Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

People have raised thousands of pounds to help the families who lost their homes and belongings in the devastating Scoffs fire at Paignton.

Paignton Chamber of Commerce has revealed the total raised has reached £4,500 following the fire more than three weeks ago in Torbay Road.

Image source, Ed Oldfield

Donations have come in from supporters including Paignton Lions, Paignton Rotary Club, Paignton Festival, the local Co-op, and customers from Austins News, Costcutters and Susan’s Flowers.

The Chamber said it was working with the council, Centre Peace community centre, The Haven drop-in centre and other groups to get support to the people affected.

Search our interactive map of Britain to see where rent is judged as "unaffordable".

Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online

A canoeist has warned others to beware of drugs needles discarded on the river bank in Exeter.

Image source, Google

Ian Widdicombe was about to carry his canoe past two weirs on the Exe when he spotted about 50 needles littering the path and surrounding woodland.

The area is also popular with families and dog walkers.

"Just a heads up of needle-stick risk on the River Exe near the Mill on the Exe pub weirs.....Yes needle-stick!!" he wrote on Facebook., external

"Users have been hiding in the woods and injecting. Lots, and I mean lots of needle caps and wrappers lying around.

"In hindsight it would of been safer to shoot the weirs!! Shocking!!"

He told BBC News he saw a drug user injecting himself nearby after clearing up the needles he found.

"It makes me saddened and angry," he said.

"I just hope something can be done to make the area safe again."

An Exeter City Council spokesman said: “We would urge members of the public to report any incidents of illegal drug activity to the police.

"Similarly, reports of discarded needles can be made to the City Council on 01392 265010 or online, external.

"Once we are made aware of discarded needles we will arrange for them to be picked up and disposed of safely."

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

Image source, Facebook

A farmer who caused the death of a 20-year-old woman in a milling machine ran his farm "with a complete disrespect for safety" and "distanced himself from any responsibility" for her death, police say.

Neil Carpenter, 45, from Dawlish, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years at Exeter Crown Court.

She was operating the 1940s machine at Springfield Farm near Dawlish, Devon, in March last year when her hair and clothes became entangled in a drive shaft connected to a tractor.

Det Insp Steve Davies, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said that Carpenter "from the outset gave information that was inconsistent and eventually proved to be lies".

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Carys Edwards
Correspondent, BBC Spotlight

A manufacturing firm closing two sites in the UK says Brexit "uncertainty" is one factor behind its decision.

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler said the sites in Plymouth - the city's Barden factory (pictured) - and Llanelli, South Wales, were to close within two years.

The company, which employs just over 1,000 workers in the UK, said its biggest site in Sheffield will be retained in its current form.

It is understood that up to 500 jobs could be affected in total. The Plymouth site employs "more than 350 people".

The Plymouth site mainly produces spindle bearings and machine parts for the firm's industrial division, while parts for car companies are manufactured at Llanelli.

The company said the "global state of the automotive industry" was "the main issue".

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

No deals have been signed in the six months since staff from Cornwall Council went to a business conference in the south of France which cost more than £45,000.

The council came under fire earlier this year after it sent six staff to Cannes for the international investment conference.

The council has published a progress report outlining what has happened six months on.

Council leader Adam Paynter said so far, there has been no investment in the county.

He said there has been a lot of expressions of interest and they are following up all of these.

However, nobody has signed on the dotted line, no agreements have been sealed and no money has been committed.

But he said he was confident interested parties would come through and it would bring "real benefits" for the people of Cornwall.

Lauren Scott, 20, suffered fatal injuries when her hair and clothes got caught in a milling machine.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

Image source, Family photograph

A farmer has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for causing the death of a 20-year-old volunteer working on his land who got entangled in a milling machine.

Lauren Scott’s hair and clothing became entangled in part of the machine at Springfield Farm, near Dawlish, in March last year.

The machine had been converted from steam power to run via a drive shaft attached to a tractor. A plastic cover was broken and dented, leaving the rotating shaft exposed, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Neil Carpenter, 45, from Dawlish was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence on Monday .

He previously admitted two health and safety offences.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

A new link road that will reduce gridlock in the centre of Axminster and allow the regeneration of the town to move forward has had its funding agreed.

East Devon councillors approved borrowing nearly £7m to ensure the long-awaiting Axminster relief road can be delivered.

Image source, Google

The £16.7m road would be built to the east of the town near land allocated in the Local Plan for 650 homes, eight hectares of employment land, and a primary school.

The government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund will pay £10m, with the remainder of the cost covered by developers.

The cabinet on Wednesday night agreed to forward-fund and take ownership of delivery of the road and to claw the funds back from developers at a later date, to ensure the road can be built in one swoop and not in stages.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A road in Exeter has been closed after reports of a gas leak.

