Bogus charity collections conman described as "saturated in dishonesty" jailed
Plymouth "murder" now being treated as "unexplained death"
Skinned cats found outside Truro Cathedral
Child sexual exploitation awareness campaign launched
Dartmoor Zoo tests positive for TB
Almost 13% of Cornish women kept smoking during pregnancy
Updates from Monday 12 March until Friday 16 March
Sarah Gosling
BBC News Online
A fire in a four-storey block of flats sparked numerous calls after smoke was seen coming from a second floor kitchen, Devon and Somerset Fire Service has said.
Crews were notified of the kitchen fire in Kinnaird Crescent, Plymouth at 16:22, and had the fire extinguished by 16:46.
The cause of the fire was accidental.
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in Plymouth, police have said.
The dead body of a 43-year-old man was found by Devon and Cornwall Police after they were called to a property on Old Laira Road at about 20:00 on Wednesday.
A short time later, the suspect was located in Tavistock and arrested on suspicion of murder.
He remains in custody awaiting questioning, police added.
The victim’s next of kin has been informed although formal identification has not yet been carried out.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact police via 101.
BBC News
Four leading photographers working with Cornish aid charity, ShelterBox have travelled to meet families living through drought in Somaliland and devastation in the British Virgin Islands, as well as to Rohingya families living in the refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Image source, Tom Stoddart / ShelterboxHayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Cornwall Air Ambulance has been called to 19 people in need of emergency care in the last seven days, the charity has said.
Among those needing help were 11 people who had suffered medical problems such as cardiac arrest, and a further eight people who had suffered serious injuries including those involved in road traffic accidents.
Cornish Stuff
Royal Assent of the Space Industry Bill paves the way for safe legal commercial spaceflight from UK soil, external.
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Heavy traffic in Plymouth's city centre is causing delays to some bus services, Stagecoach South West has said.
Services affected include 2, 2A, 3 and 48.
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The rain will clear to the east during this evening to leave clear spells and some isolated showers.
Some mist patches may form in sheltered inland areas.
Minimum Temperature: 3C (37F).
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On Clay Lane at Chudleigh Knighton, the eastbound slip road will be closed until 06:00 on Sunday, Highways England has said.
It added that drivers should allow extra time for their journeys.
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Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
A robbery and an attempted robbery have taken place on the same day in Tiverton, police have said.
The first incident happened at about 05:40 when a man was approached on Leat Street and told to hand his money over.
The second happened in an alley way off Blundell's Road at about 19:45 when a woman had her bag stolen, containing a phone and bank cards.
In both incidents, the unknown offender fled the scene on a mountain bike.
Det Sgt Naomi Osborne, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "The suspect is described as white, around 20 years old and between 5ft 5in and 5ft 8in tall. He is believed to have been wearing dark clothes.
"It is thought that the offender may have been riding around the area on a bike prior to the incidents. We are urging the public not to be alarmed but to be vigilant."
Both victims were uninjured and the woman's stolen phone was later recovered, police added.
Any witnesses are being asked to contact police via 101.
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Cornwall Services was evacuated today after a fire in an extractor unit above a pizza oven, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service has said.
It happened at about 12:40 in the motorway service station on the A30 near Bodmin.
Crews were called after a member of the public reported "smoke issuing" from the building.
The fire was confirmed as "accidental and confined", the fire service added.
A 25-year-old woman was caught with keys stolen from an 89-year-old man during a 'cruel' distraction burglary in Newton Abbot, a court has heard., external
In Bodmin, in St Tudy, we have reports of an accident between Hengar Lane and Old School Lane in Washaway.
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Fire crews have expressed the "value" of previously being able to visit a block of student flats in Plymouth which enabled them to tackle a fire there "more efficiently" on Wednesday.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of a fire at Discovery Heights on Cobourg Street at about 13:15.
The cause of the fire was believed to have been an electrical fault within the boiler on the fifth floor.
The building was evacuated. Nobody was injured.
Group Commander Dale Durante said crews dealt with the fire "effectively" and confined it to the one room.
"There were no significant learning points, however, it was noteworthy that those attending this incident clearly expressed the value of previously being able to visit the premises for operational planning and familiarisation activities as well as taking part in multi-pump fire exercises involving high rise incidents."
Lynne French
BBC News Online
An "overtime" ban on postal workers in Plymouth and the recent severe weather has resulted in parts of the city not having any mail delivered for more than a week.
Some routes across most of the Plymouth postcode area have been affected.
Royal Mail has denied any issues with overtime, but has apologised for any disruption to services caused during the snowy weather.
However, an anonymous source at the Communications Workers Union told BBC News Online the situation had been exacerbated by a complete overtime ban last week, leading to "a really significant backlog" of mail.
"Thankfully the management has now seen reason and is putting extra resources in to help clear the backlog and get services back to normal after severe pressure from the workforce and union," they said.
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Lynne French
BBC News Online
The self-employed are happier at work despite long hours and more uncertainty, according to an accademic study by Exeter and Sheffield universitiies.
Using data from 5,000 people working in the UK, US and Australia in health, finance and education, researchers found people who were self employed felt more engaged with their work, predominantly because they enjoyed more freedom to innovate and influence their working environments.
Professor Ilke Inceoglu, from the University of Exeter Business School, said: "Being engaged in their jobs makes people feel energised and pleased with their own contribution.
"Measuring how engaged people are in their work is therefore a really useful way to gauge their well being and shows we must move beyond just looking at job satisfaction."
Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Exeter duo Sam Simmonds and Don Armand have been brought into the England side to play Ireland in their final Six Nations game in Twickenham.
Simmonds, who has missed the last two games with injury, returns at number eight to win his seventh cap.
Image source, Getty ImagesBack-row Armand is on the bench after some fine performances for Exeter and will play for the first time since winning his only cap on the tour to Argentina last summer.
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie drops out as captain Dylan Hartley returns to fitness and gets his place back in the front row.
Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online
Some SATS tests taken by pupils at Indian Queens Community Primary school near Newquay have been scrapped after an investigation found "maladministration".
Problems were identified with some of the 2017 Key Stage 2 tests in English and maths, following an investigation by the Standards and Testing Agency.
A Department for Education spokesman said: "Any instances of maladministration of the National Curriculum tests are completely unacceptable.
"Following an investigation into the administration of the 2017 Key Stage 2 tests at Indian Queens Community Primary School, the English reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling (paper 2) and mathematics (paper 3) test results were annulled."
Image source, GoogleThe school has been contacted for comment, and Cornwall Council says it is "working closely with the Governing Body... to respond to the outcome of the current investigation by the Standards and Testing Agency".
