Summary

  • Updates from Wednesday 14 August.

  1. Devon and Cornwall weather: Dry with sunny spellspublished at 08:14 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

    Alex Osborne
    BBC Weather

    It will be cloudy at times this morning with some scattered showers, but it will become mostly dry and brighter as sunny spells develop and the showers become increasingly isolated.

    Moderate or fresh west to northwesterly winds will ease and turn to the southwest later.

    Maximum temperature: 17 to 20C (63 to 68F)

    weather map
  2. Police investigate drones flown at fireworks eventpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

    Jenna Hawkey
    BBC News Online

    Police are investigating after drones were spotted flying over Plymouth Hoe on the first night of the British Firework Championships, external.

    Two members of the public were identified and reported for air navigation order offences in separate incidents on Wednesday evening, according to the police drones team, external.

    There are restrictions in place during the event making it a criminal offence to fly any unmanned aircraft between 18:00 and midnight on 14 and 15 August.

    map of PlymouthImage source, Devon and Cornwall Police
    Image caption,

    Airspace over Plymouth is restricted for all drones during the Championships

  3. BBC Devon & Cornwall Live: 15 Augustpublished at 08:09 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

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

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  4. Historic island fortress with own tunnels soldpublished at 01:44 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

    Drake's Island off the Plymouth coast also boasts a 16th Century barracks once used as a prison.

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  5. British Firework Championships 'a spectacle'published at 01:30 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

    Six of the country's top firework companies compete in the championships in Plymouth.

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  6. Families 'tormented' by nursery abuser's silencepublished at 01:10 British Summer Time 15 August 2019

    Vanessa George, who has been judged eligible for parole, has never admitted which children she abused.

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  7. Monkey skulls found in police raidpublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Police seized 30 macaque skulls as part an investigation into illegal trading of endangered species.

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  8. Warning over toxic blue-green algae in lakespublished at 18:36 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    People urged to check for the bloom which can cause swimmers rashes and fever and prove fatal to dogs.

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  9. BBC Devon & Cornwall Live: 14 Augustpublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

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

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  10. WW2 observation post to be turned into holiday letpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    An iconic former World War Two observation post will be turned into holiday accommodation.

    Plans have been given the go-ahead for the conversion of the Brandy Head Range Observation Post, near Otterton, to create a two-bed holiday let.

    The observation post was built in 1940 on Brandy Head and the Exeter-based Gunnery Research Unit, attached to Number 10 Group RAF, tested turret mounted guns as well as wing mounted cannons and latterly noise-mounted cannons.

    The utilitarian observation post still stands as a shell, having lost its roof, but has fallen into disrepair.

    Sam Walker, the tenant of Stantyway Farm, had wished to convert the lookout into visitor accommodation.

    His scheme was supported by land owners Clinton Devon Estates.

    Brandy Head Range Observation PostImage source, Philip Halling

    There had been 33 objections to the application, with just three letters of support.

    The objectors had raised concerns that it would set a precedent for further holiday development, walkers would feel they were intruding on holidaymakers, it would harm the quiet character of the place, and as it is a memorial to the RAF a conversion would be "sacrilege".

    Supporters had said that it would be an imaginative reuse for the building, would bring income to the area and diversify the farm, and would save the building from future demolition.

    East Devon District Council planners have granted the scheme planning permission under delegated powers.

  11. Woman who killed husband 'not considered risk'published at 16:28 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Marion Hughes stabbed Dr Geraint Hughes as he lay in bed at home in Cornwall in 2013.

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  12. Greta Thunberg begins sea voyage to UN summitpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    The teenage climate change activist is waved off by supporters as she sets sail from the UK.

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  13. Skateboarder's legacy 'will help save lives'published at 15:44 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Helmets designed by young people will be a memorial for a skateboarder who died, his parents say.

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  14. Greta Thunberg to 'do all I can for the environment'published at 15:24 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    BBC News

    The Swedish climate change activist Great Thunberg is setting sail from Britain to New York to attend a UN climate summit on a state-of-the-art racing yacht that leaves no carbon footprint.

