Summary

  • Work to remove cladding from three Plymouth tower blocks 'to begin in the next few days' - local MP

  • --- Material used in the towers similar to Grenfell

  • --- 24-hour patrols in place at blocks

  • --- Plymouth Community Homes taking 'immediate precautions'

  • Shorts to become part of uniform at skirt protest school

  • Firefighters called back to St Agnes Beacon as gorse fire reignites

  • Basking sharks 'abandon' Cornish coast

  • Updates on Friday 23 June 2017

  1. Combustible cladding similar to Grenfell on 11 buildings across UKpublished at 09:56 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    Press Association

    Thousands of people may be living in potentially dangerous tower blocks after at least 11 buildings were revealed to have combustible cladding similar to that thought to have fuelled the Grenfell Tower fire.

    The high-rise blocks are in eight local authority areas in England and include Camden, Manchester and Plymouth, Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said in a letter to MPs.

    Landlords, typically local authorities and housing associations, have been asked to check if they used similar aluminium composite material (ACM) panels to Grenfell Tower, where 79 people have been confirmed dead or listed as missing presumed dead after a devastating fire.

  2. Weather: More sun laterpublished at 09:48 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC Weather

    It will be a dry day and mostly cloudy at first, but it'll become brighter this morning with some spells of sunshine developing before more cloud starts to move in again from the northwest this evening.

    Moderate westerly winds will turn to the southwest and will be fresher around the north coast at times.

    Maximum temperature: 21C (70F).

    Weather
  3. 'Cladding to be removed in the next couple of days'published at 09:32 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC Radio Devon

    Work to remove the cladding from three tower blocks in Plymouth is expected to start in the next couple of days.

    The step is being taken after it emerged the cladding is made of a similar material to that at Grenfell Tower, where more than 79 people were killed in a huge fire.

    The high-rise blocks are on the Mount Wise Tower estate in Devonport.

    TowersImage source, Derek Harper

    Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, told BBC Radio Devon: "If there's any risk to the people that live in these blocks, that risk is not worth taking.

    "I asked Plymouth Community Homes who operate these blocks to take down the cladding today.

    "I'm really pleased they’ve had such a proactive approach during this entire episode - they've agreed to take down the cladding and that work will start in the next couple of days."

  4. Plymouth high-rise cladding: What we knowpublished at 08:54 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    Johnny O'Shea
    BBC News Online

    Three high rise blocks in Plymouth are to have cladding removed after it emerged it is made of similar material to Grenfell Tower.

    The huge blaze in west London left at least 79 people dead.

    • Which towers in Plymouth are affected?

    They are the three tower blocks of the Mount Wise Tower estate. The three red, blue and green towers are major landmarks in the Devonport area. The towers were designed and built in the early 1960s.

    Mount Wise Tower estateImage source, Google
    • Who owns the buildings and what has their reaction been?

    Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) says it is taking immediate precautions.

    "We are completing further checks to ensure all fire doors remain in place and closers are fitted and operating as they should be. We are installing additional fire protection to the stairwells of each tower today as an extra fire safety measure."

    • How about long-term plans?

    The company is looking for contractors to remove the cladding panels. Work to remove it will begin within the next few days - according to the local MP. PCH is also installing heat detectors into every flat and a sprinkler system in each of the towers.

    • How have residents reacted?

    Ben Stevens, 70, a retired traffic warden said: "We are really peeved at the risk we have been put in, the cladding in this building went up 16 years ago and we had no idea it was unsafe."

  5. Police hunt man in connection with burglarypublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    Police are trying to find a man in connection with a burglary at a toy store in Bude.

    Officers said it's believed two men entered the Toymaster store - one of them entered the staff area to access the safe.

    Security restrained one man, but the other fled the scene.

    A 25-year old man is currently in police custody on suspicion of burglary. The other man is described as an Asian man, aged 18-21, 5'10 with black hair, moustache, thin beard and wearing a long grey T-shirt with short sleeves. Police are appealing for witnesses.

  6. Travel: Accident in Honitonpublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC News Travel

    • In Honiton - on the A35 we have reports of an accident around the A373 Dowell Street
    • In St Ann's Chapel - reports of an accident on the A390 at Old Mine Lane, near the donkey park
  7. Crews back in action at large gorse fire sitepublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Firefighters have been back in action at St Agnes Beacon.

    A hotspot reignited last night following the fire earlier this week that destroyed a large area of gorse.

    BBCImage source, Andrew Trenoweth

    The crew from Perranporth used beaters to put it out.

  8. Man gets ejected by David Dimbleby in Plymouthpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC Question Time host David Dimbleby ejected a rowdy audience member as the programme was held in Plymouth last night.

    The man was heard speaking over the panel, prompting the long standing presenter to say "I think you ought to leave, you know" while gesturing for him do to so.

    The man promptly grabbed his bag and made for the exit.

    Media caption,

    Question Time host Dimbleby boots out audience member

  9. Tower blocks patrolled after combustible cladding foundpublished at 08:01 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    BBC Spotlight

    Three tower blocks in Plymouth are being patrolled 24 hours a day while a contractor is found to remove panels that are similar to those in the Grenfell Tower.

    Cladding is thought to have contributed to the rapid spread of fire at the block in London, in which at least 79 people are believed to have died.

    Mount Wise towersImage source, Derek Harper

    Plymouth Community Homes says it's taken immediate precautions after tests showed the cladding was combustible. The cladding will be removed and new sprinklers and heat sensors installed.

  10. News, sport, weather and travel for Fridaypublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 23 June 2017

    Johnny O'Shea
    BBC News Online

    Good morning from BBC Local Live. We'll be bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall.

    If you want to get in touch, please email us.