Sophie Malcolm
BBC News Online

The mother of a teenager who shaved his head for a cancer charity says "an exception" should have been made for her son's "extreme hairstyle" instead of his being removed from classes.  

Image source, Lesley Jones

Taylor Jones, 15, was told his hairstyle was inappropriate when he returned to Launceston College in Cornwall after the Easter holiday. 

His mother, Lesley, said he should not be punished for trying to help others. 

She said: "Everywhere has rules, but I just think in this circumstance, they could make an exception. They could have had an assembly and recognised what Taylor had done, but pointed out that normally, this haircut wouldn't be appropriate for school."

The college said he was being given "individual specialist tuition" for four days until it grew back. 

According to the college, Taylor was advised before the holiday to have his hair cut to a "very short but acceptable length" and he "went against this advice" by having it cut "extremely short in the days immediately before term began".

Amy Gladwell, BBC News Online

Fire crews have been praised for their quick response to a serious fire in the sand dunes at Hayle last night.

Image source, @malpracticesurf

Flames broke out near a holiday park and spread up to 30m in the grass. It is believed to have been started deliberately and police are investigating.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The owners of a former oyster farm on the Helford River are being investigated by the Marine Management Organisation over the way they complied with an order to remove millions of breeding Pacific oysters from their beds. 

The Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm - which was run by The Wright Brothers - closed last month. They were ordered to remove their oysters after it was discovered the farm was using fertile oysters instead of the non-breeding type which had been agreed. 

Pacific oysters have now been discovered in the Fal estuary - and experts fear they may have spread from the site. The Wright Brothers say they have never cultivated oysters in the Fal estuary and deny causing any environmental damage.  

Plymouth Herald

Plymouth could have "floating hotels, external" on board cruise ships in the Sound in 2020 – because there will not be enough permanent accommodation for the huge number of visitors expected.

BBC Sport

Exeter Chiefs’ teenage scrum-half Jack Maunder and prop Harry Williams have both been called up to the England squad for the first time. 

The pair join Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie in the 31-man squad which head off to Argentina in June.

BBC Spotlight

New technology installed on Dartmoor's roads has shown people have been driving at speeds of up to 117mph.

The national park said 25% of drivers were breaking the 40mph speed limit.

Karla McKechnie from Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society said: "This year alone we're already up to 25 animal deaths on these roads, people have got to slow down, it's absolutely horrendous."

Amy Gladwell, BBC News Online

Cancer Research UK has spoken out about a Cornish teenager who was removed from classes after shaving his hair off to raise money for the charity.

Launceston College told Taylor Jones, 15, that his "extreme hairstyle" was inappropriate. It said he was being given "individual specialist tuition" for four days until his hair started growing back.

Image source, Lesley Jones

Alison Birkett from Cancer Research UK said: “We hope that Taylor and his school can work together to find a solution that suits everyone, and are very grateful for the money he’s raised which will go towards our life-saving work to beat cancer sooner.”

Cornwall Live

Police have confirmed that no arrests have been made so far after an 18-year-old was badly beaten, external in Redruth in the early hours of Friday morning.

Amy Gladwell, BBC News Online

Firefighters have been thanked for putting out a serious fire near a holiday park in west Cornwall.

Image source, Andrew Farnaby

It's believed the grass fire at Mexico Towans near Hayle was started deliberately yesterday evening. Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating.

Andrew Farnaby who was there said holidaymakers were "very impressed" with the fire crews' work.  

Devon Live

A bollard had to be removed after a multimillion-pound yacht being transported through Devon ran aground , externalon a roundabout. 

Cornwall Live

A mentally-ill teenager had to be Tasered after threatening police officers with a chainsaw, external, axe and a knife.

BBC News Travel

• In Exeter the A377 Bonhay Road is partially blocked after a crash between a car and a van at Tudor Street
• In Barnstaple, Stagecoach says services are unable to serve Langtree and Taddiport due to a road closure
• There's up to a 30-minute wait for the Torpoint ferry with only one running
• Traffic is flowing well on the Tamar Bridge

BBC Spotlight

It's being claimed some motorists are treating Dartmoor "like a race track", after one motorist was recorded driving at 117mph.

The national park has been looking at data from newly installed signs that measure how fast people are driving and flash a warning if they're speeding. 

About 25% of motorists have been breaking the 40mph speed limit, the signs have suggested.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Firefighters have been battling a serious grass fire at Mexico Towans near Hayle.

It took crews about one-and-a-half hours to put out the blaze which had spread along a 20 to 30m front yesterday evening. 

Emergency services suspect it was deliberately started and Devon and Cornwall Police have been told.  

Amy Gladwell, BBC News Online

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