A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making or possessing explosives.

Held in Truro since 1995, the procession coincides with the switching on of its Christmas lights.

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Tony Drew was crushed when he fell from a trailer while on a pheasant shoot.

Matthew Hedges is found guilty of spying but his family say the verdict is based on a false confession.

BBC Weather

Any showers will die away to leave a mainly dry night with long clear spells, but there could also be a few mist or fog patches forming.

It will be a chilly night with frost for some.

Minimum temperature: 0 to 3C (32 to 37F).

It will be a cold and frosty start on Thursday with some sunshine.

However, it will soon cloud over, leaving most of the day rather cloudy with the risk of some showers.

Maximum temperature: 7 to 10C (45 to 50F).

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Exeter scrum-half Nic White says he has not given up hope of making a return to the Australia international side.

An animal shelter which rescued "Britain's fattest dog" has an even bigger problem on its hands.

Sarah Ransome
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, DANIELA TEJADA

A British PhD student has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of spying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Matthew Hedges, 31, of Durham University and from Exeter, always denied the charge saying he had been conducting research.

A court in Abu Dhabi has declared him guilty of "spying for or on behalf of" the UK government. His family claim the verdict is based on a false confession. The PM said the UK was urgently seeking talks with the Emirati government.

Mr Hedges previously studied at the University of Exeter.

Image source, DANIELA TEJADA

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Rock superstars Muse may have teased a homecoming gig in Devon as part of their Simulation Theory world tour - but no plans for any concert have officially been received.

Fans of the Teignmouth-based band were left disappointed when their 2019 tour included no dates in the South West, but, taking to Instagram, frontman Matt Bellamy responded to one of his fans.

One post read: "We want to do a Westcountry show for sure, investigating Devon options."

Back in 2009, the band played two concerts on Teignmouth's Den on 4 and 5 September.

Hopes were high that another homecoming gig could be on the cards However, Councillor Jeremy Christophers, leader of Teignbridge District Council, has confirmed that the band has not yet contacted the council about any potential concert next year.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A 75-year-old farmer who admitted mistreating pigs and poultry ignored advice on how to better care for his animals.

Vivian Exelby, from Carnhell Green near Camborne, was sentenced to a four-month curfew, as well as being banned from keeping farm animals for life, at Truro Magistrates Court.

Animals were found in enclosures that were too small for them, with contaminated bedding and with no fresh water supply.

Image source, Cornwall Council

Stuart Benson, from Cornwall Council, said: “It is regrettable that prosecution action had to be taken in this case against an elderly farmer.

"However, despite many attempts over the years to advise him, he has continually failed to provide the most basic of needs to his animals. Consequently there was no credible option but to prosecute him."

Exelby - who has lived on the same farm for his entire life - has since retired and sold off the remaining animals.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Major multimillion-pound plans for Newton Abbot have been backed - and they could be built by 2020.

A new state-of-the-art multiplex cinema within Market Walk and a dining quarter of new restaurants for the town are all included in the next phase of the £180m regeneration.

Teignbridge District Council's executive unanimously backed letting council officers move forward to deliver the next phase of regeneration in Newton Abbot town centre, which also could see a health and wellbeing centre built, a new hotel for the town, and turning the existing cinema into a performance venue.

Councillor Jeremy Christophers, leader of the council, said: "Newton Abbot has a strong night-time culture. There are often debates about how people see the high street, but there is a bubbling economy in the evening and a cinema is a good place to start."

Subject to approval and planning permission, it is hoped the cinema and dining quarter will be up-and-running in 2020.

Image source, LDRS

Cornwall is set to play 'international' football after a team representing the county joins the Conifa federation.

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

A Plymouth mum has revealed her battle to get the right education for her son who has autism.

After being diagnosed, he was given a place in a mainstream school, but because of his behaviour he ended up being excluded three times.

His parents say the school did not make enough adjustments to take into account his condition, and ‘one-to-one’ care which they felt he needed was not provided.

After his parents continued to argue the case that he needed specialist education, he was later given a place with a specialist provider.

The boy’s mum said: “I know if I had given up and not continued to fight for my son’s right to be included and said I’d home-school him, then that would have been a relief for everyone.”

The issue was highlighted at a meeting of Plymouth City Council, when cabinet member for education Jon Taylor said it was clear “that many young people with additional needs are not receiving the support they need to thrive in school”.

Image source, Ed Oldfield

City councillors backed the proposal by Councillor Taylor for the Labour leader Tudor Evans to write to the Secretary of State for Education to call for an increase in Higher Needs Block Funding , external- which supports pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities.

It would allow the council and schools to provide appropriate support for children and young people with the most complex needs, the council heard.

Police are trying to find a 34-year-old man missing from Cornwall.

Daniel Clark, from Redruth, was last seen on Wednesday 7 November.

Police say he likes to frequent the Redruth and Illogan areas, as well as Tehidy Woods.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

A fire at an auction house in Devon is being treated as arson, police confirm.

Accelerant was reportedly poured through the letterbox and ignited at Atkins Auctioneers in Axminster on 1 November between 23:00 and 23:30.

Police said: "This caused damage to the door and had the potential to spread throughout the building.

"Police would like to speak to a man seen in area driving a dark coloured Nissan Terrano 4x4."

David Ablett denies murdering Matthew Jackson and said he was acting in self-defence.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

A 75-year-old farmer has been banned from keeping farm animals for life after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to poultry and pigs.

Vivian Exelby from Carnhell Green near Camborne previously pleaded guilty to 12 animal welfare charges.

Truro Magistrates Court heard how a Cornwall Council inspector visited Exelby's farm on 30 April with a vet.

Prosecuting, Kevin Hill said they found animals with no water and housed in enclosures that were "so deep in dung the officer had difficulty moving from pen to pen".

Image source, Cornwall Council

One sow was housed in a farrowing crate that was so small it couldn't turn around.

In mitigation Robert Eccleston told the court how the unmarried Exelby lived on the farm his whole life and had farmed it alone since his father died in the 1970s.

For most of his career, he had taken good care of the animals, the court heard.

The magistrates were told Exelby last had a holiday in 1952 and has now retired, having sold off his remaining animals.

As well as the disqualification, Exelby was sentenced to a four-month curfew and ordered to pay costs of £1,500.