The alleged attacker was released after senior officers reviewed CCTV footage, a court hears.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Rail services on the Tarka Line between Exeter and Barnstaple are to be disrupted until 29 June because of a speed restriction "imposed over a defective track", National Rail Enquiries says.

The speed cut meant that a "reduced service" would operate between the stations, the service added.

People due to travel on the route can check how services are operating using National Rail Enquiries's real-time journey planner, external.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A builder who claimed benefits while earning more than £200,000 a year has been given a suspended sentence.

Exeter Crown Court heard how Keith Morgan, 59, from Shaldon, earned £855,000 over the last four years through his work in property development, but still claimed £23,000 in Employment Support Allowance.

When he was caught in 2017, he claimed to have been confused by the rules, and to have thought he was allowed to work 16 hours a week.

The judge dismissed Morgan's account as "garbage" and sentenced him to 15 months in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 180 hours of unpaid community work.

Image source, Nick Irving

A police officer has denied framing a woman who she allegedly arrested on a false complaint of assault.

Pc Lucy Clark told a jury Shniece McMenamin had grabbed and pulled her arm during a scuffle in Plymouth's Union Street in the early hours of 9 May 2014.

She said she had arrested her because she believed that if Miss McMenamin was capable of assaulting a police officer in uniform, she may also assault members of the public.

Pc Clark, 30, told Exeter Crown Court the reason why the assault on her was not visible on CCTV footage was because it was obscured by Miss McMenamin.

She denies perverting the course of justice by making false statements and crime reports in which she said she was assaulted by Miss McMenamin.

The trial continues.

• Devon PC on trial accused of false assault claim

The town council, which owns the nightclub, did not apply for an entertainment licence.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A company which employed a man who died after a cherry picker fell to the ground has been fined £130,000.

Kenny Leach, 47, died because the cherry picker had not been "properly maintained" by building firm T J Smith Contracting, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Mr Leach was painting the outside of the Railway Convalescent Home in Dawlish when the arm of the cherry picker fell.

The arm was able to swing too far round while "not properly anchored".

A built in safety device should have detected the danger, the court heard, and cut out the machine before the arm moved into a dangerous position, but the mechanism "had not been properly maintained".

The company, which is named after director Tim Smith, was fined £60,000 with £70,000 costs after being found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of employees and the public.

Mr Smith said he plans to sell his holiday home in Cornwall to pay for the fine and costs.

Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter

Consumers in rural areas of the UK are far less likely to use their smartphones for banking than their urban counterparts, a survey says.

The findings, from the UK's financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), are set to reignite the debate over bank branch closures - particularly in rural locations.

However, its report also suggests those in rural areas are more satisfied with their financial circumstances.

The data comes from a renewed assessment of a survey of 13,000 people's financial lives by the FCA.

An older population, patchy broadband and mobile coverage will be among the reasons for a take-up rate of just 23% in mobile banking and a 54% take-up of internet banking in rural areas, compared with 45% and 78% respectively in urban areas.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cornwall Council's cabinet has agreed to press ahead and buy land to build new homes which could be part of a new town for 8,000 people.

The cabinet unanimously supported the plans to buy land at Langarth Farm, near Truro, which will be used for 154 new homes. The council is also looking to buy multi-use land which includes planning consent for a new school.

It is the first in what is expected to be a series of interventions by the council in a number of major developments in the area which already have planning permission but which have all stalled.

Under the plans, Cornwall Council would work with Sanctuary Housing which has plans for 494 homes on the land at Langarth Farm, which would be bought from developer Inox.

The council would then build 154 homes on the land which would include 35% affordable homes. It also aims to bring forward plans for a new primary school and other infrastructure.

The full council will vote on the plans next month.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A family out kayaking have captured on video the "unusual sighting" of an orca in Plymouth waters.

Earlier this month, Neil Wright and his family were in Plymouth Sound, when they spotted something "much larger" than they'd ever seen.

The National Marine Aquarium (NMA) has identified the marine animal as an orca, the largest species of dolphin, and more commonly known as a killer whale.

Mr Wright said: "The height of the dorsal fin is what really stood out but sadly the encounter was over almost before we have chance to really think about what we might have just witnessed."

