BBC News Travel

• In Liskeard, on Old Road near Woodgate Road, we've got reports there's an accident
• Between Ludgvan and Gulval, the B3311 is partially blocked due to an accident
• In Paignton, on Esplanade Road near Garfield Road, we've got reports there's an accident
• At Chivenor the A361 is partially blocked near Heanton Hill Lane due to an accident
• In Ipplepen, on Gropers Lane, we've got reports there's an accident near Bickley Road

The newest addition to Paignton Zoo Environmental Park's cheetah enclosure is Kitwana, and he seems to be enjoying himself.

He joins three-year-old female cheetah Jahzara and has arrived from Port Lympne Zoo in Kent.

Image source, Jason Sedgemore

James Law
BBC Sport Online

Melissa Reid says she is looking at ways of becoming faster after taking gold at the European Para-triathlon Championships earlier this month.

The 26-year-old from Cornwall won the PTVI title in Austria to add to her bronze from the Rio Olympics last year.

Image source, Getty Images

"This year's about trying new things to see where we can improve, to try and stay on top of the podium," she told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"I'd say I plateaued quite a bit over the past couple of years, but I've been lucky enough to stay on the podium."

The pupils at St Breock school near Wadebridge are looking for homes for three ducklings.

They've been raised at the school after a parent gave them three eggs.

They are enjoying the paddling pool at the school, but are looking for 'quacking' good homes...

One of the South West's main transport watchdogs has entered the row about whether to build a heliport at Penzance to restart helicopter flights to the Isles of Scilly.

TravelWatch SouthWest backs a revived helicopter link and criticises the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company which is trying to stop the heliport in court.

Image source, Penzance Heliport

It accuses the steamship company of being "a self-interested monopoly provider" which may be abusing its "market power".

The company says it wants helicopters to resume flying - but only from Land's End Airport because it says the market just can't support two airports.

A High Court judge is going to review the decision to grant planning permission for a new heliport in Penzance.

The steamship company said in response: “Our actions are driven by a desire to safeguard the long-term future of transport to the Isles of Scilly in the interests of all islanders and visitors. There is no monopoly, and we reject accusations of self-interest. We will be contacting TravelWatch to try and give them a better understanding of this complex issue.”

BBC Radio Devon

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez plans to ask the Police and Crime Panel to support the appointment of Mark Kingscote as her deputy.

Mr Kingscote, is a councillor in Torbay and was first elected in 2000.

"I have every confidence that Mark is the right person for this role," said Ms Hernandez.

"He is a strong individual who will represent the most vulnerable in our communities well, is committed to building safe, resilient and connected communities and with a track record in the areas we need to enhance efforts on," she added.

She will ask the panel next week.

A school - where 30 boys wore skirts in protest at being told they were not allowed to wear shorts - will be including the summer clothing in its school uniform - subject to a consultation.

The pupils from ISCA Academy in Exeter asked permission to modify their uniform because of the hot weather. One of the boys who took part in the protest on Thursday said: "We're not allowed to wear shorts, and I'm not sitting in trousers all day, it's a bit hot."

In a statement, the school said: "Shorts are not currently part of our school uniform for boys. However, as summers are becoming hotter, shorts will be introduced as part of our school uniform next year having first consulted with students and parents.

"We feel that introducing a change in uniform part way through this year would put undue pressure on some of our families.

"In the meantime, our summer uniform allows students not to wear their jumper or blazer. Also, recognising the recent temperatures, students have also been allowed not to wear ties, to have the top button on their shirts undone, and to wear their shirts untucked if they are feeling very hot."

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Thieves have been targeting cars and vans in Devon, stealing thousands of pounds worth of tools, car parts and other items, police have warned.

Officers say several incidents happened between Friday 16 and Monday 19 June in Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton.

Catalytic converters were removed from two Honda Accords and almost £5,000 worth of tools were stolen from two vans, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A woman also had her £800 Samsung tablet stolen from her car in Exmouth.

PCSO Malcolm McGuire from Exmouth said: “People should take care by keeping car windows closed and doors locked and by keeping valuables out of view. Tourists and locals flock to the seaside, particularly in the summer months, and can be vulnerable to car crime."

Sian Davies
BBC News Online

Image source, Google

Work to remove cladding - with the lowest fire safety rating - from three Plymouth tower blocks will begin within the next few days - according to the local MP.

Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) says new sprinklers and heat sensors will be installed at the buildings at Mount Wise.

