F1 chance for karting champ Beresford

WEST Somerset kart racer Beresford Mandley (pictured, centre) is to compete in a race of champions at Wembley Stadium for the title of BP’s Ultimate Karter.
Beresford received confirmation this week that he had set a fastest lap time at a qualifying event held at Team-Sport, in Cardiff, which was a new track record of 27.145 seconds.
Thousands of drivers have been taking part at 20 participating tracks around the UK and those with the fastest lap times qualify for the Wembley final later this year.
Beresford and several members of the Somerset Karting Club, which he co-founded, had travelled to various venues in the hope in setting the fastest lap times, but he was the only one to do so.
Beresford, who is 2006-07 National Karting Association Champion, is currently looking for local businesses and motor sport enthusiasts to be a part of a two-year sponsorship deal to help him compete in the Formula 100 series and in more British championships.
Due to lack of sponsors last year, he was unable to raise the £2,500 funding which was needed to compete in that series.
Beresford funds most of his karting activities himself, but previous sponsors Andrew and Sarah Dixon, of Andrews on the Weir, at Porlock Weir, came to his rescue with a sponsorship boost which enabled him to qualify for major competitions such as the BP Ultimate Karter, where he can prove his racing abilities.
He is also waiting for confirmation of a qualifying lap time set in January, which is a competition to find the next F1 star.
Event management company So World Ltd, the Daily Star newspaper, and broadcasters Channel 5 have come together to organise this 12-round championship, starting with karts up to Formula One.
The final two drivers will battle it out in an F1 car to see who will win a contract with a recognised racing team.
The Somerset Karting Club has been operating for more than a year with more than 40 members aged 16 to 80 who can enter the Somerset Karting Club Super series.
Prizes will be awarded for overall series champion, best newcomer, most improved member, best female driver of the year, and the brand new weight classes.
Membership is free and members can learn new driving techniques, race craft, and find their own driving abilities in a safe environment.
Depending on interest from younger members, there could be a juniors’ championship set up for ages eight to16 years.
More information can be found at www.somersetkartingclub.co.uk.

Minehead 'a safe place to live'

FIVE weeks to the day after Minehead gardener Tim Chilcott was killed by a savage town centre street assault which shocked the community, security guard Mike McDermaid was attacked in the town’s busiest supermarket and suffered a fractured skull and eye socket.
A young teenager came up behind Mr McDermaid and struck him over the head with a full bottle of spirits which had been stolen from the store, knocking him to the ground.
The police officer leading the earlier inquiry into Mr Chilcott’s killing, Det Chief Insp Martyn Triggol, announced publicly afterwards that such attacks were rare and Minehead generally ‘remains a very safe place’.
Now, however, Mr McDermaid, who previously served 24 years as a Special Constable in Minehead, is lucky to be alive after a late-night assault which happened as he carried out his duties in Tesco, off Seaward Way.
Mr McDermaid, who lives in Watchet, was attempting to help a colleague restrain a second teenager in the foyer of the supermarket when the assault happened.
Both youths were said to be attending 24/7 @ Periton Mead specialist school, just outside Minehead, and one was known to most traders in the town who belong to the anti-crime Shopwatch scheme.
They had already been officially barred from entering the Tesco store because of previous incidents.
Mr McDermaid told The Post: “Knowing that they were barred, they were actually entering as ‘burglars’.
“I immediately alerted the police and the store management and locked the doors.
“It all then kicked off in the foyer. They shoulder-charged the doors to try to get the doors open, then they were kicking the windows trying to get out. They had a girl accomplice outside who was kicking the windows trying to get in.
“I was going towards the one that my mate was holding onto when the other one came up behind me and cracked me over the head.
“It put me in hospital for two days and fractured my skull from the forehead just above the hairline down to the right eyebrow, which gave me a black eye.
“I do not know why he did it. I was no threat to him because I was going away from him.”
Mr McDermaid has been off work since the assault, which happened at about 10.15 pm on February 25, and he is not likely to be able to return for another three weeks.
Despite nearly a quarter-of-a-century working on police duties in the town, it was the first physical assault he had suffered.
He said: “I deal with anything that comes through the doors from day to day, but not anything like this before.
“It is a regular occurrence to be threatened, and I was once told by somebody they were going to come back and I was going to be stabbed, but I have not had anything like this before.
“As a Special Constable I have been involved in fights, of course, restraining people, especially outside the nightclubs, but this is the first time it has turned to violence towards me.”
Mr McDermaid said the incident had not put him off his security duties and he was keen to return to work.
Police confirmed that two juveniles had been arrested, one on suspicion of theft and assault, and the second on suspicion of criminal damage.
Both were charged to appear before a youth court the following day. The law prevents newspapers from identifying the teenagers because of their young age.

