Jenna Hawkey
BBC News Online

Image source, Google

A holidaymaker from Devon suffered a blackout while swimming and drowned, an inquest has heard.

David Marshall-Lee, who lived in Budleigh Salterton, was on holiday in Croatia with his wife Gillian and a friend when he died while swimming off the island of Lokrum on 9 September 2015.

The inquest at Exeter's County Hall heard that the 79-year-old retired chartered surveyor "blacked out while swimming and submerged".

Assistant coroner Luisa Nicholson recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

BBC Radio Devon

On South Western Railway, the train service is suspended between Axminster and Exeter St Davids due to a broken-down train at Honiton. Tickets are being accepted on local buses and Great Western Railway services.

BBC Radio Devon

Image source, Google

South West motor dealer Vospers has unveiled plans for a £12m "supersite" in Exeter.

The company's three current sites near the city will be relocated to a new 61,000 sq ft facility on Matford Way, due to open in October.

The new outlet will include five showrooms for Ford, Mazda, Fiat, Jeep and Alfa Romeo.

BBC Radio Devon

The search is on for more magistrates for courtrooms in the South West.

There are more than 500 magistrates in the region, but the South and West Devon district need to recruit a further 18 in the next year.

Vacancies are open in Exeter, Barnstaple, Plymouth and Newton Abbot.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Police say Torbay Hospital has reopened after being put into lockdown by officers last night.

The force said it received a call from a member of the public that a 6ft (1.8m) man in his 50s, with grey hair, had made a threat towards the hospital.

Armed response officers were deployed and the doors were locked for the safety of medical staff, patients and visitors.

A statement released by Devon and Cornwall Police said the force "reassures the community that the incident has been dealt with and local officers are investigating the allegation".

Image source, Google

Amy Gladwell
BBC News Online

A giant art and craft project aimed at promoting self esteem among the public has been launched in Cornwall, with a 'yarn bomb, external' in Truro.

A big knitted sign was put up on a lamp post in the city to kick-off the campaign 'We are Enough - the creative yarn bomb of love, external'.

Image source, Stacie Clark

It has been set up by award winning crochet & knitwear designer Stacie Clark who's based in the county, and says she suffered anxiety and low self esteem from the age of 11.

The idea is for people to come together and get creative in groups or individually and for it to culminate in 'yarn bombs' in towns next year.

Image source, Stacie Clark

It is being supported by Quiet Connections, external, a venture which aims to help people who struggle with social anxiety or low self confidence in the county. The team plan to integrate it into their community groups.

Exeter university revokes his fellowship after Facebook data allegations.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Parents of 450 children who attend four Devon nurseries are having to make alternative plans after learning Ofsted, external has closed them while it investigates safeguarding concerns.

Dad Daniel Dalley has had to close his Bideford gift shop for the next two days so he can stay at home with his sons.

He first heard about the closure in a phone call from Claire's Little Robins nursery in Northam at 11:00 to say its licence had been revoked by Ofsted.

Three other nurseries are also closed while the watchdog investigates safeguarding arrangements.

They are Claire's Flying Start, Claire's Little Bears and Claire's Newport Nursery in Barnstaple and Bideford.

Image source, Danile Dalley

Mr Dalley said: ''I was very shocked", adding: "The nursery has been absolutely outstanding - no problems at all for me - and when i posted on Facebook i haven't seen any negative comments from other parents.

"The staff have been really good with the kids, no problems at all.''

He continued: "There has been no sort of promise as to when the nursery could be re-opened. No-one seems to know. We don't know if we have to seek any new places or if we will get a phone call in the middle of next week to say it's going to re-open''

The nurseries have been contacted for comment.

Jenna Hawkey
BBC News Online

Image source, Duchy of Cornwall

The Prince of Wales has unveiled the name of a new primary school planned for Nansledan, the Duchy of Cornwall’s, external large housing development on the outskirts of Newquay.

Skol Nansledan - ‘skol’ being the Cornish word for school - will have 14 classrooms and cater for about 500 children.

Cornish names feature throughout Nansledan, which itself means ‘broad valley’.

The village will eventually comprise some 4,000 new homes as well as shops, offices, workshops and a range of community facilities.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Mark Turnbull, a senior executive with political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica has had a role with the University of Exeter revoked following concerns about the way the company used the personal data of millions of Facebook users.

Mr Turnbull was secretly filmed as part of a Channel 4 News investigation, external meeting with reporters purporting to be interested in hiring the firm to help with elections in Sri Lanka.

He was an honorary fellow and lectured at the University's Strategy and Security Institute, external, described on its website as "an interdisciplinary research centre addressing the strategic deficit of a world beset by instability and insecurity."

A University of Exeter spokesman said: “We have written to Mark Turnbull to confirm we are revoking his Honorary Fellow status.”

