Motorcyclist airlifted after coast road crash near Abbotsbury

A motorcyclist has been seriously injured in a crash involving a bike and a car.It happened on the Dorset coast road, west of Abbotsbury, shortly after 12:30 GMT.The rider, a man in his 50s, was taken to hospital by air ambulance. His family has been informed.A woman in her 80s who was a passenger in the car was also taken to hospital but her injuries are not thought to be serious.The crash involved a red BMW motorcycle and…

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Wimborne homes evacuated and road closed after gas leak

Homes have been evacuated and a road closed following a gas leak.Two fire crews were called to Milton Road in Wimborne, Dorset, shortly before midday.A 60m exclusion zone was set up but was later drawn back to affected properties only, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said.Gas engineers attended to isolate the leak and fire crews declared an end to the incident shortly after 14:00 GMT.In a statement, Dorset Police said: "We received a report at 12:22 GMT from…

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Launceston properties evacuated after reports of gas leak

Buildings near an industrial estate have been evacuated after reports of a gas leak.A 500m cordon has been put in place around Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston, Cornwall, and the A30 has been closed in both directions.Buildings within 200m have been evacuated and people in buildings within the wider 500m cordon have been asked to stay inside and keep doors and windows shut.Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service are managing the incident with Devon & Cornwall Police assisting with road…

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Council joins calls against Portland incinerator permit changes

An application to burn more types of waste at a planned incinerator poses "unacceptable risks to public health", a council has said.Powerfuel Portland has permission to build an energy recovery facility at Portland Port, burning refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from domestic, commercial and industrial non-hazardous waste.A bid to vary its environmental permit to include dozens more waste types has attracted hundreds of objections - including from Dorset Council - about pollution, smells, traffic and vermin.Powerfuel Portland said the changes…

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Boardmasters hours and capacity remain unchanged for 2026

Boardmasters has told fans that its capacity, hours and site layout will remain unchanged in 2026.The music and surf festival, which will be held from 5 to 9 August at Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach in Newquay, will welcome 58,000 fans for headliners including Kasabian, Fatboy Slim and Loyle Carner.There are no proposed changes to festival times in 2026, but there has been a request for the main stage to run music acts until 23:00 BST on Thursdays…

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Cornwall dog Lulu finds forever home after 795 days in kennels

A rescue dog who has spent more than two years waiting for a family has finally found her happy ending, just in time for Christmas.Lulu, a nine-year-old crossbreed, has spent 795 days in kennels at RSPCA Cornwall and became a favourite with staff and volunteers. She has now been adopted by someone local to the branch, meaning she can still pop back to visit the team who cared for her.Lulu has already settled in and claimed her own…

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Recovery of hedgehog rescued in Devon ‘made our Christmas’

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestSouth West WaterSWW said Aquarius would spend Christmas snuggled up in his favourite Christmas hatA hedgehog which was rescued from a storm tank during a site investigation has recovered enough to be released in the new year. South West Water (SWW) said colleagues Joe Martin and George Cane discovered the hedgehog, which they named Aquarius, in November after the animal managed to climb the safety railing and get inside the empty tank at Blackawton, near Dartmouth,…

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Daniel Sams: Somerset sign Australia all-rounder for 2026 T20 Blast

Australia's Daniel Sams will join Somerset as one of their overseas players for the 2026 T20 Blast. The 33-year-old has played in all the major T20 competitions around the world including the Indian Premier League, Australia's Big Bash and the Caribbean Premier League. He has played 206 T20 matches in his career, taking 250 wickets at an average of 24.63 with a best of 5-30. The former Essex and Nottinghamshire player has also scored 2,170 runs with a…

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Somerset drug ringleader William Free gets more jail time

The ringleader of a gang has been given extra jail time for supplying drugs while he was being investigated by police for other crimes.William Free, formerly of Bossington Drive in Taunton, who is already serving an 11-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine, has been sentenced again for committing the same offence while he was released under investigation.The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) said Free, 30, had worked with gangs in the Midlands and Essex to…

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Truro City’s Wealdstone victory can give squad belief – John Askey

Truro City boss John Askey hopes his side's first league win in two months will give his squad belief.The Tinners beat Wealdstone 2-0 on Tuesday to end a six-game winless run in the league.Truro remain bottom of the table but cut the gap to safety to five points as they approach the midway point of the club's maiden fifth-tier campaign."I've been saying to him all season that there's nothing to fear in this league," Askey told BBC Radio…

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Devon hospital patients and staff to receive Christmas Day gift

John Acres,DevonandJulia Gregory,South WestTorbay and South Devon NHS CharityA charity which supports Torbay Hospital is hoping to give a present to every patient and staff member there on Christmas DayA Devon hospital is planning to ensure every patient and staff member there on Christmas Day will receive a gift.The Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity is appealing for money so it can buy presents for everyone at Torbay Hospital and five local community hospitals, including Brixham and Dawlish.Chief…

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