Devon County Council tweeted that the road would be closed to traffic coming off the Exe bridges.

Image source, Google

The vehicle went up in flames on the A30 in Devon on Monday night and caused travel disruption on Tuesday.

BBC Radio Devon

The A30 eastbound near Exeter is expected to remain closed until midnight after a lorry caught fire overnight.

The carriageway is shut between Pathfinder village and the Alphington junction.

Recovery and repair work is under way and a diversion is in place, but disruption is being reported on surrounding roads.

Highways England operations manager Mark Driscoll said it was going to take a number of hours to recover the vehicle, and then more time to repair the road surface...

BBC Radio Cornwall

There has been a suspected arson attack on a house in St Austell.

Fire broke out at about 22:00 on Monday on the ground floor of the home in Clifton Road.

Firefighters put it out but said they suspected it was started deliberately.

An investigation is due to look into the cause.

A manufacturing firm is to close two sites in the UK, with "uncertainty" surrounding Brexit given as one factor behind the decision.

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler said the sites in Plymouth - the city's Barden factory (pictured) - and Llanelli, South Wales, will close within two years.

It is understood that up to 500 jobs could be affected.

The German-owned company said production will be relocated to the United States, China, South Korea and Germany.

The company, which employs just over 1,000 workers in the UK, said its biggest site in Sheffield will be retained in its current form.

The Plymouth site mainly produces spindle bearings and machine parts for the firm's industrial division, while parts for car companies are manufactured at Llanelli.

Image source, Google

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

An East Devon councillor has apologised for failure to declare an interest in a Sidmouth seafront site at a recent full council meeting.

At the 25 July council meeting of East Devon District Council, Cllr Matt Booth asked a question to the leader of the council about the Port Royal site in Sidmouth.

Image source, Daniel Clark

Cllr Booth, an independent councillor, did not declare that he had any interest during the meeting.

He said: “For a brief period of time, I set up a company in support of a young lad who wanted to save the Drill Hall for the young people of Sidmouth."

"It was my belief as I was promised that I would have been removed as a director of the company.

"There is nothing more I can say.

"Put me in the stocks, I don’t mind,” he added.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

The A30 in Devon has been closed between the A382 and A377 near Exeter due to a lorry fire overnight.

The dual carriageway between Fingle Glenn and Ide was shut after fire crews were called late on Monday night to the blaze.

Highways England said the fire "caused extensive damage to the carriageway".

Diversions are in place and two-mile long queues have been reported nearby as a result.

Highways England has issued full diversion route instructions on its website, external.

Road users travelling from Cornwall have been advised to "use the A38 where possible".

"Please allow plenty of extra journey time if travelling along this route," road managers added.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A man has died after being hit by a tipper truck.

It's believed the vehicle, which was travelling from Braunton towards Barnstaple, hit the 58-year-old pedestrian on the A361 in Devon

Emergency services were called at about 17:40, and the man was taken to North Devon District Hospital, but later died.

His family have been informed of his death, but formal identification is yet to take place.

Devon and Cornwall Police have started an investigation, and are asking for any dashcam footage which could assist them.

Richard Green
BBC Radio Devon

A lorry which caught fire on the A30 in Devon is now a completely burnt-out shell.

The dual carriageway between Fingle Glenn and Ide was shut after fire crews were called late on Monday night to the blaze.

Recovery vehicles are alongside what remains of it.

There are queues of at least two miles heading towards Exeter before the Fingle Glen turn-off, where there is a diversion.

From what I can see, it looks like the road is going to be shut for a considerable amount of time.

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Torbay Council has given a firm commitment that the 2019 Torbay Air Show will definitely go ahead.

Doubts were raised earlier this year when the elected mayor, Gordon Oliver, pulled a £90,000 subsidy for the show from next year’s budget.

But the council is now sending out the message that it definitely will go ahead – funded by sponsorship, donations and income.

Image source, Torbay Council

Senior councillors called on local businesses to help fund the event, which they said has brought in more than £17m to the local economy over the last three years.

The event in early June is traditionally the first major free public air show featuring the Red Arrows.

Last year the total cost of putting on the show was more than £200,000.

Gordon Sparks
BBC Radio Devon

Image source, Highways England

Recovery of a burnt-out lorry and repairing the road surface of the A30 where it caught fire will "probably take a fair while", highways bosses say.

The dual carriageway between Fingle Glenn and Ide was shut after fire crews were called late on Monday night to the blaze.

Mark Driscoll, of Highways England, said they had to remove the vehicle and its burnt-out contents.

Diversions are in place, but queues have built up in the area.

The road is expected to remain closed until midnight because of the recovery operation, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service tweeted, external.