Author: Jonathan Morris

This author has written 44 articles

Warnings over new year sea swims

Warnings over new year sea swims

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestPA MediaKnow your limits and check the conditions, the RNLI saysPeople planning New Year sea swims are being urged to think carefully before entering cold, rough water after two swimmers went missing on Christmas Day.Two men - a man in his 40s and antiques dealer Matthew Upham, 64 - were reported missing from a swim at Budleigh Salterton in Devon.The RNLI said winter sea temperatures of 6-10C (42.8-50F), far below the 15C (59F) point where cold…

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Man, 36, arrested over attempted murder

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing left another man seriously injured.Officers said they were called to Cowick Street in Exeter at about 16:30 GMT following reports of a violent assault. A man in his 30s was found with suspected knife wounds and taken to hospital, said the Devon and Cornwall force. His injuries have been described as life-changing.A 36-year-old man from Exeter was arrested at the scene and remains in custody.Cordons…

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Drivers in Truro warned over ‘morning after’ drink-driving

Drivers in Truro warned over ‘morning after’ drink-driving

Police in Cornwall have been stopping motorists as part of a 'morning after' drink-drive operation which is taking place over the Christmas season.Officers set up a roadside site in Truro to pull in vehicles and carry out breath tests on drivers. A total of 20 drivers were tested over a 90-minute period and all of them produced a negative result.PC Dave Langley, road casualty reduction officer for Cornwall, said: "If you drink the night before, chances are you're…

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Monster wave brings record hope for Devon surfer Laura Crane

Monster wave brings record hope for Devon surfer Laura Crane

Laura Crane drops into the monster wave at Nazare in PortugalA surfer hopes she has made it into the record books after potentially riding the biggest wave taken on by a woman.Laura Crane, 30, from Devon, was launched into a towering wall of water she described as "one of the most perfect big waves" she had ever surfed after competing at the Nazare Big Wave Challenge in Portugal on Saturday.The wave is being assessed by the Big Wave…

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Devon veteran’s years of struggle after leaving Army

Devon veteran’s years of struggle after leaving Army

Help for HeroesChris Jone was forced to leave the Army Air Corps at just 25 after a training accidentA former soldier has spoken about the loneliness he faced after leaving the Army, as a leading veterans' charity warns thousands will spend Christmas alone.Chris Jones, 52, from Ivybridge in Devon, was forced to leave the Army Air Corps at just 25 after a training accident shattered his left foot, damaged his Achilles tendon, broke his right ankle and tore…

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Devon student lands rugby world cup dream job

Devon student lands rugby world cup dream job

A Devon student refused to let a devastating knee injury stop her from seizing a dream role at the Women's Rugby World Cup.Ashleigh Rollins, 20, from South Molton, spent four weeks working as a paid media intern for World Rugby at Sandy Park in Exeter during the tournament, while waiting for surgery on a ruptured ligament and torn meniscus."It was incredible being picked for the internship and I was determined nothing would get in my way," said Ms…

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Daughter’s joy as hidden motorbike engine found in Kingskerswell

Daughter’s joy as hidden motorbike engine found in Kingskerswell

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestSally OliverSally Oliver with father Peter who she believes could have hidden other itemsA woman whose late father hid a motorbike engine under the floorboards decades ago has been reunited with the memento.Mark Chard was working on pipework in Kingskerswell, Devon, when he discovered the MZ engine alongside a handwritten letter from Peter Oliver, a devoted motorcycle enthusiast. Sally Oliver said the engine "was a piece of Dad's spirit" would take pride of place in her…

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‘Horror’ as Honiton cattle left to die in slurry and scrap

‘Horror’ as Honiton cattle left to die in slurry and scrap

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestTrading Standards/Environment AgencyDomestic waste, scrap metal, broken concrete and abandoned vehicles were foundA farmer has been given a life-long ban from keeping livestock after inspectors uncovered scenes described in court as "like a horror movie".David Rosewell, of Crook Farm, Combe Raleigh near Honiton, pleaded guilty to a string of animal welfare and environmental offences.Exeter Magistrates Court heard how inspectors from Trading Standards, the Environment Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency found decomposing cattle carcasses,…

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Devon care home fined £200K after two disabled residents drowned

Devon care home fined £200K after two disabled residents drowned

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestDevon and Cornwall PoliceAlison Tilsley, 63, and former rugby player Alex Wood, 43, died in the incidentA care home has been ordered to pay more than £200,000 after two wheelchair users drowned and a third was seriously hurt when a leaking boat capsized during a day trip.Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Burdon Grange Care Home, near Beaworthy in Devon, failed to carry out basic safety checks before taking six residents to Roadford Lake, near Launceston, Cornwall, in…

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Family’s grief over ‘wicked’ murder of grandmother in Exeter park

Family’s grief over ‘wicked’ murder of grandmother in Exeter park

PALorna England's family said they have a "permanent empty void" because they miss her so muchThe family of a woman who was murdered by a stranger in a park say they will "never come to terms with the death of such a wonderful lady".Lorna England, 74, was murdered as she walked home from a shopping errand through Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter in February 2023.Her family spoke after Philip Spinney, senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, concluded…

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Tributes paid to former Plymouth MP Oliver Colvile

Tributes paid to former Plymouth MP Oliver Colvile

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestBBCOliver Colvile was loved on all sides of the House of Commons, said Conservative former minister Graham StuartTributes have been paid in Parliament to former Conservative MP Oliver Colvile, who has died aged 64.Mr Colvile represented Plymouth Sutton and Devonport from 2010 to 2017. He was known for his advocacy for hedgehogs and in 2015 called for the animals to become a national symbol of the UK.His death was announced in the House of Commons, with…

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Quest for more Devon film locations worthy of Harry Potter

Quest for more Devon film locations worthy of Harry Potter

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestAidan Monaghan/HBODominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter in the TV series which has been filmed in the South WestAn organisation supporting film productions in Devon is on a mission to map out the county's most film-worthy locations, building a comprehensive database to attract more productions to the region. From windswept moors to chocolate-box villages, the film office is working to ensure Devon's landscapes are front and centre in the UK's screen industry.Recent high-profile productions such as a…

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