Summary

  • Updates on Thursday 5 November 2015

  • More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Friday

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00

    Live updates for Devon and Cornwall have finished for the day, but we'll be back at 08:00 on Friday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather. 

  2. Coldplay help contribute £4.1bn to UK economypublished at 17:57

    BBC Entertainment and Arts

    Rock band Coldplay, fronted by Exeter-born Chris Martin, were among artists who helped the British music industry contribute £4.1bn to the UK economy in 2014

    Chris Martin

    The band's Ghost Stories album has also been listed as the second biggest British album of 2015, selling about 3.7m copies; behind Ed Sheeran selling 4.4m copies of his album, X.  

  3. Rape report increase 'in line with national average'published at 17:52

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    An increase in reports of rape in Devon and Cornwall "is in line with the national average", a senior police officer says.

    New national statistics, external show figures rose to 41 per 100,000 in England and Wales in 2014/15, and 42 in Devon and Cornwall.

    Det Supt Keith Perkin said the rise was "as a consequence of Operation Yewtree, the investigation into Jimmy Saville. Devon and Cornwall have not been immune to this and a percentage of the increased reports are down to this."

  4. Opposing views over Cornwall's housing crisispublished at 17:46

    BBC Spotlight

    Cornwall needs to build thousands of houses to accommodate the expected growth in demand for second homes. 

    olivier

    The government has told the local authority it needs to increase the number of houses by 7% - that amounts to a total of 52,000 new homes by 2030.

    Councillor Cornelius Olivier said more affordable home were what was needed: "The gap between what people earn in Cornwall and what housing costs is big and getting wider, it's bigger than practically anywhere else in the country."

  5. Weather latest: Further rain pushing in overnight, more rain tomorrow morningpublished at 17:39

    David Braine, Weather Forecaster

    Tonight: After a rather cloudy but mild and largely dry first part of the night with fog, then further rain is set to push in from the Southwest during the early hours. Minimum Temperature: 11 Deg C (52 Deg F).

    Weather graphic

    Friday: Outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, will affect all parts through the morning. Again drier conditions should arrive by the afternoon with the odd bright spell perhaps. Maximum Temperature: 17 Deg C (63 Deg F).

  6. Investigation after German warships blamed for damaging fishing gearpublished at 17:33

    Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
    BBC Spotlight

    Furious fishermen in Devon are blaming German naval vessels taking part in an international exercise, for damaging their crabbing gear.

    navy

    One crabber Lee Tapper said he had lost £8,000 of equipment, adding: "If the damage being inflicted on us was being inflicted on land or any other industry in the country there would be complete uproar."

    A Royal Navy investigation is underway.

  7. Beach water results '95% great news'published at 17:26

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Only three out of 144 designated bathing waters in Devon and Cornwall being rated as poor in new water quality results published today, external is "95% great news", a south west tourism boss says.

    Ilfracombe and Instow in Devon, as well as East Looe in Cornwall, will be required to display signs advising against bathing there.

    Malcolm Bell, head of Visit Cornwall, said: "From a tourism promotion point, this is great news, so let's work on that and build on that; and then concentrate on making the incremental improvements on the 5% or less of beaches."

  8. Three murder accused calling no evidencepublished at 17:19

    David George, BBC Spotlight

    Three out of four people accused of murdering a pensioner in Cornwall will be calling no evidence, their lawyers have told a court. 

    Sixty-three-year-old Terry Oldham (below) died at his home in Camborne last April. Truro Crown Court heard he died from injuries caused by a serious sexual assault.

    Terry OldhamImage source, Handout

    Aaron Mallen, 25, Daniel Quinn, 24, and Michelle Casterton, 43, all from Falmouth, are not calling evidence. Richard Rosevear, 33, from St Austell, will give evidence in his defence on Friday. All four deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult. The trial continues.  

