BBC Weather

A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for Cornwall and much of Devon, external for tomorrow.

The Met Office said the warning, from 12:00 on Wednesday, would see rain, heavy at times, until Thursday morning.

The warning means bus and train services may be affected, with journey times taking longer whilst spray and flooding on roads may also affect some journeys.

High southeast winds could also prove an additional hazard, with delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes.

Flooding of a few homes and businesses was also likely, it added.

Image source, Met Office

Devon Live

A six-year-old Plymouth girl who starred in an Oscar-winning short film has been lined up to appear in a full-length movie sequel.

Maisie Sly has been asked to reprise her role as Libby, external in the follow-up to Academy Award-winning The Silent Child.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Torbay Council has granted preliminary planning permission for a five-storey block of flats at the old police station site in Paignton.

Torquay-based developer McCarthy Contracting and Development has proposed the construction of 46 flats.

Councillor Jane Barnby said: "This is a site that has been sitting there for seven years now. It is an awful waste of space, we need homes."

The outline permission means the developer has to return to the council's plannning committee later to win full permission in order to build.

Image source, Chris Baker

BBC Radio Devon

Police are investigating an assault which occurred after a suspected road rage incident in Plympton.

Officers said, external a 39-year-old man was left with bruises after the assault in Glen Road at about 15:30 on Tuesday 6 March after he was in an argument with two men in a van.

Witnesses "may have recorded the incident on mobile phones", police said.

PC Paul Carswell, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "This incident took place near a school, at the end of the day, so I’m hopeful that someone witnessed the incident and may have information that could help the investigation."

BBC Radio Cornwall

In Redruth, there's a car on fire near the Avers roundabout, on the A3047 Barncoose Terrace at Blowinghouse Hill.

BBC Radio Devon

To mark the national park's 60th anniversary celebrations, the Exmoor Society's launching a new poetry competition for adults, external.

The work must be inspired by Exmoor in some way and could be the wildlife, landscape or dark skies.

Image source, Getty Images

Cathy Nicholls, one of the judges from the local community youth club, says the area has been the inspiration for all kinds of artists over the centuries.

"The wonderful children poets, who submit poems every year, were initially enthralled by the beast of Exmoor.

"The wildlife, the red deer unique to this part of the world, always are trying to further understand the beauty of the moor, the exquisite uniqueness of this place."

Cornish Stuff

Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has received a commitment from the government that the extra cost of services in rural areas will be part of the current review of funding for the rural services delivery grant, external.

BBC Radio Devon

In Exeter, at Heavitree, there are temporary traffic lights on Fore Street for works on a collapsed sewer. There are long queues of traffic back to Middlemoor.

The Guardian

She left school at 16 and took Lord of the Dance to Las Vegas. Now Gwenno Saunders has made a concept album about Cornwall, external, full of sunken cities, crashed gliders and cheese.

BBC Newsbeat

The youngest female jockey at this year's Cheltenham Festival says other sports could learn from racing when it comes to equality.

The biggest meeting in the jump racing calendar gets under way later.

Bryony Frost, the daughter of former Grand National winner Jimmy Frost and sister of jockey Hadden Frost, is looking to win there for the second year in a row.

Image source, PA

The 22-year-old, from Buckfastleigh, says gender is no barrier to success in her sport.

"National Hunt racing is steeped in history, and history creates opinions but that doesn't mean they're facts.

"So you don't have to listen to them. You've got a hard skin on you and you know what you want to do.

"We're getting paid the same and we're riding in the same races. There's no difference."

BBC Politics

A Devon MP has called for the United Nations (UN) to intervene in the case of the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd is due to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergencies committee to discuss the latest developments in the nerve agent investigation.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was highly likely Russia was responsible for the attack on 66-year-old former spy Mr Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, 33. She has given Russia a deadline of today to respond.

Image source, EPA/Yulia Skripal/Facebook

The pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre on Sunday 4 March. They remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

In the House of Commons, East Devon Conservative MP Sir Hugo Swire said that, if Russia was involved, the head of the United Nations should take action.

He said: "If you have one permanent member of the UN Security Council carrying out a targeted assassination in the country of another, surely it is time for the UN secretary general to launch an immediate inquiry?"

BBC Radio Devon

Image source, Getty Images

Community groups and organisations in the South West can still apply for a special £2,500 grant, external to help encourage people into the sport of swimming.

Applicants must demonstrate how the funding would allow them to either:

• Introduce people to swimming who would not otherwise swim
• Increase the frequency that existing swimmers go to the pool, or
• Improve the swimming experience for new or existing swimmers

The grant can also be used for a number of other reasons, such as raising awareness, particularly in children, of water safety good practice and survival skills and techniques.

