Francesca Gould
BBC News Online

The University of Exeter says it has received a donation of £10m to build a neuro-imaging centre designed to help dementia research and diagnosis.

Located at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital site, it would help accelerate clinical trials for potential dementia treatments over the next five years, the institution said.

The donation is from the Dennis and Mireille Gillings Foundation.

Professor Clive Ballard, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "This incredibly generous gift will help us make a real difference to people with dementia across the world. We urgently need new treatments. This new imaging centre will help us conduct innovative new trials to find them."

The university has received donations from the foundation for other medical research work previously, external.

Twitter

The federation represents officers up the rank of chief inspector.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Today's Brittany Ferries sailing from Santander to Plymouth is delayed due to a "technical fault and bad weather conditions".

Brittany Ferries has apologised for the delay.

Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

There are gorgeous blue skies over Sennen in Cornwall today.

If you have sunshine pictures to share, please email us.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

Governors of a free school in Devon have quit after it was taken over by another schools trust.

Image source, Ofsted

A damning Oftsed inspection last year, external rated Route 39, near Bideford, inadequate in all areas.

Launceston College Multi Academy Trust was brought in to run the school.

The governors said in a letter to the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for the South West, which they also published on Facebook, external, that they had "no confidence that the plans for Route 39 Academy are in the best interests of students, staff or parents" after the Launceston trust was brought in.

Route 39 was opened by a group of local parents in September 2013.

Free schools are independent and paid for by central government, not local authorities as with other state schools.

Eleanor Parkinson
BBC Spotlight

The work of the artist Barbara Hepworth, who lived in St Ives, is being honoured at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show, external.

Ms Hepworth is considered one of the most important sculptors of the 20th Century.

The show garden at Chelsea is in celebration of the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden's 40th anniversary (pictured), and is based on the museum's garden that Ms Hepworth left for the public with strict instructions in her will to its style, maintenance and access.

The Chelsea Flower Show is due to take place from 22 to 26 May.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A man in his 20s and a teenage woman have been released under investigation after being arrested on suspicion of arson in Ilfracombe, police have said.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to reports of a fire at a four storey building in Highfield Road at about 11:00 on Tuesday, with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service also attending.

On arrival, it was confirmed smoke was “issuing from a top floor flat”, firefighters said.

Nobody was hurt and police inquiries continue, officers said.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Flights from Land's End Airport to the Isles of Scilly are delayed by "up to 30 minutes".

BBC Radio Cornwall

In Truro, on Morlaix Avenue, there are reports of an accident at Newham Road near the roundabout.

Facebook

Beach supporters reported on 8 April, external that an egg was found broken and another came off a nest.

They said they had alerted police as it was "an offence to take eggs from a wild bird nest".

"It is also prohibited to encroach onto the nature reserve," they added.

Francesca Gould
BBC News Online

Image source, Cornwall Fire and Rescue

Police have welcomed the sentencing of three men, external who left a woman with life-changing injuries when she was crushed by a lorry in Falmouth.

Partially-sighted Kay Kitto (pictured) was crushed in between that vehicle and her own car outside her house in September 2016 and spent several months recovering in hospital.

Image source, Kay Kitto

Lorry driver Paul Ince, 47, of Leyland, Lancashire, was given a two-year suspended sentence and 300 days of unpaid work at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Gavin Bentley, 40, director of Midlands Poling Services in Staffordshire, was fined £9,000 for causing or abetting dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. Maintenance manager Paul O'Toole, 50, from Cannock, Staffordshire, was fined £2,000 for the same offence.

Police vehicle examiner Mark Richards concluded that the condition of the lorry "posed a significant danger to other road users" and found the lorry to be in the worst condition he had seen in many years.

Investigating officer MPC Richard Roome, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "I welcome all three sentences and thank the victim for her bravery and cooperation throughout what I'm sure has been a difficult time."

Devon Live

A man has appeared in court charged with stalking Devon's police chief, external.

Gil Winfield appeared before Plymouth Magistrates after pleading guilty to stalking Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

Winfield, 47, also pleaded guilty to two other charges of assault by beating against Ms Hernandez on October 31 last year and February 18 this year.

Plymouth Herald

It has been closed for more than a year, but now the social club at Stonehouse Creek is back open with a new name and a new vibe., external

BBC Radio Cornwall

A delegation is on its way from Cornwall to London to ask the government to put £3m into the pot for the Stadium for Cornwall.

It follows a decision by the full council on Tuesday to pledge the same amount from public funds.

The stadium is expected to cost about £14.3m and will be the new home of football and rugby in the county.

St Ives Conservative MP Derek Thomas will be at the meeting at Westminster and he's "fairly confident" Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is on their side.

Image source, INOX

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Recovery work is complete on the A30 near Fenny Bridges in Ottery St Mary after an earlier vehicle fire.

Highways England say all lanes have been reopened and delays are now beginning to ease.

BBC Radio Cornwall

At Valley Truckle, there are reports of slow traffic due to sheep on the loose on the B3266 by the A39 Atlantic Highway. Drivers should approach the area with care.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Image source, Lucy Davies

A family going for a walk near Bude made a suprising discovery on Tuesday afternoon.

Lucy Davies was on Blackrock with her daughter Emily, 8 (pictured), and son, Dylan, 10, when their dog, Luger, started sniffing something.

Lucy said: "From a distance it just looked like a rock, but, as I got closer, I thought it looked a bit like a turtle. But then I realised it was neither of those.

"I picked it up quick before another big wave came and washed over it, and brought it home."

After posting on the Widemouth Task Force Facebook page, external, several people told her it looked like a whale vertebrae.

While the bone probably looked quite tasty to Luger, they have managed to keep it intact and are planning to take it into school later this week.

Image source, Lucy Davies

Image source, Lucy Davies

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Drivers are being asked to "plan ahead" because of delays on the A30 after a vehicle fire.

Highways England said recovery work is still "ongoing" westbound between the B3177 and B3174/B3180 near Fenny Bridges in Ottery St Mary.

It added that once the clean-up is complete, a road inspection could take place.

BBC Radio Cornwall

In Mullion, there are reports of a crash between a car and a van on Trewoon Road, around Chypons Road.

Heidi Davey
BBC Spotlight

Image source, Rob Wilkinson

A Teignmouth hotel specialising in holidays for people with sight loss has finally secured its future.

The Cliffden Hotel used to be run by the charity RNIB, but it announced in 2016 that it was having to withdraw funding, leaving many families devastated.

But it has been announced that Starboard Hotels has taken over the 47-bedroom property, and it will continue to welcome guests and their guide dogs.

The family-owned business also bought "sister" hotel the Windermere Manor at the end of last year.

Mark Layton-Rees, his wife and niece all have a hereditary degenerative condition that leads to blindness and are regular visitors to the Cliffden.