Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Exeter City Council will vote tonight as to whether to close the much-loved Clifton Hill sports centre.

The council's executive on Tuesday recommended that the leisure centre, which has been shut since March after heavy snowfall caused a major leak in the roof, should be permanently closed.

The site would then be sold for residential accommodation, excluding student-flats, to raise funds for the long term development of Wonford Sports Centre, Exeter Arena and ISCA Centre and Riverside Leisure Centre. An interim budget of £3m will be spent enhancing those facilities.

A date for the reopening of the swimming pool at the city's fire-hit Riverside Leisure Centre was also confirmed as being 10 September, and that the controversial new Sidwell's Point leisure complex remains scheduled to open in December 2020.

Repairs to Clifton Hill would cost almost £1m, would take up to a year and not expand the lifespan of the building, the committee was told.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

Poldark star Aidan Turner has said he has "never felt objectified", despite the amount of attention his shirtless character receives on Poldark.

The actor has found himself the subject of a national debate earlier this month. Or rather, his chest did, which made another prominent appearance at the beginning of the first episode of the new series of the Cornwall-based drama on Sunday.

Image source, Mammoth Screen/BBC

Writing in the Radio Times, external, Mariella Frostrup highlighted the apparent "double standards" when it came to female journalists and viewers openly lusting over Ross Poldark.

Frostrup said this was something that would be highly criticised if the tables were turned, ie: if a plethora of male journalists were to objectify a female star.

She added that both men and women should be free to "confidently express desire" for the opposite sex.

"Sure, I think everyone should be. I don't see the problem there," Turner told BBC News when told about Frostrup's article.

Cornish Pirates' veteran forward Chris Morgan is appointed as a player-coach at the Championship club.

Kevin Hay
BBC Spotlight

Two bowls players from Devon, both in their 80s, had a surprise result in a recent match when they discovered they were long lost friends.

Mike Grinham, who was bowling for Exeter and Jim Lane - playing for Torquay - lost touch about 60 years ago.

Mike says he just didn't recognise his old pal until they started chatting...

Jim was even best man at Mike's wedding but when Mike moved away they lost touch.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The fire at the sheltered housing complex in the centre of Truro saw 60 firefighters at its height after it broke out.

Residents, some elderly and with disabilities, had to be evacuated from homes after the alarm was raised at about midnight, but everyone was accounted for.

BBC Business News

Dixons Carphone has admitted a huge data breach involving 5.9 million payment cards and 1.2 million personal data records.

It is investigating the hacking attempt, which happened last year.

Dixons Carphone said it had no evidence that any of the cards had been used fraudulently following the breach.

Image source, Dixons Carphone

There was "an attempt to compromise" 5.8 million credit and debit cards but only 105,000 cards without chip-and-pin protection had been leaked, it said.

The hackers had tried to gain access to one of the processing systems of Currys PC World and Dixons Travel stores, the firm said.

The 1.2 million personal data records accessed by the hackers consisted of non-financial information such as names, addresses and email addresses.

Carphone Warehouse said it had no evidence that the information had left its systems or resulted in any fraud, but it was contacting those affected to advise them.

Kevin Thomas
BBC Weather Forecaster

These pictures from out weather watchers show how there's some cloud and some sunshine this morning across Devon as part of a fairly benign start to the day.

Image source, Alan O

Image source, Paula

Have you any pictures you want to share with us? If so, please email them in.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Neighbours of people affected by a fire at a sheltered housing complex in Truro city centre are providing accommodation for those affected.

The blaze, at Merrifield Close, saw 60 firefighters and six fire engines at the scene during its height after it broke out at about midnight.

Six homes were damaged, three of them almost totally destroyed.

Several residents were evacuated from their homes. They have all been accounted for.

Amy Bassett was one of the first people to alert neighbours to the danger.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

An investigation into the cause of a fire in Truro city centre is due to be carried out, firefighters say.

The blaze at the sheltered housing complex in Merrifield Close saw 60 firefighters and six fire engines at the scene during its height

Six homes were damaged, three of them almost totally destroyed.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said, external it received "multiple emergency calls" at about 00:05 after the blaze broke and "spread across roof space".