Mr Wright's mother Eileen sent the footage to the NMA to be identified after the encounter.

BBC Radio Devon

• In Plymouth, King's Road is closed in both directions between Devonport Hill and Paradise Road due to an accident
• Staying in the city, on the A386 Tavistock Road, at Sendall's Way, traffic lights have failed

BBC Radio Devon

In Plymouth, there are reports of a multi-vehicle crash on Crownhill Road, near Jubilee Road.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Cornwall Council's cabinet has recommended that the authority buys parcels of land around the county that are "strategic" sites for homes.

They include land at Langarth Farm, on the outskirts of Truro, to "take the lead" in the development of 154 homes and "set the tone for further development in the area".

The other areas are "two strategic sites" for homes in Newquay and Launceston, which "could deliver 675 new homes", the council tweeted, external.

The full council is due to debate the recommendations on 24 July.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Via LDRS

Plans for a large student flats and shops development, which would see the demolition of a shopping arcade in Exeter's independent shopping quarter, have drawn the backing of council planning officers.

The Lagoon Estates scheme would see 55 "high-quality" student studios built over four floors on the site of the City Arcade in Fore Street.

Despite planning officers saying the loss of the retail floorspace is "regrettable", the scheme, which goes before Exeter City Council planners on 25 June, is recommended for approval

No parking spaces are included as part of the application.

BBC Radio Cornwall

• In Par, there are reports of an accident on the A3082 Par Green between Mountlea Drive and Polmear Parc
• In Liskeard, there are reports of sheep on the A390 around Callington Road

Karen Stuart
BBC Radio Cornwall

A 120-year-old trawler has just received a brand new set of sails, thanks to a generous donation from a long-term volunteer.

The Shamrock is now owned by the National Trust at Cotehele but was once used to transport stone from nearby quarries.

It's currently undergoing massive restoration, with extensive work needed after it was discovered the vessel had rotten wood.

It's hoped it will be back on the water by March 2019.

Shaun Blight is the skipper and is working on the project...

Sophie Pierce
BBC Radio Devon

Conservative MP for Torbay, Kevin Foster says there needs to be "concerted action" to improve the problems with waste collection in the area.

Local people have been complaining of "later and later" collections with some claiming they've not had bins collected for up to three weeks.

Torbay Council and the Kier Group, which run the service, admit they've had problems with the bin lorries and a shortage of drivers.

Carlisle United sign former Plymouth Argyle right-back Gary Miller and Newcastle defender Macaulay Gillesphey on free transfers.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

A female car passenger airlifted to hospital in Plymouth with suspected serious injuries from a crash on the A30 at Hayle suffered a minor arm injury, police say.

The woman, in her 50s and from Penzance, was a passenger in a BMW 5 series car involved in the crash with a Ford Transit van on the road at Loggans at about 14:30 on Tuesday.

Officers said, external the BMW's driver, a man in his 70s from Penzance, and the driver of the van, a male in his 20s from Redruth, were both taken to hospital in Truro with minor injuries.

The road was closed for about four-and-a-half hours for an investigation. Police have appealed for witnesses.

Sarah Ransome
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

University of Exeter has apologised after its career service accidentally used a motivational quote from a Nazi general in an internal email.

The messages to staff and students regularly contain inspirational quotations, but on this occasion the one selected was from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (pictured centre) - the World War Two general also known as the Desert Fox - the Falmouth Packet reported, external.

Over a backdrop of waves, the quote was: "One cannot permit unique opportunities to slip by for the sake of trifles."

A spokesman for the university, which has campuses in Devon and Cornwall, said an individual had used a website to find the motivational message but unfortunately didn't recognise the name attributed to it.

It added that it was a genuine error and it apologised unreservedly for any offence it may have caused, saying procedures were in place to ensure it would not happen again.

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A nightclub opened in a phone box is locked up every night - because the owners don’t have a licence.

Kingsbridge Town Council turned the phone box into what is thought to be the world’s smallest nightclub to raise money for charity.

But it doesn’t have an entertainment licence from South Hams District Council to open it at night, and that means it’s shackled shut from 23:00 until 08:00.

Town clerk Martin Johnson said there were no plans to apply for a licence...