through the expected closure of the Ford Transit van factory are set to be voluntary, according to sources.

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