Neil Gallacher, Business & Industry Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

It's exactly two decades since South Crofty mine, near Camborne, produced tin for the last time in Cornwall.

It was the last of many hundreds of mines which, between them, had been the bedrock of the local economy for centuries.

It was widely seen as the death of mining in the county, but we now know reports of that death may have been exaggerated. Resumption of mining looks possible ... even likely.

Canadian firm Strongbow Exploration will soon be ready to start pumping Crofty out. However, it’s been a bumpy road to get to this point, with a succession of companies trying to restart the mine.

Fifteen years ago a number of local public bodies tried to stop these attempts. They included the Regional Development Agency and the local Urban Regeneration Company. They said they wanted a cleaner, more hi-tech future for the area.

Ironically today, though, those particular public bodies that no longer exist, seen off by a bonfire of the quangos.

And attempts to restart the mine never completely ceased, even during periods when the tin price fell. Now it's rising, triggering work to reopen it.

Not long ago, one former miner, Mark Kaczmarek - now a county councillor - was publicly skeptical about the chances of reopening the mine.

He said: "I was skeptical a few years ago because the mining companies were making statements that they’d be opening the mine within two years and employing 200 people. [It] wasn’t feasible.

"But I’ve always said that South Crofty mine will open when economic circumstances change. And that change is happening."

Police are investigating allegations of historic sexual abuse in south Devon.

“It is alleged that a woman was a victim of rape on the grounds within Moorhaven Hospital in Ivybridge in 1976," said Det Con Josie Haines.

She said: “We have been supporting a woman who has suffered in silence for many years, and we are turning to the public for their help in this matter.

“We are wanting to speak to anyone who was a patient or worked at Moorhaven Hospital during 1976, as it could be that they have some information that could assist us with our inquiries.

“We appreciate that this was quite some time ago and we are doing all we can to help the victim.

“We would like to hear from anyone with any information. You may believe that it is insignificant but it could be the key piece of detail that can make all the difference to us in this investigation."

Police said the hospital closed in 1993 and has since been converted into residential houses and flats.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Wooden decking on Torquay harbour has been temporarily closed because of timber beneath the walkway suffering "from issues", Torbay Council says.

The council said, external it took the "difficult decision" to shut Beacon Quay to minimise risk to pedestrians and so the decking could be replaced.

It added that its plan was that work "should be completed prior to the start of the summer season".

Image source, Torbay Council

Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

A lotto multi-millionaire has cut the turf at the site of a planned new hydrotherapy pool at a centre for multiple sclerosis patients.

Great-grandfather Peter Congdon, who scooped more than £13.5m in a lottery rollover in 2015, has donated £1m to the scheme at the Merlin MS Centre, at Hewas Water, near St Austell.

He has made the donation in memory of his wife, Rosemary, who had the incurable disease and shared a dream of the bringing the best such therapies possible to the county.

He has previously raised thousands of pounds for community groups and was a city councillor in Truro.

The disease causes the immune system to attack the protective coating of nerves in the brain and spinal cord, which can create problems with a person's vision, walking and balance.

The 18-month-old girl survived after treatment at two hospitals.

Twitter

Water supplies in some parts of Devon are still being repaired after being damaged in the snowy weather last week.

South West Water has tweeted a listed a list of places were people can get alternative temporary supplies.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

A mother has been found guilty of poisoning her 18-month-old daughter with salt.

The woman, from the St Austell area of Cornwall, had denied administering a poison or noxious substance so as to endanger life but was convicted by a jury at Truro Crown Court.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, survived poisoning after treatment at two hospitals in Cornwall and Bristol in April 2016.

She was taken to hospital after her grandmother called 111, where blood tests revealed high sodium levels.

The case has been adjourned until next month, pending psychiatric reports.

Neil Gallacher, Business & Industry Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

How do you restart mining at South Crofty in Cornwall? You raise a "difficult" £17m before you then raise an "easy" £85m, it appears.

It's 20 years to the day since the tin pit near Camborne closed - the last of many hundreds of mines which, between them, had been the bedrock of the local economy for centuries.

But Canadian firm Strongbow Exploration will soon be ready to start pumping South Crofty out - "dewatering" - as part of work to revive it, to take advantage of high prices for tin and other minerals on site.

So where does Strongbow stand?

After spending about £2m already, they have the cash - some £5m raised from international investors - to build the necessary minewater treatment plant and switch their new pumps on this autumn.

Then they will go to the London Stock Exchange to raise another £10m - not least for their energy bill.

Finally, the biggest fund-raise of all, to equip the rest of the mine: £85m or so.

But by the time they come to raise that money, the hardest bit’s already been done, says Strongbow boss Richard Williams.

He said: "Once you get to that point, you really reduce the risk of the project. And accessing something probably in the order of $110m, it’s a lot easier to access that kind of money than it is to access the current money that we need for the dewatering."

