Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Mandela, a sand tiger shark, has joined his female companion uShaka in the National Marine Aquarium's biggest tank.

As the bigger and healthier of the pair, uShaka, measuring 2m, joined the Atlantic Ocean exhibit once she had completed her quarantine and acclimatization period shortly after their arrival. 

Mandela, however, measuring in at a smaller 1.6m, wasn't quite ready to join her in the bigger tank, and so joined the Great Barrier Reef exhibit until the aquarium team thought he was ready to make the move.

Image source, National Marine Aquarium

Sand Tiger Sharks Fact File:

• They are also known as grey nurse or ragged tooth sharks
• They can gulp air at the surface and hold it in their stomachs to aid with buoyancy control, which in turn can save them energy
• Female sand tiger sharks have two uteri. During the embryonic phase, the more developed embryos eat up their less developed siblings, leaving only the two strongest to survive
• Sand Tiger Sharks are found in warm or temperate waters throughout the world’s oceans

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

A new report says residents in urban areas can play a major role in protecting insect pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

Image source, Steven Falk

Dr Mick Hanley, Reader in Plant-Animal Interactions at the University of Plymouth, was among the report’s authors.  

He said: "Previous work conducted in Plymouth has shown that urban gardens in the UK are increasingly being recognised for their potential to maintain or even enhance biodiversity.

"And by growing a variety of plants from around the world, gardeners can play an important role in ensuring that a range of food sources is available for many different pollinators."

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Nine sites off the coast of Devon have been identified as potential Marine Conservation Zones in a new report from The Wildlife Trusts.

The government will consult on the plans next year.

The sites in Devon are:

• Axe Estuary
• Dart Estuary
• Devon Avon Estuary
• Erme Estuary
• Lyme Bay
• Morte Platform
• North West of Lundy
• Otter estuary
• Taw Torridge Estuary

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

The National Marine Aquarium's male sand tiger shark Mandela has successfully completed his move to the Atlantic Ocean exhibit.

Image source, National Marine Aquarium

He joins fellow female shark, uShaka, and is now on full view for visitors.

Mandela and uShaka joined the aquarium family in October 2015 when they arrived from South Africa, becoming the first captive bred sand tiger sharks in the Northern Hemisphere.

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

The Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner's office has said that moving police officers off patrol to deal with a backlog of call centre work was "entirely appropriate".

Ongoing monitoring and review of performance indicated that by December last year the average delay in answering calls to 101 had doubled.   

Andrew White, chief executive, said the response of the chief constable was "entirely appropriate" as the 101 number is a "front line service".

He said: "The action taken by Devon and Cornwall Police has returned performance to an acceptable level.

"The delays that we had in getting crimes input to the system put the force at an operational risk."

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Three boys who were having to walk just under three miles to their primary school in Cornwall will be given free transport following an appeal.

Lee Gardener, head teacher of Gwinear School near Hayle, was taking the boys to their homes himself in the school minibus after Cornwall Council changed school transport rules.

A spokesperson from the council said: "Three appeals in relation to transport to Gwinear Community Primary School have been upheld and so transport will be now be provided by the council in all three cases."

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

New sites have been earmarked to become Marine Conservation Areas in a report from The Wildlife Trusts.

The report calls for nine more sites in Devon and seven more in Cornwall.

The Government will consult on plans next year.

Harry Barton, chief executive of the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: "These are the very, very best of marine wildlife habitat that we still have. These are our little bits of tropical rainforest, if you like."

John Danks, BBC Spotlight

Samples have been taken from the body of a whale on a beach in Devon.

Rob Deaville, from the London Zoological Society, travelled down to take samples from the whale as part of a research project into strandings around the UK.

People again turned out to see the whale, which has been cordoned off, despite Teignbridge District Council advising people to avoid the area.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Redruth are set to give a debut to former Launceston back-row Barrie-John Chapman when they travel to second-from-bottom Exmouth on Saturday.

Image source, Alastair Cowe

Chapman, 31, spent last season at National Two South rivals Taunton and was part of the Cornwall side that won the 2016 County Championship final.