• Our photographs show Mr McDermaid's injuries two days after the attack. Photos submitted.

'Tories in turmoil' claim by ex-chairman

ALLEGATIONS of turmoil within the ranks of Minehead Conservatives have surfaced in the wake of last year’s co-option to the town council of Mandy Chilcott.
Former town councillor Tony Berry (pictured, right), an ex-chairman of the Minehead branch, said the organisation was in disarray, with the past four chairmen all resigning because of lack of support.
As well as himself, the other chairmen to have departed were Phil Cross, Terry Venner, and Phil Greatorex.
Mr Berry told The Post: “They are all hard working people but they have all left because of the in-fighting and due to certain individuals.”
Speaking for himself, Mr Berry said matters came to a head after he was put forward as the Conservatives’ preferred candidate to fill a town council vacancy in Alcombe East ward.
Mr Berry, who was previously chairman of the council’s finance committee, said the names of two other unofficial candidates were subsequently put forward, whom he believed were encouraged by the Bridgwater constituency association.
They were Norman Hercock, who was already a district councillor, and Mandy Chilcott.
Town councillors then voted to co-opt Mrs Chilcott, with at least two Conservatives councillors supporting her.
Mr Berry told The Post: “I was let down by my colleagues after the branch had decided I would be the candidate.
“I was upset and disappointed. I do not like to talk about it because it is a smack against the Conservatives, but I feel it is the only way to make people realise what is going on.”
Mr Berry said he had not received any reply from the association when he queried what had gone on, and he believed two other people had also written to the association without a response.
“I have been waiting three months for Bridgwater to reply to correspondence about it,” he said.
“The Minehead branch has been in limbo. Nothing has been going on, no fund-raising or anything.
“I spent ages getting it going again when I was chairman, and now I have been kicked in the teeth by my colleagues.
“As soon as another vacancy comes along, I shall stand. I shall probably stand as an Independent, but I shall always have leanings towards the Conservatives.
“If I could move to a different branch of the Conservatives, like Watchet, I would probably do that.”
The Bridgwater constituency agent, John Cole, was asked by The Post if he wanted to respond to Mr Berry’s comments but had not done so by the time the newspaper went to press.
The Minehead branch was reconstituted at a meeting last week, when former Minehead Deputy Mayor, Stephen Dear, was appointed chairman, and former mayor and district council chairman Ann Foxhuntley became vice-chairman.
The Post understands that the branch has also reinstated renegade Conservative John Malin as a member.
Dr Malin caused fury within the party at the last Somerset County Council elections in 2005 when he quit the party and stood as an Independent in Minehead against sitting Conservative councillor Colin Hill.
Consequently the vote was split, causing Mr Hill to lose his seat, which then gave the Liberal Democrats a one seat majority over the Conservatives at County Hall.
His reinstatement now is seen as an attempt to lobby for the official Conservative nomination for next year’s county council elections.

Former Mayor stands down to concentrate on business

THE former Mayor of Minehead and Alcombe, Councillor Nick Messarra (pictured, left), has resigned from both the district and town councils.
Councillor Messarra officially stepped down on Friday, after several weeks agonising over the decision.
He had represented the Alcombe East ward as a Conservative councillor on both West Somerset Council and Minehead Town Council since 1999.
Councillor Messarra told The Post: “I have been thinking about this for quite a long time and I am really sad to be standing down as I love helping the town and the people who live and work here.
“But I have to concentrate more on my business, which is taking me all over the country at times, and I am finding it harder and harder to find the time for council duties.
“I also have a young family who are growing up and need me to spend more time with them, which adds to the time pressures on me.
“Being a councillor can be a full-time job just in itself and I am full of admiration for anybody who manages to do it well.
“I have always tried to do everything to the best of my abilities and so I think it is better that I stand down now and let somebody else take over.
“It has really been an honour to serve the public and I have enjoyed being able to achieve lots of things for them, whether it has been the small projects like getting a bus shelter or a seat, or the grander scale of pulling in millions of pounds of investment money from Europe.
“At the end of the day I have helped to make a difference to the quality of life for many, many people, and I am proud of that.”
Councillor Messarra said a highpoint was when he served a term of office as Mayor of Minehead and Alcombe.
He also held the economic development and business liaison portfolio on the district council for four years, and was previously a commissioner for finance.
Before serving on the council, he was chairman of Minehead Chamber of Commerce and Trade for eight years, and he was also a founder-member of Minehead Lions Club.
As a councillor, he was branded the ‘people’s champion’ because of his tendency to cut through red tape in order to make sure community projects were carried out without undue delay.
A by-election is now likely to be held for the district and town council vacancies, which could take place during April.

