Chris Baker
Local Democracy Reporting Service

The number of bed days lost because of so-called bed-blocking in hospitals in the Torbay area rose during 2017/18, according to local authority figures.

Torbay Council's annual audit report said general and community hospitals lost 2,932 bed-days because of "delayed transfers of care" during 2017/18, compared to 2,106 in the preceding 12 months - a rise of 826.

Bed-blocking occurs when patients cannot be discharged, either because beds are not available in care homes, or care cannot be arranged for a person to be looked after at home. Local authorities are often responsible for providing that post-hospital care.

The Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said it was sceptical of the figures, saying bed-blocking in its hospitals, which includes Torbay Hospital, was at relatively low levels.

Torbay Council's own audit committee also expressed reservations, and has asked for the figures to be explained at its next meeting. The 2017/18 total is well above the council's target of losing no more than 1,859 bed-days.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

A 29-year-old woman has been jailed for life and is to serve at least 16 years in prison for murdering a 71-year-old man, police say.

Exeter Crown Court heard that homeless Stacey Stripp killed Peter Mason at his flat in Paignton in November last year, bludgeoning him and stabbing him 13 times in what police called a "frenzied attack".

The court heard that the widower, who had lost his wife to motor neurone disease three months before, tried to lock himself in the bathroom to escape from the heroin addict, also described in court as a sex worker.

Stripp had denied murder, saying Mr Mason had tried to attack her. She was convicted by a jury in 40 minutes.

Police said, external they were content with the verdict and sentence for the "volatile individual".

They also said: "Throughout the investigation and the trial, Stripp maintained that she had acted in self-defence but the evidence simply did not support that theory."

BBC Radio Devon

In Plymstock, there are reports of a collision between a car and a motorbike on Stanborough Road, between Southernway and Reservoir Road.

North Devon Gazette

Plans for a new £1.8m visitor centre at Northam Burrows hailed as "excellent" are going through validation stages and have been submitted to Torridge District Council for approval, external.

Cornwall Live

A man faked a burglary and claimed his car had been stolen after his friend, who was banned from driving, rolled the VW Golf in a crash on the A30.

The man and woman each pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, external on the day they were due to stand trial at Truro Crown Court.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A pot of £80,000 is being made available to Devon and Cornwall's community groups to help stop anti-social behaviour.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will award small grants of up to £2,500.

The money cannot be used for individual disputes or arguments between neighbours, noise complaints or issues like littering or dog fouling.

Andrew Kirchin, from the PCC's office, says similar community projects are often long-running.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Google

Plans have been revealed for a new police station in Liskeard to replace the existing structure, which the force says is no longer fit for use.

Devon and Cornwall Police have submitted a planning application to demolish the station in Greenbank Road and build a new one on the same site.

The structure, which was built in 1968, had its front office closed to the public in 2014 but has remained as a centre for police officers in the area.

Image source, LDRS

Under the new plans the station will also have a 101 non-emergency phone installed outside for use by the public.

If the application is approved, it is hoped that the new station will be open by December 2019.

BBC Radio Devon

On the A38, there are reports of a broken-down vehicle Plymouth-bound, near the A382 Drumbridges, Newton Abbot. Traffic is said to be coping well.

Matt Small
BBC Radio Cornwall

Dairy Crest is investing £75m in Cornwall to increase production at its plant in Davidstow.

The company said the investment would mean it being able to process an additional 200 million litres of milk a year at the site which employs 200 people.

It is part of £85m being spent across the company in growing the capacity of its cheese business.

The company said production of its cheese brands would increase by more than 20,000 tonnes a year over the next four to five years as a result to supply a growing demand for its products in the UK, China, the US and the Far East.

Image source, Google

Devon Live

Scientists at Syracuse University in New York claim that Devon is cold and incompetent - at least that is how the name is perceived in a study of 500 students, external.

The researchers wanted to find out how the perception of people changes based solely on their name.

Chris Baker
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans to build houses in the grounds of an historic house to help pay for its restoration look likely to be turned down.

Torbay Council is about to launch a rescue package for Paignton's Oldway Mansion, which is expected to cost £15m and take until 2030 to complete.

But controversial plans to help fund the project by building homes in the gardens that surround the historic house have not been supported by councillors.

Only the crumbling stables block could be turned into residential use, if the full council supports the proposals at a meeting next month.

Consultants employed by the council have recommended various uses for the mansion, such as arts and heritage events, offices, restaurants, holiday apartments and a cafe.

Oldway was built in 1875 by Isaac Singer, founder of the sewing machine firm, and was sold to Paignton Urban District Council in 1946.

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Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are set to be given a boost in Cornwall with new wildflower hotspots being created across the county.

Urban Buzz is being launched by charity Buglife, external, which will be working with local communities to create the wildflower areas in St Austell, Truro, Falmouth and Wadebridge.

Image source, Laura Curry

Organisers said the project would help to boost local populations of bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects by transforming mown and unused urban spaces into colourful, vibrant areas, buzzing with life.

Urban Buzz has already worked in eight major cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Plymouth and York.

Cornwall Live

A “danger road” which has seen many crashes over the years is finally set to get a zebra crossing, external after parents spent more than a year campaigning.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Nearly £80,000 in parking fines issued to foreign-registered vehicles by Devon County Council remain unpaid.

A Freedom of Information request to the authority shows that there have been 1,380 parking fines issued in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to foreign-registered vehicles that remain unpaid and written-off.

Image source, LDRS

The value of those tickets, up to 17 April comes to £79,965.

Devon County Council said in 2016 there were 532 tickets unpaid and written off, in 2017 there were 780 and in 2018 there have been 70 so far.

The total value of those tickets in 2016 was £30,640, in 2017 was £45,165 and in 2018 up until 17 April was £4,160.

Image source, Facebook

A man has denied causing the death of a 20-year-old woman who was trapped in farm machinery in Devon.

Lauren Scott (pictured), 20, from Exeter, died after being trapped in a milling machine on a farm near Dawlish in March last year.

At Exeter Crown Court, 44-year-old Neil Carpenter denied the manslaughter by gross negligence as a result of the incident at Springfield Farm.

Mr Carpenter, of Firbank Road, Dawlish, also faces charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act. He is due to stand trial at the court in October.

Miss Scott, who loved horses, had worked at Newton Abbot Racecourse.

BBC Radio Cornwall

On the road from Goss Moor into Roche, by the low bridge, there's a pig and two piglets on the road. Approach with care.

BBC Radio Devon

The A380 Telegraph Hill near Kennford is partially blocked heading towards Newton Abbot due to an accident.

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BBC Radio Cornwall

Image source, Cornish Seal Sanctuary

An overweight seal being cared for at a sanctuary in Cornwall is about to embark on a fitness regime to slim down for summer.

Two-year-old Jinx weighs about 20kg (44lb) more than most other grey seals after eating more than her fair share of fish, staff at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary said.

She is also being treated by a vet for a health condition with steroids.

Image source, Cornish Seal Sanctuary

Natalie Dyer, from the sanctuary at Gweek, said she would be putting Jinx through her paces.

She said: "We've got lots of toys at our disposal, pallets and surfboards she can climb on and hula hoops to play with.

"We're also going to be doing a bit of training with her. We'll get her swimming up and down, hopefully chasing us around, so that we can get her exercising a bit more."