Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Police are trying to find out what happened to a man who was found dead in Exmouth two days after he was reported missing from his home. 

David Clarke, 78, was reported missing from his Bristol home on 5 April. 

His body was discovered in Exmouth on 7 April. 

Police say his death was not treated as suspicious, but police are keen to trace his last movements. 

Det Con Matthew Burnell said: “I am keen to try and establish where he may have spent time between these dates. It is believed that he was sighted in Budleigh Salterton on Thursday 6 April, however, we do not know where he stayed during the rest of his time in Devon.

“I would be grateful if accommodation providers could consider whether David stayed with them during this time frame."

BBC News Travel

On the A30 eastbound between Indian Queens and Innis Downs one lane will be closed due to roadworks overnight tonight between 8pm and 6am.  

The aunt of Ruby-Tuesday Hobbs has said her niece isn’t the same since she was hit at about 60mph by a drink-driver on Christmas Eve last year.

The 18-year-old has since undergone a number of operations to her legs. 

Today, 27-year-old Ashley Godber from Plymouth admitted drink-driving and also causing serious injury by dangerous driving. 

Godber has been bailed and will be sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court on 18 May.

Speaking outside the court, Nicki Hobbs said: "She's just at home now, just doing nothing really. She's a young girl, it's ruined her life to be honest. She's just not the same girl she used to be."

Cornwall Live

A Newquay burger restaurant has been closed down by police, external after the owner breached his license and obstructed officers in their pursuit of an offender.

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

A Bulgarian man accused of murdering his former partner in Exeter says he made an internet search to find out how long a human body takes to decompose by accident.

Kostadin Kostov, 43, denies murdering hotel worker Gergana Prodanova last August and packing her body in a suitcase before dumping it on a railway embankment.

It was discovered he put the search "how long does it take for a human corpse to decompose?" into his phone.

He told the jury he was trying to find out how long drugs took to decompose in the body but he mistyped.

He read an article as a result of the search but said that was because he found it "interesting".

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Kostadin Kostov was asked by his defence barrister "Did you kill Gergana Prodanova?" he answered "definitely no".

He also denied disposing of her body saying he was not the person seen with a suitcase near the railway line.

He told the court that he was "shocked" when he was charged with murder. "It was all shocking the arrest and the charge," he said.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A 27-year-old Plymouth man has admitted drink-driving and dangerous driving when he crashed into a teenager on Christmas Eve.

Godber was bailed by Plymouth magistrates to appear at the city's crown court for sentencing on 18 May.

Ruby-Tuesday Hobbs, who was 18, had been walking with friends to McDonalds for breakfast when she was hit by a BMW as she stood on the central reservation outside Drake Circus shopping centre.

Image source, Facebook

The court heard from a passenger in Godbers' BMW that he had been driving down North Hill when he "absolutely floored the accelerator" and the man was "forced back" in his seat.

He said he was "really scared" as the car "launched off down the road".

Magistrates heard Godber ploughed through two sets of railings on the central reservation before hitting the drama student.

The car ended up in a bus stop on the opposite dual carriageway and Godber told the man "run".

The man told the court he did not know at the time that they had hit Ruby-Tuesday.

Image source, Google

Another witness on the street said there was an "almighty bang like an explosion" and Ruby-Tuesday "skidded off down the road".

Sarah Ackland defending said Godber was "extremely remorseful" and "deeply regrets his actions".

Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

A new £32m flood defence scheme in Exeter has been criticised by some local residents.

They claim the high walls which are being built along a four and a half mile stretch of the River Exe are "ugly".

The Environment Agency has previously said the defences, which run between Exe Bridges and the flood channel at Cowley will protect thousands of properties.

They also said the walls will be carefully landscaped.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A man has admitted drink-driving when he smashed into a teenager at about 60mph on Christmas Eve.

Ashley Godber, 27, from Plymouth had a reading of 77 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms. He also admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving. 

Godber was bailed by Plymouth magistrates to appear at the city's crown court for sentencing on 18 May. 

Image source, Facebook

Ruby-Tuesday Hobbs was hit by a BMW as she stood on the central reservation outside Drake Circus shopping centre.

She suffered multiple leg fractures and underwent a number of operations.

Victoria Gould
BBC News Online

Robotics are being developed to comfort people living with dementia in care homes in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as part of a so-called 'e-health' project.