Post Offices - the hit list

THE Post Office has finally announced which branches it intends to close in a review of the service across West Somerset.
Two villages will be left without a postal service at all, while three others will see their branches replaced by a mobile Post Office which will visit for as little as three hours a week.
Bicknoller and West Quantoxhead are the two doomed to be axed completely, while a mobile library-style service is proposed for Brompton Regis, Wheddon Cross, Kilve, and Lydeard St Lawrence.
West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has vowed to fight the closures wherever possible.
Ironically, Mr Liddell-Grainger’s wife Jill is a voluntary worker in the sub-Post Office in their home village of Bicknoller.
The branch forms part of the village shop, which is owned by a co-operative of residents and runs entirely on voluntary unpaid help.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “I am deeply concerned about any rural service going, especially on the moor and across West Somerset.
“It is inexcusable that the Post Office allows yet another nail in the coffin of rural people.
“Every facility we lose, we become more and more like dormitory villages.
“I have already written to every parish council chairman and postmaster in the villages I am responsible for and I will find out what they want to do.”
In Brompton Regis, postmaster Peter Stringer said the closure would also mean the end of the village stores which he and his wife Jenny also run.
Mr Stringer said: “It will be the death of the shop because the shop cannot stand alone with the loss of income from the full-time Post Office.”
A public meeting is being held in Brompton Regis Village Hall on Friday evening at 7.30 pm for villagers to be fully informed by Mr Stringer of the consequences and to discuss the situation.
Mr Stringer said based on the original criteria used by the Post Office when reviewing its network, he did not expect to be on the closure list.
He said: “I assumed we would not be up for closure, being a remote rural settlement nearly 1,000 feet above sea level which can be cut off in bad weather and no public transport.
Mr Stringer said only last September he had received a 20-year long service award from the Post Office.
“Now, within six months they have given me my redundancy,” he said. “For me, it will mean unemployment and the search for another job, which is difficult in a rural community.”
Mr Stringer predicted the closure programme would see community facilities in many villages being lost as a result.
He said even if the decision was overturned as a result of the consultation process being carried out over the next six weeks, the ‘executioner’s sword’ would continue to hang over them.
“We would like to retire in two to three years’ time, but then we would know the Post Office will not renew the franchise and we would be left with a business which would not have any turnover,” he said. “You know you are on the hit list. You know if you want to sell on, they will not renew it.”
Mr Stringer said the mobile service which in Brompton Regis’ case would visit the village hall car park on Monday and Thursday mornings between 9.30 am and 12 noon, would gradually fade away.
He said customers would not be keen to stand in a queue in the rain when the weather was bad and many would in the meantime be forced to drive elsewhere to use postal services.
Mr Stringer said; “The Post Office is not all about making money. This is a Socialist Government we have, but unfortunately, they have very un-Socialist policies.
“They are ripping the heart out of this community for the sake of a few thousand pounds a year,”
The mobile service proposed for Wheddon Cross will visit the car park beside the Rest and Be Thankful public house for a total of nine hours a week, between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In Kilve, it will use the village hall car park for three hours on a Tuesday morning, from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
And in Lydeard St Lawrence, the village hall car park will be used for six hours, from 2 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
West Somerset Council’s leader, Councillor Keith Ross, and economic development portfolio holder, Councillor Michael Downes, called on people to speak up for local Post Offices threatened with the chop.
Councillor Ross said: “Public consultation is underway and we will be expressing our concern.
“We would encourage residents in West Somerset to do the same.
“I have already taken up this matter with the Local Government Association, using the Post Office at Brompton Regis as a case study, and I will continue to campaign to keep essential rural Post Offices.
“While I understand that the Government needs to save money and promote efficiency, it should also look at the broader impacts that losing this service is likely to have on rural communities.”
Councillor Downes said: “In outreach service areas, current opening hours are likely to be slashed.
“Village shops and garages will be losing a postmaster or postmistress’s wage which will have a detrimental effect on the whole facility, and may mean that some community shops will have to close.
“This would be a bitter blow for local people who depend on the shops, garages and Post Offices, as well as the local economy as a whole.
“West Somerset has one of the highest elderly populations in the country and many people depend on these shops.
“People who are unable to drive will suffer, and the environment will suffer.
“Drivers will have to use cars to access services that are currently available on their doorsteps, which will increase the local carbon footprint.
“I would urge people to take part in the consultation and make their views known.”
Up to 2,500 Post Office branches are earmarked for closure across the country by the Government following a study which indicated that the public is not using the full range of services offered.
People can take part in the consultation, which runs until April 9, by sending their views in writing to the National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM (no stamp is required).
The closures are due to take effect from July.
Post Office Ltd regional development manager Tony Jones said: “Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers.
“We want to ensure that everybody who uses, relies on or has any concern with Post Office Ltd services is both fully aware of the proposed changes and able to give views on them.”

