BBC Spotlight

Tourism businesses in the South West are pinning their hopes on a multi-million pound marketing campaign aimed at attracting more high spending international visitors.

The £10m overseas investment by Visit Britain comes at a time when many tourist attractions in the region are reporting a fall in home grown visitor numbers at a time of cuts in budgets.

BBC Radio Cornwall

No elective operations have been cancelled in Cornwall today as NHS managers say the crisis in the county's health and care system is improving.

Cornwall remains in 'black alert' status, as is Plymouth's Derriford Hospital.

Dr Iain Chorlton from NHS Kernow said: "Some of the steps we have taken to reduce pressure include increasing the number of clinicians working in and supporting the emergency department".

The top stories at 15:00 include

BBC Radio Cornwall: Its emerged that hundreds of operations are being cancelled every month because of the newly declared black alert status at Derriford hospital.

BBC Radio Devon: Bosses at Devon's biggest hospital have denied trying to cover up the pressures facing its services.

Kevin Thomas
BBC Weather Forecaster

After a sunnier middle of the day, cloud and further scattered showers will arrive from the west later. Strong north westerly winds will ease and also back to the west.

Although most places will start the night dry, cloud will continue to increase with rain reaching the far west before midnight and then spreading further eastwards. Moderate or fresh south westerly winds will veer to the west and become strong at times.

via Facebook

The situation at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth has drawn plenty of comments on the Facebook pages of BBC Radio Cornwall, external and BBC Radio Devon, external.

Andy Everson said: A sad indictment of our country and the way it's run. The rich get richer and the rest of us struggle. This should not be happening to OUR NHS. Yes OUR NHS, we pay for it, we own it and THEY, the government decide on its funding and it's regulations.

Jackie Chown says: It is ridiculous that they are shutting down beds because they are taking in flu patients. They should have a separate rest home/small hospital where infectious illnesses such as flu are taken. To let flu cause so much disruption in this day and age is appalling bad management!

Carol Mattocks from Devon comments: My brother was airlifted into Derriford a while ago. I brought him home early because they had patients queuing in A&E. We have hospitals second to none in the world with understaffing problems.

Brittany Ferries tweets, external: UPDATE | We're sorry sailings on our Plymouth-Roscoff routes have been disrupted by bad weather this week.

Read more about the impacts on sailings here, external.

Brent Pilnick
BBC South West Sport

What links X-Wing pilots, Storm Troopers, and Lando Calrissian's trusted co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon, Nien Nunb with a fencing club in Cornwall?

The answer is Richard Bonehill, the Truro Fencing Club's late former coach and one of a team of extras who filled numerous roles on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Find out how Bonehill, who passed away earlier this month, built the Truro club to become one of the best in the country.

BBC Spotlight

Teenage pregnancies in the South West have dropped to a record low - official figures show that in 2013 there were 1,948 conceptions among girls under the age of 18, the lowest figure since 1998.

Lea Kearns from Exeter is 17-years-old and has two children, she's launched a campaign to tackle the stigma she says still exists around teenage pregnancy. There'll be more on BBC Spotlight tonight at 18:30.

The top stories at 14:00 include

BBC Radio Cornwall: Health bosses say the crisis in Cornwall's health & care system is 'improving' but 'black alert' stays in place.

BBC Radio Devon: Delight at £300,000 arts grant for Exeter Phoenix.

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

Staff and volunteers at Exeter Phoenix, external are celebrating after winning a grant of £320,745 to revamp the building's facilities and improve digital resources.

Image source, Exeter Phoenix

There's delight in west Cornwall too as Newlyn Art Gallery & Exchange, external has attracted £107,638 from Arts Council England's small scale Capital funding scheme, external.

BBC Spotlight

There's a quite a big swell around the coasts of Cornwall & Devon today, so take care. Here are today's tide times.

Sam Lindo from the Camel Valley vineyard near Bodmin tweets, external: We are delighted to have been selected as one of the country's #50FoodStars for the government event this Thursday

You can read more about the initiative, external here.

BBC Sport

Torquay United have the unwelcome distraction of a Conference League match at home to Lincoln City this evening - sandwiched between their FA Trophy semi-final games.

Image source, Getty Images

The Gulls trail Wrexham 2-1 with the second leg at Plainmoor on Saturday. Manager Chris Hargreaves admits that they would have rather rearranged the Lincoln game, adding: "It doesn't surprise me, it's been a bit of a joke like that this season but you've just got to deal with it and try and win a game."

The top stories at 13:00 include

BBC Radio Cornwall: Lottery cash joy for Cornish projects, including £9,900 for St Ives Surf Life Saving Club.

BBC Radio Devon: Derriford hospital chief admits no sign of 'black alert' end after 1,000 procedures cancelled so far.

BBC Radio Devon

Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans is defending a near 2% council tax hike.

He says that means just 36p a week on the average council tax bill and he reckons the city's getting a good deal.

The Conservative group leader Ian Bowyer is against the council tax rise, saying "Inflation is heading towards zero."

Bill Buckley
Presenter, BBC Radio Devon

Today I'm asking about the 'Black Alert' at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital. The hospital says it has been on this type of alert since January but we're only finding out now, why? And what about us? Can we do more to relieve pressure on our hospitals?

Also, there are plans to stop incomers buying Devon homes - is this a great way to help locals or short-sighted, small-minded and just plain unfair? Let me know what you think by calling 0345 301 1034.

BBC Spotlight

An inquest has resumed in Plymouth into the death of a man with mental health issues. Chang Somers, who was also known as Valan Pitts, was last seen on CCTV in July 2012.

The 36-year-old's body was found a month later in Winner Street at Paignton.

Mr Pitts' family are at Plymouth Coroners Court to hear the evidence, including phone calls made to Devon and Cornwall Police around the time of his death.

Devon and Cornwall Police has confirmed a sergeant has been sacked after being spotted having sex in a public place while on duty.

The unnamed officer admitted the allegation, external of gross misconduct - Assistant Chief Constable Russ Middleton said: "We expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from all of our officers and staff."

Laurence Reed
Presenter, BBC Radio Cornwall

I've been talking to the chief operating officer at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital - he has warned hundreds more operations and appointments could be cancelled before the crisis affecting the health service eases.

Kevin Baber apologised to any patients affected but said he did not know when the crisis would end - let us know your experiences 01872 222222.

'Red' and 'Black Alerts' are in place in health and social care organisations across Devon and Cornwall.

The top stories at 12:00 include

BBC Radio Cornwall: A recruitment campaign for care workers is being funded by Cornwall Council in response to the continuing crisis in the health system in the county.

BBC Radio Devon: More than 1,000 operations cancelled at Derriford Hospital which has been on "black alert" since January.