The University of Plymouth has been awarded £2.7m of European money to explore a number of projects to improve health in the county by using technology, phone apps and robotics.

It could also include using drones to deliver medical equipment to rural areas.

Cornwall Live

Cornwall Air Ambulance is hoping that the power of Facebook will be able to catch a crook who stole a paramedic's beloved bike from right outside his house., external

Rob England
BBC News Online

A father has had the image of his deaf son's hearing devices tattooed on his head.

Kenny Rapson, 35, said he started to notice people staring at his son, also called Kenny, in public. 

The seven-year-old was diagnosed with meningitis in 2012 and lost his hearing as a result. 

His father said he wanted to get the tattoos so his son has "someone close to him have something similar".

Image source, Kenny Rapson

Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

Exeter's new £32m flood defence scheme has been described as "ugly" by some people living in the city.

High walls are being built along a four and a half mile stretch of the River Exe between Exe Bridges and the flood channel at Cowley.

The Environment Agency has previously said that the defences will protect thousands of properties and they will be carefully landscaped.

Victoria Gould
BBC News Online

A Cornish teenager who turned to sport after being badly bullied and physically attacked is heading to Canada in August to compete in a World Championship event.

Abigail Birch, 14, from Madron, near Penzance, suffers from a rare form of Dwarfism and will compete in the discus, javelin and shot put events at the 7th World Dwarf Games in Ontario. 

Abigail said she was deeply affected by the bullying she suffered but her track and field successes gave her the strength to rise above the taunts and insults.

Image source, Abigail Birch

Plymouth Herald

Plymouth - and the rest of the UK - are set to sizzle next week, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of up to 27c , external- but it won't all be wall-to-wall sunshine.

Victoria Gould
BBC News Online

Cornwall Council has apologised for the delays to motorists during the construction of a roundabout in Bude that locals claim has taken more than two years to finish.

Business owners say the long queues trying to negotiate the junction have forced visitors and shoppers to avoid the town.

The council says the roundabout will be substantially complete by the end of this month and extensive works to install fibre optics, gas, electricity and water utilities were also required.

The roadworks caused so much frustration for some residents that pranksters placed these inflatable skeletons on the roundabout.

Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for a National Assembly for Cornwall, has announced it will not be putting forward any candidates for the 2017 general election.

Party leader Dick Cole blamed the timing of the snap election on 8 June and said there wasn't enough time or money to create a good enough campaign after the local council elections.

Mr Cole, who was re-elected as a Cornwall Councillor last week said: "If you look at some of us who've been campaigning solidly for six weeks some of us are absolutely knackered and it would be very difficult to keep going - and I don't think it would be good for our well-being, to be blunt."

Torquay Herald Express

Coastguards took part in the rescue of a man from a cruise liner, external moored in the River Dart on Wednesday.

Victoria Gould
BBC News Online

Managers at the Exeter Chiefs' ground Sandy Park say it remains fully open for business despite a small kitchen fire at the venue overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

Firefighters were called to the stadium in the early hours of this morning following the fire, which was restricted to just an office in the downstairs kitchen area.

No one was injured during the incident, which has caused minor smoke damage.

Exeter Rugby Club chairman and chief executive, Tony Rowe OBE, said: "Despite the fire, the Sandy Park kitchen remains fully operational and will have no effect on the business or any planned events taking place at the venue either today or in the coming days."

Simon Hall, Home Affairs Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

The chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police Shaun Sawyer says he still believes the procedures relating to electoral expenses and investigations into any future alleged electoral misconduct require a review.

He first made the comments during a media interview relating to the investigation into the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

They prompted a seven-month investigation by Gloucestershire Police, which has now cleared him of misconduct.

Mr Sawyer says his comments "specifically avoided reference to the police investigation into the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez".

"My views expressed to the media on that day remain the same today. 

"One of the purposes of the media is to ask legitimate questions in the public interest and one of the purposes of policing is to answer those questions honestly, without fear or favour."

Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

The 'Party for Cornwall' Mebyon Kernow has revealed it will not be fielding candidates in June's General Election.

A spokesperson for the party, which campaigns for a National Assembly for Cornwall, has said the timing "so close to the local polls" has meant it cannot put together and finance "a meaningful campaign".

At the recent Cornwall Council elections four Mebyon Kernow councillors were re-elected.

It lost deposits in all six seats at both the last general elections.