Updates from Monday 30 April until Friday 4 May 2018
How do you disguise an ugly, functional concrete building?
You turn it into a piece of art!
This Newton Ferrers water tower has been given an eye-catching facelift after members of the community asked South West Water to make it look more appealing.
Image source, Paintel Ltd.
Image source, Paintel Ltd.
Image source, Paintel Ltd.
Rob England
BBC News Online
Lifeboat crews in Torbay were called out twice on Thursday to help stranded mariners.
The first call was at 03:15 where crews helped a fisherman who had fallen from the quayside at Brixham and suffered a "possible serious hip injury". The fisherman was rescued and taken to hospital.
The second, at about 13:55, was to assist a 22ft (6.7m) yacht which had broken its mast about two miles east of Ore Stone. The crew removed the mast, freeing the yacht, and escorted it to Brixham marina.
The two people on-board were not injured.
Image source, RNLI/Vicki Bowen
Image source, Getty ImagesMore than 500 women sought help for mental health issues, either during pregnancy or within a year of giving birth, in Cornwall during the last year, NHS Kernow says.
The help available to mothers in the county has been highlighted in this year's Maternal Mental Health Matters Awareness Week, external, which draws to a close on Sunday.
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance estimates as many as 20% of pregnant women or new mums will suffer from some form of mental illness.
Quote MessageThis isn't just someone that's struggling a little bit that needs to pull their socks up, these are real illnesses with psychological, social and biological causes and they can be treated, so do come forward if you're struggling."
Dr Darren Mackintosh, Consultant psychiatrist with Cornwall's Perinatal Mental Health Team
Cara White from Lostwithiel suffered with postnatal and postpartum psychosis, external after the birth of her son Sebby.
She has set up a support group called Untangled. , externalThere are currently two groups – one in St Austell and one in St Blazey.
Quote MessageI really wanted to love my baby but it felt like there was this barrier that was between the two of us...I always knew I needed to protect him, but at the same time if somebody had come over to me and said 'do you know what, we can take your baby for you', then I would have said 'yes please' because I wasn't able to deal with it at the time."
Cara White, Founder of Untangled, a support group for mothers in Cornwall
Twitter
A police officer receiving "racist abuse" and being "spat at" is one of several assaults on police officers in the region in the last 24 hours, according to Devon and Cornwall Police Federation.
It tweeted , externalthere were other incidents including an offender "kicking one officer in the chest and face" in Exeter and an offender "repeatedly kicking" the legs of two officers in Saltash.
Earlier this week, police officers revealed how colleagues faced "abuse and assault" while on overnight duty.
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Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour achieved "a solid set of results" in the local elections - with Plymouth's Labour team taking control of the city's council playing a big part in them.
In a statement, the Labour leader said the party has "consolidated and built on the advances we made at last year's general election".
Jeremy Corbyn congratulated Labour campaigners in Plymouth earlier
"We won Plymouth from the Tories, who lost control of Trafford, their flagship northern council.
"And Labour has won even more council seats than at our high water mark of 2014."
Mr Corbyn added that the "energy, talent and enthusiasm" of his party will will continue to take Labour's message of "real change to communities across the whole country".
He earlier visited Plymouth to celebrate Labour gaining four seats from the Conservatives.
Police said they wanted to board up the property in Vivian Road "in an effort to break the cycle of behaviour and disorder".
Scientists at Plymouth University have been given £200,000 of government money to find out how tiny plastic particles from tyres and clothes get into the oceans and impact marine life.
The new 11-month research project will explore how a single wash load of synthetic materials like polyester and acrylic release 700,000 microfibres into the ocean.
Some scientists estimate tyres contribute 270,000 tonnes of plastics per year.
The International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, external is at the global forefront of research into the causes and effects of marine litter.
Twitter
Labour MP for Exeter, Ben Bradshaw has congratulated Plymouth's Labour team on a "great result" in the local elections.
He said it was "good to have another Labour city in the South West" after the party gained four seats from the Conservatives in Plymouth.
Earlier, the former Labour Culture Secretary said, nationally, the party had to do "much, much better".
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Laurence Reed
BBC Radio Cornwall
One of Truro's last remaining high street grocers is closing today.
