Summary

  • Updates from Monday 2 July until Friday 6 July 2018

Live Reporting

  1. Environment Agency investigates Wadebridge sewage leak

    Jenna Hawkey
    BBC News Online

    The Environment Agency is working to tackle a sewage leak in Wadebridge.

    It's trying to find out how a local river became polluted with "septic effluent".

    These pictures show how the polluted water compares with normal river water.

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  2. Teignmouth man denies murder

    A 52-year-year old man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a man whose body was found in Teignmouth last month.

    David Ablett, of Barnpark Terrace, Teignmouth, is alleged to have murdered 38-year-old Matthew Jackson, from Kingsteignton, whose body was found at an address on that road, between 1 and 4 June this year.

    residential streetGoogle

    Barnpark Terrace, Teignmouth

    Ablett denied a single count of murder when he appeared before Judge Paul Darlow at Exeter Crown Court by video link from Exeter prison.

    He has been remanded in custody until the trial, which has been set for 7 January 2019.

  3. Councillor 'sexually harassed' female staff
    Breaking

    Sanctions are being imposed on a former Devon County Council leader after allegations of sexual harassment.

    Brian Greenslade has been "formally censured" by Devon County Council - the "strongest possible" punishment available against an elected councillor.

    It follows a formal complaint from the chief executive regarding claims of harassment and abuse of a number of female employees by Councillor Greenslade over a number of years.

    He's to be removed from council nominated outside bodies, his movements at on council premises will be restricted and he will be required to undertake training.

    He was investigated by the council's standards committee which found "sustained and repeated sexual harassment of female members of staff and abuse of his position".

    Councillor Greenslade is yet to comment.

  5. Pensioner fears house could collapse with new building

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    An elderly woman says she is worried her house could fall down if plans for an adjoining property are approved.

    Plans for a two-storey, three-bedroom house on the corner of Woolcombe Lane and Chandlers Lane in Sidmouth have been recommended for approval.

    Speaking against the scheme, Mrs Newton said if the plans were approved it would leave her house, built in the 1800s, at risk of falling down or subsiding because it does not have modern foundations.

    Vacant plot in SidmouthGoogle

    The new house would leave around a six-inch (15cm) gap between the two properties.

    Councillors unanimously voted to go on a site visit to see it themselves.

    You need to see the site and my concerns should be taken under consideration. My late husband, a builder, said anything built right next to the house could cause it to collapse, so are you willing to do that?"

    Mrs Newton, Sidmouth homeowner

  6. Devon college to train next generation of robot builders

    BBC Radio Devon

    A new Advanced Engineering Centre at Exeter College will be officially opened later.

    The £3m centre includes state of the art robotics, virtual welding and 3D printers.

    collegeGoogle

    It comes after Exeter College was revealed as leading in the nationwide pilot of T Levels by the government - the only college in Devon to be selected.

    T Levels are courses, which will be on a par with A Levels and will provide young people with a choice between technical and academic education post 16.

    The CEO of Flybe, Christine Ourmières-Widener, will officially open the centre later.

  7. Cornwall's NHS staff celebrated on 70th anniversary

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Cornwall is celebrating 70 years of the NHS.

    The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust's Long Service Awards will be given out this evening, recognising staff who've reached a quarter of a century working for the UK's biggest employer.

    Dr Iain Chorlton, Chair of NHS Kernow, says the NHS has transformed health care.

    It's nearly 30 years since I walked through the doors in my medical school and to reflect back on that time and how what we can do has progressed along that time, how we're able to better manage long-term conditions and have an overall view of how to care for people and with people. It has changed significantly."

    Dr Iain Chorlton, Chair of NHS Kernow

    hospital signGetty Images

  8. Girl, 11, hurt in hit-and-run

    Amy Gladwell
    BBC News Online

    An 11-year-old girl has been injured in a hit-and-run in Perranporth, police have said.

    It's understood the child may have broken her arm after she was hit by a car on a zebra crossing outside the old Lloyds Bank building on Boscawen Road.

    Boscowen RoadGoogle

    It happened after school closing time on Tuesday afternoon.

    Police say the male driver of the small black car sped off.

    Witnesses are urged to contact the force quoting log number 0771.

  9. Graffiti artwork celebrates history of Cornish port

    Rebecca Wills
    BBC South West

    muralSketch

    A Cornish art gallery is displaying urban graffiti on the outside of its building.

    Designed and created by Cornish urban graffiti artist, Sketch, the mural on the Old Lifeboat Station at Porthleven celebrates the history of the building.

    lifeboat stationvia Peacock PR

    It also recognises some of the men who contribute to life in the port.

    Local historian Victor Strike (pictured below) is one of 20 faces captured on the side of the building.

    He told the BBC: "If I've done anything for Porthleven, and it's recognised, then I'm happy."

    man with picturevia Peacock PR

  10. Cancer nurse honoured with prestigious NHS award

    BBC Spotlight

    nurse

    A nurse from Plymouth has been honoured in Parliament as part of a special one-off competition to mark the NHS's 70th birthday.

    Sian Dennison has been given the Excellence in Cancer Care Award after being nominated by three of the region's MPs, Johnny Mercer, Gary Streeter and Luke Pollard.

    She's been a cancer nurse for more than 30 years and the award has been given for her positive and caring approach and for enabling a progressive culture within her team.

    It's a real pleasure and an honour to be nominated. I think my immediate thought is it's not just about me, it's about the work that all my team do, so I feel like I'm being nominated to celebrate their successes."

