Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

Devon produces the lowest amount of 'black bag' produced waste per household of any county in the country, according to government figures.

Defra figures for 2016/17 show that Devon's households typically produced just 4.94kg of 'black bag' residual waste each week - a 20% decrease from 5.94kg in 2012.

With a recycling rate of 55.7% the county has now cemented its place as third in the county recycling league table, just behind Oxfordshire and Surrey.

Exeter City Councillor Duncan Wood said: "This is very good news for everyone, but there is still work to do.

"If everyone ensured that less recyclable material was put into general waste there is no reason why we can't become the top recycling county in the country."

The statistics also revealed food waste thrown into rubbish bins instead of food caddies makes up about 30% of 'black bag' rubbish in Devon, and 23% in Torbay.

Of the 'black bag' contents surveyed, 41% was found to be recyclable with the collection services that area offered.

The council estimates that if 71% of rubbish could be recycled, approximately £7.7m could be saved.

Devon Live

One of the most haunted places in Britain and a hotbed for sightings of ghosts and UFOs has been identified - as a leafy stretch of the A30. , external

Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

Police are appealing for witnesses after a 14-year-old boy was hit in the face and cut in an unprovoked assault in Plympton last week.

The attack occurred at about 19:30 on 24 January as the boy was walking home along Triumphal Crescent after seeing a friend.

The victim had his head down and was looking at his mobile phone when he was approached by a man and hit in the face. As a result he had a cut to his forehead before he ran away.

The offender was dressed all in black and had his face partially covered.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Image source, Fifa.com

As someone who plays Fifa, this is brilliant.

A 16-year-old from Exeter has beaten the best Fifa players in the world to claim the Global Series title in Barcelona.

Donovan “DhTekKz” Hunt was crowned the winner, external after three days of competition, winning 9-3 on aggregate in the Grand Final.

More than 2,000 tonnes of salt were needed to keep Devon's roads safe during January's cold weather, Devon County Council has said.

Gritting was necessary on 13 of the 31 days, covering 50,710km (31,509 miles).

The lowest recorded road surface temperature recorded was -4C (24.8F) on 11 January.

Hopefully February will be looking a little less chilly!

Cornwall Live

More than 100 households in St Austell have been left without power after lightning struck an overhead network cable., external

Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams says the January transfer window has been one of the toughest he has known.

Devon:

• In Torquay on Riviera Way outbound near the Willows one lane is closed for work on the traffic lights. Expect delays
• In Totnes, A385 Station Road is partially blocked around Coronation Road due to an accident
• Between Holsworthy and Red Post the A3072 is closed in both directions due to resurfacing work. A diversion is in place. This will continue until 7 February

Cornwall:

• In Crowlas the A30 is partially blocked at Rospeath Lane due to an accident
• On the A393 through Ponsanooth there's slow traffic in both directions

Image source, PA

A man in his 50s has been taken to hospital with "serious head injuries" after a crash in Exeter.

Police received reports of a pedestrian being hit by a Vauxhall Vivaro at about 07:30 on Cowick Street.

The pedestrian, a local man, had "serious" injuries and was taken to Derriford Hospital for treatment.

Police are appealing for information.

Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

A rise in the number of marine creatures found dead along the South West coast has sparked an urgent appeal for research funds.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust announced the appeal after it was revealed that the county sees 20% of all UK strandings, including seals, porpoises, sharks, turtles and rare bottlenose dolphins.

In 2017, a total of 249 cetaceans were recorded as marine strandings along the Cornish coastline, the highest recorded since 2003, the trust said.

This figure might even be an underestimate - according to the trust "scientists estimate that only 5-10% of animals dying at sea ever get washed ashore, meaning last year the total off Cornwall could have been closer to between 2,490 and 4,980 individual animals".

Research will focus on finding the cause of these deaths.

Ruth Williams, marine conservation manager for the trust, said: "We urgently need to raise £16,000 in order to act effectively now.

"It's a heart-wrenching sight to see beautiful animals dead on the beach."

