somerset council is cutting a quarter of its workforce, and selling assets like offices and historic a financial emergency last year. injanuary it faced a £100 million hole in its finances, but avoided bankruptcy by reducing services. now as it looks ahead it faces a similar challenge, but with much less left to cut. 0ur political correspondent alex forsyth has been allowed in to film with the council, and has been speaking to local people affected by the cuts. it has been a summer of sport at this recreation centre at yeovil. good. but back injanuary, i was here when people feared these facilities would close because somerset council couldn't afford them. there was a campaign. and now, the future looks secure. the local town council has taken the site on, to the relief of many, like rosie. it's like everyone can keep using it, and it will bejust be another space that everyone can like come to and enjoy their time here. by handing over facilities like this to others, to keep them going, and by cutting back on services, somerset council has managed to avoid going bankrupt, but they ar

of councils are going to run out of money, because the demand for our services and the price of providing those services is far greater than our income. the financial strain isn't specific to somerset when it comes to funding. but for now, in many places, it's volunteers who are having to plug the gaps. they want stitching, as well, look. i'll have a look at them generally for you and refurbish them. is that 0k? this community hub in south somerset does everything from mending clothes to providing food or helping people fill in forms. there isn't anywhere else for them to go and find that help because all the public sector is disappeared, you know, in terms of that front face. so how do you access it? where do you...? who do you go to? there's nobody there. there's no quick fix for a system that's creaking at the seams, particularly given government warnings about the pressure on public finances. but councils say there is a limit to how long they can make do and mend. alex forsyth, bbc news, somerset. a victim of domestic abuse has accused west mercia police of letting vulnerable women down by failing to monitor an email inbox, set up to allow women to report incidents of violence

on the motorist being led by incompetent lib dem councils and bath and north east somerset council is inefficient , very badly run inefficient, running to a silly lib dem tune. we've just had ridiculous waste of money outside, where i live in west harptree, where they've put in traffic calming, but they don't get rid of the potholes. they waste money on these silly schemes without ensuring that the roads have the basic surface that they need. it's all part of the lib dems war on the motorist now, sir jacob, it's the lib dems war on the motorist now, sirjacob, it's my now, sir jacob, it's my understanding that at least 250 people have signed a petition against the ltns in this area . against the ltns in this area. >> there's been a very active pressure group and local businesses don't seem particularly keen on this. but of course they're being denied by amanda rigby. she's the liberal democrat member of the council. they they've taken the very, very unusual position of not allowing any such consultation. what on earth is going on? that's anti—democratic andifs going on? that's anti—dem