BBC Inside Out

Fishermen are being warned of the dangers of using drugs while at sea following several deaths linked to the use of amphetamines .

In the last two years, 15% of fishing vessel accidents have involved drug abuse.

Micky Hill's son, Mike, was skipper of a scallop dredger when it capsized off Teignmouth, Devon. He died aged 22, along with Shane Hooper, 34 , who was found with amphetamines in his system.

Mr Hill says Mike would not have allowed Shane on board if he'd known he'd been using drugs.

See the full investigation on Inside Out South West on BBC One on Monday 6 March at 19:30 BST and on the iPlayer for 30 days thereafter.

Rob England
BBC News Online

A car has been targeted by vandals five times in the last four months, causing more than £7,000 worth of damage, police have said.

The offences started in November, when all of the blue VW Golf's panels were scratched and offensive words were also etched on the bonnet.

Subsequent offences happened in various locations around the Morton and St Andrews Road areas of Exmouth, officers said.

Police are appealing for witnesses and said: "This car has clearly been singled out and repeatedly targeted for reasons unknown".  

Plymouth Herald

The man who  died in an incident involving a dumper truck, external  at the weekend may have suffered a medical episode while driving, police have said.

BBC News England

The family of a teenage girl who drowned on a sailing trip in Devon have launched a safety code in her memory.

Emily Gardner, 14, from Gloucester, drowned when an ill-fitting buoyancy aid snagged on a speedboat which capsized in Brixham, Devon in May 2015.

Image source, DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE

Parents Clive and Debbie Gardner set up Emily's Code to highlight safety issues for small boat owners and users.

They said something as simple as checking a buoyancy aid or lifejacket fits properly could save a life.

James Law
BBC Sport Online

Torquay United player-boss Kevin Nicholson blamed his side's "sketch show" defending for their National League defeat by Guiseley on Saturday.

The Gulls have only one win from their past 10 games, a run which has seen them fall into the relegation zone.

Image source, Rex Features

"If it wasn't my team, if it wasn't my club, I'd probably find those goals quite amusing they were that bad," he told BBC Radio Devon.

Writing on his Facebook page after the match, Nicholson hinted his position may be in doubt.

He said: "Who knows what the future holds, but if I get the honour to be in charge of this team again next week then I know that a win will most likely get us out of the bottom four."

Rob England
BBC News Online

An RNLI crewman who swam from a lifeboat to help a woman stranded in a cave near Looe is being praised for his bravery.

Image source, RNLI

The rescue took place on Saturday when the woman was forced to take shelter in a cave at Portwrinkle.

The boat couldn't get close to the cave so crewman Guy Cooper jumped in and swam ashore in heavy seas to help her.

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter says Premiership rivals Leicester need to "weather the storm" to get back to their best.

A UKIP MEP for the South West has been accused of hypocrisy and lying over his involvement in a wind farm project. 

In a 2014 television interview, William Dartmouth had denied knowing that land in Yorkshire he'd given to a relative was being lined up to take wind turbines. 

But it has now emerged he'd been personally involved in negotiations over the project for several years beforehand.

Molly Scott Cato, MEP for the Green Party in the South West, said we should expect higher standards from our elected politicians.

Independent
Independent

Sam Farley:

The reality of life in my Cornish hometown is a far cry from the picturesque images of surf lapping at sandy beaches. Perhaps it's time Remain voters in more affluent areas stopped being so superior and thought about why so many voted to leave, external .

Rob England
BBC News Online

Police in Cornwall are searching for a driver who was reported to be travelling the wrong way on the A30.

Officers said a driver was travelling eastbound, on the westbound carriageway of the A30 at Launceston.

A member of the public alerted police at 10:00 this morning.

The driver was in a silver car, and is described as an elderly man accompanied by an elderly female.

It caused heavy traffic at Treburyse Road earlier today, but there have been no further sightings of the vehicle.

BBC Radio Devon

Police and health and safety officers are investigating after a 20-year-old woman died following an accident on a farm in Dawlish. 

The woman was injured operating farm machinery on Saturday afternoon.

Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene by air ambulance crews.

The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Image source, CHRIS ILES

BBC Spotlight

Knitters in Bradninch are putting the finishing touches to hundreds of teddy bears which will be sent to child refugees.

The whole community, including scouts, have been making the small toys. 

They'll be put into the pockets of donated coats for refugee children in Syria, Greece and elsewhere. 

The knitters hope to put a little fun into uncertain lives. They're being displayed in windows in the town this week ahead of their journey. 

Rob England
BBC News Online

A 35-year-old man has been recalled to prison by Devon and Cornwall Police after breaching his release conditions.

Steven Forster was sentenced to 27 months at Truro Crown Court in October 2015 for supplying and possessing illegal drugs.

He was released on 5 December 2016.

Police thanked members of the public for their help.

BBC Inside Out

William Dartmouth, deputy chairman of UKIP, lied publicly about his role in a proposed wind farm project, the BBC can reveal. 

It has been discovered the South West MEP was personally involved in negotiating a deal which could have earned his family £100,000 a year. 

In a television interview in 2014, Mr Dartmouth denied any involvement. UKIP is strongly opposed to onshore wind farms.

BBC Spotlight

Cosmetics maker Swallowfield PLC has reported growth over the last six months.

The company has factories in Wellington and Bideford employing about 500 people.  

Revenue increased by nearly a half from £27m to £40m with operating profit up from £1.2m to £2.2m. 

Cornwall Live

The worried family of a missing man, who was last seen on Friday, have appealed for information to help locate him., external

Rob England
BBC News Online

The Fishermen's Mission says it's pouring resources into more staff training after a BBC investigation uncovered a growing problem of drug abuse at sea by young fishermen. 

Post-mortem results have found amphetamines, cannabis and even heroin in the systems of fishermen from all around the coast of Britain. 

Mike Hill, the skipper of a scallop dredger from Teignmouth died when it capsized two years ago.

When the body of his friend Shane Hooper was recovered - there were large quantities of amphetamine in his blood. 

Alison Godfrey from the Fishermen's Mission said: "We would be naive to think fishing would be exempt from substance misuse issues. It is the most dangerous peacetime profession in the UK.

"You don't need to add substances into that equation"

BBC Radio Cornwall

Investigations continue this morning after a row of terraced houses in St Day, Cornwall, was badly damaged in a major fire. 

Seven crews from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service dealt with the blaze on Sunday afternoon just after 15:00. 

Water and electricity supplies were affected and emergency services were on the scene until 21:30.

No-one was hurt.

BBC Radio Devon

A primary school in Devon has reopened after a sickness bug affected large amounts of staff and pupils.

Bovey Tracey Primary School said a fifth of pupils and teachers were struck down last week. 

The school - which has 300 pupils and six members of staff - was forced to close and undergo a deep clean for three days.

James Law
BBC Sport Online

Cornish Pirates' seven-game home winning streak came to an end with a 7-5 Championship defeat by Jersey yesterday afternoon.

Kyle Moyle got to Max Bodilly's chip to touch down for the Pirates after they had fallen behind, but Will Cargill's kick was caught in the wind.

Image source, Brian Tempest

"They deserved their victory - we couldn't get a grip of the game," coach Alan Paver told BBC Radio Cornwall. "It wasn't a spectacle of a game - in fact it was awful - but credit is due to them. They've come here and ground out a victory."