Summary

  • Dark web blamed for drug use increases in South West

  • Firefighters tackle derelict hotel blaze in Newquay

  • Devon mum's fight to bring her Indian partner home

  • Cornish MP in 'Twitter spat' with Gary Lineker

  • Torquay scheme discourages people from giving money to beggars

  • Hot weather sees surge in insect bites

  • Lundy Island cutting down on single-use plastics

  • Updates for 13 July 2018

  1. Blood left on floor of shopping centre after assaultpublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Devon Live

    Blood was left splattered across the pavement in Exeter's Princesshay shopping centre following a violent assault during the early hours of Friday., external

  2. Devon travel: A361 Tiverton and A38 Haldon Hill problemspublished at 11:45 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    • On A361 between South Molton and Tiverton, heading towards the M5, there's slow-moving traffic in places
    • On the A38 Haldon Hill heading towards Plymouth, one lane is closed and there's slow-moving traffic due to an accident
    • In Plymouth, Ford Hill closed at the junction of St Levan Road due to a burst water main. A diversion is in place
    • In Torquay, Anstey's Cove Road is closed in both directions, from the A379 Babbacombe Road to Ilsham Road, due to an unsafe structure
  3. Teen deaths spark calls for a review of drug policypublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    girl on hospital bedImage source, Family photograph
    Image caption,

    Shakira Pellow's family released this photo as a warning to other young people.

    There are calls for a review of the UK's drugs policy following the deaths of three teenagers from the South West.

    Fifteen-year-old Shakira Pellow from Camborne, 15-year-old Hannah Bragg from Tavistock and 16-year-old Reece Murphy, from Taunton, all died in the past few weeks after taking drugs.

    Sue James, a Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor and cabinet member for public protection, said young people needed more information at the very least.

    Quote Message

    In Cornwall, we do follow a harm reduction strategy that's about education, giving people access to information on drugs, because the drug dealers aren't giving out information. There's nothing on the drugs that young people take to say what's in them."

    Councillor Sue James

    The Home Office said there were no plans to legalise drugs and the government's approach remaineds clear - to prevent drug use and support people through treatment and recovery.

  4. New nature reserves for Plymouthpublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    Three new nature reserves are being created in Plymouth.

    The city council is designating Kings Tamerton woods, Newnham Meadows and the Seaton and Lower Bircham Valley as "local nature reserves".

    Council Officer Chris Avent said that the new reserves would benefit local people and wildlife...

    Media caption,

    New nature reserves for Plymouth

  5. Workers to strike over rail guards rowpublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    The RMT union says South Western Railway has "sabotaged" talks over the role of guards on trains.

    Read More
  6. New Torquay scheme 'will get beggars off the streets'published at 10:29 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Devon

    A businessman in Torquay is hoping a new scheme to stop people giving to beggars will, in his words, "get them off the streets".

    John Doherty is part of a new campaign, which is supported by local retailers, Torbay Council, the local MP, police and banks in Torquay, to urge people not to give directly to street beggars

    The campaign encourages people to donate money into collection boxes in shops, which would then be spent on helping the homeless.

    TorquayImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    It's hoped the scheme will bring shoppers back to Torquay high street.

    The scheme launches on Friday, with posters going up in shops in the town.

    Mr Doherty said he was hopeful it would will help the town centre flourish and help home those whose needs "are genuine".

  7. Hot weather sees surge in insect bitespublished at 10:23 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    The hot weather has proved a bonanza for bugs and insects in Devon and Cornwall.

    The number of people seeking medical help after being bitten has gone up, with horse flies, gnats and ticks being the most common.

    tickImage source, Science Photo Library

    Luke Huntley, a pharmacist in St Ives, said people could have varied reactions to insect bites.

    Quote Message

    Some people will react badly to gnats or horse flies, some people might not and just have a little localised red bump. Some people will get blisters, lots of swelling, could have fever-like symptoms, but it’s all down to the individual. It's important that people monitor themselves and come into the pharmacy if they're unsure."

    Luke Huntley, Pharmacist, St Ives

    Mr Huntley said people should see a doctor if you experienced any of these symptoms:

    • Difficulty breathing
    • Swelling around the face, mouth or throat
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Elevated heart rate
    • Dizziness or feinting
    • Difficulty swallowing
    • Loss of consciousness
  8. BBC Devon & Cornwall Live: 13 Julypublished at 10:17 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall for Friday 13 July.