  9. Latest headlines for Devon and Cornwallpublished at 17:12

    Claire Hawke
    BBC Local Live

    - A Torbay councillor, stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh after flights were suspended, says he understands the Prime Minister is right to take security precautions 

    - The Royal Navy has confirmed it's investigating claims that South West fishermen lost equipment worth thousands of pounds after naval vessels snagged lobster and crab pots 

    - Firefighters are trying to put out a blaze involving 150 tonnes of sawdust in a barn near Tavistock

  10. Stuck in Sharm - one Devon tourist's viewspublished at 17:04

    BBC Radio Devon

    Holidaymakers from the South West are among the thousands of people stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh.

    Today David Cameron said it could be 'some time before all British tourists stranded in Egypt can be flown home after a Russian passenger jet crashed on Saturday killing all 224 people on board.

    airportImage source, Sarah Cotterill

    Torbay councillor Chris Lewis is on holiday with his partner, he supports the Prime Minister's move, saying: "It's all very well saying 'he may have overreacted' - but I'd rather he overreacted and we were safe going home. At least we can go home safe in the knowledge our government have done what they can to make sure the airport is secure."  

  11. Your guide to Ottery St Mary Flaming Tar Barrelspublished at 16:55

    Exeter Express & Echo

    Thousands are expected to visit East Devon this Bonfire Night to attend the annual Tar Barrel event, external. Every year on November 5th the world famous Flaming Tar Barrels are carried through the streets of Ottery St Mary to the delight of thousands of townsfolk and visitor.

  12. Travel news for Devon and Cornwallpublished at 16:49

    BBC Travel

    - The A38 is flooded at Notter Bridge with deep standing water. The road is just passable with care. 

    - In Threemilestone there are delays on the A390 heading out of Truro towards Chiverton Cross Roundabout. 

    - In Plympton, Moorland Road is blocked near Ridge Park Road due to an accident. 

    - Traffic lights have failed in two places in Plymouth - at Derriford Road and on Greenbank Road at the junction with Mutley Plain.

  13. Mary Phillips' tractor: Some driving factspublished at 16:42

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    Cornish tractor driver Mary Phillips has twice driven the length of mainland Britain for charity, mainly for Devon and Cornwall's air ambulances.

    But she says she is giving up her marathon drives because of "horrendous" traffic on modern roads. Her determination has thrown up some impressive facts:

    Mary Phillips graphic
  14. Weather Watcher on Scilly 'spots blue sky' shockpublished at 16:34

    BBC Weather

    The BBC's new Weather Watchers page allows people to share images and meteorological observations all over the country.

    skyImage source, St Mary's

    One user called 'Weather Watcher on St Mary's' actually saw some blue sky above the Isles of Scilly at 12:58 today - well spotted!

  15. Racial abuse investigation in Saltashpublished at 16:19

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  16. MP calls for church tribunal costs informationpublished at 16:09

    BBC Politics

    A Devon MP is urging a gay clergyman who lost an employment tribunal to find out much the Church of England has spent defending the case.

    Canon Jeremy Pemberton said an offer to work in Nottinghamshire was withdrawn after he married his partner last year and said he would appeal against the ruling.

    Exeter Labour member Ben Bradshaw said in the House of Commons: "Do we not have a right, as members of the Church of England, to know exactly how much our church has spent in our name to persecute this excellent priest?"

  17. Gig built by injured troops to be rowed to Isles of Scillypublished at 16:00

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A gig being built in Falmouth as part of a project to help injured servicemen and women will be rowed to the Isles of Scilly next year. 

    gigImage source, NMMC

    Experts are helping injured men and women from the armed services build the gig at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, external.  

  18. Failings at GPs surgery in Plymouthpublished at 15:51

    BBC Radio Devon

    A GPs surgery in Devon - Friary House Surgery in Plymouth - has been rated as 'inadequate' by healthcare inspectors.

    In the latest inspection of 44 practices across the country, the Care Quality Commission, external rated six as 'inadequate' and three were told they needed to improve.

  19. Local beaches receive poor water quality ratingspublished at 15:43

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    Beaches in Devon and Cornwall have received low ratings in new water quality results published today, external.

    In Devon, Ilfracombe and Instow have been rated poor, meaning they'll be required to display signs advising against bathing there. 

    East Looe beach

    East Looe in Cornwall (pictured) was also rated as poor. Three others - Porth, near Newquay; Seaton and Porthluney on the south coast - have been labelled as sufficient.