Summary

  • Teenager's river death 'was drug related'

  • Thomas Orchard custody death: Manslaughter trial begins

  • Man's eyes 'seriously damaged' in robbery

  • Eight Lloyds branches due to close in Cornwall

  • Exeter MP to defy Labour Party whip on Brexit vote

  • Plymouth MP invites President Trump to Mayflower 400 celebrations

  • Cornwall Council considers buying homes in polluted areas

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

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

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

    Don't forget Spotlight on BBC One later. There will also be news through the night on your BBC Local Radio station.

  2. Nearly 30% of people over 60 'suffer muscle weakness'published at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Jenny Walrond
    Health Correspondent, BBC Spotlight

    Three in 10 people aged over 60 are affected by muscle weakness, academics say.

    Muscle scan

    As a result, people with the condition were more likely to have a fall or develop conditions such as osteoperosis, according to scientists at the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth.

    The university is leading a European research project which aims to find out more about the impact of muscle loss and ways in which it can be avoided.

  3. Nathan Wood inquest: Teenager 'shouting and screaming'published at 17:54 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    A teenager who took an LSD-style hallucinogenic drug and then drowned in a river in Devon was shouting and screaming before he went in, an inquest has heard.

    Nathan Wood jumped into the River Dart, near Totnes, before he died last August. 

    A teenage girl told the hearing in Torquay that the 16-year-old was acting in a weird way and told her one of the group was talking about "sacrificing someone", and that eyes were wide open and he told her "We have to go".

    He stripped naked and was shouting out the names of some girls and she had to elbow him off after he hugged her tightly on the ground, she told the hearing. 

    She said: "He screamed 'Where is red?'" - a reference to the colour of a top they had both been wearing. She soon heard a loud splash and he shouted out the name Cassandra. The coroner concluded that the 16-year-old's death was drug-related.

  4. Clean air strategy: What are the other options?published at 17:46 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Chris Quevatre
    BBC News Online

    There are six options on the table in the "Clean Air for Cornwall Strategy", one of which is the relocation of residents from pollution hotspots, potentially using compulsory purchases.

    But what are the other five?

    • Taxi Licensing Review - Includes setting age restrictions on fleet vehicles, and incentives for running electric cars
    • Anti-Idling Enforcement - A £20 fine for keeping your engine running while stationary at places like train stations, taxi ranks and schools
    • Cornwall Council Air Quality Programme - A range if measures designed to limit the emissions of the council itself
    • Planning Air Quality Priority Areas - Limiting the building of new residences in areas of poor air quality
    • Clay Area Dust Review

    Any final decisions by Cornwall Council on how to tackle air pollution are yet to be made.

  5. Nathan Wood inquest: Teen 'would not have died if he had not taken drug'published at 17:38 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Sian Davies
    BBC News Online

    A coroner says a 16-year-old "would not have died" had he not taken an LSD-style drug.

    Nathan WoodImage source, Handout

    Student Nathan Wood jumped into the River Dart, near Totnes, before he drowned last August. He became "disorientated" after taking the psychoactive drug N-bome, the hearing in Torquay was told.

    Coroner Ian Arrow concluded it was a drug-related death, saying: "If he had not taken that drug that day, he would not have died that day."

  6. Latest weather: Rain easing overnight, brighter for some of Tuesdaypublished at 17:34 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Bee Tucker
    BBC Weather

    Persistent and locally heavy rain will push in from the west during the evening and overnight, with mist and hill fog. The rain will gradually start to ease during the early hours though. Minimum temperature: 7C (45F).

    Weather

    After a cloudy start to Wednesday, some brighter spells will develop for a time during tomorrow afternoon. It will be a fairly mild day, but some further outbreaks of rain then are likely later. Maximum temperature: 11C (52F).

  7. Thomas Orchard custody death: Schizophrenic man 'unlawfully restrained'published at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Hamish Marshall
    BBC Spotlight

    A court has been told that a church caretaker from Exeter died after he was "unlawfully" restrained by police officers for more than 20 minutes whilst in custody. 

    Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Orchard, who had schizophrenia, died in October 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest in his cell in Exeter after being restrained, with a belt put across his face, a jury at Bristol Crown Court was told.

    Heavitree Road police station

    The jury was also shown CCTV of his arrest. When arrested, he was handcuffed and his legs were in restraining straps. 

    Prosecutors said that "not one of those directly responsible took sufficient care to see that he was breathing properly - or at all."

    Custody Sergeant Jan Kingshott, 45, and civilian detention officers Michael Marsden, 56, and Simon Tansley, 39, each deny one count of manslaughter by gross negligence. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb, told the jury this was a re-trial of the three. The trial, due to last up to nine weeks, continues.

  8. Latest headlines in Devon and Cornwallpublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    • Three Devon and Cornwall Police staff accused of the manslaughter of a man with schizophrenia who was in custody in Exeter face a retrial
    • An Iraqi student at the University of Exeter is stopped from flying to America as a result of President Donald Trump's travel curbs, the university's vice chancellor says
    • A Cornish businessman says he's been the subject of a scam after someone tried to get him to pay £4,000 as part of a county court judgement which did not exist
    • The Environment Agency welcomes South West Water being ordered to pay fines and costs of £54,000 for allowing untreated sewage to escape into a river near Truro 
    • Dairy firm Arla Foods announces it is investing more than £37m in its UK business this year, including the Taw Valley Creamery in North Tawton, Devon
  9. South West Water £54k prosecution over sewage escape welcomedpublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    The Environment Agency has welcomed South West Water being ordered to pay £54,000 in fines and costs for allowing untreated sewage to escape into a river within a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Truro in Cornwall. 

    In March 2015, nearly 90,000 gallons of sewage was discharged from the Calenick Pumping Station over four-and-a half-hours.

    It was caused by a contractor forgetting to restart pumps after maintenance work, the agency - which brought the prosecution to Truro Crown Court last week - said. 

    There was also a breakdown in communications in getting a crew to fix the problem sooner, the agency added. 

  10. Thomas Orchard custody death: Police 'failed to observe closely'published at 16:37 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Hamish Marshall
    BBC Spotlight

    Three Devon and Cornwall Police staff accused of the manslaughter of a man with schizophrenia in custody failed to observe him closely, leading to him being starved of oxygen, prosecutors have told a trial.

    Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Orchard was physically restrained in a street in Exeter and and at Heavitree Road police station's custody unit for a total period of 22 minutes after he was arrested on 3 October 2012, Bristol Crown Court heard. 

    Heavitree police station

    The combination of force and physical restraints used on him contributed to his death, prosecutors added.

    Custody Sergeant Jan Kingshott, 45, and civilian detention officers Michael Marsden, 56, and Simon Tansley, 39, each deny one count of manslaughter by gross negligence. The trial continues.

  11. Lloyds Bank closures: No replacement mobile branch service for St Ivespublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Seven out of eight branches of Lloyds Bank due to close in Cornwall this year will have access to a new mobile branch service, the company says.

    Lloyds said only St Ives, which is due to lose its branch on 8 June, would not get the new service.

    It added that customers were having their their accounts realigned to Hayle and "about 97% of our personal customers already use other branches, such as Hayle branch".

  12. Support helpline for children relaunched in Plymouthpublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    BBC Radio Devon

    Children at risk of neglect in Plymouth are getting more help from today. 

    The NSPCC, backed by the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board, is re-launching its helpline in the city. 

    A six-month campaign will try to encourage people to share any concerns they have as early as possible.

    It's hoped people will use the helpline if they're nervous about going to the police, the NHS or council.

  13. Donald Trump travel curbs 'impede university research'published at 15:44 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    US President Donald Trump's travel curbs undermine academic freedom and impede research, the University of Exeter's vice chancellor says.

    Professor Sir Steve Smith said an Iraqi PhD student at the institution was stopped from flying to America by Mr Trump's executive order, despite having a visa and having lived and studied in the UK for five years.

    Iraq is one of seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the clampdown which Mr Trump says will "keep America safe".

