Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was stabbed "multiple times" in Plymouth.

The victim, a man is his 20s, was the passenger in a car which was followed by two other vehicles to Cromer Walk, Southway, last Friday night.

Det Insp Paul Weymouth, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "As he has exited the vehicle on Langley Crescent, a group of three men wearing balaclavas, have assaulted him and attacked him with a bladed weapon."

He suffered "serious injuries to the abdomen" and is hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Resubmitted plans for a controversial harbour-front building in Porthleven have been narrowly rejected.

The plans, which included a circular section, were for what has been called an innovation studio by the applicants.

Despite a plea from harbour owner Trevor Osborne for councillors to grant planning permission, the application was refused by just one vote at Cornwall Council, being refused by eight votes to seven.

The plans had been initially refused last year and the new designs were smaller.

Porthleven Town Council had objected, with Liz Lane telling the planning committee that the building was "not in harmony" with the area.

Local Cornwall Councillor Andrew Wallis said that a public meeting had shown that a majority of people were opposed to the plans.

Image source, Via LDRS

BBC Radio Cornwall

A St Cleer resident has described the falling of a large tree in the village as happening in "slow motion".

Iain Chorlton watched as the tree fell onto his house on Saturday evening.

He describes the moment he was interrupted from watching the World Cup...

Nobody was injured in the tree fall, but homeowners are concerned about the safety of the remaining trees.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

A report commissioned by Devon County Council's children's scrutiny committee has raised serious concerns about the roll out of Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is a new benefit for working-age people, replacing six benefits and merging them into one payment.

The council report said that although the long-term effects on families could not yet be known about the new benefits system, some of the risks highlighted could become evident during the roll-out.

They include:

• Households may be unable to manage the change to monthly payments, leading to or increasing indebtedness
• As payment is made to one person in a household, an abusive partner may annex benefit income and that vulnerable partners and children could be left without money
• Increased tensions and stress within families could have other impacts, including affecting child safeguarding, crime and anti-social behaviour, depression and isolation
• There could be an increase in mental health problems

Image source, Gov.uk

Research showed that in June 2017, only 2,712 households in Devon were receiving Universal Credit but the eventual caseload was estimated at 67,580 people by 2022.

It also suggested that each working age adult would lose between £260 and £380 a year as a result of the welfare reforms.

The Department for Work and Pensions says Universal Credit was working, and it was also making improvements on how it was rolled out.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Lifeguards rescued a tired and cold swimmer off who had ignored their safety advice off Tregonhawke beach in south east Cornwall.

The incident happened on Friday 29 June, when the woman grew tried while swimming behind two kayakers as they explored a dive wreck.

The lifeguards had advised the trio about the potential dangers but they continued with their plan.

Harry Moir, senior RNLI lifeguard and colleague Tristan Hopgood launched an inshore rescue boat when they saw the swimmer become detached from the group, and assisted her into the boat.

The kayakers were able to continue.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A heat health alert has been issued for the South West, to last until 21:00 on Tuesday.

The Met Office said it was a Level 3 warning, external, with high temperatures forecast.

Public Health England has reminded people to look after themselves and others who may be at risk.

The over-65s, young children and those with heart and lung conditions can all find normal activities a strain when temperatures get this high.

Image source, Met Office

The advice for staying safe, external when the heat arrives includes:

• Closing curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• Drink plenty of water as sugary, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can make you more dehydrated
• Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle - especially infants, young children or animals
• Try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm
• Avoid physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day

BBC Spotlight

A theatre on Bodmin Moor is now "better quality" after receiving grants to improve the site, its director has said.

Peter Woodward says the £130,000 has enabled Sterts Theatre in Upton Cross to buy all new equipment...

Devon Live

Guests at a Devon wedding were fuming when a shameless sunbather photobombed, external the happy couple's wedding pictures.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A 40-year-old man has life-threatening injuries after a serious assault in Exeter on Saturday night.

Police say it happened on Exeter High Street outside the Tesco Metro store at about 23:00.

The man was initially taken to hospital in Exeter, but has since been transferred to Derriford in Plymouth.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and remains in police custody.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or by calling 101 quoting CR/058219/18.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A team of volunteers who call themselves the 'Skin Angels, external' are going into schools in the south west to advise young people on how best to protect their skin against harmful rays.

The sun can cause the most damage when it’s high in the sky, anywhere from 10:00 to 16:00.

The advice is to reapply sunscreen every two hours, and to regularly find some shade.

