BBC Newsnight

The Royal Navy could lose its ability to assault enemy held beaches under plans being considered in the Ministry of Defence, BBC Newsnight understands.

Two specialist landing ships - Plymouth-based HMS Albion and Bulwark - would be taken out of service under the proposals.

It is understood the move has been formulated as part of a package designed to balance the books and free up sailors for the service's two new aircraft carriers.

Critics said the proposal would deprive the Royal Marines of its core mission.

The MoD said no decisions had been made yet and that discussion of options was "pure speculation".

Watch the full report above.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Plymouth Argyle will be without seven players for Saturday's League One clash with Fleetwood Town.

Ryan Taylor, Oscar Threlkeld, Lionel Ainsworth, Robert te Loeke and Luke McCormick are all injured, while Sonny Bradley (pictured) and Gary Miller are both suspended.

Midfielders Graham Carey and David Fox are doubtful as they try and recover from injuries.

Image source, Getty Images

Plymouth Herald

Plymouth City Council has reminded people not to scatter the ashes of their dead relatives in parks across the city, external.

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

Young swimmers from across Cornwall will get to go on a swimming trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands which was threatened by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

Helen Tooley, who organised the trip, said £11,000 spent on flights had been refunded by Barclays Bank, which also made a donation of £4,000 to the North Cornwall Dragons to help cover the cost of new flights.

Parents of 48 children had paid £750 per child for the chance to train in Olympic-sized pools with top swimmers such as Welsh Olympian Jemma Lowe.

Image source, Helen Tooley

BBC Weather

A dry afternoon with just patchy cloud, spells of sunshine and light or moderate northwesterly winds turning west or southwest by the end of the day.

Maximum temperature 15C (59F).

BBC Radio Devon

• In Plymouth, Lipson Road is partially blocked near Pentyre Terrace due to an accident
• Near Torquay, one lane of the A380 Hamelin Way, heading between Riviera Way and Gallows Gate roundabout, is blocked by a broken-down vehicle
• On the A38 Plymouth-bound between Marley Head and the Woodpecker junction, there are reports of a broken-down vehicle and horse box

Lynne French
BBC News Online

Plymouth MP and former military officer Johnny Mercer has criticised the Ministry of Defence's plan to reduce the number of Royal Marines.

Mr Mercer, the Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, says the Royal Marines' contribution to the country's special forces is "unsurpassed" and special forces should be protected "at all costs".

He says he will not support any proposals to threaten that.

The money-saving proposals could also include removing two Plymouth-based warships - HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark - from service.

Image source, Getty Images

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

England and Lions winger Jack Nowell returns as Exeter make six changes to their side.

Nowell replaces Phil Dollman as Lachie Turner moves to full-back, while Nic White returns at scrum-half.

Up front props Carl Rimmer and Harry Williams come in while Sam Skinner and Sam Simmonds replace Dave Dennis and Julian Salvi in the back row.come into the pack.

Image source, Getty Images

Exeter: Turner; Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Woodburn; Steenson, White; Rimmer, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Lees, Hill, Skinner, Armand, Simmonds

Replacements: Taione, Moon, Francis, Atkins, Salvi, Townsend, Hendrickson, Dollman

Rob England
BBC News Online

A company has been commissioned by Cornwall Air Ambulance to provide a new helicopter to improve the service's "safety, performance and range".

Specialist Aviation Services, based at Gloucester Airport, say they had been selected, external to provide an AW169 EMS helicopter under a 10-year contract starting in 2019.

Image source, Specialist Aviation Services

The new aircraft will replace an aircraft at the charity's Newquay Airport HQ.

The firm, which specialises in emergency services aviation, has already issued the model to other services across the UK, including Dorset and Somerset, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.

Ian Brackenbury, of the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, said they were "committed to the charity’s objects of saving lives", and said the new aircraft would provide "the best platform" for crews to do their job.

Image source, Andrew Segal

Cornwall currently has two MD902 Explorer helicopters, external (one is pictured above), which have a maximum speed of 150mph and a range of nearly 380 miles.

