county news

Prison ghost and Lofty the lifeguard

Prison ghost and Lofty the lifeguard

Leigh Boobyer,Bristol and Luke Knight,SomersetBBCShepton Mallet Prison dates back to 1625 and has some spooky stories throughout its historyFrom a haunted prison, to the ghost of the UK's oldest lido, Somerset has its fair share of paranormal tales. To time in with Halloween, fascinating and spooky stories from across the county are being explored in a BBC Sounds series produced by BBC Radio Somerset, called The Other Side.Scar 'bleeding quite badly'Shepton Mallet Prison is among the world's oldest,…

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Real Housewives of London star on growing up in the south

Real Housewives of London star on growing up in the south

Real Housewives of LondonAmanda Cronin is a former model and now skincare founder."Having a wholesome childhood in the countryside is a world apart from the Real Housewives of London."Amanda Cronin, a former model who founded her own skincare business, grew up in a country home in Hampshire and says she had an "idyllic" childhood in Hamble and Dorset.The 57-year-old, who now lives in Belgravia, is one of the breakout stars of the new Real Housewives television franchise in…

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Auction of bird studies for charity founded by artist

Auction of bird studies for charity founded by artist

A collection of avian art is being auctioned to benefit the wildlife charity that the artist helped to create.Lay's Auctioneers in Penzance is selling 80 scientific studies of birds by Valentine Paton with proceeds going to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) of which he and his botanist wife, Jean, were founding members.The auction house's art cataloguer Mark Pollard said the studies were "an important documentation of Cornwall's avian history from a man who has quietly done much to…

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Could desalination be the answer in the South West?

Could desalination be the answer in the South West?

Charlotte Cox and Robert Hall,Channel Islands InvestigationsBBCThe desalination plant in La Rosière, Corbière, Jersey, which cost £180,000 to run this summer, is due a major upgrade to increase capacity by 50%Our demand for water is on course to outstrip supply within 25 years, according to government forecasts. So is turning seawater into drinking water a solution for the South West?While some countries rely on the process known as desalination, the British Isles' only fully operational plants are in…

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Protests against proposed hospital job cuts in Cornwall

Protests against proposed hospital job cuts in Cornwall

Protests have taken place at three hospitals against proposed job cuts to save £49m. Rallies took place at Treliske Hospital in Truro, West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance and at St Michael's Hospital, Hayle, on Thursday. UNISON said it was meeting with Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) to discuss the cuts, which it said would likely result in 250 jobs being at risk, including 150 in admin.RCHT said it was looking at possible redeployment within its hospitals and across…

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Kent coroner given ‘limited information’ on fatal Egypt boat fire

Kent coroner given ‘limited information’ on fatal Egypt boat fire

Mohammed KaddahThe fire happened on 11 June 2023 in the Egyptian Red SeaAn inquest into the death of a British man who died in a boat fire off the coast of Egypt has received "limited information" about what caused the blaze, a coroner has said.Steven Hill, 73, from Ashford in Kent, died on a scuba vessel off the coast of Marsa Alam on 11 June 2023.He, and two other Britons, had chosen to stay in their rooms while…

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Millbrook funeral director accused of blocking burial

Millbrook funeral director accused of blocking burial

A former funeral director from Cornwall is set to appear in court accused of fraud and stopping a body from being buried.Jack Weekes, 32, of St Johns Road in Millbrook, has been summonsed to Bodmin Magistrates' Court on Friday. He faces two charges following a police investigation in 2024.Devon and Cornwall Police said the first charge relates to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body between 16 October and 4 December 2023.The second accuses Mr…

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Five teenagers arrested in Bideford fire murder probe

Five teenagers arrested in Bideford fire murder probe

Five children have been arrested as one person remains unaccounted for after a house fire, police have said.Four boys and a girl – all aged under 18 and from north Devon – have been held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following the blaze in Bideford.A murder investigation was launched following the fire at a terraced house in Honestone Street on Tuesday evening. A man remains unaccounted for, and his next-of-kin have been informed, police…

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Police appeal for witnesses after hit and run in Plymouth

Police appeal for witnesses after hit and run in Plymouth

A motorcyclist has suffered serious injuries in a hit and run in Plymouth.Police said the incident happened in Wolseley Road, Plymouth, near to Shirley's Fish and Chip shop, at about 18:00 GMT on Wednesday. A small red car struck the motorcycle and then left the scene, Devon and Cornwall police said.The rider of the motorcycle, who had suffered severe injuries, was treated by ambulance service personnel at the scene. Source link

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Teenagers’ convictions for killing Mikey Roynon quashed

Teenagers’ convictions for killing Mikey Roynon quashed

Christopher Maceat Bristol Crown CourtFamily handoutMikey Roynon, pictured with his mother Hayley, was stabbed to death at a house party in BathTwo teenagers who were found guilty of manslaughter after a boy was killed with a zombie knife at a house party have had their convictions overturned.Mikey Roynon, 16, was stabbed in the neck during a row in the garden of a house in Bath in June 2023. Leo Knight, now 18, and Cartel Bushnell, now 17, were…

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Three hurt after double-decker hits tree

Three hurt after double-decker hits tree

Three people have been hurt after a double-decker bus crashed into a tree.Avon and Somerset Police said officers were called to Monkton Heathfield, near Taunton in Somerset, at about 04:00 GMT after the bus left Monkton Heathfield Road.Three people in the vehicle needed medical attention and were removed by fire crews and paramedics, two of whom were taken to hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.Bus provider…

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Gary Caldwell: Exeter City boss hoping to take momentum into FA Cup

Gary Caldwell: Exeter City boss hoping to take momentum into FA Cup

Gary Caldwell hopes his Exeter City side can ride the momentum of their recent wins as they prepare for the FA Cup first round.The Grecians travel to non-league Halifax Town on Saturday having had an impressive win over Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle in League One and a comeback victory over Arsenal Under-21 in the Vertu Trophy.It was the first time this season that Exeter had earned back-to-back victories. "We've not managed to find that consistency in results this…

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