county news

‘Huge milestone’ as rare leopard cub born at Dartmoor Zoo

‘Huge milestone’ as rare leopard cub born at Dartmoor Zoo

Dartmoor ZooThe cub's birth was captured on CCTV A rare leopard cub has been born in a zoo in a "huge milestone" for the critically endangered species.Bosses at Dartmoor Zoo in Devon announced the successful birth of the Amur leopard cub to parents Lena and Freddo.The species is described as the "world's rarest big cat" with only an estimated 120 remaining in the wild, and staff said zoological records showed only 15 Amur leopards had been born in…

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Somerset stained glass apprentice ‘honoured’ by award nomination

Somerset stained glass apprentice ‘honoured’ by award nomination

Beth CruseWest of EnglandHoly Well GlassToby Britton-Watts has helped to restore stained glass Charter Window at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London An apprentice stained glass maker has said it was a "real honour" to be shortlisted for a national award in the centuries-old craft.Toby Britton-Watts, 26, who works for Holy Well Glass in Wells, Somerset has restored stained glass at several buildings including Windsor Castle, King's College Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.He said it was a…

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Christmas lights switch-on events near me: West Country events

Christmas lights switch-on events near me: West Country events

Marcus BootheWest of England Mikal LudlowSanta at last year's The Brewery Quarter Christmas Event With Halloween and Bonfire Night behind us and the colder weather beckoning, people are beginning to make way for a special someone in red to bring a little magic to the end of the year — no, not Mariah Carey.Christmas is on its way but preparing for the festive season can be expensive.So here is a list of some of the Christmas light switch-on…

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New Netflix The Witcher series filmed at Cotehele in Cornwall

New Netflix The Witcher series filmed at Cotehele in Cornwall

Parts of a Netflix fantasy series, starring Liam Hemsworth, have been filmed at a National Trust estate in Cornwall.The trust said the historic estate at Cotehele was transformed into a "dramatic medieval landscape" for the latest season of The Witcher, a fantasy drama based on the acclaimed books by Andrzej Sapkowski.It said more than 300 cast and crew were on site for two weeks in May 2024.Richard Burrow, visitor operations and experience manager, said: "It was incredibly exciting…

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Richard Sharp: Tributes paid to former England rugby captain from Redruth

Richard Sharp: Tributes paid to former England rugby captain from Redruth

Tributes from Cornwall have been paid to former England captain Richard Sharp who has died aged 87.The fly-half won 14 caps for England, leading them to the 1963 Five Nations title.In 1962 he toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa where he scored 45 points in 11 matches.Sharp grew up in Redruth and made his name at the Cornish town's club before representing Wasps and Bristol. "He never forgot his roots, I remember him always…

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Devon ‘Frankenstein trees’ offer safe haven for wildlife

Devon ‘Frankenstein trees’ offer safe haven for wildlife

Dead trees and branches have been bolted together to make homes for wildlife.Conservation charity the Woodland Trust said the "Frankenstein trees" were hauled from Kingsettle Wood in Dorset to Yonder Oak in Devon and placed along the flight path of barn owls, sparrowhawks and kestrels.They said the deadwood would offer a safe perch for the "magnificent" birds of prey.Sam Hamer, the charity's site manager, said: "By bolting on extra branches from other dead trees and then slashing them…

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A look ahead to remembrance events across the South

A look ahead to remembrance events across the South

Getty ImagesServices and parades are taking place across the regionServices are due to take place across the south of England as towns and cities fall silent to remember those who died while serving in the armed forces.Residents will gather in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for events to mark Remembrance Sunday, held on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day.Here are some of the services and parades taking place in the region.Isle of WightThe County…

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South farmers fear bird flu would be ‘game over’

South farmers fear bird flu would be ‘game over’

Neranjana ElapathaSouth of EnglandChallen ChickensJerome Challen houses 12,000 hens in Maidenhead and Taplow Farmers across the south of England are bracing for possible bird flu outbreaks after the government issued new rules to contain the virus.A mandatory housing order means anyone who has more than 50 birds must keep them inside to lower the risk of avian influenza spreading.The government said the measure, introduced this week, would "bring the rates of infection down from the high we are…

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Lyn Parry: Amateur golfer aged 74 makes three holes-in-one within a month

Lyn Parry: Amateur golfer aged 74 makes three holes-in-one within a month

An English amateur golfer in her mid-seventies has made three holes-in-one in a month.Lyn Parry achieved the feat during October with two at her home club Downes Crediton in Devon, before completing the hat-trick at Tiverton Golf Club.Parry had previously made two holes-in-one since taking up the sport aged 58, lifting her tally to five.The odds of three in a month were estimated at 1.95 trillion to one by England Golf."The holes-in-one have just come along a bit…

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Bridgwater carnival attack leaves victim with fractured jaw

Bridgwater carnival attack leaves victim with fractured jaw

A man has been left with "potentially life-changing injuries" after being assaulted at a carnival event.Avon and Somerset Police said the man, in his late 20s, was attacked during Bridgwater Carnival in Somerset on Saturday, 1 November. After the incident, on the High Street, he was taken to hospital for surgery on a fractured cheekbone and his right eye, and may need to now wear glasses for the rest of his life, the force added.Det Con Charlotte Couch…

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Penrith man jailed for 10 years for cocaine plot role

Penrith man jailed for 10 years for cocaine plot role

Cumbria PoliceAndrew Bell was given a 10-year jail sentence for his role in the plotA man has been handed a 10-year prison sentence for his role in a major cocaine supply plot.Andrew Bell's part in the conspiracy was exposed by police when a 1kg (2.2lb) block of the drug was delivered to his home in Penrith, Cumbria, in January.Carlisle Crown Court heard the "import-quality" drugs had been transported by 35-year-old courier Eyup Bayram from Bournmouth, Dorset, who was…

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