Ex police officer jailed for stalking 20-year-old woman

A former Devon and Cornwall Police officer has been jailed for four months for stalking and accessing a database for a non-policing purpose.Kevin Davis, 41, of Seafield Road, Seaton, Devon, was sentenced at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.The court heard Davis, who was no longer a police constable, made "unwanted contact" with the victim in messages on social media, before eventually approaching her at a gym they were both members at - making her feel vulnerable and unsafe.Davis had viewed the young woman's social media accounts 100 times, the court heard.District Judge Stuart Smith said they were "very serious offences" against a "very vulnerable young lady".He added Davis had "seriously undermined the trust" placed in police.The judge said anything but jail would have a significant effect on the public's trust.DI Vicky Lewandowski, from Devon and Cornwall Police's Professional Standards Department said Davis was suspended from duty in June after a "serious report" against him.Ms Lewandowski said the department carried out a detailed investigation.She said: "Investigations of this nature are not straightforward, and I would like to praise the victim for her bravery and resilience in supporting this throughout the judicial process."We expect all our officers and staff to maintain high levels…

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Tom Cleverley: Plymouth Argyle boss faces misconduct charge after red card

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley had been charged with misconduct by the Football Association after his red card at Luton Town.Cleverley was sent off in the 72nd minute after protesting against a refereeing decision during the 3-2 win at Kenilworth Road.Argyle had two penalties given against them and captain Joe Edwards sent off early in the second half of the League One clash.He has been charged with misconduct after acting "in an improper manner by repeatedly disagreeing with decisions and/or dissent and/or using insulting and/or abusive words, leading to his dismissal."The FA also alleges that after his dismissal he used "abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official". Cleverley will not be in the dugout for Saturday's game with Peterborough United - with assistant Damon Lathrope and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell taking charge on the touchline. "I thought there was an inconsistency in the decisions and I voiced that," Cleverley told BBC Radio Devon. "I'm not going to be in the dugout on Saturday. I've got a great staff that will take care of things at pitch level. "I'll prepare the team as usual, I'll be in the dressing room as usual and sometimes it can be an advantage to…

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Stagecoach South West criticised for ‘unacceptable’ service

Stagecoach South West criticised for ‘unacceptable’ service

Lisa YoungSouth West andTamsin Melvillein SaltashBBCStagecoach South West said it was working hard to improve the reliability of its serviceBus passengers are calling for action as they face hour-long waits and cancellations on a key route operating between Cornwall and Devon.Anna Gelderd, MP for South East Cornwall, demanded "urgent action" from Stagecoach South West after "weeks of severe disruption" to the number 2 bus from Saltash to Plymouth.She said the experiences residents had shared with her had been "unacceptable" and the disruption had affected their education, income and wellbeing.A spokesperson for the bus company said it understood the recent disruption to the number 2 bus service had been frustrating, adding it was working hard to improve reliability.John West said he had given up on waiting for the bus when he had a medical appointment and instead caught a taxiGelderd said residents had complained about buses failing to arrive, long delays and overcrowding - which they said had affected them getting to work, school and health appointments.Saltash resident John West said he had waited in vain for the bus to get him to a medical scan at Campbell Court in Plymouth."We gave up on the number 2 bus", he said, "and had…

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Derelict building fire in Kingsteigton being treated as arson

A derelict building fire in south Devon is being treated as arson, police have said.Devon and Cornwall Police said fire crews were called to Abbrook Pond, off Chudleigh Road in Kingsteignton, at about 18:40 BST on Wednesday.The fire caused "substantial damage" to the disused building, particularly to the roof, Devon and Cornwall Police said.A spokesperson for the fire service said crews began "scaling down" at about 22:00 but one appliance remained until 23:00 to damp down hotspots. A crew revisited the building at 06:00 on Thursday.The spokesperson said: "Two fire engines were initially mobilised and when crews got in attendance, they reported smoke and flames issuing and requested a further three fire engines plus an aerial ladder platform and a water carrier."Police said no-one was injured and have asked any witnesses with information to contact them. Source link

