Healthcare provider Sirona ‘requires improvement’ says report

Post published:November 14, 2025
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Getty ImagesSirona Care and Health serves nearly a million people in the Bristol area A healthcare provider serving almost a million people "requires improvement", inspectors say. Sirona Care and Health, which delivers NHS and council-funded healthcare services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, was told its leadership must improve after an inspection in February. In a report published on Friday, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it had inspected the non-profit due to concerns about quality of…

Special needs support in England faces ‘total collapse’, councils warn

Post published:November 14, 2025
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Georgia Roberts,political correspondent and Alex Forsyth,political correspondentGetty ImagesThe special educational needs and disabilities system for children in England faces "total collapse" and the government must not "keep ducking" reforms, council leaders have warned.The County Councils Network, which represents some of England's largest local authorities, said councils had deficits which will reach £4.4bn a year by the end of this parliament in 2029, as they struggled to cope with increased demand.The government has put off planned reforms to the…

Trio jailed over £26m cocaine haul found on speedboat in Somerset

Post published:November 13, 2025
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Tess de la MareWest of EnglandNational Crime Agency(From left) Anestis Tsepa, Raymond Nuttall and Craig Nuttall collected drugs dropped from a cargo shipThree men who tried to smuggle cocaine worth £26.5m into the UK after it was dropped from a cargo ship off the coast of Somerset have been jailed.Craig Nuttall, 51, his brother Raymond Nuttall, 47, both from Preston, and Greek national Anestis Tsepa, 24, from Thessaloniki, were arrested on the slipway of Watchet Marina in late…

Exeter City Football Club stadium fire deemed accidental

Post published:November 13, 2025
Post category:Devon News
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BBCThe fire service said the blaze was threatening to spread to the nearby Adam Stansfield standA fire which broke out at Exeter City Football Club's stadium on Wednesday was started accidentally, it has been confirmed.Firefighters tackled the blaze at St James Park after smoke was seen billowing from a portacabin near the Well Street end of the ground at about 22:00 GMT.Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said the fire started in an electrical unit, before spreading to…

Masked men rob food delivery driver at knifepoint in Cornwall

Post published:November 13, 2025
Post category:BBC Cornwall
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Two masked men robbed a food delivery driver at knifepoint, police have said.Devon and Cornwall Police said the robbery happened at about 21:00 GMT on Pocohontas Crescent, in Indian Queens, Cornwall, on Wednesday.The two masked men threatened the driver, demanding his bag which was full of food orders, including pizza, kebab, and a cheeseburger meal. They also stole £6.50 in cash, according to police.Detectives have been carrying out house-to-house inquiries and are checking local CCTV footage to identify…

Joe Wicks returns to celebrate reopening of fire-hit school

Post published:November 13, 2025
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BBCJoe Wicks said it was lovely to celebrate the opening of "this beautiful new school"Celebrity fitness coach Joe Wicks has kept his promise and returned to celebrate the opening of a school that was badly damaged in a fire.The blaze at Yatton Infants School, in Somerset, in May 2023 destroyed half of the roof.Following a plea for help from a teacher, Mr Wicks made a special trip to the damaged school and promised to return when it was…

Emily Tuttosi: Exeter’s Canada hooker reflects on World Cup final and progress of women’s game

Post published:November 13, 2025
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Exeter Chiefs' Canada hooker Emily Tuttosi said she struggles to believe how far the women's game has come after playing in the World Cup final.The 30-year-old started Canada's 33-13 loss to England at Twickenham in September in front of a world record crowd of 81,885.She played in all six of Canada's games at the World Cup, starting five games and scoring two tries in a pool game against Scotland at Exeter's Sandy Park."I actually played at Twickenham for…

Prince William opens new access road at Cornish football club

Post published:November 13, 2025
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Prince William has opened a new road he helped fund for a rural football club after the old one was plagued by potholes.Mousehole FC had failed to raise the funds needed for a new access road for Interiora Trungle Parc, but the Duke of Cornwall set up a consortium of businesses after reading a news story about the club's struggles.The club said the new road would provide direct access from the B3315 to the ground and reduce congestion…

Devon and Cornwall PCC ‘shocked’ to hear her role to be abolished

Post published:November 13, 2025
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A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said she was "shocked and surprised" to hear the role is to be abolished in England and Wales.Devon and Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez was reacting to the announcement in Parliament on Thursday in which the policing minister Sarah Jones said the PCC model had "not delivered what it was set up to achieve".Hernandez said it had been "a sudden announcement without any consultation with the office of the PCC".The Home Office…

‘Disappointment’ as meet cancelled due to dry ground

Post published:November 13, 2025
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Clara Bullock and Charlie Taylor,SomersetPA MediaThere needs to be more rain before another race can go ahead at Taunton racecourseRacecourse bosses have cancelled the first meeting of the season after a dry summer has left the ground too dangerous for the sport.Taunton Races has called off its fixture on Thursday, which is the first time a meet has been pulled due to dry ground, organisers have said. The move follows Wincanton and Exeter both cancelling opening meets.Robert Bellamy,…

Unbearable costs taking toll, Cornwall business leader says

Post published:November 13, 2025
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BBCCornwall Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Brown said online discounts were hitting high street businessesBusiness leaders have been reflecting on the fortunes of high street retail amid uncertainty over the future of a discount store.On Wednesday Trago Mills said management were in talks with staff after rising costs and diminishing sales had led to six-figure deficits at its Falmouth branch.Cornwall Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Brown said "the cost of doing business is becoming unbearable" and…

Haven Banks retail park use extended as controversial build-to-rent development not expected in next five years

Post published:November 13, 2025
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The developers of an ultra-high density build-to-rent scheme at Haven Banks have extended the use of the existing retail park units on the development site for leisure purposes after Exeter City Council said the scheme is not expected to come forward for at least five years.The council planning committee approved an application from Coplan Estates and Welbeck CP to redevelop Haven Banks retail park in December 2023.It approved the construction of 423 rental units – including 184 “co-living”…