EXCLUSIVE: Third teenager is charged after Tim Chilcott killing

A THIRD teenager has been charged with involvement in the killing of Minehead gardener Tim Chilcott.
The 18-year-old had been arrested at the time but was allowed bail while police continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Chilcott's death.
He was charged today (Friday, February 22) with the offence of affray and was named as David Hayes, who lives in Winsford.
Hayes is due to appear before magistrates sitting in Minehead on Friday, March 7.
Two other teenagers arrested with Hayes were subsequently charged with the more serious offence of manslaughter.
They are 19-year-old Sean Wylds, of Alcombe, Minehead, and a 16-year-old Porlock youth whose identity is protected by the law because of his age.
They are both due to make a second appearance in Exeter Crown Court on March 18.
Wylds has been remanded in custody, but the 16-year-old was given bail by the judge on condition he lived in the meantime with relatives in London and observed a nighttime curfew.
Mr Chilcott, aged 36, was found unconcious in Minehead town centre in the early hours of Sunday, January 20.
He died 36 hours later in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where he had been put on a life support machine.
Mr Chilcott, who lived with his elderly parents in Hillview Close, Minehead, had suffered severe head injuries. The results of a post mortem to determine the cause of death have not been released, because of the forthcoming trial.

Breast cancer hot spot fears are allayed

FEARS that Minehead was becoming a hot spot for breast cancer cases among women have been allayed.
Figures given to The Post showed there had been 18 cases diagnosed in a 14-week period from October, 2007, to the end of the year.
Compared with a national figures which indicated for a town the size of Minehead there should be just 8.7 per year, it seemed there had been a dramatic rise.
The figures were collected from a mobile screening unit which visited the town from October to January of this year, and a local GP surgery.
But Dr Julia Verne, director of the South West Public Health Observatory, said: “This recent increase in the detection of breast cancer for women living in and around Minehead is entirely expected and due to the effectiveness of the mobile breast screening service.
“However, I do appreciate how people may mistakenly jump to the conclusion that there has been a sudden increase in breast cancer when they hear of increased numbers of cases.
“It does not indicate an unusual or higher than expected rise in the disease.
“The same effect occurs whenever the mobile breast screening service visits an area and occurred back in 2004 when the mobile screening service last visited Minehead.
“Breast screening has been shown to save lives. The mobile breast screening service is able to detect breast cancers which women may not be able to detect themselves.
“Early detection and treatment results in the best outcome for the small number of women who may be affected by the disease and I would therefore strongly recommend that all women take up the invitation to be screened when they receive an invitation letter.
“Women who identify a lump in their breast or be concerned about any breast abnormality should make an appointment with their GP to discuss their concerns.”
Dr Verne said given that the population was considerably older in Minehead than in other parts of the country a meaningful comparison of average figures could only be made between age-standardised rates of cancer.
Over the last 10 years of available data (1996 to 2005) there were 129 cases of malignant breast cancer in Minehead, which equates to a age-standardised rate of 125 cases per 100 000.
Dr Verne said it was not significantly different (statistically speaking) either from the English age standardised rate - 120.6 cases per 100,000, or from the age standardised rate for Somerset - 136 cases per 100,000, or from the South West of England - 137 cases per 100,000.
The Somerset Breast Cancer Unit is responsible for providing three-yearly breast cancer screening in the area.
In Minehead, this is provided by a mobile screening unit which visits the town for approximately three months every three years.
The last visit happened between October, 2007, and January, 2008, and the previous one in late 2004.
Dr Verne said: “At this point not all women picked up by the latest breast screening visit have undergone all their testing and treatment.
“Therefore, it is not possible to provide a confirmed number of cases.
“Some of these abnormal breast screenings might also prove not to be cancer.
“In 2004 a similar number was detected compared to the recent mobile breast screening service visit.
“In conclusion, we believe that the number of cases of cancer picked up by this screening round is typical for Minehead, and the overall rate of breast cancer is normal for a town with Minehead’s population and demographic composition.”