    Sian Dennison, speaking after her nomination

  11. Owners 'want to split Cornwall store into three shops'

    Richard Whitehouse
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Launceston's New Look storeGoogle

    The future of a New Look store in Launceston seems uncertain after it was revealed that the owners are considering splitting it into three shops.

    It was reported on Tuesday that the fashion outlet on Launceston Retail Park could be taken over by frozen food store Iceland.

    The owners of the building - Metric Property Investments Plc - have asked Cornwall Council for planning advice on whether the store could be split into three units.

    Plans for New Look in LauncestonRGP Architects

    Agents for the owners wrote to the council in May to see whether there would be any possibility of transforming the New Look store into three units, each with a mezzanine floor.

    Plans attached to the letter indicate that the proposed shops would each have their own entrances and signage.

    The uncertainty around the New Look store's future comes after the firm announced that it would be axing 60 stores across the country, while seeking rent reductions at 393 others.

  12. Farms forced to adapt to searing heat

    BBC Radio Devon

    fieldGoogle

    Farmers in the South West are having to adapt to dry conditions with a lack of water meaning a shortage of hay for some, and a poorer grass crop for silage.

    Martin Wallis, who has a mixed farm outside Helston, says the recent rain has really only scratched the surface.

    It makes the grass green and it makes the potatoes spruce up a little bit, but yields-wise on potatoes - and grass yield growth - very little really. We could do with an inch once a week to catch up with the dry conditions that we've had and the dry soil that we've got. If you look under the ground, you'll still see that the ground is really bone dry."

    Martin Wallis, Farmer, Porthleven

  13. Powderham Castle owner elected to House of Lords

    An Eton-educated aristocrat married to a former Baywatch actress has been elected to sit in the House of Lords in a hereditary peers by-election in which 26 valid votes were cast.

    The Earl of Devon, formerly known as Charles Courtenay, beat Lord Ravensdale by 12 votes to five in the final round of voting.

    A total of 19 candidates stood in the by-election.

    The contest, which cost taxpayers more than £1,140 to run, was triggered by the retirement of independent crossbencher Earl Baldwin of Bewdley.

    The Earl and Countess of Devon with Mary Berry

    The Earl and Countess of Devon appeared on Mary Berry's Country House Secrets last year

    Lord Devon, a 42-year-old barrister, is married to "AJ" Langer, now the Countess of Devon, who starred in several episodes of the popular 90s TV show Baywatch.

    He owns the inherited family estate of Powderham Castle near Exeter, Devon.

  14. Sisters honoured by PM for mental health work

    BBC Spotlight

    Two sisters from Cornwall have been honoured with the Prime Minister's Points of Light award on the day the NHS celebrates its 70th anniversary.

    Amber and Sophia Cowburn, aged 24 and 25 from Truro, have been given the award for raising awareness of mental health.

    The pair set up a pioneering mental health charity, The Invictus Trust, with their parents and older sister, Laura to support local teenagers after their brother, Ben, took his own life in a psychiatric unit.

    two young womenThe Invictus Trust

    Theresa May sent personal letters to each of the sisters to thank them for their work.

    You should be enormously proud of the impact the work you and Amber are doing is having on mental health. Through The Invictus Trust you are transforming the way teens and adolescents think about mental health, making it just as normal to talk about looking after mental health as it is to take care of physical health. It is a wonderful way to honour the memory of your brother Ben."

    From a personal letter from Prime Minister Theresa May to Sophia Cowburn

    The sisters' work to provide better support led them to create a successful campaign to create Cornwall’s first mental health unit for children and adolescents.

    Construction work began in the grounds of Bodmin Hospital in May and the unit will open next year.

  16. Gove to consult Cornish fishermen on fishing post-Brexit

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    The Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has agreed to visit Cornwall to meet fishermen to discuss the future of the industry after Brexit.

    The government's promising greater access to fish stocks for UK trawIers once we've left the EU's Common Fisheries Policy at the end of 2020.

    Labour is sceptical things will change, but the Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, Steve Double, told the Commons he welcomed the move.

    Steve DoubleUK PARLIAMENT

    Can I warmly welcome the Secretary of State's statement today, which will be welcomed by the fishing communities across Cornwall, particularly Mevagissey and Newquay in my constituency. Will he commit to ensure that, as this policy is developed, the voice of our fishermen is heard? And can I gently remind him he was offered to come and meet with the fishermen in Mevagissey and I look forward to seeing him there soon."

    Steve Double, Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay

    Mr Gove said he would accept the invitation.

    We do need to make sure that we continue to listen to the fishing industry and its representatives. They've played a big part in making sure that we got the white paper to the position that it's in today when we published it. Can I just underline my gratitude to my honourable friend for his invitation, which I am looking forward to taking up."

    Michael Gove, Environment Secretary

    Michael GoveReuters

  18. High tide times for the region

    Dan Downs
    Weather Forecaster

    If you're planning a trip to the coast or seaside, here are the high water times around Devon and Cornwall.

    high tide times map for Devon and Cornwall

    We'll have the latest forecast on BBC Spotlight at 13:30.

  20. Weather: Warm with the chance of thundery showers

    Dan Downs
    Weather Forecaster

    This morning will be generally fine with sunny spells and the chance of some cloud.

    This afternoon will be warm but the odd sharp, potentially thundery shower could develop.

    Maximum temperature: 23C (73F).

    weather map for Cornwall and Devon