North Devon Journal

The mother of a Bideford schoolgirl raped and murdered in India in 2008 has written to the Indian prime minister requesting her daughter's death be reinvestigated.

BBC Spotlight

Devon and Cornwall's Chief Constable says he is no longer prepared to detain mentally ill people "unlawfully" for days simply because the NHS does not have suitable accommodation for them. 

In a letter sent to Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Shaun Sawyer said if harm occurs the NHS will be held to account. The letter, leaked to the Express and Echo, external, says legal action could be taken if the situation is not resolved.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust Chief Executive Melanie Walker said she was disappointed the chief constable had felt the need to take the stance he had, as all public services were under "huge pressure" and the underfunding of mental health services were a matter of record. 

She said she would be speaking to Mr Sawyer to clarify a difference in the number of detainees who had been held longer than necessary. "Of course every single person who shouldn't be in a police cell is one too many," she added.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

The mother of a north Devon teenager Scarlett Keeling said she would always "regret" allowing her daughter to go to the Valentine's Day beach party in Goa, India where the youngster was killed.  

Image source, AFP

Speaking before two men were cleared in Goa of her rape and death in September, she told BBC News: "Mostly people don't know the facts when they say I left her on the beach on her own or with her 29-year-old boyfriend. He wasn't her boyfriend and I didn't leave her on her own.  

Image source, AFP

"They don't know the facts and I try not to take what they say personally. 

"Obviously, I will regret that decision for the rest of my life that I let her go to that party. I wish more than anything that I'd said no and kept her with us but I can't change the past. I just have to accept it and get on."

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Truro City will be without two players for their game with Dartford after they were called up for international duty.

Image source, Getty Images

The National League South side's striker and player-coach Rory Fallon links up with New Zealand for their games with Mexico and the USA, while on-loan Plymouth Argyle youngster Louis Rooney is away with Northern Ireland's under-21 side.

"It does seem strange, but it's fantastic for the club," Truro City manager Lee Hodges said.

The mother of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling is battling for a reinvestigation into her daughter's killing in India in 2008.  

Here's how events have unfolded:

• Scarlett's bruised and half-naked body was found on the popular Anjuna beach in the north of Goa in February 2008
• She had been at a Valentine's Day beach party while the rest of her family had gone travelling

Image source, PA

• Her death was originally treated as an accident but eventually police charged two local men, Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, with causing her death
• The prosecution alleged that Mr Carvalho and Mr D'Souza, who was working at a beach-side shack near where her body was found, had plied Scarlett with drugs then attacked her

• In September both men were cleared at Goa Children's Court
• Smiling D'Souza said outside court: "I am happy with the verdict. Justice has prevailed."

• Scarlett's mother Fiona MacKeown said she was devastated by the outcome and promised to fight to overturn the verdict
• "I am reeling," she said. "It's been eight years of agony. I feel devastated and will definitely be challenging the verdict."

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

Police are investigating a burglary which took place at a property in Newton Abbot where a woman's precious military medals were taken.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Eight military medals in bronze, silver and gold "of huge personal value to the home owner" were stolen in the raid early on Tuesday morning in the Queensway area said police.

They include campaign medals from the owner’s former military service in the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, the second Gulf War and Afghanistan.

Det Con Martin Battershill said: “This is a terrible loss for the victim as these campaign medals are of significant personal value from her service within the armed forces."

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

The mother of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling is battling for a reinvestigation into her daughter's killing in India in 2008.  

Here's a reminder of how the tortuous road to the trial in September unfolded, a journey which her mother Fiona MacKeown described as "hell".

• November 2007: Scarlett and her family travel to India for a six-month 'trip of a lifetime' 

• February 2008: Scarlett's body was found on Anjuna Beach in Goa. Police said she had accidentally drowned

• March 2008: A second post-mortem is carried out which showed she had been raped and murdered 

• March 2008: Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho are arrested and charged on five counts, before being bailed 

• March 2010: Trial begins in Goa's Children's Court, but it is delayed due to adjournments. Ms MacKeown calls it a "show trial" 

• August 2010: Fiona MacKeown, Scarlett's mother, gives evidence at the trial and says her alleged killers 'gave her drugs' 

• February 2011: Prosecutor SR Rivonkar resigns from the case 

• April 2012: The Goan authorities give permission for Scarlett's body to be released to her family 

• June 2012: Scarlett is buried in a garden on the family's smallholding

• September 2016: The two men are cleared of Scarlett's death  

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Back in September when the pair accused of raping and killing 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling, her mother, Fiona MacKeown said she remembered her daughter as a "normal teenage girl". 