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Man in court accused of murdering fellow inmate at Exeter Prison

A man has been remanded in custody accused of murdering a fellow inmate in a prison.James Desborough, 39, from Cornwall appeared before Exeter Magistrates' Court on Thursday accused of killing Steven Kempster, 65.Devon and Cornwall Police said it had received a report from Exeter Prison that Mr Kempster had been found dead in his cell at about 05:40 BST on Monday.Mr Desborough was told he must next appear at Exeter Crown Court on Friday. Source link

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Memorial trees planted at Royal Devon hospitals to honour health workers

Trigger warning: This references National Suicide Memorial Day for Health and Care Workers. We appreciate that this topic might be difficult for some colleagues, but we think it is vitally important to raise awareness. There is more information on support and training at the end of this post. A memorial tree has been planted outside the Medical School’s Research, Innovation, Learning and Development (RILD) building at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E) as a way to remember healthcare workers who have taken their own lives. Statistics show that in the UK one doctor takes their own life every three weeks and one nurse takes their own life every week. These shocking figures are a stark reminder that the wellbeing of our healthcare workers is paramount. By joining the Doctors in Distress’ National Memorial Tree Campaign and planting a memorial tree in Exeter and at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH), the Royal Devon University Healthcare (RDUH) NHS Foundation Trust is promoting a duty of care for the mental health of colleagues and remembering those who have lost their lives. Tree planting ceremonies took place on Wednesday 17 September at both sites and were attended by representatives from the Medical School, members…

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Specialist laboratory exploring experimental techniques to improve the resolution of analyses on the felled Sycamore Gap tree 

Specialist laboratory exploring experimental techniques to improve the resolution of analyses on the felled Sycamore Gap tree 

A university laboratory specialising in digital preservation and the digital display of historic artefacts is playing a key role in efforts to commemorate the felled Sycamore Gap tree. The Digital Humanities Lab at the University of Exeter is exploring computer vision and imaging techniques on a slice of the tree to assist Historic England in more accurately dating its age. Specialists in the team have produced an array of models of the wood’s surface and structure to make it easier to see the growth rings, which are used to calculate a tree’s age. The Digital Humanities Lab team also hopes that the ultra-high-definition models produced through the project might form the basis for future interactive 3D representations of the tree. Earlier this month, Historic England revealed that the Sycamore, which was a prominent feature in the Hadrian’s Wall landscape in Northumberland, was at least 100 to 120 years when it was illegally felled, and probably appeared in the landscape in the late 19th century or earlier. “By employing digital visualisation techniques including photogrammetry and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), we have been able to capture the Sycamore Gap specimen in incredible detail,” said Dr Adrián Oyaneder, an archaeologist at the University and…

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Henry Slade: Exeter ready to put ‘terrible’ season behind them

After an off-field restructure began following a club-record 79-17 loss at Gloucester in late April - the lowest point in their worst season in recent memory - Exeter ended the campaign with a win over Northampton before narrow losses to Harlequins and Sale.The rejig led to long-serving coaches Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter losing their jobs as Dave Walder came in as backs coach and director of rugby Rob Baxter took a more hands-on role with the side."Dave's come in and he's been brilliant," said Slade."He's come in with loads of new ideas and a different voice and different way of doing things. I think people have really warmed to that."I'm excited to see the stuff that he's bringing to life - we didn't really get to see loads of it at the end of last year because he came in with two or three weeks to go and couldn't change too much."But he's changed our whole calling structure, the whole way we're playing has changed, so it's exciting."Last season, Exeter's squad suffered twofold from of a lack of experience and injuries as key players such as England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, veteran back Olly Woodburn and Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins missed…

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Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

