county news

Newquay pupils help recycle dumped polystyrene bodyboards

Newquay pupils help recycle dumped polystyrene bodyboards

Heidi Davey,Cornwall and Zhara Simpson,South WestBBCKarl Fice-Thomson, who explores rockpools, said he was finding little polystyrene balls "absolutely everywhere"School pupils have helped deconstruct dozens of the discarded and broken polystyrene bodyboards for them to be safely recycled. More than 40 children at Newquay Junior Academy and volunteers took part in the workshop called Bodyboard Breakdown.Karl Fice-Thomson, who runs rockpool tours, said about 17,000 bodyboards had been collected from beaches in Newquay in 2024."When I'm shining my UV torch…

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Two more charged after Watchet drugs seizure

Two more charged after Watchet drugs seizure

Two more men have been charged in relation to a drugs seizure in a coastal town.About 322 kilos (710 lbs) of cocaine, worth an estimated £26.5m, were found by National Crime Agency officers in the early hours of the 31 July in Watchet, Somerset.Colin Benson, 59, and Joshua Rose, 38 - both from Longton in Preston - were arrested on Tuesday by National Crime Agency officers.They appeared at Taunton Magistrates Court earlier charged with importing class A drugs,…

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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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Portland incinerator set to go ahead after court decision

Portland incinerator set to go ahead after court decision

Stephen StaffordSouth of EnglandStop Portland Waste IncineratorCampaigners had taken the case to the Court of Appeal after losing a High Court decision in MarchA planned waste incinerator near Dorset's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is set to go ahead following a Court of Appeal decision.The application for the facility at Portland Port was given the go-ahead by the government in September 2024, despite initially being refused by Dorset Council.The court rejected a legal challenge by the Stop Portland…

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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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Paramedic ‘worried about safety’ in killer’s house in Somerset

Paramedic ‘worried about safety’ in killer’s house in Somerset

Family handoutPaul Wells was killed by his neighbour in Highbridge, Somerset, in 2020A paramedic was concerned about his colleague's safety during a visit to the house of a man who went on to kill his neighbour the same day, an inquest has heard.Richard Matthews, who had severe mental health problems, admitted fatally stabbing his neighbour Paul Wells in Highbridge, Somerset, on 25 June 2020.Andrew Richardson, an operational officer at South Western Ambulance Service, told the inquest that he…

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Somerset man jailed for eight years after raping teenager

Somerset man jailed for eight years after raping teenager

Carys NallyWest of EnglandAvon and Somerset PoliceSam Jones was convicted of three counts of rape against his victimA man has been jailed for eight years after he raped a teenager in a hotel room.Sam Jones, 32, was jailed on Friday at Bristol Crown Court after he was found guilty following a trial in September.Jones, who lived at Preston Road in Yeovil at the time of the offences, was sentenced concurrently for three counts of rape and one count…

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Cycle centre closes at Lanhydrock in Cornwall

Cycle centre closes at Lanhydrock in Cornwall

A cycle centre at a National Trust site has shut after it was deemed no longer financially viable to operate.The centre at Lanhydrock offered a range of bikes for various ages and abilities.However, National Trust said it must make "careful decisions" about where and how it spends its money.Trails at the site remain open and the charity encouraged visitors to get out in nature and explore the history of Lanhydrock all year round. Source link

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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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