Summary

  • Amazon ditches painted kids tumblers

  • Plymouth's Sharron Davies defends transgender comments

  • Goat-antelope escapes enclosure at Paignton Zoo

  • Newquay 'crack house' closed down

  • Incinerator repairs send Cornwall's rubbish to Devon

  • Plymouth's Tom Daley is "happy" returning to international diving since becoming a dad

  • Updates from Monday 4 March 2019

  1. Airport staff learn language programmepublished at 06:20 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2019

    More than 70 staff have been having lessons in Makaton - a language programme that uses signs and symbols to help people to communicate.

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  2. Carrying car seats could injure new mumspublished at 00:18 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2019

    Physiotherapists warn lifting heavy seats can cause a pelvic organ prolapse in women.

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  3. Weather: Showers before sunny spells on Tuesdaypublished at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Bee Tucker
    BBC Weather

    A fairly windy night with clear intervals and showers. Some of the showers will again be locally heavy with the chance of small hail. Strong westerly winds.

    Minimum temperature: 1 to 4C (34 to 39F).

    Weather

    Tuesday morning will have sunny spells and a few scattered showers. Becoming cloudier in the afternoon with rain spreading up from the south.

    Fresh to strong south-westerly winds.

    Maximum temperature: 8 to 11C (46 to 52F).

  4. Picture reveals what Home Park's new stand will look likepublished at 17:39 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A picture of the what the new grandstand at Plymouth Argyle's ground will look like has been revealed by the club.

    No date has yet been given for when the redevelopment at Home Park will be completed, but the club said there would be "outstanding banqueting and conference facilities to compete with the very best in the South West".

    Once completed, the match day capacity will be increased to about 18,000, bosses said.

    Impression of what the new stand at Home Park will look likeImage source, PAFC
  5. Flybe sale to Connect approved by shareholderspublished at 16:44 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Flybe planeImage source, Getty Images

    Low-cost airline Flybe is moving forward with its sale to Connect Airways.

    Shareholders have voted in favour of the £2.8m deal with the consortium of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Air and Cyrus Capital.

    The Exeter-based regional airline ran into trouble last November following a profit warning.

  6. Student drowned in freezing streampublished at 16:43 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Rory Cattermole's body was discovered using Snapchat Maps three days after he went missing.

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  7. Horned goat-antelope escapes enclosurepublished at 16:04 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Paington Zoo faced a similar incident last year when another female tur escaped.

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  8. Goat-antelope escapes enclosure at Paignton Zoopublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A goat-antelope has escaped its enclosure at a Devon zoo after getting "spooked" while vets worked on the herd.

    Keepers at Paignton Zoo said the young female West Caucasian tur cleared a fence on Monday, left its paddock in the old quarry and entered woodland "well inside the perimeter of the zoo".

    They added while the tur was not a danger, keepers were concerned for its welfare.

    The same species of animal was involved in a similar incident in September last year.

    The West Caucasian tur is a mountain-dwelling goat-antelope found in the Caucasus Mountains range between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and listed as an endangered species.

    West Caucasian turImage source, Paignton Zoo
    Quote Message

    We know that the best thing to do is to leave it alone, monitor it from a distance and wait for it to return to its enclosure. It is a shy and nervy animal. It is not large, it is not dangerous, but, of course, we're keen to get it back where it should be. It will be alarmed and disorientated and under stress, and we want it to be back safe with its herd as soon as possible."

    Phil Knowling, Paignton Zoo spokesperson

  9. Devon travel: Broken-down car on A38 at Haldon Hillpublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    BBC Radio Devon

    In Kennford, on the A38 at Haldon Hill, there's a broken-down car Plymouth-bound just after the Splatford Split. Drivers are asked to approach the area with care.

  10. Rare seahorse spotted in Fal estuarypublished at 15:05 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    Short-snouted seahorseImage source, Matt Slater

    A seahorse has been spotted in the Fal estuary - which is an "extremely rare" occurrence - according to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

    Marine officer Matt Slater said he was "amazed" when the female short-snouted seahorse came up in the dredge.

    He came face to face with it while helping on a survey of the Fal oyster beds being run by Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA).

    "I had heard that oyster fishers occasionally see seahorses but didn't want to even hope that we might see one as the chances are so small," Mr Slater said.

    "We were all amazed," he added.

    The annual oyster survey monitors the catch rates of oysters and other shellfish giving an indication of the health of the estuary.

    Finding a rare seahorse adds to growing evidence that the Fal estuary is still productive and in reasonable health, the trust said.

  11. Dog and owner return to St Agnes after cliff fallpublished at 14:28 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    St Agnes RNLI rescuersImage source, RNLI/Paul Kimberley

    A man and his dog have returned to St Agnes in Cornwall to thank the RNLI team that helped rescue the animal after it fell off the edge of a cliff last year.

    Mark Harris was walking on the coastal path near Portreath in November when springer spaniel Dexter fell about 229ft (70m) on to a beach at the bottom of the cliffs where he ended up "sprawled and unmoving".

    The St Agnes RNLI team was called to pick Dexter up after it was deemed too dangerous for the coastguards to rescue him from the top of the cliffs due to their "unsafe and crumbly nature".

    Luckily, Dexter recovered from the lung and eye injuries he suffered.

