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

Alex Osborne
BBC Weather

Mostly cloudy on Monday evening and through the night with outbreaks of rain.

The rain could be heavy and persistent at times. The brisk winds will ease overnight, becoming light by the early hours.

Minimum temperature: 5 to 8C (41 to 46F).

On Tuesday it is expected to stay mostly cloudy with some further rain.

The rain will tend to be quite light and patchy in nature though. Later in the day there could be some sunny spells.

Maximum temperature: 12 to 15C (54 to 59F).

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

Two priests have been appointed to "key roles" in the Church of England in Devon because of their track record in using technology, glamping, and escape rooms.

After a "rigorous selection process", Reverend Nick Shutt will be the new archdeacon of Plymouth, while Reverend Andrew Beane will be the new archdeacon of Exeter, the Diocese of Exeter said.

The Bishop of Exeter, the Right Reverend Robert Atwell, said he was delighted with the appointments, adding he believed that both men would "serve the people of Devon with joy".

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

The death of a woman whose body was found on Perranporth beach is being treated as unexplained, police say.

Police and an ambulance were called out shortly before 07:00 on Monday after dog walkers discovered the body along the waterline.

Devon and Cornwall Police said, external officers were conducting inquiries "to establish who the woman is and the circumstances surrounding her death".

They also released a description of her, saying she had "distinctive tattoos", including a "large Celtic-type tattoo on her right thigh and a date in Roman numerals on her ankle".

She was described as a white, aged in her late 20s to mid-30s, between 5ft 4in and 5ft 6in tall and of average build, and with shoulder-length dark brown hair.

Searches of the beach have been carried out by police and coastguards.

Image source, Google

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

Four beach huts have been destroyed in an arson attack in Bude, police say.

Officers said the fire at Summerleaze beach started between 21:40 and 21:45 on Saturday 13 April.

They have appealed for witnesses.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Motorists in Exeter found their wallets being hit this morning as the inflation-busting 10% hike in car parking charges came into force.

Parking charges have risen at every single one of the car parks managed by the city council.

It is the second rise in two years after charges increased last April, leaving some commuters £20 a week out of pocket after all-day charges went up.

Councillors agreed to impose the 10% rise for all stay lengths up to seven hours in February, but they were only implemented on Monday morning.

The increase in car parking charges is expected to generate an increase of £764,000 on the 2019 target car park income budget.

Four men from Lancashire and Kent are charged after 29 foreign nationals were found in a van.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Children in nursery and reception classes across Devon’s most deprived areas may soon be taught how to brush their teeth.

NHS England South are currently seeking interest from providers who want to run a supervised tooth brushing service in the county.

The scheme would be targeted at children in the "50% most deprived" areas in Devon and would be for children who attend nursery and reception class.

The aim is to enable children in nursery and reception classes to participate in supervised tooth brushing each day that they attend an eligible early years setting.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

A prisoner who escaped from a Devon jail is still at large, police say.

Miley Connors, 24, fled from HMP Channings Wood, near Newton Abbot, last Monday morning.

The convicted burglar was thought to have jumped into a waiting getaway car with three other people inside. The vehicle was later recovered.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Connors should not be approached by the public but people should call 999.

He was wearing a grey sweat shirt and blue jeans or trousers and is described as 5ft 10ins (178cm) tall and has an Irish accent.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Torquay boss Gary Johnson says his team are "absolutely ecstatic" to win promotion back to the National League.

Twitter

These two sea-faring vessels had an up and down encounter when they passed near Fowey earlier.

Have you any pictures or video you want to share with us? If so, please email them in.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans for the major redevelopment of Hatherleigh market are set to be given the go-ahead next week.

Kingswood Homes’ plans to revamp the former cattle market site include 102 new homes, a new market square, an auction facility, a pavilion, commercial units, and car parking facilities.

Image source, Kingswood Homes

Around £1m is set to be invested in a new market as part of an overall £20m investment in the scheme.

