Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Politicians in Exeter have criticised the decision to close the Clifton Hill Sports Centre.

Despite a 1,500 strong petition, twice as many people who are actually members of the sports centre, the Labour-run Exeter City Council voted by 20 votes to seven, with four abstentions, to close the 34-year-old sports centre last week.

The sports centre in Newtown was severely damaged by the snow in March and the council said that the cost of repairing the building was estimated to be in the region of £700,000 and would have taken up to a year to complete.

The money made from the sale will be pumped into Wonford Sports Centre, Exeter Arena and ISCA Centre and Riverside Leisure Centre - a further £3m would be spent enhancing those facilities.

Councillor Chris Musgrave, the sole Green Party councillor who sits on the council, said that his party would have undergone a full public consultation exercise and called the closure a "travesty".

Councillor Kevin Mitchell, the lone Liberal Democrat on the council, said that his party would not have found themselves in this situation had they been in charge.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, the leader of the Conservative opposition on the council, said that his party would have not have faced a financial black hole in fixing the centre as they would have had the money to do so. He said: "We would have maintained it and had the money to spend on repairs if needed as we wouldn't have wasted £5m on St Sidwell's Point, it is as simple as that.

"We will continue to fight this and we would not be cutting services but would be increasing them."

Leader of the council, Councillor Pete Edwards, said: "The building is the main thing and that building is falling down with the roof gone - the only thing to do is tear it down. We have a new sports centre at St Sidwell's point coming soon."

Devon Live

The mum of the baby shaken to death by his father, external has launched a campaign for the justice she says she was denied when he was jailed for just over five years.

BBC Weather

After a chilly start, it will be a fine day, with prolonged periods of sunshine and only a small possibility of some patchy cloud developing during the afternoon. Winds will be light or moderate northeasterly.

Maximum temperature: 16 to 18°C.

Devon Live

A farmer who built a slurry "lagoon" the size of two Olympic swimming pools without permission must remove it after a Devon council rejected his retrospective plans, external.

John Ayres
BBC Spotlight

Network Rail is unveiling some of the major work it's carrying out to protect the main rail line from London to the South West.

Massive storm drains, large enough to drive a car through, are being installed at Cowley Bridge near Exeter to prevent a repeat of the disruption caused by flooding.

A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged rape in Plymouth last month.

Police say it happened when a 19-year-old man was subjected to an attack down an alleyway off Armada Street at about 02.15 on 24 May.

A 30-year-old man from Plymouth was arrested on suspicion of rape and released under investigation pending further inquiries.

Conservationists are trying to find a grey seal which has got a large piece of fishing net tangled around his neck.

'Lucky Star' was first spotted four weeks ago, and there was another sighting on Thursday.

The juvenile male is moving along the north coast of Cornwall and could be sighted anywhere between Land's End and Padstow.

Anyone who sees him is asked to contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A resident who lost his home in a fire in Truro says there should have been better safety checks in the sheltered housing complex.

Peter Mitchell has raised concerns over the bin store where it's thought the fire was deliberately started.

Sixty firefighters and six engines spent three hours dealing with the fire in Merrifield Close in Truro, on 13 June.

Cornwall Council says it is looking into how regularly the bin store was checked, and whether lessons can be learned.

A police investigation is under way and a man was arrested and later released on suspicion of arson.

Mr Mitchell also says he thinks the fire crews could have got there sooner. This was refuted by Cornwall Council who said "the fire service were their normal, professional selves" adding that their efforts "helped with the saving of lives".

Plymouth Argyle midfielder David Fox agrees a new contract at the League One club.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Cody Cooke has left Truro City for Scottish Premier Legaue side St Mirren.

The 25-year-old - who was City's top scorer in National League South last season - has signed a two-year deal at the Paisley-based club, having been part of England striker Jamie Vardy's V9 Academy last month.

Image source, St Mirren FC

"I'm over the moon. It's a huge opportunity and football is all about opportunities - I want to grab this one with both hands," Cooke said.

"I'm delighted to be here. To get a call from Alan (Stubbs, St Mirren manager) was something that I was just delighted about. I feel ready for the test and it should be an exciting one."

Meanwhile Truro have signed midfielder Lloyd Gardner from Buckland Athletic.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Police are still looking for a driver who fled the scene of a crash in Launceston on Thursday morning.

A silver Mercedes C720 ended up on its roof after hitting a school crossing lamp-post on Roydon Road at about 06:50.

A fire crew also attended and the male driver left the scene. Police say "inquiries are ongoing to locate the driver."

Image source, John Baggetts

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A man was airlifted to hospital after injuring his head on rocks at a beach in Paignton.

Paramedics initially treated the man before he was transferred to an air ambulance which landed on the beach.

The man's condition is unknown.

BBC Spotlight

A church in Cornwall which was partially dynamited because it was thought to be structurally unsafe, has been handed over to residents so its future can be preserved.

St Day Church hasn't been used for worship for more than 60 years but now it has been recognised as of social and architectural importance and it's hoped it will be used as a community space for the arts.

Bernadette Fallon is one of those who has campaigned to save it...

Sophie Pierce
BBC Radio Devon

A plan by Torbay Mayor, Gordon Oliver, to sell off one of the Bay's most historic houses has been defeated by his fellow conservative councillors.

They voted that he had acted outside of his mayoral powers in deciding to go ahead with market testing for selling Oldway Mansion in Paignton.

More than 100 people packed a council meeting in Torbay on Thursday night.

The authority will now go forward with a plan for the building put forward by its own working party. It recommends a phased redevelopment of the property including repairing the mansion and reopening the café to generate income.

BBC Spotlight

A cross-party report calling for investment into the A38 in Devon and Cornwall is due to be presented to the transport secretary later.

The 'A38 Case for Action' outlines a need for urgent safety measures after a number of fatal accidents on the route and also makes an economic case for improvements between Bodmin and Exeter.

South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray is planning to make the handover during a visit to Cornwall by the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

• One person dies in A38 road crash near Dobwalls
• Cornwall A38 eight-vehicle crash leaves woman dead

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A three-month closure order has been obtained in court for four properties in Holsworthy, Devon, after "serious levels" of persistent anti-social behaviour, police say.

There have been several violent and life-threatening incidents at the premises, including assaults, an arson with intent to endanger life and the latest incident being an attempted murder on the communal lawn.

The occupants staying in them on North Road have been removed and re-housed with police saying their behaviour was "making life a misery for law-abiding residents".

It added it's the first time an order like this has been used in the town and it's the biggest closure order ever applied for by Devon and Cornwall Police.

Image source, Shaun Kenneally

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A man impaled his hand on a slate hook after jumping over a wall in Padstow.

Firefighters were called to Grenville Road at about 17:10 on Thursday.

Crews removed the surrounding slates to free the hook before handing the casualty over to the ambulance service.

Image source, PADSTOW FIRE STATION

A judge advises prosecutors not to seek a retrial after jurors fail to reach a verdict.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A homeless Romanian man has admitted stealing cash and electronic goods from 11 churches.

Mahaita Rosca, 26, from Shrewsbury, started his crime spree in Weymouth before moving to Devon, where he lived rough and survived by breaking into churches all around the county.

Image source, Visit Exeter

He targeted money but also stole projectors, DVD players, and computers from churches in Exeter, Crediton, Torrington, Tavistock, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Exmouth and Sidmouth.

Rosca sold some of the stolen items but hid others, promising to help police to find them when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court.

Judge Timothy Rose adjourned the case until 20 July to allow time for him to help police recover the missing church property - but added that a prison sentence was "certain".

A former soldier who "lifted a policeman by his nostrils" was suffering from PTSD, a court hears.