Czech gang members jailed for perverting course of justice
Plymouth 'flooded' with a prescription painkiller linked to a surge in deaths across England and Wales
Shelterbox charity in Panama ready to help Hurricane Irma victims
Commuters in Exeter start four-week congestion-buster trial
Stuck in the mud: 'Worse conditions for five years' say Little Orchard fest organisers
New app used by Devon farm to show your sausage's journey from field to fork
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Tuesday
That's all from BBC Local Live in Devon and Cornwall for today, but we'll be back at 08:00 tomorrow to bring you all Tuesday's news, sport, travel and weather updates.
Don't miss Spotlight with Victoria Graham and Andy Breare this evening at 18:30 on BBC One and the late bulletin with Janine Jansen at 22:30 tonight.
Lynne French
BBC News Online
Two trees in Devon have been named as finalists in England's Tree of the Year - the Meavy Royal Oak near Yelverton on Dartmoor and Derriford's Plymouth Pear tree.
The Royal Oak has stood in the village of Meavy for almost a millennium and was once known as a Gospel Oak as it was regularly used for preaching.
Image source, Tavistock Times GazetteIt's thought King Charles may have hidden in the tree while being chased by Cromwell’s men in the 16th century.
Steel rods set in concrete were put in place to support the tree towards the end of the 20th century and on another part of the village green, another tree has grown from an acorn of the original Meavy Oak.
The other nominated tree, Derriford's Plymouth Pear, is one of the UK's rarest trees and thought to survive in just two wild hedgerows in Plymouth, Devon and Truro, Cornwall.
Image source, PAThe Plymouth Pear produces very little viable seed. This is a control mechanism which prevents inbreeding -making it one of the rarest species in the country.
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
Four Czech slave gang members were "deeply manipulative" and used "calculated persistence" to force a witness to lie, a judge said.
Judge Ian Lawrie jailed the four defendants at Plymouth Crown Court.
Michael Mathers-Lee QC, prosecuting, said Josef Bukovinsky's evidence was "critical" in a case which heard that "vulnerable" Czechs had to forage in bins for food and some had to live in cupboards and were often humiliated.
The gang charged victims £1 to use the toilet and made them work in factories, car washes and as domestic slaves across Devon and Cornwall.
But the court heard that Mr Bukovinsky said in a letter to trial Judge Paul Darlow in June 2015 that his statements to police were made under the influence of drugs.
The trial at Plymouth Crown Court was halted but Judge Darlow was suspicious of the letter and ordered Devon and Cornwall detectives to find Mr Bukovinsky in the Czech Republic.
In September 2015 officers interviewed Mr Bukovinsky in a Czech prison where he was serving a sentence for robbery.
Mr Bukovinsky told them the gang members had forced him to lie by threatening to "take revenge on him and his family".
"They forced me to change my statement," he told police. "I just wanted to have some peace."
Lenka Chemjlova was jailed for three years and four months. Ruzena Tancasova was jailed for a total of four years. Her daughter, with the same name, was jailed for a total of five years . Libuse Sindelerova was jailed for two years.
Image source, Devon and Cornwall PoliceAn investigation has been launched after a new freight ship for the Isles of Scilly, which only began service last month, crashed into boats moored in Penzance harbour, external.
Holly Green
BBC Weather
A bright start to Tuesday with sunny spells and a few showers.
However, winds will strengthen with outbreaks of rain arriving from the west and a risk of gales by the end of the afternoon and a maximum temperature 17C (63F).
Governors and staff at Treviglas Community College say they will address areas for improvement identified by Ofsted inspectors who put the school in special measures.
The school in Newquay was given an overall rating of "inadequate" compared to its previous one of "outstanding".
Ofsted says teachers have low expectations of what pupils can achieve, there's a high level of absenteeism and feedback to students on how to improve their work is regularly ignored.
However, it does say the sixth form at Treviglas has improved as a result of stronger leadership.
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
A Czech slave gang who forced a witness to lie cost British authorities more than £1m, the court was told.
The aborted trial, police investigations and the subsequent trial of gang members cost "way over" £1m according to prosecutor Michael Mathers-Lee QC.
It was "one the most expensive" cases of perverting the course of justice yet seen in Britain he said.
