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.

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

Crowds have stripped a whale carcass washed up on a beach in Cornwall - leaving only one heavy bone behind. 

The fin whale, thought be about 65ft (20m) long, was washed up on Wanson Beach near Bude last year.

The owner of the beach said the public had engaged in "vulture culture" with some parts of the whale sold on the online trading site eBay.

BBC Spotlight

The mother of a toddler has told us she thought her daughter was going to choke to death, after she stopped breathing while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Hayley Walker from Plymouth says they were left for 25 minutes while 16 month old Eliza struggled to breathe. When Hayley rang 999 again she was told the ambulance had been cancelled and Eliza wasn't a priority.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service said: "Eliza was conscious and breathing and the parents were advised that as this was not a life-threating emergency, an ambulance would be arranged but it might be a little while before it arrived. The family were advised to call back if Eliza deteriorated."

BBC Radio Devon

Questions are being asked about why a publicly subsidised ferry service in Torbay still doesn't have a proper boat, more than a year after starting. 

The Brixham Express - between Torquay and Brixham - was set up by Torbay Council in 2014, backed by £750,000 of Government money.

The contract was awarded to an Irish company, but 15 months on, the purpose-built catamaran which was promised still hasn't arrived and a smaller 12 seater boat is being used instead. The matter will be raised at a full council meeting. 

Holly Green
BBC Weather

Many areas will have a dry night with clear intervals, allowing a frost to form in places. However, some cloud is likely to spread in from the south-west producing a few showers. Minimum Temperature: 0 Deg C (32 Deg F).

Friday: A frost in places to start the day. Outbreaks of rain in western Cornwall and some showers further east, which could fall as sleet or snow across the moors. Some bright spells around but breezier than today. Maximum Temperature: 8 Deg C (46 Deg F).

BBC Radio Devon

The Plymouth Life Centre has won a prestigious award from Sport England after its lifeguards saved a child's life. 

A 12 year old got into difficulty while swimming at the centre in November, but recovered after lifeguards started CPR.

Lifeguards were praised for their quick response and have been given a Quest award recognising improvement, innovation and exceptional customer service.  

Andrew Segal
Local Live

- A care home company founder, where people with learning disabilities were allegedly imprisoned, designed the homes' regime, a court is told  

- A Plymouth man denies assaulting or neglecting a child over a six-year period

- Councillors in Torbay consider the district's first council tax rise in five years, and £12m of cuts, which could affect about 50 jobs

- An online petition to save hedgehogs led by a Plymouth MP wins support from 19,000 people

BBC Radio Cornwall

Cornwall Council is committed to making changes required on the future of special educational needs (SEN) provision in the county, a senior councillor says. 

The authority is launching the third stage of a consultation on the future of such services, which are applicable to about 2,000 pupils and students, to ensure they are fit for purpose.

The council' lead member for Children's Services, Councillor Andrew Wallis, said: "Any policy around this area needs to be able to move and be changed. I think it would be wrong for us to have a fixed policy."

Scott Bingham, BBC Spotlight

The founder of a company running two Devon care homes where people with learning disabilities were allegedly imprisoned, not only knew about the regime, he designed it, a court has been told.

Paul Hewitt, 70, founded Atlas Project Team Ltd, which ran two homes, Vielstone (pictured) and Gatooma. Bristol Crown Court was told each had a room where residents were locked when they behaved badly.

Mr Hewitt sold the business in 2006, but prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC told the jury that he "really had never ceased to take the lead" and was "the overall boss". Mr Hewitt, from Teignmouth, denies charges of conspiracy to falsely imprison and failing to discharge his duty.

The Cornishman

Volunteers in Penzance who have raised thousands of pounds to charity and donated thousands of goods to deserving cases at the town's Giving Shop are making a last ditch appeal for new premises, external.

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

A Plymouth man has denied assaulting or neglecting a child over a six-year period.

Jeremy Sperring, 48, from Madden Road, pleaded not guilty to the charge at Bodmin Magistrates and the case will now be heard at Truro Crown Court in March.

Jenny Kumah, Devon Political Reporter

Torbay's elected mayor, Gordon Oliver, was initially planning to completely close down council Connections Offices, external in Torquay and in Brixham as part of budget cuts, being discussed today.

The move would have saved £60,000, but also meant people travelling to one in Paignton instead, even though the Torquay office was the busiest of the three. 

Councillors from the ruling Conservatives and opposition Liberal Democrats criticised the plans, so Mr Oliver has offered a compromise - opening Torquay and Brixham one day a week. The Paignton office will remain open full-time.

Matt Pengelly
BBC Radio Cornwall

An ambitious project by a team of wounded, injured and sick former service personnel to build a Cornish pilot gig is reaching the finishing line. 

A crew from the forces' charity Help For Heroes, external plan to row the gig to the Isles of Scilly to take part in April's World Championships.    

Former Royal Marine Alan Henderson (on the left) trained as a boatbuilder after leaving the services, he said: "We've done 10 - 15% of the work, the rest is completely the lads, even though they've come in with no experience whatsoever."

Andrew Segal
Local Live

Cornwall Council is considering whether special educational needs (SEN) provision - applicable to about 2,000 pupils - is fit for purpose.

One school staff member told us anonymously: “I would say that specialist provision support in mainstream schools is being massively cut, but the staff working within those sectors work really hard to do the best for the children within the capacity that they have.

“Special school provision is good but there are not nearly enough places ... attached to mainstream schools, given the number of children who would ideally be placed within one of these.”

BBC Spotlight

Up to 50 jobs could be at risk under plans to make £12m of cuts being debated by Torbay Council.

As part of the budget proposal put forward by elected Mayor Gordon Oliver, the authority is looking at cuts in funding for highways, environmental health, and customer service offices - Connections - in Torquay, external and Brixham.

It is also considering a council tax rise of 4%, the first such rise in five years.  

BBC Travel

- In Cornwall, Bucklers Lane in St Austell is blocked in both directions due to an accident near Stennack Road#

- In Devon, there are reports of an accident on Fore Street in Kingsteignton, near Vicarage Hill and the Dewdrop Inn

- On the A39 at Playing Place a broken down car is causing delays for drivers heading to Falmouth 

Matt Pengelly
BBC Radio Cornwall

Hundreds of Cornish schoolchildren have been adding some rocket power to their lessons today.

A life sized model of the Bloodhound SSC rocket car, external has come to a school in Truro - it's hoped the real thing will top the 1,000 mph mark in South Africa in 2018

Image source, bbc

Youngsters including these children from Marazion School have been making their own working models of the rocket car.

Exeter Express & Echo

A man who faced trial over a biting attack in a pub died in a cliff fall accident, external three months after the alleged assault.

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

Devon and Cornwall police have been praised in an annual review by the policing watchdog. 

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said they "very pleased" with the force's performance in keeping people safe and cutting crime.

The inspectorate found the force worked closely with communities and performed strongly at cutting crime, however improvements are required in how they respond to young people at risk of sexual abuse and missing children. 

BBC Spotlight

A whale carcass has been moved from a private beach near Widemouth Bay by a local rugby club after an appeal on BBC Radio Cornwall. 

The carcass was being stripped by souvenir hunters but Jane Montague, the owner of Wanson Mouth beach, wanted the remaining bones to go to the local museum.