Martha Dixon
BBC Radio Cornwall

New research is hoping to find out more about people from Devon and Cornwall who were captured as slaves in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Not a huge amount is known about those taken by the so-called Barbary pirates from North Africa.

Fishermen and coastal dwellers of 17th Century Britain lived in terror of being kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in North Africa. Hundreds of thousands across Europe met wretched deaths on the Barbary Coast in this way.

It's estimated thousands of people from Devon and Cornwall were captured.

Experts say the region was targeted because of its "vulnerable coastline".

A project involving Exeter University is hoping to find out more about how people from the South West were taken to Africa.

• On the A30 there's slow traffic between Broadwoodwidger and Lifton heading towards Bodmin - and just further down the road it's looking a bit sluggish between Launceston and Kennards House - and then Victoria and Indian Queens
• In Saltash we've got reports that Church Road is partially blocked due to a fallen tree at Castlemead Drive
• In Newquay there's flooding on the A3075 between Goonhaven and Quintrell Downs

BBC Radio Devon

The last sailing of the year from Plymouth to France has been cancelled due to predicted stormy weather.

Passengers expecting to board the 22:00 ferry to Roscoff will now sail from Portsmouth to St Malo.

Operator Brittany Ferries is providing coach transport for foot passengers on both sides.

The coach to Portsmouth will leave Plymouth at 14:00. The company says it has also cancelled the return journey to Plymouth which was supposed to sail on Saturday afternoon

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

The stormy weather has caused power cuts in several places this morning. The latest number of properties without electricity, according to Western Power Distribution, external, are as follows:

• Liskeard - 1275
• Chulmleigh - 214
• Hartland - 189
• Looe - 91
• Plymouth - 49
• Fraddon - 30
• Wadebridge - 2

Engineers are working to restore power in all of these places.

• Watch out for surface water on roads across the South West - some deep flood water has been reported, including on Plymbridge Road in Plymouth and also Lipson Vale Road near the railway bridge also in the city
• In Tavistock we've got reports of flooding on Pixon Lane
• In Brixham there's been a hail storm that's left treacherous driving conditions on the roads in the area
• In Newton Abbot the A381 Totnes Road is partially blocked due to a fallen tree near Bakers Park.
• The 22:00 Brittany Ferry to Roscoff has been cancelled because of the weather conditions. There's a replacement service sailing from Portsmouth to St Malo, passengers are advised to contact Brittany Ferries for more information

BBC Weather

There is some nasty weather around this morning, with dramatic thunder and lightning in places right across the South West. There is also a yellow warning for strong winds between 06:00 and 10:00, and a warning for ice, in some places, until 09:00., external, issued by the Met Office.

Max temp: 10C (50F)

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

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

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