    Read More
  9. High tide times for the regionpublished at 10:15 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    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.

    tides

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

  10. Cave boys rescue diver 'not a hero'published at 10:06 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    British and Irish divers who helped rescue 12 boys and their football coach from a Thai cave return to the UK.

    Read More
  11. No homeless sleepers in Newquay hotel firepublished at 09:26 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Johanna Carr
    BBC News Online

    fire

    There were no people inside a derelict hotel in Newquay when it caught fire last night, external, a senior firefighter has confirmed.

    Incident Commander Scott Brown, from Newquay fire station, said his crew had been at the scene on Narrowcliff since 07:00, having relieved an earlier crew from Newquay alerted to the fire at 04:30.

    The fire had been put out by 06:00 and crews are waiting for the derelict building to be boarded up and made secure.

    Quote Message

    There's homeless sleepers evident in there, but there was no-one in there at the time."

    Incident Commander Scott Brown, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

  12. Cornish MP in 'Twitter spat' with Gary Linekerpublished at 09:02 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    Gary Lineker's come under fire from a Cornish MP after the former England captain took to Twitter to criticise Boris Johnson.

    Boris tweeted he was proud of the England performance in the World Cup - Lineker replied by saying he was just trying to bask in the reflected glory of the team and that Boris "didn't give a monkey's about the sport".

    The MP for St Austell and Newquay Steve Double took exception, and a spat ensued.

    Mr Double said the Match of the Day presenter's comments were out of order.

    Quote Message

    I don't think politicians are any different from the general public when it comes to this. I know Boris to a point and I know he cares passionately about our national sports teams - whether it's football, rugby, cricket - across the board."

    Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  13. Devon and Cornwall officers guard Trump's helicopterpublished at 08:59 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Twitter

    Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police have been tasked with looking after Donald Trump's helicopter, Marine One, during the US president's visit to the UK.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    We're not sure why they've said officers from the Met "would have taken the rotor blades by now"!

  14. Lundy Island cutting down on single-use plasticspublished at 08:39 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Spotlight

    People living on Lundy Island are experiencing a water shortage.

    The tiny island, 10 miles off north Devon, has suffered from a lack of rainfall but there's been no safe tap water for a couple of years due to failing infrastructure.

    The community is now trying to cut back on its use of plastic after two years of relying on bottled water bought from the mainland.

    About £80,000 is to be spent on making the tap water safe again, so that plastic bottles don't have to be bought over by boat.

    Island general manager Derek Green said they were looking to increase water infrastructure on the island...

  15. Busy night for Penlee's volunteer lifeboat crewspublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Jenna Hawkey
    BBC News Online

    A busy week has been continuing for the volunteer crews at Penlee lifeboat station.

    Penlee’s inshore lifeboat was launched at 18:20 on Thursday, external to reports that a person had been thrown from a water craft and had suffered a shoulder injury.

    The casualty was quickly found in the water south of St Michael’s Mount in pain and unable to move.

    lifeboatImage source, RNLI Penlee Lifeboat

    With assistance from the all-weather lifeboat, the man was rescued from the water using a basket stretcher and lifted on board.

    He was brought to Newlyn Harbour and taken to hospital by some of the crew.

    rescueImage source, RNLI Penlee Lifeboat

    Then, in the early hours of Friday, the all-weather lifeboat was called out to assist a 50-foot yacht , externalthat had suffered engine failure nine miles off Newlyn.

    The stricken yacht was towed safely back to Newlyn before the volunteer crew returned to their beds for some well deserved sleep!

    yachtImage source, RNLI Penlee Lifeboat
  16. Weather: Dry and fine with spells of sunshinepublished at 08:31 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    Dan Downs
    Weather Forecaster

    Today it will be mainly dry and fine with spells of sunshine.

    The odd sharp shower cannot be completely ruled out, though.

    Maximum temperature: 22C (72F).

    Weather
  17. Devon mum's fight to bring her partner homepublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 13 July 2018

    BBC Spotlight

    A Devon mum's hoping to be reunited with her Indian fiance after the Home Office overturned its own decision to refuse him a visa.

    Catherine Middleditch has spent the last two years in-and-out of the country with partner Jai Singh, but his most recent visa application was turned down.

    She says their little girl has been crying for her dad every night ever since.

    Now the Home Office has changed its mind and granted him a visa.

    But the mum-of-one said the ordeal has turned their family upside down...