There has been a "serious" crash on the B3266 near Bodmin according to police.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The owner of an art gallery insists not enough is being done by the organisation which has the role of boosting business in one of Cornwall's largest towns.

Roger Driscoll said he will make his point this evening at what is expected to be a heated annual meeting of the Penzance Business Improvement District (BID).

The group says events like the Man Engine have brought thousands more people into the town, but Mr Driscoll says too many shops are still closing down.

He said: "Nothing comes in to replace them. There isn't evolution if the shops just stay empty."

Rob England
BBC News Online

A woman has been taken to hospital with a minor head injury following a crash between a bicycle and a car in Exeter, police have said.

It happened at about 09:50 between Matford Lane and Barnardo Road.

Officers said a road closure was put in place on Topsham Road to allow ambulance access and recovery of the vehicle.

The injured cyclist was taken to The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The road reopened at 11:30.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The financial future of one of Cornwall's largest towns will be debated this evening.

Critics will tell the annual meeting of the Penzance Business Improvement District (BID) not enough is being done to stop shops shutting and to rejuvenate the town.

But Penzance BID says improved marketing and events like the Man Engine have brought thousands more people into the area.

Jeweller Hannah Wallis is a former BID director and believes the organisation has done a good job.

Image source, RSPCA/Suzanne Norbury

A dog which went missing for six hours in Okehampton was found trapped between a garden wall and a shed.

It took firefighters and an RSPCA officer several hours to free Tarka, a six-year-old Collie, after he was spotted by a member of the public.

Image source, RSPCA/Suzanne Norbury

The fire crew used a hydraulic ram to push the shed away from the wall after other attempts to pull him out failed.

Tarka’s owner, Fiona Aylen, thanked those who helped to rescue her dog on Wednesday night.

Image source, RSPCA/Suzanne Norbury

She said: "When we received the call to say he was safe I was over the moon and so happy for the help he’d had from the inspector and retained firefighters.

"Tarka has now recovered and is very happy to be back home.”

Rob England
BBC News Online

An ambulance has been called to a three vehicle crash on the A30 near Longrock roundabout in Penzance.

Police were called at about 10:50 and said medical crews had been asked to attend "as a precaution".

Officers said the crash involved Volkswagen, Honda and Ford vehicles.

Officers have warned the road could be closed.

A man from Cornwall arrested on suspicion of the murder of two retired teachers who lived in the same village street in Buckinghamshire has been released on bail.

Magician Martyn Smith, 31, from Redruth, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder, two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to defraud and one count of burglary.

He and church warden Ben Field, 27, from Towcester, Northamptonshire, have both been released on bail until 13 February.

A third man, aged 22, from Milton Keynes, has been released pending further investigation.

Thames Valley Police launched a double murder inquiry into the deaths of Peter Farquhar, 69, and 83-year-old Ann Moore-Martin who died a year-and-a-half apart in the village of Maids Moreton, near Buckingham.

Image source, PA

Rob England
BBC News Online

Fire crews were called to tackle a vehicle fire near Ottery St Mary earlier this morning.

Officers said the car was "well alight" on Exeter Road at about 09:15. The blaze was under control by 10:15.

No casualties were reported.

BBC Radio Cornwall

• In Penzance there have been reports of a three-vehicle collision on the A30 at Eastern Green
• Also on the A30 at Victoria, the road is now clear after an earlier vehicle fire near the service station

BBC Radio Devon

• In Exeter, there are reports of an accident on the A3015 Topsham Road around Weirfield Road
• At Moretonhampstead, the A382 Station Road is partially blocked by an accident at Bowring Mead

Forward Kyle Edwards rejoins League Two Exeter City on loan from Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Police are describing how a bill being debated in the House of Commons today could change the way they approach stalking cases.

Over the past five years, reports of stalking in Devon and Cornwall have risen from 20 in 2012 to 102 in 2017, police have said.

Later, politicians will debate a private members bill, brought forward by Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes in Devon, to bring in Stalking Protection Orders, external.

"It will allow us to protect the victim at the really early stages of an investigation" Supt Stuart Cavin said.

"It doesn't take the place of an investigation, but it allows us potentially to put some controls on a potential offender.

"This will allow us to investigate the offence which has been committed." he added.

Rob England
BBC News Online

A man was left unconscious and had to go hospital after he was assaulted in Plymouth, police have said.

It happened at around 04:15 at Sherwell Arcade, in the Mutley area, on 6 December.

Officers said an "unknown offender" hit the victim, who fell to the floor and was left unconscious.

"We were astounded," says charity which gets between 60 and 100 people outside its premises.

Plymouth Herald

Michael Watton, 56, thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl but was instead confronted by a group of men, external.

BBC Radio Devon

Hundreds of road bridges in Devon and Cornwall are not fit to carry the heaviest vehicles, a report has found.

Data released by the RAC Foundation in 2017 showed Devon had 2,689 road bridges, more than any other county in England, and Cornwall had 1,008.

Now the foundation says the number of "substandard" council-owned road bridged has risen by 7% across Britain.

Devon has the highest number of substandard road bridges in Britain, the report shows, with 249 deemed not up to scratch, Cornwall came in fourth place, with 144 substandard road bridges.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said the figures were "unwelcome, ifunsurprising".

"As council budgets continue to be squeezed by the growing pressure of social care, these numbers are a stark illustration of the gloomy consequences for the quality and integrity of our local networks." he said.

Devon County Council said 90 of the bridges highlighted were "clapper" bridges on Dartmoor, which were "performing well", and the remainder were either scheduled for strengthening work or have a weight limit.

Rob England
BBC News Online

It's not long until Valentine's Day, but the wildlife in Cornwall seem to be kicking things off with a kiss - between a swan and a squirrel.

Image source, Kevin Bowers

This moment was snapped by Kevin Bowers, who was taking a stroll around Tehidy Country Park yesterday.

"I was near the car park", Mr Bowers said, "and I saw the squirrel go towards the swan, and swan towards the squirrel, there was no aggression from either".

"They touched beak to nose, looked at each other, and the squirrel turned round and got back to picking up food in the area."

"The swan kept swimming in the area for a while after", he added.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A decision to award £50,000 to help towns across Cornwall tackle anti-social behaviour has been welcomed by residents and authorities.

Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Alison Hernandez, told the BBC the money will be used to extend the number of safer town partnerships from four to 10 - and encourage councils, the police and drug and alcohol agencies to work closely together.

The partnership has encouraged people to report drug use and anti-social behaviour. Body cameras have also been used to collect evidence.

Image source, Getty Images

Now people living in Falmouth, Bodmin, Camborne, Redruth, Liskeard and Saltash will hope to witness similar results with the £50,000 from the police and crime commissioner used to kick start the safer towns initiative in those areas.

BBC Radio Devon

Engineers have been working through the night to repair a burst water main in Honiton.

Problems with the supply were first reported in the EX14 postcode area on Thursday night.

Customers are being warned the water may be discoloured and are advised to run their cold kitchen tap until the water is clear.

Devon Live

A Paignton woman faked a letter from an uncle giving her £35,000 to explain where all her money had come from while she spent the proceeds of drug crime, external, a court has heard.