Devon News

Man rowed with carer before fatal Tenerife balcony fall

Man rowed with carer before fatal Tenerife balcony fall

Matthew Hill Health CorrespondentBBCJamie told a care manager to tell his mother he loved her before fatal fallThe mother of a 25-year-old man with autism has accused his carer of unprofessional conduct before he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Tenerife, an inquest heard.Jamie Cole from Bristol was accompanied on holiday by a carer who he left after reportedly becoming upset about the cost of a restaurant bill on 14 January 2025. He was found…

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Plans for new Aldi in Ivybridge refused by councillors

Plans for new Aldi in Ivybridge refused by councillors

Plans to build an Aldi store have been refused by councillors due to concerns over its impact on neighbouring properties.More than 1,200 people supported the application for the site in Ivybridge, Devon, which the supermarket's real estate director Elliot Saunders said was the highest level of support for one of its UK stores, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.South Hams councillors backed planning officers who said the store off Rutt Lane, near the railway station, would be "overbearing"…

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Clean up of flaming Tar Barrels under way in Ottery St Mary

Clean up of flaming Tar Barrels under way in Ottery St Mary

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestBBCA total of 27 flaming barrels were carried throughout the eveningA clean up was under way on Thursday, the morning after this year's edition of an event where people run through the streets carrying flaming barrels of tar.The Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels attracted 20,000 people, more than doubling the size of the rural Devon town, on Wednesday evening.The festivities did not finish until just after midnight, with roads reopened at 01:00 GMT on Thursday.The clean…

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Akeel Higgins: Exeter City derby hero has ‘watched goal 100 times’

Akeel Higgins: Exeter City derby hero has ‘watched goal 100 times’

Akeel Higgins says he is still having to pinch himself about his first Exeter City goal.The 20-year-old forward, who is on loan at St James Park from West Bromwich Albion, got Exeter's second in their 2-0 win over arch-rivals Plymouth Argyle in October.The second-half strike was Higgins' first goal in senior football and saw the Grecians win a Devon derby for the first time since 2019. "It was a very special day for the club. We all knew…

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Devon tree surgeons join clean-up in devastated Jamaica

Devon tree surgeons join clean-up in devastated Jamaica

DART International UKThe team from DART International UK at work clearing fallen treesA team of tree surgeons has gone to hurricane-ravaged Jamaica to clear fallen trees to ensure vital supplies get to those in need.They are part of Exeter-based DART International UK, a volunteer humanitarian response team which helping to clean up the Caribbean country after Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a category five storm last month.Winds reaching up to 185mph (297km/h) caused widespread devastation across the island…

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Xavier Amaechi: Plymouth Argyle winger receives injury boost

Xavier Amaechi: Plymouth Argyle winger receives injury boost

Plymouth Argyle winger Xavier Amaechi could be fit again within the next month.The 24-year-old summer signing has been out since early September after suffering a hamstring tear.It had been feared he would be on the sidelines until the new year.But head coach Tom Cleverley says Amaechi has impressed with his dedication to his recovery."Xav's doing fantastic," he said. "He's really worked his socks off in his rehab. He's out on the pitch every day, he's running at about…

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Service on Exeter to Waterloo train line to return to normal

Service on Exeter to Waterloo train line to return to normal

South Western RailwayExtremely dry weather conditions had caused problems to the speed and frequency of trains Normal hourly services on a rail route connecting Devon and London are set to resume at the end of November after months of disruption.South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail have said they will restore the full West of England Line timetable on Saturday 29 November, connecting Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo.A reduced two-hourly service has operated since August due to…

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Gold bar ‘worth thousands missing in post’ from Devon

Gold bar ‘worth thousands missing in post’ from Devon

A man has said a gold bar worth thousands of pounds had gone missing in the post. Rob Hobson, from Torquay, said the 100g (0.1kg) gold Britannia bar he bought as an investment had been valued at £9,731 and he had agreed a buyback offer from The Royal Mint. He said he sent it by special delivery with extra insurance - where the maximum compensation is £750 - but it did not arrive at its destination. Royal Mail…

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Joe Ralls: New Plymouth Argyle midfielder hopes his experience can help club

Joe Ralls: New Plymouth Argyle midfielder hopes his experience can help club

Ralls admits that it will be strange to pull on a new club's shirt for the first time since a loan spell at then-Championship Yeovil Town 12 years ago.But he feels he is ready for a new opportunity as Argyle try and salvage something from a difficult start to the season after relegation from the second tier in May."After 15 years if you move straight into another club it would have felt more strange than what it does…

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‘Convincing’ Torquay United secure 3-1 victory at Farnborough

‘Convincing’ Torquay United secure 3-1 victory at Farnborough

Boss Paul Wotton has praised his Torquay United side after their 3-1 win at Farnborough in National League South.The victory was just a second away win of the season for the Gulls, who move up to sixth place in the table.Louis Dennis gave the Gulls the perfect start as he put them 2-0 up inside the first 15 minutes.The forward fired in from close range in the second minute before being in the right place at the right…

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Devon to see 1,300 more children get free school meals

Devon to see 1,300 more children get free school meals

Miles DavisDevon political reporterPA MediaMore children are getting free school meals after councils switched to auto-enrolmentAbout 1,300 children in Devon are now getting free school meals who were not previously entitled to them.Devon County Council and Torbay Council have changed the rules so families who are entitled to free school meals automatically get them without having to apply.The increase in the number of children who are eligible also brings with it extra "pupil premium" funding that can be…

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