Police praise bravery of child sex offender's victim
Security guard hit with metal bar in cash box robbery
MP getting Tory whip restored 'a disgrace'
Police seek assault victim after fight in Plymouth
Cornwall child migrant refused right to work
Citizens Advice users asked to join funding future debate
Ambulance staff warn 'frequent callers' ahead of Christmas
Recovery vehicle catches fire on A30
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Thursday
Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live
Live updates for Devon and Cornwall have finished for the day, but we'll be back at 07:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Don't forget Spotlight on BBC One later. There will also be news through the night on your BBC Local Radio station.
Emma Thomasson
BBC Spotlight
A mother has been using a Christmas elf to highlight the access problems faced by her 11-year-old son who uses a wheelchair.
A mother uses Alfie the elf to raise awareness of disabled access issues
Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online
Image source, Exeter PhoenixMore than £10,000 has been offered by an arts venue in Devon to help aspiring filmmakers realise their vision.
As part of its 2018 short film commissioning scheme, Exeter Phoenix is offering the money to help five successful applicants create brand new stories in the South West.
Image source, Exeter PhoenixThe successful films across categories of Micro Film, Short Film and Artists Moving Image will be developed over the next year, and premiered at the venue's 2018 Two Short Nights film festival.
Jonas Hawkins, digital and film manager at Exeter Phoenix said: "We’re proud to support emerging talent on the local filmmaking scene and we are looking forward to reading ambitious and creative ideas for new projects."
Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live
An attack on a security firm employee during a robbery while money was being delivered to refill a cash machine in Plymouth is "very concerning", police say.
The raid at the Tesco Express store on Alexandra Road, on the corner of Ashford Hill, near Mutley Plain, at about 10:30, saw three males with their faces covered and armed with metal bars and bats approach a security van.
One security man was hit with a metal bar and cash boxes taken before the three made off in a silver Vauxhall Astra-type vehicle
The injured guard, who was wearing a safety helmet, was left "very shaken and upset" but did not receive any significant injuries, police said.
Det Ch Insp Craig McWhinnie, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "It is a concern that an individual going about their job should be attacked in this way."
The amount of money in the boxes has not been disclosed.
A search is continuing for the robbers and police have appealed for witnesses.
It will be windy overnight, with coastal gales and a squally area of rain moving east through the early evening, perhaps with sleet and hail in places.
This will clear to give clear spells and scattered heavy showers overnight.
Minimum temperature: 2C (36F)
Thursday will be a day of sunny spells and frequent, blustery showers, these mixed with sleet and hail at times.
Windy, with gales around exposed coasts and hills.
Maximum temperature: 8C (46F).
Members of Citizens Advice in Cornwall say they have no faith in a survey by Cornwall Council about future funding because they believe the authority has already made its mind up.
Cornwall Council had wanted to cut the funding by 54% from £356,000 to £153,000 a year for three years because of funding cuts by central government.
It is now asking people who have used the charity's services to tell Cornwall Cornwall how valuable it has been as part of its funding debate.
Paul Charlesworth, from the charity, said: "It says 'Should we give Citizens Advice £153,000 or nil?' That's one of the questions - that or nothing."
If the cuts went ahead, seven of the service's nine centres across the county were likely to close and a number of staff lose their jobs, the charity said last week.
Council Deputy Leader Julian German said all budgets were under scrutiny because of cuts from central government, but he recognised the importance of the service and said he was doing his best to help the charity.
A final decision on the council’s budget is due to be made in February.
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
A stray cat bite has left a 22-year-old backpacker seriously ill in Australia with meningitis, blood poisoning and swelling of the brain.
Image source, Family handoutScarlet Goodrich from Teignmouth in Devon was working on a fruit farm near Melbourne when she was bitten.
Her recovery is expected to take at least six months.
Her mother Alethea has flown to the Melbourne hospital to be with her and her aunt from New Zealand has also gone to support her.
Her family has launched an appeal on Just Giving, external to bring her home and support the family and her rehabilitation. So far they have raised £2,000 towards a £3,000 target.
A scheme which involves police, the finance industry, and Trading Standards has thwarted £820,000 of financial fraud in Devon and Cornwall in just four months of operation, police say.
Devon and Cornwall Police said, external those involved with the Banking Protocol worked together "to prevent financial scams taking place and to provide the victim with victim care".
The scheme can involve local bank or building society branch staff alerting police to suspected scams taking place, allowing local police to arrive at the branch before any transfer of funds takes place, and to provide local support for the victim.
The Post Office is also involved.
Image source, Getty ImagesAndrew Segal
BBC Local Live
People on the Isles of Scilly have been warned by police to not help themselves to any of the trees growing in Trenoweth Woods to decorate their houses over the festive season because "this is theft".
The St Mary's policing team said on Facebook, external: "The trees have been grown from seed by Keith Symons to replenish fallen ones. This is a great thing to do and cares for the environment.
"Please leave them to grow in peace. Merry Christmas."
Exeter City have been given special dispensation by the Football Association to reduce their away capacity for next month's FA Cup third round tie at home, the club says.
The Grecians beat Forest Green Rovers 2-1 last night to book a place in round three with Premier League side West Brom at St James Park.
