BBC Radio Cornwall

The closure of a Cornish village Post Office, which had been run by the same family for nearly 90 years, was "inevitable", staff say.

Paynters Lane End, at Illogan, near Pool, is one of many local post offices across Cornwall moving premises into a nearby shop. The Smale family, which has been running the site since 1928, won't be moving with it.

Caroline Smale (pictured) said: "We do have a decreasing customer base and footfall and they [the shop taking it on] are open longer hours than us, and it's the way that it's going.

"And, of course with online banking and everything online now, we are gradually losing business all the time." 

The Post Office said it had sincerely thanked the family for running the branch "for so many generations".

Andrew Segal
Local Live

Police are investigating a cat being shot by an air rifle in Devon.

Officers said it was reported that the cat was struck by a pellet in the Cawley Road area of Axminster on Tuesday.

The RSPCA was also called in to assist with the incident.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

The Devon and Cornwall police commissioner's office is seeking another buyer for the site of the force's headquarters after losing a legal battle with supermarket giant Morrisons.

The retailer had signed a contract in 2012 to build a major new store on land at police headquarters, at Middlemoor in Exeter. But it failed to begin building work, triggering a legal battle that the retailer won.

Money from the sale was earmarked to build a new police station and custody suite at Middlemoor, replacing the ageing Heavitree Road police station in the city centre.

The new police station is scheduled to open by 2020.

Andrew Segal
Local Live

A car driver is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after a crash on the A39 in Falmouth, police say.

Officers said, external the 32-year-old man from Penryn sustained serious injuries when his Nissan GT-R left the road between the Ponsharden and Hillhead roundabouts and collided with a street light, went along the embankment and then went back on to the carriageway at about 18:40 on Tuesday.

He was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital near Truro before later being transferred to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. A front seat passenger was also taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, but his injuries were not thought to be serious, police said.

The road was closed for three-and-a-half hours for an investigation.

BBC Radio Devon

It's the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Exeter off the coast of Indonesia. 

The Devonport-built warship HMS Exeter was attacked in 1942 whilst searching for Japanese invasion forces. Her crew were picked up by Japanese destroyers and held as prisoners of war. 

Last year it was discovered that the wreck of the Exeter was missing from the sea bed .

Penalties for using a phone at the wheel have doubled today from three from to six points, plus a £200 fine.

BBC Weather

It will be cloudy with some scattered outbreaks of light rain or drizzle, but becoming brighter with some sunny periods developing later, along with a few showers.

It will also become windy as light, rather variable, winds become west or northwesterly and increase fresh to strong with gales around the coast. Maximum temperature: 10C (50F).

Tonight, it'll be mostly dry with some clear spells, apart from a few showers.

However, fresh to strong west to northwesterly winds will reach up to gale force around exposed coasts before easing later. Minimum temperature: 4C (39F).

BBC Radio Devon

Image source, NS&I

A woman from Devon has won £1m in this month's Premium Bonds draw, National Savings & Investments (NS&I) says.

She owned the maximum investment of bonds - £50,000 - and bought the winning one in January last year. 

She's the 12th person from Devon to win the top prize. And if that's inspired you to check to see if you've won, you should.

The oldest unclaimed prize in the county belongs to a woman from a draw in February 1965, which is worth £25. The highest unclaimed prizes included a £25,000 win from May 2014 for a man with just £20 invested, NS&I said.

Kirk England
BBC Radio Devon

A town with the lowest life expectancy in Devon is launching a new campaign to try to improve the health of people living there. 

Ilfracombe's poor figures are partly due to higher than average rates of heart and liver disease, organisers of the campaign say.

The Spring into Life scheme will offer local people free events and taster sessions this month to encourage them to live a happier, healthier life.

Cornwall Live

Is this the most unlucky couple in Cornwall, external ? First they break three of their four arms on an ill-fated snowboarding holiday - only to come home and find their wheelie bin has disappeared.

