Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

One person has suffered from effects of smoke inhalation and dozens of people have been evacuated from a leisure centre in Exeter after a fire broke out.

The fire in the sauna area filled the Riverside Leisure Centre with smoke.

Image source, Google

Many of the evacuees were swimming at the time and hazardous substance control teams have been called to the scene.

A Marks and Spencer store across the road is letting police using its cafe as an evacuation centre.

BBC Travel

• In Devon, the entrance into the Exe Bridge retail park in Exeter is closed due to a fire at the Riverside Leisure Centre. Traffic is very heavy in the area
• In Holsworthy, the A3072 Rydon Road is partially blocked due to an accident near Trewyn Park
• In Barnstaple, Victoria Street is blocked due to an accident between Town Walk and Newport Road
• In Plymouth, at Drake Circus, near Charles Street, there are reports of an accident

BBC Radio Devon

People have been evacuated from an Exeter leisure centre after a fire broke out.

Image source, Google

Firefighters said there was an incident in the sauna area of the Riverside Leisure Centre and the blaze had spread to a health suite on the first floor.

Several fire engines are at the scene. The entrance into the Exe Bridge Retail Park is closed and traffic is very heavy in the area as a result.

Bee Tucker
BBC Weather

Overnight it will stay damp and cloudy with hill fog and strong winds. It will remain very mild and frost-free. Minimum temperature: 8C (46F).

Wednesday will stay cloudy and damp with hill fog lingering. It will also stay mild. The wind will ease by afternoon. Maximum temperature: 13C (55F).

Cornwall Live

Marty McFly and the Doc could be in trouble if they arrived in Cornwall after local police proved their humorous side when asked about car modifications by stating that although it was not illegal to fit a flux capacitor they would take a dim view on anyone who fit a fusion reactor to power it, external.

BBC Radio Cornwall

BBC Radio Devon

Work to reduce the flood risk to more than 400 properties in Teignmouth is set to begin on 27 February, a council says.

Teignbridge District Council said the repairs and renewal of the sea defence structure at The Point would "help preserve the integrity of the sea wall for another 75 years".

Parts of The Point car park will be used for materials storage and onsite facilities. The council added it was co-ordinating works to "avoid busy holiday periods".

Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

The leader of Cornwall Councill says "austerity can only go on for so long" after the authority agreed to a further £33m of savings and to raise council tax for its 2017/18 budget.

The approved 4% rise by the unitary authority includes a 2% increase for social care. 

The budget - approved by 64 votes for to 29 against, and two abstentions - will see the average household bill rise by £1 a week more from April.

However, leader John Pollard said: "It needs to change. My message to government is 'Please invest in adult social care'. It is a national issue... Cornwall is doing its bit."

BBC Sport

Exeter City have just announced the signing of striker Ryan Swan on a deal until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has been playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division with University College Dublin and Bray Wanderers, where he became friends with Grecians player Pierce Sweeney.

Swan scored 18 goals in 54 games for Dublin, and also scored three times in the Europa League in 2015.

BBC Radio Devon

Image source, Google

A Devon pub says its business rates are likely to treble over the next five years. 

Rates are being updated for the first time in seven years, to bring them into line with property values. 

The Babbacombe Inn, in Torquay, said the imminent re-evaluation means it will be penalised for its success, because rates for pubs are based on rents, floorspace and turnover.

The government says the average bills for pubs in the South West will go down. It added that there would be caps on the rate rises and transitional relief when the rates are high, which should reduce the impact.

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

A farmer who lost a pregnant ewe after she was attacked by a dog on Dartmoor has had his livestock attacked 10 times in the past year, police have said.

Last year there were more than 150 crimes recorded across Devon and Cornwall linked to livestock worrying offences - the number of these incidents also usually increase during the lambing season. 

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

PC Phil Johnson said all the incidents involving the farmer had been preventable.

“Not only is this incredible upsetting for the animals, this is also deeply distressing to the farmer," he said.

"Whilst the images we have released in connection to the Holne sheep attack are distressing, it is important to highlight what can happen if your dog is out of control."

Exeter Express & Echo

A deaf and dumb teenager terrified a bus driver by pointing a BB gun at him, external after stopping his vehicle in the centre of Exeter.

Andrew Segal
Local Live

An investigation is being carried out to establish the cause of a fire which was dealt with by six crews from across Cornwall and Devon, firefighters say, external. 

