Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Panel has supported Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez' budget plans for 2018/19.

The plans involve increasing the policing precept by about £1 per month.

She said: "We do not take this step lightly. We know that many households operate on very tight budgets and have carefully considered the impact this would have.

"The poll we have carried out over the past few weeks shows, quite categorically, that the public believes the police needs more funding and are willing to pay £1 a month locally."

The increase means those living in a Band D property will pay £180 a year towards policing.

BBC Radio Cornwall

• In Bodmin, Lanhydrock View is blocked near Halgavor Road due to an accident.

It lets him control the brakes and steering with his left hand because he now cannot use his right.

John Ayres
BBC Spotlight

A sports company, started by three Devon children aged between 11 and 13, will be showcasing their firm at a new festival aimed at getting young people and families into sport.

Molly, Jo and Phoebe wanted to spread the message to their peers about how important it is to be fit and healthy.

They now, with some adult help, have a sports clothing brand and are ambassadors for this weekend's Great British Sports Show, external in Exeter.

Molly explained the motivation behind their company: "The fact that one in three children were obese and that's just a shocking amount, so we just wanted to help that."

• Child and teen obesity spreading across the globe
• 'Stark' increase in overweight youngsters

One of Cornwall's major health providers, the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has been told by inspectors it must improve the quality of its services.

The trust runs community hospitals and minor injuries units, and provides mental health and end of life care.

Failings listed in the report included dangerous substances being left in unlocked areas, staff working alone and poor medicine management. But care by staff was rated as outstanding.

Image source, Google

Dr Tamsyn Anderson from the trust says their long-term aim has to be to keep people out of hospital.

"Your best bed is your bed at home.

"I accept that sometimes people need to be in hospital, but what we need to do is make sure as a system we can get people back to the right place of care, which for most people is back at home with the sort of support and care they need."

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Four Exeter Chiefs players are in the England rugby squad to play Italy this weekend.

Sam Simmonds is set to start in the Six Nations opener at number eight.

Props Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams are on the bench, along with wing Jack Nowell who returns from an injury layoff.

The game in Rome is at 15:00 on Sunday.

Cornish Stuff

Labour has won all three by-elections held in Cornwall yesterday., external

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Rescue crews found two men and two women who were cut off by the tide near Torquay, after seeing their phone lights flashing.

Torbay Coastguard, external and the Torbay lifeboat were called to Livermead Head just after 18:00, but on arrival the group was not there.

Image source, Torbay Coastguard

The lifeboat then saw phone lights at Corbyn's Head, so they headed there and collected the four people before taking them to Torquay Harbour. Nobody was hurt.

The coastguard is reminding people of the importance of giving an accurate location to rescue services, and says there are free apps that give a grid reference that can be passed on to the 999 operator.

BBC Radio Devon

• Between Ivybridge and Wrangaton on the B3213 Exeter Road, we've got reports there are two accidents due to ice. Approach with care
• On A380 around Kingsteignton there are lane closures and a speed restriction due to roadworks. Traffic is moving slowly towards Penn Inn
• In Plymouth on Tavistock Road, there's heavy traffic approaching the Derriford Roundabout in all directions due to the roadworks. Outland Road heading outbound is also very busy

Harriet Bradshaw
Reporter

A boy from Exeter, who suffered a severe brain haemorrhage more than three years ago, is back in the saddle thanks to a specially adapted trike.

Eleven-year-old Jimmy Stevens had a spontaneous bleed to the brain after a family day out.

Despite injuries that left him unable to walk, Jimmy was determined to be able to ride a bike again and thanks to fundraising from family and friends, as well as a grant from charity, Children Today, he now has his own trike.

It allows him to control the brakes and steer with his left hand after losing the ability to do so with his right.

His mum Jenni says he now gets lots of "positive attention" when he's out and about.

She said: "His speech has been affected and that's affected his confidence as well. Being out on the bike, he gets people coming up and saying how cool he looks and for him that's absolutely brilliant. It's just building his self-esteem."

Image source, STEVENS FAMILY

BBC Weather

Today will be mostly dry with some spells of sunshine, although there will be a few scattered showers.

Maximum temperature: 8C 46F.