Carl Rimmer, who plays rugby for Exeter Chiefs has experience of the disease in his family and helps with the campaign...

Twitter

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Paul James has agreed a three-year deal to become Plymouth Raiders' new head coach and director of basketball.

James joins the Raiders from BBL rivals Worcester Wolves, whom he has been in charge of since 2009.

He won the 2014 BBL Trophy and play-off double with the Wolves and reached last season's BBL Cup final.

Image source, BBC Sport

He was also part of the group that set up the Guildford Heat and led them to a BBL Cup and Championship title in only their second season.

He is also a former England international and has also coached the national side.

"Plymouth Raiders' supporters are amongst some of the best in the country and I'm going to be working hard to put a very competitive team on the floor and give them something to really cheer about," James said.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of building the basketball programme across all levels of ability and especially getting started with the BBL team."

Twitter

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

Thrill-seekers in Plymouth are being reminded of the dangers of tombstoning in a multi-agency campaign.

The area around Plymouth Hoe is popular for tombstoning, where people leap from high places into open water.

In 2016, a 39-year-old man died after jumping from cliffs on the city coast, while others have been seriously injured in recent years.

They include a 17-year-old who received life-changing injuries and a 14-year-old described as being "lucky to be alive" after diving headfirst on to rocks.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Devon's cricketers are through to the final of the Minor Counties Trophy after edging past Suffolk by virtue of fewer wickets lost after a rain-affected tied game at Sidmouth.

After heaving downpours, the game was reduced to 35 overs per side; but, batting first, Devon lost two more more overs due to more rain.

The hosts recovered from 58-5 to make 201-8 as Zak Bess scored 78 not out.

A revised Duckworth-Lewis system score of 199-8 meant Suffolk needed 200 to win, but they missed out on that target ending the day on 199-9, one run short, Bess also impressed with the ball taking three wickets for 32 runs.

Devon will face Cheshire in the final at Worsley on 29 August, three days after they play in the last four of the Minor Counties Twenty20 championship at the same venue.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is taken by hundreds of thousands of people every year as a recreational drug.

Senior Newquay officer Insp Dave Meredith added in his own tweet, external that nitrous and alcohol were "not a good mix for anybody, especially the under-18s visiting the town".

BBC Spotlight

An historic coffin plate stolen from a church in Cornwall nearly two years ago has been found - in a Norfolk charity shop.

The plate is from the coffin belonging to Bishop Jonathan Trelawny, the man behind Cornwall's unofficial anthem, Trelawny, also known as The Song of the Western Men.

It was taken from Pelynt Church in September 2016.

The church said that a woman who wanted to remain anonymous found it while browsing the charity shop about 300 miles away and used the internet to track down where it had come from.

She said: "All I can say is that having an eye for 'junk' can sometimes pay off!"

Image source, Benefice of Trelawny

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

The bumper early appearance of the UK's most endangered butterfly is being put down to work to restore part of Devon's natural coastal landscape.

The high brown fritillary has seen its populations decline by two thirds since the 1970s, due to changes in the way woodlands are managed and more recently because marginal hill land has been abandoned

The National Trust is embarking on developing 60 hectares (150 acres) of lowland heath and wood pasture - the rare high brown fritillary's main habitat - along the north Devon and Exmoor coast.

The £100,000 project which is being funded by the People's Postcode Lottery, is part of a £750,000 award that will also benefit other wildlife including heath fritillary butterflies, nightjars and Dartford warblers, the trust said.

Laura Chow, head of charities at the People's Postcode Lottery, said: "Considering this work only started in January it is fantastic to see that the butterfly appears to be thriving in the valley so soon."

The trust said good weather had also played a part.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Three crews attended a fire on Carn Marth, near Redruth, on Saturday, after 62 people reported it the the critical control centre.

The first call came at 21:38 on Saturday night.

Crews from Tolvaddon, Falmouth and Perranporth used hose reels and beaters to extinguish the fire.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue said the cause was believed to be deliberate and the police had been told.

Image source, Kevin Roche

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

The Exeter Chiefs revealed their new away and cup kits for next season at a launch event in the city on Sunday.

Players turned out donning the new shirts, and there were plenty of fans at the city's quayside too.

Chiefs stars Ollie Devoto, Phil Dollman, Matt Kvesic, Jack Maunder, Ben Moon and Henry Slade made quite an entrance by paddle-boarding along the River Exe towards the waiting crowd.