Summary

  • Plymouth soldier 'murdered mother of his child' court hears

  • Police arrest a man on suspicion of attempted murder following an attack in Penzance

  • Mother killed in head-on crash after Christmas pantomime, court hears

  • A man, 35, has been jailed after pleading guilty to a stabbing in Holsworthy

  • Major upgrade for South West-Waterloo rail route

  • Woman 'critically injured' after cyclist crash

  • NHS bosses 'subjected to unacceptable levels of abuse' over planned cuts, a health commissioning group has claimed

  • Beavers at work in secret Dartmoor project

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

  1. Jack-knifed lorry blocks roadpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A lorry has jack-knifed on the A390 between Probus and Tresillian.   

    The road is blocked just before the roundabout.

    Emergency services are working to clear the vehicle.

    Lorry
  2. Health bosses 'abused' over planned cutspublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Kirk England
    BBC Radio Devon

    NHS managers in Devon - involved in proposed cuts to the health service - are being subjected to unacceptable levels of abuse, according to one local health commissioning group. 

    The NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group claims senior staff have been verbally abused at some public meetings and in the street. It says some online comments "use language that is physically threatening". 

    The group says it welcomes open and passionate debate, but some people are going too far.   

    The proposed cuts include the closure of community hospital beds and over potential changes to acute services at North Devon District Hospital.

  3. Maritime festival 'postponed' for a yearpublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News England

    Plans for a heritage boat race between Dorset and Falmouth have been postponed .

    The race would have been part of free event Waterfest Weymouth, which has previously attracted about 5,000 people.

    Organisers hope to hold the race and event in 2018.

    Flyboarding display in Weymouth HarbourImage source, Waterfest
  4. Beavers could help South West flood defencespublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
    BBC Spotlight

    It's hoped beavers could play a significant role in helping areas at risk from flooding.

    Researchers from the University of Exeter have been studying their work during a six-year trial project at a secret location on Dartmoor.

    Ponds

    The creatures have created a network of pools and dams that could work as effective flood defences.

    Mark Elliot from the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: "When water surges in at the top of the site during a flood, those ponds and the dams hold the water back and it comes out much slower as the dams are slowing the flow of floodwater as it passes through the site."

  5. Jack-knifed lorry causing delayspublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News Travel

    A jack-knifed lorry is causing delays on the St Austell to Truro road.

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  6. Pirates keep play-off hopes alive with winpublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    James Law
    BBC Sport Online

    Kyle Moyle scored two tries as the Cornish Pirates recorded a bonus-point 34-17 victory over top-four rivals Doncaster at the Mennaye yesterday.

    Max Bodilly and Laurence May also went over to add to a penalty try, though Pirates lost Jack Innard to a dislocated shoulder early on.

    Cornish PiratesImage source, Brian Tempest

    "We spoke before the game about reputations, and Doncaster have earnt a reputation in this league - they've been top-four finalists, and they're pushing for it again," Pirates coach Gavin Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.

    "We have to turn these teams over and credit goes to the boys - they spoke about it in the week and they certainly fronted up again."

  7. Penzance Tesco cat posts 'reach tens of thousands'published at 11:49 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    Online posts about a cat in Cornwall who became a local internet star have reached more than 41,000 people on social media since his death, his owner says.

    MiloImage source, Andrew Segal

    Milo, known as the Penzance Tesco cat, died after being hit by a car on 18 March in the town. 

    The 18-month-old moggy had a loyal following of hundreds on social media and was often seen curled up in the Branwell Lane store's foyer or wandering around the car park.

    Milo memorialImage source, Amanda Hosking

    Owner Emma Barnes said on Facebook, external  at the weekend her "gorgeous ball of fluff" would have "loved all this attention".

    A temporary memorial to him has been set up inside the store (pictured) to raise money for a national cat charity.

  8. Who is MTR?published at 11:37 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News England

    More on the  South West Trains franchise, external  that has been awarded to First MTR today. MTR runs the Hong Kong metro system and was given the contract to operate London's Crossrail line when it opens in the coming years. 

    The new franchise promises faster journeys with a fleet of new suburban trains offering a regular, metro-style service. 

    There will be 22,000 extra seats into London Waterloo each morning and 30,000 additional seats from the station each evening.

    MTR is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and its shares are up 14% this year.

    Rail pic
  9. Driver has 'potentially life changing' injuriespublished at 11:22 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Johnny O'Shea
    BBC News Online

    An 18-year-old woman has potentially life changing leg injuries after a road crash near Penzance, police say.

    She remains at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth after the accident at Newbridge near Penzance at about 17:25 BST yesterday.

    The car she was in had a head-on crash with another vehicle.  The other driver, a 35-year-old man was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital with chest injuries. A 31-year-old passenger was also taken to the hospital with bruising.

    A 16-month-old child in one of the cars was not injured.

  10. Latest travel: Budshead Road partially blockedpublished at 11:09 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News Travel

    • In Plymouth we've got reports Budshead Road is partially blocked due to an accident at Crownhill Road
  11. Beavers at work in secret Dartmoor projectpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
    BBC Spotlight

    Researchers at the University of Exeter say beavers could hold the key to creating low cost flood defence schemes. 

