Flooding from heavy rain closes rail line in Devon

A rail line in Devon has been closed due to flooding after heavy rain. Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple have been cancelled and the disruption was expected to last until Tuesday. The closure follows additional suspensions affecting the line between Crediton and Barnstaple last week, again caused by flooding.GWR said Network Rail detected water levels exceeding its threshold for triggering an automatic closure of three bridges and viaducts for the "safety…

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Devon and Cornwall trains cancelled due to collapsing badger sett

Train passengers have been warned of disruption between Plymouth and Penzance due to a collapsed badger sett.Great Western Railway said train movement had been stopped after a collapsing badger sett, a network of tunnels used by the animals, was identified under the rail line in the Hayle area.The operator said train services would be cancelled, delayed or revised and disruption was expected until midday.It said rail replacements were in place but that some lines would be "reopened shortly".…

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Singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs banned at school in Poole

Curtis LancasterSouth of EnglandGetty ImagesThe school's head teacher told parents references to demons can feel "deeply uncomfortable" to ChristiansA school has banned the singing of songs from the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community felt the music was not in keeping with its "Christian ethos".A father, whose daughter attends the school, told the BBC the decision was…

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Truro City ‘struggling’ after Braintree Town loss – John Askey

Truro City manager John Askey admitted his side are "struggling" as they slumped to a third successive National League loss without scoring.The Tinners were beaten 2-0 by relegation rivals Braintree Town in Essex on Saturday and remain bottom of the table, four points from safety.Truro have lost 13 of their 19 games in the fifth tier, having last earned a point and scored a goal in their 2-2 draw at Gateshead last month."We're struggling at the moment," Askey…

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Exeter plays key role in new toolkit to prevent falls in over 65s

A new digital toolkit designed to help reduce falls in older adults has been launched with the help of the University of Exeter. The new Falls Management Exercise Programme (FaME) Implementation Toolkit is an evidence-based, practical guide aimed at improving delivery of community exercise programmes that can reduce falls by up to 30 per cent. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC) at the University of Exeter was…

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Gary Caldwell: Exeter City boss takes positives despite Leyton Orient loss

Gary Caldwell says there is lots to be positive about despite his Exeter City side's 2-1 loss at Leyton Orient.The Grecians led 1-0 until the final part of the game when a defensive error let in Idris El Mizouni to equalise before Tyreeq Bakinson got the winner with Exeter defender Jack Fitzwater off the field after receiving treatment.The defeat ended a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions and was just Exeter's second League One loss since the end…

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Cornish Pirates beat Cambridge 52-0 for biggest win in more than five years

Cornish Pirates' "well-rounded" performance in their 52-0 Champ win over Cambridge has been praised by joint-head coach Gavin Cattle.The Pirates ran in eight tries as they registered their biggest win since beating Yorkshire Carnegie by the same margin in January 2020.Matty Ward led the charge with a hat-trick as Pirates crossed four times in each half to secure a fourth successive win and extend their unbeaten run to five matches. "I just thought today we started the game…

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Scientists map the genetic distribution of maerl-forming algae across South West

A habitat-building coralline algae that provides a vital nursing ground for marine species and an important blue carbon ecosystem has been genetically mapped around south-west Britain in a first-of-its-kind study. Using a technique called Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), marine biologists at the University of Exeter have identified the genetic diversity of several types of calcareous red seaweed that form maerl beds from key locations stretching from Cornwall to South Wales. It is the first time such a multi-site…

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Van driver dies in crash on A30 in Devon

A man has died in a single-vehicle crash on the A30, police have said.The crash happened in the westbound carriageway near Pathfinder Village in Devon at about 17:50 GMT on Friday, officers said.Devon and Cornwall Police said the driver of a Volkswagen Transporter, a man in his 60s from Northamptonshire, died at the scene.National Highways said the A30 reopened at about 02:00 on Saturday. Source link

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Film inspired by Devon woman suing water firm premieres

George Thorpe and John Danks,DevonBBCExmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman is taking action against SWWA film about a woman campaigning against sewage pollution in the sea has premiered.Jo in the Water follows the journey of Exmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman, who is taking legal action against South West Water (SWW) over the amount of sewage dumped into the water along the Devon coast.SWW said the film looked at historic challenges the firm had been working on resolving, including the…

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