His profile on LinkedIn describes his role as "MSc Lecturer on Conflict Transformation and Strategic Communications."

Cambridge Analytica has suspended its boss Alexander Nix with the firm saying the views expressed in the films "do not represent the values or operations of the firm".

Jenna Hawkey
BBC News Online

Image source, Google

MP for North Devon Peter Heaton-Jones says he is "extremely worried" by news that Ofsted, external has closed four Devon nurseries to allow it to investigate safeguarding concerns.

The nurseries affected are Claire's Flying Start Nursery, Claire's Little Bears Nursery and Claire's Newport Nursery in Barnstaple and Claire's Little Robins Nursery in Bideford.

He said: "My first concern, of course, is for the wellbeing of the 450 children who attend these nurseries, and I have written to Devon County Council, external to seek urgent reassurance on this matter.

"I have also asked about the future provision for the affected families, and sought assurances about the employment situation of the 100 staff.

"This is a very worrying situation and I will be monitoring it closely."

Jenna Hawkey
BBC News Online

Image source, Google

Four nurseries in north Devon have been closed while an investigation into safeguarding is carried out.

Ofsted, external has suspended the registration of Claire's Flying Start Nursery, Claire's Little Bears Nursery and Claire's Newport Nursery in Barnstaple and Claire's Little Robins Nursery in Bideford, following a complaint.

A statement on the Claire's Childrens Nurseries, external website says: "Following a complaint to Ofsted, Claire Symons registration as a childcare provider has been suspended to allow Ofsted to investigate. As a result we had to close all nurseries owned by Claire."

The nurseries are attended by about 450 children.

How BBC TV show DIY SOS helped a Devon family hit by a childhood leukaemia.

Amy Gladwell
BBC News Online

A Cornwall teenager selling eggs to fundraise for African schoolchildren has been the victim of a "shameful, malicious" roadside theft.

Matti De Beer, 15, from the Cubert area, is raising money to help fund his trip to Kenya next year along with a friend. They plan to work on projects for pupils including fixing broken furniture, his mother Bernadette De Beer said.

Image source, Bernadette De Beer

Image source, Bernadette De Beer

She said: "Someone has not only helped themselves to two dozen eggs but also took the money box and torn up the letter explaining what the money was being used for".

"I found this really upsetting and sad as this was clearly malicious and not someone 'being hungry'," she added.

Ms De Beer posted about it on social media on Tuesday and said they had been "overwhelmed" with how kind the community had been with donations since.

A rare snowy owl has been photographed up close by a woman on Tresco, on the Isles of Scilly.

There was a sighting in mid February and it is believed the solo bird of prey may have been living there for a few weeks.

Image source, Jackie McDonald

Jackie McDonald said they both "surprised each other" when the shot was taken on the north of the island on Tuesday.

Keith Crawford was convicted of causing the death of a worker who was crushed in a trench.

Lynne French
BBC News Online

Fire crews have rescued a puppy trapped under some garden decking in Lympstone.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called just before 13:30 "as the puppy sounded in distress".

The officer in charge of the incident said the puppy had been released unharmed from below the decking.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cornwall Council has drawn up a "wish list" in a report, external, highlighting what it wants to achieve after Brexit and how central government can help it achieve those goals.

The authority's seeking a single pot of funding to replace the estimated £500m investment it would have received from the EU between 2021 and 2028, as well as further funding for the farming and fishing industries.

it wants approval to a spaceport at Newquay Airport and outlines plans for a fibre park at Pool with access to hyperfast broadband connectivity, as well as an innovation and research park.

Image source, Thinkstock

The report proposes a "better roads fund", which would see two pence in every litre of fuel duty used to maintain the Duchy's roads.

The council wants the power to bring forward garden villages like proposed developments at Nansledan in Newquay, Carclaze Garden Village in St Austell, Higher Newham Farm in Truro and the Threemilestone corridor.

The wish list also calls for at least one government agency to be relocated to the county by 2020. If successful, it's hoped the various schemes could create thousands of new jobs and attract millions of pounds in investment.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Police are investigating reports of a car theft which happened in Camborne on Friday 16 February.

Officers say they want to find a silver Mercedes C200 estate car with the registration plate SO53 UPD.

The car is believed to have been abandoned somewhere in the north Cornwall or Devon.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Exeter Chiefs Chairman and Chief Executive Tony Rowe believes a Stadium for Cornwall would only be successful if plans are put in place to run a second business there alongside the sporting element.

Mr Rowe said: "At Sandy Park we have a banqueting and conferencing business.

"I'm looking out my office now and the car park is rammed with cars because there's various functions on here today.

"That money provides the funds to actually keep the stadium maintained and running when we're not playing sport in it."

On Wednesday, a Cornish MP told the BBC he was hopeful the government would put £3m into the pot for the proposed Stadium for Cornwall.