    They've been monitoring the beavers for the last six years on a trial site on Dartmoor and have discovered they've created a network of pools and dams. 

    Dartmoor

    It's created new flood defences which they say could be built in other high risk areas such as the Somerset Levels. 

  12. End of the linepublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News England

    What goes up must go down... While shares in FirstGroup are up more than 3% following its win of the South West Trains franchise (with MTR), Stagecoach - which has lost the contract - are down 1.4%.

    Stagecoach, not too surprisingly, says it is disappointed its bid has failed.

    Chief executive Martin Griffiths says it was "proud" to have operated the franchise under the South West Trains brand for more than 20 years.

    FirstGroup will own 70% of the franchise.  

    SWTImage source, Getty Images

    MTR, which operates the Hong Kong Metro, has been awarded the franchise along with First Group to run South West Trains (SWT) for seven years.

    Rail union RMT has reacted angrily saying MTR, which will hold a 30% share, "is set to make a killing at the British taxpayers expense". Stagecoach currently runs SWT services across south west England.

  13. Blues hope to sign Exeter prop Francispublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC Sport

    Cardiff Blues are looking to sign Tomas Francis from Exeter Chiefs for the start of next season on a dual contract with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

    The York-born 24-year-old has a year season on his Exeter contract and it is understood a deal would involve a fee.

    Tomas FrancisImage source, Getty Images

    The WRU, the Blues and Exeter are in discussions over the fee, but the feeling is the deal is edging closer.  

    Blues fail to sign Exeter's Francis

    Cardiff Blues look to sign Tomas Francis for the start of next term on dual contract with Welsh Rugby Union.

    Read More
  14. Huge investment to South West-Waterloo rail routepublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
    BBC Spotlight

    More than £1bn is to be spent improving a rail connection between the South West, and London.

    The route from Exeter to Waterloo avoids flood prone areas like Cowley Bridge and the Somerset Levels, where there is regular disruption.

    The Department for Transport says the £1.2bn will we spent creating faster and more frequent services.

    TrainImage source, South West Trains

    The route is currently considerably slower than the Paddington line, but that should be improved by the new investment.

    The transport minister described the move as part of a new era in train travel, "the biggest rail modernisation investment programme for over a century".

  15. Head-on crash: Teen has serious leg injuriespublished at 10:12 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Johnny O'Shea
    BBC News Online

    An 18-year-old woman is being treated at Derriford Hospital for serious leg injuries after a head-on crash in West Cornwall.

    The car she was driving crashed with another vehicle on the A3071 near Newbridge, Penzance at about 17:25 BST yesterday.

    A 35-year-old man, who was driving the other car, was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital with chest injuries.

    RoadImage source, Google

    A 31-year-old female passenger suffered bruising. A 16-month-old child in one of the cars was not injured. Both cars were "substantially damaged".

    The road was closed for eight hours while Devon and Cornwall Police investigated. Officers from the Camborne Serious Collision Investigation Team are appealing for witnesses.

  16. M5 fully reopens after 16 hour closure as firefighters investigate cause of major hard shoulder fire published at 10:07 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Devon Live

    The cause of a major fire involving bales of hay on the M5, external , fully reopened this morning, has yet to be determined by the fire service.

  17. Mother's Day message is not just a load of rubbishpublished at 09:56 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Andrew Segal
    Local Live

    We hope mums across Devon and Cornwall had a happy Mother's Day on Sunday. 

    And, just like everyone else, volunteers who look after a West Cornwall cove wanted to convey their best wishes to their mums - but they also did it in a way to raise awareness of waste and rubbish getting in the sea.

    Mother's Day message. Pic: Friends of Portheras CoveImage source, Friends of Portheras Cove

    In a Facebook post, external , the Friends of Portheras Cove spelt out their message with bits and pieces washed up on the shore. The letters used in the message in the cove near Pendeen appear to include what looks like a magnetic notice board piece and a Scrabble letter.

    Although the group said that "beach-cleaning provides endless art opportunities", the title of "saying it with flotsam" could be considered a thought-provoking one.

  18. Term-time holidays: Where most children were absentpublished at 09:37 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    BBC News England

    Unauthorised absenceImage source, Getty Images

    Term-time holidays accounted for a quarter of unauthorised absences from schools in England , analysis of official figures shows.

    Almost a million children missed at least one day of school in England, despite the threat of fines.

    Teachers said the fines were a "blunt instrument" and the problem was down to the price of holidays.

    The Department for Education said unauthorised absences damage children's life chances.

    Torbay, Bournemouth, Poole, Cornwall and Devon are among the 10 areas with the highest percentage rise in holiday absence.

    Graph
  19. Woman 'critically injured' after cyclist crashpublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 27 March 2017

    Johnny O'Shea
    BBC News Online

    A 60-year-old pedestrian remains in a critical condition in hospital after being involved in a collision with a cyclist in Penzance, police say.

    Emergency services were called to St Clements Road at 17:50 GMT on Saturday.

    The woman, from the Penzance area, was taken to Derriford Hospital with serious injuries.

    The cyclist, a 22-year-old man from Penzance, sustained a head injury and was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be serious. 

    The road was closed for seven hours while officers from the Serious Collisions Investigation Team carried out a forensic examination of the scene.

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