"He's a welcome addition to our pack," head coach Marek Churcher told BBC Radio Cornwall. "He brings a wealth of experience and we've got to make sure he feels welcome."

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A holidaymaker and his dog have died after getting into difficulty in the sea.

A lifeboat crew pulled the man, named locally as Trevor Priest, 63, from near Stratford-upon-Avon, from the water near Tintagel in Cornwall. 

He is thought to have gone into the water after his dog and died later in hospital, said police.   

Juliet Short wrote on Facebook: "Trevor was one in a million, never a bad word or an unhappy face." 

Sharon Barrett wrote: "Your warmth, sincerity and infectious fun, will be greatly missed."

West Briton

A Cornish casting agency is on the hunt for an "actual Cornishman with a characterful look" for an undisclosed role and their plea has seen an amazing response so far., external

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Seven areas off the coast of Cornwall have been identified to become Marine Conservation Zones, which will be decided by the government next year.

The seven proposed protected areas off Cornwall are:

• Camel Estuary, 
• Cape Bank, 
• East of Jones Bank, 
• North-east of Haig Fras, 
• South-east Falmouth, 
• South of the Isles of Scilly, 
• South-west Deeps (east)

Image source, Cornish Wildlife Trust

Dr Nick Tregenza, trustee for Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: “This is the much needed next step to complete an effective network of protected areas at sea.  

"If the government lives up to its stated commitments such a network would put us at the forefront of worldwide marine conservation."

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

About 50 police and community support officers have been taken off patrol in Devon and Cornwall to deal with a backlog of call centre work, the BBC has learnt.  

Devon and Cornwall Police is now encouraging people to use email or an online form to report crimes to cut delays calling the 101 non-urgent number, which has been criticised for long delays.

In a statement, the force said: "In response to the 101 delays, the force moved around 50 people including officers, PCSOs and other staff to assist the contact centre.

"The significant majority of these were on restricted duties therefore were unable to undertake front line duties or their usual job role."

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

A diver died and two others were taken to hospital in an incident off the coast of Cornwall.

Police said a man believed to be a 67-year-old from Brentwood in Essex was recovered unconscious from the water at Porthkerris near St Keverne on Saturday.

Two other divers were also taken by ambulance to Derriford Hospital "due to rapid ascent in the sea", but released the same day.

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

A vehicle parked close to a primary school in Dartington has been "severely damaged" by fire.

Firefighters were called just after 07:00 and one appliance from Totnes attended and put out the blaze.

Sophie Pierce
BBC Radio Devon

A group of residents in Torquay claim their lives are being blighted by potentially toxic dust from a nearby building site. 

One family are planning to move, because they are so worried about the possible impact on their health. 

They've even paid for environmental tests which they say show that pollutants in the soil on the site exceed safe levels. 

The developers, McCarthy and Stone, say they will now commission their own tests, while the council says it will monitor the situation.

West Briton

A mum had her feathers ruffled when she went to tuck into a mid-week takeaway only to spot a phallic shaped chicken ball, external included in her order.

You've been contacting us with suggestions for names of two orphaned meerkat pups.

Jane King suggested Snap and Popple, Lindsay Clarke emailed us with Bubble and Squeak, and Carolyn Constantin suggested Merkel and May. What do you think? 

Email us your suggestions for names.

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Police are advising shopkeepers and business owners in South Devon to be on their guard after several instances of fake £50 notes were reported in Newton Abbot.

So far two different serial numbers have been identified as being linked to these counterfeit £50 notes: HK10 234322 and BC02 245667. 

Serial numbers on genuine banknotes are unique, so if you have a note carrying one of there numbers, it is likely to be a counterfeit, police said.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Residents living in towns and cities can play a major role in ensuring insect pollinators, including bees, pollen wasps and flower beetles, survive and thrive around them, a team of scientists has said.

Image source, Steven Falk

The team, which includes researchers from Plymouth University, says that with global bee and butterfly populations in decline, the nature of cities is shifting so that they often contain more diverse populations of native bees than in nearby rural landscapes.