"She wanted to be more grown up than she actually was," Ms MacKeown said.

"She was very bubbly, she was always singing and dancing and had lots of friends. She was clever, lively and intelligent."

Now, Ms MacKeown is battling for a reinvestigation into her daughter's killing in India in 2008.

Image source, Family handout

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

Here's pro surfer Jobe Harriss enjoying the swell in France - and you can see more of Jobe's surfing pix on Instagram here, external and on Twitter., external

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

The mother of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling who was killed on a family holiday to India said she would "regret for the rest of my life" the decision to allow her daughter to go to the beach party alone.

Image source, afp

Fiona MacKeown from north Devon is battling for a reinvestigation into her daughter's killing in India in 2008. 

She has written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after two men were cleared of raping and killing the 15-year-old in Goa. 

Ms MacKeown told ITV 1's Good Morning Britain that the investigative process was initially hindered by a reluctance in the Indian criminal justice system to admit a tourist had been murdered.

Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

Gluten free foods will no longer be available on prescription in Cornwall as the local NHS battles big debts. 

NHS Kernow - the organisation that buys health services on behalf of patients - needs to save around £40m this year and a review's underway of 300 smaller services it currently commissions. 

Decisions have been made on 15 others - with funding also being cut for a community menopause service and Nightlink, external telephone service.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A man has been arrested by police investigating fly-tipping at a south Devon beauty spot.

Image source, Kingsbridge Police

The 23-year-old from Plymouth has been bailed pending further investigations into the fly-tipping at Blackdown Rings near Kingsbridge said police.

It followed a joint operation between local councils, Devon & Cornwall Police and the Environment Agency.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Exeter City full-back Craig Woodman admits the club's defence must improve.

Image source, Rex Features

The League Two strugglers have yet to get a point at home this season and have suffered a string of injuries to experienced defenders since the start of 2015-16.

"As a back four we need to tighten up and stop conceding silly little goals," Woodman told BBC Sport. "We seem to be giving teams a head start and that's what we've got to work on."

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

The final preparations are being made today ahead of this weekend's British Surfing Championships in Cornwall.

Image source, Surfing GB

The region's top surfers will be in action at Perranporth beach battling for one of 15 British titles up for grabs. 

Organisers say the event has attracted one of the largest entries in the competition's history with 210 surfers signed up to take part.  

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

Neighbours in Newton Abbot claim their lives have been ruined because of the light and noise from an all-weather pitch at a local school.

Image source, bbc

It was installed at Coombeshead Academy last September and for the past year, residents have been campaigning for the council to make some changes.

They say the pitch's floodlights illuminate all their rooms at night and the noise and expletives from players on the pitch means they can't even sit in their garden.

Teignbridge District Council says it wants to resolve any issues so the pitch doesn't unreasonably impact on the residents and that planning permission has been granted for an acoustic fence to reduce the noise.  

A dementia sufferer who was missing from the Torquay area has been found safe and well.

Alfred Higham, 74, was last seen at his home on Sherwell Valley Road in Torquay earlier this week.

Police said they would like to thank the public for their assistance after Alfred was found safe and well last night.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

The mother of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling has said she is battling for a reinvestigation into her daughter's killing at an Indian beach resort in 2008.

Image source, AP

Fiona MacKeown revealed that she had written to the Indian prime minister after two men were cleared of raping and killing the 15-year-old in Goa.

The teenager's bruised and half naked body was found on the shores of the popular Anjuna beach, having drowned after allegedly being plied with drugs.

Image source, PA

A first post-mortem examination ruled that Scarlett died from accidental drowning, before a second, carried out under pressure from her mother, prompted a new investigation to be launched.

She told Good Morning Britain: "I'd like a reinvestigation, I'd like the police investigated that lied to me and told the other younger policeman to treat it as an accident and not a murder."

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A 10-year-old boy bought some doughnuts for road workers after he heard they were getting abused by drivers.

Miles Rodwell from Bodmin said he wanted to cheer up the workers on the town's huge road works scheme.

Miles's mum Emma said on Facebook: "Miles heard that the Cormac workers were getting spat at, shoved and verbally abused because of the roadworks, so Miles took the workers a huge tray of iced doughnuts to cheer them up.

He's since been rewarded with the offer of a job when he's older, by Cormac. He was also given a hard hat and a ride in a digger.

Arthur Hooper of Cormac said: "Miles has certainly captured the hearts and minds of our staff on the ground as well as many of the residents within the local community. It goes to show that a little kindness can go a long way."

Image source, Cornwall Council