Thornes Fruit and Veg shop in Calenick Street is shutting its doors after almost 10 years.
The owner, Malcom Hendy, says it's down to huge rates and rent, extortionate car parking charges and a lack of effort to regenerate that area of the city.
Mr Hendy says he will now concentrate on his other stores in Redruth and West Cornwall.
Sir Nick Harvey, the Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats and former MP for North Devon, says his party can "take encouragement" from their results in last night's local elections.
In Exeter, the Lib Dems held in Duryard and St James, their only seat on the council, but failed to win a seat in Plymouth.
Nationally, the party regained control of Richmond-upon-Thames, and increased their hold in Cheltenham.
Quote MessageWe've had a good night. We can take encouragement from the results. I think after eight years of attrition of our local government base there are encouraging signs... I think Vince Cable can view this as a first test that he's passed and that he's helping us get back in business."
Sir Nick Harvey, Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats and former MP for North Devon
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
The people of Plymouth "resonated with the Labour promise" of investment in the South West, Jeremy Corbyn has said.
The party took control of the city's council from the Conservatives in the local elections.
The Labour leader said campaigners in the city "stood up against under investment"...
Labour gained four seats to take over at Plymouth City Council and kept control of Exeter.
Read MoreHayley Westcott
BBC News Online
The new Labour leader of Plymouth City Council, Tudor Evans, says he will relish the opportunity of making Plymouth "the greatest city in the United Kingdom".
He addressed the crowd at Plymouth Life Centre after Labour gained four seats from the Conservatives in the local elections.
Jenny Kumah
BBC South West politics reporter
The Labour Party in Devon is celebrating this morning after triumphing in the local elections.
The party took control of Plymouth City Council from the Conservatives and in Exeter, Labour held on to their majority.
Jenny Kumah has been reflecting on what the key issues of the election campaign were...
A bit more from Jeremy Corbyn in Plymouth, where Labour took control of the council.
He said: "Across the country we made a lot of progress in a lot of places. Obviously we want to do as well as we possibly can everywhere and we will look at each result across country.
"We were defending seats last won in 2014 which was a particularly good year for Labour in local government.
"Obviously I’m disappointed at any places where we lost a bit of ground but if you look at the overall picture, Labour gained a lot of seats and votes across the whole country – and votes in places we never had before.
"We had a very effective campaign all over the country. I'm very proud of work the Labour has done in these elections and of those councils that got elected."
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
Jeremy Corbyn says he is "absolutely proud" of the Labour campaigners in Plymouth, after the party took control of the city's council from the Conservatives in the local elections.
The Labour leader is in Plymouth to celebrate the result.
On a visit to Plymouth to celebrate Labour seizing control of the city's council, Jeremy Corbyn said: "Winning in Plymouth is a sign that Labour is back in this part of the country."
He said: "The mission of Labour is always to stand up for a decent society and against poverty.
"That means local government must be properly funded by central government."
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is in Plymouth to celebrate the party winning control of the city's council.
Mr Corbyn said "winning in Plymouth is a sign that Labour is back in this part of the country."
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Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service
More than 1,900 women in Cornwall could be affected by a computer error which led to thousands missing breast cancer screenings.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's launched an inquiry after 450,000 women aged 70 to 79 were not invited for routine examinations.
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) is working on a plan to find those affected in the county.
Image source, Getty ImagesLetters will be sent out, with women under 72 being invited for a catch-up screening and anyone aged over 72 given access to a helpline to decide whether a screening is appropriate.
The RCHT says it will need to hold screenings at weekends so the women affected can be seen.
All the women who are affected should receive a letter by the end of May.
The leader of Exeter City Council, Pete Edwards, says "the good stuff will carry on" after Labour held on to their majority in last night's local elections.
The party won 10 of the 13 seats contested, losing St Loye's to the Conservatives but gaining in Pennsylvania.
Quote MessageIt's a fantastic result for Exeter. I think the people of Exeter love what we're doing. We lost a seat and gained a seat, and the good stuff will carry on. I think the citizens of Exeter have got a great deal of trust in the Labour Party."
Councillor Pete Edwards, Leader of Exeter City Council, Labour