Ian Harley, chairman of the Residents Association for Mount Wise Towers, said: "When things first kicked off in London, people were very concerned. I was getting a lot of calls asking if they were affected.

"PCH has been incredibly quick in getting on top of this. They carried out three inspections to look at specific issues within a matter of hours."

In total across the UK, 11 residential high-rise buildings in eight local authority areas, including Mount Wise, have been found to be covered in combustible cladding.

The panelling is described as aluminium-coated with a polyethylene core. It was rated as category three under test conditions, on a scale where zero is the highest safety score and three the lowest.

BBC Spotlight

The Ten Commandments written in stone on two giant slaps on Dartmoor are being re-carved and painted.

The monument was created in 1928 to celebrate the rejection by parliament of the proposed new book of common prayer. But both slabs have been weather worn over the decades.

Now they're being conserved thanks to £16,000 from the Parishscapes, external project and the Dartmoor National Park Communities Fund.

Plymouth Argyle player Ryan Brunt has sent a message to Pilgrims fans on Twitter, explaining why he will not be playing for the Green Army again.

The UK Coastguard has issued a plea for parents to keep a close eye on their children at the beach this weekend after responding to 68 separate missing children reports last weekend across the UK Coast.

All children were found safely, but with so many reports, many UK Coastguards rescue teams have increased their regular patrols.

Image source, PA

Mark Rodaway duty commander for UK Coastguard said: "There's always a possibility that children may get into difficulties even in shallow water or injure themselves on slippery rocks."

BBC Radio Cornwall

The toilets at Trebarwith Strand near Tintagel have been re-opened.

Having been controlled by Cornwall Council, it was taken over by the parish council before regular problems meant they handed it back.

It had been closed since last winter, prompting anger from local people and visitors.

For now, a solution has been found, with a charge of 20p for use.

James Law
BBC Sport Online

To mark Women's Sport Week 2017, England captain Heather Knight has written a column for the BBC Sport website to look ahead to the Women's World Cup, which starts tomorrow.

The 26-year-old, from Plympton, will lead at the side at Derby as they face India in their opening match.

Image source, BBC Sport

Knight, an all-rounder, started playing in an all-boys team at the age of nine, and has overcome a fracture in her left foot to be fit for the tournament.

A basking shark expert says hardly any of the creatures have been spotted around the Cornish coast this year, even though conditions have been near perfect.

Colin Speedie who is from Falmouth has been telling BBC Radio Cornwall that he believes climate change could be responsible.

He says it's led to changes in plankton distribution, which have lured the sharks several hundred miles further north off the coast of Scotland.

Tests are being done on tower blocks around the country, including in Devon and Cornwall to see if they have cladding similar to that used on Grenfell Tower in London where there was a devastating fire last week.

Cornwall College has been checking its buildings.

Image source, Google

A spokeswoman said: "None of our buildings are covered in the same cladding as Grenfell Tower.

"The cladding on the Tamar Tower at Camborne campus is very different, being made entirely of non-combustible materials and with fire stops at each floor level."

In Plymouth, work is beginning in the next couple of days to remove the cladding from three tower blocks in Devonport.

James Law
BBC Sport Online

Truro City have signed former Torquay United midfielder Ben Harding.

The 32-year-old started his career at Chelsea, and has since played for the likes of Aldershot and Northampton.

Image source, Getty Images

Harding spent two seasons at Torquay, leaving Plainmoor in 2015, and ended last season playing for Truro's National League South rivals Gosport.

BBC Spotlight

It's emerged the new fire control centre for Devon and Somerset in Taunton has remained unused, ever since it was built 10 years ago.

The BBC has now learned that the total cost to taxpayers has reached almost £16m - that's nearly double the amount it actually cost to build it in the first place.

Tam McFarlane, from the Devon and Somerset Fire Brigades Union, said: "It's absolutely extraordinary to me that politicians can't find people to take it over, they need to start using their imagination.

"At this time of heightened security why can't the security services use it. In any event there has to be an end to this waste of taxpayers money."

Cornwall Live

A man has been jailed for more than six years for a vicious robbery , externalwhere the victim was beaten in his own home in Helston.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

One of Cornwall's busiest beaches has had an access route closed for the summer.

The path through the dunes on to the beach at South Fistral has become eroded and so Cornwall Council has taken the decision to close it.

The council says it "will be looking at potential schemes to repair the route once the busy summer period has finished".

Alternative access to South Fistral is available down steps next to the cafe.