Cornwall Live

The people of Cornwall have rounded on the council and Government, external over the failings at the county's main hospital which have been exposed in a damning watchdog report.

The ambulance service is urging people in Devon and Cornwall to get the needle - to help protect themselves from flu.

While the virus generally causes mild or unpleasant symptoms, vulnerable people can become severely ill or die, including older people, pregnant women and those with an underlying health condition.

BBC Radio Devon

A cost-cutting plan which could see two Devonport-based warships taken out of service has been slammed by a local MP.

BBC Newsnight has reported that the Ministry of Defence is considering removing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, two Royal Navy amphibious assault and landing ships and reducing the Royal Marines by about 1,000.

Luke Pollard, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said the MoD proposal was poorly thought through.

Scrapping HMS Albion and Bulwark - as well as the planned sale of city-based helicopter carrier HMS Ocean - means that Devonport loses all its amphibious assault craft.

He said: "But there isn't any amphibious assault craft anywhere else in the country, so that means the Royal Navy loses the capability to fight that type of war completely.

"I'm very concerned that it's bad for Plymouth, bad for Devonport and more importantly really bad for our national security."

Amy Gladwell
BBC News Online

Women suffering from extreme morning sickness should be offered the "royal standard" of treatment, according to charities and medical experts.

Many hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) patients are being denied "safe, effective" care, professionals said.

A global conference led by a Plymouth academic is setting out the latest research and innovative treatments.

Public awareness of the "dangerous" condition has reportedly increased because of the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured).

Image source, PA

Cornwall Live

A 27-year-old man found dead in a toilet cubicle at a Camborne supermarket, external has been named locally.

Alex Osborne
BBC Weather

A dry and sunny day is forecast today, so if you're thinking about heading to the beach, here are the all-mportant times of high water around the region's coast.

There will be a full weather forecast in the lunchtime news on BBC One at 13:30 and in Spotlight at 18:30.

Scrapping two of the Royal Navy's Plymouth-based amphibious assault ships would be a security risk and could mean a loss of jobs, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard says.

He was responding to a BBC Newsnight report that warships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark may be taken out of service to save money.

It's also been suggested the Royal Marines would be reduced in strength by about 1,000.

Retired senior officers fear removing the amphibious landing ships would reduce the Navy's fighting capability, but the Ministry of Defence said no decisions had been taken.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

The captain of Premiership champions Exeter says he is against plans to extend the length of the season.

Jack Yeandle, who is set to make his 100th appearance for the Chiefs on Saturday, thinks players would benefit from a longer summer rest period.

Image source, Getty Images

"Rugby is a pretty physical sport, whether you're training or playing. You do batter your body around," he said.

"Those weeks we have in the off-season are vital for us."

Club coaches and the league have been split over the plans to extend the Premiership season.

Players' union the RPA has rejected Premiership Rugby's plans for a 10-month-long season starting in the summer of 2019, while England and Saracens number eight Billy Vunipola said he would take a pay cut to play less rugby and believes players are at risk of "burning out".

BBC Radio Cornwall

A swimming group which had its plans to go on a training camp abroad scuppered by the Monarch airline crisis has been rescued by Barclays Bank.

The North Cornwall Dragons are taking 48 young people to Fuerteventura on 25 October for a week of intensive training in Olympic-sized pools.

Image source, Helen Tooley

When Monarch folded, the trip looked unlikely to go ahead but Barclays refunded the main payment of £11,000 and made a donation of £4,000 to help the club get to Gran Canaria.

The group raised another £5,500 itself, which means the trip can now all go ahead.

Helen Tooley (pictured), who has organised the trip, said: "It's been crazy and I haven't slept for three days but it's all been worth it."

Devon Live

A small area of woodland has been cordoned off , externalin Newton Abbot today as police investigate a sex assault.

BBC Weather

After a chilly start with some mist over the moors, it will be a fine and dry day.

With only light winds, it will feel pleasant in the bright autumnal sunshine with a maximum temperature of 15C (59F).