SEAGULLS in the centre of Taunton were being blamed for the deaths of ducklings in the town's iconic Vivary Park.

Pauline Kidner, of the Secret World wildlife centre in Somerset, said seagulls commonly eat ducklings, which can hatch in batches of up to 16.

A Taunton Deane Council spokeswoman said: “We hope the ducklings are allowed to settle in and the seagulls leave them alone this year.”

TEENAGER David Wilkinson was one of 26 young people honoured at the County Gazette's Pride of Somerset Youth Awards.

David, 18, won the Sandy Padgett Award after being nominated by a Police Community Support Officer for being a role model on the Halcon estate in Taunton, where he was brought up.

His nomination praised him for doing his best to help people and representing all the things support agencies are trying achieve in Halcon.

A DRIVER was killed after his car was struck by a train on a level crossing in Athelney, near Langport.

Dennis France, 65, of Stoke St Gregory, had worked on the front desk at Debenhams' Bedford House offices in Taunton for 20 years.

His friend Tim Duxbury said: “It's cruel that Den was due to retire from work today and had many grand plans mapped out for both his garden and the rest of his life.

“He was kind, generous, thoughtful and sensitive with an incorrigible sense of humour only just kept in check.”