BBC Radio Devon

Olympic sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie has been visiting schools in Plymouth to encourage young people to help protect the oceans.

The Cornish sailor and his wife Lady Georgie Ainslie have recently become Ocean Ambassadors on behalf of the National Marine Aquarium in the city.

Ben and Georgie will work to connect young people and their families with the ocean and promote pro-ocean behaviour.

Ocean ambassadors highlight how in the UK, and many other countries across the world, young people can go through their school life without learning about topics relating to the ocean, despite the ocean representing the largest living space on the planet.

The ultimate aim is to encourage marine elements to be added to the national curriculum in the future.

Ben said he wanted to get involved after seeing how plastic pollution affects the ocean all over the world...

Three men jailed for protesting at a fracking site have been freed after the Court of Appeal ruled their sentences were "excessive".

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Blevins, 26, from Sheffield, Richard Roberts, 36, from London and Rich Loizou, 31, from Devon became the first UK anti-fracking protesters to be sent to prison after climbing on lorries at Cuadrilla's site in Lancashire.

More to follow

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Police are appealing for witnesses after two men received "aggressive homophobic" abuse in Exeter.

Officers said the hate crime happened on 12 October between 14:30 and 14:50 outside Tesco Metro on High Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via 101.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Engineers are currently digging down to a burst sewer pipe which spilled waste into water at a beach in Newquay.

On Tuesday, Cornwall Council and Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) advised people to keep out of the sea near Fistral Beach for at least 48 hours.

South West Water (SWW) said it was "unable to estimate how long the repair will take" but was working as quickly as possible.

Tankers are still being used to remove water from Yellow Sands Pumping Station but the emergency overflow is still operating "due to the volume of wastewater being received", SWW added.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

The train line between St Ives and St Erth is blocked due to a broken-down train, Great Western Railway (GWR) has said.

Services running to and from both stations may be cancelled with disruption expected until 14:30.

Local bus ticket acceptance is being requested, GWR added.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A 50-year-old woman has gone missing from Ilfracombe, police have said.

Officers are concerned for the welfare of Catherine Yearsley who went missing from her home address in the early hours of Sunday.

She is believed to be a driving a blue Landrover Freelander.

Catherine is described as about 5ft 11ins (1.8m) tall, of stocky build and with shoulder length brown hair with blonde highlights.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via 101.

Image source, DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Uncapped Exeter lock Sam Skinner has been named in Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend's 40-man squad for the 2018 autumn Tests.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland face Wales in Cardiff on 3 November then host Tests against Fiji, South Africa and Argentina.

Skinner, 23, represented England at Under-20 level but qualifies through his father.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Two men were arrested overnight at the scene where a man refused to come off a roof in Truro, police have said.

On Tuesday morning, officers were called to reports of concern for the welfare of a man in his 40s in the George Street area of the city.

Officers said tiles were thrown and "substantial damage" had been caused.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and breach of peace.

A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of obstructing or resisting a police officer.

Both men remain in police custody.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it's "doing all we can to ensure a peaceful outcome to this incident".

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A stag on the loose in Exeter has been spotted in the River Exe.

Devon Wildlife Trust say it may be a fallow dear and and this time of year, they tend to roam "looking for a mate".

Image source, Nikita Louise Davis

Harriet Bradshaw
Reporter

It's increasingly difficult to find suspects of animal cruelty because most incidents are only reported after they've happened, Devon and Cornwall Police have said.

It comes as 2017 saw the highest number of reported animal cruelty cases in a decade.

PC Martin Beck, Wildlife Crime Officer at the force, said it's important if animal cruelty is being seen at any point, for it to be reported...

James Churchfield
BBC Radio Cornwall

A man who has been on a roof in Truro for nearly 24 hours has jumped down to a balcony.

He then jumped from there to the neighbouring cream-coloured property.