Several residents were evacuated from their homes. They have all been accounted for.

Sophie Pierce
BBC Radio Devon

Campaigners in Paignton are calling on the Mayor Gordon Oliver not to sell off historic Oldway Mansion - but to take on board the recommendations of his own council.

An Oldway Working Party report says the mansion can be restored and brought back into public use.

It says the work can be completed in four stages, costing about £15m over that period, with the money coming from grant funding.

But Mr Oliver has upset campaigners by deciding to go ahead with the sale.

Paul Hawthorne is chair of the Friends of Oldway...

A Torbay Council spokesman said the mayor's decision has been called in and scrutiny will be discussing the issue.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A fire at a sheltered housing complex in Truro city centre was a major incident, firefighters say.

Six homes were damaged, three of them almost totally destroyed, after the fire broke out in Merrifield Close at about midnight.

At its height, 60 firefighters and six fire engines were at the scene.

Several residents were evacuated from their homes. They have all been accounted for.

Station Officer Shaun Taylor, of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said: "No-one was injured which was good for us from a safety point of view, and it could have been worse.

"But people have lost their homes, which is always a concern for us."

BBC Spotlight

Proposals for a town warden to help tackle problems with antisocial behaviour in Penzance have been rejected by town councillors.

The decision was made at a public meeting last night which was attended by more than 200 people.

Supporters of the idea said a town warden would help make up for a lack of police, but those who spoke against said the money would be better spent on projects to support the town's most vulnerable people.

BBC Weather

Sunny spells and variable cloud today but with the risk of a few showers developing.

South-westerly winds will become moderate later on.

Maximum temperature: 16 to 19C (61 to 66F).

BBC Radio Cornwall

A fire at a sheltered housing complex in the centre of Truro has been described as "scary" by one of its residents.

Sixty firefighters and six fire engines spent three hours dealing with the fire in Merrifield Close, off St Georges Road.

Six homes were damaged, three of them almost totally destroyed.

Residents, some elderly and with disabilities, had to be evacuated from homes after the alarm was raised at about midnight, but everyone has been accounted for.

Resident Hazel Ascombe who lives in the complex said it was a frightening experience...

Twitter

A 23-year-old man has been convicted of dangerously interfering with a motor vehicle after applying the handbrake on his partner's car during an argument - causing the car to roll over and crash.

The Exeter Police Sexual Offences and Domestic Abuse team said on Twitter , externalthat he was given a one-year restraining order, 140 hours community service and ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation.

Twitter

Sixty firefighters and six fire engines spent three hours overnight tackling the major fire in a sheltered housing complex in the city centre - in Merrifield Close, off St Georges Road.

Everyone has been accounted for.

BBC Spotlight

There have been more than 80 near misses or vehicle crashes which have involved a horse in last two years across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, figures have revealed.

As a result four horses were killed in the region.

The figures from the British Horse Society come as it launches a new campaign to encourage motorists to slow down and give a wide berth when passing horse riders.

Debbie Smith, a South West campaigner, said: "Dead horses are being left on the side of the road and drivers should be made accountable."

BBC Radio Cornwall

A fire ripped "quite fast" through sheltered housing in Truro say neighbours.

Residents were evacuated from the terraced bungalows owned and run by Cornwall Housing.

Sixty firefighters and six fire engines spent three hours dealing with the fire in Merrifield Close off St Georges Road. Six homes were damaged - three of them almost totally destroyed.

Amy Bassett, who lives nearby, offered beds in her house to two people who lost their home. She said: "It was scary, I've never seen anything like it."

BBC Radio Cornwall

Sixty firefighters and six fire engines spent three hours overnight tackling a major fire in a sheltered housing complex in the centre of Truro.

Six houses have been badly damaged - three of them almost destroyed - in Merrifield Close off St Georges Road.

Residents, some of them elderly and with disabilities, had to be evacuated from their homes after the fire took hold at about midnight. Everyone has now been accounted for.

Among those who helped out was BBC Radio Cornwall's James Churchfield.

Aidan Turner says he's "never felt objectified" on the show.