A study of migratory hoverflies on a North Sea oil rig has revealed their vital role as long-distance pollen transporters.    Researchers studied 121 marmalade hoverflies that landed on an oil rig in the Britannia oil field, 200km off the coast of Scotland. Pollen was found on 92% of the hoverflies and – with no vegetation on the rig, and no land nearby – this shows they can transport pollen over great distances, potentially linking plant populations that are hundreds of kilometres apart. The hoverflies carried pollen from up to 14 different plant species, including many common crops – highlighting their important role in agriculture. The study was led by the University of Exeter. “By analysing the pollen samples and wind patterns, we estimate that many of the hoverflies had flown from places including the Netherlands, northern Germany and Denmark – over 500km away,” said Toby Doyle, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall. “The most common pollen types were common nettle, black elder and meadowsweet – but they also carried pollen from crops including vegetable, legume, cereal, nut and fruit species.” The Britannia platform in the North Sea. Credit Craig Hannah Dr Eva Jimenez-Guri, also from…

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Celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week

We are joining the global celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation Week – an initiative dedicated to acknowledging, recognising, and celebrating the outstanding contributions of postdocs and early career researchers (ECRs) to research, teaching, mentoring, outreach, and much more. The Public Health and Sports Sciences department is immensely proud of our ECRs, whose dedication, innovation, and hard work continue to advance knowledge and make a real impact in their fields. Dr George Pavis Dr Pavis joined the Nutritional Physiology Research Group in 2016 and has a background in skeletal muscle metabolism and nutritional interventions for health and performance. After postdoctoral training at the University of Limerick and under Professor Benjamin Wall, he returned to Exeter to work with Professor Francis Stephens and other Type 2 Diabetes experts. He has been invited to present his latest research findings at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 61st Annual Conference in Vienna. This Medical Research Council-funded study, conducted in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, involved 12 participants with Type 2 Diabetes who consumed either ‘ketone monoester’ supplements or a placebo before meal-like drinks throughout the day. The research included over 400 hours of data collection and 800 blood samples, demonstrating…

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Coral reefs set to stop growing as climate warms

Most coral reefs will soon stop growing and may begin to erode – and almost all will do so if global warming hits 2°C, according to a new study in the western Atlantic. An international team, led by scientists from the University of Exeter, assessed 400 reef sites around Florida, Mexico and Bonaire. The study, published in the journal Nature, projects that more than 70% of the region’s reefs will stop growing by 2040 – and over 99% will do so by 2100 if warming reaches 2°C or more above pre-industrial levels. Climate change – along with other issues such as coral disease and deteriorating water quality – reduces overall reef growth by killing corals and impacting colony growth rates. To understand how changing reef ecology is impacting reef growth potential – in other words, how the balance of living organisms translates into vertical “accretion” (reef-building) – the team analysed fossil reefs from across the tropical western Atlantic region to improve understanding of how reef growth rates vary depending on the types of coral present. They then combined this with ecological data from more than 400 modern reef sites across the region to calculate present-day reef growth rates, and to explore…

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University of Exeter Business School among world’s best in QS Business Master’s Rankings 2026

The University of Exeter Business School’s Master’s programmes have improved their placing in the QS Business Master’s Rankings 2026. The annual rankings highlight postgraduate programmes with strong links to industry, positive alumni outcomes and excellent return on investment. They assess a range of indicators including diversity, employability and thought leadership. The Business School’s programmes enjoyed success, either improving or maintaining their year-on-year ranking position. Both MSc Marketing and Finance ranked in the top 100 programmes globally, and the online MBA, part of the Senior Leaders Degree Apprenticeship, ranked 23rd in the world and 7th in the UK. Underpinning Exeter’s improved ranking position were score increases across all the programmes submitted: MSc Management, MSc Finance, MSc Marketing, MSc Business Analytics, and The Exeter MBA.  Each programme is now ranked in the top 30 in the UK, with MSc Marketing climbing to 16th. Professor Steve Wood, Dean of the University of Exeter Business School, said: “I am delighted that our Master’s programmes have either held or improved their position in this year’s QS ranking, which is a testament to the high quality of our teaching, our hard-working staff and the students we are able to attract.” The ranking success follows the University of Exeter Business School’s recent shortlisting for THE Business School…

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