Officers appeared to let him move from one building to the other.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Improvements have been made to the "swamp-like" conditions on a new cycle path in Devon – but questions have been raised about the "unsuitable material" used.

Progress has been made this year on the Teign-Estuary Trail with the opening of the section between Newton Abbot Racecourse and the Passage House Inn.

But reporting a recent Kingsteignton town council meeting, Cllr Rob Bovey questioned the material that had been used to surface the path.

Image source, Devon County Council

He said: “The Teign Estuary Cycle Route has been surfaced as far as the Clay Cellars on the Teign. However, an unsuitable material has been used, which only mountain bikes with the widest tyres can use without wheels digging in and riders going over the handlebars. This may or may not be addressed.”

Asked whether an unsuitable material has been used and whether the trail was safe for cyclists to use, a Devon County Council spokesman said that they were monitoring to see if further work to the surface was needed, but it was a "marked improvement to the swamp-like conditions beforehand".

They added: “A permissive path agreement was put in place to enable cycling along the rural footpath between the Passage House Inn and Newton Abbot racecourse.

“The path was uneven and muddy and not ideal for cyclists so we improved the surface using recycled material from the A380.

“We are monitoring the surface conditions to see if further work to the surface is needed.”

Rosie Meitiner was found in the water at King Point Marina, Plymouth, Devon, on 6 May.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A 37-year-old man who died after being hit by a car in Bovey Tracey has been named as Craig Harris.

It happened on 6 October at about 02:25 on the A382, Newton Road, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Emergency services said the victim, from Scotland, was confirmed dead at the scene.

The 47-year-old driver of the car was uninjured, officers added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101.

BBC Radio Cornwall

• In Liskeard, Barras Place is partially blocked by an accident between Coldstyle Road and The Parade.
• At Four Lanes, the B3297 is partially blocked after a car hit a pedestrian near the Victoria Inn. Approach with care.
• In Truro, Richmond Hill and Ferris Town remain closed in both directions between Bosvigo Road and St George's Road due to an ongoing police incident.

Rob England
BBC News Online

A pedestrian who died after being hit by a car that went on to crash into a house will be "sadly missed".

Graham Brinsden, 80, suffered "critical injuries" after being hit by a Honda Jazz on 9 October whilst walking on Southern Way.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

He was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, and died the following day.

Friends of Mr Brinsden say he will be "sadly missed" and "he was well known around the town, often seen walking with his Jack Russell, Todd".

“Anyone that knew him would say that he was always happy, very friendly and eager to chat," a statement issued by his friends said.

Police are renewing their appeal for information about the crash.

John Danks
BBC Spotlight

People in Plymouth who suffer from anxiety and depression are being prescribed time in the garden to aid their recovery.

CROP Gardens is a green space in the city where people are offered horticultural therapy to improve their well-being.

It's run by Livewell Southwest - a social enterprise which works with the NHS to provide mental health services in the city.

Jeff Bowman-Powell is a horticultural therapist...

BBC Radio Devon

• In Exeter, Portland Street is blocked in both directions by a broken-down vehicle between Gladstone Road and Clifton Road.
• In South Molton, Parsonage Lane is blocked in both directions by an accident between North Street and Mole Ridge Way.
• In Torquay, Union Street is partially blocked by a crash between a car and a pedestrian between Castle Circus and Trematon Avenue.
• At Nadderwater, Kinnerton Way is partially blocked by an overturned car between Farm Hill and Saint Andrew's Road. Approach with care.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

Police in Truro say they've made "no progress" in talking a man down from the roof of a house where he's been since Tuesday morning.

The incident started at about 11:30 at the bottom of Richmond Hill - and the man spent much of the afternoon throwing roof tiles into the street.

Martin Roberts from Devon and Cornwall Police said things have "calmed down" - but there's no sign of him coming down...

Devon Live

A snide message was left on the windscreen of a police car parked in a parent bay - as officers searched for a missing vulnerable child and dealt with an injured man., external