county news

Warning for wind and heavy rain in Devon and Cornwall

Warning for wind and heavy rain in Devon and Cornwall

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestMet OfficeA yellow weather warning for wind and rain has been issued for ThursdayHeavy rain and wind gusts up to 60mph (96.56 km/h) are forecast for the South West on Thursday with yellow weather warnings in place for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.The Met Office said the warning for wind would be in place from 04:00 BST to 18:00.The warning for rain is in place from 00:00 until 21:00 in Devon and Cornwall as…

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Crash closes A35 between Bridport and Dorchester

Crash closes A35 between Bridport and Dorchester

A crash has closed a stretch of a main Dorset route in both directions. The A35 is shut between the A37 Monkeys Jump Roundabout, near Dorchester, and the A3066 for Bridport following the crash overnight near Askerswell.National Highways said police were on the scene carrying out complex investigation work and that the road was expected to be closed for several hours.Traffic is being diverted onto the A37 and A356 with drivers urged to allow extra time, re-route or…

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Somerset’s housing target ‘astronomically’ high

Somerset’s housing target ‘astronomically’ high

Daniel MumbyLocal Democracy Reporter andCarys NallyBBC News, West of England Getty ImagesCouncil leaders say the target set by the government is none sensibleCouncil leaders have voiced concern that government-imposed housing targets are "astronomically" high and "not sensible". The Labour government increased local housing targets as part of its pledge to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament – with Somerset's target rising by 41%.Somerset Council is in the early stages of creating its new Local…

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Sarah Parish ‘would not be actor’ without Yeovil theatre

Sarah Parish ‘would not be actor’ without Yeovil theatre

Charlie TaylorSomerset andClara BullockSomersetGetty ImagesSarah Parish started her acting career in YeovilActor Sarah Parish, known for appearing in Cutting It and Doctor Who, said her career would not have been possible without Yeovil's Octagon Theatre.Earlier this month, Yeovil Town Councillors voted to borrow £3.3 million to redevelop the theatre and open it again, after being closed for more than two years.Parish grew up in the town and made her stage debut aged two in a panto and was…

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Police in Dorset to be helped by new mental health crisis line

Police in Dorset to be helped by new mental health crisis line

Rachel RussellSouth of EnglandListen: Chris Wood, chair of the Dorset Police Federation, said the new service will help officers "decompress from seeing traumatic incidents"A police chief has shared how "incredibly challenging" working in the force can be after recent figures showed 211 officers in Dorset were signed off last year.Chris Wood, chair of the Dorset Police Federation, said he has had to take time off for stress and also revealed his wife, a serving police officer, is currently…

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‘Fearsome’ WW2 King Tiger tank’s £1m restoration

‘Fearsome’ WW2 King Tiger tank’s £1m restoration

BBCThe King Tiger tank is the oldest in the world and needs to be fully rebuilt insideAn ambitious £1m plan to restore one of World War Two's most formidable tanks has been launched by a Dorset museum.The King Tiger tank has been in the collection at The Tank Museum, in Bovington, since the 1950s.But it was incomplete when it arrived, and was later stripped of its remaining parts during the 1980s to facilitate another restoration. The team at…

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Pair going from Devon to Africa in ‘Sheila the three-wheeler’

Pair going from Devon to Africa in ‘Sheila the three-wheeler’

BBCThe journey will raise money for School in a Bag charityTwo men are hoping to break a Guinness World Record by being the first to travel from Devon to Cape Town in a three-wheeled car.Oliver Jenks, 34, from Newton Abbot, and Seth Scott, 31, from Canada, said they would be setting off on the 10,000 mile (16,093km) journey to South Africa in their Reliant Robin over the next few days to raise money for Yeovil-based charity, School in…

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Spider mating season may mean increase in sightings

Spider mating season may mean increase in sightings

Autumn is spider season, with arachnids becoming adults and males starting looking for a mate. So spiders seen in homes could look bigger and people may spot more of them as males are more confident when trying to find a partner.Buglife Cornwall conservation officer Scott Martin said: "Usually the males have big palps [appendages near the mouth] to grab hold of a female and that's what looks quite scary. But, when you see a house spider, they're just…

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Plymouth homeless man given hope after charity feet care

Plymouth homeless man given hope after charity feet care

BBCSteve began having his feet treated fortnightly at Shekinah's free podiatry clinicA man who had been living in his car for four months has spoken about the life-changing support he received from a charity's foot clinic.Steve, who found himself homeless in July this year, was not only battling physical pain but also struggling mentally."When I first came to Forgotten Feet, I was homeless," Steve, from Plymouth, recalled. "My feet were in pain, I was struggling to walk, it…

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Plans for ‘educatering’ site with 100 jobs in east Devon refused

Plans for ‘educatering’ site with 100 jobs in east Devon refused

Miles DavisDevon political reporterBBCThe site near Lympstone would be used for growing food and educating children about where food comes fromPlans to create 100 jobs in a food business that would provide local products for school meals and educate children about food production have been turned down.The Goosemoor company wanted to build what it calls an "educatering" facility near Lympstone in east Devon, which it said would generate an estimated £15m for the local economy.The business is based…

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Reform elects new group leader on Cornwall Council

Reform elects new group leader on Cornwall Council

The Reform UK group on Cornwall Council has elected its new leader after its former one unexpectedly resigned.Councillor Paul Ashton, who represents St Austell Poltair and Mount Charles, won a vote of the party's councillors.He succeeded councillor Rob Parsonage who stood down last week from the position he had held since May's local elections.Reform won 28 seats on the authority but failed to take control after it was unable to agree a coalition deal with any of the…

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Chard mental health champion recieves British Empire Medal

Chard mental health champion recieves British Empire Medal

The Lord-Lieutenant of SomersetJulie Matthews was given her medal for services to mental health in SomersetA mental health practictioner who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) said the ceremony made her feel "remarkable".Julie Matthews, 66, runs Chard Watch, a organisation helping people with mental health difficulties in the town.Julie was among a number of Somerset residents who recieved the award from the Lord-Lieutenant at The Newt estate.She said it made her feel like she had left her…

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