Plans for a new supermarket, a medical centre and industrial units - all originally proposed for the site - have been scrapped, though, as there was little appetite locally and commercially for them, and alternative medical provisions were being made elsewhere.

The proposals have split the town though, with a world record charity auction taking place in February to try and raise funds to buy the market site back.

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

Image source, Julie Dowton

A mile-long fire has destroyed hundreds of acres of moorland near the highest point in Cornwall.

Emergency services said the fire near Brown Willy, on Bodmin Moor, was burning on two fronts.

Julie Dowton, from the Bodmin Moor Commons Council, estimated about 1,000 acres of moorland had been damaged in the fire at about 23:00 on Saturday.

She said the moorland would recover but it was "difficult to determine the impact on other flora and fauna".

Image source, Julie Dowton

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

A man has been charged in connection with an alleged serious assault in Plymouth.

Police were called to Princess Street at about 02:30 on Saturday and found a 27-year-old man with a serious arm injury believed to have been caused by a firearm.

Officers said a 41-year-old man had been charged with wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence, possession of firearm when prohibited and robbery.

A 27-year-old local woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident, along with a 46-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, robbery and possession of a firearm. Both remain in custody.

Police previously said officers believed it was an isolated incident involving people who knew one another.

His head teacher calls the attack "terrible" as pupils are helped by psychologists.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

Police officers and charity workers teamed up to care for 29 Vietnamese people who were rescued from the back of a van stopped on the M5 in Devon.

The Rapid Relief Team charity and police provided emergency equipment such as sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothing, to the men, women, and children who were rescued, Kingsbridge Police said on Facebook, external.

The people were rescued after a van was stopped near Cullompton.

Devon and Cornwall Police arrested four men aged 55 to 72 on suspicion of immigration and modern slavery offences after being called to Newlyn, Cornwall, on Friday after people were seen getting into the back of a van from a boat. The arrested men are due in court.

The surplus equipment provided would be used in the local community, police said.

Image source, Kingsbridge Police

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Utility companies should help pay towards coastal protection flood defence schemes in east Devon, a councillor says.

The East Devon District Council meeting on 24 April, external will discuss a motion calling on the government to request electric, gas, telephone and water companies to be mandated to contribute to coastal protection schemes, where they will benefit from them.

Councillor Stuart Hughes says more than £2m is still needed to be found before the Sidmouth beach management scheme can go ahead.

South West Water infrastructure will be protected if the scheme is built, but it has not contributed financially to the £9m scheme.

Mr Highes said: "Utilities services will be protected by such works. However at present they don’t have to contribute and I don’t recall seeing any scheme that’s gone ahead receiving funding from either the electric, gas, or telephone companies.

"It seems fair and reasonable that all utility companies contribute towards the cost of coastal and flood protection works."

Martin Shaw
BBC Radio Cornwall

The body of a woman has been found on Perranporth beach.

Police and an ambulance were called out shortly before 07:00 on Monday after concerns for the welfare of a woman.

Emergency services said she died at the scene and a cordon was in place.

A search of the beach was under way and inquiries were being made to try to find out who she was and how she died, police said.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cornwall Council is set to consult with vehicle manufacturers over the size of seats in vehicles in order to set new licensing guidelines.

The council is also set to have further talks with cabbies over the minimum amount of legroom needed for back seat passengers.

At an extraordinary meeting of the council’s miscellaneous licensing committee, officers, councillors and taxi drivers spent more than hour discussing measurements of seats and legroom.

Officers said that seats in taxis should be a minimum of 16in (406mm) wide at the widest point.

Senior licensing officer Sarah Kent said the minimum width was to protect against smaller vehicles which sometimes have smaller seats in the middle at the back than on the sides.

BBC Radio Devon

Some businesses and residents in Dawlish are asking Network Rail to think again about plans to raise the height of the sea wall.

Image source, Teignbridge District Council

The rise of up to 2.5m aims to protect the main railway line from rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions.

But nearly 60 objections have been lodged ahead of the plans going before Teignbridge District Council., external

Among the objections are that the wall will hit tourism and ruin the view of seafront residents and businesses.