The coastguard was alerted to reports of a floating object about 1.5 miles (2.4km) off Gunwalloe in West Cornwall.

The Mullion Coastguard Rescue Team, Penlee Lifeboat, and Coastguard Rescue Helicopter were deployed at about 11:00.

After shore sightings of the object by the team, the lifeboat crew found the man clinging to an upturned kayak.

The kayak was half full with water, but he had managed to secure it to a crab pot to prevent drifting.

The man, suffering from extreme hypothermia, was taken by lifeboat to Poldhu and then transferred to Treliske hospital by helicopter. No details of his condition are known.

The UK government announced that all forms of water sports practised on open waterways, including sailing, canoeing, rowing, kayaking, surfing and paddle-boarding, were allowed from 13 May, under its relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown.

Jenny Walrond
Health Correspondent, BBC Spotlight

NHS England has announced there were no new deaths related to coronavirus in hospitals in the South West of England.

It is the first time in 55 days that none have been reported.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Beach car parks at beauty spots in the South Hams are set to reopen this weekend.

South Hams District Council initially closed council-run car parks at North Sands, Slapton and Bigbury (pictured) in response to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, but the new government guidance issued now says that you can now "drive to outdoor open spaces, including beaches and beauty spots".

As a result, the council has taken the decision to reopen the car parks, and they plan to have the public toilets reopened by the May Bank Holiday weekend as well.

Image source, Glen Denny/Geograph, via LDRS

To help the public visit beaches safely, the council is strongly advising users to download and pay using the RingGo app "whenever possible to minimise the risk of the spread of Covid-19".

Keith Baldry, Executive Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said it would "take us a little longer to open public toilets" but there were plans to "reopen toilets at North Sands, Bigbury and Slapton in time for the next May Bank Holiday".

BBC Radio Cornwall

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to more delays on the major refurbishment of the Hall for Cornwall.

The theatre closed in June 2018 and was due to reopen in the autumn after a multimillion-pound revamp, but the build has suffered setbacks and, last month, came to a complete stop because of the lockdown.

Creative Director Julien Boast said the aim was to open next spring and, despite the fact audiences might need to be smaller because of social distancing, he said managers hoped ticket prices would not be going up as a result.

Image source, Hall for Cornwall

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

Devon County Council says it understands "a lot of people will be disappointed" with the postponement of the Tour of Britain 2020 cycle race, but added the "safety for spectators, the riders and the organisers of the race is paramount".

Britain's biggest professional cycle racewas to begin on 6 September with a 105-mile first stage through Cornwall, before its estimated 120 riders went on to Devon - from Sherford to Exeter - for the next stage the following day.

Organisers said the decision was taken after "careful consideration" by British Cycling, along with the various stage hosts, sponsors and partners

Councillor Stuart Hughes said: "I’m sure everyone can appreciate the amount of thought that has gone into making this decision, and everyone involved in the planning of the race is agreed that it is the right thing to do."

He added the county was looking forward to welcoming the tour back in 2021.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

People should still "think twice" when they leave the house, despite the relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules, the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall has said, external.

Under the new rules in England, people can now spend more time outside, and physically-distanced sports are permitted.

Two people from different households can meet in outdoor settings, such as parks, as long as they stay more than 2m (6ft 6in) apart.

Shaun Sawyer said the latest amendments meant his officers had "no role in enforcing social distancing, wearing of masks or distance of travel as the government have made it clear that there are no longer restrictions on how far people can travel to exercise or for open air recreation".

He said the changes meant that "personal responsibility is now key", adding: "We are continuing to ask the public to 'think twice' when they leave the house; is it safe and is it fair?"

Anyone considering travelling in the counties should "wait just a little longer" as cafes and restaurants were closed, there was a lack of open facilities and lifeguards are not patrolling all the beaches they previously would.

He said residents in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly should be able to "enjoy the extra independence you have been given in relation to exercise and open air recreation, but we want you to do so safely" as people's "actions count and can affect others".

He also said that feedback from within communities was "that they would prefer each other to stay local".

Amy Gladwell
BBC News Online

A brood of rainbow-coloured hens have been "brightening everyone's day" on a Cornish coastal walk during the coronavirus restrictions.

The hens live on a farm at Perranporth and have had their tail feathers coloured with livestock spray, as a sign of solidarity to key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Image source, Davina Foster

Twitter

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

Any water users should put "safety first, please", a senior Devon and Cornwall Police officer has said.

Ch Supt Glen Mayhew's comments come after the easing of some lockdown restrictions in England mean people can spend more time outside.

He said he understood people would be "all excited" to be heading back to the water, but safety in the sea and with boats, plus the need to keep social distancing, should not be forgotten.

"Enjoy the coast, but let’s not take risks," he said.

