Summary

  • Rugby player 'fatally injured' in tackle, inquest hears

  • London Tube bomb accused Damon Smith claims it was a prank

  • 'Dozing' driver jailed for four years for killing friends

  • Ex-footballer jailed for child sex offences

  • Cornwall's commercial spaceport plans to be submitted to the government

  • Pedestrian hospitalised after Exeter crash

  • 'Homes raided by burglars while owners asleep upstairs'

  • Three humpback whales spotted from Skybus

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

  1. Suspected loan shark arrested following raid in Devon townpublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Devon Live

    A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion, external of illegal money lending and money laundering following an operation in Hatherleigh. 

  2. Young rugby player fatally injured when opponent's knee hit her head, inquest hearspublished at 13:14 British Summer Time 26 April 2017
    Breaking

    Sian Davies
    BBC News Online

    A young rugby player collapsed with a fatal head wound minutes after an opponent's knee hit her head, an inquest has heard.

    Lily Partridge, 22, complained of a "headache" and came off the pitch at the Exonian Ladies team training session. 

    Lily PartridgeImage source, Irving of Exeter

    Front row forward Lily collapsed on the side of the pitch with a heart attack and died a day later in hospital. 

    An inquest in Exeter has recorded a conclusion that her death in December 2015 was the result of an accident.

  3. Wife admits £30,000 benefit fraud in Plymouthpublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Plymouth Herald

    A wife has admitted telling lies, external about her husband's earnings to pocket more than £30,000 in benefits.

  4. Village 'without phone lines and internet for almost two weeks'published at 12:51 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Residents in a rural village near Helston have been left stranded without fixed phone lines or the internet for almost two weeks.

    A crash on a busy junction in Nancegollan on Good Friday destroyed a telephone pole serving more than 30 households. 

    The area has patchy mobile coverage, and many villagers say BT hasn't told them when the repairs will be made and local businesses say they're losing custom.

    BT say it's a complex repair and are hoping the work can be undertaken over the next couple of days

  5. Traffic update: Collision in Plymstockpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    BBC News Travel

    Goosewell Road in Plymstock is partially blocked by a two-vehicle collision at Furzehatt Road. 

  6. Traffic update: Accident near Axminsterpublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    BBC News Travel

    There are reports of an accident on the A35 near the turn for Axminster.

  7. Brrrr... it was a cold start to the daypublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

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  8. Exeter man arrested in domestic incidentpublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Sophie Malcolm
    BBC News Online

    Police have arrested a 24-year-old man after a "domestic altercation" in Exeter this morning. 

    They were called to the property at 06:40, after it was reported that a person was believed to be in possession of a firearm. No weapon was seen or discharged, police said.

    Officers found a woman at the address with facial injuries.

    The man has been arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm. 

  9. 'Dozing' driver jailed for four yearspublished at 11:30 British Summer Time 26 April 2017
    Breaking

    Scott Bingham
    BBC Spotlight

    A grandmother who was convicted of killing two women after she "dozed" off at the wheel of her car has been jailed. 

    Teresa Sant, 58, was sentenced to four years in prison and banned from driving for five years at Plymouth Crown Court. 

    The court had previously heard that Sant ploughed into Victoria Hodge, 42, and Marie-Helene Gieblen, 60 last May, in a car she had bought just four days earlier. 

    Teresa SantImage source, Paul Slater Images
  10. Ex-Spanish footballer jailed for child sex offencespublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 26 April 2017
    Breaking

    John Danks, BBC Spotlight

    A former Spanish footballer has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual offences against five young boys. 

    Jose Castellano-Gonzales, 25, committed the offences while working in Devon and Bedfordshire. 

    During sentencing at Exeter Crown Court Judge Mercer QC told Castellano-Gonzales he "caused untold damage to your victims."

    Exeter Crown Court
  11. Puppies 'stolen from home' while owner was in hospitalpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Sophie Malcolm
    BBC News Online

    Police are concerned that two puppies taken from an Exmouth home may become ill if they are not returned to their mother. 

    They say the four-week-old puppies, who are both unweaned, were taken from the house on Sunday 23 April, sometime between 20:30 and 21:10, while the owner was in hospital. 

    Cash was also taken from a safe upstairs.  

    Det Con Paul Perryman said: “We are very concerned to return these four-week-old puppies to their mother. That dog is distressed having had her puppies taken from her."

  12. Pedestrian hospitalised after Exeter crashpublished at 10:43 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Sophie Malcolm
    BBC News Online

    A man has been taken to hospital with a leg injury after a road crash this morning. 

    Police and ambulance were called to Magdalen Street, Exeter, at 08.20 following a collision between the pedestrian and a MG3 car. 

    The road was partially blocked but re-opened just before 09:00. 

  13. 'Homes raided by burglars while owners asleep upstairs'published at 10:26 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Sophie Malcolm
    BBC News Online

    Earlier Kingsbridge Police said officers were dealing with two burglaries at houses in Aveton Gifford.

    Officers said the owners were upstairs asleep while the properties were raided. 

    They're looking for a silver Mazda which was stolen from one of the homes. 

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  14. Three humpback whales spotted from Skybuspublished at 10:17 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A pair of humpback whales and a calf have been spotted in the sea between the Isles of Scilly and the Cornish coast. 

    A passenger on the Skybus plane saw the whales in the water yesterday. 

    Cornwall Wildlife Trust says the animals are native to these waters and more sightings mark a positive turn for the population. 

    Humpback whaleImage source, SIMON MARSHALL
    Image caption,

    A humpback whale was seen off the south Devon coast for several weeks earlier in the year

  15. Almost 200 officers victims of biting and spitting assaultspublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Cornwall Live

    New figures have revealed, external almost 200 biting and spitting assaults on Devon and Cornwall cops in five years.

  16. Boatyard goes into receivershippublished at 10:01 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    The future of many Cornish marine businesses are under question after news that a boatyard on the Helford has gone into receivership.

    An accountants firm in Plymouth says it will continue to operate the Gweek Quay Boatyard for now, but its long term future is not known. 

    People living on boats at the site at the head of the Helford River say they're concerned about where they will live. 

  17. Business as usual the morning after a lorry hits rail bridgepublished at 09:37 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Sophie Malcolm
    BBC News Online

    Everything is back to normal this morning after a lorry got stuck under a bridge in Plymouth yesterday. 

    Here's what happened:

    • 17:00: A lorry strikes the rail bridge in Plymouth on Saltash Road and all trains are put on hold
    • 18:00: A recovery vehicle arrives, but the vehicle remains jammed
    • 18:05: Train journeys start again, but only travel at 5mph over the bridge
    • 19:55: The lorry is removed and normal train speeds over the bridge resume
    Lorry under bridge
  18. Warning to drivers 'ignoring markings'published at 09:31 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

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  19. Pioneering child safeguarding scheme to be rolled out across the regionpublished at 09:16 British Summer Time 26 April 2017

    Plymouth Herald

    Two of Devon and Cornwall Police's most senior officers and the region's Crime Tsar have said , externalthey want to see a Plymouth-born safeguarding children scheme rolled out across Cornwall.