Dulverton tenant hailed as hero for fatal blaze rescue attempt

A MAN who died in a fire which ripped through a block of four flats in Dulverton in the early hours of Tuesday has been named locally as Bob Short, who was in his 50s.
Mr Short lived in an upstairs flat in Herbert House, Dulverton, and was found dead inside it by firefighters who tackled the blaze.
Herbert House, on the corner of Amory Road and Barns Close West, provides temporary sheltered accommodation for homeless people and those with drugs and/or alcohol dependency.
It is run by Worcester-based Sanctuary Housing Association, which manages more than 70,000 properties across England and Scotland.
Mr Short had today still not been formally identified due to difficulty in locating his next of kin.
Fire service and police forensic investigators were continuing to examine the scene to try to work out what caused the fire.
Meanwhile, a second Herbert House tenant, Les Dale, aged 53, has been hailed as a hero for helping to rescue a woman and her dog, Shadow, from a ground floor flat, and for trying to save Mr Short.
Mr Dale saw flames coming through the ceiling of his downstairs flat shortly before 3 am and he rushed to a nearby relative’s house to call for the fire brigade before going back to help the woman.
A fourth occupant, a man in another upstairs flat, was rescued by Dulverton firefighters.
More than 30 firefighters were called to the incident from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Bampton, Tiverton, Taunton, and Bridgwater.
A spokewoman for Sanctuary Housing said alternative accommodation would be found for residents while Herbert House was repaired.

Man dies in Dulverton flats blaze

A MAN in his 50s has died in a ferocious fire which ripped through a block of flats in Dulverton during the night.
Fire and rescue crews found the man in a top floor flat at Herbert House, on the corner of Amory Road and Barns Close West after being alerted shortly before 3 am today (Tuesday, February 19).
Dulverton firefighters, who were first on the scene, managed to save a second man who was trapped in another top floor flat.
Two other people, a man and a woman with a 12-year-old dog named Shadow, were able to escape by themselves from ground floor flats.
Up to 35 fire and rescue personnel were involved in battling the blaze at its height, with crews attending from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Bampton, and Tiverton, together with two hydraulic platforms from Taunton and Bridgwater, a command support unit from Wiveliscombe, and an incident support unit from Taunton.
The fire quickly took hold of the 40 feet by 65 feet building and was so severe that firemen had to strip the roof of tiles in order to use a hose reel jet to reach hotspots inside.

Herbert House was converted from a former shop premises about 11 years ago, and was named after Auberon Herbert, who had owned the Pixton estate on which the housing estate was built.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue group manager Paul Godwin confirmed ‘one person has died’ in what he described as ‘a severe fire’.
Fire investigations officers were working with police forensic teams and scenes of crime officers who began examining the site when it became daylight.
A post mortem is due to be held to determine a cause of death of the man who died, whose name has not yet been released.

Child injured in two-car A39 accident

A FOUR-year-old child was among three casualties injured when two cars were in collision on the A39 at lunchtime today, Monday, February 18.
Fire and rescue crews from Minehead and Williton were called to the incident, which happened at Washford Cross just after 12.30 pm.
They used First Responder medical training to assist the casualties and worked with paramedics who also attended.
One person was initially trapped in one of the cars, but they were helped free by the firefighters without having to be cut out of the wreckage.
The other two casualties, including the child, who suffered neck injuries, were already out of their vehicle.
Paramedics then took the casualties to Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton.

Micro-energy ideas for Exmoor businesses and residents

A SEMINAR is being organised for people and businesses on Exmoor to examine opportunities for producing local energy.
The Exmoor Trust is holding its E4Exmoor - Energy for Exmoor - event at the Ralegh's Cross Hotel, on Friday, May 2.
The trust hopes it will help people to save on their escalating fuel bills and contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions.
The event will bring together independent experts on micro-energy systems as well as the producers of such systems.
There will be also panel sessions to cover issues such as planning, cost benefits, and affected utility providers, as well as an opportunity to learn about opportunities for grant aid support.
Trust chairman Edwin Beckett said: “We need to capitalise on the ready availability of land, light, water, and wind in order provide a better economic base for an area which is experiencing rocketing cost rises in all forms of energy.
“The fact that this could be achieved in a sensitive rural environment means that we are hoping to draw upon external funds in order to pilot some schemes.
"E4Exmoor follows our highly successful Broadband for Exmoor event which provided the impetus to getting most of Greater Exmoor onto broadband.”
The E4Exmoor event is being managed by business trustee Archie McIntyre.
Mr McIntyre said: "The trust has acted in order to raise this challenge to the forefront of rural action plans now being considered by the Rural Development Agency.
“We especially want businesses and communities, as well as individuals, to recognise opportunities for shared energy production.
“Our focus is on micro-energy production but we recognise that this is only one aspect of reducing energy dependence which has been well led by Forum 21 and other groups."
The trust is expecting considerable interest in its unique opportunity to learn more about locally produced energy, and hopes such enthusiasm will reinforce the case for pilot and demonstrator schemes to be supported by external grants.
The E4Exmoor symposium will run two identical programmes on the day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, to cater for the anticipated large attendance.
More information is available from Mr McIntyre by calling 01884243568.

