Stories you may have missed

Madeleine MillinDartmoor Zoo has revealed the name and sex of a rare leopard cub born in captivityA woman said she had been left depressed and in pain due to the diet drug Mounjaro and the name and sex of a rare leopard cub born in captivity was announced.Here is a run down of seven news stories from Devon and Cornwall which you might have missed.Diet drug left woman 'depressed and in pain'Pauline Miller said Mounjaro had left her…

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South West people say goodbye to GWR’s InterCity 125 trains

Dozens of people have watched the final South West service of a type of high-speed train after almost 50 years in operation.People gathered at Plymouth Railway Station on Saturday as Great Western Railway (GWR) retired its high-speed InterCity 125 trains.GWR said The Castle Class locomotives and Mark 3 coaches had been in service since 1976. People gathered for the final service in Plymouth, which was part of a round trip between the city and Penzance.Craig Munday, mobile operations…

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Man, 23, dies in Plympton motorbike crash

A 23-year-old motorbike rider has died following a crash involving a car. Devon and Cornwall Police said a black Nissan car and a blue Suzuki motorbike were involved in a crash at about 13:40 GMT at Boringdon Hill, Plympton, Devon, on Saturday.The force said the biker, a local man, died at the scene. His next of kin have been told. Police said the people in the car were not injured. It said it had made a mandatory referral…

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£1.4m Seaton coastal scheme ‘will protect clifftop homes’

A £1.4m coastal protection scheme has been completed in a bid to provide stronger protection for cliff-top homes and public spaces. The project at Seaton hole, led by South West Flood and Coastal (SWFaC), included delivering 6,500 tonnes of rock by sea to upgrade the cliff-toe revetment, along with repairs to the Check House sea wall.The council said the rock armour was used to reinforce the base of the cliffs at Seaton Hole where there have been repeated…

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Motion called to revise memorial bench prices in Torbay

Councillors have called for prices of memorial benches in a part of Devon to be revised after complaints about charges of up to £12,000. The higher prices are for premium locations, for 25 years, at places such as Babbacombe Downs or Torre Abbey Gardens, and a lower price of £8,000 at Paignton seafront or Battery Gardens at Brixham. Liberal Democrat councillors, Swithin Long, for Barton with Watcombe, and Mandy Darling, for Tormohun, have tabled a motion for prices…

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Additional NHS vaccine clinics in Cornwall to protect against flu

Liam McBurney/PA WireDr Strain said the term "super flu" was adding to concernAdditional walk-in NHS flu clinics are being organised to help protect people against the flu. NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said clinics would be available between 15 and 18 December, after NHS England said an average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week – the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% up on last…

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Devon volunteer doctors become association’s charity of the year

A group of volunteer emergency doctors has been named as an association's charity of the year. BASICS Devon, whose volunteers respond to serious medical emergencies, supporting the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, has been named the charity of 2026 for the Devon County Agricultural Association (DCAA).Each year, the DCAA selects one charity to support - which includes making them the sole organisation eligible for donations throughout the Devon County Show.John Lee, a DCAA member, who cast…

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Nativity exhibition brings together sets from around the world

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestNorthlew Nativity ExhibitionThe exhibition is open for the weekend at St Thomas's Church in NorthlewA nativity exhibition made up of about 80 nativity sets collected from around the world is being put on display this weekend.Organisers said the display at St Thomas's Church, Northlew, Devon, was believed to potentially be the largest Nativity Exhibition in the South West. Luisa Hulbert began collecting nativity sets from Africa, South America and across Europe after her husband, Victor Hulbert,…

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Plymouth artist Ellie Johnson wins award for murals work

A mural artist has won an award for her work beating more than 2,000 people.Ellie Johnson, known as Mrs Murals, was awarded the Women in Arts, Media and Culture Award at The West Country Women's Awards at a ceremony held in the Crowne Plaza, Plymouth.Among her work, Mrs Murals has transformed subways in Plympton and a primary school in Sherford, Plymouth.Judge Trish Caller praised her community-focused artwork and said her application stood out for its impact and strong…

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Man jailed on ‘vicious’ murder of partner in Plymouth flat

Devon and Cornwall PoliceMark Fitzgerald was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 168 daysA man who concealed the murder of his partner in his flat has been jailed.Mark Fitzgerald, 62, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 168 days after being found guilty over the murder of Lisa Paris, 54, in March 2024. Plymouth Crown Court heard Fitzgerald pretended to find her unconscious in his Rendle Street flat…

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Traders relieved as ‘challenging’ Tavistock roadworks conclude

GoogleNational Grid said the works were needed to supply electricity to a new housing developmentThe end of roadworks that had caused delays and disruption in a Devon town have been welcomed by traders.There were three-way traffic lights around Drake's statue in Tavistock which had caused congestion on a main route into the town.National Grid said the works, which began on 17 November, were necessary to provide an electricity connection for a major new housing scheme in the town.The…

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Child reveals murder plot as man guilty in double jeopardy trial

Surrey PoliceRobert Rhodes, 52, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Dawn Rhodes, in a trial at Inner London Crown CourtA man has been found guilty of murdering his wife eight years after being cleared of the crime - after their child gave new evidence.Robert Rhodes stabbed his wife Dawn in the neck but was acquitted of murder in 2017 after claiming she had tried to attack him.The retrial came after new evidence from Rhodes' child – disclosed…

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