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

RSPCA inspectors are investigating the death of an 8ft-long boa constrictor snake found dead with an "awful" head injury at cliffs in Cornwall.

The charity said the reptile was found with its head "almost completely severed" near a parking and picnic area below Lighthouse Hill in Portreath on 10 January by a member of the public.

It was scanned for a microchip but did not have one.

Exotics Officer Peter Ferris said: "We fear someone had thrown the snake from the top of the cliffs down to the beach and hope someone seeing this will be able to help our investigations."

Image source, RSPCA

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Inspections are taking place across Torbay to assess "significant" damage caused by snow, Storm Emma and the sea in the last week, Torbay Council says.

The council said, external the local harbour authority recorded 16ft (5m) waves during the storm, which combined with high spring tides.

It added: "Harbour and coastal defence engineering inspections are now taking place to identify all of the damaged areas and to prioritise the repair work. Rangers are also checking play parks, public rights of way and sports pitches and buildings."

Some areas still fenced off include: Brixham Breakwater, Shoalstone pool kiosk, the slipway at Broadsands, Goodrington and shelters along Paignton and Preston.

All coastal highways in Torbay have reopened and promenade debris at Goodrington and Oddicombe is being cleared up today.

The council said: "The extent of the damage identified so far is significant and the repairs will take time to complete, but Torbay Council is prioritising the recovery so it can ensure as much work as possible is completed in time for the Easter Bank Holiday."

Devon Live reports that early estimates say the damage could "cost more than £1m to repair, external".

BBC Radio Cornwall

A crowd-funding campaign to support the family of Maisie Duncan, who died last week in Looe in an accident during the snowy weather, has beaten its target of £11,000

The seven-year-old died when a vehicle hit her and crashed into a house as she was playing in snow outside in Looe, Cornwall, last Thursday.

She was described as "a beautiful princess" in tributes by her family.

They also thanked people in Looe and Polperro for their messages of support.

Those behind the page said it was set up "to help a young family to relieve financial pressures in their hard time".

BBC Radio Devon

On the A39 near Brendon, the Devon side of County Gate is still blocked by snow.

Neil Gallacher, Business & Industry Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

On 6 March 1998, underground on Cornwall’s last day of mining at South Crofty, feelings were running high.

It was the last of many hundreds of mines which, between them, had been the bedrock of the local economy for centuries.

Pausing in his shift as a winder-driver, Dave Buzza jerked his head angrily towards the east.

He said: "The government puts subsidies into everybody else, subsidises the farmers … It’s the last tin mine in Europe. But they don’t seem to realise up there.

"This mine shouldn’t be shut today.It should be kept going."

On that day, everyone - reporters included - thought it was the death of an industry.

But we now know reports of that death may have been exaggerated as Canadian firm Strongbow Exploration will soon be ready to start pumping South Crofty out, or "dewatering".

Cornwall-based mining lawyer Sally Norcross-Webb, from firm Stephens Scown, said she saw this as a turning point in local perceptions of the mine revival project.

She said: "The great thing is, they’re about to dewater the mine, which has always been the thing that makes people shake their heads and say it’s never going to work. The mine was flooded.

"But we’ve now raised the funds - the water treatment plant is going to be built - and if the mine is pumped out, then that’s a game-changer."

Mountain, glens, moors and a trampoline lit up by lightning are among the prize-winning entries.

Kirk England
BBC South West

Controversial plans to reinstate more of a historic railway line on Exmoor are being discussed today.

A charitable trust re-opened a one-mile stretch of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in 1996, which now attracts about 50,000 visitors a year.

It's bought up land along the old route and hopes to extend the line by another four-and-a-half miles.

Some landowners are refusing to sell, including one whose property would have to be demolished to make way for the new track.

They argue the scheme would significantly damage the landscape of Exmoor and cause a disturbance to wildlife.

Planning officials at the national park are recommending the proposals are given the go ahead at a meeting today.

Cornish Stuff

US food producers may be able to make and sell ‘Cornish Pasties’ made in America following Brexit, according to media reports, external.

Devon Live

Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has called for a full explanation after the sudden departure of Met Office boss Rob Varley.

The departure of Mr Varley, who has been in post since 2014, was made with immediate effect, external.

Latest updates as travel disruption is expected after days of heavy snowfall.

Cornish Stuff

Ambitious plans to put Cornwall at the heart of the fast-growing space industry and create thousands of new jobs have been unveiled, external.

Harriet Bradshaw
Reporter

A Devon hospital is recycling patients' own blood to give them a better chance of recovery and avoid wasting blood stocks.

Staff said they were working with other hospitals across the South West to boost the use of the technology.

Doctors said the method was better for the patient because it saw people less likely to need a transfusion of someone else's blood and would see patients less likely to be anaemic after procedures.

Torbay Hospital said it was cost-effective too and had helped, alongside other measures, save its blood budget by £300,000 a year.