Railway station office appeals for administration volunteers

AS the West Somerset Railway prepares for its 2008 season after breaking all previous figures for numbers of passengers carried in 2007 the northern terminus station of the 20 mile long heritage line is looking for more volunteer staff to help with the workload.
“We need assistance in several areas,” said Minehead Stationmaster Alan Scott, “And with this in mind we will be pleased to welcome potential new volunteers to the station on Sunday, February 24, between 10 am and 2.30 pm.”
Areas where help is particularly needed are in the station office, dealing with bookings for special events, personal and telephone callers, mailshots and general administration, and out on the platforms, helping passengers with information and seeing that they safely board and leave trains.
For those who are good with figures and like talking to people there are also vacancies in the Booking Office roster where the railway would like to have two clerks on duty for as much of the time as possible.
Mr Scott said: “We are a friendly group of people and we give training as necessary. Most of those who start, tend to become slightly ‘addicted’ and often call in on days when they aren't working to see how things are going.
“If anybody cannot make it on the 24th please ring the station on 01643 704996, leave your details, and I will be in touch.”

• Our photograph shows volunteers at work in the railway office. Photo submitted.

'Fat cat' council officers cost council taxpayers £7 million a year

THE number of ‘fat cat’ County Hall officers earning £50,000+ a year has rocketed under a decade of Liberal Democrat control by more than a staggering 1,200 per cent, according to a study by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.
In 1997, Somerset County Council employed just nine officers on salaries in excess of £50k.
By last year, the number of higher-paid staff had soared to – 111.
Those 111 high earners alone were now costing council taxpayers more than £7 million a year to keep them in their jobs.
Ten years ago, the cost was £515,000.
The highest-paid County Hall officer is chief executive Alan Jones, who, according to information leaked to West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, now earns £143,211 – more than twice an MP’s salary.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “The salaries of all the heads of service are tied to his. So, when he gets a rise, they all get one.”
Five years ago, Mr Jones’ salary was said to be £94,285 – reflecting a 52 per cent pay rise in just five years.
County Hall’s Lib Dem administration has met the extra wage bills by more than doubling average council tax bills from £ 485.94 10 years ago to this year’s proposed £999.90.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance study revealed that each council taxpayer in West Somerset now pays £13.64 towards the ‘fat cat’ salaries at the county council.
In addition, those in West Somerset district pay another £6.80 each for four district council officers who earn in excess of £50,000 a year.
Ten years ago, West Somerset had only one officer on such a salary scale. Now, with four, their bill adds up to £240,000 a year.
In Taunton Deane, council taxpayers are charged £8.75 each for the £940,000 it costs to pay 14 staff on £50k salaries – up from £65,000 when the chief executive was the only officer in that bracket 10 years ago.
Sedgemoor council taxpayers currently stump up £4.68 each for the £520,000 cost of eight officers earning above £50k, compared to the £55,000 it cost in 1997 to employ one officer at the top of the wage bands.
TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott said: “With council tax doubling in the past decade, it is extremely disappointing that town halls have chosen to hire a new class of middle managers, many of whom are being paid more than MPs.
“Local authorities should study these findings carefully to see where savings can be made, instead of using their half-billion pound PR machine to obscure their finances from taxpayers.”
The ‘fat cat’ salaries survey follows closely on from another TaxPayers’ Alliance study which showed Somerset County Council was spending more than £4.2 million a year on publicity - almost a 110 per cent leap from the £2 million it spent in 1997.
The county council claimed £1.5 million of that sum went on recruitment advertising.
The Post asked the county to comment on the ‘fat cat’ salaries report – it declined.

