BBC Spotlight

The National Farmers' Union is taking part in an emergency conference in London on Wednesday about our extreme weather.

While the country is not in an official drought yet and the recent rain in parts of the south west has helped farmers, experts have said we are increasingly likely to suffer from soil erosion caused by climate change.

BBC Radio Devon

Beds have been given out to children in Devon by charity Buttle UK.

More than 30 beds were provided to children who did not have one in the last financial year.

Three were given out in Torbay, nine in Plymouth and 18 around the rest of Devon.

The charity said about 400,000 children in the UK did not have a bed of their own, forcing many to share with siblings, or sleep on the floor.

Buttle's chief executive has written to MPs and council leaders in 10 of the most deprived areas of the UK to ask for a commitment to ensure that no child in their area would continue to sleep without a bed of their own.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A summertime late night shopping trial will begin in Truro later.

Shops will stay open until 20:00 every Wednesday in August.

Truro Business Improvement District (BID), which is behind the initiative, hopes it will boost local trade and raise visitor numbers.

Shoppers will be able to park for free in Cornwall Council long stay car parks from 16:00 and from 17:00 in short stay car parks.

Alan Jones, BID manager, said the aim was to make the most of the large number of families staying in Cornwall during the school holidays.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Three teenagers have been arrested after a man was injured by something "consistent with the use of a weapon" in Plymouth city centre, police say.

Officers said, external they were called to the sundial in New George Street at about 20:30 to reports of a disturbance.

The victim, a 27-year-old local man, was treated in hospital "for minor injuries" to his neck.

Three males, aged 16, 14 and 14, were later arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and are due to be questioned.

Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The injuries sustained are consistent with the use of a weapon, but, as of yet, no weapon has been located.

"If anyone near the area saw anything suspicious, or what they believe could be a discarded weapon, please do not touch the item and call the police on 101."

Image source, Google

Twitter

The lions will not be on show at Paignton Zoo due to "unforeseen circumstances".

It's not known how long the lions will be away but the zoo says it will keep visitors updated on social media.

BBC Radio Devon

The North Devon Show is taking place in Umberleigh with hundreds expected to flock to the showground for the annual event.

Last year, it was cancelled because of the wet weather but as farming leaders head to London for an emergency drought summit it's all about the warm weather and the impact it's having on the industry.

Mark Ley is the chair of the show committee and says there have been "repercussions" on farmers...

Twitter

BBC Radio Devon

In Torquay, Hatfield Road is partially blocked near Victoria Road due to a crash.

Cornish Stuff

Truro's MP has joined a growing number of people wishing to see the opening hours of Truro’s park and ride service extended to help staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, shift workers and to encourage Sunday shopping in Cornwall’s capital city, external.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Three people have been seriously injured in a single-vehicle road crash on the A30 in Cornwall.

Officers said, external a purple Ford Focus left the road between Victoria and Indian Queens at about 17:50 on Tuesday, travelling up an embankment and underneath an overbridge before coming to rest on its side against a barrier.

The driver, a 71-year-old man from Cheshire was airlifted to hospital in Plymouth with "potentially life-changing injuries".

Two female passengers, a 67-year-old woman from Cheshire and a 71-year-old woman from Somerset, were taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, with "serious injuries".

The road was closed for seven hours to carry out an investigation and police have appealed for witnesses.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Image source, Katie Morris

A woman from Newton Abbot in Devon says she has had a rare encounter with Australia's most well-known humpback whale, external.

Katie Morris, who has been working as a medical doctor in Sydney for the last year, was on a whale-watching trip in Byron Bay when she spotted Migaloo.

He is a hypo-pigmented whale who, up until September 2011, was thought to be the only all-white humpback whale in the world. He was first photographed and documented in 1991.

Migaloo is protected under Australian law and Katie said he was a "magnificent creature" to see.

Check out Katie's footage of Migaloo...

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

Talks are being held on Wednesday to try to prevent more strikes which have been seriously affecting rail services in parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union and South Western Railway are due to meet with staff from conciliation service ACAS.

There have so far been three strikes in the last week in a dispute over the role of guards on trains.

The dispute has seen buses replacing trains in Devon and Somerset on strike days, with no service at all at five stations - Pinhoe, Cranbrook, Whimple and Feniton in Devon, and Crewkerne in Somerset.

The RMT said changing the roles of guards and extending driver-only services would compromise staff and passenger safety. SWR said it would keep a guard on all of its services "time and time again".

The union said five other strike days - which have been announced so far - remained in place, pending the outcome of talks. They are due on 4, 11, 18, 31 August and 1 September.

Image source, PA

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Cyclists have been told to not use a closed stretch of highway at Slapton "as they risk injury if they try".

Devon County Council said it was issuing the warning after part of the 6ft (1.8m) high metal fence "to ensure public safety" was taken down over the weekend and "approximately 40 people cycled down the closed highway".

Work is under way to reconnect the A379 between Slapton and Strete Gate after it was closed when part of it was washed away by storms in March.

North Devon Gazette

RMB Chivenor’s Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines are to be given the freedom of Barnstaple in recognition of the historical connections and contribution to the town., external

Gil Winfield, 48, is warned he could be jailed when he is sentenced in September.

Twitter

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

Passengers for the 09:15 Scillonian ferry service from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly on Wednesday are being told to check-in as normal.

It comes after two days of problems with the ship, which led to the complete cancellation of the service on Tuesday because of an electrical fault.

The chairman of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, Andrew May, has defended the record of the 41-year-old vessel.

He said: "I think we've missed four sailings due to technical issues in about 20 years, so that's four out of about 3,600.

"It's just extraordinarily reliable and a fantastic record and testament to the maintenance and professionalism of the crew."

The Sun

A flower-filled meadow in Sidmouth being monitored for Sir David Attenborough’s Big Butterfly Count was mowed into a "desert" , externalby a council worker.

BBC Weather

A dry and partly cloudy start for most areas, though the odd light shower is not out of the question.

Thereafter, a dry day with partly cloudy skies is expected.

Feeling pleasant in any sunny spells.

Maximum temperature: 18 to 21C (64 to 70F).

Plymouth Live

Police are hunting Plymouth murderer Ashley Francis Drake, who has gone missing while out on licence, external.