Cornwall Live

Truro's hugely popular City of Lights festival took to the streets last night with hundreds of children among those carrying the lanterns they made for thousands of spectators to see., external

Devon:

In Plympton, Market Road is closed near the school due to a burst water main.

Cornwall:

In Liskeard on West Street at Barras Place we've got reports there's an accident.

Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

Image source, Google

One of Barnstaple's most historic buildings will close at night because of anti-social behaviour.

The Grade II listed Barnstaple Pannier Market has also been issued a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) - given to councils to deal with the behaviour.

Councillor Pat Barker, said: "There has been a long history of anti-social behaviour in the market at night, with drinking, vandalism and intimidation becoming more and more frequent.

"The decision to install new fire safety doors and keep the building locked at night was really our only option."

Chairman of the Pannier Market Traders Committee, Carolyn Read, said: "We've been waiting for this day for 20 years".

North Devon Council said since Saxon times, Barnstaple has served as a market town for the surrounding countryside., external

The present market, designed by the Borough Surveyor, Richard Davey Gould, opened in 1855.

Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is set to be the first in the UK to join a global health research network.

The trust will join TriNetX, external which gives patients access "to the earliest and most innovative clinical trials being conducted" in the UK and abroad, the trust has said.

It also allows researchers to fast-track clinical trials by directly linking them with the patients they're studying.

Corinna Mossop, from the trust said: "This will ultimately enable patients to have access to the latest technologies, treatments and care.

"A hospital with a good research portfolio will also attract the best consultants and specialist registrars, and patients will greatly benefit from this."

Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online

An investment of £141.3m to build a potential 45,000 homes in the South West has been announced by the government.

Twenty-seven council-led projects across the South West will receive funding that will make housing developments possible and get "much needed homes built quicker".

One project set to receive £5.7m is the Hayle Harbour North Quay redevelopment in Cornwall, to fund road access for a commercial development and the construction of 580 homes.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said: "This first wave of investment in projects across the South West will help get up to 45,000 homes off the ground, making a huge difference to communities across the region."

This funding is part of the £5bn Housing Infrastructure Fund, external, with which the government aims to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020s.

Devon:

• Near Newton Abbot the A380 South Devon Highway is partially blocked heading towards Torquay due to a broken-down vehicle
• In Exeter on Topsham Road we've got reports there's an accident at Barrack Road
• In Totnes A385 Station Road partially blocked around Coronation Road due to an accident

Cornwall:

• Between Gunnislake and Drakewalls the A390 is closed in both directions for resurfacing work. A diversion is in place.

BBC News

Three-hundred-and-twenty-one officers who worked in neighbourhood policing in Devon and Cornwall have either been re-assigned or lost their jobs in the past five years, according to figures compiled by the BBC.

In a statement Devon and Cornwall Police say the figures don't necessarily reflect the number of wider police roles visible in the community.

Analysis by the BBC shows nationwide 1,500 officers who worked in neighbourhood policing have been lost in the past five years - that's a loss of one in seven of all the officers in England and Wales.

The government says it has promised an extra £450m for policing from the next financial year, and the type of crimes have changed.

The news comes as Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez is preparing to ask councillors to approve her plan to increase council tax to increase the number of police officers on our streets.

BBC Radio Devon

A rail group has accused the government of "still gambling with the South West's economy", four years after the main rail line was forced to close because of storm damage.

The tracks - which connect Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the UK - were left dangling in mid-air at Dawlish in 2014 after storms battered the country.

The Peninsula Rail Task Force said the combined events at Dawlish, the closure of Cowley Bridge and the flooding of the Somerset Levels devastated the region, costing the South West economy an estimated £1.2bn.

They're calling on the government to create resilient and reliable services for travellers.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has pledged a strategy to upgrade the region's rail network by the end of next month.

Image source, Steve Briers/Network Rail

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale is frustrated at not being able to bring more players to the club during the transfer window.

Argentina winger Santiago Cordero says he wants to try and earn a longer deal with English champions Exeter Chiefs.