Devon group calls for more tests to screen for prostate cancer

Getty ImagesTorbay Prostate Support Association is providing prostate antigen testsA charity providing free prostate cancer tests has called for more NHS screening to reduce the number of men who go undiagnosed. The Torbay Prostate Support Association (TPSA) said men who had the cancer often showed no symptoms so it had offered Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests to men over 50.It said the test was not 100% accurate in detecting cancer but the group argued some indication was better…

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Tom Cleverley: Plymouth head coach ‘right person’ for job – Argyle chief

Tom Cleverley is the "right person" to lead Plymouth Argyle, says the club's chief executive Paul Berne. The Pilgrims dropped into the League One relegation zone on Tuesday after a 2-0 defeat to Mansfield, their third consecutive loss. The former Manchester United and Everton midfielder was appointed in June on a three-year deal after the team were relegated from the Championship to the third tier."We are a quarter of the way into Tom's first season with us. Whilst…

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Torbay Council’s ‘hands tied’ on land access after charity liquidation

A council leader has said his "hands are completely tied" after a conservation charity which leased and maintained coastal areas went into liquidation.Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust chairwoman Barbara King said last week financial pressures had proven "too great" despite the team's best efforts.The trust had looked after nearly 80% of Torbay's landscapes and more than 40 miles (64km) of coast paths and bridleways.Torbay Council leader David Thomas said the council had "difficulty from a legal perspective" with…

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Exhibition displays Devon and Cornwall homelessness experiences

Helen Munro BerrySouth WestBBCPeople can see the display across Devon and Cornwall until Thursday 4 DecemberA touring installation documenting the stories of homeless people in Devon and Cornwall is touring the counties.The Methodist Church said its Let's Face It! exhibition used audio and posters to invite visitors to engage with the realities of individuals facing housing instability.YMCA Cornwall, which supports young people at risk of homelessness, raised £157,000 with its recent housing campaign aiming to offer more accommodation…

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Tom Cleverley: Plymouth boss says he doesn’t have ‘nine lives’

Plymouth have won four of their 14 league matches under Cleverley so far this season, with their last victory - 4-0 at Burton - on 27 September. They have conceded more goals - 25 - than any other club in the league and Cleverley conceded that while it is still early in the season, his side are in a relegation battle. "I don't think there's any part of our performances or consistency to allude to that we're not…

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Blaze at Bideford terraced home tackled by firefighters

Firefighters have battled a blaze at a terraced home overnight.Devon and Somerset Fire Service said its crews were called out to Honestone Street in Bideford, Devon, at about 20:15 GMT on Tuesday after reports of a two-storey building "well alight".Paramedics and police officers attended the scene and nearby homes were evacuated.A fire service spokesperson said at 05:15 on Wednesday crews had put out the flames but remained at the scene to carry out dampening down work.Devon and Cornwall…

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Devon riding group marks 40 years of ‘horse therapy’

BBCVanessa Tomas has been attending the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group in Devon for 34 yearsA woman who uses an equestrian facility for the disabled said riding was a form of therapy which gave her "freedom and movement".Vanessa Tomas, 46, who has a neurodevelopmental disorder called Global Developmental Delay (GDD), has been part of the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group for 34 years.The equestrian group, part of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA),…

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Devon conservation charity liquidation sparks fears for reserve

Torbay Coast and Countryside TrustAlex Foley said many people were worried about the future of Berry Head National Nature ReserveConcerns have been raised over the future of a nature reserve after a conservation charity entered liquidation.Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust chairwoman Barbara King said on Friday financial pressures had proven "too great" despite the charity's best efforts.The trust looked after Berry Head National Nature Reserve and other sites including Cockington Country Park and Occombe Farm.Alex Foley, who runs…

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Calls for for MP Rebecca Smith to quit Plymouth City Council

Alison StephensonLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceRebecca Smith's OfficeSouth West Devon MP Rebecca Smith (standing) says she will step down as a councillor in 2026Two city council members have called for another member to resign because she is also an MP.Rebecca Smith, who represents Plymstock Radford on Plymouth City Council and was elected as South West Devon MP in 2024, was scheduled to attend meetings on 16 May, 2 June and 15 September but sent apologies.Independent councillors Patrick Nicholson and…

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Exeter councillor who attended asylum protest cleared of bullying

Miles DavisDevon political reporterBBCAlison Sheridan, a Conservative member of Exeter City Council, has been cleared of all accusations against her.A councillor who attended a protest against the use of a hotel to house asylum seekers has been cleared of all accusations against her including bullying, harassment and bringing the council into disrepute.Alison Sheridan, a Conservative member of Exeter City Council, wore her council lanyard to a protest outside a hotel in Exeter.The council found Sheridan had "exercised her…

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England v Australia: Luke Cowan-Dickie on prospect of winning 50th cap

"I didn't really have a 50th in my head when I came back playing. I didn't think me playing for England would be a thing again."For it to potentially happen this autumn, it is going to be huge trying not to let it get to me."There were a couple of times with the specialist when we didn't know if playing was going to be the right thing."But I stuck at it because rugby is such a big part…

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Ayman Benarous: ‘Freak’ knee injury rules out Plymouth midfielder

Plymouth Argyle could be without five of the squad that lost to Exeter City last week for the trip to Mansfield on Tuesday night. Argyle will be without suspended Matthew Sorinola and Alex Mitchell is absent on compassionate grounds. Joe Edwards and Bradley Ibrahim face late fitness tests while Ayman Benarous will be missing for up to six weeks after sustaining what head coach Tom Cleverley described as a '"freak training injury" to his knee."It's an action that…

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