Underground cannabis factory raided and £250,000 worth of drugs found
Leyton Orient captain charged by FA over alleged ballboy shove
NHS 111 questions 'disturbing and disrespectful'
Father of newborn baby says his son could have died just days after his birth because of a lack of communication at Royal Cornwall Hospital
South West Water fined for sewage spill
Devon head teachers warn of redundancies and bigger class sizes if a cut of £33 per pupil goes ahead in April
Devon County Council increases council tax by almost 5% to help fund care for the elderly and vulnerable
Poldark's Levant Mine parking fees 'insensitive'
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Friday
That's all from BBC Local Live in Devon and Cornwall for today, but we'll be back at 08:00 tomorrow to bring you all Friday's news, sport, travel and weather.
Don't miss Spotlight with Justin and Victoria this evening on BBC One at 18:30 and the late bulletin tonight at 22:30.
Today councillors in Devon agreed a rise in council tax by 1.99%, external to a total rate of 4.99%.
"The rise equates to an extra £60.30 a year for the average Band D council taxpayer", the council says.
The money will be spent on general services such as education, caring for children, roads and economic development.
£18.7 million is expected to be used to boost adult health and social care.
Lynne French
BBC News Online
A former soldier has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a man in Exeter.
Richard Grant, of Drake Close, Cullompton, has admitted having a knife at the time of the attack in Leighton Terrace in January, but he denies using it to inflict stab wounds to Alexander Pierce's legs, groin, chest and arm.
Appearing at Exeter Crown Court, external by video link from the city's prison, the 46-year-old denied attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Judge Brian Forster, QC, adjourned the case for a trial in March and remanded the accused in custody.
Rob England
BBC South West
Shaldon Bridge from Torquay to Teignmouth will be closed to all vehicles, external and pedestrians on Friday 17 February whilst maintenance crews carry out a "trial opening" Devon County Council has said.
In October the council discovered a problem with the mechanical winding gear preventing the bridge being fully opened. By law it has to be able to allow vessels to pass through.
The alternative route for vehicles will be via Teignmouth Road, B3199, Riviera Way, A380, Torquay Road, Besignheim Way, and vice versa.
Quote MessageIf our repair works have been successful the bridge should be fully operational. We appreciate that this closure will cause some disruption, and we have scheduled the work to take place during the half term break to minimise this.”
Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council
Image source, Devon County CouncilLynne French
BBC News Online
A 34-year-old man accused of a double stabbing in Holsworthy has refused to leave his cell to appear at Exeter Crown Court, external.
Philip Richards, formerly of Tower Street, Launceston, was due to appear by video link from Exeter Prison to face two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The case was adjourned and Mr Richards was remanded in custody for a trial later this year.
The Football Association charges Leyton Orient's Liam Kelly with violent conduct for a shove on a ball boy.
Read More
Holly Green
BBC Weather
This evening and tonight will be dry with clear spells and light winds.
Most places should remain frost free but under clear skies, some patchy mist or fog is possible with a minimum temperature of 4C (39F).
Once any mist or fog clears, Friday will be another mostly dry day, but turning cloudier and breezier through the day, with the odd spot of light rain possible later and a maximum temperature of 12C (54F). Â
Ben Lodge from Falmouth was buying some flowers, steak and chocolate for his wife on Valentine's Day evening, but his payment cards were turned down.
A good samaritan in the queue behind him stepped in to pay for the items so that he wouldn't have to return home empty handed.
Ben left without getting his phone number - do you know who it was? Send us an email.
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Stunning footage of the moment a Plymouth Argyle ballboy was forcibly shoved over, external by a Leyton Orient player has emerged.
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
The NHS has apologised to a Devon woman who was asked the wrong questions when she dialled the non-emergency service NHS 111.
Listen to NHS 111 conversation
Michelle Perryman rang for help saying she felt violently ill but said she was frustrated by the service which asked about 40 questions over a 10 minute call.
The non-emergency service call handler repeatedly tells Mrs Perryman: "The computer is asking the questions."
South West Ambulance, which lost the service in 2016 after a damning report, said the the call handler selected the wrong "pathway".
Lynne French
BBC News Online
Lynne French
BBC News Online
Concern is growing for a 70-year-old man from Exeter who is missing.
Brian Scott, who suffers from dementia, was last seen about 11:30 GMT as his home in the Parkway area of the city.
Image source, Devon and Cornwall PoliceHe is described as being about 5ft 8in (1.73m) tall, with grey hair and a white beard. Mr Scott was wearing a striped burgundy and grey knitted jumper and grey jogging bottoms and slippers.
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This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Highways England said there was a "significant hydraulic oil spillage in lane one of the northbound carriageway between junction 23 near Bridgwater and junction 22 following a collision involving two HGVs". The lane will remain closed for repair work to take place.
Christian Morgan, operations manager, said: “Lane one will require extensive resurfacing work because it has been damaged following the spillage. We’re working hard to get the lane open as quickly as possible and we’d like to thank motorists for their patience while this takes place.”
Clare Woodling
BBC Spotlight
A cafe with a difference is opening in Exeter, aimed at teaching customers how to repair and transform items, such as faulty lawnmowers, broken lamps, torn clothes or anything that would otherwise end up being thrown away.
Organiser June Dimuantes said people can bring "anything they can carry that needs fixing" to the repair cafe at St Sidwell's Community Centre, external.
"We want to stop six million items a year going into landfill," she said.
Exeter could be generating most of its own energy, external within a decade, according to an Energy Independence report due to be published today by Exeter City Futures, which sets out 10 key recommendations to help reduce energy consumption and boost clean energy generation across Exeter and its travel-to-work area.
Andrea Ormsby
BBC Spotlight
An unwell woman who was asked the "wrong" questions by an NHS 111 call handler has received an apology for the distress it caused.
Michelle Perryman from Devon says she was asked "disturbing" questions and was treated disrespectfully by the call handler, who at one point during the call, was heard to laugh.
She also says she's "disgusted" at having to wait for a year for the apology.
The South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust, external, which ran the service at the time, said it was sorry for the distress Ms Perryman experienced as a result of the call in July 2015.
It said the reason for the delay was further information and identification was required from her to progress the complaint.
Lynne French
BBC News Online
A man has a potential fracture to his cheek and a cut to his lip after an assault in Bodmin, police have said.
A person approached the victim from behind on Lower Bore Street at about 15:15 on 7 February, officers said.
Devon and Cornwall Police are appealing for witnesses.
Scarlet fever ranked higher in the list of reported infectious diseases, external than measles or food poisoning over the last week.
The rest of today will be largely dry with sunny spells and light winds making it feel pleasantly mild for the time of year, with a maximum temperature of 12C (54F).
A dry night will follow with clear spells and light winds.
Most places should remain frost free but under clear skies, some patchy mist or fog is possible and a minimum temperature of 4C (39F).
