EACH week in the Free Press we look back at what made the news 150, 100, 50 and 25 years ago. Here is a sample of the items featuring in the This Was The News column this week.

150 years ago – March 5th 1870

A five guineas reward would be given to any person giving information as shall lead to the conviction of the scoundrel who wilfully and cruelly ill-treated a dog by throwing a chemical substance on it. The dog was the property of Mr W Langdon, grocer, of Long Street, Williton.

100 years ago – March 6th 1920

Since 1917, great expanses of moorland woods in West Somerset had been stripped of their timber. Hundreds of local men and 175 Portuguese had been employed in the work, which was now coming to an end.

50 years ago – March 7th 1970

The report of the Royal Commission on Local Government (the Maud Report) spurred Kilve into seeking parish council status. With a population of 286, Kilve was just 14 people short of the 300 required to make a parish council compulsory. It was a case of “doing today what would have to be done tomorrow”.

25 years ago – March 10th 1995

A number of local businesses and tourism groups stepped in to save Minehead’s weather centre after the town council pulled the plug on vital funding. Meteorologist Alistair Ozanne said the sponsorship offers meant the future looked bright.