Summary

  • Attempted murder arrest after stabbing in Plymouth

  • 'Severe' cold weather heading for the South West

  • School groundsman jailed for 17 years for abuse

  • Deep-space communications centre to be built at Goonhilly

  • Updates from Monday 19 February until Friday 23 February.

  1. Power failure closes Exeter's Underground Passagespublished at 10:38 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

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  2. District looks at general bin collection every three weekspublished at 10:19 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    John Ayres
    BBC Spotlight

    Teignbridge District Council is the latest authority in Devon to consider changing its bin collections to try to improve the amount of plastic being recycled.

    Liberal Democrat Councillor Gordon Hook of the Conservative-led authority has called for a debate later this week on whether black bin collections for general waste should be reduced to every three weeks, instead of two.

    East Devon District Council already does this and Teignbridge is monitoring how well it goes there.

    Bins
  3. Devon travel: Exeter crash causing inbound traffic delayspublished at 10:13 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    A road crash in Exeter is causing delays in the Fore Street and Butts Road area of Heavitree.

    Highways bosses said the crash was causing delays "especially inbound on East Wonford Hill".

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  4. Bodmin development of 770 homes 'will destroy wildlife'published at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Cornwall Live

    A development which could bring 770 new homes to a moorland in Cornwall will destroy a wildlife corridor and risk flooding, residents have claimed, external.

  5. Cornwall calls for fair deal as it faces council tax risepublished at 09:44 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Tamsin Melville
    Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

    Further budget cuts and another council tax rise are on the cards as Cornwall councillors continue to call for a fairer funding deal from the government.

    Council tax bills are set to go up by nearly 5% from April, meaning about £1 a week more for the average Band B householder.

    Of this, 2% is for adult social care. There are also cuts of £35m planned for the coming year.

    All of this is being debated at a full council meeting due to start at 10:30.

    The authority said essential services were under stress as government grants reduced and demand went up.

    Although it insisted this budget would protect the vulnerable and invest in capital projects and housing, it has sparked its campaign asking businesses and residents to "stand up for Cornwall" which calls for a fairer funding formula for the county.

    You can see the full council agenda for today's meeting here, external.

    Council tax bill
  6. Devon travel: M5 northbound queues after crashpublished at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    On the M5 northbound, between Junction 31 Exminster and Junction 30 for Exeter Services, there's slow-moving traffic following an earlier crash.

    There is queuing traffic back to the Splatford Split and on the A30 from the Alphington junction to the M5.

  7. Five arrested over 'armed robbery' on Dartmoor roadpublished at 09:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Plymouth Herald

    Police have bailed five men following an alleged robbery involving firearms on a stretch of the A386, external.

  8. Police deal with nine reports of 'upskirting'published at 09:18 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Devon and Cornwall Police have recorded dealing with nine reports of so-called "upskirting" between 2015 and 2017.

    The practice of covertly photographing under the skirts of women is not recognised as a specific offence, but campaigners have said the government should criminalise such acts.

    Currently police forces in England and Wales charge alleged "upskirters" with other offences.

    Reports Devon and Cornwall officers have dealt with include alleged offences of taking an indecent photograph of a child, voyeurism and conspiring to outrage public decency.

    One victim said she turned around to see an offender bent over on the floor with his camera up her skirt.

    Five people were charged. The known victims aged from 25 to 47.

    Devon and Cornwall Police have yet to comment.

  9. High tide times for the regionpublished at 09:15 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Lucy Martin
    BBC Weather

    If you're planning a trip to the coast or seaside, here are the next high water times around Devon and Cornwall.

    Tides

    We'll have the latest forecast on BBC Spotlight at 13:30.

  10. Devon travel: Problems on M5 Exeter and in Horrabridgepublished at 08:47 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    • On the M5 north-bound, there are reports of an accident just before Junction 30, Exeter Services. Lots of queuing traffic is building up
    • On the A379 between Dawlish and Starcross, expect slow traffic in both directions due to resurfacing work
    • On the A303 in Somerset, at Buckland St Mary, there are reports of very slow traffic Devon-bound at Giant's Grave
    • In Horrabridge, Huckworthy Bridge is blocked in both directions by a broken-down lorry between Graybridge Road and Anderton Lane
  11. Driver, 85, seriously injured in Tresillian crashpublished at 08:41 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Andrew Segal
    BBC Local Live

    A man has sustained life-threatening injuries following a multi-vehicle road crash on the A390 near Truro, police say.

    Officers said, external the crash, at the junction of the B3275 in Tresillian, occurred at about 11:15 on Monday. It involved a white car, a blue Skoda car and a grey Peugeot.

    The driver of the Skoda, an 85-year-old man from St Austell, was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for treatment.

    The occupants of the Peugeot received minor injuries.

    The road was closed for several hours for an investigation.

  12. Your pictures: Morning sunshine at Marazionpublished at 08:33 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Amanda Hosking has sent us this picture of early sunshine over the coast path at Marazion, near Penzance in west Cornwall, with St Michael's Mount in the background.

    Morning sunshine at Marazion. Pic: Amanda HoskingImage source, Amanda Hosking

    Have you any pictures you want to share with us? If so, please email them in.