Crews from Holsworthy, Bude, Launceston, Hartland, Liskeard and Barnstaple were called to the blaze of the well alight property in Whitstone, near Week St Mary, at about 03:40.

Western Power engineers were also called to isolate the electrics to the house.

BBC News Health

Hospital services in nearly two-thirds of England could be cut or scaled back, BBC analysis of local plans shows.

The proposals have been made by NHS bosses as part of a national programme to transform the health service and save money across 44 different areas.

How is Devon faring?

The challenge: The area will have a funding gap of £557m by 2020-21 if nothing is done.

What is being done?

The area plans to reduce reliance on bed-based care, and support more patients at home or in the local community. It hopes a focus on prevention, including promoting healthy eating and tackling alcohol misuse, will offset costs elsewhere in the system, although the plan is light on the details of exactly how. 

The area hopes to improve care of people with mental health issues, which it believes will relieve pressure elsewhere in the system, such as reducing stays in hospital. Up to 6% of current staff will be retrained.

Hospital closures: 

Specific plans include replacing hospitals with health and wellbeing centres in Ashburton, Bovey Tracey, Dartmouth and Paignton. A clinical hub is proposed for Brixham, where the current minor injuries unit will close.

Hospitals at Newton Abbot and Totnes will become clinical hubs with medical beds, minor injuries units and health and wellbeing centres. 

Torquay will get a new urgent care centre.

In mid and East Devon, 72 community hospital beds are to be cut, including all inpatient beds at Okehampton and Honiton hospitals.

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

An official site built to house travellers who had been living on an illegal encampment at a Devon beauty spot could be extended. 

Teignbridge Council wants to build three more units at the Haldon Ridge site, near Exeter. The 15-unit site was opened in 2014. 

A final decision on whether the new caravan pitches with individual amenity buildings, recycling bins, site roads and secure caravan store is expected in April.

BBC Travel

• In Devon, the B3230 in Ilfracombe, near Old Barnstaple Road, is blocked because of an accident 
• Between Dawlish and Teignmouth, on Holcombe Down Road, there are reports of an accident
• In Barnstaple, near the North Devon District Hospital, there are temporary traffic lights and roadworks. Expect delays 
• In Plymouth, there are temporary traffic lights on Forder Valley Road at Novorossisk Road for grass cutting. There is slow traffic and surrounding roads are also busy 
• Also in Plymouth, Crownhill Road has been partially blocked near Ernesettle Lane due to an accident 
• In Cornwall, Trenoweth Lane at Mabe Burnhouse is blocked due to an accident near Antron Hill
• On the A39 around Wadebridge, there are temporary traffic lights for drainage work. Slow traffic
• In Redruth, Barncoose Terrace is just passable near Blowinghouse Hill after an accident. Traffic is slow-moving

Kevin Thomas
BBC Weather Forecaster

It'll continue cloudy with low cloud again giving foggy conditions over high ground and exposed parts of the coast. There will also be some occasional light rain or drizzle which will be more persistent over moors, although a few brighter periods may develop downwind of high ground. Moderate or fresh winds will be stronger around the coast at times. Maximum temperature: 13C (55F).

Tonight will remain mild and cloudy, with hill fog patches still affecting higher ground at times. There will also the be some occasional spells of mainly light rain or drizzle. Moderate or fresh southwesterly winds will be strong at times, and may reach near gale force around exposed parts of the coast and high ground. Minimum temperature: 9C (48F).

Health bosses in Devon have denied claims about a ward closing in Torbay Hospital and services being moved elsewhere in the county.

Local health campaigners say nurses have been left in tears and people are furious because of planned closures and changes. They added that they believed McCallum Ward at Torbay Hospital (pictured) had been closed, and they expected specialist maternity and baby care to be transferred to Plymouth.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust's medical director, Dr Rob Dyer, said 32 beds were being taken out of Torbay Hospital, but McCallum Ward was not closed and no plans had been made to move specialist maternity and baby services. 

He added that people who would have been treated in the closed beds would be treated elsewhere and £3.9m was being invested in community services.

An amber "be prepared" warning for high winds and heavy rain has been issued for other parts of England and Wales.  

BBC Radio Cornwall

The cocker spaniel joined BBC Radio Cornwall's breakfast programme live in the studio, with handler Mark to talk about him becoming a cartoon star. 

He's appearing in a new animation, external with his sidekick, Woody. It's hoped the dogs will be able to get the message over about what parents and children should do in the event of a fire.