BBC Sport

Tom Cowan-Dickie will return to Cornish Pirates from Plymouth Albion next season after agreeing a one-year deal .

Image source, Rex Features

The 25-year-old, who can play as a hooker or prop, made his Championship debut in October 2010. He previously made 21 appearances across two seasons before spells with Exeter Chiefs and Redruth.

"He has already gained considerable experience and at the same time clearly has the potential to take his game to another level," said coach Alan Paver.

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

New firefighting technology which creates a dense mist and is being rolled out across Devon and Somerset is relatively cheap in firefighting terms.

The fog nail is a metal rod which uses high pressure water to create a dense mist, dousing a fire. They were used in fighting the blaze at the Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter last week.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service initially bought four fog nails as a trial, but now they’re to be introduced in all 85 of the brigade’s stations. They cost about £400 each.

Andrew Segal
Local Live

A man has been injured with a hammer in an "unprovoked attack" in Plymouth, police say.

Officers said, external a group of four young men was attacked in Taunton Avenue, Whitleigh, at about 03:15 on Saturday when two men in balaclavas approached and asked for cigarettes.

One of the pair began "punching out at a couple of the group". He then struck a 19-year-old with a claw hammer, causing a cut on his arm which required stitches. The pair then made off in an unknown direction.

Plymouth CID said: "We would like to reassure the public that assaults such as this with the use of weapons are rare in Plymouth.”

BBC Radio Cornwall

A Cornish village Post Office run by the same family for nearly 90 years is to close this afternoon.

Paynters Lane End, at Illogan, near Pool, is one of many local post offices across Cornwall to move premises into a nearby store.

The Smale family started running the site in 1928 but won't be moving with it to the nearby Family Shopper. Caroline Smale (pictured) said she simply doesn't have enough customers to keep going as a separate entity. 

People in the area said they were really sad to see them go. 

The Post Office said it had sincerely thanked the family for running the branch "for so many generations".

BBC Spotlight

The Independent Inquiry into Child Abuse has started hearing evidence from people taken from Cornwall to Australia as children in the 1950s and 1960s.

It was part of a controversial child migration policy which saw about 3,500 children sent to Australia after World War Two for what was hoped would be a more prosperous future. 

However, many of those migrants have told of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the country.

The inquiry is scrutinising a range of institutions for child protection failings. 

Seven years ago, the British government apologised for what had happened. Cornwall Council apologised in 2010  "for the hurt caused" by the the former county authority.

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

Supermarket giant Morrisons won a legal battle with Devon and Cornwall Police about a contract to build a major new store on land at police headquarters on "legal technicalities", a police source has told the BBC.

The contract for the sale of the land at Middlemoor in Exeter was signed in 2012. But Morrison’s began backing away from it the next year, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The money was earmarked to build a new police station and custody suite at Middlemoor , replacing the ageing Heavitree Road police station in the city centre. 

In a statement, Morrisons said: "This is subject to a legal process and is confidential, and therefore it would be wrong to comment further."

Plymouth Herald

Hundreds of jobs are being moved out of the city centre as one of the city centre's biggest employers plans to close a major site, external near Pennycomequick.

BBC Travel

• In Devon , Alphington Road in Exeter is very busy in both directions between the Alphington Junction and Exe Bridges
• The road between California Cross and Morleigh is closed at Gara Bridge for emergency repairs to the bridge
• In Plymstock, Oreston Road is closed between Plymstock Road and Thornville Terrace for emergency works. A diversion is in place
• In Branscombe, there are temporary traffic lights on the A3052 for telecoms work. Traffic is queuing
• The Dartmouth Higher Ferry is out of service for annual maintenance. The Lower Ferry is running as usual
• In Cornwall , there's slow traffic on the A390 at Threemilestone through roadworks
• In Newquay, there's slow traffic on the A3058 Edgcumbe Avenue at Holywell Road in the roadworks area
• In Goonhavern, there's slow traffic on A3075 Newquay Road at Halt Road due to roadworks