Royal Navy could lose 'fight on beaches' Plymouth-based ships in planned cuts
Bank steps in to save Cornwall swim group hit by Monarch crisis
Royal Cornwall Hospital doctors say systems in place to ensure urgent cases "are seen quickly"
Portuguese man-of-war wash up in St Ives
Cornwall Air Ambulance commissions new helicopter
Public consultation on merger of South Hams and West Devon councils draws to close
Updates on Friday 6 October 2017
That's all from BBC Local Live for another week, but we'll be back at 08:00 on Monday to bring you all the day's news, sport, travel and weather updates.
Don't miss Spotlight on BBC One tonight at 18:30 and the late bulleting at 22:30.
Sophie Malcolm
BBC News Online
Long queues outside nightclubs could be a thing of the past, after a group of students developed an app to track queue lengths.
University of Exeter students developed QTRKR to monitor how long queues at each club in the city are, as well as wait times and ticket availability.
It also helps nightclub owners to control crowds outside.
They came up with the idea after waiting for hours in nightclub queues around the city.
David Braine
Weather Forecaster
After rain overnight,. Saturday will be a cloudy day with rain at times and with some heavy bursts of rain possible over moors.
Drier, brighter weather will spread in from the north in the evening.
Maximum temperature 16C (61F).
Miles Davis
BBC News Online
Image source, David WhiteLegendary Cornish comedian Jethro stepped in to help a group of swimmers whose training camp abroad was threatened by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.
Trip organiser Helen Tooley said the comic contacted her after he saw the story of the plight of the young swimmers from the North Cornwall Dragons on BBC Spotlight.
Mrs Tooley said Jethro (pictured left with BBC Radio Cornwall's David White) offered to contribute £5,000 to help pay for new flights.
The swimming club also raised more than £5,000 through donations from the public.
Barclays Bank has paid back the £11,000 spent on flights and also made a donation of £4,000 to cover extra costs, so the group is all set to go ahead with the trip at the end of the month.
Devon fiddle star Seth Lakeman joined Robert Plant for the Led Zeppelin classic Whole Lotta Love.
Former Zeppelin frontman Plant, who was performing at the BBC's Maida Vale studios for BBC 6 Music, brought in Lakeman for a violin interlude while he played a bhodran drum.
Plant was taking part in 6 Music Live with support from his band, the Sensational Space Shifters.
A Devon woman who was adopted at birth says she's reeling from the news that she's related to former US President Barack Obama.
Jan Rolfe, from Exeter, said that, after finding her birth mother, she started looking into her family history and was astonished to discover she and the 44th president of the United States were distant cousins.
Image source, APThe 67-year-old said President Obama's ninth great-grandfather was her seventh great-grandfather.
"My cousin in Texas has assured me it's correct, and she's being doing genealogy for many years ... so there's no doubt."
Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Full-back Toby May will captain Cornish Pirates in their Championship match with Nottingham on Sunday.
He takes over from Nicolas De Battista after he suffered a knock in last week's loss at Yorkshire Carnegie, but the Argentine centre does make the bench.
Dan Koster replaces De Battista in one of three changes as prop Jack Andrew comes in for his 100th Pirates appearance, and Toby Freeman joins the second row.
Image source, Brian TempestCornish Pirates: T May (capt); O’Meara, Koster, Laverick, Moyle; L May, Day; Walker, Cowan-Dickie, Andrew, Freeman, Caulfield, Cooper, Bolwell, Lawday.
Replacements: Channon, Judge, Keast, Duncan, Taylor, Cargill, De Battista.
Andrew Segal
Local Live
All of Plymouth's three MPs have condemned plans to take two Plymouth-based Royal Navy specialist landing ships out of service.
BBC Newsnight understands HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark (pictured) are under threat under plans being considered in the Ministry of Defence.
Critics said the proposal would also deprive the Royal Marines of its core mission.
Luke Pollard, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said the proposal was poorly thought through and would hit national security, as well as being bad for the city.
Plymouth Moor View Conservative Johnny Mercer said the cut in amphibious capability had to be questioned and that the Royal Marines were a national asset.
Image source, MoDSouth West Devon Conservative Gary Streeter tweeted that he gave his "complete support" to Mr Mercer's points on the Royal Marines.
He added: "Any attempt by MoD to reduce amphibious fleet will be resisted."
The MoD told the BBC that no decisions have been made yet and that discussion of options was "pure speculation".
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Works of art, made by young offenders in Plymouth, are being sold to make money for local charities.
It's part of a creative reparation scheme by the city's youth offending team, designed to make up for harm caused through crime.
Image source, Plymouth City CouncilSt Luke's Hospice has made £115 in sales of the art, which is all made from surplus wood donated by local building sites.