    Dexter with his owner Mark HarrisImage source, Mark Harris

    On Saturday, the duo said a "personal thank you" to members of the rescue team.

    Quote Message

    I am so grateful to the RNLI and the coastguard who assist people in difficulty all around the coast of the UK especially when the reason for the assistance is so needless. All I had to do was to have had Dexter on a lead and this would never have happened and the brave men and women of the RNLI and the coastguard would never have had to risk their lives."

    Mark Harris

    He added he would always "hold the team dear" for the work it did.

  12. Redruth bungalow blaze 'suspicious'published at 13:24 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A fire at a bungalow near Redruth is being treated as "suspicious", police have said.

    Crews from Cornwall were sent to Snakey Lane, Four Lanes, at about 05:30.

    No-one was injured but the bungalow was severely damaged.

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

  13. Pirates duo agree new contractspublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Cornish Pirates agree new contracts with back-row Matt Bolwell and winger Alex O'Meara.

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  14. Old East Devon council HQ to be handed over to developerspublished at 12:28 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    East Devon District Council hopes to be able to hand over its former Knowle headquarters in Sidmouth to developers by the end of March.

    Its new Heathpark headquarters in Honiton opened for business on 11 February but was officially opened in a ceremony last Wednesday.

    Children and teachers from two Honiton schools attended and lowered two time capsules into the ground containing a selection of objects chosen by the children - including local newspapers and magazines - to show today's fashions, future predictions, and information about rural village life in East Devon.

    The official opening of East Devon District Council's new HQImage source, East Devon District Council
    Image caption,

    The official opening of East Devon District Council's new headquarters

    The new headquarters cost the council £8.7m, while an additional £1.5m was spent on upgrading Exmouth Town Hall - where one third of the council staff are to be based.

    The Knowle has been sold to developers Pegasus Life for £7.5m, which has been granted planning permission to convert the building into a 113-apartment assisted-living community for older people.

    Richard Cohen, the deputy chief executive of East Devon District Council, said: "We hope to be out by the end of March, subject to the clearance process we are under taking at the moment."

  15. BBC Devon & Cornwall Live: 4 Marchpublished at 12:23 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

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

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  16. Two sports clubs targeted in weekend break-inspublished at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    The front doors of two sports clubs were smashed in burglaries at the weekend, police have said.

    Holsworthy Golf Club was broken into between 02:00 and 07:30 on Sunday, while Bude Town Football Club was burgled between 18:00 on Saturday and 07:45 on Sunday.

    At both venues, the front doors were damaged after being smashed to allow access to the properties, officers added.

    A number of items were damaged and some cash taken during both incidents.

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

    Bude Town Football Club entranceImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    Bude Town Football Club was one of two sports clubs burgled

  17. Man has throat grabbed in Torpoint assaultpublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A man was grabbed by the throat in an assault in Torpoint, police have said.

    It happened outside the public toilets - next to the Garden Sports Leisure Club - on Antony Road on 28 February - some time between 17:30 and 17:40.

    Officers said an investigation had been launched and it was believed there was a number of possible witnesses in the area at the time to the incident involving two men.

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

    Public toilets next to the Garden Sports Leisure Club on Antony Road, TorpointImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    The assault happened outside public toilets next to the Garden Sports Leisure Club on Antony Road

  18. Teignmouth parking changes review to take placepublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A review of the "chaotic" changes to parking in Teignmouth is set to be undertaken.

    In March 2017, a raft of changes in the town were implemented, including introducing winter parking charges on the Upper Den carriageway and residents' parking zones in the town.

    parking meterImage source, LDRS

    But the decision has split the town, with some residents calling for the parking zones to be scrapped entirely, while others want them extended.

    Last week, councillors agreed a further review of on-street parking provision in Teignmouth is to be undertaken, subject to cabinet approving the funding.

    However, Devon County Councillor for Teignbridge Jerry Brook warned: "Any solution will have to be a compromise as, whatever we do, not everyone will be happy."

  19. Newquay 'crack house' closed downpublished at 11:15 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    BBC Radio Cornwall

    A "crack house" in Newquay has been closed down and boarded up after there were concerns over Class A drug supply and antisocial behaviour at the property, police say.

    Officers said it was also being used as part of a so-called county lines network.

    Such networks see criminals from city gangs send dealers to rural areas.

    It's the second closure order in the town in just three weeks, and it has been carried out via a partnership between Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council and Ocean Housing - which owns the property.

    It means the flat on Hawkins Road is completely closed off to any person for three months.

    Officers said they were encouraging anyone with information about the supply of controlled drugs to contact them.

    Hawkins Road, NewquayImage source, Google
  20. Plymouth's Sharron Davies defends transgender commentspublished at 10:49 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    Plymouth swimmer Sharron Davies says transgender athletes should not compete in female competitions in order to "protect women's sport".

    The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist made the comments at the weekend.

    Speaking to the BBC earlier, she defended her views, said she wanted a "fair and honest debate", and added it was about a "level playing field in sport"...

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    Under guidelines introduced in 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allows athletes transitioning from female to male to participate without restrictions.

    Male to female competitors, however, are required to have kept their levels of testosterone - a hormone that increases muscle mass - below a certain level for at least 12 months.