BBC Radio Cornwall

• Near Penryn on the A39 at the Treluswell Roundabout, there's busy traffic
• On the St Mawes Ferry there are no 12:15 or 13:15 sailings from the Prince of Wales Pier in Falmouth, or from St Mawes at 12:45 and 1345, due to the tides
• In Newquay, on the A3058 Henver Road, there's heavy traffic between Lusty Glaze Road and the A3059

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Labour has held on to the seat held by former MP Candy Atherton up until her sudden death in October.

Jayne Kirkham received 60.2% of the vote in Falmouth Smithwick, an increase in share of 19.9%.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

An inspection of the health trust that runs community and mental health services in Cornwall has rated the care it gives as outstanding, although other areas are identified as needing improvement.

It is the first inspection since the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust took over community hospitals in 2016.

The Care Quality Commission rated the trust as 'requires improvement' overall.

Image source, Google

The community-based services were found to have a shortage of staff, and Falmouth, Newquay, Bodmin and Liskeard hospitals stored hazardous substances in unlocked areas, including bleach tablets, cleaning solutions and nail varnish remover.

There were also issues raised over the safety of lone workers.

BBC Spotlight

A deposit scheme could double plastic bottle and can recycling rates in Cornwall, environmental campaigners say.

Hugo Tagholm from Surfers Against Sewage said: "We use almost 40 million plastic bottles every single day and many many millions of cans as well, and currently we only recycle about 50% of those.

"In countries with a deposit return scheme almost 100% are returned for recycling."

The "reward and return" system would put a small refundable charge on plastic bottles, so people are encouraged to recycle them.

In October, the government announced it was going to consider whether to introduce a "reward and return" scheme for plastic bottles to try to improve recycling rates.

BBC Radio Devon

The first student to apply for a place at Plymouth’s newest secondary school was a guest of honour at a ceremony to mark a significant milestone in the construction of the school.

Image source, Scott Medical and Healthcare College

Caitlin Owen started in Year 9 when Scott Medical and Healthcare College opened at its temporary site in September 2017.

Work on Scott’s new £5m building in Stoke, led by Kier Construction, began last summer and the bolt tightening ceremony marked the completion of the steel structure.

“It was nice to be part of it and see how the building is getting on,” said Caitlin, who is planning to be paediatric nurse or midwife."

The new state school, which specialises in training the healthcare professionals of the future, welcomed 84 students into its first ever Year 9 last year as well as more than 60 Year 12 students.

Caitlin Owen is pictured with Brian Rice, operations director Kier Construction, Martyn Cox, head teacher, and Paul Fletcher, site manager Kier Construction.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The trust that runs Cornwall's community and mental health services has been told it must make improvements by health inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission said there was a risk that patients with serious conditions may not be identified promptly in minor injuries units. It also said management of medicines must improve and mental health care provision for children and young people was insufficient to provide a safe service.

Inspectors also said staff were kind and caring and treated patients with dignity.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC it had already identified most issues and was taking action.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Cornish environmentalists Surfers Against Sewage say it's vital the government doesn't delay in bringing in a plastic bottle deposit return scheme.

In the UK 57% of all plastic bottles are collected for recycling, compared with levels of up to 90% in countries that have a reward and return system.

Deposit schemes involve a small surcharge paid by consumers, being refunded when bottles are returned.

In October, the government announced it was going to consider whether to introduce a "reward and return" scheme for plastic bottles to try to improve recycling rates.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove appealed for views on how such a system might work in England. The Scottish and Welsh governments have recently said they are also considering introducing a deposit scheme, an idea backed by drinks giant Coca-Cola.

Greenpeace has backed the move, but retailers said it would hit customers.

Harriet Bradshaw
Reporter

The family of a disabled boy from Exeter says a new trike - designed especially for him after he suffered a brain injury - has made a "big difference" to his life.

Jimmy Stevens, 11, had a bleed on the brain three years ago after saying he felt "poorly" in the car on a family day out.

After seven months in hospital and intensive rehabilitation since, he is now able to ride again thanks to a grant from the charity, Children Today, and fundraising from friends and family.

His dad Jamie said: "When he had his brain injury, he lost the use of his right hand and his right leg is also a bit weaker. The bike has been adapted and he can now control the bike entirely using his left hand. He has a little stirrup that fits his foot in the pedal and he's off!"

Mum, Jenni, says the bike now means he can join the family on days out once again.

She added: "There was a time when Jimmy was very sedentary. He wasn't able to do any exercise at all and we were worried about that. His dad's a big cyclist as well and now he can come out with his sisters and it's just made a big difference to family days out."

Image source, STEVENS FAMILY