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

BBC Radio Cornwall

A 38-year-old man reported missing in West Cornwall has been found, coastguards have said.

Adam Dickinson-Knight, from Penzance, was located safe in Redruth, the HM Coastguard Portreath Cliff Rescue Team, external said.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Supporters of a church’s plans to create a new multi-use centre in Truro were shocked to discover that council contractor staff had ripped down a banner advertising the project.

All Saints Church in Highertown is planning the 10 10 Lifehouse Project (pictured) which will create a new home for a number of community groups, including those which help the homeless.

The church had put up a banner on a verge in a bid to encourage fundraising for the project but supporters were shocked when it was pulled down unannounced by staff from Cormac working for Cornwall Council.

Image source, All Saints Church

Truro city councillor and project member Stuart Roden said Cormac "tore up the posts and moved the banner on the basis the verge adjacent to the church is ‘Cornwall Council land’."

He said the banner "was torn and damaged and the posts thrown into the church car park" in what he said seemed "very spiteful and petty".

Cornwall Council said: the banners "had to be removed, on safety grounds, from a roadside verge where they were considered to be a distraction to motorists at a popular pedestrian crossing point".

It added the removed signs "were then handed back over to a church representative" and "all reasonable care was taken to reduce any damage to the banners but one of the posts that was concreted into the ground had to be cut off at the base".

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Torbay’s mayor has withdrawn his plan for a special agreement between the council and Torquay United supporting the club’s plan to invest in a new stadium.

The issue has been controversial as the club stated its wish to build a new £30m venue on the council-owned former tip at Nightingale Park in Torquay, close to The Willows estate.

Councillors challenged the decision by elected mayor Gordon Oliver and discussed it at a scrutiny meeting. The mayor later withdrew the agreement and a statement said the club now accepted there was no need for it.

Image source, LDRS

The mayor told the meeting he wanted to support a major investment in Torquay and no site had been identified in the agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding.

But councillors insisted that no developer should be given special treatment and the council had worked successfully to bring forward projects without that kind of agreement.

They were concerned that the memorandum would commit officer time and cost to the project.

The club currently plays at the council-owned Plainmoor ground in Torquay, which is surrounded by residential areas.

Russell O'Connor also admitted taking handcuffs, a baton and a uniform from the unlocked building.

Alex Osborne
BBC Weather

Rain and squally winds will cross from the west on Monday evening, clearing by the early hours.

The rain may turn sleety on the hills as it clears. Clear spells and isolated showers thereafter.

Minimum temperature: 2C (36F).

A chilly day is expected on Tuesday with a mix of sunny spells and showers that may turn a little wintry on the highest moors and tors. Lighter winds.

Maximum temperature: 6C (43F).

There is also a Met Office yellow warning for ice valid from midnight on Tuesday until 12:00., external

Gary Johnson says he is disappointed after his 16-game unbeaten league run as Torquay United manager is ended at Bath City.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

An unprecedented number of objections have been raised over plans to turn part of a beloved Exeter park into a turning point for cars to access a new housing development.

All but one of the 207 comments received after Exeter City Council announced it was considering disposing of the freehold of the 130 sq-m of land at Bull Meadow Park were opposed to the plans, while a petition of 327 signatures against the scheme was handed-in to the council.

Image source, LDRS

Residents living near Bull Meadow Park said they cherished the park, which has ancient trees, a separate play area for very young children and a wide-open space for a variety of park users and the children to play sport.

As part of Exeter Homes Trust’s £9m redevelopment plans of the Fairpark Almshouses, at the bottom of Magdalen Road and overlooking Bull Meadow Park, a small section of the park was proposed to be concreted over.

Exeter City Council’s Place Scrutiny Committee last Thursday night voted overwhelmingly not to support any recommendation that the council should dispose of the land.

The final decision over whether to disposal of the land will be made by the city council’s executive at its next meeting.

Brittany Ferries said about 10,000 passengers were affected by the Brexit initiative.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

A sand plant machine in a clay works in south Devon has been badly damaged by fire.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called to the scene in Kingsteignton at about 11:20 after an industrial machine was reported on fire out in the open.

Two fire crews extinguished the blaze, which left the machine 80% destroyed.

The cause was accidental.

BBC Radio Devon

Devon and Cornwall Police has launched phase two of a campaign to raise awareness of dangerous drug networks known as county lines.

The term is used when urban gangs supply drugs to other parts of the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines.

The new phase was focusing on transport links, police said, and saw young, vulnerable people involved "often moved using trains, buses, or taxis", police said.

Officers are asking drivers and transport staff to look out for anyone showing signs of mistreatment, or if a child seemed to be travelling long distances and was unfamiliar with a local area.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

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BBC Spotlight

A man has suffered head injuries after falling from a cliff in North Devon.

The RNLI Ilfracombe lifeboats were called to Morte Point late on Sunday afternoon, in "difficult" weather conditions, with strong northerly winds and choppy seas.

A crew member had to swim to reach the casualty, who was then winched aboard a coastguard helicopter and airlifted to hospital.

Image source, RNLI

BBC Radio Cornwall

A report into rural services in Cornwall says things are worse now than they were nine years ago.

Citizens Advice has been looking at local services and produced a report called Rural Access which said banks, GP surgeries and post offices were not adequately serving their areas.

However, it added that high speed broadband could take the pressure off some services.

Rob Rotchell, the former mayor of Camelford - where there used to be four banks and now there are none - said communities could cope with the right type of support...

Courtney and Fiona Lytton have put up vinyl signs featuring their neighbours' faces near Penzance.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

Six people were injured and a man reported for driving without due care and attention after a three-car crash in Plymouth.

Devon and Cornwall Police was called to Mannamead Road at about 09:20.

The road was completely blocked but is now clear.

None of the injuries are life-threatening or life-changing, but one man was taken to hospital as a precaution, officers added.

Image source, Al Edwards

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

A Devon town and a Channel Islands capital are two of 71 areas across the British Isles aiming for gardening gold after being nominated as Champion of Champions finalists in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) 2019 Britain in Bloom competition, external.

Now in its 55th year, the finalists of Kingsbridge in Devon and St Helier in Jersey will be up against Durham, Perth, and Castlecaulfield in Northern Ireland.

Truro (pictured) won the top award last year.

All had been hand-picked by the judges based on their exceptional past performance, the RHS said.

Judging chairman Darren Share said many of the finalists were on the front line of "tackling some of the UK’s biggest challenges such as climate change, plastic waste on beaches and declining pollinator populations".

Image source, Truro in Bloom

Elsewhere in the competition, a Cornish town, parts of Jersey and Sark are finalists in other categories.

They include:

• Newquay - Large Coastal
• St Clement, Jersey - Coastal
• St Aubin, Jersey - Village
• Sark - Coastal

The RHS Britain in Bloom judges will visit finalists during judging fortnight, starting on 29 July and the winners will be announced in October.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Repairs to fix the sewage pipeline in Mousehole are under way and will cost about £500,000.

A tanker has been taking sewage away because of a fault at the local pumping station, but now South West Water has started the repair.

Project manager Victoria Hutchins said staff had worked closely with local residents over the repairs which should be over by Easter...

BBC Radio Cornwall

Campaigners in Truro are celebrating after persuading Cornwall Council to install a new zebra crossing on Kenwyn Road.

The crossing will link the Hendra estate with Kenwyn Church, St Mary's School and Truro Nursery.

It comes after campaigning by pupils at the local school, parents and the local community to make the road safer.

Work is expected to take three weeks to complete.

Image source, Google