Cornwall Live

A collapsed part of the old Lidl supermarket in Camborne is to be destroyed, external after concerns were raised by residents about children playing in dangerous piles of rubble.

BBC Radio Cornwall

On the A39 at Carnon Downs, there are reports of queuing traffic due to a three-vehicle crash at Greenbank Road.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) numbers in Torquay have dropped 80% in recent years, and there are no plans to replace them, Liberal Democrats in Torbay have claimed.

PCSOs in Torquay have fallen from 25 to five in the last few years, with one of those on long-term sickness leave, it is understood. Insp Simon Jenkinson, from Devon and Cornwall Police, gave a briefing to the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council last week about policing in the town.

Lib Dem leader councillor Steve Darling said that, although he knew how thin the thin blue line was in Torbay, he and his colleagues were not aware that no new PCSOs were being recruited.

He added that he was concerned the drop in the number of officers would mean some of the deprived communities in the town would face a collapse in community policing involvement.

The Lib Dems have written a letter to police commissioner Alison Hernandez, asking her to challenge the chief constable to recruit more PCSOs for Torquay.

Ms Hernandez's office said she "acknowledges the letter from Cllr Darling". "The commissioner and her team are making inquiries and she will respond to Cllr Darling in writing in accordance with the office's policy."

Cornwall Live

Teenagers from Cornwall have spoken , external about how they are struggling and dealing with self-harming behaviour.

BBC Spotlight

Students in the South West have been carrying out a range of experiments as part of a programme to encourage more young people to follow a career in science.

Scientists from Public Health England, external have been showing students at Torquay Academy how rewarding a job in the field can be.

The UK has an international reputation for science and innovation, but it seems many young people are turning to other careers.

Mike Macgregor-Fairlie from Public Health England says scientific literacy is important.

He said: "It's critical for students to be able to think critically and be able to read scientific news and understand its context within the grand scheme of things.

"What we're trying to do here is to encourage pupils from all over the country into getting involved in these subjects."

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Part of the storm-damaged A379 has re-opened between Slapton Junction and Torcross.

The route sustained significant damage from Storm Emma earlier this month, with parts of the road between Slapton and Strete Gate completely washed away (pictured), and other sections left covered with shingle.

Devon County Council said it spent all last week clearing shingle from the stretch between Slapton Junction and Torcross, and it was estimated about 500 tonnes of shingle was removed from the road to get it back up and running at the weekend.

A physical barrier is in place to prevent access to the road between Sands Road and Strete Gate, where overhanging sections undermined by the sea remain.

Kingsbridge Devon County Councillor Julian Brazil said: "It's obviously good news and thanks must go to everyone involved in this clear up. "

Hopefully we will get the rest of the road repaired as soon as possible."

BBC Radio Cornwall

Users of adult social care in Cornwall have complained about a lack of time to take part in a consultation about proposed changes.

They said letters sent from Cornwall Council alerting them to the changes, external arrived three days before the end of the consultation period, which left them feeling rushed into answering questions about paying more money for meals and respite care.

The original consultation was launched online with a close date of 26 February. This was then extended to 12 March - yesterday.

However, some users complained that those who did not have internet access may have only been alerted to the consultation when the letters arrived.

It also seems that many of the letters were not dispatched until 5 March, and not arriving in the post until 8 March.

Essentially people said they had just a few days to understand the proposals and get their response in.

The BBC has contacted Cornwall Council for a response.

BBC Radio Devon

A major public consultation , externalon congestion and pollution in Exeter is being held.

The local council has launched a survey, external on cutting queues in the city, which has been running online for the last month.

Officers now want to hear from anyone who has views on how to improve chronic congestion at the event, which is being held at the Guildhall from 08:00 until 20:00.

Image source, Exeter City Council

Exeter City Council has suggested 25 proposals, external to cut congestion and pollution, including:

1. Educate drivers about not leaving engines idling
2. Support significant expansion of car clubs and electric bike hire network
3. Seek a significant upgrade to public transport
4. Develop a plan for changes to the road network within a defined area (initially Heavitree)
5. Employers within a defined area will pay a levy or charge for every business parking space they have
6. Restrictions on what vehicles can enter certain parts of the city at certain times of day
7. Develop planning guidance which sets out how it wants development to be as car-free as possible
8. Policies make it hard for those living in new developments outside the city to access the city entirely by private car
9. Changes to parking charges to discourage car travel in peak times
10. Promote walking and cycling