However, the team's ground is in the process of being redeveloped, which means there's a reduced capacity for a game that's expected to be a sell-out.
FA rules state clubs in the competition have to give 15% of tickets to away supporters, but officials at St James Park said that was impractical and it could mean less income if tickets were not all sold.
Club Chairman Julian Tagg said earlier that, if the request was approved, tickets would be put on sale "as soon as we possibly can" and "then the mayhem starts".
A security firm employee has been hit with a metal bar and cash boxes taken while money was being delivered to refill a cash machine at a shop in Plymouth, police say.
Police were called to the Tesco Express store on Alexandra Road, on the corner of Ashford Hill, near Mutley Plain, after the robbery at about 10:30 which saw three males with their faces covered approach a security van.
Det Ch Insp Craig McWhinnie, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "As boxes were being unloaded from the vehicle, they were approached by three people, we believe three males.
"One driver was assaulted and they made off with the boxes that the delivery drivers were carrying."
The amount of money in the boxes has not been disclosed. The robbers made off in a silver Vauxhall Astra-type vehicle after the assault.
The injured guard, who was wearing a safety helmet, did not require medical attention but was left "shaken and upset", Det Ch Insp McWhinnie said.
A search is continuing for the robbers.
Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live
Supporters of Penzance's Jubilee Pool say they are "thrilled" it has won a major award which celebrates the most popular UK civil engineering projects.
The Cornish lido has won the Institution of Civil Engineers' national People’s Choice Award, seeing off competition from 11 other projects across the UK.
Martin Nixon, chairman of the Friends of Jubilee Pool, said: "We're thrilled the pool has been recognised in this way.
"It's a very popular community owned asset, making a significant contribution to Penzance's economy by attracting visitors."
The Grade II-listed outdoor Art Deco structure was built in 1935 to commemorate King George V's silver jubilee.
It underwent a £3m refurbishment after it suffered serious structural damage caused by severe winter storms in early 2014 before reopening in 2016.
The award was announced at the institution in Westminster.
A pensioner who indecently assaulted girls in Derbyshire dating back almost 30 years ago has been jailed for 11 years, external.
John Colclough started targeting one of his victims in 1988. Colclough also started targeting another girl during the 1990s, also in Ashbourne.
The 72-year-old, who was living in St Michael’s Court, Paignton, Devon, when he was arrested, was charged with six counts of indecent assaults on a female and two of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16. He denied all eight charges but was found guilty by a jury at Derby Crown Court.
A team from the Royal Navy has canoed and walked 185 miles (300km) to mark the 75th anniversary of one of the most daring operations of World War Two.
Members of the Naval Service Recovery Centre (NSRC) in Plymouth retraced the route taken by the Cockleshell Heroes commandos in eastern France in 1942.
Image source, F75 Cockleshell EndeavourThe 10 Royal Marines based in Portsmouth had been tasked to plant mines on enemy ships in Bordeaux at the height of World War Two.
More than 30 navy personnel, many receiving treatment for physical injuries and mental health conditions, took eight days to complete the route.
Capt Paul Fleet said the team had "dug deep" to complete the tribute.
Polling is under way in a by-election for a seat on Exeter City Council.
It follows the sudden resignation of Labour councillor Roger Spackman in Newtown & St Leonards last month.
Labour holds 27 of the 38 city council seats currently filled on the 39-seat authority.
Polls are open until 22:00.
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Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live
Penzance's Jubilee Pool has won a major award which celebrates the most popular UK civil engineering projects.
The Cornish lido has won the Institution of Civil Engineers' national People’s Choice Award.
The seawater pool saw off competition from 11 other projects across the UK, the institute said.
The Grade II-listed outdoor Art Deco structure was built in 1935 to commemorate King George V's silver jubilee
It underwent a £3m refurbishment after it suffered serious structural damage caused by severe winter storms in early 2014 before reopening in 2016.
Laurence Reed
BBC Radio Cornwall
A security firm in Camborne has offered to patrol the town's square to stop more damage to the Christmas tree after a second incident of vandalism.
Town Mayor Val Dalley said the latest incident saw someone stealing the star from the top of the tree at the weekend.
A firm has now got in touch to say it could help.
Mayor Dalley said she was grateful for the offer, and people should lighten up about the tree, even if they did not like its design.
She said: "When it's lit up, it's quite something."
A rail company embroiled in disputes over the role of guards is to be hit by fresh strikes on New Year's Eve, a union says.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on South Western Railway, which operates services from London to Exeter, will walk out for 24 hours on 31 December.
The union revealed that it had met Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in a bid to resolve the disputes affecting five rail operators, but said there were "contradictory messages and confusion" from the minister and his department.
The company previously said it was "disappointed" at possible strike action being proposed during negotiations earlier this year.
Image source, PAOn the M5 southbound, there are reports of an accident between Junction 26 Wellington and Junction 27 Tiverton.
Businesses in the heart of Torquay’s shopping area are being asked to look after inconvenienced shoppers as council loos are still out of bounds.
They will be asked to allow shoppers to use their toilets, external - but not expect them to buy something in return.
