Weekly round-up: Stories you may have missed

Firefighters battle the flames of a lorry fire on the M5 in Exeter. Two crew members are inspecting breathing apparatus on the road while others work on the fire.Image source, National Highways
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Several fire crews were sent to the M5 to tackle the flames

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A fire which closed the M5 for almost 10 hours, the removal of a statue of a famous MP and a woman who had pioneering surgery to save her tongue were among the stories you may have missed this week.

We have selected six articles from the past seven days for Devon and Cornwall.

A woman in a flowery blue dress, with a blue headscarf is standing in front of the camera holding her hands in front of her. She has a nose ring, and is wearing bangles and a watch on her wrists. She is smiling.
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Candi Hulley had to learn how to speak and eat again while recovering from mouth cancer

'My leg helped rebuild my tongue after cancer'

A woman whose tongue had to be reconstructed with a piece of her leg because of mouth cancer is urging people to check for the warning signs.

Candi Hulley, 52, from Bude, Cornwall, said a chance check-up at her dentist led to her diagnosis.

The Mouth Cancer Foundation charity said more than 3,000 people died of mouth cancer last year nationally – a 20% rise over the past five years.

Statue of pioneering woman MP moved to fix wobble

Close-up shot of a bronze statue of Nancy Astor, the first female MP to sit in the House of Commons. The statue shows Astor in a pose where her left arm is outstretched as she looks into the distance. It is a sunny day.Image source, Plymouth City Council
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The statue of Nancy Astor was unveiled on Plymouth Hoe in November 2019

A statue of the first female MP to take her seat in the House of Commons has been temporarily moved for repairs.

Plymouth City Council said the bronze figure of Nancy Astor was taken away on Monday from its position on the Hoe for up to 12 weeks while "essential maintenance work" was completed.

The authority said a wobble had developed due to the statue's position on the seafront and exposure to the elements.

Tangled and trapped seal rescued

A grey seal peering out of the water in a rock pool surrounded by fishing netImage source, BDMLR
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The young grey seal was entangled in a mass of fishing net

Marine medics have saved the life of a young seal after it became entangled in discarded fishing net which snagged on a mussel bed in shallow water.

The grey seal was caught in a mass of net which became caught on the mussel bed, anchoring it down and risking the mammal's life at a beach in west Cornwall on Sunday.

A team of volunteers from BDMLR British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) freed the seal before the tide turned and found it had minimal injuries.

M5 reopens after lorry fire causes major delays

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Watch: Dashcam footage of a lorry fire that closed part of the M5

There was disruption on the M5 after a lorry fire forced the closure of part of the road in Devon for nine hours.

The fire started on the northbound side of the motorway between junctions 30 and 29 in Exeter at about 11:35 BST, said Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and did not fully reopen until 21.10.

National Highways said the lorry was carrying 20 tonnes (2000kg) of household waste and electrical items including batteries and domestic appliances with nine miles (14.48km) of queues reported in the area at one stage.

Harry Potter TV series is 'massive' for South West

Outside The Cleave Inn in Lustleigh. The property is white with a thatched roof. Benches are outside the pub.
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The Cleave Inn shut for a couple of days for filming

People around the South West have said the production of a new Harry Potter TV series was "absolutely massive" for the region.

The new HBO show, based on JK Rowling's best-selling series of novels, has been filming in Devon and Cornwall at places including Cadgwith and Carnglaze Caverns.

Luke Smith, who runs The Cleave Inn in Lustleigh near Bovey Tracey, said the pub would be shut for filming on Wednesday and Thursday, but the only information he had was the production's code name of Brown Cat.

Flames visible for miles from moorland blaze

The image shows a firefighter standing in front of a massive wildfire at night on Dartmoor. They're wearing full protective gear, including a helmet marked "5000" and a jacket with "FIRE" on the back. The flames are towering and fierce, lighting up the sky with an intense orange glow. Smoke billows upward, and the ground is covered in vegetation, suggesting the fire is sweeping through grassland.Image source, Buckfastleigh Fire Station
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The fire stretched about 490ft (150m) near the old shooting ranges at Rippon Tor

Fire crews were called to a large blaze on open moorland, with flames visible from miles away.

The fire stretched about 490ft (150m) near the old shooting ranges at Rippon Tor on Dartmoor, said Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service which was called just after 21:00 BST on Thursday.

Crews used wildfire beaters to contain the flames and prevent the fire from spreading into nearby woodland.

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