A researcher is working to develop cheaper robotic pets for use in care homes.

The gold medallist and her husband, Steve Backshall, revealed the news on social media.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans for a modern eco-home, external have been rejected after councillors agreed that it was not in a sustainable location.

Cornwall Council's east sub-area planning committee considered the application to build the new four-bedroom home on land at St Martin near Looe.

The applicant, Andrew Carr, is a local resident who wanted to build the home for his family.

Image source, LDRS

He had the backing of the parish council, which said the house was "an outstanding example of sustainable development" and said that the contemprary design was "architecturally outstanding".

Cornwall councillor for Looe, Armand Toms, was also in support of the plans and said the site had previously been used as a builders' quarry and so should be considered to be "brownfield".

However, planning officers said the plans would be an "unjustified dwelling in the countryside" and the location was not sustainable as it was a considerable distance away from any other settlement and services.

The teenager "completely lost his temper" and attacked the Staffordshire bull terrier, a court hears.

South Western Railway workers are due to strike for eight days over six weeks.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cornwall Council is continuing to advertise jobs at a rate below the living wage, despite seeking accreditation for the scheme.

On Tuesday morning the cabinet voted in favour of seeking accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation by March next year.

The council says it has already started to roll out the living wage and is now encouraging all firms that provide services on the council's behalf to also sign up.

However, on Cornwall Council's jobs pages there were 12 adverts for jobs which had a pay rate of £7.83 per hour and not the £8.75 real living wage rate.

Image source, Google

Cornwall Council has allocated more than £10m to bring wage rates up to the Living Wage Foundation levels.

At the moment, the legal minimum wage for under-25s is £7.38 while the national living wage - what the government is now calling its minimum wage - for over-25s is £7.83.

Twitter

Exeter City Council has been reunited with a stolen sign commemorating the city's fallen soldiers.

The local authority had earlier tweeted its contempt at the thieves.

Exeter City sign former Gillingham midfielder Lee Martin and ex-Hereford FC captain Jimmy Oates.

Ricardo Dias-Cyrino, a carpenter by trade, built a box which he filled with sex toys, a court hears.

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

A Devon charity volunteer has been cleared of breaking the law by having an emergency siren fitted to his motorbike.

Ian Hopkins from the Devon Freewheelers, an organisation which transports blood and medical equipment, was stopped by police while on a call last October.

The bike ridden by Mr Hopkins, who is an advanced motorcyclist, is one of eleven owned by Devon Freewheelers.

The court heard the siren is factory fitted when the charity buys the bikes from new.

Chief Executive Dan Lavery says if it has to remove the siren from bikes when it is not being used, it causes delays when they are needed for emergencies.

He says if the case had gone against Mr Hopkins it would have affected similar charities and potentially ambulance services which also operate bikes.

He was also cleared of speeding at 105mph(169km/h) at Exeter Magistrates court.

Ridge Road in Plympton is blocked in both directions between Drunken Bridge Hill and Plympton Hill due to an overturned vehicle.

An eyewitness says a car is on its roof.

Millicent Cooke
BBC News Online

A man in his 80s has died in a two-tractor crash near Honiton, Devon.

Police, firefighters, paramedics and air ambulance crews were called to the crash in Awliscombe at about 09:40.

Firefighters found one of the tractors toppled over on its side and a man with "severe injuries" trapped inside, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.

The South Western Ambulance Service says its crews attended alongside a rapid response unit and a team from the Devon Air Ambulance.

Police remain at the scene and the road is still closed.

Officers are working to inform the man's next of kin.

Cornish Pirates back-row Alex Cheesman is forced to retire at the age of 29 after repeated concussions.

Coastguards are searching for the brave woman who dived into the sea off Plymouth Hoe to save an injured man.

BBC Radio Devon

A South Devon barrister wants to declare Totnes an 'independent city state' because he does not want the town to leave Europe.

Jonathan Cooper is leading the lighthearted swipe at Brexit and says the idea started as a bit of fun that was born out of exasperation with the Brexit negotiations.

He and his friends have now written a declaration of independence, designed a new coat of arms and created passports for their proposed city state.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Devon's cricketers suffered an agonising 23-run defeat in their Minor Counties Championship match against Herefordshire at Plymouth.

Chasing 201 to win the home side were bowled out for 177 in their final innings at Mount Wise.

England youth and Worcestershire spinner Ben Twohig decimated Devon's batsmen - taking 4-70 in the second innings, having also taken four wickets in their first innings.

Alex Barrow's 50 was the highlight of the innings for Devon, who still await their first win of the season in the Western Division.

Jack Stephens took four wickets as Devon bowled out the visitors for 181 in their first innings, before Josh Mailling hit 153 as his maiden century rescued an otherwise lacklustre innings as Devon were bowled out for 271.

Stephens took another four wickets as Devon bowled Herefordshire out for 290 in their second innings leaving Devon just over a day to try, and fail, to reach their target.

Lauren Haly
BBC News Online

An investigation has been launched into alleged historic sexual offences against a girl at a former school.

Police are calling for ex-students and employees from Ashleigh Court boarding school in Chawleigh, Devon, to come forward.

Det Con, Rob Poole, said police officers are in the "initial stages of a complex investigation".

The offences are thought to have happened between 1970 and 1980.

He said: "We appreciate this was quite some time ago and we are doing all we can to help the victim.

"We are wanting to speak to anyone who worked or studied at this school during this time period in the hope that they would be able to assist us with our investigation."

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Plymouth 110m hurdler David King has been named in the Great Britain squad for the European Championships in Berlin next month.

Image source, Getty Images

The 24-year-old is one of two British men in the sprint hurdles alongside Andrew Pozzi.

King made the semi-finals at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam and competed in last year's World Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games in Australia earlier this year.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Cornish pole-vaulter Molly Caudery is set to make her senior Great Britain debut.

The 18-year-old has been picked for the British squad for the European Championships in Berlin next month.

Image source, Getty Images

Caudery, who was the youngest athlete in the England team at this year's Commonwealth Games, set a new personal best of 4.53m last month and competed in the World Junior Championships in Finland earlier this month.

She is one of three pole vaulters in the British women's squad.

Lauren Haly
BBC News Online

A 48-year-old cyclist has been left seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash in Bideford.

It happened at 23:45 on 18 July on Kingsley Road, Bideford, and involved a silver Peugeot 206.

The man suffered serious chest injuries and remains in hospital.

Police are appealing for information after the driver failed to stop at the scene.