Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

It's being claimed a proposed revamp of the care home system in Cornwall could lead to a "race to the bottom".

Cornwall Council and the NHS are currently consulting on plans that include care homes bidding against each other for clients.

There are about 250 residential and nursing homes in Cornwall - with more than 5,000 beds.

The council says it's hoping to reflect the actual cost of care in the local market, but there are fears about the impact on residents and the businesses themselves.

Jonathan Thrush - owner of a Polperro residential home - says times are "tricky".

"Because the council will be guided by the cost and not by choice and not by the quality of home, there's going to be a race to the bottom."

The council is yet to respond to Mr Thrush's comment. The consultation closes on Monday.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Sir Tom Jones will perform in Devon this summer.

He's putting on a concert at Powderham Castle in Kenton, near Exeter on Sunday 15 July.

It's part of a run of shows on his 2018 UK tour.

Tickets to see the Welsh singer will go on sale on Friday at 09:00.

Jenny Walrond
Health Correspondent, BBC Spotlight

The South West's ambulance service took more than 1,000 calls from just one person in a year, BBC research has found.

The service has one of the most prolific callers in the country with ambulances dispatched to that same person 212 times.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST) says it loses 36 hours a day to persistent callers.

About one in 13 calls to the SWAST are from so-called frequent callers - that is an adult who calls five times in a month or 12 times in three months from a private home.

Some have legitimate medical conditions but most come from vulnerable groups and have either mental health problems, dementia or drug and alcohol addiction.

SWAST says it has a dedicated team investigating frequent callers which tries to support the most vulnerable.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A special constable at the British Transport Police accidentally handcuffed himself to a train station handrail.

It happened at Exeter Central - much to the amusement of his colleagues who shared the picture on social media...

BBC Weather

Any mist and frost will clear early to leave a day of sunny spells and isolated showers.

Cloud and more frequent showers will spread in from the west later in the afternoon.

Maximum temperatures: 9C (48F).

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A shed fire has spread to a semi-detached house in Totnes in the early hours of this morning.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were called to Walnut Close at about 02:00.

On arrival, the shed was found to be "well alight" and had spread to the house.

Paramedics treated a man "suffering with smoke inhalation", the fire service said.

It added that Western Power Distribution was called to isolate the electrics to the property.

Cornwall Live

Recovery work has been in full swing to repair Cornish beaches wrecked by the tidal surge of Storm Emma., external

A Devon councillor is on a one-man mission to fill potholes left by atrocious weather.

Rocks damaged a number of huts at one of Cornwall's most popular beaches.

BBC Weather

A mixture of clear spells and showers through this evening and overnight. The showers will become well scattered from late evening onwards though.

Minimum Temperature: 0-4C (32-39F).

Tomorrow looks set to be a breezier day with a mixture of sunny spells and showers.

The showers will be most frequent during the afternoon and a few could be heavy.

Maximum Temperature: 5-9C (41-48F).

Kirk England
BBC Radio Devon

Plans to extend a steam railway on Exmoor have been described as "environmental vandalism" at a public meeting today.

The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway closed in 1935 but a mile-long section of the narrow-gauge railway reopened in the 1990s.

Today, plans by enthusiasts to reinstate another five miles across Exmoor were agreed.

Eventually they want to rebuild the whole 19-mile route between Lynton and Barnstaple.

Some homeowners are furious as the line would cross their land.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Truro City have announced they are to remain at Treyew Road next season.

It had been feared they may have to move their home matches 85 miles away to Torquay, with uncertainty over the future Stadium for Cornwall plans.

Image source, Vaughan Pickhaver/Truro City FC

Chairman Peter Masters said: "I had to prepare for all eventualities, including ground sharing with Torquay United, however after some very tough negotiations I was able to secure another season."

He added this will "hopefully now see a seamless transition to the new Stadium for Cornwall with the added bonus of allowing us to participate in the play-offs and accept promotion to The National League if the opportunity presents itself.

"It's a good result for all who support the club and Cornish football."

The stadium proposal is due to go in front of Cornwall Council in April.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A South Devon waste processing company has been ordered to pay more than £16,000 in fines and costs for failing to remove thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste from two sites in Torbay.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency (EA).

Armabridge Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to comply with enforcement notices offences at Plymouth Magistrates Court.

The offences relate to asbestos contamination in a 3,200 tonne pile of waste at Barton Hill Way, Torquay and illegally depositing about 2,000 tonnes of asbestos contaminated waste at a second site, Kerswell Gardens, Torquay.

Image source, Environment Agency

After several warnings the EA found the waste had not been removed.

Jacob Hess, for the EA said: "Failure to segregate wastes appropriately can lead to complex and costly remediation at a later date.

"We have recently run a campaign with local roofing businesses and waste operators to raise awareness of Asbestos Containing Materials and how to correctly dispose of them."

The company has been given until 30 September to safely dispose of waste from both sites.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Devon and Cornwall Police have described the case of a mother who's been found guilty of poisoning her daughter with salt as "particularly distressing".

The woman from the St Austell area denied feeding her child more than a tablespoon of salt in April 2016, but could not explain the high level of sodium in her blood.

Doctors said the girl was lucky to be alive, and the police have paid tribute to the "outstanding skills of all the medical teams involved in the victim’s care".

Acting Detective Inspector Sara Ward, from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit in Bodmin, said: "This has been a particularly distressing case for all involved, particularly the family but also the investigation team and the medical team who cared for the victim.

"We feel that the guilty verdict returned today is the appropriate one and will ensure the ongoing safeguarding and support for the victim while enabling the family to move forward."

The jury at Truro Crown Court took less than half an hour to find her guilty this morning.

Floral tributes have been left in Looe close to where seven-year-old Maisie Duncan died during the cold weather last week.

She was playing in snow when a car hit her and crashed into a house.

Dozens of floral tributes, as well as cuddly toys, pictures and cards have been left close to the scene.

A seven-year-old girl who was killed by a car in a crash in icy conditions has been called a "shining star" in tributes left close to where she died.

Maisie Duncan died when the vehicle hit her and crashed into a house as she was playing in snow in Looe, Cornwall, last Thursday.

A note from Nanny, Uncle Jake and Aunty Emily said: "You will always be in our hearts.

"Sleep well our little angel."

TruthFal
TruthFal

Falmouth is the third coastal town to be awarded ‘plastic- free’ status, external in Cornwall by charity, Surfers Against Sewage, alongside nearby seaside towns Perranporth and Penzance.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

More pictures have emerged of a huge landslide that smashed into beach huts at Lusty Glaze in Cornwall.

Image source, Rob Booth

Image source, Rob Booth

Image source, Rob Booth

No-one was injured in the rock fall which damaged a number of huts being used for storage.

"Thankgod it wasnt summer!" said Shelley Wright on Facebook.

The huts are part of a beachside complex, which is one of Cornwall's favourite holiday destinations.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A landslide smashed into beach huts at one of Cornwall's most popular beaches.

Image source, Jay Wilkinson

Rocks damaged a number of huts at Lusty Glaze Beach at about 16:00 on Monday.

They were being used for storage and no-one was hurt said the local beach restaurant.

"We would like to assure all customers that the beach, restaurant and all regular facilities are operating as normal," it said in a statement.

The area has been cordoned off.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an unprovoked attack in Newton Abbot.

A man, in his 20s, was attacked as he walked home on Monday at about 14:30. He was not badly injured.

Police said the offender was described as male, about 6ft (1.8m) tall, and was wearing a light brown parka jacket with a hood.