Four defendants were jailed at Plymouth Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Two admitted perverting the course of justice.
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
Four Czech gang members have been jailed for making a witness lie in the case of trafficked "slaves" being beaten and threatened with death.
Josef Bukovinsky was a key witness in the trial of five Czech gangsters in Plymouth.
But the case at Plymouth Crown Court collapsed in July 2015 because Mr Bukovinsky withdrew his evidence.
Ruzena Tancosova Snr, 56, her daughter Ruzena Tancasova Jnr, 37, Lenka Chemjlova, 35, and Libuse Sindelarova, 42,forced him to withdraw crucial evidence against the gang members, Plymouth Crown Court was told.
The four admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and Tancasova Snr and Jnr admitted perverting the course of justice.
Chemjlova was jailed for three years and four months. Tancasova Snr was jailed for a total of four years. Tancasova Jnr was jailed for a total of five years . Sindelerova was jailed for two years.
James Law
BBC Sport Online
Cornish Pirates coach Gavin Cattle has called on his squad to have more belief in themselves after two narrow defeats to start their Championship campaign.
Following an opening-day 29-28 loss at Ealing, Pirates picked up two points against Bristol but were beaten 31-29 at the Mennaye yesterday.
Image source, Rex Features"Momentum is going to swing in a game and I think that's where we've just got to be a bit more on our metal," Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"We've just got to be comfortable with being under the pump a little bit."
Cornish Pirates coach Gavin Cattle has called on his squad to have more belief in themselves after two narrow defeats.
Read More
Miles Davis
BBC News Online
A man who stood in front of a mobile speed camera to prevent the recording of other drivers in Plymouth may be prosecuted according to the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership.
The man, who has not been named, drove past the camera at speed and returned on foot to block further recording which was taking place on the A386 heading out of Plymouth on Thursday.
Marcus Laine, operations manager for the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership, said the man was now waiting to see if he would be prosecuted for speeding or for standing in front of the camera.
The Cornwall-based disaster relief charity Shelterbox is preparing to ship 500 emergency kits to Barbuda in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
About 50% of Barbuda's population is homeless, with 95% of buildings damaged and the island "barely habitable" according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
The charity's working alongside other agencies including the Red Cross which is already on the devastated Caribbean island.
Shelterbox teams are at a base in Panama assessing which communities they can reach, with chief executive Chris Wareham saying logistics are difficult, with only a 500m-long airport runway on the island.
New plans to cull 70 per cent of 9,000 badgers in six areas across Devon, external have been revealed.
An 88-year-old woman who was found dead on Friday, external died after being crushed by her own car, police have confirmed.
Robert Allen was swept into the sea, along with his brother Charles, but his body was not recovered.
Read MoreAn investigation is under way after the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group's new freight vessel, the Mali Rose, collided with a fishing trawler and a yacht in Penzance harbour on Saturday evening.
The steamship company describes the incident within the wet-dock area as 'minor' and that no one was injured.
It adds it's assessing the extent of the damage and a marine team "has commenced a full investigation."
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More than 950 schools are near roads which suffer from harmful levels of illegal pollution, external, new analysis suggests, as a campaign is launched to protect children from dirty air.
A mixture of sunshine and squally showers this afternoon, with wind speeds reducing.
Remaining blustery, however, with squally showers - some of which will be heavy, possibly with thunder and hail and a maximum temperature of 17C (63F).
Showers will mainly become confined to coastal parts this evening with the winds easing further, although the odd shower remains possible anywhere. Minimum temperature 10C (50F)
James Law
BBC Sport Online
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Graham Carey was sent off for a challenge in the first half of Plymouth Argyle 1-0 home defeat by MK Dons on Saturday.
Lynne French
BBC News Online
Fourteen town criers have battled - or should that be shouted - it out in this year's annual Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Crier's competition.
The colourful and somewhat noisy event took place in Newton Abbot.
Image source, Newton Abbot Town CouncilDating back centuries, crying was the forerunner to daily newspapers as an early form of relaying newsworthy items.
The competition was won by crier Mark Wylie from Calne, with second and third place going to Andrew Fox from Ilminster and Les Ellis from Dartmouth, respectively.
Mr Ellis was also winner of the Devon Championship.
Image source, Newton Abbot Town Council