    Sir Steve Smith said: "At Exeter, we collaborate widely with institutions abroad, including in the United States, and we cannot condone a policy that restricts these freedoms, curtails intellectual partnerships or impedes research."

  14. Ex-prisoners 'told to go Torbay' - homelessness volunteerpublished at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    BBC Radio Devon

    Volunteers at a homelessness charity in Torbay are backing claims by their elected mayor that prisons are telling offenders to go to the Bay when they're released. 

    Conservative mayor Gordon Oliver has written to the prisons minister and the home secretary about his concerns. The Ministry of Justice said it did not advise offenders where to go. 

    However, Ellie Waugh, who volunteers at the Haven in Paignton, said 24 people had arrived at the centre this month, and 18 of those were from prisons.

    She added: "We are there to help absolutely everybody, we are not political. But I have noticed, most definitely, in the last three to four months, we've had a huge increase coming from various prisons."

    Conservative mayor Gordon Oliver
    Image caption,

    Conservative mayor Gordon Oliver

  15. Thomas Orchard custody death: Manslaughter trial beginspublished at 15:11 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Hamish Marshall
    BBC Spotlight

    Three Devon and Cornwall Police staff accused of the manslaughter of a man with schizophrenia who was in custody have gone on trial.

    Thomas OrchardImage source, Handout

    Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Orchard had been arrested in Exeter in October 2012. He was taken to Heavitree Road police station but was found unconscious in a cell and died later in hospital. 

    Custody Sergeant Jan Kingshott, 45, and civilian detention officers Michael Marsden, 56, and Simon Tansley, 39, each deny one count of manslaughter by gross negligence. 

    The trial at Bristol Crown Court is expected to last six to nine weeks. 

  16. Iraqi University of Exeter student 'stopped from flying to the US'published at 14:57 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    A student at the University of Exeter has been stopped at an airport as he was about to fly to America as a result of US President Donald Trump's travel curbs, the university's vice chancellor says.

    Exeter University

    Sir Steve Smith said the Iraqi PhD student was stopped after he had been invited to present an academic paper with professors "at a prestigious US institution". The student, who obtained a visa two months ago, had lived and studied in the UK for the past five years, he added.

    Iraq is one of seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the clampdown which Mr Trump says will "keep America safe".

    Sir Steve said the travel ban "undermines the principle of academic freedom and jeopardises the advancement of knowledge between nations".

  17. Latest travel in Devon and Cornwallpublished at 14:46 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    BBC Travel

    • In Cornwall, the A30 westbound in Camborne is partially blocked by a broken-down vehicle near the B3047 Camborne West
    • Delays are continuing on the A38 in the Glynn Valley because of diversions, a one-way system and speed restrictions in operation due to roadworks
    • In Devon, Chineway Road in the Ottery St Mary area is closed in both directions due to roadworks. A diversion is in place
    • In Horrabridge, the A386 Tavistock Road is closed between North Road and Old Station Road for repairs to fencing. A diversion is in place via Crapstone
    • At Land's End and Newquay airports, there's disruption to Skybus flights to and from the Isles of Scilly due to the weather conditions
  18. Nathan Wood inquest: Teenager 'wanted to go tripping'published at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    A teenager who took an LSD-style drug and then drowned in a river in Devon wanted "to go tripping", an inquest has heard.

    Student Nathan Wood jumped into the River Dart, near Totnes, before he died last August. He became "disorientated" after taking the psychoactive drug N-bome, the hearing in Torquay was told.

    A friend of the teenager, who cannot be named, made a statement, saying he and the 16-year-old paid money to another friend for a tablet which they took after Mr Wood cut it in half. Both of them felt the impact of the drug, which leads to hallucinations. The boy said: "We knew we were tripping."  

    The coroner concluded that the 16-year-old's death was drug-related.

    River Dart/Nathan WoodImage source, BBC/Family photo
  19. School technician 'swapped 18,000 messages and pictures in grooming case'published at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 31 January 2017

    Cornwall Live

    A school technician swapped more than 18,000 messages, naked pictures and explicit videos from fake Facebook accounts with an underage pupil in what has been described by a judge as "one of the worst cases of grooming, external" he'd ever seen.