  13. Tower residents 'disappointed' cladding work has not begunpublished at 08:17 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Spotlight

    Plymouth tower blocks

    Residents of tower blocks in Plymouth say they're disappointed that work to change potentially unsafe cladding has not yet begun.

    Tests conducted eight months ago revealed material on the outside of the buildings was similar to that of Grenfell Tower. The fire at the 24-storey London tower block last June killed 71 people.

    Its cladding - panels made up of aluminium sheets with a polyethylene core, which melts and burns at extreme temperatures - is believed to have contributed to the fire spreading quickly.

    People living in the housing association flats in Mount Wise said they felt the government had let them down.

    The government said housing associations concerned about paying for essential fire safety work should contact the Social Housing Regulator, external.

  14. Weather: Dry and brightpublished at 08:12 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Weather

    A chilly, largely sunny start.

    Weather

    Remaining dry and bright throughout the day with just a little fair-weather cloud and a moderate breeze that will ease slightly through the afternoon.

    Maximum temperature: 8 to 11C (46 to 52F).

  15. Choughs seen in Devon for first time in 100+ yearspublished at 08:08 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Andrea Ormsby
    BBC Spotlight

    Choughs are usually associated with Cornwall but they've been spotted in North Devon for the first time in more than 100 years.

    The rare members of the crow family, which are an emblem of Cornwall, used to be a common sight along the north Devon coastline, but the last breeding pair was recorded in Lynton in 1910.

    Now work is being carried out to encourage choughs to start nesting in the county again.

    National Trust Ranger Dave Jolly said he was hopeful some would make North Devon their home.

    He said: "We do know that there are some choughs in Wales, which is across the way from us here, so we're hoping that a couple of them will fly in and nest here."

    Chough. Pic: Getty ImagesImage source, Getty Images

    The chough has distinctive red legs and a long red bill.

    It disappeared from Cornwall in 1973 after its food source dried up, but has been coming back in increasing numbers since first reappearing in the county in 2001.

  16. Cornwall Council tax rise expected in budget debatepublished at 07:36 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Tamsin Melville
    Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

    Millions of pounds of budget cuts and another council tax rise are due to be agreed by Cornwall councillors later.

    Council tax bills are set to go up by nearly 5% from April, meaning about £1 a week more for the average Band B household.

    There are also cuts of £35m planned for the coming year.

    The authority said essential services were under stress as government grants reduced and demand on services went up, but insisted this budget would protect the vulnerable and invested in capital projects and housing.

    Cornwall Council
  17. 'Upskirting' should be criminal offence, campaigners saypublished at 07:31 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC News UK

    The government should criminalise "upskirting" as a sexual offence, say campaigners, after police data from Devon and Cornwall showed one alleged offence reported included taking an indecent photograph of a child.

    The practice of covertly photographing under the skirts of women is not recognised as a specific offence.

    There have been just 11 charges related to upskirting since 2015 in England and Wales, a Freedom of Information request found.

    But only 15 out of 44 police forces contacted held records and it is feared the number of offences is much higher.

    Graphic

    Currently police charge alleged "upskirters" with other offences. Devon and Cornwall Police recorded dealing with nine reports of such incidents between 2015 and 2017.

    Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women coalition, described the police figures as "very concerning".

    She said: "The police responses show that the police are clearly struggling to recognise upskirting distinctly, even though the disclosures reveal that it is commonly connected to existing sexual offences including voyeurism and sexual assault."

    Devon and Cornwall Police have yet to comment.

  18. Council urged to phase out single-use plasticpublished at 07:18 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A single-use plastic free future for Cornwall Council could get the go ahead as a councillor urges his colleagues to go plastic free.

    Jesse Foot - councillor for St Germans and Landulph - wants the council to phase out the use of all single-use plastics including cups, lids and plastic bottles by 2020.

    He then wants businesses and contractors working with the council to follow their lead and also go plastic free.

    Mr Foot says the current "throw away culture" is "shameful", and the council is in a "unique position" to influence areas such as schools, businesses and procurement companies.

    The motion, "Konsel Kernow says no to single use plastics, external" will be put forward this evening.

    More on this story:

  19. Sea creature dummies used for trainingpublished at 07:11 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    Amy Gladwell
    BBC News Online

    Twenty-four new volunteers have been trained in how to deal with marine strandings in Cornwall, using inflatable sea creatures.

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  20. Storms create 'unstable cliffs' council warnspublished at 07:05 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2018

    BBC Spotlight

    This winter's storms have made cliffs around parts of the South West "unstable and dangerous", according to a local council.

    Seaton, East Devon

    In Seaton, East Devon, experts are assessing the dangers, external to people from the cliffs close to the esplanade.

    Teams are removing cliff material loosened by heavy rain and frost.

    East Devon District Council says work will also take place at Beer, Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton,

    Conservative councillor Tom Wright, the portfolio holder for environment, has urged people to be careful.

    "I saw a guy standing over the railings on a bit of cliff that was sticking out, bending over taking pictures of his family who were on the beach below him." he said.

    "Not only was he in danger, had his weight made that bit of cliff fall he would have fallen on his family with disastrous consequences."