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Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall for Friday 19 October 2018

Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall

Nurse Lexi Chambers lives in pain from her hammer toes and looks forward to her leg being amputated.

Officers found two handguns, several air rifles, a bayonet and a sword at the 30-year-old man's house.

BBC Radio Cornwall

A new goat meat farm in Cornwall has started rearing baby goats which dairy farmers have no use for.

The Duchy Goat Company near Lostwithiel has been selling its meat to local restaurants and has been shortlisted for a business award.

Fifty-eight kids are currently kept on site and reared until they're 12 months old.

Helen Webb from Duchy Goat Company says the whole of the goat is used for business, not just the meat...

Three of the four closed lines into Paddington reopen but passengers have faced further disruption.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Four beaches in Cornwall and Devon have been named in the full selection of beaches taking part in Danny Boyle's Armistice "thank you".

The Slumdog Millionaire director is asking people to gather on beaches across the UK on 11 November to etch the faces of the millions of people whose lives were lost or changed forever by World War One.

Titled Pages Of The Sea, the work is the culmination of 14-18 NOW, external, the UK's arts programme to mark the centenary of Armistice Day.

The South West beaches included are:

• Perranporth, Cornwall
• Porthcurno, Cornwall
• Porthmeor, Cornwall
• Saunton Sands, Devon

Danny Boyle's beach takeover to honour World War One soldiers

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Exeter College has purchased a hotel in the city with plans to turn it into student flats.

Subject to a successful planning application, Clock Tower Hotel on New North Road could be turned into a warden-controlled boarding house for 22 students who would be unable to travel on a daily basis to the college.

Two previous applications to turn the hotel into an 18-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been turned down by the council because it would "further imbalance the local community, in which there is already an identified over-concentration of HMOs".

An Exeter College spokesman said prospective boarders would be supervised by resident college wardens who would be "permanently based there to look after them".

"As part of the local community, we're very keen to have the opportunity to share our plans with our neighbours, and discuss the differences between our proposed, warden-supervised boarding house, and large-scale student accommodation facilities in the city."

No planning application for the change of use to the building has yet been submitted to the city council.

Image source, DANIEL CLARK

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A man who died in a crash in Torquay has been named as 23-year-old, Andrei Zaharia.

It happened on 11 October on Falkland Road at about 03:30 when a car hit a tree, officers said.

Mr Zaharia, who was the front passenger in the car, sustained life-threatening injuries and was confirmed dead at the scene.

The driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries and another passenger who was in the back seat has since been released from hospital after suffering a serious leg injury, police added.

No other vehicles were involved.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was later released under investigation pending further inquiries.

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

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett appealed against a speeding fine after she was inspired by Midsomer Murders.

Exeter Chiefs run in four tries to beat Worcester at Sandy Park for a fifth consecutive Premiership victory.

BBC Radio Cornwall

The Mayor of Saltash says it's not true he cancelled the town's Remembrance Day parade on 11 November.

It follows reports earlier in the week, external the parade wouldn't go ahead because of concerns about health and safety.

It was then confirmed on Wednesday - by the town council - a parade would be happening, but organised by Saltash Chamber of Commerce instead.

Mayor, John Brady said he received hate mail following a lot of "misinformation" about why the parade was originally cancelled...

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A climber has "serious" injuries after falling on to rocks in Plymouth, police have said.

Emergency services - including the air ambulance - are currently on the scene near Dewerstone Rock trying to rescue him.

More to follow.

A former RAF mechanic who used to fix fighter jets for a living is becoming a nail technician.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

A new pilot project aimed at reducing re-offending by equipping inmates with essential services before release from HMP Exeter, has been backed by the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez.

The "checkout lounge" project brings offenders together with housing, drug and alcohol support services as well as offering employment advice a fortnight before they are released.

It will also allow them to charge a mobile phone and ensure they have adequate clothing and a support network in place.

Ms Hernandez has been working with prison officials and housing partners such as Exeter City Council and Plymouth City Council to get the scheme up and running.

It comes after Exeter Prison came under fire after an inspection revealed high levels of violence and illicit drug use.

It's hoped the scheme will reduce re-offending and homelessness by giving former prisoners a chance of a fresh start.

Steve Double MP is concerned at the time it is taking to fix a leaking sewage pipe.

Jane Baker-Lockett and her twins died in the crash which was witnessed by their stepfather.

BBC Radio Cornwall

An investigation is under way into the cause of a serious fire in Wadebridge.

It started on Wednesday at about 18:30 on the Trenant Industrial Estate.

At it's height, almost 70 firefighters were on the scene and a large building was destroyed.

There are no reports of any injuries, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said.

Crews remain on the scene damping down hotspots.

Firefighters are now looking into the cause of the blaze.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner has said she is committed to "securing more funding for front-line officers" - as new figures show a rise in recorded crime.

Between July 2017 and June 2018, recorded crime was up 17% in the Devon and Cornwall force area, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Nationally there was an increase of 10%.

Alison Hernandez said she was "concerned" about a rise in violent offences, although she said serious violent offences "are still very unusual in the peninsula".

“It’s clear to me that more money is needed to support greater officer numbers,” she said.

She added she was working with her office to help tackle the increases.

• Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2018, external