Sarah Henfrey, from the charity's Shabby Chic shop, said: "We are delighted to support these young people with their wood art projects and are also grateful for the funds we receive when we sell these products."
A public consultation on the merger of two Devon councils ends this weekend.
South Hams and West Devon want to merge, saying it will save both councils £500,000 a year.
However, they also admitted that council tax payers in the South Hams would have bigger council tax increases in the first few years than those in West Devon.
The consultation, external, which started in August, ends on Sunday.
A Plymouth teaching assistant who helps children with special needs has won a top award.
Rebecca Ward, from Courtlands Special School, external, is the South West's Outstanding Higher Level Teaching Assistant of the year.
Image source, bbShe said that, while she's thrilled with the accolade, doing the job she loves was reward enough.
"It's very rewarding: you see them grow in confidence, and the progress they make is unbelievable.
"I just enjoy it, and every day is different.
Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Exeter City could have Jordan Tillson available for Saturday's League Two trip to Carlisle United.
The defensive midfielder had been a doubt after badly bruising his ankle against Morecambe last Saturday, but has returned to training.
Centre-back Jordan Moore-Taylor could also feature having missed the last two games, but Ryan Harley and Robbie Simpson are still out with long-term injuries.
Image source, Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Paul Tisdale missed out on a second consecutive Manager of the Month award.
Fellow nominee Kevin Nolan took won the accolade after leading Notts County to six successive wins.
The family of a homeless man killed by a car in Dartmouth last week has paid tribute to a "loving" man, describing him as a "kind-hearted mischief maker".
Jamie Symons died after being hit on College Way by a vehicle that failed to stop.
A 20-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released pending further investigations.
Image source, Family photoMembers of Mr Symons family said they were heartbroken, adding: "You were the lead mischief maker for certain but this made you who you are.
"You had your tough times but you would always find your way through them and through it all, deep down you remained a kind-hearted gentleman with a gentle soul."
Devon and Cornwall Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact them.
A young barn owl who went missing from a wildlife park in Cornwall has been found, staff say.
Errol disappeared from his home at Feadon Farm, external Wildlife Centre at Portreath on 26 September while staff were training him.
Image source, Feadon Farm Wildlife Centre
Daily Mirror
The Department for Work and Pensions has exclusively revealed the full list to the Daily Mirror - with 87 due to close, external.
They include Helston and Liskeard in Cornwall, plus Newton Abbot and Totnes in Devon, between December 2017 and February 2018.
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Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Torquay United manager Gary Owers says he could bring in some new players to bolster his struggling side.
Tuesday's win against Maidenhead was their first of the season, but they remain bottom of the National League.
Image source, Rex FeaturesWith seven loan players already, Owers says permanent signings are his only realistic option.
"The players that would suit our situation at the moment are out of contract free agents, so I'm exploring that market," he told BBC Sport.
"If I can get a top-quality loan signing in and I can bring him to the club I will do that, but it would be at the expense of someone else unfortunately," he added.
Andrew Segal
Local Live
A second Plymouth MP has criticised reports that Royal Navy could lose its ability to assault enemy held beaches under plans being considered in the Ministry of Defence.
BBC Newsnight understands that specialist landing ships HMS Albion and Bulwark, both based in the city, would be taken out of service under the proposals.
Critics say the proposal would deprive the Royal Marines of its core mission.
Plymouth Moor View Conservative and former Army officer Johnny Mercer wrote several tweets, external in response.
He tweeted:
The MoD told the BBC that no decisions have been made yet and that discussion of options was "pure speculation".
Hannah Stacey
BBC Radio Cornwall
Image source, Hannah StaceyBeach users are once again being warned about the amount of Portuguese man-of-war washed up - this time on Porthmeor beach in St Ives.
The numbers have reached unprecedented levels on Cornwall's beaches and, now that lifeguard patrols have ended, people are being warned there will be nobody to pick up the creatures.
Image source, Hannah StaceyThe invasion of potentially fatal jellyfish-like creatures has been spreading along the English Channel.
They were first spotted in Cornwall and have been seen as far east as Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire.
Lynne French
BBC News Online
Police are investigating reports that two 15-year-old girls were seriously sexually assaulted in two separate incidents in Newton Abbot in the past week.
The first assault happened at Courtenay Park between 18:00 on Saturday 30 September and 09:00 on Sunday 1 October.
The second incident happened in grounds near Forde House, Brunel Road, and near the Sainsbury's Local shop on East Street between 20:30 on Tuesday 3 October and 02:00 on Wednesday 4 October.
Scenes of Crime Officers have been conducting forensics in the two areas and the girls, who are known to each other, were being supported by officers, police said.