Butlins helps keep major motor sport event in West Somerset

A MAJOR motor racing event for West Somerset has been rescued at the eleventh hour by holiday firm Butlins.
The company stepped in when organisers of the Betta Somerset Stages Rally were forced to look outside the district for suitable facilities.
Now, the annual event, scheduled to be held on April 26, will continue to be based in Minehead.
The rally regularly attracts around 1,500 people over a long weekend of motor sport activity, which includes 150 entries and more than 300 marshals.
Butlins has offered the use of its Minehead holiday resort to the organisers, Burnham-on-Sea and Minehead Motor Clubs, which needs the size and scale of such a centre.
One of the Butlins main customer car parks will be used as a service and maintenance area for the rally competitors.
Butlins spokesman Richard Swift told The Post: “It is the lifeline they needed. It enables them to retain their service area and rally control in Minehead, and means people will stay locally, which is a great boost for the area.
“If they had to move out to Taunton, it would have been a 45-minute run from the service area for the cars to reach the start point.
“The logistics of it, especially for some of the smaller teams, would have been difficult.
“Butlins will be open and we will have guests who would normally have used that car park, so it means a change of operation for us.
“We do a number of events here and we work closely with the town council to try to promote Minehead whenever we can.”
The rally is held over stages on a compact route taking in forest areas and hills within Exmoor National Park.
It features entries ranging from club level vehicles to ex-works World Rally cars and is a qualifying round of several major championships.
It is the only forestry stage rally in the Westcountry and is run entirely by volunteers, with support from Exmoor National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission.
The first car will leave the start at 8 am on the Saturday and should arrive back in Minehead by around 3.30 pm.
Spectators are provided with a special stage at Chargot Woods where they can see the cars and listen to commentary.

Ancient castle uses solar power to cut electric bills

DUNSTER Castle has become the National Trust’s first grade one listed property to start using solar energy.
The castle now has solar panels which should produce about one-fifth of all its electricity needs, helping to make the thousand-year-old building more sustainable.
The trust has been pursuing a policy of using renewable energy in its historic properties to show how green energy sources could be used on conservation sites without affecting their character.
The Dunster Castle panels, which cost £55,000, cannot be seen by visitors on the ground and they can be easily removed.
The trust expects to save about £550 a year on its electricity bill for the castle.
A National Trust spokesman said: “We want all of our properties, wherever appropriate, to examine the option of using renewable energy sources and we hope to help other people and businesses to do the same.”
The castle is currently shrouded in scaffolding as it undergoes a £900,000 restoration of its roof.
The work, which began in May, 2006, is not expected to be completed until the summer and has already more than doubled from its original estimated cost of £400,000.
The additional expense was incurred when initial investigations revealed problems with rainwater run off.
Engineers found that structural changes in the 19th Century had not allowed for adequate size gullies and guttering, resulting in water seeping into the roof structure and in turn threatening the contents and fabric of the building.
An infestation of deathwatch beetles was also discovered in the roof space.
The roof restoration is being jointly funded by the National Trust and English Heritage.
Dunster Castle had been in the Luttrell family for 600 years before it was given to the National Trust in 1976.

Police seek man after railway station burglary

THE man pictured in this grainy black and white CCTV photograph is being sought by police in connection with an overnight burglary which happened at the West Somerset Railway Station, in Minehead.
Police believe he can help their inquiries into the crime, which happened between 6 pm on Thursday, January 10, and 6.45 am on Friday, January 11.
An unknown sum of cash was stolen from the station premises.
Anybody with any information about the man or the burglary is asked to contact Crimestoppers immediately by calling 0800 555111 or using the secure online form at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.
They do not have to leave their name, but they could receive a reward.

Test cricketer to officially switch on new community radio station

SOUTH Africa test cricketer Charl Willoughby will help to officially launch Somerset’s newest radio station at a launch party in Wiveliscombe on Friday, February 8.
The cricketer, who plays for Somerset, was invited because some of the presenters on 10Radio are cricket fans and members of the county club.
He will officially throw the 10Radio main switch at 6 pm in the station’s purpose-built studio in Croft Way, along with Taunton Deane MP Jeremy Browne.
It is the first community radio station to run in Somerset and has been broadcasting on 105.3FM to Wiveliscombe and its surrounding nine parishes since January 21.
Also invited to the official launch are representatives of significant funding groups, local businesses, and the many skilled tradesmen who helped to set up and build the 10Radio transmitter site and studio.
The station is also opening its Croft Cottages studio - next to Wiveliscombe Community Centre - to interested people and well-wishers on Saturday, February 9, from 10 am to 4 pm.
There is also a 10Radio live concert with Jankie Fardal, one of Somerset’s most danceable bands, in the community centre on Saturday evening, starting at 8 pm.
A large number of presenter-led programmes is currently being run by 10Radio, including a breakfast show from 7 am to 9 am on Mondays to Thursdays.
From 7 am on Friday to midnight on Sunday there is a wide range of community and music-based shows with live presenters of all age groups from the local and surrounding community.
When a presenter is not available, there is the ‘10Radio Shuffle’ which provides a constant selection of music of all genres to make it fresh and interesting for the regular listener.
‘Listen again’ programmes are also repeated on most weekday evenings.
The station can also be heard via the internet at www.10Radio.org and it has already been receiving congratulatory messages from listeners from around the UK and all over the world.
The full running schedule can also be seen on the 10Radio website.
For more information on 10Radio, including how to become involved in running the station, call01984 624137 or email to info@10radio.org.

