county news

Appeal after ‘shocking’ violence at railway station in Exeter

Appeal after ‘shocking’ violence at railway station in Exeter

A man in his 50s sustained multiple facial fractures following a serious assault at a Devon railway station. He was injured at Polsloe Bridge Station, in Exeter, on Thursday at about 23:40 BST.British Transport Police said a man got off a train and walked along the platform before jumping down onto the tracks. He then followed the victim up the stairs of the station and threw a glass bottle at him before a physical altercation took place. Det…

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‘Spooky tales’ and a ‘tiger’s new home’ in Bristol

‘Spooky tales’ and a ‘tiger’s new home’ in Bristol

Here is our weekly roundup of stories from across local websites in the West of England.We have a daily roundup as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app.Two police forces in the West of England have been told by government inspectors that it needs to make improvements. Both the Wiltshire Times and Bristol Live published the findings from reports into Wiltshire Police and Avon and…

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Buses replace trains as Mid Cornwall Metro enters final phase

Buses replace trains as Mid Cornwall Metro enters final phase

Train passengers are being reminded to plan ahead of the final phase of engineering work on a rail line.Network Rail said passengers travelling between Newquay and Par would be affected by the work on the Mid Cornwall Metro project between Monday and Friday next week.It said buses would replace trains from Newquay to St Austell, while passengers at Par were advised to take train to St Austell and change for buses towards Newquay.Trains would still run from Par…

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A new countryside site has opened at Wild Woodbury, Dorset

A new countryside site has opened at Wild Woodbury, Dorset

New greenspace has opened which offers a welcoming place for people to connect with nature while protecting the "important heathlands". The Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) has been funded through contributions from developers collected by Dorset Council.Created by Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) the site is part of Wild Woodbury, DWT's pioneering rewilding initiative covering 170 hectares and making it England's first large-scale community rewilding project.Councillor Nick Ireland said: "This is a brilliant example of how we can balance…

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Children help search for harvest mice nests in Devon

Children help search for harvest mice nests in Devon

PA MediaChildren have been taking part in a national survey recording harvest miceChildren have been taking part in a survey to record the number of harvest mice nests in the countryside.Pupils from Holbeton Primary School in Devon visited fields near Mothercombe beach to search for the nests of Britain's smallest rodents.Two of the students, Viola and Alice, described the nests as grass and hay in a "little ball" with a hole in the middle for the "harvest mice…

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‘Adorable’ endangered king colobus monkey born at Paignton Zoo

‘Adorable’ endangered king colobus monkey born at Paignton Zoo

A rare and endangered king colobus monkey has been born at a zoo.Paignton Zoo in Devon said the "adorable baby", believed to be a girl, was born on 22 October after her 14-year old mother, Lola, gave birth in the monkey heights exhibit.It said the species was classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the zoo was one of 13 facilities across the UK which housed the "incredibly rare" species.James Shora, mammals…

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Car fire on railway track at Brockenhurst disrupts train services

Car fire on railway track at Brockenhurst disrupts train services

A car fire on a railway track has disrupted train services.The vehicle was ablaze at Brockenhurst level crossing in the New Forest earlier.An elderly man made it safely out of the car before it was consumed by flames, according to posts on social media.South Western Railway said train services running through Dorset and Hampshire might be cancelled, delayed or revised until the end of the day.Posting on Facebook shortly after 16:00 GMT, Hampshire police said: "We are currently…

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Football match in aid of girl’s walking device

Football match in aid of girl’s walking device

Jasmine Ketibuah-FoleyBristolKirstyThe charity football match will help raise money for Edith who has TB-CK SyndromeA charity football match has been organised to raise money for a specialised device which helps a girl with a rare brain condition to stand.The free match, at Bristol Manor Farm in Shirehampton on Sunday, will feature former Bristol City and Bristol Rovers players and aims to fund a new Innowalk for 11-year-old Edith who has TB-CK Syndrome.She is unable to stand or walk…

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Torquay United boss Paul Wotton praises side despite Hornchurch defeat

Torquay United boss Paul Wotton praises side despite Hornchurch defeat

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton praised his side's performance despite being beaten 2-1 at home by National League South leaders Hornchurch.Callum Dolan gave the Gulls an 11th-minute lead from the penalty spot after the Gulls forward had been fouled in the box.But Hornchurch drew level through a Henry Hearn penalty nine minutes later before Angelo Balenta scored what proved to be the winner three minutes after the break.Torquay created a host of openings after going behind but could…

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Gavin Cattle: Cornish Pirates boss unhappy despite 34-27 Caldy win

Gavin Cattle: Cornish Pirates boss unhappy despite 34-27 Caldy win

Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle was unhappy with his side's performance despite a bonus-point win over Caldy.The Pirates ran out 34-27 winners to inflict a first defeat of the season on Caldy as they moved up to sixth in the Champ. "We've just got to be way better than that," Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall."That wasn't on the level we were last week or previous games where we've lost."Tom Sanders gave Caldy an early lead but Milo…

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Retired banker completes 200th marathon in 200 days

Retired banker completes 200th marathon in 200 days

BBCSteve James finished his 200th marathon in 200 days in Topsham, where he began the challenge in AprilA 66-year-old man has completed 200 marathons in 200 days around the British coastline.Retired banker Steve James travelled 5,240 miles (8433km) since setting off from Topsham, Devon in April, and returned there to finish his challenge on Saturday.Researchers at the University of Exeter monitored the impact on his body throughout the journey.Mr James said: "I haven't had a day off in…

Continue ReadingRetired banker completes 200th marathon in 200 days

66-year-old finishes 200th marathon in 200 days

A retired banker is now thought to be the first man over 60 to cover the entire coastline of mainland Britain on foot, after completing his 200th marathon in 200 days. Steve James, who celebrated his 66th birthday on the final leg of this journey, has spent the last seven months, completing the 5,240 miles along the British coast, finally ending this challenge in Topsham, Devon, where he began on 16 April. Steve, who lives and trained on…

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