    The 16-year-old campaigner has inspired school strikes every Friday by students across the globe demanding more urgent action against global warming.

    Speaking on the quayside in Plymouth, she said the message was getting across, slowly.

    Greta Thunberg
    Quote Message

    I think that is what keeps me going, just the dedication. I know I will do everything I can, and also, the fact that some things are actually changing. I think that especially, the mindset of many people is changing. Even if that is not enough, or even if it's not fast enough, it's at least something. So it's not for nothing."

    Greta Thunberg leaves for yacht

    After the UN summit in New York, she will move on to meetings in Chile.

  15. Greta Thunberg: ‘I can’t change Trump’s mind’published at 14:22 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    Greta Thunberg

    Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has appeared at Mayflower Marina in Plymouth ahead of her sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the US for climate conferences.

    When asked if she could make US President Donald Trump listen, she answered with a simple “no”, prompting laughter from the crowd.

    “I’m not that special. I can’t convince everyone,” she said.

    “I’m just going to do what I want to do and what will have most impact.”

    The captain of the Malizia II, Boris Herrmann, appeared alongside her.

    He thanked Greta for her courage and called the issue of climate change a “race against time”.

    Greta Thunberg
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  16. Greta Thunberg in Plymouth ahead of trip to USpublished at 13:53 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    Greta Thunberg in Plymouth

    Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is holding a press conference in Plymouth before setting sail for the US to attend UN summits in New York and Chile on tackling global warming.

    The 16-year-old Swedish girl is making the trip across the Atlantic on a high-tech racing yacht, the Malizia II, so she can attend high-profile climate events without using planes or cruise ships which emit greenhouse gas emissions.

    The Swedish teenager, who is taking a sabbatical year from school, has inspired a global protest movement by young people demanding urgent action on climate change.

  17. Woman who murdered artist neighbour, 74, jailedpublished at 13:12 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Andrew Segal
    BBC South West

    Faye Burford and Peter FluxImage source, Police handout

    A woman who murdered her 74-year-old neighbour after he refused to lend her money to buy drugs has been jailed for more than 20 years.

    Peter Flux was killed at his home in Midvale Road, Paignton, Devon, in February.

    Faye Burford, 41, of Midvale Road, who admitted the stabbing an earlier hearing, was jailed at Exeter Crown Court with a minimum term of 21 years and a month.

    The court heard she stabbed the artist in the face and neck because he refused to lend her £20 to buy drugs.

  18. Woman jailed for murdering Buddhist elderpublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Faye Burford had a "substantial addiction" to cocaine and "considerable debts", a court heard.

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  19. Air and water exclusion zone in Plymouth during fireworkspublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    Andrew Segal
    BBC South West

    British Firework Championships afloat exclusion zone in PlymouthImage source, Royal Navy

    A marine exclusion zone will be in place in Plymouth and drones banned in the skies over the city during the British Firework Championships starting on Wednesday night.

    Police said the drones ban would be in place on Wednesday and Thursday between 18:00 and midnight.

    The Royal Navy said, external an afloat exclusion zone would be in place in the area of the Mount Batten breakwater from 21:00 to 22:40 on both nights.

    The Mount Batten exclusion zone would extend 200m to the north, south and west of the breakwater, it said. It could be "necessary to extend the exclusion zone to safeguard craft and spectators" if weather conditions dictated this, it added.

    The championships will see six professional display companies demonstrate their skills over the two nights, three per night, on the city's waterfront - the Hoe.

    The annual event attracts tens of thousands to the city each year.

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  20. Greta Thunberg 'due to sail from Plymouth at 15:00 GMT'published at 12:05 British Summer Time 14 August 2019

    BBC Spotlight

    One of the world's most famous climate change activists is due to set sail from Plymouth on Wednesday to travel to New York.

    Greta Thunberg,16, is heading to the UN Climate Change Summit, which is taking place in September.

    She is travelling by sea, rather than by air, to reduce her carbon footprint.

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