Andrew Segal
BBC South West

The 2020 Tour of Britain cycle race, which was due to start in Cornwall for the first time, has been postponed until 2021, Cornwall Council has said.

Britain's biggest professional cycle race was to begin on 6 September with a 105-mile first stage through Cornwall, with an estimated 120 riders going from Penzance to Bodmin, before moving on to Devon for the next stage the day after.

The council said the decision had been taken after "careful consideration" by British Cycling, along with the various stage hosts, and they decided "it would be impossible to manage a safe race this year in light of the current Covid-19 restrictions".

Tim Dwelly, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for culture said it was "disappointing" but "there really was no choice for the organisers".

He said: "Hosting an event like the Tour of Britain takes a lot of hard work and preparation. The postponement of the race is an understandable development as we are dealing with the effects of a global pandemic."

BBC Radio Cornwall

Image source, Cornwall Community Foundation

Community groups in Cornwall are to get a share of more than £1m raised by the Cornwall Community Foundation.

The foundation said it started its coronavirus emergency appeal barely two months ago and that about half of the donors were from outside the county.

Chief executive Tamas Haydu says it's been a brilliant response.

Devon County Council has appealed for people to avoid queueing on the roads when visiting recently reopened recycling centres.

There are increasing problems of traffic queuing back onto main road, causing a "safety problem" for road users, the council said.

Both Sidmouth and Exmouth recycling centres had to close temporarily on Tuesday to disperse the queues.

The centres have reopened just for essential trips and only cars are currently allowed on site currently.

However, social distancing means the number of vehicles safely allowed within the sites is roughly a third to a half the usual capacity, the council clarified.

BBC Spotlight

People need to be alert to the threat posed by cyber-criminals during the Covid-19 lockdown, Devon and Cornwall Police have said.

With many more people working from home than normal, there was more risk of being scammed by thieves targeting weaknesses in online systems, officers said.

Nearly 700 people lost a total of almost £300,000 in a nationwide scam in March and April, after putting down deposits for pets they had seen advertised online.

Fake emails from HM Revenue and Customs about tax rebates because of Covid-19 have also been reported.

The zoo has qualified for the funding as it was at risk of closing within the next six weeks.

Cornwall Council has asked people to visit waste and recycling centres only if it is "essential" for them to do so.

The county's centres are due to reopen on 19 May and will operate with "new safety measures" when they do, the council said.

Torbay Council has issued guidance for beach and harbour users, following the introduction of less stringent lockdown rules by the government.

Among the activities the council lists as now being permitted are:

• Sunbathing or picnics on the beach
• All water sports, including swimming sailing, surfing and fishing
• Using a private motorboat

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

MP Kevin Foster has urged Torbay Council to get on with reopening the tip at Paignton.

The Torbay MP made the comments after household waste and recycling centres reopened elsewhere across Devon this week.

Mr Foster said the government viewed the opportunity for people to dispose of waste safely at council-run facilities as an essential service.

The Conservative MP said it was vital that plans were in place to safeguard visitors and staff with social distancing.

Torbay Council issued a statement on Monday saying it was still working on the reopening plans for the waste and recycling centre in Tor Park Road, Paignton.

It said the new arrangements would include visitors booking ahead.

The centre closed at the start of the coronavirus lockdown due to safety concerns for staff and visitors, and other services were suspended to concentrate on maintaining kerbside collections.

Mr Foster said: “We do need to have a plan to reopen the facility.

"I suggest this is something the council needs to focus on, with appropriate measures put in place.”

BBC Radio Devon

No legal action has been taken against a chain of Devon garden centres which stayed open during the Covid-19 lockdown, bosses say.

Plants Galore - which has branches in Exeter, Newton Abbot and Plymouth - had numerous visits from police, as well as being given prohibition orders and threatened with legal action by local councils.

Owner Tony Joyner ripped up a notice ordering him to close at one point, vowing to stay open.

Mr Joyner said that, despite the threats, no action was actually taken.

He claimed that under previous government rules, as hardware stores, his garden centres, which sold tools and hardware, were permitted to be open, and social distancing measures had been in force throughout.

Exeter City Council said at the time that it served a closure notice the measures were aimed at saving lives by stopping the spread of coronavirus.

Garden centres have since become the first businesses allowed to reopen to the public.

BBC Spotlight

Hospitals in the South West of England are testing thousands of front-line workers for Covid-19 to try to get them back to work faster.

The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (RD&E) said it was now getting patient results in just one or two hours, and tests for staff and family members are turned around in about 24 hours.

RD&E Medical Director Professor Adrian Harris said his hospital alone had carried out nearly 1,000 tests, adding that "every member of staff we get back [after a negative result] allows us to treat more people more quickly".

Three more people have died of coronavirus in Devon hospitals, NHS England has announced.

Two of the deaths were at Torbay hospital, while the third passed away at Derriford hospital.

The total hospital death figures for Devon stands at 353 people.