• Our photograph shows 10Radio organisers, presenters, and supporters of all ages outside the main studio at 1 Croft Cottages, West Street, in Wiveliscombe. Photo submitted.

Superbug infection rate at Musgrove falls dramatically

MUSGROVE Park Hospital, in Taunton, is claiming a dramatic fall in superbug infections during the past year.
The latest figures released by the hospital showed both MRSA and C. Difficile had reduced by more than 60 per cent in the last 12 months.
Between April and December, 2007, there were 13 MRSA blood stream infections at Musgrove, while in the same period the previous year there were 34 - a reduction of 62 per cent.
Between April and October, 2007, there were 78 C. Difficile isolates at Musgrove compared to 227 in the same period in 2006, a fall of 66 per cent.
Musgrove director of nursing and patient care, Martine Price, said: “These figures show that we are making great progress in our commitment to reducing healthcare-associated infections at Musgrove Park.
“Reductions of over 60 per cent in both MRSA and C. Difficile are good news for patients, visitors, and staff.
“However, we are not complacent and will continue to prioritise efforts to further reduce the incidence of infections at the hospital.”
The hospital recently announced a £230,000 deep cleaning programme as part of the Government’s efforts to tackle the superbug crisis in the NHS.

Housing association tenants support Exmoor village hall

A FUND-raising appeal for improvements to and Exmoor village hall has been boosted by a £1,500 cheque from tenants of Magna West Somerset Housing Association.
The money was handed over by the association’s tenants panel to the hall committee in Brompton Regis, where it is hoped to make the hall’s running costs more sustainable and therefore cheaper.
Tenants’ Panel chairman Bernard Ryder said: “The hall committee approached us for help with making improvements to the facilities. “The hall already provides a base for many activities in the area and plays an important role in the community.
“As a panel, we were only too pleased to be able to help with a donation of £1,000 from our environmental improvements budget, with Magna supplementing this with a further £500 sponsorship.”
Village hall secretary Jennifer Stringer said: “The hall is a registered charity and provides a vital social focus for all the local residents.
“It is well used by groups including a cinema club, luncheon club, and short mat bowls.
“The planned improvements would ensure the hall is compliant with all necessary regulations and also to make it more sustainable by reducing running costs.
“We were delighted to receive this donation which will help us to achieve our goal.”
Mrs Stringer said the committee was continuing to plan fund-raising events as more donations were still needed.
The hall committee has so far raised about £20,000 in the past two years toward its target of £150,000 for the improvements which are needed.
Anybody who would like to help the hall committee should contact Mrs Stringer on 01398 371224.
Photo submitted.

Lifeboat crew save deer from drowning

LIFEBOATMEN in Minehead were called to one of their more unusual rescue operations - to save a deer from drowning.
Coastguards alerted the lifeboat crew after receiving a call to say a deer had been seen entering the water off Culvercliffe on Thursday morning, January 31.
The station’s new Atlantic 85 Lifeboat was launched with helmsman Adam Bonar in command.
The crew arrived quickly spotted the young deer about 330 yards offshore and they could see the animal was extremely tired and distressed.
A decision was made to ‘coax’ it back to shore, where a team from Porlock Coastguards was waiting to retrieve it.
However, as soon as the deer reached land, it immediately returned to the water where the lifeboat crew again tried to encourage it to go ashore.
On the second attempt the startled animal made for some bushes just off the beach where it stayed for a time.
After the lifeboatmen again tried to catch the animal, it made a third attempt to swim away and this time the lifeboat managed to come alongside it and recover the deer and secure it to be carried back to the lifeboat station.
The deer stayed on board until the lifeboat was recovered and it was then checked over by a local vet.
Once the crew were confident the deer was in good health, although wet and tired, they took it to North Hill, Minehead, and released it.
Mr Bonar said: “We get called to a wide range of incidents but this was one of the more unusual.
“The deer proved quite tricky to recover and did not seem overly appreciative of its trip in a lifeboat.”

• Our photograph shows Adam Bonar with Paul Marsh and Richard Gay holding the deer. The fourth crewmember who was present throughout the rescue but is not pictured was Phil Sanderson. Photo submitted.